Is the Nat’l Plan Only Trying to Tailgate the Three Little Dragons?

Is the Nat’l Plan Only Trying to Tailgate the Three Little Dragons?

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

July 21, 2020

 Translation of an Excerpt

The Executive Yuan recently passed the "Four-Year National Development Plan" proposed by the National Development Council. It is estimated that the average economic growth rate in the next four years will reach between 2.6% and 3.4%. Before the end of President Tsai’s 2^nd term of office in 2024, the per capita GDP is expected to reach US$30,000. Cheng Cheng-mount, vice chairman of the National Development Council, said that this is the position for entering the ranks of advanced countries. In the future, Taiwan will no longer think of itself as a developing country, but a "developed country." The US$30,000 goal may seem ambitious, but in fact it is quite humble. The per capita incomes of the three little dragons, Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea have long exceeded US$30,000, and only we are struggling to catch up and show off.

Even so, whether the goal of US$30,000 will be achieved in four years is still unknown. Affected by the new coronavirus pandemic, it is still unknown whether this year's economic growth rate can be maintained. Coupled with the deterioration of cross-Strait relations, Taiwan would have to strive very hard to catch up with the US$30,000 goal in the next four years. At present, Singapore’s per capita GDP is US$64,000, Hong Kong’s US$48,000, and South Korea broke US$30,000 two years ago. In other words, Taiwan is just chasing other people's taillights, yet the National Development Council, nonetheless, unabashedly made prideful statements. Does it truly believe that it could fool the people?

If the national four-year development plan is only chasing the taillights of the other three little dragons in Asia, social security cannot find new approaches, wealth distribution cannot undergo real reforms, public construction cannot find a general direction, then the entire national development plan is just a hodgepodge, without real spirit and momentum, and of course no clear direction. How is the government going to arouse the people's enthusiasm to strive with all efforts? Unfortunately, under the fast food culture of the Su Cabinet, officials are left with the blind momentum of “run, run, run”, yet not knowing where they are going. Examining such a national plan, how can the knowledgeable not break out in a cold sweat, worrying about the future for the next four years of the country?

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