Taiwan has met the Covid-19 challenge

Despite a 24 million population, Taiwan’s share in the global caseload remains low with 300 cases and 5 fatalities. How did Taiwan respond to COVID-19? What are the implications of its response? On April 9, the Hudson Institute hosted a panel discussion on “Taiwan’s Strong COVID-19 Response: Remarks by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.” The discussion featured four speakers:

Vincent Chao: Director of the Political Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States

Patrick Cronin: Senior Fellow and Asia-Pacific Security Chair, Hudson Institute

Rob Spalding: Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

Joseph Wu: Foreign Minister of Taiwan

Seth Cropsey: Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for American Seapower, Hudson Institute, moderated

The Taiwan model

Wu stated that Taiwan is vulnerable due to its proximity to China, lack of access to the WHO, thousands of Taiwanese living and working in Wuhan, and three million visitors from China annually. The pandemic, however, has had only a minor impact on Taiwan. Wu listed steps that Taiwan has done in this crisis taken:

• Quick response: Taiwan’s first response to this pandemic was as early as December 31.
• Early deployment: When the first case showed up on January 21, Taiwan set up CECC (the Central Epidemic Command Center) to authorize border control, body temperature testing, quarantine, and a tracking program.
• Transparency: CECC hosts daily press conference to brief the public domestic and international information.
• Export ban, rationing, and rapid increase of production on critical supplies: Taiwan issued an export ban when the government detected a wave of Chinese procurement.
• Whole-of-government approach: Ministries cooperated to make joint decisions under CECC’s command.
• Rearrangement of the medical institutions to meet the emergency requirements: Taiwan has designated over 160 testing facilities.
• Preventive measures against in-hospital outbreaks
• Contact tracing: Identifying potential cases by tracing contacts.

Wu thinks that Beijing is misleading the public by using conspiracy theories about the origins of the coronavirus and fabricated government proclamations. Taiwan attempts to show that authoritarian regimes are not the only ones that possess resources and capabilities to combat the crisis. A free and open, democratic Taiwan can deal with the problem as well. Taiwan is seeking participation in the WHO since its absence leaves a gap in the global health system and undermines WHO.

Implications

Cronin indicated that the world cannot exclude Taiwan in fighting this pandemic crisis. China should not politicize public health. Taiwan needs a higher status on the global stage to close down flights, tackle the economic crisis, ensure maritime safety, and protect intellectual property.

Chao believes that precaution and overreactions are necessary in this crisis. Taiwan’s national health insurance plays an important role in integrating and visualizing medical records, which gives medical authorities more data about the situation. Chao pointed that the passing of Taipei Act in 2019 was good timing as China was engaging in an aggressive campaign in the South China Sea against Taiwan’s diplomatic allies. This law gives Taiwan a signal that the US can counterbalance pressure that China exerts around the world.

Troops

Cronin emphasized that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might have suffered some readiness problems. It is impossible for the PLA to remain unaffected in this pandemic crisis since it was deployed in the epicenter of the COVID-19. China, nevertheless, might have covered this up because it doesn’t want to undermine the PLA’s deterrence nor tarnish its reputation.

Spalding demonstrated that US Department of Defense has ensured that troops on mission duties are sequestered and kept safe from the pandemic. COVID-19 could be a chance for China, which was pressuring Taiwan, the East China Sea and the South China Sea even before the COVID-19 crisis, to make gains in the Indo-Pacific region. The Defense Department, he said, is ready to deter China’s activities in Western Pacific and defend US allies.

Here’s the video for this panel discussion: