The nation rose to be as rich as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

該國崛起為與日本、韓國、香港和新加坡一樣富裕的國家。

Data from the International Monetary Fund IMF says that the gross domestic product, GDP, per capita of Taiwan grew from $2,370 in 1980 to over $32,440 by 2023.

國際貨幣基金組織（IMF）的數據顯示，臺灣的人均國內生產總值（GDP）從 1980 年的 2370 美元增長到 2023 年的 32440 多美元。

But most people don't really understand how Taiwan got to where it is today.

但大多數人並不真正瞭解臺灣是如何走到今天的。

They know how South Korea became rich.

他們知道韓國是如何變得富裕的。

It was an economy driven by its electronics sector, which drove billions of exports through companies like Samsung and Hyundai.

它是一個由電子行業驅動的經濟體，通過三星和現代等公司帶動了數十億美元的出口。

People know how rich Japan is.

人們都知道日本有多富裕。

They relied heavily on their automobile and electronics industries, with giants like Toyota and Sony leading the way.

這些國家在很大程度上依賴於汽車和電子產業，豐田和索尼等巨頭在這方面處於領先地位。

Both Hong Kong and Singapore got to where it is today as they became the world's global financial hub.

香港和新加坡都是在成為全球金融中心後才取得今天的成就。

Hong Kong, specifically, became the gateway to China.

具體來說，香港成為了通往中國的門戶。

But how about Taiwan?

但臺灣呢？

How did Taiwan get to where it is today?

臺灣是如何取得今天的成就的？

Well, Taiwan's path to becoming one of Asia's economic success stories is because of several strategic planning and an industrial revolution that only a few received in Asia in the 20th century.

臺灣之所以能成為亞洲經濟成功的典範之一，是因為它進行了多項戰略規劃，並在 20 世紀進行了亞洲僅有的幾次工業革命。

Prior to this era of economic growth, however, the island has played a major role as a trading hub under Dutch rule in the 1600s.

不過，在經濟增長時代到來之前，該島在 1600 年代荷蘭統治時期曾作為貿易中心發揮過重要作用。

By Japanese colonialism, Taiwan had undergone further economic development.

到日本殖民統治時期，臺灣的經濟得到了進一步發展。

This period of Japanese colonialism played an important role in Taiwan.

這一時期的日本殖民主義在臺灣發揮了重要作用。

Although, this wasn't always seen as a good thing.

儘管這並不總是一件好事。

Colonialism traditionally brings connotations of oppression and economic extraction.

殖民主義傳統上具有壓迫和經濟榨取的含義。

But Japan, as many historians argued, had several lasting positive effects on the island's infrastructure, economy, education system, and public health.

但許多歷史學家認為，日本對島國的基礎設施、經濟、教育系統和公共衛生產生了一些持久的積極影響。

These foundational changes were instrumental in Taiwan's post-World War II economic miracle, which propelled the country to modern economic success.

這些基礎性變革對臺灣二戰後的經濟奇蹟起到了重要作用，推動臺灣取得了現代經濟的成功。

When Japan took control of Taiwan following the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, the island's infrastructure was underdeveloped, with poor transportation networks and little industrial capacity.

1895 年甲午戰爭後，日本控制了臺灣，當時臺灣的基礎設施欠發達，交通網絡落後，工業能力低下。

The Japanese quickly sought to transform Taiwan into a productive colony that could serve as an agricultural hub for Japan.

日本人很快就想把臺灣變成一個生產性殖民地，使其成為日本的農業中心。

They initiated the railway system in 1899, which connected the northern and southern parts of the island and allowed for the more efficient movement of goods and people.

他們於 1899 年啟動了鐵路系統，該系統連接了島嶼的北部和南部，使貨物和人員的流動更加高效。

By the 1930s, Taiwan had an extensive railway network, which contributed to the integration of local markets and the expansion of export-oriented agriculture.

到 20 世紀 30 年代，臺灣已擁有廣泛的鐵路網絡，促進了當地市場的整合和出口導向型農業的擴張。

Japan also undertook efforts to modernize cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung.

日本還致力於臺北和高雄等城市的現代化建設。

Japanese-style urban planning was introduced, with a focus on sanitation, clean water supply, and organized city layouts.

引入了日本式的城市規劃，重點是衛生設施、清潔供水和有序的城市佈局。

As a result, Taiwan's cities began to develop modern amenities that contributed to improved living standards for urban populations.

是以，臺灣的城市開始發展現代設施，為提高城市人口的生活水準做出了貢獻。

Another significant role that Japan implemented was shifting Taiwan's economy from subsistence farming to a more market-oriented agricultural economy, with a focus on producing cash crops for export to Japan.

日本扮演的另一個重要角色是將臺灣經濟從自給自足的農業轉向更加市場化的農業經濟，重點生產經濟作物出口日本。

The Japanese colonial administration viewed Taiwan as an agricultural appendage to the Japanese Empire, and thus, they invested in increasing Taiwan's agricultural productivity.

日本殖民政府將臺灣視為大日本帝國的農業附屬品，是以投資提高臺灣的農業生產力。

This led to an agricultural revolution, and by the 1930s, rice had become a major export crop, with approximately 45% of Taiwan's rice harvest being exported to Japan.

