Taiwan Report

Kaohsiung Mayor works to make peace with former speaker Wang Jin-pyng by bringing him a birthday cake.  Lay judges are on the way. Greenpeace slams Taiwan over human rights abuses.  A lot of Wuhan coronavirus updates. PRC misinformation, and boy are they pissed at the world's positive coverage of Taiwan's handling of the coronavirus crisis. Lee Ming-che was arrested in the PRC three years ago and remains in custody.  Finally, a mysterious coordinated attack by 10 boats on the Taiwanese coast guard raises eyebrows.

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.  This is the fastest way to get the latest show.

Taiwan Report News Brief is a daily show of news with analysis and context, providing the listener with a better understanding of Taiwan, especially in politics and foreign affairs.  It is also intended to bring the listener up to speed on the week's events for our weekly analysis show, Current Affairs Taiwan (CAT).

We bring lots of updates on the Wuhan coronavirus situation. The KMT hints at Han Kuo-yu's influence in the party while his defense against recall is being plotted aggressively — with a potential conflict of interest. Wei Ming-ku may be planning to reclaim the Changhua County Commissioner post in 2022, and yes, you should care about that as we'll explain. Chiang Kai-shek lives via Tomb Sweeping Day at the expense of the ancestor's traditions. Two GDP forecasts are surprisingly rosy, and in our silly segment, the Ministry of Health knows how to keep you in LINE. 

As always, all English articles used in the report are linked to on our website Report.tw. 

Taiwan Report News Brief is a daily show of news with analysis and context, providing the listener with a better understanding of Taiwan, especially in politics and foreign affairs. The purpose of the show is to bring the listener up to speed on the week's events for our weekly analysis show, Current Affairs Taiwan (CAT).

Lots of coronavirus news as Taiwan closes borders to foreigners and companies are deputized to block employees from leaving the country.  Hints are coming out as to what happened in Haiti...but maddeningly few and reports are contradictory.  The spat between Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen and the Executive Yuan has turned very ugly...and very absurd as the Taichung KMT city council caucus calls on the WHO for support against the DPP administration as if somehow the WHO actually recognized Taiwan.  KMT chair Johnny Chiang reveals his self identity.  Finally, a couple of silly stories on what a Taiwanese sports channel did in the face of a cancelled NBA schedule and...why hasn't KMT Tainan city councillor and briefly KMT chair candidate Hsieh Lung-chieh jumped into a Taichung canal yet?  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.  This is the fastest way to get the latest show.  Taiwan Report News Brief is a daily show of news with analysis and context, providing the listener with a better understanding of Taiwan, especially in politics and foreign affairs.  It is also intended to bring the listener up to speed on the week's events for our weekly analysis show, Current Affairs Taiwan (CAT).

Scandal in Ko Wen-je's TPP, KMT Chair Chiang to go on tour, Lawmaker Wu Sz-huai says the "Chinese mainland" is the enemy, the government on steroids on the coronavirus, Macau treats Taiwan as domestic, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu again takes the battle to the PRC and a pop-up of the health minister is a hit.  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.  This is the fastest way to get the latest show.  Taiwan Report News Brief is a daily show of news with analysis and context, providing the listener with a better understanding of Taiwan, especially in politics and foreign affairs.  It is also intended to bring the listener up to speed on the week's events for our weekly analysis show, Current Affairs Taiwan (CAT).

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 podcast version is at anchor.fm/currentaffairstaiwan

All our podcasts from now on are at anchor.fm/taiwanreport

As always, follow along with the news and get the latest shows, Taiwan Quick Take, and more at our website Report.tw.

May Jam in Tainan sponsored this show, for more information visit https://www.mayjam.com/en/

The presidential office issued a stinging rebuke to the UN Women organization over leaving President Tsai off the list of global women heads of state. Haiti demands Taiwan's ambassador leave and a new replacement sent--but why?  Taiwan's population has shrunk so far this year.  Coronavirus updates.  More nefarious behavior by the PRC against Taiwan.  New KMT Chair Johnny Chiang meets embattled Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu.  Taichung Mayor Lu yet again blasts the central government.  Finally, there are some disappointments in the TAIPEI act. 

As always, all English articles used in the report are linked to on our website at www.report.tw.

Be sure to subscribe to us on Youtube (and click the bell) or on your favorite podcast service (to www.anchor.fm/taiwanreport) This is the fastest way to get the latest show. 

Taiwan Report News Brief is a daily show of news with analysis and context, providing the listener with a better understanding of Taiwan, especially in politics and foreign affairs.  It is also intended to bring the listener up to speed on the week's events for our weekly analysis show, Current Affairs Taiwan (CAT).

KMT lawmaker Wu Sz-huai reportedly tries to get hands on classified military documents, but the press gets it wrong.  A new suicide law spurs debate of health versus freedom of the press, the NPP, TPP and the KMT unite against the DPP over land law but the DPP's majority shuts them down, travel ban may be extended to parts of the US, the world press continues to tout Taiwan as a world model and a Taiwan manufacturer produces paper that--if the reporting is accurate--is a miraculous gamechanger.    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.

The CEC preps for future referendums and recalls and weighs in on when Kaohsiung Mayor Han's recall vote will take place, MAC snubs a communist troll, TAIPEI act waits on Donald Trump, coronavirus updates, interesting comments from Terry Gou, and some analysis on the implications of Taiwan's handling of the coronavirus both locally and internationally going forward.  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.

The TPP plans to go all out in the 2022 local elections, Netflix to take on the Formosa Plastics Group, PRC media shows why DPP is proposing to change Academia Sinica's name, gov't cracks down on Huawei, Han recall signatures submitted, coronavirus updates, PRC again meddles with Taiwan's attempt to bring citizens home, PRC drops hints it could work with DPP rather than the KMT, and finally the KMT engages in a Taiwan-style issue swap over land use law.

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 Yu Shyi-kun is threatened by an 88-year-old accusing him of murdering his friend's family.

All our podcasts from now on are at anchor.fm/taiwanreport