The ROC’s two territories in the region have strategic and political significance, yet both are difficult to defend. Taiwan’s Coast Guard in March twice conducted live-fire drills on the Pratas Islands – known in Chinese as the “Dongsha” – located in the South China Sea 450 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung. Such exercises were rare in…
Military planners say asymmetric platforms will boost Taiwan’s overall warfighting capabilities, raising the cost to Beijing of an invasion. The People’s Republic of China has been threatening to annex Taiwan by force for seven decades. The threat has not been credible until recently, with the ruling Communist Party becoming increasingly emboldened by the country’s rapid…
The numbering system used on foreign nationals’ alien resident certificates (ARCs) changed in January to match that of Taiwanese citizens’ IDs, removing a longstanding hindrance to carrying out everyday activities such as online banking, ticket booking, and registration for medical appointments. Before the change was made, whether an ARC number could be entered successfully online…
An influx of families fleeing the pandemic has created a supply crunch at international schools. Taiwan has stood out as one of the few countries able to keep schools open during the coronavirus pandemic. Some families in the West with ties to Taiwan and the means to relocate have returned here because of the safer,…
Reliance on China has never been riskier for Taiwan’s semiconductor sector. Industry giants like TSMC are now investing to increase production capacity in the U.S. as means of threading the needle on the American tech dispute with China. China has long exerted a gravitational pull on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. The China market’s size, proximity, and…
Taiwan has capitalized on the U.S.-China trade dispute and superb pandemic control to revitalize its position as a technology hub. In less than three years’ time, Taiwan has rejuvenated its position in global supply chains. The exodus of manufacturers to China is ancient history. Instead, many of them have been choosing to come home, first…
Taiwan’s capital offers some of the best, most affordably priced Japanese food outside of the Land of the Rising Sun. Taipei may have the best Japanese food in the world outside of Japan. The range and quality of the city’s authentic Japanese restaurants are exceptional. In the days before 24/7 mobile internet connectivity, this was…
The mass market is growing fast, driven by Prosecco and Cava, while Champagne still dominates the high end. Red wine has long dominated Taiwan’s wine market, buoyed by the brand power of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Most white and rosé wines have struggled by comparison. Sparkling wine is an exception. Champagne has a strong brand here,…
E-learning startups cater to rising demand for online self-learning among individuals. These firms can support the public sector and businesses, too. Taiwan has controlled the coronavirus pandemic so well that its K-12 schools have been able to maintain classroom instruction. The only interruption to school came in February, when the government delayed the start of…
The pandemic has hit the bottom lines of struggling schools reliant on foreign students. Yet Taiwan’s ability to contain the coronavirus is also making it a more attractive place to study. Taiwan has long had a surplus of universities, the legacy of well-intentioned if myopic education reforms in the 1990s. The island nation is home…
