This is your best weekly intro to what's happening in Taiwan! New video episodes drop every Thursday night, with audio available as part of the regularly scheduled promming on Fridays.
It’s official! The controversial populist mayor of Kaohsiung, Han Kuo-yu, will face off against incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan’s 2020 presidential elections. The main opposition party -- the Kuomintang (KMT) -- made the announcement on Monday following nation-wide telephone polls.
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More than 3,000 people who were wrongly executed or convicted of a crime during the White Terror period in Taiwan have been exonerated. Lawmakers have also passed a new law that declassifies sensitive files. This could shed further light on some of the darkest moments in Taiwan’s history.
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In about six months, the people of Taiwan head to the polls to vote for president. But who will run against President Tsai Ing-wen, who has already fought off a challenger from within her own Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to win the nomination? All eyes are on the Kuomintang (KMT) primaries which will be decided by polls next week, and which of the five candidates for the nomination will rise to the top.
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Citizens in Taiwan took to the streets this week to protest “red media” -- or, Chinese influence in Taiwan’s news outlets. Taiwan’s media landscape is vast with many contenders. Some are regarded as more China-friendly than others. In this week’s Taiwan Insider, Andrew Ryan and Natalie Tso break down the political leanings of 18 of Taiwan’s most prolific media outlets.
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Taiwan and Hong Kong have both been exercising their democracy this week. Two million Hong Kongers hit the streets last Sunday in what some say was the largest protest the city’s ever seen. It was a continuation and extension of public outcry over a Chinese extradition bill. This week also saw an apology from Hong Kong’s chief executive, who has suspended, but failed to withdraw the bill.
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