Taiwan Cultural Creative Industry, Taiwan Cultural Creativity, Taiwan Soft Power, cultural creative industries


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News: N.Y. Times, 8-30-2020: Taiwan has moved to revamp Taiwan’s military doctrine and strengthen its reserves...Taiwan cannot count on US as a matter of strategy. ◆ Economist, 8-30-2020: The island cannot rely on American help, but armed conflict remains unlikely ◆ Forbes, 8-30-2020: Taiwan simply does not have enough firepower to defeat a Chinese invasion without the help of the U.S. military ◆ National Interest, 8-28-2020: Could China Successfully Blockade Taiwan? China hopes direct action will yield clean and swift results, letting it present Asia, America, and the world a fait accompli — a done deal ◆ Wall Street Journal 8-30-2020: Fearing Hong Kong’s Fate, Taiwan Moves to Bolster Its Military Against China. N.Y. Times, 8-17-2020: U.S. Tries to Bolster Taiwan’s Status, Short of Recognizing Sovereignty. US Naval Institute, Proceedings, Aug. 2020: 2021 U.S. political transition would be an even more vulnerable time than usual for U.S. decision-making... such an opportunity would only appear every few decades...for achievement of a long-held goal — to bring Taiwan back into China. CNN, 8-14-2020: What Taiwan needs form the US is a strong stable marriage not a hot passionate romance ... a long-term antagonistic relationship between the US and China wasn't sustainable after November... Taiwan needs to think about it. Daily Express, 8-13-2020: World War 3: China 'ready' for conflict with US over Taiwan row ... Peking University Bo: there could be parties with the US military aiming to create a small-scale and “controllable” conflict with their Chinese counterparts. MirageNews (Australia), 8-11-2020: Q: red line for the U.S. in terms of us going in and defending Taiwan? Pompeo: We thoroughly intend to uphold our obligations and commitments with respect to the historical understandings between the United States and China on Taiwan. CNN, 8-11-2020 : Beijing's warplanes have only crossed Taiwan Strait "median line" ( "the de facto cease-fire line") intentionally three times since 1999 (ps: Newsweek, 8-12-2020: since 1949) -- once in March 2019, in February of this year, and again on Monday (Azar met with Taiwan President Tsai). aljazeera, 8-11-2020: Taiwan's top diplomat tells visiting US health secretary that Chinese pressure is making 'life increasingly difficult' . NewsWeek, 7-21-2020: Once military conflict breaks out - A slight plurality of 31 percent assigned blame to Chinese President Xi Jinping, while 30 percent of respondents said they believed both Xi and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen were responsible and 24 percent blamed Tsai. Daily Mail, 7-22-2020: China has made several 'simulated' military attacks on Taiwan. Daily Express (UK) 7-21-2020: WAR will break out between China and the US in the South China Sea if Beijing violates the alliance agreement between America and Taiwan. Bloomberg 7-20-2020: Beijing is no doubt waiting to see the outcome of the U.S. presidential election before taking any more significant actions. National Interest 7-18-2020: This will be much more difficult and costly than Hong Kong has been, but make no mistake: for these (CCP) people, that cost is deemed as necessary and they will gladly pay it. Unless the United States binds itself to protect the independence of Taiwan on pain of war, Taiwan is next. Asia Times, 7-20-2020: US tech giants exposed if China takes Taiwan ... Even an unsuccessful invasion of Taiwan would cause a supply chain disruption. Fox News 7-16-2020: US appears to change policy on Beijing’s ‘unlawful’ actions in the South China Sea and thus opens the legal floodgates to a potential military response. ecns.cn 7-17-2020: China: Two sides of Taiwan Strait should jointly safeguard China's sovereignty over the islands and reefs in the South China Sea and their adjacent waters, Foreign Affairs, 7-8-2020: Given how little Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong has cost it to date, we are concerned that Beijing will draw the wrong conclusions about the costs of future coercion against Taiwan. FoxNews 7-8-2020: The passage of a national security law on Hong Kong has put Taiwan on edge, with pro-democracy activists fearing that Beijing will soon have the self-ruled island in its crosshairs. Washington Post 7-7-2020: The Hong Kong security law could be China’s blueprint to deal with the ‘Taiwan problem'...China has arguably moved a step closer to preparing for war with the island democracy . National Interest 7-6-2020: China and Taiwan Could Be Headed Towards a Showdown... New York Times, 7-2-2020: The possibility of a military conflict between China and Taiwan remains remote, experts say, because the costs for Beijing would be extraordinary, including significant casualties and damage to its international standing. Yet the two sides are moving farther and farther apart, with little appetite for compromise. USA Today 7-5-2020: Taiwan has never been more important to American interests. LOWY institute 7-9-2020: Xi isn’t such a realist when it comes to Taiwan. Beijing views Taiwan in largely political terms – preoccupied with “the great trend of history” towards unification. New York Times, 7-2-2020: The (HK) security law is raising fears in Taiwan. Foreign Affairs, 6-18-2020: A strategic miscalculation might involve Chinese leaders choosing to blockade or attack Taiwan in the near term or midterm based on a set of strongly held beliefs about the United States as a declining power ... L.A. Times 5-20-2020: the ruling Democratic Progressive Party advocates Taiwan’s formal independence, something Beijing says it will use force to prevent. Foreign Policy 5-20-2020: Taiwan would reject being ruled by China in the same way Hong Kong is now. The Guardian, 5-20-2020: Beijing also responded swiftly to Tsai’s speech and said China would never leave any room for “Taiwan independence separatist activities”. Washington Post, 5-21-20: As U.S.-China rhetoric grows harsher, new risks emerge with Taiwan drawn into the mix. Financial Times 5-19-2020 : Taiwan fears uptick in military threat from China in wake of coronavirus epidemic. New York Times 5-19-2020: US is Using Taiwan as a Pressure Point (TSMC in Arizona ...) in Tech Fight With China. Nikkei news Japan ( Nihon keizai shinbun, 日本経済新聞 ) , 5-20-2020: TSMC to Arizona may weaken Taiwan's security. New York Times, 5-12-2020, Pew Research Center: (Taiwanese) 52% support closer economic ties with China, only 36% favor closer political ties. Foreign Policy 5-15-2020: Beijing were to interpret ...... coronavirus as a uniquely advantageous moment, a Chinese military strike on Taiwan at this moment is unlikely... ... but a low level of risk is not the same as zero risk. National Review 5-13-2020 : The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission: China Has Increased Military Pressure on Taiwan during Pandemic ( FP 5-15-2020 : dozens of PLAAF aircraft crossed the centerline twice). FOXnews 4-9-2020, CNBC 4-8-20: WHO chief addresses death threats, racist insults from Taiwan. The China Times, 4-10-2020 editorial : Cyber bullying from Taiwan notorious in international . L.A. Times 1-10-2020 ~ 1-11-2020: Taiwan election... a vote guided by anxiety about China ... Taiwan's president sweeps to reelection, setting the stage for chilly relations with China . Bloomberg 1-9-2020: Slow income growth and aging society post challenge ahead, Taiwanese income-per-person, income per capita, lowest of Four Tigers. Diplomat 1-3-2020: Taiwan anti-infiltration act targets at curbing Chinese influence but critics say it threatens the country's democracy. (brief) New York Times, 9-5-2019: This Is How a War (USA) With China Could Begin. The Independent (UK),11-25-2019: Taiwan president Tsai's ruling party denounced “The enemy of democracy is China. At present Taiwan's most ambitious opponent, competitor, is also China”. WSJ (Wall Street Journal) 9-20-2019: It’s clearly a big win for China having the two largest allies of Taiwan in the Pacific drop so quickly... New York Times 9-20-2019: As Taiwan Loses Influence, China Gains Ground in Race With U.S. ; Washington Post 9-25-2019: China’s growing dominance in the South Pacific is a defeat for an America in retreat. WEF <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> of 2019 shows Taiwan had the sub-region's largest decline in competitiveness, Taiwan ranks 10th in Asia, Taiwan's prioritization of travel & tourism ranks world No.75; L. A. Times, 8-1-2019: The indefinite suspension (Chinese individual tourists to TW) is likely to prove a major economic hit to Taiwan, as well as a blow to cultural interplay. New York Times 4-10-2019: The US considers Taiwan's political status to be undetermined ... Taiwan Relations Act. calls for Taiwan's status to be determined by peaceful means. Daily Mail (UK) 4-1-2019: Taiwan blasts China for "reckless and provocative" incursion by 2 fighter jets across a largely respected line dividing the 2 sides in the Taiwan Straits. Reuters 2-25-2019: US Navy ships pass through strategic Taiwan Straits, riling China. (UDN 4-1-2019: Chn protests US pass thru 3 times in this yr.) New York Times 1-19-2019: Most of Taiwan’s 23 million people are in favor of maintaining the island’s de facto independence without taking any formal moves that might bring a military response from China. Le Monde France 1-2-2019: Le président chinois « n’exclut pas » la force pour récupérer Taïwan. BBC UK 1-2-2019: The US is by far Taiwan's only ally...most other countries seem happy to accept the current ambiguity... New York Times 11-28-2018: Will Taiwan Be the First Domino to Fall to China? Washington Post, 8-20-2018: Taiwan's precarious role in the China-US spat (Trump adm.'s Taiwan policy is unpredictable, situation is undeniably risky for Taiwan); CBS News 11-14-2018: If the United States had to fight China in a war over Taiwan, Americans could face a decisive military defeat. / National Defense Strategy Commission ; Annual Report to US Congress ( Military and Security Developments Involving the PRC ), 8-17-2018: Much of Beijing’s defense budget is focused on developing the capability to unify Taiwan by force; USA Today 5-18-2018: Xi JinPing has signaled that China will seek to reclaim its historical properties by 2049. Bloomberg news 3-14-2018: Taiwan will suffer even more, as it gets caught in the middle between a stronger China and a inward-looking US... New York Times at 11-4-2017, the Pentagon report, May 2017: China’s military modernization has “eroded or negated many of Taiwan’s historical advantages (geography and the US support) ” in deterring a potential attack. Spiegel Germany, 1-9-2017, Global Times of China: "There is no room for negotiations" ("Es gibt keinen Raum für Verhandlungen")

Taiwan's soft power vs. Asia's soft power

Till 2020, Taiwan has not been included in Monocle's Soft Power survey ranking list, so Taiwan's soft power is behind Asian's "world top 20" nations , including Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, China, India, UAE. for details : click Soft Power
　

world best surveys	Taiwan's rankings in top 25~30 list	comparison with other Asia & Pacific countries
2019/2020 Top 30 SOFT POWER by Portland	failed	No. 8 Japan, No.9 Australia, No. 17 New Zealand, No. 19 S Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China
US News: 2020 Best Countries Overall The Best Countries in the World	n/c	No.3 Japan, No.5 Australia, No. 11 New Zealand, No. 15 China, No. 16 Singapore , No. 20 Korea, No.22 UAE , No.25 India, No. 26 Thailand, No. 30 Qatar
2018/2019 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 3 Japan, No.8 Australia, No. 11 New Zealand, No.15 Korea, No. 19 China, No. 21 Singapore, No. 25 India
2018/2019 Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy	failed	No.5 Japan, No. 10 Australia, No. 18 NZ, No. 20 S. Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China
2017/2018 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 4 Japan, No.9 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.17 Korea, No. 19 China, No. 22 Singapore, No. 24 India
2017/2018 Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy	failed	No.6. Japan, No. 8. Australia, 18. NZ, No. 20 Singapore, No. 21 S. Korea, No. 25. China
2016/2017 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 3 Japan, No.6 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.17 Korea, No. 20 China, No. 23 Singapore, No. 24 India
2015/2016 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 4 Japan, No.6 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.15 Korea, No. 21 China, No. 23 Singapore

★ According to a survey of 2020, Singapore ranks No.1, Japan No.7, Korea No. 9 on "enterprise", Japan ranks No. 5, China No.10 on "engagement", Korea ranks No. 5 on "digital", Japan ranks No.6, China No. 8 on "culture", No any Asian country ranks top 10 on "education" and "govt."
　

