A recent critique of former British prime minister Boris Johnson’s speech in Taiwan (“Invite ‘will-bes,’ not has-beens,” by Sasha B. Chhabra, Aug. 12, page 8) seriously misinterpreted his remarks, twisting them to fit a preconceived narrative. As a Taiwanese who witnessed his political rise and fall
The administration of US President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell in its recent proposal to take equity stakes in companies getting funds from the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, as it has triggered a perfect storm surrounding Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) management autonomy and core
Earlier this month, I went on a Mediterranean cruise organized by a Taiwanese travel agency. The cruise departed from Barcelona, Spain, and made stops in Gibraltar, Marseille and Genoa, before ending in Rome. Each of the southern European countries I visited had their own unique charm. Barcelona is
EDITORIAL CARTOON
The peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, announced recently at the US White House, is perhaps the clearest sign yet that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s heavy-handed interventions in the South Caucasus have loosened, and in some cases eliminated, Russia’s stranglehold over the region. Given
One candidate is Rodrigo Paz, a conservative centrist senator and son of neoliberal former Bolivian president Jaime Paz Zamora, who is pitching himself as a moderate reformer.The other is right-wing former Bolivian president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, galvanizing voters through promises of harsh austerit
A May poll by the Taiwan Health Alliance on food safety policies and reduced sugar intake showed 43.4 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with the government’s food safety oversight. While disappointing, it was hardly surprising given Taiwan’s long history of food safety scandals. These most re
Taiwan’s economic story is one of extraordinary success — built on silicon, precision and trust. Over four decades, this small nation has become the beating heart of the global semiconductor industry, supplying advanced chips worldwide. Yet as nations race to localize technology and geopolitical ten
In the online Cross-Strait Situation Analysis newsletter published by the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) China Affairs Department, former Military Intelligence Bureau director-general Liu Te-liang (劉德良) wrote that he believed the number of Beijing-backed spies that have infiltrated Taiwan sinc
The Legislative Yuan on Aug. 5 passed amendments to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例) that would exempt prepackaged drinks without added sugar from commodity taxes — a forward-thinking policy. Although diabetes ranked third in National Health Insurance (NHI) expenditures in 2023, it was the fifth-leadin
EDITORIAL CARTOON
You cannot blame US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard for trying. On Tuesday, she announced that the UK was finally backing down on its outrageous demand that Apple Inc give it a backdoor to user data. That would seem like a win for US tech giants and privacy advocates, but it is not s
Nearly eight decades ago, a community of Hindu Sindhi merchants fled the Indian subcontinent in the aftermath of its bloody division. My family was among them. Scattering worldwide, some in the diaspora rose from refugees to run billion-dollar businesses.Ours was one story among scores, mirroring ta
A crippling strike by Air Canada flight attendants that grounded thousands of flights over wages and unpaid labor is the latest blow to the airline industry’s compensation system, which does not fully pay cabin crews for their hours at work. The union, representing more than 10,000 Air Canada flight
Most countries are commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with condemnations of militarism and imperialism, and commemoration of the global catastrophe wrought by the war. On the other hand, China is to hold a military parade.According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
On March 18, 2001, salt-bearing seasonal sea fog led to an insulator flashover at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, causing it to experience a total blackout that lasted two hours. The steam-powered cooling system that did not require external electricity was still operational at
As a teacher at an elementary school, I understand deeply that in this era of information overload, teaching children how to distinguish between fact and fiction is more important than simply imparting knowledge from school textbooks. Tomorrow’s referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power P
The Ministry of Education has announced three new “benevolent measures,” ostensibly to help teachers out. Instead, they have attracted criticism from the teachers they are supposed to be aiding. The ministry claims free access to sports equipment benefits residents; however, this policy would wear d
Many foreigners, particularly Germans, are struck by the efficiency of Taiwan’s administration in routine matters. Driver’s licenses, household registrations and similar procedures are handled swiftly, often decided on the spot, and occasionally even accompanied by preferential treatment.However, th
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