Taiwan Salon
Taiwan Salon is a podcast produced by the Global Taiwan Institute, a policy think tank in Washington, DC. Hosted by GTI staff, it examines Taiwan's cultural policy and approach to soft power through interviews with figures inside and outside government. The series explores how Taiwan's history and culture interact with policy, and it highlights opportunities and challenges for future soft engagement between Taiwan and the United States. Intro and outro music is by I'mdifficult.
Episodes
S5E6: How does Civil Society Shape Taiwan’s Space Ecosystem? ft. Andie Wang (Taiwan Space Generation)
As the Taiwanese government increasingly invests in its space capabilities, civil society is doing what state programs alone cannot: cultivating relations with international space communities which are often closed. With global competition in space technology heated, civil society organizations like Taiwan Space Generation (TSG) are playing an important role in building a resilient and sustainable
S5 E5: Moving Taiwan beyond Earth: Exploring Taiwan’s Space Policy and Technology ft. Andie Wang (Taiwan Space Generation)
Taiwan’s space capabilities are taking off. From developing indigenous satellites to strengthening communication resilience, Taiwan is building its own space industry and seeking more cooperation with international actors.In this episode, former GTI Communications Associate Yuchen Lee and Research Associate Jessica Shiao interview Andie Wang, President of Taiwan Space Generation (TSG). She explore
S5 E4: Is AI a New Form of Colonization? Defending Indigenous Sovereignty in A Tech World ft. Margaret Yun-Pu Tu
In the fourth episode of Taiwan Salon Season 5, former GTI Communications Associate Yuchen Lee and GTI Ya-Hui Chiu Summer Fellow Cara Bilson interview Margaret Yun-Pu Tu, a PhD candidate in Law at the University of Washington and co-founder of the Seattle-based NGO Pacific Alliance for Autonomous Traditions, Indigenous Sovereignty (PAFATIS). Ms. Tu explores the impact of AI on indigenous cultures
S5 E3: Indigenous Peoples, Global Ties: Reimagining Taiwan through Its Pacific Roots ft. Margaret Yun-Pu Tu (a.k.a. Nikal Kabala’an)
“Taiwan is not only a geopolitical hotspot—it's part of a much longer Indigenous history across the Pacific.”In Taiwan Salon Season 5 Episode 3, GTI Communications Associate Yuchen Lee and Spring 2026 Intern Cara Bilson speak with Margaret Yun-Pu Tu, a PhD candidate in Law at the University of Washington and co-founder of the Seattle-based NGO Pacific Alliance for Autonomous Traditions, Indige
S5 E2: When K-POP Meets Hakka: The International Engagement of Hakka TV ft. Paul Shiang and I-Li Lo
“When we saw Leeteuk from Super Junior speak Hakka at his concert, I was really moved because at that moment I realized this was no longer just a television program. It has become a sincere cultural exchange.”In 2024, Hakka TV launched its first international co-production: Hakka Kitchen, a reality show that brings K-pop stars like Super Junior's Leeteuk together with Taiwanese artists to run
S5 E1: Can Television Save a Language? The Story of Hakka TV ft. Paul Shiang and I-Li Lo
“Hakka culture is not mainly about grand buildings or eye-catching symbols. It's not only about history and festivals. Instead, it lives quietly in everyday life, in our food, our language and our family relationships.”Characterized by their hospitality and distinctive food culture, the Hakka (客家) are one of Taiwan’s major ethnic groups, comprising about 20 percent of the population. Over the year
Taiwan Salon Season 4 Episode 7: Ipa Chiu on Building Democracy through Open-Source Technologies
“Don’t ask why nobody is doing this, you are the NOBODY.”Confronted with frequent natural disasters—such as earthquakes and typhoons—and ongoing political challenges, including Chinese coercion, Taiwan has cultivated a resilient and highly creative civil society. Within this dynamic ecosystem, civic technology stands out as a distinctive force, blending grassroots activism with digital innovation
Taiwan Salon Season 4, Episode 6: Aiong Taigi on Preserving Taiwanese and Learning the Inner Language
Taiwanese (台語), also known as Tâi-gí, is the most widely spoken native language in Taiwan. During both the Japanese colonial period and subsequent martial law era (1949-1987), Taiwanese and other indigenous languages faced severe repression. While democratization has restored the freedom to speak Taiwanese openly, new challenges have emerged. As fewer young people speak the language, the question
Taiwan Salon, Season 4, Episode 5: Honghong Tinn on Island Tinkerers and Semiconductors
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, GTI Senior Programs Manager Adrienne Wu and Intern Trinity Tai interview Honghong Tinn, the author of Island Tinkerers and an assistant professor at University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Drawing upon her research of influential Taiwanese “tinkerers,” Dr. Tinn talks about how Taiwan’s rise in high-tech industries has contributed to its international image and engage
Taiwan Salon Season 4, Episode 4: KJ Chang on Learning Taiwan's History through Board Games
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, GTI Senior Programs Manager Adrienne Wu and Intern Diarra Molock interview KJ Chang, the founder of Mizo Games. KJ explains how Mizo Games—through board games like 2045 and Raid on Takao—combines fantasy, Taiwan’s history under Japanese colonization, and current cross-Strait tensions to create uniquely-Taiwanese playing experiences.
