Page 10 - Forbes - Asia (July - August 2018)

FORBES ASIA
SIDELINES

Editor Tim W. Ferguson
Editorial Director Karl Shmavonian
Art Director Charles Brucaliere Taiwan’s Test
Senior Editor John Koppisch
Wealth Lists Editors Luisa Kroll, Kerry A. Dolan
Statistics Editor Andrea Murphy hese are trying times for Taiwan.
Research Director Sue Radlauer Intimidation by Beijing is virtu-
Online Editor Jasmine Smith Tally nonstop, and its target, Pres-
Reporter Grace Chung ident Tsai Ing-wen, must scramble just
Intern Prisca Ang
to keep her government’s international
Editorial Bureaus footing. Economic and other pressures
Beijing Yue Wang mounted as she assumed oice in 2016,
Shanghai Russell Flannery (Senior Ed.); Maggie Chen and there’s popular unease over incomes
India Editor Naazneen Karmali
even as such measures as the TAIEX
Contributing Editors stocks chart have pointed up. Embattled Tsai can’t just let sleeping dogs lie.
Bangkok Suzanne Nam Yet a visit there is a pleasure, even when appointments in urban Taipei leave no
Chennai Anuradha Raghunathan time to enjoy most of the island’s beauty. I always notice the relative absence of armed
Hong Kong Shu-Ching Jean Chen
men in uniform and of obvious mass surveillance. Also the bookshops with no seem-
Melbourne Lucinda Schmidt
ing bent for idolatry or prohibitions on speech. A clean and green mindset prevails,
Perth Tim Treadgold
and the human scale (aside from the Taipei 101 tower) is relaxing.
Singapore Jane A. Peterson
If Asia’s latest boom has greatly passed Taiwan by, that’s at least let it afordable.
Taipei Joyce Huang
his ought to appeal to any number of NGOs who need a landing spot in Greater
Vietnam Lan Anh Nguyen
China, one that also happens to allow them to operate freely. he same ought to apply
Columnist Ben Sin
to oicial global organizations, but of course the China veto prevents them from even
Production Manager Michelle Ciulla
admitting Taiwan, let alone taking a lease there. Big Culture—the sports and entertain-
ment sectors—must also generally toe the PRC line, given the potential money on
the line.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF So Tsai’s cabinet looks where it can for an edge. One intriguing outgrowth of the
Steve Forbes latest “Southbound” policy—an emphasis on engaging Southeast Asia and India, to
give more breathing room from mainland China—is formation of a Taiwan-Asia
FORBES MAGAZINE
Exchange Foundation. Long a brainchild of local professor Michael Hsiao, this efort
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Randall Lane
will entail outreach to parties, such as young regional achievers, who share democratic
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Michael Noer
ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR Robert Mans eld values such as peace and freedom.
As for business proper, ideas include technology subsidies in areas like the Internet
FORBES DIGITAL
of hings, where Taiwan’s hardware prowess (born of an earlier era of entrepreneur-
VP, INVESTING EDITOR Matt Schifrin
ism) gives it a head start. he state should keep a light hand. Taiwan still does respect-
VP, DIGITAL EDITOR Mark Coatney
VP, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Salah Zalatimo ably on scales such as the 200 Best Under A Billion—much better than the nations
VP, WOMEN’S DIGITAL NETWORK Christina Vuleta in more southern latitudes (see p. 56)—and a new crop of IPOs could signal broader
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS wealth opportunities. I’m rooting for these underdogs.
Frederick E. Allen LEADERSHIP
Loren Feldman ENTREPRENEURS
Janet Novack WASHINGTON
Michael K. Ozanian SPORTSMONEY
DEPARTMENT HEADS
Mark Decker, John Dobosz, Clay Thurmond
Jessica Bohrer VP, EDITORIAL COUNSEL
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B.C. Forbes, Editor-in-Chief (1917-54)
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8 | FORBES ASIA JULY / AUGUST 2018