Podcasts about legislative yuan

In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu comments on the latest developments in the Israel-Iran conflict now with direct US involvement, and what impact this may have on China's strategic objectives for Iran and the Middle East region. Next, Miles unpacks the latest developments in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan recall movement as 24 KMT lawmakers face recall votes in late-July. Lastly, Miles provides analysis on China's continued economic struggles concerning increased youth unemployment and declining rates of foreign direct investment. China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute's China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world's future.

Former legislator and death metal rocker Freddy Lim can draw on many experiences as inspiration for his music, though nothing prepared him for the discovery which led to the composition of his latest song, Endless Aeons. It's a discovery that was triggered by his time at the Legislative Yuan as a parliamentarian, and which partly led to his decision to step down from elective office. Hosted by I.C.R.T's Hope Ngo. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu discusses the recall campaign movement in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan and what this means for the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) coalition, as well as implications for the future of U.S.-Taiwan relations. Second, Miles looks to answer whether China over-extended in its response to United States tariffs, and how China's response may not reflect the economic reality. Lastly, we look into Apple's announcement to transition iPhone production from China to India by the end of 2026, and assess China's economic capacity to absorb such a significant offshore of manufacturing.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute's China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world's future.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 79-points this morning from Friday's close, at 19,321 on turnover of 1.6-billion N-T. The market ended slightly higher on Friday, despite a rather bumpy ride for Wall Street last Thursday as Nvidia helped pull down the tech-heavy Nasdaq. Measures to curb stock market short selling to continue Meanwhile, The Financial Supervisory Commission says measures to curb (抑制) short selling on the Tai-Ex will continue this week amid ongoing uncertainties about U-S tariff policies. The measures were first put in place during the week of April 7 after U-S President Donald Trump unveiled "reciprocal" tariffs on Taiwan of 32-per cent and were then extended into last week. Unlike its previous two announcements, the F-S-C this time has not specified the duration (持續時間) of the extension of measures to curb short selling. The local main board last week ended 0.68-per cent lower after falling 8.31-per cent the week before. Cannabis decriminalization campaigners rally for end to 'war on weed' The Taiwan Weed Safety Education Association has held a rally outside the Legislative Yuan calling on the government to end its "war" on marijuana. The event was titled "2025 Green Sensation" and the group and its supporters used the rally to call on lawmakers and President Lai Ching-te to "eliminate the stigma (（尤指不公正的）惡名) against marijuana and discriminatory policies against the marijuana community." Participants also urged the government to relax allowable levels of T-H-C, align cannabis policy with international norms, and remove cannabis from government-led anti-drug campaigns. The Ministry of Justice has responded to the rally by reiterating that it remains illegal to possess or use cannabis and warned that such offenses are prosecuted as serious crimes. Israeli probe into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza finds 'professional failures' The Israeli military has wrapped up its investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics in the Gaza Strip last month . AP correspondent Joe Federman reports Yemen US Airstrikes Leave Dead and Wounded Houthi rebels say U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen's capital killed 12 people and wounded 30 others. The deaths mark the latest in America's intensified campaign of strikes targeting (攻擊) the rebels. The Houthis described the strike as hitting the Farwa neighborhood market in Sanaa's Shuub district. That area has been targeted before by the Americans. The U.S. military's Central Command did not immediately acknowledge the strikes. Strikes overnight into today also hit other areas of the country. Zurich Zoo Asian Elephant Born The Zurich Zoo says a 19-year-old Asian elephant has given birth to a male calf. Its name starting with the letter Z will be announced later this week. A light-sensitive monitoring camera picked up the birth and the calf's earliest wobbly (搖搖晃晃的) steps before dawn on Saturday at the zoo's elephant park. The Asian elephant is a critically endangered species with about 50,000 estimated in the wild, and their numbers are declining. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ ✨宏匯廣場 歡慶璀璨女王節✨

