August 2023

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

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...

China’s Group Tourism Remains in Place for Taiwan, as Moves Continue to Influence Taiwan Via Trade

The Chinese government recently announced a list of 78 countries in which tour groups will now be allowed to travel to. This includes a number of frequent travel destinations for Chinese tourists that China is otherwise geopolitically at odds with, such as the US, South Korea, Japan, and the UK. Notably, in response to the announcement, stocks for travel companies in these countries immediately rose, a sign of how Chinese tourists are considered big spenders in a number of sectors...

After #MeToo, Where Does Taiwan Go?

Five years after the global #MeToo movement began, Taiwan has finally started its own. It began with a wave of sexual assault claims against several members of Taiwan’s ruling DPP. While those alleged in the DPP have resigned, these claims led to allegations against others beyond the political sphere. Since May, more than 100 politicians, activists, intellectuals, and celebrities have been called out for their misconduct. The #MeToo movement has garnered much media attention and has been discussed widely...

The Green Party Taiwan’s Achievements and Challenges in Promoting Gender Equality

There is a common misconception that Green Parties are solely concerned with environmental issues. However, the Charter of the Global Greens, which sets out the core guiding values for Green Parties, shows that these parties have a very diverse and comprehensive set of transformative goals. One distinguishing feature of Green Parties is their promotion of gender equality. A recent study on European political parties found that Green Parties tend to be more feminist than their party system competitors. But do such findings hold when we examine Green Parties in newer democracies and beyond Europe? Are Asian Greens more feminist in their policy advocacy, leadership and candidate selection and in the way they deal with cases of sexual harassment?...