Taiwan and the Fight for Democracy A Force for Good in the Changing International Order Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, authoritarian regimes are more convinced than ever that their model of governance is better adapted than democracy to the requirements of the twenty-first century. This has fueled a contest of ideologies, and Taiwan lies at the intersection of contending systems. .......... Vibrantly democratic and Western, yet influenced by a Chinese civilization and shaped by Asian traditions, Taiwan, by virtue of both its very existence and its continued prosperity, represents at once
an affront to the narrative and an impediment to the regional ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party
. .............. a liberal democracy on the frontlines of a new clash of ideologies ......... if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system. It would signal that in today’s global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy. ............ Chief among the drivers of these tensions is the rise of more assertive and self-assured authoritarianism, which is challenging the liberal democratic order that has defined international relations since the end of World War II. ........Taiwan is on the frontlines of the global contest between liberal democracy and authoritarianism.
......... Taiwan will not bend to pressure, but nor will it turn adventurist, even when it accumulates support from the international community. ........ We will launch the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency in 2022, a military reform intended to ensure that a well-trained and well-equipped military reserve force stands as a more reliable backup for the regular military forces. ........ Taiwan lies along the first island chain, which runs from northern Japan to Borneo; should this line be broken by force, the consequences would disrupt international trade and destabilize the entire western Pacific. In other words, a failure to defend Taiwan would not only be catastrophic for the Taiwanese; it would overturn a security architecture that has allowed for peace and extraordinary economic development in the region for seven decades. .......... Over the past few decades, we have overcome adversity and international isolation to achieve one of modern political history’s most successful democratic transitions. The key ingredients of this achievement have been patience, resourcefulness, pragmatism, and a stubborn refusal to give up. Understanding both the delicate balance of power in the region and the need for support, the Taiwanese know that practical collaboration is often better than being loud or adventurous and that a willingness to lend a hand is better than trying to provoke or impose a system on others. ................ and transforming Taiwan itself into an economic powerhouse and one of the most vibrant democracies in the Indo-Pacific. ........... Through its evolution as an economic powerhouse and a participatory democracy, Taiwan seeks to be—and in many ways already is—part of the solution to emerging challenges with ramifications on a planetary scale, from climate change and new diseases, to proliferation and terrorism, to human trafficking and threats to supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the world is now so interconnected that the outbreak of a disease in one corner of the planet can, within a matter of months, reach pandemic proportions. In many cases, the speed with which new emergencies arise and spread is beyond the ability of states and existing international institutions to respond. To prepare for future emergencies, the international community must move toward inclusiveness rather than rigidly adhering to current structures. ............ Besides making computer chips, Taiwan is active in high-precision manufacturing, artificial intelligence, 5G applications, renewable energy, biotechnology, and more, helping create more diverse and global supply chains that can withstand disruption, human or otherwise. ......... In 2003, we established the region’s first nongovernmental organization devoted to democracy assistance and advocacy, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. Following the models set by the United States’ National Endowment for Democracy and the United Kingdom’s Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the TFD provides funding for other nongovernmental organizations, international and domestic, that advocate democratic development and human rights. ............ Organizations including Reporters Without Borders, the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, the European Values Center for Security Policy, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom have set up regional offices in Taiwan. From Taiwan, they are able to continue their important work in the region without the constant threats of surveillance, harassment, and interruptions by authorities. ............The threat posed by authoritarian regimes has served as an important wake-up call for democracies, spurring them to emerge from their complacency.
Although extraordinary challenges remain, democracies around the world are now working to safeguard their values and renew their ossified institutions. ......... the people of Taiwan know that democracy is the lasting path and the only game in town. ............. Long left out in the cold, Taiwan is ready to be a global force for good, with a role on the international stage that is commensurate with its abilities.
