Perspectives with Neilo

On June 4th 1989, student-led demonstrations which had been brewing across China for a few months were violently crushed by the Chinese Communist Party who declared martial law and sent their troops onto the streets of Beijing to end the protests Estimates of the death toll vary from several hundred to several thousand, with thousands more wounded. While the massacre has been downplayed and delete...

Since the start of President Trump’s second term—and especially following the unprecedented Oval Office confrontation last February between Trump, J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Zelensky—Washington’s policy on Ukraine has undergone a dramatic shift. While this realignment has alarmed many of America’s traditional European allies, the ripple effects have been felt far beyond Europe, including...

Computex 2025 took place during the week of May 20th in the vibrant tech hub of Taipei, Taiwan. Widely regarded as one of the world’s premier computer and technology expos, Computex continues to set the stage for what’s next in the industry. This year’s theme, “AI Next,” highlighted the growing reach of artificial intelligence—from the cloud, to the edge, and into everyday devices and applications...

May 9th marked the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Russia also celebrated their version of Victory Day - an event steeped in national pride and symbolism - with a military parade in Red Square in front of an audience which included 29 visiting world leaders. As U.S. President Donald Trump seeks a deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine, the U.S. a...

As the global economy continues to grapple with the roller coaster uncertainties of President Donald Trump's tariff war, trade relations between the world's two largest economies - the United States and China - have reached a breaking point. A series of tit-for-tat tariff escalations has pushed their economic ties to the brink, with ripple effects being felt far beyond their borders. While many sm...

According to data gathered by the European External Action Service (EEAS), last year over eighty countries and over two hundred organizations were targets of attacks from Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference - or FIMI. These attacks targeted everything from major international events like the Paris Olympics, to national elections, regional conflicts and local protests. The main instig...

Recently, international headlines have been dominated by US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs and his challenge to the rules-based international order. Trump has made bold threats, including seeking control of Greenland, the Panama Canal, and Gaza, while aligning with Russia and withdrawing support for Ukraine. His escalating tariff policies are raising doubts about long-standing alliances an...

In mid-February, the communities of Uyghurs and Hong Kongers living in Ireland wrote an open letter to the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris highlighting concerns for their safety and drawing urgent attention to the pattern of Chinese state surveillance and harassment of members of their diaspora communities. The letter was written in advance of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's...

On February 16th and 17th, China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi visited Ireland. Mr Wang is the second senior Chinese official to visit Ireland in just over a year, following a visit by Premier Li Qiang in January of 2024. In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we dive deep into China’s growing interest in Ireland and how this dynamic intersects with broader EU-China relations. We examine how th...

In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we are delighted to share our recent interview with film director Aephie Chen, the brilliant mind behind the stunning film MAMU. Known for its exploration of culture, language and identity, MAMU is a deeply personal story that navigates the complexities of father-daughter relationships, the bond between people and their homelands, and the intimate challe...

In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we dive deep into the heart of international diplomacy and the challenges faced by democracies on the frontlines. Senator Gerry Horkan (Ireland) shares his firsthand experience and insights from his July 2024 visit to Taiwan, a democratic beacon in the Asia-Pacific region. Horkan reflects on the warm reception he received in Taiwan, as well as the report...

In this episode we explore the traditions and customs of the Lunar New Year (also known as the Spring Festival 春節), a captivating festival rooted in ancient lunar cycles and celebrated across multiple East Asian countries. Listen in as we talk to some friends on the Taiwan stand at the Holiday World Show held recently at the RDS, Dublin about the Year of the Snake, 2025. We hear about everything...

With the promise of a new year comes the anticipation of new horizons, and for many, this is the time to plan travel for the year ahead. In 2024, the Chinese Government unilaterally extended visa-free entry to citizens of 38 countries and has broadened a policy of offering visa-free entry for transit travelers who plan visits of 10 days or less. That currently applies to 54 nations. In a number of...

In this 2024 Perspectives with Neilo Wrapped!, we rewind and revisit four episodes from earlier in the year, exploring a recurring theme that connects them. In our first podcast back in January, we chatted with acclaimed journalist on contemporary China, Bethany Allen. We talked to her about her book "Beijing Rules" in which she discusses China's Authoritarian Economic Statecraft. In this revisit,...

Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden and Lithuania were damaged in less than 24 hours on November 17th and 18th prompting German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to say - he assumed it was sabotage. The suspected culprit is a Chinese registered bulk carrier - the Yi Peng 3 - which was traveling through the area after departing the Russian port of Ust L...

Data Centres contribute significantly to Ireland's GDP. The Irish data centre market amounted to over 3 Billion Euros of investment in 2023 with key opportunities to capitalize on future growth being driven by the AI revolution. However, its a competitive industry and while Ireland may have once been the EU pioneer of data centres, planning hurdles and electricity supply issues are forcing global...

Ireland's General Election will take place on Friday November 29th, 2024. Overall, 685 candidates are running across 43 constituencies for 174 seats in the next Dail or Parliament. Much of the focus and discussion so far has been on what the mainstream media have dubbed 'Auction Politics' as politicians and their parties try to better each other with promises of various benefits if elected. Exampl...

Earlier in August, we reported on China's Maritime Aggression against the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea and also on how China's aggression was uniting nations in the region. In the intervening months, this aggression has increased in frequency and severity and expanded further afield to include Vietnam and Japan. In late October, I had the pleasure of meeting Ray Powell (@GordianKnotRay)...

Earlier in May and June of this year, we reported from Taipei on the massive street protests which became known as the Bluebird Movement. These protests were the largest Taiwan had seen in the decade since the 2014 Sunflower Movement. The protests voiced the public’s concern with new amendments to the Law governing the Legislative Yuan or parliament's power and in particular, new investigative pow...

In today's digital age, data centers have become the backbone of our interconnected world. From streaming our favorite shows to conducting complex financial transactions, these high-powered facilities are the engines driving our digital revolution. But as our reliance on technology grows, so does the energy consumption of these data centers. This increasing energy consumption is driving data cente...

It's an exciting time for data centers not only because of the new technology developments in AI and ML, but also because of the parallel advancements in sustainability in the drive to net zero emissions. In this episode, we report from this year's Open Compute Global Summit in San Jose, California. The Open Compute Project (OCP) was initiated in 2011 and its mission is to apply the benefits of op...

Regular listeners to Perspectives with Neilo will be aware that China and the behavior of its government, the Chinese Communist Party or CCP, have been the subject of many of our past episodes, from their aggression against Taiwan and its neighbors in the South China Sea, to their questionable trade practices and the many dubious tactics they employ in their quest for global influence. In this epi...

In this episode, we talk with award-winning filmmaker Vanessa Hope who shines an urgent spotlight on Taiwan as it fights for autonomy and freedom from fear in the gripping new documentary, Invisible Nation. It tells the story of how Taiwan’s first female President, Tsai Ing-wen delicately balanced on the tightrope between the hopes and dreams of her nation and the colossal geopolitical forces of t...

Following on from our previous episode, we review some of the key events since late July that appear to be contributing to increased tensions in the South China Sea. These include China's ongoing military exercises in the region as well as joint patrols carried out between the Philippines, its allies and its neighbors. These tensions reached a dangerous peak during an encounter between China's PLA...

The Chinese state officially known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and often likes to portray itself as a peaceful superpower - but there's also a saying that 'self praise is no praise'. In past episodes we’ve covered China’s ongoing aggression against Taiwan which the PRC claims as its territory. In this episode we look beyond Taiwan to China’s...