2025/05/28 New Bloom Newsletter
KMT budget blocks • jianbao data security • referendum tantrum • traffic safety • convenience store truths • World Masters Games • drone footage disinformation • transnational activism
Dragon Boat Festival (insert your favorite dead poets joke) is coming up here in Taiwan and the markets are full of zongzi of every style, filling, and price. For the Tao people of Pongso no Tao (Lanyu/Orchid Island), it’s a transition time between the first and second seasons of their yearly Flying Fish Festival. Over at Daybreak, we said a fond farewell to Trif, wishing our longtime friend all the best on the next chapter ahead.
COVID Update: COVID case numbers and hospitalization numbers continue to spike across Taiwan, resulting in shortages of the vaccine and rapid test kits. Authorities are reminding the public that expired test kits can still be used. Taiwan currently distributes the Moderna vaccine targeting the JN.1 variant, and you can search for available clinics in your neighborhood via this government directory. Stay healthy, everyone!
Latest NEW BLOOM Articles
Search for older articles over at our website, and remember to explore our sibling publication on life and the arts, No Man Is an Island
Circular Line MRT Doors Under Scrutiny Over Chinese Manufacture (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/16)
Taiwanese Christian Group Leads 41-Kilometer Pilgrimage in Solidarity with Gaza (Girard Mariano Lopez | 2025/05/17)
The Cost of Convenience: Precarity in Taiwanese Franchise Markets (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/18)
Labor Groups Protest Working Year Limits for Migrant Workers in Taiwan (Girard Mariano Lopez | 2025/05/18)
Nuclear Debate Likely to Continue After Shutdown of Ma-anshan Nuclear Reactor (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/20)
World Masters Games See a Number of Controversies (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/21)
DPP Seeks Constitutional Interpretation Over Budget Blocks (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/22)
Will Legislation Be Sufficient to Tighten Security for the National Health Insurance Database? (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/23)
KMT Likely to Cry Foul Over Referendum Decision by Central Election Commission (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/24)
Fisheries Agency Accused of Inaction Over Shark Finning (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/25)
Groups Call for Improvements in Licensing System, After Series of Accidents Caused by Elderly Drivers (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/26)
Chinese Disinformation Seeks to Cast Doubt on Taiwan’s Defenses (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/27)
Taiwan Proves a Factor in Solomon Islands’ Withdrawal from IPAC (Brian Hioe | 2025/05/28)
DAYBREAK Events
Please see our Facebook page and Instagram account for all upcoming and past events
Standing Events
Unless otherwise posted on social, New Bloom’s regular Coffee Hours take place each Saturday afternoon from 14:00 to 18:00 at Daybreak. Come sip a drink, meet friends new and familiar, and catch up with the community and talk of the town.
Unless otherwise posted on social, Trif Trans Bar 翠芙的勸世酒吧 takes place every Friday night (19:30 to 23:30+) at Daybreak. We’re a safe and welcoming meetup for the transgender community and allies, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available. Come feel free to be yourself, regardless of your gender identity or sexual orientation.
Upcoming Events
The Lai Administration’s First Year in Office and Taiwan’s Continuing Challenges (Friday 2025.05.30) Not a Daybreak event, but Brian will be a panelist on this webcast hosted by the Global Taiwan Institute, taking place Thursday May 29 at noon Eastern Time / Friday May 30 at midnight Taipei Time.
Pen Club #6: Let’s Draw Still Life Together! (Saturday 2025.05.31) Pen Club is an open invite for artists, designers, or any creative folks to sketch and hang over a drink. For this next meetup at Daybreak, bring an object to share in our still life session!
Transnational Activism in Asia Amid Global Democratic Challenges (Saturday 2025.05.31) Gino Lopez, Wichuta Teeratanabodee, and Tuwanont Phattharathanasut will speak on how activists are continuing their work for democracy amid intensifying authoritarianism across Asia and China’s growing influence. What is the future of transnational activism in the region?
臺灣原住民語言的數位推動 (Saturday 2025.06.28) Daybreak and the Indigenous Youth Front 原住民族青年陣線 will co-host an experience sharing session for digital initiatives on Indigenous languages in Taiwan. Prospective topics range from social media usage; public health communication in the pandemic; adding Wikipedia entries; recording oral histories with elders. Registration ends May 31 and virtual participation is offered. (In Mandarin)
Past Events
From the Community
A new section featuring links and inspirations as suggested by friends around the New Bloom community. See what everyone’s reading/watching/attending lately around Taipei and beyond.
Aurora Chang, New Bloom community member
How China Is Quietly Aiding Israel's Settlement Enterprise: Despite Beijing’s stated policy of supporting Palestinian independence, Razan’s investigation reveals that Chinese labour actively contributes to ongoing Israeli settler-colonialism in occupied Palestinian land. A must read for those wishing to better understand China’s relationship with Israel and Palestine.
Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College: A relatively long but fascinating read on how reliance on generative A.I. has negatively impacted this generation of university students. I’m particularly interested in concerns around ChatGPT because of its increasing prevalence in Taiwanese spaces and civil society. (Originally published by New York Magazine.)
Surveillance Watch: A data visualization platform that explores surveillance worldwide, drawing from a large body of research data that reveals connections between surveillance companies, their affiliations, and targets. Check out Taiwan under the tab “Known Targets”!
罷傅：罷免傅隨組織，守護台灣民主 / bafu.tw: Their website updates information on the recalls, and recently they've been posting content about Taiwanese history and transitional justice on Instagram.
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