這引發了一場農業革命，到 20 世紀 30 年代，大米已成為主要的出口作物，臺灣約 45% 的大米收成出口到日本。

As a result of all these, public health has improved.

所有這些都改善了公眾健康。

In 1906, life expectancy at birth was approximately 29 years for females.

1906 年，女性出生時的預期壽命約為 29 歲。

By the late 1930s, it had increased to 45 years.

到 20 世紀 30 年代末，這一期限延長至 45 年。

Over the same period, the overall mortality rate dropped from 33.4 per 1,000 people in 1906 to 18.5 per 1,000 in 1936.

同期，總死亡率從 1906 年的千分之 33.4 降至 1936 年的千分之 18.5。

This sharp decline in mortality rates was largely due to better sanitation, disease control, and the introduction of modern healthcare services.

死亡率的急劇下降主要歸功於衛生條件的改善、疾病控制以及現代醫療服務的引入。

The Japanese colonialism in Taiwan is a story that requires far more understanding.

日本在臺灣的殖民統治需要更多的瞭解。

But we'll leave it for now, and move on to the second stage of how Taiwan got rich.

但我們暫且不談這個，接下來談談臺灣如何致富的第二階段。

Soon after the Second World War, a nationalist government led by General Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan following its defeat in the Chinese Civil War.

第二次世界大戰結束後不久，蔣介石將軍上司的國民政府在中國內戰中戰敗，退守臺灣。

While Japanese colonial rule had left the island economically prosperous, it still had complex challenges when the nationalist government arrived.

雖然日本的殖民統治使島國經濟繁榮，但當國民政府到來時，島國仍然面臨著複雜的挑戰。

The island saw an influx of soldiers and refugees from mainland China.

大量阿兵哥和難民從中國大陸湧入該島。

This, and among others, had caused hyperinflation, high levels of poverty, and a severe shortage of foreign exchange.

除其他外，這還造成了惡性通貨膨脹、高度貧困和外匯嚴重短缺。

During this period, Taiwan was highly dependent on foreign aid, which specifically was the United States.

在此期間，臺灣高度依賴外援，具體來說就是美國。

This aid was crucial for Taiwan's survival in the immediate post-war years.

在戰後不久的歲月裡，這些援助對臺灣的生存至關重要。

But relying on a foreign power for long-term economic stability was not sustainable.

但是，依靠外國勢力來實現長期的經濟穩定是不可持續的。

This led the nationalist government to create economic policies that require heavy state intervention, with tight controls over trade, rationing of foreign exchange, and a system of multiple exchange rates.

這導致民族主義政府制定了需要國家大力干預的經濟政策，對貿易實行嚴格控制、外匯配給和多重匯率制度。

Then, the government also imposed strict import controls to ensure that they won't run out of foreign exchange reserves.

隨後，政府還實施了嚴格的進口管制，以確保外匯存底不會耗盡。

But despite these efforts, Taiwan's exports accounted for less than 10% of its GDP during the 1950s.

但是，儘管做出了這些努力，在 20 世紀 50 年代，臺灣的出口額佔其國內生產總值的比例仍不足 10%。

A major turning point to fix all of these was in the mid-1950s.

解決所有這些問題的一個重要轉捩點出現在 20 世紀 50 年代中期。

Policymakers were advocating for export promotion, and one of the key figures behind this shift was the economist S.

政策制定者主張促進出口，而這一轉變背後的關鍵人物之一是經濟學家 S.A.。

C.

C.

Tsiang, who proposed a radical departure from the import substitution strategy commonly pursued by developing nations at the time.

Tsiang，他提出了一個與當時開發中國家普遍採用的進口替代戰略截然不同的方案。

Tsiang argued that Taiwan should focus on boosting export earnings rather than continuously rationing foreign exchange and limiting imports.

Tsiang 認為，臺灣應將重點放在提高出口收入上，而不是持續配給外匯和限制進口。

To put it simply, to shift Taiwan's focus from merely surviving through protective import policies to actively engaging in global trade by becoming an export-driven economy.

簡單地說，就是將臺灣的重點從僅僅通過保護性進口政策求生存，轉移到通過成為出口驅動型經濟體來積極參與全球貿易。

Tsiang's ideas were embraced by a key policymaker, K.

Tsiang 的想法得到了一位重要決策者 K. 的支持。

Y.

Y.

Yin, who was appointed to head Taiwan's development initiatives in 1958.

1958 年，殷一民被任命為臺灣發展計劃的負責人。

The country then implemented a series of bold economic reforms.

隨後，該國實施了一系列大膽的經濟改革。

The government devalued the new Taiwan dollar, moving away from an overvalued currency that had stifled exports for years.

政府將新臺幣貶值，擺脫了多年來抑制出口的高估貨幣。

In addition, the multiple exchange rate system, which had created distortions in the allocation of foreign exchange, was replaced with a more unified and market-oriented system.

此外，在外匯分配方面造成扭曲的多重匯率制度被更加統一和以市場為導向的制度所取代。

Exporters were now allowed to keep or sell their foreign exchange earnings, which provided a powerful incentive for them to increase exports.

