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aiwan democracy
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Taiwan

                  Taiwan's democracy

 is at surface level

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¡» Country Reports on Human Rights Practices  - Taiwan , 2024-4-22 :  In the most recent presidential and legislative elections,  there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.

¡» Council on Foreign Relations , 2024-5-13 :  Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) ranks Taiwan 31st globally on its Liberal Democracy Index, one spot below Japan.

¡» Heritage Foundation,  2024-4-15: The candidates did viciously accuse each other of being too friendly or too confrontational toward Beijing, but none dared expound on his own policy,  in favor of carefully stage-managed events and vague campaign slogans;  It's better to be an all-encompassing figure who tells everyone what they want to hear Victory goes not to the candidate with the most compelling plan for fixing the island¡¦s problems, but the one whose image sustains the least damage from the relentless political mudslinging and appeals to the greatest number of voters.  heritage.org/asia/commentary/taiwans-elections-are-model-the-world-its-campaigns-lack-substance   Michael Cunningham
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United States Institute of Peace,  2024-1-24: The 2024 election results, with a majority of voters favoring a party other than the DPP, suggest a broad openness to exploring different approaches to cross-strait relations.
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New York Times, 2024-1-20:
Taiwan is a democratic not-quite
nation of 23 million.

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CNN, Reuters, Fox News, Independent (2024-5-17):

Taiwan parliament brawl escalates into night as lawmakers shove, tackle and hit each other

nbcnews.com/news/world/taiwan-lawmakers-exchange-blows-bitter-dispute-parliament-reforms-rcna152763

Taiwan's opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), along with the People's Party, wants parliament to have greater scrutiny over the government. One of the more controversial reforms being voted on was the proposal to levy criminal penalties for officials found to be lying in parliament. 

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However, The DPP says them are improperly trying to force through the proposals without the customary consultation process in what the DPP calls "an unconstitutional abuse of power".

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The clashes raise the prospect of more turmoil - and parliamentary conflict - ahead for Lai's new government after it takes office.  

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¡´ 2024 presidential election & 2022 midterm election

¡» AFP, 2024-1-14: Beijing could apply an economic squeeze on Taiwan, which would "set the terms of interaction for the next four years of cross-strait relations". President-elect Lai's party lose its majority - Any legislation regarding cross-strait relations would be difficult to pass.    full text

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Lai Ching-te won the presidency with 40 percent of the votes but his ruling DPP lost its majority in parliament. His Biggest Challenge Lies Ahead

media comments
New York Times, 2024-1-13 tensions are likely to rise; Lai Ching-te is an impulsive and politically biased figure, so we cannot rule out the possibility that unpredictable and unknown developments may occur during his tenure¡¨,¡§I'm afraid it's very dangerous¡¨, 'noting that Mr. Xi's views on Taiwan were clear. That includes his insistence that force can be used if necessary. nytimes.com/2024/01/13/world/asia/china-taiwan-election-result-analysis.html Damien Cave
CNN, 2024-1-13 Beijing has a wide range of coercive measures in its toolbox Analysts say China could escalate economic and military pressure on Taiwan to show its displeasure in the coming days and weeks, or save a more forceful response for May, when Lai takes office  msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-voters-dismiss-china-warnings-and-hand-ruling-party-a-historic-third-consecutive-presidential-win/ar-AA1mUnBb  Eric Cheung, Wayne Chang, Nectar Gan and Jerome Taylor
Washington Post, 2024-1-13 China's military pressure campaign has fueled concerns of miscalculation that could spark conflict and draw in the United States. Analysts are watching closely to see if Beijing responds to Lai's victory with large-scale drills that could send tensions spiraling washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/13/taiwan-president-lai-ching-te/  Christian Shepherd  Vic Chiang
Independent, 2024-1-14 Taiwan's new president Lai Ching-te issues defiant message to China after historic election win...The DPP is often criticised for only focusing on efforts to counter the threat from China while having no solutions for social and economic problems that have been troubling the Taiwanese people news.yahoo.com/taiwan-president-lai-ching-te-184055493.html
Euro News, 2024-1-13 China: Beijing wouldn't accept the election result as representing ¡§the mainstream public opinion on the island,¡¨ without giving any evidence or justification.
TIME, 2024-1-13 ...those disaffected by the ruling DPP vote and wanting a less confrontational approach to cross-strait relations, certainly exists. The final result proved this, with over half the electorate voting for the alternatives to the DPP. But a majority for an approach or idea that doesn't translate into majority support for a party cuts no ice. msn.com/en-us/news/world/lai-ching-te-won-taiwans-presidency-but-his-biggest-challenge-lies-ahead/ar-AA1mV0Au   Kerry Brown
NHK (Japan), 2024-1-14 China noted that the results of the Saturday election reveal that the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion of Taiwan.
USA Today, 2024-1-13 The outcome of the vote will ultimately determine the nature of ties with China relative to the West and will have strong bearing on the state of play in the South China Sea
BBC, 2024-1-13 Taiwanese voters have chosen William Lai as their president in a historic election, cementing a path that is increasingly divergent from China.  bbc.com/news/world-asia-67920532  Tessa Wong
The Hill, 2024-1-13 Taiwan elects ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te as president in high-stakes race  Lauren Irwin news.yahoo.com/taiwan-elects-ruling-party-candidate-131754245.html
Reuters, 2024-1-13 US does not support Taiwan independence, Biden says
WSJ, 2024-1-13 Taiwan voters defy Beijing in electing new president
Vox, 2024-1-13 there is expectation among some China experts that China's response will be ¡§assertive¡¨...  it's likely to happen in the coming weeks or months, not in the next few days.¡§We're going to see a reaction from China; the question is, when and how,¡¨'¡§Whereas five, 10, 15 years ago, it was fairly predictable ¡X the kinds of things that Beijing would do. But I think it's increasingly difficult to predict what is going to happen and when it's likely to happen    msn.com/en-us/news/world/in-taiwan-s-high-stakes-elections-china-is-the-loser/ar-AA1mVl3g  Ellen Ioanes

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¡» Washington Examiner, 2024-1-8: According to the Economist, China has directly warned the U.S. of the consequences of a Lai victory, raising tensions in the region. In the event of a Lai victory, large-scale demonstrations from the Chinese military and other belligerent moves are expected. The prospect of Taiwan severing ties with a China ... possibly leading him to warm to direct military action.  ¡» Wall Street Journal , 2024-1-9:  The problem is that Beijing can't tolerate Taiwan¡¦s example of a thriving Chinese-speaking democracy in which voters settle political differences at the ballot box. If a conflict breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, this will be why. ¡» Economist, 2024-1-8: victory for the dpp is far from certain. The party once appealed to young voters, but after eight years in power it has a stuffy image. Wage growth has fallen behind inflation and house prices are high... fears of an energy-price crunch. Most importantly, it has become clear that China will not have formal contact with dpp governments. ¡»  Economist, 2024-1-9: The election results will offer a snapshot of where Taiwan is headed. But the furious debates on Taiwan's future will continue full text

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Taiwan Presidential election debate 2023-12-30

¡» VOA News , Washington Post, AP,   2023-12-30  Taiwan's presidential candidates expressed desire for peaceful relations with Beijing. Tensions with China have featured strongly in the presidential campaign. Lai Ching-te promised to help strengthen Taiwan's defense and economy if elected. Hou said he opposed Taiwan's independence but also a potential unification under China's ¡§one country, two systems¡¨ framework. Ko Wen-je, referenced a quote by Antony Blinken, saying that ¡§Taiwan and China will cooperate if they can cooperate, compete if there¡¦s a need to compete, and confront each other if they must confront each other.¡¨; my bottom line is that Taiwan must maintain its current democratic and free political system and way of life. voanews.com/a/taiwan-s-presidential-candidates-emphasize-peace-with-beijing/7418610.html 
¡» Reuters (UK), 2023-12-31 China calls Taiwan president frontrunner a destroyer of peace,"His words were full of confrontational thinking," after he spoke at a presidential debate  the island's sovereignty and independence belong to its people,  the Republic of China and People's Republic of China "are not subordinate to each other". KMT's Hou has denounced Lai as an independence supporter. news.yahoo.com/china-calls-taiwan-president-frontrunner-012538807.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
¡» DW (Germany),  2023-12-31 Presidential candidates debate in shadow of China¡CLai remained defiant, at one point insisting that, "The sovereignty of Taiwan belongs to the 23 million people in Taiwan. It does not belong to China¡¨, "I will not go backward like the Kuomintang and be willing to become a vassal of totalitarianism... There are so many uncertainties regarding their policies". msn.com/en-in/news/world/taiwan-presidential-candidates-debate-in-shadow-of-china/ar-AA1mfuFn
¡» AFP (France),  2023-12-30 China ties dominate Taiwan presidential debate¡AKo, whose small TPP has performed above expectations in Taiwan's dominant two-party landscape, called President Tsai's cross-strait policies "a mess". The results of which could determine Taipei's future ties with an increasingly bellicose China. msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-ties-dominate-taiwan-presidential-debate/ar-AA1meDRj
¡» Reuters, 2023-12-30 The televised debate was dominated by arguments over China and tensions in the Taiwan Strait.¡CTaiwan belongs to its people: presidential candidate¡A"The current status quo is that the Taiwan Strait is on the brink of war. So, to maintain close ties with the United States while also making peace with China is the solution to the problem," Hou said news.yahoo.com/taiwan-belongs-people-presidential-candidate-131009794.html
¡» The Guardian, 2023-12-30 All three presidential candidates have acknowledged the potential risks of Taiwan becoming the next conflict zone. They aim to convince voters that they are the most capable leaders who can ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan strait, for Beijing the priority is to ensure the ruling Democratic Progressive party (DPP) is kicked out of office.  theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/30/taiwan-election-new-president-growing-threat-china  Helen Davidson
¡» SKY News (Australia),2023-12-31 the race has become more unpredictable. The stakes for Taiwan's future have never seemed more unsteady, in light of rising tensions with China. skynews.com.au/world-news/our-future-has-never-seemed-more-unsteady-what-taiwans-2024-presidential-race-means-for-the-islands-rapidly-deteriorating-relationship-with-china/news-story/fe83df822e798ea6452659ceab914849   Hilton Yip
¡» China Daily (China), 2023-12-31 China slammed Lai Ching-te, deputy leader of China's Taiwan region, for his "pro-independence" comments during the Taiwan regional leader candidate TV debate; claimed "Taiwan's sovereign independence", distorting the 1992 Consensus, and insisted that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are "not subordinate to each other." He also asserted that the people of Taiwan should "unite against the threat from China".  "His words are filled with confrontational thinking"

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Corruption issues in presidential election

¡¹  Washington Post, 2023-11-24:  A win is not guaranteed. Public grievances against the ruling party have bubbled up during Tsai's presidency, which has been hit by corruption scandals and grumbling from Taiwanese businesses about lost trade with China  Christian Shepherd    washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/24/taiwan-presidential-election-2024-china/ 

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¡¹ The Guardian, 2024-1-7: Taiwan bracesfor "big deal" presidential election as China's shadow looms - Corruption and the cost of living have trumped concerns about a belliger neighbour in close race for the presidency...

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¡¹ VOA News, 2024-1-3: Beijing has noticed that Taiwan's 2024 election campaign has focused on corruption scandals rather than cross-strait relations
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¡¹ Denmark's Democracy Perception Index 2023: Most people view corruption as a threat to democracy in their country -  Taiwan ranks world 17,  behind Singapore (No.7), Japan (9), Australia (10), Hong Kong (12), S Korea (13).   6389062.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6389062/Canva%20images/Democracy%20Perception%20Index%202023.pdf

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¡¹  Australia InsideStory.org.au, 2023-11-24: opposition parties have found plenty of other targets for attack: ... corruption on the part of legislators;......  insidestory.org.au/taiwans-cat-warrior-to-the-rescue/

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¡» Brookings, 2023-12-18: China does pose a big challenge to Taiwan. The DPP asserts Taiwan needs to strengthen deterrence and improve relations with the US. KMT presidential candidate Hou claims that he can maximize the benefits of a China relationship while still protecting Taiwan's interests... voter mobilization -  the DPP is better at this than the other parties, mobilizing through the media. The KMT will rely more on its organizational networks. Ko, who lacks a strong party capacity, will use his charisma brookings.edu/articles/explaining-taiwans-2024-presidential-election/  Richard C. Bush

¡» Council on Foreign Relations, 2023-12-20: China distrusts Lai far more than Tsai.  China is all but certain to greet a Lai victory with intensified military, economic, and political pressure.  cfr.org/blog/taiwans-2024-presidential-election-analyzing-william-lais-foreign-policy-positions D. Sacks

¡» New York Times, 2023-12-4: Taiwan's presidential election candidates have focused on who can best handle the island's volatile relationship with China. But many voters, especially those in their 20s and 30s, say they are weary of geopolitics and yearn for a campaign more focused on their concerns, like rising housing costs, slow income growth and narrowing career prospects... could be a crucial factor in deciding the presidential election  full text

western media  Taiwan's presidential election -  could reignite U.S.-China tensions
Washington Post, 2023-11-28 Beijing calls the race a ¡§choice between war and peace¡¨ and it has escalated an intimidation campaign around the island democracy, taking Chinese military aggression in the Taiwan Strait to heights unseen in decades... a vote that could reignite U.S.-China tensions if Beijing takes the results badly.   brief
Washington Post, 2023-11-28 Our policy, therefore, has to be not truculence and deterrence but to make sure that push does not come to shove. That means ... scrupulously avoiding support for Vice President Lai Ching-te.  brief
CNBC, 2023-11-27 Chinese government has framed this elections as a choice between ¡§peace and war, prosperity and decline.¡¨  The outcome of Taiwan¡¦s elections will likely go some way in influencing testy U.S.-China ties and impact security in the Asia-Pacific region more broadly.  brief
Bloomberg, 2023-11-26 an unprecedented third straight term in power for the DPP is by no means a foregone conclusion. After almost eight years in power, there's growing unhappiness with the party and a desire for change, especially among younger voters. brief
Reuters, 2023-11-28 China repeated its attacks on Lai and Hsiao "distorted facts and downplayed the harmfulness and danger of 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities to deceive voters in the 2024 leadership election in Taiwan"  brief
SCMP, 2023-11-29 Taiwan poll: DPP senses win with Lai-Hsiao ticket but Beijing might see 'war'

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western media  Taiwan presidential election -  opposition alliance collapse
New York Times, 2023-11-24 even experienced observers baffled as to why the opposition parties would stage such a public rupture over who would be the presidential candidate on a unity ticket... , It really defies theories of coalition building.  Lai's party asserts Taiwan's distinctive identity and claims to nationhood, and has become closer to the United States.  China could respond by escalating menacing military activities around Taiwan, which sits roughly 100 miles off the Chinese coast.   brief
Economist, 2023-11-24 polls suggest the flurry of chaotic opposition negotiating has modestly bolstered both Mr Hou and Mr Ko. After eight years in power, the dpp is struggling especially with younger voters, who are suffering from high housing costs and low wages. Some also worry about a possible war with China.  brief
Bloomberg, 2023-11-24 There is zero chance that the unhappy trajectory in cross-strait relations gets reversed if Lai winsIt will certainly lead to a continuation and probable escalation of pressures and threats...will impact the nature of the US¡¦s already tense ties with China.   brief
BBC, 2023-11-24 Mr Lai is not much of a campaigner. His poll ratings have gradually sunk, from over 40% in the summer to barely touching 30% now.   brief
VOA, 2023-11-24 analysts say will be a referendum on China relations. Beijing said Lai attempted to hide that he is a ¡§pursuer of Taiwan independence¡¨ and an ¡§instigator of war.¡¨ brief
Washington Post, 2023-11-24 Lai's advantage is largely thanks to disarray in the opposition camp. He has consistently polled around or just above 30 percent.     A win is not guaranteed. Public grievances against the ruling party have bubbled up during Tsai¡¦s presidency, which has been hit by corruption scandals and grumbling from Taiwanese businesses about lost trade with China;  Lev Nachman:¡§This election is becoming about who voters think is the safest choice for Taiwan。¡¨ brief
Reuters, 2023-11-24 China ties on the line as Taiwan opposition splits in dramatic feud,    potentially easing the way for the ruling party, which has defied Beijing's pressure, to stay in power.
TIME, 2023-11-24 collapse of the alliance is likely to consolidate both the KMT¡¦s and the TPP's vote base on the one hand, as intensified conflicts usually can promote vote base consolidation and unity,  wing voters who have no stable identification with either party will be less likely to vote for [either of] them.¡¨
Wall Street Journal, 2023-11-24 China isn¡¦t backing off TaiwanThe U.S. will wish it had deterred the crisis when faced with these grim choices; Far better to avoid this conflict than to fight it in any form.

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western media Taiwan's presidential election
Economist, 2023-11-15 Taiwan's opposition parties unite... could lead to a significant relaxation of the island-state's defiant posture towards China
Washington Post, 2023-11-15 Taiwan's two main opposition parties, both of which have vowed to restart talks with China, announced a joint presidential ticket for January¡¦s election in a deal that could bring a major political upset in the self-ruled island democracy.
Foreign Policy, 2023-11-15 in any case, support for the DPP has been fading ahead of January¡¦s presidential elections. But voters in Taiwan tend to be lukewarm toward candidates seen as too pro-China, and the DPP still leads in several polls.
Bloomberg, 2023-11-15  a single opposition bid raises the likelihood of a government in Taipei more willing to accept China¡¦s conditions for direct talks between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
TIME, 2023-11-15 A successful opposition alliance ¡X no matter who is running as president ¡X means it¡¦s likely cross-strait tensions will improve
Financial Times, 2023-11-15 Taiwan¡¦s opposition parties join forces for crucial presidential poll Deal sharply increases odds that ruling Democratic Progressive party will lose election; Beijing has denounced Lai as a separatist and framed the presidential race as a choice between war and peace ¡X rhetoric sometimes echoed by the opposition.
Reuters, 2023-11-15 Some opinion polls have shown that if Hou and Ko teamed up, in whatever combination, they would beat Lai ¡CTamkang University scholar: The U.S. and China both want stabilised Taiwan Strait relations. Lai may not be the ideal person for this

 Economist, 2023-11-13: If William Lai, the DPP's candidate, wins in January, China may respond with a similar show of force or go further, enforcing a longer blockade, interfering with Taiwan's internet or creating more crises in the Taiwan Strait.

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  Reuters, 2023-10-24 : Who is running to be Taiwan's next president?

LAI CHING-TE Lai and Tsai Ing-Wen say only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
HOU YU-IH strongly denies being pro-Beijing, and will restart talks with Beijing.
KO WEN-JE China should propose a new framework for engagement with Taiwan and explain what Beijing has to offer


 Radio Free Asia, 2023-10-16:
Polls suggest that if the DPP secures a victory, it might not solely be due to their policies but rather because of the divided opposition. While the two major parties still draw voters based on using China as the key campaign agenda, there has emerged a group where other issues take center stage and these seem to be around livelihood issues like Taiwan's high housing prices and stagnant wages rfa.org/english/news/china/taiwan-presidential-election-10162023034127.html Chris Taylor, Hwang Chun-mei
 Fox News, 2023-10-1: with Taiwan's opposition now divided into three camps ¡X barring some increasingly unlikely last-second unity ticket ¡X President Tsai¡¦s anointed successor, current Vice President William Lai of the ruling DPP, looks set for almost certain victory.

