Taiwan, the “prodigal son of China,” offers its own little
charms. The Portuguese sailors called the island “Formosa”
(Portuguese: “beautiful”) and were not exaggerating. The mountains
of Taiwan rise to over 3000m, with valleys and gorges in between.
The few plains are crossed by wide riverbeds, which fill completely
in just a few hours during the dreaded typhoons. In addition to the
Chinese immigrants from various times, there are also a few
descendants of the Malayo-Polynesian indigenous population who have
begun to emphasize their cultural peculiarities again in recent
years.
The official name of Taiwan is the Republic of China
(R.O.C.). The island also has the name Formosa. This comes from the
Portuguese sailors who were the first Europeans to travel the waters
and called Taiwan “Ilha Formosa” (beautiful island). Formosa fell to
Japan after the Sino-Japanese War in 1895. After World War II, Japan
had to cede Formosa back to China, and the National Chinese
(Kuomintang, KMT) took control of the island. When they lost in the
civil war against Mao's communists in 1949, the national Chinese
government fled to the island of Taiwan. Until the 1970s, this
government was the official representative of all of China at the
United Nations, until it was finally expelled from the UN in favor
of the government in Beijing. Currently, 23 countries recognize
Taiwan as an independent country and have official diplomatic
relations with Taipei. The German-speaking countries have no
embassies in Taiwan. Germans and Austrians are looked after by
offices (German Cultural Center) in their countries; their embassy
in Beijing is responsible for Swiss citizens.
The People's
Republic of China views Taiwan as a breakaway province, while the
Taiwanese population is divided on the issue. A large proportion now
supports independence from China, but the proportion who support
reunification (under different political circumstances) is also
large. Western states pursue a “One China policy” and see Taiwan as
an official part of China. Nevertheless, the USA has assured Taiwan
of its support should the People's Republic attempt to
re-incorporate Taiwan by force. Germany also supplies weapons to
Taiwan.
Taiwan's democratic constitution was adopted on
December 25, 1947, but was suspended by martial law for 40 years.
While the president as head of state was previously elected by the
National Assembly, since a constitutional change in 1992, citizens
have been able to elect the president directly. The term is limited
to two consecutive four-year periods. The first freely elected
president, Lee Teng-Hui, was sworn in on May 20, 1996.
There
are around 100 political parties in Taiwan - but in 2003, the
country's four major parties accounted for 87% of legislative seats.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, “green faction”) won the 2000
presidential election; the second strongest party was the Kuomintang
National Party (KMT, “blue faction”). The People First Party (PFP)
was the third strongest and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) was
the fourth largest political party. The 2008 elections brought the
Kuomintang back to power.
The culture in Taiwan is influenced
by Chinese. The visual contrasts between modern glass facades and
old houses, the street markets, the friendliness of the people and
the very good infrastructure make traveling worthwhile and easy.
Taiwan is particularly suitable for beginners in Asia. At 36,179
km², the island is about the size of Baden-Württemberg and can be
easily traveled on a round trip along the coast of 14 to 21 days.
The bus and train network is very well developed. There is a lot to
discover in terms of cuisine and fans of Asian temple complexes will
certainly not miss out. The east coast with the Taroko National Park
and the center of the island attract with a lot of nature; likewise
the south. In the west one city is lined up next to the other, and
in the north of the island the metropolis of Taipei dominates. The
tallest building in the world until 2007 was the Taipei Financial
Center, also called “Taipei 101” because of its 101 floors.
Citizens of all EU states, Swiss and Liechtenstein residents do not
need a visa for a stay in Taiwan of up to 90 days. To enter the country
you only need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon entry.
Holders of a “temporary passport” receive a “visa on arrival.”
HIV-positive people who want to stay in the province for longer than
three months are not permitted.
Airplane
The international
airport Taiwan Taoyuan International (IATA: TPE, until 2006: “Chiang
Kai-Shek International”) in the north is served by many airlines. There
are direct flight connections several times a week from Frankfurt am
Main to Taipei with China Airlines and from Munich and Vienna (the
latter with a stopover in Bangkok) with EVA Air. There are connections
to practically all surrounding Asian countries, to the USA and to
Australia. The airport is about an hour's drive outside of Taipei. Bus
transportation to Taipei city center and major hotels is offered by
several competing bus companies. The Taoyuan Metro's only line to date
runs from the airport to Taipei Central Station in around 40 minutes at
a cost of 160 TWD (around EUR 4.50, as of June 2019). You should make
sure to choose one of the express trains with fewer stops. If you like
it more convenient, you can also take a taxi for around five to eight
times the price (approx. 1000 TWD/25 euros, as of 2012).
The
second international airport is in Kaoshiung in southern Taiwan - the
city center can be reached by taxi or KMRT in around 15 minutes.
Ship
Taiwan has very large container cargo ports at Kaoshiung in the
south, Taichung in central Taiwan and Keelung in the north. There has
been a weekly ferry connection to/from Xiamen between China and the
Taiwanese islands of Kinmen and Keelung since 2010 (Chinese booking
website).
Sailing yachts
Recreational sailors must register
their arrival at each port in the Maritime Port Bureau (航港局, MOTC)
online system. There you can also find out details about the paperwork.
For the formalities of the first arrival you have to go to one of the
major international ports. It is expected that you will contact the
harbor masters by radio about 10 nautical miles out (VHF 16). Direct
arrival from mainland China, Macau or Hong Kong special economic zones
is not permitted.
The railway system in Taiwan is well developed. The big cities can be
reached via direct connections, smaller cities have to be reached by
changing trains. At all stations there are machines and counters for
selling tickets for the same day and at other counters for later days.
The trains are generally clean. You need a valid ticket to access the
platform. This must be shown and handed in when leaving the destination
station. The staff is friendly. At the train stations there are waiting
areas and a mini market, usually from the 7-Eleven chain. The Taiwanese
railway has a very good website in Chinese and English. The routes can
be planned and tickets can be reserved online. There are three fare
classes for three different train categories. Conventional trains
(comparable to a regional train in Germany) are the cheapest and stop at
every station. Express trains skip some stations and are slightly more
expensive, and trains in the "Limited Express" category correspond to
the European InterCity/EuroCity trains and are the most expensive (about
twice the price of simple trains), but seat reservations are also
possible here (but not mandatory, although recommended - the
reservations are not written on the seats, so you have to expect to be
chased away from your seat at any time by newly boarded passengers with
reservations).
