Why Taiwan matters

From coast to coast, Taiwan measures roughly 90 miles wide by 245 miles long. An ambitious tourist could land early in Taipei on the island’s northern tip, grab breakfast at T’ai-chung in the west, lunch at Kaohsiung in the south, dinner at Hualien County in the east and return to the capital by midnight. But what Taiwan lacks in land, it makes up for in people. With over 23.5 million residents, it is one of the most densely populated places on earth. It also ranks among the most advanced free...