Main content

Taiwan鈥檚 defiant message to China

The pro-sovereignty candidate William Lai won Taiwan's presidential election, sending a signal to Beijing. Our correspondent charts the key moments that led to the historic vote.

: Kate Adie presents stories from Taiwan, Ecuador, Germany, Georgia and Indonesia

The pro-sovereignty candidate William Lai won Taiwan's presidential election this week. Our correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes charts the key moments that led to this historic vote, as Taiwan's voters sent a signal to Beijing.

Will Grant has been in the Ecuadorean city of Guayaquil which experienced a sudden descent into violence after two gang members escaped from prison, and a TV station was raided during a live broadcast. He meets one family who encountered tragedy in the crossfire.

In Germany, Jessica Parker recounts her encounters at some of the nationwide tractor protests which blocked streets in towns and cities this week, as farmers took a stand against the removal of tax relief on diesel - but that's not the only thing German voters are angry about.

Amelia Stewart visits a family trying to revive Georgia's once-thriving tea industry, which supplied 95 per cent of tea to the former Soviet Union. She visits Racha, in the country's north-west and hears how it's providing a welcome source of income for locals.

And finally we travel on Indonesia's new high-speed 'Whoosh' railway. Funded by Chinese loans, the train runs from Jakarta to the economic hub, Bandung. Such infrastructure projects are one way for China to exert influence via its Belt and Road Initiative - but does the train live up to the hype? Nick Marshall takes a ride.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

Release date:

Available now

29 minutes

Podcast