I most certainly will. Thank you so much.
Oh, I have my card here. If I could have yours.
I’m really sorry, but thank you so much. This is a great way to start my Wednesday, because I’m going to meeting with suits all the rest of my day. That was amazing. Thank you so much.
I think I ran way over my time.
They would probably agree. Certain people, aside from public.
[laughs]
Again, don’t let me put anything in your mouth. You’re saying that’s more than it means to be Taiwanese. Taiwanese doesn’t mean, “I’m Menon. My family came over in 1668. They all stayed in this area…”
It’s straight data, numbers. That’s not going to be, yeah.
When I see things like – just in quick academic writing, they’ll say Taiwanese identity – usually, what you’re talking about is Hakka, Minnan, Paiwan. You’re saying that should, while hold value for self-identity and who you yourself as, that should not as nearly as much value of these concepts ...
Yeah.
Mango, yeah.
Of course.
Tell me what is wrong about things that, as an outsider, I believe are a threat, I believe are valuable, or I believe are not valuable. Is there something I’m missing as an outsider?
Just real quick, again, revisiting my purpose of meeting with you today. Now that we’ve felt each other out, and you understand where I’m looking at, what I believe to be a threat and whatnot, tell me why I’m stupid.
Sorry, I think I’ve gone over a little bit.
Last question, hard question. [laughs]
My, again, outsider brain, I was just like, “Oh, that sounds like power.” That sounds like something that could be abused, to be like, “Oh, under my democratic values, you don’t qualify, or you do qualify.”
Freedom, yeah, OK. You would just defer to these already-established “freedom tests,” if you will? Amnesty International and whatnot.
OK, that’s fine. You quickly mentioned a democratic, like a litmus test. You said, if they show democratic values, they’ll be invited and open to this.
…this’ll be something that they could pressure, like say if Japan wants to be more open and do a…
That’s why I’m trying to word this favorably, but there’s still levers and pressures. They can discourage other members from joining this. Do you think…?
I know they don’t have a seat.
Yes, of course, and this is also areas where the PRC has a say, has a pressure. I’m sure, not to take a more pessimistic side, but I’m sure pushing open-government forms like this, China will still not – PRC will still not…
That makes my China studies brain a little itchy. Are you hopeful of a willingness of something like this? This is obviously a new and more innovative push, but in the past, for example, things like the World Health Organization – there’s these roundabout…where Taiwan could enter, but…
You just see more of that happening, and so bilateral, trilateral…
You perceive it as being more…For example, those AIT joint cyber efforts and whatnot with…
Is that a hot take here? Japan going to be on board? [laughs]
Yeah, of course.
Put that #TaiwanCanHelp.
Taiwan Can Help™.
You can have your opinion. That’s fine, but really…
Yes. For anyone that happens to be listening or reading this, the National Development Council has a really good outline of what it is. I just want to hear – again, if anyone is reading this – to hear you explain it, you showcase it, and pitch it, what exactly ...
I know that you stated it will take place immediately following the reelection, and for anyone listening…
I’m running up against my time, and I don’t want to keep you. This is returning back to happy type of conversation. Moving to the future, could you explain in detail, or talk about in detail, the Taiwan Open Government National Action Plan?
To make it more turnkey, obviously, would make it more encouraged. I would love to say diplomacy would be enough to bring everyone, but no. If you’re moving to business, the language barrier, cultural barrier, all of these things would obviously make this an easier turnkey to encourage someone to ...
Of course, the language of business and the language of technology.
It’s just that small language, English.
Are you a proponent of that, of the English working…?
Are you keeping that scope regionally, or do you think people will come from Germany, come from Ukraine, come from Latin America, all over?
Yeah. Japan, East Asia, and I know through the New Southbound Policy, there’s been integration with ASEAN as well. Not to suggest your scope is small, because I know that’s just not the case with anything you talk about.
That’s actually an interesting point I was going to bring up. In terms of scope, you mentioned your region. You mentioned…
You’re hopeful for that. You think that the replenishing next generation will not be necessarily two Taiwanese parents, a Taiwanese child, born and raised in Taiwan. It’s going to be innovators from around the world that are just encouraged to come back, because Taiwan makes it a haven for innovation?
Then coming back to serve in Special Forces, that’s awesome. That’s great. You see that at the high level. I see that with my colleagues at Global Taiwan Institute. It’s just full of Taiwanese Americans and Taiwanese working in DC coming back.
Yale education.
I was like, “I have anyways,” just because he’s the hot, new thing amongst young Taiwanese and whatnot. No, that’s an incredible story of just going, making it back at Goldman Sachs, if I’m correct.
We were at AIT yesterday, the American Institute of Taiwan, and we were supposed to be there talking about the elections. One guy in the back was just like, “Oh, yeah, someone you guys need to watch is Enoch Wu.”
Yeah. Are you just making me an honorary Taiwanese at this point? You guys have other high-profile people, like Enoch Wu, which is this perfect hero of the diaspora when it comes back. It was just weird.
No, that diaspora aspect, I see it every day in Taiwan, and…
I laugh because my girlfriend’s Taiwanese and lives in DC with me. We have this conversation where she’s like, “If you want kids, we got to get back to Taiwan.” [laughs]