 Economist, 2023-9-26: Taiwanese voters will in effect be asked to decide whether Taiwan should remain aligned with America in strengthening deterrence against a possible Chinese invasion,... the one-fifth of voters who are not aligned with any party and could be a decisive bloc  full text
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Taiwan presidency -  Lai (DPP), Ko, Hou, Gou (opposition)

¡» BBC, 2023-8-29 Opinion polls also show that around 40% of voters are pretty solid supporters of the ruling DPP. That means the ruling party can be beaten. But to have any chance the opposition would have to unite around a single candidate.  Now Taiwan's opposition vote will be split three ways.
¡» Economist, 2023-8-29 The opposition would not end the tensions, but it would probably reduce them by placating China. A win for Mr Lai, might have the opposite effect.
¡» Washington Post, 2023-8-28 Taiwanese voters could either fuel or dampen the mounting tensions. Their choice is between a ruling party determined to maintain Taiwan's political independence, and an opposition that sees closer ties with China as the only viable path.
¡» Wall Street Journal, 2023-8-25 analysts said Lai's lead could erode by the time voters cast their ballots in January, given Taiwan's reputation for volatile politics.
¡» Reuters, 2023-8-28 Any split on the non-DPP side would mean Lai's sure victory in January.
Terry Gou's main theme in his pre-campaign events has been that the only way to avoid war with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, is to get the DPP out of office.
¡» AP, The Hill, 2023-8-28 Terry Gou announces run for Taiwan presidency. He has received criticism that he was splitting the vote,¡§I will definitely not allow Taiwan to become the next Ukraine¡¨.  He has received criticism that he was splitting the vote

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 Washington Post, 2023-8-20:  The election of a third consecutive DPP administration would confirm that Beijing's attempts to bring Taiwan under its closer control through coercion and intimidation are failing.  Although Lai is currently leading in the polls, opposition candidates who are much friendlier to Beijing might be able to amass a majority if the three top contenders chose one to rally around   washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/20/william-lai-taiwan-china-reunification/  Josh Rogin

 Bloomberg, 2023-8-14: Taiwan's Election Is All About War...  it's concerning that the opposition may not be able to coalesce behind one candidate. That's an election Lai (DPP Lai Ching-te) can win. bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-08-14/why-taiwan-s-2024-election-is-all-about-threat-of-war-with-china

 Bloomberg, 2023-6-15: US Presses Taiwan Opposition Candidate Over China Policies - Washington will want to be assured that Hou has "a clear stance on China and international policy"; Michael McCaul told Japan's Nikkei that if a ¡§preferred candidate¡¨ of China wins, he or she ¡§essentially will be their installed puppet candidate.", otherwise "will probably lead to ¡§a more aggressive response¡¨ by China. "¡CHou...backs closer ties with China,  raises the stakes for US engagement and could put the Biden administration¡¦s pledge of neutrality to a test.  msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-presses-taiwan-opposition-candidate-over-china-policies/ar-AA1cAQyL 
 CSIS, 2023-6-15:
these statements (one of Taiwan's leading presidential candidates from the KMT as Beijing's ¡§installed puppet candidate.¡¨;  to "blow up" Taiwan's leading semiconductor fabrication plant, TSMC, is an "interesting idea" to potentially deter China ) are likely motivated by a sincere concern over U.S. interests, they not only weaken the United States¡¦ long-term influence over events in the Taiwan Strait, they also undermine Taiwan's democratic process at a time when its integrity will matter the most. csis.org/analysis/how-united-states-can-support-taiwans-democracy Jude Blanchette and Ryan Hass

Reuters, 2023-6-21: Exclusive: Taiwan on alert for Chinese-funded election interference / details of how Taiwan thinks China may use illicit funding have not previously been reported.  reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-alert-chinese-funded-election-interference-2023-06-21/
Fox News, 2023-6-26: Chinese officials reportedly pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Washington¡¦s stance regarding the upcoming 2024 elections in Taiwan during his trip to Beijing   news.yahoo.com/taiwan-elections-were-major-talking-183444660.html

Denmark's Democracy Perception Index 2023: "% of people living in democracies perceive the threat of foreign election interference", Taiwan ranks the 7th from last

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 Washington Post , 2023-5-19:  The key campaign issues are China policy and the economy washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/19/explainer-taiwan-2024-elections-and-why-they-matter-from-beijing-to-washington/caee9d5e-f69b-11ed-918d-012572d64930_story.html   Cindy Wang

Brookings, 2023-4-17: The Taiwan voters are deeply pragmatic.  A significant majority of the Taiwan voters are in the middle.   brookings.edu/podcast-episode/how-serious-is-the-risk-of-war-over-taiwan/    Richard C Bush  Ryan Hass David Dollar
DW (Germany), 2023-4-19: Taiwan's choice: China or the United States? KMT:  "peace or war."  DPP: 'Democracy or authoritarianism' dw.com/en/taiwans-choice-china-or-the-united-states/a-65369312  William Yang
The Guardian, 2023-4-2: The KMT has long maintained it is not ¡§pro-China¡¨ but pro-peace and prosperity ¡V an attractive message after years of cross-strait turmoil.  theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2023/apr/02/war-in-taiwan-will-dwarf-ukraine-unless-the-us-shows-china-its-teeth  Simon Tisdall
Economist, 2023-3-29: a Taiwanese policy adviser  frames voters' choice as one between ¡§peace or war¡¨. The kmt can defuse tensions by promising the Communist Party that it rejects Taiwanese independence...The dpp has criticised KMT's ¡§embracing appeasement¡¨ But it, too, worries about conflict economist.com/china/2023/03/29/taiwans-president-tsai-ing-wen-starts-a-sensitive-visit-to-america
United States Institute of Peace, 2023-3-30 :  Relationship with China is on the Ballot for Taiwan's Presidential Elections vice president, Lai Ching-te, running for 2024 president, has emphasized that he would not advocate for Taiwanese independence, but rather seek to defend the de-facto independence Taiwan already enjoys.  However, any DPP candidate will be seen as inherently threatening by Beijing.   usip.org/publications/2023/03/tensions-over-taiwan-rise-tsais-us-stopover    Rosie Levine;  Jennifer Staats
Economist, 2023-3-6: The KMT  has been unable to articulate a new cross-strait strategy beyond continuing dialogue with the Chinese Communist Party.  the  DPP  has also been hesitant about telling voters to prepare for war. The DPP  has already softened its messaging, from Ms Tsai's slogan of  ¡§Resist China and protect Taiwan¡¨, to the more pacific ¡§Peacefully protect Taiwan¡¨. economist.com/special-report/2023/03/06/taiwanese-politics-faces-a-crucial-election-in-early-2024
Bloomberg, 2023-1-16: Midterm races were dominated by issues such as cost of living and deaths from Covid, but China will play a larger role in the contest to be the next president.  Voters then will have to decide between a candidate like William Lai (¡§political worker for Taiwanese independence¡¨), who will have a more confrontational relationship with Beijing, or likely someone from the KMT, who would adopt a more conciliatory approach. news.yahoo.com/dpp-picks-worker-taiwanese-independence-063131571.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall   
SCMP, 2023-1-10: Messy Taiwan politics means KMT¡¦s return to power is far from assured.   If the US-China relationship remains strained or worsens, which seems likely, the DPP will be advantaged. "Ethnic voting" will also favour the DPP.  msn.com/en-xl/news/other/messy-taiwan-politics-means-kmt-s-return-to-power-is-far-from-assured/ar-AA16bqa8

Bloomberg, 2022-11-24:  Voters will choose new city and county leaders on Nov. 26. Tsai needs a strong showing by DPP candidates to strengthen her hand over the final two years of her presidency...  It would also give Tsai greater say on a potential successor from within the DPP in the next presidential contest in 2024. (news.yahoo.com/chiang-kai-shek-great-grandson-084636608.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
Wall Street Journal, 2022-11-28: Taiwan Ruling Party's election drubbing could ease tension with China and persuade Chinese leaders that they can peacefully influence politics there.  
Voice of America, 2022-11-23:  "black gold"-"heijin." Corruption in Local Politics The term directly translates to "black gold" but most in the audience understand that it refers to corruption, vote buying, or illicit money used for political purposes... vote buying, and even candidates with ties to organized crime have been hard to erase completely in more rural areas...  in Nantou, because it is relatively rural, buying votes is actually very serious, I would say prevalent   voanews.com/a/taiwan-struggles-to-shake-off-era-of-corruption-in-local-politics/6846530.html   brief 

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  "Taiwan's midterms"

CNN,2022-11-27: Taiwan's President billed midterms as all about China. The pro-independence DPP's losses come as a heavy blow for Tsai as she had tried to frame the election ¡V as a way to send a message against Beijing¡¦s rising bellicosity toward the island.   edition.cnn.com/2022/11/27/asia/taiwan-election-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html
Asia Times, 2023-1-5: Ruling DPP¡¦s local election loss and opposition¡¦s trade talks with Beijing signal current anti-China policies could shift after 2024 elections asiatimes.com/2023/01/does-the-china-factor-still-matter-in-taiwan/
DPP-friendly mass media FTV (¥Áµø, 2022-11-28, 2022-11-27; ftvnews.com.tw/video/detail/h0489vFQzf4,  youtube.com/watch?v=2Nn4iEsCHGA, etc ) analyzed that one main factor causing DPP drubbed in local vote is war fears growing.    Reuters, 2022-11-27: " Taiwan president strategy 'resist China and defend Taiwan' backfires" .
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media

comments

Reuters,  2022-11-27 Tsai had tried to frame the elections as more than just a local vote, saying the world is watching how Taiwan defends its democracy amid tensions with China... But her strategy failed to win public support.   news.yahoo.com/taiwan-presidents-election-strategy-backfires-185831747.html
Independent (UK), 2022-11-27 Tsai's DPP campaigned on the political anger against China's stance towards Taiwan, the KMT focussed more on the self-ruled island¡¦s democracy and freedom; Its campaign also pointed to whether the government favoured a local vaccine over imported ones.   msn.com/en-gb/news/world/taiwan-election-president-tsai-ing-wen-resigns-as-ruling-party-chair-after-disastrous-results/ar-AA14BJm0
Global Times (China),
2022-11-28
A loud "No" to DPP authorities' policies on a wide range of topics related to people's livelihoods including the chaotic COVID-19 response and the failure to rein in rising prices, and also demonstrated that Tsai Ing-wen''s "China threat bet" has backfired.  Such results proved the mainstream public opinion on the island was for peace.  Besides, failures in handling frequent scandals violating "values" it boasted about,  corruption, black gold politics and nepotism severely violated what the DPP had pledged to the people,  in many cases DPP sacrificed the interests of ordinary people and local companies such as relaxing a ban on food imports from Japan's sites of Fukushima nuclear disaster, and the US pork with ractopamine, DPP appeared to be incapable of handling the prices and livelihoods crises, and have also mulled lengthening the mandatory military service, a very unpopular idea among the youth.    globaltimes.cn/page/202211/1280569.shtml
Reuters (UK), 2022-11-27 The KMT bristles at accusations it will sell out Taiwan to China or is not committed to democracy, but accuses the DPP of deliberately hyping confrontation with Beijing for political benefit;  the issue of succession may breed internal contradictions, damaging the combat effectiveness of having all guns pointing outwards    news.yahoo.com/attention-turns-presidential-poll-taiwan-025519599.html
China Times (Taiwan),
2022-11-27
A very critical and important factor is the Taiwanese people's fear of war, which made Tsai's "resist China and defend Taiwan" policy fail, possible extending military service to resist China is unpopular among young voters .... Besides, Yilan county magistrates Lin Zimiao (ªL«º§®) and HsinChu mayoral candidate Gao Hongan(°ª­i¦w) both appealed for "suppression by the state apparatus".   chinatimes.com/opinion/20221127002671-262110?chdtv  brief  ¶À´¼½å
  Economist, 2022-11-29 many Taiwanese are tired of squabbles over national identity, especially after Ms Tsai¡¦s refusal last year to accept an offer of much-needed vaccines from China ... seemed anxious about the economy and aggrieved by the coronavirus-related strictures  economist.com/asia/2022/11/29/across-the-taiwan-strait-another-lockdown-protest
VOA, 2022-11-27 The personality [of the candidates] was also an issue. There was plagiarism ... unclear government budget use and the vaccine (procurement) policy was pretty opaque. ...a combination of several domestic policies that really made Taiwanese people uncomfortable voanews.com/a/taiwan-elections-seen-as-a-warning-to-ruling-party/6852716.html
Diplomat, 2022-11-29 negative campaigning was the dominant tactic in this election...The DPP was particularly hurt by a thesis plagiarism scandal  thediplomat.com/2022/11/cross-strait-relations-after-the-2022-midterm-election-in-taiwan/
Wall Street Journal, 2022-11-28 Taiwan Ruling Party's Election Drubbing Could Ease Tensions With China
Bloomberg, 2022-11-26 Taiwan Counts Votes in Elections Set to Shape Presidential Race ; Expert: The winners of elections will have a say in who get picked to in the subsequent presidential elections  news.yahoo.com/taiwan-votes-local-elections-set-000000672.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
DW, Germany, 2022-11-26 the opposition Nationalist party shows they remain a strong political force at the local level in Taiwan... there were limits to a "resist China and defend Taiwan" electoral message ;  China said the result shows that "mainstream public opinion in the island is for peace, stability and a good life. dw.com/en/taiwan-president-resigns-as-party-head-after-election-losses/a-63901750
LA Times, 2022-11-25  DPP has been riding on the wave of its Taiwanese nationalism card since 2014 and is inevitably facing a degree of voter fatigue.  The bigger challenge for the KMT looking ahead to the 2024 presidential election may be persuading voters that it can adeptly navigate cross-strait relations without acceding to pressure from Beijing.  latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-11-25/la-fg-taiwan-kmt-taipei-mayor-election-chiang-wanan
First Post, India, 2022-11-25

 "Taiwan's midterms¡¨ are a crucial test of the support for the ruling DPP ahead of the presidential elections in 2024.

SCMP, HK, 2022-11-25 Voters to head to the polls in what is seen as a referendum on Taiwanese president's policies and the independence-leaning DPP; Outcomes will offer clues about potential 2024 presidential candidates;   "If this arguable overuse makes the [Taiwanese] public sphere gradually immune from the DPP's nationalism card on election day, it may potentially carry over into the 2024 presidential election - Not great for DPP," Australian scholar said. msn.com/en-xl/news/other/what-will-taiwan-s-local-elections-mean-for-tsai-ing-wen-s-party-and-rival-kmt/ar-AA14wVUM  
United Daily (Taiwan),
2022-11-27
 Public grievances erupted,  the DPP suffered the biggest frustration ever since founding the party; the nationals do not agree with the current route.  Tsai admin. governs the country by repeatedly threats, without following principle of democracy therefore  lose the public's support (¥Á«è¤jÃzµo¡A¥Á¶iÄÒ¹J³ÐÄÒ¥H¨Ó³Ì¤j®À±Ñ ; ¤H¥Á¨Ã¤£»{¦P¥Ø«eªº°õ¬F¸ô½u  ½²¬F©²¤¤¥¡°õ¬F¤Ó¥¢¥Á¤ß¡Aªv²z«o¥¼¿í´`¥Á¥D­ì«h¡A¦Ó¬O°Ê»³®£À~  udn.com/news/story/7338/6796175?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2
China Times (Taiwan),
2022-11-27
 Tsai's administration has completely failed, the overbearing government undermines democracy, acts recklessly, uses its power completely unrestrained, Furthermore, the epidemic prevention work is full of loopholes and  hidden corruptions. Chairman Tsai Ing-wen miscalculated the situation and nominated wrong candidate for running Taipei mayor campaign.  Young voters are particularly dissatisfied with DPP's breaking promise of taking care for the youth...  chinatimes.com/opinion/20221126003550-262101?chdtv   (½²°õ¬F§¹¥þ¥¢±Ñ  ÅQ¹D°õ¬F¡A¯}Ãa¥Á¥D¡A®¡·N¦k¬°¡A¤¤¥¡Åv¤O§¹¥þ¤£¨ü¸`¨î¡A¨¾¬Ì¤u§@º|¬}¦Ê¥X¥B¯àÁô§tªº³g»G±¡¨Æ ¡A ½²­^¤å¥D®u¿ù¦ô§Î¶Õ¡A¤S¿WÅ󴣦W¤jÅv ¡A ¦~»´¿ï¥Á¤×¨ä¤£º¡¥Á¶iÄÒ·ÓÅU«C¦~ªº©Ó¿Õ¥þµM¸¨ªÅ)
VOA, 2022-11-27 ...internal chaos in the DPP.  Power is not distributed well.

 
Brookings, 2022-8-19:
the conclusion of the Chinese Communist Party's 20th Party Congress this fall, and/or in the run-up to Taiwan's 2024 presidential and legislative elections, when Beijing may attempt to use shows of force to influence voter preferences. brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2022/08/19/what-is-taiwans-plan-to-protect-itself-against-chinese-pressure   The Diplomat, 2022-7-25:  Midterm elections in Taiwan are often more a reflection of local politics going down to the microlevel of neighborhood relations, it will still be an important signal of each political party's level of popularity.   Public opinion research shows that cross-strait relations do still factor
midterms thediplomat.com/2022/07/previewing-taiwans-2022-midterm-elections/    Macau Business, 2022-9-10: factionalism remains serious within the KMT party, the moderately blue camp led by party chair Eric Chu is eager to steer a middle-of-the-road approach to dealing with the US and mainland China, to win the hearts and minds of voters.  macaubusiness.com/opinion-kuomintang-politics-in-taiwan/

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United Daily, editorial and China Times, editorial (2022-11-23): More pan-blue political inclination voters are losing their voting rights by the authority's technical foul  ¢w  expatriates like Taiwanese businessmen in China are blocked by CovID "Mini-three-links (¤p¤T³q)", soldiers are blocked by "Maximizing the number of military personnel on duty" ¡BThe number of those voters plus CovID infected people in Taiwan might be at least 0.4 million. By contrast, Japan and Korea can take alternative way such as post voting, laborers from Indonesia and Philippines can vote in Taiwan, but Taiwan's ruling party rejects post-voting.   udn.com/news/story/7338/6785646?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate     chinatimes.com/opinion/20221122004507-262101?chdtv

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US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 :  In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.  National Interest, 2022-7-9: Taiwan is a young democratic country that is vulnerable to demagoguery by politicians trying to win elections ... extremist lines can easily win support from the public during economic downturns. it is possible that a Taiwanese political leader could promote independence as a solution to Taiwan's worsening economic situation.  Foreign Affairs, 2022-6-23:  the anti-unification Democratic Progressive Party has controlled both the presidency and the legislature, and it looks well positioned to win the next set of national elections in 2024.  Brookings, 2021-12-27: Beijing have bandwidth and incentive to try to create a political environment in Taiwan conducive to their preferences for the 2024 election. (brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/12/27/steadying-taiwan-for-a-storm-on-the-horizon/ Global Times, 2021-12-11: "If the DPP faces difficulties in the next election in 2024, it's likely to create trouble and further unbalance the current situation, as the political environment in Taiwan is too ideologically-driven and politicized".   United Daily, editorial, 2022-4-24: All political parties try to influence public opinions or do media framing by manipulating polls (udn.com/news/story/7338/6262274?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2).

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pic.: Slovakia congressman and governor perfect imitated the way Taiwanese law-makers often did while visiting Legislative Yuan. 2022-6-9;
 
GT, 2022-10-26 : the democracy in "Legislative Yuan" have become the laughing stock of the international community...governance and an imported form of democracy from a different culture, supported  only with money but without the required training and education is so poorly implemented. The Brookings (Jan. '21) concludes : "Taiwan's structural impediments to good policy performance are not easily fixed. brief globaltimes.cn/page/202210/1278061.shtml

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Brookings, 2021-7-30 (brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/07/30/examining-the-role-of-cross-strait-relations-in-taiwans-politics/): Lev Nachman: from extensive political science research we know that the dominant political factor in every Taiwanese election is the China factor. All other issues are secondary or filtered through the China factor lens. Taiwanese voters are far more pragmatic than we typically assume ... TIME 2021-7-26 (time.com/6083748/taiwan-vaccines-terry-gou-foxconn/   )Most people, 48%, are non-partisan and some now support smaller parties, like TPP led by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je.  Foxconn Terry Gou has earned a place in Taiwanese hearts for his determination to provide Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.  The Hill, 2021-11-24: Beijing does not want Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to be succeeded in early 2024 by her vice president, Lai ... undoubtedly would cause Beijing to accelerate its efforts to take Taiwan.  
ps:
UDN, WorldJournal, 2021-12-9: Taiwan's former pres. Ma: Taiwan is an "illiberal democracy", "a democratically-elected autocracy"

Global Times, 2022-8-11: under the guise of "democracy", the DPP authorities are practicing "green terror". 

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Reuters, 2022-11-23:  Taiwan sees less Chinese interference ahead of elections news.yahoo.com/taiwan-sees-less-chinese-interference-105940773.html

CNN, 2021-10-27

edition.cnn.com/2021/10/27/asia/tsai-ingwen-taiwan-china-interview-intl-hnk/index.html

Taiwan Pres: "Democracy sometimes is chaotic. It's messy, confrontational, ..."

