Taiwan marks Double Ten National Day today from a rather rarefied position: It is one of the few nations in this pandemic-stricken world where daily life can be conducted fairly normally, and people can celebrate their national day by attending parades, ceremonies and fireworks displays without being worried about catching COVID-19 or, in the case of some of our close neighbors, being rounded up by the police.
The nation has suffered, along with the rest of the world, from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has also seen its international profile soar as other nations look at Taiwan in admiration for its use of government resources, and the cooperation taking place between the private sector, academia and the public to prevent community infections.
Despite the pandemic, there have been historic visits by high-level foreign officials and dignitaries this year, while international media have been flooded with stories about and interviews with a range of leaders, from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) down.
Social media have seen a growing number of videos about the nation going viral, ranging from stories about fighting COVID-19 to the short film Lost in Taiwan, coproduced by US actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Taiwan was also ranked the second-safest country in the world in the mid-year crime index by the Numbeo database.
However, along with all the positives, there has been a worrying uptick in Beijing’s bellicosity, from the increasing number of flights by its air force and sorties by its aircraft carrier battle group near Taiwan, to efforts to block Taiwan’s international participation.
While these are clearly efforts by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and the Chinese Communist Party to distract from a host of crises — the widespread international criticism of Beijing for its mishandling of the initial COVID-19 outbreak, an economic crisis caused by a slowdown in global trade and the US’ crackdown on Chinese tech firms, as well as a pushback over Beijing’s actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong — Xi’s pandering to jingoistic nationalist elements is a cause for concern, not just for Taiwan.
The developments in Hong Kong over the past few months have given the nation a stark preview of what life would be like if Xi and his party had their “great China” dream fulfilled: a nightmare for Taiwanese.
As the People’s Republic of China marked its 71st national day on Thursday last week, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) declared that “stability has been restored to society while national security has been safeguarded” — yet her government felt the need to flood the territory’s streets with police in riot gear, even more extreme than the heavy-handed police presence displayed in Beijing every Oct. 1.
Such sights are not the ones Taiwanese have had to worry about for decades; there is a security cordon near the Presidential Office Building for the annual Double Ten National Day parade, but it is low-key.
If the first direct elections for the Legislative Yuan on Dec. 19, 1992, are counted as the keystone of Taiwan’s democracy, this nation has been on the path to full democracy for only 28 years.
Yet with the passing of every year, and even more so this year, Taiwan is showing China — and the rest of the world — that one of the nation’s great strengths is the emerging Taiwanese identity that cherishes its diversity and robust democracy.
Yes, Taiwan still suffers from the blue-green political divide, stagnant wages, and labor and environmental problems caused by lax regulatory oversight, and there are several constitutional and social issues that need to be addressed, but this nation continues to provide vibrant proof that democracy can work.
As this is commemorated on Double Ten National Day, everyone must also remember that democratic societies cannot be taken for granted; that everyone must do what they can to improve and defend them.
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