Last time we spoke about Operation Jinzhou and the defense of Harbin. In the tumultuous landscape of early 1930s China, Chiang Kai-shek hesitated to engage in combat, fearing internal factions and the looming threat of the CCP. Zhang Xueliang, commanding a substantial force, felt pressure from both the Japanese and his own government. As tensions escalated, the Kwantung Army launched a brutal campaign against Jinzhou, leading to its fall. Amidst chaos, resistance leaders like Ma Zhanshan and Ding Chao emerged, rallying against Japanese aggression, determined to protect their homeland despite limited support. In November, the Jilin Provincial Anti-Japanese Government formed under Cheng Yun, rallying over 3,000 troops led by Feng Zhanhai against Japanese forces. After several battles, including the retaking of Shulan, they faced fierce resistance but ultimately had to retreat. As the Japanese advanced, the Jilin Self-Defense Army was established, but after intense fighting, Harbin fell to the Japanese on February 6. Despite earlier victories, the Chinese resistance crumbled, leading to the establishment of Manchukuo and the end of organized resistance in Manchuria.   #145 What was Manchukuo? Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War.   To start off this episode I want to turn back to our old friend Ishiwara Kanji. Ishiwara's ambition to dominate Manchuria was primarily a means to an end: to secure resources and a strategic position against America. After gaining control of Manchuria, Ishiwara shifted his focus toward another objective: fostering racial cooperation among Asian peoples. His vision for Manchukuo, or rather his interpretation of it, served as a launching pad for his idea of an East-Asian league, rooted firmly in his Final War theory. During his time in Manchuria in 1932, this Pan-Asian concept of Manchukuo distinguished him from many of his colleagues in the Kwantung Army and marked him as unconventional within the Imperial Japanese Army .   As many of you may know, Manchukuo was a fraudulent puppet state designed to legitimize Japan's takeover of Manchuria. The Japanese high command aimed to disguise their invasion of this part of China as an indigenous independence movement. To achieve this, they installed Puyi, the last Qing emperor, as the figurehead of Manchukuo while promoting ideals of racial harmony. This facade was necessary, as controlling a population that harbored resentment towards them required some effort to win their favor. Fortunately for the Japanese, there were factions in Manchuria that actually desired independence. This region was the heartland of Nurhaci's Manchu people—yes that guy we spoke about all the way back in the beginning of this podcast. The Japanese had considerable leverage, framing their actions as a noble revival of the Qing dynasty or a restoration of power to the Manchu. Additionally, there was a significant Mongolian presence, and Inner Mongolia would soon play a role in these events. Manchuria was reluctantly drawn into the nationalist movement, and it shared Japan's apprehension towards the USSR, having faced its own struggles against it for a long time. Moreover, a large population of Japanese settlers in Manchuria welcomed the takeover, as the Zhang Xueliang regime had not been particularly accommodating to them, implementing various discriminatory measures. Zhang Xueliang's alliance with the Nationalists effectively sealed the fate of the Japanese settlers, who anticipated expulsion.   As military operations progressed, Ishiwara and Itagaki convened with other prominent Kwantung officers to strategize control over Manchuria. They met with Officer Katakura, Chief of Staff Miyake, and Dohihara Kenji from the Mukden special service, reviewing a prior plan by Colonel Dohihara for a multi-ethnic autonomous nation in Manchuria. This entity was to be led by Puyi, possessing complete autonomy in internal matters, while defense and foreign relations would be managed by Japan. Ishiwara drafted the plans by September 22nd, which were sent to Tokyo on October 2nd. Although Tokyo's high command disapproved of the objectives, they collaborated with the Kwantung Army for five months to establish a new state based on two main principles: the purported indigenous movement for Manchurian independence and the administrative framework for Kwantung Army control.   The Kwantung Army proceeded to utilize Manchuria's traditional structure of local self-governing bodies. Throughout 1931, they bribed, persuaded, and threatened local leaders to foster a movement for autonomy against the Kuomintang hardliners. One of their first initiatives was the establishment of the "Jichi Shidobu Self-Government Guidance Board," responsible for coordinating regional independence movements in collaboration with the Kwantung Army to, as Miyake put it, "guide Manchuria to self-government." The board was headed by Yu Ch'ung-han, a Mukden elder statesman educated in Japan and a former advisor to Zhang Zuolin. It comprised 20 Japanese and 10 Manchurian members. Such organizations attracted Japanese civilians in Manchuria, who supported the so-called multiracial political structure, as they could exploit it for their own interests. The Kwantung Army heavily promoted slogans like “racial harmony, racial equality, and the righteous way.” Their control over Manchuria was solidified by placing Japanese advisors in all governmental bodies with ultimate veto power, ensuring that everything was effectively under Japanese control. While it seemed that Ishiwara's vision was unfolding as planned, by 1933, he became a fierce critic of the very system he had helped establish.   It's quite ironic that the man who played a key role in initiating the conquest of Manchuria would be unable to exert his influence in shaping Manchukuo. While Ishiwara Kanji served as the operations officer officially responsible for planning and executing military operations to capture Manchuria, the political arrangements for the new state fell outside his control. Nevertheless, Ishiwara was very vocal about his views on the development of Manchukuo, strongly advocating for racial harmony. He persistently urged his colleagues that the economic growth of Manchukuo should embody the spirit of racial cooperation. Ishiwara believed that the economic interests of Manchukuo would naturally align with those of the Kwantung Army, as both aimed for the unity of Asia against the West. He was gravely mistaken. Ishiwara was driven by his theory of a final war, and everything he did was aimed at preparing for it; thus, his fixation on racial harmony was part of this broader strategy.   In March 1932, the self-government guidance board was dissolved, transferring its functions and regional organizations to newly established bureaus within the Manchukuo government. In April, an organization called the Kyowakai (Concordia Association) was formed, led by Yamaguchi Juji and Ozawa Kaisaku, with the goal of promoting racial harmony. This initiative received support from members of the Kwantung Army, including Ishiwara, Itagaki, and Katakura. The Kwantung Army invested heavily in the organization, which quickly gained traction—at least among the Japanese. General Honjo expressed concerns about the organization's potential political influence in Manchukuo; he preferred it to remain an educational entity rather than evolve into an official political party. By "educational role," he meant it should serve as a propaganda tool for the Kwantung Army, allowing them to exert influence over Manchukuo without significant commitment.   But to Ishiwara the Concordia Association was the logical means to unify the new nation, guiding its political destiny, to be blunt Ishiwara really saw it should have much more authority than his colleagues believed it should. Ishiwara complained in August of 1932, that Manchuria was a conglomerate of conflicting power centers such as the Kwantung army, the new Manchukuo government, the Kwantung government, the Mantetsu, consular office and so on. Under so many hats he believed Manchukuo would never become a truly unified modern state, and of course he was one of the few people that actually wanted it to be so. He began arguing the Kwantung army should turn over its political authority as soon as possible so “Japanese of high resolve should hasten to the great work of the Manchurian Concordia Association, for I am sure that we Japanese will be its leaders. In this way Manchukuo will not depend on political control from Japan, but will be an independent state, based on Japanese Manchurian cooperation. Guided by Japanese, it will be a mode of Sino-Japanese friendship, an indicator of the present trends of world civilization” Needless to say the Concordia Association made little headway with the Chinese and it began to annoy Japanese leaders. The association gradually was bent into a spiritless propaganda and intelligence arm of the IJA, staffed largely by elite Japanese working in the Manchukuo government.  Ishiwara started utilizing the Concordia Association to advocate for various causes, including the return of leased territories like the Railway zone, the abolition of extraterritoriality, and equal pay for different races working in Manchukuo—efforts aimed at fostering racial harmony. However, this advocacy clashed significantly with the Japanese military's interests, damaging Ishiwara's reputation. As a result, the staff of the Kwantung Army began to shift dramatically, leaving Ishiwara increasingly isolated, except for Itagaki and a few loyal supporters. The higher-ups had grown weary of the disruptive Concordia Association and gradually took control, ensuring that discussions about concessions were halted. In August 1932, Ishiwara received a new assignment, and he appeared eager to leave Manchuria. Now that finishes off our story of Ishiwara, he will return later on in future episodes. Again if you want a full sort of biography on him, check out my youtube channel or Echoes of War podcast where I have a 4 part series on him.    Now I want to get more into the specifics of what exactly was this new state known as Manchukuo? During the mayhem that was the invasion of Manchuria, by October 6th of 1931, the Japanese cabinet had finally relented and decided to no longer interfere with the establishment of a new regime in Manchuria and Inner Mongolia. The remaining disagreement between the Japanese government, Tokyo General HQ and the Kwantung army was not whether or not to establish a new regime, but whether or not to promote the establishment of a new regime. Japan obviously did not want to break the Washington system established by the treaty of Versailles. Yet they of course wanted to expand Japanese interest in Manchuria. So it was to be a delicate game of chess balancing their interests in coordination with the western powers. This was specifically why Prime Minister Wakatsuki Reijiro had opposed direct participation of Japanese soldiers in the establishment of a new regime, because clearly it would open Japan to condemnation from the west.    Over the course of the invasion, Japan managed to occupy the 3 northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang by establishing pro-japanese regimes within each under Zhang Shiyi, Xi Qia and Ma Zhanshan respectively. On September 20, 1931, Jianchuan proposed the establishment of a Japanese-backed regime led by Puyi during a meeting with Honjo Shigeru, the commander of the Kwantung Army. Obviously Jianchuan was in league and under the influence of our old friend Doihara. Two days later, on September 22, the Kwantung Army General Staff developed the "Solution to the Manchuria-Mongolia Issue," based on Doihara's suggestion to create a Five-Nation Republic in Manchuria and Mongolia, with Japan as the "leader." The plan outlined the establishment of a new regime under Puyi, supported by Japan, to govern the 3 northeastern provinces and Mongolia. The new regime would entrust Japan with national defense and diplomacy, as well as the management of key transportation and communication infrastructure. It also proposed appointing Xi Qia, Zhang Haipeng, Tang Yulin, Yu Zhishan, and Zhang Jinghui to oversee garrisons in locations such as Jilin, Taonan, Rehe, Dongbiandao, and Harbin. To execute this plan, the Japanese Kwantung Army, led by Chief of Staff Itagaki, utilized local intelligence agencies and some mainland ronin to initiate a so-called strategic operation. To facilitate the plan's implementation, the Kwantung Army informed the commander of the Japanese Army in Tianjin that afternoon, requesting immediate "protection" for Emperor Xuantong.   After the Kwantung Army took control of Jinzhou, it believed the moment was right to establish the hastily assembled puppet regime. To secure the full backing of the Japanese government and the military leadership, the Kwantung Army decided to send Itagaki back to Tokyo for negotiations. At that time, Itagaki had a fairly detailed plan to present. The proposed "Manchuria-Mongolia Central Government" aimed to create a centralized power structure that would be distinct from mainland China, effectively becoming a truly "independent" nation. They intended to appoint local collaborators as officials at all levels and were prepared to fabricate "public opinion" to obscure global perceptions of Japan's scheme to establish this regime. This of course was highly influenced by the announcement from the League of Nations that they would be investigating the entire incident in what would become known as the Lytton Commission.  Thus they believed it was essential to set up the regime before the League of Nations investigation team arrived in Manchuria. They understood that if these actions were "carried out directly by Japan," they would violate both the Nine-Power Treaty and the League of Nations. However, they reasoned that if the Chinese initiated the separation themselves, it would not contradict the principles of those treaties.   The Kwantung Army established puppet organizations using collaborators, starting with the "Liaoning Provincial Local Maintenance Association," which was formed on September 25, 1931. The association's chairman, Yuan Jinkai, represented the civil governance faction of the Fengtian clique. After the First Zhili-Fengtian War, he was appointed governor of Fengtian Province by the Zhili government, which led to his unpopularity with Zhang Zuolin. At the time of the incident, he was already retired. The association's vice chairman, Kan Chaoxi, had previously served as the governor of Rehe and commander of the Third Division. He fell out of favor with Zhang Zuolin due to his involvement with Guo Songling and subsequently retired. A common characteristic of the puppet organizations created by the Kwantung Army is that they always included Japanese advisors, regardless of their level. The "Liaoning Provincial Local Maintenance Association" was no exception, hiring Kanai Shoji, head of the health section of the local department of the Manchurian Railway and chairman of the Manchurian Youth League, as its top advisor. In the Japanese-occupied Fengtian, this highest advisor effectively became the leader of the maintenance association. While the association was ostensibly responsible for maintaining local order, it actually functioned as a tool for Japan to establish a puppet regime. Recruiting discontented officials and creating puppet institutions was just a minor part of the Kwantung Army's strategy to set up a puppet regime. The crucial factor in this endeavor was gaining the support of influential local warlords. To achieve this, the Japanese Kwantung Army, along with various intelligence agencies, employed a mix of soft and hard tactics, including coercion and incentives. As a result, they successfully pressured figures such as Yu Zhishan, Zhang Haipeng, Zhang Jinghui, Xi Qia, Zang Shiyi, and Ma Zhanshan to defect to the Japanese forces.   Following the Mukden Incident, former Qing nobles who had hoped to restore the Qing Dynasty believed the moment had arrived. Xi Qia, a member of the former Qing royal family and the Chief of Staff of the Jilin Provincial Army at the time, took advantage of the Jilin governor's absence due to his mother's funeral to open the gates of Jilin and surrender to Japan. This made Xi Qia the first Chinese official to collaborate with the Japanese invaders since their invasion of China. He sent a secret letter to the abdicated Qing emperor Puyi, urging him to return to "the birthplace of the ancestors, restore the Qing Dynasty, and rescue the people from their suffering," with the backing of "friendly nations". Xi Qia and the former Manchu nobles, who had elevated him to acting governor of Jilin Province, proposed to the Japanese to invite Puyi to the Northeast to establish a monarchy. The Japanese Kwantung Army had already identified Puyi as a suitable puppet leader. After the 15 year war had concluded, under interrogation, Shirono Hiroshi confessed that the reason why the Japanese chose Puyi was: First, Puyi had “no connection with the Kuomintang in mainland China”; Secondly, "some old classes in the Northeast and Mongolia still have traditional yearnings for the Qing Dynasty"; Third, “the peasants in general… seemed to welcome the kingly political system implemented by the Aisin-Gioro family.”   On November 8th, 1931, Doihara orchestrated the "Tianjin Incident" and covertly removed Puyi from his home in the Japanese Concession in Tianjin. They traveled through Dagukou, Yingkou, and Lushun before arriving in Fushun. By February 5th, 1932, the Japanese army had taken control of Harbin, stabilizing the situation in North Manchuria. Afterwards the Kwantung Army Headquarters organized a series of "National Construction Staff Meetings" to plan for a "National Construction Conference" involving collaborators. On February 16th, leaders from the Northeast provinces, including Zhang Jinghui, Xi Qia, Ma Zhanshan, Zang Shiyi, Xie Jieshi, Yu Chonghan, Zhao Xinbo, and Yuan Jinkai, gathered for the "Northeast Political Affairs Conference" at the Yamato Hotel in Shenyang. The meeting was led by Honjo Shigeru, the commander of the Kwantung Army. They decided to invite Puyi to rule the puppet state of "Manchukuo" and assigned government positions to the attendees. Notably, Itagaki Seishirō was appointed as the head of the Fengtian Special Agency and the chief advisor to the Military and Political Department of Manchukuo.    On February 18th, the "Northeast Administrative Committee" issued a "Declaration of Independence," stating: "From now on, we declare that the regions of Manchuria and Mongolia will be separated from the Chinese central government. Based on the free choice and appeal of the residents of Manchuria and Mongolia, these regions will achieve complete independence and establish a fully independent government." On February 23rd, Itagaki met with Puyi in Fushun to inform him that he would be the "ruler" of Manchukuo. Although Puyi had hoped to reclaim the throne, he was disappointed with the "ruler" designation but felt compelled to accept it. On the 29th, the "All-Manchuria National Construction Promotion Movement Conference" passed a resolution urging Puyi to take on the role of ruler. In February, the Japanese army began its offensive against Rehe. Meanwhile, the League of Nations declared that it would not recognize Manchukuo.   On March 1st, Japan orchestrated the establishment of "Manchukuo," appointing Puyi as its "ruler" under the reign title "Datong." China firmly rejected the notion of Manchukuo's "independence" and lodged a strong protest against Japan on the same day. On March 8th, Puyi officially declared his inauguration as the "ruler of Manchukuo" in Xinjing. Concurrently, officials were appointed to various "offices," "ministerial positions," and "ministries," leading to the formal establishment of Manchukuo. The following day, Puyi conducted an inauguration ceremony, and on March 10th, a secret agreement was signed with Japan. Japanese Ambassador to Manchuria, Nobuyoshi Mutō, and "Prime Minister" Zheng Xiaoxu signed the Japan-Manchuria Agreement in Changchun, with the Japanese government issuing a statement recognizing "Manchukuo."   In October of 1932, the League of Nations Assembly released the Lytton Commission Report.  Alarmed by the Mukden incident, the League of Nations had dispatched a group of investigators, led by British statesman Lord Lytton, to uncover the truth of what was going on. The commission traveled to Manchuria, gathering testimonies and examining evidence. Their task was daunting: Japan insisted its actions were defensive, protecting its economic interests and citizens. Meanwhile, China accused Japan of orchestrating the railway incident as an excuse for invasion. Months later, the Lytton Report emerged, painting a balanced yet damning picture.    On February 24, the commission concluded that the "Mukden Incident" was staged by Japanese troops. It condemned Japan's actions as a violation of Chinese sovereignty, rejecting their claims of self-defense. Moreover, the report did not recognize the puppet state of Manchukuo, established by Japan in Manchuria. Instead, it called for Manchuria's return to Chinese control under an arrangement respecting regional autonomy. Though praised for its fairness, the report lacked teeth. Later on the League urged Japan to withdraw, but Japan walked out of the League instead, solidifying its grip on Manchuria.    Manchukuo's territory would span the former provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, excluding the Kwantung Leased Territory. It would also gradually incorporate eastern parts of Inner Mongolia, Chengde City and Rehe Province. The 1932 "Japan-Manchuria Protocol" established that the sovereignty of the Kwantung Leased Territory belonged to "Manchukuo." This entity acknowledged the Qing Dynasty's agreement to lease the Guandong Territory, which includes Lushun and Dalian, to Japan. As a result, the Guandong Territory remained under direct Japanese control and was not included in the "administrative division of Manchukuo." By 1934 Manchukuo was divided into 14 provinces, 2 special cities and 1 special district: Andong Province , " Fengtian Province ", Jinzhou Province , Jilin Province , Rehe Province , Jiandao Province , Heihe Province , Sanjiang Province , Longjiang Province , Binjiang Province, Xing'an East Province , Xing'an West Province , Xing'an South Province , Xing'an North Province , Xinjing Special City , Harbin Special City , and North Manchuria Special District. By 1939 this would increase to 19 provinces and 1 special city.   Politically, Puyi served as the nominal head of state for "Manchukuo." He took on the role of ruler on March 8, 1932, adopting the reign title "Datong." On March 1, 1934, Puyi conducted a "coronation ceremony" in Xinghua Village, located south of "Xinjing," and renamed "Manchukuo" to the "Great Manchurian Empire." In this capacity, Puyi was designated as the "emperor," with the reign title "Kangde." "Manchukuo's administrative structure was led by the 'State Council,' headed by the 'Premier.' This pseudo 'State Council' included the 'Ministry of Foreign Affairs,' 'Ministry of Civil Affairs,' 'Ministry of Finance,' 'Ministry of Justice,' 'Ministry of Industry,' 'Ministry of Transportation,' 'Ministry of Culture and Education,' and 'Ministry of Military Affairs.' The 'Ministry of Finance' was later renamed the 'Ministry of Economy,' while the 'Ministry of Military Affairs' retained its name. The 'Ministry of Industry' was split into the 'Ministry of Agriculture' and the 'Ministry of Labor,' and additional departments like the 'Ministry of Health and Welfare' were established. Each ministry was led by a 'minister,' but real power rested with the Japanese vice ministers. The head of the 'General Affairs Department of the State Council,' who was also Japanese, effectively served as the 'Premier.' This role was first held by Komai Tokuzo, followed by Hoshino Naoki and Takebe Rokuzo. Every Tuesday, the Japanese vice ministers convened to discuss and make decisions on 'national' policies and various specific matters in a meeting known as the 'Fire Tuesday Meeting.'"   The legislative assembly of "Manchukuo" was known as the "Legislative Yuan," with Zhao Xinbo serving as its first "President." However, true legislative authority rested with the Kwantung Army. Manchukuo operated without a formal constitution, instead relying on a series of special laws. The advisory group was referred to as the "Senate," led by a "Speaker," with Zang Shiyi being the inaugural holder of that position. The highest judicial authority in puppet Manchukuo was the "Supreme Court," with Lin Qi as the first "Supreme Justice" and Li Pan serving as the "Supreme Prosecutor General." The judicial agency was the "Imperial Household Agency," headed by Xi Qia.   Following the September 18th Incident, Zhang Xueliang maintained a policy of "non-resistance." Most of the former Northeastern Army was "ordered" to retreat south of Shanhaiguan without engaging in combat. Those who could not withdraw were split into two factions: one group, motivated by national integrity and a shared animosity toward the enemy, rose to fight against Japan and became a significant part of the renowned Northeast Volunteer Army. The other faction consisted of traitors who surrendered, acknowledged the enemy as their leader, and acted as the enforcers and thugs for the Japanese invaders. These collaborators and the forces they commanded formed the backbone of the puppet Manchukuo army. Simultaneously, they recruited defectors and traitors, as well as bandits and social miscreants, thereby bolstering the ranks of the puppet Manchukuo military. They were under the influence of the highest advisors from the puppet Manchukuo Military and Political Department, which was made up of Japanese military officials. Directly controlled by the Kwantung Army, they served as vassals and accomplices of Japanese imperialism.   "The State Council of Manchukuo" served as the governing body of the puppet state. It functioned as the highest political authority in the region. Structurally, it operated under the direct control of the head of state, Puyi. However, in practice, the State Council was heavily influenced by the Japanese Kwantung Army, with many key positions occupied by Japanese officials. The breakdown of power is as follows: "Head of State": "Emperor" ( before the transition to the imperial system , the ruler) "Emperor's direct agencies": Imperial Household Agency - Shangshufu - Senate - Military Attaché Office - Military Advisory Council - Sacrifice Office "Yuan": State Council - Courts - Legislative Yuan - Control Yuan "National Army": Royal Guards - River Defense Fleet - Flying Squadron - Xing'an Army - Jiandao Special Forces "Police": Maritime Police Force - Security Bureau Other "agencies": General Affairs Department (not official) External Group: Concord Society   To fulfill its goal of annexing Northeast China, Japan initiated a "national policy immigration" campaign under the guise of development, intending to relocate 1 million households and 5 million Japanese citizens from Japan to Northeast China over two decades. Additionally, around 2 million Koreans were moved to the region as political immigrants. In April 1936, the Japanese Kwantung Army convened an "immigration" meeting in Changchun, where they developed the "Manchuria Agricultural Immigration Million Households Migration Plan." By September 1944, there were 1,662,234 Japanese immigrants (including early settlers) residing in various areas of Northeast China. Following 1945, most Japanese immigrants were repatriated, notably during the large-scale repatriation in Huludao, although the issue of Japanese orphans also arose.   After the September 18th Incident, in response to the invasion by Japanese fascists, people from all nationalities and professions in China resisted fiercely. The Japanese fascists employed military forces, police, and special repressive agencies to brutally suppress the anti-Japanese movement, inflicting significant suffering on the Chinese populace. In addition to collaborating with the Kwantung Army for extensive military encirclement and suppression, the Kwantung Military Police Force oversaw other repressive agencies during peacetime and became the primary force behind the implementation of white terror.   As for its economy, Manchuria is rich in natural resources. By 1936 its coal reserves were about 3 billion tons, iron reserves roughly 4 billion and had other minerals including Gold, Magnesite, Bauxite, Oil shale, Diamonds. Its forestry and fishery industry was quit rich as well. During the Zhang Zuolin era, Manchuria's industrial base was already well-developed, and Japan required a robust military industry to support its aggressive war efforts. Steel production was primarily located in Anshan and Benxi, while the chemical industry was centered in Liaoyang. The coal industry was concentrated in Fushun, Benxi, and Fuxin. Oil shale and synthetic fuel production were mainly found in Fushun and Jilin. Magnesite mining took place in Haicheng and Dashiqiao, and hydropower generation was focused in Jilin and along the Yalu River. Fengtian (now Shenyang) served as the hub for machinery, arms, and aircraft industries, whereas light industries, including textiles and food production, were concentrated in cities like Dalian, Dandong, Harbin, and Qiqihar.   The industrial sector of the puppet state was largely controlled by the South Manchuria Railway Company. Following the establishment of the puppet state, investments from various Japanese conglomerates rapidly flowed into Northeast China. After 1937, the puppet state implemented an economic control policy for the industrial sector, adhering to the principle of "one industry, one company," which led to the creation of monopoly companies for each industry. Under this framework, the South Manchuria Railway transferred its industrial operations and reorganized them into a massive conglomerate called the "Manchuria Heavy Industry Development Corporation ," which monopolized all steel, coal, chemical, and electric power industries in the region. Additionally, over 40 specialized companies were established, including the "Manchuria Electric (Telephone and Telegraph) Company," "Manchuria Machinery Manufacturing Company," "Manchuria Mining Company," "Manchuria Airlines," "Manchuria Artificial Oil Company," "Manchuria Textile Company," "Manchuria Wool Textile Company," "Manchuria Chemical Industry Company," "Manchuria Forestry Company," "Manchuria Gold Mining Company," "Manchuria Livestock Company," "Manchuria Fisheries Company," "Manchuria Tobacco Company," "Manchuria Agricultural Commune," and "Manchuria Development Commune." These companies were jointly established by Japanese investors and the "Manchukuo" government, with profits shared according to their respective investments. In case of losses, the Manchukuo government guaranteed 10% of the profits for Japanese investments.   To transform Manchuria into a base for its aggressive expansion against China and the Pacific War, Japan imposed strict control and extensive exploitation of the region's economy and resources. The primary focus of this control and exploitation was on mineral resources such as coal, iron, and oil, as well as essential industries. Under the intense plundering and strict oversight of Japanese imperialism, Northeast China's economy rapidly became colonial, leading to severe hardships for its people. Due to Japan's stringent economic control policies and large-scale colonial exploitation, the local industry and mining sectors suffered, national industries declined, and the rural economy collapsed, resulting in a swift transformation of Northeast China into a colony. To maximize the extraction of colonial resources, the Japanese invaders minimized the consumption levels of the local population. Since 1935, they implemented comprehensive distribution controls on vital strategic materials and everyday necessities. This distribution control policy plunged the people of Northeast China into extreme poverty and suffering.   The 1936 resource survey report from the State Council of the puppet Manchukuo indicated that the region had an arable land area of 40 million hectares (equivalent to 4 billion mu), with 25 million hectares classified as cultivated land. Additionally, the forested area covered 170 million hectares. The annual production figures included 2.5 million tons of soybeans, 2 million tons of wheat, 700,000 tons of rice, 1 million tons of millet, 8 million tons of sorghum, 5 million tons of corn, 600,000 tons of other grains and beans (excluding soybeans), 300,000 tons of cotton, and 160,000 tons of tobacco. The livestock population consisted of 4 million horses, 3 million cattle, 30 million sheep, and 40 million pigs. The total annual grain output in the puppet Manchukuo was approximately 20 million tons. Of this, around 7.5 million tons were consumable grains for local farmers throughout the year, while 4 million tons were designated as seed grains. Furthermore, the region was responsible for supplying rations to Japanese and Korean immigrants. In compliance with the demands of the Kwantung Army, the puppet Manchukuo was obligated to deliver over 1 million tons of grain to Japan annually. The grain collection process commenced in mid-August and concluded at the end of November, imposing a significant burden on farmers. Japanese colonists were exempt from agricultural taxes and received monthly rations.   The puppet state of Manchukuo had a “military force” known as the “Manchukuo Army.” It was divided into three components: "rear security" and "law and order maintenance," all under the control of the Japanese Kwantung Army. Initially, its military capabilities were limited, with the Kwantung Army handling most combat operations. However, as the main forces of the Kwantung Army shifted south and manpower became scarce, the anti-Japanese armed groups in Northeast China were suppressed and weakened. Consequently, the puppet Manchukuo began to assume more military responsibilities on its own, with many of its soldiers being Korean Japanese recruited from the Korean Peninsula. The entire Northeast was segmented into eleven military control zones, each led by an individual known as a commander. The military authority of the puppet state of Manchukuo was under the control of the Japanese Kwantung Army. Any troop movements, training exercises, equipment modifications, or personnel changes required approval from the Kwantung Army Headquarters. The puppet Manchukuo Army had nine ranks: general, colonel, and lieutenant. Upon graduating from the military academy, individuals were promoted to second lieutenant. After two years, they advanced to first lieutenant, and then to captain after another three years. Following that, a captain would be promoted to major after three years, then to lieutenant colonel after another three years. After four years, a lieutenant colonel would become a colonel, who would then be promoted to major general after four years. After three additional years, a major general could rise to the rank of lieutenant general, and finally, after four years, a lieutenant general could achieve the rank of general. The highest military rank was general, which was a lifetime appointment. Above the rank of general was an honorary title modeled after the Japanese marshal. Individuals such as Zhang Jinghui, Zhang Haipeng, Yu Zhishan, and Ji Xing were conferred the title of general. Thus was born a puppet state that would contribute to the 15 year war in Asia.   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Yes perhaps this episode was a bit on the boring side of things, but its important to take a critical look at what exactly Manchukuo was. The new puppet state would be used for various means during the 15 year war and would ultimately be the crown jewel in a long list of conquered territories by the Japanese Empire.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 139-points this morning from Friday's close, at 22,348 on turnover of 3.4-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Friday, following a lackluster session on Wall Street overnight, as investors remain uneasy over uncertainty over U-S President Donald Trump policies. Investors also opted to shun (避開，躲避) tech shares following recent fluctuations. Labor rights groups to stage hunger strike in push for more days off A coalition of labor rights groups has announced plans to launch a hunger strike next month to demand the reinstatement of the seven days off scrapped (取消) in 2016. The announcement comes as lawmakers are slated to review bills on "anniversaries and national holidays enforcement." According to the "Work with Dignity" alliance, its calling on people to join its 200-hour April 11 to 19 hunger strike, which will take place outside the Legislative Yuan. The alliance is also urging employers to pay more into employee pension pots and for the establishment of a similar system for foreign workers. Related bills are set to be reviewed in the coming week. The 1st World Bird Fair--News Taiwan's rich avian diversity attracts bird enthusiasts from around the globe, positioning Taiwan as a key birdwatching hub. Sponsored by the World Birdfairs Council, Taiwan's 1st World Bird Fair will be co-hosted by the Taiwan Tourism Administration and National Park Service from September 19th to 23rd 2025. There'll be an exhibition open to the public for free on the 20th and 21st. Organizers say they've also invited experts, tour operators and conservation groups from home and abroad (國外) to join two forums focusing on the World Bird Ecotourism Experience. The event aims to promote bird conservation and birdwatching ecotourism. The fair will take place at Taichung City's Civic Plaza, attracting birders from around the world. SKorea Overturns PM Impeachment South Korea's Constitutional Court overturned parliament's impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as acting president. Han, South Korea's No. 2 official, had become acting leader after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly over his Dec. 3 imposition (實施) of martial law that triggered a massive political crisis. But Han was impeached by the assembly as well in late December following political strife with opposition lawmakers. The Constitutional Court says today it has decided to overturn Han's impeachment. The court has yet to issue a ruling on Yoon's impeachment. Yoon has been separately arrested and charged with rebellion in connection with his martial law decree. If convicted of that charge, he would face the death penalty or a life sentence. And if the court rules against him, South Korea must hold a national election to find a new president. Pope Returns to Vatican from Hospital The Pope has arrived home at Vatican after 5-week hospital stay to beat life-threatening bout of pneumonia (肺炎). AP correspondent Trisha Thomas reports That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 福斯原廠認證中古車提供一站式購車安心保障 歐洲進口跨界休旅 The T-Cross 配備 Level 2 駕駛輔助系統 限時優惠 66.8 萬起再享一年原廠保固 試駕請洽璿豐汽車 03-3349555 https://sofm.pse.is/7brqkd -- 金融市場波動加劇，想尋找資金避風港? 00864B中信美國公債0-1，鎖定存續期小於一年的美國公債， 利率風險較小，適合資金停泊，是你進可攻、退可守的投資良選！ https://user285523.pse.is/79hhms -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 26-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 22,245 on turnover of 4.1-billion N-T. The market closed up on Tuesday, as buying was sparked by a rally on Wall Street overnight on hopes that the U-S Federal Reserve will cut interest rates after the release of worse-than-expected retail (零售) sales data in February. MND send Quadrennial Defense Review to LY for review Defense Minister Wellington Koo is slated to meet with members of the Legislative National Defense Committee later today to answer quesitons about the Quadrennial Defense Report. The report was sent to the Legislative Yuan yesterday for review. This report focuses on the need to building strong defenses and a multilayered deterrence (威懾), while also elaborating on military cooperation with the United States. The report has to be submitted to the the Legislative Yuan within 10 months of the presidential inauguration. CDC seeing an end to flu epidemic The Centers for Disease Control says the ongoing influenza epidemic is expected to end in late March. According to the C-D-C, a total of around 108,000 outpatient and emergency visits due to flu-like illness were reported from March 9 through 15 .. .. and that figure indicate (顯示) a downward trend, but still an ongoing epidemic. The C-D-C says the most common respiratory pathogen in the community is the flu virus, with the majority being influenza type A. C-D-C Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui says that the flu epidemic remains at a "critical point" and "still requires continued monitoring." UN Guterres Shocked at Israel's Gaza Strikes The United Nations Secretary General has expressed shock at the overnight Israeli attacks on Gaza. Israel launched a series of air strikes on the enclave (飛地) on Monday night ending an almost two month ceasefire. Jody Jacobs reports from New York where the Security Council ismeeting on the matter. Mali Withdraws from FrenchSpeakingCountry Alliance Mali has withdrawn from a global alliance of French-speaking countries, days after two of its neighbors took the same step. In a letter seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday, Mali's foreign ministry accused its French counterpart of “selective application of sanctions” and “contempt for Mali's sovereignty.” On Monday, the alliance's spokeswoman said Burkina Faso and Niger had also decided to remove their countries from the organization, which had already suspended the membership of the three countries over military coups in recent years. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are now all ruled by military juntas that have severed diplomatic ties with France and expelled (驅逐) French troops while building security partnerships with Russia instead. The three will have six months to discuss the terms of their withdrawal from the alliance before it becomes final. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 福斯原廠認證中古車提供一站式購車安心保障 歐洲進口跨界休旅 The T-Cross 配備 Level 2 駕駛輔助系統 限時優惠 66.8 萬起再享一年原廠保固 試駕請洽璿豐汽車 03-3349555 https://sofm.pse.is/7b22t2 -- 金融市場波動加劇，想尋找資金避風港? 00864B中信美國公債0-1，鎖定存續期小於一年的美國公債， 利率風險較小，適合資金停泊，是你進可攻、退可守的投資良選！ https://user285523.pse.is/79hhms -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened marginally down this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,014 on turnover of 7-billion N-T. The market closed slightly lower on Tuesday as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing fell into negative territory and as investors are being cautious ahead of the conclusion of this week's two-day policymaking meeting of the U-S Federal Reserve. New Examination Yuan head confirmed by Legislature Lawmakers have confirmed the appointment of Chou Hung-hsien and Hsu Shu-hsiang as the new president and vice president of the Examination Yuan. The appointments of six members of the Examination Yuan have also been confirmed following a vote in the Legislative Yuan. Chou is the incumbent Examination Yuan vice president, and was confirmed by a vote of 59 to 53. Chou has worked in public office for the past 16 years, serving in various (各種各樣的) positions including in the Examination Yuan and the Executive Yuan. Supreme Prosecutors Office prosecutor Ker Li-ling is the only one of President Lai Ching-te's seven nominees for the Examination Yuan not to have been be confirmed by the Legislature. The president, a vice president, and between seven and nine members of the body responsible for administering (施行) national civil servant exams and appointing, training and protecting the rights of civil service personnel are appointed by the president to four-year terms. CDC reporting decline in enterovirus cases The Centers for Disease Control is reporting a decline (減少) in the number of enterovirus case being reported to health authorities. According to the C-D-C, outpatient and emergency visits from between December 8 and 14 totaled 17,508 a decline of 21.4-per cent from the previous week. However, C-D-C Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui is warning that that the enterovirus epidemic remains at its highest level in a decade for this period despite the decline in the number of weekly cases. Health officials say monitoring over the past four weeks has found that the coxsackie-virus A-16 strain was the most prevalent (流行) circulating here in Taiwan. And that was followed by the A-6, A-2, and enterovirus D-68 strains. US Mangione Faces Murder Charges in NY The suspect accused of (被指控) killing a top healthcare insurance official has been charged with murder in New York Luigi Mangione was indicted on 11 counts on Tuesday, including first-degree murder and murder as an act of terrorism. His lawyer says he plans to plead not guilty to the charges. Sally Patterson has more. Denmark AntiWhaling Activist Freed from Prison Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson will not be extradited to Japan after being freed from prison in Denmark, his lawyer said. The Canadian-American citizen is now planning to return home to be reunited with his family during the festive season after spending five months in custody in Greenland. Japan had asked Denmark to extradite Watson, who was arrested earlier this year under a Japanese warrant. The former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, whose high seas confrontations with whaling vessels have drawn support from celebrities and featured in a reality television series, said he is “quite relieved” (鬆了口氣) to be free. Watson's foundation said he faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison in Japan, which does not have an extradition treaty with Denmark. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ UL.OS，來自日本大塚製藥 男人系健膚專家 獨家保濕成分 AMP，全天候滋潤你的肌膚，讓你從 AM 到 PM 都狀態滿分，健康又有型！ 各大藥妝店與網購平台，熱賣中！ https://bit.ly/3DdDJLu