The High Speed Rail (THSR), which has been in
operation since 2007, connects the north-south axis between Taipei and
Zuoying (Kaohsiung) in around 2 hours and costs around 1490 TWD in 2nd
class, the trains that require reservations with just 3 stops you can do
it in 90 minutes for the same price. Since a large part of the route had
to be built on stilts to be earthquake-proof, this route is one of the
most expensive railway projects in the world. Except in Taipei and
Kaohsiung, these stations are not particularly well connected to the
city centers in terms of transport. However, it is possible to use free
shuttle buses that take you to the center. As a traveler it is
recommended to travel business class (1st class), it only costs a little
more, but you have more space, peace and quiet and you get free water,
coffee and a little something to nibble on to complete the journey at an
average speed of 300km/h enjoy. All rows of seats on high-speed trains
are generally located in the direction of travel (the rows are rotated
by staff at the end stations) and have their own window.
Train
tickets can also be purchased in mini markets (e.g. 7-Eleven). You first
print out a voucher for the selected connection from a machine (which
also offers various other functions, such as purchasing tickets and
money transfers), then pay at the market's cash desk and receive the
ticket there .
Rail passes
There are three types of rail
passes (2021 prices):
3 consecutive days for THSR, NT$2200
2 days
within 7 for THSR, NT$2500
5 days for the Chu-Kuang Express and all
cheaper trains, on 2 days within the validity the THSR can also be used,
NT$ 2800
The cities are also connected by bus. The intercity buses from
“Ubus”, “FreeGo”, “HoShin” and others offer an alternative to traveling
by train. The buses are modern and comfortable. The sales points are
often located near the train station or airport. A trip between the
metropolises of Taipei and Kaoshiung in a luxury bus costs around 600
TWD (13 EUR; 04/2007) and takes around four hours with favorable traffic
conditions.
There are flight connections between the big cities
sometimes even every 15 minutes. Except on some public holidays, you
generally don't need a reservation and you can even buy tickets up to a
few minutes before departure. A flight between the metropolises of
Taipei and Kaoshiung costs around 1800 TWD (40 euros; 08/2007) and takes
less than an hour. While Kaoshiung International Airport is directly
connected to the City Airport, Taipei International Airport is just
under an hour's drive from Taipei City Airport.
Taxis are yellow
and easy to find in major cities. They are metered and are quite cheap.
If you don't speak Chinese, you definitely need the name of the
destination in Chinese writing. For example, hotels always have a
Chinese name; very few taxi drivers know the English names of the
hotels.
Even though foreign driving licenses for two-wheelers are
not valid in Taiwan (!), scooters can be rented easily and cheaply in
some tourist areas and large cities. Heavy motorcycles have been allowed
in Taiwan for several years, but two-wheelers are generally not allowed
on the highway.
When renting cars, international car driving
licenses are recognized depending on the country of origin. The
transport routes outside the cities are usually very well signposted,
including in English. In large cities, traffic is often extremely dense
and confusing. A toll of 40 TWD (as of April 2007) must be paid on the
motorways for each section of approx. 30km. Speed limits are monitored
in many places and traffic lights are often equipped with cameras.
Parking fees are recorded on a piece of paper and stuck under the
windshield wiper - the fees can then be purchased in a mini-market such
as. B. Pay 7-Eleven. If the car is towed, you will often find the
license plate number and a telephone number written in chalk at the
location - a taxi driver can use this telephone number to take you to
the relevant police parking lot.
There are restrictions on
highways on some days during Chinese New Year. In general, the volume of
traffic on such public holidays is extremely high and there are often
hardly any free spaces on public transport.
During a typhoon it
is very dangerous, especially in mountainous regions, as roads or
bridges are often torn away by the water.
Taiwanese cuisine is special and very different from that of the
mainland. The offal of pork, beef and poultry, chicken feet, duck
tongues, blood and necks, which are cooked in special spice sauces, are
available everywhere and are considered a special delicacy. Chicken
breast, for example, is considered poor people's food, as can be seen in
the night markets. Killing cats and dogs for food has been banned by law
since mid-2020 and carries comparatively high penalties. People like
being a rat in Chaiyi.
Of course, there are also dishes that are
not so foreign to Western Europeans. A lot of fish and seafood are
prepared, but also poultry, beef and pork. There are many different soup
dishes. The ultimate soup is beef noodle soup. There are two versions:
once as a soup and once separately, with the sauce in a separate bowl.
You should definitely try the fresh bamboo shoots, which are served raw
with mayonnaise.
Of course, in the big cities you can also find
all of China's regional cuisines, which were brought to Taiwan by the
Kuomintang. Japanese cuisine is also very well represented. Due to the
large number of guest workers, there are also many Thai and Vietnamese
restaurants, as well as Mongolian, Indian and Western restaurants. As in
the rest of the world, there are more and more fast food chains such as
Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's and MOS Burger to be found in Taiwan,
and the trend on the streets is towards fried foods.
Taiwan is
the birthplace of bubble tea. In comparison to the chemical sugar
solutions that you get in Germany, in Taiwan there is still the original
product with some very high-quality ololong teas. There are tea shops
every few meters, but unfortunately they often only have a Chinese menu.
The teas with taro are special, although they take some getting used to,
for which Olong tea is mixed with cooked taro (sweet potato) and milk.
If you like sweets, Taiwan is the right place for you. There is
white nougat in all flavors (nougat with macadamia nuts is particularly
recommended), which is always freshly prepared, especially at the
markets. Another specialty that is particularly popular not only with
tourists are pineapple pies (Fengli Su), a somewhat dry shortcrust
pastry filled with pineapple paste. Here you should pay attention to the
quality. Good pineapple cakes cost around one euro each. Known to most
people from Japan, Taiwan also has a ton of different mochi
(Japanese-style sticky rice cakes). While traditional fillings such as
red beans, peanuts, sesame paste and green tea are still dominant, you
can now also find milk, strawberry or chocolate. A special feature is
Taiwan mochi, which is only available in special shops or pastry shops.
