Several of the candidates for the Democratic nomination for U.S. president are advocating a government-run plan to provide health-insurance coverage to all Americans, sometimes referred to “Medicare for All.” As a single-payer healthcare system, this type of plan is similar to Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI). Could the Taiwan experience serve as a practical reference…
U.S., Taiwan Observe 40 Years of the TRA To participate in celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act and establishment of the American Institute in Taiwan, the U.S. sent a delegation to Taiwan led by former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan. The delegation also included Eddie Bernice Johnson,…
Yuanlin Christian Hospital, a pioneering smart hospital, located in heavily rural Changhua County focuses on emergency and critical care in a part of Taiwan where emergency resources are scarce. The hospital opened in 2015, and with nearly 500 beds, 70 attending doctors, and more than 500 nurses, it can treat major traumas. It also offers emergency and inpatient treatment for children and various gynecological services.
Facebook Opens New Office in Taipei American social media giant Facebook in April opened a new Taiwan headquarters in Taipei’s Xinyi District. Dan Neary, vice president of Asia Pacific for Facebook, said his company views Taiwan as an important market and that the new office reflects confidence in Taiwan’s future. He added that Facebook will…
For the time being, Taiwan’s highly popular universal healthcare program is still solvent. But due to rising costs and a rapidly aging population, the system may run out of funds within two years unless increased premiums and other reforms are put in place. Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system is currently living beyond its means….
Momentum Slows Two key institutions in April trimmed their forecasts for Taiwan’s GDP growth in 2019, citing falling exports as global demand for consumer electronics slumped amid a prolonged U.S.-China trade war. Standard Chartered Bank cut an earlier GDP forecast of 2.5% to 2.1%, with its chief Taiwan-based economist saying that the first quarter’s 4.2%…
Foxconn Founder Set to Run for President Terry Gou, founder of electronics giant Foxconn Technology Co., in April declared at a temple that Mazu, the goddess of the sea, had recently appeared to him in a dream. “She told me to come out and do something,” he recounted. That something was running for president on the…
Is the preponderance of female executives due to the industry, the openness of Taiwanese society, or mere coincidence? For the first time, women are taking the top position as country head or general manager in nearly all of the operations of Western pharmaceutical companies in Taiwan. Women also tend to excel more broadly in those…
Taiwan Wants to Buy F-16 Viper Aircraft Taiwan reportedly submitted formal requests to the U.S. at the end of March to purchase M1 Abrams tanks and 66 F-16V fighter jets. Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration has given tacit approval to the proposed purchase and that President Donald Trump’s advisers had encouraged Taiwan to make…
Foxconn Rejects Microsoft Patent Suit Terry Gou, chairman of the Foxconn Technology Group, which trades as Hon Hai Precision Industry, in mid-March responded to a patent infringement lawsuit filed against one of his subsidiaries by Microsoft Corp. He said that as a contract manufacturer, his group has never been required to pay royalties for use…
