TAIWAN - FACTS AND FIGURES

Area: 36, 000 km2

Population: 21.3 million (1995)

Population Growth: 0.9% (1995)

Capital: Taipei

Official Name: Republic of China. Also referred to as "Chinese Taipei."

System of Government: Multi-party system which has evolved from one party rule. Strong presidency and close links between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the organs of state control. The elected arms of government are; the National Assembly, the Legislative Yuan and the Control Yuan.

Head of State: Lee Teng-hui, President

Premier and Vice President: Lien Chan, President of Executive Yuan

Key Government Ministers: Hse Li-teh, Vice Premier; John Chang, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Paul Chiu, Minister of Finance; Wang Chih-kang, Minister of Economic Affairs

Language: Mandarin (official language), Taiwanese (a variant of Fukien dialect) is also commonly spoken. English and Japanese are also widely taught and spoken.

Literacy Rate: 92%

Ethnic Background: The origins of the Taiwanese population derive from Mainland China with 85% of the population originally from our descendants of Fujian Province and the remainder from other areas of Mainland China. Indigenous Aborigines account for less than 2% of the entire population of Taiwan.

Religion: The bulk of the population of Taiwan is non-religious or practices elements of Chinese Folk religion. Of the population which does subscribe to established religions, 24% is Buddhist, 16% is Taoist, 2% is Protestant and 1% is Catholic. (1991)

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar = 100 Cents; C $1.00 = NT $20.10 (average, week ending September 27, 1996)

For more information on Taiwan, check out these sites:

Taiwan Economic & Cultural Office

Taiwan Online

 

Travelling to Taiwan on business...read on...

• Shaking hands at the beginning of a business meeting, nodding your head or bowing are all "decent" ways to greet. If you don't know what to do, just copy your host...you can't go wrong!
  
  
• Always call people by their family name or by their title. Do not call people by their first name, unless they say it is okay.
  
  
• Elders are held in very high respect. Always say "hi" to elderly people first.
  
  
• The head is the most importnat part of the body, so don't go touching anyone's hair or head! Avoid physical contact with people of the opposite sex, other than handshakes. Finally, do not use your feet to move things and don't point them at anyone...got all that!?
  
  
• Do not point your finger at anyone (common rule of etiquette, right!?)
  
  
• You must have a business card to take to meetings. Using both hands, exchange business cards during introductions. If you want to score bonus points with the boss, have one side printed in traditional Chinese.
  
  
• Always be on time but don't assume that the people you will be meeting with will be on time...they are not big on punctuality!!
  
  
• Try not to be too loud or too negative during business discussions. It is not appreciated. Try to hold off on bragging about all your wonderful achievements and your beautiful wife or gorgeous husband and three perfect children (do you get the general idea?), it is not the best way to score busines points!
  
  
• Be friendly. If you are invited to lunch, go!!
  
  
• If you get invited over to a Chinese person's home, feel very honoured.
  
  
• Take off your shoes before going into a home (that means no socks with holes in them!) Bringing a small gift is appreciated. Some ideas are chocolates, things from your country, fruits.
  

Some of this information was taken from the Information Series published by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. It is available in print format.