This is a wafer-thin layer of mochi filled with sponge cake dough, cream
and fruit. Since there is a lot of peanut and sesame cultivation in the
southwest of the island, you can also find the corresponding products
there. Particularly worth mentioning are caramelized peanut and sesame
slices. Dried salty plums in many different variations are also very
popular.
Anyone who likes ice cream and fruit will find it
difficult to leave Taiwan. Almost everywhere you can get thinly grated
water ice, sweetened with syrup and served with fresh fruit. This is the
ultimate refreshment, especially in hot weather. In the markets you can
also find pureed fruit with milk or water, served in a large cup with
ice cubes.
Fruits in Taiwan are of very high quality. If you've
always wanted to know what a mango or pineapple really tastes like, you
should go to the markets or supermarkets and get the fresh, pre-cut
fruit. The disadvantage: You will never want to eat pineapple in Germany
again. In addition to the well-known fruits, there are also fruits that
are not known in this country, such as the rose apple or fresh guavas.
You should also try starfruit, cinnamon apples, cherimoyas, pomelos and,
especially in summer, watermelon.
Many places are known for their
local culinary specialties. These are often agricultural products such
as peanuts and sesame in Peikang, rose apples in Pintung, watermelons in
Hsilo, cinnamon apples in Taitung and pomelos in Touliu. But special
dishes such as the rooster in the urn in Guanziling and the pressed
smoked duck in Ilan or sweets such as mochi in Sanyi also make the
respective towns and villages popular excursion destinations.
Taiwan offers a variety of opportunities to go out - especially in
cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung.
All major cities and many
smaller ones have at least one night market. For Western visitors, there
are many exotic experiences to be had here, especially when it comes to
food. The oft-rumored fresh snake soup is a specialty of the
tourist-oriented "Snake Alley" market on Huaxi Street near Longshan
Temple in Taipei. But that is by no means the only discovery that can be
made. Stalls with clothing, toys, snacks, drinks and meals are mixed.
Particular attention should be paid to the culinary offerings. Sweet and
savory, meat and vegetarian, fruit, seafood, soups and pasta in
never-before-seen and tasted variations can be found here.
The
most famous night markets include, next to or before Snake Alley, the
Shilin and Shimending night markets in Taipei, the Miaokou night market
in Keelung and the Liuhe night market in Kaohsiung.
Under no circumstances should Taiwan be equated with Southeast Asia
when it comes to hotel prices, even if it is cheaper than, for example,
Hong Kong. In the first half of 2023, you paid an average of NT$4,618
(€143.29) for a hotel, while simpler houses and guesthouses (B&B) charge
NT$2,647 (€82.13). In the higher category in touristy areas such as
Nantou, you will be asked to pay NT$15,449 (€479.37) per night. In many
tourist places such as Kenting or Hualien, prices in some hotels are
almost doubled on the weekends.
Hostels, small hotels and youth
hostels offer good alternatives throughout Taiwan. There is a network of
youth hostels throughout the country, which are mainly used by local
tourists. The small hotels often change their name and owner. Bookings
from Germany are possible via the international youth hostel association
and a few hotel booking systems.
If you are traveling by car or
two-wheeler, you can stay overnight in one of the many motels. Most
newer motels are very comfortable and often offer a large whirlpool tub
or massage chair in the room (ask for “SPA”). Here you notice that
motels primarily serve as places for a romantic tête-à-tête for lovers.
There are campsites with showers, toilets and barbecue facilities in
the mountains or on a few beaches.
The national language is Chinese (Mandarin). Many younger people also
speak English. At tourist destinations and in many shops in the city
center, you will be able to communicate in English without any problems.
Older people often speak Japanese as a foreign language instead as a
result of Japan's long occupation.
In addition, Taiwanese,
another dialect of Chinese, is very widespread, especially in the
southern part of the country. Since there is a certain national pride
associated with it - after all, the language was banned during the
military dictatorship - there are always people who speak exclusively in
Taiwanese.
Caution: Many taxi or bus drivers do not understand
English and often do not understand the Latin alphabet. It is an
advantage to have a travel guide with city or street names in Chinese or
to have hotel addresses or something similar written down. However, one
should not forget that the characters are written in traditional
notation. So be careful with books or travel guides that you buy abroad.
Mobile phone apps that can, on the one hand, translate texts via the
camera and, on the other hand, translate spoken text into writing and
speech, are now also very helpful.
The currency of the province is the “new Taiwan dollar” (NT$), which
in business, as with almost all currencies in East Asia, is represented
by the character 元, analogue is 角 ⅒ and 分 or ¢ ⅟100. The central bank
issues notes of NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1000, NT$2000 (illustrations
of the valid series), with 200 and 2000 notes being rare. Similarly,
cent coins are rarely used; the pieces in circulation are mainly NT$1,
NT$5, NT$10, NT$20 and NT$50.
For one euro you get NT$32.23.
People often associate Taiwan - just like Thailand, for example - with a
cheap country, but in reality this is by no means the case. Technical
equipment in particular is usually only slightly cheaper than in Europe.
Textiles are cheap in the night markets, and we find identical price
levels in western department stores. The “fakes” from big brands like
“adidas”, which are then quickly called “adidadi”, are entertaining.
Payment in the department stores is possible in cash or with credit
cards. Prices are reasonable at the night markets, which offer food,
textiles, CDs, pets, jewelry and food.
The most important holidays are Chinese New Year. Since this is based on the lunar calendar (new moon), it is not in sync with our solar calendar - Chinese New Year is in late January or February. The New Year is the only time of year when business in otherwise busy Taiwan almost comes to a standstill for a few days. It is very difficult to get train, bus or plane tickets on Chinese New Year. Extreme traffic jams and parking shortages are to be expected throughout Taiwan. Hotels and restaurants are often hopelessly fully booked and the prices for services (hotels, taxis) can be significantly increased during this time.
Taiwan is considered one of the safest travel destinations in Asia.
Europeans are treated with respect and a lot of curiosity. There are no
attacks on tourists and they are punished harshly by the state. The
country seems to be happy about any “foreigner” who joins the country
R.O.C. - Brings a bit of recognition to Taiwan and breaks isolation.
Visiting the night markets is also safe at any time of the night, apart
from the usual risk of encountering pickpockets in the dense crowds.
Taiwan is an earthquake zone, so tremors and tsunamis are to be
expected. The island is also regularly hit by typhoons, which causes
severe damage to the infrastructure, including flooding. Earthquakes and
storms also cause loose slopes and rocks in the mountains. You should
therefore pay attention to mudslides and falling rocks.
Overall, Taiwan is a very safe country. Eating and drinking is
relatively safe. You can now drink tap water without any problems, and
all of the lead pipes that were previously common have been replaced.
However, many residents still prefer bottled water. Medical care in
Taiwan is good and most doctors in major hospitals speak English.
As in all tropical countries, you should protect yourself from
strong sunlight in Taiwan, even on cloudy days.
There are several
species of venomous snakes in the mountains, but there are actually no
reported incidents. You should protect yourself from mosquitoes at night
with appropriate clothing or sprays. In rare cases, dengue fever has
been transmitted through mosquito bites in Taiwan. Vaccination
recommendations can be found on Tropeninstitut.de.
Respect is very important in Taiwan according to the Chinese way of
life. This is especially true in the relationship between younger and
older people. These include honesty, saving face and posture.
One
should not leave the chopsticks upright in the food, as this actually
symbolizes a ritual for the dead. Instead, place the chopsticks flat on
the bowl or next to the bowl. If you are eating with several people at
the table, you should not use your own chopsticks to grab food from the
plates, but rather use the chopsticks that are with the dish (“Gong
Kuai”). But a foreigner's mistakes are readily forgiven anyway.
Shoes should be taken off before entering private homes. There are also
a few temples or restaurants where you have to take off your shoes.
In Taiwan, temples are not only religious sites, but generally also
simply places where normal life takes place; people discuss, play,
learn, laugh, make phone calls, eat, buy, sell, smoke, drink, and sleep.
When visiting a temple, in contrast to many other countries, there is
less need to pay attention to appropriate clothing. Basically,
appearance also affects how you are treated by your counterpart. A
well-groomed appearance is recommended; women should avoid choosing
clothes that are too daring. In most temples, taking photos isn't a
problem as long as you don't squeeze in between those praying. In some
temples, however, taking photos of the main altar is prohibited.
Post offices usually open Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday
until 12:30 p.m. Larger branches also exchange foreign currencies
including Euro cash, which is rarely accepted elsewhere.
Phone
calls to Germany are very cheap. Cards and payphones are available in
large numbers. For telephone calls without an operator, you must first
dial 002 and then the country code without zero (for Germany, 49). Cards
can be purchased at ATMs or in any 7-Eleven supermarket.
Cell
phone calls are also possible without any problems with a German cell
phone. When dialing, instead of 0049, you can only enter +49 for
Germany. Sending SMS is possible without any problems, as is receiving
it (some costs also apply to receiving it).
Prepaid SIM cards are
available in many phone shops. In addition to cheap call tariffs, there
are also many interesting data tariffs. For legitimation you need 2
documents, e.g. B. Passport and ID card or driving license. It is
recommended that activation be carried out by telephone shop staff. You
can get cards to top up your credit in many stores, for example at
7-Eleven or Family Mart. SIM cards for tourists with special data
tariffs can already be purchased at the airport. Since the tariffs
offered are almost uniform, it can be practical to sign up here (as of
2023) in order to subsequently use online phone calls and translation
apps. The most commonly used messaging service in Taiwan is Line.
Internet cafes - now a dying business model - are a cheap way to
send news back home. An hour costs between 10 and 25 Taiwan dollars,
currently between €0.25 and €0.50. The computers are modern, the
connection is DSL. The other visitors will mostly be playing on the PC,
the noise will distract them from emailing and at the same time create
an entertaining picture.
On the other hand, there is the paid
WiFly, which enables broadband across 10,000 hotspots nationwide,
especially in American-style franchise chains. Stored cards, available
at MOS Burger and 7-Eleven, cost 1 day; NT$180, 30 days: 500, 365 days:
1200.
After the end of the Pacific War in 1945, Japan surrendered to
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek under General Order No. 1 from Supreme
Commander of the Allied Powers Douglas MacArthur. The island of Taiwan
(then: Formosa) was handed over to the Republic of China after fifty
years of Japanese colonial rule. Shortly thereafter, civil war between
the Kuomintang and the Communists broke out again in mainland China.
After Chiang Kai-shek's defeat, the government and army of the Republic
of China withdrew to the island of Taiwan, making Taiwan and several
smaller islands of other provinces the sole control of the Republic of
China. The Communists founded the People's Republic of China on the
mainland. The Republic of China was also called National China or
National China, in contrast to the People's Republic.
After the
traumatic events of the defeat against the communists on the Chinese
mainland, the national Chinese government was almost paranoid about
communist attempts to overthrow the island of Taiwan, which was the only
remaining territory. Any oppositional sentiments were rigorously
suppressed. From May 20, 1949, there was a nationwide state of
emergency. The Kuomintang saw itself as the only legitimate government
in all of China and only wanted to accept elections from the citizens of
all of China. Therefore, new parliamentary elections were suspended
indefinitely. The deputies elected in the last all-China election in
1948 were to retain their mandates under the Constitution of the
Republic of China until the unification of China. Since the
representatives of this parliament (the National Assembly), elected in
1948, overwhelmingly belonged to or supported the Kuomintang, this meant
the quasi-one-party rule of the KMT. Women's suffrage was introduced in
1953. From 1971 onwards, so-called supplementary elections were
permitted, through which the now deceased members of parliament were
replaced.
Towards the end of the 1980s, democratization began in
Taiwan under the Kuomintang government. The emergency clauses that had
been in effect since 1948 were removed from the constitution and new
parties were admitted alongside the Kuomintang. On July 14, 1987, the
state of emergency that had been in effect since 1949 was officially
ended. In 1992, the constitution was changed after a free parliamentary
election and direct election was introduced instead of the previous
indirect election of the president. The first direct presidential
election took place in 1996, which was won by President Lee Teng-hui of
the Kuomintang, who had been in office since 1988.
