Diplomatist Magazine DIplomatist September 2018 | Page 7

PMENT IN TAIWAN
this year. This will further strengthen Taiwan’s democratic system
and underscore the fact that power lies with the people.
2.4. Leveraging Taiwan’s strengths to exercise its warm
power: The recent emergence of China’s sharp power has been met
with caution and criticism from Western countries. Meanwhile, the
government of Taiwan will exercise its warm power, incorporating
soft power into endeavors in public health, medicine, agricultural
technology, green energy, environmental protection and disaster
rescue and relief, in order to share its goodwill and compassion with
the rest of the world.
2.5. Promoting Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and
Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacifi c Partnership (CPTPP):
In order to strengthen Taiwan’s core position in the Asia-Pacifi c
supply chain and its economic linkages with the international
community, the government will steadily increase interactions with
members of the CPTPP to pave the way for early negotiations. Taiwan
has already stepped up efforts to revise domestic laws and prepare
for talks with these countries.
2.6. Transforming Taiwan into an important partner of the
Indo-Pacifi c strategy: As a free and democratic country in the
Asia-Pacifi c, Taiwan plays a vital role in ensuring regional peace and
stability and is an important partner in the free and open Indo-Pacifi c
strategy. It seeks to make greater contributions to the Indo-Pacifi c,
safeguard the free and open regional community, and protect a rules-
based international order.
3. STATISTICAL REFERENCES
3.1. Democratic accomplishments: Taiwan was named the top
Asian nation in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index released by
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, advancing three spots from
last year to rank number 42 among 180 countries surveyed. In the
2018 Freedom in the World report published by Washington-based
Freedom House, Taiwan was again listed as a “free country,” with
an aggregate score of 93 out of 100 points that marked a two-point
improvement from last year. It received the “most free” assessment
in freedom rating, political rights and civil liberties. Meanwhile,
Taiwan has made steady progress toward achieving housing justice,
as construction is underway on 22,000 public housing units. By
the end of this year, 4,500 units are expected to be completed and
construction will have begun on another 13,000 units.
3.2. Diplomatic accomplishments: Since May 20, 2016, Taiwan
has signed 110 bilateral agreements and MOUs with other countries.
A total of 167 countries and territories now accord visa-free entry,
landing-visa privileges or electronic visas to ROC (Taiwan) passport
holders. This placed Taiwan at number 26 in the world in the Passport
Index issued by a London consulting fi rm in May 2018, up fi ve
notches from the previous year. Meanwhile, Taiwan has agreements
on mutual recognition and test-exempt exchange of driving licenses
with 107 countries and territories.
3.3. Economic accomplishments
• As of December 2017, Taiwan was the 22nd-largest economy in
the world. According to statistics from the World Trade Organization,
it was the 18th-largest exporter and importer worldwide in 2016.
• As of December 2017, Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves
totaled US$451.5 billion, the fi fth-largest in the world behind China,
Japan, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia.
• In the August 2018 edition of the Profit Opportunity
Recommendation report published by US research company Business
Environment Risk Intelligence, Taiwan moved up one spot from the
previous survey to rank at number 3 alongside Germany and Norway,
behind Switzerland and Singapore.
• The 2018 Index of Economic Freedom released by the US
think tank Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal placed
Taiwan at number 13 among 186 economies, down two spots from
last year while registering an aggregate score of 76.6, which was
up by 0.1 point.
• The International Institute for Management Development,
based in Lausanne, Switzerland, ranked Taiwan number 17 among
63 countries surveyed in the 2018 IMD World Competitiveness
Yearbook, down three notches from last year. Taiwan was number
12 in government effi ciency, its highest rating among the four main
factors assessed.
• Taiwan was ranked number 15 in the World Economic Forum’s
Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018.
3.4. New Southbound Policy
• Industrial Collaboration Summits: In 2017, Taiwan held a
number of Industrial Collaboration Summits and signed 69 MOUs
and letters of intent with New Southbound Policy partners. (The
summits were held in Indonesia in March, Thailand in July, the
Philippines in September, India and Malaysia in October, and
Vietnam in December.)
• Taiwan Expo: The 2017 Taiwan Expo series held by the
government and a total of 640 Taiwanese companies generated
US$190 million in business opportunities. (The expo was held in
Indonesia in May, Vietnam in July, the Philippines in September,
and Malaysia in November.)
• International industry-academia cooperation programs: A
total of 1,380 and 1,034 participants attended the Youth Taiwan
Study Tour and Overseas Youth Vocational Training Workshop,
respectively, which were both organized by the Overseas Community
Affairs Council. In 2017, the government subsidized a total of 174
industry-academia cooperation programs for New Southbound Policy
partners, short-term foreign youth vocational training workshops,
and short-term high- and mid-level professional technical training
courses, which were made available to 5,680 participants.
3.5. Long-term care: As of August 2018, Taiwan had more
than 1,600 long-term care service centers. In the fi rst six months of
this year, more than 100,000 citizens benefi ted from this service,
representing a year-on-year increase of 40 percent. Taiwan has
achieved greater progress than anticipated in providing long-term
care.
3.6. Accomplishments in implementing the rule of law
• Under the amended Criminal Code that took effect in July 2016,
confi scation of criminal proceeds now has independent legal effect,
and need not be accessory to a verdict. Confi scation rulings can be
made independently, notwithstanding the death of the offenders,
issuance of past verdicts or such conditions (as mental incapacity)
prescribed in Article 19 of the Criminal Code.
• On April 10, 2018, the Legislative Yuan passed an international
mutual legal assistance act on criminal matters, stipulating
comprehensive and explicit measures.
• Taiwan was ranked number 29 among 180 nations assessed for
the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International.
This was its highest rating in 10 years.
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 9 • September 2018, Noida • 7