Taiwan Today

This month, the Taiwan Review celebrates 60 years since its founding. The story of this magazine is one of transformation and rebirth that coincides with the development of the Republic of China (ROC) itself. Publication began under the name Free China Review in April 1951, a time when Cold War tensions were spreading and hostilities across the Taiwan Strait were threatening to escalate. A major reason for establishing the magazine was to illustrate the differences between free China (the ROC on Taiwan) and communist mainland China. The ROC government’s primary objective in those days was recovering the mainland, and the Review’s cover photos and content reflected that China-centric focus. The ROC’s loss of its seat in the United Nations in 1971 was viewed as calamitous at the time, but would later be seen as the catalyst responsible for transforming the nation. Faced with increasing international isolation, the ROC government began focusing more on domestic affairs and local development. Stories in the magazine illustrated that shift by covering topics centered on Taiwan such as the 10 major infrastructure construction projects of the 1970s. In the 1980s, the government’s focus on local development, coupled with the burgeoning influence of a growing middle class, would unleash extraordinary social, political, economic and cultural changes. An important threshold was crossed with the lifting of martial law in 1987. The bans on the establishment of new newspapers and political parties were lifted the next year, laying the foundations for a free press and multiparty politics, while the Review began devoting more space to opposing viewpoints. The move toward balanced reporting in the magazine also reflected a growing awareness of the sophistication of its readers, a group that has always included foreign academics, government representatives and members of the media. Taiwan’s rapid social and political transformation continued in the 1990s, with the Review reporting on events including the ground-breaking establishment of the National Health Insurance scheme in 1995 and Taiwan’s first direct presidential election in 1996. That year, the magazine also entered the digital era by launching its website. The Review’s content became more diversified as the 1990s went on by including more stories on social issues, the environment and technology, as well as the rights of women and indigenous peoples. Mirroring that content, the magazine’s cover pages began featuring people from all walks of life. Another political landmark for Taiwan came with the 2000 presidential election, which resulted in the first transfer of political power to a president from an opposition party. Meanwhile, after nearly 50 years as the Free China Review, the magazine’s name was switched to Taipei Review in the April 2000 issue in order to reflect Taiwan’s democratic development. In the March 2003 issue, the magazine was renamed Taiwan Review to indicate its national scope. Major topics during the 2000s included sports, changes in energy policy, pop music and the film industry, as well as the 2008 election of President Ma Ying-jeou and the return to the policy of engagement with mainland China. In the 60 years since the Review was founded, Taiwan has matured to become the world’s first Chinese democracy, as well as one of the freest societies and most dynamic economies in Asia. We are proud to have served our readers by documenting that growth and are often gratified to find citations of the magazine’s articles in research papers. Most of all, we are humbled by our readers’ strong support, as seen in the many emails, faxes and letters sent to our office congratulating the magazine for telling a great story, and for telling it well. Readers give our words meaning, and we would like to extend our thanks to every one of you who has picked up an issue over the past 60 years.