TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An increasing number of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are building a presence in Taiwan, testimony to it being a free and democratic country, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Organizations that have registered an office in Taiwan this year include U.S. Freedom House, the Czech Republic’s European Values Center for Security Policy, Spain’s Safeguard Defenders, and Japan’s Safeguard Defenders, MOFA said on Tuesday (Nov. 1).

In addition, the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation has applied to build its headquarters in Taiwan. The center is affiliated with the Asia-Pacific Hub of Reform for Resilience Commission (R4R), an international alliance bringing together global leaders in health, business, and public policy to improve health resilience.

MOFA attributed the growing interest in Taiwan from NGOs to the country’s improved international profile and its effort to create an amiable environment for the operations of such organizations.

Over the past two years, the ministry has pushed for more streamlined applications for establishing offices in Taiwan. The effort involved putting in place one-stop services, administrative assistance, and helping with employment and tax issues.