Brian Hioe

KMT legislators visit airport in probe of premier - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

Okay lol

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...

On “Taiwan This Week” on ICRT with @shuwanggong.bsky.social and Gavin Phipps today, shortly after 8 pm!

Hear me out, bucket chain

Mass Ban of Feminist Accounts on Eve of March 8 International Women’s Day In what is becoming an annual event, a spate of bans on the eve of March 8 International Women’s Day has struck numerous WeChat public accounts focused on feminism, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, comb...

Mass Ban of Feminist Accounts on Eve of March 8 International Women’s Day
"We are grateful to the relevant authorities for 'optimizing' the online environment on the eve of Women’s Day."
chinadigitaltimes.net/2026/03/mass...

"[...] Une hiérarchie entre les cultures des Hans aka *tronc* et les diverses ethnies aka *branches/feuilles* forcément subordonnées, l'ensemble étant supposé devenir fort via des racines communes et profondes.
(Xi dans un article fondateur en 2021 sur la gouvernance ethnique)"

NPC 2026: China to Enshrine Xi-Era Ethnic Policy in New Law China's new assimilationist ethnic policy mandates forging a common Han-centric Chinese culture and identity, while muting minority identity expression.

This is basically Colonialism 101, but we can expect the campists and tankies to, uh, well

There's something of note about the embrace of AI by populist politicians, I suspect. I think of Huang Kuo-chang's frequent use of AI and, say, Milei in Argentina

U.S. launches Section 301 probe into 16 trading partners including Taiwan - Focus Taiwan The United States on Wednesday launched a series of new investigations into the manufacturing policies and practices of 16 trading partners, including Taiwan, citing concerns about excess capacity and...

Not surprising that Taiwan would be included in US trade probes, after the tariff turmoil of the Trump administration

focustaiwan.tw/business/202...

I knew that the Department of War shot a missile into a school & killed 175 civilians, mostly children.

This is learned today:

Secretary of War Hegseth had cut the teams assigned to prevent such tragedies by 90%.
www.npr.org/2026/03/11/n...

Speaker Han vows to back Li Zhenxiu’s status as legislator - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

Han Kuo-yu to back Li Zhen-xiu taking office as legislator

www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...

That was the second large-scale social movement I experienced in those years

It’s kind of strange to realize it’s been 15 years since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. I was actually studying in Tokyo in the first half of 2012 and so experienced the post-Fukushima anti-nuclear movement—then the largest movement since the 1960s in Japan.

賣舊中央黨部遭追11.3億 國民黨勝訴定讞全部免繳 - 社會 - 自由時報電子報 不當黨產處理委員會2018年指國民黨舊中央黨部大樓是不當黨產，並以該建物已依23億餘元賣給張榮發基金會為理由，向國民黨追徵11.3億餘元。台北高等行政法院更一審判國民黨勝訴，撤銷黨產會追徵的原處分。案經上訴，最高行政法院今判上訴駁回，國民黨勝訴、免繳11.3億餘元，全案定讞。黨產會2018年7月依黨產條例認定，國民黨位於台北市中正區中山南路11號的舊中央黨部土地與建物屬不當黨產，因土地已出售給張榮...

KMT wins appeal in property case about its former party headquarters

news.ltn.com.tw/news/society...

KMT nominates candidates for New Taipei, Yilan, Chiayi City races - Focus Taiwan The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) on Wednesday officially named former Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) as its candidate for New Taipei mayor, lawmaker Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) for the position ...

KMT names mayoral candidates. Looks like the KMT and TPP will compete with each other in New Taipei

focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...

Tomorrow night!

Taiwan could re-start No. 3 nuclear plant in 2028: Minister - Focus Taiwan Taiwan's state-owned power company will submit a plan this month to re-start the decommissioned No. 3 (Maanshan) Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung, setting the stage for it to begin generating electrici...

Oh? Rather bold to introduce as an idea on the literal anniversary of Fukushima

focustaiwan.tw/business/202...

It's fairly common for Taiwan to conduct diplomacy through the framework of private visits by officials, so noteworthy to see the KMT hit out at this tactic--even when it reflects warming ties with Japan under Takaichi

Lai urges closer Taiwan-Japan humanitarian ties on Tohoku quake anniversary - Focus Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Wednesday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitaria...

I think what's particularly striking is that Japan still has remembered the contributions that Taiwan made to it after Fukushima and this still contributes to positive views of Taiwan in Japan after all this time

focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...

Taiwan to have highest anti-ship missile density - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

Not too surprising given the maritime threats faced by Taiwan

www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...

KMT lawmakers to propose ‘graded parole’ system - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

I generally expect the KMT to call for legalistic punishment on violent crimes if it benefits them electorally

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...

Ban on new pet raccoons, crocodiles to take effect May 1 - Focus Taiwan Regulations prohibiting people in Taiwan from having raccoons, saltwater crocodiles, vipers and elapid snakes (such as cobras and mambas) as pets will take effect on May 1, with exemptions for those w...

Raccoons, saltwater crocodiles, vipers and elapid snakes to be banned as pets, though exemptions will be made for those that already have them

focustaiwan.tw/society/2026...

立院召委選舉 民進黨8席、國民黨7席、民眾黨1席 - 政治 - 自由時報電子報 首次上稿 03-11 09:22更新時間 03-11 10:22立法院第11屆第5會期8個常設委員會今（11）日進行召委選舉，8個委員會都是經推舉方式選出召委，國民黨團禮讓經濟委員會召委給民眾黨立委洪毓祥。選舉結果，民進黨團獲8席召委，國民黨團7席，民眾黨團1席。

Committee appointments for the current legislative session are out

news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...

Fight! Fight! Fight!

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BIGBANG member’s new look compared to Jensen Huang by netizens lol

style.udn.com/style/story/...

Language exchange is back 語言交換回來了～
03/18 (Wed三）19:00 - 22:00

Crocheting and Knitting for Palestine
Calling all crocheters and knitters! Join us for a knitting and crocheting session organized by Fighting with Fiber!

Kind of surprised to see the KMT so aggressive as of late, in fact. Will this lead to further blowback, particularly ahead of elections later this year?

The worst cabinet in American history And it's not even close.

New in PN: The worst cabinet in history

"Even having one or two cabinet members as disastrous as Noem, Hegseth, Kennedy, or Bondi would be a stain on any administration; putting them all in one govt has created a kind of Bizarro World 1927 Yankees, an all-star team of incompetence and malevolence."

特勤警洩露總統行程二審加重判8月　台商友人無罪改判10月 | 社會 | 中央社 CNA 國安局警官曹耿誌涉嫌向台商郭毓庭洩漏總統賴清德行程等機密資料，一審遭判刑6個月，郭毓庭無罪，全案上訴二審，台南高分院今天改判曹耿誌8個月，郭毓庭10個月，還可上訴。

National Security Bureau officer faces charges for leaking information on Lai Ching-te’s itinerary

Will they? Won't they? Or will they have another embarassing fight on live television?