Articles by Wen-Hsuan Tsai

Xi’s missing smile: What AI reveals about his meetings with Trump and Putin

Using a combination of state media news footage, artificial intelligence and a facial coding system, Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai finds that body language speaks volumes when he compares Chinese President Xi Jinping’s facial expressions in the Xi-Trump meetings of May 2026 and November 2017, and the Xi-Putin meeting of May 2026.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

08 Jun 2026

Why Takaichi’s loud support leaves Taiwan quietly worried

Japan’s bold “Taiwan contingency” message divided Taipei’s leaders: some cheered, some fretted, but all moved cautiously. The island now faces a high-stakes political and diplomatic tightrope, says Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

11 Dec 2025

Whose victory, whose history? The fight over Taiwan’s 1945 ‘retrocession’

For Beijing, Taiwan’s “retrocession” marks the triumph of China’s wartime struggle and the promise of reunification. For Taipei’s Democratic Progressive Party, it recalls the arrival of yet another foreign regime — not national recovery. Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai examines the issue.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

11 Nov 2025

When every official is a suspect: Why Xi won’t stop purging

The recent “disappearance” of senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao has academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai thinking that recent events are likely to be part of a “campaign-style purge” orchestrated by Xi Jinping, aimed at creating an atmosphere of terror within officialdom.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

08 Sep 2025

Has Xi Jinping lost power?

Recent CCP “reforms” or regulatory adjustments do not signal a weakening of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s authority, but rather a strategic move to institutionalise power and ensure smoother governance beyond his tenure. In fact, these moves underscore the high level of prestige that President Xi still commands within the party, says academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

06 Aug 2025

Why UN Resolution 2758 is important for Taiwan’s future

For the Taiwanese government and people, the main purpose of clarifying the content of Resolution 2758 is to deter China from invading Taiwan and to ensure that Taiwan retains de facto independence, says academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

21 Oct 2024

Ageing leaders: A common challenge for China and the US

While China and the US have different systems, the issue of ageing political leaders is common to both. The fact that the Chinese Communist Party’s way of implementing age limits does not apply at the very top makes the Chinese system much less stable than that in Western-style democracies, says academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

19 Sep 2024

A revival of the tribute system? Taiwanese reactions to Ma Ying-jeou’s visit to China

While there was much fanfare over former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s visit to China in April, Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai observes that Taiwanese sentiment, especially among young Taiwanese, has been mostly lukewarm, with most not tied to old ties.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

30 Apr 2024

Wave of military purges in PLA unlikely to be over

The recent purge of top men from China's military may go on for longer yet, says Taiwanese academic Wen-hsuan Tsai. Whether it is to rein in the military top brass or to root out elements of corruption, the continued purges show that President Xi Jinping's grip on power continues to be strong.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

27 Feb 2024

China's abrupt leadership changes reveal Xi's grip on power

Taiwan academic Tsai Wen-Hsuan looks at the recent removal and disappearances of senior Chinese officials and discusses if these events reflect a shift in political dynamics among China's high-ups and if President Xi Jinping's power has been challenged.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

15 Aug 2023

CCP achieved its objectives with Ma Ying-jeou's visit

Taiwanese research fellow Tsai Wen-Hsuan sees the recent visit to China by former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou and the courtesies extended to him as a calculated move by Beijing. In the CCP's estimation, Ma's positions are helpful to China's narrative of peaceful reunification, and the visit may also quieten some discontent about the party's cross-strait policy.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

10 Apr 2023

All in the plans: Social protests have little chance of weakening Xi Jinping's leadership

While some analysts have spoken of the "white paper protests" against Covid restrictions in China as a turning point in citizen movements aggregating change, Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai says that the CCP had made its own calculations regarding easing China's Covid policy. Moreover, with its high-tech methods of monitoring protesters, the events of last November were well within its sights to deal with.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

25 Jan 2023