As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a nu
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using many tactics to subvert the government, Taiwanese need to be aware of the possibility that it is also trying to sow confusion among the public and cause dissatisfaction with the ruling party.However, as this is not the eve of a major war, the CCP is unli
Chiang must change focusTaipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) announced that the city would enter a “major urban renewal era” to deal with damage done by the April 3 earthquake.When Kee Tai Properties Co’s construction work in September last year caused the collapse
EDITORIAL CARTOON
An emerging debate about the definition of infrastructure suggests that Western democracies are starting to shift their priorities. The renewed focus on infrastructure and what it includes is to be welcomed — not least because it rebuts the claim that the West has lost faith in the future.Many argue
When you introduce a raft of tariffs and restrictions to protect domestic industries, you had better make sure there are some around to protect. That is a major problem with the US’ decision to treat China’s clean-technology leadership as grounds for a trade fight.If local factories are getting off
Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai’s (卓榮泰) appointment last week of Peng Jin-lung (彭金隆) as chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) caught many people off-guard, prompting the question: Who is Peng Jin-lung?The 59-year-old associate dean of National Chengchi University’s College of Commerc
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
EDITORIAL CARTOON
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
EDITORIAL CARTOON