On Saturday last week, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) emphasized the significance of Retrocession Day, which it recently restored as a national holiday. It was not alone. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) also marked the “Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration,” framing itself as Taiwan’s
Amid the Ukraine war and bombings of Gaza, reason and civility seem to have given way to greed and cruelty. The recent Gaza ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump offers some optimism, but the agreement is so fragile that bombing could resume at any time without notice.Meanwhile, Russians a
Thursday’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Busan, South Korea, unexpectedly ended without the Taiwan issue arising. Many observers were worried it could be an issue at the meeting.The lack of a mention might be a
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Whatever happened to the savior of the Amazon? Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva once had a decent claim to that title. Deforestation decreased by about 80 percent during his first term in office from 2003 to 2011, driving a stunning 39 percent fall in emissions in a country whose carbon
US President Donald Trump’s trade pact with South Korea could deal a major blow to the won when cash starts flowing out of the country to cover investment commitments in the US, although the pact would likely be a boon for the KOSPI.In exchange for lower tariffs — duties on South Korean cars and aut
US President Donald Trump emerged from his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) beaming, labeling the conversation “truly great.”However, the one-year truce struck on Thursday in South Korea is likely to only stabilize relations between the world’s two largest economies rather than resolv
A large majority of Taiwanese favor strengthening national defense and oppose unification with China, according to the results of a survey by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).In the poll, 81.8 percent of respondents disagreed with Beijing’s claim that “there is only one China and Taiwan is part of
As Asia enters a phase of geopolitical transition, the Taiwan-Indonesia relationship warrants greater strategic consideration. The two societies are significantly interconnected beyond what their lack of formal diplomatic relations might imply. Economic exchanges, educational cooperation and human m
On Tuesday, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus held a news conference criticizing amendments to seven laws to protect undersea cables. They argued that if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force sorties crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line cannot be pushed back, it i
From the perspective of someone who works in animal husbandry, last week’s case of African swine fever (ASF) at a farm in Taichung’s Wuci District (梧棲) is extremely alarming. From the abnormal pig deaths and the testing procedures to the handling of food waste, the entire process was sloppy — it is
EDITORIAL CARTOON
US President Donald Trump’s ferocious assault on US institutions over the past nine months is a particularly morbid symptom of the global decline of democracy. However, Trump has merely capitalized on a process that was well underway before his return to the White House.Several factors have contribu
Ukraine is about to experience its most brutal winter since Russia invaded in 2022. That is not a risk, but a certainty as both sides sense they are blocked on the ground and focus on the long-range air war. Russia has a plan for victory and the Ukrainians have one for survival. The question is whet
Ahead of US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) meeting today on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea, an op-ed published in Time magazine last week maliciously called President William Lai (賴清德) a “reckless leader,” stirring skepticism in Taiwan about the US a
On Sunday, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is looking to expand the bracket of those aged 70 or older who pay 30 percent of their medical fees out-of-pocket to fully encompass anyone whose income is on par with the working generation. The plan
China’s strange and inconsistent behavior on the international stage often stems from the externalization of internal issues. As the fourth plenary session of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20th congress approached and tensions built, Beijing suddenly tore up the trade framework it had agreed u
In an essay for Time, Lyle Goldstein, director of Asia engagement at the Defense Priorities think tank, said that Washington must “beware of Taiwan’s reckless leader.” He accused President William Lai (賴清德) of destabilizing the Taiwan Strait by asserting that Taiwan is a sovereign nation and urged t
EDITORIAL CARTOON
RSS