introduction to TAIWAN

◆ The Atlantics, 2024-10-25: Taiwan's military, in a word, is incompetent. The need for reform is more urgent than ever. Taiwan very likely could not defend itself from a full-scale invasion on its own. ... ... isn't just outnumbered and outgunned. More troubling, its armed forces are plagued by poor planning and training, insufficient stockpiles, a sclerotic command system, and weaponry that may be ill-suited to defend against an invasion. ◆ New York Times, 2024-10-22: If tensions continued rising, China would likely deploy expanded drills again, coordinating between its various military services and showing off modern warfare capabilities; But the frequency of such incursions also raises the risk of a conflict, accidental or otherwise, that could draw in the United States.◆ Foreign Affairs, 2024-10-16: By almost universal agreement, the Taiwan Strait has emerged as the most combustible flash point in the world. ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-10-16: Taiwan and other U.S. partners will need to contend with an increasingly capable and aggressive China and rising isolationism and protectionism in the United States. Trump's foreign policy pronouncements reflect sentiments held by many in the United States. ◆ New York Times, 2024-10-16: David Sacks, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said PLA's activities are coming closer and closer to Taiwan shores. China's military drills were aimed at demonstrating its potential to choke Taiwan's access to food and fuel and block the skies and waters from which the United States and its allies would presumably approach in coming to the island's defense.

Should biological males compete against women? Taiwan's Olympic Controversies - Lin won a Gold medal in female boxing

⊙The Diplomat, 2024-8-6: a global furor over a boxer's gender. ⊙ Fox News, 2024-8-4: Debate over the biological sex of a boxer who won women's match at the Olympic Games is sweeping the globe. ⊙ Fox News, 2024-8-11: The IBA has said that Lin had an unfair advantage against female opponents.

●

Times Higher Education , World University Rank 2023 ★

timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2023/world-ranking#!/page/7/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats
Rank	Taiwan	China	Korea	Hong Kong, Macau	Singapore	Japan
1~70		16 Tsinghua University Beijing 　 17 Peking University Beijing 　 51 Fudan University Shanghai 52 Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 67 Zhejiang University Zhejiang	56 Seoul National University Seoul	31 University of Hong Kong 　 45 Chinese University of Hong Kong 　 58 The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	19 National University of Singapore 　　 36 Nanyang Technological University	39 University of Tokyo 　　　 68 Kyoto University
70~100		74 University of Science and Technology of China 　 95 Nanjing Univ.	78 Yonsei Univ. (Seoul campus) 　 91 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon	79 Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ. 　 99 City Univ. of Hong Kong
PS: National Taiwan University (台灣大學) only got No. 187 (No. 113 in previous year) , number of students per staff 11.4, female/male 42: 58, int'l students 11%

Taiwan's travel & tourism - 10th in Asia ★
　

World Economic Forum (WEF) <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> released at 9-4-2019 shows Taiwan had the sub-region's largest decline in competitiveness from 30th down to 37th. Taiwan ranks No.10 among Asian countries. for details : click tourism
　

WEF travel & tourism category	Taiwan's rankings and/or score	comparison
prioritization of travel and tourism	No75	Singapore No.6 , Hong Kong No. 11
Natural & cultural resources	No.58 score 2.6	China No.1, score 6.0 , France No.2, 5.0, Spain No.3, 5.7, Japan No.7, 5.3, Indonesia No.18, Thailand No.21, Korea No.24, Vietnam No.26, Malaysia No.31, HK No.40, Philippines No.46, Sri Lanka No.52, Nepal No.56
Natural resources	No. 87	Hong Kong No. 42, Singapore No.120
cultural resources & business travel	No. 36 score 2.6	China No1, score 7.0
price competitiveness	No. 78	China 5.7
Health & Hygiene	No.43, score 6	score worse than Korea, Japan, Mongolia
international openness	No. 60	only better than China, Mongolia
Safety & security	No. 26	human resource & labor market: Taiwan No.18
ps: Compared to the report of 2017, Taiwan significantly tightened visa requirements (37th down to 119th), waning cultural resources and business travel (26th to 36th) and recalibrated figures showing a drastic reduction in protected areas (20th to 118th). For full details : http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TTCR_2019.pdf

According to World Economic Forum (WEF) <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's most important indexes for promoting tourism, like "Attractiveness of Natural Assets" (parks, beaches, mountains, wildlife, etc) ranks world No.87, "Natural Resources" ranks No.55, "Environmental Sustainability" ranks No.75 (No.69 in 2015), "Price Competitiveness" ranks No. 46, "Hotel Price Index" ranks No. 89 (82 in 2015), Taiwan got "n/a" on China's world top 5 indexes such as "World heritage natural sites" as well as "World heritage cultural sites".
comment Taiwan travel and tourism, No.1 on internet, pls. click for details

Economist, EIU, THE GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX 2022 Biggest movers down the ranking in the past 12 month Taipei (Taiwan) ranks world No. 53
	City	Location	Rank	Index	Rank Move	Index Move
1	Wellington	New Zealand	50	85.7	-46	-8.0
2	Auckland	New Zealand	34	89.2	-33	-6.8
3	Adelaide	Australia	30	90.7	-27	-3.3
8	Taipei	Taiwan	53	85.1	-20	1.2

★ world's most livable cities ... i top ranking list of the world's most livable cities
world best surveys	Taiwan's rankings in top list	comparison with other Asia & Pacific countries
EIU's Global Liveability Ranking 2022	Taipei - No. 53	1. Vienna 2. Copenhagen 3. Zurich 4. Calgary 5. Vancouver 6. Geneva 7. Frankfurt 8. Toronto 9. Amsterdam 10. Osaka
The World's Best Cities to Live In 2022	failed top 10	1. London, 2. Tokyo, 3. Shanghai, 4. Singapore, 5. Melbourne, 6. Sydney, 7. Paris, 8. Beijing, 9. NY, 10. Amsterdam
The EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking 2021	failed top 10
The World's Best Cities to Live In 2020	failed top 10	1. Tokyo Japan, 3. Singapore, 5. Melbourne Australia, 8 Seoul Korea, 10. Sydney Australia
Monocle's Quality of Life survey 2021	9 Taipei	1. Denmark, 2. Swiss, 3. Helsinki, Finland, 4. Stockholm Sweden, 5. Tokyo, Japan, 6. Vienna 7 Lisbon, 8. Auckland, 9 Taipei, 10. Sydney
The EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking 2019	failed in the top 50	No.2 Melbourne, No.3 Sydney, No.4 Osaka (Japan), No. 7 Tokyo, No.10 Adelaide, No.12 Auckland (NZ), No.15 Wellington (NZ), 18 Brisbane (Aus) , No. 38 Hong Kong, No. 40 Singapore, No.57 Seoul (Korea), Taipei behind
Monocle's Quality of Life survey 2019	failed in the top list https://monocle.com/film/affairs/quality-of-life-survey-top-25-cities-2019/	No.2 Tokyo (Japan), No.11 Melbourne (Australia), No.13 Sydney, No.16 Hong Kong, No.17 Kyoto (Japan), No.21 Auckland (NZ), No.22 Fukuoka (Japan), 23 Brisbane 25 Singapore
Deutsche Bank Liveability Survey	failed in the list https://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/RPS_EN-PROD/PROD0000000000494405/Mapping_the_world%27s_prices_2019.pdf	No. 2 Wellington (NZ), No. 7 Melbourne ( Australia ), No.10 Sydney, No.14 Tokyo No.16 Auckland (NZ), No.17 Dubai (UAE), No. 23 Singapore, No. 26 Saudi Arabia Riyadh, No. 29 Seoul (Korea), No. 33 India Bangalore, No. 39 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, 44 Hong Kong, 46 India Delhi, No. 48 Shanghai (China), No. 55 Beijing
Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019, EIU (Economist UK), NEC	failed in the top 20	No.1 Tokyo, No.2 Singapore, No.3 Osaka (Japan), No.5 Sydney (Aus), No. 8 Seoul (Korea), No10 Melbourne, No. 20 Hong Kong
ArchDaily / The World's Most Livable Cities in 2019	failed in the top 20	No. 3. Auckland, New Zealand, 11. Sydney, Australia, No.15. Wellington, New Zealand , No.17. Melbourne, Australia
The EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking 2018	failed in the top 50	No.2 Melbourne (Australia), No.3 Osaka (Japan), No. 7 Tokyo (Japan) , No.10 Adelaide (Australia), No.12 Auckland (NZ) Wellington (NZ) ... ... (omitted), Taipei 58
The EIU's Global Liveability Index Ranking 2017	failed in the top 50	No.1 Melbourne, No. 5 Adelaide, No. 7 Perth, No. 8 Auckland (NZ), No.11 Sydney, No.13 Tokyo, No. 14 Osaka, No.16 Brisbane, No. 20 Wellington (NZ), No. 35 Singapore, No.45 Hong Kong, No.58 Seoul (Korea), No.60 Taipei
EIU (Economist UK)'s Global Liveability Index evaluates stability, healthcare, culture&environment, education, Infrastructure

