As newly inaugurated President Joseph R. Biden Jr. took office last month, many questions remained about what direction U.S.-Taiwan relations would take under his leadership. While Biden and his Cabinet picks did espouse strong support for Taiwan policy during his presidential campaign, most observers agree that the opening months of his presidency will mostly be…
Taiwan’s foreign community has been delighted to see the overwhelming international recognition of Taiwan’s success in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many foreign residents have also been dismayed at the lack of compassion and consideration for their interests conveyed in a number of recent policies. A series of decisions that exclude or unfairly target foreigners…
When I arrived in Tainan in the summer of 1991, not even the city’s main roads had bilingual signs. As an English tutor, I had to visit households in different neighborhoods, and thus quickly had to learn how to read Chinese addresses. A few years later, romanization began to appear at major intersections. More recently,…
For two days in late January, a total of 173 delegates – government officials, legislators, scholars, business leaders, and representatives of civic groups – attended a National Energy Conference called by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The group debated the crucial issue facing Taiwan following President Ma Ying-jeou’s decision last year to suspend construction of…
