#TAIWAN: Surprise Mayoral Win For Ruling Party In Southern Port City Of Kaohsiung

[world politics news]

Former Taiwanese vice-premier Chen Chi-mai won a landslide in Kaohsiung’s mayoral by-election on Saturday, recapturing the southern port city for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party after its surprise loss two years ago.

The by-election followed a vote to recall defeated presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu, from the main opposition party Kuomintang, amid voter dissatisfaction over his record and decision to run for president less than a year after he took office as Kaohsiung mayor.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#TAIWAN: Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Plagiarizing Thesis

[world politics news]

The Kuomintang candidate for the Kaohsiung mayoral by-election Li Mei-jhen has been accused of plagiarizing speech notes and an academic paper for most of her master’s thesis.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CHINA: Top Ranking General Threatens To Take Back Taiwan By Force

[world politics news]

Taking Taiwan by force is an option for Beijing and it will take steps to “resolutely smash” any separatist moves made by the island, a top PLA general said on Friday.

At the same event, Li Zhanshu, the third most senior leader of the ruling Communist Party, said using force was a last resort and Beijing had not given up on peaceful reunification with the island, which it considers a part of China.

Taiwan denounced the comments, saying that threats of war were a violation of international law, while the 23 million people on the self-ruled island all strongly opposed the “one country, two systems” model. 

“Taiwan’s people will never choose dictatorship nor bow to violence,” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said. “Force and unilateral decisions are not the way to resolve problems.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, ele, and legislation throughout the world.

#TAIWAN: Beijing Critic Tsai Ing-wen Wins Re-Election

[world politics news]

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has secured a second term after sweeping to victory in an election dominated by the island's relationship with China.

Tsai secured just over 57% of the ballot - a record 8.2m votes - well ahead of her rival Han Kuo-yu.

Tsai opposes closer ties with China, with Mr Han suggesting they would bring economic benefits.

In her victory speech, Ms Tsai told China to abandon its threat to take back the island by force.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#TAIWAN: Gov't Condemns Chinese "Bullying" Of Companies To Use "Taiwan, China" On Promo Materials And Websites

[world politics news]

Taiwan's government has condemned a proposal by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences that 66 foreign companies who have failed to label Taiwan as part of China's territory on their websites should be punished, saying the move demonstrates Beijing's "evil intent" to downgrade the nation's sovereignty. China considers Taiwan as part of China, despite decades of separation following the rise of Communism on the mainland.

In its 2018 annul report, the research institute in China noted that 66 of the world's top 500 companies in 2017 list Taiwan as "Taiwan" instead of "Taiwan, China." Companies the institute suggested be punished include Apple, Nike, and Amazon.  Taiwan's foreign ministry called the threat "bullying," and an effort to "blatantly interfere with private-sector commercial activities and international business operations with political means" to suppress Taiwan's status in the world community.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#TAIWAN: Because Of Surplus, Pres Announces Increases In Monthly/Hourly Minimum Wages And Exception From Income Taxes

[world politics news]

Pres. Tsai Ing-Wen has announced increases in the minimum monthly and hourly wages and said that those who earn monthly salaries of NT$30,000 (US$975) per month will be exempt from paying personal income taxes this May.

She also said that because of the strong economic growth over the past two years, the government has accrued a surplus in tax revenues and indicated that her administration is looking into ways of "making low-income citizens a priority in enjoying the benefits of economic growth."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#TAIWAN: Three Members Of Pro-China Political Party Charged With Setting Up Spy Network For China

[world politics news]

Taiwan prosecutors indicted the spokesman for a pro-China political party, his father, and two other members for allegedly seeking to recruit Taiwan military officers on behalf of China and violating the National Security Act. The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office said New Party they had acted on behalf of China to recruit a network in Taiwan that included government officials and students. It's alleged that the group listened to instructions from the Chinese government’s Taiwan Affairs Office to form groups and websites in December 2014

[FULL STORY HERE]

