Island Nation 2

Last updated

Contents

Island Nation 2
Season 2
Starring Johnny Lu
Ricie Fun
Yang Lie
Mario Pu
Chen Jia-kui
An Jun-peng
Release
Original release10 September (2021-09-10) 
1 October 2021 (2021-10-01)

Island Nation 2 (Chinese :國際橋牌社2) is the second season of the Taiwanese political drama, Island Nation , based on Taiwan's transition from an authoritarian state to a democracy in the 1990s. [1] The second season debuted on September 12, 2021. [2]

Synopsis

Island Nation 2 presents a fictionalized account of Taiwan from 1995 to 1996 amidst Taiwan's arrival at its first-ever direct presidential election, featuring political infighting, rise of criminal elements in politics, and soldiers fighting for their lives under the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. They all represent Taiwan's spirit of “One island, one destiny.”

Episodes

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
111"Before the Storm"September 12, 2021 (2021-09-12)

The Baize Lake Incident in China claimed the lives of more than 20 Taiwanese and immediately forced President Li Ching-bo to suspend cross-strait exchanges. The Chinese authorities tried to cover up the incident by reporting it as an accident, which caused confusion as well as anger in Taiwan. Despite Chinese hindrance, BTV reporter Su Wan-chen was able to obtain exclusive photos of the incident through her own connections. Not satisfied with her contributions with Baize Lake, she volunteered to investigate a gang dispute in Yunlin, where she would meet the mysterious Chen Ching-tang, who somehow has the ability to influence everyone around him.

Under a changing international space, Taiwan's unfair treatment by the US and the rise of gang-affiliated politicians will force the Taiwanese people and its President to go up against difficult decisions on their fight for democracy.
122"Against Headwinds"September 25, 2021 (2021-09-25)

The Hawaii Incident and Li Ching-bo's diplomatic policy caused a diplomatic row with China, and the New National Party took the opportunity to attack Li. However, President Li is not one to back down, as he planned to make an official visit to the US with the help of Chu Shi-chen, Director of the Office of the President, and Chen Ching-tang, who wields considerable resources through his family.

Domestically, Li Ching-bo publicly apologized to the families of the victims at the unveiling ceremony of the 228 Memorial. This became the topic on Wang Zhao-yang's political talk show, where New Nationalists tried to attack the apology, and Democrats tried to claim credit for it. Reporter Su Wan-chen actively reported on the 228 Incident, but unexpectedly brought back memories of another political event that his father experienced back then, the July 13 Incident in Penghu in 1949.
133"Eyeing the Prey"October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)

Chen Ching-tang uses his connections with the Cassidy Public Relations Company to make progress on President Li Ching-bo's visit to the United States.

Meanwhile, the Hongtai Nylon factory closed without warning. When the workers protested and demanded that the factory owners come forward to resolve the salary issue, the Democratic Party joined in solidarity to boost their own image. At the same protest, Su Wan-chen's old friend from the university, Pan Tian-tang, reappears into her life.

The factory owner asked the New National Party for help, which turned to Chen Ching-tang to suppress media reporting of the workers' protests. Su Wan-chen was stunned when she found out that Chen Ching-tang was behind this.
144"On the Frontlines"October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)

Seeing Li Ching-bo's successful resolution of the factory shutdown incident, the New National Party angrily released the book, "The Warning of Taiwan Strait War". On the 2030 political talk show, the party spokesperson used this book to allege that Li Ching-bo's actions will lead Taiwan into war. With the help of the media, "The Warning of Taiwan Strait War" sparked a heated discussion among the public. Chu Shi-chen also discovered that large parts of the book seemed to be based on classified intel from the army. Therefore, Cheng Chi-fu, Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council, suggested that the President inspect the front lines to calm the military.

On the other hand, Pan Tian-tang never expected to get sent to the front line Gordon Island in Matsu. He would experience frequent military alerts under extremely difficult living conditions.
155"What the People Desire"October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)

Li Ching-bo's visit to Cornell came true with Chen Ching-tang's assistance. In the face of joint pressure from China and the United States, the President made plans on how he will approach his speech. Su Wan-chen was on site for the Cornell speech because of Chen Ching-tang's help.

However, although President Li Ching-bo's speech "What the People Want is Always in My Heart", won accolades from the audience, it has also angered the United States and China, who believes that this off-draft performance has no integrity. This set off an international chain of events that threaten to upset the peace in Taiwan Strait.
166"Battle of Faith"October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)

Li Ching-bo's speech immediately triggered a military response and protest from China. Taiwan's stock market plummeted and people rushed to the bank to withdraw their savings. In addition, under the recommendation of Chen Chung-hsuan, Huang Hai-bo and Chu Chang-ching split from Li Ching-bo's National Party to run as the presidential candidate pair for the New National Party. To counter them, the Director of the Office of the President Chu Shi-chen chose to rely on nominating gang-affiliated local politicians for the upcoming legislative election.

