Tim Chng and Borcheng Hsu: The Day President Tsai Ing-Wen Met Protesters from the People’s Republic of China Ep 235

This episode is a follow up on episode 233 that covered Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen’s 48-hour transit through New York from March 29-31 en route to Central America.

When Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen left Taiwan to go on a ten-day state trip to Central America to meet with Taiwan’s diplomatic allies Guatemala and Belize. She first transited through New York from March 29-31 en route to Central America. At the end of her trip she transited through Los Angeles from April 4-5^th, where she met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

In this episode of Talking Taiwan I started off speaking with Tim Chng (who was previously on Talking Taiwan in episode 159) and Borcheng Hsu (a community organizer based in New York City) about how Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen was met with protestors representing the PRC, People’s Republic of China on the first day of her arrival in New York City. All three of us were all there that day, on the afternoon of March 29^th at the first major site of the protests, the Lotte New York Palace Hotel where President Tsai was staying.

Our discussion raised a lot of questions, like: How organized the PRC protestors were. How did they know President Tsai’s itinerary in New York? As you’ll hear from our conversation, the protestors seemed to know when and where to show up and make a scene.

On the other hand, how prepared was the Taiwanese American community? What did community do in response? And what can concerned Taiwanese Americans do to be better prepared in the future when a similar situation arises?

After President Tsai’s 48-hour transit in New York, she headed to Central America to meet with Taiwan’s diplomatic allies Guatemala and Belize.

At the end of her she transited through Los Angeles from April 4 to 5^th and met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy before returning to Taiwan. While in L.A. she was once again met with PRC protestors. Tim, Borcheng and I also talked about what happened in L.A.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:

1. to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women’s dignity,
2. to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality,
3. to fully develop women’s potential and encourage their participation in public affairs,
4. to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan,
5. to reach out and work with women’s organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• How Tim and Borcheng were involved in self-determination and pro-democracy demonstrations for Taiwan in the 1990s, when a thousand people or so could easily be gathered to show support
• What motivated Tim to drive up from Baltimore to be in New York in time to welcome Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen when she arrived at the hotel she was staying during her 48-hour transit through New York
• Why the bus from DC with Taiwanese American supporters of President Tsai wasn’t able to make it to New York in time for President Tsai’s arrival at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel where she was staying
• What the scene was like and what happened prior to President Tsai Ing-wen’s arrival at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on March 29^th
• How Tim and Chi Chun Wang, the President of the Taiwanese Association of America Baltimore chapter spoke to some pro-democracy Chinese activists who said that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) protestors were being paid $30 an hour
• What happened outside of the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on March 29^th before and when President Tsai Ing-wen arrived
• How the PRC (People’s Republic of China) protestors were organized and seemed to know President Tsai’s itinerary while she was in New York
• How Borcheng worked with TECRO and the NYPD (New York Police Department) on March 29th
• How sound permits are required for the use of amplified sound in New York City
• The NYPD’s handling of the situation on March 29^th
• What the PRC protesters were saying about President Tsai and Taiwan
• How prepared the Taiwanese American community was to respond by organizing counter protests
• What happened on March 30^th when President Tsai accepted the Global Leadership Award from the Hudson Institute
• What happened on March 31^st when President Tsai left her hotel in New York to go to Central America
• What happened with the protests of President Tsai’s visit to New York in 2019
• How one of Tim’s tweets about the protests of President Tsai in New York on March 29 was misconstrued by someone
• The questions about why pan-green supporters were waving ROC (Republic of China) flags and not green flags or other flags
• Former President Ma Ying-jeou’s visit to China
• The protests during President Tsai’s transit in Los Angeles (from April 4-5)
• What happened when President Chen Shui-bian visited New York in 2000 and later years
• What can concerned Taiwanese Americans, and supporters of Taiwan’s democracy do to be better prepared in the future when a similar situation arises
• How the NYPD and LAPD handled protests against President Tsai and Taiwan in New York and Los Angeles

