Brian Hioe
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brianhioe.bsky.social
Brian Hioe
@brianhioe.bsky.social
4.4K followers 670 following 3.9K posts
Editor at @newbloommag.net, writes @thediplomat.com @flaminghydra.com, non-resident fellow at University of Nottingham's Taiwan Research Hub, ‪Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club board, freelance journalist, translator, DJ. Author of Taipei at Daybreak
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brianhioe.bsky.social
All this seems to point to that we're going to have another fight about the budget soon

www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...
Budget delay might force borrowing - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Brian Hioe
kjoules.org
“Squat toilets currently account for nearly half of all 45,000 public restrooms overseen by the ministry [in Taiwan], although it hopes to raise the proportion of seated toilets to 80 percent within the next few years.”

h/t @brianhioe.bsky.social

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
Ministry encourages flushing toilet paper, seated toilets - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:19 AM
Reposted by Brian Hioe
crapstacular.bsky.social
Huge fan of the Taiwanese indie scene
January 8, 2026 at 1:16 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Internships have already become a de facto way of opening the hospitality industry to blue collar migrant workers, so can their labor conditions be improved though new laws?
January 8, 2026 at 1:29 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Wrote for @thenewworldmag.bsky.social on the contemporary Taiwanese indie scene

www.thenewworld.co.uk/brian-hioe-w...
Welcome to the Taiwanese indie boom
Living so close to a huge unfriendly neighbour has made our politics intense – but it has also done the same for our music culture
www.thenewworld.co.uk
January 8, 2026 at 1:02 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Chinese captain sentenced to three months, which can be commuted to a fine, for damaging a submarine capable--he is also to be deported. It seems the damage is thought to be due to negligence, however

www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/20...
中國吳姓船長過失毀壞海纜判刑3月　海巡署強制出境 | 社會 | 中央社 CNA
中國籍吳姓船長去年10月駕駛漁船毀壞台馬第二海纜，經連江地院依過失毀壞海纜纜線罪判刑3個月得易科罰金，且已賠償中華電信25萬元損失，海巡署上午會同移民署，強制吳男出境至中國。
www.cna.com.tw
January 8, 2026 at 12:57 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Former Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat is among the speakers, in dialogue with Miao Poya and Enoch Wu, in fact

focustaiwan.tw/culture/2026...
Taipei Int'l Book Exhibition to feature at least 18 Thai authors - Focus Taiwan
At least 18 Thai authors will attend the 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition (TiBE) in early February, with the Southeast Asian country serving as the guest of honor.
focustaiwan.tw
January 8, 2026 at 9:17 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
A very Taiwan story, lol

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
Ministry encourages flushing toilet paper, seated toilets - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:13 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Ah, right, wanting to push international students into one of the most overworked professions in Taiwan

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
International students could fill driver shortage: bureau - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:02 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
KMT legislator refers to reliance on the US as a form of dictatorship, after events in Venezuela

news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
邱鎮軍怒轟「單押美國是獨裁」 全網灌爆︰快審查國防預算！ - 政治 - 自由時報電子報
美軍3日突襲委內瑞拉，生擒獨裁統治委國10多年、迫使800多萬國民流亡的總統馬杜羅（Nicolás Maduro），引發國際關注，也讓台灣藍白政客齊聲怒轟美國，聲稱中國效仿並對台灣發動攻擊。國民黨立委邱鎮軍為此在臉書發長文，砲轟台灣單押美國下場，聲稱這是一種「獨裁」，反被數千網友留言大罵：「快審國防預算！」針對美軍突襲委內瑞拉總統一事，邱鎮軍昨（6）日在臉書猛力砲轟賴清德政府，宣稱把中國定義為「敵...
news.ltn.com.tw
January 7, 2026 at 9:57 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Hmmmm
January 7, 2026 at 5:34 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Does he want to give more speeches, lol

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
Lai and Cho to take budget fight to local level - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Brian Hioe
newbloommag.net
Join us Thursday night for the first of a series of gatherings that will explore decolonial ideas about healing, therapy and community support!