出口商現在可以保留或出售外匯收入，這為他們增加出口提供了強大的動力。

The effects of these reforms were immediate and profound.

這些改革產生了直接而深遠的影響。

Taiwan exports began to grow rapidly, and the country quickly became a major exporter of labor-intensive goods.

臺灣出口開始迅速增長，很快成為勞動密集型產品的主要出口國。

The textile industry, for example, grew dramatically, with textile exports increasing from $2 million in 1957 to $29 million by 1962.

以紡織業為例，紡織品出口額從 1957 年的 200 萬美元增長到 1962 年的 2900 萬美元。

Similarly, the electronics sector began to take off, setting the stage for Taiwan's eventual dominance in the high-tech sector.

同樣，電子產業開始起飛，為臺灣最終在高科技領域佔據主導地位奠定了基礎。

By the 1960s, Taiwan's economy was growing at an unprecedented rate, and the island became known as one of Asia's Four Tigers, along with South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

到 20 世紀 60 年代，臺灣經濟以前所未有的速度增長，與韓國、香港和新加坡並稱為 "亞洲四小龍"。

The 1958 reforms led not only for Taiwan's exports to rise, but also allowed the country in the 1970s to become one of the world's leading exporters of electronics, textiles, and other manufactured goods.

1958 年的改革不僅帶動了臺灣出口的增長，還使臺灣在 20 世紀 70 年代成為世界上電子產品、紡織品和其他製成品的主要出口國之一。

The government even further liberalized trade by reducing tariffs and removing remaining import restrictions.

政府甚至通過降低關稅和取消剩餘的進口限制來進一步實現貿易自由化。

These reforms led to Taiwan creating its own set of conglomerates.

這些改革促使臺灣創建了自己的企業集團。

But initially, it wasn't large businesses like that of South Korea and Japan.

但最初並不是像韓國和日本那樣的大型企業。

Taiwan's growth, however, was driven largely by small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs.

然而，臺灣的增長主要是由中小企業（SMEs）推動的。

These enterprises accounted for over 60% of Taiwan's exports between 1981 and 1985 and were responsible for over half of the nation's total production value during the same period.

1981 年至 1985 年間，這些企業佔臺灣出口的 60% 以上，並在同期創造了全國總產值的一半以上。

But as years passed by, Taiwan went on to create their own large conglomerates that would also contribute a large proportion of its economy.

但是，隨著時間的推移，臺灣繼續創建了自己的大型企業集團，這些企業集團也為臺灣經濟做出了很大的貢獻。

This was seen in the country's high-tech manufacturing and the semiconductor revolution.

這體現在該國的高科技製造業和半導體革命上。

It started when Taiwan's government had invested heavily in high-tech industries during the 1970s and 1980s.

它始於 20 世紀 70 年代和 80 年代臺灣政府對高科技產業的大量投資。

An institute known as the Industrial Technology Research Institute, ITRI, was established in 1973 to promote research and became the cornerstone of Taiwan's economic growth.

1973 年，一個名為 "工業技術研究院"（ITRI）的機構成立，旨在促進研究，併成為臺灣經濟增長的基石。

In 1987, the government supported the creation of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, TSMC, which would go on to become the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry.

1987 年，政府支持成立了臺灣半導體制造公司（TSMC），該公司後來成為世界上最大的專業獨立半導體代工廠。

TSMC's success not only solidified Taiwan's position as a global leader in the semiconductor industry, but also attracted other high-tech companies to the island, creating a robust ecosystem of innovation and manufacturing.

臺積電的成功不僅鞏固了臺灣作為全球半導體行業領導者的地位，還吸引了其他高科技公司進駐臺灣，創造了一個強大的創新和製造生態系統。

But TSMC has not only made Taiwan important to itself, but to the rest of the world.

但是，臺積電不僅使臺灣對自己很重要，而且對世界其他地區也很重要。

As the world's largest independent semiconductor foundry, countries from the United States to The US.

作為世界上最大的獨立半導體代工廠，我們的客戶遍佈從美國到歐洲的各個國家。

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had once warned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan and a potential takeover of TSMC, the world's leading semiconductor manufacturer, would be absolutely devastating to the US economy.

美國商務部長吉娜-雷蒙多（Gina Raimondo）曾警告說，中國對臺灣的入侵以及對世界領先半導體制造商臺積電的潛在收購，對美國經濟絕對是毀滅性的。

Raimondo noted that 92% of its advanced chips are sourced from TSMC.

雷蒙多指出，其 92% 的先進芯片都來自臺積電。

This makes Taiwan very important to the US, so Taiwan's rise as a small island to one of the world's most important countries is a result of many historical factors stretching as far back to the Dutch rule, and then followed by the Japanese colonialism.

是以，臺灣從一個小島崛起為世界上最重要的國家之一，是許多歷史因素的結果，最早可追溯到荷蘭統治時期，隨後是日本殖民統治時期。

But anyway, do let us know what you think.

無論如何，請告訴我們您的想法。

Thanks for watching.

感謝觀看。