Last time we spoke about the fifth encirclement campaign against the CCP. After surviving four encirclement campaigns by the NRA, the CCP faced an intensified fifth campaign in 1933, as the Japanese invaded Manchuria and North China. Despite growing in numbers, the CCP struggled against the KMT's modernized army, equipped with German weapons and strategies. A combination of blockades, fortified positions, and superior tactics eroded Red Army strength. By 1934, after significant losses, the Red Army retreated, marking the campaign's end and signaling the start of the CCP's eventual Long March. In the battle between the NRA and the Red Army, the NRA employed strategic counterinsurgency techniques to block Red infiltration and gained local support through loyalty and economic pressure. Meanwhile, the Red Army, hampered by internal issues and a shift in leadership towards the Twenty-eight Bolsheviks, struggled with morale and mass recruitment of untrained peasants. As the Red Army attempted aggressive tactics and reforms, they ultimately faced defeat, leading to their strategic retreat in the historic Long March.   #129 The Fujian Rebellion of 1933 Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the previous episode, during the fifth encirclement campaign, I briefly mentioned a rebellion that took place in Fujian province. Now this story actually crosses over a few we will be covering, such as the fifth encirclement campaign, already mentioned but also the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1931, part of the Mukden incident. So its a bit tricky for me to cover this one without giving away too much of what we will be speaking about later, but I will try my best to be mysterious.  Now the key player I guess you can say to this story is the 19th Route Army. The 19th Route Army's history can be traced back to the 1st division of the Guangdong Army. In 1926, this division underwent a significant transformation, becoming the 4th Army of the NRA. At that time, Li Jishen was appointed as the commander, with Chen Mingshu serving as the commander of the newly formed 10th Division. Other notable figures included Jiang Guangnai as the deputy commander and Cai Tingkai leading a subordinate regiment. All of these men will be key players in the Rebellion.  During the Northern Expedition, the 4th NRA Army distinguished itself with numerous successful campaigns. The 10th Division was subsequently expanded into the 11th Army. This new formation went on to play a pivotal role in during the Central Plains War of 1930, assisting Chiang Kai-shek in his struggle against warlords' anti-chiang coalition. As a result of this success, the 11th Army was reorganized into the 19th Route Army, with Jiang Guangnai assuming the role of overall commander and Cai Tingkai becoming the army commander. Following these developments, the 19th Route Army then went on to be part of the third encirclement campaign. Now again not to give away too much, but in 1931 the Mukden incident broke out initiating a 15 year war between China and Japan. Most of the action took place in Manchuria, pouring slightly into Northern China and Inner Mongolia, but there was an expedition performed in Shanghai. In many ways it was like a dress rehearsal for what would go down in 1937 during the battle of Shanghai. During the crisis, known then as the September 18th Incident, the 19th Route Army was redeployed to Shanghai.This transition occurred during a tumultuous period when Chiang Kai-shek faced significant political pressure and was forced to resign. The Nanjing National Government, dominated by the Guangdong faction, saw Chen Mingshu appointed as the commander of the garrison responsible for defending Beijing and Shanghai. Now this was a hyper chaotic time for China, and a particularly rough time for Chiang Kai-Shek. Chiang Kai-Shek was dealing with multiple external and internal threats to China and his position as Generalissimo. First off, his encirclement campaigns against the Reds were not going well at all. His men were not accustomed nor trained properly to face guerilla warfare. When they assaulted the Jiangxi Soviet they were entering strange territory and were greeted by the countryfolk as enemies. The Reds, in contrast, felt at home among the villages. For years, they had lived alongside the people and built friendships; forging connections was a key aspect of Communist strategy. Whenever Chiang Kai-Sheks forces came too close for comfort, the guerrillas seamlessly blended into the local population. They established their own Soviets, spread their ideology at will, and disappeared when soldiers approached. They were like a fluid army. Over time, the Chinese public became less concerned about the ongoing presence of the Red Army and more weary of the topic. Those not living in areas affected by Communist infiltration struggled to grasp the urgency of this endless conflict and began to question whether the costs outweighed the benefits. Very little news was reported on the situation, and what was published came primarily from government sources, portraying it as a series of victories for the Nationalists—this battle was a success for the Nationalists, that one ended in a glorious triumph; the KMT troops had the Reds on the run. A few days later, another dispatch would reiterate the same points, as if the earlier battles had never occurred. The front lines never seemed to shift significantly. Chiang Kai-Shek maintained his position as Generalissimo like any other politician, through alliances. One of his key friends was Hu Hanmin. The relationship between Chiang Kai-Shek and Hu Hanmin was never straightforward. Their shared history was marked by significant jealousy, and in February 1931, they faced another separation. During a KMT conference, Hu Hanmin challenged the provisional constitution proposed by Chiang Kai-Shek, arguing that it was prematurely defining various governmental functions. He claimed that Chiang Kai-Shek was consolidating too much power for himself. Chiang Kai-Shek countered that Hu Hanmins concerns were mainly about party authority. This situation echoed their earlier disputes in Canton, where they had debated theories under Dr Sun Yat-sen's influence, but now their conflicts held more weight and didn't end in mere discussion. Hu Hanmin, overwhelmed by his anger, resigned from the presidency of the Legislative Yuan, a significant position at the time. In response, a similarly agitated Chiang Kai-Shek placed him under house arrest, or as the Chinese more delicately termed it, “in soft detainment.” Initially, this fact was not disclosed; Hu Hanmin simply vanished. This was quite an extreme action for someone who advocated democratic processes, leading to a barrage of inquiries from curious Europeans directed at Chiang Kai-Shek. What had happened? Where was Hu? Why had the innocuous Lin Sen been appointed as president of the Legislative Yuan? For a considerable time, the Generalissimo remained silent, but eventually, he reluctantly stated that Hu was fine—indeed, quite fine; it was simply that his personal freedom was temporarily restricted. This was all for his own benefit and that of the KMT. Without this restriction, the misguided individual might attempt to flee to Shanghai, which would only incite dissenting factions and provoke disorder. He was perfectly fine. The incident was added to the ever-growing list of accusations made by Chiang Kai-Sheks opponents, who claimed he was becoming a dictator. They argued that he was squandering the nation's resources to maintain his army while pursuing insignificant Communists, who, if left alone, might actually become good citizens. Rumors circulated that he was nurturing a group of young bullies reminiscent of the Italian "Blue Shirts." Additionally, there were concerns about the shady Chen brothers. Furthermore, it was alleged that Chiang Kai-Shek was in close contact with gangster Tu Yueh-sen in Shanghai, profiting immensely from the opium trade through this connection. In fact, Chiang had recently declared that opium would now be a government monopoly, similar to that of the British in Hong Kong, as he needed the funds. And now, this latest scandal! Criticism of the Generalissimo was rampant, especially among students. April passed, and the uproar over Hu Hanmin faded into discontented whispers, as the People's Congress approached, providing an opportunity for open discussion about the provisional constitution. However, by May 5, people were preoccupied with other concerns. The South was once again causing unrest, led by Wang Jingwei, with Eugene Chen involved as well. It began with the typical manifesto or circular telegram, signed by Wang Jingwei and the Jiangxi generals, who "impeached" Chiang Kai-Shek for his wrongdoings. Another telegram soon followed from the warlord in Canton, accusing the Generalissimo of assuming dictatorial powers. In response, Chiang Kai-Shek convened an urgent meeting of KMT leaders, asserting that the allegations must be openly discussed and investigated. He should have been able to rely on the Party's support during such a crisis, but the situation was unusual due to Hu Hanmin's detention. Some members of his own faction seized the moment to betray him. Sun Fo and Wang Chunghui retreated to Shanghai before moving on to Canton. Shortly after, the Canton warlord declared an alliance between Jiangxi and Guangdong, united in their fight, this was the Chiang-Gui War. On May 25, the southerners issued an ultimatum: Chiang Kai-Shek had to resign within forty-eight hours or face the consequences. A few days later, they established a new national government in Canton. Chiang Kai-Shek announced his intention to suppress the rebels but did not rush into action. Instead, there were discussions—more discussions—in the neutral setting of Shanghai. Throughout June and most of July, these negotiations continued, with Chiang Kai-Shek hoping to prevent a conflict that the nation could ill afford. The southerners persisted with their demands, and their appeal to Japan for support would haunt them for a long time. Their determination ultimately prevailed, and on July 21, it was announced in Canton that a punitive expedition was underway. By mid-August, Bai Chongxi's army was advancing through Hunan on the old route to Nanking. Chiang Kai-Shek prepared for the confrontation, and the capital was on high alert. Meanwhile, in the North, the Mukden Incident broke out. In the South, the generals and their associates held back, anticipating that war could be declared at any moment. However, Chiang Kai-Shek and his advisers understood that he was even less equipped than Zhang Xueliang to initiate an offensive against a powerful foreign nation. There was the League of Nations, established presumably to address crises like this, as well as the Kellogg Pact. Chiang Kai-Shek decided to refer the matter to the League, though his chances of a favorable outcome were slim: America, which might have otherwise been involved, was preoccupied with its own economic depression, and Britain remained indifferent. The more impulsive factions in China believed this response was insufficient, and the dissidents in the South demanded a stronger approach. The students were the most incensed. On September 28, hundreds of students in Shanghai took matters into their own hands. They seized control of a train at the railway station and traveled to Nanking, where they joined forces with fellow students from the capital's university. Together, they marched—five thousand strong—toward the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. They pushed past the guards, stormed the Minister's office, forcibly dragged him outside, and assaulted him. After recovering from his injuries in the hospital, the Minister chose to resign. The students then initiated a sit-in strike, declaring they would remain in Nanking until they received tangible action rather than mere diplomatic efforts. Authorities were unsure how to respond to them, as more pressing issues demanded the government's attention. It was clear that the South and Nanking needed to resolve their differences, as public opinion strongly supported this. Despite the ungracious criticisms emanating from Canton, where Eugene Chen was vocally denouncing Chiang Kai-shek for his diplomatic failures, Nanking sought to negotiate. In October, Chiang Kai-Shek released Hu Hanmin from his mild detention, and he appeared none the worse for the unexpected break. Along with three others, he traveled to Shanghai for a peace conference with the southern leaders. Hu urged the southerners to be reasonable and to cease calls for Chiang Kai-Shek's resignation. Chiang Kai-Shek remarked, “Regardless of the right or wrong of the situation, if desired, all blame can be placed squarely on me.” However, this uplifting scene was short-lived. As the Canton faction continued to insist on Chiang's resignation, Hu abruptly changed his stance and escalated the demands. He suggested that not only should Chiang resign, but he should also be exiled from China entirely. The conference ended in chaos. Various proposals were discussed and quickly dismissed. The South remained resolute; Chiang had to go. The sit-in students, frustrated with just sitting idle, started to escalate their actions. Their numbers had been steadily increasing since the initial demonstration, with boys traveling to Nanking from distant places; by the end of November, there were twelve thousand of them. They marched again to the new government buildings, demanding that Chiang Kai-Shek come out to engage in a discussion. “War on Japan!” they shouted. Chiang Kai-Shek made them wait in the cold winter weather for a full twenty-four hours before he finally appeared. He reprimanded them harshly and ordered them to return to school, leading to a subdued dispersal of the crowd. On December 15th, Chiang Kai-Shek capitulated to public pressure and resigned. Chiang Kai-Shek yet again nonchalantly got up and left heading home into the mountains. This left an extremely uneasy Sun Fo in the presidential chair facing what looked like a full blown Japanese invasion. The Japanese kept reiterating they were merely defending their citizens after the Chinese had attacked the South Manchurian Railway…but yeah they were certainly conquering. Sun Fo desperately looked to any veteran figures for help, but Hu Hanmin fled to Hong Kong, Wang Jingwei, arguably the man responsible for forcing Chiang Kai-Shek yet again to step down was suddenly far too ill to do anything and retired to the Shanghai Hospital. Meanwhile, all of the bankers had lost interest in the Nanjing government since Chiang Kai-Shek had departed, the government literally lost its coffers. The government had no means to properly pay its armies. Now the entire time the government had been tossing offers to Chiang Kai-Shek to come back, but he bided his time. Meanwhile Eugene Chen demanded China break off diplomatic relations with Japan, was told no so he resigned, followed soon after by Sun Fo. Wang Jingwei was tossed into the presidency position, which he must have relished, however it was just then when Shanghai was invaded. Chiang Kai-Shek still held his honorary position as CEC over the special committee so he simply waited and watched. Yet no one could manage the military like the generalissimo nor open the coin purses to fund it. Thus Chiang Kai-Shek was brought back, but not really as Generalissimo, now he had to work collaboratively with others, such as Wang Jingwei.  In 1932, the January 28 Incident unfolded, basically the Japanese performed another false flag operation trying to legitimize an expedition into Shanghai. Japanese marines began to land and on January 28th they were attacking in full force. The 19th Route Army met the enemy in what became a month-long resistance against great odds. Chiang Kai-Shek was being labeled a coward for not doing more against the Japanese, but he was keeping in touch with the commanders of the 19th Rout Army by telegraph. He advised them to guard Liuho, a village just across the Yangtze, believing the Japanese would make other landings to cut them off there. General Tsai neglected to take the advice, and low and behold the Japanese made the landing forcing the 19th Route Army to pull out. The entire situation looked incredibly bad for China. Fingers were pointed at the inept Nanjing government. Yet Chiang Kai-Shek was much more focused on the encirclement campaigns against the Reds. The people angrily accused him of “making war on his own people instead of attending to the real threat, Japan”. To this Chiang Kai-Shek replied “It is useless for China to talk of resisting Japan. When it has not yet stamped out the enemy in its midst. If China ventures to fight the Japanese, the Communists will attack from the rear and chaos will quickly overtake the whole country.” The 19th Route Army were hailed as heroes, receiving a lot of recognition as a prominent anti-Japanese force. Despite Japan's attempts to reinforce its troops, Chiang Kai-shek's return to leadership saw further NRA forces dispatched to join the fight. Eventually, the conflict reached a resolution through diplomatic negotiations, resulting in the withdrawal of the 19th Route Army from Shanghai. With the Japanese threat averted for the time being Chiang Kai-Shek redirected his efforts against the Reds. On May 21, 1932, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the 19th Route Army to enter Fujian and forced the army to engage in a civil war against the Communists in Fujian. On December 6 of the same year, Jiang Guangnai took over as the chairman of Fujian Province, and Cai Tingkai was appointed as the director of the Fujian Pacification Office and commander of the 19th Route Army.  At this point the leadership of the 19th Route Army were not at all happy with Chiang Kai-Shek, who to them seemed to have done little to help face the Japanese. They were not friendly to the CCP by any means and were actively suppressing Communist organizations while fighting the Japanese. When they came to Fujian they continued to suppress communists and supported people's anti-Japanese patriotic movements. On August 18, 1932, the 61st Division of the 19th Route Army collectively executed 69 CCP members and suspected individuals outside the East Gate of Quanzhou, and they also carried out mass killings of government workers from the Soviet area during their offensive against it. Despite this the CCP and 19th Route Army did agree on one thing, the Japanese were a problem.  After November 22, 1933, as Japanese imperialism intensified its invasion of China, the people across the nation once again launched a wave of anti-Japanese salvation movements. On January 17 of the same year, the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic and the Revolutionary Military Committee of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army issued a "Joint Anti-Japanese Declaration," proposing three conditions for cooperation with any armed forces to resist Japan: an immediate halt to attacks on the Soviet areas, immediate guarantees of the democratic rights of the people, and the immediate arming of the people to establish armed volunteer forces. However, Chiang Kai-shek's ruling group stubbornly persisted in its anti-Communist and anti-people policies, continuing to intensify attacks on the Red Army, and on May 31, he signed a peace agreement with the Japanese. Chiang Kai-Shek was met with another wave of opposition across the nation for appeasing the Japanese. The 19th Route Army basically concluded the Generalissimo was not going to help wage a war against their enemy. Thus in a rather insane fashion, the leadership of the 19th Route Army resolved to overthrow the Nanjing government so they could unite the anti-Japanese forces and push for a national resistance. At that time, Chen Mingshu, an early leader of the 19th Route Army who had gone abroad and had previously served as the vice president of the Executive Yuan of the National Government, returned to China in May 1933 and devoted all his efforts to opposing Chiang Kai-shek's Nanjing government. In Fuzhou, he secretly discussed three strategies with Jiang Guangnai, Cai Tingkai, and Deng Xizeng: the first was to unite with Guangdong and Guangxi to overthrow Chiang Kai-Shek, supporting Hu Hanmin to organize an independent government; the second was to unite with Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi of Guangxi, and Chen Jitang of Guangdong, seizing Guangdong; the last was to unite with the Red Army to resist Chiang Kai-Shek together.  As a result, neither the first nor the second strategies could be realized. Under Chiang Kai-shek's repeated orders to engage in civil war, the 78th Division and the 62nd Division of the 19th Route Army faced severe blows from the Red Army in Fujian between July and September 1933. Thus, the 19th Route Army found itself in a dire situation where not engaging in the "anti-Communist" actions would lead to its annihilation by Chiang Kai-shek, while engaging in "anti-Communist" actions would result in its destruction by the Red Army. In the context of rising national anti-Japanese sentiment, the upper leadership of the 19th Route Army had to swiftly make the choice to unite with the Communists to resist Chiang Kai-Shek and fight against Japan. On September 22, 1933, Chen Mingshu's main aide, Chen Gongpei, who had participated in the Nanchang Uprising and later left the CCP, secretly arrived at the command post of the 3rd Red Army Corps stationed at Wangtai, to express the political stance of the 19th Route Army to leaders of the Red Army, such as Peng Dehuai, Teng Daiyuan, and Yuan Guoping, regarding anti-Chiang resistance and cooperation with the Red Army. In October, Chen Gongpei accompanied Xu Minghong, the plenipotentiary representative of the 19th Route Army and secretary-general of its headquarters, to Ruijin. On the 26th, he signed the "Preliminary Agreement Against Japan and Against Chiang" with Pan Jianxing, a representative of the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic and the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. The main contents included: both sides immediately cease military actions, temporarily define a military demarcation line, restore trade between both parties; the Fujian People's Revolutionary Government and the 19th Route Army agree to the existence and activities of all revolutionary organizations in Fujian, allow freedom of publication, speech, assembly, and strikes, and immediately release political prisoners, among other provisions. The Soviet Provisional Central Government also sent Pan Jianxing as a permanent representative in Fuzhou. Subsequently, Chen Mingshu, Li Jishen, Jiang Guangnai, Cai Tingkai, and others actively prepared to establish a new government and made military preparations against Chiang Kai-Shek. On November 20, 1933, Li Jishen, Jiang Guangnai, Cai Tingkai, and representatives from over 100 cities across the country, along with 100,000 people from various sectors in Fuzhou, convened the National People's Temporary Representative Assembly in Fuzhou. The assembly issued the "Declaration of People's Rights of the Chinese People's Temporary Representative Assembly" and decided to establish the People's Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China. They elected Li Jishen, Chen Mingshu, Chen Youren, Feng Yuxiang , Cai Tingkai, Jiang Guangnai, Huang Qixiang, Xu Qian, Fang Zhenwu, Li Zhangda, Sa Zhenbing, He Gonggan, and other 12 members to the government, with Li Jishen as the government chairman. On November 22, the People's Revolutionary Government was officially established, with the capital in Fuzhou. The People's Revolutionary Government Committee set up a Military Committee, an Economic Committee, and a Cultural Committee, chaired respectively by Li Jishen, Yu Xinqing, and Chen Mingshu; and established a Ministry of Finance, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Supreme Court, and a Political Security Bureau, led respectively by Jiang Guangnai, Chen Youren, Xu Qian, and Li Zhangda. The People's Revolutionary Government successively issued: The People's Revolutionary Government's Internal Telegram. The People's Revolutionary Government's External Declaration.The People's Political Program - Eighteen Articles of the Minimum Program and other documents, openly announcing anti-Japanese and anti-Chiang, and proposing some domestic and foreign policies with certain progressive significance. The "Internal Telegram of the People's Revolutionary Government" announced the government's future mission: 1) to seek the liberation of the Chinese nation and establish a truly independent and free country; 2) to eliminate the counter-revolutionary Nanjing government and establish a political power of the productive people; 3) to realize the equal rights of all ethnic groups in the country; 4) to guarantee the absolute freedom and equality of all productive people; 5) to eliminate the influence of imperialism in China, overthrow the warlords, eradicate the remnants of the feudal system, develop the national economy, and liberate the working people. The "Declaration of the People's Revolutionary Government to Foreign Countries" sternly pointed out the Nanjing government's traitorous behavior and warned the powers not to cooperate with Chiang Kai-shek. The Declaration stated: "We believe that the policies of the pro-American and pro-League of Nations factions are based on dangerous principles... However, it must be recognized that the objective result of the pro-American and pro-League of Nations factions will put China under an international condominium system, which is no less harmful than Chiang Kai-shek's pro-Japanese policies... It is recognized that China's real power must be established on a national basis... We finally declare that overthrowing the Chiang regime is not only necessary for China's independence and national salvation, but also for the military and economic interests of the whole world... In order to enhance international security, we have to warn the powers not to make any loans to the Chiang Kai-shek government in Nanjing, whether it is money, goods, or weapons. We also declare that if any such loans are concluded in the future, the Chinese people and their revolutionary government will completely deny them." The People's Political Program - Eighteen Articles of the Minimum Program declared: "China is a semi-feudal society under the rule of imperialists. The greatest goal of the Chinese revolution is to eliminate the imperialist domination in China; at the same time, to sweep away all feudal forces and establish a government that fully represents the rights of the people..." The 18 articles of the minimum program are: (1) Abolish unequal treaties and renegotiate equal and mutually beneficial treaties with other countries; (2) Foreign-invested or foreign-managed enterprises and cultural undertakings that are harmful to the interests of the Chinese nation may be restricted or confiscated; (3) To sort out new and old foreign debts. All political loans that harm the country should be absolutely denied; others should be repaid conditionally; (4) Implementing foreign trade controls; (5) Strictly implement absolute tariff autonomy; (6) Open up the political system and deny all political rights to counter-revolutionaries who are dependent on imperialism and warlords; (7) All nationalities within China are equal, may freely unite for revolution, and recognize national self-determination; (8) Ensure the people's absolute freedom of body, residence, speech, assembly, association, strike, demonstration and publication; (9) Implement universal suffrage; (10) Abolish all excessive taxes and levies; (11) The principle of "everyone who tills the land owns the land" was established, and land was distributed according to the number of people. Forests, mines, and rivers were completely nationalized. (12) All important banking and transportation enterprises shall be under state control; (13) Use political power and state capital to support the scientific development of agricultural production; (14) Usury is strictly prohibited; (15) Unscrupulous merchants will be eliminated and the people's daily necessities will be sold under the state monopoly; (16) To formulate agricultural and industrial laws, improve the lives of farmers and workers, and ensure the development of agricultural and industrial organizations; (17) Promote universal education; (18) Implement conscription, arm the people, and assist them in their anti-imperialist and economic and political struggles. After the establishment of the People's Revolutionary Government, it caused a great stir domestically and internationally. However, due to Wang Ming's "leftist" closure policy, the local party organization in Fujian initially adopted a hostile strategy toward the People's Revolutionary Government. It wasn't until early December, after the Fuzhou Central Municipal Committee received a letter from the Central Committee dated October 30 addressing the Fuzhou Central Municipal Committee and all comrades in Fujian, that they began to adopt a proactive cooperative approach toward the People's Revolutionary Government and the 19th Route Army. After December 29, the Fuzhou Central Municipal Committee issued a declaration in the name of the "Far East Anti-Imperialist Non-War Anti-Fascist Alliance, Fuzhou Branch," publicly calling for the establishment of an anti-imperialist united front. The People's Revolutionary Government also fully reprinted this declaration in its official newspapers, the "People's Daily" and the "Guoguang Daily." The Fuzhou branch then mobilized people from all walks of life to establish the "Committee to Oppose Kuomintang Air Raids and Support the Soldiers of the 19th Route Army Against the Kuomintang," organizing personnel to visit the stationed troops of the 19th Route Army to comfort the soldiers. The People's Revolutionary Government also adopted a cooperative attitude toward the economic struggles of workers' organizations. On November 18, Chen Mingshu called for an emergency secret meeting of the 19th Route Army and other key figures at Heshui Rock in Gushan. The meeting took place at Longyuan Pavilion, and attendees included Li Jishen, Chen Mingshu, Cai Tingkai, Jiang Guangnai, Chen Youren, Huang Qixiang, Xu Qian, Li Zhangda, and more than ten other military commanders and the chief of staff of the 19th Route Army. The discussion, which lasted from morning until late at night, revolved around heated debates concerning the timing of the uprising. Cai Tingkai advocated for postponing the uprising by one to two months for several reasons; many generals in the 19th Route Army were still undecided or openly opposed to the rebellion, the troops had yet to be mobilized, defenses were unorganized, various forces had not surrendered, and traitors and spies were still active. Additionally, Guangdong and Guangxi were not providing support, and Chiang Kai-shek was already aware of their plans. Cai Tingkai argued for more time to accelerate preparations without drawing immediate attention from Chiang Kai-Shek. In contrast, Chen Mingshu and others believed this was the last opportunity for an uprising. They pointed out that Chiang Kai-shek's forces were concentrated in North China, and Jinpu and particularly in Jiangxi, where his main troops were engaged in the fifth encirclement campaign against the Soviet area. They estimated that only 20,000 to 30,000 troops could be redirected to Fujian. Overestimating the political instability of Chiang's regime, Chen Mingshu believed that once the 19th Route Army raised the flag of rebellion, support from other regions of China would follow. He also felt confident that one division of the 19th Route Army could resist two or three of Chiang's divisions and that with cooperation from the Red Army, even if Chiang Kai-Shek deployed ten divisions, they would prevail. Chen Mingshu concluded that regardless of the outcome, the effort would be heroic and they should proceed without hesitation. The meeting's opposing viewpoints led to intense discussions. Chen Mingshu, visibly passionate, declared that revolution required sacrifice and that delaying any longer would mean submission to Nanjing. Cai Tingkai, while originally advocating for a delay, conceded that the situation had reached a point of no return. He agreed to lead the 19th Route Army and fully back the new government. The meeting concluded with a decision to convene the National People's Provisional Congress in Fuzhou on November 20 to officially declare the uprising against Chiang Kai-Shek. Other topics discussed included replacing the blue sky, white sun party flag, military and financial logistics, and a declaration drafted by Chen Mingshu's advisors, Wang Lixi and Hu Qiuyuan. On November 20, 1933, the National People's Provisional Congress convened at the South Parade Ground in Fuzhou, with thousands of soldiers, students, merchants, and workers in attendance. A banner reading "China's National People's Provisional Congress" adorned the stage, and the leaders of the rebellion, including Cai Tingkai, Jiang Guangnai, and Li Jishen, were present, though Chen Mingshu was absent due to illness. Representatives from 25 provinces and various walks of life gathered for the event. Before the meeting, the 19th Route Army's newly formed air force performed stunts, to the applause of the crowd. At 9:40 AM, the meeting began with Huang Qixiang, who was elected chairman of the presidium, delivering an opening speech and reading the "Declaration of the People's Rights of the Provisional Chinese People's Congress." Several prominent figures spoke, and the meeting concluded with the adoption of proposals to establish the People's Revolutionary Government and a new national flag designed by Ouyang Yuqian. That evening, the presidium decided to form the People's Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China, abolishing the Nanjing government, declaring 1933 as the first year of the Republic, and establishing Fuzhou as the capital. Li Jishen was elected President, and several others, including Chen Mingshu, Jiang Guangnai, and Cai Tingkai, were appointed government members. However the Fujian Revolution failed to gain support from other forces within the KMT. The Guangxi clique was dissatisfied with the fact that the 19th Route Army reconciled with the CCP so they did not support it. Chen Jitang tossed his lot in with Chiang Kai-shek and did not support the Fujian Revolution either. At that time, the CCP was undergoing a power struggle. On December 5, the Central Committee of the CCP, headed by Wang Ming, issued a statement stating that the Fujian government was "non-people and still non-revolutionary and that anyone who wants to take a third way between revolution and counter-revolution will inevitably fail." . Thus, Chiang Kai-shek transferred eight divisions of the National Revolutionary Army into Fujian, and coordinated the attack with the air force and navy. The 19th Route Army quickly collapsed. Four out of the five armies defected before the battle even began. Most of them were disarmed by the Central Army that they had fought side by side with during the Shanghai Incident a year ago. On January 15, 1934, Chiang Kai-shek's forces captured Fuzhou. The People's Revolutionary Government and the headquarters of the 19th Route Army retreated to Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, respectively. By January 21, both Quanzhou and Zhangzhou had fallen, and the Fujian Rebellion had failed. The People's Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China collapsed within two months of its establishment. On the 21st, the remaining troops of the 19th Route Army switched over to supporting the central government, and the Fujian Revolution officially came to an end. Jiang Guangnai, Cai Tingkai, Chen Mingshu and Li Jishen fled to Hong Kong . The designation of the 19th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army was cancelled, and the troops were dispersed and integrated. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Yes it was a tad bit of an anti climatic event in the grand scheme of things. Yet the provincial rebellion was notable because the people involved wanted to fight the Japanese and believed their government was not doing enough to challenge the external threat. The reality however was far more complicated, the Japanese were far too formidable, for now. 

