Taiwan General Information Area: 36,006 sq km (13,969 sq miles). Population: 22,034,096 (1999). Population Density: 612.0 per sq km. Capital: Taipei. Population: 2,646,474 (2001). GEOGRAPHY: Taiwan (China) is the main island of a group of 86 islands. It is dominated by the Central Mountain Range covering 75 per cent of its land area and running its full length north to south on the eastern seaboard. Over 100 peaks exceed 3000m (9850ft), the highest being Yu Shan (Jade Mountain) at 3952m (13,042ft), and most are heavily forested. About 25 per cent of the country is alluvial plain, most of it on the coastal strip. The Pescadores (Fisherman’s Isles), which the Chinese call Penghu, comprise 64 islands west of Taiwan (China) with a total area of 127 sq km (49 sq miles). The offshore island fortress of Quemoy (Kinmen) and Matsu forms part of the mainland province of Fukien. Government: Republic since 1912. Head of State: President Chen Shui-bian since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Yu Hsi-kun since 2002. Language: The official language is Northern Chinese (Mandarin). Taiwanese is widely spoken, and English is taught as the first foreign language in schools. Religion: Buddhism; also Taoism, Christianity and Islam. Time: GMT + 8. Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60Hz. Communications:   Telephone Full IDD is available. Country code: 886. Outgoing international code: 002. There is an extensive internal telephone system. Mobile telephone GSM 900 and 1800 networks. Network operators include Taiwan Cellular Corporation (website: www.twngsm.com.tw), KG Telecom (website: www.kgt.com.tw) and Far Eastone Telecommunications (website: www.fareastone.com.tw). Fax Facilities are widely available. Internet Internet cafes provide public access to Internet and e-mail services. ISPs include Asia Pacific Online (website: www.apol.com.tw) and Chunghwa Telecom/Hinet (website: www.hinet.net). Telegram Telegrams may be sent from post offices and hotels. Post Airmail to Western Europe takes up to ten days. Poste restante facilities are available in main cities. Press English-language daily papers include Taiwan News and the China Post. English-language journals include Taipei Journal (weekly) and Taipei Review (monthly). BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.28 11.95 9.740 6.195 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 17.74 11.71 9.645 6.110 Passport/Visa   Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required? British Yes 1/2 Yes Australian Yes 1/2 Yes Canadian Yes 1/2 Yes USA Yes 1/2 Yes OtherEU Yes 1/2 Yes Japanese Yes 1/2 Yes Restricted entry and transit: Nationals of the People’s Republic of China are not currently permitted to enter Taiwan unless on business. PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months required by all. VISAS: Required by all except the following, provided they have no criminal record: (a) 1. nationals of countries referred to in the chart above (except nationals of Denmark, Finland and Ireland who do need visas) and nationals of Costa Rica and New Zealand for up to 14 days (which period cannot be extended); Note: (a) 2. Nationals mentioned in (a) 1. above (and also nationals of Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Singapore) are eligible to apply for a Landing visa on arrival at CKS International Airport or Kaohsiung International Airport, on condition that they are holding tickets for an onward destination, and have no criminal record. The Landing visa is valid for 30 days and cannot be extended. They must provide a passport-size photo of themselves and pay a fee of NT$2000. Nationals from countries who have a reciprocal agreement with Taiwan receive this visa free of charge. (b) Passengers arriving at Kaohsiung International Airport (including passengers arriving from China (PR), may apply for a temporary entry permit at the Kaohsiung Station Aviation Police Bureau. They must convert the permit into a visa at the Bureau of Consular Affairs or its Kaohsiung Office. If they fail to do so, they will not be allowed to depart or will be subject to a fine. (c) Nationals holding Hong Kong (SAR), British National (overseas) or Macau (SAR) passports, if born in Hong Kong or Macau or if having previously visited Taiwan, may obtain a visa on arrival , valid for up to 14 days. Types of visa and cost: Single-entry visitor: £25. Multiple-entry visitor: £50. Landing: NT$1500. Multiple-entry visas are issued for business purposes only and require a document from employer regarding purpose of visit. Validity: Single-entry visitor: up