Day: February 2, 2022

Taiwan’s Diplomatic Offensive in Eastern Europe

Chin@Strategy

Advertisement In December 2021, Nicaragua switched official recognition from the Republic of China (ROC, or Taiwan) to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), reigniting discussion about the diplomatic isolation of the self-governing island. Since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party in 2016, Taiwan’s list of international allies has dwindled from 22 to just 14. At the Macro Situation Annual Forum hosted by Renmin University in Beijing last month, PRC Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said that it was only “a matter of time” before…

What to Know Ahead of the Olympics

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What to Know Ahead of the Olympics Andrew Keh��Reporting from Beijing Are any countries boycotting the Games? China’s record on human rights, including the abuse of Uyghur Muslims in the country’s Xinjiang region and the suppression of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, has led activists around the world to call for countries and sponsors to boycott the Beijing Games. Several countries, including the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada, have announced a “diplomatic boycott” of the Games, meaning their government officials will not attend any ceremonies or events. NYT

Shintaro Ishihara, Outspoken Nationalist Governor of Tokyo, Dies at 89

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Shintaro Ishihara, a Japanese author turned firebrand nationalist politician who served as the governor of Tokyo and famously stoked diplomatic tensions with China over disputed islands, died on Tuesday in Tokyo. He was 89. His death was confirmed by his sons, who told reporters in Tokyo that Mr. Ishihara had suffered a relapse of pancreatic cancer in October. “He led an era,” said one of his sons, Yoshizumi Ishihara. A contentious figure in the otherwise wan world of Japanese politics, Mr. Ishihara was governor of Tokyo for 13 years beginning…

Face off: Inside the 4 February edition of Guardian Weekly

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Sochi in 2014, Seoul in 2018 … and now Beijing in 2022. In recent years the Winter Olympics has gained an intriguing reputation for pitching up in geopolitically sensitive places. With concerns about human rights issues, and an Omicron outbreak disrupting preparations, Emma Graham-Harrison and Vincent Ni consider how China still hopes to stage manage the Games to its political advantage. And, amid rising global temperatures, there’s a fascinating look from the Guardian’s interactive graphics team at the long-term future of the Winter Olympics, given the fast-declining number of cities…