Brian Hioe
@brianhioe.bsky.social
Editor at @newbloommag.net, writes @thediplomat.com @flaminghydra.com, non-resident fellow at University of Nottingham's Taiwan Research Hub, Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club board, freelance journalist, translator, DJ. Author of Taipei at Daybreak
The timing is entirely coincidental, given that there was a 60-day review period before this, but where the Overton Window is concerned, probably no politically more apt time to lift these restrictions than the present
focustaiwan.tw/society/2025...
focustaiwan.tw/society/2025...
Taiwan lifts Fukushima-area food import restrictions - Focus Taiwan
Taiwan has lifted special import requirements for foods from Japan's five Fukushima-area prefectures, ending the need for dual certification and 100 percent batch-by-batch testing, the Taiwan Food and...
focustaiwan.tw
November 22, 2025 at 7:21 AM
The timing is entirely coincidental, given that there was a 60-day review period before this, but where the Overton Window is concerned, probably no politically more apt time to lift these restrictions than the present
focustaiwan.tw/society/2025...
focustaiwan.tw/society/2025...
Interesting that with the fight over allocations, the DPP seems to be giving Han Kuo-yu and off ramp and trying to split him and Fu Kun-chi, who it frames as dominating proceedings
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
還原財劃法協商過程 陳培瑜：傅崐萁主導議事、韓國瑜無力可回天 - 政治 - 自由時報電子報
行政院院會20日通過財劃法修正案，以電子公文火速送立法院，盼下週就能付委審查，但立法院院會昨仍針對離島條款通過財劃法部分條文修正案。民進黨團書記長陳培瑜還原協商過程，韓國瑜昨在議程協商前曾邀請黨內資深財政立委與政院溝通，並在協商提出院版、黨版併同討論建議，但不被國民黨團總召傅崐萁採納，質疑韓國瑜只能由傅崐萁主導議事，而韓只能被晾在一旁無力可回天。陳培瑜表示，行政院版本的財劃法20日已經送進立法院，...
news.ltn.com.tw
November 22, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Interesting that with the fight over allocations, the DPP seems to be giving Han Kuo-yu and off ramp and trying to split him and Fu Kun-chi, who it frames as dominating proceedings
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
If China is increasingly using civilian ships as part of practice operations for taking Taiwan, I do wonder about its capability to defend those ships in such an operation--precisely since they aren't traditional military vessels
www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
Shadow navy: How China's civilian fleet could be a potent weapon in a Taiwan invasion
A Reuters visual investigation of China's annual naval exercises off the Chinese coast opposite Taiwan shows how Beijing's
www.reuters.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:40 PM
If China is increasingly using civilian ships as part of practice operations for taking Taiwan, I do wonder about its capability to defend those ships in such an operation--precisely since they aren't traditional military vessels
www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
Why does this baby have the same hairstyle as Lai Ching-te
Have been seeing this video going around of a Chinese animation depicting Taiwan as a literal baby that needs to be saved from sinister Japan
November 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Why does this baby have the same hairstyle as Lai Ching-te
Have been seeing this video going around of a Chinese animation depicting Taiwan as a literal baby that needs to be saved from sinister Japan
November 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Have been seeing this video going around of a Chinese animation depicting Taiwan as a literal baby that needs to be saved from sinister Japan
Honestly, rather a shame that one of Taiwan's first out lawmakers is backing Takaiichi, who opposes same-sex marriages and advocates for women to return to traditional gender roles. Also, who chose the font for that banner
focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait...
focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait...
Kaohsiung lawmakers push for support for Japan in China dispute - Focus Taiwan
Several Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers from Kaohsiung on Friday urged Taiwanese to support Japan by buying Japanese goods and traveling there amid China's angry reaction to comments by P...
focustaiwan.tw
November 21, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Honestly, rather a shame that one of Taiwan's first out lawmakers is backing Takaiichi, who opposes same-sex marriages and advocates for women to return to traditional gender roles. Also, who chose the font for that banner
focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait...
focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait...
