Two years ago, I heard that Taiwan's govt had unearthed surveillance files from the secret police of its authoritarian era. They were finally becoming open to the public, nearly four decades after Taiwan's democratisation. I wanted to see what was inside: www.economist.com/1843/2025/05...

Superb and important piece from @aliceysu.bsky.social about the long and painful process of truth and reconciliation in Taiwan. A pointed reminder about what "unification" with the People's Republic of China actually demands of the Taiwanese people. www.economist.com/1843/2025/05...

The terrible secrets of Taiwan’s Stasi files

Researchers have unearthed the surveillance records of Taiwan’s former dictatorship. But the revelations inside could tear society apart

economist.com

What if China & India became friends? I join @aliceysu.bsky.social on The Economist's Drum Tower podcast this week to discuss whether India & China can grow closer economically after their October border deal -- and what that might mean for Asia and the world. www.economist.com/podcasts/202...

Could China and India become friends?

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, amid geopolitical uncertainty, we examine what the thaw between the two countries could mean for the world

economist.com

Taiwan has detained a Chinese-crewed ship for investigation after another one of its undersea cables, this time connecting Taiwan to Penghu, was cut this morning. Coast guard says the ship was sailing under Togo flag but Chinese-funded, and could be a grey-zone actor www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/20...

中資背景權宜輪涉拖斷台澎3號海纜 海巡攔查押返港偵辦[影] | 社會 | 中央社 CNA

中資背景權宜輪的多哥籍「宏泰」貨輪涉拖斷台澎第3海纜，海巡署凌晨接獲中華電信通報並派員到場，「宏」輪遭押返安平港，全案將依國安層級處理原則報台南地檢署指揮偵辦。

cna.com.tw

Taiwan's armed forces have a Chinese spy problem. Prosecutions for Chinese espionage have jumped fourfold in the last 4 years. 2/3 of alleged spies last year were current or retired military personnel. China is also using new tactics to recruit younger collaborators www.economist.com/asia/2025/02...

China is infiltrating Taiwan’s armed forces

And Taiwan is struggling to deal with the growing number of spies

economist.com

I'm hearing a lot from the media NGO sector about the impact of USAID cuts. A lot of small investigative media organisations across the globe are facing imminent closure as the funding they've budget for has vanished overnight, and the funder community has no capacity to absorb the shock.

I spent the last two days speaking w researchers and activists doing some of the most groundbreaking work on human rights in China. Many are facing pay cuts, layoffs, and total shutdown after the sudden freeze in US foreign aid www.economist.com/china/2025/0...

Cuts in American aid are crippling groups promoting rights in China

Some aid money has been very well spent

economist.com

Our latest episode of Drum Tower tackles a difficult problem for liberal democracies with Chinese diasporas - how to counter the Communist Party's influence and espionage attempts within Chinese communities without demonising and alienating Chinese people? www.economist.com/podcasts/202...

How China recruits members of its diaspora for espionage

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, how the Communist Party co-opts members of the diaspora to gather information and further China’s interests

economist.com

"When the US selectively applies internationally accepted rules, it undermines its credibility and loses influence.. Biden claimed to understand this, but he abandoned his own strategy at a critical time. In doing so, he paved the way for a race to the bottom." www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

How Biden Failed on Human Rights

The moral and strategic costs of abandoning an ideal.

foreignaffairs.com

"Our core values remain openness, humility and digital. I know some people think that digital is not a value. But I believe that digital changes everything, including grammar." Bartleby is always excellent but this one actually made me laugh out loud www.economist.com/business/202...

The year ahead: a message from the CEO

From the desk of Stew Pidd

economist.com

“Because Mr. Biden, unlike Mr. Trump, was seen for decades as a champion of an American-led global order — ‘a high priest in the church’ — his actions in particular showed that international rules ‘are hollow’.” www.nytimes.com/2024/12/26/u...

Biden and Aides Courted Allies Who Undermined U.S. Goals

The Biden administration has been caught by surprise when partners like South Korea and Israel have acted against U.S. interests and principles.

nytimes.com

Just listen to Drum Tower podcast from the @economist.com Insights like this are worth the money. We need to learn the lesson from Hong Kong about how step by step China crackdown on the rights and freedom of the individual.

现在能帮助过去吗? 活人能救死人吗? 当我继续阅读时，很明显这些都是不可能的问题。通过与人类最黑暗方面的持续接触，我感到我对人类长期破碎的信念完全破碎。我几乎放弃了这本小说。然后我读到了一个年轻夜校教育工作者的日记条目。朴永俊，一个害羞、安静的青少年，参加了1980年5月光州十天的起义中形成的自治公民的“绝对社区”.. 尽管他知道士兵们将在清晨返回，但他选择留在那里。在那最后一晚，他在日记中写道：“上帝啊，为什么我必须有这样令我痛苦的良心呢？我想活下去。” 读了这些句子，我像闪电一样清楚地知道这部小说应该走哪条路，我的两个问题必须颠倒过来： 过去能帮助现在吗? 死人能救活人吗?

大声@dashengmedia.bsky.social · 2y ago

分享韩江获得诺贝尔文学奖后，在瑞典学院发表的演讲《光与线》的全文翻译： mp.weixin.qq.com/s/NUnois6Yjy...

