In my brain cell his biggest legacies are a monumental property bubble, the world’s lowest birth rate thanks to the fact that half the population can’t get near to affording kids and a high degree of economic failure. I don’t regard myself as pro-DPP by the way. Just he really did leave a lot of problems.
“Amen” to the “four years too long” statement. Actually, I say that about almost every president, and not just in Taiwan. Presidents really should be limited to one term. I have a feeling that eight years from now, we’ll all be lamenting gray-haired Tsai’s second term (and her desperate attempt to retain the party chairperson position). It’s a rare president who can resist the urge to run for re-election. In fact, usually the first four years are spent preparing the re-election campaign, and the second four years the now elderly-looking president is trying to figure out what he/she is supposed to do now that all the major initiatives were tried and worked/failed or turned out ambiguous.
Two words: Confucius Prize !!!
Highlights:
“We feel that slashing the courtesy funds for presidents and vice presidents [from 250k and 180k respectively] to NT$80,000 per month is reasonable, given that this is not that much more than the maximum pension retirees would receive should pension reforms pass,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) said.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) opposed the motion.
KMT Legislator Yang Cheng-wu (楊鎮浯) said that the payments were the nation’s way of thanking retired presidents for their hard work.
The fund should not be slashed under any circumstances, KMT Legislator John Wu (吳志揚) said, adding that the proposed amendment showed a lack of understanding of the reason for the payments and would not save any money.
I’m not sure if that last part was translated properly. Does he mean it’s not a significant amount… or that the money will disappear one way or another? 
Former President Ma seeks to add to his legacy by visiting the PRC “to promote youth exchanges.” Elder statesman or venal sell-out? You decide.
[Former] President Ma Ying-jeou to travel to the PRC from March 27-April 7 with stops in Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing, & Shanghai to promote youth exchanges; will NOT meet Xi Jinping. First ROC president to visit PRC since 1949.
Source: https://twitter.com/lcrhsiao/status/1637453537452994562
Guy
A report in English from Reuters accessed here via the Straits Times:
Guy
Let’s hope something bad happens to him there lol.
Probably discussing who will run Taiwan after China invades.
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The proverbial Dark Horse, eh?
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I see no problem with this. Reagan visited the Soviet Union.
March 25 - 27 “News” stations will scare the bejesus out of the plebs about some nonsense issue involving junior’s future or their savings and Ma will return with a pocket full of promises only he can deliver.
I await, with bated breath, Ma’s upcoming address: “Mr Xi, take down those concentrations camps!”
Oh, you don’t think he’s planning to deliver that speech? Then maybe, just maybe, the comparison to Ronald Reagan is a bit of a stretch.
Guy
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Sure, it is a stretch. I still think it’s important to keep communicating with Beijing.
However, it appears that this trip is going to be apolitical and should be harmless.
Will it affect Ma’s continued influence in the KMT?
Will it affect the KMT’s chances as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 election?
Will Ma be feted as the new Ronald Reagan for this visit?
Out of these questions, I am only certainly about the answer to one of them. 
Guy
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Hopefully yes.
I’ll ask some of the people I know who are more knowledgeable about the internal workings of the KMT.
I’m not correcting you, @afterspivak, just, uh, supplementing the article’s statement 
:
From 2005:
Then again, maybe the word leader means “head of state” in that context.
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I think head of state and head of government are both acceptable definitions in that type of context. 
One might as well add head of special customs area and head of Chinese Taipei for good measure.
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The main difference between Ma and Lien is that Ma won two presidential elections, and Lien lost two presidential elections. Hence one gets to be called a “former . . . leader” and the other, well not so much.
Btw, I remember the news about Lien’s visit like it was yesterday. I found it to be obnoxious, shameful, traitorous behavior. Evidently the electorate agreed (I did not and still do not have a vote) and said “no” to his presidential ambitions.
Guy
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Bill Clinton visited Taiwan as ex-US President, no-one really cared. I can’t see much from this either.