Category：Politics

Document leak details China’s bribery tactics to oppress Taiwan

It’s a well-known fact that China tries to rebuff Taiwan’s international participation by any means. And now, one such means has come to light. A batch of documents from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been leaked on the dark web, detailing how Beijing uses bribes to push its political agenda and shut Taiwan out on the international stage.

The documents expose a case following Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Assembly this past May. After the proposal to include Taiwan was rejected, China gifted 1 million renminbi in free funding to Micronesia, ostensibly to purchase a vehicle for official uses. Another case relates to President Lai Ching-te’s planned state visit to Eswatini, which was abruptly canceled after several African nations revoked their flight permits for Lai’s aircraft. It turns out that that same day, the African Union received 200 million renminbi from Beijing. The timing and sheer frequency of instances offer a striking glance into how Beijing is using financial diplomacy to oppress Taiwan internationally.

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#taiwan #china #news #bribery #exposed

2026-09-09

Vote buying scandal shakes Hualien’s Xiulin Township

Former Financial Times correspondent Kathrin Hille recently made explosive allegations on FTV, claiming all the votes in Hualien were bought. Just over a week later, a vote-buying scandal has erupted in the county, involving Xiulin Township chief Sitang Yuci and her husband Hu Chih-min , who is running to succeed her. She allegedly diverted community compensation money from a cement company to the New Hope Foundation, which later organized a banquet for local voters hosted by Hu. Investigators also say there’s evidence that voters may have been offered thousands of NT dollars in exchange for their votes.

The couple, the township office secretary and a New Hope Foundation worker surnamed Hsu, have been taken in for questioning. The couple will be investigated to determine the extent of their involvement, and then it will be decided whether they should be detained. Netizens have pointed out that the case is exposing the hypocrisy of the Xiulin Township Office chief; a slogan posted outside the building ironically reads “It’s only really an election, if nobody buys votes.”

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#election #hualien #votebuying #xiulin #hualien #dirtymoney

2026-09-08

KMT Taipei councilor accused of verbally abusing ER staff

Taiwan has been cracking down on violence towards hospital staff, and so with the local elections a little more than two months out, now would not seem like a good time to start a shocking scene at an emergency room in your electoral district. But, lo and behold, the KMT’s very own Alan Lee, a Taipei City councilor, has been embroiled in controversy ever since he went on a tirade inside an ER room he’d taken his young child to.

KMT Taipei councilor Alan Lee is making a public apology after it was revealed that he caused a scene at an emergency room, where he’d taken his young daughter, who was running a fever.

Alan Lee
Taipei councilor (KMT)
It was because, even right now, my daughter’s health is not exactly in a stable condition. Even though I took her to a different hospital the next day, I’d still like to thank all the nurses and all the doctors for their hard work that night. I’m being sincere in that I’d like to once again apologize, to say that I’m sorry.

In addition to saying sorry, he also apologized by bowing seven times. A close look at Lee’s face shows tears trickling and snot dripping; the emotion is tied to an online post shared by a night shift nurse, who wrote that Lee complained about 30 minutes being too long of a wait, so he took out his cell phone, demanding the doctor’s name. In addition to threatening to sue, he also insisted on videotaping his surroundings. The scene was startling enough to get a visit from hospital administration and the head of the local police station.

Alan Lee
Taipei councilor (KMT)
What I wanted to say was that I wanted to file a complaint, so that’s why I took a photo of him. What he took out was his doctor ID, which I took a photo of. It’s because I wanted to know his name, since I truly was really angry at that time. But, regardless of what’s true, it’s all the same: I would like to offer my most sincere apology to this doctor.

Lee insists that he didn’t start filming, that he didn’t end up suing, and that the incident was not an abuse of power.

Alan Lee
Taipei councilor (KMT)
I didn’t take off my mask, and I also didn’t say anything about who I was. I, as my child’s father, was simply communicating with the doctor. As for my voice being too loud, I think that truly is something that I need to take a deep look at, especially since it being a public place, so I really shouldn’t let my voice be that loud.