to 60 days (depends on nationality and purpose of stay); up to two extensions of 60 days each may be granted by local police stations. These visas are valid for three months from date of issue. Multiple-entry visitor: six months from date of issue. Landing: 30 days. A visa is not required by travellers continuing their journey by the same or connecting aircraft on the same day, provided holding confirmed onward tickets and the necessary travel documentation and provided not departing from the transit lounge. Note: Travellers intending to stay more than three months in Taiwan will be required to take an AIDS test. If the test is positive, they will be required to leave the country. Application to: Visa section of Taipei Representative Office (see Contact Addresses section). Application requirements: (a) Application form. (b) Two passport-size photos. (c) Passport (valid for at least six months). (d) Documents verifying purpose of visit or letter from a sponsor in Taiwan if appropriate. (e) Fee payable in cash, cheque or by postal order. (f) For a postal application, a registered, stamped addressed envelope. Working days required: One. Temporary residence: Those wishing to stay more than six months must apply for a Resident visa. Contact the Taipei Representative Office for further information (see Contact Addresses section). Money Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of NT$1000, 500, 200, 100 and 50. Coins are in denominations of NT$50, 10, 5 and 1, and 50 cents. Currency exchange: All travellers are required to make a currency declaration in writing together with the baggage declaration. Unused currency can be reconverted on departure, on production of exchange receipts. Credit & debit cards: Accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops. Travellers cheques: Accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars. Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is limited to NT$40,000 and a permit from the Ministry of Finance is required for amounts over NT$8000. Free import of foreign currency is allowed, subject to declaration. The export of foreign currency is limited to the equivalent of US$5000 or up to the amount imported and declared. All exchange receipts must be retained. Exchange rate indicators The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the New Taiwan Dollar against Sterling and the US Dollar: Date May ’02 Aug ’02 Nov ’02 Feb ’03 £1.00= 50.15 51.91 54.95 55.33 $1.00= 34.41 34.13 34.75 34.75 Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1530, Sat 0900-1200. Duty Free The following items may be imported by persons over 20 years of age without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 454g of tobacco; 1 bottle (not more than 1l) of alcoholic beverage; reasonable quantities of perfume; other goods for personal use up to the value of NT$20,000 (NT$10,000 for passengers under 20 years of age). Prohibited items: Narcotics, arms, ammunition, gambling articles, non-canned meat products, fresh fruit and toy pistols. Publications promoting communism are prohibited, as are items originating in the People’s Republic of China, Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cuba, Korea (Dem Rep), Laos, Romania, Vietnam and members of the CIS. All baggage must be itemised and declared in writing. Public Holidays Nov 12 2002 Birthday Dr Sun Yat-sen. Dec 25 Constitution Day. Jan 1-3 2003 Founding of the Republic of China and New Year’s Day. Feb 1-3 Chinese New Year. Mar 29 Youth Day. Apr 5 Tomb-Sweeping Day and Anniversary of President Chiang Kai-shek’s Passing. Jun 4 Dragon Boat Festival. Sep 11 Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Sep 28 Teacher’s Day (Confucius Birthday). Oct 10 National Day. Oct 25 Taiwan’s Retrocession Day. Oct 31 Birthday of Chiang Kai-shek. Nov 12 Birthday of Dr Sun Yat-sen. Dec 25 Constitution Day. Jan 1-3 2004 Founding of the Republic of China and New Year’s Day. Jan 22-24 Chinese New Year. Mar 29 Youth Day. Apr 5 Tomb-Sweeping Day and Anniversary of President Chiang Kai-shek’s Passing. Jun 22 Dragon Boat Festival. Sep 28 Mid-Autumn Moon Festival and Teacher’s Day (Confucius Birthday). Oct 10 National Day. Oct 25 Taiwan’s Retrocession Day. Oct 31 Birthday of Chiang Kai-shek. Nov 12 Birthday of Dr Sun Yat-sen. Dec 25 Constitution Day. Health   Special Precautions Certificate Required Yellow Fever No 1 Cholera Yes 2 Typhoid and Polio 3 N/A Malaria No N/A 1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required of travellers arriving from infected areas. 