Taiwan: 35th Most Globalized Country
The US based magazine, Foreign Policy, in its recent issue has a “2006 Globalization Index” published. Accorging to the index, Taiwan ranked 35th in the survey of 62 countried based on 2004 data. Of the 4 major indicators used to determine the ranking, Taiwan ranked 12th, in terms of economic integration; 18th, in terms of technological connectivity; 33rd, in terms of personal contact; and 62nd, in terms of political engagement. 62nd was the least and last in the ranking.
But, the 62nd in political engagement ranking does speak for Taiwan’s predicament. It is highly known that Taiwan’s political efforts have been in that area. The People of Taiwan and the Government have endeavored to join the United Nations and UN organizations, e.g. WHO, for years, only to be rejected. Though the US had enacted a “Taiwan Relational Acts” in 1981, but its object was ‘the People of Taiwan”. There is no diplomatic relation between the USA and Taiwan. It is obvious that Taiwan’s political unsatisfactory status stems not only because of China’s continued diplomatic suppression of Tawan, but rather mainly due to US policy’s influence on other world powers. The US administrations have maintained that the US ” does not support an Independent Taiwan” and wants Taiwan to keep her limbo status as a de facto independent economic entity but not a de jure Independent Country. It’s very ironic that the Foraign Policy Magazine surveyed 62 countries and has given Taiwan a most politically unsatisfactory ranking among the COUNTRIES it surveyed.