TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan has secured its place as the second freest country in Asia, according to the U.S.-based nonprofit Freedom House's latest "Freedom in the World 2025" report, trailing only Japan. In stark contrast, China, home to 1.4 billion people, scored a mere 9 points, firmly placing it in the "not free" category.
Taiwan scored 94 points in total, with 38 in political rights and 56 in civil liberties. The evaluation covered 195 countries and 13 regions, assessing "political rights" and "civil liberties" from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024.
Freedom House highlighted Taiwan's vibrant and competitive democratic elections since 2000, which enabled peaceful power transitions and robust protection of civil liberties. However, concerns remain over insufficient measures to prevent migrant worker exploitation and inadequate countermeasures against China's attempts to influence policy-making, media, and democratic infrastructure.
The report also highlighted China's increased authoritarian control under the Communist regime, resulting in a repressive domestic environment. China scored -2 in political rights and 11 in civil liberties. Hong Kong scored 40, classifying it as a "partly free" region, while Tibet received a score of 0, marking it as "not free."