Taiwan Salon, Season 4, Episode 3: Hsin-mei Cheng on "Zero Day Attack" and Taiwanese Media
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, GTI Senior Programs Manager Adrienne Wu and Intern Diarra Molock interview Hsin-mei Cheng, the screenwriter and producer behind the series Zero Day Attack, which depicts the events surrounding a Chinese attack on Taiwan. With Hsin-mei, we discuss the importance of using popular culture to bring difficult-to-discuss topics to mainstream audiences and the challenges
Taiwan Salon, Season 4, Episode 2: Chris Horton on Journalism in Taiwan
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, GTI Senior Programs Manager Adrienne Wu and Communications Associate Yuchen Lee interview Chris Horton, a freelance journalist based in Taipei. Chris talks about his journey to Taipei, international news coverage of Taiwan, and his upcoming book, Ghost Nation: The Story of Taiwan and Its Struggle for Survival.
Taiwan Salon, Season 4, Episode 1: Caroline Fried and Siwei Huang on Nonpartisanship and Taiwan-Based Think Tanks
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Program Manager Adrienne Wu interviews Director of Research Caroline Fried and Director of Engagement Siwei Huang from the Center for Asia Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI). For our season four premiere we speak with Caroline and Siwei about CAPRI’s work, the importance of being nonpartisan when doing policy research, and the challenges and opp
Taiwan Salon, Season 3, Episode 4: Jay Lin on LGBTQ+ Media and the Pink Economy
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, GTI Program Manager Adrienne Wu and Fall Intern Yuchen Lee interview Jay Lin, the founder and CEO of both Portico Media and GagaOOLala, to discuss GagaOOLala’s role as a global LGBTQ+ streaming platform and how the pink economy can benefit Taiwan.
Taiwan Salon, Season 3, Episode 3: David Chang on Internationalizing Taiwan
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, GTI Program Manager Adrienne Wu interviews David Chang, the founder and secretary-general of Crossroads, to talk about the organization's ongoing dual nationality petition and discuss what dual nationality means for Taiwan—as a country, society, and economy.
Taiwan Salon, Season 3, Episode 2: Vanessa Hope on Invisible Nation and Tsai Ing-wen
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, GTI Program Manager Adrienne Wu and Spring Intern Uma Baron interview Vanessa Hope, the director of documentary film Invisible Nation. Reflecting on the eight years she spent filming Invisible Nation, Vanessa Hope talks about why Taiwan and Tsai Ing-wen matter for democracies worldwide and how she approached telling Taiwan’s story.
Taiwan Salon, Season 3, Episode 1: Jerry Liu on Cultural Policy after the 2024 Elections
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu interviews Dr. Jerry C. Y. Liu, dean of the College of Humanities at the National Taiwan University of Arts and the founding president of Taiwan Association of Cultural Policy Studies (TACPS). For our season three premiere, we speak with Dr. Liu about TACPS’ recent cultural petition, recommendations for the incoming admin
Taiwan Salon, Season 2, Episode 6: Gary Rawnsley and Diana Chiawen Lee on Communicating Taiwan’s Soft Power Capacity
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu interviews Dr. Gary Rawnsley, head of University of Lincoln’s School of Social and Political Sciences, and Diana Chiawen Lee, an award-winning independent film producer and documentary filmmaker. Despite Taiwan’s vibrant and unique culture, the country struggles with communicating its story to international audiences. For
Taiwan Salon Season 2, Episode 5: Clarissa Wei on Taiwanese Food
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu and former GTI Program Associate Zoë Weaver-Lee interview Clarissa Wei, a freelance journalist and the author of Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation. From bubble tea to beef noodle soup, Taiwanese food is a huge draw for tourists and an excellent way of introducing Taiwan’s culture to the world. But
Taiwan Salon, Season 2, Episode 4: Annie Huang on Taiwan’s Civil Society
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu and Summer Fellow Jonah Landsman interview Annie Huang, the regional project leader at Greenpeace East Asia. Taiwan’s vibrant civil society not only sets Taiwan apart from China, but also showcases Taiwan’s commitment to protecting human rights and holding the government accountable to its citizens. During this episode, w
Taiwan Salon, Season 2, Episode 3: Lanhee Chen on Being Taiwanese American
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu and Program Manager Marshall Reid interview Lanhee Chen, a GTI Advisor and the David and Diane Steffy Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. During this special AAPI heritage month episode, we speak with Dr. Chen about Taiwanese American identity, Taiwan as a bipartisan issue, and the role that Taiwanese
Taiwan Salon, Season 2, Episode 2: Chiayo Kuo on Digital Diplomacy
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu interviews Chiayo Kuo, the founder and president of the Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association (TDDA). In an increasingly digitized and globalized world, social media has become an important tool for public diplomacy. During this episode, we speak with Chiayo Kuo about why digital outreach is important for Taiwan and TDDA’s