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 76-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,478 on turnover of $7.2-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan moved higher by more than 140 points Friday after the Federal Reserve cut its key interest rates as expected, sparking a rally among tech stocks on the U.S. markets overnight. The local bellwether electronics sector attracted most of the market's attention throughout the trading session, while old economy and financial stocks largely lost their luster, capping the gains on the broader market. Thousands march in Taipei for better wildlife conservation Animal rights groups took to the streets on Sunday to appeal for better stray animal management and improved wildlife conservation. According to Taiwan Walk for Wildlife, around 2-thousand people participated in the event in Taipei. The 2024 Walk for Wildlife, a one-hour march that looped (環行) through streets near the Legislative Yuan, began after TWW members, wildlife conservation experts, and legislators from across party lines delivered remarks. T-W-W says the goal of the march was to get the government to improve the management and reduction of stray dogs and cats and strengthen the management of stray dogs in ecological hotspots. The protesters presented a petition to the head of the Ministry of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Department, who responded by saying that authorities "respect and understand" the demands and will promote those that have gained social consensus, while also tightening stray dog control in some areas. Washington Post: Trump Tells Putin to Avoid Escalation in Ukraine US President-Elect Donald Trump has told his Russian counterpart to avoid an escalation in Ukraine according to a Washington Post report. The conflict (戰爭，衝突) could be one of the topics US President Joe Biden discusses when he meets Donald Trump at the White House this week. Our Washington Correspondent Jagruti Dave has more. Netherlands Demonstrators Detained After Soccer Clashes Police have detained dozens of people for taking part in a demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed following violent clashes targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club. Amsterdam's mayor banned all demonstrations over the weekend in the aftermath of the scenes of youths on scooters and on foot attacking Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters (支持者) on Thursday and Friday. It was widely condemned as a violent outburst of antisemitism in the Dutch capital. Local media reports showed police detaining one man Sunday who was taking part in a small demonstration on the central Dam Square. Police said on X they detained more than 50 people. UK Jamie Oliver Children's Book Withdrawn A children's book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticized for causing offense to Indigenous Australians. The Guardian newspaper reported that the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation blasted “Billy And The Epic Escape” for employing a series of tropes about Indigenous Australians, including their relationships with the natural and spiritual worlds. The group criticized one of the subplots (次要情節) of the fantasy novel, which tells the story of an Indigenous girl living in foster care, for contributing to the “erasure, trivialisation (使顯得不重要), and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences.” Following the criticism, Oliver apologized “wholeheartedly.” That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 高雄美術特區2-4房全新落成，《惟美術》輕軌C22站散步即到家，近鄰青海商圈，卡位明星學區，徜徉萬坪綠海。 住近美術館，擁抱優雅日常，盡現驕傲風範！美術東四路X青海路 07-553-3838

About the Lecture: The delicate balance between deterrence and reassurance in managing tensions in the Taiwan Strait calls for balanced action and management of measured risks. The talk will examine how strategic diplomacy, military readiness, and multilateral engagement can prevent conflict, while fostering stability and mutual trust and emphasizes the need for a nuanced approach that strengthens deterrence to dissuade aggression, while simultaneously engaging in diplomatic efforts to reassure all parties, aiming for a new equilibrium that preserves peace and security in the region. About the Speaker: Jason Hsu is a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, leading the Indo-Pacific Technology and Geopolitics practice. He also serves as Senior Advisor on Policy and International Partnerships for Liquid AI, RunSafe Cybersecurity, Rhombus Power, and the American Frontier Fund. From 2016 to 2020, he was a legislator in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, where he championed key legislation on defense, technology, and cybersecurity. Hsu has also held research and teaching roles at Harvard, Yale, and other prestigious institutions, focusing on semiconductor policy, export controls, and Taiwan Strait contingencies. His work is widely published and recognized, including contributions to major global media outlets and think tanks. He was mentioned in the U.S. Congressional Record for his role in creating the Indo-Pacific Technology Security Alliance. Hsu holds a master's degree from Harvard Kennedy School and is a recipient of multiple fellowships, including the Eisenhower Fellowship and Stanford's Draper Hills Summer Fellowship.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 133-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,402 on turnover of 6.8-billion N-T. The market closed marginally lower on Tuesday after rebounding from a heavy early downturn as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing trimmed (修整, 減少) its losses in the late in the session. The main board continued to see interest in artificial intelligence related stocks such as Hon Hai, while a strong rebound by the financial sector also lent some support to the broader market. Premier Claims to Make Concessions to Break Budget Delay Premier Cho Jung-tai is seeking to break a deadlock in the Legislative Yuan over the government's general budget for next year. Speaking during a legislative hearing, Cho said the Cabinet will increase funding for compensation to Indigenous peoples for a logging ban, as requested by opposition lawmakers, in a bid to break the standoff. However, he stressed the "concession" will be a one-off (一次性的) "exception" and if lawmakers fail to pass the 2025 general budget soon, the Cabinet could bring the issue to the Constitutional Court. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu has said a next round of cross-party caucus talks will take place tomorrow. Taiwan Railway Corporation to Raise Salaries And, The Taiwan Railway Corporation has announced plans to increase employee salaries. According to the rail operator, the pay rises will range from 1,800 to 3,140 N-T. The company says the move will see the basic monthly salary for entry-level employee rising to 36,140 N-T. Back pay and overtime compensation will also be adjusted (調整) from the employee's start date. The railway corporation says it will also seek to review and increase hazard pay, salaries for night shift employees and regional allowances. US Georgial Rejects GOP Bid to Change Election Rules From the US…. Georgia's Supreme Court has unanimously rejected a bid by Republicans to reinstate a slew (很多，大量) of new, controversial election rules - two weeks before election day. A lower court last week had called the rules "illegal, unconstitutional and void." Toni Waterman has the story Mexico President Announces New Agriculture Plan Mexico's new president has announced an agriculture plan that could change the country's food production and distribution. President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged Tuesday to revive (復原) government stores and continue efforts to achieve “food sovereignty” to make Mexico capable of producing all the food it eats. The pledges run counter to what Mexican food sales look like today when consumption of most of the old basics has fallen. Sheinbaum says her policy is mainly focused on increasing bean and corn production. The government will also focus on supporting coffee production, but mainly for instant coffee, which it claims is used by 84% of Mexican households. The plan will also seek to support cocoa production, but mainly for powdered baking and hot chocolate, not fine chocolate bars. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 2024年必喝！熱銷千萬瓶，茶裏王邀您一起品好茶！ ⭐茶裏王四季春茶 100%台灣茶葉沖泡，無糖無香料，回甘更清爽！ ⭐茶裏王伯爵紅茶 經典柑橘清香，不加糖，也能不苦澀！ 100%茶葉沖泡的好茶，釋放甘甜茶香~ 忙碌中喝口茶裏王，讓自己回甘放鬆一下！ → https://bit.ly/3Ywbu2O -- 高雄美術特區2-4房全新落成，《惟美術》輕軌C22站散步即到家，近鄰青海商圈，卡位明星學區，徜徉萬坪綠海。 住近美術館，擁抱優雅日常，盡現驕傲風範！美術東四路X青海路 07-553-3838

A special show featuring a panel discussion organized by the Asia Pacific Youth Association and recorded live at the Legislative Yuan titled An Election That Influences the World: Taiwan and the 2024 US Election. It brought together Taiwan People's Party lawmaker Janice Chen (陳昭姿), the Deputy Director of the DPP's International Department Michael Chen (陳文昊), the Assistant Director of the KMT's Department of International Affairs Chance Hsu ( 須予謙), and Associate Professor of the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University's Center for Human Science Eric Chiou (邱奕宏), as well US nationals and Taiwan based lawyers, John Eastwood and Ross Feingold, who discussed how the upcoming US election will affect US-China relations, US-Taiwan relations and cross-strait ties. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Today's blockchain and cryptocurrency news Bitcoin is down slightly at $64,723 Eth is down slightly at $3,449 Binance Coin, is down slightly at 575 dollars Craig Wright now faces perjury and forgery charges in the UK over quest to be called Satoshi. Hong Kong concludes public consultation for stablecoins Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed amendments to AML Malestrom launches grant program to support BTC development. Trump says US should lead in crypto FTX reaches 12.7B settlement with CFTC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 45-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,012 on turnover of 7.1-billion N-T. The market closed slightly higher on Monday as investors opted to take advantage of the main board's initial gains. Large cap tech stocks saw some profit taking, but still served to stabilize the broader market throughout the trading day. Control Yuan Seeking Constitutional Court Ruling on LY Reform Bills The Control Yuan has officially petitioned the Constitutional Court for a ruling on the constitutionality of government oversight amendments passed by the Legislature in May -- arguing they will allow the legislative body to usurp (奪取) its power. The petition was filed by the head of the Control Yuan's Department of Supervisory Investigation and an attorney on behalf of the government watchdog at the Judicial Yuan in Taipei. They also filed an application for an injunction to halt enforcement of the revisions to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Power and the Criminal Code. The D-P-P's legislative caucus and the Cabinet filed similar petitions last week. First Green Carbon Project Listed on Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange The Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange has listed its first green carbon project. According to the T-C-X the newly listed project is an afforestation (造林) initiative in eastern Paraguay and carbon credits for the project are now available for purchase. The T-C-X says it expects its will generate (產生) carbon credits for 10,000 tons of carbon. The exchange is not providing any further details on the nature of the project or how far along it is. However, the T-C-X says it's crucial for Paraguay to receive support to develop and protect forests and promote carbon reduction initiatives because its current regulations on forest cultivation are underdeveloped. Boeing Crash Families Disatisfied with Plea Agreement Families of the victims from two major crashes involving Boeing aircraft are said to be unhappy with a plea agreement (認罪協商) reportedly offered to the company in recent days. Mitch McCann reports: Turkey Mediating Somalia Ethiopia Talks Turkey says it has mediated (調解) talks between Somalia and Ethiopia to ease diplomatic tensions between the east African neighbors. Turkey's Foreign Ministry says that the Ethiopian and Somalian foreign ministers were “able to separately have a candid, cordial and forward-looking exchange” on Monday concerning their differences. A second round of discussions is planned in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sept. 2. Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with the breakaway region of Somaliland in January, which Somalia denounced as infringing upon its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The memorandum was to allow Ethiopia's access to the sea through Somaliland and in return Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent country. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 00934精選臺灣高股息代表性個股，股息與成長併具，首次配息強勢登場，7月15日前買進即可參與，前進00934(基金之配息來源可能為收益平準金且基金並無保證收益及配息)，立即GO！ https://bit.ly/4eHfrHT -- 城揚建設新推出的「陽明第一廳」 緊鄰三民區的明星學府-陽明國中 46~52坪，每層四戶兩部電梯 最適合有換屋與置產需求的你 讓生活中充滿書香、運動風，滿足食衣住行的消費需求 城揚建設 陽明第一廳 07-384-2888 https://bit.ly/4ckCQ0r

rWotD Episode 2597: Johnny Chiang Welcome to random Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a random Wikipedia page every day.The random article for Thursday, 13 June 2024 is Johnny Chiang.Johnny Chiang Chi-chen (Chinese: 江啟臣; pinyin: Jiāng Qǐchén; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kang Khé-sîn; born 2 March 1972) is a Taiwanese politician and former international political economy scholar who is currently the vice president of the Legislative Yuan.Chiang served as an associate professor in Soochow University before his political career. He was the penultimate Director-General of the Government Information Office from 2010 to 2011, a post he resigned to become a member of the Legislative Yuan in which he has served since 2012. In March 2020, he was elected the Chairman of the Kuomintang and assumed office on 9 March until he was succeeded by Eric Chu on 5 October 2021. Chiang took office as vice president of the Legislative Yuan on 1 February 2024.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:20 UTC on Thursday, 13 June 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Johnny Chiang on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm Ruth Neural.

