In a revealing cultural barometer of public sentiment, Taiwan’s annual character selection for 2025 has delivered a powerful message against political confrontation and division. The character ‘ba’ (罷), meaning ‘dismiss’ or ‘recall,’ emerged victorious with over 15,000 votes from nearly 78,000 cast in the eighteen-year-old poll organized by Taiwan’s United Daily News.
The selection reflects widespread public dissatisfaction with recent recall campaigns initiated by the Democratic Progressive Party authorities targeting opposition figures. These efforts, which targeted 31 Kuomintang legislators and the suspended mayor of Hsinchu during July and August, ultimately failed but exposed deep societal fractures.
Ko Chih-en, a Kuomintang member who nominated the character, characterized the recall movement as having ‘pushed Taiwan into deeper division,’ expressing hope that ‘hatred-driven mobilization will no longer destroy Taiwan’s future.’ The sentiment was echoed by Ou Kuei-chih, a high school teacher who noted the campaigns had ‘torn Taiwan society apart’ while giving voice to those traditionally suppressed by pro-independence forces.
Simultaneously, the cross-strait character of the year, ‘shi’ (勢), meaning ‘trend’ or ‘momentum,’ captured the broader regional perspective. Selected through an online poll organized by Taiwan’s Want Want China Times Media Group and Fujian’s Xiamen Daily, ‘shi’ received an overwhelming 1.28 million votes from 15.82 million total cast.
Professor Xie Qingguo of Xiamen University’s School of Journalism and Communication articulated the significance, stating in a video message that ‘promoting peaceful cross-strait development is an unstoppable trend and the prevailing momentum.’ Organizers noted the character accurately represents both the direction of historical development and the collective consciousness surrounding evolving cross-strait relations.
The character selections coincide with official statements from Beijing emphasizing reunification as the only path forward. Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, reiterated that peace remains the shared aspiration across the strait while criticizing current island leader Lai Ching-te as ‘the instigator of tensions and turbulence in the Taiwan Strait’ and ‘the primary source of division within Taiwan society.’
These parallel character selections, occurring through separate democratic processes on both sides of the strait, collectively signal a public desire for reduced confrontation and recognition of inevitable historical trends toward peaceful development.