★ Taiwan's soft power vs. Asia's soft power
　

world best surveys	Taiwan's rankings in top 25~30 list	comparison with other Asia & Pacific countries
Brand Finance - Global soft power Index 2022	failed top 10	1. US, 2. UK, 3. Germany, 4. China, 5. Japan, 6. France, 7. Canada, 8. Swiss, 9. Russia, 10. Italy
ISSF's World Soft Power 2022	failed top 10	1. US 2. France, 3. Germany, 4. Japan, 5. UK, 6. Swiss, 7. Italy, 8. S. Korea, 9. Spain, 10. China,11.India,12. Sweden, 13. Canada, 14. Australia, 15. Denmark
Brand Finance - Global soft power Index 2021	failed	1. Germany, 2. Japan, 3. UK, 4. Canada, 5. Swiss, 6. US, 7 France, 8. China, 9. Sweden, 10. Australia, 11. Korea, 12 Holland, 13. Russia, 14. Norway, 15. Denmark, 16 NZ, 17. UAE, 18. Iceland, 19. Italia, 20. Singapore
US News: 2021 Best Countries Overall	failed top 10	2. Japan, 5. Australia 7. New Zealand
2020 Brand Finance - Global soft power Index , top 60	n/c	https://brandirectory.com No. 4 Japan, 5 China, 13 Aus, 14 Korea, 18 UAE, 20 Singapore, 22 NZ, 26 SA 27 India
2021 Monocle's Soft Power survey	included	1. Germany, 2. S Korea, 3. France, 4. Japan, 5. Taiwan, 6. Swiss, 7. New Zealand 8. Sweden, 9. Greece, 10. Canada
2020 Monocle's Soft Power survey	listed	No.1 Germany, No. 2. Korea, 3. France, 4. Japan, 5. TW, 6 Swiss, 7. NZ, 8 Sweden, 9 Greece, 10 Canada
2019/2020 Top 30 SOFT POWER by Portland	failed	No. 8 Japan, No.9 Australia, No. 17 New Zealand, No. 19 S Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China
2020 Best Countries Overall The Best Countries in the World	n/c	No.3 Japan, No.5 Australia, No. 11 New Zealand, No. 15 China, No. 16 Singapore , No. 20 Korea, No.22 UAE , No.25 India, No. 26 Thailand, No. 30 Qatar
2018/2019 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 3 Japan, No.8 Australia, No. 11 New Zealand, No.15 Korea, No. 19 China, No. 21 Singapore, No. 25 India
2018/2019 Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy	failed	No.5 Japan, No. 10 Australia, No. 18 NZ, No. 20 S. Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China
2017/2018 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 4 Japan, No.9 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.17 Korea, No. 19 China, No. 22 Singapore, No. 24 India
2017/2018 Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy	failed	No.6. Japan, No. 8. Australia, 18. NZ, No. 20 Singapore, No. 21 S. Korea, No. 25. China
2016/2017 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 3 Japan, No.6 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.17 Korea, No. 20 China, No. 23 Singapore, No. 24 India
2015/2016 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 4 Japan, No.6 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.15 Korea, No. 21 China, No. 23 Singapore

★ According to a survey of 2020, Singapore ranks No.1, Japan No.7, Korea No. 9 on "enterprise", Japan ranks No. 5, China No.10 on "engagement", Korea ranks No. 5 on "digital", Japan ranks No.6, China No. 8 on "culture", No any Asian country ranks top 10 on "education" and "govt."
　

★ Best Countries overall in 2020: 1 Swiss 2 Canada 3 Japan 4 Germany 5 Australia 6 UK 7 USA 8 Sweden 9 Nederland 10 Norway 11 NZ 12 France 13 Denmark 14 Finland 15 China 16 Singapore 17 Italy 18 Austria 19 Spain 20 Korea 21 Luxembourg 22 UAE 23 Russia 24 Portugal 25 India 26 Thailand 27 Greece 28 Brazil 29 Israel 30 Qatar 31 Saudi Arabia 32 Malaysia 33 Mexico 34 Poland 35 Turkey

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Trump takes Taiwan as leverage , one-China policy as bargaining chips

◆ Foreign Policy, 1-22-2021 : Taiwan seeks assurances from Biden admin., but Biden and his team
are likely to resist using Taiwan as a cudgel against China the way Trump did.
◆ Foreign Policy, 12-14-2016 named Taiwan President Tsai as
one of leading thinkers of 2016 for "Poking the bear" .

Salmon is poking the bear ? Taiwan suffers in danger !

● The Interpreter , The LOWY Institute ( Australia ), 6-16-2020 :
treating Taiwan as a conduit to frustrate Beijing imperils Taiwan’s security.
Already many in China’s party-state suspect that the US intends to promote Taiwan independence, ...
The risk here is that U.S. policy encourages an overreaction from China, upsetting the
cross-straits status quo or whatever remains of it, and
then the United States abandons Taiwan to deal with the consequences.　
　

◆ DW (Germany) ,11-10-2020:The Biden administration will have to make it quite clear
from the outset whether it is ready to go to war for Taiwan's sake

◆ Japan Sankei Shimbun ( 產經新聞),10-29-2020:Japan's DM 岸信夫: Given military imbalance of
both sides, anything can happen, Taiwan must be very cautious
　

◆ WSJ,10-13-2020: continued ambiguity in the face of Xi's escalating rhetoric and provocative movements by his armed forces
in the Taiwan Strait presents the greater risk of a confrontation as dangerous as the Cuban Missile Crisis
　

◆ Bloomberg news 3-14-2018: In the future, Taiwan will suffer even more, as it

gets caught in the middle between a stronger China and a inward-looking US...

◆ Chicago Tribune, Yahoo News,10-12-2020: We should defend Taiwan... Yet, to be effective as a deterrent, Beijing has to see it as
a defensive move by Washington, aimed at preserving the status quo, and not as part of a new offensive against China
◆ Economist,10-9-2020: China could wipe out Taiwan’s navy and air force ... Taiwan’s preparedness and its will to fight both look shaky.
Many insiders are accordingly pessimistic about its ability to hold out.

◆ New York Times at 4-18-2018: The U.S. and Taiwan are seen

as heading in a direction that is getting perilously close to

Chinese red lines...... (Taiwan president Tsai stated)

" Many people say we are pawns of other people ......"
　

◆ VOAnews, 3-23-2018 : John Bolton (Trump's new National Security Adviser) has long argued

that Washington can play a "Taiwan card" to compel Beijing's attention for its potentially

destabilizing actions in East Asia and the South China Sea.

◆ USA Today 5-18-2018: Xi JinPing has signaled that China will seek to reclaim its historical properties by 2049. Freebeacon 5-17-2018 : 2020—the deadline that [Chinese supreme leader] Xi Jinping has given the [People's Liberation Army] to be ready to invade Taiwan

◆ Taiwan Defense Secretary: can resist Chinese army for about 1+ week (CTV 12-18-2016)

◆ CNN 2-19-2020: TW president: "What we are expecting is, after withstanding the first wave of
Chinese attacks ourselves, the rest of the world would stand up to exert strong pressure on China" ....
"Taiwan as an underdog facing down the growing might of Beijing" ... Taiwan military

◆ Financial Times (UK), 2021-10-7 : US special forces secretly training Taiwan’s military; rotations had been occurring for at least a decade... the disclosure could further raise tensions. “Making this public will compel the Chinese to react ◆ Global Times, 2021-11-9: The US are aware that there is a red line - US troops and combat equipment must not land on the island. So they sent a small number of soldiers there to train Taiwan military forces globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1238576.shtml

Taiwan is :

◆ "Washington's lapdog", "tool" / Global Times, Sept., 2021 globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234662.shtml

◆ Eurasian Times 7-9-2020: The Tsai authority ... turns to Washington and is willing to be used. Taiwan Now Under ‘Deep Control’ Of The US.

◆ "a conduit (tool)" / The LOWY Institute( think tank in Australia ) , 6-16-2020 : treating Taiwan as a conduit to frustrate Beijing imperils Taiwan’s security... and then the United States abandons Taiwan to deal with the consequences.