2: A cholera vaccination certificate is a condition of entry if arriving or having passed through an infected area. 3: Vaccination against typhoid is advised. Food & drink: All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. Other risks: Immunisation against hepatitis A, B, diphtheria and tuberculosis is recommended. Japanese B encephalitis, dengue fever, influenza and visceral leishmaniasis occur. Rhesus negative blood is rare. Health care: Health care facilities are good and doctors well trained. Imported medicines are expensive, but locally produced and manufactured medicines are plentiful. Health insurance is recommended. Travel - International Note: Earthquakes (mostly minor) occur regularly and typhoons are a risk: visitors are advised to inform themselves about emergency procedures for such events. AIR: The national airline is China Airlines (CI). EVA Airways (BR) offers flights to destinations throughout Asia (excluding People’s Republic of China), Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Other airlines serving Taiwan include British Asia Airways, Continental Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways. Approximate flight times: From Taipei to London is 15 hours 20 minutes including stopover in Hong Kong. International airports: Chiang Kai-shek-Taipei (TPE) is 40km (25 miles) south of the city (travel time – 30 minutes). Airport facilities include an outgoing duty-free shop (0600-2345), post office, car hire, bank/bureau de change (0630-2030), bar/restaurant (0600-2200) and tourist information. Buses depart every 15-20 minutes for both Sung Shan (domestic) Airport and the main railway station. Taxis and buses are available to the city centre. Kaohsiung International (KHH) (website: www.kia.gov.tw) is 9km (4 miles) from the town centre. Airport facilities include an outgoing duty-free shop (0600-1930), car hire (0900-1900), bank/bureau de change (0900-2130), post office and bar/restaurant (0700-1400). A regular bus service is available (travel time – 30 minutes). There is a taxi service to the town. Departure tax: None. SEA: Ferries run regularly between Keelung and Kaohsiung ports (Taiwan) and Okinawa (Japan). There are also sea links between Kaosiung and Macau. Travel - Internal AIR: Mandarin Airlines, Transasia Airways, Far Eastern Air Transport and Uni Air are amongst the domestic airlines that run services to local destinations from Sung Shan Airport, Taipei. SEA: There are reasonable connections from local ports. For details, contact port authorities. RAIL: Services are provided to destinations all over the island by the Taiwan Railway Administration (website: www.railway.gov.tw/taiwan). The main tourist routes are Taipei–Taichung–Chiayi–Tainan–Kaohsiung (a top-class service), Taipei–Taichung–Sun Moon Lake (with the last leg of the journey by bus), Chiayi–Alishan (with spectacular mountain scenery) and Taipei–New Hualian–Taitung (scenic coastal route). Air-conditioned electric trains run at least hourly from Taipei to Kaohsiung; some trains have restaurant cars. Children under three travel free; children aged three to 13 pay half fare. Train tickets can be purchased at many major hotels in Taipei, as well as at the main railway station. ROAD: Traffic drives on the right. There is an adequate road system joining all major cities. A highway links Taipei and Kaohsiung. Some main streets have English signs. Congestion can be a problem, and mudslides may block mountain roads. Bus: There are both local and long-distance bus and coach services. Taxi: These are plentiful and inexpensive (metered). The destination may have to be written in Chinese for the driver. Car hire: This is available in major towns. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. URBAN: A number of private bus companies provide extensive services in Taipei. An unfinished Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, a monorail train, serves Taipei and its suburbs. Metered taxis are available in Taipei; tipping is not expected, but it is starting to come into practice. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Taipei to other major cities/towns: Air Road Rail Kaohsiung 0.40 5.30 4.40 Tainan 0.40 4.30 4.10 Taichung 0.30 2.30 2.30 Hualien 0.30 7.00 3.00 Taitung 0.50 10.00 5.30 Sun Moon L. - 4.30 - Alishan - 6.00 - Kenting - 6.30 - Makung 0.40 - - Accommodation HOTELS: There are over 466 tourist hotels in the country offering a broad range of accommodation and services. Prices range from US$30 to US$50 a day for smaller hotels with US$90-150 a day being average. For details, contact the Press Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK or the Taiwan Visitors Bureau. Many hotels belong to the International Tourist Hotel Association of Taipei, Eighth Floor-1, 369 Fu Hsin N Road (tel: (2) 2717 2155; fax: (2) 2717 2453). Grading: Hotels are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 ‘Plum Blossoms’ using a system equivalent to the more familiar 5-star system, with three Plum Blossoms being about average: 4 to 5 Plum Blossoms: Fifty hotels (half of which are in Taipei) are in these categories. The hotels are luxury class with a range of services and facilities, eg tennis courts, swimming pools and beauty salons. 