November 2019

Wave of Violence Sweeps Across Hong Kong on Day of General Strike

Scenes of shocking violence took place across Hong Kong yesterday, with a general strike having been called for the day. At around 7 AM, a 21-year-old demonstrator was shot by police in Sai Wan Ho. Footage from the morning also shows a police officer riding a motorcycle driving deliberately into a crowd several times, deliberately aiming to hit protestors. Around noon, an incident in which individuals wearing black set a man on fire with gasoline also took place. Clashes with police continued throughout the day, with police invading university campuses and firing tear gas...

Intensive Protests in Hong Kong After Death, Accusations of Police Gang Rape, Calls for a General Strike Today

The weekend has seen violent attacks on demonstrators by Hong Kong police following the death of 22-year-old student protester Alex Chow Tsz-lok on Friday after a fall from a car park earlier in the week and the emergence of accusations that police gang-raped an 18-year-old woman last month. A general strike has been called for today. It remains to be seen whether this strike will be paralyzing of Hong Kong society in the way that it was hoped previously called for general strikes would be...

China’s New Economic Incentives Offered to Taiwan Are a Repeat of Old Tactics

The Chinese government announcing 26 new measures aimed at attracting Taiwanese firms is clearly a measure aimed at influencing Taiwanese elections, with just over sixty days left before January 2020 elections. However, what may be noteworthy is to what extent the Chinese government is falling back on tactics it has tried before in the past to influence elections, rather than coming up with new tactics...