★ Best Countries overall in 2020: 1 Swiss 2 Canada 3 Japan 4 Germany 5 Australia 6 UK 7 USA 8 Sweden 9 Nederland 10 Norway 11 NZ 12 France 13 Denmark 14 Finland 15 China 16 Singapore 17 Italy 18 Austria 19 Spain 20 Korea 21 Luxembourg 22 UAE 23 Russia 24 Portugal 25 India 26 Thailand 27 Greece 28 Brazil 29 Israel 30 Qatar 31 Saudi Arabia 32 Malaysia 33 Mexico 34 Poland 35 Turkey

Taiwan's hard power military Taiwanese military vs. Chinese military
Taiwan military	opinions New York times, 8-30-2020: Lawmaker said Taiwan’s military needs to improve a lot

personnel ( soldiers, officials )	◆ Taiwan’s Military Is a Hollow Shell. US Defense Department officials have privately expressed dismal assessments regarding Taiwan's current force level and reserve system. ◆ armor, mechanized infantry, and artillery units are always in desperate shortage of enlisted soldiers ◆ few front-line units have more than 80 percent of their positions filled / Foreign Policy, 2-15-2020; https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/15/china-threat-invasion-conscription-taiwans-military-is-a-hollow-shell/ ◆ Politicians in our country are afraid to discuss these issues with the public because they believe our people are not willing to sacrifice... / Financial Times (UK), 7-12-2020 Full text: www.ft.com/content/92029f49-3e9a-47b7-b967-2af823f185cd◆ Taiwan began to phase out mandatory conscription for all young men, which was deeply unpopular, in favor of an all-volunteer force; 4 months of compulsory service ... training is "insufficient to meet the challenges posed by the increasing threat (RAND, '17) / New York times, 8-30-2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/world/asia/taiwan-china-military.html ◆ Taiwan's active force down to under 200,000 (the exact number is classified). The nearly two million reservists exist in name only... / New York times, 5-18-2017 ◆ The ROC (Taiwan) Armed Forces number approximately 300,000, and reserves reportedly total 3,870,000. / Wikipedia, May 2020
strategy	◆ To against the threats of cyber warfare, cognitive warfare, and ‘unrestricted’ warfare from China , we ( Taiwan ) work to bolster our defense capabilities, future combat capacity development will also emphasize mobility, countermeasures, and non-traditional, asymmetrical capabilities (unconventional arms)” / Taiwan president inauguration speech, Voice of American, 5-20-2020 ◆ so called asymmetrical capabilities in Taiwan is only skin-deep / United Daily , editorial, 6-6-2020 ◆ Taiwan's weird strategy: Facing PLA's attacks, Taiwan's warplanes stay inside tunnels, warships leave Taiwan, once the US military comes to rescue, they will return and join the war / Apple Daily, 8-14-2020 tw.appledaily.com/headline/20200814/KDQ5JJAYQUR5JLE6EIIXK5VJM4/
firepower	◆ France forced Taiwan to withdraw its request to upgrade 20-year-old Mirage fighters ... F-16 A/B and F-CK-1 fighters are growing tired; 60 or 70 new fighters and a few missiles won’t really change the balance of power. And heavy tanks – especially if they lack trained crews – won’t do much to stop a Chinese invasion / Forbes, 8-30-2020 ◆ China has ｎｕｃｌｅａｒ　ｂｏｍｂ，Neutron bomb， hydrogen bomb, Taiwan has none of those. / Next TV news, 5-8-2020 ◆ Three Taiwanese presidents Lee (李登輝後期)、Chen(陳水扁)、Tsai(蔡英文) squandering those "bonus for peace" and underestimating the demand of national defense, lead to shortage of arms-deal budget. / United Daily , editorial, 6-6-2020 ◆ Taiwan military strength is ranked No. 26 , China PLA No. 3 / Global FirePower, 2020 ◆ A major obstacle is that countries that might sell it the most sophisticated weaponry are increasingly reluctant to do so for fear of provoking China, ... / New York times, 11-4-2017
military logistics system	◆ The logistics inside the military remain so abysmal ... The army likely has no clue how many tanks or guns actually mission-capable ... / Foreign Policy, 8-20-2020 ◆ Taiwan lacks enough supplement of all items of military equipments / United Daily (聯合報社評), opinion, 5- 7- 2020
morale	◆ “Their underlying thinking is that PLA has grown to be too strong for us to fight militarily anyway... Taiwan should just focus on putting up a good show of being tough, buy enough U.S. weapons for display, and pray that Americans come to our rescue / Foreign Policy, 8-20-2020 https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/20/taiwan-military-flashy-american-weapons-no-ammo/ ◆ Policies put forward by the Kuomintang and the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party have left the military understaffed and in a state of low morale... / New York times, 5-18-2017 ◆ Taiwan fears uptick in military threat from China in wake of coronavirus epidemic ... / Financial Times 5-19-2020
discipline	◆ The practice of judicial system has proved not as good as military criminal code to educate and train the military discipline. A soldier's 洪仲丘 'torture to death" sparks massive protest around 2013, the military court was hence no longer to judge the troops . / The China Times, 7-17-2020, editorial
budget	◆ High personnel expense pushes aside the logistics and maintenance budget, the govt. needs to plan special budge to purchase arms. / The China Times, 7-17-2020, editorial ◆ Taiwan would increase Taiwan’s defense budget by 10 percent, on top of a 5 percent increase the year before. That would raise military spending to more than 2 percent of gross domestic product / New York times, 8-30-2020

Taiwan's travel & tourism - 10th in Asia

World Economic Forum (WEF) <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> released at 9-4-2019 shows Taiwan had the sub-region's largest decline in competitiveness from 30th down to 37th. Taiwan ranks No.10 among Asian countries. for details : click tourism
　

WEF travel & tourism category	Taiwan's rankings and/or score	comparison
prioritization of travel and tourism	No75	Singapore No.6 , Hong Kong No. 11
Natural & cultural resources	No.58 score 2.6	China No.1, score 6.0 , France No.2, 5.0, Spain No.3, 5.7, Japan No.7, 5.3, Indonesia No.18, Thailand No.21, Korea No.24, Vietnam No.26, Malaysia No.31, HK No.40, Philippines No.46, Sri Lanka No.52, Nepal No.56
Natural resources	No. 87	Hong Kong No. 42, Singapore No.120
cultural resources & business travel	No. 36 score 2.6	China No1, score 7.0
price competitiveness	No. 78	China 5.7
Health & Hygiene	No.43, score 6	score worse than Korea, Japan, Mongolia
international openness	No. 60	only better than China, Mongolia
Safety & security	No. 26	human resource & labor market: Taiwan No.18
ps: Compared to the report of 2017, Taiwan significantly tightened visa requirements (37th down to 119th), waning cultural resources and business travel (26th to 36th) and recalibrated figures showing a drastic reduction in protected areas (20th to 118th). For full details : http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TTCR_2019.pdf

According to World Economic Forum (WEF) <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's most important indexes for promoting tourism, like "Attractiveness of Natural Assets" (parks, beaches, mountains, wildlife, etc) ranks world No.87, "Natural Resources" ranks No.55, "Environmental Sustainability" ranks No.75 (No.69 in 2015), "Price Competitiveness" ranks No. 46, "Hotel Price Index" ranks No. 89 (82 in 2015), Taiwan got "n/a" on China's world top 5 indexes such as "World heritage natural sites" as well as "World heritage cultural sites".
comment Taiwan travel and tourism, No.1 on internet, pls. click for details

Michelin Stars (2020) comparison among Asian cities
Michelin Guide cities	number of starred restaurants	number of 3-stars restaurants	number of 2 stars	1 star
Tokyo	226	11	48	167
Hong Kong, Macau	85	10	19	56
Kyoto	100	8	21	77
Osaka	111	3	16	79
Seoul	31	2	7	22
Singapore (新加坡)	44	2	5	37
Taipei (台北)	26	1	6	19
Shanghai (上海)	23	1	2	20

The ROC on Taiwan, has its own constitution, independently elected president and military forces, However, Taiwan's image and brand personality were tarnished or damaged for having benefits by any means, and having principal human rights problems. What's Taiwan's true colors?

● Ethics of Taiwan politicians : The Liberty Times, editorial (7-21-2020) reports only 2.3% Taiwanese politicians are trustworthy and have professional ethics, according to a survey half year ago, 56% Taiwanese note elected representatives (lawmakers, councilman, etc) care their own interest, only 9.3% think they care "national interest". Washington Post (7-22-2020) reports: In a major speech in January 2019, Xi (Chinese president) offered an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for unification talks or face annexation by force. However, Taiwan's government was tight-lipped about this ultimatum, so that even famous commentator and analyst know nothing about it, otherwise pro-Independence Tsai I. W. may not easily continue in presidential office in Jan. 2020, because, according to National Interest (6-16-2020): more than 60.3 percent of the respondents opposed Taiwan's independence if it is followed by China’s military invasion...

● freedom of speech : < Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, France) , 4-18-2019: Taiwan’s journalists are suffering from a very polarized media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit. Although President Tsai Ing-wen has said she wants to continue developing press freedom in Taiwan, few concrete measures have been taken to improve journalists’ editorial independence and encourage media to raise the quality of the public debate. Beijing is exploiting this weakness by putting pressure on Taiwanese media owners, who often have business interests on the mainland. ● UDN 12-7-2019 editorial: The number of fake news spread by Pan-Green coalition (ruling party) is far more (and more vile) than that sent by ordinary people ● The China Times 12-14-2019 editorial : the gov. seriously harmed free speech by investigating those messages shared or published on the net by the masses ● Apple Daily 3-29-2019 editorial opinion: Democracy & Freedom of speech is the bottom line which should never be lost, the government should not create chilling effect by fishing in trouble water. The China Times 3-29-2019 headline news: Democracy on the surface, anti-democracy to the bone is not allowed. ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019: the impact of the concentration of media ownership on freedom of the press, self-censorship continued. ● N.Y. Times 12-3-2019: Social media platforms are another key battleground (Chn-TW): Nearly 90 percent of Taiwan’s population is active on them, and traditional news outlets have been known to republish fake posts without fact-checking. According to Reuters, Chinese government agencies have paid Taiwanese news outlets to publish pro-Beijing content. freedom of speech

● corruption : United Daily, opinion, 8-3-2020: Corruption in parliament seems never end. Apple Daily, headline editorial, 8-3-2020 (https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/20200803/BQXMSWTYOVERHBPGLUKPXAA5LQ/) lawmakers of same party shared illegal benefits or covered each other, and usually won't disclose political rivals' greasy palms, that's Taiwan's political culture and 'ecology'. Liberty Times, 5-25-2020: Univ. presidents' graft or malfeasance was heard frequently. Transparency International 1-29-2019: Taiwan has stagnated in the Corruption Perspective Index rankings since 2011 with its score 61~63 (dropped 2 spots this year), in contrast, South Korea improved by 3 points in 2017. In platform presentation at 12-25-2019, Nationalist Party (KMT) Presidential candidate Han criticized Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate current President Tsai has allowed top officials around grow very corrupt, Tsai refuted KMT was more serious, People First Party candidate Song said that speaking of corruption and unfair judiciary, KMT and DPP are about the same. Apple Daily (12-7-2018) editorial : Taiwan's corruption is off the charts by collusions between government officials and business owners, furthermore, Taiwan's underworld going wild to assist government officials, business and some elected representatives (e.g., legislators) in corruption has been ahead of most corrupt countries, e.g., China, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Vietnam, the stinky rotten food-chain crossing pan-Blue (Nationalist, KMT) and pan-Green (DPP) resurges after Taiwan's elections... <UDN> editorial (聯合報社論) 11-14-2019／Taiwan's democracy turns into grave 。 (民主設計的良意，如今變成私欲墳場 https://udn.com/news/story/11321/4163629) corruption

● democracy : Reuters, New York Times, 7-14-2020: Violence and protests inside the chamber are not unusual in Taiwan. New York Times, 1-11-2020: Taiwan’s young and vibrant, if messy at times, democratic society. Economist EIU Democracy Index 2019 shows Taiwan is "Flawed democracy", 2019's overall score is lower than 2015's and 2016's, the scores of "political culture", "political participation" are low (5.63, 6.11). N.Y. Times 12-3-2019: soft underbelly of Taiwanese politics: patronage networks. they continue to allow community leaders, farmers’ associations and even organized-crime figures to buy votes. <China Times> 2-26-2020, editorial: more and more uncontrolled admin. power and withered legislative power, freedom of speech was suppressed by admin. and judicial power at all levels, ...as for political culture, partisan, stand and ideology matter. Apple Daily, editorial, 12-14-2019: Taiwan gov. shows authoritarianism political culture, ignoring and being hostile to those critics. Apple Daily, editorial, 12-7-2019: in this bad election morality age, Taiwan president becomes a low threshold, min. qualification criteria position, and a laughingstock. <Foreign Policy>, 2015: Taiwan politics belongs to mega-corporations (not the people) and is controlled by the political parties. <UDN> editorial,12-6-2018: Taiwan's democracy exists in name only ...; <United Daily News>, editorial opinion, 6-23-2019: The operation of democracy usually strays off most public-opinions, ... fail to solve the adverse situation of reversing democracy; <United Daily News>, Opinion, 3-7-2017: Now it seems hard to keep Taiwan's skin-deep democracy ... the people's "livelihood" was sacrificed for politics ... democracy & freedom

● justice : US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians (in <Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government> section), ... ● The United Daily, 1-6-2020, editorial: Taiwanese don't trust law-enforcement because of government abusing power and playing with the law. ● The Liberty Times, head-line news, 3-16-2019: Taiwan PM is not satisfied with Judicial reform :● The Liberty Times, head-page, The China Times, head-page, 12-8-2018: Taiwan P.M. (賴清德): Taiwan has not made significant progress on judicial reform, which is roiling with public discontent; <The United Daily>, 06-18-2016, head page news: Taiwan's prosecutors admit usually following order to conclude legal cases. <USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices>, 2016-2018, and media of Taiwan: Taiwan's justice ministry was insufficiently independent, public trust on Taiwan's judiciary system keeps falling down. <United Daily>, opinion column, 12-16-2017: Taiwan's public voice with a heavy heart : The prosecutors should abide by the law too... don't be a political tool. <UDN>, 2-13-2018: Taiwan's Minister of Judiciary and secretary of Justice Ministry issued progress report of judicial reform ― Public trust in judges is always low, the protection mechanism of lawsuit right is still not good enough. judiciary

● int'l pirate : Green Peace, 5-2-2019: It remains our view that Taiwanese fisheries still have many serious problems, both environmental and social, and that the need for reform is clear and urgent. Lowy Institute & <the interpreter>, 5-2-2019: Taiwan ...illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing... Taiwan has so far refused to adopt the Work in Fishing Convention. EU warned in 2015 Taiwan with a yellow card for illegal fishing till 6 '19. US state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019: fishermen working on Taiwan-flagged and -owned fishing vessels experience non- or under-payment of wages, long working hours, physical abuse, lack of food or medical care, denial of sleep, and poor living conditions while indebted to complex, multinational brokerage networks. Migrant fishermen have reported senior crewmembers employ such coercive tactics as threats of physical violence, beatings, withholding of food and water, and pay deductions to retain their labor. Freedom House, June 2019: labor advocates report poor implementation, citing ongoing mistreatment and abuse of foreign fishermen on Taiwanese vessels.