2 to 3 Plum Blossoms: The 80 hotels in these categories are clean, comfortable and functional. CAMPING/CARAVANNING: Campsites are available. YOUTH HOSTELS: Dormitory and non-dormitory rooms are available in major cities and in scenic areas. Taipei The principal city in the north, Taipei was designated a ‘special municipality’ in July 1967, thus acquiring the same status as a province and its mayor the same rank as a provincial governor. The area of the city has expanded to four times its original size, making it the fastest-growing city in Asia. The city centre contains the National Museum of History, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Taiwan Provincial Museum and Chung Cheng (Chiang Kai-shek) Memorial Hall, which is a fine example of classical Chinese architecture. The magnificent main entrance is more than 30m (100ft) high. One of Taipei’s new attractions is a tour of the Fu Hsing Dramatic Arts Academy where traditional Chinese opera and acrobatic performers are trained and where they stage shows. Also new to Taipei is the City of Cathay, a replica of an ancient Chinese town which is located within the Chinese Culture and Movie Centre. The Lungshan (Dragon Mountain) Temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, and was built in 1740. The temple, one of more than 5000 temples and shrines in the country, is regarded as the island’s finest example of temple architecture. Among other outstanding buildings of classical Chinese architecture in Taipei are the Martyrs’ Shrine, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the Chungsham Building in the Yangmingshan district of the metropolis, 40 minutes’ drive from the centre of Taipei, where the National Palace Museum can also be found; it houses the world’s largest and most priceless collection of Chinese art treasures (over 6000 items). Yangmingshan National Park is famous for its cherry and azalea trees, and attracts thousands of visitors at blossom time. Beyond the Capital THE NORTH: Keelung has an imposing hilltop statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The northeast coastal road offers a spectacular drive, passing the foothills of the Central Mountain Range and overlooking the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The traveller will pass through many small villages, the lifestyles of which have changed little with the advent of high technology. Other outstanding attractions of the area include Yehliu, noted for its fantastic rock formations (Queen’s Head); Green Bay and Chinshan beaches, with full beach resort facilities; Shihmen Dam; and Wulai, a mountain resort south of Taipei. Wulai is the site of a hilltop park and of a village inhabited by aboriginals who, besides making and selling artefacts, give song and dance performances for tourists. The Northeast Coast National Scenic Area, also with unusual rock formations, is not only good for swimming, diving, surfing, water-skiing and camping, but also the best place for seashore fishing and rock climbing. Window on China at Lungtan, 53km (33 miles) southwest of Taipei, contains reproductions on a scale of 1:25 of historical and other notable Chinese sites. CENTRAL TAIWAN: The centre of the island has the most varied landscape. The east–west cross-island highway passes through spectacular mountain passes, most notably the Taroko Gorge, a ravine with towering cliffs shot through with extensive marble deposits. Lishan, located 1945m (6381ft) up on Pear Mountain, is a popular mountain resort. Other popular sights in the mountains include the Sun Moon Lake, the Chitou Forest recreation area, Yu Shan (Jade Mountain), and the alpine railway to Alishan. Throughout the central area, there are numerous temples. The region’s main towns are Taichung, one of the largest ports on the island, and Hualien in the east. THE SOUTH: Kenting National Park is a popular forest recreation area boasting fine beaches, coral lakes, a bird sanctuary and, more recently, facilities for watersports and golf, all set amidst tropical coastal forest. Kaohsiung is the main industrial centre and has the island’s only other main airport, besides Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek. Tainan, the oldest city on the island, is known as the ‘City of 100 Temples’; there are in fact 220, amongst them some of the best examples of Confucian temple architecture on the island. LANYU: Lanyu (Orchid Island), one of the smaller islands off the southeast coast, is the home of the aboriginal Yami, one of the world’s last surviving hunter-gatherer tribes. Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung is the site of the Spring and Autumn pavilions and of the Dragon and Tiger pagodas. Sport & Activities Watersports: Taiwan’s best diving tends to be off the islands around the coast, where the water is clearer and strong sea currents have kept pollution to a minimum. The sites at Green Island to the east include Nanliao, with beautiful coral; Chungliao Submerged Reef (suitable only for advanced divers); and Tapaisha. Orchid Island is surrounded by coral reefs and features several recommended dive sites. The coral reefs of the south and the Pescadores Islands are considered good skindiving areas. Sharks and barracudas are rare in the waters around Taiwan. For further information, contact the Chinese Taipei Diving Association, No 34, Sec. 2, Chih Shan Road, Taipei (tel: (2) 2883 9466; fax: (2) 2883 9468). Rivers, lakes and the sea are ideal for swimming. The best time for swimming on the north coast is May to September; the south coast has warm waters all year round. Hot springs abound throughout the country. Some of the sites are easily accessible and provide baths, hot tubs and hotel facilities. Lakes, rivers, fish farms and the sea offer mainly unrestricted fishing. Near Taipei, there is good fishing at the Tamsui and Hsintien rivers, Green Lake and Shihmen Reservoir. Other: There are several year-round golf courses. For further information, contact the Golf Association of the ROC (Taiwan), 12F-1, 125 Nanking E. Road, Sec. 2, Taipei (tel: (2) 2510 5611; fax: (2) 2516 3208). Ten-pin bowling alleys and roller-skating rinks are quite common in major cities. Tapei also has two ice-skating rinks. Hiking in the numerous parks is also popular. Social Profile Food & Drink: The Chinese, never at a loss for vivid description, describe their cuisine as an ‘ancient art of ultimate harmony: pleasing to the eye; mouth-watering; and a delight to the palate’. Culinary styles come from all over China including Canton, Peking, Szechuan, Shanghai, Hunan, Mongolia and Taiwan. Cantonese food is more colourful and sweeter than that of other regions. Dishes include fried shrimp with cashews, onion-marinated chicken, beef with oyster sauce and sweet-and-sour pork. Pastries include steamed dumplings stuffed with meat, sweet paste or preserves, buns, deep-fried spring rolls and tarts. Pekinese cooking is mild, combining roast or barbecued meat (often cooked at the table), vegetables and flat pancake wrappers. Dishes include Peking duck, carp cooked three ways, steamed prawns, chicken-in-paper, diced chicken in heavy sauce, eels with pepper sauce and ham marrow sauce. Szechuan cooking is hot and spicy, based on red chilli pepper and garlic. Dishes include Mother Ma’s bean curd, aubergine with garlic sauce, Gungbao chicken, fried prawns with pepper sauce, and minced chicken with Gingko nuts. Fried breads make a pleasant change from rice. Shanghai cooking is mostly seafood with rich salty sauces. Dishes include shark’s fin in chicken, mushroom with crab meat, ningpo (fried eel), shark’s fin soup and West Lake fish. Hunan has both spicy and steamed dishes including steamed ham and honey sauce, diced chicken with peanuts, steamed silver thread rolls and smoked duck. Mongolian cuisine comprises two basic dishes of Huoguo (‘firepot’ – meat dipped in a sauce based on sesame paste, shrimp oil, ginger juice and bean paste) and barbecue (various slices of meat and vegetables cooked on an iron grill and eaten in a sesame bun). Taiwanese cooking is mostly seafood with thick sauces. It relies on garlic in the north and soy sauce in the south. Dishes include spring rolls with peanut butter, sweet-and-sour spare ribs, bean curd in red sauce, oyster omelette and numerous excellent seafoods. More information on Chinese cuisine can be found by consulting the corresponding sub-sections in the sections for China (PR) and Hong Kong (SAR). Restaurants almost always have table service although some hotels have buffet/barbecue lunches. Most hotels have restaurants