After fights broke out in Taiwan's legislative yuan on May 17th sending several legislators to the hospital, the public gathered in protest outside of the legislative yuan. There have been over 30,000, 100,000 and 70,000 people gathered at three of the major protests which are being called the Bluebird movement. The name is a play on the name of the road nearby the legislative yean where protests began (青島東路). Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/bluebird-movement-3-experts-discuss-the-controversial-bills-leading-to-protests-at-the-legislative-yuan-ep-286/ I spoke with Taipei Times columnist Michael Turton and his son Sebastian on May 27th about the controversial bills that have caused such widespread dissent. Sebastian shared what he saw at the protests in Taipei on Tuesday, May 22 and Friday, May 24. I also spoke with Sean Su after a set of the controversial legislative reform bills passed on May 28th. There have been protests all over Taiwan in 15 different cities, and even globally. The New York Bluebird, a group of politically conscious New York City-based Taiwanese have worked with Keep Taiwan Free to raise funds for a billboard in New York's Times Square to promote awareness of the Bluebird movement. The billboard will appear on Tuesday, June 4 at 6:00pm.   Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/bluebird-movement-3-experts-discuss-the-controversial-bills-leading-to-protests-at-the-legislative-yuan-ep-286/

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 181-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 21,481 on turnover of 5.8-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Wednesday, after Wall Street slippled overnight following a rise in bond yields. Premier Aims to Return Parliamentary Reform Bills to LY Premier Zhuo Rong-tai is continuing to stress that the Cabinet will not sign-off on the just passed parliamentary reform bills. The Cabinet will instead return the bills to the Legislative Yuan for further review. According to Zhuo, the decision to bounce the bills back to lawmakers is constitutional. He says the Cabinet is legally obligated (有義務的) to call for further legislative reviews of any laws that would to difficult to enact. The premier is also voicing his support for the D-P-P's decision to seek a constitutional interpretation of the reform bills by the Constitutional Court. Prototypes of First Taiwan Developed Robot Dog Make Debut The National Taiwan University's Autonomous & Soft Robotics Laboratory has unveiled the first locally developed robot dogs. The lab says it says could ease labor shortages. The laboratory showcased the prototypes of two kinds of robot dogs at an event in Taipei. The professor leading the development team says "one is for use as a pet, while the other is for industrial use" According to Professor Guo Chong-xian, robot dogs can be of particular help in Taiwan's non-tech and service sectors. He says their environments are not as well suited (適合) as high-tech factories to standard robots. NKorea Fires Ballistic Missiles into Sea of Japan North Korea has fired about ten missiles into the Sea of Japan. Japanese officials believe the projectiles landed short of Japan's exclusive economic zone. Chris Gilbert reports from Tokyo. Brazil Withdraws Ambassador to Israel Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has withdrawn his ambassador to Israel after months of tensions between the two countries over the war in Gaza. It's the latest repercussion (反響) from a South American nation over Israel's military campaign in the Palestinian territory. Lula has been a frequent (常) critic of Israel's offensive in Gaza. He compared the campaign to the Holocaust earlier this year. That led Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz to summon the Brazilian ambassador to the national Holocaust museum in Jerusalem for a public reprimand (懲戒). Israel says its war in Gaza is a defensive action triggered by Hamas' unprecedented assault. Israel rejects any comparisons of its offensive to the Holocaust. Iceland Volcano Eruption A volcano in southwestern Iceland is erupting again. The volcano is spewing red streams of lava and triggered the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. The eruption Wednesday occurred in an area north of Grindavik, a coastal town of 3,800 people. The town was largely evacuated after a December eruption that ended centuries of dormancy (休眠). It was the fifth eruption and estimated to be the area's most vigorous (劇烈的) so far. The Icelandic Meteorological Office said lava shot 50 meters into the sky from a fissure (裂縫) that grew to 3.5 kilometers in length,. Anyone still in the town was ordered to leave. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 金馬獎司儀德仔獻聲推薦-KICKS HIGHLIGHT 特仕版 跳色塗裝挑紅線條外型，集動力、舒適、安全於一身 93%超高車主滿意度，如同德仔一樣擁有「好聲量」！ 德仔都來報佳音的五星安全好車，邀你至門市體驗KICKS的不凡魅力 KICKS HIGHLIGHT特仕版，Highlight你的不凡！ https://bit.ly/4aL8AKe -- 城揚建設新推出的「陽明第一廳」 緊鄰三民區的明星學府-陽明國中 46~52坪，每層四戶兩部電梯 最適合有換屋與置產需求的你 讓生活中充滿書香、運動風，滿足食衣住行的消費需求 城揚建設 陽明第一廳 07-384-2888 https://bit.ly/3y7SoFB

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 49-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 20,604 on turnover of 4.5-billion N-T. The market gained ground once again on Tuesday. Investors were interested in large cap tech stocks after Wall Street moved higher overnight. Investor sentiment improved on hopes about a possible rate cut cycle by the U-S Federal Reserve. That would follow the release of weaker than expected American job data for April. KMT Seeking LY State of the Nation Address The K-M-T is seeking to invite president-elect Lai Ching-te to make what would be Taiwan's first state of the nation address at the Legislative Yuan following his May 20 inauguration. According to K-M-T caucus secretary-general Hong Meng-kai, Lai needs to explain and clarify his planned policies with lawmakers. Hong sasy the proposal for Lai to address lawmakers adheres to Article 15-2 of the Act on Exercising Legislative Yuan Powers. The Taiwan People's Party has also submitted (已提交) a similar proposal. The K-M-T caucus secretary-general says the matter will now added to Friday's legislative agenda. Thailand to Extend Visa Waiver for ROC Passport Holders Thailand will extend its visa waiver program for R-O-C passport holders to six months. Thailand first announced a visa waiver for Taiwanese travelers in November of last year. That program was slated to ends on May 10. The program has now been extend starting from May 11 to November 11. Under the visa waiver program, R-O-C passport holders traveling to Thailand for tourism purposes are granted a visa-free stay of up to 30 days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says this is evidence that the Tsai administration's New Southbound Policy has paid off (得到好結果). US Holds Up Arms to Israel The United States is holding up arms shipments to Israel. Officials claim (宣稱) the move is intended to send a political message to its Middle East ally. With the details, Benji Hyer. UK Military Personal Information Breach British officials say the names and bank details of thousands of serving British soldiers, sailors and air force members have been exposed in a data breach (違反) at a payroll system. The defense secretary says state involvement cannot be ruled out. He didn't comment on British media reports that Chinese hackers are suspected of carrying out the cyberattack. The breach occurred at a third-party payroll system. The system describes itself as “the largest provider of critical business support services for government.” The system holds bank details of as many as 272-thousand serving armed forces personnel and recent veterans. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 城揚建設新推出的「陽明第一廳」 緊鄰三民區的明星學府-陽明國中 46~52坪，每層四戶兩部電梯 最適合有換屋與置產需求的你 讓生活中充滿書香、運動風，滿足食衣住行的消費需求 城揚建設 陽明第一廳 07-384-2888 https://bit.ly/4azoWGy -- 迎接十年一遇的存債良機，富養自己不是夢！ 中信優息投資級債【00948B】，甜甜價10元入手，還有「平準金」及「月配息」， 小資也能輕鬆跟隊。【00948B】投資就是發！ 5/22-5/28飛躍募集，一同「債」現王者新高度! 詳細資訊請見：https://bit.ly/3y7XL7A

Jonathan Lin (林沛祥) comes from a family of politicians. But it took the urging of students involved in the Sunflower Movement to entice him to run for a seat in the Legislative Yuan. He tells I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo how that unfolded, and what it means for him to be a freshman lawmaker representing Keelung as part of the opposition KMT.

Ten years ago, on the night of March 18, 2014 students and activists broke into Taiwan's Legislative Yuan in an effort to block the passage of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, a trade agreement between Taiwan and China. The day before, on March 17, the Kuomintang (KMT) had attempted to force through passage of the trade agreement in the Legislative Yuan, without giving it a clause-by-clause review. The occupation of the Legislative Yuan lasted over 20 days, until April 10 th and Fire EX.'s song Island's Sunrise became the anthem of the movement, which came to known as the Sunflower Movement. Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/fireex-10th-anniversary-sunflower-movement-sam-yang-tells-how-island-sunrise-became-its-anthem-ep-278/ To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Sunflower Movement, I sat down and spoke with Sam Yang, the lead singer of the band Fire EX. about how the opportunity to write the song Island's Sunrise came about. As it turns out there's a New York connection to the story and an exhibit and event to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Sunflower Movement be taking place in New York on March 15 and running until April 15. Sam and I also spoke about where he gets his musical inspiration and how the band nearly broke up in 2015, the same year that Island's Sunrise was named Song of the Year at the Golden Melody Awards. Fire EX. now has its own music production company and since 2017 they have been organizing something called Fireball Fest. The band is now on a North American tour and most notably will be performing at this year's South by Southwest in Austin Texas. We'll share their tour dates below. This interview was a real treat for me because I happened to be in Taiwan in 2014 when the Sunflower Movement happened. I remember all of the events that unfolded and being so moved when I heard the song Island's Sunrise. Special thanks to Katie Wei for her translation and May Wu for her help in making this interview possible. Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:  How Sam got interested in music  How Fire EX. got started and where its name comes from  Fire EX.'s musical influences  Sam's path to becoming a full-time musician  Sam's advice for young aspiring musicians  How the opportunity for Fire EX. to write a song for the Sunflower Movement happened  The New York connection to the story of how Fire EX. was asked to write a song for the Sunflower Movement  How there will be a month-long exhibit in New York to commemorate the 10- year anniversary of the Sunflower Movement from March 15-April 15 at the Tenri Cultural Institute in New York City  March 18, 2014 the night students and activists broke into and occupied the Legislative Yuan  The March 23, 2014 attempt to occupy the Executive Yuan  The rallies that happened worldwide on March 30, 2014 in support of the students and activists' actions to block the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement  How students who occupied the Legislative Yuan often listened to Fire EX.'s song Good Night Formosa before falling asleep  Why students of the Taipei National University of the Arts approached Sam to writ a song for the Sunflower Movement  Sam's approach to writing the song Island's Sunrise  How Sam decides to write songs in Holo Taiwanese or Mandarin Chinese  Sam's thoughts on the differences and challenges of the twenty-somethings who were involved in the Sunflower Movement vs. the twenty-somethings who just voted in Taiwan's recent election (January 13, 2024)  How Sam's sense of social activism was influenced by his roommate Wu Zhining (吳志寧) whose father Wu Sheng (吳晟) is a famous Taiwanese poet  How Fire EX. almost broke up in 2015  The Fireball Festival  How Fire EX. will be touring in North American in March and performing at South by Southwest in Austin, TX  One of the most touching things that Sam has heard from one of the band's fans  What we can expect from Fire EX. in the future, a concert in Taipei on June 15 and Fireball Festival at the end of November Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/fireex-10th-anniversary-sunflower-movement-sam-yang-tells-how-island-sunrise-became-its-anthem-ep-278/

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 25-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 18,610 on turnover of 3-billion N-T. The market closed slightly higher on Monday as buying rotated to non-tech stocks, as the bellwether electronics sector came under heavy pressure following losses seen in artificial intelligence development-related stock on Wall Street at the end of last week. New Legislature Forms French and Polish Parliamentary Friendship Groups The new Legislative Yuan has formed two parliamentary friendship groups to promote closer exchanges with France and Poland via their respective lawmaking bodies. Both of the parliamentary friendship groups are being headed by (為首) D-P-P lawmaker Lin Chu-yin. According to Lin, the establishment of the groups is aimed at continuing and also further developing wide-ranging exchanges with the French and Polish parliaments. The new Legislature is expected to announce the establishment of another parliamentarian friendship group later today to promote exchanges with ASEAN member countries. CDC Reports First Local Measles Case Since 2022 The Centers for Disease Control has reported Taiwan's first locally acquired case of measles since September of 2022. According to C-D-C Deputy Director General Philip Luo, the infected individual was a man in his 30s who sought emergency treatment at hospital on February 13 and was diagnosed with measles two days later. He remains in a hospital isolation ward. The C-D-C deputy director says the origin of the infection is still being investigated. A total of 199 people, including family members and those whose hospital visits overlapped (重疊) with the man's have been identified as close contacts. Crew Abandons Ship After Houthi Missile Attack The crew of a British registered cargo vessel have abandoned (棄船) ship, after reportedly being hit by two missiles off the coast of Yemen. John Bevir reports. Gaza Reports 29Thousand Palestinians Killed Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 29-thousand Palestinians have been killed in the territory since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said on Monday that 107 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants (戰鬥人員) in its records, but says most of those killed were women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. After a round of exchanges for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel in November, around 130 remain captive, a fourth of them believed to be dead. France Eiffel Tower Strikes Cause Disruptions Visitors to the Eiffel Tower are being turned away because of a strike over poor financial management at one of the world's most-visited sites. Visits to the hugely popular landmark in central Paris have soared in the lead-up to the Summer Olympics in the French capital. But tourists planning to visit the Eiffel Tower on Monday were warned of disruptions (中斷、擾亂) in multiple languages on its website. Visitors were advised to check the website before heading to the monument or to postpone their trip. In December, the Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors for an entire day during Christmas and New Year's holidays because of a strike over contract negotiations. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

As CEO of Taiwan NextGen Foundation, Chen Kuan Ting dreamt of "empowering the next generation of Taiwan's leaders". Today he has a chance of turning his vision into actionable plans as a member of the incoming Legislative Yuan. He speaks to I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo about his legislative agenda.

(00:00:00) Preview預告 (00:00:23) Introduction介紹 (00:01:36) Jasper's accurate prediction 洛明精準預測了台灣大選的結果 (00:02:45) Q1 How did William Lai win the election?賴清德贏得選舉的關鍵 (00:05:15) Social atmosphere in Taiwan in 2020 and 2024 2020年與2024年的台灣社會氣氛 (00:09:49) Q2 The division within the Kuomintang (KMT).國民黨的分歧 (00:13:50) Q3 Why is the Taiwan People Party (TPP) popular among young people?為什麼民眾黨受到年輕人歡迎？ (00:15:43) Taiwan issues often overlooked by foreign media.外國媒體常常忽略的台灣議題 (00:16:47) Introduction of Ko Wen-je.柯文哲介紹 (00:18:39) TPP should avoid this in next four years.民眾黨不要這樣做 (00:20:40) Regional differences among Taiwanese voters. 台灣選民南北差異 (00:21:36) Why did the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) win the election while the KMT became the largest party in the Legislative Yuan?為什麼民進黨贏得選舉，國民黨是立法院第一大黨？ (00:22:47) Next episode preview: Is Taiwan a safe place? 下集預告，台灣安全嗎？ ✩特別感謝比利時根特大學博士生洛明Jasper Roctus接受訪問 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasper-roctus/ ーーーーSubtitles available in many Languages on Youtubeーーーーーー ✩ s o c i a l s ✩ 追蹤我的Instagram ↠ https://reurl.cc/NG7Xje 來我的website看逐字稿(Transcript) ↠ https://reurl.cc/zrdb80 寄email給我 ↠ yun@yunchih.art Podcast also available on ↠ soundon ↠https://reurl.cc/33vMp0 ↠ spotify ↠https://reurl.cc/mZEY4l ↠ apple podcast ↠https://reurl.cc/VRkWoY ↠ google podcast ↠https://reurl.cc/OE9mnv 更多影片： ↠Beginner 超簡單自我介紹：https://reurl.cc/YdAWWD 大掃除：https://reurl.cc/gQq8mR 十件你搬到台灣會發現的事：https://reurl.cc/NG7X6e 看劇學華語：https://reurl.cc/NG7XQx ↠Vlog 小琉球潛水：https://reurl.cc/GemaLA 去鹿港： https://reurl.cc/oZa99M 農曆新年：https://reurl.cc/KXaxAn 日月潭騎腳踏車：https://reurl.cc/332Na0 ↠Podcast 你聽不懂台灣人說話的原因：https://reurl.cc/ROZ6b6 在台灣吃素一定要知道的事：https://reurl.cc/ROZ6be 你當華語老師之前會想知道的三件事： https://reurl.cc/mZmqMA ↠Popular ↠35 [香港旅行] 香港人令我驚訝！Hong Kong ppl are ?! https://youtu.be/1Jw90C4Pe6E . . . 感謝本月支持：Hector and an anonymous supporter// Support Taiwan Mandarin with Local Podcast: ↠ (credit card (NTD), bank transfer (Taiwan): https://forms.gle/UUH2TMZPeruZbDzp6 ↠ buymeacoffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mandarinwl (Credit card)

In January the world's eyes were on Taiwan as the self-ruled island held elections. Now the dust has settled, what is the significance of the results, both for Taiwan itself and for the wider international community? The Democratic Progressive Party has now won its third presidential election in a row, with Lai Ching-te, or William Lai, set to become Taiwan's new leader in May. But the outcome in the country's Legislative Yuan – the equivalent to its parliament — was more of a mixed bag, with none of the leading parties gaining a majority.This episode discusses the lessons from the election and how the new president will deal with challenges both at home and abroad - not least its large and increasingly belligerent neighbour across the Taiwan Strait, China. On the show to talk through these issues is Emily Y. Wu, co-founder of Ghost Island Media - a podcast network that brings perspectives from Taiwan on issues from politics to social issues to climate change. And joining her is Joseph Wong, Professor at Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, who was in Taiwan for the election as an observer. 

Cynthia Wu is a successful businesswoman and philanthropist who wears many hats. Most recently, she had been at the Legislative Yuan for just over a year before she was asked to be the running mate of TPP Vice-Presidential Candidate Ko Wen-je. Wu tells I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo what drew her to politics, and what she hopes to achieve as she re-enters civilian life.

