Dexter Tiff Roberts
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dtiffroberts.bsky.social
Dexter Tiff Roberts
@dtiffroberts.bsky.social
Writing and speaking on China
Former China Bureau Chief at Bloomberg Businessweek
Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council
Check out my newsletter Trade War: https://dexter.substack.com/
Pinned
𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮, when Trump and Xi had their breakthrough meeting on trade & tariffs, and everyone noted the fact that 𝘟𝘪 𝘑𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘛𝘢𝘪𝘸𝘢𝘯 to the US president?
open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
Helsinki
February 12, 2026 at 5:34 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
“If Taiwan were annexed by China, China’s expansionist ambitions would not stop there,” president Lai warns www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-as...
President Lai warns countries in region could be ‘next’ if China seizes Taiwan
He insisted on the need for Taiwan to dramatically shore up its defences. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.
www.straitstimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:53 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
A Trumpkin stealth candidate for governor in California lists himself as a Democrat and is being funded by the tech bros behind Trump.
Conservative heads San Jose mayor's governor campaign - San José Spotlight
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has bristled at being labeled right-leaning while stressing he's a lifelong Democrat. His hiring of a self-described conservative to run his California governor campaign coul...
sanjosespotlight.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:46 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
KMT now trying to sue the Liberty Times over reporting about a planned meeting between Xi Jinping and party chair Cheng Li-wen

focustaiwan.tw/politics/202...
KMT sues Liberty Times over reports on meetings with CCP - Focus Taiwan
The Kuomintang (KMT) said Wednesday it has filed civil litigation against the Liberty Times and its editor-in-chief Tzou Jiing-wen (鄒景雯), accusing the newspaper of publishing "entirely untrue" reports...
focustaiwan.tw
February 12, 2026 at 6:04 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
"We will continue to push back. The tide is turning, and accountability is coming.”
"The tide is turning": Democratic military vets respond to Trump's failure to indict them
Six members of Congress stood up for the Constitution. They won.
www.motherjones.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
As the de facto leader of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Kari Lake has done profound damage to America’s foreign broadcasters and squandered millions of taxpayer dollars, Anne Applebaum and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez report.
What Is Kari Lake Trying to Achieve?
The Arizona politician has wasted millions of dollars while blocking U.S. efforts to bring reliable news to repressive countries.
bit.ly
February 12, 2026 at 2:45 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
Interesting to see Taiwanese Hokkien poetry become a bestseller

focustaiwan.tw/culture/2026...
Taiwanese poet Un Jio̍k-kiâu turns Taigi poetry into bestseller - Focus Taiwan
For decades, Taigi (Taiwanese) poetry was widely seen as commercially unviable -- until Un Jio̍k-kiâu (温若喬) rewrote the script.
focustaiwan.tw
February 11, 2026 at 7:12 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗦-𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮'𝘀 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙧: open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:55 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 how much he cares about getting a successful state visit to Beijing in April and how he will continue to work hard to please China. He described the Xi call as “𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵” and “𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.” open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲, 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 Lai Ching-te responded by saying to reporters in Taipei, that Taiwan-US relations are “𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥.” open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗷𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 enough about China's position and its leverage over Washington (𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘴), to be very direct about its biggest concern: ensuring the US has no voice in the future of Taiwan. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
“𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹;” China and the US should “step by step" "build mutual trust," Xi said. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
𝘟𝘪 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘢𝘪𝘸𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 “𝘱𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.” open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
..and that China would never allow Taiwan to “be separated.” As Chinese government officials have repeatedly put it, Taiwan’s future should be “𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮'𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿.” open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁!
𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿-𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 last Wednesday, Xi made it very clear to Trump that Taiwan is the top issue in China-US relations ..
open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮, when Trump and Xi had their breakthrough meeting on trade & tariffs, and everyone noted the fact that 𝘟𝘪 𝘑𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘛𝘢𝘪𝘸𝘢𝘯 to the US president?
open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:51 PM
𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮, when Trump and Xi had their breakthrough meeting on trade & tariffs, and everyone noted the fact that 𝘟𝘪 𝘑𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘛𝘢𝘪𝘸𝘢𝘯 to the US president?
open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...
Trade War
Trump and Xi discuss soybeans, oil, gas, and aircraft engines in phone call. Xi says Taiwan top issue in China-US relations and warns Trump on arms sales.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
📬 New newsletter is out. This edition highlights my interview with Dr. Shiran Victoria Shen on how #climate #adaptation emerges in China after the 2021 Henan floods — and what that reveals about governance, public pressure, and risk.

Also sharing international episodes from the archive 🇦🇺🌍
February 11, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
According to The Marshall Project, the number of children in ICE detention on a given day has skyrocketed, jumping more than sixfold since the start of the second Trump administration.

"The worst of the worst," according to Trump. [Cartoon by Mike Luckovich]
February 11, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
PM Mark Carney’s trip to China raised a key moral and strategic question: how to restore diplomatic channels without tacitly accepting what the CCP has done to harm Canadians and violate Canada’s sovereignty? That question came up when I spoke with Alex Pierson on AM640 about calls to “move on.”
February 11, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
How far will Beijing go to silence dissent? On @cnn.com, SFS Prof Rush Doshi discusses Jimmy Lai's 20-year sentence in Hong Kong. He explains how Lai’s commitment to human rights & democracy made him a target of a regime cracking down despite global condemnation.

Watch here: https://cnn.it/4aqfCpT
‘The goal has always been to silence him,' says analyst on Jimmy Lai's sentencing | CNN
Bianna Golodryga speaks with Rush Doshi, Assistant Professor at Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations about a court in Hong Kong sentencing Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison.
cnn.it
February 11, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
Roughly five years ago, Ant Group reined in its ambitions after a derailed IPO. Today, the Jack Ma-backed company is betting on a very different business to fuel its growth: health care powered by AI.
Jack Ma-Backed Ant Bets on AI Health in $69 Billion Sector Race
Roughly five years ago, Ant Group Co. reined in its ambitions after a derailed initial public offering. Today, the Jack Ma-backed company is betting on a very different business to fuel its next phase of growth: health care powered by artificial intelligence.
bloom.bg
February 11, 2026 at 6:15 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
Bridge Owner Lobbied Administration Before Trump Blasted Competing Span to Canada www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/w...
Bridge Owner Lobbied Administration Before Trump Blasted Competing Span to Canada
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
Getting ready for Fire Horse year in #China
February 5, 2026 at 5:49 AM
Reposted by Dexter Tiff Roberts
"Ford lost out to BYD in global vehicle sales for the first time last year as the Chinese manufacturer continued its climb up the rankings of the world’s largest automakers" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Ford Falls Behind China’s BYD in Global Sales For the First Time
Ford Motor Co. lost out to BYD Co. in global vehicle sales for the first time last year as the Chinese manufacturer continued its climb up the rankings of the world’s largest automakers.
www.bloomberg.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:22 AM