Human rights

Members of Border Angels and migrants demonstrate at the US-Mexico border as part of International Migrants Day in Playas de Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico, on 18 December 2023. (Guillermo Arias/AFP)

Populism and anti-immigration fervour surges in the West

Taiwanese commentator Chen Kuohsiang notes that populist fervour and anti-immigration sentiments in the US and Europe embolden each other and form a vicious circle, dominating major political issues. This has led to the potential political comeback of former US President Donald Trump and the rise of opposition parties in Europe.
US President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Woodside, California, US, on 15 November 2023. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Xi-Biden meeting ends on positive note: A better tomorrow?

The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden concluded on an upbeat note, with many issues discussed albeit with no real consensus at the moment. However, this opens the door to future dialogue and communication between both sides.
US President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on 14 November 2022. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

What can we expect from the Xi-Biden summit?

While the US focuses on the competitive dimension of the relationship and emphasises the need to manage competition responsibly, China stresses a win-win outcome of the relationship through cooperation, says US academic Zhu Zhiqun. Will it be “never the twain shall meet” for the US and China?
"I remember the day Einstein came to me in a dream"

[Comic] The other side of the coral reef

I recently watched Oppenheimer and it reminded me of a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: “The state was made for man, not man for the state.” This was possibly the difference between Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer. The meaning of “state” is abstract, fluid and changing, and the idea that “I will always love my country” has long been shaken. Just as Einstein must have loved Germany but had to leave, there was a lot of helplessness and conflict — between people and government, politics and science, domination and egalitarianism. While the scientific spirit of “facts over authorities and books; always exchanging, comparing and reassessing opinions” is somewhat idealistic, like the law, it is worth holding on to. If academics do not stand with the people, who then will fight “evil”? Between scholars and the wise ones, there is just a little more justice, conscience and sense of humanity. — Bai Yi
A demonstrator uses a microphone as others hold flags and signs as they protest outside India's consulate, a week after Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the prospect of New Delhi's involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 25 September 2023. (Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters)

Strained alliances: India-Canada diplomatic row

Allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen who was a Khalistan separatist have soured Canada-India relations. China is watching from the sidelines to see if this will have an impact on the West's relations with India, but common interests may mean that bonds may be tested but not easily broken, says Indian academic Rishi Gupta.
People ride a small train for children on a street in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China on 16 September 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)

Why China’s population policies always veer towards the extreme

China’s population policies have had a tendency to veer towards the extreme since the era of Mao, says commentator Yu Shiyu. A delayed response to adjusting the one-child policy, which has resulted in a declining population and is expected to have an adverse economic impact, demonstrates the inefficiency of an authoritarian system in self-correcting. Its decision making could also swing between extremes as it is based on subjective top-level thinking.
A taxi drives under Chinese and Hong Kong flags outside a shopping mall in Hong Kong, China, on 5 July 2023. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Hong Kong’s pursuit of overseas activists could backfire

Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing looks at the recent issuance of Interpol “red notices” by the Hong Kong government on eight pro-democracy activists living overseas, and what the move signals.
Taiwanese host Mickey Huang is facing sexual assault allegations amid a #MeToo wave sweeping across Taiwan. (CNS)

#MeToo in Taiwan: Why public opinion matters

While it is easy for public commentators to lash out at perpetrators and victims alike in #MeToo cases, the psychological factors behind each case are complex. Would angry bashing tamp down our empathy for the afflicted in rooting out the underlaying issues behind sexual assault?
People walk past the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei on 28 April 2023. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

Taiwan's #MeToo: A progressive Taiwanese society's attempt at challenging patriarchy

Commentator Gu Erde notes the recent spate of allegations of sexual offences against notable figures in Taiwan, most prominently from within the Democratic Progressive Party itself. This has put the ruling party in the eye of the #MeToo storm, with victims coming forward to speak out. What does this furore say about patriarchal chauvinism in Taiwan’s wider society and culture?