Straight-Talking Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je Takes on China
Taipei’s Mayor Ko Wen-je said that colonization made Taiwan’s culture more “advanced” than China’s, but many in Taiwan say that Ko’s straight-talking style is a breath of fresh air for Taiwan’s political scene.
Firefighters’ Death Raise Concern for Lack of Resources
Six young firefighters die in an explosion in Taiwan, and raises questions about long term personnel shortages and wasteful spending, as 19 firefighters have died in the line of duty in the past two years.
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新移民配偶飽受國籍、性別、與社會階層的「三方歧視」，台灣社會對於媳婦應附屬於丈夫的要求更加劇了這樣的歧視。更甚者，夫妻之間的年齡差距、處世方式、語言隔閡也可能造成家暴、逃婚、與家庭動盪…
Same-sex Marriage Bill Debated in Parliament
Taiwan’s legislature held its first legislative session for the same-sex marriage bill yesterday, making it the first East Asian country to do so.
Constitutional Reform Rages On in Taiwan
Taiwan’s debate on constitutional reform continues into this week, focusing on whether Taiwan should adopt a pure parliamentary system to replace its current brand of semi-presidential system.
Extremists Terrorize Australia and Pakistan
This past week, the world was shocked by two terrorist attacks, in Sydney, Australia and Peshawar, Pakistan, respectively. While the Sydney attack may be an isolated incident, Pakistan’s attack may signal some changes there.
More Abenomics, Says Japan Voters
On Sunday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner retained their super-majority of seats in the legislature, signaling a continuation of Abe’s economic stimulus policies known as “Abenomics.”
Police Clears Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters bid farewell to their 75-day street occupation when police stormed the main protest site at the Admiralty district, tearing down thousands of colorful tents and makeshift barricades.
The Debrief 12/9/14
Student activist Chen Wei-ting (陳為廷) runs for parliament in his native Miaoli; calls for constitutional reforms in Taiwan; India and its climate change challenges, and civil unrest in the US after a series of racially-charged cases of deaths by police.
After Elections, Taiwan Talks Constitutional Reforms
After the dramatic local elections last week, political opinion makers from both the KMT and DPP sides are turning their attention to the issue of constitutional reform and systems of governance.
Taiwan After 2014 Elections (KP30)
After the historical 2014 local elections in Taiwan, we check in with Kharis Templeman of Stanford’s Taiwan Democracy Project and Denny Weng of Wesleyan University about what to expect in the future for Taiwan’s political development.
KMT’s Worst Loss in Elections, Ma to Resign as Chairman
On November 29, Taiwan’s ruling KMT suffered a historical defeat in nation-wide local elections, losing 9 of 16 county and metropolitan level executive positions, and losing 6.2% of local council seats overall.