DBS economist Ma Tieying takes the most bullish view of Taiwan’s economic prospects for 2021, forecasting GDP growth of 4.2%. The most cautious position among those interviewed for this report was from Yuanta-Polaris Research Institute President Liang Kuo-yuan, whose forecast is “at least 3%.” In between is the government’s own statistics agency, which expects growth…
Taiwan has been a major beneficiary of global circumstances in 2020. It must now take steps to maintain economic momentum as a new year approaches. Despite a devastating pandemic that the International Monetary Fund predicts will shrink the world economy by 4.4% this year, Taiwan proved itself to be a global economic star. It was one…
Many of Taiwan’s major medical centers now house private clinics that offer premium services to patients with the means to pay out-of-pocket and provide the hospitals with an additional source of revenue. A quick glance at the waiting room at the Taiwan Adventist Hospital’s International Priority Care Center (PCC) reveals that this is no ordinary…
Taiwan has emerged this year as a shining example of pandemic management, with less than 600 reported cases since the onset of COVID-19 in January. The systems and protocols that Taiwan’s hospitals already had in place from its experience combating the SARS epidemic in 2003 were one of the main factors contributing to the island’s…
— 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…
Aside from the large medical centers that enjoy significant economies of scale, many Taiwanese hospitals have been faced with financial difficulties due to rising costs. Many smaller hospitals have closed or merged, and the survivors have been looking for ways to cut expenses and increase revenues. The proportion of healthcare expenditures paid by patients out of…
More flexible job schedules could attract more women into the workforce. At the same time as Taiwan is suffering from an insufficient supply of talent in many employment categories, it has not been making optimal use of a major portion of its population: its women. According to the latest statistics from the Executive Yuan’s Department…
Growing opportunities for foreign students in Taiwan and Taiwanese going abroad. Taiwan has a generally excellent educational system. The main challenge is to make the rest of the world aware of its quality and to enable education in Taiwan to be more easily accessible to foreigners. At the primary and secondary levels, Taiwan’s education system…
Former Premier Hau Pei-Tsun Dies Former Premier Hau Pei-tsun passed away at the age of 100 at the end of March. As a young military officer, Hau had fought in the Chinese Civil War, and as an army commander stationed on Kinmen had been in charge of its defenses during a landmark 44-day bombardment of…
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…
