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Pacific Standard 🚜🌻☂️

@pacstandardtw.bsky.social
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An American perspective at the western frontier of liberal democracy, framed and focused through the lens of life in Taiwan. #LiberalHawk #NeoIdealist #TaiwanIsACountry

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CSDS Brussels @csds.bsky.social · 20h
Are you interested in what's shaping Europe's relationship with the Indo-Pacific? Do you want to know how security, technology and economic dynamics are shaping the two regions? Register today for the Brussels Indo-Pacific Dialogue, taking place on 1 December. Register csds.vub.be/event/brusse...
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Pacific Standard 🚜🌻☂️ @pacstandardtw.bsky.social · 20h
Chinese promises incoming...
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 21h
A new Dolly Parton hotel and museum offers fans a look at the multifaceted singer, actor, entertainer and philanthropist, right in the heart of Nashville.
bit.ly
Dolly Parton's multifaceted legacy showcased at Nashville museum and hotel
A new Dolly Parton hotel and museum offers fans a look at the multifaceted singer, actor, entertainer and philanthropist, right in the heart of Nashville.
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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 21h
India is expected to overtake Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy, in nominal terms, by the end of next March, according to V. Anantha Nageswaran, chief economic adviser to the Indian government.
ebx.sh
India set to overtake Japan as fourth-biggest economy next year, adviser says
India has done well on job creation and income growth, V. Anantha Nageswaran said, but he acknowledged that youth unemployment remains a problem.
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Kaja Kallas @kajakallas.bsky.social · 21h
The 7 October attacks were a barbaric act of terror. Today, we stand with Israel in remembering every life taken and destroyed at the hands of the Hamas terrorists. Our thoughts are with the victims, the survivors, their families and all those who continue to carry the pain of that terrible day.
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Zach Ota @zachota.bsky.social · 22h
Allied amphibious defense is growing stronger. 🇵🇭 🇺🇸 @navalnews.com www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...
navalnews.com
Philippines: The Coastal Defense Regiment 2026 BrahMos Update - Naval News
The Philippine Marine Corps is working to fully operationalize its BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles amid tensions with China in the SCS.
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Liddokun @liddokun.bsky.social · 22h
Welcome to #SanFrancisco madam president Tsai! 🇹🇼🇹🇼🇹🇼 #Taiwan #California www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...
taipeitimes.com
Tsai receives warm welcome in San Francisco - Taipei Times
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday arrived in San Francisco, receiving a warm welcome from hundreds of overseas Taiwanese as she launched a week-long visit.Accompanied by Representative to ...
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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 22h
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has unveiled a prototype of a dog-shaped social robot that helps older people with life at home.
ebx.sh
Kawasaki Heavy unveils dog-shaped robot companion for older people
The robot stays close to those it lives with, offers companionship through conversation, watches over them and assists with their daily lives.
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Michael Turton @michaelturton.bsky.social · 22h
asia.nikkei.com/business/aer...
asia.nikkei.com
Taiwan taps US tech for sea drones to fend off China's vast maritime fleet
Tie-ups target nascent industry driven by navy, coast guard procurement plans
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Michael Turton @michaelturton.bsky.social · 21h
"Place-names make this question tangible. Seattle takes its name from Si’ahl, a leader connected to the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples. In Yilan (宜蘭), the character “lan” (蘭) carries forward the older name Kavalan (噶瑪蘭)... #Taiwan journal.fulbright.org.tw/echoes-of-th...
journal.fulbright.org.tw
Echoes of the Kuroshio: Sea-Route Studies in Seattle - Research & Reflections
In 2026, through the Fulbright Taiwan–Ministry of Culture Arts Professionals Program, I was hosted by the University of Washington Taiwan Studies Program
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 07/10/2026
President Donald Trump wants to spend $1.5 trillion on defense next year. Adjusted for inflation, that would be more than the U.S. spent annually on defense during the height of World War II. (Published August)
propublica.org
The $1 Trillion Black Box
The U.S. military budget is vast and opaque. Projects touted as engineering marvels end up facing years of delays and ballooning costs. ProPublica has launched a series to report on the Pentagon’s spe...