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¡´ "Black-Gold" politics vs. democracy
New York Times, 1-11-2020 : Taiwan's young and vibrant, if messy at times, democratic society.   N.Y. Times, 12-1-2019: the soft underbelly of Taiwanese politics: patronage networks.  They continue to allow community leaders, farmers¡¦ associations and even organized-crime figures to buy votes ( NY Times, opinion : https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/01/opinion/china-taiwan-election.html ).  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30 There were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties (KMT and DPP) in  Presidential election in 2020.   'Mr Democracy' Lee Teng-hui (§õµn½÷) employed "Black-Gold" politics (  SCMP, 7-30-2020: the use of extensive factional networks, regardless of whether they were linked to local interest groups or underworld figures  scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3095139/lee-teng-hui-controversial-figure-hailed-taiwans-father ; Heritage, 3-17-2000: local slang for the party's ties to gangsters, corruption and illegal financial transactions. ) , for a long run, the rottenness in the powerful political family and patronage networks have been a structural issue, and never changed regardless of transitions of power. 
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Economist, 2022-3-12: Taiwan ranks top 10~11 on the crony-capitalism index
Rich folk in autocratic countries remain vulnerable to the whims of dictators
Rent-seeking entrepreneurs tend to use their relationships with the state to maximise profits.  some are
characterised by the modern equivalent of the robber barons in late-19th-century America.

Economist, The crony-capitalism index
Billionaire wealth as % of GDP, 2021   Ranked by crony-sector wealth

1(1) Russia 8(7) Indonesia
2(2) Malaysia 9(12) Thailand
3(4) Singapore 10(11) China
4(3) Philippines 11(10) Taiwan
7(9) India 20(19) Japan

The crony-capitalism index
Billionaire wealth as % of GDP, 2016 Rankedby crony-sector wealth

1 Russia 9 India
2 Malaysia 10 Taiwan
3 Philippines 11 China
4 Singapore 12 Thailand
7 Indonesia 19 Japan

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 United Daily ( editorial 8-6-2020, opinion 8-3-2020)  :  Corruption in parliament seems never end.  Lawmakers in similar cases were judged not guilty or not decided yet after more than 10 years' investigations, therefore UDN questions "Does Taiwan's judiciary fail to find out the truth once facing lawmakers ??"  At Aug. 2, 2020, top presidential aide resigns amid nephew's ( a DPP lawmaker ) bribery allegations, the image of parliament and Taiwan's democracy tarnishes again after some lawmakers detained for graft probe at 8-4-2020.  The China Times  (8-6-2020) points out the ruling party DPP is good at winning the vote, instead of governing the state, huge expense spent for election needs to be 'returned', therefore, results in abusing their power and corruption.  In today's Taiwan, even county councilmen needs election expenses up to USD 3 millions, not to mention lawmakers or president.  Apple Daily, editorial, 8-3-2020: Lawmakers of same party share illegal benefits or cover each other, and usually won't disclose political rivals' greasy palms, that's Taiwan's political culture and 'ecology'. ( brief of  https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/20200803/BQXMSWTYOVERHBPGLUKPXAA5LQ/ Since 2018's basic-level election, totally 12 speakers/chairpersons of city council or county council handed in their position to relative or son. ( Apple Daily, editorial 8-4-2020 https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/20200804/FH6DI3F3CYJV2SOIIEGKRGDHKQ/ ;  for more Pork Barrel examples, see TVBS news, 12-10-2019 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY6TP7JW398  )  In addition to greedy politicians, Brookings (1-22-2021) : Only 23% Taiwanese people thought that democracy was more important than economic development, 16% believed that protecting political freedom was more important than reducing economic inequality. (brookings.edu/articles/taiwans-democracy-and-the-china-challenge/

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¡´ Democracy is harmed for national security, national security is harmed for democracy

Taiwan's democracy influences its national security.   N.Y. Times, 2022-6-19: A Looming Threat /  ...Taiwan is a democracy, and politicians have electoral considerations. Extending military conscription, for example, would probably not be very popular.
China keeps inching closer to Taiwan, hence western experts
(e.g., Foreign Policy, 10-28-2020, Financial Times (UK), 7-12-2020 ) warned Taiwan
to make urgent defense reforms such as increasing the existing four-month conscription and improving reservist systems , but, Taiwanese politicians are afraid to discuss these issues with the public for months because they believe Taiwanese people are not willing to sacrifice, and considering electoral realities, Taiwan¡¦s leaders don't want to shift from volunteer military service to mandatory military service with same training period as Singapore's or Korea's, because such a policy could be deeply unpopular among the young voters courted by the ruling party (DPP), according to Foreign Policy (10-19-2020).   New York Times (5-18-2017) criticized Taiwan's nearly two million reservists "exist in name only" - but nothing big has changed till present, in spite of western analyst's warning "With China¡¦s rapid military buildup, that may be time that Taiwan does not have.".  On the other hand, Taiwan's democracy is harmed in the name of national security.  An academic paper of NanHua University published in June 2020 concludes: Taiwan¡¦s democracy has shown a retrogressive trend in recent years, the freedom of speech, publication, assembly etc were persecuted by excuses such as national security. (Shih-Yueh Yang, Ph.D, Walish Temu)  United Daily, editorial,10-10-2020 (https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4924067): The democracy and freedom of speech are falling back for being threatened by "certain power".  Some western politicians giving Taiwan compliments or rhapsody are merely based on political purpose to needle China.  Taiwan deserves becoming a safe haven, but at the moment is far from "a beacon for democracy and human rights" or "a model democracy".  Global Times, 9-17-2020: The Taiwan authorities often brag about "freedom and democracy" in the island, which are self-comforting empty slogans.

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 pic. :  TOP rank "Taiwan democracy", on Microsoft Bing, 2023-11-11,

2023-5-1, 2023-2-28, 2023-1-21, 2023-1-1, 2022-9-9, 2022-6-12, 2022-5-29, 2022-3-21, 2022-2-10, 2022-1-31, 2022-1-2, 2021-12-28, 2021-11-28, 2021-11-15

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 pic. :  No.1 "Taiwan democracy", on Microsoft Bing, 2023-2-28, 2023-1-1, 2022-12-5, 2022-11-29, 2022-9-10, 2022-6-13, 2022-5-30, 2022-3-22, 2022-2-11, 2022-1-30, 2022-1-3, 2021-12-29, 2021-12-16, 2021-12-9, 2021-11-29, 2021-11-21, 2021-11-1, 2021-10-7, 2021-9-6, 2021-8-5, 2021-6-24, 2021-6-1, 2021-5-13, 2021-10-6, 2021-9-5, 2021-8-1, 2021-6-1, 2021-5-9, 3-12-2021, 2-28-2021, 2-12-2021, 1-27-2021, 1-24-2021, 1-11-2021, 01-01-2021;  top 2  "Taiwan democracy", on Microsoft Bing, 2022-10-19, 2022-10-10;

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pic. :  Topics on "Taiwan democracy" of  intlHumanRights.com ,  Microsoft Bing, 2022-9-10


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pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on Ecosia of Germany, 2022-6-13, 2022-5-30, 2022-3-22, 2022-2-11, 2022-1-30,  2022-1-3, 2021-12-29, 2021-11-29, 2021-11-15, 2021-5-31, 2021-5-9,  2-28-2021, 11-14-2020, 8-8-2020,  7-24-2020,  6-25-2020, 6-21-2020; among top ranks at 2023-2-28

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US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 :  In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.
USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30 There were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties (KMT and DPP) in  Presidential election in 2020. 

N.Y. Times, 12-1-2019: the soft underbelly of Taiwanese politics: patronage networks. 
They continue to allow
community leaders, farmers¡¦ associations and even
 organized-crime figures to buy votes
 
( NY Times, opinion :
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/01/opinion/china-taiwan-election.html ).

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¡´ Scuffles are common in the parliament

The New York Times declared in a 1992 editorial : "Taiwan is now the most democratic society in the Chinese-speaking world¡¨.  The Sunday Guardian (UK) at 8-2-2020 notes that "it (Taiwan) could be a model of democracy for Chinese speakers.".  Both should be unbiased comments !  

New York Times, 6-28-2020: Taiwan is a rambunctious democracy and fights and protests inside the parliament building are not an uncommon occurrence.   The Express (UK) and SCMP at 6-29-2020 : Taiwan¡¦s democracy is boisterous with fights and protests a common occurrence inside the parliament building... The ruling DPP's large parliamentary majority and obstinacy had left the KMT ( main opposition Kuomintang or Nationalist Party) with no alternative but to occupy the parliament ( Legislative Yuan ) to protest against government ¡§tyranny¡¨ ( AFP: KMT refuses the list of corrupt nominees, the Diplomat:  Chen Chu will not be impartial to head oversight board as she is top aide & advisor to President Tsai , Australian Associated Press: KMT has accused the DPP of cheating in part of the vote on nomination ).   A lot of scuffles erupted as lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) broke through barricades erected by KMT...  Such brawls are a fact of life in Taiwan and happened regularly for about 30 years in parliament, 40+ years in the streets ( Formosa TV, 7-2-2020, China Times, 7-4-2020 ). Two weeks later, more fighting as Taiwan opposition again occupies parliament,  Reuters, New York Times, 7-14-2020: Violence and protests inside the chamber are not unusual in Taiwan.  AFP UK, Australian Associated Press, CNA Singapore, 7-17-2020: Taiwan is a boisterous, sometimes unruly democracy.  France24,  AFP, 7-14-2020: Taiwan's parliament was once notorious for mass brawls among lawmakers and has been the location of frequent protests. Scuffles broke out over reform policies and pension cuts when President Tsai first took office four years ago...  After four months, chaotic clashes are seen again, French AFP and France 24 (11-27-2020) described scuffles in this time as "particularly novel", Guardian UK (11-27-2020) called it "disgusting  unlike hair pulling, throwing punches, chairs, eggs and even water balloons in previous protests, lawmakers hurl pig intestines, hearts, liver, lungs and other organs at their DPP rivals and exchange ham-fist punches, leaving the chamber's crimson carpet streaked with ropy strands of intestine and milky viscera for government's allowing imports of U.S. pork containing ractopamine, an additive that enhances leanness but is banned by More than 150 countries including European Union and China.  The KMT also accused DPP of hypocrisy because they were heavily against ractopamine while as opposition.  Reuters (11-23-2020) reports opposition's slogan "Taiwanese pigs don't eat ractopamine and yet you are asking Taiwanese people to?".  Washington Post (11-27-2020) : scholar says Taiwanese voters generally viewed brawls negatively but that they were important ways to send signals to each party's die-hard supporters.

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 L.A. Times, 11-22-2020: thousands march in Taiwan streets against US pork imports,  a giant inflatable pig (slogan: Betraying pig farmers) flown above the crowd.
www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-11-22/thousands-march-in-taiwan-streets-against-us-pork-imports
Guardian UK, 11-27-2020: Parliamentarians in Taiwan have thrown pig guts at each other before coming to blows over plans to allow US meat imports.  www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/27/taiwan-politicians-throw-pig-guts-meat-row
UDN 11-23-20: gov. refuses "import from US" mark and allows US pork on campus ( to smooth trade relations with the Trump adm.)
 ¡¹ Brookings,  2021-7-12:  if Taiwan voters reverse Tsai¡¦s pledge to open Taiwan¡¦s market to the same pork products that American citizens eat... would seal shut the door to anything more than incremental progress on U.S.-Taiwan trade relations...other major economies would follow suit.   brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/07/12/taiwan-voters-should-look-before-they-leap-on-pork-referendum/   

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In 2014, hundreds of students occupied parliament for weeks in protests
demanding KMT ruling party more transparent politics, some students became today's lawmakers.  But now DPP has accused the KMT of subverting the democratic process.  The Diplomat (7-16-2020) called the scuffles "the return of what was once an internationally known tradition in Taiwan: brawls in the legislature over controversial votes on bills or appointments",   "opposition parties have used violence to stop votes on laws or confirmations, with the KMT resorting to the tactic several times since the DPP gained a legislative majority in 2016".   N.Y. based Canadian media VICE analyzed at 6-30-2020 that lawmakers' apparently quick tempers ( vandalism, hurling chairs,  pulling hairs,  wrestling opponents to the ground...  according to a history compiled by the BBC ; punch, water balloons thrown, "bites" & stuck to lawmaker's arm, pulled across the ground, reported by AFP, Next TV ) are rather a form of political theater to show their voters and supporters who do buy the moves.  Brookings (1-22-2021) comments the performance of Taiwan's democracy the political system does not do so well on its "performance". This is partly because of a set of structural factors. Selecting the president and legislature on a majoritarian basis fosters a degree of polarization and complicates the crafting of policy compromises. (brookings.edu/articles/taiwans-democracy-and-the-china-challenge/

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¡´ Weak opposition

Taiwan lacks good separation & balance of powers between the ruling party and the opposition, the executive and the legislative, the government and the media.   Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun (¡m¤é¥»経済·s»D¡n, editorial, 5-21-2020 and Taiwan's Apple Daily ( editorial, 6-10-2020 ) :  Taiwan's democracy without a strong opposition to question the government and hold them accountable is in grave danger, the biggest opposition, KMT, needs to regain its strength.  But New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/06/28/world/asia/28reuters-taiwan-politics.html) and US News & World Report comment at 6-28-2020: The KMT is undergoing a policy revamp to try and win back popular support, but faces an uphill struggle.  such as:

¡»  al jazeera, 2022-5-30: Taiwan legislature erupts in violence over "secret expenses" bill KMT lawmakers try to block bill they say could be used to overturn ex-President Chen Shui-bian¡¦s corruption conviction Lawmakers armed with signs and loudspeakers, pushed and shoved each other and threw water and paper (fake money) to prevent a third reading of the bill.  Chen was found guilty of misusing funds by fake receipts etc.   brief from aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/30/brawl-breaks-out-in-taiwan-legislature    United Daily, Taiwan, 2022-5-31: A formal member of Special Investigation Division says if losing the last line of defense, there would be no law to punish president's connecting public monies with a private or personal burse...  udn.com/news/story/122808/6352386?from=udn_ch2cate6638sub122808_pulldownmenu_v2  

¡»  New York Times,  2-12-2021 (nytimes.com/2021/02/12/world/asia/taiwan-kuomintang-china.html) : The Beijing-friendly party, KMT has been criticized (1) out of touch with modern Taiwanese life  (2)  mind-set is more conservative (3) signal the identity crisis ... They have espoused democratic values and human rights, promised to recruit younger members and better engage the public, and sought to distance the party from Beijing.

¡»  National Interest,  2-4-2021 ( nationalinterest.org/feature/taiwan¡¦s-kmt-ideological-crossroads-177608?page=0%2C1 ): Taiwan¡¦s KMT Is at an Ideological Crossroads.  As China exerts immense pressure on Taiwan, the party will have to make a choice between more viable electorally or become a pro-Beijing wrecking ball?

¡» aljazeera 11-12-2020 (aljazeera.com/features/2020/11/12/why-are-taiwans-new-generation-a-test-for-the-kmt) points out the China-friendly party KMT is on the ropes in that the coffers are running dry, greying heavyweights're still trying to manipulate the agenda, and their patriarchal culture makes reforms difficult.  

¡» Diplomat,  4-21-2021: the ¡§pro-mainland¡¨ Kuomintang and Ko Wen-je¡¦s Taiwan People¡¦s Party pose no credible opposition against the prevailing ruling party (thediplomat.com/2021/04/beijings-military-heavy-approach-to-taiwan-locks-the-us-and-china-in-a-security-dilemma/ )
¡» United Daily, 11-14-2020 editorial,  (udn.com/news/story/7338/5014020?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2): the ruling party threatened the opposition to silence important issues like national security, food safety, economic industry chain, by "questioning the government is equal to anti-USA".
¡» Japan's Nikkei Asia (11-19-2020) notes that as China ramps up its threats against Taiwan, the KMT is "burdened" by its pro-China image.  the KMT believes maintaining the consensus brings stable cross-strait relations, although youngsters may say the KMT is old and conservative (e.g., on same-sex marriage issue).
¡»  South China Morning Post, 2-6-2021:"Taiwan needs a strong leader"! Jaw Shaw-kong's return to politics could spark infighting within KMT and would be a serious threat to the DPP if allowed to run for president.
¡»  China Times, 2021-6-18, editorial: opposition law makers now are even hard to to request for data files, not to mention to boycott the ruling party.    chinatimes.com/opinion/20210617005424-262101?chdtv

¡»  United Daily, 2021-8-1, editorial: KMT lacks aggressions, political landscape on political issues and agenda, its member put personal future above party's future.   udn.com/news/story/7338/5641637?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate  (¥Á¶iÄÒ¥¢¼w¥¢¯à¥¢¬F)
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United Daily, 2021-7-12, editorial: Legislative Yuan (parliament) suppose is the highest public opinion institution, however, the leader of law-makers of ruling party is willing to follow president's intention and cover up administration's mistakes, opposition failed to stop they pass every their legal cases, Taiwan's democracy therefore is more and more opaque.  udn.com/news/story/7338/5594717?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

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The China Times (chinatimes.com/opinion/20200806005356-262105?chdtv), opinion (8-7-2020): Originally the parliament provides effective checks and balances on the power of president, but 6-times amendments of the Constitution by former president Lee T.H. eliminated the key mechanism of democracy, balance of powers, therefore leads to endless corruptions - the "Sunshine Law" trickly Justifies taking bribes , and a weird phenomenon - the premier takes the responsibility but lacks of power, the president hold the power but no responsibility.  United Daily, 7-28-2020, editorial: CPP lawmakers in parliament are worse than a "rubber stamp", just followed every order the administration gave, therefore the parliament already lost its own voicesMoreover, the president seriously intervened Judicial Yuan, and the Control Yuan now becoming a oversight board with political inclination and partization.   Once all five powers are under president's control, how can we maintain a system of democracy & freedom ?   Therefore, even DPP friendly media, the Liberty Times, (editorial, 1-12-2020) criticized the ruling party (  dominance in power  ) was rotten and smells.   One example is the opposition DPP in 2012 staged a brute-force, five-day-four-night-long occupation of the Legislative Yuan podium to resist "toxic beef" ( US beef with Ractopamine ), but now in 2020 the ruling party DPP announced the decision on easing restrictions on US pork and beef imports without consulting parliament, legislative caucus, and farmers.  

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Taiwan midterm election 2022:  disastrous results for the ruling party
CNN (USA), 2022-11-27  Taiwan's President billed midterms as all about China. The DPP's losses come as a heavy blow for Tsai as she had tried to frame the election ¡V as a way to send a message against Beijing¡¦s rising bellicosity toward the island.   edition.cnn.com/2022/11/27/asia/taiwan-election-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html
BBC, 2022-11-26

The vote has drawn global attention as Taiwan becomes a bigger geopolitical flashpoint between China and the US.  bbc.com/news/world-asia-63768538

ABC News (USA), 2022-11-26  "...the DPP loses many county seats, then their ability to rule will face a very strong challenge¡¨ said the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation   abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/taiwan-votes-lower-voting-age-mayors-city-councils-93973508
CNN, 2022-11-25 Taiwan votes in local elections billed as message for China and the world   edition.cnn.com/2022/11/25/asia/taiwan-local-election-china-intl-hnk/index.html
ABC (Australia) , 2022-11-27 international observers and the ruling party have attempted to link the elections to the long-term existential threat ... Voters in Taiwan overwhelmingly chose the opposition Nationalist party in several major races in an election in which lingering concerns about threats from China took a back seat to more local issues.     abc.net.au/news/2022-11-27/taiwan-votes-for-opposition-nationalist-party-in-local-polls/101703012
Bloomberg (USA), 2022-11-27  The DPP needed to -- but largely failed to -- marshal a strong campaign in Taipei, the center of attention. Instead it got bogged down with negative campaigning;   Taiwan midterm elections set stage for tighter Presidential Race    news.yahoo.com/taiwan-elections-set-stage-tighter-090909384.html
Forbes (USA), 2022-11-27 Taiwan Ruling Party Drubbed In Local Vote; Taipei mayoral candidate Chen Shi-chung  lost the race as his popularity dipped and the public lost patience with government Covid policies. msn.com/en-us/money/news/taiwan-ruling-party-drubbed-in-local-vote-ex-exec-at-tech-billionaire-terry-gou-e2-80-99s-foxconn-elected-chip-hub-mayor/ar-AA14BeBs

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¡´  Taiwan, the new democratic authoritarianism   (if the layout below still is bad, politics did it ! who has motive to do that ?)

