Indonesia and Taiwan use their coastal geography to create their identities and policies. Indonesia’s strategic location between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, its archipelagic status and inheritance of two Southeast Asian thalassocracies inspired the development of its Global Maritime Fulcrum in 20
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Tai
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida went to the US last week on an official state visit. It is a visit of massive historical significance. The interactions between Kishida and US President Joe Biden, the press interview following their White House summit and Kishida’s speech to the US Congress are
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s first remarks to the joint session of the US Congress were perhaps also his most heartfelt. “I never get such nice applause from the Japanese Diet,” the premier laughed last week, as the ovation he received at his historic address, only the second by a Tokyo l
On Monday last week, some of the world’s leading international lawyers and cross-party UK parliamentarians sent a public letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary David Cameron, urging them to support the Genocide Determination Bill that is under discussion in the UK House o
There was a time, not so long ago, when the depletion of Earth’s ozone layer seemed like an insurmountable challenge. Decades of using harmful chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), threatened to cause irreparable damage to our planet. Without swift action, we faced the risk of climate desta
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance.Fu on Wednesday last week
More than 1,000 Tibetans, including monks, were arrested following peaceful protests against the construction of the Gangtuo Dam in China’s Sichuan Province. Some of the arrested Tibetans have been released, but with strict restrictions on their communication and movement.A young Tibetan singer was
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands?With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations w
As global political landscapes shift, Taiwan faces increasingly grave security threats. From the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in Europe to the tense situation between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, and the issues in the Taiwan Strait in East Asia, these international conflicts not only h
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Members of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations underscored at a hearing on Wednesday last week that they did not want to stoke panic about planes made by Boeing Co, then almost uniformly expressed urgent concern about the public’s safety aboard the company’s jets.“There are real p
Myawaddy, a critical trading post in Myanmar that rebel forces seized from the ruling junta earlier this month, offers a glimpse of dynamics playing out across the Southeast Asian country as its vaunted military reels from battlefield losses.At the border town’s outskirts, the site of the most inten
The Legislative Yuan on Tuesday approved regulations aiming to tackle pedestrian safety issues, including obstructed sidewalks and uneven walkways. The new rules stipulate a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 (US$923 to US$4,614) for failure to remove sidewalk obstructions within a specified timeline a
Taiwan’s Constitutional Court (TCC) will hold a hearing on the constitutionality of the death penalty on Tuesday. This is the first time in Taiwan’s history since its democratic transition that the Constitutional Court will be presented with a case on the constitutionality of the death penalty.Since
Entertainer Micky Huang (黃子佼) was found in possession of sex videos including minors, in a case that has provoked a public outcry. A legislator proposed that sexual exploitation be made punishable by harsher penalties, including death sentences.The legislator also urged punishments and rehabilitativ
Quake starts virtuous cycleAt 7.58am on April 3, Taiwan was struck by an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, the strongest quake to hit Taiwan since the 921 Earthquake of September 1999.This month’s quake caused serious damage in many places, with Hualien County being the hardest hit.Sear
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