#TAIWAN: Mainland China Warns Pro-Independence Pres. On "One State" Policy

[world politics news]

Mainland China is determined to safeguard national sovereignty and the “one China” principle, a Beijing official has claimed after Taiwanese Pres. Tsai Ing-wen insisted that the island would not bow to pressure from the mainland. Relations between mainland and Taiwan have deteriorated since Tsai, of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party become the island’s president.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#TAIWAN: Pro-Independence Cand. Wins Pres. Election; China Warns

[world politics news]

Taiwan's independence-leaning opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen won a convincing victory in presidential election on Saturday and pledged to maintain peace with China, which claims the island as its own, though vowed to firmly defend Taiwan's sovereignty.

#TAIWAN: Legislature Refuses Pres. Ma's "State of Nation" Address To Protest Meeting With ChiComm Ldr.

[world politics news]

An opposition alliance in the legislature is refusing to allow Pres. Ma Ying-jeou to deliver his annual "state of the nation" address in the legislative chambers to protest his historic meeting last weekend in Singapore with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

#SINGAPORE: Taiwan, Communist China Leaders Will Hold Historic Meeting Sunday

[world politics news]

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Singapore on Saturday, Ma's office said, in what will be the first meeting between leaders from the two rivals since the end of a civil war in 1949.

Pictured: Mainland China's president, Xi Jinping (left) and Taiwan's president, Ma Ying-jeou

#TAIWAN: Nationalists Dump Unpopular Pres. Cand. For Her Pro-China Unification Stance

[world politics news]

Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang Party has dumped its unpopular pro-Mainland China presidential candidate three months before an election that the pro-independence opposition is strongly favored to win. Delegates at an extraordinary party congress voted overwhelmingly to nullify Hung Hsiu-chu's nomination and selected party chairman Eric Chu to run in the January 16 election.

#TAIWAN: New President Will Be A Woman; Both Parties Select Female Nominees

[world politics news]

Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang picked its second-highest-ranking lawmaker, Hung Hsiu-chu, to run for president, setting the stage for the island to elect its first female leader in January. Hung, 67, will run against Tsai Ing-wen, 58, chair of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, the first time both major parties have nominated women for the top office.

Pictured: Hung Hsiu-chu, Taiwan's deputy parliamentary speaker.

#CHINA: Chinese Pres. Xi Meets Taiwanese Pres., Warns Against Viewing Taiwan As "Separate Country"

[world politics news]

China's President Xi Jinping warned Monday against Taiwan being seen as a country as he met the head of the island’s ruling party, the first such encounter in seven years. Xi welcomed Kuomintang (KMT) party head Eric Chu, whose party takes a cooperative stance towards the Mainland.

Pictured: Eric Chu, left, Xi Jinping, right.

#TAIWAN: Legislature Debates Bill to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage for First Time

[world politics news]

#TAIWAN: PM Jiang Yi-huah Resigns After KMT Pty Crushed In Local Elections

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Jiang Yi-huah has resigned after the ruling Kuomintang Party (KMT) experienced heavy losses in local elections Saturday. It was seen as a referendum on Pres. Ma Ying-jeou ahead of elections in 2016. The KMT has dominated Taiwan since anti-communists fled to the island in the 1940s.

#VIETNAM: 500 Taiwanese Factories Mistakenly Burned in Anti-China Rioting

 [world politics news]

#CHINA: 2013 Trade Deal Won't Mean "Buy out" of Taiwan, Says Spokesman

[world politics news]

A Chinese mainland spokesman on Wednesday refuted accusations that "the mainland is buying out Taiwan" as baseless and with vile political intent. "These remarks are groundless and made with a specific political stance," said Ma Xiaoguang of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office at a press conference.

#TAIWAN

Sean Lien, Frmr VP's Son, Wins Nationalist Pty Nom for Taipei Mayor [world politics news]

#CHINA

Gov't Blasts Taiwan Party's Pro-Independence Stance [world politics news]