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⿻ Audrey Tang 唐鳳 @audreyt.org · 06/10/2026
Smooth sailing or stormy seas?⛵️ AI in the loop of humanity ensures we’ll remain the masters of our destiny.💯 Who asks? Who answers? Who sends the machine home? Read my 2nd Informational Democracy essay: “Humane Radicalism”.🙏 ▶️ informationaldemocracy.substack.com/p/humane-radicalism #LLAP🖖
A graphic features small sailboats with triangular bright orange sails covered in circuit board patterns on a blue geometrically patterned sea. Silhouetted human figures are in each boat, some steering, all looking ahead. The graphic is used to promote Humane Radicalism, the second of three essays by Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s cyber ambassador, first digital minister, architect of the Taiwan Model for digital diplomacy, 2025 Right Livelihood laureate and 2026–27 Carnegie distinguished fellow, for the Informational Democracy working group convened at the Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science in Gottingen.
https://civic.ai/
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Andreas Landwehr @andreaslandwehr.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Starbucks Corp has taken its green apron to Xinjiang: The opening of two stores in Urumqi shows how the Chinese private-equity firm that now controls Starbucks’ business in its second-largest market is willing to weather Washington’s anger link.cnbc.com/public/47789...
link.cnbc.com
Hi, this is Anniek, writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to the latest edition of The China Connection — a snapshot of what I'm seeing and hearing from local businesses.
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Andreas Landwehr @andreaslandwehr.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
France and Germany have proposed that the European Union reinforce its economy by enacting a new rapid-action measure to strike back against countries that harm it, with China the most likely focus of their proposal www.reuters.com/world/china/...
reuters.com
France, Germany push for EU rapid-response trade tool with likely focus on China
France and Germany have proposed that the European Union reinforce its economy by enacting a new rapid-action measure to strike back against countries that harm it, with China the most likely focus of...
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Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Bloomberg: "“We want to enable the European Commission to act quickly when necessary,” Merz told reporters in Berlin. “The drawback of European trade policy in recent years has always been that decision-making took too long.”" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Germany and France Push Trade Weapon to Bar China Access
Germany and France are urging the European Union to adopt new powers that could cut China or other countries off from the bloc’s single market, risking a response from Beijing days before key talks on...
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The Paramount-Warner Bros. merger was officially approved this past week. Corporate concentration means more power for CEOs — and less freedom for everyone else. Former FTC Chair Lina Khan explains.
youtu.be
The Illusion of Choice: How Big Business Controls Your Life (ft. Lina Khan)
From your grocery bill to your paycheck, monopolies are making you less financially secure and ultimately less free. For
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Pacific Standard 🚜🌻☂️ @pacstandardtw.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
So, the tariffs, uh, worked?
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Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
💥Boom - it's ready, the joint Franco-German paper / letter to VDL on China. Berlin & Paris - previously at polar opposite ends of the scale on China policy - now want a kill switch to cut China out of the EU market. This would have been unfathomable a few short months ago 🤯
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Brian Hioe @brianhioe.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The point is to note the sort of script that has developed for Chinese transnational repression in Taiwan
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
“.. 2,000 trucks x $20,000 in fuel savings per year x 20 years. That works out to $800 million in total savings, for a whopping ~166% ROI.” @electrek.com electrek.co/2026/10/03/f...
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The Wire China @thewirechina.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The latest suspected attempt to smuggle chip technology to China? A 52-year old Belgian-Chinese semiconductor researcher and a Chinese 'copy' of Belgium's only semiconductor firm. Noah Berman analyzes the alleged trade secret theft tying Belgium's BelGaN and China's GaNkool: buff.ly/GG6bp4c
buff.ly
Chips, China And Trade Secrets: How an Arrest In Brussels Could Tie Them Together - The Wire China
Belgian prosecutors are investigating whether a state-backed Chinese firm stole trade secrets from the country’s leading chipmaker before it collapsed.
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Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 05/10/2026
‘“Local governments are part of a bigger plan: there is a national policy of self-sufficiency,” says Sense Hofstede, a Brussels-based expert in EU-China relations at Czech think tank AMO. “They know that Beijing has their back because they are working in Beijing’s interests.”’
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John Ganz @lioneltrolling.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
What I think I got wrong—and right—about American conservatives. www.unpopularfront.news/p/america-is...
unpopularfront.news
America is Mine, and it Owes Me a Living
But ask me why and I'll spit in your eye
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Semafor @semafor.com · 05/10/2026
OpenAI is facing mounting legal risks stemming from cyber incidents linked to its AI models, after the firm alerted more than 100 organizations to unauthorized activities. www.semafor.com/article/10/0...
semafor.com
Legal risks mount for OpenAI
OpenAI faces mounting legal risks stemming from cyber incidents linked to its AI models, after the firm alerted more than 100 organizations to unauthorized activities.
