Author: Brian Hioe | New Bloom Magazine

What Can We Expect for Taiwan with the Second Trump Presidency?

Brian Hioe01/20/2025

Recent comments by US President-elect Donald Trump have called for the US to annex Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal. Trump has also suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” With Trump set to take office today, this already shows the instability that is potentially ahead for Taiwan with a second Trump presidency...

America and the Asia PacificEnglishFeaturedInternationalJanuary 2025Politics6 min read

Former Yilan County Magistrate Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Jail Last Month

Brian Hioe01/19/2025

Former Yilan county magistrate Lin Zi-miao was sentenced to 12.5 years in jail on charges of corruption late last month...

EnglishJanuary 2025Politics5 min read

With Resumption of Limited Group Tours, Lai Administration Attempts to Signal Openness to Chinese Tourism

Brian Hioe01/18/2025

China will soon allow group tours to Taiwan to resume for residents of Fujian and Shanghai. It is to be seen if the Chinese government further relaxes tourist policy. The Lai administration has stated publicly that it welcomes Chinese tourism on a reciprocal basis...

Cross StraitEnglishInternationalJanuary 20255 min read

KMT Seeks Expansive Budget Cuts, Including Reduction of Ministerial Budgets to 1 NT

Brian Hioe01/17/2025

Budgets cuts by the KMT have prompted outrage from Taiwanese society, given the scope of the budget cuts. Likewise, the budget cuts are accused of being haphazard in nature, in that the KMT is accused of hitting out at all manner of programming without much consideration...

EnglishFeaturedJanuary 2025Politics7 min read

Lai Administration Carries Out Its First Execution, In Effort to Prove Capital Punishment Still on the Books

Brian Hioe01/17/2025

The first execution under the Lai administration took place yesterday. This was the first execution carried out by the Taiwanese government in five years. For the execution to have been carried out, the Minister of Justice and President would have to sign off. The last execution in Taiwan took place under the Tsai administration in April 2020...

EnglishFeaturedJanuary 2025PoliticsSocial MovementsYouth Movements6 min read

KMT Leans Into Pork Barrel Politics in Attacking DPP Over Pensions

Brian Hioe01/15/2025

The KMT has sought to leverage on pension reforms as of late, as part of its current slate of pork barrel policies aimed at benefiting political groups it has historically experienced support for. As part of these moves, the KMT has sought to capitalize on confusion over the balance of powers in the Taiwanese legislature...

EnglishFeaturedJanuary 2025Politics4 min read

Proposal for New Military Courts Likely to Meet Pushback from the KMT

Brian Hioe01/14/2025

The Mainland Affairs Council has proposed the creation of new military courts to deal with espionage and national security cases. In particular, the council has argued that this is necessary to keep pace with the times, given the rising threats directed toward Taiwan, in which Chinese infiltration is on the rise...

Cross StraitEnglishFeaturedInternationalJanuary 2025Politics6 min read

Lunar New Year Drills Occur Without Major Incident, as Lai Emphasizes “Four Pillars of Peace”

Brian Hioe01/13/2025

The Taiwanese navy recently concluded three days of drills, which are held annually before the Lunar New Year as a means of reassuring the public about its capacity to counter Chinese threats...

Cross StraitEnglishInternationalJanuary 2025Politics5 min read

Ko Supporters Rally in Defense of Embattled TPP Founder

Brian Hioe01/12/2025

Ko Wen-je supporters rallied yesterday at Liberty Plaza in support of the embattled TPP leader. Organizers claimed that 150,000 attended the event, though there are allegations that the crowd count was wildly inflated and closer to 15,000...

EnglishJanuary 2025Politics7 min read

Unions Call for Allowing Civil Servants International Workers’ Day as a Holiday

Brian Hioe01/11/2025

Union groups have called for civil servants to be allowed to have International Workers’ Day, which is commemorated on May 1st and known as May Day in other parts of the world, off as a holiday...

EnglishJanuary 2025LaborSocial Movements4 min read

Arts/Culture

Chinese Influencers in Taiwan Face Wave of Threats from Chinese Nationalists

International

What Can We Expect for Taiwan with the Second Trump Presidency?

With Resumption of Limited Group Tours, Lai Administration Attempts to Signal Openness to Chinese Tourism

Proposal for New Military Courts Likely to Meet Pushback from the KMT

Interviews

緬甸華語報導最前線，專訪「邊境之眼」記者楊智強

Reporting on the Frontlines of Myanmar for the Chinese-Language World: An Interview with Border Eyes

“Trying to Gain More Autonomy in Our Narrative”: An Interview with René Hà on Stamped

Politics

What Can We Expect for Taiwan with the Second Trump Presidency?

Former Yilan County Magistrate Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Jail Last Month

KMT Seeks Expansive Budget Cuts, Including Reduction of Ministerial Budgets to 1 NT

Social Movements

Brian Hioe

What Can We Expect for Taiwan with the Second Trump Presidency?

Former Yilan County Magistrate Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Jail Last Month

With Resumption of Limited Group Tours, Lai Administration Attempts to Signal Openness to Chinese Tourism

KMT Seeks Expansive Budget Cuts, Including Reduction of Ministerial Budgets to 1 NT

KMT Leans Into Pork Barrel Politics in Attacking DPP Over Pensions

Proposal for New Military Courts Likely to Meet Pushback from the KMT

Lunar New Year Drills Occur Without Major Incident, as Lai Emphasizes “Four Pillars of Peace”

Ko Supporters Rally in Defense of Embattled TPP Founder

Brian Hioe

What Can We Expect for Taiwan with the Second Trump Presidency?

Former Yilan County Magistrate Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Jail Last Month

With Resumption of Limited Group Tours, Lai Administration Attempts to Signal Openness to Chinese Tourism

KMT Seeks Expansive Budget Cuts, Including Reduction of Ministerial Budgets to 1 NT