At a time when democratic values are under siege in many parts of the world, Taiwanese citizens last month demonstrated their continued firm commitment to a free and open political system. In the January 11 elections for president, vice president, and national legislators, nearly 75% of eligible voters cast their ballots. In the U.S., in…
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…
The recently concluded 9th Term of the Legislative Yuan was the first time the Democratic Progressive Party held majority control of the lawmaking body and thus also the first time that the DPP controlled both the legislature and the executive branch. What was the result in terms of legislative performance? Of the 6,252 bills proposed…
Taiwan’s Military Chief Dies in Accident Chief of the General Staff Shen Yi-ming was among eight military officers killed January 2 when their helicopter made a crash-landing in mountainous terrain shortly after take-off from Taipei on the way to visits troops stationed in Yilan County in the island’s northeast. Shen, who was 62, assumed Taiwan’s…
What does it mean for a food to be described as “Q” and what is the derivation? A decade or so ago, the restaurant reviews by local writers in the Taiwan newspaper where I was features editor often dwelt at great length on the chewy nature of certain dishes. To vary the wording, the reviewers…
After living in Taiwan for two decades, regular Wine & Dine contributor Mark Caltonhill returned to his native UK at the end of 2013. Now he’s back and looking at what has changed on the food scene. Returning to Taiwan after a five-year absence, my initial reaction was that prices seemed a lot higher. Currency…
A good way to become more familiar with Taiwan’s geography is to acquaint oneself with the specialty food items of places around the island. A number of Taiwanese foods are closely associated with particular cities or towns, even if they can now also be found in other sections of the country. Join us on a…
AmCham committees have the chance to interact with the appropriate government agencies. When AmCham Taipei released its 2017 Taiwan White Paper, it expressed regret that not a single one of the 80 issues cited in the previous year’s edition as detriments to the investment climate had been completely resolved. Fortunately, AmCham’s concern was shared by…
Offshore Wind Enters Commercial Stage President Tsai Ing-wen attended the inauguration of Taiwan’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, Formosa 1, on November 12 in a ceremony at the Longfeng Fishing Harbor in Miaoli. Located between two and six kilometers off the coast of Miaoli, the NT$18.7 billion (over US$623 million), 128-megawatt (MW) project is designed…
As a center of operations for local and foreign businesses across numerous industries, Taiwan has a lot to offer. However, some lingering issues require creative solutions if it is to compete on the same level as some of its neighbors. Back in the 1990s, the idea of Taiwan becoming a regional operations hub for a…
