Reporter's Notebook

Taiwan’s familiar “little green person” has long been a fixture at pedestrian crossings — but what is the running figure actually telling people to do? Reporter Tiffany Wong joins host Joey Chou to discuss new rules clarifying when pedestrians can enter a crosswalk and why the government plans to phase out the confusing running animation. They also compare road culture in Taiwan with the United St...

Host Joey Chou and producer Isabel Wong discuss her interview with Spanish visual artists Anna Devís and Daniel Rueda for the 300th episode of ZIZO. They explore the duo’s playful, architectural aesthetic, their strict "no AI" handmade philosophy and the chemistry fueling their whimsical boba tea art in Taipei.    Watch Isabel Wong’s feature:  A World of Wonder: Spanish Visual Artists' First Inter...

Host Joey Chou and producer-anchor Isabel Wang delve into Taiwan's animal welfare scene through the organization Lang Lang Don’t Cry. They discuss how its unique, immersive café model allows potential adopters to bond naturally with strays, bridging the gap for shelter animals to find permanent homes. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Host Joey Chou and reporter Ai Chi discuss Taiwan’s overlooked yet dominant role in the AI sector: advanced liquid cooling solutions. As powerful chips generate massive heat, Taiwanese firms like Asia Vital Components (AVC) quietly corner the global market, proving essential to keeping the AI boom from overheating. Watch Ai’s feature: Taiwan’s Hidden AI Giants: The People Who Stop the Chip Sector...

Reporter Ai Chi joins host Joey Chou to discuss Taiwan’s precarious energy security. As the country imports some 95% of its energy, primarily from the Middle East, Ai Chi warns that disruptions to oil and natural gas supplies threaten both domestic stability and the global semiconductor industry. Watch Ai Chi’s feature:  Explainer: Middle East Conflict's Impact on Taiwan's Energy Situation. -- Hos...

Reporter Tiffany Wong discusses her coverage of the 228 Incident anniversary in Kaohsiung. She highlights historical landmarks—like the former City Hall and Kaohsiung Senior High School—that still bear physical scars from the 1947 uprising. The episode emphasizes passing these memories to younger generations to ensure Taiwan's democratic history isn't forgotten. Watch Tiffany’s feature:  228 Incid...

Producer Eric Tsai explains the four-part Frontline Taiwan series, which examines the potential stages of a China invasion scenario: a disguised naval blockade, air dominance and air denial, amphibious landings on Taiwan’s limited “red beaches” and full escalation. The series aims to reduce public anxiety through knowledge, preparation and strategic clarity. Watch Eric Tsai and Jaime Ocon’s featur...

Producer Isabel Wang discusses her recent features for the show Zoom In, Zoom Out. She shares insights from her trip to Dresden, Germany, exploring a local Mandarin school near the new ESMC plant. Isabel also highlights the demanding lives of Taiwan’s sanitation workers during the Lunar New Year rush. Watch Isabel’s features: Germany’s Semiconductor Talent Pipeline Lunar New Year Unsung Heroes: Sa...

In this episode of Reporter's Notebook, Joey Chou and Eric Tsai explore the cultural nuances of Lunar New Year in Taiwan. From the "unlucky" zodiac Year of the Horse to the digital modernization of temple rituals and the chaotic logistics of a holiday newsroom, they reveal how traditions are evolving. Watch the TaiwanPlus LNY special: Galloping Into the Year of the Horse! -- Hosting provided by So...

Despite a GDP surge in 2025, Taiwan faces an uneven recovery. While AI and semiconductors drive growth, the machine tool industry—a vital employer—struggles with currency appreciation, US tariffs and global competition. Experts emphasize the need for traditional sectors to upgrade technology to ensure broader economic prosperity. Joey Chou gets the full story from reporter Ai Chi. Watch Ai Chi’s f...

Join Joey Chou and Bryn Thomas on Reporter’s Notebook as they dive behind the scenes of Alex Honnold’s historic free solo ascent of Taipei 101. They discuss the grueling four-day shoot, the challenges of navigating exclusive Netflix access, and how the massive crowd's energy felt akin to a religious event. Watch Bryn’s report here:  Alex Honnold Free-Solos Taipei 101 in Front of Thousands of Spect...

In this episode of Reporter's Notebook, Sandy Chi explores Taiwan's evolving tattoo culture. She discusses the revival of traditional Indigenous hand-tapping techniques with Paiwan artist Cudjuty Patjidres. The conversation highlights tattoos as personal expressions of memory and identity, and the shift away from gang-related stigmas. Watch Sandy Chi’s report:  Paiwan Tattoo Artist Revives Once-Fo...