While in Taipei, we were able to meet up with Keelung City Councilor Jiho Chang who's been a guest in episodes 149, 156 & 174. Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/jiho-chang-his-thoughts-about-new-speaker-legislative-yuan-and-taians-vice-president-elect-ep-275 We spoke about the recent announcement that Daniel Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang had become the speaker of the Legislative Yuan and Bi-khim Hsiao's role as vice president of Taiwan.   Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/jiho-chang-his-thoughts-about-new-speaker-legislative-yuan-and-taians-vice-president-elect-ep-275/

As part of Talking Taiwan's Election Tour, we spoke with Courtney Donovan Smith a week after Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections. Lai Ching-te of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected president with 40.05% of the vote. Hou Yu-ih the Kuomintang's (KMT) presidential candidate got 33.49% of the vote and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) got 26.46%. It was the first time in Taiwan's history that any political party has been elected for three consecutive four-year terms in office. The DPP won an unprecedented third presidential term but lost its majority in the legislature. We talked about how ballot counting in Taiwan is highly transparent and also about how the Taiwan People's Party could have a crucial role in the legislature, and if the TPP will suffer the same fate as Taiwan's other third parties   Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: ·       Reflections on the 2024 election compared to past elections ·       How the election of Lai Ching-te has earned the DPP an unprecedented third term in office ·       How Terry Guo had expressed interest in running for president ·       The opposition unity ticket deal that fell through ·       Taiwan's first direct presidential election in 1996 ·       How ballots are counted in Taiwan ·       How voting is done in Taiwan ·       Donovan's thoughts on if the Taiwan People's Party will survive as a third party ·       Taiwan's third political parties and what has happened to them ·       The 2000 election in which Lien Chan was the KMT presidential candidate and James Soong ran as an independent presidential candidate ·       The origin of the terms “Pan Green” and “Pan Blue ·       The possibility that Hou You-yi could be recalled as mayor of New Taipei City ·       Comparing the recall of Hou You-yi with the recall of Han Kuo-yu ·       What the election results tell us about how people feel about the Democratic Progressive Party ·       How Ko Wen-je has managed to attract many young voters ·       How voting results may have differed if the presidential election were not a three-way race ·       What could happen with the Legislative Yuan speaker and deputy speaker positions   Related Links:

Kharis Templeman, research fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, returns to ChinaTalk to break down the recent Taiwan elections, held on January 13. We discuss: The lack of surprises in the election results, the subdued vibes during the campaign, and contrasts between local perspectives and foreign media narratives. Why the KMT failed to win the presidency, notwithstanding voter dissatisfaction with the DPP. China's surprisingly muted response to the election, and how it may reassess its cross-Strait policies given a third DPP president. The new composition of the Legislative Yuan, and the strategic position of the Taiwan People's Party as gatekeeper. Observations from Kharis's time in Taiwan during the election season, and the gift of Taiwan's democratic process. Outro music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epwlWDCCevY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kharis Templeman, research fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, returns to ChinaTalk to break down the recent Taiwan elections, held on January 13. We discuss: The lack of surprises in the election results, the subdued vibes during the campaign, and contrasts between local perspectives and foreign media narratives. Why the KMT failed to win the presidency, notwithstanding voter dissatisfaction with the DPP. China's surprisingly muted response to the election, and how it may reassess its cross-Strait policies given a third DPP president. The new composition of the Legislative Yuan, and the strategic position of the Taiwan People's Party as gatekeeper. Observations from Kharis's time in Taiwan during the election season, and the gift of Taiwan's democratic process. Outro music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epwlWDCCevY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) started organizing globally in 1978, and in 2004 its 22nd World Conference was held in Manila — the first event of its kind in Asia. One major issue on the table was Brazil's United Nations resolution against sexual orientation discrimination, which finally passed the UN Human Rights Council ten years later. (Michael Schemer interviews attendee Uma Kali Shakti, both of Sydney, Australia.) The biggest queer news story out of Egypt in 2001 was the raid on The Queen Boat, a well-known gay venue in Cairo. Twenty-eight-year old Mazin was one of 23 men arrested for “debauchery” who served time in prison (interviewed by Jonathan Groubert of Radio Netherlands). And in NewsWrap: the United States Supreme Court declines to review an appeals court's decision to allow a transgender student to use the bathrooms that match his gender identity, U.S. state legislatures have spawned a record number of deeply alarming anti-queer bills, Missouri legislators debate eight anti-trans bills while the rabbi dad of a trans boy testifies to the truth, Idaho House struggles to define what they want to censor, appeals court upholds injunction against Texas book ban, Taiwan elects its first queer to the the Legislative Yuan, Irish Cabinet Minister Jack Chambers comes out, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Joe Boehnlein and Sarah Montague (produced by Brian DeShazor).  All this on the January 22, 2024 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

The dust has settled and the 2024 Presidential and Legislative Elections are behind us. What can we expect of the incoming administration, and the new Legislative Yuan? I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo speaks to Sara Newland, Assistant Professor of Government at Smith College and a scholar of local politics in China and Taiwan.

2024總統大選結果 2024 Taiwan Presidential Election Results 訪問 fǎngwèn - interview 集 jí - episode 總統大選 zǒngtǒng dàxuǎn - presidential election 選舉 xuǎnjǔ - election 投票 tóupiào - vote (投 tóu : to vote) 選票 xuǎnpiào - ballot 區 qū - district 立委 lìwěi - legislator (立法委員 lìfǎ wěiyuán - legislator) 政黨票 zhèngdǎng piào - party vote 立法院 lìfǎyuàn - Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament) 國會 guóhuì - parliament 政黨 zhèngdǎng - political party 民進黨 Mínjìndǎng - Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 賴清德 Lài Qīngdé - Lai Ching-te (President-elect of Taiwan, 2024) 當選 dāngxuǎn - be elected 得票率 dépiàolǜ - vote percentage 國民黨 Guómíndǎng - Kuomintang (KMT) 推派出 tuī pài chū - nominate 總統候選人 zǒngtǒng hòuxuǎnrén - presidential candidate 侯友宜 Hóu Yǒuyí - Hou You-yi (KMT candidate in the 2024 presidential election) 位居第二 wèi jū dì èr - rank second 民眾黨 Mínzhòngdǎng - Taiwan People's Party (TPP) 柯文哲 Kē Wénzhé - Ko Wen-je (TPP candidate in the 2024 presidential election) 贏得了 yíngdéle - won 過半 guòbàn - more than half 那就表示 nà jiù biǎoshì - that means 分析 fēnxī - analysis 誰投國民黨? Who voted Kuomintang ? 鐵粉 tiě fěn - die-hard fan 畢竟 bìjìng - after all 百年大黨 bǎinián dàdǎng - hundred-year-old major political party 支持者 zhīchí zhě - supporter 基層勢力 jīcéng shìlì - grassroots influence 強大 qiángdà - powerful 里長 lǐzhǎng - village chief 議員 yìyuán - councilor (in each city/county) 縣市長 xiànshìzhǎng - county/city mayor 鄉親 xiāngqīn - fellow villagers 基本盤 jīběn bàn - political stronghold; support base 敵對 díduì - hostile 觀光客 guānguāngkè - tourists 良好 liánghǎo - good; well 戰爭 zhànzhēng - war 為什麼很多人投民眾黨? Why many people voted Taiwan People's Party? 黨主席 dǎng zhǔxí - party chairman 得票數 dé piào shù - number of votes 期間 qījiān - period; duration 市容 shìróng - cityscape 除了...以外 chúle...yǐwài - in addition to; besides 市民 shìmín - citizens 數據 shùjù - data 親民 qīn mín - close to the people; populist 厭倦 yànjuàn - weary; fed up 惡鬥 èdòu - fierce struggle 抹黑 mǒhēi - smear; vilify 造謠 zàoyáng - spread rumors 攻擊 gōngjī - attack 執政 zhízhèng - be in power; govern 官員 guānyuán - government official 貪污 tānwū - corruption 清廉 qīnglián - honest; clean 新氣象 xīn qìxiàng - new atmosphere; new image 立法院的席次過半 lìfǎ yuàn de xícì guòbàn - more than half of the seats in the Legislative Yuan 你想要讓台灣朋友聽懂你說的中文嗎? Do you want your Taiwanese friends to understand your spoken Chinese better? 你想要更容易地跟台灣人溝通嗎? Do you want to communicate more easily with people in Taiwan?  加入我的中文口說課程吧! Join my Chinese Speaking Course!

January 13, 2024 is not just the date of Taiwan's presidential election; seats for the Legislative Yuan will also be elected on that day.   Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-foun-chung-fan-the-quest-to-get-out-the-vote-for-lai-chuing-te-for-the-taiwan-presidential-election-2024/   My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan is Dr. Fan, the Coordinator of the Overseas William Lai (Lai Ching-te) for President Committee.   We talked about why he's supporting Lai Ching-te and two grassroots efforts that are being organized get out the vote for Lai Ching-te and his vice presidential running mate Bi-khim Hsiao. The DPP has had a history of coming up with creative, innovative, grassroots campaign tactics for its presidential candidates. Dr. Fan also shared his perspective on the other two presidential candidates and why the election for the Legislative Yuan is just as important as the presidential election.     Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · ·       Dr. Fan's background and how he got interested and involved in Taiwan's political situation ·       How the Kaohsiung incident happened not long after Dr. Fan had gone to the United States ·       How he met Trong Chai and  Peng Ming-min and came to understand more about Taiwan's situation ·       How Dr. Fan started meeting with U.S. senators and congressmen and tried to put pressure on Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo to give the people of Taiwan the right to assemble and to remove the black list ·       The presidential election in Taiwan is especially important since China's President, Xi Jinping, is no longer subject to any term limits ·       That Taiwan should not fall into the hands of a party friendly with China ·       How the Kuomintang (during the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou) advocated for Chinese students to be allowed to come to work in Taiwan, to shorten military service from one year to four months ·       How if a comparison of Ma Ying-jeou's presidency with Tsai Ing-wen's, will show that the  tock market, economy and national GDP improved under Tsai Ing-wen ·       How China is using the 1992 Consensus as the basis for its One China Policy ·       How Xi Jinping has said that Taiwan will be unified with China ·       Whether called Republic of China, or Taiwan, Xi Jinping considers it Taiwan independence ·       Dr. Fan's opinions of William Lai (Lai Ching-te) and Bi-khim Hsiao ·       Why Dr. Fan is supporting William Lai (Lai Ching-te) and Bi-khim Hsiao ·       How Lai Ching-te served as the mayor of Tainan and got re-elected with 70 percent vote ·       The qualifications of William Lai (Lai Ching-te) and Bi-khim Hsiao ·       Dr. Fan's thoughts on TTP presidential candidate Ko Wen-je and KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi: ·       How the KMT could support the legislator Ma Wen-chun who leaked national security information related to Taiwan's development of submarines ·       Two events being organized to encourage people to get out and vote for Lai Ching-te and Bi-khim Hsiao ·       On December 13an event is being organized for people in the U.S.  to make phone calls back to Taiwan urging people to vote on January 13 ·       How the January 13 election is not only for Taiwan's President but also for the Legislative Yuan ·       The importance of the election for the Legislative Yuan ·       How in 2006 the KMT blocked passage of budget for the sale of submarines from the U.S. to Taiwan ·       How people can participate in the phone call effort privately on their own by calling people within their own personal circles ·       How the DPP has used creative, grassroots campaign to promote their candidates ·       The merchandise created for the DPP presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian and Tsai Ing-wen to fundraise ·       The 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally that helped Chen Shui-bian get elected in 2004 ·       Team Taiwan theme songs and merchandise ·       The slogans used for the Lai-Hsiao ticket ·       Overseas voters and supporters of Lai and Hsiao are encouraged to participate in the January 8th event at National Taiwan University which will involve a press conference to showcase overseas support for Lai and Hsiao ·       The overseas voters include people from the east and west coast of the US, Taiwanese associations, and groups from Thailand, Japan, East Asia, West Europe, East Europe, and South America, and a Hakka group ·       The January 8th event aims to encourage people to get out and vote ·       How people can do their part to get out the vote even after December 13 by calling and asking others to vote on January 13           Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-foun-chung-fan-the-quest-to-get-out-the-vote-for-lai-chuing-te-for-the-taiwan-presidential-election-2024/

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 12-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,422 on turnover of $2.06 -billion N-T. The market continued its winning streak on Thursday, joining other regional indexes to close the trading day higher ahead of the release of U-S consumer inflation data. Cabinet Approves Fire Safety Reform Amendments The Cabinet has approved a series of draft amendments to the Fire Services Act aimed at improving fire safety in the workplace The draft amendments were proposed by the Ministry of the Interior and will now be sent to the Legislative Yuan for review. The draft bill adds a provision that imposes a maximum prison sentence of up to seven years on company officials whose failure to formulate and implement a fire safety management plan is deemed responsible for fire-related deaths. The also states that the storing excessive dangerous materials in the workplace in contravention (違反) of related rules resulting in fire-related deaths will result in the same penalty. In the event of serious injuries resulting from a workplace fire, company officials will be liable to a prison term of up to five years. Failure to comply with those regulations is punishable with a maximum fine of between 3 and 10-million N-T. 8 Israeli Hostages Freed from Gaza The Israeli military says a total of eight Israeli hostages have been released from captivity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The army said the Red Cross transferred six hostages to Egypt, and they were being brought to Israel to be reunited with their families. Two additional hostages were turned over earlier in the day. It marked the seventh straight night of hostage releases under a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Israel was to free 30 Palestinian prisoners later in the evening under the deal. The cease-fire is set to expire early Friday, though international mediators (調解者) are working to extend it. Roughly 140 hostages are believed to remain in Hamas captivity. US Blinken Warning on Gaza Violence Spreading US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned efforts must be made to prevent violence in Gaza from enveloping (籠罩) the region. The US' top diplomat met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday. Sally Patterson has more. Giant Pandas Leaving Edinburgh Zoo Visitors to the Edinburgh Zoo had their final chance to see and bid farewell to a pair of popular giant pandas who are returning home to China after more than a decade in Scotland. Yang Guang and Tian Tian are leaving in early December. They have been a popular attraction since people lined the road outside the zoo to greet them when they arrived in 2011. The pair, which are the only pandas in the U.K., are the latest to leave the West after exchange agreements have expired ((期限）終止) and not been renewed by China. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

Dr. Jung Tsai is a retired surgeon. He had been in practice for nearly 50 years. He specialized in Cancer and Vascular Surgery. He is the founding President of The Greater New York Region Pen club in 2003 and was the National President of North American Taiwanese Medical association. He was the commissioner and current consultant of OCAC 僑委會 Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-jung-tsai-on-his-courageous-medical-mission-to-ukraine-for-taiwan-ep-251/ I met Dr. Jung Tsai nearly 15 years ago and in July I happened to run into him when I was at the New York Taiwan Center for an event. That's when I learned that he was organizing a medical mission to Ukraine and asked if he'd talk with me about it for Talking Taiwan. Dr. Tsai is a retired surgeon, who's been in practice for nearly 50 years. His specialty is Cancer and Vascular Surgery. He is the founding President of The Greater New York Region Pen club in 2003 and was the National President of North American Taiwanese Medical Association. He was also the commissioner and is currently a consultant of OCAC (僑委會). Dr. Tsai has 15 years of experience going on medical missions with the North America Taiwanese Medical Association, but nothing could have prepared him for this undertaking which has been full of ups and downs. Despite it all, Dr. Tsai has single-handedly made it happen.   He and his team will be heading to Warsaw on August 29th and spending 10 days in Rivne, Ukraine. We be holding you and your team in our thoughts during this live saving, live changing mission and looking forward to your safe return.   Dr. Tsai's courage is a reminder to focus on what really matters in life and not to give up even when things seem insurmountable.   Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: ·       Why Dr. Tsai decided to organize a medical mission to Ukraine ·       Dr. Tsai's observation that people in Taiwan do not want to go to war with China ·       How Dr. Tsai went about organizing the medical mission to Ukraine ·       How Dr. Tsai had planned to bring a group of 25 but then people suddenly started dropping out ·       The concerns of people who dropped out of the medical mission and those who have committed ·       How the Minister of Health in Ukraine wrote a letter in support of Dr. Tsai's medical mission to help get visas needed for the people coming from Taiwan ·       The challenges Dr. Tsai has faced in single-handedly organizing this mission ·       The group of 15 people who will be going on the medical mission to Ukraine; 13 medical professionals and 2 reporters from Formosa Television ·       The efforts of some people in Taiwan to help Ukraine ·        How the U.S. State department advised Dr. Tsai against going to Ukraine ·       The group will be in Rivne, Ukraine for 10 days from September 1-10 ·       Afterward 5 of the group will go to Lithuania for a meeting ·       How the Baltic Way in 1989 inspired the 2004 Hand-in-Hand Rally in Taiwan ·       The first person to commit to joining Dr. Tsai's medical mission to Ukraine ·       The logistics of procuring medical supplies, hiring a translator ·       How Dr. Tsai was interviewed by a New York Times reporter about the medical mission to Ukraine ·       How plans for the medical mission to Ukraine are constantly changing ·       Dr. Tsai's thoughts on people's fatigue about the war in Ukraine and people's concerns over the U.S.'s support of Ukraine ·       How Dr. Tsai has saved the life of a high-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party ·       How a young Ukrainian activist whose father has been captured by Russia contacted Dr. Tsai to thank him and ask to meet with him ·       How Dr. Tsai and his team will announce their medical mission to Ukraine at Taiwan's Legislative Yuan on August 28   Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-jung-tsai-on-his-courageous-medical-mission-to-ukraine-for-taiwan-ep-251/

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/eric-chang-on-the-unfolding-situation-at-the-legislative-yuan-during-the-sunflower-movement-ep-231/   The Sunflower Movement in Taiwan, which started in protest to the passage of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA), happened nine years ago, on the night of March 18, 2014. I was in Taipei when the Legislative Yuan, which is the equivalent of the parliament in Taiwan, was occupied by students and activists in an effort to block the passage of the trade agreement between Taiwan and China. It was the beginning of what became known as the Sunflower Movement. The day before, on March 17, the Kuomintang (KMT) had attempted to force through passage of the CSSTA in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, without giving it a clause-by-clause review.   Several days later at a press conference on March 23rd Taiwan's then President Ma Ying-jeou stated his resolve in passing the trade agreement. That night, students and activists attempted to occupy the Executive Yuan in protest. A few days later, on March 28th I spoke with Eric Chang who joined students and protestors outside of the Executive Yuan on the 23rd. He was there when police started breaking up the students and protestors, himself among them, and he shared what he saw and experienced that night in episode 121.   At the time I spoke to Eric it had been only 10 days since the occupation of the Legislative Yuan, so the situation at the Legislative Yuan and the Sunflower Movement was still unfolding and this of course was before we knew what the outcome would be. It's interesting to look back on it and hear my conversation with Eric in pre-COVID times, and way before the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. We talked about the role of social media in the occupation of the Legislative Yuan, how the Sunflower Movement galvanized young people in Taiwan at the time, and the atmosphere outside the Legislative Yuan while it was occupied; every day there were thousands of people from all walks of life gathered outside in the streets surrounding the Legislative Yuan.   Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: ·       What the occupation of the Legislative Yuan by students and activists means for Taiwan's democracy ·       What the scene/situation around the occupied Legislative Yuan was like ·       Comparisons between the occupation of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan with what would happen if people tried to occupy the U.S. Capitol Building ·       How peaceful and organized the student protestors are; they have set up a variety of stations for supplies, to charge mobile phones, for recycling, first aid ·       Professors have given lectures outside in the perimeter of the Legislative Yuan ·       A sausage vendor that's set up outside of the Legislative Yuan and is giving out sausage for free ·       Medical and legal professionals who have volunteered to help the student protestors ·       How Eric and his friend Dwagie (Taiwanese hip hop artist/rapper) have visited the Legislative Yuan area since the occupation ·       The March 30th Rally in support of the Sunflower Movement that took place globally ·       The Taiwan Voice Facebook page ·       How people can speak publicly or perform in the area surrounding the occupied Legislative Yuan ·       Lazy Habits, a jazz hip hop band performed outside of the occupied Legislative Yuan ·       High school students in Tainan (in southern Taiwan) are speaking out publicly about the occupation of the Legislative Yuan ·       How the Sunflower Movement has galvanized people across Taiwan ·       How Eric has seen friends who are KMT supporters come out in support of the Sunflower Movement and occupation of the Legislative Yuan ·       How young people learn about news through social media, Facebook and PTT, a popular local bulletin board founded by a National Taiwan University student in 1995 ·       Whether or not the pact (Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement) will get passed ·       How the Sunflower Movement has made people feel more comfortable to free to speak out publicly   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/eric-chang-on-the-unfolding-situation-at-the-legislative-yuan-during-the-sunflower-movement-ep-231/

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 117-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,338 on turnover of $2.7-billion N-T. The Tai-Ex joined other regional markets and lost ground on Thursday, after Wall Street tumbled overnight as a plunge in Credit Suisse shares reignited investor concerns about a possible bank crisis following the failure of two U-S lenders. **Cabinet Seeks to Stiffen Penalties for Illegal Export of Seedlings ** The Cabinet has approved a draft bill that could see those who illegally export certain types of seedlings or their derivatives (衍生物) fined or jailed for up to three years. The move is part of government efforts to keep high-value indigenous plant and fruit species in Taiwan. The draft bill is a proposed amendment to the Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act. The bill was introduced after China suspended imports of Tainong 17 pineapples, claiming that it has already cultivated the same variety of pineapples. The draft amendment states that anyone who imports or exports seedlings, the derivatives thereof or products made from such derivatives will face a maximum prison term of three years and/or a fine of up to 3-million N-T. Under the existing rules, such violations result in a maximum fine of 1.5-million N-T and no prison time. Deputy Agriculture Minister Chen Jun-ji says the smuggling of valuable species out of Taiwan to China and other countries undermining the island's trade. The draft amendment will now go the Legislative Yuan for review. **Japan SKorea Resume Diplomatic Visits ** Japan and South Korea are vowing to resume diplomatic visits amidst (在其中) warming ties between the two countries. It follows the first in-person summit between their leaders in more than a decade. Chris Gilbert reports. **Colombia Ends Mine Rescue Operations ** Rescue operations at a coal mine in central Colombia that collapsed earlier this week have ended and officials say the accident had left 21 workers dead. The mine near the town of Sutatausa collapsed late Tuesday following an explosion that blocked (擋、堵塞) several of its entrances. Rescue teams worked nonstop for more than 30 hours to find survivors and retrieve bodies. Provincial authorities say nine workers survived the accident, while the relatives of miners who were killed were receiving support. All of the workers who were at the mine at the time of the accident have been accounted for. **Montenegro President Dissolves Parliament ** Montenegro's president has dissolved parliament and paved the way (做好準備) for an early parliamentary election. President Milo Djukanovic issued a decree dissolving parliament on Thursday, three months after Montenegro's last government fell in a no-confidence vote. Djukanovic is expected to set a date for the early election today. He is running for reelection in Montenegro's presidential election on Sunday. Analysts predict the voting will not produce a clear winner and that the pro-Western incumbent will face one of several challengers in a runoff two weeks later. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

