AmCham 
Publications Topics Archive Topics Archive 2007 Vol.37- No.11 Editorial - Where is Taiwan's Vision?
Publications Topics Archive Topics Archive 2007 Vol.37- No.11 Editorial - Where is Taiwan's Vision? | Editorial - Where is Taiwan's Vision? |
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Where is Taiwan's Vision? AmCham's advocacy agenda, as reflected in the position papers in the annual Taiwan White Paper, inevitably tends to focus on proposing immediate solutions to current problems. Similarly, the discussion of public affairs by Taiwan's political figures, mass media, and other opinion leaders is ordinarily centered on the issues of the day - when it doesn't get mired in debates over decades-old events. All too rarely does anyone take the opportunity to step back, try to peer into the future, and pose some pertinent questions: What are the longer-range goals for this economy and society? What will need to be done, starting now, to enable those objectives to be accomplished? What obstacles will have to be overcome? This special issue of Taiwan Business TOPICS, featuring the "Vision 2020" section starting in page 19, is precisely that kind of exercise. The section seeks to cover a broad range of subject matter, from various facets of economic development to democratic consolidation, international relations, national defense, rule of law, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. For each of the 14 topics, TOPICS invited a well-known Taipei-, Hong Kong- or Washington-based authority in that field to look one 12-year Chinese calendar cycle into the future and address the challenges Taiwan will face and the goals it should try to attain by 2020. A theme raised in several of the papers is the need for Taiwan to be less inward-looking and to embrace, rather than resist, the forces of globalization. To a large degree, that implies greater economic openness to China, the world's fastest-growing economy and the source of huge business opportunities. It also means making marked improvements in the educational system and in regulatory efficiency, fairness, and transparency to ensure that Taiwan remains competitive. Another common theme among multiple papers is that Taiwan possesses the strong potential to develop and prosper in the years ahead - provided that it has the benefit of vigorous, clear-minded, and enlightened leadership. It is therefore particularly timely that "Vision 2020" is being published in the midst of the campaign for the presidential election next March. AmCham recommends that the presidential and vice presidential nominees and their aides regard this special section as a useful source of reference as they put together the policy objectives that will define their candidacies. After the election, the winning team might well give these papers a rereading as a reminder of what needs to be tackled during their term in office to help set the stage for a politically stable, economically flourishing, and socially just Taiwan in 2020. "Vision 2020" of course also suggests the notion of 20/20 vision. We cannot guarantee that the accuracy of the perceptions offered in this section reaches that standard. But we are confident that the collective wisdom and experience presented by the contributors will deserve wide attention and should act as a catalyst for productive discussion. |
