
@TaiwanFCC Chair | @NikkeiAsia Correspondent | Formerly Myanmar, Thailand
Taipei
Joined April 2016
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🇲🇲✈️🇹🇼 Belated personal news: I left Yangon at the end of 2021 after calling Myanmar home for more than half a decade, moving to Taipei to cover news in Taiwan and Burma. Here’s my goodbye essay. 1/3
theguardian.com/global-devel…
Thompson Chau retweeted
Chiang Wan-an asks Lu Shiow-yen to manage his campaign. This is an open sign that Chiang feels threatened by Shen such that he will compromise with Lu and back out of contending for the 2028 KMT presidential nomination to maintain his mayorship of Taipei
udn.com/news/story/6656/9823…
Thompson Chau retweeted
Taiwan, Philippines kindle maritime cooperation in face of Chinese pressure s.nikkei.com/4i0MclS
Thompson Chau retweeted
Need a ton more of this! Nikkei again.
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int…
Taiwan and the Philippines are taking steps to boost maritime ties after decades of distance, as pressure from Chinese vessels makes a case for closer cooperation at sea.
w/ comments from @osmastro and Dan Blumenthal + public remarks by @WenLii49 1/3
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int…
@osmastro: “The only two places within combat radius of Taiwan are the northern Philippines and the southwest islands of Japan.”
@WenLii49: “Taiwan has been learning from the Philippines’ success on assertive transparency.” 2/3
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int…
The coast guard visits and ship transfers are “small in material terms, but they matter as signals,” said Blumenthal. “Regular, visible exchanges normalise cooperation between 2 neighbours that have historically kept their maritime relationship quiet.” 3/3
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int…
Japan has changed its national records system to allow “Taiwan” as an entry in fields related to place of origin for individuals who have information kept with government agencies.
Previously they needed to enter “China” for their nationality.
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int…
Thompson Chau retweeted
More of this, it seems
focustaiwan.tw/politics/2026…
Thompson Chau retweeted
This is the way. Not by framing Taiwan as an actor in a struggle between democracy vs autocracy or by presenting Taiwan in relation to looming great power war. Building awareness of Taiwan's indispensability to America's economic future is the best path to durable US support.
Taiwan plans to raise billions of dollars to develop industrial parks in the US that would build a base for a comprehensive supply chain for Nvidia and other AI hardware makers in the country bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @business
Thompson Chau retweeted
Japan takes steps to expand access to shipping for emergency and evacuation of civilians from conflict.
asia.nikkei.com/business/tra…
Trump told a rally in Alaska that “Taiwan has just agreed to buy 30% of the gas coming off the pipeline for the next 20 years.”
Taiwan’s economy ministry confirmed plans to take part in the project, with an envisioned investment of up to $4.4 billion.
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int…
Thompson Chau retweeted
Taiwan's KMT shows signs of power struggle tracked by US and China
Opposition party has 'two centers of gravity' as leader draws criticism, sources say
s.nikkei.com/4B2W2N0
Thompson Chau retweeted
Yesterday I set off on a 19-day bike trip around Taiwan, during which I will promote #GhostNation's Mandarin incarnation: #幽影之國.
This account will largely be posts from the road for the rest of the month - join me as I sweat my way around Asia's freest democracy!