offering both Western and Chinese cuisine and some of the larger hotels offer several styles of Chinese cooking (the Chinese word for hotel, fan-dien, means ‘eating place’). Most bars have counter service. There are no set licensing hours and alcohol is widely available. Nightlife: Taiwan has an abundance of nightlife, and Taipei in particular is lively at night. Western-style entertainment can be found in hotels, and in the many discos, clubs, restaurants and cinemas in Taipei. Popular amongst local people are KTVs, a type of sing-along club modelled on Japanese karaoke bars; and beer houses, which sell draught beer and snacks. The northern district of Tienmu contains a street of open-air beer houses. The visitor can also sample both traditional and modern tea houses, open all day and in the evening. In the tea-growing countryside around Mucha, it is possible to visit all-night tea houses and sip locally produced teas such as ‘iron Buddha’ tiehkuanyin tea. High-quality meals and snacks are also provided. These tea houses are popular with local families, particularly on special occasions. Back in Taipei, there are night markets selling a variety of items, both modern and traditional. These are bustling with browsers and bargain hunters, whose persistence can be spectacularly rewarded. It is advisable to take a pen and paper to assist in the bargaining process, as most vendors speak only Chinese. Taipei’s largest night market is probably Shihlin Night Market, famous for its good-value clothing and food. Snacks such as oyster omelettes, pork liver soup and papaya milkshakes are available. Many shops are open at night. Shopping: One of the best ways to shop is to visit the night markets (see above). Purchases include Formosan sea-grass mats, hats, handbags and slippers, bamboo items, Chinese musical instruments, various dolls in costume, handpainted palace lanterns made from silk, lacquerware, ceramics, teak furniture, coral, veinstone and jade items, ramie fibre rugs, brassware, handmade shoes, fabrics and chopsticks (decorated, personalised sticks of wood or marble). Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-2200. Special Events: There are numerous festivals throughout the year, all with variable dates. For an up-to-date list, contact the Taipei Representative Office in the UK or the Taiwan Visitors’ Association (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of events occuring in 2003: Feb 1 Chinese New Year. Feb 15 Lantern Festival. Apr 5 Tomb Sweeping Festival. Apr 24 Festival of the Birth of Matsu, Goddess of the Sea. May/Oct Burning of the Plague God Boats. Jun 4 Dragon Boat Festival. Aug 12 Chung Yuan Ghost Festival. Sep 11 Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Sep 28 Birthday of Confucius. Oct 10 National Day. Nov 15 Birthday of the King of Chingshan. Social Conventions: Handshaking is common. Casual wear is widely acceptable. Ancient festivals and customs are celebrated enthusiastically and traditional holidays are important. Entertainment is usually offered in restaurants, not at home. Visitors are not expected to entertain. Chinese culture in the form of drama, opera and art is very strong. Despite rapid industrialisation and development, the way of life is very much Chinese, steeped in tradition and old values. Tipping: Tipping is not an established custom, although it is on the increase. Taipei hotels and restaurants add ten per cent service charge and extra tipping is not expected. It is not customary to tip taxi drivers. The standard tip for porters is NT$50 per piece of luggage. Business Profile Economy: Taiwan was one of the first ‘tiger economies’ of the Pacific basin. After phenomenal growth from the 1950s onwards, Taiwan had by 1980 become one of the top 20 trading nations in the world and has since maintained its expansion largely uninterrupted at a rate averaging eight per cent (much higher than most industrialised countries). Massive foreign currency reserves accumulated over the years helped Taiwan to minimise the effects of turbulence in the world economy. This was amply illustrated by the 1997 Asian financial crisis in which Taiwan suffered the least damage of any major economy in the region despite a sharp initial drop (nearly 40 per cent) in the value of the Taiwan New Dollar. Taiwan’s success was built on a policy of rapid industrialisation coupled with low overheads and labour costs, which allowed Taiwanese products to compete successfully on world markets. This achievement has been all the more impressive, considering the island’s dearth of raw materials (excepting