● privacy : The United Daily News (聯合報) , editorial, 3-31-2019 : Taiwan is a backward country on personal-data protection. Taiwan plans to sell general public's personal data and digital human rights (e.g., people's medical health data without giving any notice ), peep at whatever on the net , and even monitor all the citizens, nothing people would normally notice ... (brief https://udn.com/news/story/7338/3728815) ; ● EU General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR was given to effect at 5-25-2018, Taiwan is far behind, even is going in an opposite way / Apple Daily 蘋果日報, 5-28-2018, National Taiwan University Law School professor 林鈺雄 privacy

● secret police : The United Daily News, editorial opinion (9-19-2018) : "secret police" (「東廠們」) have been active around us ... The Liberty Times, head-page, The China Times, head-page, 12-8-2018: Taiwan P.M. (賴清德): "Secret Police event" (「東廠事件」) has seriously damaged public trust on the government...; Apple Daily 12-4-2019 editorial : All political parties and many politicians found their cyber-forces to secretly attack targets... , the dark force are mean, base, cruel and dark to destroy target's image and reputation, they executed without moral bottom line and military discipline (brief). The United Daily News, editorial 11-30-2019: The state machine was abused as government's "tributaries". UDN 11-3-2018, Intel. sys. (NSB) confirmed their investigations of Facebook and other's communities on the net. All internet platform service providers in Taiwan were requested to hand in all users' personal information/data (intel denied). <Apple Daily (蘋果日報)> 11-7-2018 editorial opinion: by whatever name ( "secret police" or "national security bureau") it is called, what "it" did secretly were always more than what it admitted. ● Taiwan's Intelligence and secret-agent systems keep on governing the country ... they're true Prime Minister (行政院長), ...So many suspected political murder cases remain unsolved (ref to 2018.7.26【政經看民視】 FTV, "政經看民視", 7-26-2018; SET(三立電視), 9-24-2013 "Secret agents govern the nation (特務治國)" www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdZCdYrwF4; Era TV, 年代電視, 9-22-2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1b4R2m6K3g; "Secret agent systems resurgence to control the nation (特務復辟治國)" repression, oppression

● int'l fraud : United Daily, 10-23-2019, editorial: Taiwanese telecom frauds run wild the entire world to damage Taiwan's image. CTV evening news, 12-14-2017, EBC TV, 4-9-2017, UDN opinion, 12-24-2017: Taiwan is notorious for its fraud crimes all over the world. quora, 4-16-2016: Taiwan largely sees these telecom frauds/phone scammers as an asset rather than liability... China Times, 11-7-2017: It's not easy for Taiwan to clean its bad name of 'fraud-crime empire' because "Rome is not built in one day". (Asia Association of Police Studies, secretary general) international fraud

● torture & cruelty : Taiwan is far behind and keeps stalling legislating a new law against torture and other cruelty, conclusively advised by international review panel ( Philip Alston, law professor at New York University; Eibe Riedel, former member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Jerome Cohen, law professor at New York University; and Nisuke Ando, professor emeritus at Kyoto University, etc. ) (ref. to Apple Daily, headline, 12-9-2017) Taiwan's opposition party vice presidential candidate, NTU professor Lin Ruey-Shiung, was subject to electromagnetic wave attacks (French AFP ,Dec. 1, 2011 , Thailand's Bangkok Post, Dec. 3, 2011, Yahoo UK & Ireland, etc. ), Taiwan gov. denied this. ● State violence and white terror (product of state violence) return in Taiwan (United Daily, opinion, 12-21-2017, 12-27-2017). Taiwan's Facebook "Green terror" suppressed free expression...... (Wikipedia 2017, The China Times, public opinion, 11-18-2017). The key-point is state violence (Apple Daily, opinion, 8-16-2013).

● food safety : The China Times, 10-20-2018 opinion (editorial) https://opinion.chinatimes.com/20181019003889-262101 : Taiwan's food safety failed again and again, Dioxin, Fipronil poison-eggs in last year, Nicarbazin illegal drug residue event in this year. Europe was very cautious about Fipronil event, in contrast, Taiwan did nothing about it. Even worse, Taiwan officials hide Nicarbazin issue from Taiwanese people to baby related business ― indulge business to retrieve problematic eggs and then resell them as promotion goods. Why do high-ranking officials always fudge Taiwanese people's only, and humblest request ？? (brief) UDN, 2-17-2019: Gov. did not declared poison eggs until almost sold out... ● The China Times (中國時報), 2-28-2019, opinion (editorial) questions Taiwan officials are trying very hard to hide the epidemic state of Marek's virus in chicken eggs ...○food scare

● drug base : Taiwan is narcotic drugs producing & selling center of Asia (The China Times <Want Weekly>, 9-18-2019). Taiwan was already reduced to be a 'kingdom' of producing narcotic drugs. (United Daily, headline news, 11-2-2017) Philippine President Duterte ... blaming Taiwan-based organised crime behind all this drug traffic... for using his country as a shipping hub. (Reuters, 9-27-2017, The Straits Times, 9-29-2017) Duterte: Triad supplying illegal drugs to PH is based in Taiwan, not China (inquirer.net, 9-26-2017). Taiwan is scandalous for being a major drug transit center & a major drug exporting country, part of Taiwanese government including Judicial sys. refused to improve this issue. (UDN Opinion, 11-6-2017, The China Times, head-page & focus, 4-4-2017, The Liberty Times, 5-12-2017) illegal drugs

● children & women trafficking : US state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019: in the last five years, human traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and traffickers subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking. ... take advantage of Taiwan and foreign women’s and children’s drug addictions to subject them to sex trafficking. Taiwan traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone apps, livestreaming, and other such online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement. Exploitation of foreign workers, official corruption, some media self-censorship with regard to China, vote buying, etc (USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, March 3, 2017, 4-20-2018).

● life protection : The government has not well taken its fundamental responsibility of protecting the safety of people's life and property - why 5/6 bridges badly in need of repair have not been done ? government even has never made public the info. , where are those fatal bridges are?? (ref. to United Daily, 10-9-2019, headline news) why are there so many tall buildings located on the fault-zone? why are poor architectures everywhere on bad geologic grounds ? why are those shit-hole politicians doing nothing and ignoring urban renewal so as to risk millions of old houses and human beings? (ps: may face death in 6 magnitude quake) (full text: https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2974813 聯合報社論／斷層帶上何以建了那麼多高樓？ 2-8-2018, https://udn.com/news/story/7338/2977079 勿讓軟腳樓成坑殺人命陷阱 2-9-2018, https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20180209/37928659花蓮都更爛政客 2-9-2018)

● life protection (2) :Taiwan is dishonest and 'cruel' ― trying to hide, block, delay public-health news, e.g., poisoned eggs, PCV virus vaccine, and Bird-flu more than one time (1-2-2018 UDN udn.com/news/story/7266/2908720, Taiwan failed to solve food-safety issue, professors and MDs advised eating at home. (The China Times. 8-6-2016, <食品不安全的年代如何自保>, 2016, etc.), 2012 BBC news : www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese_news/2012/03/120304_taiwan_birdflu_investigate) , not to mention big issues. ● The China Times 5-9-2018 column : This is an EVIL state apparatus ... The China Times 5-26-2018 column : The government likes to conceal bad news, put paper over the cracks, e.g., air pollution, rupture of diplomatic relationships, ...http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20180509000843-260109● Apple Daily 12-11-2019, headline news: Taiwan's air pollution is bad to worse, about half population were endangered by PM2.5 and PM10 from top 10 hazardous level companies (China Steel, Taichung Power plant, etc) ● Taiwan administration's policy led to air pollution, toxic pollution in the land and sea ... (The China Times, 1-7-2018 台灣海陸空污染毒害，山海變色 http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20180107000465-260114。Daily Mail (UK) 7-14-2017 : Shocking underwater video from Taiwan shows ocean floor littered with plastic (bottles) garbage)

● transportation safety United Daily News 1-20-2020: The death rate caused by traffic accidents in Taiwan is 5 times that in Japan. The SUN, BBC (UK) 2-13-2017: "BUS CRASH HORROR!" , Taiwan's tour bus "has come under fire in recent months over safety standards"... MSN, Reuters, EuroNews, Mirro(UK), NewsWeek, CNN, etc (2-4-2015) :"Taiwan has had a poor aviation safety record in recent years".●Taiwan's aviation safety●

● Labor rights USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, 3-11-2020: The right to strike remained highly regulated. Teachers, civil servants, and defense industry employees do not have the right to strike. Workers in industries such as utilities, hospital services, and telecommunication service providers are allowed to strike only if they maintain basic services during the strike. Authorities may prohibit, limit, or break up a strike during a disaster. For all workers, the law divides labor disputes into “rights disputes” and “adjustment disputes.” Workers are allowed to strike only in adjustment disputes, which include issues such as compensation and working schedules. The law forbids strikes in rights disputes related to violations of collective agreements and employment contracts. foreign laborers

● social security The China Times, 2-25-2020 editorial: Due to bad Income distribution, Taiwan's social security (offender rate) worsens.

● discrimination USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, 3-11-2020: Activists for LGBTI rights said due to victims’ reluctance to lodge formal complaints, discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases. There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV/AIDS. US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 Foreign and PRC-born spouses were reportedly targets of social discrimination outside and, at times, inside the home. Discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases. Employment discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS continues, Taipei officials pressured a magazine reporter to drop an investigative report about the city’s breach of personal information for more than 3,000 AIDS patients.

Harvard professor Dr. Joseph Nye advised in 2010 that hard and soft power enable Taiwan to deal with China and expand its international space. Brookings at 1-22-2018 commented that Increasing “soft power” is a low-cost, high-return strategy for Taiwan. However, Taiwan's soft power was behind that of some other Asian's countries, Japan and China, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, India, UAE. Taiwan failed to be included in UK based Monocle's Soft Power list 2010 ~ 2019 and Soft Power 30 by USC Center on Public Diplomacy, 2017 ~ 2018. Taiwan's military power was recently cut down by half and is in a state of low morale, Taiwan's administration made a core defense strategy to resist Chinese PLA for 2 weeks, and made assumption that then American sons and daughters will always risk their lives to protect our home.

world's most livable cities ... include Taiwan's ?
Till 2020, Taiwan has not been included in the top ranking list of the world's most livable cities

world's most livable cities
world best surveys	Taiwan's rankings in top list	comparison with other Asia & Pacific countries
The EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking 2019	failed in the top 50	No.2 Melbourne, No.3 Sydney, No.4 Osaka (Japan), No. 7 Tokyo, No.10 Adelaide, No.12 Auckland (NZ), No.15 Wellington (NZ), 18 Brisbane (Aus) , No. 38 Hong Kong, No. 40 Singapore, No.57 Seoul (Korea), Taipei behind
Monocle's Quality of Life survey 2019	failed in the top list https://monocle.com/film/affairs/quality-of-life-survey-top-25-cities-2019/	No.2 Tokyo (Japan), No.11 Melbourne (Australia), No.13 Sydney, No.16 Hong Kong, No.17 Kyoto (Japan), No.21 Auckland (NZ), No.22 Fukuoka (Japan), 23 Brisbane, 25 Singapore
Deutsche Bank Liveability Survey	not included in the top list https://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/RPS_EN-PROD/PROD0000000000494405/Mapping_the_world%27s_prices_2019.pdf	No. 2 Wellington (NZ), No. 7 Melbourne ( Australia ), No.10 Sydney, No.14 Tokyo No.16 Auckland (NZ), No.17 Dubai (UAE), No. 23 Singapore, No. 26 Saudi Arabia Riyadh, No. 29 Seoul (Korea), No. 33 India Bangalore, No. 39 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, 44 Hong Kong, 46 India Delhi, No. 48 Shanghai (China), No. 55 Beijing
Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019, EIU (Economist UK), NEC	failed in the top 20	No.1 Tokyo, No.2 Singapore, No.3 Osaka (Japan), No.5 Sydney (Aus), No. 8 Seoul (Korea), No10 Melbourne, No. 20 Hong Kong
Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI ) , Z/Yen. Mar 26, 2020	No.75	top 7: N.Y., London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, HK, Beijing; Taipei No.34 in 2019
ArchDaily / The World's Most Livable Cities in 2019	failed in the top 20	No. 3. Auckland, New Zealand, 11. Sydney, Australia, No.15. Wellington, New Zealand , No.17. Melbourne, Australia
The EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking 2018	failed in the top 50	No.2 Melbourne (Australia), No.3 Osaka (Japan), No. 7 Tokyo (Japan) , No.10 Adelaide (Australia), No.12 Auckland (NZ) Wellington (NZ) ... ... (omitted), Taipei 58
The EIU's Global Liveability Index Ranking 2017	failed in the top 50	No.1 Melbourne, No. 5 Adelaide, No. 7 Perth, No. 8 Auckland (NZ), No.11 Sydney, No.13 Tokyo, No. 14 Osaka, No.16 Brisbane, No. 20 Wellington (NZ), No. 35 Singapore, No.45 Hong Kong, No.58 Seoul (Korea), No.60 Taipei

EIU (Economist UK)'s Global Liveability Index evaluates stability, healthcare, culture&environment, education, Infrastructure

● Taiwan's university rankings in Asia, Quacquarelli Symonds，QS UK, 2021
ranks	Taiwan	Malaysia	China	Korea	Hong Kong, Macau	Singapore	Japan
1~15			15. Tsinghua University Beijing 　　 23. Peking University Beijing		22. University of Hong Kong	No. 11. National University of Singapore 　　 No.13 Nanyang Tech. Univ. Singapore	24 University of Tokyo
26~50			34. Fudan University, Shanghai 　　 47. Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai	37. Seoul National University, Seoul 　　　 39. KAIST Korea	27 Hong Kong Univ. Science & Tech. 　　 43 Chinese Univ HK 　　 48. City University of Hong Kong		38. Kyoto University
51~60		No. 59 Universiti Malaysia	53. ZheJiang Univ.				56. Tokyo Institute Tech.
60~80	66. National Taiwan University (台灣大學)			69. Korea Univ. 　　 77 Pohang U Science Tech	75. Hong Kong Polytechnic University		72. Osaka U Japan 　 79. Tohoku U Japan
80~100			93. U Science & Tech China	85. Yonsei U Korea 　　 88. SKKU Korea
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2021 QS Quacquarelli Symonds，QS UK 　 QS 2020 Asia universities, top 15 rankings : subtotal number : Singapore ( 2 ), Hong Kong ( 3 ), Japan ( 2 ), Korea ( 3 ), China ( 4 ), Malaysia ( 1 ), Taiwan ( 0 ) 　　 ★ In <Nature Index> , "2019 Tables: Institutions, about 32 universities in China, 8 universities in Korea, 6 Hong Kong universities, 9 univ. in Japan, 2 universities in India, 2 in Singapore, one in Saudi Arabia ranked higher than all Taiwan's Taiwan's higher education

Introduction of Taiwan

"We call ourselves the Republic of China, Taiwan", president Tsai has told BBC UK at Jan. 15, 2020, but later BBC changed it to "the Republic of China (Taiwan)". This self-governing island country lies roughly 100 miles off the coast of southeastern China, about 30% the size of New York. The current population around 23 million is roughly the same as Australia’s, its climate is subtropical.

