Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp (高端疫苗), the manufacturer of the only domestically made COVID-19 vaccine to have received emergency use authorization in Taiwan, recently announced its out-licensing agreement with the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) hosted by the WHO and the UN-backed Medicine Patent Pool.
This is the first time that a vaccine manufacturer will use C-TAP to offer its patent and know-how for a COVID-19 vaccine, which should have cleared Medigen’s name after the slander and criticisms hurled at it by opposition parties over the past two years. As it is now election campaign season, opposition parties have focused their fire on criticizing the governing party, yet none of them have offered any constructive policies of their own. Their efforts of casting aspersions at Medigen should have taught them that such behavior would only get them so far in terms of garnering votes. Instead, they should turn to introducing policies for the following issues, as they are pressing challenges that await Taiwan’s next president:
The first issue is green technology. Under the influence of climate change and oil price fluctuations, developing renewable energy is a global trend. Global enterprises have joined the RE100 — a global initiative bringing together the world’s most influential businesses committed to 100 percent renewable electricity — and vowed to run their entire operations on 100 percent renewable energy in stages by 2050.
As renewable energy plays an important part in Taiwan’s future development, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, has joined the initiative. As a member of the global community, Taiwan’s next president has the responsibility of promoting this initiative.
The second issue is the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, which encompasses eight categories: green energy, digital, water environment, railway, urban and rural, friendly childcare, food safety and human resources. As the program is akin to the 10 Major Construction Projects, there is no doubt that this program could help lay cornerstones for development and turbocharge construction innovation over the next few decades.
In terms of railway infrastructure, the government plans to build tourism-oriented rail systems for central and southern Taiwan, such as a railway connecting Hengchun Township (恆春) and Neishi (內獅) in Pingtung County. As there is no railway system in Hengchun yet, the Taiwan Railway will pass over Hengchun and go toward Taitung upon reaching Fonggang (楓港). Hengchun residents have waited decades for this 37.9km rail system and it is finally around the corner.
The railway will also help relieve traffic congestion on the Pinge Highway for holiday travelers heading for Henchun on the weekends. As the planned route runs alongside mountain topography, passengers can also appreciate the gorgeous mountains and the sea as they ride on the express.
The third is national defense. As a navy reserve lieutenant commander, I have witnessed a massive improvement in Taiwan’s national defense, whether it be in independent defense capabilities; domestic plane and ship production; the Han Kuang exercises with their live-fire drills; the procurement of military arms, etc, which are a sharp contrast when Taiwan was trying for appeasement with China by blocking arms deals; reducing conscription times or through cutting down on live-fire military drills by playing sound effects for verisimilitude.
This shift in national defense policy has deterred China from making a move. To build upon this good work, we need a president who would continue strengthening our self-defense capabilities so that Taiwan can protect its national security and interests.
The fourth is diplomacy and cross-strait relations. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan have never been subordinate to each other and Taiwan has never been ruled by the PRC. Therefore, cross-strait issues have never been domestic affairs, but an international issue.
In July, the US House of Representatives passed the Taiwan International Solidarity Act to counter China’s vicious distortion of UN Resolution 2758 in its attempts to hinder Taiwan’s participation in the international community.
Following the US’ example, the British parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has also officially referred to Taiwan as an already “independent country, under the name Republic of China (ROC).” Taiwan, has a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states — it only lacks greater international recognition.
Aside from domestic issues, international recognition and support plays a critical part in Taiwan’s pursuit of normalization. The next president would have to come up with measures for Taiwan to be able to circumvent China and participate in the global community.
The Medigen vaccine incident should serve as a reminder to opposition parties that policies will always prevail over mudslinging.
Arthur Chang is a navy reserve lieutenant commander.
Translated by Rita Wang
A return to power for former US president Donald Trump would pose grave risks to Taiwan’s security, autonomy and the broader stability of the Indo-Pacific region. The stakes have never been higher as China aggressively escalates its pressure on Taiwan, deploying economic, military and psychological tactics aimed at subjugating the nation under Beijing’s control. The US has long acted as Taiwan’s foremost security partner, a bulwark against Chinese expansionism in the region. However, a second Trump presidency could upend decades of US commitments, introducing unpredictability that could embolden Beijing and severely compromise Taiwan’s position. While president, Trump’s foreign policy reflected a transactional
There appears to be a growing view among leaders and leading thinkers in Taiwan that their words and actions have no influence over how China approaches cross-Strait relations. According to this logic, China’s actions toward Taiwan are guided by China’s unwavering ambition to assert control over Taiwan. Many also believe Beijing’s approach is influenced by China’s domestic politics. As the thinking goes, former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) made a good faith effort to demonstrate her moderation on cross-Strait issues throughout her tenure. During her 2016 inaugural address, Tsai sent several constructive signals, including by acknowledging the historical fact of interactions and
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has prioritized modernizing the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to rival the US military, with many experts believing he would not act on Taiwan until the PLA is fully prepared to confront US forces. At the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Party Congress in 2022, Xi emphasized accelerating this modernization, setting 2027 — the PLA’s centennial — as the new target, replacing the previous 2035 goal. US intelligence agencies said that Xi has directed the PLA to be ready for a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027, although no decision on launching an attack had been made. Whether
Taiwanese men doing their alternative military service within Taipei’s and Taichung’s Department of Compulsory Military Service independently reported outlandish incidents of brainwashing. Below is a story related to propagandizing as it manifests overseas. One of my Chinese friends and a group of Taiwanese friends set off together from Sydney, Australia, in a tour group to northern Europe. The travel agency arranged for a Chinese tour guide to lead the group. The guide would start off on a propaganda blitz every afternoon at a set time, singing the praises of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Taiwanese members of the tour seemed