The Point with Liu Xin China Plus

On May 20, Lai Ching-te took office as the new leader of the Taiwan region. He gave a so-called "inauguration" speech during which he expressed explicit views on Taiwan separatism. His speech triggered strong reaction from the central government in Beijing with a spokesperson calling his stance radical. Lai called himself a "guardian of peace" for the world, as Taiwan sits on a strategic position on the so-called first island chain in the Pacific Ocean. But will his radical views contribute to peace across the Straits or the opposite? What do peace-loving people in Taiwan think of his speech?

Today, more than 180 countries, including the United States, officially recognize that there is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. As the international situation evolves, China-U.S. relations have experienced dramatic changes. But Taiwan stands at the heart of the matter. What's really behind the U.S. meddling in the Taiwan question?

In ancient Greece, a temple was built to pay tribute to the nine divine muses of art and science. Today we call such houses museums. As we mark the 48th International Museum Day, how can we make museums friendlier to the general public than they are now? While new technologies are transforming our lives, how can museums participate in the change? What more can museums do to bring peace to this turbulent and divided world?

A Filipino civilian convoy that calls itself Atin Ito, meaning "This is ours" in Tagalog, claims to have breached China's so-called “blockade” around the Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. The flotilla is said to have reached the shoal and resupplied Filipino fishermen operating there. But media reports suggest they stopped 50 nautical miles from Huangyan before returning. The Philippine Coast Guard and Navy watched the mission. What is it that the mission aimed to accomplish? Are the fishermen being exploited? Are there other forces behind this sudden assertiveness?

A blockade in the South China Sea? That's what the darling of the Filipino media Ray Powell says in a tweet about what China will do in Huangyan Island in the coming days. He is a former U.S. air force serviceman who now heads the Sealight Maritime Transparency Project, an organization that overtly counters China. He warned that China will blockade Filipino vessels carrying activists, foreign observers, journalists, and fishing crew to what is known in English as Scarborogh Shoal, a disputed area. What exactly is Ray Powell up to? Who's behind him?

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to wrap up his five-day visit to France, Serbia, and Hungary, on his first official tour to Europe in five years. The three countries rolled out the red carpet to welcome their Chinese guests, stirring a China fervor among the local people and heated discussions in the media. While new opportunities are set to open up in Beijing's collaboration with these countries, skepticism lingers over EU policies on how to approach the bloc's second largest trading partner. To what extent has this trip brought clarity to the issue?