Taiwan treats democracy as a tool, instead of a principle or value, to gain power or benefits.  Taiwan likes "villains" too, Japan Times (2022-4-6, japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/06/commentary/world-commentary/taiwans-fatal-attractions/) comments Taiwanese leaders lavished praise on people who undermined that democracy's security and gave financial supports to corrupt regime and "White Terror" operations in some countries;  further more, Taiwan is criticized or reported to be a  "Green Terror" by People's Daily, commentary, 10-15-2020  
♣  United Daily, 2021-12-28: The ruling party is burying Taiwan's democracy. "民進黨的鴨霸立法,正在埋葬憲政民主"

udn.com/news/story/7338/5992375?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2   ♣ 
 chinatimes.com/opinion/20211224003637-262101?chdtv
♣ 
"·m±Ï¥xÆW¥Á¥D"  chinatimes.com/opinion/20211225002933-262101?chdtv
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The recent issue of <Yazhou Zhoukan > (¨È¬w©P¥Z) published in Hong Kong depicts Taiwan president Tsai I. W. as an "Empress with Imperial robe and crown"¡A<DW> of Germany (Chinese edition, 12-25-2020) and <RFI> of France (Chinese edition, 12-27-2020) both quoted its reports such as the founder of DPP, the ruling party and former Taiwan president chastised the new democratic authoritarianism leading to a submissive Legislative Yuan and a yes-man judiciary, Taiwan became the first democratic country to shut a TV channel by denying the license renewal, and to abuse police power to investigate & interview ordinary people with opposing views which have snowballed......

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Who makes Taiwan's "democratic authoritarianism"
(1) The Liberty Times (pro-DPP) opinion
(12-31-2020 https://talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1422461ª÷ùÚÞm) shifts the blame onto Lee Teng-hui (§õµn½÷) making the system and advises amending constitution to avoid next "elected emperor".

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(2) <RFI> 12-27-2020 : A highly esteemed academician of Sinica (¤¤¥¡¬ã¨s°|) points out: Containing China is the biggest goal of U.S. foreign policy, Taiwan's democracy good or bad is not the point for western media, therefore Taiwan president has a free hand and a strong backing to carry on authoritative or aggressive activities under the cloak of legality.  United Daily, editorial, 12-31-2020 (udn.com/news/story/7338/5135316?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate) comments Western media have not seen those dark sides of Taiwan's "democratic authoritarianism".
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pic. :  Taiwan president Tsai I. W. was turning into
 
"Empress with Imperial robe and crown",

image of  "¥xÆW¥Á¿ï¿Wµô¹õ«á", Yazhou Zhoukan https://www.yzzk.com

 ref. to Euro. media Chinese edition - DW, https://www.dw.com/zh/½²­^¤å变½²¬Ó«Ò亚¬w©P¥Z§å½²­^¤å独µô/a-56059525
RFI,
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/专栏检¯Á/亚¬w©P¥Z/20201227-¥x湾¥Á选独µô¹õ¦Z¡A绿营·s«Â权¥D义现¶H
n
United Daily, editorial, 2022-3-22: President Tsai has been repeating old day's authoritarian governance and
leading democratized Taiwan to a route of arbitrary
 
udn.com/news/story/7338/6181610?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

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¡´  Foreign countries' influence  VS.  Taiwan's democracy
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Toronto Star (Canada), 2022-10-8: Yet in the West, discussions over the future of the island democracy too often exclude the voices of Taiwanese people...thestar.com/news/world/2022/10/08/who-do-the-taiwanese-think-they-are.html
Denmark's Democracy Perception Index 2021 ( DPI ) shows that
democracy in Taiwan was threatened by US: 58%, Russia: 20%,China : 65%, Foreign election interference -  agree 55%, unfair elections and/or election fraud - Agree 46%. allianceofdemocracies.org/initiatives/the-copenhagen-democracy-summit/dpi-2021/      After the ruling party DPP picked up legislative majorities. Lawmakers changed the law so as to easily recall current mayors or law-makers, which successfully ousted a China-friendly Kaohsiung mayor in June 2020, correspondingly,  the opposition KMT recently worked on recalls of pro-independence law-makers antagonistic toward China.  In Wall Street Journal at 2022-1-7 (wsj.com/articles/revenge-recalls-spark-debate-in-taiwan-how-much-democracy-is-too-much-11641558601), Lev Nachman at the Harvard thinks Taiwanese politicians should hopefully spend their time on Chinese infiltration and Taiwan preparedness for a potential Chinese invasion;  National Chengchi University's Mr. Lin Jia-he (ªL®a©M) said:¡§In Taiwan, opposing recalls means you're against democracy"
 
France 24, Reuters, 2021-12-18: Taiwan's opposition suffered a major setback on Saturday after voters rejected four referendums (france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20211218-taiwan-votes-against-referendums-on-us-trade-in-major-setback-for-opposition)  al jazeera , 2021-12-18: Referendums that, if approved, might have affected Taiwan's ties with key backer the United States and its energy security failed to pass on Saturday, in a major setback to the opposition which had cast the votes as a show of no-confidence in the government.  (aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/18/taiwan-referendums-fail-in-major-setback-for-opposition)  United Daily , editorial,  2021-12-19:  Pan-Blue (opposition) internally attacked each other, some among them intentionally kept a distance with four referendums ¡C(udn.com/news/story/7338/5972353?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2)   

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¡´  CovID-19  -  Taiwan's democracy

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United Daily(Áp¦X³ø) , 2022-5-30, 2022-5-29, editorial:  Taiwan premier Su (蘇貞昌 reprimands that a TV celebrity Antony Kuo (郭彥均)  sharing a message "Seeing so many children just past away like that" (¡u¬Ý¨ì³o»ò¦h«Ä¤l¡A´N³o¼Ë¨«¡v) on his Facebook, Su says the message is a rumor or incorrect information,  and will call him to account,  investigate and deal with the issue accordingly (斥責¡u不實ÁÁ¨¥¡v¡A±N¨s³d¬d¿ì) .   However, during the CovID Omicron outbreak since about April 2022, Taiwan's child case-fatality rate (½T¶E死亡率) is 10 times that of Japan and 8 times that of South Korea, and in Singapore, there's even no any child was dead for CovID-Omicron - therefore, " so many children just past away" is not a rumor or incorrect information.  The public feel disgusted, angry and intolerable at the government's reckless suppression of free speech.  How can Taiwan's adm. calls itself a "government of democracy".  

udn.com/news/story/7338/6349957?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

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CovID-19   /    politicians abusing power  VS.  democracy

PIC. : Scuffles again in Taiwan parliament for CovID-19 surge, 2021-9-28

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nABC news, 9-29: Taiwan lawmakers brawl amid anger over COVID response.   The KMT party called recently shortened quarantine requirements for pilots a ¡§big breach¡¨.   many Youtubers' comments were supportive of the brawl. Some praised the Kuomingtang for ¡§becoming stronger.   abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/taiwan-lawmakers-break-brawl-policy-speech-80276994

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nReuters, 9-28: Scuffles in Taiwan parliament, premier blocked from podium in COVID dispute .  The KMT members then scuffled with DPP counterparts and threw things at the dais...Taiwan's legislature does see unruly scenes from time to time and rivals have been known to punch each other.  news.yahoo.com/scuffles-taiwan-parliament-premier-blocked-102314300.html

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PIC. : Scuffles in Taiwan parliament for CovID-19
 surge, 2021-9-28

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experts, scholars, media

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1   The Guardian, 2021-6-14    theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/14/how-taiwan-struggle-for-covid-vaccines-is-inflaming-tensions-with-china ¡§Pfizer and BioNTech have a huge incentive to ensure that the Fosun product is equivalent, so I would think there is no concern,¡¨   ... refusing it is ¡§entirely political¡¨. it still seemed ¡§in the DPP¡¦s electoral interest not to get any China vaccines¡¨. ¡§It would be foolish to say no
2 The Diplomat, 2021-9-10; thediplomat.com/2021/09/the-politics-of-taiwans-covid-19-response/ Vaccines are Probably used to make inroads on the youth vote ... High-ranking politicians were found to have violated the vaccination priority order to be vaccinated...Taiwan¡¦s first real COVID-19 outbreak engendered fierce political debates between the DPP and the KMT
3 China Times, editorial, 2021-9-8  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210907005525-262101?chdtv BNT-Pfizer doses are used to draw votes and please ruling party's base.  is "cold-blood", "losing their souls"
4 United Daily, editorial, 2021-9-12; udn.com/news/story/7338/5739883?from=udn-catelistnews_ch2 What the DPP¡¦s ruling party really cares about is how to grab votes;  Ignoring older populations and giving priority to teenagers and young students for inoculation obviously is an example of anti-science. 
5 National Taiwan University professor, King ChwanChuen (ª÷¶Ç¬K), 2021-9-1 CDC should not turn into a election campaign center, priority for youngsters is a wrong strategy totally(®Ú¥»¬O¿ù»~ªº¬Fµ¦, «ü´§¤¤¤ß¤£À³Åܦ¨¿ï²¼¤¤¤ß)
6 United Daily, May 2022 Some widely-known Law makers cut in queue to take PCR test, left behind lots of people (some are high risky) waiting and even died in long lines, sunny or rainy  udn.com/news/story/7338/6313780?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2    udn.com/news/story/11091/6325951?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2
7 ¾Ô°«ÂÅ»¯ ¤Ö±d  www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKhGXGiEdYA DPP law makers give directions to CDC and abuse the power of allocating vaccines to please and draw young people's votes (¥HBNT°t²¼? ¦Y¬ÛÃø¬Ý!  ºñ¥ß©e¤U«ü¾É´Ñ, ¬£¨tªv°ê, ¤£¦ý·m¥\, ÁÙ·m¤À°tÅv, §Æ°Q¦n¦~»´¤H)
8 CTV News, ¤¤µø, 2021-9-2,"±f¥Á¤jÀY®a", youtube.com/watch?v=C3KcfEW9Z4M No any country worldwide prioritized vaccine doses for those between the ages of 12 and 22, Western democratic countries prioritized the elders and the vulnerable. Obviously Taiwan's government does it on political purpose.
9 China Times, editorial, 2021-6-26 brief  https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20210625005286-262101?chdtv Taipei mayor Ko and New Taipei mayor Ho, as well as  Academic Sinica ³¯°ö­õ, etc were under horror-attacks by government's internet army/ on-line army (³£Ãø°kºô­x岀©ºªº®£©Æ©Ê§ðÀ») 
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 ¡¹   Taiwan government is state enemy !  if it still block civil organization to purchase western vaccines  


However, Taiwan's government 
deliberately to place obstacles (certificate of authorization is needed) for non-governmental organisations, such as Foxconn founder Gou, and some Buddhist groups, etc  to purchase Western vaccines, but according to the law (¡mÃĨƪk¡n©M¡m¯S©wÃĪ«±M®×®Ö­ã»s³y¤Î¿é¤J¿ìªk¡n) , in case of emergency, certificate of authorization is not required.  United Daily, editorial, 2021-6-4 criticizes the purpose of creating difficulties for Foxconn is to save Taiwan government's political face, ignoring more and more deaths is nothing but a 'state enemy'.  udn.com/news/story/7338/5507706?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

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No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on Lycos, 2022-2-10,  2021-6-1, 11-14-2020, 8-8-2020,  7-24-2020, 6-25-2020,  6-21-2020; ; No.2 at 2022-6-13;

 No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on SearchEncrpt, 2022-2-10, 2021-6-1, 11-14-2020,  8-9-2020;No.2 at 2022-6-13

 

pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on Ekoru (New Zealand), 2022-2-10, 2021-6-1,11-14-2020, 8-9-2020; ;No.2 at 2022-6-13

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pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on US Yahoo search, 2022-2-11, 2022-1-2, 2021-12-29, 10-14-2020, 9-19-2020, 9-15-2020, 9-9-2020; No.2 at  2021-9-6, 2021-8-5, 2021-6-1; among top ranks at 2022-3-22

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pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on Yahoo (Taiwan), 2021-6-1, 2-7-2021, 11-14-2020, 10-8-2020, 9-5-2020,  8-19-2020,
 8-8-2020, 
7-26-2020,  6-28-2020, 6-25-2020, 6-21-2020; top 3 at 2022-6-13

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  pic. :  No.1 "Taiwan democracy & freedom", on Yahoo search engine,  
2022-2-11, 2022-1-1, 2021-12-29, 2021-8-5, 2021-5-9, 3-12-2021, 2-28-2021, 2-12-2021, 1-27-2021, 1-12-2021, 1-24-2021 ; No.2 at 2021-11-15, 2021-10-7, 2021-9-6 

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pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on US Bing, 2021-5-31, 2021-5-9, 2-28-2021, 1-11-2021, 12-15-2020, 11-28-2020, 11-14-2020, 10-25-2020, 10-10-2020, 9-19-2020 9-5-2020,
8-19-2020, 8-8-2020, 8-6-2020, 7-24-2020, 7-4-2020, 6-28-2020, 6-22-2020

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violence in Taiwan chamber

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¡» Express (UK), 6-29-2020:  KMT described the government "more tyrannical than before", such as
 forcing bills through and nominating President's senior aide Chen Chu to head the government watchdog, Control Yuan...

 ( https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3090980/fighting-erupts-taiwans-parliament-after-opposition-kmt  https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1302350/taiwan-news-protest-kuomintang-democratic-progressive-party-latest) 

  After lots of scuffles and shouting between KMT and DPP lawmakers in parliament,  KMT eventually withdrew and denounced
 the violence used by the ruling party DPP.  


¡» VICE 6-30-2020 listed some other chaos : in 2017, lawmakers were actually hurling chairs at each other and wrestling opponents to the ground
in an effort to block an infrastructure spending bill,  in 2004, one parliamentarian snatch the bill in question and attempt to actually eat it, but opposition members 
 try to force her to spit out the document by pulling her hair.  In another incident, at least one person was hospitalized, etc,
according to a handy history compiled by BBC.

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¡» SETN 7-2-2020: KMT law maker will bring a lawsuit against DPP law maker for neck strangling, an intentional fatal action
¡» Formosa TV news, 7-2-2020: all KMT law makers' body are covered with wounded scares or bruises, scrapes
(ps: might be evidence to bring more criminal law-suits)

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¡»  pic. taken from the net
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojZ6YnvxAyY   Ettoday  6-28-2020

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3azae3/a-fight-broke-out-among-lawmakers-in-taiwans-parliament-again VICE 6-30-2020

https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/multimedia/photo/07/17/20/taiwan-lawmakers-scuffle-in-parliament    AFP 7-17-2020,  ABS-CBN News

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                     caricature cartoon

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¡»  AFP, france24, 7-14-2020:    "We refuse the list of corrupt nominees... ", "Out of 27 nominees for Control Yuan members, 24 have close ties with the DPP,"
 statements by Taiwan main opposition, KMT

¡»  rfi  France, 7-13-2020:  Taiwan parliament was seething ! KMT staged a show to encircle Control Yuan nominee Chen Chu
¡» The Straits Times 7-14-2020:  Chen Chu: the opposition can only make smears and accusations, using irrational methods ...

Pic. left: Like
the tank man in the Tiananmen Square protests (1989), The Diplomat, 7-16-2020: some opposition lawmakers laid on a driveway to block vehicles
with Control Yuan nominees Chen Chu from entering the chamber Legislative Yuan  
https://focustaiwan.tw/photos/20200714ENP0004m
pic. right:   caricature cartoon was used by KMT to mock Chen Chu.   Years ago famous artist Picasso had this sort of drawing to mock his 'councilman'

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¡»  New York Times, Reuters, 7-14-2020:  More fighting as Taiwan opposition again occupies parliament
(
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/07/14/world/asia/14reuters-taiwan-politics.html)
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¡»   france24, 7-14-2020 (ref.) 
 Lawmakers from both sides scuffled with each other, one lawmaker (
Alex Fai) with ligament injury and bleeding like a stuck pig was sent to hospital , some others suffered minor injuries, one female lawmaker accused being sexual harassed during the chaos  (www.rfi.fr/tw/¬Fªv/20200714-°ê¥ÁÄÒij­û­È©]¯ZÂí¦u¥ßªk°|-¤Ñ«G«á¦óºØ³õ­±¤Þ»EµJ)
photo: Reuters,
 https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202007140018.aspx

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TTV news  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyyzKU9RQhE 
DPP lawmakers lifted white board to protect themselves from water balloons thrown by KMT in chamber (7-17-2020)

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pic. :  BBC 6-29-2020,  (Chinese version) :  KMT (Nationalists Party) law makers occupied parliament, demanding the president withdraw the nomination of  Chen
 (³¯µâ) as Control Yuan president because  her team has 58 cases for investigations¡A30  cases for correction, 3 Impeachments under way in Control Yuan
, when Chen was Kaohsiung City mayor.   KMT doubts once Chen
takes office in Control Yuan, she may not take the necessary steps to charge those crimes !  https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-53220360;  https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20200629000901-260407?chdtv;https://udn.com/news/story/121440/4665776

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pic. left: a police was attacked by neck strangling, another one was attacked by rope-around-neck in "Sun Flower" students movement, 2014
pic. right: students occupied parliament by 'violence', some students became law-makers now
police's forcing out is state violence ? according to UDN 10-31-2019, the Taipei courthouse judgment is political, and inconsistent
https://udn.com/news/story/120805/4135688

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¡´ Ethics

Furthermore, The Liberty Times, editorial (7-21-2020) reports only 2.3% Taiwanese politicians are trustworthy and have professional ethics, according to a survey half year ago,  56% Taiwanese note elected representatives (lawmakers, councilman, etc) care their own interest, only 9.3% think they care "national interest".  Washington Post (7-22-2020) reports:  In a major speech in January 2019, Xi (Chinese president) offered an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for unification talks or face annexation by force.  Then, in Mar., the PLA warplane crossed the Taiwan Strait "median line" that has served as a "de facto border" (Newsweek, 8-11-2020) or "the de facto cease-fire line" ( Japan's asia nikkei review, 8-13-2020) for the first time since the end of Chinese civil war in 1949 (Newsweek, 8-12-2020). However, Taiwan's government was tight-lipped about this ultimatum, a everyone's life-and-death issue, otherwise pro-Independence Tsai I. W. may not easily continue in presidential office in Jan. 2020, because, according to National Interest (6-16-2020): more than 60.3 percent of the respondents opposed Taiwan's independence if it is followed by China¡¦s military invasion...  The government likes to hold referendum but ignores the democratic results such as issues of fossil-fuel power station, using nuclear to nourish renewables, same-sex marriage.  Pork barrel appointments to offer rich patronage benefits to its own men and creating false public opinions by internet army also drew a lot of critiques.  

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¡´  Taiwan "democracy index"  ...

Brookings, April 2021 (brookings.edu/events/difficult-choices-taiwans-quest-for-security-and-the-good-life/ ), notes Taiwan's elections are free, civil and political rights are protected; However, sustaining economic growth, caring for an aging population, and reducing inequality are continuous challenges. As for China¡¦s ambition, Taiwan¡¦s political system has, at times, made implementing solutions more difficult.

Reuters Institute, 2021 (reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2021/taiwan) : Taiwanese citizens have historically low trust in the news but the media's role in emphasising public health messages may have contributed to a significant rise this year.
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Trust in news ?   Reuters Institute, 2021

Trust in news overall    31% Trust in news I used   38%
Trust in news  in search 29% Trust in social media   21%
Public service television remains the most trusted in our survey, followed by the economic news media (CommonWealth and Business Weekly). The rest of the news brands in the polarised media landscape are trusted by one group, but distrusted by another.

