ABSTRACT
By the beginning of 2000, Taiwan was the third largest manufacturer of IT products in the world. Young scientists and technicians, many of them trained in American universities, are in the forefront of the ongoing technological revolution. On the international front, given Taiwan's extensive dependence upon foreign markets, the health of both the East Asian and American economies remains of crucial importance. The overall economic picture for Taiwan is good, but the coming months and years will not be without economic challenges, many of them connected with politics at home and abroad. WTO membership should expand the opportunities for economic interaction between the two parties, and in the long run, benefit both, despite the likelihood of some short-term challenges for the People's Republic of China (PRC). The relationship between the PRC and Taiwan can benefit from a more integrated Asia-Pacific, including the strengthening of official sub-regional security dialogues, both bilateral and multilateral.
