The Divide

China isn’t just censoring the internet within its borders — it’s exporting its model of digital control around the world. From data localization to surveillance mandates, Beijing’s cybersecurity laws are becoming a blueprint for authoritarian governance. 

On Wednesday, May 14th, the United Nations Human Rights Office released a statement urging the Venezuelan government to immediately cease holding its opponents or those perceived as such in isolation and incommunicado detention, after the office conducted a fact-finding mission investigating the country's practice of enforced disappearances. In November of last year, eight international organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, released a report documenting different types of attacks against the Venezuelan press that occurred between July 1st and August 28th, the period surrounding the presidential election, which was held on July 28th. In the report, researchers documented 228 press freedom violations, including the arbitrary detention and expulsion of 11 foreign journalists, 62 physical and verbal attacks on the press, the continued arbitrary imprisonment of at least eight journalists, and the blocking of at least 29 websites belonging to media outlets and press organizations.

In this episode, Valentina Aguana of Conexión Segura y Libre talks about how she and her organization are fighting back the harsh repression orchestrated by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government, and bringing uncensored, independent news to the public.

As countries race to form new trade alliances in response to tariffs imposed by great powers, what roles do international organizations like the OECD-the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development-play in shaping the global economic order today?

In this episode, Dr. Yongsuk Jang, chair of the OECD’s Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy, speaks about the role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in global governance, national security, and economic growth. 

Friends with Jimmy Lai for decades, Mark L. Clifford now finds himself bearing witness to Hong Kong's persecution of him, as prosecutors use their correspondence as evidence of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.”

In this episode, the author of The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident, and China's Most Feared Critic shares his reaction to the charges against Lai — and reflects on whether he thinks his biography does justice to his friend’s life story.

When Apple Daily first came out in 1995, it instantly became the most popular newspaper in Hong Kong. Before Jimmy Lai pivoted from retail to the media business, no one was printing newspapers in color, and Cantonese had never been used in the press.

In this episode, the author of The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident, and China's Most Feared Critic, shares his observations of the pro-democracy media mogul’s character and discusses Lai’s personal sacrifices throughout his entrepreneurial journey, as well as the significance of Apple Daily in shaping public discourse in Hong Kong.

As European countries rallied behind Ukraine following a heated exchange between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in early March, the world is left wondering how the Russo-Ukrainian war will unfold.

In this episode, Head of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan Lutz Güllner talks about European security, information manipulation, and his office's priorities in Taiwan. 

According to a 2024 survey conducted by the International Women's Media Foundation, more than 31 % of journalists have experienced online violence. The American Press Institute found that these statistics illustrate a troubling trend that many journalists grapple with every day, disproportionately affecting women journalists of color and LGBTQ plus journalists. 

In this episode, Jonathan Rozen of the Committee to Protect Journalists shares his insights on how spyware and surveillance are increasingly used to intimidate, silence, and endanger journalists around the world. 

In this episode, Taiwan Fellow and journalist Giang Nguyen shares his observation on the increasing trend of Vietnamese students studying in Taiwan, and what he thinks are the factors driving the change.                                              

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the trial of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was charged with conspiring to collude with foreign forces. Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing appear determined to detain Lai indefinitely, while the European Parliament, the United States, and other nations have expressed support for the Apple Daily founder.

In this episode, Mark Sabah from the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation discusses the trial's repercussions, the response from the Hong Kong public, and questions whether democratic nations are sufficiently countering the rise of dictatorship. 

The Trans-Atlantic American think tank, the Atlantic Council, recently bestowed the Global Citizen Award on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a recognition intended to honor the "highest expression of global citizenship." However, questions arise: Is Meloni truly deserving of this prestigious award?

In this episode, human rights attorney Barbora Bukovská, Senior Director for Law and Policy at Article 19, a freedom of expression organization, discusses the current state of media freedom in Italy, particularly under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government.