Taiwan Readies for Trump’s Return to White House

Taiwan Readies for Trump’s Return to White House

2025-01-03

As the world awaits United States President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Taiwan is caught between growing Chinese aggression and uncertainties surrounding US-Taiwan relations. VOA’s William Yang reports from Taipei.

From military personnel to civilians, Taiwan’s residents have been preparing for an uncertain future with a new US president soon to take office and mounting pressures from China. Beijing considers self-governed Taiwan a part of China and says it will use force, if necessary, to make that claim a reality. While President Joe Biden has repeatedly said the US will come to Taiwan’s aid if China were to attack, President-elect Trump has suggested Taiwan should pay the US for its defense.

Angel Chi
Taiwan resident
I’m a bit worried because it’s hard to tell what Trump is saying, what he is actually doing, and what he’s doing behind the scenes, things that we can’t see. He’s always acted in his own interest in the interest of the United States.

While Trump has picked prominent China hardliner Marco Rubio and Michael Waltz as potential cabinet nominees, his comments on Taiwan have been vague.

Donald Trump
US president-elect
I don’t want to say what I’m thinking. If I answer that question, it’ll put me in a very bad negotiating position.

China’s position is clear from this Nov. 7 press conference.

Mao Ning
China foreign ministry spokesperson
China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan.

Experts also agree major changes in US-Taiwan relations under the next administration are unlikely.

Lai I-Chung
The Prospect Foundation
The mood is that we will be very careful and very watchful about the developments but we are not panicking. We also have very strong bipartisan support in the Congress, and that always can be Taiwan’s best bastions to sustaining and improving Taiwan-US relations.

While Taiwan continues to court the US and prepare for the incoming Trump administration, China has been ramping up military pressure toward the island since Taiwan President Lai Ching-te took office in May – with exercises around Taiwan and coast guard incursions. The actions are as much directed at Taiwan’s government as its voters, says Cole.

Michael Cole
Geopolitical analyst
They are hoping that by creating this sense of embattlement and containment of Taiwan, eventually that would compel Taiwanese voters, if not Taiwanese government to engage in risk avoidance.

Cole says Beijing’s level of aggression toward Taiwan may depend on its assessment of the new Trump administration’s policies for Taiwan and China.

William Yang, VOA News, Taipei, Taiwan

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

川普即將重返白宮增添台美關係不確定性

2025-01-03

美國總統當選人川普即將重返白宮，台灣正陷入中國日益增強的威脅，與美台關係的不確定性之間。來自美國之音記者William Yang的報導。

新任美國總統即將上任，中國持續文攻武嚇，台灣國內從軍方到人民，正準備迎接一個前景不明的未來。北京聲稱台灣是中國的一部分，並強調如果有必要，將採取武力來實現統一。美國總統拜登已經多次表示，如果中國攻擊台灣，美國將會出面援助，但即將上台的川普，卻暗示台灣應該向美國繳交保護費。

[[台灣民眾Angel Chi]]
"我有點擔心，因為很難判斷川普在說什麼，他真正在做什麼，以及他在幕後做了那些我們看不見的事情，他總是以自己和美國的利益優先"

儘管川普延攬對中鷹派的盧比歐及瓦爾茲入閣，但川普本人提到對台關係，總是模稜兩可。

[[美國總統當選人川普]]
“我不想說我在想什麼，如果我回答那個問題，會將我置於一個不利的談判位置”

相反的，北京的立場則是相當明確。

[[中國外交部發言人毛寧]]
“中國堅決反對任何形式的美台官方往來”

專家也認為，川普上任後，美台關係不太會發生變化。

[[願景基金會賴怡忠]]
“我們的想法是，非常謹慎且保持警惕地看待這些發展，但並不感到恐慌。我們在美國國會內，有非常強大的跨黨派支持，那始終是維持台灣現狀，及增進台美關係的最佳後盾”

台灣持續與美國友好，並做好迎接川普政府的準備，但自台灣總統賴清德5月上任以來，中國頻頻透過演習等方式侵擾台灣附近海域，對台施加軍事壓力。專家認為，這些動作不僅針對台灣的政府，也針對台灣選民。

[[地緣政治分析師 Michael Cole]]
“他們希望建立起這種對台灣的包圍和封鎖感，最終迫使台灣選民想規避風險，即使不是台灣政府去規避風險”

專家表示，川普政府的台灣和中國政策的評估，可能影響北京對台灣的侵略性程度。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je and three other defendants have been detained and will be held incommunicado, in the latest turn of events in the corruption case. The Taipei District Court’s decision comes after the Taiwan High Court rejected two earlier rulings to grant them bail. The Taipei District Court says there is a risk that the defendants will try to flee and engage in evidence tampering and collusion. The detention has been heavily criticized by the Taiwan People’s Party.

