Global Taiwan Insights

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  The Chinese Companies Doing Mass Surveillance For Hire (with Brett Benson) 19.08.2026 31min

  In Season 7, Episode 3 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Dr. Brett Benson, Associate Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, on his groundbreaking research into Chinese companies selling mass surveillance services to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Using leaks from two Chinese firms—Golaxy and Geedge—Benson has shed light on a private industry leveraging artificial intelligence to conduct massive surveillance of citizens in China, Taiwan, the United States, and around the world. Dr. Benson discusses how such Chinese companies are not only marketing their services to the CCP, but also to authoritarian governments beyond China’s borders. 
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  Taiwan’s Home-Grown Drone Industry (feat.Lotta Danielsson) 13.05.2026 29min

  In Season 7, Episode 2 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando and Eliza Cormier interview Lotta Danielsson, Executive Vice President of the US-Taiwan Business Council. Lotta shares how Taipei has stimulated investment in air- and sea-based drones that can prepare the island against a PRC attack. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, Taiwanese drones have been delivered to Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, challenging Taiwanese manufacturers to improve their technology.
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  Taiwan’s Own Political Warfare System (with Mariah Thornton) 18.02.2026 31min

   In Season 7, Episode 1 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Mariah Thornton, teaching fellow at the London School of Economics, on her groundbreaking research into Taiwan’s own political warfare system. Taiwan’s Political Warfare Bureau, embedded within the Republic of China military, has existed since the Kuomintang ruled China in the early 20th century. Even after the Kuomintang lost the Chinese Civil War and Taiwan democratized in the 1980s, this political warfare system has continued to operate within Taiwan’s military and society. But as Chinese influence operations surge on the island, this system has renewed purpose. 
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  China and Russia Collaborate on Undersea Cable Sabotage? (With Andrew Yeh) 11.12.2025 20min

  In Season 6, Episode 5 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Andrew Yeh, Executive Director of the China Strategic Risks Institute, on suspected Chinese and Russian collaboration on undersea cable sabotage. In recent years, critical undersea cables have been severed in global hotspots such as the Baltic Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Yeh takes us through cases of potential Beijing-Moscow collaboration and explains why international law isn’t ready to ward off these attacks. 
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  How will South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung Approach Taiwan? (with Eun A Jo) 04.11.2025 21min

  In Season 6, Episode 5 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Dr. Eun A Jo, an Assistant Professor at William and Mary and expert on South Korean politics. In June this year, the Democratic Party of Korea’s Lee Jae Myung was elected president, triggering speculation that South Korea would discontinue its policy of clear alignment with the United States. Before Lee took office, Seoul had been working with Tokyo and Washington on military and economic collaboration intended to deter both China and North Korea. As a non-traditional politician, Lee’s policies towards Taiwan are not easy to predict, and Jo explains how we can interpret his early political decisions.
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  The PRC ID Card Controversy in Taiwan (with Sze-Fung Lee) 10.09.2025 18min

  In Season 6, Episode 4 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando interviews Sze-Fung Lee, an independent researcher specializing in hybrid warfare. In December 2024, the Taiwanese YouTuber "Ba Jiong" (八炯) made the explosive claim that some 200,000 Taiwanese citizens possess People’s Republic of China (PRC) ID cards – an activity that is illegal under Taiwanese law. The report sparked an uproar in Taiwan, and led to an investigation by Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency. Lee explains the PRC hybrid warfare tactics behind issuing ID cards to Taiwanese citizens, why cracking down on this activity has proven so controversial, and how this issue connects to broader efforts by Taiwan's government to push back against PRC subversion.
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  Winning the Cross-Strait Content War with Comedy (Feat. LeLe Farley) 10.06.2025 18min

  In Season 6, Episode 3 of Global Taiwan Insights, Ben Sando and Diarra Molock interview Lawrence Farley, better known by his stage name LeLe Farley (樂樂法利). Farley is a YouTuber with nearly half a million subscribers, and satirizes the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP, 中國共產黨) contradictory propaganda related to Taiwan and its own political system. Farley explains how he uses comedy to get ordinary people to care about nonsensical aspects of CCP propaganda, and how Taiwan activists can better hone their messages on social media. 
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  Chile’s Cross-Strait Relations and its Dependence on China (feat. Sascha Hannig Nuñez) 14.04.2025 19min

  In Season 6, Episode 2 of GTI Insights, Ben Sando interviews Sascha Hannig Nuñez, an executive secretary at the Centro de Análisis para la Democracia (CAD) of Chile. As Chile’s minerals industry grows more dependent on the People's Republic of China (PRC), Chilean politicians are taking increasingly pro-Beijing lines about Taiwan. Some Chilean organizations like CAD are raising awareness about PRC Spanish-language propaganda, but the Taiwanese government has failed to establish a strong presence in Chilean society and counter Chinese Communist Party narratives.
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  What can Ukraine’s Civil Defense Teach Taiwan? (Feat. Maksym Skrypchenko) 15.01.2025 30min

  In Season 6, Episode 1 of GTI Insights, Ben Sando interviews Maksym Skrypchenko, president of the Transatlantic Dialogue Center and an expert in Ukrainian security. In the years since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s civil defense has evolved to feature software tools, robust air raid shelters, and efficient command of volunteer fighters. As Taiwan readies itself against a possible invasion from the People’s Republic of China, Ukraine’s civil defense is a more critical example than ever. 
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  The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (with Tom Fraser) 22.11.2024 23min

  In Season 5, Episode 5 of GTI Insights, Ben Sando interviews Tom Fraser, programs director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), on marshalling parliaments around the world to pass legislation regarding China. In the summer, IPAC held their annual summit in Taipei, with both progress on China legislation and major pushback from the Chinese Communist Party.
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  Lithuania’s Pivot to Taiwan: Three Years Later (with Raigirdas Boruta) 12.09.2024 25min

  In Season 5, Episode 4 of GTI Insights, Ben Sando and Lillian Ellis interview Raigirdas Boruta, policy analyst at Lithuania’s Government Strategic Analysis Center (STRATA), on trends and challenges since the Lithuanian government’s 2021 pivot in diplomatic ties from China to Taiwan. Mr. Boruta shares his insight into the massive economic retaliation suffered by Lithuania, Taiwan and Western allies’ efforts to offset the damage, and how democratic governments can better manage similar pivots in the future. 
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  GTI Insights Season 5, Episode 3: A Conversation with Jess Marinaccio on Tuvalu, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands 18.04.2024 33min

  In Season 5, Episode 3 of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and Intern Uma Baron interview Dr. Jess Marinaccio, an assistant professor of Asian Pacific Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills. In an engaging conversation, Dr. Marinaccio shares her thoughts on the complex relationship between Taiwan and Tuvalu, the implications of the recent Tuvaluan elections, and the growing presence of China in the Pacific Islands.
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  GTI Insights Season 5, Episode 2: A Conversation with MP Cătălin Teniță on Growing Romania-Taiwan Engagement 27.02.2024 25min

  In Season 5, Episode 2 of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and Research Associate Adrienne Wu interview Cătălin Teniță, a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania. In a wide-ranging and timely discussion, Teniță shares his perspectives on emerging ties between Romania and Taiwan, China's influence in Southeastern Europe, and the need for democratic solidarity in the face of authoritarian aggression.
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  GTI Insights Season 5, Episode 1: A Conversation with MP Kira Rudik on Ukraine, Taiwan, and the Global Democracy Movement 12.01.2024 27min

  In the first episode of Season 5 of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and Research Associate Adrienne Wu interview Kira Rudik, a member of Ukrainian Parliament, the leader of the Holos Party, and vice president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. In a fascinating discussion, Rudik shares her thoughts on Ukraine's resistance against the Russian invasion, Kyiv's role in the international democratic movement, and the importance of growing Ukraine-Taiwan engagement.
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  GTI Insights Season 4, Episode 10: A Conversation with Stephen Nagy on Canada's Multilateral Approach to Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific 29.12.2023 27min

  In this episode of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and GTI Intern Daniela Martinez interview Dr. Stephen Nagy, a professor at the Department of Politics and International Studies at International Christian University in Tokyo. In a wide-ranging discussion, Dr. Nagy shares his perspectives on Canada's new Indo-Pacific Strategy, sub-national collaboration with Taiwan, and prospects for increased internationalization of the Taiwan Strait.
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  GTI Insights Season 4, Episode 9: A Conversation with Ben Sando on Taiwan's Civil Society and its Role in Countering Disinformation 20.10.2023 28min

  In Season 4, Episode 9 of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu interview Ben Sando, a research fellow at Doublethink Lab and a recipient of GTI's Taiwan Scholarship. In a timely conversation, Sando shares his perspectives on China's evolving efforts to influence Taiwan's democracy, the crucial role civil society groups play in responding to these operations, and the potential for expanded international cooperation at the grassroots level.
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  GTI Insights Season 4, Episode 8: A Conversation with Ja-Ian Chong on Singapore's Complex Ties to Taiwan and China 15.09.2023 21min

  In this episode of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu interview Dr. Ja-Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. In a compelling conversation, Dr. Chong shares his insights on Singapore's unique cultural, linguistic, and economic ties with Taiwan, China's mounting efforts to influence diaspora communities in Singapore, and potential future avenues for Singapore-Taiwan collaboration.
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  GTI Insights Season 4, Episode 7: A Conversation with Joshua Espeña on the Philippines’ Approach to Taiwan 18.08.2023 44min

  In Season 4, Episode 7 of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and GTI Summer Intern Eric Jung interview Joshua Espeña, lecturer at the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Resident Fellow at International Development and Security Cooperation in Manila. In an illuminating discussion, Espeña shares his insights into the Philippines' approach to and relationship with cross-Strait tensions and the potential for future Taiwan-Philippines cooperation.
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  GTI Insights Season 4, Episode 6: A Conversation with Dramane Germain Thiombiano on Taiwan's Ties with African States 03.07.2023 28min

  In this episode of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and Program Associate Zoë Weaver-Lee interview Dr. Dramane Germain Thiombiano, an assistant professor at National Sun Yat-sen University. In a fascinating conversation, Dr. Dramane shares his perspectives on Taiwan's precarious position in Africa, the growing role of China on the continent, and the potential for future Taiwan-Africa engagement.
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  GTI Insights Season 4, Episode 5: A Conversation with Julieta Heduvan on the Taiwan-Paraguay Relationship 08.06.2023 20min

  In Season 4, Episode 5 of GTI Insights, GTI Program Manager Marshall Reid and Program Associate Zoë Weaver-Lee interview Julieta Heduvan, a Paraguayan academic and foreign policy analyst. In a timely conversation, Heduvan shares her insights on Taiwan-Paraguay relations, the implications of the 2023 Paraguayan national elections, and China's efforts to pressure Paraguay.