Until October
1971, the Republic of China (on Taiwan) was the only successor state to
the former Republic of China, which existed between 1911 and 1949, and
was a member of the United Nations. With Resolution 2758 of the UN
General Assembly of October 25, 1971, it lost this position to the
People's Republic of China. Since then, the Republic of China has only
been recognized internationally by a few states. Many Taiwanese want a
stable, international position. The government of the People's Republic
of China, however, considers Taiwan a "breakaway province" and threatens
to "reclaim" the island militarily if Taiwan declares independence (see
anti-secession law), even though Taiwan has never been under the rule of
the People's Republic of China . Most Western governments, on the one
hand, adhere to the one-China policy and, on the other hand, outlaw any
military threat. In 1979, the USA passed a law (Taiwan Relations Act)
through which, on the one hand, it broke off diplomatic contacts with
Taiwan, but at the same time committed itself to providing Taiwan with
assistance against any military threat. This does not necessarily
include military intervention by the USA - what is meant above all is
the sale of defensive weapons to Taiwan. There are also the US Six
Assurances to Taiwan from 1982. In March 2018, US President Donald Trump
signed a bill passed by Congress that expressly supports travel by
high-ranking US representatives to Taiwan and visits from Taiwan at all
levels. In October 2021, US President Joe Biden described it as the US's
obligation to militarily defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by the
People's Republic of China; The White House then clarified that this
statement did not mean a departure from the previous position based on
the Taiwan Relations Act. A similar clarification from the White House
was made in August following a similar statement by Biden, which, in
addition to Taiwan, also affected Japan and South Korea.
The
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the 2000 and 2004 presidential
elections. The government under President Chen Shui-bian, who was in
office from 2000 to 2008, had promised in its election programs to draw
up a new constitution, which would mean the abolition of the old
republican constitution, in which, for example, the name “Republic of
China” and the state border were stipulated. Under international
pressure, especially from the United States, the government decided not
to touch this passage and Chen Shui-bian proclaimed the policy of the
five nos. Nevertheless, the Unification Council was dissolved, which led
to severe threats from the People's Republic of China. The parliamentary
elections in 2008 and 2012 were won by the Kuomintang, whose candidate
Ma Ying-jeou also won the presidential election in 2008 and 2012,
initially defusing this conflict. On November 7, 2015, President Ma
Ying-jeou and President of the People's Republic Xi Jinping met in
Singapore. No treaties or joint declarations were signed at this
symbolic meeting.
The opposition party DPP won the Taiwanese
presidential election and the parliamentary election in January 2016.
Alongside elected President Tsai Ing-wen, she also has a majority in
parliament for the first time in history.
The "Taiwan Region" is an area that covers 36,197.07 km² and
includes the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, as well as
a number of smaller islands. Since the evacuation to Taiwan in 1949
by the Kuomintang government, the term "Taiwan Region" also refers
to the area under the de facto jurisdiction of the government of the
Republic of China.
Taiwan is the largest of a chain of
islands located on the border of the Asian continental shelf and
located between Japan and the Philippines. The island reaches 394 km
in length and 144 km in its widest part. The coastline has a rather
smooth contours and stretches for 1566 km (including the islands of
the Penghu archipelago). The island is separated from the east coast
of mainland China by the Taiwan Strait, 130 to 220 km wide, and is
approximately equidistant from Shanghai and Hong Kong SAR and Macau.
Part of the islands of the Taiwan region (Kinmen and Matsu) are
located in close proximity to the mainland.
The population of Taiwan as of December 2022 was estimated at
23,264,640 people. Since the area of the Republic of China is 36,197
km², the population density is 643 people per square km. It is the 10th
largest in the world in terms of population density and the second in
Asia (after Bangladesh), excluding micro-countries. Almost the entire
population of the Republic of China is urban. The main population of the
Republic of China is concentrated on the flat western coast of the
island of Taiwan and lives in a megalopolis (urban agglomerations
flowing one into another), from Xingbei in the north to Kaohsiung in the
south. As of 2019, one third of the total population of the Republic of
China lived in the north of Taiwan in the Greater Taipei metropolitan
area. The population decline in 2021 was 1.3%.
Most of Taiwan's
population lives in urban areas. The largest of them are as follows: New
Taipei (6,607,115 people), Kaohsiung (2,752,008), Taichung-Zhanghua
(2,161,327), Taoyuan (1,814,437), Tainan (1,237,886), Hsinchu (671,464
), Chiayi (373,417). All of them are located on the west coast of
Taiwan. Largest cities (as of 2009: Taipei (2,620,273), Kaohsiung
(1,526,128), Taichung (1,067,366), Tainan (768,891), Hsinchu (396,983),
Jilong (390,299), Chiayi ( 272 718).
97% of Taiwan's population are ethnic Chinese (Han); almost
3% are indigenous peoples (the oldest population of the island of
Taiwan) who speak the Taiwanese languages of the Austronesian family.
The official language is Chinese (Goyu), but the majority of the
population speaks other dialects of Chinese, Taiwanese and Hakka.
Traditional Chinese characters are used.
Until recently,
indigenous languages did not have official status and gradually
disappeared, but since 2016, progress has been made in implementing the
policy of mainstreaming ethnic issues.
In 2017, Parliament passed
the Indigenous Languages Act. Now they can be taught in schools for an
hour a week and on a voluntary basis. In December 2018, a draft law on
the support of national languages was adopted, which affirms the
equality of all languages spoken in the republic; the use of national
languages should not be subject to discrimination or restrictions. The
bill also provides for the support of printed materials, films and
television programs in the languages of the Republic of China.
The most widespread religion in Taiwan - if it can be classified as a
religion at all - is Chinese folk belief, with a share of around 43.8%
(as of 2020) of the total population of Taiwan. This includes a small
minority of followers of Confucianism.
Overall, freedom of
religion and belief in Taiwan is considered to be extremely high. In the
IHEU's Freedom of Thoughts Report from 2018 e.g. B. Taiwan, together
with the Netherlands and Belgium, shared first place among all countries
surveyed worldwide.
