The decline of US soft power in Indonesia has significant implications not just for Washington, but also for Taiwan. As US public diplomacy retreats, particularly with cuts to Voice of America (VOA) and the US Agency for International Development, the space for balanced geopolitical discourse in Ind
Taiwan’s medical dispute mediation mechanism appears to provide patients with a pathway for compensation. In reality, it is an institutional charade that places patients at a disadvantage.Taipei, despite having the highest concentration of medical resources nationwide, does not even have a basic pro
An exclusive report by the Washington Post on Saturday last week about a secret internal guidance memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth revealed that US defense strategy has officially been reoriented to focus exclusively on deterring the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) potential milit
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Myanmar’s generals have a choice to make following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake on Friday last week.They can repeat the mistakes of 17 years ago when they refused to allow in international help after Cyclone Nargis tore through the country, leaving 140,000 dead, or facilitate the free flow of urgent
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s trip to Asia showed that the administration of US President Donald Trump is engaged with the region, but analysts warned Taipei to tread carefully.China’s military on Tuesday launched joint drills around Taiwan, sending ships, planes and some bizarre propaganda
China poses a dire threat to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry as it steps up efforts to poach Taiwan’s top chip talent, following the US’ implementation of stringent chip restrictions. Beijing is keen to develop its own semiconductor technologies, leveraging skilled engineers from Taiwan, Europe and
Iwasaki Shigeru, former chief of staff of the joint staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF), has been appointed as a political consultant for a one-year renewable term by the Executive Yuan. For the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led administration, he might serve as an additional informal
Deflation in China is persisting, raising growing concerns domestically and internationally. Beijing’s stimulus policies introduced in September last year have largely been short-lived in financial markets and negligible in the real economy.Recent data showing disproportionately low bank loan growth
After the real-estate bubble burst, China’s purchasing power disappeared with it, and all its industries fell into a vicious cycle of price competition. Due to insufficient domestic demand, China has had to rely on exports to boost its GDP. As a result, its exports have grown rapidly in the past few
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New marriages in China reportedly plummeted by one-fifth last year, implying that the official number of births will likely fall from 9.54 million last year to 7.3 million to 7.8 million this year.Thus, while China represents 17.2 percent of the global population, it will account for less than 6 per
There is desperation and brilliance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s proposal to provide Ukraine with post-war security by offering to cover it with the umbrella of NATO’s Article 5 Security guarantee, but not membership itself. It is loopy, because it would commit the US and Europe to pre
Tomorrow is the US’ big tariff day, when US President Donald Trump is set to announce reciprocal levies to address rising US trade deficits. Trump said he aims to increase tariffs on imports from all countries to match the rates they charge on US goods. The calculation for the tariffs includes not o
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) recently announced it would propose two referendums — one opposing the “abolishment of the death penalty” and another opposing “martial law and war.” The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) also supports the proposals. Ironically, the more the blue and white camps push fo
I have heard people equate the government’s stance on resisting forced unification with China or the conditional reinstatement of the military court system with the rise of the Nazis before World War II. The comparison is absurd. There is no meaningful parallel between the government and Nazi German
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, causing widespread devastation. Roads and bridges were destroyed, buildings collapsed, and the tremor resulted in significant loss of life and injuries.In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, Taiwan swiftly mobilized a rescue team. Th
I expected my article (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) published in the Taipei Times, to create a stir and wrote it to spark a debate over how Taiwan should respond to the affront on its sovereignty. Marcel Oppliger’s well-crafted riposte (“Yeoh is welcome back any tim
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