Catching up Linkfest

This image sent around Twitter apparently shows a communication from the local Chinese student association protesting the Dalai Lama's appearance on campus at UCSD and saying they are awaiting orders from the Consulate. .

A friend writes on Facebook about his wife's family, showing how intertwined aborigines are with the Hoklo and Hakka population:

At the Zhang family temple [pictured in FB post], which was rebuilt on this location in 1908. Another set of my daughter visiting her ancestors. Not only is her grandmother a Zhang from the area, but the area is also a cultural site for Dabenkeng Culture dated around 4800bp.

The Zhang family in Taichung comes from a Hakka translator, Zhang Da-jing who arrived on the scene in 1715 and later "married"several Pazih speaking indigenous women to secure land holdings. In an effort to better manage his lands and fortunes, Zhang Da-jing invited men from eight large Hakka families in Lugang to cultivate the area in a scheme to exchange water for land with the indigenes. There was a lot of intermarrying and this is possibly why few Taichung families recognize a Hakka root.

The Dabenkeng culture may be the culture of pre-Austronesians who, after a lengthy period of isolation from their original homeland, became some of the the Austronesian people who populated the Pacific islands, including Hawaii, Tonga, Easter Island and New Zealand...as well as the indigenous people of Taiwan.

Linkfest below...

• Trump Administration heavyweight Bannon says "no doubt" there will be war with China. Definitely heading that way...
• Ten Recommendations on US-Taiwan relations. Some useful stuff in here.
• China-Taiwan divides... South Africa
• Shawna Yang Ryan beautiful writes on refusing to remain silent
• The Diplomat: Is trouble brewing in the Taiwan Strait?
• Useful chart of relationships between the languages of Taiwan.
• Taiwan travel blogger creates google map of Taiwan's hot springs
• Photos: everyday life in Taiwan 1971-2
• Singapore, Taiwan, China in the wake of the armored vehicle seizure
• Taiwan to invest in solar energy. Now that the government has started to re-organize Taipower, always a major hindrance to renewables, we can finally see policies the nation needs. 
• Cabinet re-organized, (Taipei Times) including bringing the Yilan County Chief in as ag minister. This looks like the first stages of the reorganization that swaps politicians for technocrats in time for the 2018 elections, whose campaigns will be held in the fall of this year. Yes, it is Feb, we are six or seven months away from another election.
• Punishment for Military officials visiting China and attending government events?
• Ag exports to China fell in 2016, likely due to bad weather along with political issues. China is Taiwan's largest ag market, but the nation is looking to diversify towards new markets in the south. 
• ACT: Washington should open the doors for official Taiwan visits
• Taiwan Sentinel: Dismounting the Tiger... interesting perspective looking at how Taiwan can handle its China dilemma.
• Australia: Trump phone call may help make the Australia more independent of US policy.
• GTI latest brief
• EVENT: Feb 15 hosted by Global Taiwan Institute: Trump's Taiwan policy

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