With constrained budgets and few allies, Taiwan struggles to acquire the weapons it wants and needs for self-defense. Matching – or even coming close to matching – China in defense spending is clearly not an option for Taiwan. But as noted in the paper “Taiwan’s Defense Spending: The Security Consequences of Choosing Butter Over Guns,”…
Taiwan is attempting to shift from a conscript military to a volunteer, professional military in a very short time frame. Can the army recruit enough personnel to maintain a credible defense? In 1973, when United States began its transition from a conscript army to an all-volunteer force, no one was sure whether the move would…
Despite improved cross-Strait relations, China is continuing massive spending to build up its military capability, with Taiwan remaining prominently in the PLA’s crosshairs. Can advanced weapons procurement and the implementation of “asymmetrical strategies” enable Taiwan to meet the challenge of providing sufficient defensive strength? On the face of it, Taiwan’s chances of prevailing in an…
From European colonizers to adventurous settlers from China and Japanese imperialists, Taiwan as long been a magnet for an array of people attracted by its strategic location along vital East Asian shipping routes. But while Taiwan has long been closely tied to the global market – and is widely considered to be among the most…
If one’s love of country can be measured in terms of struggle to gain citizenship, then TC Locke should be counted among Taiwan’s most ardent supporters. The Florida native and current member of acclaimed blues band The Muddy Basin Ramblers came to Taiwan in 1989 as an exchange student at Tunghai University in Taichung and…
When Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je casually referred to foreign brides in Taiwan as having been “imported,” his words struck a nerve with the some 600,000 foreign spouses living in Taiwan. Several groups including the Trans-Asia Sisters Association loudly protested the mayor’s wording, and the matter took several days to die down. Ko has a history…
Taiwan is making an effort to attract more international students – and hopes that growing numbers of them will stay on to join the workforce after graduation. Despite being only a Tier II team, the soccer squad at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) regularly defeats some of Taiwan’s top-division university teams. But…
Quincy Davis III may not look like a typical Taiwanese, but the 6’8” former Tulane University basketball star is in fact a citizen of the Republic of China. In June 2013, the Los Angeles-born, Mobile, Alabama-raised Davis gave up his U.S. citizenship to accept ROC nationality, enabling him to play on the Chinese Taipei national…
For years, the regulatory and funding environment in Taiwan was not conducive to fostering new startup enterprises. Many would-be Taiwanese entrepreneurs headed for Silicon Valley or other locations instead. But lately the situation has changed, in part because of government recognition that Taiwan was losing economic opportunities by not doing enough to encourage entrepreneurial initiative….
The rising stars in the Taiwanese startup scene are an eclectic mix of young tech firms, spanning the restaurant, retail, media, and education sectors. The one thing they have in common is a global distribution plan. Roam & Wander Imagine a kid’s tea party – and then make that experience more real with smart toys….
