In nature, rabbits are joyful and curious. Foxes are attentive and devoted parents who share the responsibility of raising their pups. Minks are skilled climbers and swimmers who enjoy their personal space, typically remaining solitary and discreet.
In the fur industry, these animals spend their entire lives inside cramped cages — frantically pacing back and forth, gnawing on the bars and mutilating themselves. Eventually, they are killed in the cheapest, cruelest ways: suffocation, gassing, poisoning or neck-breaking — often while still conscious.
Taiwan takes pride in its values of progress, ethics and compassion — ideals that shape its national identity. This is a nation that values integrity and protects the vulnerable.
However, the fur trade betrays those ideals. Selling fashion made from abused animals is neither ethical nor compassionate. It tarnishes Taiwan’s modern image with a relic of cruelty that belongs in the past.
Taiwanese fast-fashion brand iROO — which operates about 80 retail stores across the country — sells garments made from the skins of sensitive, sentient beings. For every iROO product that harms animals, there is always a kinder option.
While iROO just earned People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) Cold-Hearted Company Award for its shameful product line, leading brands are heading in the right direction. Retailers and designers such as Zara, Prada, Mango, Versace, Michael Kors, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Burberry and Gap have stopped selling fur altogether, joining the growing movement toward state-of-the-art, animal-friendly fashion.
Exploiting animals for their skin is not just cruel — it is environmentally destructive. Furs are loaded with chemicals to keep them from decomposing in closets, and fur production pollutes the planet and consumes excessive resources. Making a fur coat from animals raised on fur farms takes more than 15 times as much energy as does producing a faux-fur one.
Sustainable, innovative vegan materials are already available throughout the country — and they are beautiful, durable and humane.
Every time you choose decency over cruelty, companies notice. Contact iROO, express your concerns and let your wallet speak. The most effective protest is also the simplest: shop elsewhere.
Taiwanese value decency — and decency never goes out of style. Let us move Taiwan style forward and leave fur behind for good.
Jason Baker is PETA Asia’s senior vice president.
The cancelation this week of President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visit to Eswatini, after the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, is one more measure of Taiwan’s shrinking executive diplomatic space. Another channel that deserves attention keeps growing while the first contracts. For several years now, Taipei has been one of Europe’s busiest legislative destinations. Where presidents and foreign ministers cannot land, parliamentarians do — and they do it in rising numbers. The Italian parliament opened the year with its largest bipartisan delegation to Taiwan to date: six Italian deputies and one senator, drawn from six
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out. Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success. When confronted with public concerns over young
Taiwan and India are important partners, yet this reality is increasingly being overshadowed in current debates. At a time when Taiwan-India relations are at a crossroads, with clear potential for deeper engagement and cooperation, the labor agreement signed in February 2024 has become a source of friction. The proposal to bring in 1,000 migrant workers from India is already facing significant resistance, with a petition calling for its “indefinite suspension” garnering more than 40,000 signatures. What should have been a straightforward and practical step forward has instead become controversial. The agreement had the potential to serve as a milestone in
China has long given assurances that it would not interfere in free access to the global commons. As one Ministry of Defense spokesperson put it in 2024, “the Chinese side always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to countries under international law.” Although these reassurances have always been disingenuous, China’s recent actions display a blatant disregard for these principles. Countries that care about civilian air safety should take note. In April, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) canceled a planned trip to Eswatini for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s coronation and the 58th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
RSS