RTI Radio Taiwan International 
RTI Radio Taiwan International 
In March 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order dismantling the U.S. Agency for Global Media—an institution that oversaw Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and other vital outlets delivering independent news across some of the world’s most repressive regimes. Almost overnight, hundreds of foreign journalists on U.S. work visas were left in limbo. Some faced deportation to countries where their past reporting could land them in prison—or worse. Four Radio Free Asia contributors are currently detained in Vietnam. In Russia and Myanmar, Voice of America journalists are behind bars. For these reporters, the shutdown isn’t a bureaucratic decision—it’s a life-threatening blow.
To explore these implications and more, we spoke with someone on the frontlines of press freedom in Asia: Cédric Alviani. He’s the Asia-Pacific Bureau Director for Reporters Without Borders, also known as RSF, and he’s based right here in Taipei. With more than 25 years of experience in East Asia, Cédric has worked to support exiled journalists, monitor repression in places like Hong Kong and Myanmar, and expose censorship—even in democratic societies. Under his leadership, RSF’s Taipei office has grown into a regional hub with a team of over 30 staff and correspondents stretching from Oceania to Southeast Asia. I spoke to Cédric about what the U.S. media cuts mean for our region—and why Taiwan may play a critical role in the fight for press freedom.
