Taiwan Yearbook 2006

The Taiwan Yearbook 2006 is an extensive volume that attempts to introduce all facets of life in Taiwan to a mixed readership. The yearbook covers a wide variety of topics, including the languages and peoples of Taiwan, the nation's work in public health and finance, its work in science and technology, and developments associated with its economy. As well, updates on foreign affairs and Taiwan-China relations are explored in detail. It is our hope that scholars and students of East Asia, political leaders, friends of Taiwan, and casual readers throughout the world all will find this publication both useful and interesting.

The yearbook is designed to be user-friendly, and we hope that it will find a home on an easy-to-reach spot on your bookshelf, so that it can serve as a reference whenever a question about Taiwan comes to mind. Dealing mainly with events of 2005, the yearbook also presents details on a number of significant happenings in the first half of 2006. Chapters are written in an accessible style to help you, the reader, find what you're looking for quickly. A number of maps, charts, and tables have been added to this year's edition, and a fresh selection of pictures provides a visual connection to Taiwan and its people. Moreover, new sections in many chapters offer additional information on Formosa, the "beautiful island."

Turning to the events of 2005 and 2006, we find a great deal for Taiwan to be proud of. Amendments to the Constitution were made and took effect, strengthening Taiwan's democracy and giving the people the right to vote on constitutional amendments via referendums. Three sets of local elections were held simultaneously in 2005, a historic first, attesting to the government's determination to increase efficiency.

Taiwan's economy grew steadily in 2005, showing 4.03 percent growth. Two-way trade increased 8.5 percent, and Taiwan continued its strong showing in international competitiveness surveys by again achieving high rankings.

On the international front, Taiwan resumed ties with Nauru in May after a nearly three-year hiatus. Taiwan's allies, in an act of friendship, put forth proposals at the meetings of both the World Health Assembly and the United Nations concerning Taiwan's participation in those world bodies. Despite not having been passed, these proposals engendered much discussion, and many nations in both of these world bodies voiced their support for Taiwan. These gains in the international arena were offset somewhat by the lack of progress in cross-strait relations in 2005. China's passage of an "anti-separation law" in March 2005 negated efforts by Taiwan to improve relations, as did its continued buildup of missiles across the Taiwan Strait.

Domestically, work continued on transforming Taiwan into a wired nation as the number of broadband subscribers shot up to 4.6 million—20 percent of the population. Looking at national defense, the Navy got a boost with the commissioning of four Keelung class (Kidd-class) destroyers purchased from the United States. In science, Taiwan's third satellite project, FORMOSAT-3, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in the United States in April 2006. Lastly, the long-awaited Hsuehshan Tunnel opened in June 2006, cutting the time needed to travel between Taipei and eastern Taiwan from more than two hours to just 30 minutes.

These and other events are explored in greater detail in this edition of the Taiwan Yearbook. For more up-to-date information, readers are invited to visit the website of the Government Information Office at http://www.gio.gov.tw.

Your comments and questions are welcomed, as reader feedback helps us make the Taiwan Yearbook a more relevant publication. We look forward to hearing from you.

Wen-Tsang Cheng
Minister
Government Information Office
Executive Yuan