मन्त्रीबाट नाम काटिएपछि प्रमोद साह ‘फायर’, अब जसपामा ठूलो क्षति पुग्ने चेतावनी संचारमाध्यमबाट फोन र म्यासेजबाट बधाई तथा शुभकामना लिँदैगर्दा दिउँसो राष्ट्रपति कार्यालयबाट मन्त्रिपरिषद्ले पूर्णता पाएको नामावली सार्वजनिक भयो । त्यसमा भने साहको ठाउँमा महेन्द्रराय यादवको नाम आयो । ‘मन्त्री नबनाउनु थियो भने किन मेरो नाम विहानैदेखि सार्वजनिक गरियो ?, सुरुमा नाम राख्ने अनि पछि हटाएर मेरो मानमर्दन गर्ने काम नेतृत्वबाट भयो’, साहले भने, ‘सबै जातजातीको साझा पार्टी बनाउछु भन्ने तर व्यवहारमा एकल जातीय पार्टी बनाउन खोजियो ।’ ........ जसपा फुट्दा सात जना सांसदसहित यादवको पक्षमा लागेका साहसहितका कसैले पनि मन्त्री बन्ने अवसर पाएनन्। ‘यादवसँग १२ जना सांसद थिए मैले सात जना ल्याएर १९ पुर्याएको हुँ’, साहले भने, ‘पार्टीलाई यहाँसम्म ल्याएपुर्याउन गरेको योगदानको मुल्यांकन भएन, किन यस्तो भयो जवाफ मागिन्छ ।’ आफूले पटक–पटक फोन गर्दा पनि अध्यक्षले फोन नउठाएको उनले बताए । ....... ‘मेरो नाम अन्तिममा किन काटियो त्यो नै बुझ्न सकेको छैन’, साहले भने, ‘ममाथि ठूलो अन्याय भएको छ त्यसको जवाफ आजै लिन्छु ।’ उनले अध्यक्षद्वयको यो प्रवृत्ति र कार्यशैलीले पार्टीमा ठूलो क्षति पुग्ने समेत बताए ।
मन्त्री बन्न नपाएपछि प्रदीप यादवले गरे ताण्डव उनले आफूले असन्तुष्टि ब्यक्त मात्रै गरेका छैनन्, कार्यकर्तालाई आन्दोलनमै उतारेका छन् भने पार्टी अध्यक्षको पुत्ला समेत जलाएका छन् । ...... अध्यक्ष यादवले अन्तिम समयसम्म पनि आफूलाई मन्त्री बनाउने आश्वासन दिएको सांसद यादवको भनाइ छ। ....... जसपाका चार जनालाई मन्त्री बनाएकै दिन प्रदीप यादवको निर्वाचन क्षेत्र रहेको वीरगञ्जमा कार्यकर्ताले राँके जुलुस निकाले। शनिबार पनि उनलाई मन्त्री नबनाएको भन्दै कार्यकर्ताले मोटरसाइकाल र्याली निकालेका छन्। ....... यसपटक पार्टी अध्यक्ष उपेन्द्र यादवले फरक पर्दैन भन्नु भएको थियो। तर, अन्तिममा मेरो नाम झिकियो। ..... पर्सालाई नेतृत्वले गरेको उपेक्षाको विरोधमा शुक्रबार राँके जुलुस निस्क्यो। शनिबार मोटरसाइकल र्याली निकालेका छन्। यो विरोध प्रदर्शन मैले चाहेर पनि रोकिँदैन। किनभने यो मन्त्रिपरिषद् विस्तारप्रति कार्यकर्तामा आक्रोस छ। केन्द्रीय कार्यकारिणीको बैठकमा चुनाव जित्न सक्ने र युवालाई सरकारमा पठाउने सैद्धान्तिक सहमति भएको थियो। उपेन्द्र यादवले यो सहमति तोड्नुभयो। अब पार्टीमा अन्तरसंघर्ष गर्छौं।
Why China Is Alienating the World Backlash Is Building—but Beijing Can’t Seem to Recalibrate