In this episode of Reporter’s Notebook, host Joey Chou and reporter Chris Gorin break down a landmark shift in Taiwan's economic landscape. While a new trade agreement with the United States offers relief to some industries, the conversation quickly pivots to the elephant in the room: the massive, resource-hungry boom of Artificial Intelligence. Watch Chris Gorin’s live cross here:  US-Taiwan Trad...

Reporter Tiffany Wong reflects on covering Taiwan’s so-called comfort women – women and girls who were trafficked into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II – confronting war’s impact on non-combatants, historical silence and why remembering these women matters amid today’s rising geopolitical tensions. Watch Tiffany’s report here:  Remembering Taiwan's 'Comfort Women,' 80 Ye...

As Taiwan prepares to phase out dolphin performances by 2026, a TaiwanPlus report examines what happens to captive dolphins after the shows end. The discussion explores animal welfare, captivity limits, conservation education, and the emotional challenges of reporting on animals that cannot return to the wild. Watch Sandy’s report:  Taiwan's Dolphin Performances To End in 2026 -- Hosting provided...

Joey Chou speaks with TaiwanPlus Tech and Business Desk reporter Ai Chi about a new World Inequality Report that places Taiwan among the world’s most unequal developed economies. Watch Ai’s report:  Taiwan’s Top 10% Earn Nearly 50% of Income, Hold 60% of Wealth -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Reporter Sandie Chi tells us about an unlikely culinary success story: a small gelato workshop in Changhua whose creators went on to win the world’s top gelato prize in Italy. Watch Sandy Chi’s report: Team Taiwan Creates World's Best Gelato -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Bryn Thomas talks about the Qingshan King Festival, one of Taipei’s oldest and most distinctive religious traditions. Centered in the Wanhua district—Taipei’s earliest urban settlement—the festival honors the Qingshan King, a tutelary deity believed to protect the neighborhood from illness and misfortune. Watch Bryn Thomas and Zalán Sata’s report: Qingshan King: Centuries-Old Festival Kept Alive i...

Joey speaks with TaiwanPlus business and tech reporter Ai Chi about Taiwan’s first hydrogen refueling station in Kaohsiung. They explain why the rollout targets buses and heavy trucks, how “blue hydrogen” is produced from natural gas, and why cost, safety, and logistics will determine whether hydrogen can help Taiwan meet its 2050 net-zero goals. Watch Ai’s report: Taiwan's First Hydrogen Refuelin...

Joey sits down with TaiwanPlus local politics and sports reporter Leslie Liao to unpack the “Shanghai Brothers” controversy in China’s new baseball league. They explore fan backlash, plagiarism suspicions, CTBC Brothers’ response and why cross-strait politics inevitably seep into Taiwan’s pro baseball. The conversation ends on Leslie’s own favorite CPBL teams. Watch Leslie Liao’s baseball reports:...

This episode visits the life and legacy of Peng Wan-ru, the DPP’s first Women’s Affairs director, whose 1996 murder galvanized Taiwan’s modern feminist movement. Joey Chou sits down with reporter Tiffany Wong to trace the events that led to landmark domestic violence and sexual assault laws, examining how advocacy, tragedy and social change reshaped Taiwan’s path toward gender equality. Watch Tiff...

In this episode of Reporter’s Notebook, Joey Chou talks with TaiwanPlus tech and economics reporter Chris Gorin about one of Taiwan’s biggest policy debates of the year: tariffs and the emerging “Taiwan model” for US trade negotiations. Chris breaks down what the government actually means by this new term — from private-sector–led projects to industrial clusters and talent training — and why Taiwa...

TaiwanPlus reporter Lery Hiciano takes us behind the scenes of an early-morning trip to the northeast coast to cover President Lai Ching-te overseeing reservist drone training. The program is part of a broader push to strengthen Taiwan’s defenses as pressure from China grows. Lery walks us through why drones are becoming central to Taiwan’s plans, what it means to train reservists to operate them,...

There’s less than a year to go before Taiwan holds its next local elections on Nov. 28, 2026, and campaigns are already starting to take shape. In today’s Reporter’s Notebook, local politics desk lead Tiffany Wong breaks down what’s at stake—and how both ruling and opposition parties are talking about making it easier for voters to cast ballots. Watch Tiffany’s report: Lawmakers Propose Absentee V...

Host Joey Chou kicks off his first episode of Reporter’s Notebook with TaiwanPlus reporter Leslie Liao, diving into one of Taiwan’s biggest tech stories of the year — a former TSMC executive accused of taking company secrets to Intel. They unpack what the case reveals about Taiwan’s semiconductor “brain drain,” the limits of non-compete clauses, and why shrinking workforces and stronger foreign cu...