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T.W. Simpson @simpson.tw · 05/10/2026
"Wanying "Heather" Zhang, an Irvine, California, realtor, was cuffed by federal law enforcement on Sunday before she boarded a flight to Shanghai, China, from LAX, on a charge of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government."
cbsnews.com
FBI arrests alleged Chinese agent at LAX after she allegedly surveilled son of Taiwanese president
Wanying "Heather" Zhang, an Irvine, California, realtor, was arrested on a charge of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Wait, seriously?
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Will Ripley @willripleycnn.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Taiwan’s coast guard blasted a Chinese fishing vessel with a water cannon after it entered restricted waters and refused repeated orders to leave. The dramatic encounter offers a glimpse of the growing confrontations at sea as Beijing ramps up pressure around the island democracy.
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Klaus Bardenhagen @taiwanreporter.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Caught by a neighbor's security camera in Seattle. FBI: "If the PRC wish to obtain leverage over the President of Taiwan during any potential conflict, the location and pictures of... close relatives ... could be useful." www.cbsnews.com/news/chinese...
cbsnews.com
FBI arrests alleged Chinese agent at LAX after she allegedly surveilled son of Taiwanese president
Wanying "Heather" Zhang, an Irvine, California, realtor, was arrested on a charge of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
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PBS News @pbsnews.org · 05/10/2026
Historians have long treated Thomas Jefferson’s paternity of Sally Hemings’ children as established. Now a scientific investigation is offering what researchers say is the most conclusive answer yet. to.pbs.org/4AwgGo7
to.pbs.org
Lock of hair settles questions about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings
Researchers say they have the most conclusive proof of Thomas Jefferson's paternity of Sally Hemings’ children. A strand of hair found in Jefferson’s Bible launched an investigation involving DNA scie...
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Gerry Doyle @mgerrydoyle.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
an interesting read--purely about economics, supply and demand rather than environmental impact www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
bloomberg.com
Our Oil Columnist Got an EV. A Bad Omen for Big Petroleum?
I have some news: I just bought an electric vehicle. I fueled up my old car for the last time in September — when my shiny new EV arrived last week, that was the end of my relationship with gasoline.
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Brian Hioe @brianhioe.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
It's doubtful Lai's son has any useful info so it's possible they would be aiming to gain information on his life that could be used as political ammo against Lai (i.e., the narrative that Lai is a warmonger but his son has already fled to the US) or that this is for intimidation
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Niao Collective @niaocollective.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Beijing once again proving it doesn’t understand then Streisand effect. They didn’t have to remind people there’s a genocide and forced labour going on in XJ but they did by saying ‘we totally didn’t’
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Lao Ren Cha (Jenna) @channamasala.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Another day, another Puma Shen rally (and other thoughts) I can't go to all of these but I'm trying to hit up a few. No, I will not be going to a Chiang rally to compare them for the very good reason that I do not want to laorencha.substack.com/p/the-big-pu...
laorencha.substack.com
The Big Puma Shen (沈伯洋) rally and other thoughts
After a successful afternoon for mayoral candidate Puma Shen, I learned about developments in the gay bar raid story as well as some dumb Chiang Wan-an post about drugs? Ugh.
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Andreas Landwehr @andreaslandwehr.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
‘Unwelcome and unsafe’: Why Japanese companies are retreating from China at a historic rate www.wsj.com/world/china/...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Unusual Rest Breaks for Xi Jinping Sucked Hours Out of Summit With Trump
Beijing pared back the schedule and insisted on private downtime for China’s 73-year-old leader.
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Andreas Landwehr @andreaslandwehr.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
A woman accused of spying for China on Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s son and his family was arrested in the United States, US and Taiwanese officials said hongkongfp.com/2026/10/05/u...
hongkongfp.com
US arrests woman accused of spying for China on Taiwan leader's family
A woman accused of spying for China on Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's son and his family was arrested Sunday in the United States, US and Taiwanese officials said.
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Michael Turton @michaelturton.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Linda Arrigo interviewed for this program on Taiwan in the old days. Facebook reel.... www.facebook.com/reel/1398791...
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Euan MacDonald @euanmacdonald.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
A Taiwanese-made Fotek SSR-50DD solid-state relay found in debris from a Russian drone shot down in Kyiv. It's possible this is a "pirated" unit, but Ukraine has repeatedly complained that Russian drones and missiles contain genuine Western-made electronic components.
