20 year journalist veteran Jason Pan of the Taipei Times joins host Courtney Donovan Smith to discuss the impact and import of the visit of the Czech delegation, recent improvements in US relations including the announcement of trade talks and the declassification of key documents, the KMT and racto-politics and finally the KMT party platform and t…

CAT Kaohsiung election special ft. Michael Smith On this week's program ICRT Southern Taiwan Correspondent Michael Smith joins host (and ICRT's Central Taiwan Correspondent) Donovan Smith to discuss the upcoming Kaohsiung mayoral race, the candidates, their positioning and marketing, the Kaohsiung voter's response and the possible repercussions for…

Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) and guest Sean Su (蘇襄) discuss the life and legacy of the late Taiwan President Lee Teng-Hui. All our podcasts from now on are at https://anchor.fm/taiwanreport Find the Current Affairs Podcast on https://anchor.fm/currentaffairstaiwan As always, follow along with the news and get the latest shows, Taiwan Quick Take, an…

Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) and guest Sean Su (蘇襄) discuss the total blowout regarding Kaohsiung Mayor's Han Kuo-Yu's recall vote, what the scene was like on the ground, how this might be a victory of youth activism against populism and demogoguery, Han and Chiang press conferences, Han's future going forward, what this means for the KMT, who the …

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss updates on Kaohsiung Mayor's Han Kuo-Yu's recall vote, President Tsai's second inauguration, a look at 2022 and 2024 elections, TSMC's new US factory plans, KMT as an opposition party, and some punchable punching paunchy punch-offs. All our podcasts from now on are at https://anc…

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss national unification goals with unexpected supporters of a related bill, Taiwan withdraws from trying for a spot at the World Health Assembly, Han telling his followers not to go to the recall poll, DPP attempting to get irrigation, farmers and fishers cooperatism under control, …

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss some a new race involving giant Matsu statues in Penghu and Taichung and the United Front efforts in Taiwan, the Han Kuo-yu recall updates. Comments on the Milk Tea Alliance and Taiwan's increasing warm power. Finally, talk about how Taiwan has become a more interesting and highe…

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss some new polling showing Hou You-yi is a powerhouse, Han Kuo-yu may be headed to the outhouse, and Johnny Chiang has a house to fix, and it won't be easy. The KMT's prospects in 2022 currently look dire. Is President Tsai "pro-independence?" The Philippines has two different line…

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) discuss Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu's upcoming recall vote, and explain why and how his joining the KMT's central standing committee is problematic--and why New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-yi was smart to avoid it, and what that might mean for the future of the KMT. The PRC is demanding naturaliz…

Current Affairs Taiwan 台灣時事 #40 (04-13-2020) Soft Power and the Propaganda Wars Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) take on the week's news, including China pressuring Taiwan militarily and via a massive propaganda push, updates on the Han Recall and his new lawsuit to try to stop it, the complexities of changing national …

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) take on the week's news, including the back-and-forth between a KMT lawmaker and Premier Su after the lawmaker said "Taiwan is not a country" as well as proposals on changing the name of China Airlines and what to put in English on the passports. The government has launched a massive, NT…

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) actually prefer social distancing by avoiding each other in yet another remote podcast episode. This week Donovan talks about doing hard time under quarantine and later the broader implications. The Taiwan People's Party attacks the Taiwan head of the COVID-19 response team. The KMT push…

Michael Turton (麥哲恩) and co-host Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) are continuing with their social distancing in this podcast episode. Michael is stuck in a noisy room, so you'll hear plenty of ambient noises from Taiwan. This week the duo cover PRC fishing boats attacking Taiwan coast guard, the Taiwanese stock market crash, pressure on international …

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,…

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 pol…

The Taiwan Context hosted by Daniel, with special guest Dr. Sang Pu, a Hong Kong current affairs critic with a doctoral degree in legal studies on the recent Taiwan elections, disinformation, fake news, the anti-infiltration bill and more.