欧洲中部国家匈牙利于4月12日举行了国会选举。律师出身的青年政治人物彼得·马扎尔（Peter Magyar），领导蒂萨党（Tisza Party）取得压倒性胜利，一举推翻了原总理欧尔班长达16年的统治。

马扎尔是谁？他凭借什么创造了这次胜利？

在欧洲，匈牙利不过是人口不足1000万的小国，这次选举却引起举世关注。它是否代表着全球右翼势力和民粹主义的一次挫折？美国副总统万斯在选前还专程到匈牙利为欧尔班助选，但欧尔班依然败阵，这又说明了什么？

这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红与旅欧中国作家、国际政治研究者王庆民深度解析。

延伸阅读：

• 王庆民：意识形态与国际博弈下的匈牙利大选
• 毕达：匈牙利变天 邻国庆幸

In a stunning political upset, Hungary’s parliamentary election on April 12, 2026, ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. The opposition Tisza Party, led by Peter Magyar, won a landslide victory that is set to reshape Hungary’s political future and reverberate across Europe.

The result came despite last-minute campaigning in Orbán’s favor by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, underscoring the international attention surrounding the race. For more than a decade, Orbán has been seen as the standard-bearer of Europe’s illiberal right, reshaping Hungary’s constitution, media landscape, and institutions.

In 2022, the European Parliament described Hungary as a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy,” arguing that it could no longer be considered a full democracy. Against that backdrop, Magyar’s rapid rise and Tisza’s breakthrough have stunned observers and raised broader questions about the direction of right-wing politics in Europe and beyond.

Join us on this episode of Global Heartbeat, where host Han Yonghong and Europe-based political analyst and freelance writer Wang Qingmin examine what this historic result means for Hungary, the future of right-wing politics, and democracy in Europe.

Hosted by Lianhe Zaobao’s Associate Editor, Han Yong Hong, Global Heartbeat is a Mandarin weekly news and current affairs podcast that is updated every Tuesday, 7.00 PM SGT. It is available on zaobao.sg, Apple Podcast, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

台湾最大在野党中国国民党主席郑丽文于星期天结束了为期六天的大陆行，并带回了来自北京的“十项惠台政策大礼包”。

此趟行程，郑丽文先后走访上海、江苏与北京，不仅拜谒了南京中山陵、参访北京故宫及知名企业，更与中国大陆国家主席习近平举行会谈，全程受到高规格礼遇。

执政的民进党政府对此严厉抨击，批评郑丽文此行是迎合中共叙事，并指这十项惠台政策实为“糖衣毒药”，行政院院长卓荣泰更批郑丽文此举是“玩火玩过头”。

本次大陆行，对郑丽文究竟是加分还是减分？这场政治博弈中，最终谁是赢家，又有哪些输家？郑丽文“登陆”的最终结果，又将对年底的台湾地方选举产生什么影响？

这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红与台湾致理科技大学国际贸易系副教授张弘远及《联合早报》中国新闻记者缪宗翰深入解析。

延伸阅读：

• 特稿：习郑会民族叙事前置 北京柔性论述重塑对台框架
• 【视频】“习郑会” 谈中华与和平：两岸关系要“牢牢掌握在中国人手中”

A high-stakes political visit has just concluded, with Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun wrapping up her six-day trip to mainland China, including a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first such visit by a sitting Kuomintang (KMT) chairperson in a decade. Her itinerary included Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing, with stops at Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum and the Palace Museum, as well as visits to Chinese companies.

During the trip, Beijing announced 10 cross-strait measures aimed at boosting exchanges, trade and people-to-people ties, including support for tourism, transport, and Taiwanese farm and fishery products. Chinese state media described the package as a goodwill gesture for ordinary Taiwanese, while Taiwan’s Cabinet and Mainland Affairs Council warned that it was designed to deepen dependence and expand Beijing’s leverage.

The response in Taiwan was sharply divided. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) accused Cheng of echoing Beijing’s narrative and recasting cross-strait relations on Beijing’s terms, while officials described the measures as “sugar-coated poison.” Taiwan’s government also stressed that any matters involving public authority must be handled through official, equal negotiations rather than party-to-party channels.

The key question now is whether Cheng’s visit will strengthen the KMT’s claim that it can stabilise cross-strait ties, or instead deepen voter mistrust of engagement with Beijing ahead of Taiwan’s local elections. That debate will be explored in this episode of Global Heartbeat with host Han Yong Hong, Associate Professor Chang Hung Yuan from Chihlee University of Technology, and Lianhe Zaobao China News journalist Zong-Han Miaw.

Hosted by Lianhe Zaobao’s Associate Editor Han Yonghong, Global Heartbeat is a weekly Mandarin news and current affairs podcast published every Tuesday. It is available on Lianhe Zaobao website and app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

由中国新生代艺人张凌赫、田曦薇主演的40集古装爱情剧《逐玉》，今年3月开始播出后大受欢迎，全剧创下34亿播放流量，荣登2026年年度剧王。它还走入泰国、马来西亚、越南和印尼市场，成为当地热门娱乐新闻。

不过，《逐玉》也引来中国网民、地方宣传部门和其他官方媒体的集体讨伐。他们批评男主角张凌赫妆造过度精致，是“粉底液将军”。中国解放军旗下的“钧正平工作室”在微博批评说：“军人，是民族精神的具象载体；是家国风骨、阳刚血性的核心象征。《逐玉》中的武安侯将军，却被塑造成涂脂抹粉、精致柔弱的偶像模样，带来的文化与精神危害不可小觑。”中国国家广播电视总局还召开电视剧健康审美座谈会，不点名批判《逐玉》存在“颜值至上”、“颜值崇拜”的不良创作倾向。

《逐玉》已经落幕，为什么落幕后还继续引来舆论声讨？男性强调颜值，是一种文化和精神危害吗？这种争议又反映了怎样的社会氛围？

这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红与华东师范大学传播学院新闻系副教授吴畅畅详细解析。

延伸阅读：

• 下午察：“粉底液将军”的颜值风波
• 中国要求电视剧摒弃畸形审美 央媒批“粉底液将军”

China’s period romance Pursuit of Jade has become more than a TV hit, sparking debate over beauty, masculinity and state influence in popular culture. The 40-episode series, starring Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei, premiered in March and quickly drew huge viewership across Asia.

But the drama also faced backlash over its polished portrayal of a military hero. Online viewers mocked Zhang Linghe’s general as the “foundation general,” while a PLA-linked outlet criticised the show for weakening the masculine image of soldiers. Soon after, China’s broadcast regulator held a meeting on “healthy aesthetics,” warning against “appearance above all” and “idol worship,” in remarks widely seen as a veiled rebuke of the series.

The controversy points to a wider tension in China: between youth-driven fandom culture and official efforts to promote tougher, more patriotic ideals of manhood. In this episode of Global Heartbeat, host Han Yonghong speaks with Associate Professor Wu Changchang of East China Normal University to unpack the debate.

Hosted by Lianhe Zaobao’s Associate Editor, Han Yong Hong, Global Heartbeat is a Mandarin weekly news and current affairs podcast that is updated every Tuesday, 7.00 PM SGT. It is available on zaobao.sg, Apple Podcast, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.