My column from monday. Got lots of feedback from people telling me similar stories of woe. This could be fixed, if the central government had the will.
www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar...
My first article for New Bloom Magazine is out today! After having contributed photography I'm excited to dip my toes into the written form. Thank you @brianhioe.bsky.social for the opportunity!
In the latest edition of 《Sirene》, you’ll find an article by me about my journey paddling from Taitung to Green Island, stopping along the way to explore Taiwan’s ancient indigenous maritime heritage, its more recent authoritarian past, and its ongoing rediscovery of the islands’ austronesian roots.
In related news, the canoe Alingano Maisu that stopped by #Taiwan this March is making a 6,200-nautical mile journey back to Palau! Its 13-member crew includes Paiwan writer Sakinu Ahronglong.
In Micronesian, Maisu means "the breadfruit that falls with the wind" — a gift from the Earth to everyone.
This too is important -- the PRC tourist groups were unpopular because the money was siphoned off to the PRC and never entered Taiwan. The stats were pure bullshit.
www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
Friends in Pingtung City and nearby... come along and join us for an event talking about our book Tâigael: Stories from Taiwanese & Gaelic!
We'll also be talking about writing, inspiration, creativity and much more besides.
Sign up below 👇
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Graphic with frame text From Taipei Taiwan New Bloom Newsletter April 15, 2026 with photo of activists holding signs that read hashtag I Stand with Rohingya
From Taipei, Taiwan: @newbloommag.net newsletter April 15, 2026: newbloom.substack.com/p/from-taipe...
Cheng Li-Wun’s Beijing bargain • Yellow Emperor • whole-process democracy • “ethnic Chinese” • dead dictator memorial • Prashad and Chak • Taiwanese people are racist • the war in Iran • T&N Party
Ahhh, so there’s quite a war going on behind the scenes between the NYT and🇨🇳. This explains why the recent coverage of China and Taiwan by the Times feels like a journalist family being held hostage inside China.
open.substack.com/pub/formosar...
On 4/12, the WBS Pingtung (屏東鳥會) hosted a birdwatching activity at the NPUST (屏科大) campus. The group recorded 51 species, a record for an WBSPT outing at this site!
One of the highlights was spotting 20 circling Black Kites (黑鳶) at the back of the campus 🐦
📷WBSPT
KMT demands Cho brief them on Indian workers. Yes, he should, and call them out for cynically exploiting local racism for cheap political points.
www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
Friends in Pingtung City and nearby... come along and join us for an event talking about our book Tâigael: Stories from Taiwanese & Gaelic!
We'll also be talking about writing, inspiration, creativity and much more besides.
Sign up below 👇
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Here's the video from the event for those who missed it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB7n...
The MAC calls on the CCP to pragmatically face up to the reality and engage in benign interaction with Taiwan’s democratically elected and legitimate government. The MAC reiterates that party-to-party exchanges cannot replace official cross-Strait mechanisms. Any cross-Strait matter or interaction involving the exercise of public authority must be handled by the government in order to genuinely safeguard the rights and well-being of the people. The government has always upheld the principle of parity and dignity and remains willing to engage in cross-Strait dialogue and interaction without preconditions. The CCP should pragmatically face Taiwan’s democratically elected and legitimate government and engage in benign interaction with Taiwan. Taiwan will also continue to work side by side with its allies and partners in jointly advancing regional peace and prosperity.
The #CCP should face the democratically elected and legitimate government of #Taiwan, for party-to-party exchanges cannot replace official cross-strait #dialogue.
www.mac.gov.tw/en/News_Cont...
https://www.mirrormedia.mg/external/setn_1820517
Cheng Li-wun had no red carpet rollout upon disembarking from her plane, no exchange of gifts with Xi Jinping, and no fancy car to escort her around #China, signs that reflect her subordinance to the Chinese leader, say Taiwanese commentators. She had to ride in a shuttle with fellow #KMT delegates.
Taiwan's government body for handling #China affairs:
What Chairperson Cheng calls a "peace framework" is but a "unification framework" that packages unification as peace.
Beijing's unilateral orchestration of a KMT-CCP leaders' meeting is intended to frame cross-strait issues as internal affairs.
It proves disappointing to see Taiwanese society is as racist against Indians as it was three years ago, when the idea was first introduced. Outrage is drummed up by the KMT, of course, but it reflects badly on Taiwanese society as a whole
A lot of Orbán's American fans are saying that this election proved he was never an authoritarian in the first place.
This is completely wrong — and, in fact, betrays a complete misunderstanding of both Hungarian politics and modern authoritarianism.
Here's why.
"Prashad and Chak Whitewash Colonialism in Most Banal of Terms in Monthly Review Article" by @brianhioe.bsky.social
There has been a lot of criticisms of that this piece had AI-hallucinated citations already. Prashad has apologized--and yet it's very telling that he feels more accountable to academic integrity than the 12 million lives whose erasure he and Chak contribute to the erasure of
“The information sought by the government in no way pertains to customs or importing or exporting merchandise, and is clearly intended to chill free speech.”
KMT's Cheng Li-wun has redefined the so-called "1992 Consensus" from "One China, different interpretations" (the initial KMT stance that Beijing never confirmed) to what amounts to "One Country, Two Systems", the very outcome the DPP has been warning about for years.
Labor minister Hung Sun-Han proposes phasing out recruitment fees, holding travel documents of migrants workers to bring Taiwan in line with international fair recruitment labor standards, that this is planned for next year
www.cna.com.tw/news/ahel/20...
Cheng Li-wun's startled response to a CCP official's comment on having "viewed her vids" led netizens on a mad scramble to uncover her past — from being an activist denouncing the KMT's inhumane treatment of the #Taiwanese in 1989, to dressing up as a #bunny for Lien Chan's farewell banquet in 2005.
International media has honed in on that Cheng's trip to China is the first such trip in ten years. But one notes, most KMT chairs that had staying power--as well as former president Ma--met with Xi at some point, that is no sign of anything, and Cheng is not an elected official
We didn't deserve this day.
