Democratic Progressive Party

[Big read] ​After Xi-Trump summit, a jittery Taiwan takes stock

Soon after the US-China summit in Beijing, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te stressed that peace in the Taiwan Strait would not be sacrificed or traded away, and called for Taiwan to bolster its national strength and cooperate closely with Taiwan’s global democratic partners. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han speaks with academics and analyses the situation.

Miao Zong-Han

04 Jun 2026

Trump-Xi summit leaves Taiwan independence camp on edge

Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is reeling after US President Donald Trump, following his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, bluntly warned against any push for independence. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Chuang Hui Liang notes that this signals a potential shift in US policy, forcing Taipei to urgently redefine its cross-strait strategy.

Chuang Hui Liang

19 May 2026

Is Taiwan’s autonomy on the table at the Trump-Xi Beijing summit?

With US President Trump’s visit to China coming up, Taiwan is left especially vulnerable, fearing it will be used in the game of smoke and mirrors between the US and China. With the Democratic Progressive Party putting all its eggs in the US’s basket, Taiwan’s strategic autonomy is all but lost, says US academic Zhiqun Zhu.

Zhiqun Zhu

07 May 2026

Can India-Taiwan ties withstand backlash over Indian migrant workers?

While Taiwan looks for ways to diversify its labour pool with Indian workers high on that list, civil society and the opposition have come in with scaremongering tactics that may jeopardise Taiwan’s steady relations with India. Academic Ghulam Ali weighs in on the issue. 

Ghulam Ali

06 May 2026

China visit before Trump: Can Cheng Li-wun rescue the Kuomintang?

Ahead of Trump’s visit to Beijing, Kuomintang chair Cheng Li-wun has accepted Chinese President Xi Jinping’s invitation to visit the mainland next month, raising questions about whether her peace-politics gambit can unify a divided KMT, navigate internal rivalries and election pressures, and advance cross-strait peace. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Chuang Hui Liang dives into the issue.

Chuang Hui Liang

31 Mar 2026

[Video] George Yeo: America’s deep pain — and why China won’t colonise

George Yeo, in an interview with ThinkChina editor Chow Yian Ping, explores America’s deep social pain, China’s struggle with corruption rooted in Confucian ties, and why change is hard. He also weighs the risk of war in the Taiwan Strait and Singapore’s future in a fast-shifting world order. This is the first episode of ThinkChina Conversations, a series of in-depth interviews with experts on China.

Chow Yian Ping

27 Feb 2026

Israel’s great power playbook is tempting Taiwan’s leaders

Israel has long turned great power rivalry into strategic leverage. Taiwan’s leaders now appear tempted by the same logic. But applying Israel’s playbook in East Asia could distort deterrence — and make Taipei the testing ground for escalation, cautions academic Ma Haiyun.

Ma Haiyun

23 Dec 2025

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

Trump and Xi skipped Taiwan: Calm before the storm?

Xi Jinping and Donald Trump skipped Taiwan during their Busan summit, but no mention does not mean tensions are easing. The silence could be strategic, signalling a fragile calm before potential challenges in cross-strait relations. US academic Zhiqun Zhu gives his take.

Zhiqun Zhu

11 Nov 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

Busan diplomacy: When Xi and Trump met as equals

Behind the smiles in Busan, both Washington and Beijing came seeking results. Taiwan stayed off the table but loomed in the background, as a rising China now stands as a peer the US can no longer afford to ignore. US academic Zhiqun Zhu lays out takeaways from the session.

Zhiqun Zhu

31 Oct 2025

The reunification roadmap: How Beijing plans to win Taiwan without war

Beijing’s messaging on Taiwan has evolved from rhetoric to roadmap. By adapting Hong Kong’s “patriots governing” model and testing US resolve, the 2028 Taiwan presidential election could become a defining moment for the future of the Taiwan Strait. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Sim Tze Wei gives an analysis.

Sim Tze Wei

31 Oct 2025