Sometimes I do think about how life would be so much simpler if I just posted things on the Internet and that's all I did, as with many of my campist enemies, rather than write 1 article a day, plan like 2 events per week, make drinks at bar, random space troubleshooting, etc
November 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Sometimes I do think about how life would be so much simpler if I just posted things on the Internet and that's all I did, as with many of my campist enemies, rather than write 1 article a day, plan like 2 events per week, make drinks at bar, random space troubleshooting, etc
Tomorrow! Excited for what is sure to be an illuminating discussion with a number of sharp translators (except me)
Tomorrow! Join us for our panel on efforts to connect Taiwan to the world through graphic novels, comics, and children's books in translation, with @michellekuo.bsky.social, @shuwanggong.bsky.social, Elizabeth Hsinyin Lee, and @brianhioe.bsky.social as speakers!
www.facebook.com/events/29449...
www.facebook.com/events/29449...
November 21, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Tomorrow! Excited for what is sure to be an illuminating discussion with a number of sharp translators (except me)
Here's me on comments by Lin Chia-lung last week expressing support for Israel and framing Palestine as akin to an enemy state, when asked about the potential use of Taiwanese tech by the Israeli military
"Why Would Taiwan's Foreign Minister Frame Palestine as Akin To an Enemy State?" by @brianhioe.bsky.social
Why Would Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Frame Palestine as Akin To an Enemy State? | New Bloom Magazine
An on-the-record press briefing by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung last week proved a bizarre exercise in diplomatic ineptness and tacit endorsement of a genocide…
newbloommag.net
November 21, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Here's me on comments by Lin Chia-lung last week expressing support for Israel and framing Palestine as akin to an enemy state, when asked about the potential use of Taiwanese tech by the Israeli military
Draft legislation on labor laws for delivery workers announced
外送員專法草案出爐 時薪不得低於最低工資1.25倍 | 生活 | 中央社 CNA
勞動部外送員專法草案今天出爐，明定每單外送期間換算時薪後不得低於最低工資時薪1.25倍及交通部所訂運費，並選較高者作為外送員報酬，保障外送員權益。
www.cna.com.tw
November 21, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Draft legislation on labor laws for delivery workers announced
Legal changes pushed through the legislature to bind referendum dates to elections again
udn.com/news/story/6...
udn.com/news/story/6...
公投綁大選立院三讀通過 公投案公告後3至6個月內要投票 | 聯合新聞網
立法院院會今三讀通過修正「公民投票法」部分條文，公投案公告成立後，3個月至6個月內要舉行投票，期間內有全國性選舉時，與該...
udn.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Legal changes pushed through the legislature to bind referendum dates to elections again
udn.com/news/story/6...
udn.com/news/story/6...
Lai should signal support for Japan next by laboriously building a gunpla model
November 21, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Lai should signal support for Japan next by laboriously building a gunpla model
Puma Shen off to Europe again to discuss Taiwan's defense, this time to the Netherlands
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
獨家》無懼恫嚇！沈伯洋再赴歐洲 前進荷蘭談民主防衛 - 政治 - 自由時報電子報
中國官方片面宣稱立案偵查、全球通緝的民進黨立委沈伯洋，無懼恫嚇，繼赴德國國會作證後，今日再度前進歐洲，預計當地時間明（22）日前往荷蘭，與擔任「國際自由聯盟（Liberal International，LI）副主席的民進黨立委范雲出席該聯盟第209屆執行委員會會議。兩人將分別針對「政治操弄時代下的民主防衛」及「常態性危機政治」等議題，與全球自由民主政黨代表進行深度座談。中國繼去年將沈伯洋列入「台...
news.ltn.com.tw
November 21, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Puma Shen off to Europe again to discuss Taiwan's defense, this time to the Netherlands
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
Why not actually improve on measures to deal with climate change, instead of disputing rankings?
focustaiwan.tw/society/2025...
focustaiwan.tw/society/2025...
