Meanwhile, Taiwan's Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation donated 190,000 second-hand garments, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs helped to deliver to Jordan. The civil war in Syria has caused over 1 million people to flee to neighboring countries, with at least 500,000 having fled to Jordan.

Taiwan's government has also been helping nations closer to home. Experts from Taiwan's International Cooperation Development Fund are currently in Thailand to help farmers there keep plant diseases from affecting crops such as citrus fruits and mushrooms. This is just one of many projects currently being undertaken by the fund around the world.

BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS

Although Taiwan is a relatively small nation, the compassion and generosity of the Taiwanese government and its people have shown that Taiwan can make a difference on the world stage. Government-sponsored projects and public donations not only help those people who are struggling in other nations, but also help Taiwan build its international profile and develop better relations with other countries.

This can be seen in Japan's response to Taiwan's donations following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Since that time, Japan has gone to great lengths to thank the people of Taiwan. These efforts have included taking out front-page advertisements in local newspapers, which called the support "truly exceptional," and sending Japanese students to Taiwan to thank the Taiwanese people in person.

These efforts demonstrate that Taiwan's donations have renewed and strengthened ties between the two countries. The same can be said of ties with China, as the mainland donated large sums to Taiwan following Typhoon Morakot.

In the end, economically developed nations should not expect to receive anything for their generosity. As a wealthy nation, Taiwan has a responsibility to help those in need, whether that means providing assistance in the wake of a disaster or helping developing nations build better futures.

In this regard, Taiwan has proven itself to be a responsible member of the international community and the compassion of the Taiwanese people has earned deserved plaudits from people around the world.