Last month marked a redesign of the security architecture in the Western Pacific. The US significantly tightened its regional network of bilateral treaties with allies Japan, the Republic of the Philippines (RP), Australia and the United Kingdom. That network is called a “lattice” in Washington. But
The Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Research Institute has been crying for help, as the Taipei City Government has incessantly toyed with the original intent of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (文化資產保存法), and is being self-centered.The contract signed between the city and the Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Research
‘Anti-international’ rulesIn Taiwan, transactions related to real-estate must be registered to take effect. The Taipei City Government stipulates that foreign applicants who apply for land registration must fill in the Chinese translation of their overseas address using Chinese characters, page 21 o
EDITORIAL CARTOON
As the summer tourism season approaches, a perennial question arises, and technology is giving it a novel twist: Is a place primarily for those who live there, or for the entire world?The latest salvo in this conflict comes from Barcelona. Bus No. 116 goes to Antoni Gaudi’s Park Guell, one of the to
The US push to ban TikTok marks a new phase in its approach to data security that could eventually impact everything from electric vehicles to healthcare, reshaping trade relations between the world’s biggest economies.US President Joe Biden last week signed legislation barring Chinese parent ByteDa
The legislature’s Transportation Committee on Monday approved proposed amendments that would allow members of the public to report five types of traffic offenses, down from 13 previously.Rules on the reporting of traffic offenses have received widespread criticism from professional drivers who say t
On Thursday last week, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) officially named his picks for his national security team. Since the power to appoint the ministers of foreign affairs, national defense, cross-strait relations and other similar ministries, bureaus and departments belong to the presidency, La
On April 28, the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) ran an opinion piece titled “There’s no problem child in special education classes.” As mentioned, “Many countries have anti-discrimination laws ... our country does not have this kind of law.” The meaning of this statement is not p
In the intricate ballet of geopolitics, names signify more than mere identification: They embody history, culture and sovereignty. The recent decision by China to refer to Arunachal Pradesh as “Tsang Nan” or South Tibet, and to rename Tibet as “Xizang,” is a strategic move that extends beyond cartog
EDITORIAL CARTOON
In Australia, national anger at men’s violence against women is at boiling point. Following multiple killings, Australians are marching on the streets demanding change. Governments are nervous, emphasizing their existing approaches in media interviews, but searching for new solutions.Data are critic
Populist nationalism is on the rise globally, often shepherded to power by authoritarian leaders. Yet the neoliberal orthodoxy — government downsizing, tax cuts, deregulation — that took hold about 40 years ago in the West was supposed to strengthen democracy, not weaken it. What went wrong? Part of
In the 2022 book Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China, academics Hal Brands and Michael Beckley warned, against conventional wisdom, that it was not a rising China that the US and its allies had to fear, but a declining China. This is because “peaking powers” — nations at the peak of their re
A package of four laws that provide US$95 billion in security-related aid to Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific countries including Taiwan has been enacted by both chambers of the US Congress and signed into law by US President Joe Biden. Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan have voiced their gratitude, while E
The European Commission and associated national enforcement agencies conducted unannounced inspections of the Polish and Dutch subsidiaries of Chinese security scanner manufacturer Nuctech Co (同方威視) on Tuesday last week. The raids were carried out under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Rule (FSR).Former C
The great disconnectA Taipei Times article last week caused this habitual 24/7-minded employer/employee a bit of concern (“Employers reminded of the ‘right to disconnect,’” April 28, page 3).Granted, employees have an absolute right to “me time,” during which they are neither required nor expected t
EDITORIAL CARTOON
The US government has spent US$471 billion supporting academic research over the past decade. A troubling proportion of that work, recent reports suggest, is riddled with errors, plagiarized or fraudulent.In recent months, some of the nation’s most elite universities and research centers — including