President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Thursday that innovation in the biomedical sector is key to national competitiveness. He has instructed the National Development Council (NDC) and the Economic Ministry to leverage policies such as the government’s NT$10 billion (US$330 million) smart healthcare and entrepreneurship program to encourage more companies to invest in research and development.

On July 26 and August 23, Taiwanese voters faced a stark choice: recall 32 opposition lawmakers—or keep them. Voters chose to keep them, dealing a surprise blow to recall organizers and resetting the island’s political calculus for the next three years. What do these results say about Taiwan’s democracy, its security debates, and the risks of turning recalls into a partisan weapon? In this episode, political reporter Josh Hoang-Wilkes unpacks what actually happened, why it surprised so many, and what it means for Taiwan’s politics in 2026 and beyond

Guess who's back, back again!  Emma has returned to tell us all about her life after RTI!  Listen to where she's been and where she's headed!

This week, we'll learn some poetic lines in Tâi-gí from the lyrics of The Usual (同款) by Pei-Yu Hung (洪佩瑜). The track is the theme song of the movie "Day Off," which tells the touching story of a barber and her client. Let's sing a long to the lines together!

Welcome to Status Update! I am once again joined by David and Thao, who will share about their life in Taiwan and help me read some of the letters and emails from our listeners.  If you want to contact us and have your message read on air, you can send a letter to P.O. BOX 123 199 Taipei, Taiwan English@rti.org.tw or reach us on social media, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, @Rtienglish 

Listen to #InTaiwanWeSpeak on podcast platforms of your choice: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Amazon Music | Other platforms

In this episode, we explore No Other Land, a powerful Oscar-winning documentary on Palestinian displacement, and connect it to Taiwan’s recent debates on aiding Israel in a medical project. How do films and humanitarian discussions extend across borders? Stay tuned to find out! If you would like to share your feedback, please send your words or voice notes to: wanson@rti.org.tw You can also find Wanson on Instagram (@wansonscafe) and YouTube (阿善Café/Wanson's Café)

Many people have eaten sharks without even realizing it. “Rock salmon," with an unsuspecting name for a kind of shark, has been a staple in British fish-and-chip shops for decades. The name-switching was part of a rebranding exercise aimed at persuading more people to eat the sharks that industrial fishers were beginning to catch a lot of. According to Helen Scales, around the world various other shark species have been marketed under different, non-sharky names, including flake in Australia, whitefish and steakfish in the United States, saumonette in France, and vitello di mare, “veal of the sea” in Italy. Formosa Fauna is back this week to entertainingly educate you about animals both in Taiwan and abroad! Spend the next 20 minutes listening to this episode and feeding your noggin with fun facts about the animal kingdom so you can become smarter than all of your friends. In this episode we talk about:  – Dolphins in Taiwan  – Climate change  – Taiwanese turtles  – ...

In this episode, we explore the journey of Wenwen, an artist who evolved from studying illustration to creating music. We discuss early inspirations and the transition from illustration to music, highlighting the influence of both Taiwanese and English artists. The episode also covers Wenwen's transformative experience studying in New York and how it shaped her artistic and musical perspectives. We delve into her creative process—from writing songs in her bedroom to producing demos with Logic Pro. Additionally, we examine her path to signing with a record label, the challenges she faced, and the crucial support from her family during this pivotal time. Wenwen is an artist and singer-songwriter from Taichung, Taiwan. She is passionate about integrating her ideas into the work she creates, such as making books and writing songs. In June 2025, she released her first EP, Wa kah i li, which is written in both Taiwanese and English. Wenwen writes about her personal experiences and r...