Filmmaker Will Tiao addresses one of the thorniest balancing acts in global politics: the role of Taiwan in U.S. relations with China. The United States does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, and maintains a “One-China” policy. But the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, passed after the U.S. established diplomatic relations with Beijing, pledges to help defend the island if it is attacked by China. Tiao discusses the history behind these relations, and Taiwan’s importance to global politics. How do the people of Taiwan negotiate this complex web of history, language, and politics on a daily basis?

Co-sponsored by the Transformation Team of First Parish in Cambridge and the Taiwanese Association of America/Boston

Recorded 10/9/2013 

Harvard’s Graham Allison discusses his new biography (co-authored with Robert Blackwell) of Lee Kuan Yew, “the power behind the throne” in modern Asian political leadership. The 89-year-old founding father of modern Singapore, Lee has been a mentor to every Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping, and has counseled every U.S. president since Nixon. This concise book extracts the essence of Lee Kuan Yew’s visionary thinking about the critical global issues of our time, including the future of China, the fate of U.S.-China relations, India’s murky prospects, and Europe’s deep problems. How is leadership exercised from the position of advisor that Lee occupies?

Recorded October 2, 2013