Taiwan

The world wants Taiwan to keep quiet and not rock the boat, according to Marcus Gee.

But the world can't expect Taiwan to stay mum forever. Someone once said that a nation is a group of people who have achieved great things together in the past and hope to achieve great things in the future. Taiwan clearly fits the bill. Its people have achieved miracles over the past 20 years, transforming a small island into an economic dynamo and trading a grim authoritarian regime for a thriving democracy.

An island half the size of Ireland with a population of 22 million people.