Screenshot from a documentary about Hong Kong exiles living in Taiwan on Arte YouTube channel. Taiwan is rated as one of the freest societies in Asia, which makes it an attractive location for NGOs, journalists, and activists from neighbouring countries where local governments are cracking down on independent media and civil society, such as Hong Kong, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. But are the Taiwanese authorities ready to turn the island into a welcoming and safe haven? Taiwan, which only 35 years ago still lived under martial law and imposed heavy censorship on its own people and media, is one of the freest countries in Asia, as demonstrated in surveys conducted by organisations such as Reporters without Borders (RSF) or Freedom House. Besides Mongolia, South Korea, Japan, and now Timor Leste, which are rated as enjoying high levels of media freedom, most countries in Asia have a poor record when it comes to freedom of expression. In some cases, the situation is, in fact, worsening, as is the case in China, Hong Kong, Myanmar and Vietnam, not to mention North Korea. Given its location at the intersection between the north and south of Asia, Taiwan is well positioned to become a place of choice for exiled journalists and activists from across Asia looking for a place to seek refuge but also remain active online and continue to inform their home audiences. It is important to note that while Taiwan has accepted asylum seekers in the past, it currently has no law defining or governing asylum, while at the same time a majority of Taiwanese do support the creation of such a law, as it would also benefit Taiwan's image internationally. To understand whether Taiwan is capitalising on this opportunity to increase its international visibility, given that it is not recognized as an independent country by the vast majority of the international community, Global Voices spoke to Cédric Alviani, head of the Taipei-based office of Reporters without Borders that covers East and Southeast Asia, and soon the Pacific region. The interview took place in person in Taipei and has been edited for style and brevity. Filip Noubel (FN): In what way is Taiwan attractive for foreign media considering moving here? Cédric Alviani (CA): The idea of Taiwan as a hub suitable for international media and NGOs is relatively new. Over the past several decades, Taiwan has of course developed quality key infrastructures such as high-speed trains, harbours, and airports, making it a very competitive place for business in the region. But in my view, what makes the difference is that the country’s English proficiency has improved a lot, which makes it much easier for foreign journalists and NGOs to operate: younger generations now speak quite fluent English while administrations all offer English-language services. Additionally, and as opposed to Hong Kong, Taiwan is a real democracy, with transfers of political power, healthy public debates, a high-performing social security system, anti-discrimination policies, gender equality and LGBTQI+ rights. When our organisation decided to open an East-Asia bureau, Taiwan was the obvious choice over Hong Kong: we did not need to get permission from the government, we just had to follow the regulations. Other countries in the region could have taken on this role of a welcoming hub for media, such as Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia, but over the past decade their governments have become more authoritarian, which poses questions of security. FN: So what is lacking to turn Taiwan into this hub, given the advantages you just mentioned? CA: The Taiwanese authorities have not been very good at promoting the island’s achievements internationally in terms of competitiveness. This explains why foreign decision makers who don't know the region well still consider Hong Kong as the place to settle an Asian office, even though operational costs are lower in Taiwan given local salaries. Also, bureaucracy creates a gap between political decisions made at the top and the reality on the ground. For example, when we opened our office in Taiwan in 2017, we had to force different ministries to talk to each other in order for us to get our registration documents. There is no ill will from the government. For example, freelance foreign correspondents can now easily get a press card when they want to settle in Taiwan, which wasn’t the case before and is definitely a sign of progress. But despite the harsh situation in China, only 20 international NGOs and a few dozen journalists have established roots in Taiwan in the past three years, most of them without any specific assistance from the authorities.