○

★ ★★ ★ ★

pic.: No.1 "introduction to Taiwan" on DuckDuckGo, 2022-4-9, 8-5-2020, 7-6-2020; No.3 at 10-25-2020

pic. : No.1 "introduction to Taiwan" on US Yahoo search engine, 2021-8-5, 1-22-2021, 1-1-2021, No.2 at 2022-4-9, 2022-2-25, No.3 at 2022-2-22, 2021-10-21, 2021-9-21

pic.: No.1 "introduction to Taiwan" on ekoru (New Zealand), 2021-10-21, 2021-9-21, 2021-8-5, 2021-6-15, 2021-6-2, 2021-5-13, 2021-4-18, 3-3-2021, 1-29-2021, 10-25-2020, 8-9-2020; No.2 at 2022-2-25

pic. : This websites group was ranked No.1 by keyword "introduction to Taiwan"
on Lycos at 2021-10-21, 2021-9-21, 2021-8-5, 2021-6-15, 2021-6-2, 2021-5-13, 2021-4-18, 3-3-2021,1-29-2021, 10-25-2020, 8-5-2020, 7-6-2020, 6-11-2020, 5-8-2020, 4-20-2020, 12-5-2019; No.2 at 2022-2-25

No.1 "introduction to Taiwan" on Excite, 2021-10-21, 2021-9-21, 2021-8-5, 2021-6-15, 2021-6-2, 2021-5-13, 2021-4-18, 3-3-2021, 1-29-2021, 10-25-2020, 8-5-2020, 7-6-2020; No.2 at 2022-2-25

This websites group was ranked No.1 by keyword "introduction to Taiwan" on Dogpile, 2021-10-21, 2021-9-21, 2021-8-5, 2021-6-15, 2021-6-2, 2021-5-13, 2021-4-18, 3-3-2021, 1-29-2021, 10-25-2020, 8-5-2020, 7-6-2020, 6-11-2020, 5-8-2020, 4-22-2020

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pic. : No.1 by keyword "introduction to Taiwan" on Qwant (most well-known French engine) at 8-5-2020, 7-6-2020

pic. : This websites group was ranked No.1 by keyword "intro to Taiwan" on Yandex of Russia at 2021-6-2

This websites group was ranked No.2 by keyword "introduction to Taiwan"
on Yandex of Russia 2021-6-2

pic. No.1 "introduction to Taiwan" on Google, 4-11-2020

○

●

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, 3-11-2020: Some political commentators and academics,
publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases
● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that justice ministry
was insufficiently independent ● <The United Daily>, 06-18-2016, head page news: Taiwan's prosecutors
admit following order to conclude legal cases, usually.

●

Harvard professor Dr. Joseph Nye advised in 2010 that hard and soft power enable Taiwan to deal with China and expand its international space. Brookings at 1-22-2018 commented that Increasing “soft power” is a low-cost, high-return strategy for Taiwan. However, Taiwan's soft power was behind that of some other Asian's countries, Japan and China, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, India, UAE. Taiwan failed to be included in UK based Monocle's Soft Power list 2010 ~ 2019 and Soft Power 30 by USC Center on Public Diplomacy, 2017 ~ 2019/2020. Besides, according to Washington Post, 5-20-2020: There's a limit to what this soft power can achieve ... Taiwan was unable to compete with China's economic and political clout ... As for Taiwan's military power, Taiwan's administration made a core defense strategy to resist Chinese PLA for 2 weeks, and made assumption that then Americans will always risk their lives to protect home. for details, pls. click Taiwan soft power, Taiwan military.

ugly Taiwanese in CovID-19

CTV, 2021-6-23: Emperor of Japan (aged 60+) was waiting on the queue for vaccination, by contrast, Taiwanese officials and big guys are really ugly !
　

politics on purchasing vaccines

● The Guardian, 2021-6-14: Drew Thompson (a former US Defense officer) said if the Fosun offer is legitimate, refusing it is “entirely political”. “Pfizer and BioNTech have a huge incentive to ensure that the Fosun product is equivalent, so I would think there is no concern,” “There’s no reason not to take it.” Lev Nachman, a visiting scholar at the National Taiwan University, said “It would be foolish to say no,". theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/14/how-taiwan-struggle-for-covid-vaccines-is-inflaming-tensions-with-china
Why has Taiwan rejected Fosun's Germany BioNTech vaccine doses ? Nachman says: it still seemed “in the DPP’s electoral interest not to get any China vaccines”. In brief, Taiwan government cares its political benefits more than human lives.

● Taiwan's government only got limited vaccine doses, but deliberately to place obstacles (Foxconn says "invisible power") on civil organizations, such as Foxconn founder Gou, Buddhist groups, etc , purchasing and donating western vaccines to feller nationals. United Daily, editorial, 2021-6-4 criticizes the gov. ignoring increasing deaths could be entitled "state enemy" udn.com/news/story/7338/5507706?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2 UDN, editorial 2021-6-11 and China Times, editorial, 2021-6-11

● Global Times, 2021-6-12: Taiwan scholar, former official sue Taiwan president Tsai and other DPP officials for politicalizing pandemic ― misconduct, desire of profiting themselves and "killing people with policies." Taiwan's regional authority has rejected 30 million doses of BioNTech-Fosun vaccine preordered by Taiwan pharmacopolists in 2020. At the same time, it fooled its people by saying the importation of vaccines was obstructed by Chinese mainland intervention.
an immoral country - ignoring high death rate

● Johns Hopkins University: Taiwan has 8th highest case fatality rate on earth (July 2021). Taiwan's CDC says 90 per cent of those who died of Covid-19 were over 60 (TTV news, 2021-7-4), The CDC (USA) noted (Jun. 9, 2021) that The risk increases for people in their 50s and increases in 60s, 70s, and 80s... However, Taiwan once eliminated elders aged 65-75 from vaccination list, and later gave those aged 60+ and with chronic disease 10th ~ 6th low priorities to get vaccinated, instead, gov. officers (a huge number, and is expanding "unlimitedly") got 2nd priority, and is getting their 2nd jab, despite most of Taiwanese have not inoculated any, despite WHO's advice : government leaders and admin. personnel should be narrowly interpreted to "a very small number of individuals". UDN, editorial, 2021-7-18: It's an unique case in democratic countries ! CTV news, 2021-6-23: by contrast, Emperor of Japan now is still waiting on the queue for vaccination ! (CTV : till July 6, '21)

● Taiwan plans to move Pfizer vaccine for elders and people with chronic diseases to kids aged 12-18, Taiwan president even intends to move elders' vaccine to those aged 18-23. Taiwan obviously is an immoral country, by contrast, Associated Press, 2021-7-20 reports many public health experts have raised questions about the morality of inoculating low-risk children at a time when many of the world’s most vulnerable people still lack access to vaccines. the British government thinks health benefits of universal vaccination don’t outweigh the risks for most young people, who typically suffer only mild symptoms of the virus.

abusing power & privilege

Lots of top tables using connections to sneak into vaccination, e.g., higher positions of Taiwan's largest telecom company, and largest electric power industry (state-own) did it without punishment. The China Times (chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20210613004215-260402?chdtv ), Next TV news, 2021-6-14: National Police Agency (police headquarter) and Taiwanese central government abuse power to cover Taiwan Police College students jumping the long queue to get vaccinated. Taiwan unfairly allocated lots more vaccine doses to Kaohsiung city (a low risk area, a ruling party's city, only 61 confirmed cases ) than Taipei or New Taipei city (high risk area).

● The order of vaccination Taiwan's government set has some gray zone, which results in politicians (VIPs including county mayor, tycoon on fields of media, industries, business, ranking officials, celebrity, etc) and staffs of all political parties were on the privileged black-list, which triggered public angers, and an open fight among political parties is ongoing. Next TV, 2021-6-11: Air-force hospital inoculates privileged people. CTV news (中視), 2021-6-9 : Lawmaker slammed abusing power to vaccination, just like Taiwan's lousy judiciary ("有錢判生沒錢判死" ― "有錢免排沒錢等埋" ) . FTV news, 2021-6-9 (8:00pm ~) criticizes Taipei government for vaccination privilege.

