Concerns in Taiwan that it will be severely affected by steel and aluminum tariffs by the Trump administration are ironic, illustrating in a nutshell what the perils of placing one’s faith in the Trump administration are. Perhaps Taiwan could learn something from this...
The return to power of Peter Navarro, the formerly influential Trump trade advisor known for his hostility towards China, may be welcomed by some in Taiwan that perceive Navarro as a “friend of Taiwan” who has been steadfastly supportive of Taiwan. But this is a mistake...
The strange saga of the TPP in the Trump era continues, with American president Donald Trump now suggesting that America may reenter the deal if presented with more favorable terms despite that Trump ran on a campaign promise to withdraw from the deal and did so three days into the start of his term...
Donald Trump's recently concluded Asia trip was the site of much bizarre spectacle and pageantry, with Asia Pacific leaders going out of their way to tickle Trump’s ego. This illustrates that Asia Pacific leaders hope to keep Trump pacified through flattery, even when they could otherwise benefit from an American loss of face on the world stage...
Evaluations of Trump’s Asia trip remain ambiguous, with Trump’s unorthodox means of conducting diplomacy leading to difficulties evaluating whether his trip advanced or compromised American interests in the Asia Pacific. However, an early evaluation suggests that while no fundamental shift in the status quo of the Asia Pacific has yet occurred following Trump’s trip, China’s position has been strengthened due to the image that the irregularities of Trump’s actions present to the international world...
US president Donald Trump issued a proclamation against the Kim regime in North Korea during his first speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, denouncing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and asserting that the United States was prepared to “totally destroy” North Korea in defense of itself and its allies...
Ousted chief strategist to US president Donald Trump and current editor-in-chief of Breitbart news agency Steve Bannon arrived in Hong Kong last week to deliver a speech to CLSA Investment Forum, a Chinese-owned investment group headquartered in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is Bannon’s first major public speech since his forced resignation...
A recent letter in the Taipei Times by Tom Lee, head of the Friends of Tsai Overseas and president of the Taiwan Daily, reflecting on comments by Stephen Yates, a known “friend of Taiwan” and former US deputy national security advisor proves not only an interesting symptom of the blind spots in how many Taiwanese independence advocates conceive of US-Taiwan relations, but illustrates how many American "friends of Taiwan" fundamentally do not respect Taiwanese democracy, no matter what they might claim otherwise...
Panic has ensued globally following statements by American president Donald Trump which could be construed as nuclear threats against North Korea. After reports that North Korea had developed the miniaturized nuclear warheads which could be placed on North Korean missiles capable of hitting the United States, Trump stated in public comments that North Korean threats “will be met with fire and fury and frankly power the likes of which the world has never seen before," comments which were apparently largely improvised...
With recent news reports that North Korea has developed the missile capacity to strike the United States, tensions are at a high in the Asia-Pacific once again. What now, for America, China, South Korea, and other countries which may be caught in the fray, such as Taiwan? Namely, the possibility of dangerous and unpredictable actions from the Trump administration is high...
