Taiwan seems to be very fond of hosting international events like the World Games or the Taipi International Flora Expo.
The real motives for undertaking such activities are not known, but the official explanation is that they help improve Taiwan’s international visibility and stimulate the economy. The public seems to blindly accept this reasoning, even though it means huge investments of tens of billions of New Taiwan dollars. Whether they are clever investments or big wastes of money is worth reviewing.
Taiwan’s visibility in international media is hardly low. China constantly insults, excludes, pressurizes, threatens and assaults Taiwan, and forces the removal of its flag from international events. The world has taken notice.
The international events that Taiwan holds, such as the World Games or the Flora Expo, are second or third-tier events at best. The international media barely notice them.
One of the countries that has hosted the Flora Expo is the Netherlands. The nation is famous for its flowers and attracts foreign tourists for this reason.
The Dutch government prepared very carefully for the event: It selected a vacant site, paved roads, laid down water and electricity supplies, set up telecommunications, built a sewage network and constructed permanent buildings. When the exposition ended, the venue immediately became a modern community with complete facilities, schools, parks, hospitals, markets, libraries, etc. The investment gave a high degree of public return and there was no waste of resources.
In contrast, Taipei, which is completely unknown for its flowers, has one of the highest population densities in the world and is already filled with skyscrapers and its traffic is congested. Already scarce recreational or open space was abused and had buildings squeezed onto it, the bidding process was scandal-ridden and when the expo ended, whether to utilize or demolish the unsightly venues became a serious problem.
The whole thing was a mess. As for how much economic benefit was derived in the end, no one knows. The government has never issued anything clear.
A nation that holds sports games, but does not dare to use its own name, flag or national anthem — using a strange name, flag and song instead — is only embarrassing itself.
How is undertaking these events, which are done with the mentality of hosting a large ceremony, to bring benefits to Taiwan even if they improved international visibility? It is just self-preening and vanity.
Northern Europeans disdain boasting; their only goal is universal happiness. They research diligently and construct a complete welfare system, but also quietly deliver aid to nations in need, with no publicity and no vanity. The whole world sees and envies it.
If only Taiwanese were willing to forgo the fireworks, the shows that cost NT$2 billion (US$61 million) a night, and the activities to commemorate “war victories;” prevent officials from frequently going on “investigation” trips; and reform retirement benefits for military personnel, civil servants and public school teachers, it would be very easy to save hundreds of billions of New Taiwan dollars that could be used for general welfare, such as free education for elementary and secondary students and at universities.
Then the world would naturally hear of Taiwan without any need for publicity.
Peng Ming-min is a former presidential adviser.
Translated by Clare Lear
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