Taipei City, Taiwan
Joined May 2019
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Some professional news: I've started an MPhil degree in Modern Chinese Studies at @UniofOxford !
For @TheWorld I took a look at the new Chinese state-supported TV series "Jiaofeng" or "The Long Watch," which turns the past few decades of espionage between China and Taiwan into a high-stakes spy thriller. Have a listen here: theworld.org/segments/2026/0…
During Taiwan's nearly four decades of martial law (1949-1987), independent Hokkien-language films were some of the few outlets for creative expression. For @NPR I profiled some of the folks saving and restoring these films for future generations. npr.org/2026/09/19/nx-s1-594…
My latest for @ForeignPolicy : a look at how the ancient sea goddess Mazu, worshipped by millions on both sides of the Taiwan strait, has become a focal point of China's efforts to influence Taiwanese society.
China is framing the worship of ancient deity Mazu—which is practiced on both sides of the Taiwan Strait—as evidence that Taiwan and China are “one family." foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/17…
Taiwan's government has urged religious groups visiting mainland China to register their trips in advance, and is increasingly worried about China's new ethnic unity law which emphasizes the "Sinicization of religion."
"Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are values, but they are also vulnerabilities,” Yu Chihhao, of the think tank @iorgtw told me. “It doesn’t mean that we stop believing in these things. We just need to calibrate them, to protect them.”
Ashish Valentine retweeted
On The World 🌍 today:
@joyhackel: Back to the brink in the Strait of Hormuz
@ashishval: China and Taiwan hit by Typhoon Bavi
@JennaGadbois: How India's caste system persists around the globe
Tune in 📻: bit.ly/3xyRRfD
Learned a lot from @yilingliu95's latest op-ed on AI anxiety in China, which reveals the US-China race to build more advanced AI models is often seen by working people on both sides as a race to the bottom. nytimes.com/2026/05/12/opini…
Ashish Valentine retweeted
SCOOP @NikkeiAsia: Taiwan is facing a quiet backlash from Japanese officials over how it handled a recent visit to Tokyo by Premier Cho Jung-tai.
Tokyo “felt betrayed” over the trip’s publicity, stirring doubts over future cooperation and visits. 1/4
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int…
Ashish Valentine retweeted
China's Xi Jinping held a rare meeting with Cheng Li-wun, the leader of Taiwan's opposition KMT party. It comes ahead of a summit with President Trump, where Xi is likely to bring up his opposition to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan ... w/ @ashishval
npr.org/2026/04/10/nx-s1-578…
My latest for @NPR : Taiwan's opposition leader Cheng Li-wun may meet Xi Jinping later this week. She says the safety of Taiwan is her priority, though Taiwan's government doubts she can lower tensions. I report from Taipei with @jpak25 from eastern China. npr.org/2026/04/07/nx-s1-577…
My latest for @NPR : A recent report by the US director of national intelligence assessed China likely does not plan to invade Taiwan in 2027. It's reignited partisan divisions in Taiwan as lawmakers debate $40 billion in defense spending to counter China. npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-576…
I joined @OneWorldCNN with @ZainAsher alongside @rob_schmitz to discuss the impact of the Iran war on Asian economies: China is relatively secure. High-income East Asia is stressed but surviving. Lower-income nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and others are especially hard-hit.
My latest for @NPR : Why are Gen Z Americans obsessed with China? @hasanthehun told me life in the US "is just getting worse... then I turn on TikTok, and I see a video of Chongqing. They've got trains everywhere and it's this fascinating city." npr.org/2026/03/13/nx-s1-574…