Meanwhile, Chen Ching-tang launched the top-secret "Zhishan Task Force," combining with US and Japanese officials for tripartite intelligence exchange. At the same time, Pan Tian-tang received an intruder alert on the front line of Gordon Island, and the whole island is immediately raised to the highest alert level.
177"Devil's Advocate"October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)

A local newspaper broke the news that the National Party had nominated candidates with criminal backgrounds. After the news broke, the news agency was violently destroyed by unknown persons. Reporter Su Wan-chen immediately rushed to Yunlin to conduct an in-depth investigation. When Su's Father found that he was unable to contact his daughter for several days, he reached out to Chen Ching-tang to rescue her from Yunlin.

At the same time, the Democratic Party and the New National Party viciously attacked the black gold politics of the National Party on Wang Zhao-yang's talk show, forcing the National Party’s Minister of Justice Yeh Jiu-sheng to hold a press conference and commit to strictly enforcing the law. At the other end, Chen Chung-hsuan instructed Chen Ching-ji, the younger brother of the Chen family, to safeguard family interests by helping out the opposition parties and playing both sides.
188"Fallen into Quagmire"October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)

Su Wan-chen was taken forcibly to dinner with Chou Ding-rong, but Chen Ching-tang was able to arrive in time to prevent any harm from happening to her. When Chen asked Su to be more careful next time, she responded firmly, "It is a reporter's duty to not fear power." As it turns out, she was right to press the issue, because the Ministry of Justice finally brought Chou in after the public started to become restless over his increasing disregard for the law.

Meanwhile, Chen Ching-tang's younger brother, Chen Ching-ji, tries to increase New National Party's exposure by hosting a dinner with their party members and BTV reporters.
199"Vow to Believe"October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)

As the presidential election is approaching, the CCP once again tried to affect the election with missiles, and a loud explosion on Gordon Island caused the troops to rush to guard their island. The turbulent situation forced the United States, Taiwan, and Japan to quickly convene a meeting of the "Zhishan Task Force". In order to improve the morale of the people, President Li Ching-bo asked the National Security Bureau to declare to the United States that Taiwan's military will protect the country at all costs. As the commander-in-chief, he closely monitored the trajectory of the missiles and announced that they did not contain live warheads and that the public did not need to panic.

At the same time, Chu Shi-chen asked Chen Ching-tang to act as a spy and to conduct political espionage in China. However, in order to do so, Chen had to violate his family's interest, which caused his father to disown him. When he left, he went to Su Wan-chen and told her his final farewell.
2010"One Island One Destiny"October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)

Chen Ching-tang was surrounded by the police after obtaining the information. Seeing that there was no possibility of escape, he decided to create an explosion but killed himself in the process. In addition, armed helicopters launched by the CCP started showing up near Gordon just as Taiwan is approaching its first direct presidential election.

Su Wan-chen made the short documentary, "One Island One Destiny - Island Nation" to cover what is at stake for the fate of the Taiwanese in this election. People overwhelmingly participated and cast their historic votes while the soldiers on Gordon defend and hold off enemy forces on the front line. The troops held themselves to the ideals of "one island one destiny, seek life in death," by fighting to the very end to preserve everyday life in the country.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palau</span> Country in the western Pacific

Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific. The republic consists of approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caroline Islands with parts of the Federated States of Micronesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwan</span> Country in East Asia

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It has an area of 35,808 square kilometres, with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The combined territories under ROC control consist of 168 islands in total covering 36,193 square kilometres. The largest metropolitan area is formed by Taipei, New Taipei City, and Keelung. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Taiwan</span>

Foreign relations of the Republic of China (ROC), more commonly known as Taiwan, are accomplished by efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, a cabinet-level ministry of the Government of the Republic of China. As of January 2024, the ROC has formal diplomatic relations with 11 of the 193 United Nations member states and with the Holy See, which governs the Vatican City State. In addition to these relations, the ROC also maintains unofficial relations with 59 UN member states, one self-declared state (Somaliland), three territories (Guam, Hong Kong, and Macau), and the European Union via its representative offices and consulates. In 2021, the Government of the Republic of China had the 33rd largest diplomatic network in the world with 110 offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwanese cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Taiwan

Taiwanese cuisine is a popular style of food with several variations, including Chinese and that of Taiwanese indigenous peoples, with the earliest cuisines known of being the indigenous ones. With over a hundred years of historical development, mainstream Taiwanese cuisine has been influenced by Hakka cuisine, the cuisines of the waishengren, Japanese cuisine, and American cuisine, with southern Fujian cuisine having had the most profound impact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwan independence movement</span> Independence movement in East Asia

The Taiwan independence movement is a political movement which advocates the formal declaration of an independent and sovereign Taiwanese state, as opposed to Chinese unification or the status quo in Cross-Strait relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Member states of the United Nations</span>

The member states of the United Nations comprise 193 sovereign states. The United Nations (UN) is the world's largest intergovernmental organization. All members have equal representation in the UN General Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese unification</span> Potential union of mainland China and Taiwan

Chinese unification, also known as Cross-Strait unification or Chinese reunification, is the potential unification of territories currently controlled, or claimed, by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China ("Taiwan") under one political entity, possibly the formation of a political union between the two republics. Together with full Taiwan independence, unification is one of the main proposals to address questions on the political status of Taiwan, which is a central focus of Cross-Strait relations.

