#taiwan

16 topics

Sep 27, 2026

After the Xi-Trump Summit: A Japan-US Call and an Anti-Communism Statement

In the wake of the US-China summit, Trump reportedly called PM Takaichi within the day to brief her, the White House issued an 'America will NEVER be a communist country' statement, and the summit's fact sheet made no mention of Taiwan. Japanese commenters debated whether Washington is genuinely tough on Beijing and where a Taiwan contingency now stands.

Nagoya Asian Games: Flag Seizure, a Midnight Match, and a Boycott

Society

Sep 27, 2026

Nagoya Asian Games: Flag Seizure, a Midnight Match, and a Boycott

Three separate incidents at the Nagoya Asian Games — a confiscated 'Taiwan' towel, a badminton match pushed to past midnight, and North Korea skipping the post-match line-up — fed a wave of criticism aimed at the organizers and at Japan's handling of politically sensitive neighbors.

US-China Summit Aftermath: Dinner Music, a Joint Statement, and Taiwan

Politics

Sep 26, 2026

US-China Summit Aftermath: Dinner Music, a Joint Statement, and Taiwan

The follow-up to a US-China summit dominated Japanese boards: reported dinner-table song choices seen as jabs at Beijing, a disputed 'agreed to oppose Taiwan independence' claim, and an agreement text calling the two 'WWII allies' with no mention of Japan. Commenters split between enjoying Trump's needling of Xi, distrusting a China-only account of the talks, and arguing over whether Japan had been sidelined.

Trump Calls the U.S. and China WWII 'Allies' as Pandas Head to America

Politics

Sep 25, 2026

Trump Calls the U.S. and China WWII 'Allies' as Pandas Head to America

At a White House ceremony, Trump described the U.S. and China as World War II 'allies' and welcomed two pandas sent to a U.S. zoo. Japanese users noted the wartime ally was the Republic of China (today's Taiwan), not the People's Republic, and mocked a summit that produced little beyond the pandas.

Taiwan's Relief and China's Rebuke: Two Neighbors, Two Attitudes

Politics

Sep 18, 2026

Taiwan's Relief and China's Rebuke: Two Neighbors, Two Attitudes

Taiwanese citizens raised about 1.5 billion yen for Kumamoto's disaster areas, with chipmaker TSMC donating another 250 million yen separately. At the same time, Chinese state media and researchers attacked a Nippon Ishin lawmaker's cabinet entry as a rightward, militarist turn. Japanese netizens read the two responses as a stark contrast, pouring out gratitude to Taiwan and pushing back on Beijing.

Distrust of China Flares Across Economy, Culture, and Diplomacy

Politics

Sep 9, 2026

Distrust of China Flares Across Economy, Culture, and Diplomacy

On the same day, Japanese forums picked up three unrelated China stories: Indonesia's China-built high-speed rail extending its debt repayment to 80 years, four Chinese idols abruptly canceling a Japan visit, and eleven Ishin lawmakers meeting Taiwan's president. Each was read through a lens of distrust and caution toward Beijing.

China's Military Purge and the 'China Will Collapse' Debate

Politics

Sep 7, 2026

China's Military Purge and the 'China Will Collapse' Debate

Reports that China's Central Military Commission has shrunk from seven members to effectively two amid purges set off Japanese debate over Taiwan. Some warned a lack of restraint raises the risk of an impulsive strike; others pushed back on wishful 'China will collapse' talk, noting a real collapse would send refugees and chaos toward Japan.

Anime 'Yanineko' Pulled From Streaming in Hong Kong and Taiwan Over Cigarette Brands

Culture

Aug 20, 2026

Anime 'Yanineko' Pulled From Streaming in Hong Kong and Taiwan Over Cigarette Brands

The TV anime 'Yanineko' was pulled from streaming in Hong Kong — where the health authority flagged its clearly drawn real cigarette brands as tobacco advertising under the smoking ordinance — and then in Taiwan. Japanese netizens mostly took the regulation in stride, while poking fun at how a show that mocks smoking got treated as an ad.

