PTT is one of the most open social media platforms in the Chinese language. Though it’s not more populous than Facebook, it’s arguably more impactful than Facebook here in Taiwan. It’s a reflection of Taiwan's spirited democracy, and it’s used heavily as a source for local journalists. We speak with two INDSR researchers on a year-long project, “A Pilot Study on PTT in the Context of Influence Operations” (批踢踢影響力作戰前導研究）which attempts to identify CCP state actors on the platfor. The researchers are Oddis J.F. Tsai (Policy Analyst at the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources) and Dr. Jui-Ming Hung (Assistant Research Fellow at the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources). The paper lays out mechanics and - through quantitative analysis - identifies types of suspect behavior on the world’s largest non-commercial, forum-based, open-source online bulletin board system in the Chinese language. This interview was recorded in January 2021 after the paper was published by INDSR. The paper is available here: https://indsr.org.tw/en/News_detail/2181/A-Year-of-Influence-en Today’s host is J.R. Wu - a non-resident advisor at INDSR (Institute for National Defense and Security Research) in Taiwan. Wu is a former journalist with nearly two decades of media experience in the US and Asia. She has led news bureaus for Reuters and Dow Jones. Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taiwan Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Producer & Editing, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Host, JR Wu | Research, Alice Yeh A Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Taiwan Take

21. Security 3 - Influence Operations on PTT: Oddis J.F. Tsai + J.M. Hung (INDSR)

“Democracy is a failure” - that’s the narrative the Chinese Communist Party has been trying to plant over the past year and hopes to take root in international discourse and in the minds of its 1.4 billion citizens. This disinformation has heavy implications for democracy in Taiwan, and it’s never been as serious as it is now. CCP disinformation methods are detailed in a report issued late last year titled “Deafening Whispers” by Doublethink Lab, a Taiwanese organization whose mission is to strengthen democracy through digital defense. The report has just been made available in English. This interview was recorded in January 2021 when the Chinese-version of the report was first published. Online disinformation and influence operations affect offline real-world defense and security. Fake news is a global issue and this is The Taiwan Take. Today’s guest is Dr. Puma Shen (沈伯洋), chairman of Doublethink Lab (台灣民主實驗室) and an assistant professor at National Taipei University. Today’s episode is hosted by J.R. Wu - Chief of the Secretariat for INDSR (Institute for National Defense and Security Research) in Taiwan. Wu is a former journalist with nearly two decades of media experience in the US and Asia. She has led news bureaus for Reuters and Dow Jones. Support us by donating on patron.com/Taiwan Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Producer, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Host, JR Wu | Editing & Research, Alice Yeh A Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20. Disinformation: Puma Shen (Doublethink Lab) // Security Part 2

Taiwan’s next referendum will soon vote on activating the nation’s fourth nuclear plant, as well as constructing a natural gas plant on an algal reef that's critical for Taiwan’s biodiversity. These decisions come as governments around the world are scrambling to meet the demands of the Paris Agreement, and as environmental activists fight for a more sustainable planet.  Green Parties propose an alternative voice in politics to tackle our environmental ruin. All over the world, there are 91 Green Parties that believe in committing our governments to environmental stewardship, through electing green movement leaders into office. In Asia, Taiwan is home to the region’s oldest Green Party, which won a National Assembly seat in 1996 - their very first election campaign.  Our guest today is Professor Dafydd Fell, a political scientist at SOAS University of London, and Director of the Centre of Taiwan Studies. Dafydd Fell is author of the new book: “Taiwan’s Green Parties: Alternative Politics in Taiwan”, published in March 2021 by Routledge. Today’s episode is hosted by Nate Maynard - Senior Consultant at Reset Carbon, and host of Waste Not Why Not. You can check out his show for more insights on the world’s ocean, energy, and waste issues.  Support us by donating on patron.com/Taiwan Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Executive Producer, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Producer, Yu-Chen Lai @aguavaemoji | Host, Nate Maynard @N8MAY | Assistance from Elise Chan.  A Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19. Taiwan’s Green Parties: Dafydd Fell (SOAS University of London)

