Growing Pains

Chen Shui-bian's victory in the 2000 presidential election was a landmark event not just for Taiwan but for the worldwide Chinese diaspora. It marked the first peaceful transition of political power through democratic means in the history of Chinese governance. What's more, Chen and his homegrown Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ended five decades of authoritarian rule by the mainland-transplanted Kuomintang (KMT). Among many of us in Taiwan, there was a palpable sense of refreshing change, as well as hope and pride that little Taiwan could possibly become a model for the democratic aspirations of Chinese everywhere.

It hasn't...