Written by Guido Gargiulo. This article describes how Taiwan, under President Lai Ching-te, navigates mounting geopolitical pressures from China while balancing relations with the United States under Donald Trump and the European Union. It explores Taipei’s strategy of bolstering defence, securing trade deals, and expanding diplomatic outreach to deter Beijing and strengthen global partnerships amid growing uncertainty in the Taiwan Strait.
Written by Ming-Yeh T. Rawnsley. This article shares insights from the new edition of The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Media (2025), which documents a radically transformed, digitalised media ecology across the Chinese-speaking world. Comparing Taiwan, the PRC, Hong Kong and Macao, it foregrounds platform governance, power, participation and cultural negotiation, positioning Taiwan as a key lens for rethinking Chinese media studies in the digital age.
Written by Sophia Li. This article examines the diplomatic struggle of Taiwan in the face of China’s money diplomacy and exposes the limits of China’s approach in the case of Nicaragua. Taiwan’s position will be a key measure of how the international system adapts or fails to adapt in the era of growing authoritarian influence.
Written by Jess Marinaccio. This article examines Taiwan’s fisheries during martial law, with a focus on the 1976 Jinnan No. 1 incident in New Zealand. Illegal fishing both strained Pacific diplomacy and yet revealed how fishing boats enabled individual mobility. For workers like Zhang Songhuo on Jinnan No. 1, fisheries were not solely a means of livelihood, but also a possible escape route from the authoritarian ROC during the martial law period.
Written by Ritika Passi. The article discusses the weaponisation of different chokepoints, using the India-Pakistan water dispute as a case study. It applies these insights to Taiwan, underscoring its vulnerabilities in the Taiwan Strait for trade and subsea cables for data. The author emphasises the need for Taiwan to enhance its economic security and resilience against potential disruptions.
Written by Sana Hashmi. This article discusses how the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict served as a critical case study for Taiwan, especially concerning a potential Chinese invasion. The author argues that China’s indirect support for Pakistan during the conflict allowed Beijing to test limited war scenarios, grey-zone tactics, and cognitive warfare strategies, mirroring Taiwan’s own strategic environment. This highlights Taiwan’s need to diversify its defense partnerships and enhance its resilience against disinformation.
