Ask Taiwanese Premier Lin Chuan about the economy he's been charged with managing and he'll talk about the need for innovation, investment and higher paying jobs. He'll also tell you one way to achieve those goals is by welcoming more immigrants.
In an interview Friday in Taipei, Lin laid out the vision for invigorating the economy he and President Tsai Ing-wen have sought to implement since Tsai won power in a landslide victory in early 2016. While economists expect growth to accelerate to 2 percent this year from 1.5 percent in 2016, expansion has slowed significantly from 6.52 percent in 2007.
The reforms Lin and Tsai promote touch on areas from trade to taxes to infrastructure. Immigration stands out for being where Lin believes action can be taken soonest and for being what he says is the most immediate countermeasure for one of Taiwan's most-pressing ailments: talent leaving for Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and beyond.