Taiwan Will Decline and Crumble with Sustained Brain Drain

  Taiwan Will Decline and Crumble with Sustained Brain Drain

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)

April 2, 2017

 Translation of an Except

In the 20th century, the United States became a world superpower because of its liberal immigration policies, attracting talents from all countries to the US through multiple channels, such as graduate education and work opportunities. In recent years Taiwan has done just the opposite. According to a 2013 survey released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), among brain drains of professionals across the world, Taiwan’s case is the most serious with professionals occupying 61.1% of the total emigrant brain drain, ranking first in the world. According to a report on global talent estimates by Oxford Economics, an economic research institution in the UK, because of the brain drain as well as its inability to attract foreign talent, Taiwan will become a country with an acute shortage of talent by 2021. If this situation continues, Taiwan's national strength will gradually decline and decay.

To keep the best talent and attract multinational talent, the logic and approach are in reality crystal clear; we must have a good environment. This environment is built around industry as its core, plus appropriate complementary measures, for instance a broad, liberal immigration policy, education policy, etc.

In the last 30 years, the world’s economic gravity has gradually moved to Asia, especially Mainland China; the Mainland economy and industrial development have entered the deep water zone, requiring urgently all kinds of talent. In addition to aggressively expanded investment in education, the government authorities introduced, one after another, a hundred person project, a thousand person project, offering incentives such as one-time financial assistance and free housing to attract talent from abroad. In 2016, the Mainland issued 163 percent more alien permanent residence cards than in the year before. According to estimates by Oxford Economics, Mainland talents, to the surprise of many, will reach an equilibrium by 2021.

Looking back at Taiwan, we not only are unable to attract foreign talent, even local talent moved out en masse. According to a survey, the crux of the brain drain is low salaries, lack of competitiveness, and the hollowing out of industries. The hollowing out of industries is, on the other hand, because under Taiwan’s closed door industrial policy vis-à-vis the Mainland, Taiwan has isolated itself from the fastest growing main market, deteriorating investment environment, especially lacking investment targets and market opportunity; these are the reasons industry and talent move out together.

Accessible higher education and good quality talent are the source of international competitiveness for Taiwan talent. To keep the brainy youth in Taiwan for our own use is the government’s responsibility. If we cannot retain our own talent and conversely attract talent from abroad, it would be like looking for fish in trees. Whether to retain talent or recruit talent from abroad, the fundamental approach is to create a liberal and open development environment for industry and to promote the development of new industries; otherwise, "If the skin does not exist, how could the hair survive?" In other words, without industry, how could we have employment?

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