COVID-19 has affected every corner of the globe, clearly showing the importance of international cooperation in responding to the pandemic. As Indo-Pacific democracies, Australia and Taiwan share an interest in an open, inclusive, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and world that are able to bounce back from shocks like COVID-19.
In the face of the disease, Australia has achieved world-leading health outcomes, with fewer infections, hospitalizations and deaths than most other countries, and it has administered nearly 3 million vaccine doses.
Australia is also helping our Indo-Pacific partners meet the challenges of COVID-19: through official development assistance of nearly A$1.5 billion (US$1.16 billion) to the Pacific region, and more than A$1 billion to Southeast Asia; through a A$100 million contribution to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’s effort to deliver 1 billion vaccine doses to the region; and by sharing Australia’s domestically manufactured vaccines.
Australia and Taiwan have cooperated closely during the pandemic, providing each other with vital protective equipment. They have shared lessons on their respective approaches, including through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework. They also continue to deepen important links in biotechnology and pharmaceutical development, with more than 30 clinical trials being conducted by Taiwanese firms in Australia.
Taiwan is in the midst of a difficult time, facing its first significant threat from “community transmission.” Nonetheless, Taiwan continues to stand out across the world for its effective response to the pandemic. The efforts of the government and Taiwanese are to be applauded. Its economy is still booming, and Taiwan is helping the world, providing much needed personal protective equipment, and sharing its advice and expertise.
Taiwan’s success has been driven by its early, coordinated national response that included early screening of arriving passengers, strictly monitoring quarantine arrangements, early and widespread use of masks, and effective contact tracing — in short, its scientific and highly effective public health management approach. The world has much to learn from Taiwan.
The people of Australia and Taiwan continue to be among the world’s most fortunate in terms of public health and economic outcomes in the face of COVID-19.
However, everyone around the world has a stake in ensuring an effective global health system. As the leading authority within the international system, the WHO is the cornerstone of an effective rules-based international order for health. It plays a particularly important role in the Indo-Pacific region.
Australia wants to see a WHO that is robust, with an enhanced ability to respond to pandemics.
The WHO should maintain close working relationships with all health authorities. As COVID-19 has demonstrated so clearly, Taiwan has valuable expertise to share with the world. This is why Australia maintains our long-standing support for Taiwan’s meaningful engagement in the WHO’s work, and its participation as an observer in the World Health Assembly.
The economic and health consequences of COVID-19 have been severe, and there is a long road to recovery ahead. We must remain vigilant and work closely together. Only through full and inclusive global cooperation can we expect to see a full and inclusive global recovery.
Jenny Bloomfield is the Australian Representative to Taiwan.
I came to Taiwan to pursue my degree thinking that Taiwanese are “friendly,” but I was welcomed by Taiwanese classmates laughing at my friend’s name, Maria (瑪莉亞). At the time, I could not understand why they were mocking the name of Jesus’ mother. Later, I learned that “Maria” had become a stereotype — a shorthand for Filipino migrant workers. That was because many Filipino women in Taiwan, especially those who became house helpers, happen to have that name. With the rapidly increasing number of foreigners coming to Taiwan to work or study, more Taiwanese are interacting, socializing and forming relationships with
Whether in terms of market commonality or resource similarity, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co is the biggest competitor of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). The two companies have agreed to set up factories in the US and are also recipients of subsidies from the US CHIPS and Science Act, which was signed into law by former US president Joe Biden. However, changes in the market competitiveness of the two companies clearly reveal the context behind TSMC’s investments in the US. As US semiconductor giant Intel Corp has faced continuous delays developing its advanced processes, the world’s two major wafer foundries, TSMC and
We are witnessing a sea change in the government’s approach to China, from one of reasonable, low-key reluctance at rocking the boat to a collapse of pretense over and patience in Beijing’s willful intransigence. Finally, we are seeing a more common sense approach in the face of active shows of hostility from a foreign power. According to Article 2 of the 2020 Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法), a “foreign hostile force” is defined as “countries, political entities or groups that are at war with or are engaged in a military standoff with the Republic of China [ROC]. The same stipulation applies to
The following case, which I experienced as an interpreter, illustrates that many issues in Taiwan’s legal system originate from law enforcement personnel. The problem stems not so much from their education and training, but their personal attitude — characterized by excessive self-confidence paired with a lack of accountability. One day at 10:30am, I was called to a police station in New Taipei City for an emergency. I arrived an hour later. A man was tied to a chair, having been arrested at the airport due to an outstanding arrest warrant. It quickly became apparent that the case was related to
RSS