I have never felt prouder of Taiwan. The way the country – both the people and government – have dealt with the ongoing coronavirus crisis has been incredibly impressive. The public has been relatively calm and brave. The officials have been transparent, proactive, and professional. Indeed, so far Taiwan’s response to the outbreak has been…
The current coronavirus crisis has injected new urgency into a longstanding issue: Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Organization and its annual World Health Assembly. Pressure from Beijing designed to isolate Taiwan within the global community has kept Taiwan from participating in scores of international organizations, including all those affiliated with the United Nations. But…
At a time when democratic values are under siege in many parts of the world, Taiwanese citizens last month demonstrated their continued firm commitment to a free and open political system. In the January 11 elections for president, vice president, and national legislators, nearly 75% of eligible voters cast their ballots. In the U.S., in…
My teenage daughter is interested in Taiwan’s political culture, so I took her to President Tsai Ing-wen’s election victory celebration. Amid the cheers, chants, and the occasional air horn, I heard something that I’ve never noticed before at a political event in Taiwan. It was the sound of people speaking Cantonese. A lot of Hong…
I love the sounds of the Feng Cheng restaurant, one of my favorite places to eat in Taipei. I try to sit by the kitchen door, so I can hear the stove, roaring as loud as a blast furnace smelting iron. There’s a crackle and sizzle as the cook tosses something – maybe shrimp –…
At a time when the collision between the U.S. and China is shaking up the established order in the conduct of world trade, it’s natural to wonder whether an opportunity is arising for Taiwan to achieve its long-held aspiration of taking on a role as a regional hub. In exploring that question, the cover story…
I began this year writing about gloom and doom. Global volatility and the U.S.-China trade war had me deeply worried about 2019. I thought my biggest challenge was to just stay positive. For sure, there’s still plenty of turbulence, upheaval, and uncertainty in the world. But looking back on the past 12 months, I’ve got…
When it comes to U.S.-China relations, the Trump administration speaks with several voices – often conveying conflicting messages. Many in the business world have been left feeling confused about the president’s overall strategy. But one voice has been clearer and more consistent than many others, and it belongs to Vice President Mike Pence. He gave…
Each autumn, the Ministry of Economic Affairs holds a Taiwan Business Alliance Conference to promote Taiwan’s advantages as a location for foreign investment and to spotlight new business opportunities. This year’s program, held October 7 at the Taipei International Convention Center, included a new wrinkle. For the first time, the Ministry presented an “Economic Contribution…
For decades before the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China in 1979, Americans with a scholarly or professional interest in Chinese affairs invariably spent at least a year in Taiwan – and often much longer – studying Mandarin or doing research. The result was that a whole generation…
