Last week, we heard from Michael Caster, head of the Global China Program at Article 19, who walked us through China’s legal architecture—from its Cybersecurity Law to the growing power of the Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC—and how these institutions are being exported across the Indo-Pacific. We also discussed how Beijing’s approach is not just about controlling information but about shaping the global narrative on digital governance.

China isn’t just censoring the internet within its borders — it’s exporting its model of digital control around the world. From data localization to surveillance mandates, Beijing’s cybersecurity laws are becoming a blueprint for authoritarian governance. 

On Wednesday, May 14th, the United Nations Human Rights Office released a statement urging the Venezuelan government to immediately cease holding its opponents or those perceived as such in isolation and incommunicado detention, after the office conducted a fact-finding mission investigating the country's practice of enforced disappearances. In November of last year, eight international organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, released a report documenting different types of attacks against the Venezuelan press that occurred between July 1st and August 28th, the period surrounding the presidential election, which was held on July 28th. In the report, researchers documented 228 press freedom violations, including the arbitrary detention and expulsion of 11 foreign journalists, 62 physical and verbal attacks on the press, the continued arbitrary imprisonment of at least eight journalists, and the blocking of at least 29 websites belonging to media outlets and press organizations.

In this episode, Dr. Yongsuk Jang, chair of the OECD’s Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy, speaks about the role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in global governance, national security, and economic growth. 

Friends with Jimmy Lai for decades, Mark L. Clifford now finds himself bearing witness to Hong Kong's persecution of him, as prosecutors use their correspondence as evidence of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.”

When Apple Daily first came out in 1995, it instantly became the most popular newspaper in Hong Kong. Before Jimmy Lai pivoted from retail to the media business, no one was printing newspapers in color, and Cantonese had never been used in the press.

As European countries rallied behind Ukraine following a heated exchange between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in early March, the world is left wondering how the Russo-Ukrainian war will unfold.

According to a 2024 survey conducted by the International Women's Media Foundation, more than 31 % of journalists have experienced online violence. The American Press Institute found that these statistics illustrate a troubling trend that many journalists grapple with every day, disproportionately affecting women journalists of color and LGBTQ plus journalists. 

In this episode, Taiwan Fellow and journalist Giang Nguyen shares his observation on the increasing trend of Vietnamese students studying in Taiwan, and what he thinks are the factors driving the change.                                              

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the trial of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was charged with conspiring to collude with foreign forces. Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing appear determined to detain Lai indefinitely, while the European Parliament, the United States, and other nations have expressed support for the Apple Daily founder.

The Trans-Atlantic American think tank, the Atlantic Council, recently bestowed the Global Citizen Award on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a recognition intended to honor the "highest expression of global citizenship." However, questions arise: Is Meloni truly deserving of this prestigious award?

On October 20, a U.S. 7th Fleet Destroyer and the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a bilateral transit through the Taiwan Strait. Just two days after this transit, China conducted live-fire drills from its territory closest to Taiwan.

Former President Tsai Ing-wen is visiting Europe for the first time since her presidency ended in May, choosing the Czech Republic, France, and Belgium as her destinations. Why has she selected these three countries, and what impact might her visit have on Taiwan-Europe relations?

Thailand is grappling with significant economic challenges, such as high household debt and a downturn in tourism resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the country's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling due to hidden debts and the impact of Chinese dumping.

In 2020, Thailand was gripped by significant protests demanding monarchy reform, met with severe police crackdowns. Four years later, despite an electoral victory, the Move Forward Party was dissolved by a constitutional court order in August. Following this, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former self-exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, became the youngest Prime Minister in Thailand's history. These developments raise the questions: Have the pro-democracy protests been in vain? What are the primary concerns of the Thai people today?

When diplomats at the United Nations pressed China to address allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Chinese state-run media launched a fervent counter-attack, accusing the US and EU of "politicizing and applying double standards to human rights issues."

U.S.-China relations have cooled significantly in recent years, defying the expectations of U.S. foreign policy strategists since the 1970s, when there was a prevailing belief that engagement and trade would gradually bring the two countries closer and encourage China to become more open and less authoritarian. That didn't happen. 

In February 2021, when Myanmar's military junta staged a coup, they opened fire on civilians and arrested and killed journalists who sought to inform the world about the unfolding events. Fast forward to today, the regime’s brutal treatment of its own people persists, but so does the reporting by Myanmar's media outlets. Journalists continue to operate under extremely dangerous conditions, delivering uncensored news both within and beyond the country's borders.

In February 2021, Myanmar's military junta staged a coup d'état, dissolving the reformist parliament and imprisoning State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, the country has plunged into a bloody civil war and the Rohingya community's plight continues. 

Although the United States and the European Union have implemented extensive sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia continues to find its ways to finance its military efforts. Why has it not depleted its funds for weapons acquisition, and who is sustaining the Russian economy?