Taiwan's travel and tourism competitiveness is ranked No.10 among Asian nations, Taiwan's soft power has never entered top 30, losing Asia-Pacific's Japan, Australia, NZ, China, Singapore, Korea, UAE, India, Thailand, Qatar in recent years. Taiwan's higher education is ranked about No.7~9 in the region, Taipei is behind other AP cities Melbourne, Sydney, Osaka (Japan), Tokyo, Adelaide, Auckland (NZ), Wellington, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Singapore,etc in EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking 2019.

To contrast China, Westerners gave so many fulsome compliments to Taiwan's democracy, however, Taiwan's democracy is "Flawed" ( Economist EIU Democracy Index '19 released in 2020) , and even at surface level or in name only, it has shown a retrogressive trend in recent years, the freedom of speech, publication, assembly etc were persecuted by excuses such as national security. Taiwan lacks good separation & balance of powers between the ruling party and the opposition, the executive and the legislative, the government and the media. The press freedom is ranked No.43 in 2020. The Liberty Times, 1-12-2020, editorial: The administration's rottenness smells already....

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has identified that Taiwan as part of its territory and its most important core interest, since the Kuomintang (Nationalists or KMT) government retreated to the island in 1949 following defeat in the Chinese civil war. China has traditionally used a double strategy of “carrot and stick” towards Taiwan, on one hand, it has vowed to reunite this "breakaway province" by force if necessary, and has been ramping up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan since president Tsai I.W. (2016 ~) refused to recognise the "1992 consensus" a 'pseudo'-agreement made by Taiwan's KMT party and the Chinese Communist Party, that proclaimed "the existence of only one China ”, but “ with different interpretations ” (being free to decide which side was legitimate.). In early 2019, CCP Xi openly equates One Country Two Systems with the 1992 Consensus to eliminate other interpretations. Under China's political development and strengthening its trade ties to our allies, Taiwan is diplomatically isolated, has only 15 formal relation allies till middle of 2020 (Taiwan lost Salvador etc 3 allies within half yr. China rankled TW president's visit to NASA - LA Times 8-20-2018), most of them are little, unknown countries. On the other hand, China took the strategy " Allowance of economic benefits to Taiwan"("讓利", such as ◆ charming Taiwan by offering preferential treatment in a soft power bid / le monde diplmatique may 2019; ◆ 40% exports from Taiwan to China / CTN 5-30-2020; ◆ mainland China remains the largest market outside Taiwan for Taiwanese workers and companies, with around 1 million Taiwanese working there / German Institute for Int'l and security affairs, 2-7-2020 ◆ encouraging tourists to Taiwan. / WEF <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> of 2019 shows Taiwan had the sub-region's largest decline in competitiveness, Taiwan's overall score ranks 10th in Asia. ◆ L.A. Times, 8-1-2019: The indefinite suspension of individual travel visa is likely to prove a major economic hit to Taiwan, as well as a blow to cultural interplay. ) so that Taiwanese people may have higher tendency toward unification with China, Taiwanese understood this interdependence is unavoidable, but over-dependence is risky. Modern Diplomacy (EU) at 6-9-2020: Roughly 26 percent of Taiwan’s trade is with China, which is its largest trading partner. China has replaced US as No 1 destination for Taiwanese export accounting for approximately 40% of total exports (Hong Kong included). New York Times 12-3-2019: Trade between China and Taiwan exceeded $181 billion in 2017, up from about $35.5 billion in 1999.

President Tsai (ruling party DPP) in her inauguration speech at 5-20-2020 reiterated that Taiwan calls for stability in China relations but would reject being ruled by China in the same way Hong Kong is now (semiautonomy), and announced TW will revise the constitution which may be interpreted by Beijing as a ploy to formalize Taiwan's independence. In the annual meeting of China’s parliament, there was no mention of the word "peaceful" in front of “reunification”, departing from the standard expression Chinese leaders have used for at least four decades, an apparent policy shift that comes as ties with Taipei continue on a downward spiral (Reuters 5-22-2020). Washington Post (7-22-2020) reports: In a major speech in January 2019, Xi (Chinese president) offered an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for unification talks or face annexation by force. Then, in Mar., the PLA warplane crossed the Taiwan Strait "median line" that has served as a "de facto border" (Newsweek, 8-11-2020) or "the de facto cease-fire line" ( Japan's asia nikkei review, 8-13-2020) for the first time since the end of Chinese civil war in 1949 (Newsweek, 8-12-2020). However, Taiwan's government was tight-lipped about this ultimatum, a everyone's life-and-death issue, otherwise pro-Independence DPP's candidate Tsai I. W. may not easily continue in presidential office in Jan. 2020, because, according to National Interest (6-16-2020): more than 60.3 percent of the respondents opposed Taiwan's independence if it is followed by China’s military invasion... Foreign Affairs (9-2-2020): fewer than ten percent support pursuing independence.

The United States, Taiwan's most important protector, “acknowledges” there is one China and Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially “recognized” Taiwan as part of China. The US Congress passed a law ("Taiwan Relations Act") to commit the US to defend Taiwan's sovereignty, and provide necessary 'defensive' services. Many countries seem welcome this ambiguity. Yomiuri Shimbun, Opinion, 6-22-2017 stated the US is the key to keep the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait ("米国は台湾の防衛力強化を担っており、台湾海峡の平和と安定のカギを握る"。). But the U.S. does not have an “iron-clad” commitment to defend Taiwan, despite Taiwan's leaders made an assumption that American will always come to protect this island, and made a core policy to resist Chinese PLA for about 2 weeks only, former president Ma was lashed out by many DPP politicians and pan-Green media for his opinion ― The US won't come to rescue in time. The US Naval Institute's <Proceedings> (Aug. '20) and two authors (former CIA director and top official) were sort of put down for similar reason.

The US Dept. Defense report (9-1-2020) shows that China-Taiwan military balance has tilted in favor of the China's side, Foreign Policy (2-15-2020) even names Taiwan’s military is a 'Hollow Shell', and comments (8-20-2020) Taiwan should just focus on putting up a good show of being tough, buy enough U.S. weapons for display, and pray that Americans come to our rescue. Beijing regards reunification of the mainland and Taiwan is priceless and a "sacred mission” , 'do or die' prestige issue. The policy of “strategic ambiguity” the US applying for 40 years is unlikely to deter a confident and "more potent" China with growing military capabilities any more, but there have been no moves from the US to shift strategic ambiguity to strategic clarity ― hot debates about passing Taiwan Defense Act are still going on among military specialists and within the Pentagon.

New York Times 9-5-2019: it would also be a catastrophe if Taiwan were blockaded or squashed into submission, because Taiwan is the source of 90+ % of the most advanced computer chips, and stands in the way of any Chinese projection into the Pacific. In May 2020, the US asked TSMC in Taiwan to build a factory in Arizona as a "Pressure Point" in tech. fight with China (N.Y. Times, 5-19-2020) , which Japan's日本経済新聞 ( Nikkei news, Nihon keizai shinbun ) points out may weaken Taiwan's security. The LOWY Institute ( Australia ), The Interpreter, 6-16-2020 : treating Taiwan as a conduit to frustrate Beijing imperils Taiwan’s security. United Daily's editorial (1-4-2020, 5-22-2020) worried Taiwan functioning as a chess piece at front-line to block China in American's containment chessboard may become a sacrifice-piece or cannon fodder. After "poking the bear (China)" for a few years, Taiwan's govt. on Fox News at 5-27-2020 warns it is next on Chinese agenda ( military actions ) and asks for international support.

Taiwan is the 7th largest economy in Asia. Global Wealth Report (Credit Suisse, Oct., 2018) shows Taiwanese wealth per adult, at USD 212,375, is close to that of W. Euro., (UK USD 279,048, France USD 280,580) and Singapore (USD 283,118 ), Hong Kong (244,672), but nation's share world wealth (1.3%) is less than USA(31%), Japan(7.5%), China(16.4%) and Korea(2.2%). Singapore's GDP per adult is more than 2 times Taiwan's. In Global Wealth Report of 2019, in terms of Wealth per Adult, Taiwan is behind other Asian countries like Hong Kong (world No.2), Australia (4th), NZ (5th), Singapore (6th), Japan. United Daily, editorial, 12-3-2019: The amount of average regular monthly earnings of nationals of last year is NTD38,000 (USD1200) which is NT100+ less than that of 2001.

Taiwan was one of the world's top producers of computer technology, relying upon importation of key components and advanced technology from the US ( e.g., semiconductor ) and Japan, Taiwan's high-tech sector is falling behind for lacking of key tech. and its low pay to attract university-educated talent. (Taiwan lacks key tech. to make a large bus / CTN , 3-29-2017) Taiwan's GDP per capita retreated successively in recent years, UDN (1-28-2019) reported GDP per capita of Shanghai, Beijing, GuangZhou and SenZhen all are closed to that of Taiwan. China's GDP from 2016 till 2018 each is about 23 times the number of Taiwan's, one province (GD's GDP) alone is 2+ times Taiwan's (ref. to CTN, 3-14-2019). Taiwan's economic experts (中研院 '17) warned that Taiwan will fall into “middle-income” limbo (15-30 countries will catch up with it) in the next 10 years if it fails to deal with “three evil hands”, the law, environmental assessments, and Taiwan-China relations.

country	GDP per capita (USD)
Singapore	64 thousands
Hong Kong	48 thousands
South Korea	30+ thousands
Taiwan	just set up a goal USD 30 thousands to reach

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● Brookings at 1-22-2018 commented that Increasing “soft power” is a low-cost, high-return strategy for Taiwan. ● Dr. Joseph Nye said hard & soft power enables Taiwan to deal with China and expand its international space. (Dec. 8, 2010)
● Taiwanese government's strategy : Taipei must increase its "soft power" if it is to stand on the international stage. (BBC, Oct. 2010)
How is Taiwan's "Soft Power" ? and 'hard power' ?
◎

1. Taiwan Soft Power

Taiwan failed to enter UK based Monocle's Soft Power Survey ranking lists of 2010 till 2019, Taiwan's soft power is behind Asian's "world top 20" nations , including Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, China, India, UAE, all of them entered top 20 list at least once.    The Monocle's Soft Power Survey ranks nations according to their culture, politics, business, diplomacy and education rather than their financial or military power.   Japan ranks No.3 in 2019's survey list.
Taiwan also failed to be listed in 2018's Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy in July 2018 and 2017's Soft Power 30 Study, compiled by PR company Portand Communication and University of Southern California.   Asian countries, Japan(No.5), S. Korea(20), Singapore(21), China(27) are top 30.
The top 30 nations of 2018 are 1. UK, 2. France, 3. Germany, 4. US, 5. Japan, 6~30 are Canada, Swiss, Sweden, Nederlands, Australia, Denmark, Italy,
Norway, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Austria, NZ, Ireland, S Korea, Singapore,   Portugal, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Czech, China, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, 2017's rankings are 1. France 2. UK 3. USA 4. Germany 5. Canada   6. Japan 7. Swiss 8. Australia   9. Sweden 10. Holland 11. Denmark 12. Norway 13. Italy 14. Austria 15. Spain   16. Belgium 17. Finland 18. NZ   19. Ireland 20. Singapore   21. S. Korea   22. Portugal 23. Greece   24. Poland   25. China 26. Russia 27. Czech 28. Hungary   29. Brazil 30. Turkey. ( China's scores of 2018:   digital 30, enterprise 22, education13, culture 9, engagement 9, gov. 30, polling 28)
The Liberty Times of Taiwan, 4-6-2016: The government took the lead to plagiarize, and ignored copy-rights, Taiwan became "an island of Plagiarism".

★ "Understand Taiwan in one minute" ! ★ TAIWAN in all aspects !! ★ review Taiwan No.1 ranking on US Google !

