The next step is to fully reopen safely and share disease-control expertise with the world. The scene at Taipei’s Songshan Airport on a Saturday in July was surreal, at first blush utterly removed from the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down vast swaths of the world over the past six months. Passengers packed the domestic…
Combining on-site and online participants, exhibitors, and speakers, BIO Asia-Taiwan 2020 introduced hundreds of new biotech and biomedical developments, including many related to COVID-19. In a visual demonstration of how well Taiwan has controlled COVID-19, the island hosted Asia’s first major industry gathering since the onset of the pandemic, a biotech conference and exhibition appropriately…
Former President Lee Teng-hui ’s Democratic Legacy Lee Teng-hui, Taiwan’s first democratically elected president and first native Taiwanese national leader, died on July 30 after being hospitalized since February. He was 97 years old. AmCham Taipei released a statement joining the people of Taiwan in mourning Lee’s passing and noting his historic role in promoting…
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…
Companies are trying to figure out how best to respond to new and unique challenges, while staying vigilant about the unexpected. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, wreaking havoc on economies throughout the world, companies are struggling to come up with ways to keep business operational, as well as employees and clientele safe. Taiwan,…
Ban on Official Use of Zoom The Executive Yuan in April made Taiwan one of the first countries to prohibit use of popular videoconferencing software Zoom for official government communication. In many government agencies, officials are increasingly working from home owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they will no longer be allowed to use the…
The COVID-19 pandemic is taking an unprecedented toll on the global economy and human lives. Yet it is also inspiring the innovative application of new technologies to research the disease’s origins, treat it, and manage its spread. Nowhere has this been seen done more effectively than in Taiwan, where the government has used AI and…
While the COVID-19 menace continues to present a threat to global health on a scale not seen in generations, President Donald Trump has suspended U.S. funding for the World Health Organization and even mused about establishing a rival body. The U.S. is the largest contributor to the WHO, normally providing nearly half a billion dollars…
President Tsai’s Pandemic Diplomacy In early April, President Tsai Ing-wen announced a new diplomatic initiative in an attempt to turn Taiwan’s success in battling the coronavirus into a geopolitical win, despite China’s efforts to isolate Taiwan politically. Noting that Taiwan had transformed from being an importer of facemasks to the world’s second largest producer, she…
Pfizer has called on the biopharmaceutical industry to join the company in committing to unprecedented collaboration to combat COVID-19. “In this troubling time, Pfizer is committed to doing all we can to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Albert Bourla, the company’s Chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “Many companies, including Pfizer, are working…
