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It’s very difficult to take the Taiwan-China (or the US-China) “conflict” seriously considering that they are major trade partners. The same is true of Japan. There is even a special Made in Japan store for the traveler who is weary of walking all around Tokyo looking for something Made in Japan, rather than Made in China.

If the Chinese are smart, then they would take back their land, which was stolen by Russia, or nothing at all. On the other hand, if they are primitive and insane, like Putin, then they could attack Taiwan. For many countries, shooting missiles appears the equivalent of a dog peeing to mark its territory, which is primitive. Putin’s endless love of missile attacks, and philandering, are suggestive of a phallic related inferiority complex. “Vladimir Putin accused of being a ‘philanderer and wifebeater’ while in KGB by German intelligence files” By Allan Hall, Last updated at 5:32 PM on 2nd November 2011 Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2056547/Vladimir-Putin-philanderer-wifebeater-KGB.html

“Its highly developed semiconductor industry is as important for Taiwan as the automotive industry is for the German economy. And a comparison with Germany shows how dependent Taiwan is on exports. Around 70% of Taiwan’s economic output is attributable to its exports, in Germany it was 47% in 2021.” (“How much does Taiwan depend on China? Beijing’s military threats against Taiwan after Nancy Pelosi’s visit are unprecedented. For the time being, however, not much will likely change as neither country can do without the other as a trading partner.” 06.08.2022, by Thomas Kohlmann https://www.dw.com/en/how-much-does-taiwan-depend-on-china/a-62725691

“Taiwan summary:
Introduction
Background
First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). With the communist victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Nationalist-controlled Republic of China government and 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued to claim to be the legitimate government for mainland China and Taiwan based on a 1947 Constitution.
Geography
Area
total: 35,980 sq km

land: 32,260 sq km

water: 3,720 sq km
Climate
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year
Natural resources
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, asbestos, arable land
People and Society
Population
23,580,712 (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups
Han Chinese (including Holo, who compose approximately 70% of Taiwan’s population, Hakka, and other groups originating in mainland China) more than 95%, indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples 2.3%
Languages
Mandarin (official), Taiwanese (Min Nan), Hakka dialects, approximately 16 indigenous languages
Religions
Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate
0.04% (2022 est.)
Government
Government type
semi-presidential republic
Capital
name: Taipei
Executive branch
chief of state: President TSAI Ing-wen (since 20 May 2016); Vice President LAI Ching-te (since 20 May 2020)
head of government: Premier SU Tseng-chang (President of the Executive Yuan) (since 11 January 2019); Vice Premier SHEN Jong-chin (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) (since 19 June 2020)
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Legislative Yuan (113 seats; 73 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 34 directly elected in a single island-wide constituency by proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat aboriginal constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

Economy
Economic overview
high-income East Asian economy; most technologically advanced computer microchip manufacturing; increasing Chinese interference threatens market capabilities; minimum wages rising; longstanding regional socioeconomic inequality

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1,143,277,000,000 (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$24,502 (2018 est.)
Agricultural products
rice, vegetables, pork, cabbages, poultry, sugar cane, milk, eggs, pineapples, tropical fruit
Industries
electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
Exports
$388.49 billion (2019 est.)
Exports – partners
China 26%, United States 14%, Hong Kong 12%, Japan 7%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 5% (2019)
Exports – commodities
integrated circuits, office machinery/parts, computers, refined petroleum, liquid crystal displays (2019)
Imports
$308.744 billion (2019 est.)
Imports – partners
China 21%, Japan 16%, United States 11%, South Korea 6% (2019)
Imports – commodities
integrated circuits, crude petroleum, photography equipment, natural gas, refined petroleum (2019)
Exchange rates
New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar –

Page last updated: Tuesday, Aug 02, 2022 https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/summaries/#economy

Longer version (order slightly rearranged):
“Introduction
Background
First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). In 1895, military defeat forced China’s Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan, which then governed Taiwan for 50 years. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang, KMT) control after World War II. With the communist victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Nationalist-controlled Republic of China government and 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued to claim to be the legitimate government for mainland China and Taiwan based on a 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Until 1987, however, the Nationalist Government ruled Taiwan under a civil war martial law declaration dating to 1948. Beginning in the 1970s, Nationalist authorities gradually began to incorporate the native population into the governing structure beyond the local level. The democratization process expanded rapidly in the 1980s, leading to the then illegal founding of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan’s first opposition party, in 1986 and the lifting of martial law the following year. Taiwan held legislative elections in 1992, the first in over forty years, and its first direct presidential election in 1996. In the 2000 presidential elections, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power with the KMT loss to the DPP and afterwards experienced two additional democratic transfers of power in 2008 and 2016. Throughout this period, the island prospered, became one of East Asia’s economic “Tigers,” and after 2000 became a major investor in mainland China as cross-Strait ties matured. The dominant political issues continue to be economic reform and growth as well as management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China….