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● pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword
"comment Taiwan" on US Google at 9-19-2019

pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword
"comment Taiwan" on US Google at 9-11-2019

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● pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword
"comment Taiwan" on US Google at 3-18-2019, 4-11-2018, 1-11-2018,
12-4-2016, 1-14-2017, 5-29-2017,11-1-2017
● No.1 "review Taiwan" on US Google, 1-11-2018, 9-2-2017, 10-25-2017

● pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword
"Understand Taiwan" on Google, 3-18-2019, 4-11-2018,1-11-2018, 11-1-2017,
1-6-2017, 5-29-2017

images' ranks - No.1, 2, 3

★ Taiwan's cultural creativity : artists―shortage of creativity & vivid imagination ! government―lacking of forward thinking ...

        ☉ The China Times, headline news at 12-24-2017: The total value of Taiwan's cultural & creative production was far behind of that of Korea, Korea's value in publication is about 6 times larger than Taiwan's, Film industry 6 times, TV 3.5 times, Advertising 3 times, Pop-music 6 times bigger than Taiwan's, Taiwan lacks of updated related laws and policy ― no focus, no direction, no institute, original creativity is not encouraged, the industry field is divided, without integrated marketing...... ☉ The China Times 8-15-2017: The output value of Taiwan's cultural & creative production in '12 - '13 declined 9.28%, in contrast, Taiwan's neighbor countries increased, China 14.27%, Malaysia, Philippines 8+%, Korea 0.65% ... Taiwan's cultural & creative industry even failed to create a "bubble", the reason is lacking of original creativity. / The China Times, 8-15-2017
        ☉ The United Daily (1-10-2016): 3 major political parties' presidential candidates all ignore cultural policy and direction in their election debates.
       ☉ The Liberty Times 4-6-2016: The Liberty Times of Taiwan, 4-6-2016: The government took the lead to ignore copy-rights, Taiwan became "an island of Plagiarism".

◆★

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● pic. left: This website was ranked No.1, 2, and No.4 at the same time on Yandex of Russia
by keyword "comment Taiwan" at 4-11-2018, 1-30-2018
　

● pic. right: This website was ranked No.1,2, 3 at the same time on MetaGER of Germany
by keyword "comment Taiwan" at 4-11-2018, 1-30-2018

　★ ● pic.: This website was ranked No.1 on Baidu of China
by keyword "comment Taiwan", in English at 4-11-2018, 1-30-2018
No.1 in Chinese, at 6-18-2018, 1-30-2018, 2-20-2018, 5-7-2018

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◆ Taiwan's soft power & cultural creativity .... see below:

Tourism Full analysis pls. click Taiwan Tour&Travel

"Formosa" means "a beautiful island", however, some media of both Taiwan and China (新週刊New Weekly) comment top point of interest in Taiwan is Taiwanese people itself. (an ambassador from S. America said so too)

Chinese visitors and tourists to Taiwan (in millions) , Direct flights between Chn and TW began at 2008, DPP (Green) in power from 2016
source: Asia Nikkei 4-30-2019, Taiwanese government

◎ The United Daily 3-7-2019: Taiwan's tourism output value is suffering wallet homicide ! the deficit of foreign exchange is NT1728 billions, the deficit of the number of tourists is 5570 thousands. Asia Nikkei 4-30-2019: Since 2016, China has attempted to punish Tsai (DPP) by reducing tour groups to Taiwan, but inbound tourists have steadily set records surpassing 11 millions for the first time last year... The United Daily 10-6-2018 editorial opinion: Taiwan's 'heresy' policy of tourism (subsidies, visa-free) led to 800+ billion dollars decrease of earnings, because of lower consuming ability of South Eastern Asian tourists and smaller number of Chinese tourists. Apple Daily, head-page, 12-31-2018: The amount of tourists spending per day and the number of days tourists staying decreased.

◎ The Washington Post at 1-5-2018: (The Chinese government...) "encouraging Chinese tourism to this island" (ps: during KMT in power ~ 2016 ). New York Times at 2-22-2018: "The Chinese government has discouraged tourism to Taiwan...". CTV news 3-9-2018 : beautiful island turns into killing island (traffic accidents), Taiwan's tourism might be a long dark night. Apple Daily, opinion, 2-12-2018: lacking of monument elements, mature cultural creativity, and inexpensive tour-site hotels ... shallow, careless, low-end quality led to an extremely low return visitor rate to Taiwan. Apple Daily, Headline news 1-15-2018: Taiwan tourism collapsed like a snow-slide, the number of tourists to Kenting National Park(墾丁貓鼻頭) dropped 59%, to Taroko National Gorge (太魯閣) dropped 43%, etc, because of the number of Chinese tourists declined a lot and local people don't like those sites - Apple Daily opinion 1-17-2018: expensive hotels, crowded traffic, getting ripped-off by greedy shops' ... UDN opinion 4-11-2018: tourism-related business everywhere are complaining of great hardship (齊喊苦).

◎ World Economic Forum (WEF) 2017 <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's most important indexes for promoting tourism, like "Attractiveness of Natural Assets" (parks, beaches, mountains, wildlife, etc) ranks world No.87, "Natural Resources" ranks No.55, "Environmental Sustainability" ranks No.75 (No.69 in 2015), "Price Competitiveness" ranks No. 46, "Hotel Price Index" ranks No. 89 (82 in 2015), Taiwan got "n/a" on China's strong indexes such as "World heritage natural sites" as well as "World heritage cultural sites" (world top 5). Taiwan has excellent scores on "Mobile Network coverage", "ATM", etc, but those least likely are main attractiveness to international sightseers that Taiwan needs most. Taiwan is not be included in top 30 countries in <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> from 2011 till 2015, In 2015's report, Japan No.9, Singapore 11th, HK 13th, China No.17 ; 2011 ranking - No.10 Singapore, no.12 HK, no. 13 Australia, no. 19 New Zealand, no.22 Japan, no.32 Korea, no.35 Malaysia.

◎ United Daily, opinion, 12-30-2017 : Taiwan's foreign exchange earnings from tourism decreased 300 billion dollars. To promote tourism just in number of tourists, Taiwan's new mission “New Southbound Policy” gave up the national principle of mutual benefit and equity, led to illegal drug trafficking and neighbor countries' anger, and illegal collectivized-workings by foreign "visitors". Taiwan's advertisements only focus on "cheat eats" by using some widely-known stars. All these remind us a Chinese tourists slang "you will regret for your entire life if coming to Taiwan".

◎ BBC UK, The SUN (2-13-2017): "Bus Crash Horror !" - Taiwan's "safety standards need to be improved". A few days later another fatal tour-bus accident occurred. Apple Daily, Opinion (2-15-2017): Such a high casualty rate most likely was ranked No.1 among all civilized states in the world. Taiwan's aviation safety - MSN, Reuters, EuroNews, Mirro(UK), NewsWeek, CNN, etc (2-4-2015) :"Taiwan has had a poor aviation safety record in recent years"

◎ People's Daily, the major official newspaper of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, ( Opinion/editorial 8-4-2016): <Chinese tourists do not dare to visit Taiwan in the future without safety assurance> / Taiwan tour disasters are sort of man-made disasters , Taiwan tourism's major problems include loopholes in law and regulation 、careless mistakes in administration or not-good-enough system of organization, other malpractices are traveling load-bearing capacity 、road-traffic safety 、aviation safety 、road maintenance 、safety standard for tour bus 、Modified Automobiles/Fix-up tour bus、Low-end tour groups … tragic accidents happening again and again open Pandora's box, too many tourist victims reveal Taiwan tourism's problems, Taiwan authority tried to do something (亡羊補牢) each time a tragic accident occurred, but it seemed late and same kind of tragedies never cease. (《人民日報》8-4-2016 社論: 很多意外事故都存在著人禍的影子，或是法規漏洞、管理疏失、或是體制不足。旅遊承載能力、道路安全、飛行安全、道路養護、遊覽車安全標準、改裝車、低價團…一起起事故猶如打開了潘朵拉的盒子... )

◎ Fatal train accidents
ref. to <New York Times>: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/21/world/asia/taiwan-train-crash.html

    ● 2018 : Taiwan Train Accident in biggest curve in Taiwan Kills at Least 18 and Injures about 187 Others ( ps: CTV (中視新聞) 19:45pm, 10-22-2018, Prosecutor: over-speed might be the cause of accident, other suspicious points under investigation include "Automatic Train Protection (ATP)" being turned off, abnormal track, etc; ps2: CTV 20:30pm, 10-22-2018 : speed 140km, should be 80km or 65 km)
    ● 2011: at least six people were killed and more than 50 others injured after a tree collapsed into the path of a tourist train also serving Ali Mountain.
    ● 2003: last crash of a similar scale taking place in 2003, when a train serving the mountain tourist destination of Ali Mountain derailed, killing 17 people and injuring 156 others.

● 1981: a collision in Miaoli County, in the island’s northwest, killed 31 people

◎ <the China Times> 5-26-2015: "We should pay attention to a poll on the net in Hong Kong, it says Taiwan is the most disappointed place for the tour, because Taiwan's night market is the only place worth to visit." (<media commentary> scholar's view "掉漆的文創")

◎ UK's Economist Intelligence Unit ― ● "Liveability Cities" report (Aug. 2015) ranks Taipei world No.60 (Taipei's Tourism leader 簡余晏 8-20-2015 expressed the ranking will go up in next year, hopefully), ● Mercer's "Quality of Living" ranks Taipei world No. 83, and gives another city Tai-Chung world No.99, ● Monocle's "Quality of Life" top list includes no Taipei. ● According to 2009 ECA int'l "the Best Place to Reside"，Taipei ranks No.57, Asia top 3 are Singapore 、HK、Tokyo( both world No.15)。● 2010 rank : Taipei No.55、 Singapore is still global No. 1.

◆ 2015 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report

Taiwan's weakness :
Index	Taiwan's world rankings
Country Brand Strategy	No.125
Prioritization of Travel & Tourism	No.82
Hotel price index	No.82
Tourist service infrastructure	No.77
Environmental Sustainability	No.69
Natural Resource	No.62
Purchasing power parity	No.64
World heritage cultural sites	the last position, n/a (China No.5)
World heritage natural sites	the last position, n/a (China No.3)
major car rental companies	No.120
Travel and tourism industry development	No.53

http://reports.weforum.org/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness-report-2015

◆ Country Brands Index 2014/2015

Taiwan's score :

Taiwan's score location - "Countries" (left lower place)

Taiwan locates in "Countries" category, a lowest area ― having below average perceptions in both the Status and Experience dimensions.

Critera :
◎tourism / Value for money, Range of attractions, Resort & lodging options, Would like to visit for a vacation, Food ;
◎HERITAGE & CULTURE / Historical points of interest, Heritage, art & culture, Natural beauty;
etc.

◎“Country brands” – Countries that have above average perceptions across both the Status and Experience dimensions and have measurable competitive advantages over their peers as a result.
◎ “Experience countries” – Countries whose perception strength is biased towards dimensions relating to Heritage & Culture, Tourism and Made In.
◎ “Status countries” – Countries whose perception strength is biased towards attributes relating to Value System, Quality Of Life and Business Potential.

http://www.futurebrand.com/news/futurebrand-launches-the-country-brand-index-2014-15

◎ top 20 countries: Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Norway, United States, Australia, Denmark, Austria, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Finland,Singapore, Iceland, Netherlands, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates, South Korea.

◎ top 20 most influential cities: NY, London, Beijing, Washington, Moscow, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Shanghai, Dubai, HK, Singapore, New Delhi, SaoPaulo, Rio De Janeiro, LA, Rome, Toronto, Seoul, Mumbai

◎★

Visual Communication

Taiwan government logo, UN for Taiwan logo, state-run enterprises logo, Taiwan's universities annual event logo ...... etc, suspiciously are cheap-copy works. Similar visual designs're everywhere in Taiwan. Taipei is going to hold a sort of "City of Design" international event soon ??

Some examples are listed as below:

(1)		(2)		(3)

logo of Taiwan's government	world logo appeared earlier	world logo appeared earlier	logo of Taiwan's government	Asian (Korea) metro's logo (appeared earlier)	design by Taiwan's best university

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(4) Taiwan's cultural landmark

Silk Cut prt ad knife as tree, lawn, mountain

left : Silk Cut ad. in UK, appeared earlier right: poster for Taiwan's cultural government and Eslite Bookstore (ps)

ps: Both use same ideas ― "sharp knife tree, dangerous gear-wheel lawn"
Pic. at right side is an ad. for <Creative Ideas Exhibition of Taiwan Cultural Industry, Taiwan>, Eslite bookstore ( Taiwan's pride, a cultural landmark of Taiwan)

(5)

pic. left above: logo and emblem of KMT
presidential election 2019/2020

pic. left blow: a design for FCCLA (USA)
(ps: appeared earlier)

KMT denied it's a cheap-copying work,
but ROC design association
(中華民國設計師協會榮譽理事)
expressed "UP" is an obvious Plagiarism !

besides, Taiwan's head was cut out

ref. to LTN, 11-15-2019

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Food - comment restaurants in Taiwan, black hearted food in Taiwan for 20-30 years

	weird Taiwan tourism advertisement : Dining X Taipei according to Cambridge dictionary, "X" represents negative meanings (1) unknown / a number, or name or thing that is not known or stated (2) mistake / the answer is not correct (3) delete / to remove something (4) kisses
pic.: Travel advertisement in Taipei Taiwan, summer 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwyuCsmMqTM	ps: Taiwan suffered food safety problem for years : ref to The China Times, 5-21-2018, TVBS 9-12-2017, details

● The China Times, 10-20-2018 opinion (editorial) https://opinion.chinatimes.com/20181019003889-262101 :

Taiwan's food safety failed again and again, Dioxin, Fipronil poison-eggs in last year, Nicarbazin illegal drug residue event in this year. Europe was very cautious about Fipronil event, in contrast, Taiwan did nothing about it. Even worse, Taiwan officials hide Nicarbazin issue from Taiwanese people to baby related business ― indulge business to retrieve problematic eggs and then resell them as promotion goods.. Why do high-ranking officials always fudge Taiwanese people's only, and humblest request ？? (brief)

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pic.: TVBS (Taiwan) 2-10-2018: experts expressed their concern or scares of eating Basa fish imported from Vietnam. Some international experts like Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise doesn't recommend consumers buy Basa, some states of the US even banned Basa, for using illegal antibiotics, questioning polluted Mekong river and the practices used to farm Basa, those factors.
Some 5 star hotels in Taiwan seemed love to serve cheap-price Basa ― however, they used English name Bassa or Balsa ( not fish name ), instead of Basa, but, the Chinese name used is Basa for sure, 2 chefs answered me those were imported from Vietnam.
pic. left is a hot dish served by a Taipei's 5 star hotel buffet restaurant, "Thailand steamed Bassa fish" (photo at 4-24-2018); Pic. right is another top hotel Sheraton Taipei's buffet food - "Balsa" fish ( photo in Nov. 2017 ).

