My latest piece for @foreignpolicy.com takes a look at how the ancient sea goddess Mazu, worshipped by millions on both sides of the Taiwan strait, became a focal point of China's pro-unification influence campaign in Taiwan. foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/17/c...

Beijing Is Trying to Turn Taiwan’s Sea Goddess Into a Chinese Agent

China wants to use the ancient deity Mazu to push unification narratives.

foreignpolicy.com

Learned a lot from @yilingliu95.bsky.social 's latest op-ed on AI anxiety in China, which reveals the US-China race to build more advanced AI models is often seen by working people on both sides as a race to the bottom. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/o...

Opinion | The Shared Feeling of Being Harvested by the Future

nytimes.com

China's Xi Jinping held a rare meeting with Cheng Li-wun, the leader of Taiwan's opposition KMT party. It comes ahead of a summit with President Trump, where Xi is likely to bring up his opposition to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan ... w/ @ashishval.bsky.social www.npr.org/2026/04/10/n...

My latest for @npr.org alongside @jpak25.bsky.social : Taiwan's opposition leader Cheng Li-wun may meet Xi Jinping later this week. She says the safety of Taiwan is her priority, though Taiwan's government doubts her visit will lower tensions. www.npr.org/2026/04/07/n...

Taiwan's opposition leader arrives in China for a 'Journey of Peace'

The visit takes place ahead of President Trump's own summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month, where Taiwan is expected to be a top agenda item.

npr.org

My latest for @npr.org : A report by the US director of national intelligence assessed China likely does not plan to invade Taiwan in 2027. It's reignited partisan divisions in Taiwan as lawmakers debate $40 billion in defense spending to counter China. www.npr.org/2026/03/31/n...

Taiwan reacts to U.S. intelligence report about China's intentions

A recent U.S. intelligence report reignited an already contentious debate in Taiwan over China's intentions and how Taipei should reasonably defend itself against its powerful neighbor.

npr.org

I joined @cnnipr.bsky.social's One World with Zain Asher to discuss the impact of the Iran war on Asian economies. Highlights: China is relatively secure. High-income East Asia is stressed but surviving. Lower-income nations like Pakistan and Bangladesh are especially hard-hit. Here's a clip:

Despite rising tensions between the world's two largest economies, a growing number of young Americans are becoming captivated by China, as seen in the online trend "Chinamaxxing." n.pr/4sIOpGg

Some Gen Z Americans can't stop 'Chinamaxxing'

Despite rising tensions between the world's two largest economies, a growing number of young Americans are becoming captivated by China, as seen in the online trend "Chinamaxxing."

n.pr

My latest for @npr.org : Why are Gen Z Americans obsessed with China? Livestreamer Hasan Piker told me life in the US "is just getting worse... then I turn on TikTok, and I see a video of Chongqing. They've got trains everywhere and it's this fascinating city." www.npr.org/2026/03/13/n...

Some Gen Z Americans can't stop 'Chinamaxxing'

Despite rising tensions between the world's two largest economies, a growing number of young Americans are becoming captivated by China, as seen in the online trend "Chinamaxxing."

npr.org

My latest for @npr.org : In China, the year of the horse has taken on an uncanny association with Draco Malfoy. Take a listen to find out why: www.npr.org/2026/02/18/n...

I regularly offer advice to aspiring journalists from marginalized communities on navigating the industry. The Washington Post layoffs are just the latest in a series of events that have genuinely left me wondering what to say to these people today.

Incredible graphic from NYT showing the depth of Xi Jinping's purge of China's military leadership in recent years: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Taiwan is home to over 400 butterfly species, 55 of which are found nowhere else in the world. For National Geographic, I reported on the migratory purple crow butterflies, which gather in the tens of thousands in valleys like Maolin in southern Taiwan every winter.

Inside Taiwan's 'butterfly kingdom,' a rare natural wonder takes place every year

Every winter, a marvelous spectacle occurs as hundreds of thousands of butterflies travel south across Taiwan in one of the world’s most rare migrations.

nationalgeographic.com

My latest for @npr.org : Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te has promised billions in additional defense spending to counter escalating military threats from China. But his ambitions have stalled in the legislature, where opposition parties have blocked his special defense budget eight times so far.

The Taiwanese president's proposal to hike defense spending faces gridlock at home

Opposition parties are slamming the brakes on billions in defense funding as the China escalates military pressure.

npr.org

Latest for @npr.org : Based on today's economic data "China hasn't just survived the trade war with the US, it has in fact thrived," says @eurasiagroup.net analyst Dan Wang. But that strength isn't reflected in Chinese consumer spending. www.npr.org/2026/01/19/n...

China's economy is rising, but many citizens are left behind, analysts say

China's National Bureau of Statistics released data on its 2025 GDP growth Monday. Analysts say it reveals strong economic growth for the country, but ordinary people still face deep challenges.

npr.org

Migrant workers marched to the Legislative Yuan in Taipei this afternoon, calling for an end to the 12-year time limit to how long they can live in Taiwan. They dressed up as expired meat and bombs with 12-year fuses, arguing that the time limit treats their bodies and labor as disposable.

Weeks after deadly floods, many Amis Indigenous residents of Hualien held a rally outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to protest disaster recovery measures currently being discussed by KMT lawmakers that they worry could force them to relocate from their homes.

My latest for @npr.org : Doxxing, death threats, and detentions are becoming routine threats for journalists across Asia. Here's a look at how reporters from the Philippines, Indonesia and other places adjust to the new realities - and even start to fight back. www.npr.org/2025/09/30/n...