James Chambers ponders the next steps for Taiwan's parliament building – a centre for the island's strong democracy famous for its verbal, and occasionally physical, bust-ups. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In part one of my interview with Dr. Mark Chen (episode 212) we talked about his advocacy work for Taiwan in the U.S. and the impact of the Kaohsiung Incident on Taiwan's democratization. Several of the people who were tried and sentenced in connection with the Kaohsiung Incident later became prominent leaders in Taiwan's first opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party. The incident happened 43 years ago in 1979 on December 10th, which just passed, making it a good time to share part two of my interview with Dr. Chen.   In the second half of my interview with Dr. Mark Chen, we talked about his work in Taiwan as an elected official and public servant. He became a member of the Legislative Yuan in 1992; that year was the first time that elections were held for all 161 seats of the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan. Dr. Chen has also been elected Magistrate of Tainan County, and served in that position from 1993-2001. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004-2006, the Secretary General in the Office of the President from 2006-2007, the Secretary General of the National Security Council from 2007-2008 and a Legislator in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan from 2001-2004 and 2012-2016. Currently he is the chairman of the Prospect Foundation.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.     NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:   to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.   To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com     Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   1992 was the first time that elections were held for all 161 seats of the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan Dr. Chen was born in Tainan, Taiwan In 1992 Dr. Chen resigned from his job at the Department of Commerce to return to Taiwan and served as a congressman at large Dr. Chen ran for County Governor of Tainan in 1992, and he made history as first Democratic Progressive Party candidate (and non-Kuomintang candidate) County Governor of Tainan ever elected to the position He was rated the top County Governor in Taiwan and served as Country Governor of Tainan for two terms (eight years in total) Dr. Chen was a member of the Legislative Yuan but gave up his position when President Chen Shui-bian invited him to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs How Taiwan's transition to democracy has been relatively peaceful The importance of Taiwan having the support of like-minded democratic nations Challenges that Dr. Chen had to deal with as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Taiwan Dr. Chen's work as a legislator in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan ECFA (Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement) and the Sunflower Movement What happened during the 2014 occupation of the Legislative Yuan by activists and students during the Sunflower Movement Dr. Chen's thoughts on his work as an elected official vs. a public servant at the highest levels of the government in Taiwan How Dr. Chen was inspired by the words of Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy The work of the Prospect Foundation, of which Dr. Chen is the chairman Dr. Chen's thoughts on Robert Tsao, founder of UMC's (United Microelectronics Corp) pledge of 100 million U.S. dollars to help Taiwan defend itself What overseas Taiwanese can do to advocate for Taiwan   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-mark-chen-talks-about-his-years-of-service-in-taiwan-ep-217/

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 28-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 13,096 on turnover of 2.5-billion N-T. The market staged a technical rebound on Tuesday to close above the 13,100 point mark, as investors were encouraged by a rally on Wall Street overnight. Buying was seen almost across the board, led by contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and the bellwether electronics sector as a whole, as tech stocks on U-S markets made a significant (明顯的) bounce-back. **Premier Tests Positive for Coronavirus ** Premier Su Tseng-chang has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to the Cabinet spokesman Luo Bing-cheng, the Premier tested positive after feeling ill while at the Legislative Yuan. He is now at home and will quarantine for seven days and is only showing mild symptoms of the disease. The Cabinet spokesman says Su will be conducting (進行) any subsequent responsibilities virtually. The Presidential Office says Su last met with President Tsai Ing-wen on October 15 at the Central Epidemic Command Center - and Tsai remains in good health. **King Mswati III of Eswatini to Visit Taiwan for 18th time ** The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says King Mswati III of Eswatini will visit Taiwan later this week. It will be his 18th trip to the island, but his first since the beginnig of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the foreign ministry, King Mswati III will arrive in Taiwan tomorrow. He will be welcomed by President Tsai Ing-wen with a military salute (軍禮) before holding talks at the Presidential Building and meeting with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. The delegation will also meet with officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The foreign ministry has not said how long the king and his delegation will stay in Taiwan. **NKorea Fires Artillery Near SKorea Sea Boundaries ** North Korea fired artillery shells near its sea boundaries with South Korea late Tuesday, a day after the South began annual military drills. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says today that North Korea fired about 100 shells off its west coast and 150 rounds off its east coast. It said the South Korean military broadcast (播放) messages several times asking North Korea to stop the firing, but there were no reports of violence between the rivals. An unidentified spokesperson for the North Korean People's Army's General Staff issued a statement describing the latest artillery firings as a response to South Korea's own artillery training that it claimed took place earlier Tuesday in an eastern border region. Seoul didn't immediately confirm it had conducted any artillery drill near the border on Tuesday. **US Biden Promises Abortion into Law if Dems Keep Congress' ** U.S. President Joe Biden is promising to put the right to an abortion into law if the Democrats keep control of Congress. It comes three weeks before Americans head to the polls in the midterm elections..which could shift (轉移) the balance of power in Washington. U.S. correspondent Gabrielle Fahmy reports. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

We talk the latest coronavirus news, a fight in the Legislative Yuan over a proposed bill to acquit a former president of corruption, calls for marijuana decriminalization and more.

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Jiho Chang tells us the inside story first hand by reliving the Sunflower Movement from Ground Zero. March 18th will mark the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the Sunflower Movement during which time activists occupied Taiwan's Legislative Yuan in order to protest the passing of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, which was a treaty between Taiwan and China. The roots of the Sunflower Movement go back much further, years before 2014. My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan, Jiho Chang, shares his perspectives on the Sunflower Movement as he looks back upon it, and talks about his involvement with the movement.   Jiho has been a guest on Talking Taiwan previously, talking about his work as Keelung City Councilman (episode 149), and remembering the late revolutionary Su Beng (史明) (episode 156).   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 and the Taiwanese United Fund.   The Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.   The Taiwanese United Fund is an arts and culture foundation that celebrates the cultural heritages of Taiwanese Americans. Established in 1986, the foundation's mission is to facilitate cultural exchange between the Taiwanese American community and other American cultural communities, hoping to enrich and expand our cultural experiences. To learn more about TUF visit their website  http://www.tufusa.org/    Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Why the Sunflower Movement happened in Taiwan How the Sunflower Movement had roots in protests that started in 2008 How former President Ma Ying-jeou tried to “re-sinicize” many things in Taiwan Jiho's involvement with the Sunflower Movement How there had been an attempt to occupy the Ministry of the Interior a year before the Sunflower Movement in 2014 The power struggle between former President Ma Ying-jeou and Speaker of the Legislative Yuan, Wang Jing-ping at the time of the Sunflower Movement Factions between the Kuomintang Jiho's account of what happened the night activists broke into the Legislative Yuan How the length of the occupation was unexpected The public support for the movement, with crowds of people surrounding the Legislative Yuan for the duration of the occupation How Jiho has to testify in court about the attempted occupation of the Executive Yuan How there was a livestream of what was happening inside of the Legislative Yuan during the occupation How nothing was planned but people (such as doctors and other professionals) stepped up The documentary about the Sunflower Movement that featured Jiho and his colleagues How the Sunflower Movement has affected Taiwan's political landscape and directions The conditions inside of the Legislative Yuan during the occupation There were 500-600 people occupying the Legislative Yuan How another headquarters of operations was set up at a NTU (National Taiwan University) social sciences building nearby The attempt at occupying the Executive Yuan on March 28, 2014 The end of the occupation of the Legislative Yuan March 30thrally in Taipei in which hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in support of the Sunflower Movement Rallies organized globally on March 30thin support of the Sunflower Movement Hong Kong's protests (in 2014 aka the Umbrella Movement and 2019-2020) In the end as a result of the Sunflower Movement the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement was not approved and many young activists went on to serve in politics    Related Links:   To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/reliving-the-sunflower-movement-from-ground-zero-jiho-chang-tells-the-inside-story-ep-174/

Host - Sveta and Ben Banerjee Topic: How is Impact Investment in the world of AI and Crypto Special Guests: Jason Hsu Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:32 Opening remarks 7:40 Jason Hsu's bio How is Impact Investment in Taiwan 11:47 Family Offices and Impact Investment 14:05 Taiwan's role at promoting Impact Investment 17:03 President Tsai Ing-wen and Impact Investment 19:15 High Tech industry's focus on Impact Investment Artificial Intelligence 22:40 Impact Investment's role on Artificial Intelligence 26:42 Why AI can be used for Impact Investment? 31:00 Blockchain and Cryptocurrency 37:09 Q/A: Thoughts on decentralized banking system Impact Investment in the New Economy going forward 39:35 Cryptocurrency regulations 44:31 Q/A: Are you invest in cryptocurrency? 45:23 Digital currencies and central banks 50:02 Illegal business in the crypto sector 52:50 Call to action 56:09 Closing remarks 57:07 Outro The weekly show on how Impactful investments and businesses are helping to implement the 17 UN SDG's worldwide to preserve the world for future generation. Banerjis have enlightening and in-depth conversations with newsmakers, celebrities, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, project owners, investors, politicians and business leaders and encourage them to act now. Jason Hsu currently is Chief Initiative Officer at Taiwan AI Labs. With this role he is responsible for creating public awareness on AI bias, ethics, development and regulations. Taiwan AI Labs is a non-profit foundation that focuses on building AI solutions for advancing humanity. From 2016 to 2020 he served as Legislator At-Large in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan (national parliament) overseeing technology policy, development, entrepreneurship and innovation. Among the crucial legislations that he authors and sponsors include FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Act, Selfdriving Vehicles Act, Angel Investment Law, Cybersecurity Management Act and Virtual Currency Guidelines (Security Token Offerings), Artificial Intelligence Development Act, Digital Economy Principle Act, Same Sex Marriage Act. Jason is a proponent for cryptocurrency and blockchain. Known as Crypto Congressman, Jason is credited for setting up Asia Blockchain Alliance (ABA),Taiwan Parliamentary Coalition for Blockchain(TPCB) and Self-Regulatory Organization(SRO). Legislator Hsu is in charge of setting up Council on AI, Law and Ethics. Concerning impact investment, Legislator Hsu amended Corporation Law to include Beneficial Cooperation and allow Impact Investment. Legislator Hsu also founded Indo-Pacific Cybersecurity Alliance under auspices of US State Department's Global Training Framework Workshop with ICT Ministers from 15 countries. In 2019 Jason Hsu led Taiwan's parliament with bipartisan effort to pass same sex marriage law, which is the first in Asia. A regular keynote speaker on blockchain and cryptocurrency regulations, Jason has spoken at Global Blockchain Forum, BlockCity, Seamless Asia, World Economic Forum (WEF) Center for Industry 4.0, Google, G20 Summit in Osaka, Berkeley Blockchain Club and Taiwan RegTech Conference, Asia Leadership Summit, World Knowledge Forum, Harvard Law School's Berkman Klein Center for Internet, Yale's Jackson Institute of Global Affairs. Jason is a founding member of Global Blockchain Policy Council. Jason Hsu co-founded TEDxTaipei in 2009 and served as TEDx senior ambassador to Asia from 2011~2015. Hsu graduates from Singularity University's executive program with a focus on exponential technology. He is a Draper Hills Fellow at Stanford University's Center for Democracy Development and Rule of Law(CDDRL). He's also selected as an IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Program) fellow by U.S. State Department in 2019. He is invited as a Senior Fellow at Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School in 2022.

Topic: Airlines targeting post-pandemic ‘revenge travel'   The blow caused to the airline industry by the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially felt by budget airlines, which mostly operate narrow-bodied passenger jets and have therefore been unable to develop a sideline in air freight during the pandemic. According to one academic's analysis, when the outbreak stabilizes, businesses are targeting a trend in so-called “revenge travel.” However, she also hopes that, rather than the pre-pandemic price wars between budget airlines, the consolidation that has taken place during the pandemic will restore healthy competition in the industry. 疫情衝擊航空界，其中廉航受限於機隊多為窄體客機，無法發展貨運，受疫情衝擊更大。學者分析，業者瞄準疫情穩定後的「報復性出遊」，但也希望疫情前廉航削價競爭的情況，能因疫情重整，回歸良性競爭。 According to associate professor Melody Dai of National Cheng Kung University's Department of Transportation and Communication Management Science, costs per flight have not changed during the pandemic, but if carriers are required to implement social-distancing seating plans, leaving empty seats between passengers, this would eat into airlines' profit margins, causing a fresh headache for the industry. Dai says she hopes that budget airlines will manage to survive, since they help stimulate Taiwan's domestic tourism sector as well as the wider economy. 成大交通管理學系副教授戴佐敏說，每航班成本不變、但座位未來若須採間隔座導致收入減少，確實是疫後的難題，希望廉航仍有生存空間，對促進觀光與經濟有正面幫助。 Dai says that choosing to operate flights during the pandemic is a test of airlines' ability to sustain losses, but the crisis may also prove to be a turnaround for the industry. Dai says there are many variables to the pandemic. She says that once the outbreak stabilizes, if the demand for “revenge travel” exceeds supply, this could resolve the pre-pandemic situation of supply exceeding demand, which led to price wars among budget airlines. The consolidation that the pandemic has triggered within the airline industry could bring about a return to healthy competition, says Dai. 戴佐敏認為，選擇在疫情期間開航，考驗航空公司「虧本」的能力，不過危機也有可能是轉機，疫情仍有變數，疫情穩定後的「報復性出遊」若需求大於供給，疫情前廉航供過於求、削價競爭的情況，這次可能因疫情重整，回歸良性競爭。 One industry insider stated that, despite the lockdowns and reduced number of travelers and flights during the pandemic, the industry is bullish about post-pandemic prospects for both freight and passenger travel in the flourishing Asian region. The insider added that a trend in “revenge travel” could cause short-haul routes to become particularly busy. 業者指出，雖然國境仍然封鎖，疫情期間每週班次不多，旅客也非常少，但看好疫情後亞洲旺盛的物流、人流，預估疫情趨緩後將出現「報復性出遊」，亞洲短程航線將會更繁忙。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/09/12/2003764205   Next Article   Topic: Rebranding is beneficial to China Airlines. Here's why   台灣的立法院於7月22日表決通過建議將台灣最大的國際航空公司之一：「中華航空公司」 (China Airlines) 的英文名稱更名。這樣的提議，立即引發了各種疑問：這樣做的成本是否過高？中華航空公司是否會因此喪失航權？ Taiwan's Legislative Yuan voted on Wednesday to work towards renaming China Airlines, one of the national air carriers. Such a proposal immediately prompted various questions: Would doing so be prohibitively expensive? Would the airline lose aviation rights as a result of the act? 航空業的複雜程度超乎想像，故難以提供此細微議題絕對明確的答案。雖然，把台灣的國籍航空「中華航空公司China Airlines」更改英文名字，會有非常大的爭議，但讓我們暫時撇開政治上的兩極化角度，而從商業的角度分析，什麼才是對中華航空公司最有利的。 The airline industry is unimaginably complex, so there is no definite answer to such a nuanced topic. While the issue of renaming Taiwan's national airline is inherently controversial, let us move away from political polarization and analyze what is best for China Airlines, from a business perspective. 品牌重塑的成本 | The Cost of Rebranding 首先，如果中華航空公司想重塑品牌形象，彰顯其隸屬於台灣國籍航空的品牌辨識度，一定會產生相對的成本。 Firstly, if China Airlines were to rebrand itself to reflect a more Taiwanese identity, it is undeniable that the airline would incur costs. 這是因為航空公司的標誌無所不在：從登機櫃檯到貴賓室，甚至是乘客在機上所使用的餐巾紙上都能看見。因此，對於中華航空公司來說，重新彩繪噴漆飛機機身並全面重塑品牌，勢必需要投入相當的資金支出。 This is because airlines logos appear everywhere: from check-in counters, lounges, to even the napkins passengers use onboard. So yes, it would be a significant investment for China Airlines to repaint their planes to rebrand across their network. 但是，考量一家航空公司的將來的利潤及是否賺錢，未來營業收入成長的重要性，和考量成本支出，是一樣重要的。從長遠來看，如果航空公司能夠在未來吸引到比現在更多的乘客，這項品牌重塑計畫就值得。 However, an airline's profitability is as much determined by revenue than it is affected by costs. In the long term, if an airline is able to attract more customers than now, such rebranding efforts would pay off. 更改中華航空公司的英文名稱「China」可解決過往的一些問題。例如，許多英語系國家的人認為「China」一詞帶有負面含義，且他們聽到「China Airlines」時，也無法將其與台灣連結在一起。 Rebranding China Airlines could address previous issues. For example, many people in English-speaking countries believe the word “China” has negative connotations, and they don't associate the airline with Taiwan when they hear about “China” Airlines. 此外，中華航空 (China Airlines) 經常被與中國政府擁有的中國國際航空(Air China)混淆。近年來，因為名字上的混淆，全球大多數人無法區分這兩家航空公司。因此，與中國國際航空相關的飛安意外事故和客服事件，皆損害了台灣國籍航空公司的聲譽。 In addition, China Airlines is often confused with Air China, which is owned by the Chinese government. In recent years, safety and service incidents associated with Air China have damaged the Taiwanese airline's reputation, as the majority of the world simply cannot tell the two carriers apart, largely due to the confusing naming. 另一方面，中華航空的主要競爭對手「長榮航空」是一家提供高標準飛行安全和高品質服務的台灣國籍航空公司。如果中華航空的英文更名動作，能夠改善中華航空過去行銷上的困難，那麼英文更名所帶來的好處，可能遠超過潛在的成本。 On the other hand, CAL's main competitor, EVA Air, is well known as a Taiwanese company offering high standards of flight safety and service. If China Airlines can change a name that has made marketing difficult in the past, the benefits of rebranding could outweigh the potential costs. 航權 | Aviation Rights 從中華航空的角度來看，另一個令人關注的領域是航權。航權，意指賦予航空公司進入、飛越或降落在另一個國家領空的權利。 The second area of concern from China Airlines' perspective would be aviation rights, which grants airlines the privilege to enter, fly over, or land in another country's airspace. 航權對任何一家航空公司的運營都是極為重要的，是航空公司與監管機構經過數十年談判的結果。有些人表示，中華航空可能會因為英文名稱「China」的更名而失去這些權利，但其實非常重要的一點是，航空公司的形象更名並不需要包含更改其法定名稱。 Such rights, critical to any airline's operations, are as a result of decades of negotiations between airline companies and regulatory agencies. Some have indicated the possibility of China Airlines losing these rights because of a name change, but it is important to understand that rebranding does not have to include changing the legal name. 舉例而言，以阿姆斯特丹作為基地的歐洲大型航空公司是以 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines（荷蘭皇家航空）做為形象名稱，但此航空公司註冊的法定名稱則為Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij。 For instance, the major European airline based in Amsterdam is branded as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, but the three letters KLM stand for its registered legal name, Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij. 以類似的方式，中華航空也許可以在英文名稱上更名為「CAL Formosa Airlines」，並同時維持其法定名稱「中華航空」，以避免損及航權。 In a similar fashion, China Airlines could perhaps rebrand as “CAL Formosa Airlines,” while retaining its formal name, to avoid compromising its aviation rights. 政治考量 | Political Considerations 最後，儘管航空公司傾向於不碰觸政治議題，但像中華航空這樣的公司也必須考慮維持其現有飛航市場，尤其是中國。 Finally, while airlines tend to stay out of politics, companies such as China Airlines also have to consider its ability to continue flying into existing markets, particularly China. 對於更改中華航空的英文名稱中的「China」字眼一事，持批評意見者表達了對可能激怒北京共產黨的擔憂，並推測中國政府將禁止中華航空飛入中國領空。 Critics of the idea to rename China Airlines have voiced concerns about angering the Communist Party in Beijing, and have speculated that the Chinese government would ban CAL from flying into Chinese airspace. 儘管這種情況確實是不利且不能被排除的，但中華航空可以選擇改成更具政治中立性的名稱來降低此風險。 While such a situation would indeed be unfavorable, and the possibility of occurrence cannot be ruled out, CAL could minimize risk by choosing a more politically neutral name. 例如，通過使用「Formosa」或「Taipei」等字眼，航空公司可以避開中國與台灣的爭議，並在最不具爭議的情況下繼續為現有的乘客提供服務。 For example, by utilizing words such as “Formosa” or “Taipei”, the airline could stay out of the Taiwan-China debate and continue serving its existing passengers with minimal controversy. 總結來說，即使不將中華航空的英文名稱China Airlines更改為「Taiwan Airlines」，該公司也可以通過將「China」從其英文名稱中刪除，來回應人們建議改名的聲音，並同時避免名字所引起的混淆和爭議。 At the end of the day, even without changing China Airlines' name to “Taiwan Airlines”, the company can respond to the voices of the people by removing “China” from its name and avoid confusion and controversy altogether. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200725-1578334   Next Article   Topic: Eva Air is third safest airline globally: Airline Ratings   國際航空專業評鑑網站 AirlineRatings 近日公布 2020 年全球最安全航空公司名單，再度由澳洲航空奪冠、紐西蘭航空排名第二，長榮航空獲得第三名好成績。 EVA Air ranks third, right behind Qantas and Air New Zealand, in the list of the top 20 safest airlines for 2020, according to Airline Ratings, a Website that reviews airline safety and products. 國際航空專業評鑑網站 AirlineRatings 每年都會遴選出全球最安全航空公司，評選標準包括安全創新、營運績效、政府審查、航空公司死亡事故紀錄、航空公司營運史、失事紀錄等標準，評選全球 405 家航空公司。 The website selects the world's safest airlines out of 405 airlines each year, based on their safety innovation, operational excellence, government review, fatal accident records and their operating history. 其他入選航空包括：阿提哈德航空、卡達航空、新加坡航空、阿聯酋航空、阿拉斯加航空、國泰航空、維珍澳洲航空、夏威夷航空、維珍航空、葡萄牙航空、北歐航空、皇家約旦航空、瑞士航空、芬蘭航空、漢莎航空、愛爾蘭航空、荷蘭皇家航空。 The other airlines among the aforesaid list include Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Virgin Australia, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, TAP Portugal, SAS, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, Finnair, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, and KLM. 根據網站公布結果， 2020 年全球最安全航空公司，長榮航空獲得第三名好成績，這也是繼去年 11 月獲得「 2020 全球最佳航空」第 8 名後，再度獲得國際肯定。 At the end of last year, Eva Air secured the eighth spot in the list of the world's best airlines for 2020, according to the Airline Ratings website. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200108-924363;

