As part of its relentless pursuit of hegemony, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are now sustaining two regional wars while threatening further arms races that shift the global balance of power in order for the CCP to advance its ultimate objective. Russia’s and Iran’s war efforts are being materially supported by Chinese supplies of drone components and missile fuels. So far in 2026, such Chinese support has enabled a 60 percent increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine caused by long-range Russian weapons such as missiles and drones from January to June 2026 compared with the same
A controversial fenced-in smoking area installed near Taipei’s Gongguan (公館) shopping district was dismantled on Wednesday last week after it was widely ridiculed for looking like a dog cage and for being ineffective at blocking secondhand smoke. The Gongguan smoking area, which is part of Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) push for a smoke-free city, was removed in less than 10 days after its installation, while six others were removed on the same day. City councilors have continued to question other designated smoking areas in the city, including open-air spaces enclosed by potted plants, or areas in parking lots marked by only
Taiwan is home to thousands of foreign residents who build careers, families and lives here. However, what happens when one of those residents loses the ability to prove his identity — not because he has broken Taiwan’s laws, but because his own government refuses to renew his passport? That is the situation my husband, Matteo (not his real name), a Nicaraguan national, has found himself in. After about three years of attempts to renew his passport, our future in Taiwan remains uncertain. It all comes back to Taiwan’s giant geopolitical issue: the multitude of countries cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan
The “quiet revolution” of Taiwan’s democratization took shape during the 12 years that followed Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) simultaneously becoming chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and president of the Republic of China (ROC). Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) then took the presidential helm in 2000, bringing an end to one-party rule in the ROC, and was re-elected in 2004. He was followed by the KMT’s Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who served two four-year terms; the DPP’s Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who also served two terms; and the DPP’s William Lai (賴清德), currently in his first term. Having
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