The “classic” religions with the most followers are Buddhism (21.2%) and Daoism (< 15.5%), each of which adopts elements of the other religion, so that the dividing line between them is fluid.
The proportion of Christians in Taiwan's total population was 3.9%, according to a 2005 census. More recent estimates indicate proportions of more than 4 or more than 5%. Native peoples have largely embraced the Christian faith in recent decades, which includes Catholics, Protestants, New Apostolic Christians and Mormons. The first missions took place in the 17th century by the Dutch and Spaniards.
Muslims have also existed in Taiwan since the 17th century. There are currently over 210,000 Muslims living in the Republic of China. This corresponds to around 0.3% of the population. They include around 60,000 native Muslims (around 90% of them Hui) as well as over 150,000 immigrant Muslims, mainly from Indonesia (around 110,000) and other Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.
A Jewish community has also existed in Taiwan since the mid-20th century. In 2021, there were about 1,000 Jewish residents living in Taiwan.
The indigenous people have been predominantly Christianized since around 1960. However, within many Catholic communities there are still male and female shamans who carry out their traditional practices. They are consulted particularly in the case of incurable illnesses, feelings of guilt towards the deceased, serious family crises or losses. Some of the shamans do describe themselves as Catholics; they connect the ideas in a syncretic manner.
The Republic of China has been a democracy since overcoming one-party
rule in the 1990s, and the president and members of the unicameral
parliament have been elected in free, equal and secret elections since
the 1990s. From the perspective of some Western observers, Taiwanese
democracy has significance that extends beyond Taiwan's borders in that
Taiwan is seen as a model for the future democratization of the People's
Republic of China, since the model of a pluralistic-democratic Chinese
society is being practiced in close proximity to the authoritarian-ruled
People's Republic.
In the 2022 Democracy Index, Taiwan ranks 10th
out of 167 countries and territories, making it by far the best-placed
state in Asia in this ranking, ahead of Germany and Austria, among
others. In the Freedom Index country lists 2017 and 2018 by the US
non-governmental organization Freedom House, Taiwan also received scores
of 91 and 93, respectively, which are better values than traditionally
democratic states such as the USA, France or Italy.
Before
democratization, the National Assembly, which was formed in 1947 as a
whole of China, was in office. On the grounds that new elections for the
whole of China were not possible and in order not to give up the right
to represent the whole of China, her term of office, which was
originally intended to last seven years, was extended indefinitely,
which also earned her the name “Long Parliament”.
Until 1992, the
Kuomintang, which controlled the National Assembly, ruled virtually as
the sole party. In the course of democratization, the National Assembly
gradually handed over its powers to the Legislative Yuan, which was
freely elected for the first time in 1992, until it was finally
dissolved in 2005.
Today's party landscape in the Republic of
China is mainly characterized by two political blocs: the pan-green
coalition (Chinese: 泛綠聯盟 / 泛绿联盟, pinyin Fànlǜ liánméng), consisting of
the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Taiwan Solidarity Union
(TSU) and the smaller Taiwan Independence Party (TAIP), and the pan-blue
coalition (Chinese 泛藍聯盟 / 泛蓝联盟, pinyin Fànlán Liánméng), consisting of
the Kuomintang (KMT), the Qinmindang ("People's Proximity Party", PFP)
and the smaller Xindang (“New Party”, CNP). The color designations come
from the party flags of the two major popular parties, DPP and KMT. In
relation to the People's Republic of China, the green camp seeks “formal
independence” for Taiwan, while the blue camp advocates maintaining the
status quo. In the long term, parts of the blue camp are striving for a
reunification of China under democratic conditions.
Until 1992,
the National Assembly elected the President. In 1994, a constitutional
amendment introduced direct election of the president, which was first
done in 1996. From 2000 to 2008, Chen Shui-bian (DPP) was the first
president who was not a member of the Kuomintang. The 2008 Legislative
Yuan election and the March 22, 2008 presidential election brought the
Kuomintang back to power. Ma Ying-jeou has been president since May 20,
2008. The Kuomintang maintained political power in the 2012 Legislative
Yuan elections and the January 14, 2012 presidential election. Ma's
second term in office was marked by increasing popular discontent, which
was expressed, among other things, in the occupation of parliament
during the Sunflower Movement in spring 2014 and the KMT's defeats in
the local elections on November 29 of the same year. After the clear
victory of the opposition party DPP and its leading candidate Tsai
Ing-wen in the parliamentary elections and the presidential election on
January 14, 2016, there was another change of power. In the subsequent
presidential election on January 11, 2020, President Tsai was confirmed
in office. Her party, the DPP, lost votes in the parliamentary elections
held at the same time, but was able to maintain an absolute majority of
seats.
The constitution of the Republic of China is based on the political
teachings of Sun Yat-sen (“Three Principles of the People”) and was
developed on the mainland in 1946. It came into force on December 25,
1947 and requires a division into five powers, each exercised by a Yuan
(State Council): legislative, executive, judicial, audit and control.
Until its dissolution in 2005, the National Assembly had the sole right
to make constitutional changes. Since then, constitutional changes
approved by parliament have to be confirmed in referendums with over 50
percent of eligible votes.
The head of state is the President,
who is directly elected for four years and is also commander in chief of
the armed forces and may only be re-elected once.
Yuans (State
Councilors)
The constitution of 1947 provides for a five-fold
division of power - in contrast to the Western-style three-way division
(executive, legislative, judiciary):
The Executive Yuan is the
government or cabinet of the Republic of China, chaired by the Prime
Minister. He is appointed by the President in consultation with the
Legislative Yuan.
Composed of 113 deputies since 2008, the
Legislative Yuan is Taiwan's parliament, which is endowed with
legislative authority and oversees the work of the Executive Yuan.
The Judicial Yuan consists of 15 judges and is the highest judicial
body in the state. It also forms the country's constitutional court.
The Examination Yuan is responsible for the selection of officials.
The Control Yuan performs the function comparable to an audit court
and can carry out disciplinary proceedings against civil servants.
At the time of the Kuomintang dictatorship, after the Chinese Civil
War, the view was that mainland China had “separated” through the
founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. However, the
government of the Republic of China has no longer pursued the exclusive
representation claim for China since the democratization of the country.
