Latest news with #Taiwan-China
New Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Taiwan's Lai tied up by political chaos after year in office
TAIWANESE President Lai Ching-te promised to stand up to China and defend democracy when he took office in 2024. A year on, domestic political turmoil has engulfed the island, stymieing his agenda as it faces Chinese military pressure. Self-ruled Taiwan is known for its rough and tumble politics, but analysts say the current dysfunction is distracting lawmakers and eroding public confidence – to the benefit of Beijing. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. "The only beneficiary of a divided, fractured Taiwan that is incapable of addressing its own long-term requirements and vulnerabilities is China," said Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution. Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, was elected in January 2024 with 40 per cent of the vote, but his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in parliament. The main opposition Kuomintang party (KMT), which has friendly ties with China, has teamed up with the Taiwan People's Party to challenge the government's policies, including slashing the general budget. Tensions have escalated into physical fights inside parliament and thousands of supporters of the DPP and opposition parties holding rival street protests. The KMT has called Lai a "dictator" and accused him of pushing Taiwan closer to war with China, while the DPP suggests the KMT is a tool of Beijing and is undermining Taiwan's security. The political atmosphere is "poisonous", said Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwan-China affairs expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The parties "spend a lot of their time thinking about how to weaken support and damage the reputation and the image of their political adversaries", Glaser said. "There's no bipartisanship or ability to come together on issues," such as low wages and power shortages. Lai, who marks his first year in office on Tuesday, has seen his approval rating fall to 45.9 percent from 58 per cent nearly a year ago, according to a survey by Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in April. His disapproval rating rose to 45.7 per cent – the highest since he took office – which the polling group linked to the Lai government's handling of US tariffs on Taiwan and the DPP's unprecedented recall campaign targeting the opposition. DPP supporters are seeking to unseat around 30 KMT lawmakers through a legal process that allows legislators to be removed before the end of their term. While the threshold for a successful recall is high, the DPP only needs to win six seats to wrest back control of parliament. A rival campaign to unseat 15 DPP members has been embroiled in controversy after KMT staffers were accused of forging the signatures of dead people. The KMT has also threatened to recall Lai. "It feels like it's a negative sum game where all sides are going to come out looking a bit tarnished. The Taiwan political system is going to look a bit more frayed," said Hass. Despite the turmoil, Lai has chalked up some domestic successes since taking office, said David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Among them, raising public awareness about the Chinese threat to Taiwan, and pledging to increase the island's defence budget to more than three per cent of GDP. But foreign affairs have been more fraught with "a lot of uncertainty" under US President Donald Trump over Washington's policy towards Taiwan, China and the region, Sacks said. While China has already decided that "Lai was not somebody that they wanted to work with", he said. Analysts said the ongoing hostility between the DPP and KMT was eroding public confidence in Taiwan's political institutions, bolstering Beijing's narrative that Taiwanese people would be better off as part of China. Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, deploying fighter jets and warships on a near daily basis and staging several large-scale drills around the island since Lai took office. Taiwan accuses China of also using espionage, cyberattacks and disinformation to weaken its defences. Lai branded China a "foreign hostile force" in March, angering Beijing and drawing criticism from the KMT for being a "troublemaker." "The more divided and dysfunctional Taiwan looks within, the easier it is for Beijing to make its case directly to the people of Taiwan," Hass said. There could be a silver lining to the chaos if Beijing sees less urgency for military action against Taiwan, said Chen Fang-yu, assistant professor of political science at Soochow University in Taipei. "All of the efforts by China is working for the opposition parties," said Chen, pointing to their success in district elections. "They believe that someday people will be tired of seeing the DPP government because the DPP has been there for three terms," Chen said. "For now, maybe China can wait."
