In Season 7, Episode 1 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Mariah Thornton, teaching fellow at the London School of Economics, on her groundbreaking research into Taiwan’s own political warfare system. Taiwan’s Political Warfare Bureau, embedded within the Republic of China military, has existed since the Kuomintang ruled China in the early 20th century. Even after the Kuomintang lost the Chinese Civil War and Taiwan democratized in the 1980s, this political warfare system has continued to operate within Taiwan’s military and society. But as Chinese influence operations surge on the island, this system has renewed purpose. 

In Season 6, Episode 5 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Andrew Yeh, Executive Director of the China Strategic Risks Institute, on suspected Chinese and Russian collaboration on undersea cable sabotage. In recent years, critical undersea cables have been severed in global hotspots such as the Baltic Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Yeh takes us through cases of potential Beijing-Moscow collaboration and explains why international law isn’t ready to ward off these attacks. 

In Season 6, Episode 5 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Dr. Eun A Jo, an Assistant Professor at William and Mary and expert on South Korean politics. In June this year, the Democratic Party of Korea’s Lee Jae Myung was elected president, triggering speculation that South Korea would discontinue its policy of clear alignment with the United States. Before Lee took office, Seoul had been working with Tokyo and Washington on military and economic collaboration intended to deter both China and North Korea. As a non-traditional politician, Lee’s policies towards Taiwan are not easy to predict, and Jo explains how we can interpret his early political decisions.

In Season 6, Episode 4 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Sze-Fung Lee, an independent researcher specializing in hybrid warfare. In December 2024, the Taiwanese YouTuber "Ba Jiong" (八炯) made the explosive claim that some 200,000 Taiwanese citizens possess People’s Republic of China (PRC) ID cards – an activity that is illegal under Taiwanese law. The report sparked an uproar in Taiwan, and led to an investigation by Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency. Lee explains the PRC hybrid warfare tactics behind issuing ID cards to Taiwanese citizens, why cracking down on this activity has proven so controversial, and how this issue connects to broader efforts by Taiwan's government to push back against PRC subversion.

In Season 6, Episode 3 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando and Diarra Molock interview Lawrence Farley, better known by his stage name LeLe Farley (樂樂法利). Farley is a YouTuber with nearly half a million subscribers, and satirizes the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP, 中國共產黨) contradictory propaganda related to Taiwan and its own political system. Farley explains how he uses comedy to get ordinary people to care about nonsensical aspects of CCP propaganda, and how Taiwan activists can better hone their messages on social media. 

In Season 6, Episode 2 of GTI Insights, Ben Sando interviews Sascha Hannig Nuñez, an executive secretary at the Centro de Análisis para la Democracia (CAD) of Chile. As Chile’s minerals industry grows more dependent on the People's Republic of China (PRC), Chilean politicians are taking increasingly pro-Beijing lines about Taiwan. Some Chilean organizations like CAD are raising awareness about PRC Spanish-language propaganda, but the Taiwanese government has failed to establish a strong presence in Chilean society and counter Chinese Communist Party narratives.

In Season 6, Episode 1 of GTI Insights, Ben Sando interviews Maksym Skrypchenko, president of the Transatlantic Dialogue Center and an expert in Ukrainian security. In the years since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s civil defense has evolved to feature software tools, robust air raid shelters, and efficient command of volunteer fighters. As Taiwan readies itself against a possible invasion from the People’s Republic of China, Ukraine’s civil defense is a more critical example than ever. 

In Season 5, Episode 5 of GTI Insights, Ben Sando interviews Tom Fraser, programs director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), on marshalling parliaments around the world to pass legislation regarding China. In the summer, IPAC held their annual summit in Taipei, with both progress on China legislation and major pushback from the Chinese Communist Party.

In Season 5, Episode 4 of GTI Insights, Ben Sando and Lillian Ellis interview Raigirdas Boruta, policy analyst at Lithuania’s Government Strategic Analysis Center (STRATA), on trends and challenges since the Lithuanian government’s 2021 pivot in diplomatic ties from China to Taiwan. Mr. Boruta shares his insight into the massive economic retaliation suffered by Lithuania, Taiwan and Western allies’ efforts to offset the damage, and how democratic governments can better manage similar pivots in the future. 

In Season 5, Episode 3 of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and Intern Uma Baron interview Dr. Jess Marinaccio, an assistant professor of Asian Pacific Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills. In an engaging conversation, Dr. Marinaccio shares her thoughts on the complex relationship between Taiwan and Tuvalu, the implications of the recent Tuvaluan elections, and the growing presence of China in the Pacific Islands.