Thompson Chau retweeted
My recent piece in @Diplomat_APAC on the Taipei mayoral race mentioned here in Liberty Times
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic…
Thompson Chau retweeted
台湾国民党内部权力斗争显现,美中密切关注
(《日经亚洲》2026年10月9日报道,记者Thompson Chau,台中)
距离关键地方选举仅剩数周,这场选举将为明年的总统竞选铺路。台湾最大在野党中国国民党内部矛盾日益显现,美中两国均密切关注。
一位驻华盛顿、同情国民党的分析人士称,该党目前出现“两个重心”:一个围绕党主席郑丽文,另一个以台中市长卢秀燕为核心,并与立法院党团相连。卢秀燕被视为2028年总统提名的潜在竞争者。
郑丽文面临党内建制派批评。部分人士在赖清德总统国防开支计划上立场不同。分析指出,分歧反映对两岸关系与党方向的竞争看法。卢秀燕属于相对亲美派系,成员包括前党主席朱立伦、立法院长韩国瑜及台北市长蒋万安。卢秀燕与朱立伦此前对增加国防开支表示开放态度,尽管在两岸关系上大体与郑丽文观点相近。
一名外国政府官员向《日经亚洲》透露,国民党政治人物实质上向华盛顿表示:郑丽文问题很大,但“我们不是,我们亲美且支持国防”。
成功大学助理教授钟燊豪指出,内斗正在削弱国民党的选战努力。“该党缺乏能高效协调重量级人物的连贯中央领导”。
一位质疑郑丽文亲北京倾向的国民党人士承认,其策略在制造声量上“非常成功”。内斗反映“个人野心”与“两岸政策冲突”的重叠。
外交消息人士称,美方官员似乎支持卢秀燕;分析人士则认为,北京仍押注郑丽文领导,并可能试图削弱其对手。郑丽文否认存在深层内部分裂,但另一位华盛顿分析人士表示,她与卢秀燕阵营的紧张真实存在。
国民党公开表示,其行动旨在确保问责而非削弱安全。部分党内人士私下试图与郑丽文保持距离。她今年4月高调会见习近平,以及对赖清德国防建设的质疑,引发对其对北京路线的担忧。
Thompson Chau retweeted
Interesting assemblage and message. Unmentioned but also present, Raymond Greene, America’s de facto ambassador to Taiwan.
Honored to be in Tokyo with Ambassador Glass @USAmbJapan and fellow U.S. Ambassadors from Korea, Australia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, and ASEAN. Our alliances and partnerships are the foundation of President Trump's vision for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
@USAmbROK @USAmbPH @USEmbAustralia @USMission2ASEAN @usembassybkk @UnderSecStateP
Thompson Chau retweeted
台湾国民党内斗,美中密切关注
10月9日,据《日经亚洲》报道,台湾最大在野党中国国民党内部矛盾日益显现,党主席郑丽文与台中市长卢秀燕及部分党内元老之间的分歧,涉及党内领导权、两岸关系及国防政策。
随着地方选举临近、2028年台湾地区领导人选举布局逐步展开,国民党内部协调能力面临考验,美中双方均密切关注其发展。
报道援引分析人士及外交消息人士称,国民党正形成分别以郑丽文和卢秀燕为核心的两股力量。郑丽文今年4月与中国国家主席习近平会面,并对民进党当局的国防扩军计划提出质疑;部分党内人士则强调对美关系及加强防务的重要性,试图与郑丽文的立场拉开距离。卢秀燕阵营与国民党立法机构党团存在联系,卢秀燕认为自己已获得部分党内重要人士支持。
国民党主导的立法机构联盟此前多次阻挠、削减或调整民进党当局的国防预算方案,引发美国等方面担忧。报道指出,部分美国政策人士认为,卢秀燕及国民党其他相对亲美的政治人物可能成为改善对美关系的替代力量,但相关判断及党内阵营关系仍存在不确定性。
分析人士认为,党内权力竞争与两岸政策分歧相互交织,可能削弱国民党的选举动员及战略协调能力。尽管争取地方选举胜利暂时维系党内合作,但若中央领导层无法协调各派系,内部矛盾可能影响该党后续选举布局,并对台湾防务政策及美中台关系产生影响。
Thompson Chau retweeted
In the heart of Taipei, Liberty Square and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial provide an apt metaphor for Taiwan's situation today.
Front and center: a free, open and democratic Taiwan
Looming in the near distance: Chinese authoritarianism
May Liberty Square's name never change.
Thompson Chau retweeted
A city upon a hill, standing firm on a strong foundation.
Like salt, small yet preserving freedom against authoritarian erosion.
A light shining across borders, helping others see the way forward.
This is Taiwan’s future. 🇹🇼
english.president.gov.tw/New… #NationalDay




