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pic.: Formosa TV , 2-19-2018: Many hotel buffets had bad records of using bad food materials or ingredients before, even now, some kind of official certified marks may not be a food-safety assurance in the near future.

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◆ World famous 5 star hotel hides fish name, and which is sea fish or fresh-water fish ?

quora (2015) had some discussions about "why don't westerners eat river fish?". Independent UK 1-11-2015: Chemicals in fresh water fish put health at risk - according to a new report, they may be putting their health at risk... Singapore's foodie TV program < Cook Eat China > likes to ask chef the fish name before they try. Medical book <you can conquer cancer> (target readers include patients and healthy people)advised to know what-about before eating fish or seafood ......

◆ pic. left: World famous hotel Shangri La's in Taipei at 5-18-2018: upon my question, the kitchen man answered it's Dory fish ("多利魚")，but had no idea about sea fish or fresh water fish (rivers, lakes, etc). Taiwan's CTS TV news (華視新聞) at 4-27-2017 reported (news.cts.com.tw/cts/life/201704/201704271863633.html#.Wv6-Rjoh2Uk): all Dory fishes in Taiwan were fake, foodie gourmets have been fooling for a long times ! Dory then were renamed as Basa ― a fresh-water fish farmed in Vietnam, S.E. Asia 。

Real John Dory is also named as Cat Fish, the author had many in Florida's buffet restaurant (even "none star" restaurant marked fish name ), however, in Taiwan's "5 star" hotel can only eat fake Dory ???

◆ pic. right: Another world famous 5 star hotel (headqtr in USA) in Taiwan also hide the fish name (5-17-2018)。Westerners tourists may like to know they're eating sea fish or fresh-water fish ?

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◆ pic: Grand Hotel Taipei has the most number of famous customers among all Taiwan's hotels. However, according to the photo 6-8-2018, they used genetically modified soybean
(基因改造黃豆)

◆ pic.: American Sherwood Hotel in Taipei, photo 5-28-2018
Braised Bean Curd with Crab Powder tasted good, but the chef did not answer my question if those bean-curds were made from G.M.(genetic modified) beans - which were called "national scandal" (國家醜聞) at The China Times, 3-29-2013.

◆ best restaurants
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1. Luc Besson's movie "Lucy" shooting in Taiwan particularly includes Din Tai Fung ― which is not only the most famous Taiwanese restaurant but also even a landmark of Taiwan, however,

● (1) Din Tai Fung admitted at 5-9-2012 having used Monosodium Glutamate / sodium glutamate (M.S.G.) as addictive in some foods there - and they won't change this policy so as to keep major cuisine (e.g., steamed bun/bao (小籠包), chicken soup) delicious (according to United Daily News 5.9.2013). According to National Health Research Institutes and United Daily News (8-15-2015) "Horrible foods for dining out": Taiwan's food (in restaurants, cafeteria, etc) problems include using MSG. Taiwan's 5 star restaurants like Sherwood Hotel announced any chefs using MSG will be fired. According to int'l medical studies, using Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is controversial. (ref to "The Dangers of MSG" : http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/the-dangers-of-monosodium-glutamate.htm) Some claimed it may causes asthma, headache, even brain damage. )
　

● (2) Din Tai Fung was suspicious of being involved in Taiwanese food scandal, Apple Daily (蘋果日報)10-10-2014 reported that one Taiwanese Dept. of Health found out Din Tai Fung imported some oil products from King's Cook which bought lard oil (mixing animal feed with cooking oil) from Ting Hsin Int'l. ( http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20141010/485241/ 台中市衛生局調查發現，鼎泰豐曾向購買頂新正義油品的台中金品調理(KingsCook) 公司進貨，恐中鏢。)
　

● (3) Din Tai Fung admitted having used G.M.(genetic modified) soy material(豆類) for a long time (until July 2015). The China Times, (3.29.2013) reported professor Kuo H. J. (National Taiwan University, Department of Agronomy) comments - Taiwan using G.M.(genetic modified) is "national scandal" (「國家級醜聞」), French scholar Seralini found G.M. foods may cause cancer with higher probability, BBC (6.6.2013)<Taiwan diet danger everywhere>: Taiwan is the only country eating cured products made by animal-feed, G.M.(genetic modified) soya beans. (主妇联盟说台湾是世界上唯一直接食用饲料级基改黄豆加工的豆制品国家。) But Din Tai Fung still used the "scandalous" G.M. stuff for 2+ years after the news being spread island-wide. Recently, CNN (7-24-2015) dropped Din Tai Fung down to No.20 position in Taiwanese foods list. 　

The Brand Personality ?

Din Tai Fung's Hong Kong branches were just eliminated their Michelin star
title at Oct. 31, 2014, (lost again in Dec. 2015)
Taiwan's Din Tai Fung never won any Michelin star title, but it is advertising itself a Michelin star restaurant by posters at front of largest Japanese mall, Mitsukoshi Dpt. Store in Taipei. (photo Aug. 22 2015)

Din Tai Fung USA website (http://DinTaiFungusa.com) has also been advertising a similar one in its front-page. (tests till present at 9-17-2015)

ps: the China Times analyzed losing Michelin most likely it's because of inconsistent quality problem. (http://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20141031001358-260405)

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2. Michelin Guide Taipei was released at 4-10-2019, Taiwanese cuisine was not valued very high, only 4 restaurants won 1 star each, 3 starred chefs are from Hong Kong (Canton) and Macau. The total number of stars and starred restaurants of Taiwan are much less than those of Shanghai, HK, Macao, and Singapore, in both 2019 and 2018. Furthermore, unlike those in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Taiwan's night-market, street food failed to won any Michelin star.

3. According to "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" (2018) , Thailand Bangkok's Gaggan consecutively got in the first place, the number of Japanese restaurants selected is 11, Hong Kong & Macao 10, Thailand 9、Singapore 7, Korea and Taiwan both are 3, but Korea won the 11th grade, the best ever position that Taiwan got in this year is the 15th (RAW, 18th MUME, 47th Shoun Ryugin), China got the 8th position. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/asia-50-best-restaurants-2018/index.html

4. According to The World's Best Restaurants (2017) , Taiwan is not included in the list, Thailand got No.7, Singapore No.14, Japan 18th, HK 24th, Shanghai 41th. In total, 5 Japanese , 4 Chinese, 3 Singapore, 2 Thailand, 1 Korean, 1 India restaurant(s) entered top 100. http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners#t51-100.

5. Miele Guide (2012) : No any Taiwanese restaurant is included in top 20 Asian restaurants list.

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◆ Food - night markets

Best night-market-food in Taiwan : oyster omelet (introduced by Discovery channel of USA) ― it is most typical Taiwanese food( street snack everywhere in night markets), but not exquisite & elaborated food. a TV program expressed many oyster omelets use peanut (fatal aflatoxin was usually found in this kind of food) powder and some unknown ingredients/addictives. intro. to Taiwan cuisines

◆ Food - scandals

● 5 star hotel restaurants scandals - A book (Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taiwan Veterans General Hospital's physician Jiang So-San M.D. 江守山 "食在安心" (10-2014)) said many 5 star hotel restaurants don't wash vegetables ... some 5 star hotels made sashimi raw fish slices by using fresh-water fishes, this may increase the probability to get cancer (for details 台灣餐廳 or 台灣美食Taiwan Night Markets ) ; Epoch Times (大紀元, 3-14-2017):Okura Prestige Tpe (大倉久和, a 5 star hotel) sold expired frozen shrimps, molded taro (vegetable 芋) etc; SETN news ( 三立新聞 5-16-2016): Some 5 star hotels in northern Taiwan sold black-hearted expired seafoods ; LTN (5-17-2016): 5 star hotels Ambassador and Howard (國賓、福華) clarified this news; Apple Daily (蘋果日報 6-7-2016): Sheraton (喜來登) 's white shrimps contained bleaching agent (漂白劑)，4 times higher than the legal standard，Ranina (Spanner crabs 旭蟹) contained heavy medal Cadmium poisoning (重金屬镉) 14% higher than the standard...; Apple Daily (蘋果日報 7-2-'13): Taiwan's tourist hotels' food ingredients expired 2 years, only 3 out of 21 hotels passed the security check and sanitary examination etc conducting by Taiwan Administration, e.g., Shangri-La's (tnn) did not separate their cutting tools for cooked foods and raw foods; FTV news, 5-18-2017: 13 ingredients / materials expired in a 5 star hotel in Taiwan; CTI TV news (5-17-2017, 19:33): What can we eat in Taiwan? people are uneasy for food here... ○

● Taiwan administration's Dioxin ("poison of the century") control system crashed completely / FTV news, 4-22-2017.
Major world media like The Economist (11.29.2014) comment a series of food safety scandals is one of few main factors causing the KMT, Taiwan's ruling party, has suffered one of its worst electoral defeats since Chiang Kai-shek and his forces fled to the island at the end of Chinese civil war in 1949.

● Chang Gung Mem. Hospital professor Yin M.D. (殷宗海, Doctor, Univ. of London ): Minimize the times of dining out to protect your health ! ( ref. to book <食品不安全的年代如何自保>("how to survive in this bad food-security time", April 2016))

● Dean of National Taiwan Normal University - graduate school of Chemistry, Dr. Gaston J. C. Wu (化學所長吳家誠教授)'s book <Those black-heart products toxin-experts never buy ("毒物專家絕不買的黑心商品")> (Nov. 2013): Most of the time I eat at home, and has never dined out in street-side shops / small-eat markets (路邊攤), because those small-eat shops usually/always do not meet the minimum standards of cleanliness.

● Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taiwan Veterans General Hospital's physician Jiang So-San M.D. : Most 5 star hotel restaurants in Taiwan don't wash the vegetables ... ref. to the book "食在安心" .

● MicroPlastics were found in 44% tap water samples, medical circle believes it's a very serious environmental pollution, since something bad, e.g., Dioxin, Bisphenol A (BPA), PAHs, heavy metal elements, may be brought into food chain, and then are/were accumulated in human body...... we better use purified water by RO machine for safety. Furthermore, mussels, oysters, clams (扇貝與蛤) were also found some microplastics...... brief - headlines of Apple Daily, United Daily, 9-26-2018.

● Taiwan's food safety scandals : poisonous, black hearted food in Taiwan for 20-30 years, click for details
Major world media like The New York Times and The Economist (11.29.2014) comment a series of food safety scandals is one of few main factors causing the KMT, Taiwan's ruling party, has suffered one of its worst electoral defeats since Chiang Kai-shek and his forces fled to the island at the end of Chinese civil war in 1949.

◎

Taiwan's Food safety scandals

TW food

◎ 2015 :
Since its worst ever electoral defeats, Taiwanese government never does some soul searching and corrects the wrong, "It's weirdo !!, Taiwanese government only focuses on 3 dried products - dried daylily, dried radish, and preserved fruits (snacks)", NTU professor Wu K.Y. stated "Completely evading the crucial point", "those 3 items are very low risky products".
● Apple Daily 8-28-2015: The incidence rate of Taiwanese people suffering colon/rectal cancer was ranked world No.1 (2nd is Korea, 3rd Slovakia) , Taipei Medical University Hospital's director of surgeons expressed Taiwan's food scandals constantly happened in recent years, many black-heart tainted foods containing Carcinogen (cancer producer) is a factor causing high incidence rate.

◎ 2014 Taiwan food scandals
        ● The New York times (9.8.2014): The authorities in Taiwan are scrambling to control a tainted-cooking-oil scandal that has affected hundreds of manufacturers and raised fears about health risks posed in many commonly consumed food items... the new scandal shows that there is still not enough being done to eliminate lawbreaking production lines,” The Taipei Times said ...
          ● TIME (9.8.2014): Gutter Oil' Scandal Raises Food-Safety Fears Once Again in Greater China. A Taiwanese food-safety scare has spread to Hong Kong...
          ● Bloomberg BusinessWeek (9.8.2014): Tainted Lard: China's Latest Food-Safety Scare Comes From Taiwan       The case is the second major food-safety scandal by a Taiwan-based company in the past year,...The new gutter-oil scandal has “shocked local consumers” in Taiwan who expect more from their government, ...“I hope the law could be revised to impose tougher punishment on those who breach food safety regulations,”...
       ● The China Times (9.5.2014, head-page headline news): Disgusting ... Even pigs don't eat those tainted oil we Taiwanese ate !

ps: For full text pls. ref. to Taiwan food scandals.