From the perspective of the People's Republic, Taiwan is a breakaway
province. On March 14, 2005, China's National People's Congress almost
unanimously passed the anti-secession law, which provides for military
action against Taiwan if it formally declares independence.
The
pan-green coalition, including the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP),
which formed the president and government between 2000 and 2008, is
seeking recognition of Taiwan as a state. However, from the DPP's point
of view, a formal declaration of independence is not necessary since
Taiwan is already a sovereign state under the name “Republic of China”.
As a promise to the USA and to reassure the People's Republic of
China, President Chen Shui-bian, who was in office from 2000 to 2008,
defined the policy of the five nos (Chinese 四不一沒有, Pinyin sì bù yī méi
yǒu, English four nos and one without - " four no's and one no'. As long
as Taiwan is not under acute military threat from China, the Republic of
China will:
not declare independence,
do not change the name of
the state,
not include an article in the Constitution that describes
relations with the People's Republic as “intergovernmental relations”,
not hold a referendum on changing the status quo on the question of
independence or reunification,
not change the existing Taiwanese
guidelines for “national reunification” (i.e. reunification only through
negotiations with the People’s Republic of China and under democratic
conditions on the Chinese mainland).
This declaration essentially
reflected the Taiwanese position since the beginning of President Ma
Ying-jeou's (Kuomintang) term in office, although it was not enshrined
in law. Regardless of any disputes, the Republic of China is de facto
fully independent and has full sovereignty over Taiwan.
Other states do not maintain diplomatic relations, but contact is
maintained through unofficial representations, so-called Taipei Economic
and Cultural Offices, without assigning these institutions the status of
an embassy. In 2023, such representations existed in 61 countries,
including the USA, Canada, Russia, most European Union countries and
Switzerland. Jhy-Wey Shieh has been the representative of the Taipei
representation in the Federal Republic of Germany since 2016. In
November 2021, a “Taiwan representative office” opened in the Lithuanian
capital Vilnius, which resulted in significant diplomatic and economic
pressure from China on Lithuania and the EU, including the Lithuanian
ambassador having to leave Beijing, domestic and foreign companies
operating in China were no longer allowed to operate for Lithuania and
goods destined for Lithuania and already paid for were no longer allowed
to leave China.
In addition, high-ranking politicians or even
government members of Western countries are increasingly traveling to
Taiwan. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives,
traveled to Taiwan on August 2, 2022 as the highest-ranking
representative of the United States of America in 25 years. China viewed
Pelosi's trip as interference in the Taiwan conflict, which had already
been condemned by the State Council of the People's Republic of China
and led to a major Chinese military exercise to seal off the Republic of
China. On March 21, 2023, Federal Education and Research Minister
Bettina Stark-Watzinger was the first German government member to travel
to Taiwan in 26 years. The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the
two-day visit, which included the signing of a technology cooperation
agreement between the Republic of China and Germany, as an "outrageous
act" and expressed its "strong disapproval" in a protest note.
The Republic of China has bilateral free trade agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, New Zealand and Singapore. The agreements signed with New Zealand and Singapore in 2013 were the first agreements of their kind with states that do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. A Framework Agreement on Economic Cooperation (ECFA) was signed with the People's Republic of China in 2010. The Taiwanese government aims to sign more bilateral agreements or join international free trade blocs such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Since 1949, Taiwan has had a relatively large and well-equipped army, which must be constantly prepared for an invasion by the People's Liberation Army due to the People's Republic of China's anti-secession law. From 1949 to the 1970s, the strategy was aimed at conquering the mainland. The army later transformed into a defense army, control of which was handed over to the civilian leadership. The high military expenditure placed a considerable burden on the national budget for many decades. Since the 1990s, spending on the military has increased only slightly, so that the relative share of the military budget in total government spending has fallen. However, at over 2 percent of the gross domestic product, it is still well above the corresponding values of European countries. Part of military spending, such as pension payments for former soldiers or maintenance of military buildings, is not financed from the defense budget, so total military spending is higher than that officially stated. In 2013, the armed forces had around 220,000 soldiers and up to 2.6 million in defense situations. Compulsory military service applies to all men aged 18 and over.
For several years there have been discussions about abolishing
military service, which is a very unpopular institution among the young
population. In principle, both major parties (Kuomintang and DPP) have
spoken out in favor of transforming the armed forces into a professional
army. Military service should gradually be abolished completely.
Military service should be replaced by a mandatory two-month basic
military training. As part of this objective, the length of military
service was gradually reduced from 22 months before 2004 to 20 months at
the end of 2004, 18 months from July 2005 to 12 months from 2008.
According to the plans, the target troop strength was to be reduced from
350,000 men in 2004 to 275,000 in 2009 and 215,000 in 2014. At the same
time, the transition to a purely volunteer army should be carried out.
The downsizing and professionalization were expected to free up
resources for weapons development and procurement. However, this
schedule was not adhered to. In 2013, the Taiwanese armed forces were
220,000 strong, but almost a third of them were still military service
members. A second announced deadline at the end of 2015 was also not
met. Difficulties in recruiting enough volunteers for the military were
cited as the reason for the delays. The need for a strong military can
no longer be easily understood, especially by young people, in a time of
intensive economic and cultural relations with the People's Republic of
China. Older military personnel complained about a lack of patriotic
spirit among young people.
After her election in January 2016,
new President Tsai Ing-wen (DPP) stated that her government would
address this issue within the first 10 months of her term. On December
12, 2016, Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) announced that
conscription would finally be abolished in 2017, although that date also
seemed uncertain. While some political commentators praised the new DPP
government's increased attention to national defense, they warned in
light of the discussions against weakening Taiwan's military defenses
too much and lowering the target strength below the planned 215,000
troops. Ultimately, conscription was retained against the backdrop of
increasing tensions with the People's Republic of China. On December 27,
2022, the Taiwanese government announced that it would extend mandatory
military service from the previous four months to one year from January
2024.
Since 2001 there has also been the alternative of community
service, which lasts one year.
