Gu Erde

Gu Erde

Editor-in-chief, The Journalist

Gu Erde (real name Kuo Hong Chi) is the editor-in-chief of Taiwan news agency The Journalist and a veteran journalist.

People watch street entertainers singing on a street at the Xinyi district in Taipei on 16 January 2024. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

More Taiwanese are venturing overseas for better pay

Taiwan is experiencing a brain drain as it loses talents to neighbouring countries such as Japan and Singapore, due to the prospects of higher salaries compared with back home. Commentator Gu Erde notes that as those countries face an ageing and declining population, they have set up favourable policies to attract talent.
People walk past a Taiwanese flag in New Taipei City on 13 January 2024. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

Survey on US and Taiwan experts: William Lai’s presidency will see a turbulent Taiwan Strait

Commentator Gu Erde looks into a recent survey on China experts from the US and Taiwan, which reveals, among other things, that the Taiwan experts perceive a lower military threat from China than the US experts, but a higher proportion of the US experts is confident that the US would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan in a conflict.
Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's president-elect (centre), at an election night rally outside the Democratic Progressive Party headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, on 13 January 2024. (An Rong Xu/Bloomberg)

William Lai’s biggest challenge will be Xi Jinping and Ko Wen-je

With the Taiwan presidential elections at a close and the Democratic Progressive Party clinching a historic third consecutive term, commentator Gu Erde takes a look at the challenges ahead for president-elect William Lai.
Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections on 13 January 2024 will affect the situation across the Taiwan Strait and the direction of cross-strait relations, attracting attention at home and abroad. The picture shows a large-scale nighttime rally held by the Democratic Progressive Party in Changhua county on 2 December 2023. (Democratic Progressive Party)

Taiwan's presidential election a choice between peace and war?

As the Taiwan presidential election heats up in the final month, commentator Gu Erde takes a look at the election narratives surrounding the three parties in the contest, in particular garnering the youth votes, the Taiwan Strait issue and Taiwan’s relations with China and the US.
Pedestrians walk past an advertisement for Huawei's Mate 60 series smartphones outside a Huawei store in Shanghai, China, 8 September 2023. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Has China’s chip sector reached the end of the line?

While many are impressed by the release of Huawei’s Mate series smartphone equipped with 7-nanometre chips, some would believe that China has reached the pinnacle of its semiconductor development. Commentator Gu Erde takes a look at China’s chip sector thus far as it grapples with the US's tech blockade.
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?
Hou Yu-ih, mayor of New Taipei City (centre) during a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan, 17 May 2023. (I-Hwa Cheng/Bloomberg)

Why Hou Yu-ih won the KMT presidential nomination and Terry Gou did not

With about eight months to go to the next Taiwan presidential election, commentator Gu Er De explains why Hou Yu-ih won the nomination as KMT presidential candidate, while Terry Gou failed despite his best efforts.
Young people in New Taipei City on 27 January 2023. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

Tackling the growing income gap in Taiwan

Veteran journalist Gu Erde looks at the impact of Taiwan's widening income gap, especially on the youth. Is the government doing enough to strengthen the social security network and protect people's livelihoods?
Supporters of Kuomintang (KMT) celebrate preliminary results in the Taipei mayoral election at a rally in Taipei, Taiwan, on 26 November 2022. (Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg)

Taiwan’s 2024 presidential race takes shape

Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party took a number of hits during the “nine-in-one” local elections and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as a result. Veteran journalist Gu Erde notes how the 2024 presidential race has started to take shape, but Taiwan’s elections in recent years show that voters’ tastes, especially those of the young voters, change quickly and drastically.