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Taiwan's Lai tied up by political chaos after year in office
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (Image: ANI) Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te promised to stand up to China and defend democracy when he took office in 2024. A year on, domestic political turmoil has engulfed the island, stymieing his agenda as it faces Chinese military pressure. Self-ruled Taiwan is known for its rough and tumble politics, but analysts say the current dysfunction is distracting lawmakers and eroding public confidence -- to the benefit of Beijing. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. "The only beneficiary of a divided, fractured Taiwan that is incapable of addressing its own long-term requirements and vulnerabilities is China," said Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution. Lai , a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, was elected in January 2024 with 40 per cent of the vote, but his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in parliament. The main opposition Kuomintang party (KMT), which has friendly ties with China, has teamed up with the Taiwan People's Party to challenge the government's policies, including slashing the general budget. Tensions have escalated into physical fights inside parliament and thousands of supporters of the DPP and opposition parties holding rival street protests. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sarah Ferguson breaks her silence about Prince Andrew Cleverst Undo The KMT has called Lai a "dictator" and accused him of pushing Taiwan closer to war with China, while the DPP suggests the KMT is a tool of Beijing and is undermining Taiwan's security. The political atmosphere is "poisonous", said Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwan-China affairs expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The parties "spend a lot of their time thinking about how to weaken support and damage the reputation and the image of their political adversaries", Glaser said. "There's no bipartisanship or ability to come together on issues," such as low wages and power shortages. Falling approval: Lai, who marks his first year in office on Tuesday, has seen his approval rating fall to 45.9 per cent from 58 per cent nearly a year ago, according to a survey by Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in April. His disapproval rating rose to 45.7 per cent -- the highest since he took office -- which the polling group linked to the Lai government's handling of US tariffs on Taiwan and the DPP's unprecedented recall campaign targeting the opposition. DPP supporters are seeking to unseat around 30 KMT lawmakers through a legal process that allows legislators to be removed before the end of their term. While the threshold for a successful recall is high, the DPP only needs to win six seats to wrest back control of parliament. A rival campaign to unseat 15 DPP members has been embroiled in controversy after KMT staffers were accused of forging the signatures of dead people. The KMT has also threatened to recall Lai. "It feels like it's a negative sum game where all sides are going to come out looking a bit tarnished. The Taiwan political system is going to look a bit more frayed," said Hass. Despite the turmoil, Lai has chalked up some domestic successes since taking office, said David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Among them, raising public awareness about the Chinese threat to Taiwan, and pledging to increase the island's defence budget to more than three percent of GDP. But foreign affairs have been more fraught with "a lot of uncertainty" under US President Donald Trump over Washington's policy towards Taiwan, China and the region, Sacks said. While China has already decided that "Lai was not somebody that they wanted to work with", he said. Silver lining: Analysts said the ongoing hostility between the DPP and KMT was eroding public confidence in Taiwan's political institutions, bolstering Beijing's narrative that Taiwanese people would be better off as part of China. Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, deploying fighter jets and warships on a near daily basis and staging several large-scale drills around the island since Lai took office. Taiwan accuses China of also using espionage, cyberattacks and disinformation to weaken its defences. Lai branded China a "foreign hostile force" in March, angering Beijing and drawing criticism from the KMT for being a "troublemaker". "The more divided and dysfunctional Taiwan looks within, the easier it is for Beijing to make its case directly to the people of Taiwan," Hass said. There could be a silver lining to the chaos if Beijing sees less urgency for military action against Taiwan, said Chen Fang-yu, assistant professor of political science at Soochow University in Taipei. "All of the efforts by China is working for the opposition parties," said Chen, pointing to their success in district elections. "They believe that someday people will be tired of seeing the DPP government because the DPP has been there for three terms," Chen said. "For now, maybe China can wait."
