Written by Aleksandrs Gross. This article explores a unique phenomenon that occurred during the recalls – small businesses explicitly voiced their stance on the recalls. This mirrors similar patterns of Hong Kong during the pro-democracy movement in 2019. The author interviewed three pro-recall businesses to understand their stance and how they encourage constructive discussion without alienating opponents.
Written by Alex Yong Kang Chow. This article offers insights into the anti-imperial struggles of the Taiwanese and Hong Kong diasporas through the book Island X. This article contextualises the diaspora experiences historically through Cold War geopolitics and left-leaning activism since the 1970s.
Written by Malte Philipp Kaeding. This article argues for the important identity-formation process of the Umbrella movement and beyond in Hong Kong, asking the question of what is Hong Kong and what does it mean to be a Hongkonger. This process was inspired by the Sunflower Movement and the Taiwanese success in building a unique identity vis-a-vis China.
Written by Brian Hioe. The geopolitical fates diverged significantly in the past decade since the Sunflower and Umbrella Movements broke out ten years ago. Nevertheless, this article analyses the political interactions between Hong Kong and Taiwan in terms of movement activists and electoral politics. The author argues that these exchanges are expected to continue.
Written by Adrian Chiu. This special issue presents a brilliant line-up of scholars and observers of the two movements which provides insights and perspectives to analyse and reflect on the tenth anniversary of the Sunflower and Umbrella Movements. This introductory piece briefly sets the scene for their excellent analysis by reviewing some of the significant political changes both internationally and domestically.
Written by Michael Mo. To enhance the vitality of its democracy, Taiwan’s authorities should adopt the strategy used by other democratic nations of nurturing pro-democracy activists overseas in their election campaigns.
Written by Sanho Chung. It has been widely recognised that Hong Kong’s Anti-Extradition Movement in 2019 was the turning point of the 2020 General Election in Taiwan. In the last general election, Beijing’s hardline crackdown on the protests in Hong Kong gave rise to the Taiwanese’s mistrust of China and finally brought a big win to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which was expected to lose both their majority over the Legislative Yuan and their presidency. But after three years of National Security Law (NSL) enactment in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong issue in this general election seems no longer as focal as it was. How should we make sense of this huge contrast in attention? Has “Hong Kong Influence” faded out totally?
Written by Michael MO. Hong Kong’s pro-democracy struggle was a hot-button issue in 2020’s Taiwan presidential election campaign. Both President Tsai and former head of Executive Yuan Su Tseng-chang took the city as a case in their speeches to remind the Taiwanese to defend the island and not turn Taiwan into another Hong Kong. Three years on, specific policies to guard the country against the potential legal and political harassment from the extraterritorial application of the NSL remain non-existent. While the issues of Hong Kong may no longer be a concern in the presidential race, the need to build a robust defence to protect Taiwanese interests in Hong Kong should still be on the political agenda of the island.
Written by Cheuk Kwan Lau. In January 2023, a BBC news article brought attention to the challenges faced by Hong Kongers who migrated to Taiwan. The news pointed out that Hong Kongers who migrated to Taiwan face institutional obstacles when applying for citizenship. Immigration laws in Taiwan were claimed to be outdated. The migrated Hong Kongers could legally inhabit Taiwan, yet they did not enjoy citizenship and civil rights.
Instead of exploring the various institutional obstacles they face, this article takes a unique approach by examining the perceptions of the Taiwanese young generation regarding the influx of Hong Kong immigrants. It aims to uncover the contemporary Taiwanese identity constructed by this demographic, previously seen as a strong ally of Hong Kong protestors during the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Movement.
Written by Zeng Ee Liew. The term ‘colonial nostalgia’, or 戀殖 (lian zhi), has appeared more and more since the 2000s in the discourse used by Mainland China to describe the politicians or activists who advocate for democracy or even independence in both Taiwan and Hong Kong. Very often, those democracy or independence activists will be described as ‘traitors’ who still harbour lingering love or affection and pander to the former Western or Japanese colonial power and fail to show full patriotic love to the motherland. The use of such discourse can be seen from the lens of a broader effort by the Chinese government to delegitimise those pro-democracy activists, which will be explored further in this article.
Written by Hsin-I Cheng. In the past decade, the world has heard the resisting voices of dissidents across Asia. From the 2014 Sunflower Movement to the Occupied Central Movement in Hong Kong later in the same year, citizens peacefully held their governments accountable. Since then, we have witnessed mass protests for freedom and transparency in nations. These challenges against authoritarianism generated transnational synergy, as demonstrated in the “#Milk Tea Alliance.” This movement started in 2020 when young Thai netizens fought cyberattacks against two Thai celebrities who expressed support for Taiwan and Hong Kong’s autonomy. Shockingly, two years later, the world witnessed Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine—it is a less militarily powerful neighbouring nation. Against these backdrops, we launched the book: Resistance in the Era of Nationalisms: Performing Identities in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Written by Jie Chen and Ratih Kabinawa. Taiwan has become widely regarded as an exemplary consolidated democracy, albeit with some defects. In Freedom in the World 2022 report, Freedom House gives Taiwan a 94 of 100 ratings, meaning the country counts as fully free. Freedom House also notes that “Taiwan’s vibrant and competitive democratic system has allowed three peaceful transfers of power between rival parties since 2000, and protections for civil liberties are generally robust”. Taiwan’s democratic standing has become more pronounced considering the rapid mainlandisation of Hong Kong under the repressive National Security Law.
Taiwan Insight 