Portuguese mariners sailing to the Far East in 1545 spied a verdant island on the horizon and called it "Ilha Formosa," the Beautiful Island. Before there was even such a concept as "international," Taiwan had acquired its first international image. In those days the face of Taiwan was one of beauty.
In the 1950s the ROC government was newly established in Taiwan and 8 million troops and compatriots learned a lesson in coexistence as they defended their national bastion. Now the face of Taiwan was one of steely resolve.
In the 1960s the "Made in Taiwan" label began to leave these shores and spread round the world; by the 1970s manufactured products flowed out like a tide and Taiwan's industriousness and invention were placed under the world spotlight along with its reputation as an "economic miracle." Taiwan's face was one of overflowing vitality and cleverness.
As the 1980s rolled round, the face of Taiwan, now more a focus of world attention, underwent further changes. Once branded as the "kingdom of pirating" due to product counterfeiting, with the lifting of martial law Taiwan took a big step towards full democratization and took on a face full of hope; then came a face of wealth as Taiwan was "flooded with cash," until finally rampant speculation earned it the sobriquet "island of greed."
What type of face do we see as we look at ourselves in the Nineties? And what kind of expression do we hope it will give forth?
Economic achievements apart, the main thing Taiwan's development over the past 40 years has brought us has been an increased capacity for self-examination due to the higher level of education. Listening to the voices of others provides reference points for future progress; profound self-reflection produces a blueprint for ourselves. In this process of growth and maturity, what do we really need to think about and reassess? What kind of international image do we wish Taiwan to have in the future? Here Frederick Chien, Yu Mu-ming, Chao Yao-tung, Stan Shih, Lin Huai-min, Han Pao-te and Hsiao Yeh set out their ideas.