Hsu Chin-huang
Financial analyst
If it was not a city councilor saying who he was, just a regular dad, would the head of the emergency room come? Would the administration of the hospital be told to show up at the scene? You’re running for election this year, so I suggest that you need to show a bit more humility when you’re in front of voters. You’re a city councilor in the districts of Da’an and Wenshan, and this hospital is in Da’an District. Alan Lee, it seems like this morning there was an inflamed situation, which is why everybody’s now seeing you bow and apologize.

According to NTU Hospital Doctor Lee Ping-ing’s analysis of the situation, Lee’s actions meet the criteria for emergency room violence. The Taiwan Medical Association will launch an investigation into this incident.

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#violenceintheER #KMT #Taipei #hospital #ER #mindyourmanners

2026-09-08

KMT chair appears to be slapped by party bigwig at rally

With the KMT and TPP set to run different mayoral candidates in Zhubei City, the breakdown between the parties seems to be spilling over into other areas. That included a rally on Thursday, where former Hsinchu County commissioner Fan Chen-tsung seemed to be berating KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun. To make matters worse, Fan even appeared to have tried to slap Cheng. With in-fighting in the KMT and the frenemy relationship between the KMT and TPP on the rocks, the lead-up to the fall election is not going smoothly for the opposition parties.

- If we don’t win this election,
then we’ll blame the biggest criminal of all, you.

Former Hsinchu County commissioner Fan Chen-tsung wasn’t just being verbally abusive towards KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun. A bit later Fan’s behavior even turned violent.

This open-palm slap shocked spectators at the political rally. Standing behind Cheng, Fan pushed her from behind and when she turned to look back he unleashed what looked like a face smack.

Lee Chien-lung
KMT Vice Chair
I think that was just a friendly gesture, kind of like touching you lightly like this. It wasn’t some type of slap, nothing serious like that. And he also even said the idiom “deep love leads to strict discipline.”

Although KMT Vice Chair Lee said the incident was good–natured at its core, viewing it in slow-motion tells a different tale.

OK, his hand didn’t actually hit her face. But many believe it’s a stretch to say that Fan’s kung fu chop was all in good fun.

Chuang Jui-hsiung
DPP Legislative Caucus
Yesterday’s incident looked like a slap that failed to connect. It doesn’t matter how you spin it, for Cheng Li-wun and Fan Chen-tsung, one left the Democratic Progressive Party after a sexual harassment accusation in 2002 and the other, back in 2007, attended the KMT–CCP Forum, which led to him leaving the DPP.

The ruling party is watching a potential disaster unfold, as Fan’s problematic behavior at the KMT rally is likely connected to the KMT and TPP running separate mayoral candidates in Zhubei City. Anger amongst TPP supporters might even end up spreading to other cities and counties.

Huang Kuo-chang
TPP Chair
Sometimes, when it comes to the emotions of our supporters, it’s not something where our supporters will necessarily take what we say at face value. Right now the TPP’s young support base is, indeed, coming together, it’s uniting, because honesty is the most important thing for a political party.

So, who’s responsible for the KMT-TPP relationship breaking down? And will the KMT succeed at convincing the public that an open-palmed hand sweep towards the party’s chair was simply a friendly interaction?

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#gettingphysical #slap #KMT #TPP #ZhubeiCity #in-fighting

2026-09-04

Taiwan man forced to show CCP officials phone contents at airport

The dangers of taking a trip to China are once again capturing headlines. A Taiwanese man who previously interned at Amnesty International went through a harrowing experience during a recent business trip to Shanghai. After landing at the airport, three CCP officials escorted him to an interrogation room and demanded that he unlock his mobile phone to examine his messages and social media accounts. He was questioned about his work, and about his involvement with issues related to human rights in China, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. After six hours under duress, he ultimately decided to not go through immigration, and returned to Taiwan.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has confirmed the incident, and described it as being completely lawful and reasonable. According to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, a total of 426 Taiwanese nationals have gone missing or have been detained for questioning in China, Hong Kong and Macao, since 2024 to Aug. 27, 2026. It is suspected that some of the cases involved restrictions on their personal freedom.

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#china #chinatravel #socialmedia #interrogation #questioning #taiwan

2026-09-03

TaiwanICDF brings student interns to Eswatini technical mission

For the first time in its 30-year history, TaiwanICDF has selected student ambassadors to visit Eswatini, Taiwan’s ally in Africa. The ambassadors interned at Taiwan’s technical mission to see how it supports local communities. Some local women, grateful that the mission helped increase their income, personally thanked the organization.