small quantities of coal and marble). However, during 2001, a combination of factors, principally a sharp fall in demand for information technology products – of which Taiwan is one of the world’s largest producers – pushed the economy into an unprecedented recession. That year, GDP contracted by almost three per cent while industrial output fell by eight per cent. However, 2002 saw some recovery, with GDP growth of 3.5 per cent expected to continue into 2003. Unemployment is manageable at five per cent, while inflation (less than one per cent) is negligible. Export volumes are once again on the increase. The overall condition of the world economy will dictate the pace at which the economy recovers (or how long it remains in recession). Taiwan’s principal industries are textiles, shipbuilding, metals, plywood, furniture and petrochemicals. Agriculture and fisheries, though declining in relative terms, are large enough to allow Taiwan considerable self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs such as rice, sugar cane, maize and sweet potatoes; fishing is of comparatively minor significance. Taiwan’s major trading partners are the USA, Japan, Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia (which supplies the bulk of Taiwan’s oil requirements) and China, with whom bilateral trade now exceeds US$5 billion. In January 2002, Taiwan was admitted to the World Trade Organization. Commercial Information: The following organisations can offer advice: Ministry of Economic Affairs (ROC), 15 Fu Chou Street, Taipei 100 (tel: (2) 2321 2200; website: http://isc01.moea.gov.tw); or China External Trade Development Council (CETRA), 333 Keelung Road, Section 1, Taipei 110 (tel: (2) 2725 5200; fax: (2) 2757 6653; e-mail: cetra@cetra.org.tw; website: www.cetra.org.tw). Conferences/Conventions: There is a wide range of convention facilities, including the vast Taipei World Trade Center Complex which houses the Exhibition Hall, the Taipei International Convention Center, the International Trade Building and the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Hotels offer a comprehensive range of facilities and there are some with seating for 1000 and over. For further information, contact Taiwan Convention Association (TCA), 4F #I Hsin-Yi Road, Section 5, Taipei (tel: (2) 2723 2535; fax: (2) 2723 2590; e-mail: ticc@cetra.org.tw; website: www.ticc.com.tw/English). Climate A subtropical climate with moderate temperatures in the north, where there is a winter season. The southern areas, where temperatures are slightly higher, enjoy sunshine every day, and there is no winter season. The typhoon season is from June to October. Required clothing: Light- to mediumweights, with rainwear advised. History and Government History: Taiwan is an island off the southeast coast of China and is reputed to be the custodian and preserver of the world’s oldest culture. Previously known as Formosa, the island was originally inhabited by mainland Chinese until the 17th century. It was then occupied by the Dutch and Spanish for about 40 years. In 1684, Taiwan was taken over by supporters of the deposed Ming Dynasty and was a tao (a sub-province of county) of the mainland province of Fukien across the Taiwan Straits. (The island’s use as a refuge for deposed rulers from the mainland is a recurring feature of Taiwanese history). In 1885, Taiwan was completely controlled by the Qing Dynasty and made into a province in its own right. A decade later, Chinese defeat in the first Sino-Japanese War brought the first occupations of Chinese territory by the Japanese. Among the regions they took control of was Taiwan. Although it was fiercely resented and actively resisted by the population, Taiwan remained under Japanese rule from 1895 until its defeat at the end of World War II. The Chinese Civil War, which had already been in progress for some years, came to a head in 1948. The nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-Shek were defeated by Mao’s Communists and the nationalist leadership, along with thousands of supporters, fled to Taiwan. Here, their political vehicle, the Kuo min-tang (KMT) rapidly came to dominate Taiwanese politics – having ensured its own survival, the KMT then set about developing the economy. In this, the KMT regime was spectacularly successful and Taiwan has been one of the fast-developing ‘tiger economies’ of the Pacific Rim (see Business Profile). Politically, Taiwan relied for a long time upon the support of the USA until the early 1970s, when the rapprochement between Washington and Beijing took place. The