The Spring Festival, the most significant holiday in Mandarin-speaking regions such as Taiwan and China, has evolved with time. Celebrating the Lunar New Year, families in these areas have gradually shifted from traditional home-cooked meals to dining out due to the overwhelming preparation involved. Cheng Ting-Fang, a journalist, recounts his experience of celebrating the Year of the Snake by visiting a renowned temple in his hometown, Tainan, southern Taiwan. Known for hosting Taiwanese President William Lai, this temple holds a special place in the cultural fabric of the region.
Cheng's family traditionally celebrated the Spring Festival at his grandparents' countryside home, beginning their festivities in the late afternoon on New Year's Eve. However, this year, Cheng opted to stay in Taipei, foregoing an overseas trip as he had done previously. The decision to dine out came after making around 30 calls to various restaurants, only to find them fully booked for New Year's Eve. Eventually, Cheng and his family secured a spot at a hotel buffet, enjoying a mix of steak and lobster, fries and macarons, alongside English breakfast tea and coffee.
As Taiwan and China adapt to changing festival traditions, China itself continues to navigate complex international trade dynamics. The country has devised innovative approaches to circumvent U.S. trade restrictions, utilizing "pilot production lines" at state-supported laboratories nationwide. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has revived antitrust investigations into technology giants Google and Nvidia, with a potential new probe against Intel on the horizon.
The investigation into Google, initially launched in 2019 but shelved for several years, was reopened in December. This probe scrutinizes the dominance of Google's Android operating system and its impact on Chinese phonemakers such as Oppo and Xiaomi. The revival of these investigations underscores China's commitment to regulating foreign tech influence within its borders.
In the backdrop of these developments, rich Asian investors, particularly in Singapore and other Southeast Asian regions, are increasingly drawn to cryptocurrency investments. Factors such as Trump's reelection campaign and the rising value of Bitcoin have fueled this interest. The ongoing U.S.-China tech war contributes to uncertainty and potentially escalated costs throughout the supply chain, challenging the security of "friend-shoring" strategies.
As families in Taiwan and China embrace modern dining trends for the Spring Festival, China's tech landscape faces scrutiny and adaptation amid international tensions. These dual narratives highlight the evolving cultural and economic landscapes across Asia.
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