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Taiwan's Food safety scandals 2013, 2014

Advertisement a long time loser

My article in <the United Daily News> (Oct. 2007) mentions Taiwan's ad. creativity has been lousy for a long time, In the past 10 years, Taiwan is about in the last place in Cannes Ad. festival, world best ad. contest (Even Vietnam, Philippines, red China are bit better than Taiwan). Till early of 2017, Taiwan still only has small number of winnings in int'l ads & creativity contests.

Taiwan's most important ad.

Take Taiwan's national ads : "UN for Taiwan" (Taiwan to join the UN ) , as an example :

who said ?

said what ?

This site's comment

2007Taiwan government :

UN for Taiwan ad. is "un-limited creativity"

(1) Those are quite old ideas.

(2) click to read details

National ChenChi University, ad. professor book

using puns in UN series is " very creative and witty idea"

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Taiwan's int'l winning ads.

As for Taiwan's business ads. or TV commercials obtaining winning records in int'l ad. festivals, are not all so original,..... or/and not very sharp-witty, e.g., making love with an insect symbolizes insecure sex, or stick out (very out) the tongue to make a funny face, ...... are student-level ideas.

◎

Animation (comment Taiwan's best awards in world's best contests)

Taiwan's Top Institution(ps)	animation	World's top contest, prize & honors, and university's opinions	This site's comments
National Taiwan University of Science & Tech.	Cubic Tragedy	ACM SIGGRAPH People' Choice Award	Experts won't feel the idea, girl face-lifting resulting in Picasso's cubism a <weeping woman>, unexpected.
National Yuan-lin University of Science & Tech.	Cubic Tragedy	NYLU's graduate school paper concluded this animation as "Picasso-inspired idea ..... contrary to our expectation".	experts suppose won't feel this idea "un-expected"
National Taiwan Univ. of arts	A fish with a smile	Berlin international Film Festival, children's section, Special Prize of jury committee	(1) it's just a story for children. (2) elegant drawing style, but those pictures don't look like any city in Taiwan.
National Tainan Univ. of arts	After the rainy day	winning in UK	Just like most Taiwan's films, boring obscure-meaning codes, hence most people are hard to understand or may make over-interpretation.
National Palace Museum	Adventures of NPM	(1) grand prize, 2008 Tokyo International Anim. Fair. (2) anim. goal : " bridging the gap between ancient artworks and modern audiences.	(1) it's a story for children, not for modern adults. (2) the film is showing in children's center of National Palace Museum, Taipei Taiwan.

Tamkang Univ.'s paper concludes Taiwan animation's 1st problem is "short of creativity". Very few Taiwan's researches 're working on this subject - Creativity. (Taiwan animation currently is only expertise at drawing tech.)

◎ comment Taiwan's international winning animation films in 2011.

Picasso cartoon Picasso cartoon Cubism

2 examples (pic. above) let us learn Picasso-Cubism inspired cartoons already having existed long time ago (<The World encyclopedia Cartoons>，中國戲劇出版社)

More clever Picasso-inspired ideas have already been developed years ago, please click to see !

◎

◎★

Music/songs

An essay <China Tames Rebellious Side of Rock "n" Roll> in <New York Times>, likened today's Red Chinese pop music culture to the politically enforced conformity of the Cultural Revolution, the core of songs is "have fun", culture has become an empty vessel, there are few hints of angst, alienation , or any but the mildest expression of teenage rebellion.

Taiwan's pop music was tamed by political pressure in the past, the "opposition culture" in Taiwan's music field was almost eliminated.

Today's music is in a money-oriented environment.

Very few people notes an usual case : two most popular singers, Wu-bai and S.H.E. (hottest in China too) sing 2 same-name songs, namely all the same as Chinese translation of "Brave New World" - a classic literature regarding man-handled white-terror tyranny. S.H.E. seems so happy and exciting while singing this song.

In contrast, Apple Computer's famous commercial <1984> comes from another white-terror literature "1984" written by Orwellian. Ad. research papers mention one reason it succeeds ( the most remarkable US ad campaign, although aired only once ) is that people are curious about the mystery/puzzle - a tyranny in a free country.

Certainly, the <1984> despises human-controlled tyranny.

Apple <1984> TV commercial	<Brave New World>	<Brave New World> Chinese translation book

everybody in a blue-smog (mock IBM CIS color) "jail" are under control by big-brother in a big screen . try http://Youtube.com !	(1) A literature by A. Huxley (2) http://futuresteve.wordpress.com/2007/10/19/brave-new-world/	book cover

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Arts

United Daily 10-31-2019: Plagiarism again in Taiwanese design field !! an art-work in Tai-Nan art festival copied UK's, another art-work on train (government's project) copied Russian's ...... All Taiwanese designers should respect themselves and take these cases as a lesson.

Apple Daily, opinion, 7-20-2018 : Taiwan ( Taiwanese everywhere) lacks of aesthetics accomplishments, particularly those in power can allocate resources have "really turn me off" taste (倒盡胃口), Taiwan's public art works are too vulgar to be endured (俗不可耐), and some are sort of cheap-copy works (仿冒竊).

Critiques in UDN (10-24-2019) : Design field thinks culture & arts are nothing but decorative, fine arts belittle commercial arts, etc ... the arts should take the lead for the fusion of tech. and culture ( for details pls. read https://udn.com/news/story/11321/4122342 ) .

Dec. 8, 2012 : To everyone's surprise, 2 out of 3 artists in Taiwan government's selection for participating Italia Venice Biennale are foreigners ! This means Taiwan does not have talented artists??

Many Asian countries have great ambition to do city-marketing by arts expo., there're 8 arts biennales will be taken place in Sept. 2008.

Taiwan is one of them - <Asia Arts Biennale > was held till Feb. 2008.

Taiwan's largest news introduced (with a large-sized picture) an expo. artwork - world brand's logos are spread on human bodies, this work seems to symbolize "Globalizing" phenomenon.

However, the idea "logo body" already appeared a number of times in, i.e., <Your Logo Here, photos from S. Cal. 2004-2006>, and some logo tattoo works .......

More sharp-witty and more difficult ideas appeared in cartooning field at least 13 years ago, i.e., Japanese Yomiuri international cartoon contest.

logos body

pic. left: "number" logos on athletes, pic. right: similar idea intro. by Taiwan's major newspaper

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Architecture no aesthetical & creative astonishment

◆ Taiwanese architects were forced to be "construction supervisors" instead of "designers" by the government's policy, this finally rouse architects' angers after enduring 10 + years, most major public architecture projects went to international architects for "unjust treaties" made by the administration. / head-line news of The United Daily, 7-17-2017


	pic. United Daily : Taiwanese architects protest "unequal treaty" which benefits foreigners

below are Taiwan's "shop-front" or "Face-valued" buildings :

architecture	This site's comment
Taipei 101 building	Ugliest skyscraper in the world : NOT very exquisite & aesthetic appearance
Tao-yuan international airport	1st Hall : copied U.S. airport. 2nd Hall : shortage of spirit breadth and arts atmosphere. ★ new building : Taiwan can neither design, nor build the blue-print designed by UK team / fir further details pls. read UDN editorial, 10-19-2019

An article by VIP professor in Taiwan major newspaper (2002) asserted : " Copy is humanism spirits" 、 " How can we enjoy & bear those original designed architecture by Taiwanese !? "

ps1: Taiwan's Pavilion at Shanghai's World Expo. (China) ― an ordinary architecture, far worse than UK's Pavilion (based upon the same construction cost and land-space).

ps2: another contrast

Can you tell which is US Washington Dulles int'l airport, or Taiwan Taoyuan int'l airport ?

			ps: Taiwan eventually was ashamed of this stealing and modified its look recently ... already after many many years

◎ps3: It's a big joke and shame again that Taiwan government used the photo of Washington Dulles int'l airport (old Taiwan airport is a cheap-copy, very similar to Dulles) on Taiwan's new passport, and refused to admit mistake until night time. ◎Apple daily, Head-line news, "Lose nation's face !! Taiwan government tried to get rid of its responsibility", 12-27-2017.

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Film/movie

● Taiwan film industry lacks good scripts and talented directors (till present 2017) ― in details, 3 major troubles :

(1) Taiwan likes to 'create' some abstract/obscure symbols attracting very very few people. Using Eastern exotic flavor was another very useful strategy for attending world film contest. Shortage of witty & creative idea led to Taiwan film industry's death.

         ⊙ Taiwan's movies fail to create better humour like "Lost in Beijing" ( red Chinese film banned by CHN gov.) .
         ⊙   Taiwan's all-time grossing film, <Cape No.7>, is not a stylish witty comedy (some world best media positioned this film as comedy), but attracts lots of Taiwanese (particularly southern Taiwanese) by some simple ideas( i.e., sort of slapstick) and Taiwanese grass-roots culture elements.
         ⊙ Taiwan's <You are the Apple of My Eye> of 2011 is very popular in TW, HK and Chn, but most of it's boyish humors are not witty & stylish, this film attracts audiences by stoking collective memory of their youngsters age.
PS: In 2012, Taiwan's films only won 2 awards in Taiwan's Golden Horse film festival (China and HK won most awards), which is the worst in latest 20 years.   In 2014, Taiwan was bit better, won 3 out of 23 awards in total.

(2) Taiwan government used to do political propaganda/comm. by using movies, till now days Taiwan's government still thinks highly of things helpful to win political elections, besides, Taiwan government's movie policy already gave up to WTO, U.S., Hollywood.

(3) Taiwanese spent little on arts, and taste not too good - many people prefer real things, like money.

	per person per year (200X)
movie	NT470 (about US 15)
drama	NT91 (US 3)
dancing show	NT65 (US 2)

● TV soap opera series : Taiwan's TV opera series focus on "charming leading-actors/actress" (not giving importance to the content) to attract audiences, so Korean, Japanese, red Chinese TV series are better & more popular. United Daily (12-28-2014): Taiwan's TV opera are not original. UDN (critique C2, 6-21-2015): Taiwan's drama crisis/ lacking of budge, passion, actor/actress.
● Variety show/program of assorted entertainment: this sort of shows were very popular and was the reason or excuse that Taiwanese people don't like going to theater watching movies, but till 2013, those stuffs were not fresh enough and already behind China's, some paper even questioned Taiwan's variety show/program of assorted entertainment : "Are they incurable?" (4/7/'13 UND). United Daily (12-26-2014): Taiwan needs creativity. Apple Daily (8-31-2015) : Taiwan's entertainment show from bad to worse, the gap between Taiwan and China becomes bigger, Taiwan's TV field in risk !

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Cartooning

<A Journey into Asian Cartoons> in FECOnews of 2019 (by Zola Zu) said that American Cartooning expert Dr. John A Lent was impressed that this relatively small country produces renowned cartoonists (e.g., Ron Chu) popular in other places besides Taiwan and the way Taiwanese cartoonists survive one way or another under the circumstances of a dwindling market ...

Once ROC on Taiwan government together with <The United News> system organized a Taiwanese team to participate in Euro's largest humour contest, ＜Kokke Heist Humour & Cartoon Festival ＞，only 3 artists (including Zola Zu) were selected.

Recently Taiwanese cartoon artists have shown little talents on Taiwan International Cartoon Contest sponsored by Taiwanese government,

Almost all juries withdrawn from <Courage World Cartoon Contest> (ranking world No. 1 for some years) , due to "seems political" reasons .

Both animation and cartooning need creativity, but at present Taiwan doesn't have that environment.

Taiwan youngsters like "Kuso" stuffs, however, formula/routine mind is not good enough for cartoon creativity.

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Japanese winning art in Knokke Heist ( open the can ) 1st prize winner in contest held by MinSen Daily News

pic. left: Knokke Heist winner's artwork, appeared earlier (by Japanese artist).
pic. right: Taiwan's 1st prize cartoon was sent to Knokke Heist, and lost.

ps: Taiwan has (only a few) world class cartoonists.

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Product Design

(1 ) Taiwan's best-selling cultural creativity :

Recently, Taiwan's best-selling & widely known product , "Chinese Fortune(or Rich) God figure toy", is based on Taiwanese superstition (Apple Daily: 88%of college students believe ghost - ps2 ), and eagerness for money,

Taiwan's figure-toy design just simplified Chinese Gods' complicated appearance to little cute mascot, in contrast, int'l designs for gods are more witty, i.e.,


⊙ Europe, Belgium rug Co.	installed a special compass in each product, its needle points to Islam's holy land instead of pointing South/North － this created a lot of business.
⊙ Japan	made a watch converting 114 world major cities' time to Islam holy land's time, with time-alarm function for Muslims' prayer.

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( 2 ) best-selling cultural products for int'l tourists

A major design periodical comments: <National Palace Museum>'s rich treasures is the key to success of Taiwan's Cultural & Creative Industry.

However, <NPM> seems to look down upon the talent of Taiwanese designers.

<NPM> product	short comments
Alessi "the Chin Family"	(1) <NPM> cooperates with Japan, Italy, hence, NPM's products are not purely Taiwanese or Chinese flavor. (2) Mr. Chin got slant eye (or "raising eyebrows"), it's western view-point, the Oriental usually don't draw that way.	Taiwan's tourists guidebook (pic. above) calls 5000 yrs treasures "Chinese Creativity" . How about "Chinese Creativity" in today's Taiwan ??
"Jadeite Cabbage" tray-pillow for chop-sticks to rest on	(1) most products directly use antique-art shape. (2) At least 20 years ago, various assorted dedicated vegetables and fruits glass chopsticks tray-pillow already were made-in-Japan (best-sellers too) .
Don Dynasty ladies picture slippers	just directly applied antique pictures on products.

