Taiwan’s Trade Dynamics in 2023: Challenges and Partners Shifting 

Written by Yun-Chieh Wang. In 2023, Taiwan’s international trade experienced a decline in growth because of global economic challenges, with a notable dependency on semiconductor exports. Despite this downturn, Taiwan’s trade gap widened positively, attributed to the reshoring of Taiwanese enterprises, and increasing foreign investment. Meanwhile, the Taiwanese government is actively diversifying its trade partners, reducing its reliance on China and forging ties with the U.S. and U.K. through trade agreements.

Envisioning Migrant Worker Policy: Toward Dignity and Well-being 

Written by Hang-Tang Chen; translated by Yu-Chen Chuang. Taiwan needs to refine its migrant worker policies to focus not only on labour contributions but also on the well-being and dignity of the workers. Personal stories of migrant workers in this article reveal the necessity for comprehensive policies that address the physical and mental health needs, acknowledging the humanity behind the workforce.

Neither Green nor Just: The DPP’s Reckoning with Environmental Justice 

Written by Dominika Remžová. The Russian weaponisation of gas supplies has sparked a renewed interest in Taiwan’s energy security, placing the DPP’s anti-nuclear policies at the centre of attention. On the one hand, both energy and national security experts have criticised the DPP’s continuing nuclear phase-out for pushing Taiwan, which in 2022 imported more than 97% of its energy, into an increasingly precarious position. The opposition, on the other hand, has criticised the party’s 2025 energy mix formula (i.e., 20% renewable energy, 30% coal, and 50% LNG) for its inconsistency with international trends, namely the increasing role of nuclear energy in global decarbonisation efforts, which the DPP countered by referring to industry-wide trends, such as the renewable energy focus of the RE100 initiative, instead.  

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