The state of cannabis in Taiwan with the country’s only lawyer who only takes on cannabis-related cases. In 2020, she ran for a seat in the parliament on the platform of legalizing medical marijuana. She’s currently deputy secretary general of the Green Party in Taiwan. In March 2021, Ms. LEE won “Best Show Host” at the inaugural KKBOX Podcasts Awards for her podcast on cannabis, “In The Weeds with Lawyer Zoe Lee #大麻煩不煩,” produced by Ghost Island Media.  Marijuana remains a taboo in Taiwan. It’s a Class-2 narcotics. That’s the same class as meth. Possession over 20 grams can get you 5 years to life time in jail.  There is a movement for legalization here in Taiwan, and Ms. Zoe is a key person leading this movement. The global legal marijuana market, by one estimate, is predicted to be at 65 Billion USD by 2027. Cannabis is a global trend, and this is The Taiwan Take. Today’s episode is hosted by Emily Y. Wu, co-founder of Ghost Island Media and producer of The Taiwan Take. Support us by donating on patron.com/Taiwan Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Producer/Host, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Researcher, Alice Yeh | Assistance from Elise Chan.  A Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18. Cannabis in Taiwan: Zoe Lee (Lawyer)

(This interview was recorded in November 2020.) In 2019, according to the Pentagon, China launched more ballistic missiles for testing and training than the rest of the world combined. It did it through its newly minted rocket force, the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force - acronym P-L-A-R-F. PLARF is a critical component of China's nuclear deterrence strategy to deter and counter third-party intervention in regional conflicts. China's current defense minister, General Wei Fenghe, knows missiles. He was previously the commander of the predecessor of PLARF before PLARF was reorganized and given its new name. Mark Stokes is our guest today. He is executive director of the Project 2049 Institute, a think tank based in Washington, DC. Mr. Stokes is a 20-year United States Air Force veteran who served in intelligence planning and policy roles. Today’s episode is hosted by J.R. Wu - Chief of the Secretariat for INDSR (Institute for National Defense and Security Research) in Taiwan. Wu is a former journalist with nearly two decades of media experience in the US and Asia. She has led news bureaus for Reuters and Dow Jones. Support us by donating on patron.com/Taiwan Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Producer, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Host, JR Wu | Researchers, Alice Yeh | Editing, Alice Yeh, Emily Y. Wu | a Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17. PLA Rocket Force “PLARF”: Mark Stokes (Project 2049) // Security Part 1

Digital Minister and self-taught coding whiz Audrey Tang shares her unconventional life story – from gender identity to hacktivism, why she chose the name “Audrey 唐鳳,” and what conservative anarchism means to her. Having come of age together with Taiwanese democracy and the Internet, Tang relates how she took her education online after dropping out of junior high. Since then, Tang has striven to make knowledge as accessible, transparent, and collaborative as possible. She explains how open data initiatives (e.g. vTaiwan, g0v) can help citizens build consensus, participate in the legislative process, and ultimately, govern themselves.Today’s episode is hosted by J.R. Wu - Chief of the Secretariat for INDSR (Institute for National Defense and Security Research) in Taiwan. Wu is a former journalist with nearly two decades of media experience in the US and Asia. She has led news bureaus for Reuters and Dow Jones.Support us by donating on patron.com/TaiwanFollow us on Twitter @ghostislandmeEPISODE CREDIT | Producer, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Host, JR Wu | Researchers, Sam Robbins @helloitisSam, Alice Yeh, Yu-Chen Lai @aGuavaEmojiA Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media