'Like ice melting': Journalists warn press freedom is in decline across Asia

China's jailing of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan highlights a deeper press freedom crisis across Asia.

npr.org

Nepal's prime minister KP Sharma Oli is now the second South Asian leader to be driven out of office by youth-led protests in just over a year. He joins neighboring Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina, who fled the country on a helicopter amid mass protests last August.

Reuters@reuters.com · 11mo ago

Nepal PM Oli resigns after violent anti-corruption protests, his aide says reut.rs/4gzoNqN

Taiwan’s opposition KMT scored big today: early results show that all remaining 7 lawmakers who faced recall challenges have kept their seats. President Lai Ching-te faces an uphill battle on pledges to raise defense spending to 3.32% of GDP next year and 5% by 2030. focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...

KMT lawmakers claim victory as recall vote count continues - Focus Taiwan

Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers have declared they survived recall votes to remove them from office Saturday, although official results are still pending as the vote counting continues.

focustaiwan.tw

My latest for @npr.org : With hours left on the clock, the US and China extended a truce that limits tariffs between the world's two largest economies by a further 90 days. Analysts expect further talks and a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Xi later this year. www.npr.org/2025/08/12/n...

U.S. and China extend tariff truce deadline for another 3 months

President Trump's executive order extends a reprieve from the threat of rising tariffs between the world's two largest economies.

npr.org

Heavy rains that caused dozens of injuries, power outages and 5 deaths in southern Taiwan have led to an unexpected result: a surge of wild mushrooms. Authorities are removing them from roadsides and warning that toxic mushrooms are hard to tell apart from edible ones. taiwannews.com.tw/news/6172548

Taiwan warns of toxic wild mushrooms | Taiwan News | Aug. 6, 2025 09:53

Food and Drug Administration says 33 poisoned over 5 years as rain spurs new mushroom growth | Aug. 6, 2025 09:53

taiwannews.com.tw

My latest for @npr.org : Today is the deadline for thousands of Chinese immigrants in Taiwan to prove they gave up household registration in China, or potentially face deportation. Many immigrants feel they've become victims of worsening cross-strait tensions. www.npr.org/2025/06/29/g...

Deadline nears for Taiwan's Chinese immigrants to prove no China household registration

Amid a wave of national security measures, immigrants from China must prove they've given up their household registration in China by June 30. Many are Chinese women married to men from Taiwan.

npr.org

🧵 1/8 My latest for @theworld.org: Taiwan's birthrate is among the lowest in the world. Fewer babies means fewer kids going to school, and fewer still onwards to university. 15 colleges have closed here in the past decade as a result - four of them just last year. theworld.org/segments/202...

Taiwan's colleges closing amid dropping enrollment - The World from PRX

Due to Taiwan’s falling birth rate, enrollment at many universities and colleges has been declining for years, forcing many higher education institutions to shut their doors or merge with other univer...

theworld.org

On The World 🌎 today: 🌐 @orlabarry.bsky.social: Poland votes this weekend in an election seen as a test for democracy 🌐 @ashishval.bsky.social: Taiwan colleges closing amid enrollment drops 🌐 The rush to buy metal detectors in Syria, as search for gold heats up Tune in 📻 bit.ly/3xyRRfD

@orlabarry.bsky.social · last yr.

Two very different candidates are running for president of Poland in elections this weekend. Whoever wins could determine the future direction of the country. My report up shortly on @theworld.org Join us: theworld.org

Record numbers of pilgrims are accompanying a figure of the goddess Mazu on a roughly 400-km route through western Taiwan. I stopped by on the goddess's return journey to the home temple in Baishatun, Miaoli, as her carriage rested in a rice farming village in Yunlin.

Very sad to see Brilliant Time books is closing. More than a bookstore, a space for Southeast Asian communities and anyone who wanted to learn about them. They often hosted talks on Southeast Asian literatures and free classes for Bahasa Indonesia and other languages. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqej...

Southeast Asian Bookstore in New Taipei Closes After a Decade｜TaiwanPlus News

YouTube video by TaiwanPlus News

youtube.com

Latest for @npr.org : Taiwan's premier music festival, Megaport, draws tens of thousands of fans each year to the southern port city of Kaohsiung. This year, several artists used their platforms to share concerns about an escalating threat from China. www.npr.org/2025/04/05/n...

Musicians protest through song at festival in Taiwan

At Taiwan's premier music festival, artists went political with their tunes and lyrics.

npr.org

Hip hop artist Yang Shu-ya 楊舒雅 takes the stage at Taiwan's premier independent music festival, Megaport 大港開唱. She's performing her single "2045", about the fears of a potential Chinese invasion and Taiwan's uncertain future.

My latest for @npr.org: TSMC's $100 billion investments in the US have some in Taiwan worried that their global advantage in semiconductor manufacturing could be compromised. And with it - the "silicon shield" that many believe helps deter a Chinese invasion. www.npr.org/2025/03/12/g...

Taiwanese chip giant's investments in U.S. stir 'silicon shield' security worries

TSMC's plan to invest $100 billion into U.S. production facilities raises concerns that its leverage in securing protection from China may be weakened.

npr.org

My latest for @npr.org: The recent Oval Office showdown between Trump and Zelensky has many in Taiwan worried that one day, US support for their own self-defense may make a similar U-turn. www.npr.org/2025/03/03/g...

Seeing Washington change course on Ukraine, Taiwan ponders its own fate

Developments in the Ukraine-U.S. relationship have regularly made headline news in Taiwan lately. Many in Taiwan compare Ukraine's fate to its own, as China continues to threaten an invasion.

npr.org