Taiwan Insight

US-Taiwan relations in 2025; It sure was a turbulent year.

5 January 2026 Adrian Chiu

Written by Gerrit van der Wees. This article suggests that Taiwan-US relations in 2025 were turbulent. The year was marked by contradictory presidential statements, unprecedented congressional activism, and the codification of Taiwan’s strategic importance in U.S. defence and security planning. The latest PLA military exercise indicates that 2026 will be even more turbulent.

Dear DPP, Taiwan’s Young Adults Want Practical Solutions

22 December 2025 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Carissa Cheng. Despite strong economic growth, Taiwan’s youth face stagnant wages, soaring housing costs, and limited opportunities, prompting many to abandon the DPP for the TPP in 2024. The article argues economic insecurity, party factionalism, and perceptions of elitism drove this shift, and urges the DPP to refocus on youth-centred economic policy, messaging, and reform.

Heaven and Earth Book Club: The Boy from Clearwater

19 December 2025 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Leona Chen. This article reflects on The Boy from Clearwater, a translated graphic memoir that intertwines Tsai Kun-lin’s life with the author’s own diasporic longing. Through vivid illustrations and intergenerational memory, the graphic novel becomes a conduit for Taiwanese American readers seeking connection, historical understanding, and ancestral intimacy across language, distance, and time.

Taiwanese BL Comics: A Simple, Everyday Love Story

18 December 2025 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Chee-Hann Wu. This article shares the rise of Taiwanese BL comics, which increasingly portray ordinary, everyday same-sex relationships without much sexuality-related conflict. These works exemplify comforting, relatable stories that reflect a society where love is simply lived.

The History of Comics in Taiwan: 1940s to 1980s

17 December 2025 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by I-Yun Lee. This article is an overview that traces Taiwanese comics from Japanese colonial to post-war Taiwan, the rise of rental comics, and the severe censorship that stifled creators from the 1960s to the 1980s. Shaped by colonial importation, market demand, and state control, Taiwan’s comic history emerges as a story of negotiation and constraint.

Facing the Uncertainty of Trump’s Taiwan Policy: Taiwan’s diplomatic, economic, and military approaches to address the significant challenge

16 December 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Baosheng Guo. This article analyses Taiwan’s options in the face of Trump’s uncertain and unpredictable Taiwan policy. It suggests that Taiwan should urge the US to provide strategic clarity and strengthen its relationship with Europe. Taiwan should also weaponise the interdependence of its semiconductor industry with the US and prepare to restart its research and development of nuclear weapons.

When Cultural Exchange Is Forced to Tiptoe Around Authoritarian Red Lines

15 December 2025 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Isis M. Lee. A landmark exhibition in Prague displays 100 masterpieces from Taiwan’s National Palace Museum — yet Taiwan itself disappears from the story. This erasure reveals how authoritarian pressure increasingly shapes cultural spaces far beyond China’s borders.

Who Is Taiwanese: Rejection or Redefinition?

12 December 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Meng Kit Tang. This article explores the evolving debate over Taiwanese identity, contrasting two models: the rejectionist approach and the redefinition model. It examines the implications of each model for domestic cohesion, diplomacy, and national resilience, arguing that a redefinition approach provides Taiwan with a stronger foundation to navigate internal polarisation and external pressures.

A Third Front: The Pivot of Businesses Towards Activism

11 December 2025 Adrian Chiu

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.

From Prodigy to Potential: How Taiwan Could Redefine Intelligence

10 December 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Gita T. This article examines how Taiwan could better identify and nurture the quieter forms of cognitive talent that often go unnoticed — helping students find stronger alignment between aptitude and work, reducing early burnout, and building an education framework that allows curiosity to breathe. In that sense, Taiwan’s next great export could be curiosity itself.

Time to Reposition Taiwan within Europe’s Indo-Pacific Vision

9 December 2025 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Laura Bonsaver. This article proposes that Europe should move beyond threat-centric framings of Taiwan and recognise it as an innovative, democratic, and technologically advanced partner. It recommends de-hyphenating Taiwan from militaristic narratives, normalising its role in Indo-Pacific strategies, and reframing Europe-Taiwan relations as mutually beneficial collaborations rather than dependency or crisis management.

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