Taiwan Insight

Tracks of Influence: How Taiwan’s Railway Heritage Fuels Soft Power

Written by Tang Meng Kit. Taiwan’s railway heritage, originating from its Japanese colonial past, has transformed into a vibrant symbol of soft power. Through thoughtfully curated museums, cultural events, and international collaborations, particularly with Japan, Taiwan weaves history and innovation into a compelling narrative. This approach not only nurtures cultural exchange and tourism but also reinforces Taiwan’s resilience and evolving national identity on the global stage.

Stepping Through the Door: Taiwan’s Space Future in Motion (2)

Written by Andie Wang. The second part of this two-part article examines two critical aspects of Taiwan’s space ambitions: international partnerships and talent development, analysing both current initiatives and future opportunities. It argues that through strategic partnership development and systematic talent incubation mechanisms, Taiwan can become a more established space power and a significant contributor to the global space ecosystem.

Floating in a Most Peculiar Way: Taiwan’s Struggles in Space Development

Written by Jiun-Ru Chiang. This article examines the geopolitical constraints of Taiwan’s space development, exploring how China use political and economic power to shape broader geopolitical restraints in order to obstruct Taiwan’s space development. While struggling in space development and international cooperation, Taiwan must pursue a more calculated and diversified approach.

Commencing Countdown: Taiwan’s Journey in Space Development

Written by Jiun-Ru Chiang, Fan Su, and Jie-Yun Hung. This article reviews Taiwan’s journey in space development, reflecting a strategic evolution from experimental satellite projects to a structured, policy-driven industry. Examining the evolution of Taiwan’s space sector provides insight into how government initiatives, industrial expertise, and diplomatic challenges have intertwined to influence the country’s strategic direction.

Songs of Defiance: LGBT Pop Music in Taiwan (Post-2018 Referendum) [Part 1]

13 February 2019 Editor

As Taiwan’s LGBT community reels from the result of the referendum, they can find solace in the rich collection of Taiwan’s LGBT music cannon. Those songs that saw the community fight against discrimination, against inequality, and espouse the values of freedom, individuality and defying the status quo have an even more important meaning now than they did before.

Women as Workers, Women as Agents: Studying Labor and Gender in Industrial and Postindustrial Taiwan

12 February 2019 Editor

While my past work focused on individual acts of resistance, my recent work investigates the possibility of collective actions to address the issue of gender inequality.

LGBT issues in 2019

11 February 2019 Editor

While many DPP supporters of same-sex marriage and LGBT rights more broadly (e.g. legislator Yu Mei-Nu) spoke out in favour of legalization, in large part they lacked a clear message that would appeal to the otherwise indifferent, making the job easier for anti-LGBT groups.

Taiwan’s Cultural Plurality and Immigration Policy

9 February 2019 Editor

Written by Ji-ping Lin. Much like many countries, Taiwan has a long historical tradition of migration, including internal and international. Taiwan’s early developments were

Taiwan’s population growth… or lack thereof

5 February 2019 Editor

Written by Marcus Roberts. The big demographic news out of Asia recently has been the “unstoppable” demographic decline that China is about to undergo thanks

Taiwan – shrinking and increasingly alone

4 February 2019 Editor

Written by Marcus Roberts. Once our three children are in bed (a process that can take some time, much to my frustration) I often relax

Mindfulness in Taiwan

1 February 2019 Editor

Written by Chung-Wei Lin Mindfulness originated from the early Buddhist classics referred to as “Samyukta-Agama” and “Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta”. Mindfulness are those teachings of the Buddha that were handed to the disciples, and which Buddhists believe are the direct path to realization. Mindfulness has four steps: mindfulness of the body