Formosa Republican Association

Founded in 2018, the #FRA is a #civic initiative led by pragmatic #Taiwanese thinkers. We stand for • Responsible problem-solving • #Sustainable progress • Individual rights • #Free markets with limited government interference • Opposition to #communism and #authoritarianism

The #WHO's inaction in the face of #Taiwan's #COVID warnings proved that it has already forgotten its mission as the result of #China's influence. As a once-respected #health authority, it should have paid due attention to Taiwan's calls rather than cave to political operations.

@HHS_Jim Thank you for raising this point to global attention. In 2019, Taiwan's CDC issued a warning via email to the WHO on the same day it became aware of 7 cases of atypical pneumonia, but the WHO falsely claimed that Taiwan never warned of COVID. It was a truly disappointing act.

Today the United States withdrew from the so-called World Health Organization. WHO ignored early COVID warnings from Taiwan in 2019 by pretending Taiwan did not exist. It ignored rigorous science and promoted lockdowns. The United States will continue international coordination on infectious disease without the Eurocrats in Geneva. @WHO

As a strategic center of the democratic world, threats to Taiwan have far-reaching effects. Taiwan must bolster its defense, but the opposition has undermined it by blocking its defense budget. The budget must not be delayed further—for the sake of Taiwan and for global security.

Beyond chips, Taiwan is becoming a key actor in #drones and #defense tech. With Poland making up 60% of Taiwan’s drone exports, Taiwan holds a large role in helping the EU reduce tech reliance on China. Drone firms from Germany and the US are also actively partnering with Taiwan.

On January 21, the European Parliament passed resolutions on the #EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (#CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (#CSDP) that impact #Taiwan. In an op-ed, #FRA Honorary Chair Tommy Lin discusses what they mean: talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/…

Increasing investments in the US, including by major Taiwanese #tech firms, reflect long-term economic strategy and deeper bilateral ties. While Taiwan should continue to seek trade improvements, its tariff outcome is already far from the failure the opposition made it out to be.

With #China facing 47% tariffs, Taiwan's 15% rate means a chance to escape China’s “red ocean” competition and attract supply chains and businesses back home. Upping economic ties with the US will then protect Taiwan's industries from being "hollowed out" by past Chinese ties.

#US President #Trump announced his "reciprocal #tariff" plan in April 2025, causing global trade shockwaves. With the #SupremeCourt soon to rule whether this act was constitutional, #FRA Honorary Chair Tommy Lin looks back on #Taiwan's tariff negotiations: talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/…

Not only that, China was also undermined by #NorthKorea, which it has historically held close relations with, when #SouthKorea's president visited Beijing. These events send a clear signal that China is on a downward path, no longer the great power it once proudly claimed to be.

It's a stark contrast to #Israel's foreign minister, who safely concluded a historic visit to Somaliland, which Israel recently recognized. China's reneged visit highlights its inability to protect its own foreign minister on foreign turf, revealing the limits of its capability.

At the start of 2026, with #Venezuela's #Maduro captured and protests by the people of #Iran spreading across the country, the global network of #authoritarian regimes is on the brink of collapse. #FRA Honorary Chair Tommy Lin examines what this means: talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/…