● Not only ruling party abuses its power, pan-blue politicians, such as former premier & vice president Lien Chan, 8 times law maker Huang Chao-shun, former law maker Chang Hsien-yao, Ting Shou-chung, sneaked into vaccination. Taipei city mayor at 2021-7-4 criticizes the country is making "vaccination priority" and declared he hold the list of privileged people in Presidential Office secretly getting vaccinated.

cared money more than human lives

● United Daily, editorial, Jun. 2021:Taiwanese patients in serious situation waiting for one week but failed to get Remdesivir, a specific remedy for cure coronavirus, in spite of that CDC declaring adequate Remdesivir medication for patients. In short, the stock is always enough because severe patients can't get it in time. (udn.com/news/story/7339/5513808?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2 楊哲銘

Taiwan might have reasons to worry about Trump.
◆ New York Times, 2025-3-6	President Trump has pressed Taiwan to loosen its dominance in advanced semiconductors and to move production to the United States, and he has warned of hefty tariffs if his demands are not met.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/world/asia/taiwan-tsmc-chips-arizona.html
◆ TIME, 2025-2-27	University of London expert says: I haven't seen any evidence that Trump cares much about Taiwan. Nanyang Technological University scholar says: China may be able to take Taiwan “without too much U.S. interference” if Beijing is able to strike a similar deal with Washington.
◆ New York Times, 2025-2-25	Mr. Trump executes a dramatic reversal of U.S. policy toward Ukraine, insisting that Ukraine is to blame for the war; a few Taiwanese commentators suggest that if war between China and Taiwan should erupt, Mr. Trump might take a similarly transactional approach.
◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2025-2-21	Trump is making Taiwan more vulnerable. Trump has also made clear that he wants to negotiate a broad economic deal with China, which raises the question of what China will seek in return. If Trump can take Greenland, why can't China take Taiwan?
◆ Washington Post, 2025-2-18	Each statement by Trump that degrades the principle that territorial boundaries must not be redrawn by force or coercion might embolden China on Taiwan. political scientist Graham Allison : “Taiwan will be depreciated in the triangular relationship”,“I see no evidence whatever that [Trump] believes the U.S. has any vital interest in Taiwan.”
◆ NY Times, 2025-2-13	Taiwan prepares for Trump's tariffs and a more transactional U.S. relationship; Taiwanese officials have traveled to Washington to float energy deals and defend the island's semiconductors.
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-2-14	Taiwan President pledged to boost military spending to 3% of GDP; Trump suggested the archipelago should devote 10% of GDP to its armed forces.
◆ CNN, 2024-12-15	one thing's for sure: Trump is a less vocal supporter of Taiwan than Joe Biden. That's why Taiwan is buckling up for what could be a far more volatile relationship with Washington. Trump's remarks have prompted jitters that Taiwan would need to move more of its critical chip supply chain to the US at a faster pace, that could affect the island's economic security and dismantle the very “silicon shield” ...
◆ New York Times, 2024-11-24	Trump couldn't care less about Taiwan... Maybe he will strike some sort of bargain with Taiwan. But whatever Taiwan can offer him, Beijing can easily top. More and more, there are those in Taiwan who say we are an “abandoned chess piece,” no longer valued by the United States. China amplifies these fears...
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-11-18	Some in Taiwan say its survival as a self-ruled democracy is at stake, that it can't afford to spend what Trump demands on defense and that it would wither in the crossfire of a U.S.-China trade war. Taiwan's military spending is currently at 2.45% of GDP—a lower share than Singapore's 2.8% and South Korea's 2.7%; In Washington, the percent of GDP is really seen as a proxy for your seriousness.
◆ Fox News, 2024-11-10	Trump's public comments might suggest that he would not be willing to put boots on the ground to face another global superpower in defense of a tiny island democracy (Taiwan). there is hope among restraint groups that Trump will be focused on economic warfare with China – rather than military. "We don't have that alliance with Taiwan, ... the Taiwan issue is a powder keg — it's exceedingly dangerous. "
◆ New York Times, 2024-11-10	Tump's call for Taiwan to spend more on its own defense and his complaints about its semiconductor dominance may herald a tenser relationship.
◆ Business Insider, 2024-11-9	In 2025, Taiwan will have to contend with uncertainty on whether the US will protect it, or play it.
◆ New York Times, 2024-11-6	Some diplomats expect China to intensify pressure on Taiwan, if not invade Taiwan; and China may calculate that Mr. Trump would not go to war for a democracy that he has accused of “stealing” the microchip industry from the US. “With Donald Trump, there are large amounts of uncertainty,” said Lev Nachman, a political scientist, “And it's a matter of uncertainty that comes with great risk for Taiwan.”
◆ Washington Post, 2024-11-6	Trump's statements this year that raise doubt about his willingness to come to the island democracy's defense and his misleading assertion that Taipei needs to pay the US for defense. Such rhetoric could “fan the flames of skepticism” ...
◆ New York Times, 2024-11-6, news briefing	Trump could decide to do the true “America First” thing and withdraw completely, and basically say, "defending Taiwan is not in our interest.” ...
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-11-5	Taiwan's Economic Affairs Minister acknowledged that Trump could introduce measures that might prove harmful for Taiwan's semiconductor industry. But the impact will not be as severe as some anticipate.
◆ Reuters, 2024-11-6	Trump might try to use the Taiwan issue as a bargaining chip to gain leverage in other areas, such as offering to restrain Taiwan's provocative actions in exchange for Beijing's compromise on trade.

TSMC's gamble jeopardises Taiwan
◆ Reuters, 2025-3-4	TSMC's $100 bln gamble jeopardises 'Taiwan First'. TSMC committed to set up a major research and development centre stateside, despite an earlier assurance from boss C.C. Wei to keep innovation on the company's home island. That's a threat to Taiwan in multiple ways. The enormous disruption that military conflict would inflict on global semiconductor supply chains is a core part of the deterrence. But the more that TSMC replicates its business offshore, the more this protection will erode.
◆ Politico, 2025-3-3	Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC announces new $100B investment in US; CEO C.C. Wei credited President Donald Trump for the investments TSMC agreed to build a factory in the U.S. to cut reliance on geopolitically risky Taiwan during Trump’s first term.
◆ Global Times, 2025-3-4	Taiwanese critics claim TSMC “has become USMC”, calling the move “yet another example of the Democratic Progress Party (DPP) selling out Taiwan.”

Trump Won't Defend Taiwan
◆ Brookings, 2025-2-12	Trump said in 2021, if China invades Taiwan, “there isn't a f—ing thing we can do about it.”
◆ Fox News, 2025-2-7	Trump's comments on the campaign trail suggest that he would not be willing to put boots on the ground to face another global superpower in defense of the island democracy.
◆ Politico (EU), 2025-1-30	Trump said the island should pay the U.S. for protection from China and suggested that trying to defend the island would be futile.
◆ National Interest, 2025-1-13	Why Trump Won't Defend Taiwan - Waging World War III for Taiwan—or any small nation, for that matter—would not be in keeping with the predilections and preferences of the incoming US president.
◆ The Telegraph, 2025-1-13	Donald Trump has appointed a number of hawkish foreign policy advisers to his transition team. However, he has pledged not to allow the US to become involved in foreign wars.
◆ Newsweek, 2025-1-3	Trump, who positioned himself as being tough on China, has suggested he would not defend Taiwan from China.

Taiwan's protection strategy
◆ Fox News, 2025-3-2	most Taiwanese aren't willing to make the sacrifices required for victory in war. Migrant workers serving as essentially mercenaries would only highlight how few of our citizens are willing to fight . Taiwanese expert says: I understand the logic behind the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, but I fear far too many Taiwanese people – especially younger people – are counting on a rescue from Uncle Sam"
◆ Stanford Review, 2025-2-24	Taiwan's military is dilapidated. The assumption of CSIS's 2023 war game rests on false premises. Upon closer examination, Taiwan's military readiness and morale stand on weak foundations. What money the government does have to spend on procurement they do so on flashy items like fighter jets, tanks, and attack helicopters–are reduced to piles of twisted steel in hours of an invasion. stanfordreview.org/the-illusion-of-taiwanese-strength/
◆ New York Times, 2025-2-25	Mr. Trump said Taiwan was spending far too little on its military and was too complacent about the United States coming to its rescue in a war
◆ The Guardian, 2025-2-21	many analysts believe a large part of Taiwan's protection strategy comes from keeping production of its most advanced chips – which form 90% of the world's supply – onshore. Bonnie Glaser: But Taiwan will likely face pressure from Trump to accede to his demands.”
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2025-2-22	Taiwan must “adopt a new military culture” akin to that of Israel, turning itself into a warrior-state—or “a porcupine”... “...enough rifles, pistols, and ammunition such that each member of the military, reserves, and civil defense force has emergency access to a personal weapon.”
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-1-14	Taiwan's military is not prepared for a Trumpian World; With the former president soon back in the White House, Taipei needs to rethink its defense strategy.

