Tsai administration

China’s Isolation Of The DPP Feeds Taiwanese Independence

Joseph Lewis Reid
As we see in Panama's breaking of diplomatic ties with Taiwan or the kidnapping of Lee Ming-Che, does China think international bullying of Taiwan is effective? What is the end goal? We can assume the CCP's eventual end goal is "reunification", but it is difficult to comprehend how political and economic bullying will win over the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese people...
EnglishInternationalJune 2017Regional Tensions3 min read

Comments By William Lai Provoke Ire

Brian Hioe
Controversy has been provoked by comments from Tainan mayor William Lai stating that his views are for Taiwan to have relations “close to China, while loving Taiwan.” For Lai, previously known as a pro-independence firebrand, these comments are a notable step back from previous statements in which Lai avowed support of Taiwanese independence while traveling in China. Very likely Lai’s statement reflects several things...
EnglishJune 2017Politics9 min read

Tsai Administration Quietly Approves Nuclear Reactor Restarts: Outrage To Follow?

Brian Hioe
The recent decision of the Tsai administration to allow for nuclear reactor restarts in Taiwan of the No. 1 reactor at the Guosheng nuclear power plant and the No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan plant in order to accommodate the energy needs of the upcoming summer may be a decision which will cause a future wave of protest against the Tsai administration...
EnglishEnvironmentalJune 2017Social Movements7 min read

Uncivilize The Civil Code

萬庭威
The Council of Grand Justices' Interpretation 748 as realizing marriage equality is supposed to be a milestone, if we are to do or say the appropriate thing. But in reality, if we read the interpretation a bit more carefully, we can raise several important issues which have been neglected to date. The importance of these issues lay in that this article cannot be seen as merely concerning marriage equality, but have broad effects on sexual freedoms, marriage and even the Civil Code itself in Taiwan...
#18Brian HioeEnglishGender/SexualityMay 2017Social Movements10 min read

The First Asian “Country,” “Place”, Or “Chinese Province” To Realize Marriage Equality?

Brian Hioe
International media outlets have sometimes referred to Taiwan as the first “country” in Asia to legalize gay marriage by court ruling. More commonly, Taiwan has been referred to as an “island,” “place”, or without any reference to what kind of polity Taiwan is altogether, but still stressing the historic nature of the event as a first in Asia. This is revealing of the hypocrisy of international media...
#18EnglishGender/SexualityMay 2017Social Movements5 min read

The Ball Is Back In The DPP’s Court Regarding Marriage Equality In Taiwan

Brian Hioe
After the ruling of the Council of Grand Justice’s yesterday, the legislature will need to amend Taiwan’s Civil Code to allow same-sex marriage within two years. But this opens the way for backsliding by a DPP legislature which has already proven recalcitrant on the issue. The DPP has already shown early signs of backsliding in its reactions and so means will need to be found of putting pressure on the DPP to live up to past promises...
#18EnglishGender/SexualityMay 2017Social Movements9 min read

Will The Tsai Administration’s War On Drugs Prove Invasive Of Personal Freedoms?

Brian Hioe
The Tsai administration has vowed to step up the war on drugs in recent times. But does the Tsai administration's war on drugs raise concerns for personal privacy in Taiwan, particularly for young people? Namely, social attitudes in Taiwan sometimes skew towards seeing young people as dangerous drug users, even when this is not backed up by statistics, and there is the possibility that the Tsai administration's war on drugs may disproportionately target young people. More broadly, as with elsewhere in the world, one suspects that the Tsai administration's war on drugs masks systemic inequalities in society...
EnglishMay 2017Politics7 min read