Transnational Issues
Disputes – international
Taiwan-Brunei-China-Malaysia-Philippines-Vietnam: involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea that are thought to have large oil and natural gas reserves, as well as being located amidst prime fishing grounds and busy commercial shipping traffic; the Spratly Islands also are in a strategic position for establishing a military presence to monitor activity in the South China Sea; the 2002 “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea” has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding “code of conduct” desired by several of the disputants

Taiwan-China-Philippines: border dispute over the Scarborough Reef in the South China Sea; Scarborough Reef, like the Spratly Islands, is strategically located and is surrounded by abundant fishing grounds; it may also be ripe for oil and natural gas exploration

Taiwan-China-Vietnam: the Paracel Islands are occupied by China but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam Taiwan-Japan-China: in 2003, China and Taiwan became more vocal in rejecting both Japan’s claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan’s unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea where all parties engage in hydrocarbon prospecting; Senkaku-shoto is situated near key shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and possibly significant oil and natural gas reserves

Military – note
the US Taiwan Relations Act of April 1979 states that the US shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and shall maintain the capacity of the US to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan (2022)

Economy
Economic overview
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy that is driven largely by industrial manufacturing, and especially exports of electronics, machinery, and petrochemicals. This heavy dependence on exports exposes the economy to fluctuations in global demand. Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation, low birth rate, rapidly aging population, and increasing competition from China and other Asia Pacific markets are other major long-term challenges.
 
Following the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed with China in June 2010, Taiwan in July 2013 signed a free trade deal with New Zealand – Taipei’s first-ever with a country with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations – and, in November of that year, inked a trade pact with Singapore. However, follow-on components of the ECFA, including a signed agreement on trade in services and negotiations on trade in goods and dispute resolution, have stalled. In early 2014, the government bowed to public demand and proposed a new law governing the oversight of cross-Strait agreements, before any additional deals with China are implemented; the legislature has yet to vote on such legislation, leaving the future of ECFA uncertain. President TSAI since taking office in May 2016 has promoted greater economic integration with South and Southeast Asia through the New Southbound Policy initiative and has also expressed interest in Taiwan joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership as well as bilateral trade deals with partners such as the US. These overtures have likely played a role in increasing Taiwan’s total exports, which rose 11% during the first half of 2017, buoyed by strong demand for semiconductors.
 
Taiwan’s total fertility rate of just over one child per woman is among the lowest in the world, raising the prospect of future labor shortages, falling domestic demand, and declining tax revenues. Taiwan’s population is aging quickly, with the number of people over 65 expected to account for nearly 20% of the island’s total population by 2025.
 
The island runs a trade surplus with many economies, including China and the US, and its foreign reserves are the world’s fifth largest, behind those of China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland.

In 2006, China overtook the US to become Taiwan’s second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island’s number one destination for foreign direct investment.

Taiwan since 2009 has gradually loosened rules governing Chinese investment and has also secured greater market access for its investors on the mainland. In August 2012, the Taiwan Central Bank signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cross-Strait currency settlement with its Chinese counterpart. The MOU allows for the direct settlement of Chinese renminbi (RMB) and the New Taiwan dollar across the Strait, which has helped Taiwan develop into a local RMB hub.
 
Closer economic links with the mainland bring opportunities for Taiwan’s economy but also pose challenges as political differences remain unresolved and China’s economic growth is slowing. President TSAI’s administration has made little progress on the domestic economic issues that loomed large when she was elected, including concerns about stagnant wages, high housing prices, youth unemployment, job security, and financial security in retirement. TSAI has made more progress on boosting trade with South and Southeast Asia, which may help insulate Taiwan’s economy from a fall in mainland demand should China’s growth slow in 2018.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1,143,277,000,000 (2019 est.)

$1,113,126,000,000 (2018 est.)

$1,083,384,000,000 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
country comparison to the world: 22
Real GDP growth rate
2.71% (2019 est.)

