The crisis in Ukraine has sparked discussions among policymakers in Taiwan on how to enhance the island’s defense capabilities, including through a recently intensified reservist training program and proposals to lengthen the conscription period. A key takeaway for many is that training, motivation, leadership, mobility, and flexibility are just as much key factors in defending…
In a recent online panel hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and joined by AmCham Taiwan President Andrew Wylegala, former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Barbara Weisel put Taiwan’s chances of concluding a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the U.S. at “zero,” at least in the near term. Weisel noted that the appetite in…
As Taiwan’s authorities rush to handle a growing number of imported COVID-19 cases and local cluster infections, speculation is increasing among individuals and businesses about the possible return of a Level 3 “soft lockdown” and what reviving such restrictions might mean for the island’s economy. Some businesses are beginning to prepare for another potentially long…
A climate change report published in November by a consortium of German NGOs placed Taiwan near the bottom of a list that ranked 63 countries based on such metrics as carbon emissions, renewable energy, and energy use. Overall, Taiwan received a “very low” performance rating. Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration has disputed the report’s findings, pointing…
As with every other difficult situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic so far, Taiwan handled its most severe outbreak of local infections this past summer admirably. When case numbers spiked in May and June, restrictions were quickly tightened. Although economically and socially burdensome, the strict new regime was effective in rapidly containing the outbreak, thanks…
The announcement in late September that Taiwan had submitted its formal application to join the 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was welcome news to AmCham Taiwan. While one of the Chamber’s chief advocacy goals is the conclusion of a U.S.-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement (BTA), the adjustments Taiwan must undertake to qualify for a…
Of the several controversies that surrounded the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last month, likely none stood out to Taiwan watchers more than the conversation surrounding the confusing and inaccurate name that the island’s Olympic athletes must compete under. The term “Chinese Taipei” came about several years after Taiwan – officially known as the Republic of…
If Taiwan needed any indication of who its real friends are, it has been handed plenty of evidence over the past two months. As the island grappled with a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and the human and economic costs of a local outbreak that began in mid-May, several like-minded countries have stepped in to help…
In pre-recorded video remarks provided to AmCham Taiwan for its annual Hsieh Nien Fan banquet this year, U.S. Senator Edward Markey lauded the Biden Administration for its attention to upholding the U.S.’ important – if unofficial – relationship with Taiwan. He noted that connections must be deepened at the working levels as well, emphasizing that…
Last month, Central Bank of the Republic of China (CBC) Governor Yang Chin-long spoke to lawmakers regarding the U.S. possibly labeling Taiwan a currency manipulator, one of the criteria for which is a trade surplus with the U.S. of more than US$20 billion. Yang noted that the U.S. market has become increasingly reliant on Taiwan…
