Taiwan Insight

From Poppies to Tea Gardens: How Taiwan’s Tea Took Root on Thailand’s Northern Borderland

Written by Po-Yi Hung. Taiwan’s tea is often associated with its mountain landscapes, but its influence extends far beyond the island. This article traces how Taiwanese tea varieties, cultivation techniques, and agricultural expertise transformed the former opium-growing borderlands of northern Thailand. It reveals tea as more than an agricultural commodity, as a vehicle of diplomacy, territorial governance, and cross-border mobility that quietly reshaped the Golden Triangle.

When Tea Becomes Everything (Part 2)

Written by Gawin Tiansuwan. In Part 2, the author follows a deeper immersion into tea culture, spanning Canada, Thailand, and Taiwan. A life-changing move to Taipei to study Mandarin leads to a deep connection with Taiwan’s tea community, historic neighbourhoods, and a young master in Pinglin. Using these Taiwanese tea-making insights, he returns to Northern Thailand to help revitalising local wild tea traditions.

When Tea Becomes Everything (Part 1)

Written by Gawin Tiansuwan. In Part 1, the author traces a personal journey of self-discovery through tea. Moving from Western blends in the UK to traditional gongfu cha in Hong Kong, the author explores how tea provided stability during burnout. Crucially, an inspiring trip to Taiwan’s iconic teahouses sparked a lifelong passion, prompting the purchase of his first Yixing teapot and ultimately bridging a connection to his ethnic heritage.

Taiwan’s Transition to Democracy and the Taiwanese Identity

29 July 2026 Adrian Chiu

Written by Nikhil Sharma. This article analyses the historical contexts that underpinned eventual reforms and the reimagining of Taiwanese identity resulting from Taiwan’s democratic transition. It argues that Taiwan’s nationalism is unique because it is not rooted in ethnicity but in a shared experience of historical repression and a shared struggle to chart its own path.

Taiwan: China’s Dessert Part II

28 July 2026 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Sheng-mei Ma. This is Part II of the article. Through a close reading of the Chinese TV series Reset, the article argues that its recurring time loops, terrorism, and symbolic imagery allegorise authoritarian violence, historical repetition, and state repression in the People’s Republic of China, which ultimately frames Taiwan as the regime’s imagined final object of political and territorial consumption.

Taiwan: China’s Dessert Part I

27 July 2026 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Sheng-mei Ma. This is Part I of the article. Through a close reading of the Chinese TV series Reset, the article argues that its recurring time loops, terrorism, and symbolic imagery allegorise authoritarian violence, historical repetition, and state repression in the People’s Republic of China, which ultimately frames Taiwan as the regime’s imagined final object of political and territorial consumption.

The Illusion of “Taiwan Doesn’t Have to Choose”

24 July 2026 Adrian Chiu

Written by Huynh Tam Sang and Truong Tuan Kiet. This article argues that Cheng Li-wun’s claim that “Taiwan doesn’t have to choose” is implausible and misaligned with the current geopolitical context. Taiwan must accept the painful reality that neutrality is an illusion. It does not have the luxury to simply opt out of the geopolitical tug-of-war between the U.S. and China and should adopt the “porcupine strategy”.

Borrowed Architecture: The EU Analogy, Cross-Strait Impasse, and the Limits of Opposition Diplomacy

23 July 2026 Adrian Chiu

Written by Meng Kit Tang. KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s recently used the European Union as a model for cross-strait engagement. This article examines why the EU analogy has become a recurring feature of KMT discourse and whether the conditions that enabled European integration resemble those of the Taiwan Strait, arguing that key elements of postwar Europe are largely absent across the strait.

What Taiwan and Mexico Can Learn from Each Other on Indigenous Reserved Seats

22 July 2026 NGA Shi Yeu

Written by Chikara Yanome Toda. Geographically distant but democratically aligned, Taiwan and Mexico both navigate the complex challenge of indigenous political representation. While Taiwan uses identity-based, nationwide reserved seats, Mexico relies on territorial districts requiring community recognition. This article explores how Taiwan’s stable national presence and Mexico’s localised accountability offer vital, cross-regional lessons for modernising minority representation in both democracies.

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