Hsieh Pei-fen, deputy secretary-general of TaiwanICDF, brings three student ambassadors to Eswatini to see how Taiwan’s technical mission there supports local aquaculture.

About 90% of Eswatini’s aquaculture products are imported. Taiwan’s mission introduced tilapia fry from Taiwan, helping develop the local industry.

Huang An-yu
Student ambassador
It wasn’t until this internship that I understood how Taiwan’s technical mission has expertise across so many areas, and how each field has its own specialization. It gave me a lot to consider about my future career path.

Tsai Wan-yin
Student ambassador
I was stunned by the scenery here. It’s so beautiful and the view is expansive. I feel like I naturally fully relax here. It doesn’t have the hectic feeling of the city.

Beyond working with the mission, the ambassadors helped at a free clinic, visited a local market, and tried on traditional Eswatini clothing.

Women who the mission supported even personally came to thank Hsieh.

Hsieh Pei-fen
TaiwanICDF Deputy Secretary-General
The close relationships between our technical mission, our local partners, the beneficiaries, and our government partners can’t really be captured on paper. Some of the women we’ve supported even came running up to say thank you and tell us how much more money they’re making.

Tsuei Ching-lin
Ambassador to Eswatini
Our government offices, technical mission, and all our volunteers work hard here on behalf of Taiwan. It’s simple: We want the whole world to see what Taiwan has to offer.

TaiwanICDF and the technical mission work hard in Eswatini, one of Taiwan’s few remaining diplomatic allies, showing the world what a great partner Taiwan can be.

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#diplomacy #Africa #ambassador #student #intern #mission #ally #Eswatini #aquaculture

2026-09-02

Key visual for Taiwan’s National Day unveiled

Taiwan’s National Day on Oct. 10 is right around the corner. And this year’s key visual has been unveiled.

Like last year, it features the three colors of the national flag: white, blue and red. The colored squares come together to form two big characters representing the Double Ten. At the bottom, the Mandarin reads “Happy Birthday, ROC,” while the English text says “Taiwan. Together as one.” Organizers say this year’s show will feature disaster prevention professionals, to raise awareness on the matter. If you want to attend the main event, you can apply for a chance at being one of the 500 lucky participants that will be randomly chosen to join in.

#nationalday #doubleten #taiwan #roc #birthday #visual

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2026-09-01

Former FT correspondent exposes says all votes in Hualien are paid for

“In rural Hualien, all the votes are paid for.” That’s the statement that former Financial Times Correspondent Kathrin Hille made during an interview here at FTV. The journalist, who lives in rural Hualien, recounted a story from her neighbors in which people had gone to their home to straight-up ask for a price while putting the money on the table. She says, the account is not a one-off, and that vote-buying is something that must be dealt with.

The declaration has set the internet on fire. Senior American journalist Chris Horton shared a clip of the interview on X, saying “Respect.” Meanwhile, Taipei Times staff columnist Courtney Donovan Smith shared a story about his time working at cram schools owned by KMT patronage faction politicians in Changhua. He says he saw first-hand the giant piles of cash they would prepare for buying votes. When he joked whether the money was for him, he was matter-of-factly told that it was for buying votes. Candidates running for Hualien County Commissioner have come forward, urging prosecutors and investigators to intervene and uncover the truth. An investigation is underway.

#kmt #politics #taiwan #hualien #votebuying

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2026-08-31

China-born ex-lawmaker expelled from TPP to run for Zhubei mayor

Li Chen-hsiu, a China-born politician who was expelled from the Taiwan People’s Party, has made a bombshell announcement. Li has revealed plans to run for mayor of Zhubei, in Hsinchu County, in a move seen as a challenge to the TPP-backed candidate Chiu Chen-yuan. Li’s campaign has prompted immediate criticism from the TPP, which questioned whether Li is even legally eligible to run in the race. Let’s hear more.

Li Chen-hsiu
Former TPP member
I will register as a candidate on the first day. When the time comes, I’ll be the first woman to be elected as Mayor of Zhubei.

