Latest news with #pro-Taiwan
Newsweek
11 hours ago
- Business
- Newsweek
China Watchers React As Trump Caves to Beijing on Key Issue
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Trump administration's alleged decision to block Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te from making a stopover in New York has drawn criticism from policy experts, with some saying it marks a clear concession to Beijing during sensitive U.S.-China trade talks. Citing three sources familiar with the matter, British newspaper Financial Times wrote Monday that Trump administration officials refused Lai transit through New York en route to diplomatic allies in Central America. Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. outside of office hours via email requests for comment. Why It Matters Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has repeatedly objected to any U.S. engagement with Taiwanese officials. The United States maintains unofficial ties with Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, but has traditionally tried to balance its support for the island with efforts to avoid provoking Beijing. Taiwanese presidents, including Lai and his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, have in the past made stops in the U.S., during which they met with pro-Taiwan officials, en route to diplomatic visits in the Americas. Trump's alleged decision may signal a willingness to forgo precedent in favor of smoothing talks with Beijing. What To Know Analysts warn that treating Taiwan as a flexible bargaining chip, rather than a fixed American commitment, risks undermining the island's security and international standing. Ely Ratner, a former Pentagon official under the Biden administration, wrote on X: "Extraordinary mismanagement of the Taiwan relationship." Aaron Astor, a professor of history at Maryville College, also voiced concern on the platform: "I was told the Trump Administration was going to confront the People's Republic of China and not … deny Taiwan's president the right to pass through the US." "Please tell me this is fake news or a simple screwup and is not Trump yielding to Xi for a trade deal," Astor added. File photo: Lai Ching-te delivers his inaugural speech at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei on May 20, 2024. File photo: Lai Ching-te delivers his inaugural speech at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei on May 20, 2024. AFP via Getty Images What People Are Saying Nancy Pelosi, member of Congress (CA-11) and former House speaker, called the move a "victory for Xi." "Donald Trump's decision to deny permission for President Lai to visit New York sends a dangerous signal: that the United States can be bullied by Beijing into silence on Taiwan," Pelosi wrote on X. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, was quoted in the Financial Times report: "By signaling that aspects of the U.S. relationship with Taiwan are negotiable, Trump will weaken deterrence and embolden Xi to press for additional concessions regarding Taiwan." Ryan Fedasiuk, adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Security Studies Program, wrote on X: "Many long-standing China hands are too polite to say it, so I will: In a normal world it would be inconceivable that the United States would accede to Beijing's demand to pull down a routine transit by Taiwan's President." Fedasiuk added that the decision highlights serious problems in U.S. policy toward China, saying that it came on the heels of the administration's move to relax export controls on advanced chips to the U.S. ally. What Happens Next Hsiao Kuang-wei, Taiwan's foreign ministry spokesperson, told Newsweek that there was "no such thing as a postponement, cancellation, or the U.S. side refusing a transit stop." "As in the past, once the itinerary for a presidential trip is finalized, the Presidential Office will announce and explain it to the public in due course," the official said. Asked during Tuesday's Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference whether Beijing had contacted the U.S. about Lai's prospective transit, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China firmly opposes any form of official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan.
