Over the past 30 years, Taiwan has become an exemplary democracy, despite pressure from Beijing. This can be seen both in schools and in election campaigns, during which strict transparency standards are applied.
This content was published in
June 21, 2024 – 09:00
For Google, Taiwan is an “East Asian country.” Officially, however, the definition is much less clear than the search engine claims. Taiwan is in a delicate situation. The Swiss Foreign Ministry uses the formula “Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)”.
Taipei is the capital of Taiwan. The island country, with about 24 million inhabitants, is one of the most democratic systems in Asia.
Switzerland does not recognize Taiwan as a state
Taiwan’s status is controversial. The People’s Republic of China has claimed the island for itself since 1949. Currently, only a dozen states formally recognize Taiwan, the most populous of which is Guatemala.
Switzerland does not belong to this group, although its democracy has much in common with that of Taiwan. For example, the Asian country has introduced popular voting and uses instruments of direct democracy.
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How to report on China from outside
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Despite its precarious situation, democracy in Taiwan has continued to advance over the past 30 years.
Today, the country is considered exemplary in areas such as civic and political education. The population’s confidence in the system is high: 90% of Taiwan’s inhabitants declare themselves in favor of democracy.
Taiwan, important for “global stability”
All States that wish to maintain diplomatic relations with the great geopolitical and economic power that is China cannot recognize Taiwan as an independent State.
In fact, the People’s Republic, whose size is exponentially larger than Taiwan, believes that there is only one China. This is the same position taken by the United Nations for more than 50 years.
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Why is Taiwan so important to the world?
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Jan 30 2024
When Taiwan votes, the world watches. Not so much because of the democratic process itself, but because of the unfriendly behavior of its powerful neighbor China.
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Despite everything, Taiwan has global importance, especially economically. Taiwan dominates the global semiconductor market and, therefore, the production of microchips. On the other hand, Taiwan also has a “geostrategic location at the center of global supply chains and maritime trade routes,” emphasizes Simona Grano, a sinologist at the University of Zurich.
China’s military maneuvers off Taiwan not only worry the island country, but also the rest of the world. Simona Grano believes that maintaining the status quo It is crucial for “global stability.”
From military dictatorship to model democracy
In recent decades, Taiwan has also gained a global reputation: the former military dictatorship is now a model of democracy.
“Ideologically, Taiwan is important because it contradicts China’s claim that Western values and democracy are incompatible with Chinese culture and indigenous values,” says Simona Grano.
In the early 1990s, vote buying was the order of the day in Taiwan’s then-young democracy. That has changed radically. Today there are strict transparency rules and limits on political financing.
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Financial transparency in politics: a balancing act in both Taiwan and Switzerland
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June 3 2024
Who finances which politicians and parties? Taiwan has strict regulations. At the same time, trust in politics is growing.
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Commitment against fake news in an open society
An open society requires reliable information. Democracies at the center of geopolitics, such as Taiwan and the United States, are especially exposed to disinformation.
Misleading images or fake news are deliberately spread. Dozens of professional organizations, such as the Taiwan Fact Checking Center, have been created in Taiwan to combat this phenomenon. Numerous journalists work at the Taiwan Fact Checking Center to expose manipulation as such, and provide well-documented information about it.
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Taiwan’s fight against digital misinformation
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May 20 2024
The population of the island state – supported by the Government – successfully defends itself against fake news. But when they want to help shape direct democracy, politicians block them.
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Democracies also depend on the political knowledge of citizens. As a democracy facing various challenges, Taiwan attaches great importance to youth education. Civic and political education is a mandatory subject in schools throughout the country.
The school system also introduces boys and girls to the practice of democracy. At Tainan First High School, for example, students elect an electoral committee and vote on issues such as school furniture.
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Democracy is taught in a playful way in Taiwan schools
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May 27 2024
Switzerland does not live up to the civic education offered by Taiwanese schools. What is it like in Taiwan?
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Regardless of whether its precarious situation favored this development or not, Taiwan is now a developed democracy. The next generation will have a solid democratic foundation if the status quo of “Chinese Taipei”.
But where does this term to refer to Taiwan come from?
The expression “Chinese Taipei” originally comes from the International Olympic Committee, based in Lausanne. Since the international recognition of the People’s Republic of China, Taiwanese delegations have been able to continue participating in the Olympic Games.
Text adapted from German by Carla Wolff
