Taiwan Talk

Uma Talavan didn't always know she was different.. which is not surprising, because her people were seen to have been "assimilated" since 1945. But that changed in the 1990s, when the Plains Indigenous people began their campaign for official recognition began in the 1990s. As of the end of September, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP), said 1,336 people had completed registration as Indigenous Siraya… Its a triumph for Uma and her husband Edgar Makapili, who was instrumental in the discovery that the Siraya language could be revived and taught to a new generation. Hosted by ICRT's Tim Berge and Hope Ngo.

Recent economic projections show Taiwan's economy on track to experience record growth. So if Taiwan is doing so well, why isn't everyone enjoying the fruits of Taiwan's high tech industries? Lin Thung-hong of Academia Sinica has studied the forces that have shaped Taiwan's economy for decades. He unpacks the origins of today's problems, which sees some sectors and households surge ahead while others stall or slip behind. He explains why he thinks Taiwan's economy isn't shaped the way economists think it is, and he traces the historical and structural forces that produced the divide, from industrial strategy to labor markets and wages. Hosted by I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo.

Taiwan wants a cleaner, more resilient energy system - but can the grid, policies and public debate keep up?

As the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) marks its 30th anniversary, Deputy Secretary General Peifen Hsieh joins Taiwan Talk to discuss Taiwan's distinctive approach to international development. She shares firsthand stories from projects in Paraguay and Eswatini, explains why local involvement and buy-in is essential, and looks at how TaiwanICDF is helping communities build resilience for the future. Hosted this week by Tim Berge.

Taiwan aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, but how close is it to meeting its renewable-energy goals?

Made in Taiwan: TC Brown Returns After Five Decades

Two decades after first coming to Taiwan as a visiting journalist and later returning as a scholarship student, Kenton X. Chance is back in a new role: Ambassador of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Academia Sinica Scholar Paul Katz enjoys a deep fascination with Taiwan's ghost culture — from local folklore to the beliefs that still shape everyday life. We talk about how he first got drawn into the subject, what makes Taiwan's supernatural traditions distinct, and why these stories continue to matter in a modern, secular society. A fascinating dive into the island's spiritual undercurrents in time for Ghost Month… Hosted by ICRT's Hope Ngo

Jason Ma is the current Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles and has represented Taiwan some of the world's most consequential postings. He unpacks what sets multilateral EU diplomacy apart from the bilateral, high-stakes dynamics of DC, and why, at the end of the day, the adage "all politics is local" holds particularly true. Hosted by ICRT's Hope Ngo.

On July 1, a shipment of Irwin mangoes from Tainan and black-leaf lychees from Taichung cleared customs in Manchester, marking Taiwan's first official export of these fruits to the United Kingdom for 2026. Getting the fruit from Taiwan to UK supermarket shelves was not easy. In this edition of Taiwan Talk, Sunray Fresh General Manager Kris Tang talks to Hope Ngo about the challenges the importer faced to get the fruit from Taiwan's farms onto British tables.