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Taipei Times, 2021-12-30:  A Poll conducted by the ruling party  showed that 53.2 percent of respondents are satisfied with Taiwan¡¦s democratic practices, while 40.6 percent are dissatisfied, with respondents in their 20s being the most satisfied, and those aged 60 or older the most dissatisfied.  taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2021/12/30/2003770419

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According to Economist EIU (UK) Democracy Index '19 released in 2020, Taiwan is a "Flawed democracy" country, its overall score is not better than those in previous 5 years,  "political culture" score (5.63) is same as that of Liberia ¡BKenya ¡B Cambodia ¡BMyanmar, etc; "political participation" score (6.11) is even less than that of Kenya or Lebanon; but the score of  "Electoral process and pluralism" and "Civil libertie" reached 9  Economist "In Sickness and In Health ?"  ( economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/02/02/global-democracy-has-a-very-bad-year) Democracy Index 2020 (published in 2021) gives Taiwan full democracy status  (Electoral process & pluralism 10, Functioning of gov. 9.64, Political participation 7.22, Political culture 8.13 )According to Nikkei Asia (Japan, 2-4-2021 asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Taiwan-leapfrogs-Japan-and-South-Korea-to-top-Asia-democracy-table ), NTU professor says the rise of Taiwan's ranking was mainly driven by higher scores in the functioning of government ( a better job in containing the pandemic ) and the political culture (President Tsai Ing-wen does not accept a "one country, two systems" arrangement with Beijing in early 2019 ).  However, some emperor could do a good job in both - containing the pandemic and dealing with China, not to mention Taiwanese government hid Beijing's ultimatum issued in January 2019 (according to Washington Post , 7-22-2020) to Taiwan from Taiwanese.   TIME, 2021-5-20: a False Sense of Security, and a Little Secret Tea, Broke Down Taiwan's COVID-19 Defenses time.com/6050316/taiwan-covid-19-outbreak-tea/

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Democracy Index 2021: the China challenge
eiu.com/n/campaigns/democracy-index-2021/

¡@ score rank Electoral process and pluralism Functioning of government Political participation Political culture Civil liberties
Norway 9.75 1 10 9.64 10 10 9.12
NZ 9.37 2 10 8.93 9.44 8.75 9.71
TW 8.99 8 10 9.64 7.78 8.13 9.41
Australia 8.9 9 10 8.57 7.78 8.75 9.41
Korea 8.16 16 9.58 8.57 7.22 7.5 7.94
Japan 8.15 17 9.17 8.57 6.67 8.13 8.24
Flawed democracy
USA 7.85 26 9.17 6.43 8.89 6.25 8.53
Singapore 6.23 66 4.83 8.21 4.44 7.5 6.18

ps: The China Times, editorial, 2022-2-14 ( chinatimes.com/opinion/20220213002834-262101?chdtvcomment that Taiwan's moving upward has benefited from some other democratic countries' (such as Nederland, Canada, Australia) lockdown which affects their scores on "civil liberty".  Drawing Taiwan in anti-China campaign is possibly a motivation.   Actually Taiwan is electoral authoritarianism instead of democracy. They take innovative and meticulous method to cover democracy's falling back.

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¡@ Economist EIU Democracy Index, released in 2020 Korea  Taiwan  Norway
Overall Score   8  7.73  9.87
Electoral  process and  pluralism  9.17 9.58  10
Political  participation        7.22   6.11  10
Political culture  7.5   5.63  10
Civil libertie    8.24      9.12       9.71
Functioning of government  7.86    8.21   9.64
rank 23 31 1
EIU: at a minimum, the fundamental features of a democracy include government based on majority rule and the consent of the governed; the existence of free and fair elections; the protection of minority rights; and respect for basic human rights. 

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EIU Democracy Index
Overall Score  on recent yrs

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Korea   8   8   8   7.92 7.97
Taiwan  7.73 7.73 7.73  7.79 7.83

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pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on Dogpile, 2022-2-10, 2021-6-1, 2021-5-9, 2-6-2021, 11-14-2020, 8-8-2020, 7-24-2020, 7-7-2020, 6-25-2020, 6-21-2020;pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on Excite,  2022-2-10, 2021-6-1, 11-14-2020, 8-8-2020,  7-24-2020,  6-25-2020, 6-21-2020  ( items above are ads );pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on Givewater, 2022-2-10, 2021-6-1,11-14-2020, 8-10-2020

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CNBC 7-3-2020: Taiwan slams Hong Kong national security law!  However, Taiwan Yahoo News and Liberty Times  (7-8-2020) reported that KMT and former president Ma noted Taiwan's security laws (National Security 5 laws, Anti-infiltration Act) is about same as Hong Kong national security law ( https://talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1384937; tw.news.yahoo.com/´ä¥x-¼Ë-°ê¥ÁÄÒ-½²­^¤å°ê¦w¤­ªk-©ö³´¤H©ó¸o-111255474.html; www.dw.com/zh/¥x湾国¦w¤­ªk­×²¦¤U¤@¨B¨¾­S¥~国¥N²z¤H/a-49549462) , Taiwan's security law with vague definition can incriminate people easily.

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Taiwan's practice has been worse and darker than HK security law's  "People suspected of breaking the law can be wire-tapped and put under surveillance" (BBC 6-30-2020: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-52765838)  !?    United Daily (9-19-2018): Taiwan's "secret police" (¡uªF¼t­Ì¡v) were already active around us.  Apple Daily  (5-28-2018) , NTU professor ªL౶¯: We are on the route against EU General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR.   United Daily editorial, (3-31-2019) Taiwan Legislative Yuan (parliament) withdrew  "Staking Prevention Act."... (see Taiwanese privacy).   Apple Daily, editorial, 12-14-2019 : Since DPP took office in 2016,  political culture of authoritarianism («ÂÅv¦¡¬Fªv¤å¤Æ) gradually showed up in Taiwan.    (https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20190329/38294369/)  United Daily, editorial, 6-23-2019: mega-data became politician's instrument to control public opinions, Taiwanese democracy falling back can't find a way out... (brief).  The China Times,  3-29-2019, headline news:  democracy in name only is not acceptable.   United Daily, opinion, 12-20-2017: Abusing power to invade citizen's rights, going old route of anti-democracy is their nature. etc.

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Denmark's Democracy Perception Index 2021 ( DPI ) shows:

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State of democracy

country N my country is democratic Perceived Democratic Deficit There is "not enough democracy" "The right amount of democracy"
US 1049  50% 28% 45% 39%
Taiwan 1031 71% 12% 12% 66%
S. Korea 1051 68% 19% 12% 75%
Japan 1050 48% 13% 24% 67%
China 1082 71% 14% 13% 71%

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According to Denmark's Democracy Perception Index 2020 ( DPI ) , the largest annual study on democracy, conducted & released by Dalia etc at 6-15-2020: 

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Democracy Perception Index, released in 6-15-2020  Taiwan China Korea  Hong Kong Japan Singapore USA
My country is democratic 78% 73 75 37 46 65 49
Democracy is important 85% 84  85 64 60 80 73
% believe there is not enough democracy in their country 9% 10 7 45 23 21 36
interference from a foreign power will likely influence the results of their country 's next election 57 omitted 60 omitted 45 omitted omitted
https://daliaresearch.com/blog/democracy-perception-index-2020/

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Why do 78% Taiwanese believe Taiwan is a democratic country, 73% Chinese think their country is democratic, but only 49% American, 46% Japanese believe so?  there're many reasons, such as some people set higher or better standards, some are ignorant, etc ...
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¡´ Freedom and democracy are at surface level
EIU: Although the terms ¡§freedom¡¨ and ¡§democracy¡¨ are often used interchangeably,
Democracy can be seen as a set of practices and principles that institutionalise, and thereby, ultimately, protect freedom.   Taiwan is a country of freedom and democracy at surface level.  In outward way, Taiwan volunteers to be a "tool" under US deep control in that Taiwan can't compete with China in both hard power and soft power.  Inwardly,  ――  Physicians, nurses complaining about shortage of masks, medical experts suggesting Corona-virus general testing, all hence were attacked by internet army ( United Daily, 6-30-2020, editorial, Next TV news (³ü¹qµø) 3-10-2020  ).  Taiwanese government even hides basic information about epidemic from the public to intentionally endanger all !   (  UDN Áp¦X³ø, editorial,  3-27-2020  https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4446968 Is Taiwan a free-speech or democratic country ?  China Times (11-23-2020, https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20201123004041-262103?chdtv ) reports that Taiwan president Tsai I.W. volunteered to be American's "pawn", ... the US directly designated Tsai to Presidential Office (¬ü°êª½±µÂI¦W­n½²³s¥ô).  

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¡´  perfume of democracy still works ?

Dr. Joseph Nye ( former Dean of the Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, an American political scientist ) stated at Dec. 8, 2010 : "The answer is as long as Taiwan stands for democracy and human rights, that will be impossible ( the Americans make a deal and sell out Taiwan for something that they want from China) in American political culture.¡¨Bloomberg, 8-20-2020: there is a three-fold rationale for helping Taiwan defend itself... One of them is to demonstrates that the Chinese Communist Party has long argued that democracy and Chinese culture are incompatible, is nothing but a nonsense.  White House 10-24-2019: America will always believe that Taiwan¡¦s embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people.   Glaser of the German Marshall Fund said. ¡§We would lose all credibility as a leader and an ally,¡¨ especially if Washington didn¡¦t act to support a fellow democracy. (VOX 2021-5-5, vox.com/22405553/taiwan-china-war-joe-biden-strategic-ambiguity)  Weekend Australian , 2021-5-8: a paper of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute argued the Americans would be determined to keep Taiwan out of Beijing¡¦s control - one among 4 reasons is the principle of democracy. (theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/thinking-the-unthinkable-about-china-and-taiwan-is-part-of-deterrence/news-story/0eee328f13d7864fe702a27faacbe2e5)
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Therefore, Taiwan prefers being called "democracy" rather than "Taiwan" in order to survive
China's aggression In Washington Examiner (12-7-2020 ), Taiwan told the UK-based Guardian that  ¡§We have the responsibility of safeguarding our own democracy to show to the international community that democracy can survive and democracy is a better path for mankind.¡¨   Washington Times (12-17-2020 ): Taiwan's de facto U.S. ambassador says "We are determined to defend that democracy" , instead of "defend Taiwan"¡C But, actually, Taiwan has not intended to promote a truly democracy, instead, repeatedly suppress democratic voices.  Taiwan needs "democracy" on purpose

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However, National Interest (
12-22-2020, https://nationalinterest.org/feature/strategic-dilemma-taiwan%E2%80%99s-democracy-174953advises "Taiwan cannot assume that its democracy guarantees either its security or its sovereignty".  "Taipei cannot escape the reality and the proximity of China¡¦s power; the diplomatic and material constraints on U.S. power; and the economic interdependence both Taiwan and the United States have with China".  Economist, 2021-5-1 (economist.com/briefing/2021/05/01/chinas-growing-military-confidence-puts-taiwan-at-risk) also mentions Taiwan¡¦s government is painfully aware that preserving their democracy is not in itself a vital national interest for anyone else.  Instead, Taiwan stresses the importance of its semiconductor industry.  ( but those chips are hard to exchange Pfizer vaccines which most Taiwanese want.)

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¡´ Taiwan democracy & gangsters

¡»  DPP - United Daily, editorial, 2021-5-7: The underworld gang links with the legal syndicate, or the gangsters parasitize the political party, which certainly leads to deviation and collapse of the adm. order(udn.com/news/story/7338/5439377?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2)   Apple Daily, 2021-5-7: Many citizens are still blind to DPP ruling the country by "black-gold" gangsters and bureaucratic factions. The "big guys" of gangs such as ¶À©Ó°ê can decide or influence which democratical representatives will reach the stage of electoral campaigns for law-makers, city-councilors, even president.  President Tsai won't be able to crack down gangsters. (tw.appledaily.com/forum/20210507/AWDMO7WLEBCAZCIYHGO7UBA4DA/  »¯¤Ö±d)
¡»  KMT - Wikipedia : 'The Kuomintang (KMT; Chinese Nationalist Party) has frequently been criticized in Taiwan for its connections to gangsters and black gold. The party has had a long association with underground societies, and its founder Sun Yat-sen had joined the Triads to gain support for the Republican Revolution'.   One big case is Taiwan sent some gangsters to politically murder an American writer Henry Liu (Chiang Nan, "¦¿«n",  or Liú Yíliáng,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Liu ) in the U.S. to stop his new book to be published ,  under strong pressure from the US , eventually Taiwan's highest ranking intel. official was heavy punished.   The Liberty Times, editorial, 2021-5-5: KMT got more underworld gang issues.  (talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1446916)

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¡´ Press Freedom

<Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, France, 2021-4-20) comments Taiwan¡¦s journalists are suffering from a very polarised media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit. Although President Tsai Ing-wen has said she wants to continue developing press freedom in Taiwan, few concrete measures have been taken to improve journalists¡¦ editorial independence and encourage media to raise the quality of the public debate.  <Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, France, 5-16-2020) comments Taiwan's unhealthy ¡§blue-green¡¨ political polarization hinders journalism in its role as a balancing power Digital News Report (June, 2020) by University of Oxford (UK), Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Only 24% Taiwanese trust in news which remains one of the lowest in Oxford survey.  Taiwan's Apple Daily, editorial, 6-16-2020: Taiwan's politics still intervene or meddle media.  Apple Daily, editorial, 7-19-2020: distortional and deteriorated media-politics connections are everywhere which hurt Taiwan's democracy.  
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2021 World Press Freedom Index,  RSF (Reporters without Borders)

Country /  Ranks  in recent yrs.

2021 2020 2019 2018
Norway No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1
Korea   No. 42   No. 42   No. 41   No. 43 
Taiwan  No. 43 No. 43  No. 42   No. 42 

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Taiwan Shuts Pro-China TV Channel in Battle over Press Freedom
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media

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NCC side

Reuters 11-18-2020 ...citing evidence of interference from a Beijing-friendly tycoon amid fears over China's campaign to win support on the island.
there was no evidence that CTi had received Chinese government funding.  and key shareholder Tsai has previously rejected accusations of newroom interference.

Taiwan's main opposition party, said it opposed the decision, as it could have a "chilling effect, strongly impacting press freedom"

CTi had been fined for several violations such as failure to check facts and endangering the public interest
Bloomberg 11-18-2020 Taiwan Shuts Pro-China TV Channel in Battle over Press Freedom
TV station says its closure is politically motivated
the latest example of the often fraught relationship between press freedom and concerns over Chinese influence in Taiwan¡¦s fiercely competitive media landscape.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-18/f-16-disappears-off-taiwan-s-eastern-coast-fate-still-unclear
NCC says Chung T¡¦ien News violated broadcast regulations     The key issue is its largest shareholder Tsai Eng-meng is directly and indirectly involved in the production of news programs
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Guardian, 11-18-2020 ¡§Today is the darkest day for freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the 30 years since Taiwan¡¦s liberation,¡¨
CTi has been accused of acting as a mouthpiece for Beijing and lobbying against the Democratic Progressive party (DPP) government, led by Tsai Ing-wen, and in favour of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT)
www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/18/pro-china-tv-station-in-taiwan-ordered-off-air-over-disinformation
Pro-China TV station in Taiwan ordered off air  after Taiwan¡¦s media regulator found it had failed to address serious and frequent findings of bias and disinformation.
CTi had devoted 70% of its airtime to the KMT mayor of Kaohsiung, Han Kuo-yu, who unsuccessfully challenged Tsai in the presidential election. In January, CTi was fined  for airing false statements by a KMT politician without factchecking or interrogating the claims before broadcast
AFP, Yahoo News Australia, 11-18-2020 Many of the large media outlets are openly partisan, backing Beijing-friendly politicians or their opponents
"It is completely and utterly hypocritical for governments to invoke press freedom only when it fits their agenda," tweeted KMT chairman Johnny Chiang.
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It called for NCC to make public all the evidence it examined and apply the same standards to all future license reviews regardless of their political orientation.https://au.news.yahoo.com/taiwan-pulls-plug-china-friendly-100647362.html 
He has sparked criticism in the past for being overtly pro-Beijing and imposing his political preferences on the media outlets he owns.
The NCC accused Tsai of making direct and indirect interventions in news coverage by CTi.

One example was a false report that local farmers had to dump massive quantities of pomelo fruit last year because they were unable to sell their produce to mainland China as relations soured.

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Focus on Taiwan, 11-18-2020 at the time of the hearing that the Tsai Ing-wen (½²­^¤å) government was looking to close the station, effectively threatening Taiwan's media freedom
CTiTV called the day "the darkest" for the freedom of press and speech since martial law was lifted over 30 years ago.
In denying the license renewal based on two reasons -- the number of complaints that led to fines imposed on the station and the interference of a major shareholder -- the NCC "ignored the issue of political manipulation and disregarded communication theory and practice," CTiTV said.
"Under the NCC's current standards, every news stations in Taiwan should be shut down,"
Though CTi News submitted eight measures during the review process to improve the situation, Chen contended that none of them would have eliminated the interference of major shareholders in its news.
China Times, editorial 11-19-2020
Freedom of the press is dead! ! !
The ruling authorities ignored the Constitution's guarantees for freedom of speech. The National Communications Commission (NCC) betrayed the establishment purpose of the Constitutional Freedom of Speech stipulated in Article 1 of its Organic Law and decided to shut down the CTI News Channel. This was a naked, a blatant political ruling.  NCC finished the assignment Taiwan president Tsai gave.

In the 2018 elections, CTI TV stood on the opposite side of the ruling party. As a result, the DPP suffered a fiasco, the authorities grew enmity and decided to revenge CTI.

The reasons NCC claimed for shutting down the CTI  are completely ignorant of media practice and even violate the basic principles of communication. If the same standards are used,  should all news stations in Taiwan be shut down?  The gov, wants to kill one to scare many, and forces all media to follow the authorities, otherwise the same would be the case.

  United Daily, China Times, Apple Daily, Liberty Times
are four major news in Taiwan.  Cti and China Times
 are belong to same media group
UDN, editorial, 11-19-2020 NCC  passed the elimination of CTi News with "no objection" . Another symbolic meaning is: this is a "beheading" of Taiwan's freedom of speech, because the DPP government no longer allows "objection."   From today on, NCC is no longer an independent institution !
Apple Daily, editorial, 11-19-2020
We express our regret for NCC's Shutting Cti TV Channel
The National Communications Commission (NCC) rejected the Zhongtian News Channel¡¦s renewal case results in a harm to the image of Taiwan¡¦s press freedom, We express our regret for this.
LTN 11-19-2020 no comment by this pro-DPP media

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¡´  Freedom of expression

Taiwan's Apple Daily, editorial, 3-29-2019 : Democracy and freedom are the bottom line, the ruling party should not create chilling effect.  Global Times, 2021-3-29 : Taiwan DPP's dark "online army" underbelly in misinformation campaign /   At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the infamous "online army" masterminded an attack against the World Health Organization (WHO),  the DPP's "online army" which manipulated and meddled in an online public opinion field of more than 20 million people on the island.  GT found out that the departments affiliated to the DPP administration and relevant foundations are the financial supporters and "base camp" for these online "army" forces.  "The DPP can collude with social media such as PTT, Facebook, print media, electronic media, and TV programs".    globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1219763.shtml

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pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on Webcrawler,  2022-2-10, 2021-6-1, 11-14-2020, 8-8-2020, 7-24-2020,  6-25-2020, 6-21-2020

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pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy & freedom" on US Yahoo search, 2022-2-10, 2021-5-9, 2-28-2021, 1-11-2021, 12-15-2020, 11-28-2020, 11-14-2020, 10-29-2020, 10-8-2020, 9-5-2020, 8-22-2020, 7-22-2020

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 pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on US Yahoo search engine, 2022-2-10, 10-14-2020,

 2022-2-9, 9-15-2020, 9-9-2020

No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on MetaGER of Germany,  2022-2-10, 8-8-2020, 7-24-2020, 7-6-2020

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pic.: The FBI (on seat) followed a Chicago mob into a restaurant, which resulted in FBI's loss in law-suit and a headline news. 
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¡»  United Daily editorial, (3-31-2019) Taiwan Legislative Yuan (parliament) dropped  "Staking Prevention Act."... which is about at least 60 years behind the US.
Taiwan's secret police don't have guts to admit their 'crimes'.

