English

Chinese Asylum Seekers Stranded for Over One Hundred Days in Taoyuan International Airport

Brian Hioe
Two Chinese dissidents attempting to seek asylum in Taiwan have now been stranded in Taoyuan International Airport for over one hundred days now, with the Taiwanese government apparently remaining undecided about whether to grant them asylum or not. However, in reality, the Taiwanese government is very likely hoping that both will eventually tire of waiting and return to China, in spite of the fact that they may face jail, torture, or death if they do so...
EnglishJanuary 2019Politics7 min read

Inflated Crowd Counts for Han Kuo-yu’s Inauguration Reflective of Poor Fact-checking By Taiwanese Media

Brian Hioe
News reports earlier this month that Han Kuo-yu’s inauguration was attended by 800,000 people once again prove how easily Taiwanese news is duped by false reporting. Namely, despite how unlikely it would be for the inauguration of Han Kuo-yu to be attended by 800,000 individuals, this is what was claimed by a number of Taiwanese media outlets including UDN, SET, China Times, and TTV...
EnglishJanuary 2019Politics8 min read

Now is Time for President Tsai to Focus on Renewing Taiwanese Identity

Milo Hsieh
A fierce confrontation took place between Chinese president Xi Jinping and Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen over the new year. In response to statements by Xi on the 40th anniversary of the “Message to the Compatriots of Taiwan,” which could be described as a threat, Tsai’s quick and immediate response rallied the Taiwanese public and pressured the media and forced politicians across the political spectrum to affirm their stances in response. But what now?...
EnglishJanuary 2019Politics13 min read

Cho Jung-tai Wins DPP Chair Election

Brian Hioe
With the defeat of Michael You and the victory of Cho Jung-tai in DPP chair elections, this has been read by many as signaling a mandate of confidence from DPP members in current president Tsai Ing-wen. Namely, Cho is seen as a Tsai protege, and You ran on a platform primarily characterized by its antagonism to Tsai...
EnglishJanuary 2019Politics8 min read

Pan-Green Traditionalists Call for Tsai’s Replacement as DPP Presidential Candidate in 2020

Brian Hioe
Calls are on the rise within the DPP to replace current president Tsai Ing-wen as the DPP’s candidate in 2020 presidential elections. Namely, pan-Green traditionalists, generally skewing towards the deep Green end of the political spectrum, are unhappy with Tsai’s performance as president to date. However, splits have also developed with those within the DPP and pan-Green camp that do not call for Tsai's replacement...
EnglishJanuary 2019Politics9 min read

Ma Ying-Jeou Versus Wang Jinpyng, Part Two?

Brian Hioe
The "September Political Struggle" between former president Ma Ying-Jeou and former majority speaker Wang Jinpyng is again back in the news, with Wang and Ma publicly trading barbs after the release of a new book by Ma detailing his presidential administration and defending past actions. The reemergence of these tensions perhaps points to the major splits within the KMT at present...
EnglishJanuary 2019Politics5 min read