<NPM> should designs Chinese treasures, and makes witty, humorous artworks to represent Taiwan's modern arts. Western tourists suppose like to buy souvenir with Chinese culture & flavor created by ourselves. "Mercenaries" cannot represent Taiwan to Olympics.

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<NPM>merchandises： slippers, mugs, etc with Don Dynasty Ladies Picture	Zola Zu's design ： (1) expo. in Europe like Holland, Turkey, and was printed in best-collection albums. (2) printed in <the China Times>.
directly use antique pictures（or simplify a little bit）	I choose the theme : When the East encounters the West, Fine arts meets Cartooning, to integrate 2 major cultures.

ps: "tech. oriented" product design like <idea> contest, <if> contest is not discussed in here

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Medical

● New York Post 4-25-2020 : Taiwan deals with CovID-19 with "a lot more authoritarian.", "almost everyone is tracked.". Taiwanese govt. responded at 4-28-2020 that Taiwanese would like to cooperate with our policy. But the truth is Taiwan's "Big Brother" already sneaked into numerous families in the name of Epidemic Prevention, by an injunction violating Tort Law and domineering over Constitution (凌駕憲法的侵權禁令) , without having noticed all nationals, in accordance with United Daily, editorial at 5-7-2020. The ironic thing is after lifting Coronavirus Lockdown, Japan doesn't trust Taiwan's Epidemic Prevention, and has not put "democratic" Taiwan on their welcome list, many other countries did same thing to Taiwan. The China Times, editorial (6-6-2020, 6-25-2020) analyzed one main reason is Taiwan rejects mass testing, even small-scale testing, the number of test per million people is 3000+, ranked world No. 138, about same level as that of African countries, even African Luanda tested double number of Taiwan's. A famous National Taiwan University M.D. expert endorsed for Taiwan's policy : there's no any CovID-19 in Taiwan, 3 weeks later, a Japanese girl staying Taiwan for 4 months was detected positive in Japan's airport. Therefore, those free flow of information can be suspicious and may endanger the world people. According to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, USA, "somewhere between 25% and 50%" of people infected with the new coronavirus may never show symptoms or fall ill — but can still transmit the illness to others (4-15-2020, Business Insider). Bill Gates in the New England Journal of Medicine: The prevalence of asymptomatic transmission doesn't bode well for global containment efforts. All studies (CNBC 5-7-2020, Singapore's Blackbox Research and Toluna, Forbes 6-5-2020, 4-16-2020: The Deep Knowledge Group) concluded China is better than Taiwan on CovID-19 safety countries rankings. The China Times 6-25-2020 editorial: Taiwan has no same capacity and experience as Beijing does to face something serious, it will be horrible in case CovID-19 epidemic break out. https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200624003961-262101?chdtv

● Apple Daily (蘋果日報, 4-15-2019), United Daily (聯合報, 4-14-2019) ... : Going easy route, lacking of ethics, MDs advised using Da Vinci for even a minor operation, 38 hospitals were suspected of making false report about Da Vinci surgery to illegally obtain benefits from national insurance up to NTD 3.5 billion.

● Apple Daily 6-30-2018 pointed out Taiwan's medical service has no good preventive health care and health promotion, and will worsen within next 10 years for political factors.

● Taiwan only ranks world 45th position in Lancet's Healthcare Access and Quality Index released in 2017 (based on mortality from causes amenable to personal health care in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2015: a novel analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015), some chronic disease items got very low or failure scores, e.g., Leukemia score 49, Kidney disease 50, Gallbladder & biliary 57, Hypertensive Heart Disease 60, diabetes mellitus 58, etc. http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(17)30818-8.pdf

● according to WEF<Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's "Physician density" ranks world No. 65 (No. 57 in 2015's report).

● Apple Daily 6-30-2018 pointed out Taiwan's only pride left, health insurance, includes no preventive health care and health promotion, and will worsen within next 10 years for political factors.
● United Daily News (5-30-2017): The biggest problem of Taiwan's medical care is too short diagnostic time, without a completed examination in most cases, usually, patients are already in serious condition when symptom became clear. / Dr. Huang D.F., president of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center
● FTV (4-16-2017, 民視) comments medical Doctors' social status is lower than before. Taiwan's current social value system is rapidly changing the culture in medical circle. Dean of NTU medical school (張上淳) advised that physicians
always keep in mind a love-based, "patient-centered", and humanistic-care thinking
● The book "Exposing the truth of modern medical circle in Taiwan" ("誤診誤醫", published by the China Times, 2012; by Xu Da-Fu ) criticizes : Taiwan's hospitals focus on profit/benefit and ignore patients' rights , The whole medical circle already went the wrong route...

◎ Surgery / Taiwan's excellent surgeons perform many operations simultaneously - happened quite often in Taiwan...
◎ Medicines / the quality of prescription medicines in Taiwan is from bad to worse...
◎ Bribery / the institution needed to be paid bribery most is judiciary system, second is Taiwan's medical and health services ...
◎ full text pls. ref. to Taiwan's Hospitals and physicians (M.D.s)

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Women's rights

● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that Victims of rape and domestic violence did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police. Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families. <The United Daily >, 3-16-2018: Taiwan's gender equality - A long long way to go ! Taiwan passed (United Nations already passed 30+ years ago at 1979) the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) , valid from Jan. 1, 2012, but, Taiwan's women rights status is still similar according to the US report released in 2013 ~ 2018, In 2015, the number of reporting for rape or sexual assault is only 850 less than that in previous year. The Gov. study showed (3-2-2019) the number of Domestic Violence in 2018 is 138637, which increases about 1% compared to previous year.

● The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 4-20-2018

Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes rape, including spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various NGO and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police.

women work: Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than men, earning on average 83 percent of their male counterparts’ income in 2015... a survey in 2016 showed 3.5 percent of women have been sexually harassed at work, yet 80 percent of these cases went unreported.

● <The United Daily 聯合報>, 3-16-2018 (prime news edition)

         Taiwan president Tsai I. W. : Taiwan still have a not short way to reach gender equality (台灣離性別平等還有一段路要走)
         <The United Daily 聯合報>, 3-16-2018 (林志潔, professor and member of national judicial reform committee)
          The judge made mistakes again and again, Taiwan's gender equality - A long long way to go !

● The China Times <中國時報> 3-8-2018: according to investigation/survey, 80% female physicians met sexual harassment, ... a female physician of Cathy Hospital had different views and said the percentage of harassment to nurse probably higher because they are young and in lower status (8成女醫曾遭性騷擾, 女醫反應兩極 ... brief)

● <Apple Daily>, 4-3-2018: According to a survey by Taiwanese government, 180 thousands of career women suffered sexual harassment, only 40-50 thousands reported to their company, others chose to keep silence... <蘋果日報> 4-7-2018: The number of sexual harassment on campus reported is up to 1400 per year.

● The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 3-3-2017 (new report of 4-20-2018 is about same) : Violence & discrimination against women is one of Taiwanese principal human rights problems for years. In 2015, the number of reporting for rape or sexual assault is only 850 less than that in previous year. Apple Daily news (12. 25. '14) reported that the percentage of those Taiwanese male aged above 20 visiting porn business (2.33 million men per yr. ) ranked world No.1. The annual value of production of Taiwan's sex industry's is at least USD 200 million. Prostitution is violence against women / ref to <Prostitution : violence with no name>, "Prostitution et Societe", 2010, "Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against women", 11-25-2016 France. Taiwan government is the main criminal to harm women's rights in large scale.

● The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 3-3-2017: spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police. Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions,...

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Sports/Athletics

● In 2016 Rio Olympics medal tally statistics, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) only got 1 gold, 2 bronze, ranks world No. 50, compare to previous years, 5 medals in 2000, 2004, 4 medals in 2008, 2 medals in 2012；Other Asian nations - China ranks No.3, Japan No.6, Korea No. 8, Australia No 10, N.Z. No.19, Iran 25, North Korea No. 34, Thailand No. 35, Indonesia No. 46, Vietnam No.48, Taiwan No. 50.

● Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) got no any medal in Korea winter Olympics of 2018.

● Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) failed to enter World Cup basketball (lost Philippines, and Japan, Australia in Asian group then was eliminated), and football, some major sports-games in 2018.

● Taiwanese baseball team lost all games in 1st round and was eliminated in World Baseball Classic 2017, the leader of Athletics government stepped down. Expert comments the system weakness is obvious but we just can't improve it, patriotism is no longer working on this issue ...

● Taiwan just held 2 world scaled athletic events that have ever seen in Taiwan's history :

World Games Kaohsiung Taiwan & Deaflympics Taipei : comments & critiques click to see how they showed Taiwan's culture and creativity.

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Summary

(1) Not easy to upgrade "Made in Taiwan" to "Create in Taiwan", since Taiwan has very few experts in creativity. (government does not think highly of them)

(2) Most Taiwanese professors (PhD) do theoretical studies, don't have talent (some even are not interested ) on witty creativity/design.

(3) Ph.D usually is required for college teacher position, it's one criterion for Taiwan government to evaluate all schools. Un-talented teachers can't train students to be talented.

(4) Taiwan's society and people don't think important of arts, culture, creativity, etc.

(5) Taiwan government official in univ. paper said Taiwan doesn't have that kind of environment for creativity.
Creativity needs freedom, democracy, and people's independent personality, government officers don't like creativity, which means extra risk.

(6) Taiwan should fight "diamond cut diamond" with western nations in major fields , instead of going backdoor (or side-door) by exotic local culture, Eastern mysterious flavor, obscure codes, etc.

(7) Taiwan government used to give less budget to cultural field, and use e.g., movie as propaganda/comm. tool. Taiwan needs int'l friends, but uncreative films won't attract enough audiences.

(8) Taiwanese government kicks cultural creativity to the corner in most time, in that creativity seems no use for political election, but requires extra efforts on social controls/adm.

(9) Taiwan's government prefers to use his own men.

(10) Taiwanese youngsters love heavy slapstick 、silly "Kuso" stuffs ("young-designers" policy is wrong).
Taiwanese adults' imaginative power is bounded, thinking in a roundabout/evasive way, their tastes are lousy ....... pls. see 2 examples as below :

	artworks introduced by Taiwan's largest news:	western artwork earlier

	Merging Mao's photo & Tian-an-men Square of Beijing with "Miki mouse" (to symbolize Red China's westernization )	Morphing Mao with "Miki mouse" (to symbolize China's westernization )
		is Biro Mihaly: A haboru borzalmai ellen, Plakat Budapest, Europe, at 1912. http://www.hnm.hu/utils/Gallery.php?ItemID=213&PicNum=9
	fighter planes pass Tian-an-men Square, and drop human-beings as bombs ps: this painting price 10 times from 2005 to 2008	using youngsters as artillery bullets (appeared earlier)

to be continued, if necessary

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understand Taiwan in 1 minute !! TAIWAN in all aspects review Taiwan top rankings on internet !

a survey to find political crimes in Taiwan

　

　

          review Taiwan
pic left: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "review Taiwan" on US Google, 5-5-2018, 1-11-2018, 9-2-2017
pic right : This websites-group was ranked No.1 on US Bing by keyword 7-1-2018
"comment Taiwan" , as well as "review Taiwan", "understand Taiwan", tested at 5-5-2018, 1-11-2018, 9-29-2017, 5-19-2017
　
　

This sites-group was ranked No.1, by "comment Taiwan"
as well as "review Taiwan", "understand Taiwan", "introduction to Taiwan" on Yahoo search,
tested at 6-6-2018, 1-11-2018, 5-19-2017
● Facebook free expression , No.1 ranks on Bing, etc, 2017 - Feb. 28, 2018
　

          Taiwan needs medicine, not cosmetic

ps2: Other researches : finger-pointing moon results in that ear will be cut (28.3%) , chopstick knock bowl results in being a beggar (22.3%), swimming in July (Lunar) results in un-luck (64.7%), whistling after sunset will encounter ghost (37%), pregnant woman using scissors will give birth to an abnormal baby(32%) - reported by <Apple Daily>5.29.2005 (largest and best news evaluated by university)

2. Taiwan's hard power

● Financial Times 5-19-2020 : Taiwan fears uptick in military threat from China in wake of coronavirus epidemic, with increasingly frequent incursions into airspace traditionally respected as a safety buffer zone. Taipei was at additional risk from the escalating dispute between the US and China.

Taiwan military vs. China military
Taiwan military	opinions
personnel ( soldiers, officials )	◆ Taiwan’s Military Is a Hollow Shell. US Defense Department officials have privately expressed dismal assessments regarding Taiwan's current force level and reserve system. ◆ armor, mechanized infantry, and artillery units are always in desperate shortage of enlisted soldiers ◆ few front-line units have more than 80 percent of their positions filled / Foreign Policy, 2-15-2020 ◆ Taiwan's active force down to under 200,000 (the exact number is classified). The nearly two million reservists exist in name only... / New York times, 5-18-2017 ◆ The ROC (Taiwan) Armed Forces number approximately 300,000, and reserves reportedly total 3,870,000. / Wikipedia, May 2020
strategy	◆ To against the threats of cyber warfare, cognitive warfare, and ‘unrestricted’ warfare from China , we ( Taiwan ) work to bolster our defense capabilities, future combat capacity development will also emphasize mobility, countermeasures, and non-traditional, asymmetrical capabilities (unconventional arms)” / Taiwan president inauguration speech, Voice of American, 5-20-2020
firepower	◆ China has ｎｕｃｌｅａｒ　ｂｏｍｂ，Neutron bomb， hydrogen bomb, Taiwan has none of those. / Next TV news, 5-8-2020 ◆ Taiwan military strength is ranked No. 26 , China PLA No. 3 / Global FirePower, 2020 ◆ A major obstacle is that countries that might sell it the most sophisticated weaponry