May 2021

Re/writing COVID-19 in China: Solidarity as Metonym for Historical Truth?

On August 1, 2020, the National Museum of China launched “Unity is Strength: An Art Exhibition on the Fight Against COVID-19”, displaying 200 works created during the COVID-19 pandemic featuring themes such as rescue scenes and epidemic prevention. This exhibition places Xi at the center of authoritarian power, as well as China’s pairing of prosperity and social control, with regards to the fight against COVID-19...

240 Domestic Cases, Nationwide School Closures, Two Deaths from COVID-19 Confirmed Today

240 new domestic cases and five imported cases of COVID-19 were announced by the Central Epidemic Command Center at its daily press conference today. Schools will be closed nationwide starting tomorrow. Government officials also confirmed news of two deaths due to COVID-19 yesterday, bringing Taiwan's death toll to fourteen in the course of the pandemic ...

Indigenous Protest Over Solar Farm in Early May Reflects Recurring Issues

Earlier this month, before the uptick in COVID-19 cases that has led to near-lockdown conditions in Taipei and New Taipei, 400 members of the Puyuma people protested outside of the Taitung county government building on May 7th against plans to develop a solar farm. In particular, protesters claim they were not adequately consulted before the county government went ahead with plans to build the solar farm, and that they were excluded from the decision-making process...