16. Life & Times of: Audrey Tang (Digital Minister @ Taiwan)

Digital Minister and self-taught coding whiz Audrey Tang shares her unconventional life story – from gender identity to hacktivism, why she chose the name “Audrey 唐鳳,” and what conservative anarchism means to her.  Having come of age together with Taiwanese democracy and the Internet, Tang relates how she took her education online after dropping out of junior high. Since then, Tang has striven to make knowledge as accessible, transparent, and collaborative as possible. She explains how open data initiatives (e.g. vTaiwan, g0v) can help citizens build consensus, participate in the legislative process, and ultimately, govern themselves. Today’s episode is hosted by J.R. Wu - Chief of the Secretariat for INDSR (Institute for National Defense and Security Research) in Taiwan. Wu is a former journalist with nearly two decades of media experience in the US and Asia. She has led news bureaus for Reuters and Dow Jones. Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Producer, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Host, JR Wu | Researchers, Sam Robbins @helloitisSam, Alice Yeh, Yu-Chen Lai @aGuavaEmoji A Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first Taiwanese to receive a Michelin star, Chef Andre (江振誠) closed his 2-star restaurant in Singapore in 2018 to come home. He is the subject of the documentary “Andre and His Olive Tree” on his art, life, and what he calls “original intention”. Chef Andre left Taiwan to learn culinary arts at age 13. A citizen of the world, he was inspired while in Japan, trained in France, and made a name for himself in Singapore. Today, he talks to us about finding perfection and letting go; how he stays connected to home during his 30 years abroad; and his creative philosophy. The documentary is now available worldwide on Netflix.Today’s episode is hosted by Emily Y. Wu - producer of The Taiwan Take. Video of this interview was broadcasted on Dec 12 at Taiwan Fest. Special thanks to Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL) for organizing the interview in collaboration with TAP (Taiwanese American Professionals) chapters Atlanta, Austin, LA, New York, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC. Support us by donating on patreon.com/Taiwan | Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme.EPISODE CREDIT | Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu, Host/Producer | Claudia Sheng @flaskprodx, Production Assistant | Video by Gazing Element | Special thanks to Blossom Cafe Taipei | Music license MB01LPN9MJK6YHW | a Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media

15. Chef Andre Chiang ("Andre and His Olive Tree")

The first Taiwanese to receive a Michelin star, Chef Andre (江振誠) closed his 2-star restaurant in Singapore in 2018 to come home. He is the subject of the documentary “Andre and His Olive Tree” on his art, life, and what he calls “original intention”.  Chef Andre left Taiwan to learn culinary arts at age 13. A citizen of the world, he was inspired while in Japan, trained in France, and made a name for himself in Singapore. Today, he talks to us about finding perfection and letting go; how he stays connected to home during his 30 years abroad; and his creative philosophy. The documentary is now available worldwide on Netflix. Today’s episode is hosted by Emily Y. Wu - producer of The Taiwan Take. Video of this interview was broadcasted on Dec 12 at Taiwan Fest. Special thanks to Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL) for organizing the interview in collaboration with TAP (Taiwanese American Professionals) chapters Atlanta, Austin, LA, New York, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC.  Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu, Host/Producer | Claudia Sheng @flaskprodx, Production Assistant | Video by Gazing Element | Special thanks to Blossom Cafe Taipei | a Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media   Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly 40% of the 700,000 migrant workers in Taiwan are from Indonesia. We speak to Nick Calpakdjian, producer of the feature-length documentary “Help Is On The Way” (2020) from Indonesia that explores the nuances of being domestic caregivers workers in Taiwan. Stories of these migrant workers begin at a nanny school in West Java.“Help Is On The Way” won Best Feature Documentary at the 39th Indonesian Film Festival (FFI). It premiered in Taiwan in May on Public Television Station. International labor migration is a global issue, and this is The Taiwan Take. Guest-host today is Katherine Wei, a Taiwan-based journalist with The Strait Times. She is on Twitter @Katherinewei508.Support us by donating on patron.com/Taiwan | Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme.EPISODE CREDIT | Host, Katherine Wei | Producer, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Editing, Eli Morimoto, Emily Y. Wu | a Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media

14. “Help Is On The Way”: Nick Calpakdjian (Producer)