¡»  People's Daily, commentary, 10-15-2020 : Taiwan Intelligence strictly monitors Taiwanese people by so-called "Green Terror" 
¡»   Taiwan has been a 'police state'  for many years, see TV and news reports & opinions :
Taiwan Yahoo News 7-8-2020: KMT and former president Ma noted Taiwan's security laws (National Security 5 laws, Anti-infiltration Act) is about same as Hong Kong national security law
 United Daily, 2-11-2-2018, headline news: "The Big Brother is Watching You" almost certainly leads to "chilling effect"  (¡u´HÂÍ®ÄÀ³¡v)

United Daily, opinion, 12-21-2017, 12-27-2017:  State violence and white terror (product of state violence) return in Taiwan.
SET(¤T¥ß¹qµø), 9-24-2013 "Secret agents govern the nation (¯S°Èªv°ê)" www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdZCdYrwF4;  Era TV,   ¦~¥N¹qµø, 9-22-2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1b4R2m6K3g; "Secret agent systems resurgence to control the nation (¯S°È´_¹@ªv°ê)"; United Daily (9-19-2018): "secret police" (¡uªF¼t­Ì¡v) were already active around us.
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¡¹¡m Formosa TV news ¡n,  12-2-2020  



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¡m ¥Áµø·s»D ¡n,  12-2-2020  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sRXHqIrPLU

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pic. left:  KMT  Nationalist party legislative caucus accused of being monitored by police officials, KMT slammed the government's abusing its power¡C

slogan:  ¡yBig scandal ! The gov. monitors the parliament  - 
The Executive Yuan stubborn to admit mistakes. The Legislative Yuan keeps science, It is a sadness for Taiwan's democracy ¡z

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FTV news : is it a persecution ? or a  painstaking operation ? The answer is in Pan-Blue's heart !  


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¡»  Lots of banners are hanged on fence with lots of black X-shaped barbed iron wire,
 Taiwan parliament near Control Yuan to protest slow  judicial reform  ( photo at 7-14-2020 )
ps: sometimes you just can not do anything other than fights by "fist" or words to those unfair judgment by the court or prosecutor office

The Diplomat 7-16-2020: Taiwan president Tsai plans to make Chen Chu the first chief of a newly established human rights commission.
The Liberty Times 2-28-2020: Taiwan's transitional justice is far behind the schedule. 
 ( govt. should work on today's political persecution first of all, instead of those happened may up to 70 years ago ) 

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pic.: No.1 "Taiwan democracy" on SwissCows of Switzerland, 2021-6-1, 2021-5-31, 2021-5-9,  2-28-2021, 11-14-2020,  8-8-2020, , 7-24-2020,  6-25-2020, 6-21-2020  ( item above is an advertisement )

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 pic. : No.1 "Taiwanese democracy", on Yandex of Russia, 2021-11-15; No.2  "Taiwan democracy"on Yandex of Russia, 2022-1-3, 2021-12-29; among top ranks at 2022-3-22 ;pic.: No.2 "Taiwan democracy" on Yandex of Russia, 2021-11-15, 2021-6-2

 No.2 "Taiwan democracy" on US Yahoo search engine, 8-23-2020

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 No.2 "Taiwan democracy" on QWANT (most well-known French search engine), 7-24-2020

 No.2 "Taiwan democracy" on Yippy (IBM), 7-24-2020

No.2 "Taiwan democracy" on Dogpile, 6-15-2020
 No.2 "Taiwan democracy" on US Yahoo search engine, 8-22-2020

 No.2 "Taiwan democracy" on US Yahoo search engine, 9-5-2020

 No.2 "Taiwan democracy" on US Yahoo search engine, 9-6-2020

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¡´ views from international media

According to Brooking.edu (brookings.edu/research/taiwans-democracy-and-the-china-challenge/), Taiwan faces a special and perhaps unique challenge in balancing democracy and security ( threats from PRC ).  Civil society activism reflects a growing disenchantment in some quarters with the performance of representative institutions.   Taiwan's political system remains fairly gridlocked and largely consumed by long-standing differences over domestic issues, such as how to maintain economic competitiveness and ensure equity, and so on.   political leaders have been unable (or unwilling) to formulate the tough choices surrounding Taiwan¡¦s China challenge, much less to make those choices or articulate them to the public.

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Taiwan News 6-20-2020: Taiwan President Tsai said "Taiwan beat corona virus without sacrificing democracy".  Japan Times (
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/03/02/commentary/world-commentary/democratic-taiwan-outperformed-authoritarian-china/#.Xtw1MFUzaUk) at 3-2-2020 comments that democratic Taiwan outperformed authoritarian China because only when we ensure the free flow of information in a democracy can we construct a healthy society, Taiwan proves that the democratic strategy is successful in curbing the spread of COVID-19.  However, New York Post  4-25-2020 : Taiwan deals with CovID-19 with "a lot more authoritarian.", "almost everyone is tracked.".  Taiwanese govt. responded at 4-28-2020 that Taiwanese would like to cooperate with our policy.  But the truth is Taiwan's "Big Brother" already sneaked into numerous families in the name of  Epidemic Prevention, by an injunction violating Tort Law and domineering over Constitution (­â¾r¾Ëªkªº«IÅv¸T¥O) , without having noticed all nationals, in accordance with United Daily, editorial at 5-7-2020.   The ironic thing is all studies (CNBC 5-7-2020, Singapore's Blackbox Research and Toluna, Forbes 6-5-2020, 4-16-2020: The Deep Knowledge Group) concluded China is better than Taiwan on CovID-19 safety countries rankings.  Bloomberg, 2021-8-26: Taiwan's 3-month case fatality rate is 7.6%, which is worst among Asian countries, compared with China's 0%, Singapore's 0.4%.  Taiwan's case-fatality rate increases to 5.23% (2021-9-3,  coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/taiwan, Worldometers, Statista, Microsoft Bing statistics) from 4.9% which ranked 8th highest worldwide according to Johns Hopkins University, China Post, 2021-7-14.  Human lives have never been government's main concern.  The gov. once eliminated senior citizens aged 65-75 from vaccination list from very beginning, later gave those aged 50~99 and weak people with severe illness 10th ~ 6th low priorities to get vaccinated.  In Israel, people aged 60 are first priority group to get inoculated, but in Taiwan they are the last (10th) priority, in democratic countries, cancer and severe patients are top priority group, but in Taiwan, they are the 9th, the second to last, group.  By contrast, a large number of officers (gov., military, etc) were offered 2nd priority, the number of officials is still expanding "unlimitedly" without check or supervise (Next TV, 2021-9-1), and lots of black-box privileged people jumped the queue, according to UDN July '21, despite WHO's advises that government leaders and admin. personnel should be narrowly interpreted to "a very small number of individuals" (for vaccination).  Till Sept. 2, Taiwan's CDC several times avoids answering media's question about the vaccination rate of the vulnerable - aged 50~64 and people with severe disease, in total 9~10 millions people.  This is consistent with Taiwan's style ―  no virus-test for the public (New York Times, 2021-5-20: "excessively 'frugal' approach") and no medicine Remdesivir for patients, which caused more deaths (udn.com/news/story/7339/5513808?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2  ).  full text about CovID in Taiwan : http://intlhumanrights.com/CovID19inTaiwan.htm

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There're some other fulsome compliments from Western media, e.g., "The island has a strong record on human rights, and a well-functioning judicial system ... to place Taiwan in stark contrast with mainland China".  But according to National Chung Cheng university's survey, 80.9% Taiwanese don't trust legal system (CTS TV news, 7-10-2019),   USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices at 3-13-2019 and 4-20-2018 both criticized that Taiwan's justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians.   Furthermore, Taiwanese suffered internet army's cyber bullying, suppression of free expression , and state machine's persecutions, etc.  Global Times, 12-9-2020: Taiwan authority ¡¥persecutes mainlanders, pro-reunification activists' by 'Political persecution, framing charge' (globaltimes.cn/content/1209528.shtml ).  Taiwan's <The China Times>, 2-26-2020, editorial: Behind Taiwan's democracy are more and more uncontrolled administration and withered law-making power,  Taiwanese freedom of speech was suppressed and limited by the administration and judicial system at all levels, ... as for Taiwan's political culture    only partisan, stand and ideology matter.  

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¡´ Taiwan's online army oppresses democracy

internet army in CovID-19

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¡´ China Times, editorial, 2021-6-26: Taipei mayor Ko (¬_¤å­õ) and New Taipei city mayor performing better than central government in epidemic prevention, as well as top scholars like Chen (³¯°ö­õ) revealing officials' mistakes, all were under "terror attacks" by internet army. (https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20210625005286-262101?chdtv )

¡´  United Daily, editorial, 2021-6-18: Many members of online army have been trained to be killing machines, they will eliminate all those not on the same side  "with no mercy."  (³\¦hºô­x¤w¸g³Q°V½m¦¨±þ¤H¾÷¾¹¡A¬Ý¨ì«D§Ú±ÚÃþ¤@«ß¥X¯ó¡u±þµL³j¡v¡Cudn.com/news/story/7338/5540265?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2)

¡´ China Times, editorial, 2021-6-17:  In the past one year, local media and experts, scholars repeatedly reminded gov. by those advices given by int'l media, but CDC ignored them and internet army "violently attacks" to make everyone be silent.   (±M®a¾ÇªÌ¦­¤w¦A¤T´£¿ô(°ê»Ú´CÅé§åµû¥xÆW¨¾¬Ì¤§¯Ê¥¢)¡A...ºñÀç1450ºô­x²Ê¼É¡u¥X©º¡v¡A¥O²³¤H¾¶Án  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210616005523-262101?chdtv)

¡´ China Times, editorial, 2021-6-16: The government seems to firmly believe that through the brainwashing war by  pro-green media and the Internet  army , together with  incitement of enmity, DPP remains the only choice for the people no matter how poor the administration is . So they either covered up their mistakes or discredited the critics    ( ¬F©²¦ü¥G°í«H¡A¥u­nÂǥѿ˺ñ´CÅé©Mºô­xªº¬~¸£¾Ô¡A¦A¥[¤Wº´°Ê¤³¤¤±¡ºü¡A¥Á¶iÄÒ¬I¬F¦A®t¤]¬O¤H¥Áªº°ß¤@¿ï¾Ü¡A©Ò¥H°µ¿ù¨Æ¤£¬O¾B±»·e¶ë¡A´N¬O©Ù¶Â§åµûªÌ  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210615006271-262101 )

¡´ United Daily, editorial, 2021-6-3: Everyone knows who should be responsible for loopholes of epidemic prevention, but internet army, writers, editors of ruling party,  all came out to manipulate the public opinions so as to help administration to shift the blames, just as the same way in Taiwanese diplomat in Japan suicide case, imported poison-pork issue, train crash, etc    (
¨¾¬Ì¯}¤f¡u¾Ô¥Ç¡v¬O½Ö¡A¥þ°ê¬Òª¾¡A¦ý...°õ¬FÄÒªº¤p½s¡Bºô­x¡B¼g¤âªº¦UºØÁÖ½×¾Þ§@¶É±_¦Ó¥X¡A¥|³B±a­·¦V¡C±q¾n¤j¨Á¿ì¨Æ³Bªø¦Û±þ¡BµÜ½Þ¶i¤f¡B¤Ó¾|»Õ¸¹µ¥¤@³s¦ê¨Æ¥ó¡A¤H­Ì¬Ý¨ì°õ¬F·í§½¹ï¿ù»~¬Fµ¦¬Ò±À°U¤F¨Æ ¡A¬F©²¤w¦]´`¦¨­·¡F  udn.com/news/story/7338/5504882?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2 )

¡´ United Daily, editorial, 2021-6-23: As soon as epidemic prevention collapses, the internet army made a big move, to bully TV celebrity ±i¤p¿P¡B¸ë¥ÃÔСB¶À¥úªà who donates lots of medical equipments, and attacked top scholar ³¯°ö­õwho worries about local made vaccines, Taipei city mayor's wife  ³¯¨ØµX MD who questions gov. opposing full-scale corona-virus test ... / by NCCU law professor ĬôÁ

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¡´ Taiwanese voters lack of rationalization

Besides, Taiwanese voters' democratic voices and choices kept changing, even reversed, people might be very obedient (<Liberty Times, 1-4-2016>, FTV, 3-8-2018, etc), practical but lack of rationalization (<Apple Daily> editorial, 10-22-2019, <United Daily>,  headline news,  9-3-2009) or lack of full knowledge of the subject matters.
For instance,

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¡»  Taiwan's perception in a general sense is that China won't attack (WSJ, 2021-4-22), in spite of world experts' warnings.

Financial Times, 2020-10-1 China claims Taiwan as its territory and says it reserves the option to seize it militarily. The Taiwanese public had grown numb to that 71-year-old threat, after living in peace and de facto independence for decades.   ft.com/content/947f568f-a763-4d14-93bb-157e2f5df625
Brookings, 2021-3-30 Most Taiwan people aren¡¦t worried about imminent attack, because 40 years since U.S. derecognition of the Republic of China (ROC) have passed without war... brookings.edu/on-the-record/understanding-beijings-motives-regarding-taiwan-and-americas-role/
Telegraph, 2021-4-24 Prominent local media coverage in Taiwan about the military drills has generated little sense of alarm among the public, which is largely inured to decades of Chinese intimidation tactic ...¡§Belief in US intervention is quite strong,¡¨ news.yahoo.com/taiwan-mobilises-virtual-army-thwart-014347358.html
Wall Street Journal, 2021-4-22, Reuters, 2020-10-2 an underlying factor affecting Taiwan's preparedness was that most Taiwanese don't believe China would attack ... insufficient to ensure Taiwan can leverage its ... workforce, and patriotic population to channel Taiwan's inherent advantages necessary for a resilient defense   reuters.com/article/us-usa-taiwan-china/u-s-says-taiwan-military-budget-boost-insufficient-for-resilient-defense-idUSKBN26R3SH
The Liberty Times, Taiwan (¦Û¥Ñ®É³ø), 2021-4-28, editorial Indeed, many fellow nationals believe China won't attack Taiwan, ... this is because, on the hand, China's united front strategy (²Î¾Ô) works, on the other hand, they blinded about or were ignorant of China's wolf warrior character (¬N©ó¦Ñ¦@¯T©Ê)¡C  talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1445598

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¡»  hate it or like it

German Institute for Int'l and Security Affairs 2-7-2020, and ABC Radio National, Australia, reported at 2-27-2020 that "the (China's) heavy-handed way in which protesters were dealt with in Hong Kong made Taiwanese voters uneasy ..."(eventually led to president Tsai's landslide victory in 2020) , but Taiwanese already knew (China's) heavy-hand in Tiananmen Square,  or knew nothing about 13 students in Kent University protest were shot by US "soldiers" ...   New York Times, 6-6-2020 : today's voters in Taiwan Oust a Pro-China mayor (equals to US governor) reflects a hardening of Taiwan¡¦s attitude toward China; However, Washington Post, 1-2-2017 pointed out 83 percent Taiwanese chose bread (economic tie with China ) over romance (independence); another poll in Jun. 2018 showed China has higher favorable than unfavorable rating in Taiwan...

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Democratic voices & choices kept changing, even reversed
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New York Times, 5-12-2020,
Pew Research Center
52% support closer economic ties with China, only 36% favor closer political ties. (ps: China Times, editorial, 6-13-2020: 41.5% exports from Taiwan to China, 14.5% to the US.) ¡@
Brookings, 1-22-2021 Only 23% thought that democracy was more important than economic development.  16% believed that protecting political freedom was more important than reducing economic inequality  ¡@
New York Times,  1-19-2019 Most of Taiwan's 23 million people are in favor of maintaining the island's de facto independence without taking any formal moves that might bring a military response from China ¡@
L.A. Times, 8-1-2019 opinion surveys conducted by the Taiwanese government that show more than 80% of islanders prefer autonomy. ¡@
Washington Post,   1-2-2017 Taiwanese are not willing to pursue independence at all costs. Many are concerned with the economy. When asked to choose between formal independence or maintaining economic ties with China, 83 percent chose bread over romance. ¡@
Liberty Times, Apple Daily, China Times, 6-18-2018, FocusTaiwan 6-17-2018 China has higher favorable than unfavorable rating in Taiwan: poll  /  A survey conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (¥xÆW¥Á·N°òª÷·|)  found China with a 48.8 percent favorability rating among respondents and a 43.9 percent unfavorability rating, the first time a majority of respondents in the annual poll saw China favorably. ¡@
Apple Daily (Taiwan), opinion, 10-11-2017 Only 5- % Taiwanese favour independence or unification, about 70% in total are for conditional independence and conditional unification. ¡@
National Interest, 6-16-2020 even when support for the independence movement is highest in history now, ¡§maintaining the status quo forever¡¨ and ¡§decide later¡¨ still has over 50 percent of the support among the public. Another survey results also showed that the public understands that the status quo is a choice of convenience, in which more than 60.3 percent of the respondents opposed Taiwan's independence if it is followed by China¡¦s military invasion... https://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-taiwan-continues-fear-chinese-invasion-162879 ¡@

Most Taiwanese really are on the side of formal independence?  it depends.
¡» The LOWY Institute (Australia) , The Interpreter , 6-16-2020 :  treating Taiwan as a conduit to frustrate Beijing imperils Taiwan¡¦s security ...

¡» Tamkang University Int'l Relation & Diplomacy honorable professor Chen ( ³¯¤@·s) made comment in the China Times (6-11-2020) :  party organs ( internet army )  were fanning the flame of  China- hatred  (¡u¤³¤¤¡v) ¡Banti-China (¡u¤Ï¤¤¡v) sentiment ...   https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200611004964-262105?chdtv 

¡»  United Daily (6-12-2020) criticized that the government deliberately stir up enmity towards China, and make TW-Chn relationship to go the road of No Return  udn.com/news/story/7339/4630282?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

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Taiwanese volonté générale can be misled, be divided and conquered, or be collapsed by plots.
Take
pork and beef with controversial drug Paylean or Ractopamine as an example. The European Union, China, Taiwan and many others, in total 160 countries, have banned the drug, ractopamine hydrochloride's use to keep pigs lean and boost their growth, citing concerns about its effect on human health.  However, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times (UK), 8-28-2020 reported Taiwan eventually eases limits on American pork and beef imports; certainly under pressures.  To quell popular grievances and mislead public opinions, the DPP government conducts ostensible or phony "push polls" ( Apple Daily, 9-4-2020, https://tw.appledaily.com/forum/20200904/74IKBMZM2ZA75PDOAPKVBYLLSI/ »¯¤Ö±d¶Ç¯u  ) to propaganda the whole island by tool-media , and fixes a core member of democratic movement against US beef & pork by giving him an agriculture secretary position and tackling the groups. ( United Daily, editorial, 9-9-2020; https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4845537?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2) , then the democratic voice was mostly silenced.

To solve cross-strait issue, I believe a democratic discussion or
persuasions open to all Taiwanese would be in accordance with China's  interest - poverty-reduction and poverty-eradication campaigns, as well as US policy as the Telegraph and Yahoo News (11-23-2020) reported, and certainly, much better than reunification by force or a black-box deal among politicians.  

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Democracy

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¡¹ New York Times, 1-10-2020: Taiwan has been the target of a Russian-style social media disinformation campaign by China, designed to exploit social divisions and undermine democracy.   Taiwan was the territory most exposed to foreign disinformation. 

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¡¹ Brookings, 2022-4-18: Focus on interests, not ideology (stressing Taiwan's role in a global contest between democracy and autocracy), to strengthen Taiwan's standing  (brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2022/04/18/focus-on-interests-not-ideology-to-strengthen-taiwans-standing/). 

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Former Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui  dies 97

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¡¹ ¡´  New York Times, 7-30-2020: Lee Teng-hui worked to end the animosity between those born on the mainland and the native Taiwanese. He pushed the concept of ¡§New Taiwanese,¡¨ a term suggesting that the islanders ¡X no matter their backgrounds ¡X were forging a new, common identity based on a democratic political system and growing prosperity.¡C...Taiwan is now the most democratic society in the Chinese-speaking world,¡¨ The Times declared in a 1992 editorial.

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¡´ TIME, 7-30-2020 :  
Former Taiwanese president dies 97, ... The son of a Japanese police aide. 

In late 1996, Lee declared that relations between Taiwan and China had the character of relations between two separate states.   The retiring Lee was still blamed for the split, and the KMT party moved to expel him.  Lee himself backed away from wanting a formal declaration of independence for Taiwan, insisting it already was, given the island was not Chinese Communist-controlled.  (brief)  https://time.com/5873614/former-taiwanese-president-lee-teng-hui-dies-97/

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pic.: CTS (µØµø·s»DÂø»x)

¡´  Chinese Television Service (CTS µØµø·s»DÂø»x), 7-31-2020, 8-1-2020 11:46 am: Lee Teng-hui put to use a secret fund section out of supervisory mechanism,  strictly speaking, that's corruption of his own. 

