TPC Director of Communications, Ben Goren, with the Listening To Taiwanese panel at the New Bloom HQ on Thursday May 4th, 2023.

The Taiwan Policy Centre recently held our first public event in Taipei on the back of the launch of our latest report “Taiwan Respected”, co-hosted by NuVoices (@NuVoices) media group and New Bloom Magazine (@newbloommag) in Taipei. Our discussion panel for the event titled “Listening To Taiwanese” comprised Sylvia Feng, Editor of President Tsai’s 2012 and 2016 communications policy and former President of Public Television Service, Aurora Chang (@aurorachaang) of New Bloom and East Asia Regional Co-ordinator at the International Tibet Network, Zoe Lee (@bettercallzoe) Green Party Legislator at Large candidate, and Min Chao (@wordsfromtaiwan) researcher with Ghost Island Media. We were delighted and honoured to be also joined by Baroness D’Souza of the UK House of Lords via online streaming to hear Taiwanese voices on the questions of Taiwan’s identity, history, culture, and desires for the future of Taiwan.

In a lively debate including questions from the audience, reported on by Domino Theory magazine, we got to hear how Taiwanese are still struggling to emerge from the constrictions of the historical legacy of the ROC’s transplantation from China to Taiwan in 1949, and the role of domestic and international media in shaping perceptions of Taiwanese identity and their desires in regards to their self determination and relations with China. Questions asked to the panel included “Who are Taiwanese?”, “How do Taiwanese relate to the Republic of China?”, “Do most Taiwanese still agree with the idea that their country includes all of the area administered by the PRC?”, and “What do Taiwanese want for the future?”. 

We were pleased to see a good sized audience attend to listen to the discussion and ask questions of the panel, and heartened that many of them were new residents in Taiwan keen to learn more about Taiwan by listening to Taiwanese voices tackle complex questions that mainstream media often do not have the time to address in detail, if at all.

You can listen to the full event – HERE