Taiwan Talk

History has no better teachers than the eyewitnesses that watch it unfold and are "in the room when it happens." This unaired episode of Taiwan Talk is an eyewitness account presenting former Control Yuan and Foreign Minister Fredrick Chien's memories and insights of what transpired after the U-S announced it was derecognizing the ROC (Taiwan). Chien walks us through some of the negotiations and events that took place; and reintroduces us to key historical figures of the time including the last U.S. Ambassador to the ROC, Leonard S. Unger who was appointed in 1974 and Warren Christopher, who served as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's official emissary who led negotiations between Washington and Taipei. Chien also talks about the roles of ROC Foreign Minister Shen Chang-huan who resigned after the U.S. announcement; Victor Wei-Jen Hu who was Private Secretary to the Foreign Minister H.E. Chang-Huan Shen; and GIO director James Soong in the complicated unwinding of diplomatic ties with an important ally. T

Former Control Yuan President and Foreign Minister Fredrick Chien shares his memories and insights into the hours and days in the aftermath of the US decision to derecognize the Republic of China (Taiwan), in favor of the People's Republic of China. His discourse reintroduces listeners to several key personalities, including the last U.S. Ambassador to the ROC, Leonard S. Unger who was appointed in 1974; ROC Foreign Minister Shen Chang-huan who resigned after the U.S. announcement; Victor Wei-Jen Hu Private Secretary to the Foreign Minister H.E. Chang-Huan Shen; and GIO director James Soong. A longer version of the interview is also available for history buffs who might wish to hear a more complete narrative of what transpired among those who were"in the room where it happened." The interview was done as part of I-C-R-T's 45th birthday celebrations.

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.

I-C-R-T's John Seaward chats with Oscar-nominated documentary maker, S. Leo Chiang about what inspired him to put his thoughts into a film that caught the attention of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. You can find the documentary short here.

Philippe Grelon is an avid sailor who did much to encourage recreational sailing as a sport in Taiwan. Philippe and his son Cosmas speak to I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo about the early days of sailing in Taiwan, and their quest to capture the top spot in this year's Rolex China Sea Race, sailing in "A Plastic Ocean" or TPE 003.

Can technology really help you find the partner of your dreams? Coffee Meets Bagel Co-Founder and CEO Arum Kang thinks so. She tells I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo how algorithms could be the 21st century Cupid singletons are looking for.

Lawyer and longtime Taiwan resident John Eastwood's social media now features curated images of some of Taipei's most iconic colonial buildings. He speaks to I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo about his interest in local architecture: what spurred it and what captures his imagination.

Japan and Italy may sit on different, faraway continents, but Initia's Chef Kunihiro Hagimoto says its easy to catch the similarities between the two cuisines -- and what they are -- during a chat with I-C-R-T 's Hope Ngo.

Taiwan may be a democracy today but it wasn't always this way. Writer and historian Mark O'Neill spent some years in Taipei during the 1980s -- he covers that period in his latest book in a chat with I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo.

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.

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.

Taiwan's Indigenous languages have gone through centuries of social upheaval and marginalisation, But many of these languages still persist in Indigenous communities - and so do the people determined to save, document and revitalise them. In this episode, guest host Aspen Beilharz talks to Apay Ai-yu Tang, linguist and Associate Professor at National Dong Hwa University, about her work to ensure the survival of her ancestral language Truku Seediq.

Building a successful wedding and event planning company can't be easy, but it's all in a day's work for Lin Ching Ching of Taipei's Chin Chin Weddings. Hear how the self-confessed "farm girl" built a thriving business by doing something young men and women can dream about -- owning a high-end event planning firm with a designer client roster.

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.

There may not be absentee voting in Taiwan, but that won't keep members of the island's overseas community from weighing in on the elections which happen on January 13. In this special report for ICRT, Keith Menconi reveals how San Francisco-based Taiwanese feel about the polls.

2023 saw the end of COVID restrictions and new iterations of existing trade ties with Western allies. Stanford University Taiwan specialist KharisTempleman looks at the year that was in the area of foreign relations.

YouTube Co-Founder Steve Chen rode out most of the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. The (literal) move gave him the opportunity to study Taiwan's startup ecosystem up close. Has anything changed since that time? He shared his thoughts with I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo in an interview that took place last summer in this encore presentation.

What does it take to introduce a cuisine that not many people may be too familiar with, and turn that into the cornerstone of a Michelin-starred offer? Zea's chef de cuisine Joaquin Elizondo talks about what brought him to Taipei, and the role his restaurant plays in bringing the flavors of Latin America to the island.

Hailing from Ivory Coast, Ange Samuel Kouamé has made his name in Taiwanese football with spectacular goal scoring - and in 2023, he became naturalized as a Taiwanese citizen. He talks with guest host Aspen Beilharz about his story, and how he overcame challenges to reach a footballer’s dream of playing on the world stage.

With most of life returning to normal, few of us remember that it was just a year ago in November that the Taiwan government began easing its COVID-related restrictions. I-C-R-T's Hope Ngo looks back at the conversations she's had with personalities within the food and restaurant industry, as well as hospitality space to ask them what they remember about business in the time of the coronavirus, even if many of us might have forgotten.