Taiwan

  • Taiwan election continues status quo

    Lai Ching-Te (William Lai) won Taiwan’s presidential election on January 13, with 40.5% of the vote, achieving a record third term for the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party, reports Alex Salmon.

  • Taiwan: Setback for pro-independence party

    The chance of President Chen Shui-bian’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holding on to its ruling party position in the March 22 presidential poll is in serious doubt after his party suffered a major defeat in the January 12 parliamentary election.

  • Taiwan: Referendum in sight after UN bid failed

    On September 21, the UN General Assembly supported by consensus a decision by the 22-member General Committee not to put Taiwan’s bid for UN membership on the assembly’s agenda. It was the island’s 15th application for UN membership in as many years. This year was the first time that the application was made in the name of Taiwan rather than the “Republic of China” (ROC), signalling a more aggressive independence push by President Chen Shui-bian’s government.

  • Taiwan's president changes stance on independence

    After promising during his 2000 inauguration not to push for Taiwanese independence, a commitment reaffirmed after his 2004 re-election, President Chen Shuibian reversed his stance hours before China’s annual parliamentary session — the National People’s Congress — started on March 5.

  • Indictment rocks Taiwan's president

    Just as a five-month-old campaign to oust him was losing momentum, President Chen Shui-bian was rocked on November 3 when the public prosecutor indicted his wife, Wu Shu-chen, and three other people for allegedly embezzling US$450,000 from a special diplomatic fund.

  • Campaign to oust president stalls

    The drive to oust Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has been put on hold as the major parties jostle to win the December 9 mayoral and city council elections for the major cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung.