As fellow Asian Tigers, or two of the four Little Dragons, Singapore and Taiwan have enjoyed years of cooperation in trade and mutual respect. Taiwanese laud our efficiency, while Singaporeans acknowledge their entrepreneurial drive.
My first visit to Taiwan was in 2004 after Standard Chartered, which I was working for, bought Bank of Hsinchu, located in an area known for its tech industry. The local bank employees, careful to avoid speaking in Mandarin, grumbled among themselves in Hokkien and Hakka, the two common local dialects. I was barely conversational with my ACS (Anglo-Chinese School) Mandarin, but with a Hokkien father and a Hakka mother, I told my new colleagues a day later that I could understand their laments and that they should feel free to bring them up. Instead of staying clear of me, I was warmly welcomed by them after that.
Ties between Taiwan and Singapore go way back. Besides the “Mexicans” from Israel, Taiwan has helped train our army boys, too. Thousands of our soldiers visit Taiwan regularly to make good use of the expansive yet mountainous terrain to train and have a bit of R&R on the side, boosting the local economy whenever a new battalion is in town.
