July 2017

Dangerous Possibilities Ahead On North Korea Issue, Following Comments By Trump

Panic has ensued globally following statements by American president Donald Trump which could be construed as nuclear threats against North Korea. After reports that North Korea had developed the miniaturized nuclear warheads which could be placed on North Korean missiles capable of hitting the United States, Trump stated in public comments that North Korean threats “will be met with fire and fury and frankly power the likes of which the world has never seen before," comments which were apparently largely improvised...

文化與政治無關?你所不知道的日本時代台灣唱片業

2017 年初,剛上市就紅遍世界的電腦遊戲《返校》選用《月夜愁》、《望春風》等台語歌曲作配樂。2017 年,金曲獎最佳台語男歌手由台南歌手謝銘祐奪得,他在專輯《舊年》裡也大量運用日本時代台語流行歌元素。究竟日本時代的台語流行歌藏有什麼瑰寶,值得一提再提?...

Taiwanese Government Eyes Driverless Vehicles As Part Of Its Transportation Plan

The concept of driverless vehicles is an idea that has been floated around for decades, first in science fiction, though in Taipei, automated vehicles may soon become a reality. Despite the controversy surrounding the recent Forward Thinking Infrastructure Plan, automated vehicles have received quite a bit of attention, with plans being laid to have them on the road as early as this year...

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

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...

Does China Realize Its Taiwan Strategy Has Failed?

With rumors of an impending shuffle in China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, including the replacement of Zhang Zhijun as its head, this may signal a shift in China’s attempts to lure Taiwan back into its fold. But while it is anyone’s guess as to what China’s next steps will be, it may be, in fact, hasty to assume that this means that China has realized that its Taiwan strategy has failed and so wishes to change tack...

Controversy Over Religious Practices Exposes Potential Future Faultlines

Controversy on the subject of the government’s supposed restrictions on religious practices and their impact on the environment has sparked protests in Taiwan with the start of Ghost Month, leading over ten thousand Taoist and Buddhist devotees to march in Taipei in opposition to what they saw as unreasonable government interference in their religious expression...

China’s Ban On Online LGBTQ Content Likely A Product Of Nationalism

China's recent ban on all online video and audio content regarding LGBTQ issues is perhaps unsurprising, seeing as this follows on the heels of a ban on depictions of homosexuality on television. But perhaps the ultimate reason for crackdowns on LGBTQ representation in Chinese media has to do with current attempts by the Chinese government to fan up nationalism within China...