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Inspired by Taiwan

Why Supporting Taiwan Matters for Global Democracy

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The future of global democracy may hinge on a small island of 23 million people.

Taiwan is more than the world’s technology hub, producing over 90 percent of the globe’s most advanced semiconductors. It also hosts a high-performance democracy, a vibrant civil society, and a population comfortable with religious, gender, and sexual diversity. Taiwan’s education and healthcare systems command worldwide respect, and its political resilience inspires admiration across the democratic world.

Yet China claims Taiwan as its own and applies relentless pressure through economic, diplomatic, and military means, stopping just short of open war. Against this backdrop, Taiwan’s success as a democracy strengthens its resolve to resist coercion and inspires others to defend freedom.

In Inspired by Taiwan, George S. Takach shows why Taiwan matters—to its own people and to the world—and why democracies everywhere advance their national interests when they support it. This is a call to recognize Taiwan not just as a strategic outpost but as a beacon for the global democracy project.

Contributors

George S. Takach

George S. Takach holds a BA in history, political science, and philosophy from the University of Toronto; an MA from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa; and a JD from the University of Toronto. For thirty-five years he was a tech lawyer and partner at McCarthy Tétrault, Canada’s premier law firm. During his legal career he was also an adjunct professor in computer law and e-commerce at Osgoode Hall Law School for twenty-two years, and he wrote three books on technology law topics. He now writes and presents on technology and geopolitics for a general audience. His book Cold War 2.0: Artificial Intelligence in the New Battle Between China, Russia, and America was published in English in 2025 (Pegasus Books, New York) and in Chinese in 2025 (Commonwealth Publishing, Taipei). George and his wife, Barbara, live in Toronto.

Chapter Contributors Pages Year Price
In this chapter, Takach examines Taiwan’s central role in global semiconductor production and its vibrant democratic culture under sustained pressure from China.
11 $1.10
In this chapter, Takach maps Taiwan’s geography, placing it at the crossroads of major trade routes and the First Island Chain defensive alignment.
13 $1.30
In this chapter, Takach traces Taiwan’s hard-won journey from autocracy to high-performance democracy, set around the January 2024 presidential election won by Lai Ching-te.
36 $3.60
In this chapter, Takach explores Taiwan’s civil society, examining how religious institutions, indigenous communities, and an independent media landscape have shaped democratic …
28 $2.80
In this chapter, Takach surveys Taiwan’s rich cultural landscape, encompassing architecture, the visual and performing arts, film, music, sport, and language.
32 $3.20
In this chapter, Takach examines Taiwan’s democratic governance, from the constitutional amendments of the 1990s through the 2024 elections and the failed ‘Great Recall’ of 2025.
30 $3.00
In this chapter, Takach traces Taiwan’s transformation from an agricultural society into a global technology leader, a shift spanning from the early 1950s to the present.
35 $3.50
In this chapter, Takach examines Taiwan’s diplomatic history from Japan’s 1895 acquisition of the island through 2025, tracing how the Chinese civil war, the One China Principle, and …
36 $3.60
In this chapter, Takach examines China’s sustained campaign to pressure Taiwan toward unification, from the 1967 Kinmen speaker wall to 2025 cyberattacks.
33 $3.30
In this chapter, Takach examines the military dimensions of the China–Taiwan confrontation, analysing a naval blockade, a full-scale amphibious invasion, and an escalating missile strike …
33 $3.30
In this chapter, Takach argues that safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty is essential to every democracy’s survival.
32 $3.20