Bloomberg
Date: October 18, 2018
By: Samson Ellis and Miaojung Lin
Taiwan must focus on making itself more valuable to President Donald Trump and accept
Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je watches an opera performance in Taipei on July 21, 2018. (Photo by Daniel SHIH / AFP) (Photo credit should read DANIEL SHIH/AFP/Getty Images)
its status as a pawn in the great power game between the U.S. and China, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said.
The outspoken former surgeon and potential presidential contender told Bloomberg News that Taiwan shouldn’t overestimate the U.S.’s willingness to defend the island from an attack by its much bigger neighbor. Ko, 59, said Taiwan needed to boost its worth to America by strengthening shared values, such as democracy and economic transparency.
“Taiwan is just a product on a shelf,” Ko said Wednesday at Taipei City Hall. “We have to have a very clear understanding of ourselves.”
Such blunt assessments have helped make Ko one of Taiwan’s most popular politicians since winning election as the capital city’s mayor as an independent in 2014. Should he secure a second term in local elections Nov. 24, he’s considered a strong contender for president, something he repeatedly declined to rule out.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said.
Ko attributed his political success to offering an alternative to the two factions who have long dominated local politics: the Kuomintang, which sees itself as the rightful ruler of a unified China, and the Democratic Progressive Party, which aspires to independence. He’s also shaken up city policies, suspending work on a 40,000-seat arena intended for last year’s University Games. [FULL STORY]
