Excitement was in the air at the 2020 AmCham Taipei Annual General Meeting, held at the Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel on November 17. As the Chamber’s signature year-end event, it would serve as the platform for announcing that AmCham Taipei would begin the formal process of becoming the more appropriately named American Chamber of…
A discussion currently underway in American foreign policy circles focuses on how best to define the potential U.S. response to a military attack on Taiwan. Washington’s longstanding approach to the matter has been called “strategic ambiguity” – a vague statement of support for Taiwan in the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) but no explicit commitment to…
AmCham Taipei’s 2020 American Ball was an evening of glitz and glamor as nearly 300 members and their guests arrived at the Grand Hyatt Taipei dressed in dashing tuxedos and elegant evening gowns. While the COVID-19 pandemic has severely restricted international travel, the theme of this year’s ball – Fly Me to the World –…
On September 17, AmCham Taipei commemorated its 69th anniversary with an evening celebration at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Over 100 guests, including members new and longstanding, dined on the hotel’s delicious international cuisine, caught up with peers and friends, and raised a toast to the Chamber’s more than six decades of outstanding service to the…
Recent progress in tightening the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has been stunning. Developments have included high-profile visits to Taipei by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, as well as the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment. Additional major military sales are reportedly in the offing, following Taiwan’s August purchase of…
Besides making Taiwan one of the safest places on Earth, the Tsai administration’s adept handling of the COVID-19 crisis has brought additional benefits in the diplomatic sphere. Most notably, Taiwan’s public health achievements in the face of the coronavirus provided the rationale for last month’s visit to Taipei by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human…
AmCham Taipei’s 2020 Hsieh Nien Fan banquet was held successfully at the Grand Hyatt Taipei on August 25, despite a long postponement from the original March schedule due to the disruptions of COVID-19. Under the circumstances, this year’s celebration was especially meaningful, bringing together nearly 700 AmCham members and guests, including more than 130 government…
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…
