The following is derived from public remarks delivered at the event entitled, “Taiwan and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for the World,” hosted virtually by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University on May 7, 2020.
If we ever needed proof of the importance of foreign policy work at the intersection of diplomacy and science, current events have shown us just that. Sometime in late 2019 and somewhere inside Wuhan, Hubei Province, in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the SARS-CoV-2 virus started spreading. Today, the world is still seeking the truth about its origins, timeline, and death toll in the PRC.
In stark contrast to the PRC’s opacity, Taiwan delivered in its adept fight against the pandemic and kept the world apprised of its progress transparently. Despite Taiwan’s physical proximity to the PRC, its infection, hospitalization, and fatality rates have been extremely low. A formula consisting of respect for human rights, accountability, rule of law, and transparency has made the people of Taiwan more nimble, innovative, and successful in combating international health threats, including COVID-19. Taiwan demonstrated to the world a new model: digital health solutions that can be deployed effectively without sacrificing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in a democracy.
It has been widely reported that Taiwan’s public-private partnership rose to the challenge by merging databases to maximize the power of information, designing online apps and maps for resource allocation, and launching mobile platforms for rapid response. These actions occurred under the Communicable Disease Control Act, passed by a democratically elected legislature.
The ‘Taiwan Model’ illustrates the fundamental role of respect for democratic values and individual freedom in harnessing technology, especially during a public health crisis. Taiwan’s Communicable Disease Control Act supports digital liberty: transparency to and consent by the users, as well as recourse through free press and an independent judiciary when either is hampered. Individual freedom, rule of law, full participation of civil society, and access to information engender and ensure transparency, which in turn sustains the most precious currency during a crisis: public trust.
Successful public health campaigns that respect human rights focus on strategies to control the spread of the disease and the treatment of the infected; they do not create fear, use unnecessary force, blame the innocent, or suppress dissent. In the same month that PRC authorities harassed and silenced Dr. Li Wenliang for murmuring on social media, Digital Minister Audrey Tang and her team in Taiwan were creating mobile apps to disseminate information to the public as part of their response to the pandemic.
Here at the U.S. Department of State, the Office of International Health and Biodefense is dedicated to combating biothreats and outbreaks of infectious disease through diplomacy. It leads the State Department’s efforts to respond to infectious diseases and helps prevent, detect, and prepare for future outbreaks. This office, and others working furiously in the Department, have heard varied calls for international collaboration. But collaboration is not a mere act of working together. To succeed, collaboration must be built on the foundation of transparency, openness, and reciprocity.
We cannot take the Taiwan Model for granted. It is shaped by a trio of formative experiences on the island. First is the lesson Taiwan learned from SARS-CoV-1 in 2003, which resulted in its establishment of a central health command center for responding to large outbreaks and an acute understanding that information from governments that do not respect freedom of expression cannot be trusted. Second is the vigilance it developed over decades of living under the shadow of threats and unrelenting pressure from the PRC. Third is the triumphant transformation from authoritarianism to liberal democracy that has awakened individuals in Taiwan to their rights, especially as they compare their rights to shrinking individual freedom in the PRC.
Taiwan is not, however, an isolated island that perseveres by itself. It is a beacon of hope and, in Secretary Pompeo’s words, “a model for the Indo-Pacific region and a force for good in the world.” Recently, the U.S. Congress passed and the President signed the TAIPEI Act to further enhance bilateral relations. Our shared values and Taiwan’s success in the public health sector are just a few reasons why the United States seeks to continue growing our ties with the Taiwan scientific community. We encourage Taiwan’s graduate and post-graduate researchers to study and collaborate with U.S. scientists and scholars. As their performance in responding to COVID-19 shows, they are global scientific leaders.
The United States values its cooperation with Taiwan on health issues, especially through the U.S.-Taiwan Global Cooperation and Training Framework under the American Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office. Launched in 2015, the Framework is the premier platform where the United States, Taiwan, and like-minded partners work jointly to offer regional training on shared priorities.
The United States is committed to helping countries and partners prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats. Through the Global Health Security Agenda, a multilateral effort of nearly 70 countries, international organizations, and non-governmental stakeholders, the United States is helping partner governments and authorities strengthen public health systems and reduce the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. U.S. investments have strengthened public health labs across 15 countries in Asia and Africa, improving their ability to detect and respond to zoonotic diseases that spill over from animals to people. And now, Taiwan has clearly proven that it is not only possible, but also imperative, for us to respect and defend human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law when addressing global health threats.
We thank Taiwan for giving us something to celebrate during these days of toil and tribulation. Taiwan’s model of successfully combating the pandemic at home serves as a beacon of hope for the international community. Transparency is the cornerstone of trust during public health crises, and freedom is the north star for technological advancement. Even in the most precarious times and in uncharted waters, freedom can, and shall, prevail for us all.
About the Authors: Mung Chiang, Ph.D. is the Science and Technology Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State. Jonathan Moore is the Senior Bureau Official/Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs