The rise of China has brought tremendous pressure on Taiwan’s competitiveness, worrying our next generation about future competition between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
However, I am more confident of the nation’s future after attending a conference in Taipei City on Sept. 6, on the establishment of a cross-strait network on domestic violence prevention. What I really want to say is: Cheer up, my fellow Taiwanese! China is nothing to be afraid of.
The conference was organized by a well-known non-governmental organization, the Garden of Hope Foundation, and sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Committee. Chinese and Hong Kong elites were invited to share their experiences on the subject.
Originally, I had great expectations for their presentations when I came to Taipei. After the presentations and exchange of opinions, I believe that, despite China’s sudden wealth after becoming a world factory in recent years, Taiwan’s potential strength far surpasses China’s.
Here are three examples:
Scientific Training
First, scientific training in Taiwan is solid.
China does have outstanding talent at the top of the pyramid, thanks to its huge population, but its scientific training is far less widespread than in Taiwan. The academic papers published by Chinese academics are mostly long articles filled with cliches and they lack an academic framework.
However, Taiwanese have a sophisticated and strict scientific approach to scholastics and their methodology, while such training still is insufficient in China.
Legal System
Second, Taiwan’s legal system is complete.
Taiwan has passed the test of democracy and the rule of law, and although it is not perfect in all areas, the laws are detailed and accurate, the government system is in order and people’s legal understanding is sufficient.
In China, however, the legal framework and concepts still need time to develop, something that hardly will take place overnight.
Sensitivities
Third, Taiwan’s cultural sensitivities are excellent.
The island has been subject to Dutch and Japanese colonial rule, US aid and the relocation of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) government. So many foreign powers have plowed this land. Influenced by such cultural diversity, Taiwan has developed a unique culture.
This social strength and vitality is the nation’s specific advantages. Culture, which can be called a deep-lying soft power, is likely to be a core competitive arena on the world’s stage in the near future. However, in China, it is unlikely to take shape in the short term, despite the fact that some Chinese people are becoming rich.
Path To Victory
As the Chinese saying goes: “Knowing both one’s own and the enemy’s strength is a sure way to victory.”
Before I began to closely observe the performance of the Chinese elite in person, I felt pressured, as if I were dealing with a giant. However, after comparing the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, I am more aware of Taiwan’s greatest advantages and strengths. I hope I can spread this awareness to all Taiwanese.
Hsu Su-jean is the director of National Cheng Kung University Hospital’s Department of Social Work.
TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with