Timeline

Lai Administration Moves to Regulate Residency for Chinese Spouses of Taiwanese

Brian Hioe
With the Lai administration moving to crack down on the number of Taiwanese who also hold Chinese national IDs–something forbidden by ROC law and requiring such individuals to give up their Taiwanese nationality or forfeit their Chinese national ID–this has also applied to Chinese spouses of Taiwanese. Such individuals are required to give up their Chinese household registration if they wish to maintain their “settlement residency” in Taiwan...
Cross StraitEnglishInternationalMay 2025Politics5 min read

Siraya Groups Take Stand Against KMT Effort to Deny Indigenous Recognition to Pingpu Groups

Brian Hioe
Siraya civil society groups took a stand against a move from the KMT to create a new legal category called “Pingpu Indigenous” earlier this month, holding a press conference on the matter. The proposal, which originates from KMT legislator Sra Kacaw, who is Amis, would be a means of denying Siraya recognition as Indigenous...
EnglishIndigenousMay 2025RaceSocial Movements5 min read

Migrant Workers as Subjects of a Taiwan Strait Contingency

Marcin Jerzewski
An escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait—whether it transpires as a maritime blockade or a kinetic attack—would bring about disastrous social and economic consequences. Given the importance of the Taiwan Strait to international maritime trade and Taiwan’s critical role in supply chains of strategic technologies, including semiconductors, crisis scenarios consider several grave repercussions. These include immediate disruptions to global economic activity valued at over two trillion dollars, threats to Japan’s energy security, and shortages in the EU, which would exacerbate economic inequality, poverty, and the functioning of critical sectors...
Cross StraitEnglishInternationalLaborMay 2025Regional TensionsSocial Movements7 min read

Taken For Granted: Taiwan’s Flagship Foreign Policy Neglects Labor Issues

Marcin Jerzewski
In its quest to diversify its political and economic engagements with the world, Taiwan keeps looking south. At the recent Yushan Forum, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation Chairman Michael Hsiao proudly announced the launch of six new strategic corridors under the framework of the New Southbound Policy (NSP). This includes government-led initiatives to facilitate cooperation on technology, health, and resilience, as well as think tank, NGO, and youth corridors led by civil society...
EnglishInternationalLaborMay 2025PoliticsRegional TensionsSocial Movements7 min read

Lai Administration to Introduce New Notification System for Public Servants of Travel to China

Brian Hioe
The Lai administration plans to roll out a new system requiring public servants to notify the government before travel to China. This will affect public servants at all levels, whether they are elected officials or not. Legislators, public servants, members of the military, borough chiefs, and others will all be required to notify the government of planned travel to China, as well as comply with regulations when there...
Cross StraitEnglishInternationalMay 2025Politics5 min read

Gender Equity and Taiwan’s Independence: A Decolonial Perspective on Community Interests and Conflicts

Lorraine Pan
Can gender equity issues like women's and LGBTQ rights be discussed along with Taiwan independence? Is there one more important and urgent topic among all the issues concerning different marginalized people? When issues such as feminism and LGBTQ rights are discussed together with social news, there is often criticism that talking about marginalized people is a way to distract people and divert public resources from the issue of Taiwan independence. However, from a decolonial perspective, gender equity and Taiwan independence move in the same direction and support each other...
EnglishGender/SexualityMay 2025Self-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements5 min read