Nearly 40% of the 700,000 migrant workers in Taiwan are from Indonesia. We speak to Nick Calpakdjian, producer of the feature-length documentary “Help Is On The Way” (2020) from Indonesia that explores the nuances of being domestic caregivers workers in Taiwan. Stories of these migrant workers begin at a nanny school in West Java. “Help Is On The Way” won Best Feature Documentary at the 39th Indonesian Film Festival (FFI). It premiered in Taiwan in May on Public Television Station. International labor migration is a global issue, and this is The Taiwan Take. Guest-host today is Katherine Wei, a Taiwan-based journalist with The Strait Times. She is on Twitter @Katherinewei508. Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Host, Katherine Wei | Producer, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | Editing, Eli Morimoto, Emily Y. Wu | a Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media   Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk to PhD candidate Lev Nachman about the world of Taiwan Studies in academia. He discusses his entry into the field and provides practical advice for students around the world who are interested in studying Taiwan.Lev Nachman is a PhD candidate in the political science department at UC-Irvine studying social movements and political parties in Taiwan and Hong Kong. He is also a Fulbright scholar and is currently based in Taiwan. He tweets (a lot!) at https://twitter.com/lnachman32Today’s episode is hosted by Sam Robbins - a masters student at the department of sociology at National Taiwan University where he researches international data activism.  He is also editor at Taiwan Insight, the online magazine from the University of Nottingham. This was Sam’s final episode as a researcher on the Taiwan Take.Support the show by donating on patron.com/Taiwan | Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme.EPISODE CREDIT | Host/Producer - Sam Robbins | Editor - Claudia Shen, Sam Robbins, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | a Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media

13. Taiwan Studies: Lev Nachman (UC-Irvine)

We talk to PhD candidate Lev Nachman about the world of Taiwan Studies in academia. He discusses his entry into the field and provides practical advice for students around the world who are interested in studying Taiwan. Lev Nachman is a PhD candidate in the political science department at UC-Irvine studying social movements and political parties in Taiwan and Hong Kong. He is also a Fulbright scholar and is currently based in Taiwan. He tweets (a lot!) at https://twitter.com/lnachman32 Today’s episode is hosted by Sam Robbins - a masters student at the department of sociology at National Taiwan University where he researches international data activism. He is also editor at Taiwan Insight, the online magazine from the University of Nottingham. This was Sam’s final episode as a researcher on the Taiwan Take. Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme EPISODE CREDIT | Host/Producer - Sam Robbins | Editor - Claudia Shen, Sam Robbins, Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu | a Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gwhyneth Chen (陳毓襄) is a world-renowned classical pianist who's set to open the 2020/21 season for the NTSO (National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra) on August 29 and 30. Born in Taiwan and trained in the U.S., Ms. Chen is a Pride of Taiwan 台灣之光. Ms. Chen recounts performing for the late President Lee Teng-Hui and chats about the value of music, the importance of practice and staying humble, and what she calls “piano kungfu”.Ms. Chen's album - a recording of a 75-minute mission-impossible of “Etudes d’execution transcendante” by Franz Liszt - has just been nominated for a Golden Melody for Traditional Arts and Music. We feature three numbers from this album: No. 10, No. 1, and No. 8. More on Ms. Chen on her website: http://www.gwhynethchen.netToday’s episode is hosted by J.R. Wu - Chief of the Secretariat for INDSR (Institute for National Defense and Security Research) in Taiwan. Wu is a former journalist with nearly two decades of media experience in the US and Asia. She has led news bureaus for Reuters and Dow Jones.Support the show by donating on patron.com/Taiwan | Follow us on Twitter @ghostislandme.EPISODE CREDIT | J.R. Wu, Host | Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu, Producer, Editor | Sam Robbins @helloitissam, Research | Thomas Lee, Brand Design | a Ghost Island Media production | www.ghostisland.media

12. Pride of Taiwan: Gwhyneth Chen (Pianist)

A new current affairs show covering topics critical to Taiwan and the implications for Asia and beyond. Every episode, we’ll invite a veteran journalist for a conversation with an expert, to get the big picture context of what we need to know. These are global issues, and this is The Taiwan Take.

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The Taiwan Take

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