September 2026

When Will the American Commentariat Give Up on Asking When Taiwan Will Give Up?

Brian Hioe
“Will Taiwan Just Give Up?” by Simon Shuster in The Atlantic, is the latest article in the heady genre of articles by white men who visit Taiwan for a few days and decide that they have the final verdict on Taiwan’s fate. All the more hilarious that the article is riddled with factual errors, has large gaps in logic, and renders judgments based on vibes-based thinking more than anything else...
EnglishPoliticsSeptember 202619 min read

Chiang Wan-an Comes Under Fire Over Nepotism Allegations in Connection to Son’s Exchange Program

Brian Hioe
Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an has been criticized over a scandal involving his son. Specifically, his eldest son was found to have been awarded a subsidy for a student exchange program with the US. This raised questions, however, about privilege and nepotism, seeing as not only is Chiang’s son the child of the mayor of Taipei, but also an American citizen...
EnglishPoliticsSeptember 20263 min read

Legislative Aide of May Chin Disappears While Under Investigation for Corruption

Brian Hioe
An aide of pan-Blue legislator May Chin has disappeared while under investigation for corruption charges. Specifically, Chin’s legislative aide, Chang Chun-chieh, was found to have disappeared after authorities detected a low-battery alert on his monitoring bracelet. Chin is an independent but caucuses with the KMT and is generally understood to be a pan-Blue politician...
EnglishPoliticsSeptember 20263 min read

Taiwan’s Eswatini Science Park Investment Not Likely to Entail Any Scrutiny of Human Rights

Brian Hioe
The Taiwanese government has proposed funding a science and technology park in Eswatini at a cost of 1 billion NT, the Taiwan Industrial Innovation Park. The science park would be to shore up relations in what is Taiwan’s sole remaining diplomatic ally in Africa, with the aim of expanding the footprint for Taiwanese businesses in Africa. President Lai Ching-te and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung previously visited the site of the proposed science park during a visit to Eswatini earlier this year...
EnglishFeaturedInternationalPoliticsRegional TensionsSelf-DeterminationSeptember 2026Social Movements5 min read