As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague the world, Taoyuan is sparing no effort to help its sister cities and other friends around the globe by sending supplies such as masks, protective gowns, sanitizers, goggles, and gloves to help in their combat against the virus. The municipality’s Taoyuan Helps campaign has attracted media attention and has…
The pandemic has grounded Taiwan’s new carrier for the time being, but its long-term prospects still look promising STARLUX Airlines had the misfortune of launching its business amid the worst pandemic in a century. The new Taiwanese carrier began flying on January 23, the first day of the 2020 Lunar New Year holiday and the…
Strong demand for the service could help offset the hit to Uber’s ride-hailing business as a result of the pandemic. The two aspects of Uber’s operations in Taiwan show the very different effects that the coronavirus pandemic can have on business. With few foreign tourists around since Taiwan closed its borders to non-residents on March…
Audrey Tang shared her thoughts with Taiwan Business TOPICS on the intersection between technology and governance. In Taiwan, there is no official government title of “Digital Minister,” yet that is what is engraved on the plaque on the wall adjoining Audrey Tang’s office in the Executive Yuan. In fact, as she tells Taiwan Business TOPICS,…
The domestic travel boom is a double-edged sword, boosting tourism revenue but straining limited resources. There’s a first time for everything, like booking a table for one at a pizza restaurant. I did so recently at the insistence of Tsao Yu-lin, owner of the Blueshine B&B on Taiwan’s Matsu islands, even ordering the pie in…
Few people are more qualified to comment on the respective responses to COVID-19 by the U.S. and Taiwan than Tsung-mei Cheng. A native of Taiwan, she has lived in the U.S. for many years and is currently a health policy research analyst at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Her late…
Taiwan’s tourism sector needs to start planning now for how it will deal with the post-COVID-19 environment. My older brother Seth, despite repeated invitations, has yet to make it to Taiwan and has never expressed more than occasional fraternal interest in the country and culture that’s been the cornerstone of his younger brother’s life. But…
Besides making Taiwan one of the safest places on Earth, the Tsai administration’s adept handling of the COVID-19 crisis has brought additional benefits in the diplomatic sphere. Most notably, Taiwan’s public health achievements in the face of the coronavirus provided the rationale for last month’s visit to Taipei by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human…
Kaohsiung Elects Chen Chi-mai Chen Chi-mai of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected mayor of Kaohsiung on August 15, defeating Jane Lee from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Wu Yi-jheng of the Taiwan People’s Party. The special election follows the recall in June of the KMT’s Han Kuo-yu. After losing to…
Taiwan’s foreign community has been delighted to see the overwhelming international recognition of Taiwan’s success in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many foreign residents have also been dismayed at the lack of compassion and consideration for their interests conveyed in a number of recent policies. A series of decisions that exclude or unfairly target foreigners…