The political status of Taiwan or the Taiwan issue is an ongoing geopolitical dispute about Taiwan, currently controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), that arose in the mid-twentieth century. Originally based in mainland China before and during World War II, the ROC government retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after it was defeated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the Chinese Civil War and the subsequent establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Since then, the effective jurisdiction of the ROC has been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and smaller islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of the Republic of China</span> Supreme law of the East Asian country

The Constitution of the Republic of China is the fifth and current constitution of the Republic of China (ROC), ratified by the Kuomintang during the Constituent National Assembly session on 25 December 1946, in Nanking, and adopted on 25 December 1947. The constitution, along with its Additional Articles, remains effective in ROC-controlled territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Taiwan (1945–present)</span>

As a result of the surrender and occupation of Japan at the end of World War II, the islands of Taiwan and Penghu were placed under the governance of the Republic of China (ROC), ruled by the Kuomintang (KMT), on 25 October 1945. Following the February 28 massacre in 1947, martial law was declared in 1949 by the Governor of Taiwan, Chen Cheng, and the ROC Ministry of National Defense. Following the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the ROC government retreated from the mainland as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The KMT retreated to Taiwan and declared Taipei the temporary capital of the ROC. For many years, the ROC and PRC each continued to claim in the diplomatic arena to be the sole legitimate government of "China". In 1971, the United Nations expelled the ROC and replaced it with the PRC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross-strait relations</span> Bilateral relations between Mainland China (PRC) and Taiwan (ROC)

Cross-strait relations are the political and economic relations between mainland China and Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwan, China</span> Term for Taiwan as part of China

"Taiwan, China", "Taiwan, Province of China", and "Taipei, China" are controversial political terms that claim Taiwan and its associated territories as a province or territory of the People's Republic of China.

Taiwanese people are the citizens and nationals of the Republic of China (ROC) and those who reside in an overseas diaspora from the entire Taiwan Area. The term also refers to natives or inhabitants of the island of Taiwan and its associated islands. The term generally applies to inhabitants on the island of Taiwan who share a common culture, ancestry and speak Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, or indigenous Taiwanese languages as a mother tongue. After the ROC government's retreat to Taiwan in 1949, the actual-controlled territories of the government were limited to the main island of Taiwan and Penghu, whose administration were transferred from Japan in 1945, along with a few outlying islands in Fujian Province which include Kinmen and Matsu Islands. Nowadays, Taiwanese people as a demonym may broadly refer to the indigenous peoples of Kinmen and Matsu as they share the same national identity with people of Taiwan. However, the islanders of Kinmen and the Matsu may not consider the "Taiwanese" label to be accurate as they were traditionally a part of Fujian and not Taiwan, maintaining a distinctive identity from that of the Taiwanese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Chinas</span> Geopolitical concept

The concept of Two Chinas refers to the political divide between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC). The PRC was established in 1949 by the Chinese Communist Party, while the ROC was founded in 1912 and retreated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cédric Kanté</span> Malian footballer (born 1979)

Cédric Kanté is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in France, he played for the Mali national team internationally winning 41 caps and scoring once.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kausea Natano</span> Tuvaluan politician (born 1957)

Kausea Natano is a politician who served as the Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 19 September 2019 to 26 February 2024. He represented Funafuti as a Member of Parliament. He was first elected in the 2002 Tuvaluan general election and served as an MP until he was unseated in the 2024 Tuvaluan general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippines–Taiwan relations</span> Bilateral relations

The bilateral foreign relations between the Republic of the Philippines and Republic of China (Taiwan) are a subject of China–Philippines relations. Among other issues between the two are the South China Sea dispute and the political status of Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese irredentism</span> Irredentist claims to territories of the former Chinese Empire

Chinese irredentism involves irredentist claims to the territories of former Chinese dynasties made by the Republic of China (ROC) and subsequently the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Island Nation is a Taiwanese political drama based on Taiwan's transition from an authoritarian state to a democracy in the 1990s. The series will include 80 episodes over 8 seasons, with the first season premiering on January 20, 2020. The second season, Island Nation 2, debuted on September 12, 2021.

References

  1. Yeh, Chieh-Ting (2021-09-24). "Weaving Fiction With Reality: Interview with Island Nation Producer Isaac Wang". Ketagalan Media. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  2. Chiang, Stephanie (2021-09-19). "Taiwan president promotes 2nd season of 'Island Nation' series". Taiwan News. Retrieved 2021-09-29.