A defense alliance had existed with the United States since 1954, but
it expired in 1979 when the United States ended its official diplomatic
relations with Taiwan. In a joint communiqué dated August 17, 1982, then
President Ronald Reagan agreed with representatives of the People's
Republic of China to largely reduce the supply of US military equipment
to Taiwan. As a result of this embargo on defense products, Taiwan was
forced to advance its own developments. From 1980 onwards, the AIDC
F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo fighter-bomber (named after then-President Chiang
Ching-kuo) was developed in Taiwan. The technologies for this (radar
systems, etc.) came largely from the United States, as there was no
embargo on the export of technology. Between 1989 and 1999, 131 examples
of this fighter aircraft were built and put into service. In September
1992, US President George Bush agreed to sell 150 F-16A/B fighter jets
to Taiwan for US$5.8 billion. On November 17, 1992, Taiwanese
representatives also signed a contract for the delivery from France of
60 Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft, including 48 single-seat
2000-5Ei and 12 two-seat 2000-5Di. Both contracts met with strong
criticism from the People's Republic of China.
The Taiwan Strait
crisis of 1995/96 brought about a turning point in US policy. The
People's Republic of China's blatant military threats towards Taiwan led
to Taiwan's military cooperation with the USA significantly expanding
again. Since 1997, Taiwanese F-16 pilots have been trained at the US
Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Since 2006, Taiwan has been seeking to
purchase new F-16C/D fighter jets. The procurement of spare parts for
the Mirages from France since 2012 also proved to be complicated. On
September 21, 2011, an agreement was reached with the USA that provided
for the modernization of the 145 Taiwanese F-16A / B by 2021 for US$ 5.3
billion. In 2005/06, the US sold four Kidd-class guided-missile
destroyers to Taiwan. These have since become the largest ships in the
Taiwan Navy.
Although there is no military alliance between the
United States and Taiwan and the two countries do not have official
diplomatic relations, military cooperation is significant. Taiwan is one
of the main buyers of US military equipment. In the years 2004-2007 the
country invested US$ 4.3 billion in this regard, and in 2008-2011 it was
US$ 2.9 billion. In 2004-2007, Taiwan was in fourth place (after Israel,
Egypt and Saudi Arabia) and in 2008-2011 in fifth place after Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Israel and Australia among the main foreign buyers of the
US defense industry.
A significant intensification of military
cooperation occurred under Donald Trump's presidency. The reason for
this was the deterioration in Chinese-American relations, which was
reflected in the trade conflict between the two countries. On June 17,
2018, representatives of Taiwan and the United States signed an
agreement allowing Taiwanese defense experts to officially visit U.S.
defense industry research facilities. According to Taiwanese
politicians, the agreement made it possible to significantly improve
Taiwan's self-defense capabilities. On July 9, 2019, the US State
Department approved an arms deal worth US$2.2 billion: Taiwan will
receive a total of 108 M1 Abrams tanks, 250 Stinger anti-aircraft
missiles and related accessories from the US. The conclusion of the
contract led to violent protests from the People's Republic of China. On
August 21, 2019, US President Donald Trump gave the green light to the
delivery of 66 F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets to Taiwan, worth US$8
billion.
In April 2020, government plans were announced to
increase the military budget to approximately NT$400 billion (US$13.1
billion) by 2027. In 2020, Taiwan's military spending was approximately
US$11.34 billion. This was compared to military spending by the People's
Republic of China of US$ 177.5 billion.
On September 2, 2022, the
US government under President Joe Biden approved arms sales worth US$1.1
billion, including US$355 million for Harpoon anti-ship missiles, US$85
million for AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and $655 million for
radar systems to detect incoming missiles. A State Department spokesman
called the systems “essential to Taiwan’s security.” The People's
Republic of China then threatened “retaliatory measures”.
In 2019, the fire department in Taiwan had 8,180 professional and 26,500 volunteer firefighters nationwide, working in 544 fire stations and fire stations, where 959 fire engines and 197 turntable ladders or telescopic masts are available. The National Fire Agency of Taiwan (NFA; Chinese 內政部消防署, pinyin Nèizhèngbù Taiwan). The authority's responsibilities include emergency medicine, fire protection, firefighting, disaster rescue as well as property protection and public safety. It represents the Taiwanese fire brigades with their over 34,000 fire brigade members.
In 2017, the Republic of China legalized same-sex marriage
and thus became the first state in Asia to allow same-sex marriages to
be registered.
On May 24, 2017, the Constitutional Court ruled
that the constitutional right to equality and freedom of marriage
guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry in accordance with the
Constitution of the Republic of China. The Ordinance (Judicial Yuan
Interpretation No. 748) gave the Legislative Yuan two years to harmonize
marriage laws, after which the registration of such marriages would
automatically take effect. Since the ruling, progress in implementing
the same-sex marriage law has been slow due to government inaction and
strong opposition from some conservative people and Christian groups. In
November 2018, the Taiwanese electorate held referendums to prevent the
recognition of same-sex marriage in the Civil Code and to limit the
teaching of LGBT issues. The government responded by affirming that the
Court's decision would be implemented and that referendums could not
uphold laws that were contrary to the Constitution.
On February
20, 2019, a bill titled "JY Interpretation Enforcement Act No. 748" was
promulgated. The bill gave same-sex couples almost all of the rights
available to heterosexual couples under the Civil Code, except that it
would only allow the adoption of a child genetically related to one of
them.
The Executive Yuan handed it over the next day, sending it
to the Legislative Yuan for a quick review. The bill was passed on May
17, signed by the President on May 22, and entered into force on May 24,
2019 (the last day possible under the Court's order).
At the same
time, initially marriages with citizens of foreign states were
registered only if it was permissible in the country of citizenship of
the foreign partner. According to Art. 46 of the Law on the Regulation
of Civil Affairs with the Participation of Foreign Citizens, the
conclusion of a marriage union is regulated by the law of the country of
citizenship. Any marriages between partners, one of whom is Taiwanese,
had to first be contracted in the foreign partner's country and then
approved by the Taiwanese Ministry of the Interior. In January 2023, the
Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to allow the registration of
same-sex marriages with foreigners regardless of their citizenship,
however, the exception remained in force for KN citizens.