It seems as though in his remaining term, Ma aims to anchor the policy direction of the central government to a certain “China”-centric basis, with or without the support of the new Legislature. During his 2016 New Year message and response to the Pope’s World Day of Peace message, Ma repeatedly reiterated how he spent the past seven-plus years transforming the Taiwan Strait from a flashpoint of conflict into a path to peace. Ma’s planned trip might not contribute to the peaceful resolution of regional disputes, but it can, however, further cement his desired historical legacy as a peacemaker across the Taiwan Strait. Vietnam’s Representative to Taiwan told a local paper that he would issue a formal protest to relevant Taiwan authorities.Īlthough Taiwan Foreign Minister David Lin said that the US, Japan, and other relevant countries were already notified of Ma’s planned trip, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) spokesperson Sonia Urbom reportedly said that “we are disappointed that President Ma Ying-jeou plans to travel to Taiping Island.” “Such an action is extremely unhelpful and does not contribute to the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea,” she added. Vietnam has so far expressed a stern response on Ma’s visit to Taiping Island, which Hanoi considers a part of its territory.
Since the announcement comes just a couple of weeks after Taiwanese coastguard vessels “ expelled” Vietnam fishing boats south-east off Taiping Island on January 6, the timing of Ma’s visit indeed will not help but perhaps only intensify rising tension in the South China Sea.
DPP Secretary‑General Joseph Wu has reportedly declined the invite, saying that his party did not plan to send any representative. The presidential office also invited President-elect Tsai Ing‑wen of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to send representatives joining Ma. According to Presidential Spokesperson Charles Chen (陳以信), the purpose of Ma’s trip is to visit Taiwanese soldiers stationed on the island, ahead of the Lunar New Year. (State Dept./J.On January 27, Taiwan’s Presidential Office surprised the country (and probably the international community) by announcing that outgoing President Ma Ying‑jeou will visit Taiping Island (Itu Aba) in the South China Sea this Thursday. This candidate is said to carry others to victory on his or her coattails. In American politics, it refers to the ability of a popular officeholder or candidate for office, on the strength of his or her own popularity, to increase the chances for victory of other candidates of the same political party. The expression “coattails” is an allusion to the rear panels (or “tails”) of a man’s coat. But if the other party’s candidates can win enough votes in the next election, Congress “flips” and the balance of power changes. If the same party has a majority in both the House and Senate, it “controls” Congress. In both bodies, whichever party has more members has the majority. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Congress flipping (State Dept./D.Thompson) A lame-duck session of Congress occurs when Congress meets after the election but before the next Congress, with new members, begins. Such an individual is in a weakened position politically due to the impending expiration of his or her term. The term “lame duck” refers to an elected official whose successor has already been elected.
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