Strategier för Taiwans hållbara utveckling

För tre år sedan ändrade Taiwan sin policy till Fastlandskina. I föreliggande artikel, ”Strategier för Taiwans hållbara utveckling”, pekar Taiwans minister Philip Y.M. Yang ut hur interaktionen med fastlandet positivt har påverkat Taiwans ekonomiska utveckling och ökat det internationella utrymmet. Under 2010 nådde exempelvis Taiwans tillväxt en ny topp på 10.82 procent och de utländska besökarna uppgick till ett nytt rekord på 5.56 miljoner. Nu kan taiwanesiska medborgare också resa visumfritt till 113 länder.

Strategies for Taiwan’s Sustainable Development

Minister Philip Y.M. Yang, Republiken Kina (Taiwan)

The international community of the 21st century has witnessed two particularly momentous transformations: globalization, which accents cooperation over confrontation; and the shift of the world’s economic center toward Asia, whose rise has become a powerful drive of global development. In light of these trends, Taiwan is pursuing strategies with a view to creating a new epoch of sustainable development.

On the one hand, Taiwan is seeking to strengthen its advantages in the course of integration of the Asia-Pacific and world economies. Toward that end, it has been striving to improve relations with mainland China. On the other hand, Taiwan has embraced a philosophy of “viable diplomacy” in its quest to participate meaningfully in international affairs while enhancing relations with its diplomatic partners. Further, it continues working to repay its debt of gratitude to the international community by promoting humanitarian and cooperative ventures to advance human well-being.

Despite its limited natural resources, Taiwan has metamorphosed over the past six decades from a relatively impoverished society to a prosperous one, through a process of economic development and democratic reform acclaimed the world over as “miraculous.” It is East Asia’s fourth-largest economy as well as the world’s 16th-largest merchandise exporter and 17th-largest merchandise importer. In East Asia, moreover, Taiwan ranks second only to Japan as exporter of direct investment capital, which has been a boon to numerous developing countries and regions.

Following President Ma Ying-jeou’s inauguration into office in 2008, Taiwan renounced the outdated hostilities of the Cold War era and has since pushed for reconciliation across the Taiwan Strait, taking a pragmatic stance as mainland China emerged as a major driving force behind the economic rise of Asia. This policy has led to the signing of 15 cross-strait agreements covering a wide range of matters, including the opening of Taiwan to mainland tourists and the restoration of direct transport and shipping links across the strait. Most notably, the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement concluded in June 2010 opened a new chapter in the history of reciprocal cooperation between Taiwan and the mainland, allowing for the reduction or elimination of import tariffs, the mutual opening of markets to trade in services, and the protection of intellectual property rights.

In 2010, Taiwan added momentum to its prosperous growth: its economic growth rose to a new high of 10.82 percent, and visitor arrivals reached a record 5.56 million. In the first quarter of 2011, Taiwan’s exports to mainland China rose 14 percent year-on-year, exceeding US$30 billion. Of this, agricultural exports accounted for US$33 million, growing more than 15 times from the US$2 million figure recorded in the same period of 2010. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s trade with member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increased over 30 percent during the first three months of 2011, an indication that improved cross-strait relations are benefiting Taiwan’s foreign trade prospects. Also, in the World Competitiveness Yearbook released May 2011 by the International Institute for Management Development, Taiwan ranked sixth overall, up two notches from the previous year.

In reconciling with the mainland, Taiwan has also been able to strengthen its foreign relations, particularly under President Ma’s policy of flexible diplomacy. Presently, the two sides have moved on from diplomatic rivalry to engaging in constructive interaction that has produced positive results. As examples, Taiwan has been invited by the World Health Organization for the third time since 2009 to participate as an observer in the World Health Assembly; its nationals now enjoy visa-free entry into 113 countries compared with 53 three years ago; and the number of ROC diplomatic allies has held steady at 23.

In addition to solidifying its relationships with other countries, Taiwan has been actively participating in humanitarian aid missions in recent years, contributing to global well-being through pragmatic action. After receiving word of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan this past March, for instance, Taiwan summoned the spirit of compassion and empathy and immediately dispatched search and rescue teams to assist in relief efforts. Generous donations from across the nation exceeded 16 billion Japanese yen (US$200 million)—more than any other country in the world. And when its diplomatic partner Haiti suffered a major earthquake last year, Taiwan’s aid teams were among the first to arrive on the scene. These deeds have won Taiwan not only the gratitude of the disaster-affected nations, but also the respect of the international community.

Under President Ma’s leadership, the nation has become more than a regional peacemaker; it has transformed into a reliable and trustworthy partner held in esteem by world countries. Looking ahead, Taiwan will continue to promote reconciliatory policies, pursue meaningful participation in international organizations, and contribute the cumulative strength of its economic development in order to sustain its development momentum and lay the foundation for another century of progress and prosperity.