{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Ep 355 | Akio Yaita Outspoken Taiwan Advocate: In Taiwan I Can Make a Bigger Contribution","description":"While we were at last year\u2019s Taiwanese American Conference West Coast in July of 2025 which was hosted in San Francisco Silicon Valley, we sat down with Akio Yaita (\u77e2\u677f\u660e\u592b), the keynote speaker of the conference. As a senior journalist at Sankei Shimbun Akio has covered Beijing and Taipei. He\u2019s been a strong advocate for Taiwan. In 2024 Akio obtained citizenship in Taiwan and founded the Indo-Pacific Strategy Thinktank. Related Links: https:\/\/talkingtaiwan.com\/akio-yaita-%e7%9f%a2%e6%9d%bf%e6%98%8e%e5%a4%ab-outspoken-taiwan-advocate-in-taiwan-i-can-make-a-bigger-contribution-ep-355\/ As we were working on translating and editing our interview with Akio we were disturbed to learn that on July 6th Akio was assaulted after a speaking engagement in Taichung. While Akio was in the lobby of a hotel, a Chinese man approached him and punched him in the face. The man, surnamed Liao (\u5ed6) was later arrested at the Taichung International Airport. Taiwan\u2019s Mainland Affairs Council described the attack as the "first case of transnational repression" in Taiwan since China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law took effect on July 1. After the attack Akio has said that he will not be intimidated.   What timing it\u2019s turned out to be for us to be sharing our interview with Akio Yaita now. You\u2019ll get know about his backstory and how you can follow him and his work.   This episode is sponsored in part by the Pacific Times.   Related Links: https:\/\/talkingtaiwan.com\/akio-yaita-%e7%9f%a2%e6%9d%bf%e6%98%8e%e5%a4%ab-outspoken-taiwan-advocate-in-taiwan-i-can-make-a-bigger-contribution-ep-355\/ ","author_name":"Talking Taiwan","author_url":"https:\/\/talkingtaiwan.com\/","html":"