Introducing James Lin

Please welcome our newest Foreign Exchanges contributor!

Hello everybody, it’s Derek. I’m pleased to say that we’re starting 2023 off on a positive note, as James Lin is joining Foreign Exchanges as a contributor! As he’ll tell you below, James teaches at the University of Washington on Taiwan Studies and has written widely on issues related to Taiwan and China. American Prestige listeners may recognize him from his appearances on subjects related to Taiwanese history and contemporary Taiwanese geopolitics. Here at Foreign Exchanges he’ll be covering some of those same themes.

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Hi Foreign Exchanges readers, it’s a pleasure to join Derek and the community of scholars and experts here!

Some of you will be familiar with my appearances on American Prestige with Derek and Danny discussing Taiwanese history. I’m a historian of Taiwan, and assistant professor of international studies and history at the University of Washington. I’ve written for The Guardian and Jacobin on issues related to Taiwan and China. I also help run the University of Washington Taiwan Studies Program and organize public events on Taiwan’s society, politics, culture, and history. 

Then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan in August 2022, an event James discussed on American Prestige (Chien Chih-Hung/Office of The President via Getty Images)

I’m writing a book on agrarian development in Taiwan and its missions to the Global South (Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America). The book explores issues of capitalism, diplomacy, environment, and science. At UW, I teach area focused courses on Taiwan, East Asia, and the US in the World, as well as thematic and global courses on development, food studies, environment, science, and political economy.

For Foreign Exchanges, I’ll be writing on Taiwan both historically and in the present.  My first column will explore the complicated international status of Taiwan, a country that is not a country.  I’ll look forward to engaging with all of you!