2018-3 |
On the Economy: The High Rate of Growth in Post-war Taiwan (Year: 2017-2018/ Ministry of Education, Taiwan: Digital Humanity Program －Taiwan Memory Exhibition-3） |
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Author |
Tsong-Min Wu |
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Position |
Professor Emeritus, National Taiwan University |
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Institution/ Academic Affiliation |
Department of Economics, National Taiwan University |
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Education/ Experiences |
Ph.D. in Economics, University of Rochester |
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Research Area |
Taiwan’s long-term development, monetary policy |
| About the project | From the Dutch Reign to today, Taiwan went through the Kingdom of Tungning, the Qing Dynasty, and the Japanese Occupation Period. The economic system of each era was distinctive and had its own influence on the economic development of Taiwan. Statistical information from the Dutch Rule and the Japanese Occupation Period was particularly rich, presenting many details on the economic development to us. However, in terms of how economic growth enhances the welfare of the people, the high rate of economic growth after World War II was most significant. The economic growth rate of Taiwan between 1960 and 2000 was ranked number one in the world. Continuous high growth resulted in the rapid rise of income in Taiwan. In the beginning of the 1960s, Taiwan was a poor country. But by 2000, Taiwan became a relatively rich country. The continuous high growth rate in post-war Taiwan is a rare experience in human history. How did post-war Taiwan’s high rate of growth arise? What ae the conditions for such growth? Can other countries use Taiwan’s growth experience as a model? Can Taiwan’s high rate of growth continue? All of these questions are not just issues in the history of Taiwan, but are issues that all countries should be concerned with. |
