Joaquin Matamis – The Diplomatic Envoy

The Taiwan Question: Strategic Ambiguity Is Not Enough

April 27, 2021January 6, 2022 Joaquin Matamis 0 Comments strait, China, U.S., Taiwan, Conflict

Ever since Taiwan separated itself from mainland China in 1949, relations between Beijing and Tapiei have been tenuous at best. At worst, the Taiwan Strait is a hotbed for diplomatic and military gridlock as Beijing and Taiwan vie for control of the region. On April 20, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army flew a squadron of 25 aircraft into Taiwan airspace, the South China Morning Post reports. While these exercises are not uncommon in the Taiwan Strait, the incursion comes at a time of great tension between China and the United States’ growing relationship with Taiwan.

October 2020 Opinion 2020 Europe

A Tale of Cardinals and Corruption

October 21, 2020June 14, 2021 Joaquin Matamis 0 Comments Cardinals, corruption, Catholic Church

As if straight out of an episode of HBO’s The Young Pope, the Vatican has recently erupted amidst a vast financial scandal and political intrigue within the Church. On September 25, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, a high-ranking member of the clergy who headed the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, resigned from his position upon Pope Francis’s request.

September 2020 Focus Domestic Government Surveillance 2020

Focus on Domestic Government Surveillance: China

September 25, 2020June 14, 2021 Joaquin Matamis 0 Comments FOCUS, surveillance, control, China

While the rest of the world enjoys the relatively free and uncensored Web, China and its citizens face a different reality. Since the beginning of Maoist-era China, information has been tightly controlled to protect the government’s interests and control the populace.

April 2020 Global International News 2020

Misinformation and the Rise of the “Infodemic”

April 22, 2020June 14, 2021 Joaquin Matamis 0 Comments Coronavirus, COVID-19, April 2020 Special Edition, Pandemics

Since COVID-19 first entered the collective consciousness of media and society, people far and wide continue to spread all information they can gather on the virus. Unfortunately, whether maliciously intended or not, this has led to the widespread dissemination of misinformation on a viral scale.

World March 2020 International News 2020

COVID-19: A Plague on Minds and Markets

March 30, 2020June 14, 2021 Joaquin Matamis 0 Comments Economy, Coronavirus, COVID-19

Among the other devastating effects of COVID-19, widespread uncertainty has been the most damaging to the international community and the global market.

October 2019 Focus Escalation: Peaceful Protest to Violent Rebellion 2019

Focus on Escalation: Hong Kong

January 14, 2020June 14, 2021 Joaquin Matamis 0 Comments FOCUS, Protest, China, Hong Kong

On October 5, the Hong Kong government issued an anti-mask law, targeting protesters in the ongoing anti-government movement. Despite the government’s best attempts at quelling the movement, the ban has sparked more defiant and violent protests, threatening the livelihood of Hong Kong’s citizens.

November 2019 International News 2019 Asia

Pakistan Opens Borders to Indian Sikh Pilgrims for First Time in History

November 18, 2019June 14, 2021 Joaquin Matamis 0 Comments India, Pakistan, Sikhism, Sikh Pilgrims

Last week, the Indian-Pakistan Kartarpur corridor finally opened for Sikh pilgrimage. The opening of the corridor, a 2.5-mile visa-free border crossing, symbolizes a rare show of bilateral cooperation between the two feuding nations.

September 2019 International News 2019 Africa

Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa: It’s Nothing New

September 23, 2019June 14, 2021 Joaquin Matamis 0 Comments Nigeria, South Africa, Xenophobia, Nigerian Migrants, Xenophobic Attacks

Last week, South Africa suffered several days of violent, xenophobic attacks against mostly foreign African migrants. These attacks were neither random nor impulsive but are deeply rooted in the dark history of the nation and its legacy today.