Nuclear Power in Taiwan: The Story Behind Saturday’s Radioactive Referendum

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The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith

295 episodes

1 day ago

Formosa Files is the world's biggest and highest-rated Taiwan history podcast. We use an engaging storytelling format and are non-chronological, meaning every week is a new adventure - and, you can just find a topic that interests you and check out that episode...skip stuff that isn't your thing. The hosts are John Ross, an author and publisher of works on Taiwan and China, and Eryk Michael Smith, a journalist for local and global media outlets. Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for over two decades and call the island home. Email: formosafiles@gmail.com

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All content for The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files is the property of John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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Nuclear Power in Taiwan: The Story Behind Saturday’s Radioactive Referendum – S5-E25

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

26 minutes 4 seconds

2 months ago

Nuclear Power in Taiwan: The Story Behind Saturday’s Radioactive Referendum – S5-E25

From Chiang Kai-shek’s nuclear ambitions to the fallout from Chernobyl and Fukushima, Taiwan’s nuclear story has always been controversial. The ROC once came within months of being nuclear-bomb ready, but today, fission is gone from even civilian atomic power generation. This Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, voters face a radioactive referendum. The core question?

Whether to restart the recently decommissioned Ma’anshan Nuclear Power Plant 馬鞍山核能發電廠 in Kenting, Pingtung County. After years of splitting atoms over this hot topic, a critical mass is forming in a debate that may reveal just how divided the island remains on atomic energy. Join us as we explore the chain-reaction politics of Taiwan’s nuclear dilemma and the referendum which may trigger a U-turn on uranium.