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Scott Simon
Professor, School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies.
Canada's leading centre for analysis and debate of international affairs.
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Self-Determination at a Turning Point: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Indigenous Nations of Formosa
- Analysis
- June 2, 2020
May 2020 was a turning point in East Asia. President Tsai Ing-wen (Democratic Progressive Party, DPP) was inaugurated to her second term as President of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Two days later, China’s National People’s Congress proposed legislation authorizing …
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We Must be on Guard as China Seeks Strategic Advantage
In his novel The Plague, Albert Camus wrote, “There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet plagues and wars always take people equally by surprise.” This should remain a warning for the world; and not just …
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Fortress of Democracy: Taiwan’s Election Deserves Strong International Support
- Analysis
- January 20, 2020
After a fierce electoral campaign, 19 million voters in Taiwan woke up on January 11, 2020, with important choices to make in their country’s presidential and legislative election.
The voting itself is very local. Polling stations, one for every 1500 …
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30 Years After Tiananmen: Democracy More Urgent than Ever
- Analysis
- May 30, 2019
In early May, US State Department Director of Policy Planning Kiron Skinner was rebuked in China’s English-language media for characterizing US–China relations as a “clash of civilizations.” Skinner’s rhetoric reflects a Cold War mentality that overlooks centuries of mutual contact …
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Mass Wedding Banquet to Celebrate Same-Sex Marriage in Taiwan
- Analysis
- May 30, 2019
After new legislation permitting same-sex marriage came into effect in Taiwan on 24 May 2019, LGBT couples and their families began celebrating their new freedom. Journalists and foreign diplomats (including Canadian representative Jordan Reeves) crowded into Taipei City Hall to …
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WHO: Better Health for Everyone, Everywhere — Except Taiwan
- Analysis
- May 17, 2019
The World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), meets 20–28 May in Geneva. Although the WHO promises “better health for everyone, everywhere,” the organization systematically excludes one country from the annual discussions. Taiwan, officially …
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Dawn of a New Era: Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s Visit to Ottawa
- Analysis
- May 13, 2019
A new era is dawning in Japan. With the abdication of Emperor Akihito on 30 April and the ascension of his Crown Prince Naruhito to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May, calendars will change from the 31st year of …
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Taiwan Hopes for “Oceans of Democracy”
- Analysis
- April 5, 2019
Republic of China (Taiwan) President Tsai Ing-wen, who takes pride in her Austronesian heritage through her paternal grandmother, made an 8-day voyage called “Oceans of Democracy” at the end of March to three Micronesian allies and Hawaii. This …
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Partnering with Japan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
- Analysis
- March 29, 2019
On March 7, 2019, Japanese Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane gave a lecture at CIPS entitled “Japan and Canada: Strategic Partners in the Indo-Pacific?” The question mark is perhaps the most important part of the title. At this 90th…
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Blue Wave Swamps Taiwan Elections
- Analysis
- November 28, 2018
Taiwan’s mid-term elections on 24 November brought a renewed “blue wave” to the island democracy. In this case, the blues are the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT) and allies who favour rapprochement with China. The greens are the …
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Learning from Taiwan’s Push to Diversify Trade Away From China
- Analysis
- November 28, 2018
Rather than cozying up to non-market economies, Canada should support Taiwan’s inclusion in the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Trade diversification seems increasingly important to Canada, especially after US President Donald Trump’s heavy-handed negotiations on the new US–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). …
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Sentinels of the Pacific: What Seabirds Tell Us about the Oil Industry
- Analysis
- June 8, 2018
When ornithologist Hisashi Sugawa of the Bird Banding Association invited me this May to accompany his team to the ongoing investigation of the Streaked Shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas) on Kanmuri Island, an uninhabited island under the jurisdiction of Maizuru …
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Alternative Facts, Chinese Style
- Analysis
- May 25, 2018
China’s increased censorship of foreign websites came to light on May 15, when it was reported that Air Canada had changed the drop-down menus of its destinations to show Taiwan’s capital Taipei as part of China. Air Canada’s capitulation to …
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China’s Thought Police Handcuff Canadian Businesses
- Analysis
- May 16, 2018
When I received Air Canada’s promotional email about a worldwide seat sale this week, I immediately checked their website to book my August trip to Taipei. To my surprise, the list of destinations had been changed to read “Taipei, China” …
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Standing Guard on Japan’s Most Western Point
- Analysis
- March 30, 2018
Yonaguni, Japan’s most westernmost inhabited island (pop. 1745), lies 111 km from Hualien (Taiwan), but more than 2000 km from Tokyo. Yonaguni is part of the Sakishima Islands that include the Yaeyama Islands to the west near Taiwan and the …
