By Austin Babb and Jason Wu Hsiao Attends Biden Inauguration Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., was formally invited to attend the inauguration of U.S. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on January 20, the first such invitation extended to a Taiwanese diplomat in four decades. In previous years, envoys from Taiwan were granted entry…
U.S., Taiwan Hold Economic Talks The inaugural U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Dialogue (EPP) was held in mid-November. The nine-hour talks took place both virtually and through physical meetings in Washington, D.C. and culminated in a five-year memorandum of understanding between the two sides. Among the topics discussed during the EPP were bilateral economic cooperation in the…
Hong Kong Rally Held in Taipei An October 25 rally in Taipei supporting 12 Hong Kong activists who were arrested when trying to flee to Taiwan in August drew hundreds of participants from across the island. Dressed in black and carrying signs bearing the slogan “Save 12” and other messages of support, rally attendees marched…
U.S. Official Krach Makes Brief Visit U.S. Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith J. Krach made a brief visit to Taiwan from September 17 to 19. While Krach is the highest-ranking State Department official to visit Taiwan since the U.S. cut official ties with the island in 1979, his trip…
AmCham Meets with President Tsai AmCham Taipei Chairman CW Chin and several AmCham staff members met with President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office on August 18. Speaking with the group, President Tsai called attention to the deepening U.S.-Taiwan partnership in light of a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) on health cooperation signed during the…
Taiwan’s initiative in easing restrictions on imports of U.S. beef and pork should bolster its case in favor of a bilateral trade agreement. President Tsai Ing-wen’s August 28 announcement that Taiwan’s restrictions on the import of American pork and beef would be relaxed made clear that the objective was to clear the way for Taiwan…
Taiwan is home to a sizable pool of extremely high-quality talent, particularly engineers and others in R&D roles. It is one of the most progressive liberal democracies in Asia, where rule of law and freedom of speech are held sacred by society and government alike. Taiwan is also very welcoming to foreign visitors and residents,…
For all its horrendous implications, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought Taiwan the rare opportunity to gain widespread acknowledgment and respect around the globe for its accomplishments. Few major news organizations maintain full-scale bureaus on the island, and Taiwan normally receives only occasional attention from the international media. But the scourge of COVID-19 thrust Taiwan into…
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…
VP-Elect Lai Makes U.S. Visit When Vice President-elect William Lai visited the U.S. in early February, the highlight of the trip was his attendance at the invitation-only National Prayer Breakfast, an event that was also attended by President Trump. Although Lai stressed that his trip was made in a personal capacity, he is the highest-ranking…