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Taiwan's Lai tied up by political chaos after year in office
Mr Lai, who marks his first year in office on May 20, has seen his approval rating fall to 45.9 per cent from 58 per cent nearly a year ago. PHOTO: AFP Taiwan's Lai tied up by political chaos after year in office TAIPEI - Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te promised to stand up to China and defend democracy when he took office in 2024. A year on, domestic political turmoil has engulfed the island, stymieing his agenda as it faces Chinese military pressure. Self-ruled Taiwan is known for its rough and tumble politics, but analysts say the current dysfunction is distracting lawmakers and eroding public confidence – to the benefit of Beijing. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. 'The only beneficiary of a divided, fractured Taiwan that is incapable of addressing its own long-term requirements and vulnerabilities is China,' said Mr Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution. Mr Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, was elected in January 2024 with 40 per cent of the vote, but his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in Parliament. The main opposition Kuomintang party (KMT), which has friendly ties with China, has teamed up with the Taiwan People's Party to challenge the government's policies, including slashing the general budget. Tensions have escalated into physical fights inside Parliament and thousands of supporters of the DPP and opposition parties holding rival street protests. The KMT has called Mr Lai a 'dictator' and accused him of pushing Taiwan closer to war with China, while the DPP suggests the KMT is a tool of Beijing and is undermining Taiwan's security. The political atmosphere is 'poisonous', said Ms Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwan-China affairs expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The parties 'spend a lot of their time thinking about how to weaken support and damage the reputation and the image of their political adversaries', Ms Glaser said. 'There's no bipartisanship or ability to come together on issues,' such as low wages and power shortages. Falling approval Mr Lai, who marks his first year in office on May 20, has seen his approval rating fall to 45.9 per cent from 58 per cent nearly a year ago, according to a survey by Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in April. His disapproval rating rose to 45.7 per cent – the highest since he took office – which the polling group linked to the Lai government's handling of US tariffs on Taiwan and the DPP's unprecedented recall campaign targeting the opposition. DPP supporters are seeking to unseat around 30 KMT lawmakers through a legal process that allows legislators to be removed before the end of their term. While the threshold for a successful recall is high, the DPP only needs to win six seats to wrest back control of parliament. A rival campaign to unseat 15 DPP members has been embroiled in controversy after KMT staffers were accused of forging the signatures of dead people. The KMT has also threatened to recall Mr Lai. 'It feels like it's a negative sum game where all sides are going to come out looking a bit tarnished. The Taiwan political system is going to look a bit more frayed,' said Mr Hass. Despite the turmoil, Mr Lai has chalked up some domestic successes since taking office, said Mr David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Among them, raising public awareness about the Chinese threat to Taiwan, and pledging to increase the island's defence budget to more than three per cent of GDP. But foreign affairs have been more fraught with 'a lot of uncertainty' under US President Donald Trump over Washington's policy towards Taiwan, China and the region, Mr Sacks said. While China has already decided that 'Lai was not somebody that they wanted to work with', he said. Silver lining Analysts said the ongoing hostility between the DPP and KMT was eroding public confidence in Taiwan's political institutions, bolstering Beijing's narrative that Taiwanese people would be better off as part of China. Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, deploying fighter jets and warships on a near daily basis and staging several large-scale drills around the island since Mr Lai took office. Taiwan accuses China of also using espionage, cyberattacks and disinformation to weaken its defences. Mr Lai branded China a 'foreign hostile force' in March, angering Beijing and drawing criticism from the KMT for being a 'troublemaker'. 