www.facebook.com/events/41624...
January 6, 2026 at 9:32 AM
Reposted by Brian Hioe
newbloommag.net
"Will Taiwan Be Able to Lower Its Voting Age?" by @brianhioe.bsky.social
Will Taiwan Be Able to Lower Its Voting Age? | New Bloom Magazine
In somewhat of a surprise, the Legislative Yuan has passed the Youth Basic Law. The law, which defines youth as between the ages of 18 and 35, provides for the creation of the Youth Affairs…
newbloommag.net
January 6, 2026 at 9:26 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Looks like the government is finally rolling out a ranked classified information system, after longstanding calls for that

www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/20...
防中共滲透　國軍新版機密資訊標註上路 | 政治 | 中央社 CNA
為防止中共滲透，國軍推動「機密資訊精準標示」，本月正式實施，除了往來公文書、報告書必須註記機密等級，也必須逐段審查文內各段落，分為無、密、機、極、絕5個規定等級。
www.cna.com.tw
January 6, 2026 at 3:16 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
I generally think it quite important to remind what the Chinese death toll from an invasion would be when we usually talk only about Taiwanese deaths--perhaps if the Chinese public was aware, this would be a restraining force on the CCP leadership

focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait...
China would suffer 100,000 fatalities in Taiwan invasion: Report - Focus Taiwan
China could sustain up to 100,000 military fatalities if it invaded Taiwan through amphibious landings, resulting in its ultimate retreat, but it would likely gain control over Taiwan's offshore Kinme...
focustaiwan.tw
January 6, 2026 at 3:13 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Rescue operation underway after jet fighter crash and pilot ejection

focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
Rescue operations launched after F-16V crashes off Hualien (update) - Focus Taiwan
A captain surnamed Hsin (辛) is believed to have ejected from an F-16V (Block 20) single-seat fighter jet about 10 nautical miles east of Fengbin Township in Hualien County during a routine training mi...
focustaiwan.tw
January 6, 2026 at 3:12 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Who wrote this headline, lol

focustaiwan.tw/business/202...
Gogoro partners with lubricant maker to further penetrate Vietnam - Focus Taiwan
Gogoro, a Taiwan-based e-scooter brand and battery swapping services provider, said on Tuesday that it has decided to expand its cooperation with British lubricant maker Castrol to further penetrate t...
focustaiwan.tw
January 6, 2026 at 3:11 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Internships have already become a way that blue-collar migrant work takes place in the hospitality industry, so important to keep an eye on

focustaiwan.tw/society/2026...
Tourism authority issues guidelines to protect foreign accommodation interns - Focus Taiwan
Taiwan's Tourism Administration (TA) on Monday issued updated guidelines to better protect foreign interns in the accommodation/hospitality sector, including on minimum pay, an eight-hour daily work l...
focustaiwan.tw
January 6, 2026 at 3:07 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Minimum wage to again be increased this year

www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a...
Minimum wage to be raised again this year, Lai says - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:06 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Wrote about domestic reactions in Taiwan to China's military drills as well as the US's actions in Venezuela in my latest for
@thediplomat.com

thediplomat.com/2026/01/pla-...
PLA Drills, US Strike on Venezuela Spark Debate in Taiwan
The PLA exercise raised the specter of a blockage, while American actions against Venezuela sparked different fears in Taiwan.
thediplomat.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:05 AM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Unfortunate though unsurprising that patriarchy is still alive and well in Taiwan in this way

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
Women still spending over three hours daily on unpaid care: MOHW - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:18 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Lol, as if the DPP were that powerful in DC

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
KMT chair accuses US think tank of working with DPP - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:17 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
Pan-Blue camp still pushing on the idea of free trade zones in outlying islands, I see

www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...
MAC weighs in on free-trade zone plan - Taipei Times
Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:16 PM
brianhioe.bsky.social
I think Ko's role in the TPP is restrained given the very real possibility he'll be back in jail soon, you see his recent comments and he's throwing his weight behind Huang. This is a power move by Huang to take power back after the subsequent power vacuum
focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
TPP leader Huang signs resignation to implement party's two-year rule - Focus Taiwan
Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said Monday he has signed a resignation letter to implement the party's two-year term rule for at-large legislators.
focustaiwan.tw
January 5, 2026 at 1:14 PM