2.75% (2018 est.)

3.31% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Real GDP per capita
$24,502 (2018 est.)

$50,500 (2017 est.)

$23,865 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 76
GDP (official exchange rate)
$611.391 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0.5% (2019 est.)

1.3% (2018 est.)

0.6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: AA- (2016)

Moody’s rating: Aa3 (1994)

Standard & Poors rating: AA- (2002)
GDP – composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 1.8% (2017 est.)

industry: 36% (2017 est.)

services: 62.1% (2017 est.)
GDP – composition, by end use
household consumption: 53% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 14.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 20.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: -0.2% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 65.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -52.6% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
rice, vegetables, pork, cabbages, poultry, sugar cane, milk, eggs, pineapples, tropical fruit
Industries
electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
Industrial production growth rate
3.9% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Labor force
11.498 million (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Labor force – by occupation
agriculture: 4.9%

industry: 35.9%

services: 59.2% (2016 est.)
Unemployment rate
3.73% (2019 est.)

3.69% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
Population below poverty line
1.5% (2012 est.)
Gini Index coefficient – distribution of family income
33.6 (2014)

32.6 (2000)
country comparison to the world: 126
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 6.4% (2010)

highest 10%: 40.3% (2010)
Budget
revenues: 91.62 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 92.03 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
-0.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Public debt
35.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

36.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data for central government
country comparison to the world: 149
Taxes and other revenues
16% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
$65.173 billion (2019 est.)

$70.843 billion (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Exports
$388.49 billion (2019 est.)

$383.484 billion (2018 est.)

$382.736 billion (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Exports – partners
China 26%, United States 14%, Hong Kong 12%, Japan 7%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 5% (2019)
Exports – commodities
integrated circuits, office machinery/parts, computers, refined petroleum, liquid crystal displays (2019)
Imports
$308.744 billion (2019 est.)

$305.428 billion (2018 est.)

$303.067 billion (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Imports – partners
China 21%, Japan 16%, United States 11%, South Korea 6% (2019)
Imports – commodities
integrated circuits, crude petroleum, photography equipment, natural gas, refined petroleum (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$456.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$439 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Debt – external
$189.684 billion (2019 est.)

$196.276 billion (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
Exchange rates
New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar -

28.211 (2020 est.)

30.472 (2019 est.)

30.8395 (2018 est.)

31.911 (2014 est.)

30.363 (2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 57.738 million kW (2020 est.)

Consumption: 269,570,325,000 kWh (2020 est.)

Exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses: 9.484 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Electricity generation sources
Fossil fuels: 82.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Nuclear: 11.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Solar: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Wind: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Hydroelectricity: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Biomass and waste: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
Production: 5.955 million metric tons (2020 est.)

Consumption: 67.985 million metric tons (2020 est.)

Exports: 118,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

Imports: 63.523 million metric tons (2020 est.)

Proven reserves: 1 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 800 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption: 998,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)

Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 886,200 barrels/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil estimated reserves: 2.4 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products – production
924,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Refined petroleum products – exports
349,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
Refined petroleum products – imports
418,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Natural gas
Production: 150.589 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

Consumption: 22,002,493,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Imports: 22,172,507,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

Proven reserves: 6.23 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
279.206 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

From coal and metallurgical coke: 141.445 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

From petroleum and other liquids: 92.207 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

From consumed natural gas: 45.554 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Energy consumption per capita
160.669 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
Communications
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 12,971,900 (2019 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 55 (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 29,291,500 (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 123.21 (2019)
country comparison to the world: 47
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: Taiwan has a highly developed telecoms sector in both the fixed-line and mobile segments; in part this is due to the country’s early moves to liberalize the market, allowing vigorous competition to flourish; the government has also made concerted efforts to take advantage of Taiwan’s strengths in the development of high-tech, export-oriented industries to encourage and enable the rapid adoption of advanced telecom platforms, while simultaneously leveraging the same telecoms infrastructure to push even further ahead with the country’s industrial development plans; Taiwan has one of the highest teledensities in the region; while fixed-line subscriber numbers are trending downwards, the rate of decline has been slowed by the major fixed-line provider (Chunghwa Telecom) investing strongly in building out a widespread fiber network to allow customers to maintain a terrestrial voice connection as part of a fixed broadband package; fiber is the dominant platform in Taiwan’s fixed broadband market; cable services have retained an unusually strong following thanks to the success of cable providers in delivering competitive cable TV and telephony services as a way to get around Chunghwa Telecom’s control of the last mile for its copper and fiber networks; Taiwan also has high penetration rates in its mobile and mobile broadband segments, growth in both markets is almost at a standstill because the country reached 100% penetration very early on – way back when GSM was first introduced, in mobile’s case; the MNOs moved quickly to roll out 4G and 5G networks and services in rapid succession, but subscriber numbers (and market share) has barely changed; the improved quality and performance available with the new platforms will drive increased usage and ARPU; fierce competition following the launch of 4G saw the opposite happen, with price wars causing telco revenues to fall instead; it is possible that the same problem can be avoided with 5G, since the three smaller operators have recently been absorbed into the major providers Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone; allowing Taiwan to reach the target of 50% of subscribers on 5G by mid-2023. (2022)

