The Great Power That Can’t Help Itself
Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜) isn’t her usual bubbly self in the short video, which has spread like brushfire in social media over the past 24 hours. The Taiwan-born 16-year-old member of the South Korean pop band...
View ArticleTAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 3 No. 3
Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party is elected the first female president in Taiwan’s history while her party secures an absolute majority in the legislature for the first time; Chinese...
View ArticleVOTE 2016: Optimism Wins in Taiwan
intentAfter spending about two weeks in Taiwan with a group of my students from Austin College in the U.S., and after spending the evening as a participant-observer of the Democratic Progressive Party...
View ArticleVOTE 2016: Anatomy of a Small Avalanche
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) resounding victories in the joint presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 16 are both a signal of strength as well as a mild disappointment, falling just...
View ArticleVOTE 2016: Foreign Students Get a Taste of Taiwan’s Democracy
My colleague Yufen Chang and I recently completed a faculty-led study abroad trip to Taiwan for three weeks, a program which focused on Taiwan’s democratization and the 2016 election. Most of the...
View ArticleTaiwan’s New President Likely to Surprise on Cross-Strait Ties
After nearly eight years of relative tranquility in the Taiwan Strait, voters on January 16th handed Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) a potentially disruptive strong mandate. The island...
View ArticleTAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 3 No. 4
President Ma visits Itu Aba (Taiping Island) in the South China Sea and restates the goals of his ‘peace initiative’ amid criticism from the U.S., Vietnam and local politicians; Simon Chang is...
View ArticleWhat Can the UK Petition System Do For Taiwan?
Taiwan has been losing diplomatic allies for decades as countries are lured by China’s newfound riches and prestige. At present, only 22 countries have full diplomatic ties with Taiwan. This seemingly...
View ArticleTAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 3 No. 5
The DPP’s Su Jia-chyuan and Tsai Chi-chang are elected legislative speaker and deputy speaker respectively; President Ma defends his Jan. 28 visit Itu Aba; Speculation abounds surrounding...
View ArticleTAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 3 No. 6
Regional tensions increase following the purported deployment by China of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea; Taiwan will not accept a Permanent Court of Arbitration...
View ArticleTaiwan Needs Unity
The bluster and inevitable scorched-earthness of the Jan. 16 elections are at long last behind us. As expected, Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has been elected president, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)...
View ArticleTAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 3 No. 7
Representatives from both sides of the political spectrum meet for the first time to discuss presidential transition; The KMT challenges the constitutionality of the DPP’s power transition draft bill...
View ArticleShould He Go?
His portrait is in every public building in Taiwan, the stern look above the gray mustache signaling both vision and undoubted ruthlessness. The man is Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), the “founding father” of the...
View ArticleTAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 3 No. 8
President-elect Tsai prioritizes truth and reconciliation for the 228 Massacre while a majority of Taiwanese sees transitional justice as incomplete; a drastic decline in the value of KMT assets raises...
View ArticleThe Great Cross-Strait Doublethink Act
With the May 20 inauguration approaching, it’s increasingly safe to say that the analysts who were predicting a rapid souring of cross-strait relations or punitive action by Beijing following Tsai...
View ArticleTAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 3 No. 9
Beijing brings up more sticks and carrots targeting Taiwan’s incoming administration as Chinese President Xi and Premier Li warn against Taiwan independence; China also promises assistance to address...
View ArticleTAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 3 No. 10
President-elect Tsai names former finance minister Lin Chuan as premier; Chinese Premier Li promises closer trade and economic ties with Taiwan IF Taiwan adheres to ‘one China’ and the ‘1992...
View ArticleIs the Truce Over?
On March 17, The Gambia restored relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in effect ending the eight-year “diplomatic truce” between the Republic of China (ROC). The Gambia unilaterally...
View ArticleYes, China Has Re-established Ties With The Gambia. Now Calm Down
The rumors, which had been circulating for a while, were confirmed early in the evening of March 17. China was resuming diplomatic ties with The Gambia. The African country had been in political limbo...
View ArticleChina Faces Not One But Two Forces for Independence in Taiwan
With the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) set to assume office in Taiwan less than two months from now, the Chinese commentariat has shifted into high gear with warnings about Beijing’s “red lines”...
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