Syria is the most displaced nation on Earth. 60% of its population - 14M people - forced from their homes by the regime’s brutality. Today, a golden thread has connected cities around the world as the Syrian diaspora gather to celebrate the end of Assad. Here’s a 🧵 of global celebrations 🟢⚪️⚫️ 👇

Crying this morning. Alf mabrook to the brave Syrians I know who have suffered so much for so long and who thought this day would never come. Courage and strength to them as they see loved ones come out of prison and dare to think of finally, really, being able to go home apnews.com/article/syri...

Syrian government appears to have fallen in stunning end to 50-year rule of Assad family

The Syrian government appeared to have fallen early Sunday in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family after a lightning rebel offensive.

apnews.com

Japan's military spots a Russian submarine moving near Yonaguni, the island closest to Taiwan, for the first time apnews.com/article/japa...

Japan dispatches a plane and navy ship after spotting a Russian submarine

Japan has dispatched a surveillance plane and a navy ship after spotting a Russian submarine off the coast of a southwestern island near Taiwan.

apnews.com

Some tip-top tariff coverage by colleagues this week. First, Don Weinland on how China will resist and retaliate against US trade restrictions. One meaningful difference between today and 2018-19 is that China's trade surplus with non-US partners is far larger. www.economist.com/finance-and-...

While Yoon previously vowed to fight corruption and improve transparency, his presidency has been marred by abuses of power. Imposing martial law is a serious backslide of democracy in South Korea and follows a trend of a worrying chilling effect in the media since he entered office in 2022.

For those wanting a stream, Yonhap Television Network has a Youtube feed. www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Bb...

[생중계] 국회 정문 폐쇄…국회의원도 출입통제ㅣ이 시각 국회 앞 / 연합뉴스TV (YonhapnewsTV)

YouTube video by 연합뉴스TV

youtube.com

I was preparing to pitch an op-ed on the nationwide protests calling for President Yoon's resignation, aiming to provide global context amid the limited international coverage. Given the urgency, I’m sharing it now. I didn’t expect events to escalate this quickly. #SouthKorea #Democracy

South Korea Is Fighting for Democracy Again—And the World Needs to Know

Last updated December 3, 10:09 AM South Korea Is Fighting for Democracy Again—And the World Needs to Know Heesoo Jang Assistant Professor of Media Law and Ethics Journalism Department, University of...

docs.google.com

A Beijing court sentenced veteran Chinese state media journalist Dong Yuyu to seven years in prison for espionage, a family member told Reuters reut.rs/4fKqO27

China court sentences journalist Dong Yuyu to 7 years on spy charges, family says

A Beijing court sentenced veteran Chinese state media journalist Dong Yuyu on Friday to seven years in prison for espionage, a family member told Reuters.

reut.rs

This was a great listen, and well worth your time. Full of interesting characters and questions about what a just migration policy would look like.

Alice Su@aliceysu.bsky.social · 2y ago

This year I spent months reporting in Colombia, Mexico, and California, following Chinese migrants hoping to seek asylum in the US. It's a route that's become known as 走线. We made a 4-part podcast series about their journey. The first episode is free this week: open.spotify.com/episode/0vTt...

Every episode The Drum Tower puts out is gold, but Pt. 2 of this series on Chinese migrants, about challenges crossing throughMexico, is particularly salient this week.

Alice Su@aliceysu.bsky.social · 2y ago

This year I spent months reporting in Colombia, Mexico, and California, following Chinese migrants hoping to seek asylum in the US. It's a route that's become known as 走线. We made a 4-part podcast series about their journey. The first episode is free this week: open.spotify.com/episode/0vTt...

A really fascinating podcast about people who are migrating from China to the U.S. via the Darien Gap. There’s a lot more we can learn about this phenomenon via this excellent reporting from @aliceysu.bsky.social

Alice Su@aliceysu.bsky.social · 2y ago

This year I spent months reporting in Colombia, Mexico, and California, following Chinese migrants hoping to seek asylum in the US. It's a route that's become known as 走线. We made a 4-part podcast series about their journey. The first episode is free this week: open.spotify.com/episode/0vTt...

If you are "tough on China," then listen to Taiwan

The Kyiv Independent@kyivindependent.com · 2y ago

⚡️Taiwan’s former president urges US to prioritize aiding Ukraine over Taiwan, Politico reports. "A Ukrainian victory will serve as the most effective deterrent to future aggression," former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said during the Halifax International Security Forum.

Leading China hawks in the U.S. House are calling for a rethink on whether Hong Kong should continue to enjoy the cozy banking relationship it has with the U.S., saying the city is becoming a hub for money-laundering and sanctions evasion. www.wsj.com/articles/hon...

Exclusive | Hong Kong Is Becoming Hub for Financial Crime, U.S. Lawmakers Say

The U.S. should rethink its close ties with Hong Kong’s banking sector, leaders of an influential House committee say.

wsj.com

This is really impressive. Respect to the authors, who I've followed since I found their YouTube channel four years ago while searching for a recipe for 宜宾燃面 :) chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/63-chinese...

63 Chinese Cuisines: the Complete Guide

Not one cuisine, not eight, but many more. Our best shot at a comprehensive-ish guide.

chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com