Taiwan Salon, Season 2, Episode 1: Agnes Ling-yu Hsiao on Transitional Justice
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu interviews sociologist and academic researcher Dr. Agnes Ling-yu Hsiao. In 2018, the Taiwanese government established a Transitional Justice Commission (TJC) to examine illegal acts committed during the White Terror period, and to provide victims with compensation. For this first episode of season two, we discuss why tran
Taiwan Salon, Episode 10: Sara Lin, Natalie Tso, and Emily Y. Wu on Media
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu interviews three representatives of Taiwan's emerging news media: Sara Lin, director of public Relations for Taiwan Plus News; Natalie Tso, host and producer at Radio Taiwan International; and Emily Y. Wu, co-founder and CEO of Ghost Island Media. While growing interest in cross-Strait relations has led to greater interna
Taiwan Salon, Episode 9: Awi Mona on Taiwan’s Indigenous Communities
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Assistant Zoe Weaver-Lee interview Dr. Awi Mona, Associate Professor of Law and Indigenous Studies at National Dong Hwa University. Taiwan’s cultural policies have aimed to expand the definition of Taiwanese to be more multicultural. In this episode, Dr. Awi discusses how Taiwan’s indigenous communities have b
Taiwan Salon, Episode 8: Weining Hung on Taiwan’s Music Industry
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Assistant Zoe Weaver-Lee interview Weining Hung, the co-founder of LUCfest, an annual music festival that seeks to showcase new talent, as well as to connect Taiwan's musicians with international audiences and the broader global music industry. Ms. Hung discusses the barriers faced by Taiwan’s music industry,
Taiwan Salon Episode 7: Alan Bairner on Sports Diplomacy
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Assistant Zoe Weaver-Lee interview Dr. Alan Bairner, a professor of Sport and Social Theory at Loughborough University (UK). In the conversation, Dr. Bairner discusses the role of sports in cultural diplomacy, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by Taiwan in relation to hosting and participating
Taiwan Salon, Episode 6: Randall L. Nadeau on Academic Exchanges
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Manager Marshall Reid interview Dr. Randall L. Nadeau, the executive director of the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange, commonly known as Fulbright Taiwan. Discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Confucius Institute closures, Dr. Nadeau talks about trends of interest in academic exchanges between th
Taiwan Salon, Episode 5: Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao on the New Southbound Policy
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Manager Marshall Reid interview Dr. Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao, the chairman of the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation and the chairman of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at National Chengchi University. Dr. Hsiao discusses the importance of people-to-people ties in Taipei’s New Southbound Policy and how NGO
Taiwan Salon, Episode 4: Lung-chih Chang on Museums and Cultural Diplomacy
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Manager Marshall Reid interview Dr. Lung-chih Chang, the director of the National Museum of Taiwan History (NMTH). Emphasizing the importance of creating a "museum of the people," Dr. Chang talks about how the NMTH curates its exhibits and collaborates internationally.
Taiwan Salon, Episode 3: Chun-ying Wei on Taiwan’s Cultural Policy
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Manager Marshall Reid interview Dr. Chun-ying Wei, a board member of the Taiwan Association of Cultural Policy Studies and an assistant professor at National Sun Yat-Sen University. Dr. Wei discusses Taiwan’s National Cultural Congress, culture white papers, and the government’s current approach to cultural po
Taiwan Salon, Episode 2: Shelley Rigger on Democracy and Soft Power
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Assistant Zoe Weaver-Lee interview Dr. Shelley Rigger, a GTI advisor, interim vice president for academic affairs, and the Brown Professor of Political Science at Davidson College. Addressing the strengths and limitations of using democratic values as a source of soft power, Dr. Rigger discusses how democratic
Taiwan Salon, Episode 1: Audrey Tang on Taiwan’s Digital Diplomacy
In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Assistant Zoe Weaver-Lee interview Minister Audrey Tang, the digital minister of Taiwan. To kick off the season, Minister Tang discusses Taiwan’s aptitude for collaboration across diversity and how digital tools can strengthen democracy and augment diplomacy.
Teaser: Taiwan Salon
Hosted by members of GTI’s staff, Taiwan Salon will examine Taiwan’s cultural policy and approach to soft power from perspectives both inside and outside the government. Make sure to join us as we discuss how Taiwan’s unique history and culture interacts with policy and outline opportunities and challenges for future “soft” engagement between Taiwan and the United States.
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