The COVID-19 outbreak that originated in central China has spread around the world and claimed over 300,000 lives.
Infectious diseases are part of life, and it is critical that global defenses against pandemics hold. China was the world’s first line of defense, and that defense failed.
Beijing cannot be held solely responsible for the impact of the pandemic, and, to be sure, the Chinese are justified in celebrating victories and acts of heroism in China’s struggle to contain COVID-19.
However, Beijing cannot be let off the hook for its role in the crisis.
Beijing’s response to the outbreak, rooted in the secrecy and paranoia inherent in its authoritarian system, robbed the world of precious time to prepare.
Its lack of transparency has continued to frustrate global efforts to study and understand the virus.
The experience reminds us that Beijing’s style of authoritarianism is not compatible with the transparent and effective governance needed to address modern global challenges.
As the US has struggled to find its footing against the virus, it is not surprising to see emotion-driven American responses aimed at China, ranging from efforts by state attorneys general to exact punishment through lawsuits against the Chinese Communist Party to abhorrent attacks against people of Asian descent. Such responses serve no one’s interests.
Americans must rise to this occasion by separating frustrations and emotions from legitimate concerns and focus on responses that reflect American values and strategic interests.
The current situation reminds us of the US’ special role as champion of liberal democracy.
It presents the US with a fresh opportunity to stand by its values and its democratic partners in Asia, and in particular Taiwan, which finds itself on the front line of defending democracy in Asia.
Taiwan is among the few countries in the world to succeed in containing COVID-19. Taiwan not only provides a model for global COVID-19 responses, but also provides assistance and by donating medical supplies around the world.
Yet Taiwan’s fuller contributions to global health are prevented due to Beijing’s bullying of the WHO. In global health, as in many other fields, Taiwan’s contributions are a global asset that China holds hostage — for which we all pay a price.
Recent actions by US President Donald Trump’s administration and Congress reflect these concerns.
In Congress, a bipartisan group of colleagues has advanced legislation such as the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act, the Taiwan Travel Act and the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act.
For its part, the Trump administration has been strong in expressing support for Taiwan.
In a congratulatory message to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on her second-term inauguration, three senior US officials, including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, offered high praise for Taiwan.
In the Washington Post, columnist Josh Rogin last month rightfully called attention to US efforts to do more with Taiwan, but concluded that “there’s so much more that could and should be done,” calling for Washington to “stand up for our values and our true friends.”
We agree. If recent legislative and rhetorical efforts are to deliver long-term value, they must be backed up with concrete action.
This is why our organization has committed to advancing professional development programs that promote cooperation between civil servants in the US and its partners in Asia — starting with Taiwan.
Bilateral training initiatives for civil servants reinforce the US’ commitment to Taiwan and to democracy in the Western Pacific.
Such initiatives make that commitment abundantly clear not only to the US’ democratic partners, but also to those that would threaten them — and the US.
In Taiwan and across Asia, there is need for heightened US engagement at the practical, working level, and Washington should seize on current momentum to support such initiatives.
Beijing’s style of authoritarian governance exacerbated the COVID-19 crisis and complicated the global response.
We don’t know what the next global crisis will be, but we do know that a shared global response will be better served by governments defined by transparency, democracy, human rights and rule of law.
As Americans, we must use this occasion to reiterate its commitment to these principles and deepen its support for Taiwan and other democratic partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Ryan Shaffer is the president of the board of directors of the Boston-based Western Pacific Fellowship Project. Raymond Burghardt is a founding director of the organization and was formerly chairman and director of the American Institute in Taiwan and a US ambassador to Vietnam.
The government and local industries breathed a sigh of relief after Shin Kong Life Insurance Co last week said it would relinquish surface rights for two plots in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投) to Nvidia Corp. The US chip-design giant’s plan to expand its local presence will be crucial for Taiwan to safeguard its core role in the global artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem and to advance the nation’s AI development. The land in dispute is owned by the Taipei City Government, which in 2021 sold the rights to develop and use the two plots of land, codenamed T17 and T18, to the
Art and cultural events are key for a city’s cultivation of soft power and international image, and how politicians engage with them often defines their success. Representative to Austria Liu Suan-yung’s (劉玄詠) conducting performance and Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen’s (盧秀燕) show of drumming and the Tainan Jazz Festival demonstrate different outcomes when politics meet culture. While a thoughtful and professional engagement can heighten an event’s status and cultural value, indulging in political theater runs the risk of undermining trust and its reception. During a National Day reception celebration in Austria on Oct. 8, Liu, who was formerly director of the
US President Donald Trump has announced his eagerness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while in South Korea for the APEC summit. That implies a possible revival of US-North Korea talks, frozen since 2019. While some would dismiss such a move as appeasement, renewed US engagement with North Korea could benefit Taiwan’s security interests. The long-standing stalemate between Washington and Pyongyang has allowed Beijing to entrench its dominance in the region, creating a myth that only China can “manage” Kim’s rogue nation. That dynamic has allowed Beijing to present itself as an indispensable power broker: extracting concessions from Washington, Seoul
Taiwan’s labor force participation rate among people aged 65 or older was only 9.9 percent for 2023 — far lower than in other advanced countries, Ministry of Labor data showed. The rate is 38.3 percent in South Korea, 25.7 percent in Japan and 31.5 percent in Singapore. On the surface, it might look good that more older adults in Taiwan can retire, but in reality, it reflects policies that make it difficult for elderly people to participate in the labor market. Most workplaces lack age-friendly environments, and few offer retraining programs or flexible job arrangements for employees older than 55. As
RSS