Regional Tensions

KMT Seeks to Attack Tsai Administration Over US and Chinese Vessels Passing Near Itu Aba/Taiping Island

Brian Hioe
The presence of Chinese and US military vessels around Itu Aba, also known as Taiping Island, earlier this month has led to allegations by KMT legislators against the Coast Guard Administration. By extension, the attempt would be to make the Tsai administration look as though it has compromised on national sovereignty...
EnglishInternationalNovember 2023Regional Tensions5 min read

One-Day Uptick in Chinese Military Activity Observed After Lai Transit

Brian Hioe
China launched another set of military drills after vice president William Lai returned from his trip to the US and Paraguay. Lai’s trip involved a stopover in San Francisco and New York City. Though the ostensible main purpose of the trip was to attend the presidential inauguration of Paraguayan president Santiago Peña, there was greater attention to the sensitivity of Lai’s transit through the US, given the possibility of a reaction from China...
August 2023EnglishInternationalPoliticsRegional Tensions6 min read

As China Uses Lai Trip as Pretext for Exercises, Will the Drills be Blown Out of Proportion Internationally?

Brian Hioe
The Chinese government has announced that it will conduct military exercises in the East China Sea starting today until the 14th, in an area approximately 500 kilometers away from Taiwan. Yesterday morning, the Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration announced a no-sail order lasting from 12 PM today until 4 PM on August 14th in the area the exercises are slated to take place...
August 2023EnglishInternationalPoliticsRegional Tensions6 min read

“New McCarthyism” Petition Illustrates Western Leftists’ Failure of Internationalism

Brian Hioe
A recent expose in the New York Times on tech multimillionaire Roy Singham, who funds various tankie media outlets, organizations, and institutions such as the Tricontinental Institute, Code Pink, and the People’s Forum in New York City, has led to a petition on the Tricontinental Institute and Code Pink’s websites lashing out against the “new McCarthyism.” This petition was signed by anyone from David Harvey to Radhika Desai, Chris Hedges, and luminaries of the Brooklyn left such as Doug Henwood and The Nation president Bhaskar Sunkara...
August 2023EnglishInternationalLaborRegional TensionsSocial Movements10 min read

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