Taiwan’s COVID‐19 Management: Developmental State, Digital Governance, and State‐Society Synergy

Abstract This article examines the reasons behind Taiwan’s effective COVID‐19 response. While some have argued that Taiwan’s success with COVID‐19 is based on its experience with SARS, I argue that we should not attribute Taiwan’s effective response solely to its SARS experience. The country’s success mainly lies in three factors: (1) reliance on the mask policy as the main disease prevention measure and the ability to quickly expand mask production capacity; (2) use of big data and technology to enhance effective implementation of disease prevention and detection measures; and (3) strong state‐society relations favoring transparency, communication, and collaboration. The first two factors can trace their roots to the country’s developmental state model. Democracy provides the institutional underpinning for a vibrant civil society and the synergy between state and civil society, strengthening Taiwan’s crisis governance legitimacy and increasing citizens’ voluntary compliance.