On Tuesday, May 20, 2008, Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang (KMT) was sworn in as president of Taiwan, heralding a sea change in cross-Strait relations. President Ma’s election victory probably means that the likelihood of a war between China and Taiwan – a war that might have involved the U.S. – has been greatly reduced. […]
The first quarter of 2008 brought an anxiously-anticipated and welcome end to the highly contentious presidential election campaign in Taiwan. It is widely believed that the results of the March 22, 2008 presidential election are likely to usher in a new period in Taiwan politics, with reduced tensions in the relationships with China and with […]
This has been a year of challenges in U.S.-Taiwan relations, dominated by continuing friction over a range of politically-driven initiatives by the Chen Shui-bian government – initiatives that not only aggravated internal divisiveness but also irritated and alienated Washington. The past year saw the process of political consolidation within the two major political coalitions in […]
Taiwan Defense & Security ReThe summer and early fall of 2007 saw what could be the start of a slow-brewing crisis of sorts, stemming from responses by both Beijing and Washington to Taipei’s reinvigorated interest in regaining membership in the United Nations (UN). The movement towards applying for UN membership under the name Taiwan has […]
In Taiwan, end of party primaries for the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, to be held early in 2008, finally offered a much welcomed breakthrough in the long-stalemated defense budget, a budget that was finally approved during the second quarter of 2007. Completion of the party nomination process also effectively kicked off the election season, […]