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Taiwan move to recall opposition lawmakers fails, Asia News
TAIPEI - Taiwan opposition lawmakers survived a major recall election on Saturday (July 26), thwarting a bid to oust one-fifth of the island's parliamentarians - a move supporters had hoped would send a message to China but that opponents called an assault on democracy. All recall votes against 24 lawmakers from the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, were rejected, according to live vote counts by Taiwanese media. The voting followed a campaign begun by civic groups. The election result is a blow to President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party, which has missed an opportunity to reshape the Taiwan legislature and regain its majority. The government said the island's largest-ever recall vote had faced "unprecedented" election interference by China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own - a claim Taiwan rejects. While Lai won last year's presidential election, the DPP lost its legislative majority. The opposition has flexed its muscles since then to pass laws the government has opposed and impose budget cuts, complicating efforts to boost defence spending in particular. KMT Chairman Eric Chu thanked Taiwan's voters and called for Lai to apologise and reflect on his own governance. "One should not lose the elections and then call for malicious recalls. One should not seek one-party dominance and destroy democracy," he told a press briefing in Taipei. "Most importantly, the people of Taiwan chose stability and chose a government that gets things done, rather than political infighting." The political drama comes as China ramps up a military and diplomatic pressure campaign against Taiwan to assert its territorial claims. Lai has offered talks with Beijing many times but been rebuffed. It calls him a "separatist". The heated recall campaign has been closely watched by China, whose Taiwan Affairs Office and state media have repeatedly commented on the vote and used some of the same talking points as the KMT to lambaste Lai, Reuters reported last week. The Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement on Sunday that the voting results show that "the DPP's political manipulation is completely contrary to the people's will and is unpopular". Taipei said on Wednesday that Beijing was "clearly" trying to interfere in its democracy and it was up to Taiwan's people to decide who should be removed from or stay in office. [[nid:720531]] Wu Szu-yao, secretary general of the DPP's legislative caucus, said the party respected the voters' decision with pleasure, adding that the result would only strengthen the DPP's "anti-communist and pro-Taiwan" stance. "This time we saw China was trying everything it could to intervene," she told reporters at party headquarters in Taipei, pointing to Chinese military pressure and a disinformation campaign. "We must be more vigilant against their possible malicious intentions toward Taiwan." The groups seeking the recalls said theirs was an "anti-communist" movement, accusing the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT rejects the accusations, denouncing Lai's "dictatorship" and "green terror" - referring to the DPP's party colour. The KMT campaigned against what it called a "malicious" recall that failed to respect the result of last year's parliamentary election, saying they have simply been keeping lines of communication open with Beijing and exercising legitimate oversight of Lai's government. Recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers will be held on Aug 23.
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Taiwan Move to Recall Opposition Lawmakers Fails
TAIPEI, July 27 (Reuters) – Taiwan opposition lawmakers survived a major recall election on Saturday, thwarting a bid to oust one-fifth of the island's parliamentarians – a move supporters had hoped would send a message to China but that opponents called an assault on democracy. All recall votes against 24 lawmakers from the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, were rejected, according to live vote counts by Taiwanese media. The voting followed a campaign begun by civic groups. The election result is a blow to President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party, which has missed an opportunity to reshape the Taiwan legislature and regain its majority. The government said the island's largest-ever recall vote had faced 'unprecedented' election interference by China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own – a claim Taiwan rejects. While Lai won last year's presidential election, the DPP lost its legislative majority. The opposition has flexed its muscles since then to pass laws the government has opposed and impose budget cuts, complicating efforts to boost defence spending in particular. KMT Chairman Eric Chu thanked Taiwan's voters and called for Lai to apologise and reflect on his own governance. 'One should not lose the elections and then call for malicious recalls. One should not seek one-party dominance and destroy democracy,' he told a press briefing in Taipei. 'Most importantly, the people of Taiwan chose stability and chose a government that gets things done, rather than political infighting.' The political drama comes as China ramps up a military and diplomatic pressure campaign against Taiwan to assert its territorial claims. Lai has offered talks with Beijing many times but been rebuffed. It calls him a 'separatist'. The heated recall campaign has been closely watched by China, whose Taiwan Affairs Office and state media have repeatedly commented on the vote and used some of the same talking points as the KMT to lambaste Lai, Reuters reported last week. The Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement on Sunday that the voting results show that 'the DPP's political manipulation is completely contrary to the people's will and is unpopular'. Taipei said on Wednesday that Beijing was 'clearly' trying to interfere in its democracy and it was up to Taiwan's people to decide who should be removed from or stay in office. Wu Szu-yao, secretary general of the DPP's legislative caucus, said the party respected the voters' decision with pleasure, adding that the result would only strengthen the DPP's 'anti-communist and pro-Taiwan' stance. 'This time we saw China was trying everything it could to intervene,' she told reporters at party headquarters in Taipei, pointing to Chinese military pressure and a disinformation campaign. 'We must be more vigilant against their possible malicious intentions toward Taiwan.' The groups seeking the recalls said theirs was an 'anti-communist' movement, accusing the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT rejects the accusations, denouncing Lai's 'dictatorship' and 'green terror' – referring to the DPP's party colour. The KMT campaigned against what it called a 'malicious' recall that failed to respect the result of last year's parliamentary election, saying they have simply been keeping lines of communication open with Beijing and exercising legitimate oversight of Lai's government. Recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers will be held on August 23.
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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Taiwan opposition survives recall vote, delivering blow to President Lai's DPP
Opposition legislators in Taiwan overwhelmingly survived a major recall campaign on Saturday, in a result viewed as a public rebuke to President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party. While the DPP claimed China interfered in the vote, all 24 Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers targeted in the effort retained their seats. read more A voter leaves a booth during voting for the recall election at a polling station in Taipei. AFP On Saturday, opposition legislators in Taiwan survived a massive recall poll, defeating a drive to remove one-fifth of the island's MPs - a move supporters believed would send a message to China but opponents called an attack on democracy. According to Taiwanese media's live vote counts, all recall votes against 24 MPs from the major opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), were rejected. Civic groups launched a campaign that culminated in voting. The election results would be a setback for President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party, which squandered an opportunity to restructure Taiwan's legislature and reclaim its majority. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The government said the island's largest-ever recall vote had faced 'unprecedented' election interference by China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own - a claim Taiwan rejects. While Lai won last year's presidential election, the DPP lost its legislative majority. The opposition has flexed its muscles since then to pass laws the government has opposed and impose budget cuts, complicating efforts to boost defence spending in particular. KMT Chairman Eric Chu thanked Taiwan's voters and called for Lai to apologise and reflect on his own governance. 'One should not lose the elections and then call for malicious recalls. One should not seek for one-party dominance and destroy democracy,' he told a press briefing in Taipei. 'Most importantly, the people of Taiwan chose stability and chose a government that gets things done, rather than political infighting.' The political drama comes as China ramps up a military and diplomatic pressure campaign against Taiwan to assert the territorial claims that Lai and his government reject. Lai has offered talks with Beijing many times but been rebuffed. It calls him a 'separatist'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The heated recall campaign has been closely watched by China, whose Taiwan Affairs Office and state media have repeatedly commented on the vote and used some of the same talking points as the KMT to lambast Lai, Reuters reported this week. Taipei this week said Beijing was 'clearly' trying to interfere in its democracy and it was up to Taiwan's people to decide who should be removed from or stay in office. Wu Szu-yao, secretary general of the DPP's legislative caucus, said the party respected the voters' decision with pleasure, adding that the result would only strengthen the DPP's 'anti-communist and pro-Taiwan' stance. 'This time we saw China was trying everything it could to intervene,' she told reporters at party headquarters in Taipei, pointing to Chinese military pressure and a disinformation campaign. 'We must be more vigilant against their possible malicious intentions toward Taiwan.' The groups seeking the recalls have said theirs is an 'anti-communist' movement, accusing the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT rejects the accusations, denouncing Lai's 'dictatorship' and 'green terror' - referring to the DPP's party colour. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The KMT campaigned against what it called a 'malicious' recall that failed to respect the result of last year's parliamentary election, saying they have simply been keeping lines of communication open with Beijing and exercising legitimate oversight of Lai's government. Recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers will be held on August 23.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Attempt to unseat 24 ‘pro-China' opposition politicians in Taiwan fails