Chinese still consider Taiwan to be part of the national territory and continue to harbour the long-term objective of reunifying Taiwan with the mainland. International recognition of Taiwan (by the United Nations, for example) is therefore unacceptable. Many in Taiwan also believe that the two countries should be reunited but dispute the terms under which this should take place; the idea of a Hong Kong-type solution is given short shrift. Nonetheless, extensive trade, travel and communications links have built up between Taiwan and China since the early 1970s – one million visitors now travel between the two countries each year and bilateral trade is worth well over US$5 billion. Nonetheless, there are still major tensions in Sino-Taiwanese relations and the territory of Taiwan itself is not the only point of issue – China, Taiwan and at least four other countries have claims on the potentially oil-rich Spratly Islands. From the beginning of the 1990s, responding to both internal and external pressure, the KMT relaxed its stranglehold on domestic politics. This also offered the prospect of a more flexible attitude from Taipei towards China. A new constitution was adopted in 1991. In December 1992, the National Assembly election saw the KMT vote cut to just over 50 per cent while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took 31 per cent of the vote. The appointment of President Lee Teng-Hui – who took over from his predecessor Chiang Kai-Shek, upon the latter’s death in 1988 – was endorsed by the National Assembly in 1990. At the first direct presidential elections in March 1996, Lee was comfortably returned to office with over half the poll, defeating two other candidates. At the same time, the 1992 National Assembly result was repeated, giving the KMT a small working majority. Chinese efforts to influence the election – in the form of none-too-subtle military exercises off the Taiwanese coast – were not appreciated. As political liberalisation took hold, a second option to reunification with China attracted serious consideration – that of full independence. The DPP has generally leant towards this long-term solution but its relatively moderate stance led the more vociferous adherents of independence to form the Taiwan Independence Party. China is not enamoured by this option or by recent attempts by Taipei to raise its international profile and ease its diplomatic isolation. The issue briefly emerged during the campaign leading up to the March 2000 presidential election. Then, in October 2000, George W Bush, the then Republican candidate for the US presidency – now the president – declared himself in favour of Taiwanese independence. The March 2000, presidential election was won by the DPP candidate, Chen Shui-bian. The following year, national assembly elections returned the DPP as the largest party in the Li Fa Yuan (see Government), although, with just 87 seats, it is well short of a majority. Support from independent and non-partisan members has allowed the formation of a viable government under Premier Yu Shi-Kun. This is the first occasion on which the KMT has been completely excluded from political power. Taking its lead from the Bush administration, the Chen government has gone further than any of its predecessors in promoting full independence. This drew a furious reaction from Beijing, denouncing what it describes as ‘splittist forces’. However, in practice, links between the two – especially trade, following China’s entry into the World Trade Organisation and the establishment of new airline connections – are prospering. In the foreign policy arena, the ‘recognition competition’ continues (28 countries recognise Taiwan, against more than 160 who recognise the People’s Republic. Both sides have ‘bought’ certain countries, typically by offering a substantial aid package and/or soft loans in exchange for recognition). Government: Under the amended 1947 constitution, Taiwan has an executive who is Head of State and is directly elected for a four-year term. The parliament has two chambers. The Li Fa Yuan (Legislative Yuan) has 225 members – 168 elected for a three-year term in multi-seat constituencies, 41 elected by proportional representation, eight representing ethnic minorities, and six representing the overseas Chinese community. The Kuo-Min Ta-Hui (National Assembly) has 334 members – 228 elected for a six-year term in multi-seat constituencies, 80 elected by proportional representation, six representing ethnic minorities, and 20 members. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.