TY - CHAP
T1 - The Return of NRICM101 to Taiwan
T2 - The Contributions of an Herbal Formula to Both COVID-19 Treatment and Nationalism
AU - Chen, Po-Hsun
PY - 2024/6
Y1 - 2024/6
N2 - This chapter discusses the inaccessibility in Taiwan of the Taiwanese-made herbal formula NRICM101 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being exported overseas, NRICM101 was not available domestically until May 2021, when it was granted Emergency-Use Authorization (EUA) by the Taiwanese government. Drawing on the concepts of classification and sociotechnical imaginaries, this chapter argues that NRICM101 was not only a herbal formula for treating COVID-19 but also a tonic for boosting Taiwan’s nationalism. NRICM101 highlights the disputed regulatory culture of Taiwan’s two-track system, which includes one track for biomedicine and another for traditional Chinese medicine. Despite attracting criticism from medical experts, NRICM101 promoted Taiwanese national identity by presenting itself as the “the glory of Taiwan” and by shifting away from Traditional Chinese Medicine and toward Taiwanese Chinese medicine. Ultimately, NRICM101 showcased Taiwan as a nation independent of China.
AB - This chapter discusses the inaccessibility in Taiwan of the Taiwanese-made herbal formula NRICM101 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being exported overseas, NRICM101 was not available domestically until May 2021, when it was granted Emergency-Use Authorization (EUA) by the Taiwanese government. Drawing on the concepts of classification and sociotechnical imaginaries, this chapter argues that NRICM101 was not only a herbal formula for treating COVID-19 but also a tonic for boosting Taiwan’s nationalism. NRICM101 highlights the disputed regulatory culture of Taiwan’s two-track system, which includes one track for biomedicine and another for traditional Chinese medicine. Despite attracting criticism from medical experts, NRICM101 promoted Taiwanese national identity by presenting itself as the “the glory of Taiwan” and by shifting away from Traditional Chinese Medicine and toward Taiwanese Chinese medicine. Ultimately, NRICM101 showcased Taiwan as a nation independent of China.
U2 - 10.4324/9781003438380-15
DO - 10.4324/9781003438380-15
M3 - Chapter
SN - 9781032572208
SN - 9781032572215
T3 - Routledge Research on Taiwan
SP - 227
EP - 247
BT - Taiwan’s COVID-19 Experience
A2 - Lo, Ming-Cheng M.
A2 - Tsai, Yu-Yueh
A2 - Liu, Michael Shiyung
PB - Routledge
CY - Abingdon
ER -