Tue, Nov 26, 2019
Today, we discuss the changing landscape of Asia-Pacific security, its implications on Taiwan, and the role that partners like the U.S. plays. Today's guest is Dr. Kharis Templeman - a political scientist and an advisor on the Taiwan Democracy and Security Project at Stanford University.
Tue, Dec 3, 2019
Today, we look at Chinese influence and infiltration. Our guest is Dr. Jeremy Hung - a researcher at INDSR (Institute for National Defense and Security Research). We discuss the role of proxy agents (ie. intermediaries) and how they may be helping China to influence media, impact politics, and strengthen its control over Taiwan.
Thu, Dec 12, 2019
Sylvia Feng is the producer of a new political TV drama, "Island Nation" - which looks at Taiwan from 1990-94 during its transition to democracy. Sylvia and J.R. discuss the media industry in Taiwan and the challenges media and creative professionals face today. Feng has had over three decades of experience in broadcast journalism, including a long career in Taiwan's public television network, of which she helped to build and later came a president. The challenge of balancing politics, profit, and creative freedom in an ever-changing, increasingly competitive market is a global issue, and this is The Taiwan Take.
Fri, Dec 20, 2019
When it comes to US and China trade disputes, perhaps no country is feeling the effects quite as acutely as Taiwan. Amidst the uncertainty, how can players trapped in the middle make the most out of the situation they now find themselves in? These are global issues. And this is The Taiwan Take. Our guest is Rupert Hammond-Chambers - president of the US-Taiwan Business Council. We discuss the on-going trade war and its effect on Taiwan. We walk talk high tech, which makes up a large part of the Taiwanese economy, and the difficult decisions this sector is making to adapt to the new business landscape.
Tue, Dec 31, 2019
Kent Feng is a top-gun and twice-appointed Taiwan cabinet minister. He was the Minister of National Defense from 2016-2018 and is currently the Minister of the Veterans Affairs Council. In this holiday special, Feng shares stories of his life and his times. It offers rare insights, in English, from this retired three-star general of the ROC Air Force.
Tue, Jan 21, 2020
Although many countries have begun to reconsider how to balance what they get in return for trading with China, this question has always been existential in Taiwan. Trade policies have oscillated inconsistently between opening up and restricting access to the Chinese economy. The challenges of doing trade with China is a global issue. And this is The Taiwan take. Our guest is political scientist, Syaru Shirley Lin, author of the book Taiwan's China Dilemma (2016) and the forthcoming sequel High Income Trap in East Asia. Today, Lin maps out the economic ties between Taiwan and China and what drives policymaking in that area. Lin retired as a partner at Goldman Sachs before becoming an academic. She now teaches world politics at the University of Virginia and global political economy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Wed, Mar 4, 2020
It's two more months until the second inauguration of Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen. This episode, we chat with journalist Chris Horton to recap the general election on January 11 and the race for national legislators. (This interview was recorded in late January, 2020.) Chris Horton is a freelance journalist based in Taipei. He is a regular contributor to The New York Times, The Nikkei Asian Review, and The Atlantic.
Thu, Mar 19, 2020
On March 19, 2017, Taiwanese pro-democracy activist Lee Ming-Che disappeared in China. Ten days later, China admitted to having taken him. Mr. Lee is now serving a five-year sentence for the "subversion of state" in Hunan, China. Evidence against him included social media activities on QQ, WeChat, and Facebook, both when he was physically inside and outside Chinese borders. Today's guest is E-ling Chiu, Executive Director of Amnesty International in Taiwan, and former Secretary General of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights. Ms. Chiu has been working closely with Lee's wife, lobbying for international support and leading the coalition of civic society called the Lee Ming-Che Rescue Team.
Mon, Apr 27, 2020
On April 12, Taiwan's CPBL (confusingly named, the "Chinese Professional Baseball League") became the first pro baseball league in the world to start its 2020 season. In this episode, we catch up with journalists Jacky Lee and Adam Wang on the innings and outs of the CPBL and on the history of Taiwan baseball. Jacky is a contributor to Fox Sports Taiwan and Eleven Sports. Adam, for the past three years, worked in the U.S. writing about Taiwanese players in the American Major League Baseball. Together, they host "Hito MLB", a Mandarin-language podcast dedicated to the MLB.
Wed, May 6, 2020
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is seriously reshaping security considerations for governments around the world. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Che-chuan Lee and Dr. Yi-suo Tzeng about Taiwan's national security in an uncertain time when the global world order continues to shift. Dr. Lee is chief of the Division of National Security and Decision-Making at INDSR. Dr. Tzeng is chief of the Division of Cyber Warfare and Information Security at INDSR.
Tue, Jun 2, 2020
May 24th marked one-year since Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. We talk to life-long LGBT activist, Jennifer Lu, about the development of the LGBT rights movement over the last 30 years in Taiwan. Jennifer is the chief coordinator of Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan, and has been championing LGBT rights both in Taiwan and internationally for over 15 years.
Thu, Aug 20, 2020
Gwhyneth Chen is a world-renowned classical pianist who's set to open the 2020/21 season for the NTSO (National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra) on August 29 and 30. Born in Taiwan and trained in the U.S., Ms. Chen is a Pride of Taiwan Ms. Chen recounts performing for the late President Lee Teng-Hui and chats about the value of music, the importance of practice and staying humble, and what she calls "piano kungfu".