MUCH has been made of the Tory government’s “Indo-Pacific” tilt since the publication of the Integrated Review last year. Yet one thing that largely slipped under the radar is the fact that Taiwan – one of Asia’s most important economies and liberal democracies – was not even mentioned once. This is despite the real risk of tensions boiling over between the island nation and China, which would have catastrophic consequences for all of us.

Since embracing liberal democracy in the 1980s, Taiwan has become a liberal democratic success story which the UK could and should be doing more to support. Its economy is the seventh largest in Asia and the 21st largest globally. It also happens to be the world’s factory for producing semiconductor chips, which are essential for powering electronics ranging from iPhones to electric cars. Last year, Reporters Without Borders ranked Taiwan as the second-freest country for journalists in Asia, whilst it is also the only Asian country to fully recognise LGBTQ marriage. With a female president since 2016 and more than 42% of the Legislative Yuan being female, Taiwan is a leader in working towards gender equality. (For context, only 34% of UK MPs elected at the last General Election were women).

These achievements have led to Taiwan being ranked as the number one democracy in Asia, with the Economist categorizing the island in 2020 as a “full-democracy”. Not bad for a country of around 23.5 million people and whose existence is continually threatened by its larger neighbour.

Taiwan is a literal island of multicultural liberal democracy in Asia. Given the creeping authoritarianism that the world has witnessed over recent years, Taiwan’s story demonstrates why liberal democracy works. Greater freedoms, combined with greater social protections and equality, equals improved outcomes for all.

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In many ways, Taiwan and Scotland are mirroring each other on opposite ends of the world. We have a lot to gain from each other by collaborating and co-operating between our governments, businesses and academia. As my colleague Owen Thompson MP put it in the House of Commons last week, “Taiwan’s principled moves set an example to Scotland that small states can punch well above their weight”.

Noting this potential, the Scottish Government has set up a virtual Scottish Development International office in Taipei. According to the Scottish Whisky Association, Taiwan was the fourth-largest export destination for Scottish whisky by value in 2020. In addition to whisky, there is also huge scope for further trade exchanges in energy, offshore wind power, financial services and agriculture as the UK Government noted in the aftermath of the 24th annual UK-Taiwan trade talks. Imagine that potential realised with the powers of independence!

Taiwan and Scotland are also similarly ambitious when tackling climate change. Readers will no doubt be familiar with Scotland’s world-leading efforts in matching green rhetoric with action. Taiwan’s own government is following in our footsteps: by 2025, Taiwan hopes to achieve 25% renewable energy; by 2050, it hopes to achieve net-zero. At COP26 in Glasgow last November, the Taiwanese government sent an unofficial delegation, whilst my colleague Stewart McDonald MP was a key speaker at their Taiwan COP26 Day. Scottish Development International is also exploring the possibility of a strategic partnership with Taiwan, which would allow Scottish supply chain companies of renewable energy resources easier access to the Taiwanese market.

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In academia, there are close Taiwanese-Scottish ties. Every year, between 7000 and 8000 Taiwanese students come to these islands for study. More than 200 Taiwanese people have completed postgraduate qualifications via Chevening Scholarships, whilst Stirling University also provides a Postgraduate Taiwan Scholarship for Taiwanese citizens and residents to study here. In 2001, Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the Royal Society of Edinburgh established a close joint scientific research partnership resulting in regular workshops, conferences and mutual exchange visits. The University of Edinburgh is a point of contact for Taiwan Academy, with both organisations working closely to promote contemporary art throughout the country.

In addition to all the above, Taiwan’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been exemplary and amongst the best in the world. It has had slightly more than 19,500 cases with only 851 deaths, whilst its economy continued to grow in both 2020 and 2021. Yet despite this, it only has observer status in the World Health Organisation (WHO); this has hamstrung its response and hindered the ability of other countries to learn from it.

Taiwan’s situation in the WHO mirrors that in many other international organisations. The People’s Republic of China is determined to assert its position that the island is simply a renegade province and frequently uses its geopolitical clout to force this view on others. The result is that we are all the worse for not being able to hear Taiwan’s voice.

The position Taiwan finds itself in demonstrates why international law matters more to smaller states than to bigger ones. Scotland and the rest of the world have much to gain in working alongside Taiwan. In an increasingly competitive and multipolar world, it is more important than ever that we continue to stand with democracies and ensure the light of liberal democracy is not extinguished.