Current Affairs Taiwan

20 year journalist veteran Jason Pan of the Taipei Times joins host Courtney Donovan Smith to discuss the impact and import of the visit of the Czech delegation, recent improvements in US relations including the announcement of trade talks and the declassification of key documents, the KMT and racto-politics and finally the KMT party platform and the party congress.

CAT Kaohsiung election special ft. Michael Smith On this week's program ICRT Southern Taiwan Correspondent Michael Smith joins host (and ICRT's Central Taiwan Correspondent) Donovan Smith to discuss the upcoming Kaohsiung mayoral race, the candidates, their positioning and marketing, the Kaohsiung voter's response and the possible repercussions for the KMT--all with the most knowledgeable English language commentator on southern Taiwan! All our podcasts from now on are at...

Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) and guest Sean Su (蘇襄) discuss the life and legacy of the late Taiwan President Lee Teng-Hui. All our podcasts from now on are at https://anchor.fm/taiwanreport Find the Current Affairs Podcast on https://anchor.fm/currentaffairstaiwan As always, follow along with the news and get the latest shows, Taiwan Quick Take, and more at our website Report.tw

Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) and guest Sean Su (蘇襄) discuss the total blowout regarding Kaohsiung Mayor's Han Kuo-Yu's recall vote, what the scene was like on the ground, how this might be a victory of youth activism against populism and demogoguery, Han and Chiang press conferences, Han's future going forward, what this means for the KMT, who the DPP might choose as interim mayor, and possible DPP and KMT candidates for mayor after that. All our podcasts from now on are at...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss updates on Kaohsiung Mayor's Han Kuo-Yu's recall vote, President Tsai's second inauguration, a look at 2022 and 2024 elections, TSMC's new US factory plans, KMT as an opposition party, and some punchable punching paunchy punch-offs. All our podcasts from now on are at https://anchor.fm/taiwanreport Find the Current Affairs Podcast on https://anchor.fm/currentaffairstaiwan As always, follow along with the news and...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss national unification goals with unexpected supporters of a related bill, Taiwan withdraws from trying for a spot at the World Health Assembly, Han telling his followers not to go to the recall poll, DPP attempting to get irrigation, farmers and fishers cooperatism under control, a quick pass at the first anniversary of equal marriage in Taiwan, the cabinet resignation and turnover and some names of who might take which...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss some a new race involving giant Matsu statues in Penghu and Taichung and the United Front efforts in Taiwan, the Han Kuo-yu recall updates. Comments on the Milk Tea Alliance and Taiwan's increasing warm power. Finally, talk about how Taiwan has become a more interesting and higher profile nation in the past few months. All our podcasts from now on are at https://anchor.fm/taiwanreport Find the Current Affairs Podcast on...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss some new polling showing Hou You-yi is a powerhouse, Han Kuo-yu may be headed to the outhouse, and Johnny Chiang has a house to fix, and it won't be easy. The KMT's prospects in 2022 currently look dire. Is President Tsai "pro-independence?" The Philippines has two different lines on whether they want a Filipina deported from Taiwan for attacking Duterte on Facebook. All our podcasts from now on are at...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu's upcoming recall vote, and explain why and how his joining the KMT's central standing committee is problematic--and why New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-yi was smart to avoid it, and what that might mean for the future of the KMT. The PRC is demanding naturalized Taiwan nationals in Taiwan to comply with their census, and why that is a threat to national security. An armada of illegal sand dredgers from...

Current Affairs Taiwan 台灣時事 #40 (04-13-2020) Soft Power and the Propaganda Wars Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) take on the week's news, including China pressuring Taiwan militarily and via a massive propaganda push, updates on the Han Recall and his new lawsuit to try to stop it, the complexities of changing national airline names for Taiwan, a discussion on international media coverage of Taiwan, plans for subsidizing universities now that China is cutting...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) take on the week's news, including the back-and-forth between a KMT lawmaker and Premier Su after the lawmaker said "Taiwan is not a country" as well as proposals on changing the name of China Airlines and what to put in English on the passports. The government has launched a massive, NT$1.05 trillion stimulus package. The BBC continues its rich tradition of inadequate Taiwan coverage, and much more! All our podcasts from now on...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) actually prefer social distancing by avoiding each other in yet another remote podcast episode. This week Donovan talks about doing hard time under quarantine and later the broader implications. The Taiwan People's Party attacks the Taiwan head of the COVID-19 response team. The KMT pushes to lower the voting age to 18 and to allow 20-year-olds to run for office. There's yet more news on KMT's Wu Sz-Huai. A talk about Taiwan's...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) are continuing with their social distancing in this podcast episode. Michael is stuck in a noisy room, so you'll hear plenty of ambient noises from Taiwan. This week the duo cover PRC fishing boats attacking Taiwan coast guard, the Taiwanese stock market crash, pressure on international workers, and amnesty for them and those on visas by the National Immigration Office, the third year of Lee Ming Che in PRC political imprisonment,...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) practicing some social distancing and do a remote audio-only episode of Current Affairs Taiwan. In their isolated anti-coronavirus cages, they talk about negative population group, Wu Sz-huai and requests regarding sensitive data from the ministry of defense, fake news and cyber defense, KMT 1992 consensus (Again), Han Kuo-Yu's recall update, Confucianism, and more coronavirus talk. If you would prefer to listen to the show, our...

Are you wondering where all that sweet daily Taiwan Report News Brief episodes have been moved to? What about those Taiwan Context episodes? They've all been moved to anchor.fm/taiwanreport where you can find all of our podcasts. Current Affairs Taiwan will stay here though! Of course they'll have their own individual channels which you can find at www.report.tw

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) dig into the results and impact of the KMT chair race, and what it means for the future of the party--and how problems are appearing right out of the gate, including the PRC snubbing the new chair and what that might mean. A recent poll suggests Taiwanese identity has soared, but the poll itself may not be accurate. The coronavirus has caused high profile businesses to go under. Finally, in a very bizarre case, legislative speaker...

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) dig into the results and impact of the KMT chair race, and what it means for the future of the party--and how problems are appearing right out of the gate, including the PRC snubbing the new chair and what that might mean. A recent poll suggests Taiwanese identity has soared, but the poll itself may not be accurate. The coronavirus has caused high profile businesses to go under. Finally, in a very bizarre case, legislative speaker...

The RCA lawsuits rumble on with a poor result for ex-workers, Taiwan's libraries are booming, CCP mouthpiece Global Times again talks war with Taiwan, Taiwan firms caught up in Uighur horror show and the KMT makes a big statement in their chair by-election! As always, all English articles used in the report are linked to on our website Report.tw. Be sure to subscribe to us on your favorite podcast service.

The legislative speaker gets bizarre threats, Ko Wen-je cleared of trafficking in organs, government issues guidelines for events amid coronavirus outbreak, Taiwan tops Asia in gender equality but not all is well and will the new KMT chair to be elected today drop the 1992 consensus? Important note: all of our podcasts, including this one, CAT and others are now all here: https://anchor.fm/taiwanreport As always, all English articles used in the report are linked to on our website...

Taiwan remains a free nation, good news on the coronavirus front, more places block Taiwanese visitors, 3Q takes aim at the Taishang in Wuhan, US House passes TAIPEI act, DPP boots out TAPA members and Johnny Chiang makes a couple of interesting comments. As always, all English articles used in the report are linked to on our website Report.tw. Be sure to subscribe to us on Youtube (and click the bell) or on your favorite podcast service.