Taiwan
Where the India-China Standoff is Going
As the India-China standoff at the Doklam tri-junction area enters its second month, it is clear this is the most serious crisis between the two countries in 30 years. There are several ways in which it might develop. Unilateral concessions and Chinese escalation are unlikely, with the local …
ChinaJapan, Taiwan scramble fighters in response to Chinese bombers
July 21 (UPI) -- Japan and Taiwan scrambled fighter jets on Thursday after China flew a squadron of strategic bombers over the western Pacific, …
ChinaA Place to Pray in Inner Mongolia
On a windswept evening in a remote field, a group of Christian men and women scoop clumps of brown soil in quiet reverence. They dig steadily, slowly revealing the base of a tall cornerstone engraved with a golden cross.<p>Laid on May 13, the cornerstone marks the site of a new church that has been in …
ChinaTaiwan Turns Subway Cars Into Swimming Pools in Universiade Promo
In a promotion of the event, the city has turned the grounds of subway cars into running tracks, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, …
SwimmingBrawls in Taiwan’s Parliament Not a 'Way of Life'
Anyone who follows domestic politics in Taiwan will have seen in recent days a series of brawls pitting opposition Kuomintang lawmakers against those from the majority Democratic Progressive Party. Faces have been slapped; necks choked; water sprayed; and pieces of furniture — chairs, desks — sent …
ChinaAsia's Rhino Horn Trade is Thriving
• Over 11 months, EAL investigators posed as potential buyers and identified 55 'persons of interest' involved in the trade of rhino horn.<br>• The group mapped out the routes by which rhino horn – valued at tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram – arrives in China.<br>• Recorded conversations during the …
WildlifeILLUSTRATION: Ten Taiwanese Directors You Should Know
<i>Images by Nelly Wu.</i><p>Taiwanese films have become regular participants in international film festivals and awards over the past few decades. One of the most acclaimed Taiwanese directors is Academy Award-winning Ang Lee (李安), who is known for films like “Brokeback Mountain,” “Life of Pi,” and …
ChinaIs Over-Tourism Threatening Vietnam's Sapa?
<i>By Dana Filek-Gibson</i><p>Heading back from So’s village, there is only one way into Sapa, and one way out.<p>A taxi picks us up from the roadside along Route 152, tracing the zigzagged strip of asphalt running through the valley. So, a H'mong woman and our tour guide, has spent the better part of the day …
VietnamA mirror for the present
A digital archive of papers from Columbia University on famous diplomat V.K. Wellington Koo will be available later this year. Xing Yi reports.A …
Columbia UniversityCARTOON: China’s Censors Face Off with Winnie the Pooh, Again
The long running battle between Chinese censors and one of the world’s most popular bears, Winnie the Pooh, was reignited over the past week.<p>New reports have emerged the character, created by British children’s author A.A. Milne in the 1920s, had once again been blocked on social media networks in …
ChinaMan gets hand trapped in noodle maker at Chinese Consulate
A man was hospitalized Thursday after his hand got caught in a noodle machine at the Chinese Consulate in Midtown.
New York CityTaiwan Temples Incensed: Online Rumor of Incense Burning Ban Sparks Protest
Representatives of nearly 100 temples around Taiwan will walk to Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on Saturday in what is described as the biggest event of its in history, prompting police to impose traffic controls on some road sections that day.<p>A temple federation …
AsiaBeneath the Surface: Fisheries Diplomacy and the South China Sea
China’s island-building in the South China Sea may be the focus of the world’s attention in the region, but what’s happening beneath the waves deserves as much scrutiny and international action. It’s action where Australia could play a significant role.<p>Recently on Policy Forum, Marina Tsirbas put …
South China SeaINTERVIEW: Director Zero Chou's Latest Project Films in LGBT Sensitive Cities
“There’s a certain urgency in me saying I need to finish this project as soon as possible.”<p>We’re sitting on the second floor of a Starbucks in the bustling Ximending area, a landmark for popular culture in Taipei. Taiwanese film director Zero Chou (周美玲) sips at her hot coffee while talking about …
ChinaASIA NEWS BITES: Beijing Touts AI Plans; Casino Kidnappings in Manila; North Korea's Savage Drought; Taiwan Extends Plastic Bag Ban
Hong Kong:<p>The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has retracted a commentary piece alleging links between a Singaporean investor and Chinese President Xi Jinping. At 3:58 am on Thursday, it was replaced with a clarification stating that Shirley Yam’s piece was deleted as it included “multiple …
