The metaverse includes concepts such as virtual reality, avatars and spatial presence, while connecting virtual and real environments. It is a field that offers unlimited possibilities for development.
The onslaught of COVID-19 over the past two years has made it necessary to hold many formerly physical meetings online.
Taiwan was invited to participate in the virtual Summit for Democracy hosted by US President Joe Biden on Dec. 9 and 10. Minister without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) and Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) took part via the Internet and used the occasion to promote Taiwan’s democratic achievements. Their participation in the summit’s online meetings broke through the restrictions that physical activities would impose.
Taiwan’s foreign relations have long been suppressed by the Chinese government, which not only refuses to recognize the nation as a sovereign state, but for many years and at many international events has restricted Taiwan’s attendance and participation on the grounds of its “one China” principle.
Taiwan has sought to break out of its diplomatic dilemma by taking part in activities of international non-governmental organizations.
Through transnational corporations and by joining the few international organizations that it can, and with the help and support of friendly countries, Taiwan has wherever possible striven to take part in the general affairs of the international community. Developing metaverse technology, and related software and hardware applications, is one way Taiwan could break out of its diplomatic difficulties.
As well as firmly grasping the development of related industries, the government should also seek to cooperate with US technology leaders in using emerging technologies to combine the virtual and the physical to build structures that break through the limitations of diplomacy between sovereign countries, and boost Taiwan’s visibility and right to be heard in the international arena.
Ray Song is a doctoral student at Tamkang University’s Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies.
Translated by Julian Clegg
A Chinese diplomat’s violent threat against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following her remarks on defending Taiwan marks a dangerous escalation in East Asian tensions, revealing Beijing’s growing intolerance for dissent and the fragility of regional diplomacy. Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian (薛劍) on Saturday posted a chilling message on X: “the dirty neck that sticks itself in must be cut off,” in reference to Takaichi’s remark to Japanese lawmakers that an attack on Taiwan could threaten Japan’s survival. The post, which was later deleted, was not an isolated outburst. Xue has also amplified other incendiary messages, including one suggesting
Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian (薛劍) on Saturday last week shared a news article on social media about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, adding that “the dirty neck that sticks itself in must be cut off.” The previous day in the Japanese House of Representatives, Takaichi said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival,” a reference to a legal legal term introduced in 2015 that allows the prime minister to deploy the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The violent nature of Xue’s comments is notable in that it came from a diplomat,
China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, entered service this week after a commissioning ceremony in China’s Hainan Province on Wednesday last week. Chinese state media reported that the Fujian would be deployed to the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the western Pacific. It seemed that the Taiwan Strait being one of its priorities meant greater military pressure on Taiwan, but it would actually put the Fujian at greater risk of being compromised. If the carrier were to leave its home port of Sanya and sail to the East China Sea or the Yellow Sea, it would have to transit the
The artificial intelligence (AI) boom, sparked by the arrival of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, took the world by storm. Within weeks, everyone was talking about it, trying it and had an opinion. It has transformed the way people live, work and think. The trend has only accelerated. The AI snowball continues to roll, growing larger and more influential across nearly every sector. Higher education has not been spared. Universities rushed to embrace this technological wave, eager to demonstrate that they are keeping up with the times. AI literacy is now presented as an essential skill, a key selling point to attract prospective students.
RSS