CNN International opens new Taipei bureau

CNN International has opened a new bureau in Taipei with award-winning Senior International Correspondent Will Ripley based there.

In the last 12 months Ripley has spent extended periods of time in Taiwan to report on the growing tensions between Taipei and Beijing. He has secured exclusive interviews with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and reported extensively on the controversial visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“As the world order shifts, we are seeing the increasingly pivotal role of Taiwan,” said Senior Vice President & Managing Editor APAC, CNN International, Ellana Lee. “Having a team permanently based there gives us vital insight into that piece of the Asia-Pacific jigsaw in a rapidly evolving global geopolitical picture.”

Before moving to Taipei, Ripley was based in Hong Kong where he reported on some of the biggest stories from the region including the mystery surrounding Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, last year’s postponed Tokyo Olympics, the coronavirus pandemic and the Hong Kong protests.

Prior to moving to Hong Kong, Ripley was CNN’s Tokyo-based correspondent. A journalist with more than 20 years experience, Ripley has also traveled to North Korea 19 times since joining CNN in 2014.

Mike McCarthy, Executive Vice President & General Manager, CNN International, added: “Will is an outstanding journalist with in-depth knowledge and understanding of this complex and important region. With correspondents permanently based in mainland China, Hong Kong and now Taiwan, CNN is uniquely placed to offer strategic analysis and insight across our TV and digital platforms.”

Taipei marks CNN’s 8th bureau in Asia, with editorial operations in Beijing, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Islamabad, New Delhi, Seoul and Tokyo. BCS Bureau