I recently posted a photo on Instagram of my family celebrating my youngest daughter’s birthday at one of her favorite restaurants, Saffron 46, enjoying crispy samosas and scallops in curry while the Taipei 101 skyscraper was twinkling in the background. A friend in New York commented: “Wow, you get to go out to eat in…
One of Taiwan’s biggest struggles is getting its voice heard in a noisy world. That’s partly because so few global news companies have offices here staffed with full-time, seasoned correspondents. Many of the big-named media brands – AP, Dow Jones, Reuters – slashed their budgets and started closing or drastically downsizing their bureaus in Taiwan…
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…
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 –…
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…
I’ve attended many conferences this year. I’ve heard a lot of speeches. One of the most interesting and hard-hitting so far was a talk recently given by Charlene Barshefsky, the top trade negotiator for the U.S. from 1997 to 2001. She spoke last month at AmCham Hong Kong’s annual China Conference, which should be a…
Our members rave about their employees. They’re hardworking. Open to training. Have strong business ethics. They can be trusted. And they execute tasks well. But our Business Climate Survey this year identified some areas that could be stronger. They include English ability and communication skills. Creativity and the ability to innovate. An international mindset. And…
If you’re waiting for things to go back to the way they were a couple years ago, it’s not going to happen. That was one of the key messages we heard during this summer’s CEO Mission to Washington, D.C., formerly known as “The Doorknock.” Officials in the Trump administration along with Democrats and Republicans in…
