ISSUE 310                                                                                              September  1, 2025
Cabinet Reshuffle Fails to Contain Damage:
DPP's Decade-Long Dominance Comes to An End
● This Week in Taiwan: 
Other Important Events This Week




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Recent recall and referendum results reveal a shift in public opinion. The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) slogans of "resist China to protect Taiwan" and "nuclear-free homeland" have lost their appeal.
Featured Commentary

Ogasawara: DPP's 10-Year Advantage Has Ended

 

With the conclusion of the August 23 vote, the entire recall movement finally came to an end. In the first wave of recall cases on July 26, all 24 legislators and one mayor successfully weathered the recall crisis. On August 23, the recall cases targeting seven Kuomintang (KMT) legislators also all failed to pass. At the same time, the referendum on restarting the Third Nuclear Power Plant, which concerns both power supply stability and national security, ultimately did not pass. According to Japanese scholar Chair Professor Emeritus Ogasawara Yoshiyuki of National Tsing Hua University, the vote results show that the two major banners which had supported the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) advantage over the past 10 years—“Resisting China and Protecting Taiwan” and “A Nuclear-Free Homeland”—are weakening in effectiveness.
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The "book club" faction has exited the stage. Premier Cho Jung-tai's cabinet reshuffle is criticized as fake reform, with political factions taking control.

Cabinet Reshuffle Has Little Impact: Political Hardliners Retain Power

 

If there was anything remarkable about President Lai Ching-te’s administration last year, it was the inclusion of several of his academic and industry friends from his “book club,” showcasing his creativity in broadening perspectives and appointing talent. Fifteen months later, this “book club faction” of ministers has collapsed, showing that his experiment has failed—or perhaps that he simply misjudged people. Observing the new list of 16 cabinet reshuffles announced yesterday by Premier Cho Jung-tai, strictly speaking, it is devoid of new ideas. Although the inclusion of one or two fresh-faced former athletes adds some freshness, it cannot conceal the suffocating atmosphere of an unchanged cabinet still dominated by political hardliners.
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Former President Tsai Ing-wen left behind unresolved issues in green energy. President Lai Ching-te now faces mounting scandals and pressure from a power supply crisis.

Predecessor Leaves President Lai with Green Energy Mess

 

After the second major recall failure, former President Tsai Ing-wen went to the presidential residence to offer comfort to President Lai Ching-te. At first glance, the scene seemed warm. But beneath the surface, there was more at play. The recall turned into a nightmare largely because of President Lai’s ignorance, gullibility, and overconfidence, leading to self-inflicted humiliation. Meanwhile, the strong pro-nuclear backlash seen in the referendum on the Third Nuclear Power Plant was a consequence left over from the Tsai administration. On energy issues, Tsai relies on President Lai to clean up the mess. In this regard, the two are bound by a shared fate.
This Week in Taiwan
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The Kuomintang (KMT) chairmanship election is set for September. Chairman Eric Chu announced that he will pass the baton and named Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen as his preferred successor, but Lu has stated that she will not run.

August 23:

According to an exclusive report by the Storm Media, internal data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) shows that Taiwan promised full market liberalization in U.S. tariff negotiations. Taiwanese businesses pledged $250 billion in investments over four years, and procurement from the United States would reach $130 billion in four years and $300 billion within 10 years. The Executive Yuan responded that the figures and items were inaccurate and did not reflect the actual negotiation status.

 

August 23:

With the Kuomintang (KMT) chairmanship election set for September, Chairman Eric Chu announced that he would step down and named Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen as his preferred successor. Lu declined, citing the severe impact of U.S. tariffs on central Taiwan industries and her commitment to supporting Taichung residents through the crisis. Following her decision, several KMT members expressed interest in running.

 

August 24:

After two major recall defeats, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) whip Legislator Ker Chien-ming was blamed as the main culprit. Allies of President Lai Ching-te were first to criticize him, and other caucus leaders resigned en masse, signaling a strong internal push for change. Ker defended the recalls as a last-ditch effort to secure a legislative majority and denied wrongdoing. A petition is reported underway to demand a caucus leadership re-election.

 

August 27:

The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office indicted three individuals in a case involving the theft of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) 2nm core technology. Former engineer Chen Li-ming allegedly joined Japan's Tokyo Electron and conspired with current TSMC engineers Wu Ping-chun and Ke I-ping to steal proprietary formulas. They were charged under the National Security Act and Trade Secrets Act, facing sentences of seven to 14 years. This marks the first case of national core technology theft prosecuted under the National Security Act.

 

August  27:

The Executive Yuan announced a cabinet reshuffle: Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin will replace Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei, while Deputy Secretary-General Chang Tun-han of the Office of the President will become the new secretary-general. Yeh Chun-hsien, former president of the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, will head the National Development Council. The position of Minister of Health and Welfare will be filled by current Director-General Shih Chung-liang of the National Health Insurance Administration, while Deputy Minister Lin Yi-ching will lead the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Olympic gold medalist Lee Yang will serve as the first Minister of Sports.

 

August 27:

The government's demand for thousands of mainland Chinese spouses and their children to retroactively submit proof of loss of original household registration sparked public uproar. Mainland China confirmed that Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) had recently requested assistance from the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) to cancel household registrations and issue certificates. The request was denied unless the DPP acknowledges the "One China" principle and submits the request under the name "Taiwan Province" to relevant mainland authorities. 

 

August 27:

Taiwan's domestically built submarine "Hai Kun" is undergoing sea acceptance testing, but Chairman Huang Cheng-hung of the Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation abruptly resigned citing family reasons. The MOEA quickly appointed Cheng Cheng-hung, a scholar from National Cheng Kung University, as his replacement. Military officials declined to speculate on whether Huang's resignation was related to the submarine but admitted that the timing, three months before delivery, was unusual.

 

August 28:

My Formosa released a new poll showing President Lai's approval rating dropping to 31.0 percent, with disapproval rising to 60.5 percent and distrust reaching a record high of 55.1 percent. The DPP's favorability fell below that of the KMT and Taiwan People's Party (TPP). Japanese scholar Ogasawara Yoshiyuki analyzed that public opinion has become more critical of the DPP after two failed recall attempts. The party's signature platforms, "resist China to protect Taiwan" and "nuclear-free homeland," have lost traction, ushering in a more balanced political landscape.
Published since 2019 by the Fair Winds Foundation and Association of Foreign Relations, Taiwan Weekly provides in-depth report and analysis of the major issues facing Taiwan.

The conclusions and recommendations of any Taiwan Weekly article are solely those of its author(s) and do not reflect the views of the institutions that publish the newsletter.

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