Assignment editor Chia Chang talks us through the newsroom’s coverage of two of the week’s biggest stories: the signing of a long-awaited trade deal with the US and the 20-year prison sentence that a Hong Kong court handed to Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai for offenses under the territory’s national security law, a development Lai’s long-time business partner told TaiwanPlus should be seen as a “canary in the coal mine” for Taipei’s future dealings with Beijing.

A newly seated lawmaker is putting Taiwan’s citizenship rules under the spotlight. On today’s Assignment Desk, we look at the first legislator known to still hold PRC citizenship — and the questions her case is raising about identity, legal status and political trust. Also: a new round of interaction between Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party at a cross-strait forum, and the latest Trump–Xi phone call — which included a mention of Taiwan.

Chia Chang picks over the events of the week with Charlie Storrar, including TaiwanPlus News’s field coverage of the military’s spring drills, an opposition counterproposal on defense spending and talks with the US bearing fruit. Plus, Nvidia boss Jensen Huang is back in Taiwan in a week when the company’s dealings with China have been the subject of rumor and scrutiny.

Assignment editor Laurel Stewart joins Andrew and Charlie for a look back on the week’s events. Taiwan’s recently announced trade deal with the US and its prospects for ratification have taken center stage domestically, with the government pressing the agreement as a strategic tech partnership amid opposition concerns of a “hollowing out” of the country’s chip sector. Meanwhile, a week of drama as world leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum and Taiwan endures days of a wintry cold spell that has prompted concerns for vulnerable and elderly people.

After weeks of rumors, a long-teased trade deal finally materialized on Thursday, bringing Taiwan’s tariff rate down to 15% in return for US$500 billion in investment. Chip giant TSMC looks set to double its existing investment in Arizona, the company appearing bullish of the AI boom continuing at its first-quarter earnings meeting. Taiwan’s stock market seemed to agree, setting new record highs. Meanwhile, the standoff over President Lai Ching-te's special defense budget continued and the government warned of China’s increasing disinformation aimed at sowing confusion and division among Taiwan’s public.

Jeremy Olivier breaks down a dramatic first full week of the year, from concerns sparked by US actions in Venezuela to US President Donald Trump’s latest comments on Taiwan in a New York Times interview. We also touch on two other major developments: Taiwan’s new designation as a super-aged society and the nation’s stock exchange surpassing the 30,000-point mark for the first time in history.

Assignment editor Chia Chang discusses the newsroom’s planned coverage for the year ahead, with Taiwan on the cusp of officially becoming a super-aged society. In diplomacy, the Pacific Island Forum may offer opportunities for Taiwan, hosted by staunch ally Palau, but the APEC Summit in Shenzhen, China could be fraught, with Beijing seeking to place conditions on Taiwan’s participation. And what direction will US-China ties take in 2026 and how could that impact Taiwan?

For the final Assignment Desk of the year, we go behind the scenes of TaiwanPlus’s 2025 Year-in-Review. Producer Eric Tsai walks us through how the team planned the project, sifted through a year’s worth of footage, and decided which moments best captured 2025. He also talks about building the graphics, the toughest editorial calls, and why condensing an entire year of news into a single video is both rewarding and exhausting.

Assignment editor Laurel Stewart walks us through the opposition’s attempt to impeach President Lai Ching-te, what happens next, and why it’s not likely to pass. We also check in on the Twin Cities Forum, and the steps being discussed to keep Taipei safe after a recent deadly stabbing that left multiple people dead.

Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang is suing five Constitutional Court justices who ruled against legislation regulating the court’s quorum rules. Laurel Stewart helps unpack the latest developments in Taiwan’s unfolding constitutional crisis, as well as the fallout from Friday’s deadly stabbing rampage in downtown Taipei.