🇹🇼 Taiwan Episodes

We talk the Yushan Forum, the DPP and the KMT going on islandwide tours to blast their opposing policies, controversy over a Chinese national who had been advocating for China's annexation of Taiwan using military force and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Mariia Makarovych is Head of the East Asian Office of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine. Today, we discuss the on-going peace negotiations, the role of civil society organizations the past three years, society preparedness prior to 2022, Russian propaganda since 2014, and today, the role of China. Makarovych is an economic and policy analyst with a background in CSO throughout Ukraine and in European think tanks. She had worked to strengthen democratic tools among communities in Donetsk and implemented projects on education, land management, and funding. She was an Information Defense Analyst at the European Values Center for Security Policy. Since 2022, she has shifted her focus to researching Ukrainian economic policy and Russia propaganda. She moved to Taiwan from Ukraine in August 2023. This conversation was recorded on March 10, 2025. Makarovych reflects on the on-going peace agreements led by U.S. President Trump. She warns of the dangers of signing a mineral deal without security guarantees and emphasizes the risk of Russia regaining strength and attacking Ukraine again: a peace agreement without fair conditions could set a dangerous precedent for aggressive regimes worldwide.Drawing from her own experience growing up in Eastern Ukraine and at the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022, we discuss society's response to pressure, civil defense, and the differences between preparedness for natural disasters versus active hostilities. Liberal Democratic League is a Ukrainian NGO established in 2014 by students in Kyiv as a response to the Revolution of Dignity (Maidan Revolution.)It’s been three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For our retrospectives on year one and two, please the following podcast interviews: Alex Khomenko (Taiwan Stands with Ukraine): https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/taiwan-take/ukraine-war-two-years-taiwan-aid-alex-khomenkoOleksandr Shyn (Ukrainian Voices): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87mQDj9X8rs&list=PLOV_JV4K99T5UF76rRj9z5WUNztzIk0Fi&index=10&t=23sDmytro Burtsev (political scientist), in Mandarin: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/5-star-nation/ukraine-dmytro-burtsevSupport us by donating on Patreon http://patreon.com/taiwan Follow and tag us on social media:Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | TwitterEmily Y. Wu | Twitter @emilyywu A Ghost Island Media production: www.ghostisland.mediaSupport the show: https://patreon.com/TaiwanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonas Parello-Plesner is Executive Director of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation. He’s the author of the book, “The Battle for Taiwan”.“The Battle for Taiwan” (“Kampen om Taiwan”) was first published in Denmark in 2023 as the first book on Taiwan for the Danish audience. The English edition was published in April, 2024.Alliance of Democracies works to strengthen democracies around the world and to encourage cooperation between the world’s democracies. It also organizes the annual Copenhagen Democracy Summit. It’s founded by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. In 2021, the Foundation was sanctioned by China. This was recorded live on February 19th, 2025 at a book launch hosted by the European Values Center for Security Policy. Introduction by Marcin Jerzewski, Head of Taiwan Office of the European Values Center for Security Policy.(Since then, U.S. President Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine; Taiwan’s semiconductor company TSMC has announced an additional U.S. investment of 100 billion U.S. dollars.)“The Battle for Taiwan” on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Taiwan-Jonas-Parello-Plesner/dp/B0CZRYS4RZSupport us by donating on Patreon http://patreon.com/taiwan Follow and tag us on social media:Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | TwitterEmily Y. Wu | Twitter @emilyywuA Ghost Island Media production: www.ghostisland.mediaSupport the show: https://patreon.com/TaiwanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk TSMC's additional investment in the US, questions about Taiwan's defense spending, an emergency room nursing shortage and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk the US State Department's removal of a line concerning Taiwan independence; a KMT delegation visiting the US for talks with Trump officials; more problems with undersea cables and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk a meeting of the five government branches, calls for NT$10,000 cash handouts, undocumented migrant workers and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Alejandro Mayoral Baños is the Executive Director of Access Now, an international NGO focusing on digital human rights. Access Now is the organizer of RightsCon - world’s largest digital human rights summit. The 2025 edition is set to take place in Taipei from February 24 to 27, 2025, where more than 550 sessions are expected to be staged. Baños talks to Ghost Island Media about digital authoritarianism, data governance, and artificial intelligence. Prior to his role at Access Now, Baños has been a life-long leader in advocacy and research on  indigenous rights and digital development. He gives advice to CSO on navigating new challenges, finding new financial sustainability, and the importance of networking. This interview was conducted on January 22, 2025. Impact of the U.S. President Trump’s executive orders on the freezing of foreign assistance was not discussed. Baños’s grew up in Mexico as a member of the Mixtec indigenous people and is now based in Canada. In 2015 he founded the Indigenous Friends Association to bridge the gap between indigenous communities and digital technologies. He has been a Ashoka Fellow for his work as a social entrepreneur. In 2020 he was named a Toronto Community Champion by CBC. On-line sessions for RightsCon are available for those who cannot come to Taiwan. Register: https://www.rightscon.org/registration/ Resources Baños mentioned in the interview: Indigenous Data Sovereignty: CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance: https://www.gida-global.org/care#:~:text=CARE%20Principles%20for%20Indigenous%20Data%20Governance,-The%20current%20movement&text=Existing%20principles%20within%20the%20open,power%20differentials%20and%20historical%20contexts. Approaches to create AI Models for the Indigenous -  Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Working Group: https://www.indigenous-ai.net/Support us by donating on Patreon http://patreon.com/taiwan Follow and tag us on social media:Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | TwitterEmily Y. Wu | Twitter @emilyywuA Ghost Island Media production: www.ghostisland.mediaSupport the show: https://patreon.com/TaiwanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We cover possible US levies on Taiwan chip makers; recall vote proposals, a DeepSeek ban and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk Donald Trump's return to the White House and Taiwan; lawmakers passing a slashed central government budget; Constitutional Court rulings taking effect after being signed into by President Lai Ching-te and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk how Taiwan remembers Jimmy Carter, the latest on Ko Wen-je's legal woes; Lai Ching-te's New Year's Day address and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk the past year's top stories from and about Taiwan. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk protests over proposed amendments, the Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum, the delivery of Abrams Main Battle Tanks from the US and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk China's military goings-on this week in the skies and waters around Taiwan, warnings to influencers about accepting funding or instruction from China; the United Daily News' Taiwan's Character of the Year for 2024 and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk the brief declaration of martial law in South Korea making news in Taiwan, visiting Chinese students facing claims of making comments resulting in "uneasiness in society, a protest against the take over of Foodpanda and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk President Lai Ching-te visiting Pacific Island allies, a visit by Chinese students, a rejected citizenship petition and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk apologies from senior government officials regarding workplace bullying, lawyers taking to the streets, questions over cryptocurrency taxation and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk Donald Trump's return to the White House and what it could mean for Taiwan, draft amendments to the an allocations act and the demolition of a forty-year old overpass. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We speak with regular show commentator Brian Hioe, former American Institute in Taiwan Director William Stanton and Professor Huang Min-Hua, the chair of the National Taiwan University's Department of Political Science about the US election and how it's outcome could affect Taiwan at a special show recorded live at a roundtable event jointly organized by ICRT and the National Taiwan University's Political Science Student Association at the NTU in Taipei. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

We talk an on going dispute over the general budget, Tsai Ing-wen returning from a trip to Europe, a battle to deport a Spanish national who was the focus of an Interpol wanted notice and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ben Graham Jones is an election observer. In his new report “Taiwan POWER” on the 2024 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan, Jones sets up Taiwan as a model for resilience against foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). Jones identifies a set of strengths that's the core of Taiwan’s resilience against FIMI: Purpose-driven, Organic, Whole-society, Evolving, Remit-bound. Jones stresses it’s the bottom-up approach of Taiwan’s civic society that’s made it particularly resilient.  “What’s interesting about Taiwan is we often consider Taiwan to be patient zero of Chinese information operations, Beijing’s information operations… If we are to move from not just defining the problem, but also defining the solution, I think Taiwan is a place that provides a good deal of inspiration to the wider world.” Jones points to Chinese PRC influence of political elites, often through tourism, and why countries need to understand the work of the United Front. We also talk about AI, deep fake, media literacy, and where he stands on the responsibility of social media platforms against false information.  The Taiwan 2024 elections took place on January 13, 2024. While the ruling DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) won an unprecedented third consecutive term in office, it lost the majority in parliament. Elections take place in Taiwan every two years. They alternate between national and local elections. The next local elections for mayors, city counselors, and village chiefs should be in November 2026. Taiwan POWER by Ben Graham Jones, commissioned by DoubleThink Lab, was released in August 2024: https://medium.com/doublethinklab/taiwan-power-a-model-for-resilience-to-foreign-information-manipulation-interference-70ea81f859b7 Previous episodes from Ghost Island Media on disinformation: “Disinformation: Building Digital Resilience” on Dispatch From Taiwan - with voices from Taiwan FactCheck Center, DoubleThink Lab, and Citizen Lab: https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/01/disinformation-building-digital-resilience “Influence Operations on PTT” with Oddis J.F. Tsai and J.M. Hung (INDSR): https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/taiwan-take/indsr-ptt-influence-operation “Disinformation” with Puma Shen (Doublethink Lab): https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/taiwan-take/disinformation-doublethink-lab “China Information Warfare” with Jeremy Hung (INDSR): https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/taiwan-take/indsr-china-information-war Support us by donating on Patreon http://patreon.com/taiwan Follow and tag us on social media:Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | TwitterEmily Y. Wu | Twitter @emilyywu A Ghost Island Media production: www.ghostisland.media  Support the show: https://patreon.com/TaiwanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.