Nagasaki Peace Ceremony Seating Sparks a Diplomatic Rift With Taiwan

Politics

Aug 11, 2026

Nagasaki Peace Ceremony Seating Sparks a Diplomatic Rift With Taiwan

Nagasaki placed Taiwan's representative outside the diplomatic-mission seating at its atomic-bombing ceremony. Taiwan protested and downgraded its attendance, and Japanese netizens split between fury at perceived deference to China and calls to check the facts.

Why Japan Gave Up Taiwan — and How It Remembers the War

Politics

Aug 10, 2026

Why Japan Gave Up Taiwan — and How It Remembers the War

In the days around Japan's war-end anniversary, an old question resurfaced online: does Japan talk about the war only as a victim? Alongside it ran an overseas-forum debate on why postwar Japan wasn't allowed to keep Taiwan, pulling in the San Francisco Peace Treaty, the Atlantic Charter, and Cold War strategy.

Politics

Jul 22, 2026

China Calls Okinotorishima 'Just a Rock' as a Japanese Lawmaker Says TV Told Him to Remove His Taiwan Badge

China's foreign ministry called Okinotorishima 'a rock, not an island' and rejected Japan's protest over a Chinese live-fire drill inside Japan's claimed exclusive economic zone, saying Tokyo was 'looking for a pretext.' Around the same time, lawmaker Haruo Kitamura said that when he appeared on a TV program, a director asked him to remove a Taiwan lapel badge out of deference to China. The two stories merged online into a single theme: anger at Beijing's stance, and equal anger at Japanese media accused of self-censoring to avoid provoking China. Commenters hammered the double standard of a country that builds artificial islands calling Okinotorishima a mere rock, and framed the badge episode as journalism surrendering its own freedom.

Society

Jul 19, 2026

Taiwan's Hyper-Credential Society and the Rise of Cheerleader Influencers

A 'too cute to be real' Taiwanese cheerleader trainee went viral in Japan, and the discussion turned to why so many young women in Taiwan chase cheerleading and influencer careers. With a university-entry rate above 90% and a weak idol industry, Japanese users saw echoes of their own credential grind.

Politics

Jul 1, 2026

China Flexes, Taiwan Claps Back

China-related tension and Taiwan's humorous counter landed at once. Xi Jinping used the Communist Party's 105th-anniversary event to restate his 'resolve' to complete 'reunification' with Taiwan (consistent with AP / El País reporting). Around the same time, two Fuji Electric employees were formally arrested in Dalian on suspicion of 'smuggling' rare-earth magnets, widely read as hostage-taking and a show trial. Meanwhile a Taiwanese TV station beat back Chinese pirate streams of the World Cup by flashing 'Tiananmen'-style words on screen to trigger China's own censorship filters — cheered as a clever application of a trick Japanese illustrators use against art theft.

Chinese EV-Charger Vandalism Video Pairs With 'Why Taiwan Dislikes China' Thread

Society

May 24, 2026

Chinese EV-Charger Vandalism Video Pairs With 'Why Taiwan Dislikes China' Thread

A short clip from China showing an EV driver smashing another car's windshield over a blocked charging spot circulated alongside a separate thread on why Taiwan dislikes the mainland. Japanese forums treat the pairing as evidence of a broader values gap, while Twitter discourse re-frames the same friction as a structural democracy-versus-authority clash.

Taiwan Reaffirms 'Already Independent' Status as Xi-Trump Optics Become a Joke

Politics

May 16, 2026

Taiwan Reaffirms 'Already Independent' Status as Xi-Trump Optics Become a Joke

Taiwan restated that the Republic of China is already a sovereign democracy and is not subordinate to the PRC, prompting Japanese commenters to split between Taiwan Strait war anxiety and ridicule of Xi Jinping for raising his chair seat at a meeting with Donald Trump. The thread quickly slid into domestic politics, with users complaining that any US-China summit news mysteriously triggers attacks on PM Takaichi.

Society

May 1, 2026

China Pollution and Taiwan Backlash

A claimed pollution discharge in Sichuan and a Taiwan deportation story were consumed together as proof of China-related risk. The Taiwan residency-cancellation story has a firmer factual basis, but the pollution claim could not be confirmed through major or official sources, making this the highest-risk topic in the batch.