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

April 28, 2023 Felicia Lin

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 4-5th, 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 29th at the first major site of the protests, the Lotte New York Palace Hotel where President Tsai was staying.

[LISTEN to the Complete Episode HERE on APPLE PODCASTS or SPOTIFY]

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 5th 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:

to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women’s dignity,
to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality,
to fully develop women’s potential and encourage their participation in public affairs,
to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan,
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 29th
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 29th 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 29th
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 30th when President Tsai accepted the Global Leadership Award from the Hudson Institute
What happened on March 31st 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

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

LISTEN to Talking Taiwan on your preferred podcasting platform!

Apple Podcasts: Click HERE to Listen

Audible: Click HERE to Listen

Spotify: Click HERE to Listen

Stitcher: Click HERE to Listen

Google Podcasts: Click HERE to Listen

iHeartRADIO: Click HERE to Listen

[LISTEN to the Complete Episode HERE on APPLE PODCASTS or SPOTIFY]

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

Related Links:

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