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¡´ South China Morning Post: Lee Teng-hui (§õµn½÷) won the first democratic presidential poll in 1996. But with Lee's ' Mr Democracy' image tainted by allegations of corruption, the DPP ended five decades of KMT rule in the election of 2000. This was a turning point for Taiwan's democratisation. 'It was the first transition of power in Taiwan, and notably conducted in a peaceful way...But the DPP's rule lasted for only eight years, with president Chen Shui-bian bowing out at the end of his second term after he was implicated in a series of corruption scandals which subsequently landed him in prison.. Next president Ma Ying-jeou took policy 'No unification, no independence and no use of force,' ...  read TW's democracy history:  https://www.scmp.com/article/981433/why-taiwan-ended-one-party-rule-and-embraced-democracy

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¡¹ Brooking.edu (brookings.edu/research/taiwans-democracy-and-the-china-challenge/)

¡¹ Since 1996 , there have been three transfers of power between the KMT and the DPP. (brief)

     

¡¹ German Institute for Intl and Security Affairs,  2 -7-2020  www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2020C07/
      Taiwan¡¦s Threatened Democracy Stays on Course  /  Fear of China¡¦s Dictatorship Pushes Taiwan¡¦s President to a Landslide Victory

       the People¡¦s Republic will continue to try to infiltrate Taiwan¡¦s democracy ...

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¡¹  Wall Street Journal,   Jan 24, 2020   www.wsj.com/articles/taiwans-democracy-is-thriving-and-needs-support-11579902281  

      Taiwan¡¦s voters have spoken. They cannot give up on their freedom and democracy, and the international community¡¦s support is all the more important  ...

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¡¹  Washington Post  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/10/05/taiwan/
         Taiwan is revolutionizing democracy  10-5-2018
         TAIPEI ¡X Compared to the established democracies of the West, Taiwan's is still in its infancy ...

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¡¹  White House 10-24-2019 we've stood by Taiwan in defense of her hard-won freedoms...  recognized Taiwan¡¦s place as one of the world¡¦s great trading economies and beacons of Chinese culture and democracy... while our administration will continue to respect the One China Policy ¡X as reflected in the three joint communiqués and the Taiwan Relations Act ¡X through checkbook diplomacy, over the past year China has induced two more nations to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, increasing pressure on the democracy in Taiwan...  America will always believe that Taiwan¡¦s embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people.  ( https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-vice-president-pence-frederic-v-malek-memorial-lecture/)

¡¹  Washington Examiner  10-4-2018: Pence: China should follow Taiwan¡¦s lead to democracy /  [China¡¦s] Communist Party insists that Confucian cultures, with their high regard for social hierarchy and top-down authority, are inherently unsuited to liberal democracy,¡¨   https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/pence-china-should-follow-taiwans-lead-to-democracy)

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¡¹  Global Times, 9-17-2020:  The Taiwan authorities often brag about "freedom and democracy" in the island, which are self-comforting empty slogans. The Taiwan authorities have no politically reliable strategic plans. They have no idea what Taiwan's future will be like, and cannot predict what strategic resources Taiwan's "freedom and democracy" could bring to the island to confront the mainland. 
¡¹  Global Times, 9-18-2020:   Washington wants to use Krach's visit to send a clear signal to Beijing - "The island of Taiwan must 100 percent obey the US".  

¡¹  Le Monde, France, 6-4-2020   "Taïwan déterre les crimes de la dictature de Tchang Kaï-chek"

https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2020/06/04/taiwan-deterre-les-crimes-de-la-dictature-de-tchang-kai-chek_6041742_3210.html

 il s¡¦agit pour la démocratie taïwanaise de creuser l¡¦écart, d¡¦un point de vue moral, avec une Chine continentale engluée dans l¡¦autoritarisme...
(KMT), l¡¦ex-parti unique, qui se posait en défenseur de la démocratie mais se préoccupait avant tout de veiller au grain.   
brief  
( ps: President Tsai should works on not only transitional justice - political violence in early years, but also today's political persecutions)

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¡¹  Copenhagen Democracy Summit  /   Taiwan President Tsai via video
      
Democracy is in our DNA. It is what makes us Taiwanese. To forfeit our freedom would be to forfeit the foundation of our nation ... democratic Taiwan ¡X with its respect for the rule of law, human rights, and intellectual property, its talented workforce, and its strong and trustworthy track record in high-tech industries¡Xwelcomes your investment.   
        
(ps: China preparing for 'military struggle' as Taiwan row intensifies Express UK, 6-17-2020   ps2:  Taiwan's justice     ps3: Taiwanese human rights )

¡¹   CGTN 6-22-2020:  China's  the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council commented on Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen's recent video speech at the "2020 Copenhagen Democracy Summit," calling it another "political manipulation" under the banner of "democracy."   " ...(the use of force ) is targeted at the interference by external forces and a very small number of separatists and their secessionist activities"¡Chttps://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-06-22/Mainland-calls-for-cross-Strait-unity-against-Taiwan-independence--RxbHik9L5m/index.html 
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¡¹  The China Times (¤¤®ÉªÀ½×), editorial, 6-20-2020, "The deep black hole of DPP's power and corruption" :  Democratic Progress Party (DPP)'s goal was knocking down KMT's authoritarian system, but till now, after having transferred the power for 3 times, DPP looks more and more like the way KMT was   excessive centralization of powers¡A connecting politics, legal field¡B business¡B media¡B and internet circle all together¡A their political handling is even more new & high, hardly meet balance of powers¡A hence Taiwan's democracy is in crisis ¡CBesides, The men in power have tendency to freely allocate resources to their own men or same faction people¡C... The deep black hole greedily, unrestrainedly  and recklessly sucks resources and damages the foundation of Taiwan's democracy,  without challenge and balance from oppositions etc ¡C

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¡¹  The China Times (¤¤®ÉªÀ½×), editorial, 7-22-2020:  Full governance is by no means a crime or sin.  Only single-party dominance with suppression and without checks & balances, and supervision is a ground for corruption. (1) The stronger the power, the more the resources, the oversight boards might turn a blind eye to many aspects of supervision for coveting or expecting rewards   (2) The inertia of those in power only wants to maintain the status quo.
It is extremely difficult for politicians in power to resist corruption by self-discipline.  This is the essence of the separation of powers in democratic countries.
  (brief) https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200721004729-262101?chdtv
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¡¹ The Liberty Times, editorial 7-22-2020  ( ¦Û¥Ñ®É³ø  ªÀ½×, ¥xÆW¥Á¥D¶i¨B¤F¶Ü¡H  )
¡¹ Is our democracy civilized?

      The DPP reiterated slogans such as "integrity & honest " , which may mean "not to forget their motive in the first place".   However, political slogans can be shouted as  a  magnificent beauty,  the reality, in practice, inevitably  has many problems to be tested,  factions issue is one of them.  The DPP passed the "dissolution of factions" case at the party conference in 2006, but fourteen years later, the party is still known for its factions, and the ugly performances between factions often shocking us.
      Other issues such as the judicial reform  as well as the Control Yuan system and personnel cases.  The ruling party must communicate with the opposition and the society  important and obvious reasons, and must avoid the arrogance of power which a stepping stone to rottenness.    (brief)   talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1387735
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¡¹  Apple Daily (Ä«ªG¤é³ø)  7-24-2020:     

         The problem lies not only on corruption, but also "blindness" and "deafness."  The arrogance of power neither want to hear bit 'offensive' but sincere advice from the people, nor see the needs of the people.  The authority thinks they represent all the people's opinions.   (brief)  »¯¤Ö±d¶Ç¯u  tw.appledaily.com/headline/20200724/OT4WVP4GMH7X2RXUSO3OPYJBAI/ 

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¡¹  United Daily (Áp¦X³ø), 7-25-2020: 

         The corruption of the DPP is certainly the inevitable secularization of the party, but the majority of people tolerate the DPP is also the key reason.
         Take the corruption of legislative power as an example.  The Sunflower Student Movement was caused by the KMT legislators abusing their power.  However, in today's parliament, the Sunflower Movement lawmakers and the Wild Lily generation lawmakers not only have ignored the ruling party DPP's abuse of power, but also acted evilly in collusion with DPP
/    ¤ý°·§§, visiting professor of Shih Hsin University / ¥þ­±°õ¬F¦Ó¤£»G¤Æ¬O¯«¸Ü 
   ¡¹

¡¹  comment Taiwan's corruption 8-7-2020 : https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200806005356-262105?chdtv (CTN opinion)   https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200806004891-262101?chdtv (¤¤®ÉªÀ½×) ; https://udn.com/news/story/11091/4760933?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2   https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4762357?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2 (Áp¦X³øªÀ½×)  ;  https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/20200807/LP5HJVDXGF7MH7AELGX4574EM4/ ( Ä«½× )

¡¹

¡¹  Sunflower movement marked a major milestone on Taiwan¡¦s road to civil disobedience
        
¡» The Diplomat, 8-16-2019: The cross-fertilization of social movements has played a crucial role among activists from Hong Kong and Taiwan, especially among an entire generation influenced by the twin movements of 2014 ¡X Taiwan¡¦s Sunflower Movement and Hong Kong¡¦s Umbrella Revolution.  (  https://thediplomat.com/2019/08/taiwans-silk-road-of-democracy/ )
          ¡» New York Times, 10-15-2019: On March 18, 2014, hundreds of young activists, most of them college students, occupied Taiwan¡¦s legislature to express their profound opposition to a new trade pact with Beijing then under consideration, as well as the secretive manner in which it was being pushed through Parliament by the Kuomintang, the ruling party.   the Sunflower Movement protesters demanded that the pact be scrapped and that the government institute a more transparent ratification process. (

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/opinion/taiwan-digital-democracy.html By Audrey Tang)
           ¡» The Diplomat, April 2020 : Taiwan High Court Overturns Acquittals, Finds Sunflower Movement Protesters Guilty /  The High Court¡¦s decision to overturn not guilty verdicts for seven protesters who stormed the Executive Yuan led to outrage from civil society figures.  ( thediplomat.com/2020/04/taiwan-high-court-overturns-acquittals-finds-sunflower-movement-protesters-guilty/  )
           ¡» Taipei Times, 5-27-2020: The 2014 Sunflower movement marked a major milestone on Taiwan¡¦s road to civil disobedience; it is the duty of conscientious citizens to protest unjust government actions by openly breaking the law to achieve a higher moral aim, while at the same time being willing to face the consequences.
In a constitutional democracy, citizens are endowed with the inherent right of civil resistance, because the state is given sovereign power by the people based on the principle of popular sovereignty.
Citizens are entitled to engage in civil disobedience if a democratic government chooses not to play by the constitutional rules.  In 2014, then-president Ma Ying-jeou¡¦s (°¨­^¤E) administration, without complying with democratic rules, intended to arbitrarily finish the legislative process of the Cross-Strait Service and Trade Agreement (CSSTA).         
Yet on April 28, the High Court, overturning a lower court¡¦s not-guilty verdict, denied that civil disobedience was applicable and found seven Sunflower movement figures guilty of inciting people to storm the Executive Yuan on March 23, 2014.  (  https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2020/05/27/2003737099  5-27-2020;   https://hongkongfp.com/2018/03/13/taiwan-high-court-upholds-acquittal-sunflower-activists/  )
           ¡»  United Daily (Taiwan) , 4-28-2020: The Sunflower movement ÃQ´­ is guilty.  (   https://udn.com/news/story/121084/4524163  )
¡¹
¡¹  Japan¡m¤é¥»経済·s»D¡n(The Nihon Keizai Shimbun) , 5-21-2020, editorial:  "¥~¬ÉÀ³¦A«×ª`µø¥xÆW¥Á¥D¬Fªvªº»ù­È"¡C( ref. to Ä«ªG¤é³ø,  5-22-2020 )
       Taiwan's democracy based on free election is 25 years old.  The opposition party plays an important role for Taiwan to keep its democratic politics running well, sincerely hope the Nationalist (KMT) should reflect on itself and be strong again in the field ( https://tw.appledaily.com/international/20200522/46DUCW47GH3JHOZ32U5N255BPI/ )
          Taiwan's Apple Daily, editorial, 6-10-2020 :  Taiwan's democracy is in big crisis if the ruling party has solid power and has been "dividing the spoils" by factions (¬£¨t¤ÀÅB), without the mutual power control by a healthy and strong opposition party.   Taiwan's democracy is not perfect, and is hard to make progress ... Taiwanese people are obviously depressed and have nothing they can do about it.   The solution for Taiwan's democracy is : have politicians' heart in the right place  -  not to be a greedy pig !   ( tw.appledaily.com/headline/20200610/57JG3H2B2TITZXPBZBVEE7UBKI/)
  ¡¹

¡¹  Washington Monthly, 3-11-2020, "The Anomaly of Taiwanese Democracy"   https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/03/11/the-anomaly-of-taiwanese-democracy/

       China also did itself no favors with its response to protests in Hong Kong, which Tsai and her DPP colleagues used as a powerful cautionary tale. Tsai won the largest victory of any presidential candidate in the history of the island.   But another crucial factor in Taiwan¡¦s defiance was the United States, which has provided Taiwan¡¦s government with arms and for decades sought to deter Chinese aggression against the island. This has created a degree of reassurance for Taipei in the face of China¡¦s overwhelming military dominance.  (ps:  After nearly twenty years of exhausting and pointless war in the Middle East and Afghanistan, it¡¦s not wrong to ask whether the American public is ready to involve itself in yet another overseas conflict predicated on strategic reasoning that is largely irrelevant to the major challenges facing the United States today.)

¡¹

¡¹  Australia's  ABC Radio National, 27 February 2020  www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-27/taiwan-independent-nation-democracy-in-shadow-of-china/11981540

       It's a vibrant democracy... a record 57 per cent of the electorate voting overwhelmingly for Tsai Ing-wen's ...
       Why?
       (1)
 (CCP) the heavy-handed way in which protesters were dealt with in Hong Kong made Taiwanese voters uneasy ...

       (2) "The KMT ( widely seen by analysts as being far more pro-Beijing ) must convince the general public that it only engages the mainland for the purposes of creating peace, and that it would never sell out Taiwan,"

¡¹

¡¹  The China Times,  6-23-2020  https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200622004443-262105?chdtv
         A survey by KMT (Nationalist Party) think tank (°ê¥ÁÄÒ´¼®w) found 13.7% Taiwanese favor KMT, 32.9% for DPP,  KMT does not have enough balance of powers.   (¿Ëºñ´¼®w³Ì·s¥Á½ÕÅã¥Ü¡A¤p­^¬I¬Fº¡·N«×ÃÙ¦¨ªÌ61%¡B¤£ÃÙ¦¨ªÌ33%¡A©M5¤ë¬Û¤ñÃÙ¦¨ªÌ¤U­°10.5%¡B¤£ÃÙ¦¨ªÌ¼É¼W16.3%¡F¬FÄÒ¤ä«ù«×¥Á¶iÄÒÁö³Ì°ª¡A¦ý¤]¤U·Æ13.6%¡A­°¦Ü28.2%¡A°ê¥ÁÄÒ¤ä«ùªÌ¼W¥[2%¡A¹F16.2%¡A©M¥Á¶iÄÒ®t¶Z¤´ÅãµÛ¡A  ¥Á²³¤´¤£§Æ±æ¤@ÄÒ¿W¤j ¡C)  /  ¤¤°ê¤å¤Æ¤j¾Ç¼s§i¾Ç¨t±M¥ô±Ð±Â­Ý¨t¥D¥ô

¡¹

¡¹  <Foerign Policy> 2015: Taiwanese politics belong to the mega-corporations (not the people), and are controlled by politicians.  

      Apple Daily, editorial, 12-14-2019: Taiwan gov. shows authoritarianism political culture, ignoring and being hostile to those critics.  Apple Daily, editorial, 12-7-2019:  in this bad election morality age, Taiwan president becomes a low threshold, min. qualification criteria position, and a laughingstock. 

¡¹

¡¹  <United Daily Áp¦X³ø> (Taiwan), 1-8-2020 editorial: The ruling party gradually normalizes (make it a routine work) ¡ycyber assassination (ºô¸ô·t±þ)¡z,  even Taiwanese army, police, national security systems (°ê¦w­xĵÅé¨t) have to participate in "internet army" to infiltrate in internet communities and to monitor public opinions (brief). ¡C <Áp¦X³ø> 1-6-2020 : internet army/Cyber force ('·¨¿·¦p­Ì') still have been doing media-framing by fake messages, getting along with the authorities to do all kinds of cyber-bullying, verbal-bullying ... trying to make a white by lots of blacks, to damage judicial systems, democracy, and to degrade our social morality ... (brief / Áp¦Xµ§°O³¯¨¥³ì)

¡¹

¡¹   <United Daily Áp¦X³ø> (Taiwan), 6-10-2020, editorial:  Voters in Taiwan ousting a Pro-China Mayor is a victory by DDP on surface, but the state machine (¡u°ê®a¶¤¡v) getting handsy with the matter sacrifices democratic system of organization as well as administative neutrality.

¡¹

¡¹  United Daily Áp¦X³ø (Taiwan)¡A editorial 1-11-2020   ¡þ ±f¥Á°_¸q¡G¦b¥xÆW¥Á¥D»P­Ë°hªº¤À¤ôÀ­  ( https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4280658 )

¡@
The govt. repeatedly violated human rights, harmed democracy, and damaged constitutionalism, from bad to worse¡C For instance, the adm. units were used as instrument by the ruling party DPP to attack its political opponents and to break administative neutrality ¡CSince the 'secret police' are everywhere, lots of ordinary people were reported by police for trivial matters,  National Taiwan University president elected failed to take office¡A business-men were afraid to be tagged with unfair label, more seriously, the president gave order to law-makers to pass specific national-security law, the Control Yuan members publicly threatened law-officers' freie Beweiswürdigung ...¡Aall these endanger Taiwan's democracy and freedom.
1. a chief of internet army (·¨¿·¦p) was charged and was found her connection with pan-green coalition ... DPP not only refused to admit its mistake but also let internet army members have their own way to attack some other targets.
2. the govt. encouraged policemen to report nationals' posts on the net, and to enter citizens' house for further understanding related details ... harsh government damaged freedom of speech.
3. The Legislative Yuan passing ¡mAnti-infiltration Act¡n violated Procedural Justice¡A and spread "Green-terror" net against targets.
4. ªLÀR»ö's saying:  any national advocating unification with China us committed  the crime of treason, leaks Pan-Green coalition's secret, furthermore, the new national security law possibly makes anyone to be a criminal. (brief)
¡¹
¡¹¡@United Daily Áp¦X³ø¡A editorial  1-21-2020 ¡þ No covering authoritarianism by sovereignty¡A No suffocating Taiwan's democracy   ( https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4301790  )
         It's ironic to Taiwan's democracy : Spreading the feeling of subjugating our country shifts focus from the govt. hollowing out democracy, and slowness of the economy, broken social security net. (brief)

¡¹

¡¹  Apple Daily¡A(Taiwan)  3-29-2019 editorial¡GÂźñ¥Õ³£¤£¥i¥¢¦uªº©³½u   ( https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20190329/38294369/ )
       Democracy and freedom, pluralism are Taiwan's core value and strong instrument for Taiwan's security and development.
       KMT dealing with CCP should base on Taiwanese interest to maintain stability of Taiwan strait.  DPP should trust people's judgment and self-defense mechanism of the system of Taiwan's democracy and freedom
the public power should do things (maintain freedom of speech, press freedom, parties' competitions ) in moderation, the authority should not fish in troubled  water and create chilling effect to repress dissidents, otherwise pose a grave threat to prospect of Taiwan's democracy and freedom¡C (brief)

¡¹ 

¡¹ The China Times¡A¤¤®ÉªÀ½× (Taiwan)¡A editorial¡@6-5-2020  ( https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200604004931-262101?chdtv )

Taiwan has more TV news channels than most other countries, but Taiwan's media environment worsens¡A particularly, in recent years media were often managed and controlled by political power. NCC, a weirdo institution rarely seen in democratic countries is the main trouble-maker.
Basically, NCC has two measures to deal with those govt.-unfriendly and hostile-forces news stations¡A one is giving penalty fine, another is giving them a hard time to review and approve review Permit Application, or even cancel their license, CTI (¤¤¤Ñ) and TVBS are two victims because NCC taking double standards they ignored ¦~¥NTV station's misleading headline : Taipei mayor's wife had affair by word-play (¡u¬_©d¬õ§ö¥XÀ𤧾ԡH¦]»Äªü¤¤¡v¡B¡uÔ£¡A¨ØµX¶æÂ÷±B¡H¬õ§ö¡H¡v)
Furthermore, NCC illegally put aside or put off TV's internal affairs such as the news position of TVBS Chairman of the Board¡BCTI director and warden (
¶VÅv¡A³s´CÅ餺³¡¨Æ°È¡A¤]´¡¤â )¡A most public opinions still have no idea about NCC speeding up to Infringe the hope of Taiwan's democracy¡C(brief)

¡¹

¡¹ <United Daily Áp¦X³ø> editorial, 12-6-2018:  Taiwan democracy in name only¡C    <UDN Áp¦X³ø> editorial, 3-7-2017:  It's difficult for Taiwan to keep skin-depth democracy ...  the people's "livelihood" was sacrificed for politics ... ¡C <United Daily News>, editorial opinion, 6-23-2019The operation of democracy usually strays off most public-opinions,  ... fail to solve the adverse situation of reversing democracy;.. (brief)¡C<United Daily Áp¦X³ø> 10-20-2019: politics override the judiciary ¡C <Liberty Times ¦Û¥Ñ®É³ø> headline news¡B<China Times> headline news, 12-8-2018: people are angry about slow judicial reform ;  <United Daily > headline news,  06-18-2016: prosecutors often follow orders to conclude cases ( "À˹î") ¡C

¡¹

¡¹  <Transparency International>, 1-29-2019: Taiwan has stagnated in the Corruption Perspective Index rankings since 2011 with its score 61~63 (dropped 2 spots this year), in contrast, South Korea improved by 3 points in 2017.)   In platform presentation at 12-25-2019, Nationalist Party Presidential candidate Han criticized President Tsai has allowed top officials around grow very corrupt, Tsai refuted KMT was more serious, People First Party candidate Song said that speaking of corruption and unfair judiciary, KMT and DPP are about the same.  Apple Daily (12-7-2018) editorial :  Taiwan's corruption is off the charts by collusions between government officials and business owners,  furthermore, Taiwan's underworld going wild to assist government officials, business and some elected representatives (e.g., legislators) in corruption has been ahead of most corrupt countries, e.g., China, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Vietnam, the stinky rotten food-chain crossing pan-Blue (Nationalist, KMT) and pan-Green (DPP) resurges after Taiwan's elections...( https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20181207/38199252/) ;  Liberty Times, 1-12-2020, editorial: The administration's rottenness (»GÃa®ð®§) smells already....   (brief)

¡¹

Transparency org.     "Have you paid a bribe in '13 ?"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Corruption_Barometer

Country

Ranks   percentage of people paid a bribe
Taiwan  No. 68 36% paid a bribe
Korea   No. 7  3% paid a bribe
Japan No. 4 1% paid a bribe
Transparency org.    Asia-pacific 2017,   "Has corruption increased recently ?",   26% Taiwanese:  YES !

