TSP

62nd Anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day Commemorated in Taipei with March, Prayer Ceremony

A march is held annually in Taipei to commemorate Tibetan Uprising Day, which remembers the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese occupiers in Tibet. This year the decision was made to hold the march on the Sunday before Tibetan Uprising Day on March 7th and to hold a prayer ceremony at Liberty Plaza on March 10th...

Despite Stable Outlook, Taiwan Must Contend with Successive Global Waves of COVID-19

Taiwan marked one hundred days since the last case of domestic transmission of COVID-19 on July 17th, with the last case of local COVID-19 transmission having taken place on April 8th. It appears as though the COVID-19 situation is still under control in Taiwan, Taiwan having managed to avoid the expansive lockdowns that the rest of the world has seen. However, with the second and third waves of COVID-19 taking place globally and five new imported cases added today, Taiwan is likely to see an uptick in imported cases going forward...

Will the Dalai Lama Visit Taiwan?

The issue of whether the Tsai administration will allow a visit by the Dalai Lama to Taiwan has again become a political issue, following the reformation of the Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet. Although the group existed in the past, it has been restarted by independent legislator Freddy Lim for the new legislative session. The Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet has called on the Tsai administration to invite the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan...

The KMT’s Criticisms of the Tsai Administration’s Voucher Program Reflect Desperation

An unusual political controversy as of late has been regarding a stimulus coupon that the Tsai administration intends to distribute in order to promote spending. The coupons, which are available for purchase for 1,000 NT, are worth 3,000 NT and can be used at businesses such as night markets, department stores, salons, bookstores, restaurants, and other locations. The KMT has honed in on this program as a means of attacking the Tsai administration...

Travel Restrictions on International Students, Cash Rewards for Visa Overstayers Questioned

With the COVID-19 situation under control in Taiwan, restrictions on mass gatherings have been lifted and government authorities are attempting to encourage domestic travel. However, with the prospect of opening up borders again to international travel, as some countries in the region are considering doing, questions have been raised regarding current restrictions on international travel mandated by the government...

Han Kuo-yu Attempts to Change His Image Ahead of the June Recall Vote

Recent efforts by Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu to turn around his image illustrate that the Han administration may be too little, too late. Han is currently facing a recall vote, which is scheduled to take place on June 6th. It is generally thought that this recall vote has a high chance of succeeding, seeing as the number of signatures obtained for the petition needed to hold the recall vote had close to the number of votes needed to recall Han...

The Aesthetics of the Coronavirus in Taiwan

With much international praise of Taiwan’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, in avoiding expansive lockdown measures and avoiding domestic transmission of the coronavirus, a major factor in Taiwan’s successes has been the ability of the government and society to communicate information about measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. As such, examining the aesthetics of the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwanese society may be instructive...