Taiwan Insight

Mei’s Original Sin (美之原罪): Settler Colonialism, “Beautiful Country,” White Beauty

Written by Sheng-mei Ma. This article focuses on self-alienation and the pursuit of Eurocentric beauty standards. It examines how Chinese linguistic biases and the prevalence of cosmetic surgery among celebrities reflect a subconscious, self-inflicted whitewashing that parallels historical settler colonialism and racial hierarchies.

LIBERTY SQUARE REVISITED: THE WILD LILY MOVEMENT AND TAIWAN’S DEMOCRATIC CRISIS

Written by Vasja Hafner. This article argues that the Wild Lily Movement not only created repertoires that have been repeatedly reused in subsequent movements, using occupation of public space as the primary way to articulate democratic legitimacy, but also helped create a structural gap in the constitutional architecture. The same protest repertoire is now being used to contest the institutional order.

Beyond Exclusion: Countering Taiwan’s Identity Subordination in Non-State Institutions

Written by Nilufer Mistry Sheasby. This article examines how non-state institutions undermine Taiwan’s identity by mandating subordinating terminology in ostensibly apolitical settings. It argues that traditional diplomatic responses are insufficient and proposes a multi-faceted playbook: coordinating government and private actors to challenge naming decisions, mobilising stakeholder pressure, and mitigating harm when reversal remains impossible.

Lithuania’s Taiwan Balancing Act Tests Europe’s Resolve

Written by Jozef Huljak. This article discusses how Lithuania is resuming economic cooperation talks with Taiwan despite internal political pressure to reset relations with Beijing. This strategy aims to shift the relationship from symbolic solidarity to durable economic interest, testing Europe’s resolve against Chinese coercion while proving that a resilient, mutually beneficial partnership can withstand domestic political cycles.

When Renewable Energy Becomes a Barrier to Upgrading: The Dilemma of SMEs in Taiwan

23 October 2026 Adrian Chiu

Written by Sin Lee and Chan-Yuan Wong. This article argues that Taiwan’s AI and net-zero transitions risk creating a K-shaped economy, as large firms gain better access to capital, technology, talent, and renewable energy while SMEs struggle with upgrading costs. It examines how unequal access to green electricity could constrain SMEs’ participation in global supply chains and proposes policy support.

The Energy Dimension of Taiwan’s AI Shield

22 October 2026 Adrian Chiu

Written by Scott M. Moore. This article assesses whether Taiwan’s energy system can sustain an “AI Shield” built on its dominance in semiconductor manufacturing. Although the aggregate generation capacity is adequate, outdated grids, rising data-centre demand, dependence on imported gas and affordability disputes create vulnerabilities. The article suggests major energy upgrades, expanding renewables, and lowering energy prices.

Supply and Demand: Taiwan’s AI Shield Conundrum

21 October 2026 Adrian Chiu

Written by Pam Kennedy. This article examines whether Taiwan’s central role in producing AI-capable semiconductors creates a durable “AI shield” by increasing Western, especially US, security interests. It argues that the shield is narrower and more fragile than often assumed, vulnerable to AI investment slowdowns and chip-supply diversification, and should not replace broader international partnerships.

Detention (2019): Displacing Millennial, Nipponophiliac Taiwan’s Red Scare onto Mid-Century White Terror Part II

20 October 2026 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Sheng-mei Ma. Part II of the article perceives Detention as a haunting of Taiwan’s White Terror, where Fang’s guilt, forbidden love, and suppressed memory recur through ghosts, banned texts, and images of facelessness and decapitation. Its hybrid cultural references reveal Taiwanese identity as historically layered, while headlessness symbolises political violence, erasure, and unresolved collective trauma.

Detention (2019): Displacing Millennial, Nipponophiliac Taiwan’s Red Scare onto Mid-Century White Terror Part I

19 October 2026 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Sheng-mei Ma. In Part I of the article, the author examines how the film Detention (2019), through a return to Taiwan’s White Terror, exposes unresolved tensions among Chineseness, Taiwaneseness, and Japanese colonial legacies. Through Fang’s mixed family, religious practices, and betrayal of the banned Study Group, the film links political repression with intimate conflicts of love, resentment, identity, and betrayal.

Mei’s Original Sin (美之原罪): Settler Colonialism, “Beautiful Country,” White Beauty

16 October 2026 Chee-Hann Wu

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