Chiang Ho-shu
Taichung City Councilor (TPP)
It can’t be real. She wants to run for Zhubei mayor? Oh my god. Is she even eligible? Whether the CEC allows her or not is the key issue here. Maybe she’s just trying to generate publicity.

Chen Gau-tzu
Legislator (TPP)
Can she register as a candidate? Back then, she wasn’t able to prove that she had relinquished her household registration in China. I believe that hasn’t changed.

You Ying-lung
CEC Chair
Eligibility is reviewed by the local election commission. That’s all that’s needed, unless there are special circumstances which require intervention from the CEC. My position remains unchanged, it all depends on whether she’s only held Taiwan household registration for at least 10 years.

Li previously served as a legislator, a position that put her under much scrutiny regarding her nationality and household registration. After a series of controversies, she was expelled from the TPP, which caused the loss of her seat in the legislature. Now that Li is planning a comeback into Taiwan’s political arena, the Zhubei mayoral election is shaping up to be a focus of public attention.

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#politics #lichenhsiu #china #taiwan #householdregistration #zhubei #hsinchu #election

2026-08-26

CEC Chair warns against putting all referendums on a single ballot

The Nov. 28 local elections are just three months away, but KMT and TPP lawmakers are poised to make last minute changes that could complicate the entire voting process. Previously, opposition politicians pushed for holding the national referendums on the same day as the local elections this year. And now they also want the three referendums to be placed on the same ballot. Chairman of the Central Election Commission You Ying-Lung worries that these last-minute changes could lead to ballots being counted well past midnight.

You Ying-Lung
Chairman of Central Election Commission
There’s less than 100 days to the election, and now you’re going to push forward these amendments to the Referendum Act. What on Earth is the meaning of this?

You Ying-Lung, Chairman of the Central Election Commission, is shaking his head and sighing, all because of amendments to the Referendum Act that are the brainchildren of KMT and TPP politicians, who also pushed to have the referendum vote occur on the same day as the Nov. 28 local elections. Saving time is the primary goal of having the national referendum take place on Nov. 28 as well as having three referendums on a single ballot, yet You warned these changes will be counterproductive.

You Ying-Lung
Chairman of Central Election Commission
When pushing for these amendments, there’s no need to deliberate carefully; so being impulsive like this is the way to go? It sounds as if it’s just a change to the voting method, but, in reality, it’s completely revamping the voting system. The idea is to put all the referendums on a single ballot, but if we use our imaginations the advantages are hollow, yet the resulting disadvantages will be palpable; the bad will outweigh the good. Under no circumstances should we, in such a rush, implement these changes, as the repercussions could be disastrous.

Along with other lawmakers who proposed the amendments, KMT legislator Lai Shyh-bao believes that placing all the referendums on a single ballot would simplify the voting process, lower election costs, and speed up vote counting. The CEC has warned multiple times that the proposed changes to Taiwan’s voting system would need to be complemented by additional measures, because, currently, elections involve paper ballots that are filled out by hand and then later on votes are read out loud and tallied. If new measures are introduced, vote counting might not wrap up until late into the night, possibly even later than the 2018 election, which ended at 3 am.

Lai Shyh-bao
Legislator (KMT)
They’re denying the people the right to exercise direct democracy. The amount of referendums was reduced to just three, so is that still too difficult for you to handle? Are we creating some sort of technical problem? And what’s the problem with counting votes until midnight? If that’s the case, then just count until midnight.

You Ying-Lung
Chairman of Central Election Commission
Putting all the referendums on a single ballot doesn’t settle the issue, and this is not just a technical issue. During counting, a single ballot can’t be sorted into two piles at the same time, so that means the ballot will need to be counted multiple times, which damages the transparency of our ballot monitoring system. We can’t just do whatever you legislators think is fit, because the voters are the core purpose of an election.

The proposed amendments have already been advanced to a second reading. On Aug. 27 or Aug. 28 the KMT and TPP can use their majority to pass these voting process changes, which means the Nov. 28 local elections might not be settled until the morning of Nov. 29.

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#KMT #TPP #DPP #referendum #voting #election #ballot #transparency #CEC

2026-08-26