¡¹

¡¹ USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020 Some political commentators and academics,  publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, 3-13-2019:  justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians.  <UDN Áp¦X³ø> The government abusing the law has resulted in people's losing trust on law-enforcement.

¡¹

¡¹  CTN (¤¤°ê®É³ø, Taiwan ) ¡A3-29-2019,  headline news : No "flaunting the democracy banner to oppose the democracy"  ...  

¡¹

¡¹  The China Times¡Aeditorial¡A(Taiwan) 1-11-2020 , ²öÅý¥xÆW¥Á¥Dµn¤W«Í³t¦C¨®  (  https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200111004051-262101?chdtv  )

¡@
democratic politics are down falling and dying¡I
From today on, the internet army of pan-green coalition are everywhere¡A and will be more cocky for being escorted by Green power¡C If anyone who criticizes the govt., opposes Taiwan independence,  disagrees riling China (¡u§Ü¤¤¡v¡u¶æ¤¤¡v)¡Awill be watching by the intelligence and internet army ¡C
From today on, the authority masters 90% of media¡B99% internet army (other politicians founded internet army too)¡C Separation of powers (¤TÅv¤À¥ß)¡BJudicial independence¡Bsocial supervision (ªÀ·|ºÊ·þ) might be gradually nibbled by the authority.  Police, prosecutors, judges, media ... might be led by the ruling party¡C Justices of the Supreme Court ¡BControl Yuan members ( oversight board ) might all join pan-green coalition ...¡C ¡mAnti-infiltration Act¡n can be a good tool for the authority to repress dissidents, and suppress media¡C (brief)

¡¹

¡¹ United Daily¡A editorial 1-8-2020, <UDN> editorial (Áp¦X³øªÀ½×) 11-14-2019¡þTaiwan's democracy turns into grave full of greedy politicians ¡C (¥Á¥D³]­pªº¨}·N¡A¦p¤µÅܦ¨¨p±ý¼X³õ https://udn.com/news/story/11321/4163629

¡@ ¡@
Economist (UK) EIU Country Ratings :  Taiwan  among Asia & Pacific countries
 score 90: USA,  Hong Kong,  Singapore,  NZ,  score 72: Qatar,   UAE  , Japan,   Australia , score 55: Saudi Arab,   Malaysia,   Korea, Taiwan

¡¹

¡¹  Taiwan votes in elections, Nov. 2018
        ¡´
New York Times, 11-23-2018:  Economic growth, employment and pension reforms were among key issues in the elections...China said the results (Taiwan elections) reflected a desire of Taiwanese for better relations with the mainland...

      ¡´ Quartz , 11-25-2018 :  
      Taiwan¡¦s elections have given Beijing much to celebrate  (https://qz.com/1473960/taiwans-elections-have-given-beijing-much-to-celebrate/)

    ¡´ Le Monde (France), 11-24-2018 :  A Taïwan, des élections sous influence chinoise

    ¡´ Wall Street Journal , 11 25 2018:

       A great virtue of Taiwan¡¦s voters is that they¡¦re pragmatic, a useful trait for an island under threat of a Chinese invasion. That pragmatism was on display in local elections Saturday that rebuked President Tsai Ing-wen while refusing to ban nuclear power.

     ¡´  Reuters UK , 11-26-2018: Beijing told Reuters simply: ¡§They¡¦re really happy.¡¨  
     ¡´  SET news, Taiwan, 11-26-2018: ­^°ê¸ô³zªÀ¤@°w¨£¦å¡A»{¬°¤¤°ê¬O³o¦¸¿ïÁ|ªº³Ì¤jĹ®a¡A¦ÓµØ²±¹y¶l³ø©Mªk°ê¥@¬É³ø¤]³£»{¬°¡A¤¤°ê¬O¥ª¥k³o¦¸¿ïÁ|ªº³Ì¤jÃöÁä¡C

     ¡´  NY Times 11-28-2018: Will Taiwan Be the First Domino to Fall to China?

   

¡¹

2

   FREEDOM

¡¹¡¹

¡¹
¡¹ RSF, <Reporters Sans Frontieres>, France, (Christophe Deloire, Secretary General ) , LTN, 5-16-2020,  Reporters Without Borders (RSF, Cedric Alviani ),  Taipei Times, 12-17-2019
 
It is no secret that the Taiwanese media sector is plagued by sensationalism, undeclared advertising and an unhealthy ¡§blue-green¡¨ political polarization that hinders journalism in its role as a balancing power, stirring public distrust. It is not that Taiwan lacks competent journalists, but most of them have to work under undue pressure and cannot count on legal protection against requests from their management that would go against journalistic ethics... Taiwanese government always took "press freedom" as an excuse to ignore them.
   Five measures to reinforce Taiwan¡¦s media:
1) establish regulations that effectively protect the independence of editorial departments from their employers and boards of directors
2) create in law a ¡§duty of care¡¨ that would oblige online platforms to protect both users¡¦ freedom of speech, and safety in regards to hate speech and manipulation
3) upscale the amount of financial resources allocated to public media outlets
4) support the emergence of new media outlets that aim to uphold journalistic ethics, through economic and fiscal incentives following a similar model to start-up development
5) emphasize critical thinking and media literacy in academic curricula and public education actions
(brief)

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2019/12/17/2003727670

¡¹

¡¹ New York Times,  12-3-2019:  Social media platforms are another key battleground (Chn-TW): Nearly 90 percent of Taiwan¡¦s population is active on them, and traditional news outlets have been known to republish fake posts without fact-checking. According to Reuters, Chinese government agencies have paid Taiwanese news outlets to publish pro-Beijing content.

¡¹

¡¹ New York Times, 1-10-2020: Scholars say that Taiwan has been the target of a Russian-style social media disinformation campaign by China, designed to exploit social divisions and undermine democracy.  A study by the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden found that Taiwan was the territory most exposed to foreign disinformation, based on weighted ratings by experts.     <United daily Áp¦X³ø> 1-8-2020 editorial: The ruling party gradually normalizes (make it a routine work) ¡ycyber assassination (ºô¸ô·t±þ)¡z,  even Taiwanese army, police, national security systems (°ê¦w­xĵÅé¨t) have to participate in "cyber warrior" to infiltrate in internet communities to monitor public opinions (brief).   <United Daily Áp¦X³ø> 1-6-2020 : Cyber force ('·¨¿·¦p­Ì') still are doing media-framing by fake messages, getting along with the authorities to do all kinds of cyber-bully, verbal-bully ... trying to make a white by lots of blacks, damage judicial systems, democracy, and degrade nice social morality ... (brief / Áp¦Xµ§°O³¯¨¥³ì)   <United Daily> headline news, 1-8-2020 :  KMT presidential candidate Han: The chief of cyber troops is Taiwan president.   

¡¹

¡¹  China Times, editorial <¤¤®ÉªÀ½×> ,    10-8-2020   https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20201007005758-262101?chdtv

       Is the country abide by the laws ? including the laws, constitution law,  administrative law and administrative procedure act.

         Two TV media, ¤¤¤Ñ and TVBS were often accused of being a disadvantage to the national security.  The admin. repeatedly gave them a hard time without any evidence.  Is Taiwan a country of democracy and freedom if they want all media pro pan-Green.

¡¹

¡¹  China Times, editorial <¤¤®ÉªÀ½×> ,    3-9-2020

         The gov. suppressed freedom of speech by 4 layers¡G
¡@
¤@¡B Political power forms threats (penalty fine and suspending the license) to certain media¡C
¤G¡B Secretly bullying by internet army (ºô­x·t¾¹ÅQ­â)¡Athe victims found no evidences to fight back¡C
¤T¡B Buying internet celebrities, polls, and personality to lead the public opinions (­·¦V)¡C
¥|¡B Operating fake news to mix wrong and rightness, the government defines the fake news¡C  (brief)

¡¹

¡¹ USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, 3-11-2020

Concerns about censorship were limited to efforts by the authorities in the People¡¦s Republic of China (PRC) to censor Taiwan media outlets based on the business interests of their parent companies in the PRC.
In May senior PRC officials used the fourth Beijing-Taiwan Media Forum to call on Taiwan media outlets to shape their coverage to promote PRC political priorities.
PRC authorities reinforced corporate pressure on media by using access denial to punish Taiwan media outlets whose coverage they deemed to be insufficiently consistent with PRC policies.
Journalists said they faced pressure from management to submit news stories to complement or support the content of paid advertisements. Critics said product placement under the guise of news reporting undercut objective journalism, restricted journalists¡¦ freedom, and undermined public trust in the media.

¡¹

¡¹ Next TV news (³ü¹qµø) 3-10-2020, <¦~¥N¦V¿ú¬Ý>: President of Taiwan Nurse Organization (Å@²z®v¤u·|²z¨Æªø): The freedom of speech was limited/restricted (¨¥½×¦Û¥Ñ³Q­­¨î !!)   Some nurses complained on the net that only one piece of face mask per day, then the cyber-force ( usually regarded as government-related ) came and attacked them "quit your job if not happy about that" ("¤£²n¤£­n°µ!")¡A besides, some MDs did not hand in free face masks distributed by organization to nurses, those N95 masks the medical center gave were too large or too small, not safe ! etc.
¡¹

¡¹ United Daily (Áp¦X³ø), 2-5-2020: The cyber force ( to protect the government ) went everywhere to investigate and attack all complaints concerning no place to buy face masks (brief)

¡¹

¡¹ <United Daily > opinion "¥~¥æ³¡ªø¤£¥iºô¥Á¤Æ", 4-11-2020 : Taiwan let cyber-force (netizens) attack WHO chief unchecked or without interfere, eventually probably fail to enter WHO. (©ñ¥ôºô¥Á¦VÃÓ¼w¶ëµo°Ê§ðÀ»¡A³Ì«áµ²ªG¥i¯à¨Æ»PÄ@¹H¡C)...  Taiwanese netizens used hate-speech to attack WHO chief, e.g., Nigger¡B¦º¶Â°­¡For "China pig"(¡u¤¤°ê½Þ¡v), "Beijing Dog" (¡u¥_¨Êª¯¡v) on Wiki ...¡Chttps://udn.com/news/story/7338/4483673?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

¡¹

¡¹ The China Times, 4-9-2020 editorial

¤¤®ÉªÀ½×¡n¥xÆWªººô¸ôÅQ­â´­«Â°ê»Ú  ( Cyber Bullying from Taiwan came out top in international )
https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200409005466-262101?chdtv

The phenomenon of cyber bullying in Taiwan is very serious, a huge number of cyber worriers (netizens) run wild against law and reason, ...They have two powerful weapons -  (1) violent language (2) fake news.   a netizen related to the ruling party (DPP) used these two weapons to successfully force an excellent Taiwanese diplomat in Japan to kill himself not long ago.  After Presidential election, the cyber force even attacked international people, therefore became vanguard for Taiwanese government, the latest case is personal attacks WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ... Taiwan's officials, cyber force, and pan-Green media worked together to do personal attacks and cyber bullying, showing their true color and ugly face to the entire world. (¥xÆW©x¤è¡Bºô­x¡B¿Ëºñ´CÅéÁp¤â§ðÀ»¡A§¹¥þ¶W¶V²z©Ê°Q½×°ÝÃDªº½dÃ¥¡A²_¬°¤H¨­§ðÀ»»Pºôµ¸ÅQ­â¡A¯uªº¬O¡uÅý¥@¬É¬Ý¨ì¥xÆW¡v)   Taiwan cyber-bullying

¡¹

¡¹  RSF, <Reporters Sans Frontieres> (France ) , 12-16-2019, <µL æ¬É°OªÌ­PÁ`²Î­Ô¿ï¤Hªº¤½¶}«H>
¡¹

¡@

pic.: part of the article
"an open letter to Taiwan's presidential election
candidates"

¡@

Apple Daily (Ä«ªG¤é³ø) 12-16-2019,  brief

¡@

Taiwan media have been polluted by sensual and embedded advertising
 ( fake news on the surface, ads. to the bone) for long run, furthermore, political power pan-blue and pan-green polarize the media field and
impede the check-and-balance system, some media workers can not expect legal protection while
 facing their boss's orders violating press ethics

¡@

For full text pls. read Apple Daily

¡@

¡@ by Cedrie Alviani , RSF president of Taiwan branch (¥xÆW¤À·|²z¨Æªø)
¡@ ¡@

¡@

¡¹

¡¹

¡¹  New York Times, 11-28-2018, Will Taiwan Be the First Domino to Fall to China?
The research institute of NHK ( Japan¡¦s national broadcaster):  influential media conglomerates in Taiwan have become pro-Beijing; their major shareholders have been given greater business opportunities in China¡¦s vast market.  Major Taiwanese newspapers and TV stations regularly feature content that hardly differs from that in China or routinely heap praise on Chinese leaders...

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¡¹ US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 : the impact of the concentration of media ownership on freedom of the press, particularly among companies with People¡¦s Republic of China (PRC) investment, self-censorship continued.  Journalists said they faced pressure from management to submit news stories to complement or support the content of paid advertisements.  Critics said product placement under the guise of news reporting undercut objective journalism, restricted journalists¡¦ freedom, and undermined public trust in the media.  Taipei officials pressured a magazine reporter to drop an investigative report about the city¡¦s breach of personal information for more than 3,000 AIDS patients.

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¡¹<Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, France) , 4-18-2019:  Taiwan¡¦s journalists are suffering from a very polarized media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit. Although President Tsai Ing-wen has said she wants to continue developing press freedom in Taiwan, few concrete measures have been taken to improve journalists¡¦ editorial independence and encourage media to raise the quality of the public debate. Beijing is exploiting this weakness by putting pressure on Taiwanese media owners, who often have business interests on the mainland.   Beijing is also suspected of orchestrating online disinformation campaigns ¡V a threat that could lead to questionable retaliatory measures by Taiwan such as refusing visas to Chinese journalists regarded as hostile.    Taiwan ranks No. 42 in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index.  https://rsf.org/en/taiwan

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¡¹ <Apple Daily (Ä«ªG¤é³ø)> 3-29-2019, editorial opinion: (https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20190329/38294369/)

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pic. left: China Times 3-29-2019 headline news: Defend 100% freedom of speech!  Democracy on the surface, anti-democracy to the bone is not allowed.

pic. right: Apple Daily 3-29-2019 editorial opinion: Democracy & Freedom of speech is the bottom line which should never be lost, the government should not create chilling effect by fishing in trouble water. 

¡¹ PS:  CNBC 1-25-2017: US is no longer a full democracy, EIU warned ( https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/25/us-is-no-longer-a-full-democracy-eiu-warns.html), according to Economist EIU Democracy Index released in 2020 , The US is still a "Flawed Democracy" country. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index )

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¡¹ <China Times (¤¤°ê®É³ø)> 3-29-2019 head page: (www.chinatimes.com/opinion/?chdtv)

     The media have freedom to choose which side to stand, but anyway Taiwan should not limit the press freedom, Taiwan government should not choose the old route, Orwellian administration.  

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  Taiwan should reflect on its mistakes, admit its mistakes, and correct its mistakes, at once.
       Western country's
rhapsody may delay its progress.
      
For precise meaning, Pls. ref. to Chinese language version  

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Taiwan state apparatus fully support freedom of expression & democracy ...

You can scream as loud as you want

  The louder you scream, the more I enjoy ...

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¡» Taiwan's Apple Daily, editorial, 6-16-2020: Taiwan's politics still intervene or meddle media. 
 
¡» Apple Daily, editorial, 12-14-2019 : Since DPP took office in 2016,  political culture of authoritarianism («ÂÅv¦¡¬Fªv¤å¤Æ) gradually showed up in Taiwan.  ¡» United Daily, editorial, 6-23-2019: mega-data became politician's instrument to control public opinions

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¡»  China Times, editorial  3-9-2020  The gov. suppressed freedom of speech by 4 layers:
1¡B Political power forms threats (penalty fine and suspending the license) to certain media¡C
2¡B Secretly bullying by internet army, cyber force ... and so on

¡» State violence and white terror (product of state violence) return in Taiwan (United Daily, opinion, 12-21-2017, 12-27-2017).

¡» Apple Daily 3-29-2019 editorial opinion: Democracy & Freedom of speech is the bottom line which should never be lost,
the government should not create chilling effect by fishing in trouble water.  
¡» The China Times 12-14-2019 editorial : the gov. seriously harmed free speech by investigating
those messages shared or published on the net by the masses
 

¡» This is an EVIL state apparatus (column, CTN, 5-9-2018): Taiwan has shown a general tendency toward pandering state apparatus, surrendering in mind control ... http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20180509000843-260109

¡» Abusing power to invade citizen's rights, going old route of anti-democracy are their nature  (United Daily, opinion, 12-20-2017).  https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2886710

ref to https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2897025¡Chttp://udn.com/news/story/7338/2179800¡C

¡» Now it seems hard to keep Taiwan's skin-deep democracy ... the people's "livelihood" was sacrificed for politics ...The United Daily - Opinion, 3-7-2017

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 ( a violent, penetrative scientific power) "You called Discovery,  I called the Rape ..." 
/  Jurassic Park ,  1990

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No.2 "Taiwan democracy"  on ¢å¢í¢ê¢ë¢ú¢é£@¢ô¢í¢ú, 6-1¢µ-2020

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 No.1 "Taiwan democracy"  on Bing, 7-12-2020

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No.4 "Taiwan democracy" on US Yahoo search engine, 7-21-2020

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 pic. left :  No.1 "Taiwan democracy & freedom", onYandex of Russia, 2021-6-2; pic. right:   No.1 "Taiwan's democracy", onYandex of Russia, 2021-6-2  

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