Taiwan Places Bid to Enter CPTPP The Executive Yuan on September 23 announced Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), applying as the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, the name it uses to participate in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The CPTPP was signed in…
Of the several controversies that surrounded the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last month, likely none stood out to Taiwan watchers more than the conversation surrounding the confusing and inaccurate name that the island’s Olympic athletes must compete under. The term “Chinese Taipei” came about several years after Taiwan – officially known as the Republic of…
Olympics Showcase Taiwan’s Strengths and Challenges Taiwan gave a historic performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which had been postponed until late July this year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 67 Taiwanese athletes competed in 18 sports at the games and returned to Taiwan with a record haul of 12…
If Taiwan needed any indication of who its real friends are, it has been handed plenty of evidence over the past two months. As the island grappled with a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and the human and economic costs of a local outbreak that began in mid-May, several like-minded countries have stepped in to help…
Following a local outbreak in mid-May, some observers drew attention to the exodus of “COVID refugees” – those who had come to Taiwan at the height of the pandemic in the U.S. and other countries. But the results of a recent survey suggest that most foreigners who arrived in Taiwan after the beginning of 2020…
U.S.-Taiwan TIFA Talks Resume The 11th Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) trade talks between the U.S. and Taiwan convened on June 30 following a five-year hiatus. Taiwan’s delegation was led by Yang Jen-ni, deputy trade representative in the Office of Trade Negotiations. Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Terry McCartin headed the U.S. delegation, which included officials from the…
Brookings Institution senior fellow Richard C. Bush’s comprehensive new book on Taiwan describes in great detail the delicate balancing act Taiwan must play regarding not only its international status and the tenuous cross-Strait relationship, but also a host of thorny domestic issues impacting the island’s future. When it comes to explaining Taiwan, Richard C. Bush…
A weekly snapshot of Taiwan business news stories brought to you by CommonWealth and AmCham Taiwan’s TOPICS Taiwan, Australia Seek Cooperation on Hydrogen On July 29, the Australian Office in Taipei and Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs held the Australia-Taiwan Hydrogen Trade and Investment Dialogue to discuss opportunities for developing hydrogen energy and other emerging…
A large number overseas Taiwanese students, families, and professionals have returned to Taiwan over the past year in order to avoid the worst of the pandemic. Yet the recent surge of local COVID-19 cases has created a rift between those returnees who wish to stick it out in Taiwan and those who are ready to…
Palau President Visits Taiwan Surangel Whipps Jr., President of the Micronesian country of Palau, one of Taiwan’s few remaining diplomatic allies, made a five-day official visit to Taiwan in late March to celebrate the opening of a special travel bubble between the two partners. Accompanying Whipps on his visit was U.S. Ambassador to Palau John…
