Webinar: COVID-19 and Taiwan’s Role in Global Governance

This virtual seminar presented by the Global Taiwan Institute will feature an opening statement by Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Hsu Szu-Chien followed by a panel discussion on how the United States and Taiwan are cooperating to combat COVID-19, the “Taiwan Model” versus the “China Model,” and implications of the pandemic for global governance.

Amid the novel coronavirus global pandemic—medically known as COVID-19—Taiwan’s response has been applauded by many in the international community for its effectiveness and because of the island’s proximity to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While some commentators have glorified the “China Model” for Beijing’s response to the pandemic, others, including the United States, have held up the “Taiwan Model” for the democracy’s successful efforts to contain the pandemic that originated across the Strait. As COVID-19 upended communities around the globe, the health and economic fallout from the pandemic has also exposed weaknesses in global governance systems. One glaring gap laid bare by the current crisis has been Taiwan’s exclusion from the world health body designed to lead global health response. In turn, this has highlighted how cross-Strait relations and Taiwan's exclusion from international bodies can have international repercussions beyond the possibility of military conflict. This virtual seminar will feature an opening statement by Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Hsu Szu-Chien followed by a panel discussion on how the United States and Taiwan are cooperating to combat COVID-19, the “Taiwan Model” versus the “China Model,” and implications of the pandemic for global governance.

The event webcast will be broadcasted live on our website and YouTube on Thursday, April 30 at noon (EST). Questions for the panel may either be sent by e-mail to contact@globaltaiwan.org or through the chat function on the YouTube page.

Panelists:

Vincent Chao is the Director of the Political Division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States. Prior to this role, he served in Taiwan's National Security Council, Office of the President, and most recently as chief of staff to the Foreign Minister.

Lanhee J. Chen, Ph.D. is the David and Diane Steffy Fellow in American Public Policy Studies at the Hoover Institution and Director of Domestic Policy Studies and Lecturer in the Public Policy Program at Stanford University.

Russell Hsiao (moderator) is the Executive Director of the Global Taiwan Institute and editor-in-chief of the Global Taiwan Brief. He is also an Adjunct Fellow at the Honolulu-based Pacific Forum.

Hsu Szu-Chien, Ph.D., is Taiwan's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. Before becoming Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr. Szu-chien Hsu served as the President of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) which is supporting and deepening democracy both within Taiwan and around the region.

Jonathan Fritz is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian & Pacific Affairs responsible for China, Mongolia, and Taiwan coordination. Before that, he was the Director for Bilateral & Regional Affairs in the State Department’s Office of International Communications & Information Policy.

Michael Mazza is the Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Global Taiwan Institute, Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Non-Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

RSVP HERE.