China - Taiwan conflicts
◆ Brookings, 2025-2-12	China's strategy of “coercion without violence” includes cyber intrusions, economic coercion, influence operations, organized crime, united front activities, and ceaseless and intensifying military pressure surrounding Taiwan. In other words, Beijing is taking a full spectrum of actions...
◆ The Telegraph, 2025-1-14	China's invasion barges are a sure sign that war is coming. Some analysts believe China would need to move two million people across the Strait to guarantee victory. If and when the invasion begins, the barges might be the reason it succeeds
◆ The Hill, 2025-1-7	Lyle Goldstein, a professor at Brown University said the cost of a war with China is “incalculable” and would at the very least sow mass destruction in Taiwan and the South China Sea region; the U.S. should avoid a war over Taiwan, arguing it amounts to a civil war dispute.
◆ USNI News, 2024-12-19	The Pentagon's report recognizes that China has “both the will and capability to alter the international order in its favor”; but Xi Jinping's goal of having his military ready to carry out a “short, sharp invasion” of Taiwan by 2027 “is not possible right now”
◆ Financial Times, 2024-12-13	US nuclear build-up would not help deter China from using atomic weapons in Taiwan, war game finds; Unclassified exercise by CSIS and MIT suggests Washington should not go beyond current modernisation plans...only five of 15 iterations of the nuclear game ended with a withdrawal of the PLA.
◆ New York Times, 2024-12-10	Taiwan says China has deployed largest fleet of ships in decades, which could block American allies in the region from coming to Taiwan's defense.
◆ Economist, 2024-12-5	The views (the period of greatest danger has probably been pushed out for several years) are not universally shared, in or out of government. “Xi has his foot firmly on the accelerator and a full tank of gas".
◆ Washington Examiner, 2024-12-4	Chinese leaders have said they want their military to be prepared to invade Taiwan by 2027, though U.S. defense leaders have said the date does not guarantee a decision to carry out such an operation has been made. War with China would exhaust munition stockpiles "very rapidly", national security adviser J. Sullivan acknowledged that China has "the single biggest advantage", "God forbid we end up in a full-scale war with the PRC" .

Should biological males compete against women? Taiwan's Olympic Controversies - Lin won a Gold medal in female boxing

economist / The world's most liveable cities in 2023
City liveability index, Mar. 2023 - Taipei ranks world No. 65, Asia's No.14

House Prices/GDP per Capita in Taiwan compared to Asia
The formula is: (Price per square metre / GDP per capita)*100


introduction to Taiwan ★ Taiwan's Comprehensive Power ranks No.14 in Asia ★ world No. 1 in 2020~25, 2017~19, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010~12 ★ Top since 1998 ★	fights for rights

◆ Bloomberg, 2024-1-11	It costs 16 years of annual income to afford a home in Taipei — one of the highest such ratios globally. uk.news.yahoo.com/taiwan-voters-head-polls-ties-220000046.html
◆ Economist - EIU's Global Liveability Ranking 2022	Taipei ranks No.53 (1. Vienna 2. Copenhagen 3. Zurich 4. Calgary 5. Vancouver 6. Geneva 7. Frankfurt 8. Toronto 9. Amsterdam 10. Osaka)

Delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers will not be able to attend the inauguration
◆ Radio Free Asia, 2025-1-20	Asia sends top officials to Trump inauguration amid concern over trade, security ── Taiwan's delegation led by the speaker of the legislature, Han Kuo-yu, will not be able to attend the inauguration “due to space constraints” in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol; Trump's pre-inauguration talk of taking control of Greenland and the Panama Canal has triggered a wave of speculation in Chinese social media that he may be willing to let China take control of democratically ruled Taiwan.rfa.org/english/asia/2025/01/20/trump-inauguration-lookahead/
◆ Politico, 2024-12-20	Taiwan is launching a new charm offensive on Washington as DONALD TRUMP takes office, and it all starts at Trump's inauguration. ── underscores how unnerved Taipei is over what Trump's return to the White House means for the self-governing island. Taiwan has been savvy at navigating Washington's political scene in the past.

China's largest-ever war games around Taiwan
◆ Fox News, 2024-12-23	Taiwan defense officials raised concerns about a substantial deployment of Chinese naval ships and military planes, saying the build-up could eventually lead to war as tensions continue to rise in the region. China warns US to stop arming Taiwan after Biden approves $571M in military aid
◆ EuroNews, 2024-12-11	"They were practicing to seal off Taiwan” , referring to a scenario whereby the Chinese coast guard ships could block Taiwan's ports while the navy would form an outer barrier at sea. Asked whether he would commit to defending Taiwan against potential Chinese aggression, Trump told NBC “I never say, because I have to negotiate things, right?" “We talked about other things” ,“But I have a very good relationship, and I hope he doesn't do it"
◆ New York Times, 2024-12-10	Taiwan says China has deployed largest fleet of ships in decades, which could block American allies in the region from coming to Taiwan's defense. Speculation had been growing for days that China would launch war games in retaliation for visits made by Lai Ching-te to Hawaii and Guam last week; The surge in Chinese ships could also be a signal to the incoming Trump administration, which has yet to indicate how it will deal with Taiwan.
◆ Fox News, 2024-12-10	After Taiwanese president visits Hawaii and Guam, Chinese military makes massive deployment around Taiwan to send 'very simple' message: "The Taiwan Strait is ours"; Taiwan defense officials are raising concerns ..., saying the build-up could eventually lead to war as tensions continue to rise in the area.
◆ AFP, 2024-12-11	Taiwan security official : the sea drills were "significantly larger" than Beijing's maritime response to then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, which was China's largest-ever war games around Taiwan. China's massive maritime operation began in October were aimed at demonstrating that Beijing could choke off Taiwan and also to "draw a red line" ahead of the next US administration.
◆ Radio France Internationale, 2024-12-11	Hopes for 'reunification' a fact of life on China's window to Taiwan

Taiwan's pres. Lai flies to US, angering China
◆ CNN, 2024-12-1	Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te in Hawaii: A stopover that speaks volumes. Taiwanese security agencies anticipate that Beijing will respond with military drills near Taiwan. Taiwan does largely pay for its defense, through billions of dollars spent on US-made weapons. And unlike Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, it is not shielded by a mutual defense treaty with the United States.
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-12-1	Taiwan's President begins Hawaii stopover and sends a firm but conciliatory message to both China and the incoming Trump administration: While Taipei doesn't seek a war with Beijing, it is counting on U.S. support to deter any aggression from its larger neighbor. "Transits" are part of careful arrangements made between Washington and Taipei to allow its leaders to engage with each other on American soil after the two severed formal diplomatic ties in 1979.
◆ Global Times (China) , 2024-12-6	Lai Ching-te is compelled to pledge loyalty to the US during his brief "stopover," said Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University.

China's "the Joint Sword 2024B" military drills set a record
◆ le Monde, 2024-10-15	Taiwan announced that it had detected a record 153 Chinese aircraft in one day near its territory.
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-10-15	China sent a record 111 warplanes across a US-drawn boundary in the strait separating the sides.
◆ Insider, 2024-10-15	A record-breaking 153 Chinese warplanes flew around Taiwan in war games meant as a warning.
◆ Reuters, 2024-10-15	Taiwan says China uses record number of aircraft in war games.
◆ BBC, 2024-10-15	the deployment and how close Chinese ships and aircraft were to Taiwan - as well as the fiery rhetoric - could be seen as very aggressive behaviour - a dramatic escalation .
◆ Asia Times, 2024-10-15	expert: the latest military drills and the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean on September 25 have sent a clear signal to the US that China is building an “area denial” capability that the US can no longer fight against

China's response to national day speech by Taiwanese President William Lai
◆ BBC, 2024-10-14	With new drills, China is sending a message to Taiwanese President William Lai that moves towards "Taiwan independence" are bound to meet a "dead end". "Scared" and "desensitised" - here's how people on the streets of Taipei are talking about the exercise involved all parts of the military and simulates a full-scale attack on its neighbour.
◆ USA Today, 2024-10-14	China launches 'punishment' drills as 'Stern warning'
◆ National Review, 2024-10-14	The dragon will not be appeased; There should be no question that the scale of China's naval and air-force exercises represents an existential threat to Taiwan's sovereignty. Perhaps the Taiwanese are too confident. Officials seem convinced that their dominance of the global semiconductor industry represents a deterrent against aggression. They can hold the world's consumer electronics industry hostage in the event of ......
◆ Japan Times, 2024-10-15	China says it won't rule out use of force to take Taiwan as war games end
◆ Reuters, 2024-10-14	Senior Taiwan security official says pressure on Taiwan from China is 'not light'
◆ Reuters, 2024-10-12	China threatens Taiwan with more trade measures after denouncing president's speech

If China were to invade Taiwan, would you support or oppose the United States: (% support)
yr.	2024	2023	2022
Using the US military to airlift food and medical supplies to Taiwan	74%	78
Imposing economic and diplomatic sanctions on china	72%	75	76
Sending additional arms and military supplies to the Taiwanese government	59%	62	65
Sending US troops to Taiwan to help the Taiwanese gov. defend itself against China	36%	39	40

Taiwan's president in first National Day speech
◆ Financial Times , 2024-10-10	Taiwan's president calls on China to ‘live up to’ duty to protect peace. China accused Lai of “deliberately severing the historical connection” between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait; and has threatened to annex it with military force if Taipei indefinitely resists its control. China has not previously responded to a Taiwan president's national address with military moves
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-10-10	Taiwan leader urges calm amid military threats... Lai Ching-te, who China accuses of separatism, says Beijing has no right to represent Taiwan
◆ Washington Post , 2024-10-10	Lai Ching-te says Beijing has no right to represent Taiwan.
◆ Washington Examiner , 2024-10-11	Lai Ching-te declared “On this land, democracy and freedom are growing and thriving... These are fine words. Unfortunately, words can't shoot down missiles. In that regard, Taiwan has a big problem. a 2.5% of GDP defense budget is a sad joke. Taiwanese reserve forces lack adequate training and readiness, and its military procurement remains too reliant on platforms that lack agility and survivability......
◆ Reuters, 2024-10-10	China said Lai was a stubborn adherent of Taiwan independence, full of confrontational thinking, "constantly provoking troubles and deliberately aggravating cross-strait tensions". "Lai Ching-te has made every effort to piece together the grounds for secession"
◆ Bloomberg , 2024-10-11	Lai reiterated that that neither side of the strait separating the two sides was “subordinate to each other.” Beijing criticized for sending “a dangerous signal of seeking independence.”... his speech showed “he is hell-bent on Taiwan independence and has the ill intention of heightening tensions in the Taiwan Strait for his political, selfish interest.。Taiwan's President signals he'll stand up to China challenge
◆ AFP , 2024-10-10	China warned after the speech that Lai's "provocations" would result in "disaster" for the people of Taiwan.

Taiwanese are ready for fighting ??
◆ Fox News, 2024-10-4: the Taiwanese representative to the U.S. is warning that China has ramped up its aggression toward the island, and that its people are ready to fight.	◆ Washington Post (2024-8-4): “Taiwan's reservists are going to be mobilizing where the fight is happening, when the fight is happening” . The island is patently not ready for that. ◆ National Interest (2024-8-29): the Taiwanese are not well prepared for the kind of attack that China is plotting. ◆ War On The Rocks, 2024-3-21: Taipei has not made the necessary preparations.
◆ Fox News, 2024-10-4: the Taiwanese representative to the U.S. suggested they would be eagerly accepted if (help from U.S. troops) offered. "If your house is under fire, and they respond to help you with a bucket of water, would you say no?"	◆ War On The Rocks, 2024-5-15: Zelensky's now-famous refusal —”I need ammunition, not a ride” — But Taiwan will almost certainly be asking potential allies to engage in a direct military intervention.

Taiwan's economy - compared with Asian countries
★	Hong Kong	Taiwan
Median wealth per adult (Credit Suisse, Research Institute, 2023 )	US$ 202,410 (world No.3)	US$ 108,250
Mean wealth per adult (Credit Suisse, Research Institute, 2023 )	US$ 551,190	US$ 273,790
The average salary (Morgan McKinley, Business Insider, 2023)	HK $36,583 (about TWD147,204)	TWD 48,032 (plus overtime etc TWD 57,045) - storm.mg/lifestyle/4851897
Median salary (UDN, 2023-12-14)	about TWD 84,000	about TWD 43,000
Market Capitalization (UDN, 2023-12-14)	more than double of Taiwan's	about USD 1.7 trillion
★ At the end of 2022, Taiwan's per capita GDP amounted to $32,756 while Singapore's was $82,808, Japan and South Korea were at $33,815 and $32,255, respectively, according to the World Bank.

China's strategy to achieve its political objective of unification
◆ Brookings, 2024-9-16	Beijing has developed two different means—military and coercive—to achieve its political objective of unification.To subdue Taiwan without running the risks of war, the PRC is using economic, political, judicial, diplomatic, informational, cyber, and “gray zone” military tactics... seeks to deplete the confidence of the people brookings.edu/articles/why-does-the-us-security-partnership-with-taiwan-matter/
◆ Politico, 2024-9-11	Nearly three in four Americans are concerned about a potential invasion of Taiwan, according to the latest Reagan National Defense Survey. And, Washington has fixated on a potential 2027 invasion scenario. China's strategy to annex Taiwan is more about cyber power than firepower

U.S. SEAL Team Six ── resisting China's invasion ?
◆ Voice of America, 2024-9-14	the secret and precise combat characteristics of the United States Navy's elite SEAL Team Six mean its role in resisting China's invasion of Taiwan would be very limited and the focus would be on carrying out special tasks.
◆ Financial Times, New York Post, 2024-9-12	SEAL Team Six has spent more than a year training for possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan. However, it remains unclear if the US would engage in combat against China given its policy of “strategic ambiguity” toward Taiwan. The US has so far declined to explicitly say it would come to Taiwan's aid if attacked.

Taiwan Presidential election debate 2023-12-30
◆ VOA News , Washington Post, AP, 2023-12-30	Taiwan's presidential candidates expressed desire for peaceful relations with Beijing. Tensions with China have featured strongly in the presidential campaign. Lai Ching-te promised to help strengthen Taiwan's defense and economy if elected. Hou said he opposed Taiwan's independence but also a potential unification under China's “one country, two systems” framework. Ko Wen-je, referenced a quote by Antony Blinken, saying that “Taiwan and China will cooperate if they can cooperate, compete if there’s a need to compete, and confront each other if they must confront each other.”; my bottom line is that Taiwan must maintain its current democratic and free political system and way of life. voanews.com/a/taiwan-s-presidential-candidates-emphasize-peace-with-beijing/7418610.html
◆ Reuters (UK), 2023-12-31	China calls Taiwan president frontrunner a destroyer of peace,"His words were full of confrontational thinking," after he spoke at a presidential debate the island's sovereignty and independence belong to its people, the Republic of China and People's Republic of China "are not subordinate to each other". KMT's Hou has denounced Lai as an independence supporter. news.yahoo.com/china-calls-taiwan-president-frontrunner-012538807.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
◆ DW (Germany), 2023-12-31	Presidential candidates debate in shadow of China。Lai remained defiant, at one point insisting that, "The sovereignty of Taiwan belongs to the 23 million people in Taiwan. It does not belong to China”, "I will not go backward like the Kuomintang and be willing to become a vassal of totalitarianism... There are so many uncertainties regarding their policies". msn.com/en-in/news/world/taiwan-presidential-candidates-debate-in-shadow-of-china/ar-AA1mfuFn
◆ AFP (France), 2023-12-30	China ties dominate Taiwan presidential debate，Ko, whose small TPP has performed above expectations in Taiwan's dominant two-party landscape, called President Tsai's cross-strait policies "a mess". The results of which could determine Taipei's future ties with an increasingly bellicose China. msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-ties-dominate-taiwan-presidential-debate/ar-AA1meDRj
◆ Reuters, 2023-12-30	The televised debate was dominated by arguments over China and tensions in the Taiwan Strait.。Taiwan belongs to its people: presidential candidate，"The current status quo is that the Taiwan Strait is on the brink of war. So, to maintain close ties with the United States while also making peace with China is the solution to the problem," Hou said news.yahoo.com/taiwan-belongs-people-presidential-candidate-131009794.html
◆ The Guardian, 2023-12-30	All three presidential candidates have acknowledged the potential risks of Taiwan becoming the next conflict zone. They aim to convince voters that they are the most capable leaders who can ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan strait, for Beijing the priority is to ensure the ruling Democratic Progressive party (DPP) is kicked out of office. theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/30/taiwan-election-new-president-growing-threat-china Helen Davidson
◆ SKY News (Australia), 2023-12-31	the race has become more unpredictable. The stakes for Taiwan's future have never seemed more unsteady, in light of rising tensions with China. skynews.com.au/world-news/our-future-has-never-seemed-more-unsteady-what-taiwans-2024-presidential-race-means-for-the-islands-rapidly-deteriorating-relationship-with-china/news-story/fe83df822e798ea6452659ceab914849 Hilton Yip

media	China's invasion
◆ GB News, 2023-12-25	So we should be working with Taiwan right now privately telling them we're not going to fight for you. “We just can't get into a war that could go nuclear, it would be foolish.”
◆ NBC, 2023-12-26	Xi's private warning on reunifying Taiwan to Biden was delivered at a time when China's behavior toward Taiwan is seen as increasingly aggressive and ahead of a potentially pivotal presidential election in the self-governing democratic island next month. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. said: First, create a robust defense supplemental for Taiwan and second, draft pre-invasion sanctions from hell to impose on China if they take action to seize Taiwan. (ps: no plan to send military troops)
◆ Daily Express, 2023-12-23	The Taiwan war is coming - and the West will need boots on the ground
◆ New York Post, 2023-12-21	China's Xi Jinping warned Joe bluntly that Beijing will take Taiwan... It represents a clear escalation on China's part, moving from its longtime claim of ownership to notification of intent to take possession. Biden often talks tough, but shies from any action he fears will “escalate” a confrontation — forever leaving the initiative in the hands of America's adversaries.
◆ First Post, 2023-12-22	Japan says that an invasion of Taiwan by China is imminent and that it is preparing for the repercussions

western media	Taiwan's presidential election
Economist, 2023-11-15	Taiwan's opposition parties unite... could lead to a significant relaxation of the island-state's defiant posture towards China
Washington Post, 2023-11-15	Taiwan's two main opposition parties, both of which have vowed to restart talks with China, announced a joint presidential ticket for January’s election in a deal that could bring a major political upset in the self-ruled island democracy.
Foreign Policy, 2023-11-15	in any case, support for the DPP has been fading ahead of January’s presidential elections. But voters in Taiwan tend to be lukewarm toward candidates seen as too pro-China, and the DPP still leads in several polls.
Bloomberg, 2023-11-15	a single opposition bid raises the likelihood of a government in Taipei more willing to accept China’s conditions for direct talks between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
TIME, 2023-11-15	A successful opposition alliance — no matter who is running as president — means it’s likely cross-strait tensions will improve
Financial Times, 2023-11-15	Taiwan’s opposition parties join forces for crucial presidential poll Deal sharply increases odds that ruling Democratic Progressive party will lose election; Beijing has denounced Lai as a separatist and framed the presidential race as a choice between war and peace — rhetoric sometimes echoed by the opposition.
Reuters, 2023-11-15	Some opinion polls have shown that if Hou and Ko teamed up, in whatever combination, they would beat Lai 。Tamkang University scholar: The U.S. and China both want stabilised Taiwan Strait relations. Lai may not be the ideal person for this

