Taiwan is one of Asia’s great success stories. Its 23m people have more purchasing power than the Japanese or the British, and its quality of life is among the highest in Asia. It is one of the world’s most research-intensive economies, spending the equivalent of

3 per cent of its output on research and development, more than most economically advanced nations. Anyone who owns an electronic device probably uses something made or designed at least partly by a Taiwanese company.

Taiwan is also one of Asia’s most robust democracies, with a solid two-party system and a vibrant civil society. Even the once-pervasive threat of military conflict with mainland China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, has greatly receded after a thaw in relations engineered by Ma Ying-jeou, president since 2008.