America and the Asia Pacific

Trump’s Threats To North Korea Belie Larger Conflicts Within And Outside The White House

Garrett Dee
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...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalSeptember 20178 min read

Bannon’s Controversial Speech In Hong Kong Foretells Trump Visit To China

Garrett Dee
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...
#19America and the Asia PacificInternationalSeptember 20178 min read

Recent Comments By Stephen Yates Return To American Disrespect For Taiwanese Democracy

Brian Hioe
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...
America and the Asia PacificAugust 2017EnglishInternational9 min read

What Does Terry Gou Aim To Accomplish Through A Deal With Trump?

Brian Hioe
With the recent announcement by FoxConn CEO Terry Gou that FoxConn would be building a $10 billion USD LCD panel plant in Wisconsin in a high-profile press conference with Donald Trump, some in Taiwan question what Gou exactly aims to accomplish with this deal cementing ties between his company and the Trump administration. Given Gou’s close ties with both the KMT and CCP, is Gou acting on behalf of China? Of the KMT? Both? Neither? One wonders...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalJuly 2017Politics7 min read

The Trump Administration’s PRC-ROC Gaffe Funny, But Also Illustrative

Brian Hioe
A mix-up on a press release by White House spokesman Sean Spicer referring to Xi Jinping as the president of the “Republic of China” may be funny, but also a demonstrative sign of the Trump administration’s continued ineptitude regarding its Taiwan policy and handling of America’s delicate balancing act between Taiwan and China. All the more reason to be back away from hasty claims about the Trump’s administration’s “maturation” or its “normalization”...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishJuly 20176 min read

Trump, North Korea, And Taiwan

Brian Hioe
As a result of a recent US-Taiwan arms deal and increased tensions between the US and North Korea, an ally of China, some claim that this represents the worsening of US-China relations under the Trump administration after a period in which the Trump administration became strangely friendly with China, a country long at odds with the United States historically. This is a premature conclusion...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalJuly 20177 min read

US-Taiwan Arms Deal Temporary Extension Of Status Quo, Nothing More

Brian Hioe
News of an arms deal between the US and Taiwan will no doubt prove reassuring to those who bank on America as Taiwan’s guarantor of its existing de facto independence from China. Nevertheless, in truth, skepticism is needed. This is merely indicative of a temporary extension of the US-Taiwan status quo, rather than affirming a stronger stance on behalf of Taiwan by the Trump administration...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalJuly 20176 min read