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The Taiwan High Court had called for repeated hearings based on evidence presented by prosecutors. Before the case came to light, in May, Ko had messaged Peng Cheng-sheng who is also implicated in the legal battle. In August Ko had many message exchanges and meetings with Sheen, who also kept in communication with Ying Hsiao-wei, Chen Chun-yuan and Wu Shun-min. During the investigation, Ying was found to have deleted record of her conversations with Sheen and other defendants. In addition, Lee Wen-tsung had instructed Lee Wen-chuan via a messaging app to delete financial records of MuKo Public Relations Marketing, a company associated with Ko. All these are among the reasons cited for the defendants’ detentions.

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The reasons provided by the Taiwan High Court are more specific this time around. In fact, they seem to be assisting prosecutors. There is a very high possibility that the defendants could use the internet to communicate and collude while being apart from each other. The situation is that of a higher court, the Taiwan High Court, giving less room to a lower court, the Taipei District Court, to grant bail to Ko Wen-je.

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Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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This exhibition is divided into three sections that include manuscripts and the published versions of Loïc Hsiao’s early iconic comic works.

The second part of the exhibition explores how Hsiao’s works evolved over time. It also examines the way he integrated traditional calligraphy into his comics. Hsiao’s more recent works starting in 2017 were created using his unique “Sword Finger Art Style.” Instead of drawing using a pen, he drew on an electronic tablet using his fingers in a way that combined Chinese martial arts aesthetics and Zen philosophy.

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The “Sword Finger Art Style” is created on a tablet using fingers like a sword. The lines are drawn as if you are practicing tai chi. They are cartoon character lines. You can see that his work looks like it is written in cursive script. This exhibition uses the theme of a finger sword dance to present Hsiao’s series of works from 2017, as well as his reinterpretation of past classic works such as "The Little Hero of Holland." He uses different brushwork techniques - from the brushstrokes of early comics to the different presentations of the “Sword Finger Art Style.” There are also three-dimensional works that allow the audience to enter the world of comics.

Hsiao was a multidisciplinary creative known for being a famed cartoonist, professor, playwright, theater director and TV host. After becoming a comic artist, he devoted his time to perfecting the single-panel comic format. After being in his career for 30 years, due to the conflict between digital technology and traditional art, he decided to draw on an electronic tablet using his fingers instead of drawing with his nib pen. He was awarded the 2020 Golden Comic Awards Special Contribution Award and has sold over 200 million comic books during his career. His son spent a lot of time engaged in creative pursuits with his late father and was greatly inspired by his late father’s persistence.

Stanley Hsiao
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I probably started working for him when I was in college. For a series of works about Marilyn Monroe, he told me that he did not refer to her pictures for inspiration. He created them using his imagination. He said that it took him hundreds of attempts to complete this painting. When he finished the painting, he compared it with the picture. Even though many details were not the same, the audience would know what the picture is about. He thinks that is what makes this work successful.

Hsiao’s exhibition will be held at the Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art until Feb. 16.

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Chiu Chui-cheng
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We will first temporarily suspend the Strait Herald from posting reporters in Taiwan. Then we hope that the opening in the quota of permitted Chinese journalists will allow other mainland Chinese media to come here. Taiwan has freedom of speech, it has true press freedom. Mainland China saying that we don’t have press freedom invokes the Taoist adage that a summer insect cannot discuss ice as it has no knowledge of winter.

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If you apply for an ID card on the other side of the strait, and you have household registration there, we will cancel your Taiwan household registration and your ID card. This would have an enormous impact, including your qualifications to receive national health insurance and long-term care, and including your rights related to citizenship and property. It will be a huge blow.

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Liao Chiung-chih is a world-renowned Taiwanese opera performer. Acknowledged as Taiwan’s top kudan, she is famous for her unique crying technique. She received a Golden Bell Award in 1990 for her work in television and was recognized with a National Cultural Award in 2008 and a National Cultural Heritage Preservation Award in 2012. Liao witnessed a lot of adversity throughout her life.

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I think there is hope for young people to learn it. Nowadays, everyone is seeking innovation and change. But it is good to seek innovation, but it is very bad to seek change. After the foreign cultures came in, everyone changed and started wearing Western clothes. In the past, everything was very conservative. Being able to speak Taiwanese is the most important thing, because Taiwanese Opera is performed in Taiwanese.

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Can such scripts be compiled and recorded? Our maestro Liao has also been thinking about whether we can add more repertoires to Taiwanese opera, including preserving these wonderful and iconic repertoires. She has been archiving her shows since 1999. We compiled sources including her archives, compositions and stage presentations, her recounts of the creative process as well as performance records.

To witness Liao’s vision, stay tuned for the three shows the foundation has planned for 2025. The first show will take place in April.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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