An unprecedented attempt in Taiwan to unseat 24 'pro-China' opposition politicians and give a parliamentary majority to the ruling party has failed, with voters in every seat rejecting the notion. Polls opened on Saturday morning for the first 24 of 31 targeted electorates, with voters asked to agree or disagree with a proposal to recall the local legislator and hold a byelection. Polls closed at 4pm local time and by 7pm the central election commission said all had failed to pass, reported CNA, the government media outlet. Under the recall laws, for a seat to be vacated the number of voters in favour must be at least 25% of the electorate and outnumber the votes against. All 24 seats, as well as seven yet to hold a recall vote, are held by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which along with a smaller party has controlled the majority of Taiwan's parliament since the election last year, when Lai Ching-te won the presidency for the Democratic Progressive party (DPP), a pro-sovereignty party that has vowed to push back against China's aggression. The opposition allies have used their votes to block DPP bills including defence budgets, freeze constitutional court appointments, and propose bills that critics said would weaken Taiwan's defences. The obstructions led to mass protests from which the recall movement was born. The KMT are likely to be emboldened by their resounding victory on Saturday. A flipping of just six KMT seats in Taiwan's 113-seat legislature could have freed up president Lai Ching-te and the DPP's agenda, but would also very likely draw increased hostility from China's ruling Communist party, which despises Lai and his party, considering them 'separatists' for opposing its plan to annex Taiwan. Seven seats are still to vote on their recall motions in coming weeks, but Saturday's losses will put the pressure on the campaigners to get six to vote 'agree'. On Saturday night, Lai urged people to accept the results of the vote, saying it was 'not a victory for one party, nor a defeat for the other', but a demonstration of democracy. 'After today, we still have many challenges, but we must prove to the world that Taiwan is a country that is capable of resolving internal disputes with a constitutional system, and is also a country that can unite each other with a democratic spirit after competition,' he said. The KMT praised the result as a decisive rejection of DPP efforts to 'overturn' an election. It also urged people not to see it 'as a signal on cross-Strait or foreign policy, nor should it be interpreted through the lens of 'pro-China' or 'pro-Taiwan' alignment'. 'We stand with the people of Taiwan in their call for stability, competence and inclusive governance,' it said. William Yang, a senior north-east Asia analyst for the International Crisis Group, said the recall campaign had deepened divisions in Taiwan. 'All sides, including all political parties in Taiwan, will need to seriously reflect on the process of this recall campaign and think about how they may be able to find common ground on issues that are key to Taiwan's security and prosperity,' he said. Yang said it also raised questions about the DPP using the threat posed by China in election campaigning, 'at least at a local level'. 'China may view Saturday's result as a sign that more Taiwanese people are not in favour of the 'China threat' rhetoric promoted by [Lai and the DPP], and this may make them feel like peaceful unification remains a viable option for them to resolve the ultimate 'Taiwan question',' Yang said. 'However, this doesn't also mean that Beijing would dial down the level of military and political pressure that they are imposing on Taiwan.' The unprecedented vote has fired up the island's population, just 18 months after a national election. Large rallies were held in Taipei on the eve of the vote, with tens of thousands turning out to support both sides. At an emotional DPP rally on Saturday, the campaign volunteer Julia Lin told the Guardian she was concerned the KMT would now feel 'invincible'. 'Their actions have been extremely reckless, and they've lost the democratic values and legal knowledge that legislators in Taiwan should have,' she said. 'We didn't succeed, but I believe we still need to keep trying to get our voices out there and attract more people to get involved to care about what's happening in Taiwan right now.' The pro-recall campaign was driven by civil society groups and activists, but was subsequently endorsed by the DPP. They had aimed to oust as many as 31 KMT legislators who, they say, are pro-China actors who have risked Taiwan's national security. The KMT denies the accusations. They, like the DPP, oppose annexation by the Communist party of China (CCP), but say the best way to protect the status quo is through friendlier ties with Beijing. The party and its supporters have labelled the recall campaign an anti-democratic power-grab by people who won't accept the results of last year's election. Retaliatory campaigns against DPP seats by the KMT all failed, with dozens of officials arrested over allegedly faking signatures. Beijing has also denounced the recall campaign. The Taiwan affairs office previously accused Lai of being a dictator and seeking to achieve 'one-party dominance'. Taiwan's mainland affairs council this week said it was 'evident and clear' that the CCP was trying to interfere in Taiwan's democratic process.
