The recent influx of immigrants from ASEAN nations dovetails with the Tsai administration’s New Southbound Policy. Southeast Asian immigration to Taiwan is steadily rising amid deepening ties between the island and ASEAN nations. Between 2010 and 2016, Southeast Asian immigrants increased from 130,000 to 170,000, according to government data. Last year, for the first time…
Given the tepid economy and tensions in relations with Beijing, the island is no longer a magnet for cross-Strait marriages. When Lisa Li arrived in Taiwan in 2001, the island was more advanced than anywhere on the Chinese mainland. The capital city of Taipei had a brand-new MRT system, five-star international hotels, and 24-hour convenience…
Taiwan’s population is projected to peak at 23.61 million in 2021 and then begin to decrease. The fertility rate of an average of 1.17 children born to each woman is insufficient to maintain the present population level, never mind expand it. Government efforts to boost the fertility rate – primarily in the form of childcare…
To succeed, the Taiwan government’s plan must overcome fiscal, talent, and cultural challenges. In April this year, Taiwan passed the threshold to officially become an aged society, with more than 14% of the population older than 65. That trend is set to accelerate over the next decade. By 2026, 21% of the population will be…
Global and local firms are making new investments in semiconductor fabs in Taiwan. Taiwan is holding its own as a hub for semiconductor manufacturing, attracting steady new investment from chipmakers and other firms in the industry’s supply chain. The island manufactures about 25-30% of integrated circuits (ICs) globally and is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing…
IP violations remain a serious problem in Taiwan’s ultra-competitive chip-making market. In recent years, trade-secret theft has become increasingly common in Taiwan’s highly competitive semiconductor industry, one of the world’s largest by output value and a bedrock of the island’s economy. The perpetrators have usually been Chinese companies seeking to close the technology gap with…
Artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cryptocurrency all offer avenues for growth as global demand eases for mobile devices. Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturer are looking for new growth drivers as the global market for mobile devices cools. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and virtual currencies appear to be offering abundant opportunities. “We’re seeing a rapid diversification…
While Taiwan’s semiconductor industry continues to grow, China poses a formidable long-term challenge. For years, industry analysts have cautioned that Chinese competitors in the semiconductor sector would steadily erode the technology advantages of Taiwanese chipmakers, ultimately wooing away many of their customers with lower prices. Despite China’s rapid progress in the semiconductor sector in recent…
Transforming Taiwan into a regional biomedical hub will require some creativity. Taiwan’s biomedicine industry has many of the ingredients for success. The island has strong scientific talent, rich clinical-trial experience, abundant capital, a treasure trove of medical data (from the National Health Insurance system), information-technology expertise, and strong intellectual property rights protection bolstered by the…
A robust indigenous defense industry would help Taiwan counter China’s unflagging military buildup. In late June, two Chinese destroyers sailed into Taiwan’s territorial waters. They stayed in the Taiwan Strait for nearly a week, coming within 60 nautical miles of Lamay – an island off of Taiwan’s southwestern coast – before sailing onward. It was…