Reuters, 2023-10-24 : Who is running to be Taiwan's next president?
LAI CHING-TE	Lai and Tsai Ing-Wen say only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
HOU YU-IH	strongly denies being pro-Beijing, and will restart talks with Beijing.
KO WEN-JE	China should propose a new framework for engagement with Taiwan and explain what Beijing has to offer

◆ Report to Congress on Taiwan Defense Military Issues news.usni.org/2023/09/26/report-to-congress-on-taiwan-defense-military-issues
Advantages	including geography and climate.
Challenges	(1) the PLA now is able, or will soon be able, to execute a range of military campaigns against Taiwan. (2) Civil-military relations are strained... The archipelago's energy, food, water, internet, and other critical infrastructure systems are vulnerable to external disruption. Taiwan's civil defense preparedness is insufficient, and Taiwan's military struggles to recruit, retain, and train personnel. At a societal level, it is not clear what costs — in terms of economic security, safety and security, and lives — Taiwan's people would be willing or able to bear.

US defends Taiwan ?
◆ The Hill, 2023-9-26	During a Tokyo interview alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden repeated his statement on defending Taiwan: “That’s the commitment we made.” But, when asked whether “the policy of strategic ambiguity towards Taiwan [is] dead,” he replied “No.”
◆ National Review, 2023-9-19	It's noteworthy that Biden declined to say a single word about Taiwan in his U.N. speech came a day after the Chinese Communist Party's armed forces sent 103 jets into Taiwan’s air-defense identification zone — which is a new record that surpasses even the Chinese tantrum that followed then–House speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

◆ Washington Post, 2023-9-28: Taiwan launches the island's first domestically made submarine for testing
BBC, 2023-9-28	National University of Singapore Drew Thompson: the "centre of gravity" for any China-Taiwan naval conflict would not likely be in the deep waters off the island's east coast, where submarines would be most effective in...Instead, the main theatre of war would be in the shallower waters of the west coast facing mainland China...The submarine is not optimised for a counter invasion role...
CNN, 2023-9-28	While the Taiwan Strait might be too shallow for submarines to operate in, the vessels could be most useful when deployed to target Chinese warships in the Bashi channel – which separates Taiwan from the Philippines – and the waters between Taiwan and Japan’s westernmost islands. China has planned for a major naval engagement with the US outside the first island chain, around the Philippine Sea”.
News Week, 2023-9-29	A senior researcher at RAND: The relatively shallow, choppy waters of the Taiwan Strait were well-suited for masking submarines but also harder to operate in. Policy experts in the U.S. have urged Taipei to adopt an asymmetric defense strategy based on "lots of small, deadly things—anti-ship missiles, anti-air missiles, etc.—that would make Taiwan a porcupine." Such an approach would become more useful, and submarines less so。

Taiwan presidency - Lai (DPP), Ko, Hou, Gou (opposition)
◆ BBC, 2023-8-29	Opinion polls also show that around 40% of voters are pretty solid supporters of the ruling DPP. That means the ruling party can be beaten. But to have any chance the opposition would have to unite around a single candidate. Now Taiwan's opposition vote will be split three ways.
◆ Economist, 2023-8-29	The opposition would not end the tensions, but it would probably reduce them by placating China. A win for Mr Lai, might have the opposite effect.
◆ Washington Post, 2023-8-28	Taiwanese voters could either fuel or dampen the mounting tensions. Their choice is between a ruling party determined to maintain Taiwan's political independence, and an opposition that sees closer ties with China as the only viable path.
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2023-8-25	analysts said Lai's lead could erode by the time voters cast their ballots in January, given Taiwan's reputation for volatile politics.
◆ Reuters, 2023-8-28	Any split on the non-DPP side would mean Lai's sure victory in January. Terry Gou's main theme in his pre-campaign events has been that the only way to avoid war with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, is to get the DPP out of office.
◆ AP, The Hill, 2023-8-28	Terry Gou announces run for Taiwan presidency. He has received criticism that he was splitting the vote,“I will definitely not allow Taiwan to become the next Ukraine”. He has received criticism that he was splitting the vote

Should biological males compete against women? Taiwan's Olympic Controversies - Lin won a Gold medal in female boxing

economist / The world's most liveable cities in 2023 City liveability index, Mar. 2023 - Taipei ranks world No. 65, Asia's No.14

House Prices/GDP per Capita in Taiwan compared to Asia The formula is: (Price per square metre / GDP per capita)*100

economist / The world's most liveable cities in 2023
City liveability index, Mar. 2023 - Taipei ranks world No. 65, Asia's No.14

House Prices/GDP per Capita in Taiwan compared to Asia
The formula is: (Price per square metre / GDP per capita)*100

2023 Michelin stars comparisons among Asian countries
Michelin cities	total number of stars	Green Star	3 Star	2 Star	1 Star
Tokyo (Japan)	202	12	12	39	139
Kyoto (Japan)	104	6	6	19	73
Osaka (Japan)	97	3	3	10	81
Hong Kong	81	3	7	13	58
Singapore	65	1	3	6	55
Shanghai (China)	51	1	2	9	39
Seoul (S. Korea)	38	3	2	8	25
Taipei (Taiwan)	29	2	2	5	20
By highlighting eco-friendly pioneer restaurants with the MICHELIN Green Star, and spotlighting their virtuous initiatives, it stimulates awareness and actions both within the industry and by gourmets.

resolve contrasts
Chinese military	Taiwan's military
♦The Guardian, 2023-8-7: the more dramatic parts of China's documentary on Taiwan invasion are pledges by PLA soldiers from various divisions to give up their lives in a potential attack on Taiwan. ── “If the conditions were too difficult to safely remove the naval mines in actual combat, we would use our own bodies to clear a safe pathway for our [landing] forces,” said a frogman; “fighter jet would be the last missile rushing towards the enemy" said a pilot. .theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/07/chinese-soldiers-pledge-to-sacrifice-their-lives-in-documentary-on-taiwan-invasion Associated Press	♦Wall Street Journal, 2023-7-5: The professionalism and motivation of Taiwan's military are a particular concern, ... “A lot of young people who signed up for the four-year volunteer force decided to pay a penalty and dropped out early because they say they had come for the money—not to fight and not to die". wsj.com/articles/taiwan-china-ukraine-russia-hong-kong-military-war-517b87d?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo Yaroslav Trofimov Joyu Wang

