Category: Regional Tensions | New Bloom Magazine

RCEP Trade Pact Exclusion Debated in Taiwan

Brian Hioe11/17/2020

Concerns have been raised in Taiwan regarding Taiwan’s exclusion from the recently inked RCEP, a regional multilateral free trade pact linking fifteen economies. The deal was signed on Sunday at the biannual ASEAN Summit, which was held in Vietnam this year, though much of the summit proceedings took place online because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic...

EnglishInternationalNovember 2020Regional Tensions9 min read

China Steps Up Military Activity Around Taiwan in Response to American Diplomatic Visits

Brian Hioe09/24/2020

China's military escalation toward Taiwan has visibly escalated in past weeks. Apart from military exercises conducted in the region, a visit to Taiwan by American Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach saw multiple consecutive days of warplanes sent into Taiwanese airspace...

EnglishInternationalRegional TensionsSeptember 20206 min read

Krach Visit Ends, Though American Delegation Seeks to Keep a Low Profile

Brian Hioe09/21/2020

A three-day to Taiwan by American Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach ended yesterday, though not without some controversy...

EnglishInternationalRegional TensionsSeptember 20208 min read

Taiwan Opens Representative Office in Somaliland

Brian Hioe08/19/2020

Plans for Taiwan to set up a representative office in Somaliland and, in turn, for Somaliland to set up a representative office in Taiwan have continued apace, despite pressure from China and Somalia. Taiwan’s representative office in Somaliland opened earlier this week, while Somaliland’s first representative to Taiwan, Mohamed Omar Hagi Mohamoud, arrived earlier this month...

August 2020EnglishInternationalRegional Tensions7 min read

The Friendship Challenge for Xi Jinping’s China

Ng Weng Hoong07/20/2020

Today, Xi Jinping, in his eighth year as China’s president and seeking to expand his government’s global influence, has loaded all discussions on friendship with Beijing with complicated conditions and fine print. This can be observed in China's recent border clashes with India, as well as with regards to the new national security law passed in Hong Kong...

EnglishInternationalJuly 2020Regional Tensions17 min read

Taiwan to Set Up Representative Office in Somaliland

Brian Hioe07/06/2020

In an unexpected move, the Taiwanese government announced last week that it would be exchanging representative office with Somaliland, a move toward possible formal diplomatic relations. Taiwan and Somaliland have signed an agreement for future cooperation. Somaliland's first representative to Taiwan will be academic Mohamed Omar Hagi Mohamoud...

EnglishInternationalJuly 2020Regional Tensions7 min read

Increased Support for Taiwan From Brazil and India Results From Tensions with China

Brian Hioe06/25/2020

Several recent incidents indicate how support for Taiwan from other countries sometimes occurs primarily as the result of antagonisms with China rather than genuine solidarity with Taiwan. In particular, tensions between many nations and China have been accentuated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the US-China trade war...

EnglishInternationalJune 2020Regional Tensions6 min read

Pan-Blue Camp, Pro-Unification Left’s Nationalism is Self-Evident in Senkaku/Diaoyutai Island Naming Dispute

Brian Hioe06/20/2020

A proposal by the Ishigaki city government in Japan to rename the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands, in order to reaffirm Japanese claims of sovereignty over the island, has been led to nationalistic responses in Taiwan among members of the KMT and members of the pan-Blue camp. This should not be particularly surprising...

EnglishInternationalJune 2020Regional Tensions6 min read

WHO Are You, Taiwan?: Taiwan, China and the WHO

Martin Boyle05/31/2020

The recent diplomatic imbroglio regarding Taiwan and the WHO has thrown into sharp relief what Taiwan is and how it seeks to present itself...

EnglishInternationalRegional Tensions23 min read

Attempts by China to Poach Taiwan’s Diplomatic Allies Likely to Continue into Tsai’s Second Term

Brian Hioe05/29/2020

With Paraguay's senate voting last month on whether to change diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, the Paraguayan senate voted to retain diplomatic relations with Taiwan by a vote of 25 to 16. However, attempts by China to poach diplomatic allies of Taiwan are likely to continue into Tsai's second term...

EnglishInternationalMay 2020Regional Tensions5 min read

Arts/Culture

Review: Classmate Minus (同學麥娜絲)

Review: Little Big Women (孤味)

Review: Memories to Choke on, Drinks to Wash Them Down (夜香・鴛鴦・深水埗)

International

What Now for Taiwan, After the Biden Inauguration?

Craft Visit Cheapens Impact of Previous US Diplomatic Visits to Taiwan

Radio New Bloom #12: Catherine Chou on Misinformation about the American Presidential Election in Taiwan

Interviews

Interview: Simon Cheng (鄭文傑)

Interview: James Griffiths on The Great Firewall of China

Politics

Taoyuan Hospital Cluster Marks Resumption of Domestic Transmission of COVID-19 in Taiwan

Does the Recall of DPP City Councilor Wang Hao-yu Reflect a Larger Trend?

KMT to Leverage on Referendum, Control of Local Governments Against the DPP on Pork Issue

Social Movements

Regional Tensions

RCEP Trade Pact Exclusion Debated in Taiwan

China Steps Up Military Activity Around Taiwan in Response to American Diplomatic Visits

Krach Visit Ends, Though American Delegation Seeks to Keep a Low Profile

Taiwan Opens Representative Office in Somaliland

The Friendship Challenge for Xi Jinping’s China

Taiwan to Set Up Representative Office in Somaliland

Increased Support for Taiwan From Brazil and India Results From Tensions with China

Pan-Blue Camp, Pro-Unification Left’s Nationalism is Self-Evident in Senkaku/Diaoyutai Island Naming Dispute

WHO Are You, Taiwan?: Taiwan, China and the WHO

Attempts by China to Poach Taiwan’s Diplomatic Allies Likely to Continue into Tsai’s Second Term

Calls for Lenience for Sunflower Movement Charges Likely to Avoid Comparisons to Hong Kong

What Now for Taiwan, After the Biden Inauguration?

Taoyuan Hospital Cluster Marks Resumption of Domestic Transmission of COVID-19 in Taiwan

Does the Recall of DPP City Councilor Wang Hao-yu Reflect a Larger Trend?

What Now for Taiwan, After the Biden Inauguration?

Taoyuan Hospital Cluster Marks Resumption of Domestic Transmission of COVID-19 in Taiwan

Does the Recall of DPP City Councilor Wang Hao-yu Reflect a Larger Trend?

KMT to Leverage on Referendum, Control of Local Governments Against the DPP on Pork Issue