Why is Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen so quiet on US protests, critics ask

Despite backing demonstrators in Hong Kong, leader has ‘not said anything in support of the American protesters’, political commentator and former opposition lawmaker says

Academic says Tsai will only draw criticism if she defends ally Donald Trump, so ‘she might as well keep silent’

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Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has been criticised for not commenting on the protests in the US. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:40pm, 3 Jun 2020Updated: 11:57pm, 3 Jun 2020

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has been criticised by opponents for her reticence on the violent protests in the United States, having earlier decried the behaviour of police officers and authorities in Hong Kong for their handling of the unrest in the city.

Jaw Shaw-kong, a political commentator and former member of the Kuomintang (KMT) – Taiwan’s main opposition party – derided Tsai for not expressing an opinion on the matter.

“How come Tsai Ing-wen has said nothing at this time?’ he asked. “If she has raised her voice to support the Hong Kong protesters, how come she has not said anything in support of the American protesters?”

Police and the public in the US clashed for an eighth straight day on Wednesday as protests continued over the death of 46-year-old African-American George Floyd who was killed in police custody last week in Minneapolis.

In several cities, protesters defied curfews to take to the streets, while the deployment of National Guard troops sparked accusations that the authorities were employing excessive force.

Police and the public in the US clashed for an eighth straight day on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters