Tsai Ing-Wen

What Will Domestic and International Reactions to Chinese Drills After the Tsai-McCarthy Meeting Be?

Brian Hioe
China has once again begun carrying out military exercises in response to a meeting between a Taiwanese president and a US Speaker of the House. In this case, on Saturday, China announced three days of military exercises following the meeting that took place between US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday in California...
April 2023EnglishInternationalRegional Tensions9 min read

Will Honduras Break Ties with Taiwan?

Brian Hioe
Honduran president Xiomara Castro surprised last week with a tweet announcing that she had instructed her country’s foreign ministry to begin the process of switching recognition to China. This would mean that Taiwan loses one of its diplomatic allies shortly before a planned trip to visit Central American allies by President Tsai Ing-wen, which would involve a stopover in the US. It is expected that Tsai will speak at the Hudson Institute and meet with US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy as part of this trip...
EnglishMarch 2023Politics6 min read

Paraguay Presidential Visit Repeats a Pattern Previously Seen with Honduras

Brian Hioe
A recent visit to Taiwan last week by Paraguayan president Mario Abdo Benitez saw Abdo emphasize that breaking ties between Taiwan and Paraguay would be a “historic mistake”. Namely, Paraguay is one of Taiwan’s 14 remaining diplomatic allies, and it's only South American ally. However, the Abdo visit takes place ahead of Paraguayan presidential elections in April, leading to questions about whether Abdo’s successor will switch recognition to China...
EnglishFebruary 2023Politics6 min read

Cabinet Spokesperson Scandal Potentially Affects Future DPP Outlook

Brian Hioe
Cabinet spokesperson Chen Tsung-yen has resigned after reports that he traded his political influence for sexual favors during his time as head of the Tainan City Bureau of Civil Affairs. Chen had only held his post as cabinet spokesperson for 18 days, as a result of which he has been termed the shortest cabinet spokesperson in history. Despite resigning, Chen has denied wrongdoing. Chen’s resignation has since been approved by Premier Chen Chien-jen...
EnglishFebruary 2023Politics5 min read

Tax Rebate Delayed Until At Least April, Following Opposition Pushback

Brian Hioe
Political contention continues over the Tsai administration’s proposed 6,000 NT tax refund. Namely, the proposal has come under fire from opposition lawmakers. Although it was originally expected that the tax fund would be issued as early as next month or possibly in March, because of the failure of the proposed refund to clear the legislature, now the refund is not expected until April...
EnglishJanuary 2023Politics5 min read