Written by Dr Ming-Yeh T. Rawnsley. This article is an introduction to the Taiwan Insight–IJTS Special Issue on IJTS Open Access Awards, an initiative recognising high-quality Taiwan-focused research by granting open-access status to the selected articles. This Special Issue showcases six award-winning articles, highlighting their contribution across multiple disciplines beyond Taiwan Studies.
Written by Adrienne Wu and Yuchen Lee. The article discusses the impact of budget cuts to Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture. These cuts, including major reductions to media promotion, threaten Taiwan’s cultural industries, limit international outreach, and undermine the country’s ability to counter Beijing’s media influence.
Written by Jasper Roctus. This article revisits a rare moment of bipartisanship from two decades ago when the DPP’s incumbent president Chen Shui-bian met with the PFP leader James Soong. The meeting offers insights into the possibilities and limits of political reconciliation in Taiwan in 2025. Even politically opposed figures can agree to embrace greater tolerance and goodwill.
Written by Wei-Jie Liao. This article questions the justification and methods of the unprecedented budget cuts passed by Taiwan’s opposition in 2025, noting flawed reasoning behind many proposals. The author advocates for the importance of transparency and accountability in the budget process for both the executive and legislative branches.
Written by Dr Chieh-chi Hsieh. This article argues that the KMT will suffer more substantial political backlash than the TPP both in the short term and long term. The KMT legislators will face the nationwide recall motions, while the TPP will not lose any of their legislators. The KMT is also going to bear the electoral cost of the internalisation of the cross-Strait confrontation.
Written by Hsin-Yi Chao. This article discusses cultural equity and the rights of persons with disabilities in Taiwan. It examines cultural equity subsidies since 2016, noting that despite overall budget growth, cultural equity funding remains unstable. The author highlights a case where budget cuts led to the suspension of sign language interpretation services and proposes policy recommendations to strengthen cultural equity implementation.
