Since Hong Kong has been absorbed as the Chinese territory of Xianggang, it is likely that its status as a tiger will change. The four Economic Tigers have even challenged Japan's dominance of the Asian economy. South Korea's prosperity and industrial development are related to their production of items from electronics and clothing to automobiles. The country is about three times larger than Taiwan and has been losing its historical agricultural base to industries. Taiwan, which is not recognized by the United Nations, is a tiger with its major industries and entrepreneurial initiative.
China claims the island and the mainland and island are technically at war.
If the future includes a merger, hopefully it will be a peaceful one. The island is about 14,000 square miles and has a focus on its north coast, centered on the capital city of Taipei. Their economy is the twentieth largest in the world. Singapore started its road to success as an entrepot, or free port for transshipment of goods, for the Malay Peninsula. The island city-state became independent in 1965.