MANAGING EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES — Dumping radioactive water into the ocean. Is this the making of a sequel to “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the surprise success film of the pandemic era? No. To everyone’s disappointment, this plot will be executed in reality. After 10 years of the Fukushima…
Full Article JAPAN: WILL THE FUKUSHIMA WATER DUMPING PLAN TRASH OUR OCEANS?
MANAGING EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES — Anyone who still had a tiny bit of hope for a positive change in the approach towards U.S. – China relations under the Biden administration would lose faith after watching the U.S./China talks in Alaska. The meeting this week in Anchorage was…
Full Article CHINA: A LOT OF HEAT BUT LITTLE WARMTH AT THE U.S./CHINA ALASKA SUMMIT
MANAGING EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH — First it was Hong Kong and Taiwan. Then it was Thailand. And now Myanmar. What’s going on in Asia? Perhaps the Milk Tea Alliance can help you understand the situation in the region. The Milk Tea Alliance began with a tweet by Thai…
Full Article ASEAN: THE MILK TEA MOVEMENT BREWS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
MANAGING EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES – With the recent international headlines about a Beijing divorce case ruling in which a man was ordered to pay his ex-wife for years of housework, now is perhaps a good time to reflect on the recent rise of feminism in China. 2020…
Full Article CHINA: CHINESE FEMINISM AT HIGH TIDE
MANAGING EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES — Clubhouse has recently gained media and investment attention, having secured roughly a billion valuation-10 times higher than its actual app valuation. But what, exactly, is Clubhouse? It’s an audio chat-based social media app created during the pandemic. Users can hop in and out of…
Full Article CHINA: HOW LONG CAN CLUBHOUSE LAST?
ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES — When the prime minister’s brother, Lee Hsien Yang, joined the opposition party in June, you knew the ordinary political scene in Singapore was never going to be the same. All over the world, Singapore’s democracy is often been questioned and criticized as the People’s…
Full Article SINGAPORE ELECTION: A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?
ASSOCIATE EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES—These days, it’s not hard to hear “You’re canceled.” But do people understand what this is really about? Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered seriously offensive.…
Full Article CULTURE: CANCELING FROM THE WEST TO THE EAST
ASSOCIATE EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES – When Albert Einstein warned about the danger of nuclear weapons, he famously said: “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” Recently, tensions between Chinese and Indian…
Full Article CHINA AND INDIA: THE STICKS AND STONES WAR
ASSOCIATE EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES — Just weeks into the protest of “Black Lives Matter,” a movement among young Chinese people is starting to grow as they shout out their support for the cause. “Chinese For Black Lives,” founded by feminist activist Xiaowen Liang, has been seen organizing…
Full Article US PROTESTS: CHINESE FOR BLACK LIVES
ASSOCIATE EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES — Just last week, Chinese Sukhoi-30 advanced fighter jets briefly entered Taiwan’s airspace. It happened as Taiwan announced that its largest annual live-fire drill would be held next month. At the same time, news about British ministers considering plans to support Taiwan were…
Full Article ANGLO-CHINESE RELATIONS: WHY IS RAPPROCHEMENT UNLIKELY?
ASSOCIATE EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH, WILLIAM LIGHTHART WRITE – The race for a COVID-19 vaccine has become intense, as countries continue to bear economic damages of lockdown extended into June. According to Nature, more than 90 vaccines are in development and a U.S. biotech company, Moderna Inc., has emerged…
Full Article CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: IS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE BOGUS?
ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES — As America enters its worst coronavirus week, it is time to start reflecting on how we ended up on this perilous peak. Herewith, a possible to-do list for the future of the universe: 1. Stop blaming The general public seems to have settled on the theory…
Full Article CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES: SIX RULES FOR THE FUTURE
ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES — As news of different countries locking down and closing their borders increases, the online world, however, has been more connected than ever. In particular, higher-education institutions around the world are aiming to short-circuit the developing pandemic by transforming their classroom pedagogy into smart, virtual,…
Full Article CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES: ‘HOW WE HAD A GOOD INTERNATIONAL-RELATIONS CLASS ANYHOW’
ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES – China began rolling out 5G (fifth generation wireless technology) services in 50 cities at the end of 2019, so people assumed that information could be spread rapidly and that people would be more connected. The current Coronavirus outbreak proves otherwise. Technology certainly has been…
Full Article CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES: ‘AN ARMY PUFFED UP WITH PRIDE IS BOUND TO LOSE’