'The more divided and dysfunctional Taiwan looks within, the easier it is for Beijing to make its case directly to the people of Taiwan,' Mr Hass said. There could be a silver lining to the chaos if Beijing sees less urgency for military action against Taiwan, said Assistant Professor Chen Fang-yu, a political science expert at Soochow University in Taipei. 'All of the efforts by China is working for the opposition parties,' said Asst Prof Chen, pointing to their success in district elections. 'They believe that someday people will be tired of seeing the DPP government because the DPP has been there for three terms,' Asst Prof Chen said. 'For now, maybe China can wait.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
中国軍が東シナ海で実弾射撃訓練、空母も参加 台湾に圧力
[北京/台北 ２日 ロイター] - 中国軍は２日、東シナ海で長距離実弾射撃演習を実施し、港湾やエネルギー施設に対する精密攻撃の訓練を行ったと発表した。台湾周辺で行っている軍事演習をエスカレートさせた。 中国軍は１日、台湾周辺で陸海軍とロケット部隊の合同演習を開始したと発表。演習は「台湾独立に対する厳しい警告と強力な抑止力になる」として、台湾の頼清徳総統を「寄生虫」と呼んだ。中国海事局は１日夜、軍事演習のため、浙江省北部沖の海域を３日夜まで航行禁止区域に設定したと発表していた。航行禁止区域は台湾から５００キロ以上離れており、台湾の高官によると、台湾の「対応区域」外にある。 もっと見る 人民解放軍東部戦区司令部は２日、「海峡の雷─２０２５Ａ」演習の一環として、地上部隊が東シナ海の海域に向けて長距離実弾射撃演習を実施したと発表。「重要な港湾やエネルギー施設を模した標的に精密攻撃を行い、期待通りの効果を達成した」と表明した。空母「山東」が海軍と空軍の統合作戦と「多次元の封鎖と制御」に焦点を当てた演習に参加したと明らかにした。 実弾射撃訓練の映像として公開した動画では、ロケットが発射され陸上の標的に命中する様子や、台湾軍の基地や港湾がある台南、花蓮、台中などの上空で爆発が起こるアニメーションが映し出されていた。 台湾の安全保障当局高官はロイターに、２日午前に１０隻以上の中国軍艦船が台湾の対応域内にあり、中国沿岸警備隊も訓練に参加していると語った。 台湾国防部（国防省）は２日午前、過去２４時間に台湾周辺で中国軍機７６機と軍艦艇１５隻の活動を確認したと発表した。 台湾で対中政策を担う大陸委員会の邱垂正・主任委員は、中国訪問のリスクが高まっているとし、香港やマカオを含め中国への旅行が必要か慎重に判断すべきだと述べた。米国はこの演習を非難し、日本と欧州連合（ＥＵ）も懸念を表明している。 私たちの行動規範： トムソン・ロイター「信頼の原則」, opens new tab Joe Cash トムソン・ロイター Joe Cash reports on China's economic affairs, covering domestic fiscal and monetary policy, key economic indicators, trade relations, and China's growing engagement with developing countries. Before joining Reuters, he worked on UK and EU trade policy across the Asia-Pacific region. Joe studied Chinese at the University of Oxford and is a Mandarin speaker. Yimou Lee トムソン・ロイター Yimou Lee is a Senior Correspondent for Reuters covering everything from Taiwan, including sensitive Taiwan-China relations, China's military aggression and Taiwan's key role as a global semiconductor powerhouse. A three-time SOPA award winner, his reporting from Hong Kong, China, Myanmar and Taiwan over the past decade includes Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, Hong Kong protests and Taiwan's battle against China's multifront campaigns to absorb the island. Ben Blanchard トムソン・ロイター Ben joined Reuters as a company news reporter in Shanghai in 2003 before moving to Beijing in 2005 to cover Chinese politics and diplomacy. In 2019 Ben was appointed the Taiwan bureau chief covering everything from elections and entertainment to semiconductors.
Reuters
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
中国、台湾との「統一」断固として推進へ＝首相
[５日 ロイター] - 中国の李強首相は５日、台湾との「統一」に向けた取り組みを断固として推進し、中華民族の復興を実現するために台湾の一般市民と協力すると表明した。 中国は台湾を自国の領土と見なし、台湾に対する軍事的圧力を強めている。 李氏はこの日開幕した全国人民代表大会（全人代、国会に相当）の政府活動報告で、「われわれは中国の統一を断固として推進し、台湾の同胞と協力して中華民族の復興という輝かしい大義を実現する」と述べた。 李氏は昨年の報告でも、台湾との統一を呼びかけたが、今年は「断固とした」態度で臨む意向を強調し、これまでの報告で使われていた「平和的」という表現を削除した。 台湾独立を推進する分離主義的な活動に「断固として反対する」と述べた。 民族復興で「台湾の同胞」と協力するという表現は昨年の報告にはなかった。 中米間の地政学的な緊張が高まり、トランプ米大統領が関税などを通じて中国への圧力を強める中、中国は台湾問題で「外部からの干渉」に反対すると表明。また、「覇権主義や強権政治に反対し、あらゆる形態の一方的な行動や保護主義に反対する」平和外交にコミットしているとした。 台湾で対中国政策を担当する大陸委員会のコメントは得られていない。 私たちの行動規範： トムソン・ロイター「信頼の原則」, opens new tab James Pomfret トムソン・ロイター James Pomfret is a Special Correspondent for Reuters covering politics and policy in Asia, with a specialization on China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. A two-time Pulitzer finalist, his multimedia career has spanned print, radio, TV and photography. His reporting includes "The Revolt of Hong Kong" - an investigative series he helped lead that was a Pulitzer finalist for International Reporting in 2020, and a series on China's weaponization of the rule of law against its critics that won a 2023 SOPA award. Yimou Lee トムソン・ロイター Yimou Lee is a Senior Correspondent for Reuters covering everything from Taiwan, including sensitive Taiwan-China relations, China's military aggression and Taiwan's key role as a global semiconductor powerhouse. A three-time SOPA award winner, his reporting from Hong Kong, China, Myanmar and Taiwan over the past decade includes Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, Hong Kong protests and Taiwan's battle against China's multifront campaigns to absorb the island.