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Anton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Wow. A Ukrainian lady rushed to help rescue a Ukrainian ground robot. She is incredibly cool. Note how she also hid her bike so it wouldn't be visible. God bless her. Ukrainians risk their lives because we are fighting an existential war. Source: 71st Brigade
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Michael Turton @michaelturton.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The awesome Broad and Ample road: Snow Prisoners: The Lesser-Known Lives of Taiwanese People in the State of Manchukuo ampleroad.substack.com/p/snow-priso...
ampleroad.substack.com
Snow Prisoners: A Guest Essay by Petula Parris on the Lives of Taiwanese People in Manchukuo
Plus: our love for Puma Shen and our next Live conversation with Lisa Cheng Smith of Yun Hai Taiwan Stories next week, October 7!
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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.eu · 04/10/2026
True, though Ezra Klein made a good point the other day when he said that Amodei and Altman etc talk about the frontier models they see in their labs, but the larger public thinks of AI as their free ChatGPT and thus of course we talk past each other.
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Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
1/2 FT: "German government debt has emerged as the pre-eminent haven in the global bond rout, as concerns about an overheating US economy and fiscal worries elsewhere in Europe leave investors with few other places to turn." www.ft.com/content/9302...
ft.com
Investors seek refuge from bond rout in haven German debt
Bund yields have fallen this week even as US, French and other governments’ bonds have sold off sharply over inflation fears
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Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 04/10/2026
Bloomberg: China’s government has expanded overseas travel restrictions for top AI professionals in private firms to include the families of key personnel – ‘now required to obtain approval from Beijing before going abroad even for short trips’
bloomberg.com
China Broadens Travel Curbs to Encompass Family of Top AI Talent
China has expanded overseas travel restrictions for top AI professionals in private firms to include the families of key personnel, further tightening measures designed to prevent the outflow of criti...
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Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 04/10/2026
Kyodo News: Documents show China weighed military action in Hong Kong in 2014 – ‘The Umbrella Movement was quelled in December 2014 following a forced clearance operation by Hong Kong police.’
english.kyodonews.net
Documents show China weighed military action in Hong Kong in 2014
Documents seen by Kyodo News have revealed that high-ranking Chinese military officials in November 2014 considered military intervention to suppress a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, raising que...
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Chase W. Nelson 倪誠志 @chasewnelson.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Puma
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Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 04/10/2026
Taipei Times: US to assign liaisons in Taiwan’s defence ministry, sources say – ‘the Pentagon would dispatch representatives from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Institute for Defense Analyses’
taipeitimes.com
US to assign liaisons in MND: sources - Taipei Times
Taiwan-US military cooperation is deepening, with the Pentagon expected to station personnel at the Ministry of National Defense (MND), sources said.The NT$470 million (US$14.77 million) joint program...
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Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 04/10/2026
POLITICO Europe: German industry hoards rare earths as Brussels squares up to China – ‘alarmed by the risk that Beijing could restrict rare earth exports if next month’s trade talks between the EU and China break down.’
politico.eu
German industry hoards rare earths as Brussels squares up to China
Companies fear Europe’s push to rebalance trade with Beijing could trigger retaliation against critical supply chains.
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Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Brendan Greely on "moneyness": "Were Treasuries debt or money? Did the Treasury sell its bonds, like a security? Or did it simply issue them, like currency?" www.ft.com/content/7128...
ft.com
Treasuries are losing their moneyness
For four decades, US government bonds have been both securities and money. They may no longer be that special
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Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 04/10/2026
The Guardian: MI5 warns UK universities over ‘theft of tech secrets by Chinese front company’ – ‘said researchers and academics should cease work with the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), sometimes also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT).’
theguardian.com
MI5 warns UK universities over ‘theft of tech secrets by Chinese front company’
Security service says academics should stop working with and taking grants from firm backed by Chinese intelligence
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George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
“He’s gotta resign. … We have to let our own people and everybody else know why it had to be done—because of what’s on the tape, because he lied.” — White House speechwriter Patrick J. Buchanan to White House chief of staff Alexander M. Haig, August 2, 1974
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Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🌍 The international system has shifted to a post-unipolar state, "accompanied by a situation in which, for the first time in more than a century, all major powers are either authoritarian or led by figures who are pursuing autocratizing trajectories." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
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