domestic: fixed-line over 53 per 100 and mobile-cellular roughly 123 per 100 (2020)

international: country code – 886; landing points for the EAC-C2C, APCN-2, FASTER, SJC2, TSE-1, TPE, APG, SeaMeWe-3, FLAG North Asia Loop/REACH North Asia Loop, HKA, NCP, and PLCN submarine fiber cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the US; satellite earth stations – 2 (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media
5 nationwide television networks operating roughly 22 TV stations; more than 300 satellite TV channels are available; about 60% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV; 99.9% of households subscribe to digital cable TV; national and regional radio networks with about 171 radio stations (2019)
Internet country code
.tw
Internet users
total: 21,158,750 (2019 est.)

percent of population: 89% (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 5,831,470 (2019 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 25 (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 7 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 216
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
B
Airports
total: 37 (2021)
country comparison to the world: 107
Airports – with paved runways
total: 35

over 3,047 m: 8

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7

1,524 to 2,437 m: 10

914 to 1,523 m: 8

under 914 m: 2 (2021)
Airports – with unpaved runways
total: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2021)
Heliports
31 (2021)
Pipelines
25 km condensate, 2,200 km gas, 13,500 km oil (2018)
Railways
total: 1,613.1 km (2018)

standard gauge: 345 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 1,118.1 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (793.9 km electrified)

150 0.762-m gauge note: the 0.762-gauge track belongs to three entities: the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower
country comparison to the world: 81
Roadways
total: 43,206 km (2017)

paved: 42,793 km (2017) (includes 1,348 km of highways and 737 km of expressways)

unpaved: 413 km (2017)
country comparison to the world: 87
Merchant marine
total: 429

by type: bulk carrier 37, container ship 49, general cargo 57, oil tanker 33, other 253 (2021)
country comparison to the world: 45
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Keelung (Chi-lung), Kaohsiung, Hualian, Taichung

container port(s) (TEUs): Kaohsiung (10,428,634), Taichung (1,793,966), Taipei (1,620,392) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Yung An (Kaohsiung), Taichung
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Taiwan Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force; Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (a law enforcement organization with homeland security functions during peacetime and national defense missions during wartime) (2022)
Military expenditures
2.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

2.1% of GDP (2020)

1.8% of GDP (2019) (approximately $23.6 billion)

1.7% of GDP (2018) (approximately $21.9 billion)

1.8% of GDP (2017) (approximately $22.1 billion)
country comparison to the world: 56
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Taiwan military has approximately 170,000 active duty troops (90,000 Army; 40,000 Navy, including approximately 10,000 marines; 40,000 Air Force) (2021)
note: Taiwan trains about 120,000 reservists annually, but in 2022 announced intentions to increase that figure to 260,000
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Taiwan military is armed mostly with second-hand weapons and equipment provided by the US; since 2010, the US continued to be the largest provider of arms; Taiwan also has a domestic defense industry capable of building and upgrading a range of weapons systems, including surface naval craft and submarines (2021)
Military service age and obligation
starting with those born in 1994, males 18-36 years of age may volunteer for military service or must complete 4 months of compulsory military training (5 weeks of basic training followed by 11 weeks of specialized training with field units); civil service can be substituted for military service in some cases; men born before December 1993 are required to complete compulsory service for 1 year (military or civil); men are subject to training recalls up to four times for periods not to exceed 20 days for 8 years after discharge; women may enlist, but are restricted to noncombat roles in most cases; as part of its transition to an all-volunteer military in December 2018, the last cohort of one-year military conscripts completed their service obligations (2022)
note: as of 2021, women made up about 15% of the active duty military

Illicit drugs
major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics”
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/