In this episode, we chat with Elaine Huang from CommonWealth about TSMC's ambitious chip manufacturing hub in Phoenix, Arizona. We explore the project's challenges, from construction delays to labor disputes, and address concerns such as potential water shortages raised by a local alfalfa farmer. Our conversation also touches on TSMC's strategies moving forward amidst the labor controversy. Can planning mitigate the climate change risks? And how quickly does TSMC have to adapt to become a truly international company?

06:25 - Why is TSMC building a fab in the US?
14:15 - An anfalfa farmer's worry over future water shortages
24:00 - The view from Phoenix water authorities
27:14 - How the labor disputes can be resolved

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guest: Elaine Huang, Senior Writer of CommonWealth Magazine

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

＊CW English: https://english.cw.com.tw
＊Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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There's been a shift in the restructuring of the global supply chain, in the wake of a trend to derisk from China for manufactured goods. Vietnam is at the heart of this transformation, becoming a busy hub where companies across the globe flock to. Meanwhile, Vietnam has its own ambitions of making electric cars and scooters. Silva Shih had an exclusive inside look at VinFast's EV assembly line and the founder of Selex Motors. What are their ambitions and how can Taiwan tap this opportunity?

05:40 - Vietnam's significance in the "friendshoring" trend
11:40 - Will Vietnam replace China's supply chain?
15:38 - Silva's impression at the Vinfast factory
26:25 - The aspirations of young Vietnamese

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guest: Silva Shih, Managing Editor of CommonWealth Magazine

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

＊CW English: https://english.cw.com.tw
＊Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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Whether you love him or hate him, Elon Musk is impossible to ignore. Walter Isaacson should show, because he had spent two years on his side. In this special episode, my colleagues Charo and Yishan talked to Isaacson, the author of the most comprehensive biography on Elon Musk so far.

In September, CommonWealth Magazine published the traditional Chinese version of the biography in Taiwan. In the interview, he talked about how Musk thinks about rules, his controversial stance on China and Taiwan, and why his mother fears that he would one day become his father.

Hosts: Kwangyin Liu, Charo Wu, Yishan Chen
Guest: Walter Isaacson, author of Elon Musk's biography, Professor of History at Tulane University

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

＊CW English: https://english.cw.com.tw
＊Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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Taiwan doesn’t just make semicondictor chips, it also puts together the Nikes, New Balances, Adidas shoes on your feet. Over 70% of Nikes and 90% of New Balance shoes are made by Taiwan companies. Ever sported gear from Puma, New Balance, Mizuno, or On Running? There's a high chance they came from Diamond Group's factories. Each year, they roll out a whopping 35 million pairs of sports shoes.

Hear from the two CEOs from the Diamond Group to find out why Taiwan is so good at making shoes.

10:40 - Why Diamond Group has factories in 6 different countries
13:20 - Why India will be making most of the Nike shoes very soon
14:14 - It takes a village to make a pair of running shoes
18:43 - Why Taiwan remains indispensable for the largest shoemakers
24:30 - How Taiwan shoemakers outsmart Korean & Chinese competitors

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guests: Louis Chen 陳立宗, CEO of Diamond Group
Bang Lin 林邦彥, Vice Chairman of Diamond Group & CEO of Cortina Global

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

＊CW English: https://english.cw.com.tw
＊Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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As we focus on the upcoming Taiwan presidential election in January 2024, the scene is surely getting crowded. Besides DPP's Lai Ching-te, KMT's Hou You-yi and Ko Wen-je representing the Taiwan People’s Party, Terry Gou, the founder of Foxconn, also joined the race.

With geopolitical tensions rising, some are calling this election the most pivotal one for Taiwan's destiny. What’s really at stake? Why is that the candidates all seem to need to win trust from the US? And what will the challenges be for the next leader?

11:35 - What makes the upcoming election so pivotal for Taiwan?
14:48 - The role Beijing plays in Taiwan's past presidential elections
19:01 - What American endorsement means for the candidates

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guest: Kharis Templeman, Hoover Institution Research Fellow at Stanford University

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

＊CW English: https://english.cw.com.tw
＊Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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The flavors of Taiwan, including mini puffs, bubble tea and dry noodles, are gaining popularity in the US and Europe. In this delicious episode, we talk to the mochi master, Alvin Huang from Royal Family Foods, which is selling 1.5 million mochis a day. Why is this dessert captivating Gen Z in over 50 countries? Why is mochi Taiwanese and international at the same time?

15:45 - Who are the Americans buying mochis?
16:25 - Collaboration with Haagen-Dazs
21:25 - The birth of "bubble tea mochi"

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guest: Alvin Huang, Director of Sales and Marketing, Royal Family Food Company

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

＊CW English: https://english.cw.com.tw
＊Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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While the Taiwan issue is often seen through a lens of cross-strait conflicts, how does it impact Taiwan’s economy and interactions with the world? Are there alternative and more nuanced ways for us to talk about Taiwan? In this episode we talk with George Yin, a research associate at Fairbank Center at Harvard. Amidst growing geopolitical tension, he argues that the importance of diplomacy cannot be overlooked. How can Taiwan be the bridge, rather than the frontline?

07:40 - How has the war on Ukraine highlighted anxiety about Taiwan?
18:24 - Are Taiwan people really not concerned about the prospect of armed conflicts?
27:40 - Taiwan's potential to be the "bridge" and how to start

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guest: George Yin, Distinguished Research Fellow at National Taiwan University’s Center for China Studies

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

＊CW English: https://english.cw.com.tw
＊Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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#MeToo has taken Taiwan by storm, following a young woman's bombshell sexual harassment allegation in May. Over 100 victims, both men and women, have come forward to accuse prominent figures in politics, the arts, and academia. Inspired by a popular drama series "Wave Makers", the movement has prompted self-reflect and even a law revamp, but will real changes happen?

01:20 - Filmmaker Lynn telling her own story
18:30 - Why women in Taiwan are not speaking out
28:00 - Why there’s resistance to acknowledge the victims

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guest: Nien-hsuan Fang, Associate Professor of National Chengchi University

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

＊CW English: https://english.cw.com.tw
＊Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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Ever since the introduction of OpenAI's ChatGPT, many have marveled at its potential to assist human work while others are concerned about potential abuse or being replaced by it. In this episode, Kwangyin talked with Ethan Tu, founder of Taiwan AI Labs, who was once head of a Microsoft team that created the AI assistant Cortana, which later became the team that created ChatGPT.

08:40 - Is artificial intelligence threatening humanity?
12:35 - What’s Taiwan’s unique strength in the development of large language models?
21:30 - How AI is used to detect COVID patients
22:07 - The implication of AI for the music industry
27:42 - Will news anchors be replaced by AI?

The use of the audio clip of the single “Teach Me the Ways to Be Your Love” was authorized by Sandee Chen.

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guest: Ethan Tu, Founder of Taiwan AI Labs

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

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With a yearly rainfall 2.6 times the global average, it's hard to imagine that water scarcity would be an issue for Taiwan. Over the past five years, Taiwan has no major typhoons, which has led to unprecedented droughts. How can Taiwan ensure a sustainable water supply not only for chipmakers like TSMC but also for the farmers, and its people?

04:52 - Why Taiwan is facing water shortages?
10:15 - The battle for water between rice farmers and chipmakers
13:20 - The "pearl necklace project" to connect reservoirs
21:09 - Why is water so cheap in Taiwan?

Host: Kwangyin Liu
Guest: Chien-Hsin Lai, the Director-General of Taiwan's Water Resources Agency

Producers: Weiru Wang, Ian Huang

Share your thoughts: [email protected]

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