Taiwan’s foreign community has been delighted to see the overwhelming international recognition of Taiwan’s success in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many foreign residents have also been dismayed at the lack of compassion and consideration for their interests conveyed in a number of recent policies. A series of decisions that exclude or unfairly target foreigners…
While the COVID-19 menace continues to present a threat to global health on a scale not seen in generations, President Donald Trump has suspended U.S. funding for the World Health Organization and even mused about establishing a rival body. The U.S. is the largest contributor to the WHO, normally providing nearly half a billion dollars…
For all its horrendous implications, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought Taiwan the rare opportunity to gain widespread acknowledgment and respect around the globe for its accomplishments. Few major news organizations maintain full-scale bureaus on the island, and Taiwan normally receives only occasional attention from the international media. But the scourge of COVID-19 thrust Taiwan into…
The current coronavirus crisis has injected new urgency into a longstanding issue: Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Organization and its annual World Health Assembly. Pressure from Beijing designed to isolate Taiwan within the global community has kept Taiwan from participating in scores of international organizations, including all those affiliated with the United Nations. But…
At a time when democratic values are under siege in many parts of the world, Taiwanese citizens last month demonstrated their continued firm commitment to a free and open political system. In the January 11 elections for president, vice president, and national legislators, nearly 75% of eligible voters cast their ballots. In the U.S., in…
The 2019 American Ball – on the theme of Winter Wonderland – confirmed the event’s reputation as one of Taipei’s social highlights. Co-organized by AmCham Taipei and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the ball was held December 7 at the Grand Hyatt Taipei, with nearly 300 AmCham members and guests in attendance. Inside the…
At a time when the collision between the U.S. and China is shaking up the established order in the conduct of world trade, it’s natural to wonder whether an opportunity is arising for Taiwan to achieve its long-held aspiration of taking on a role as a regional hub. In exploring that question, the cover story…
With President Tsai Ing-wen as the keynote speaker, AmCham Taipei’s 2019 Annual General Meeting was held November 19 in the newly redecorated Grand Ballroom of Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza. The President paid tribute to the Chamber’s “key role in advancing Taiwan-U.S. trade relations, and in bringing new investments to Taiwan.” Some 230 Chamber members and…
The second annual U.S.-Taiwan Liver Health Forum, held November 15, 2019 at the Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, was a collaboration between AmCham Taipei and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) as part of its AIT@40 campaign. The campaign’s theme for November was Innovation and Entrepreneurship Month, a fitting background for the forum, where a…
In 2018, Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior reported that 14% of the island’s population was over the age of 65. That rate is rapidly increasing and is expected to reach 20% or higher by 2026, which could make Taiwan the world’s first “super-aged society.” Such a prospect is alarming, given the vast amount of energy…