Related Links:

President Tsai Ing-wen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsai_Ing-wen

President Tsai Ing-wen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iingwen

Tim’s Twitter thread about what happened on March 29, 2023, the day that President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York City at the Lotte Palace Hotel:

https://twitter.com/chngthengteng/status/1641003418104872963?s=20

Tim’s tweet that got misconstrued: https://twitter.com/chngthengteng/status/1641446773368696838?s=20

Diaoyutai (Senkaku) dispute: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senkaku_Islands_dispute

Lien Chan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lien_Chan

TECO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office)

TECRO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States): https://www.taiwanembassy.org/us_en/index.html

Professor Peng Wencheng’s YouTube video that mentioned Tim’s tweet about protests that happened on the first day of President Tsai’s 48-hour transit in New York City:  https://youtu.be/xOOYAQBeD_A

Over 1000 protest Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN on the streets of New York (Sep 18, 2017): https://youtu.be/4XCPB_XEl2g

Keep Taiwan Free: https://keeptaiwanfree.org/

Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen visits New York, protesters scuffle (an article from The China Project about President Tsai’s 2019 visit to New York): https://thechinaproject.com/2019/07/13/taiwan-president-tsai-ing-wen-visits-new-york-protesters-scuffle/

Taiwan’s President Tsai meets Kevin McCarthy despite China’s warnings (an article from NPR): https://www.npr.org/2023/04/05/1167872114/kevin-mccarthy-taiwan-president-tsai-meeting-california-china

The most dangerous place on Earth (an article from The Economist): https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/05/01/the-most-dangerous-place-on-earth

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Receives Hudson Institute Global Leadership Award (an article from VOA): https://www.voanews.com/a/taiwanese-president-tsai-ing-wen-receicves-hudson-institute-global-leadership-award/7030097.html

Pan-Green Coalition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Green_Coalition

Pan-Blue Coalition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Blue_Coalition

Ma Ying-jeou: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Ying-jeou

Taiwan-China: What’s behind ex-leader Ma Ying-jeou’s visit? (an article from Deutsche Welle): https://www.dw.com/en/taiwan-china-whats-behind-ex-leader-ma-ying-jeous-visit/a-65168481

Cross-Strait Relations: Ma Ying-jeou’s Visit to China (an article from the Diplomat): https://thediplomat.com/2023/04/cross-strait-relations-ma-ying-jeous-visit-to-china/

LeLe Farley’s YouTube video of himself at a protest of President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit in L.A. on April 6, 2023: https://youtu.be/YyA-Sl3BesA

American comedian trolls Chinese protesting against Taiwan president (an article from Taiwan News): https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4857558

WUFI (World United Formosans for Independence): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_United_Formosans_for_Independence

1992 L.A. Riots: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots

SOP (Standard Operating Procedure): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_operating_procedure

Ai Bian Jia Yian (爱拼才会赢): https://youtu.be/bTPEofbCxB8

Felicia’s tweet of a video clip of President Tsai leaving the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on March 31: https://twitter.com/felishalin/status/1641834790943875072?s=20

President Tsai Ing Wen’s 48 Hour Transit Through New York En Route to Central America Ep 233

President Tsai Ing Wen’s 48 Hour Transit Through New York En Route to Central America (Episode 233): https://talkingtaiwan.com/president-tsai-ing-wens-48-hour-transit-through-new-york-en-route-to-central-america-ep-233/

Talking to Jenny Wang about Taiwan Week Ep 32

Borcheng Hsu on the 13th Passport to Taiwan Festival Ep 45

Richard Chen: The History of Social Injustice and Discrimination Toward Asian Americans Ep 130

Tim Chng Documents the Overseas Taiwan Independence Movement on Wikipedia Ep 159

Michelle Kuo and Albert Wu: On a Broad and Ample Road and the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church Shooting Ep 209