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President Tsai wins John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service

President Tsai Ing-wen is winner of the 2020 John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service announced May 4 by Washington-headquartered Halifax International Security Forum.

Since the government relocated to Taiwan in 1949, it has exercised jurisdiction over Taiwan proper, Penghu Islands, Kinmen Islands, Matsu Islands and a number of smaller islands, while China has been under the control of the authorities in Beijing. Beginning with the acceleration of Taiwan’s democratization in the late 1980s, many restrictions concerning civil exchanges with China have been lifted. Today, Taiwan is one of the biggest investors in China. In 2017, the value of cross-strait bilateral trade was US$139 billion. In that year, travelers from China made nearly 2.7 million visits to Taiwan, up from 329,204 in 2008.

Traditional Chinese characters are a treasured cultural legacy and product of thousands of years of linguistic evolution. In modern Taiwan, traditional Chinese characters are utilized as the written form of Mandarin, one of the nation’s official languages.

With its unique fusion of cultures, breathtaking scenery, diverse cuisine, exciting city life and well-developed hospitality industry, Taiwan is an ideal destination for many types of travelers. Citizens of 60 countries and territories are eligible for visa-exempt entry for a period of 30 or 90 days.