The questions regarding Is Taiwanese president Tsai ing wen married circulating on social media.
Tsai, the current president of Taiwan, has made history by smashing multiple glass ceilings with her election.
Not only is she the first woman to hold the position, but also the first unmarried president and a quarter Paiwan from her grandmother’s side, making her the first president of both Hakka and aboriginal descent.
Her ascent to power has undoubtedly broken barriers and inspired women and minorities all around the world.
The election of Tsai Ing-wen to President of Taiwan has caused an uproar online after an article by Chinese state media agency Xinhua claimed her single status had attributed to her “extremist style.”
Contradicting this statement, Chinese social media users have expressed their support for Ms. Tsai, the first female president sworn into office on Friday.
As a leader of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Ms. Tsai was elected in January 2016, creating waves throughout Asia as a powerful example of how far women have come in politics.
Her quiet yet determined attitude towards Taiwanese independence serves as a true testament to not only female political leadership but also that of the Taiwanese people.
The commentary has sparked outrage on social media
The commentary by Wang Weixing, originally published by Xinhua, on the singleness of Ms. Tsai Ing-wen has sparked heated debates on its implications.
Even though it is no longer available on Xinhua’s website, this piece of writing can easily be found elsewhere with its controversial message.
According to Mr. Wang, a senior military officer in China, her apparent lack of a companion could lead the female politician down an extremist path.
He proceeded to argue that because she does not have family or children to worry about and care for, this allows Ms. Tsai to become swamped by her emotions when making decisions rather than thinking logically long-term.
Whatever stance one takes on this debate, it has certainly ignited discussion around the world and made its point within society.
Alex Huang, a spokesman for Ms. Tsai, told BBC News that her office had “no comments” in response to the piece.
The Typical behavior of discrimination
The recent article that has sparked a wave of anger and frustration among Chinese-language social media users is one with double standards that fall short of expectations.
Such forms of biased reporting are both damaging to women from all walks of life, especially those striving for political leadership, such as Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen.
Posts on the microblogging site Sina Weibo consistently called out the article, pointing out how if it were a man in a similar position, he would be celebrated for his autonomy.
This sort of contradiction emphasizes the need to stand up against outdated ideas and beliefs that exclude women from top positions while embracing their courage and ambition.
Clearly, this particular article was an insult to female leaders everywhere and must not pass without consequence.
Su Mei Cho, a teacher from Shanghai, chipped in her views on a post that was being circulated around town.
She advocated for fairness when evaluating the leader of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen.
“If Xinhua wanted to criticise Tsai Ing-wen”, Mei Cho pleaded, “look at her ability to lead Taiwan and give equal amounts of attention to both her leadership and private life.”
This sentiment was echoed by Taiwanese people who made it clear that they were proud of their leader’s accomplishments, regardless of her relationship status.
Her comment sparked an uproar of support from the citizens as many considered it unfair for Tsai Ing-wen’s personal matters to be put on display without proper context or evidence.
All in all, the post-Mei Cho made may have best been summed up by the words of one netizen – “Even a woman’s singlehood can make the news?”
Several users disagreed with the assessment of the article, asserting it to be based on facts and not an attack.
One user from China’s Yunnan province inquired whether it would be seen as an attack if a psychologist pointed out faults within a patient’s personality.
Another user from Henan province stated that using public information to study a politician was appropriate.
These dissenting opinions create an interesting debate over what constitutes an attack or is considered appropriate when studying public figures.
China issues warnings as Taiwan’s Tsai visits the United States
President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to New York is making headlines throughout the world, with China warning the US of serious repercussions should she meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on her return leg.
Despite this, John Kirby, a National Security spokesperson for the White House, has come out in support of President Tsai’s stay and states that they hope to see a normal uneventful transit of Ms. Tsai.
It would appear as if Washington is not willing to back down from any potential conflict between China and Taiwan, as it has been noted that this is Ms. Tsai’s seventh visit since being elected as Taiwanese president.
Although tensions continue to arise in the US amid warnings from Beijing, it appears US-Taiwanese diplomatic relations are still very much intact.
Despite some controversy, transit in the United States by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was highly unsurprising and fell in line with the pattern set by her Presidential predecessors.
Reports are indicating that she may have talks with a senior U.S political leader during her return from Central America after visiting Guatemala and Belize.
Tsai was welcomed by both protesters and supporters when she arrived at her New York hotel on Wednesday and this visit marks the 29th time that a sitting President of Taiwan has visited the United States since 1994.
It appears then, despite some heated debate, the stopover is a customary affair for Taiwanese presidents considering their transits onward to Central America.
China’s senior envoy in Washington, Xu Xueyuan, has publicly accused the US of hurting China-US relations by allowing Ms. Tsai–the leader of Taiwan–to make a presence in the US.
Xu believes that this “seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” thus emphasizing a tone of distress.
She strongly suggests that the US back off and ‘not repeat playing with fire on the Taiwan question.’
All eyes are now on the increasingly fragile relationship between the United States and China as both countries cautiously attempt to navigate their very different perspectives concerning Taiwan’s current and future position on the global stage.
The visit of Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador has been strongly condemned by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Taiwan Affairs Office.
They argue that the visit goes against the “One China” principle, which asserts that Taiwan is an indivisible part of China’s territory and has threatened to take retaliatory measures.
Taiwan, however, considers itself a sovereign state, while China views it as a renegade province that will eventually be reunified with the mainland, possibly by force.
Last year, tensions between China, Taiwan, and the US escalated after Nancy Pelosi, the predecessor of Kevin McCarthy, visited Taiwan to meet with President Tsai.
Beijing responded to Pelosi’s visit by conducting military drills in the waters surrounding Taiwan for a week.
President Tsai’s current visit to Central America is significant in light of Honduras’ recent decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing, leaving Taiwan with recognition from only 13 governments worldwide.
President Tsai is expected to return to Taipei on April 7th.