Taiwan Review - Taiwan Newspapers

Taiwan Review
Our Goal

The goal of Taiwan Review is to provide in-depth discussion of various aspects of Taiwan including politics, economics, society, the environment and the arts. We do this in our print magazine and online by:

examining Taiwan’s development while drawing attention to challenges and threats;
providing analysis of current political, diplomatic, cultural and economic trends in Taiwan;
profiling Taiwanese businesses, business leaders, social leaders, scientists and artists;
reviewing books that relate to Taiwan; and
reporting on the myriad people, places and things that make Taiwan unique.

Origins

For the purpose of promoting goodwill and cordiality between nations based on true and thorough understanding of each other, we, a group of intellectuals of Free China, have undertaken the work of publishing a Monthly entitled Free China Review. In its columns we shall endeavor to bring home to the world a true picture of Free China, dwelling largely upon its general development socially, economically, militarily and politically.

--Foreword, Free China Review, April 1951

The first issue of Free China Review came out just as the Chinese Nationalist government was getting settled in Taiwan. The lead editorial was entitled “A Successful Year.” It touted free elections at the “district and municipality” level and noted, “On the island of Taiwan, the main bastion in her [Free China’s] struggle with Communism, political, economic and social stability has been achieved to a considerable degree.” The editorial concluded that there was no doubt of the Chinese Nationalists’ ability to accomplish “the goal they have set before themselves, namely, the building of Taiwan into an impregnable fortress of freedom and the eventual deliverance of the Chinese mainland from Communist oppression.”

Evolution

The purpose outlined in the first editorial remains remarkably close to Taiwan Review’s mission statement. The two-stage name change (from Free China Review to Taipei Review in April 2000 followed by the adoption of the current name in March 2003) tracked rising Taiwanese consciousness. Whereas the first publisher of the Free China Review identified with the Chinese Nationalists’ goal of delivering unfree China from oppression in 1951, the current publisher identifies with Taiwan’s goal of gaining greater international recognition of its statehood.

In their pursuit of the objective of increasing mutual understanding between Taiwanese and foreign readers, the publishers have stayed the course. Throughout its history, Taiwan Review has been the journal of record for developments in Taiwan, be they socio-economic, political, or artistic.

In the 21st Century

Taiwan Review is the flagship publication of Taiwan’s Government Information Office. Its sister publications in Spanish, French, German and Russian (Taiwan Hoy, Taiwan Aujourd’hui, Taiwan Heute and Òàéâàíüñêàÿ ïàíîðàìà) spread the same message of mutual understanding using other foreign languages.

From the beginning, the monthly’s readers have primarily been opinion leaders—mostly foreign government and foreign service officials, journalists and academics specializing in Sinology. Since 1995, Taiwan Review has been available online. As online readership grows, the profile of readers is diversifying. Currently, issues of Taiwan Review (and its predecessors) dating back to January 1995 are available online for perusal of students, teachers, academics, journalists and anyone else around the world with an Internet connection and curiosity about what makes Taiwan unique.