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin: My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan is Keelung City Councilor, Jiho Chang. Jiho spoke with me about his work as a city councilman, and how his interest and involvement in Taiwan's politics dates back to his time as a university student, and the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait missile crisis that happened after KMT presidential candidate Lee Teng-hui visited his alma mater Cornell University and before Taiwan's first direct presidential election in 1996. Jiho was among the activists who occupied the Legislative Yuan during the Sunflower movement. He's also one of the co-authors of The Oral History of Su Beng (史明口述史), a biography of the late revolutionary and lifelong Taiwan independence activist Su Beng. We'll have him back on another episode to talk about all that. Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Jiho's background and upbringing How/why he decided to return to Taiwan after spending 10 years in Canada His study of political science at university in Canada and Taiwan National University The 1995-1996 missile crisis in Taiwan How he was involved with the 2014 Sunflower movement How his first attempt to get elected as a neighborhood warden aka borough warden aka village warden (里長) failed How he previously worked as a speechwriter for presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen How he got elected as Keelung City Councilor in 2018 How he got in trouble for posting about his work on as a speechwriter for President Tsai on Facebook What his work as a city councilor involves How Keelung is one of the smallest cities What it took to campaign for the position of city councilor Why he ran as a DPP candidate The Taiwan People Party and New Power Party How long each city councilor position term lasts The Ghost Month in Taiwan What Jiho finds most rewarding about his work as city councilor How Jiho advocated for and helped the widow and family of a man in his constituency to obtain NT$1,000,000 in compensation for his death from his employer of 20 years Jiho's future political aspirations   Related Links:   Jiho Chang's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JihoTiun/   Taiwan's first direct presidential election (1996): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Taiwanese_presidential_election   Taiwan's cross strait missile crisis of 1995-1996: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Taiwan_Strait_Crisis#:~:text=The%20Third%20Taiwan%20Strait%20Crisis,1995%20to%2023%20March%201996.   Lee Teng-hui: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Teng-hui   Sunflower Movement: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_Student_Movement   President Tsai Ing-wen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iingwen   Tsai Ing-wen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsai_Ing-wen   DPP (Democratic Progressive Party): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Progressive_Party   https://www.dpp.org.tw/en/about   Taiwan People Party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_People%27s_Party   New Power Party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Power_Party   KMT (Kuomintang): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuomintang   Ghost Month: https://oftaiwan.org/culture/ghost-festival/   Taiwan News article, “12 Ghost Month taboos to watch out for in Taiwan”: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3990308   Su Beng: http://aboutsubeng.com/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   March 23rd will mark the seventh anniversary of the short-lived occupation of the Executive Yuan by students involved in the Sunflower Movement of 2014. The Sunflower Movement began when students and activists occupied the Legislative Yuan on March 18, 2014 in an effort to block the passage of a trade pact between Taiwan and China. At a press conference on March 23, then President Ma Ying-jeou stated his resolve in passing the trade pact. This led to the students attempt to occupy the Executive Yuan. Five days afterward, on March 28, 2014, I spoke to Eric Chang also known as Ahbying, who was there that night about what he saw firsthand and experienced that night.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   His candid conversation with a cop at the Executive Yuan before the scene turned violent His firsthand account of what he saw and experienced the night that students tried to occupy the Executive Yuan How he reacted when the police hit him The media’s coverage of what happened on March 23rdat the Executive Yuan His thoughts of the occupation of the Legislative Yuan and Sunflower Movement Related Links:   Eric’s Ahbying YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ahbying   Sunflower Movement: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_Student_Movement

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Michael Turton is a political commentator, writer and Taipei Times columnist based in Taichung, Taiwan.  I first learned about him through his long running blog, The View From Taiwan when I lived in Taiwan myself and started blogging about living there. I’ve invited him on to the podcast to talk about China’s recent ban of pineapples from Taiwan. We talked about what’s really behind the ban and how trade issues between China and Taiwan led to the 2014 Sunflower Movement and occupation of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan building.   CORRECTION: At 1:28 when Michael says “over in Xiamen” he meant to refer to Fujian. There several towns in Fujian- Yongfu and Qingliu but not Xiamen, that are now using agricultural techniques learned from Taiwan. See link to the CommonWealth Magazine article, “Is Taiwan’s Farm Sector Selling Out to China” for reference.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: Why China banned pineapples imported from Taiwan What has happened since the ban How the ban will impact Taiwan What are the larger issues behind what happened and why China banned Taiwan’s pineapples What can people overseas can do to support Taiwan, aside from buying Taiwan pineapples How consumption is related to Taiwanese identity What trade issues with China have to do with the Sunflower Movement What precipitated the occupation of the Legislative Yuan building by the Sunflower Movement activists in March 2014 How the caucus system in Taiwan is set up to slow down the legislature The problems with Taiwan’s constitution How the spat between then President Ma Ying-jeou and Speaker Wang Jin-pyng contributed to the occupation of the Legislative Yuan by the Sunflower Movement activists in March of 2014 How the Sunflower Movement strengthened the Taiwanese identity of a generation that grew up in a democratic Taiwan vs. those who previously grew up under Kuomintang rule in the 1970s and 80s   Related Links:   Taipei Times article, “PRC bans import of Taiwan pineapples”: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2021/02/27/2003752913   Taipei Times article, “China pineapple ban offset in four days”: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2021/03/03/2003753138   Guardian article, “Taiwanese urged to eat ‘freedom pineapples’ after China import ban”: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/02/taiwanese-urged-to-eat-freedom-pineapples-after-china-import-ban?fbclid=IwAR226v7PM6yXUM7UqWsPOyD_jwwpkQNKWpyFnXakMYUgDbtTNJd_OKsWxgc   Taiwan News article, "Japanese with 'Taiwan pineapple fever' empty store shelves": https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4145007?fbclid=IwAR0TLArguULOz7Y3iiZ0VIBHRjFrChPosZu8-fTbqxSJGxAnw6AKe7ANE1g   CommonWealth Magazine article, “Is Taiwan’s Farm Sector Selling Out to China”: https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=965   Michael Turton’s podcast, Taiwan Context: https://anchor.fm/taiwancontext/episodes/Taiwan-Context--Human-Rights-Defender-epmtsm   Michael Turton’s blog, The View From Taiwan: https://michaelturton.blogspot.com/   Ian Rowen’s research on Chinese tour groups in Taiwan: https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.ntu.edu.sg/dist/f/1564/files/2017/12/Rowen-2014-Tourism-as-territorial-strategy-x64350.pdf   Sunflower Movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_Student_Movement   An article about Taiwan’s pineapple industry in 1960: https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=8%2C8%2C29%2C32%2C32%2C45&post=14054&fbclid=IwAR1bP4UHEg3rbTacOf9g9N4lPd7rQaSPFOWrcc1lR6a4GMIWV3KuOH6JV8I  

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K052: Fine for not yielding to pedestrians raised to NT$6,000   To improve pedestrian safety, a set of draft amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act was passed during a Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) review board meeting on Jan. 28. 為強化行人安全，交通部一月二十八日部務會報通過「道路交通管理處罰條例」修正案。 Pedestrians have absolute right of way when walking on a crosswalk, but accidents still happen from time to time that involve injuries or even deaths caused by vehicles not stopping or giving way to pedestrians. Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung said that the MOTC hopes to make traffic more human-oriented, and cars and motorcycles should give way to pedestrians at intersections. It has long been said that vehicles should “politely“ give way to pedestrians, but in fact vehicles should always stop to let pedestrians go first unless there is a “no pedestrians“ sign. 行人走在行人穿越道上擁有絕對通行權，但車輛因未停讓行人導致的傷亡事故仍時有耳聞。交通部長林佳龍表示，交通部希望落實人本交通，所以在路口汽機車應當禮讓行人；過去都是說「禮讓」，但事實上依法規範的話，如果沒有禁止行人標誌，就應該優先停讓。 Lin asked for the reform to start from the three aspects of “people, vehicles and roads” by enforcing the law that demands yielding to pedestrians at intersections, reviewing road design specifications, and planning to increase penalties, so as to increase drivers' awareness of the need to give way to pedestrians. 林佳龍要求從人、車、路三方項著手，推動路口停讓行人大執法、檢討道路設計規範、規劃加重處罰等方式，來提醒車輛要停讓行人。 Regarding the increase in fines, the amendment refers to the laws of the US, Japan, France and South Korea. Drivers who do not allow pedestrians to pass first will be fined NT$1,200 to NT$6,000, increased from the current NT$1,200 to NT$3,600. Those who cause injury or death will bear both civil and criminal liability as well as facing a fine of NT$7,200 to NT$36,000. 在提高罰鍰方面，參考美日法韓法規，未停讓行人先行通過者，罰鍰從現行一千兩百元至三千六百元，提高為一千兩百元至六千元；因而致人受傷或死亡者，除民刑事責任外，還可處七千兩百元至三萬六千元。 Having been passed at the MOTC review board meeting, the draft amendments will now be transferred to the Legislative Yuan for review. 「道路交通管理處罰條例」修正草案在交通部務會報上通過後，將報行政院續轉立法院審議。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/02/08/2003751951   通勤學英語15mins.Today榮獲 Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目 KKBox 2020年十大Podcast風雲榜 (唯一語言學習Podcast) Himalaya 人氣票選播客總冠軍    每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing 每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab 每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense 用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

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 · 你聽得懂的全英文 news podcast · 為你把複雜的文法，變得簡單好入口 · 讓你的英文發音更漂亮 1【rushed 打鴨子上架的】— 形容詞 Health experts warn the approval was rushed. 2 【chances are fading 機會越來越渺茫】— 套句 Chances of finding survivors are fading. 3【(the) speaker 議長】- 名詞 Nancy Pelosi has secured a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives. 立法院長 the President of the Legislative Yuan
 4【feasibility 可行性】— 名詞 Sweden's government will start exploring the feasibility. 5【autism 自閉症】— 名詞 She has pledged to dedicate her “entire life” to “bettering the lives with those with autism and other special needs. 
簡單複習： 
1）rushed 打鴨子上架的 2）chances are fading 機會越來越渺茫 3）(the) speaker 議長 4）feasibility 可行性 5）autism 自閉症 
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The Telegraph reported that China has ramped up pressure on Taiwan with videos of a simulated major attack on the Island and an alleged “spying confession” of a Taiwanese businessman. Last Week during Taiwan’s National Day, President Tsai Ing-wen of the 24 million island nation had the temerity to “urge the Chinese Communist Party to engage in meaningful dialogue” on an equal basis. China has been making several demonstrations of force with its air force “crossing the Taiwan Straits” middle line. China has rejected any negotiations with Ms. Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government was elected in 2016. China is even peevish toward the proposal of the Kuomintang opposition party the KMT in Taiwan that has proposed “independence” and renewal of relations with the US. The semi-official Global Post of the Chinese Communist Party noted: “Taiwan's "Legislative Yuan" on Tuesday passed two proposals from the KMT, which are to "request the US to help confront the CPC," and "for the Taiwan Island and the US to resume diplomatic ties," Taiwan local media reported. The KMT also called on the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to "work actively" on these two issues. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, responded by saying that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and both sides of the Taiwan Strait belonging to the same China is an unalterable historical and legal fact”. The Trump Administration further enraged the CCP by sending US Secretary for Health and Human Services Alex Azar, followed by Keith Krach, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment to Taiwan. The RAND Corporation’s Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst with the RAND Corporation and an expert in the region, said the approach went hand in hand with a strategy being referred to in the Pentagon as Fortress Taiwan. He told Express.co.uk: "For decades, the US has sought to bolster Taiwan’s defensive capabilities to prevent China from being able to successfully launch an amphibious invasion against the island, or to otherwise conduct military operations meant to harm it (such as a blockade or missile strikes)”. The question Grossman suggests is the “right mix. His suggestions; sea mines and anti-ship missiles. But Dr. Stephen Bryen, Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense during the Reagan Era is someone who knows Taiwan’s has a better idea. In a Newsweek article he wrote of a suggestion he made at a lecture at Taiwan’s National Defense University in 2018: “I proposed having a standby force of F-35's in the U.S. that either would belong to Taiwan or be leased to Taiwan. That force would be available to respond to any retaliation by mainland China”. Bryen’s Newsweek article was immediately republished in Taiwan news outlets causing a flurry of attention. Rod Reuven Dovid Bryant and Jerry Gordon brought back Dr. Bryen to discuss his proposals for Taiwan and his views on the current conflict in the South Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia with regional ramifications involving Russia, Turkey, Israel, and Iran. The following are takeaways from the interview with Dr. Stephen Bryen. On deterrent value of US leasing F-35 to Taiwan. Beyond the Matrix 14OCT2020 - PODCAST

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:  As protests and civil unrest arise across the U.S., and tension has mounted, Talking Taiwan's host Felicia Lin was reminded of a time in which she found herself in the midst of intense protests in 2014,  in Taipei, Taiwan, after the occupation of the Legislative Yuan in what has become known as the Sunflower Movement.

On January 11, Taiwan held its seventh consecutive election for President and ninth national election for its Legislative Yuan. It is an event certain to have an impact on its security and prosperity, its role in the world, on US-Taiwan relations, and cross-straits relations. Please join The Heritage Foundation and Global Taiwan Institute to assess the election results. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let me introduce you to Freddy Lim. If you don't know Freddy, he's the frontman of Chthonic. Formed in the mid-90s, they are one of Asia's most successful and well known metal bands who has crossed over into the western market and had a lot of success playing some of the biggest stages in the world including Loud Park, Wacken Open Air, Download, OzzFest and more. Chthonic's blends extreme metal (death and black) with a number of different traditional Taiwanese instruments giving them a unique sound. Their songs are inspired my Taiwanese mythology, stories and history which the band holds great importance. For most people, the success and achievements of Chthonic would be more than enough, however for Freddy the band is merely one chapter of a larger book. For 4 years, Freddy lead Amnesty International Taiwan and in 2015 he founded the New Power Party and became a party member of the Legislative Yuan 2016. Freddy's focuses are directed toward human rights issues as well as the independence of Taiwan from China. Freddy recently stopped through Sydney on his way to speak at the ANU (Australian National University) in Canberra for the Culture and Political Change in Contemporary Taiwan conference. Freddy hopes to discuss the topic of Taiwan's independence to an Australian audience and raise further awareness of the importance of his message. While we only had time for a brief chat, Freddy and I covered some of the challenges he had to face personally when becoming a politician, his advantage in politics due to his music background, and the influence these experiences including some other personal events have shaped Chthonic's music, especially their new album which is due out in October 2018. If you're yet to discover Chthonic or would like to learn more about Freddy's work in political endeavours and activism, check out the links below. Show notes Learn more about Freddy on via Main Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Wikipedia | Freddy's policital resources - New Power Party | Legislative Yuan | Follow Chthonic via Main Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Article - Taiwan flag design painted over by council ahead of beef industry event Photo by Joel H. Garcia - Photography

This week we discuss the end of a successful Summer Universiade, the possibility that the government will backtrack on a nuclear free homeland, visa free access to Thailand, a larger foreign affairs budget, and the upcoming Legislative Yuan session.

This week we discuss the end of a successful Summer Universiade, the possibility that the government will backtrack on a nuclear free homeland, visa free access to Thailand, a larger foreign affairs budget, and the upcoming Legislative Yuan session.

We discuss the recent ire feelings in the Legislative Yuan, the launch of a Reporters Without Borders bureau, the up-coming Universiade and more.

We discuss the recent ire feelings in the Legislative Yuan, the launch of a Reporters Without Borders bureau, the up-coming Universiade and more.

ICRT News discusses the protest by civil servants outside the Legislative Yuan against President Tsai¡¦s pension reforms, a self-described Chinese dissident denied asylum in Taiwan, the decision by the China Post to end their print edition, and more.

ICRT News discusses the protest by civil servants outside the Legislative Yuan against President Tsai¡¦s pension reforms, a self-described Chinese dissident denied asylum in Taiwan, the decision by the China Post to end their print edition, and more.

On May 20, Taiwan inaugurated a new president, Tsai Ing-wen, who has been described as the most powerful woman in the Chinese-speaking world. It was a historic election not just because Taiwan elected its first female president but because the opposition, the Democratic Progressive Party, won both the presidency and a majority in the Legislative Yuan. What does the new administration intend for Taiwan's future and for the future of cross-strait relations, how will China respond, and what role is there for the US to play to promote regional security?

ICRT news is joined by Ross Feingold of DC International Advisory to discuss accusations of militarization in the South China Sea, the new DPP led Legislative Yuan as it starts its term, the continuing fallout from the February 6th earthquake, and more.

ICRT news is joined by Ross Feingold of DC International Advisory to discuss accusations of militarization in the South China Sea, the new DPP led Legislative Yuan as it starts its term, the continuing fallout from the February 6th earthquake, and more.

We speak to Robin Winkler, a naturalized Taiwanese citizen whose bid to run in next year's Legislative Yuan election makes him the first Caucasian to seek such a high elected office in Taiwan.

We speak to Robin Winkler, a naturalized Taiwanese citizen whose bid to run in next year's Legislative Yuan election makes him the first Caucasian to seek such a high elected office in Taiwan.

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin: Here is an interview with Tony Chang on the Taiwan Independence Citizens Revolution.

We speak to participants of a demonstration organized by the White Justice Social Alliance over the weekend to oppose the ongoing occupation of the Legislative Yuan.

We speak to participants of a demonstration organized by the White Justice Social Alliance over the weekend to oppose the ongoing occupation of the Legislative Yuan.

For the view from the rank and file we went to the Legislative Yuan to speak with student protesters Shawna Wei and Paris Shi.

We sit down with Lin Fei-Fan at the Legislative Yuan to talk about proposed talks with President Ma Ying-jeou and what he hopes to accomplish through them.

We sit down with Lin Fei-Fan at the Legislative Yuan to talk about proposed talks with President Ma Ying-jeou and what he hopes to accomplish through them.

For the view from the rank and file we went to the Legislative Yuan to speak with student protesters Shawna Wei and Paris Shi.