— By Jane Rickards and Don Shapiro  Ming and Qing Dynasty soldiers described Taiwan as a place where “disease is rampant.” Yet before large numbers of Han people began arriving in the mid-17th century, the island’s indigenous peoples had managed to live generally healthy lives. Japanese researchers later documented how the Austronesian peoples used local medicinal plants to cure various…

President Tsai’s Pandemic Diplomacy In early April, President Tsai Ing-wen announced a new diplomatic initiative in an attempt to turn Taiwan’s success in battling the coronavirus into a geopolitical win, despite China’s efforts to isolate Taiwan politically. Noting that Taiwan had transformed from being an importer of facemasks to the world’s second largest producer, she…