2021/05/04 14:07 Rental demand surged over the past year. Rental demand surged over the past year. (Taiwan News photo) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's aggressive efforts to fight the coronavirus early paid off, as the country posted strong economic growth in 2020, with a significant increase in the number of Gold Card applications to work in Taiwan, subsequently boosting demand for apartment rentals. According to NDC statistics, a total of 2,147 applications for Gold Cards, a special work and residency permit for highly skilled foreign talent, were received between Feb. 8, 2018, and March 31, 2021. Of the applicants approved, 269 work in science and technology, 1,673 in economics, and 149 in education.