#MeToo in Taiwan
★ New York Times, 2023-7-27	our society remains patriarchal and hierarchical. Under Confucian values, women obey their fathers and their brothers and eventually their husbands. People are expected to respect and yield to their elders and superiors — in short, the powers that be... In a collectivist culture like ours, the burden of being nice and preserving group harmony falls on those with less power and authority nytimes.com/2023/07/27/opinion/taiwan-women-metoo.html Vickie Wang
★ Reuters, 2023-7-28	Despite Taiwan's reputation as a progressive bastion in a conservative region - the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage...to confront a problem long shrouded in shame and silence. Victims of abuse often stay silent due to what experts say is a tradition of victim-blaming, cultural pressure, and unequal power relationships. reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/years-after-metoo-first-swept-world-taiwan-races-respond-2023-07-28/ Sarah Wu

changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait
Atlantic Council, 2023-6-21: Effective deterrence requires credible threats to be matched with credible assurances. The G7 should make clear to Beijing it has no desire to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/sanctioning-china-in-a-taiwan-crisis-scenarios-and-risks/ Charlie Vest and Agatha Kratz	AP (Germany Berlin), 2023-6-22: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Beijing against using force to change the status quo with Taiwan news.yahoo.com/germany-warns-china-over-taiwan-103947340.html
Global Times (China), 2023-6-21: Blinken said "We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side". China's Foreign Ministry: the three China-US Joint Communiqués means that the US recognizes the real status quo in the Taiwan Straits, that is, there is only one China in the world, and both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China. However, the US has unilaterally attached the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances to its one-China policy, these are not consensus reached by both China and the US. The US is tampering with political commitments on one-China policy. globaltimes.cn/page/202306/1292976.shtml

economist / The world's most liveable cities in 2023 City liveability index, Mar. 2023 - Taipei ranks world No. 65, Asia's No.14
score	cities in Asia
90+	Melbourne, Sydney, Aucland, Adelaide, Osaka(Japan), Perth, Tokyo(Japan), Brisbane, Wellington, Singapore
80-90	Seoul(Korea), Hong Kong(Chn), Busan(Korea), Taipei (Taiwan), Kaohsiung, Taichung
60-80	Noumea, Nantong, SuZhou, Beijing, ShenYang, Shanghai, etc
top 5 cities: Vienna 98.4, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver ... No.10 Osaka, Aucland 96 Score out of 100* five categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

Taiwan could soon be under US nuclear protection?
◆ Sky News (Australia), 2023-5-28	Analysts warn the ‘nuclear umbrella’ agreement could be globally catastrophic as it would mean the US could use nuclear weapons if Taiwan was attacked. skynews.com.au/world-news/united-states/taiwan-could-soon-be-under-us-nuclear-protection/video/732789a9ca7ee4de4c33a614a6a24c35
◆ SCMP (Hong Kong), 2023-5-28	John Mearscheimer (U. Chicago):It would send a clear message to Beijing that "if they are to attack Taiwan, it will escalate to the nuclear level"。Chang Yen-ting: "Taiwan's priority should be to get more advanced and effective weapons instead of seeking to be incorporated into the nuclear umbrella," a security analyst at the National Policy Foundation, says until today, the US has not entirely committed to using nuclear weapons to help defend South Korea in the event of a nuclear attack from North Korea." msn.com/en-xl/news/other/us-nuclear-umbrella-for-taiwan-solid-cross-strait-shield-or-wishful-thinking/ar-AA1bMtGS
◆ EurAsian Times, 2023-5-26	There has also not been any statement or reaction from either the Department of State, Department of Defense, or the White House on the statement from Joseph Wu. This implies the US has no plans to defend Taiwan using nuclear weapons. eurasiantimes.com/taiwan-eyes-us-nuclear-umbrella-to-deter-chinese-invasion/ Parth Satam
◆ Benzinga, 2023-5-29	Xi Jinping 'Unlikely' To Go Nuclear On Taiwan Amid Taipei's Bid For US Umbrella: Defense Experts, given the radiation spillover problem and the proximity of Taiwan to the Chinese mainland,"

Associated Press, 2023-5-2: Unclear who would help Taiwan in a war: Taiwan foreign minister
Japan	S. Korea
Asahi News, 2023-5-1: Asahi poll: 80% of voters said they are worried that Japan would be caught up in the armed conflict if the United States and China clashed over Taiwan, 56% want only SDF rear support to U.S. in event of Taiwan crisis. Which approaches to prioritize for its national security? 70% selected “deepening the relationship with China,” far more than the 26 % who chose “strengthening defense capabilities.” Responsible Statecraft, 2023-5-2: It is naïve, however, to expect Japan to automatically fight China if the United States intervened militarily. If Japan were to assume a neutral stance, China might be encouraged to use military force to realize its aim to bring Taiwan under its control. Recent war games conducted by the CSIS suggests that the United States would lose a conflict over Taiwan if it were unable to access bases in Japan.	The Diplomat, 2023-3-21: South Korea Will Stay Out of a Taiwan Strait War， Seoul’s desire to limit the damage in its relations with Beijing is strong enough that strikes on South Korean territory that killed only Americans would not necessarily bring South Korea into the war as a combatant against China.。 South Korea would limit its support to actions near the low end of the spectrum – strong diplomatic statements, symbolic economic sanctions, and behind-the-lines re-supply of U.S. forces returning from battle. 　 Axios, 2023-5-2: South Korea would be unlikely to consider sending troops into the Taiwan Strait. But the U.S. could pull some of its own 30,000-strong contingent out of Korea, and would likely expect Seoul to play a key support role. That could leave Seoul exposed to retaliation from China, and more vulnerable to North Korea
asahi.com/ajw/articles/14898395 responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/05/02/should-japan-defend-taiwan/ k. sugawa	thediplomat.com/2023/03/south-korea-will-stay-out-of-a-taiwan-strait-war/ axios.com/2023/05/02/taiwan-war-us-philippines-japan-korea-australia d. lawler, b. a. ebrahimian

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 theworlds50best.com/asia/en/list/1-50
rank	countries with the most wins	number of restaurants selected	rank	cities with the most wins	number of restaurants selected
1	China (Hong Kong 5, Shanghai 2, ShenZhen 1, Macau 2, Beijing 1)	11	1	Bangkok (Thailand )	9
2	Japan (Tokyo 7, Osaka 1, Wakayama 1, Kyoto 1)	10	2	Singapore	9
3	Thailand (Bangkok 9)	9	3	Tokyo (Japan)	7
4	Singapore	7	4	Hong Kong (China)	5
5	S. Korea	4	5	Seoul (S. Korea)	4
6	India	3	6	Shanghai (China)	2
7	Philippines	2	7	Macau (China)	2
8	Vietnam	1	8	Manila (Philippines)	2
9	Taiwan	1	9	Osaka (Japan)	1
♣ No.1 Le Du (Thai.), No.2 Sezanne (Japan), No.3 Nusara (Thai.), 4. Den (Japan), 5 Gaggan Anans (Thai.)...No. 45 Mume (Taiwan Taipei) 　 ♣ Bangkok has long been considered a world capital when it comes to street food. But these days, its fine dining scene is proving to be just as alluring. Though most of the winners on the list are fine dining restaurants, one street food eatery managed to break through the pack – Bangkok’s Michelin-starred Raan Jay Fai			10	Wakayama (Japan)	1
			11	Mumbai (India)	1
			12	New Delhi (India)	1
			13	Chennai (India)	1
			14	ShenZhen (China)	1
			15	Kyoto (Japan)	1
			16	Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam)	1
			17	Taipei (Taiwan)	1
			18	Beijing (Chn)	1

Honduras ditching Taiwan raises larger geopolitical concerns
AP, Washington Post, The Hill, 2023-3-15 thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-international/honduras-ditching-taiwan-raises-larger-geopolitical-concerns/	... a blow to the Biden administration, which has rather fruitlessly tried to convince countries in the region to stick with Taiwan. Taiwan, a U.S. ally,...also exemplifies the American government is “losing it’s grasp on” Latin America
L.A. Times, 2023-3-15	The switch would leave Taiwan recognized by only 13 countries as China spends billions to win recognition of its “one China” policy. msn.com/en-us/news/world/honduras-to-seek-official-ties-with-china-spurning-its-long-relationship-with-taiwan/ar-AA18EeCH
Bloomberg, 2023-3-15	Tsai Ing-wen has worked to raise the self-governing island’s profile on the world stage during her tenure. Tsai says Taiwan deserves broader recognition and greater support given its status as a democracy. msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-may-lose-official-ally-as-honduras-mulls-china-switch/ar-AA18Du8h

World's Best Hospitals 2023 by Newsweek & Statista comparison among Asia's selected 12 countries newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-hospitals-2023
Asia's rank	country	total number of top 250 hospitals
1	Japan	18
2	S. Korea	18
3	Australia	7
4	Singapore	5
5	Israel	3
6	India	3
7	Thailand	1
8	UAE	1
9	Taiwan	1
10	Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia	0
Taiwan's NTU Hospital ranks world No. 249 Asia's China, etc are not included in survey list - 28 countries in total
Why is Taiwan behind ? (1) Taiwan got highest CovID death rate in Asia and entire world several times. / "Medicine should be prescribed but not prescribed, medicine should be taken but not taken" bad record of "failure to administer CovID remedy/medicine in time". Bloomberg, 2021-7-25: Taiwan's medical care system is also run on a tight budget to keep costs affordable. Newsweek: These are challenging times for hospitals. COVID-19 put unprecedented stress on health systems. (2) Not patient-centered / not easy to register clinic and emergency, 7-10 waiting days to be hospitalized, 2-5 minutes for clinic diagnosis, shortage of some excellent medicines and newest equipments, number MDs per 10000 is very low, turnover rate of the nurses is high, some chronic disease items score very low, poor internationalization, no value privacy, Medical dispute, problem of Rural patients and the disadvantaged...