ChinaBringing Creativity to China’s Stifled Classrooms
The name, Qishan County School 702, — or rather, its number — speaks volumes about the typical state of teaching in China: cookie-cutter, devoid of individuality, pragmatic in its mission to deliver the most basic education.<p>In China, rote learning aimed at landing students high exam scores still …
EducationChina's Football Play Sees Xi Pushing Others Offside
With the closure of China’s football player transfer window, the big news is, well, that there is no big news. During the last three transfer windows, the world has become accustomed to an endless flow of big-name, high-value overseas talent heading east, with the likes of Oscar, Hulk and Jackson …
ChinaSudden Leadership Change in Massive Chinese City Signals Xi's Consolidation, Succession Plans
A sudden leadership change in one of China's biggest cities has highlighted President Xi Jinping's ambition to consolidate his grip on power at an upcoming major political gathering, analysts say.<p>Former Xi aide Chen Miner was named Communist Party chief in Chongqing last weekend, abruptly replacing …
ChinaWhy the US doesn't understand Chinese thought – and must
The need for the U.S. to understand China is obvious. The Chinese economy is on track to become the largest in the world by 2030, Chinese leadership …
Chinese PhilosophySix months of spelling mistakes from the Trump White House: Analysis
WASHINGTON—You probably heard about Donald Trump’s “covfefe” tweet. Maybe the one where he declared himself “honered” to serve the American people, …
Canadian NewsTaiwan says seven nationals detained in Cambodia for telecom fraud
TAIPEI: Cambodia has detained seven Taiwan nationals suspected of running a telecoms scam, the self-ruled island said on Thursday, adding that it is …
AsiaWalker Recalls Team USA Experience
USA's Man of Steele<p><b>CF-Steele Walker, Jr.</b><br>Walker followed up his All-Big 12 First Team performance as a junior with a pair of series MVP awards for USA …
BaseballVietnam Follows Taiwan Among Asia's Most Progressive on LGBT Rights
Vietnam is once again making headlines abroad as one of the most LGBT-friendly countries on the Asian continent.<p>Just two weeks after Singapore’s heavily restricted pride celebration, Pink Dot 2017, Vietnam’s LGBT scene has returned to the spotlight for its inclusive nature and progressiveness.<p>While …
LGBTQHow North Korea Could Start a War With America Right Now
Earlier this month, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test capable of reaching Alaska. Much ink has been spilled as to what this test means for the U.S., how policymakers should address North Korea nuclearization efforts and the likelihood of war between the two …
North KoreaNo Space for Democracy: Political Dissidence in Colonial and Contemporary Hong Kong
For Cold War historians looking at the Occupy Central movement of 2014 and Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Hong Kong, a number of ironies are striking now that the shoe is on the other foot. On September 29, 2014, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) warned the United Kingdom not to interfere in what …
Hong KongBumpy Road Ahead: Living with China's New NGO Laws
A long-time human rights activist from Taiwan, Lee Ming-che, was detained by mainland authorities on 19 March for supposedly engaging in activities that endanger national security. He’s been missing ever since.<p>In addition to other concerns, this case interestingly has put China’s newly established …
ChinaZunzi's Hong Kong: Leading Political Cartoonist Looks Back
Twenty years ago, famed Hong Kong political cartoonist, Zunzi, drew an image of a duck being chased from one cage to another, satirizing the 1997 Hong Kong handover from Britain to China.<p>“Before the handover, many Hong Kong people had already asked for more freedom and equalities in Hong Kong …
Hong KongWatch members of Taiwan’s parliament attack each other with chairs and water balloons
Taiwan’s parliament is known for its brawls, but this latest one is extreme.<p>Grown men and women tackling each other to the ground, flipping chairs, blaring air horns, and throwing water balloons — welcome to the Taiwanese parliament.<p>Members of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, or parliament, are notorious …
ChinaGilas falls to South Korea
Gilas Pilipinas fell to South Korea, 83-72, and dropped to 3-2 midway into the 2017 Jones Cup Wednesday at Taipei Peace Basketball Hall.<p>The Filipinos …
PhilippinesFilipino Film Makes Class Division Relevant Again
I hear of smart shaming, race shaming, gender shaming, body shaming and slut shaming a lot these days, but rarely do I hear anyone bring up poor shaming. Many social issues are seen through a variety of lenses, but I find that discourse on identity politics can sometimes exclude class divisions as …
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