Taiwan disputes poor climate change ranking, again - Focus Taiwan
Taiwan is again pushing back against an international climate ranking that rated Taiwan as a "very low" performer on climate change, arguing that a decline in carbon emissions for a third straight yea...
focustaiwan.tw
November 21, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Why not actually improve on measures to deal with climate change, instead of disputing rankings?
focustaiwan.tw/society/2025...
focustaiwan.tw/society/2025...
Some contestation over refusals to dismiss lizhang that hold Chinese nationality
www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
Local governments may face scrutiny over PRC-national ward chiefs - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Some contestation over refusals to dismiss lizhang that hold Chinese nationality
www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
Points at some of the problems with the Gold Card program, I think
www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar...
www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar...
Can Taiwan keep the talent it invites? - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Points at some of the problems with the Gold Card program, I think
www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar...
www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar...
Well, the KMT wants more money for local governments it controls, while it cut budget to the central government in a manner that affects the subsidies the central government normally provides to local governments
focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
Cabinet approves amendments to revenue allocation law - Focus Taiwan
The Executive Yuan on Thursday approved draft amendments to a law controlling how tax revenues are allocated to local governments.
focustaiwan.tw
November 20, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Well, the KMT wants more money for local governments it controls, while it cut budget to the central government in a manner that affects the subsidies the central government normally provides to local governments
focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
Western analyst logic, lol. Seeing as Taiwan has had the threat of an invasion for the last seventy plus years, plus had faced typhoons and earthquakes for thousands of years more, isn’t it more sad there wasn’t such a handbook sooner?
November 20, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Western analyst logic, lol. Seeing as Taiwan has had the threat of an invasion for the last seventy plus years, plus had faced typhoons and earthquakes for thousands of years more, isn’t it more sad there wasn’t such a handbook sooner?
It’s interesting how cases of corporate espionage involving TSMC receive about as much attention in the news as military espionage cases—maybe even more, given how the latter is a regular feature of the news
November 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM
It’s interesting how cases of corporate espionage involving TSMC receive about as much attention in the news as military espionage cases—maybe even more, given how the latter is a regular feature of the news
I’m pretty sure Okinawans just want to be left alone, as is also true of Taiwan, but well, here comes another annexationist power for islands that have faced such threats for centuries…
Chinese state media calls for research into Ryukyu history amid row with Japan
Studies could help shed light on how to address ‘pressing real-world concerns’ like US military presence in Japan, according to editorial.
amp.scmp.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:38 PM
I’m pretty sure Okinawans just want to be left alone, as is also true of Taiwan, but well, here comes another annexationist power for islands that have faced such threats for centuries…
Here’s my report on TDOR today
"Transgender Day of Remembrance Observed in Liberty Plaza" by @brianhioe.bsky.social
Transgender Day of Remembrance Observed in Liberty Plaza | New Bloom Magazine
Transgender Day of Remembrance was commemorated in Liberty Plaza in Taipei today. Around 40 were in attendance at the commemoration, which began at 7 PM under the archway in Liberty Plaza…
newbloommag.net
November 20, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Here’s my report on TDOR today
Taiwan Affairs Office claims to have received over 10,000 reports on Taiwanese independence advocates
www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202...
www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202...
鼓吹「檢舉台獨」 國台辦宣稱收上萬封舉報 | 兩岸 | 中央社 CNA
中共鼓吹「檢舉台獨」，提供檢舉信箱廣徵線索，中國大陸國台辦今天宣稱「收到上萬封舉報郵件」。陸委會先前多次強調，中共對台沒有管轄權，這些手段意在分化、威嚇台灣。
www.cna.com.tw
November 20, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Taiwan Affairs Office claims to have received over 10,000 reports on Taiwanese independence advocates
www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202...
www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202...
Wrote on my existential levels of FOMO in my latest for @flaminghydra.com
TODAY: @brianhioe.bsky.social on wasting and spending time. “I’m also fixated on the philosophical idea that each and every choice in one’s life—no matter how minor—results in a completely different outcome.” flaminghydra.com/r/62ae5f9d?m...
Carpe omnia
Brian Hioe hasn’t got all the time in the world
flaminghydra.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Wrote on my existential levels of FOMO in my latest for @flaminghydra.com