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Korean Demilitarized Zone Essential to Thousands of Migratory Birds
- Analysis
- February 11, 2018
The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics (February 9–25) and Paralympics (March 9–18) promise a brief respite in tensions on the Korean Peninsula. During inter-governmental talks in January 2018, North and South Korea decided that their teams would march in the Opening …
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2018: A Strong Canada–Japan Relationship Bodes Best for Peace
- Analysis
- January 10, 2018
At the dawn of 2018, anxiety and uncertainty seem to loom over the horizon. The most obvious risks come from North Korea, with its missile tests and threats to use nuclear warheads against the United States. President Trump’s threatening rhetoric …
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Canada Must Step Up to Help Stop Beijing’s Bullying of Taiwan
- Analysis
- January 10, 2018
China began 2018 with a breach of longstanding arrangements for aviation safety in the Taiwan Straits. On 4 January, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) unilaterally opened up northbound civil flights on flight path M503 and three connecting east–west …
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Why Taiwan is an International Issue
- Analysis
- September 20, 2017
China works hard to convince the world that any decision about Taiwan is entirely a Chinese domestic affair. This has not, however, always been the official line of the Chinese Communist Party. In 1936, when the Republic of China (ROC) …
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China’s Republican Flag: A Conundrum for Canada–Taiwan Relations
- Analysis
- July 30, 2017
China’s Republican flag — the French-inspired tricolore representing nationalism, democracy, and peoples’ livelihood in Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles of the People — was the national flag of all of China from 1928 until the founding of the People’s Republic of …
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Taiwan: Just a Phone Call Away
- Analysis
- January 20, 2017
The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States brought unexpected attention to Taiwan. One of Trump’s first post-election acts was to exchange telephone courtesies with President Tsai Ing-wen, calling her “President of Taiwan” on Twitter. Since Tsai, …
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Taiwan’s New Government and Canada: Looking Forward to Deepened Ties
- Analysis
- January 18, 2016
If Canadians take notice of one election this year, it should be the Taiwanese elections of January 16. After eight years of rule by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and unprecedented economic rapprochement with China, the Taiwanese elected Tsai Ing-wen …
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On the Fence: Canada’s Role in the Western Pacific Through An Election Lens
Canada’s election, in the 70th anniversary year of the conclusion of World War II, should be a time to ponder Canada’s role in the Western Pacific. Most pressing is the challenge of how Canada should respond to China’s increasingly …
READ MORE“One China” as Floating Signifier: the Benefits of Diplomatic Ambiguity
When Canada recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1970, the Joint Communiqué stated, “The Chinese Government reaffirms that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China. The Canadian Government takes note of …
READ MOREArunachal Pradesh: Meeting China’s Claim in the Eastern Himalayas
Last week, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki of the Northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh led a delegation to Canada. He attended the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce in Toronto and participated in the Brand India Expo in Ottawa. Meeting prospective …
READ MOREThe Senkaku Islands: A Forgotten Flashpoint in the Western Pacific
The uninhabited Senkaku Islands of Japan, claimed by both China and Taiwan under the name Diaoyutai, may seem of minor significance to observers outside the region. These eight uninhabited islands have a land area of only 6.3 km2 and …
READ MOREKeystone XL and its Impact on Canada-U.S. Relations: A Red Herring?
A delay in U.S. approval for TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline (in order to avoid Nebraska’s environmentally-sensitive Sandhills and underlying agricultural aquifer) has led to speculation that Canada should shift its balance of trade from the U.S. to Asia. Certain segments …
READ MORETaiwan and the UNFCCC: A Modest Proposal
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which entered force in 1994 and has been ratified by almost all countries, is the leading international institution working on climate change. The Conference of the Parties (COP) supervises implementation of …
READ MORETaiwan’s Presidential Candidates and their Indigenous Platforms
This essay first appeared on the Taiwan 2012 blog.
Indigenous people, accounting for about 2% of Taiwan’s population, are unlikely to influence the 2012 presidential election outcomes. Nonetheless, the relative success of the candidates in indigenous communities may influence …
READ MORECanada and UNDRIP: Moving Forward on Indigenous Diplomacy
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly on September 13, 2007, with 144 states in favour, 11 abstentions, and 4 votes against. Canada, like Australia, New Zealand, and the United …
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100 Years of the Republic of China: Reason to Celebrate
- Analysis
- October 12, 2011
October 10, 2011, marks the centennial anniversary of the Hsinhai Revolution and the subsequent establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution’s political philosophy, developed by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, was the “Three Principles of the People.” Principles of minzu…
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