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Taiwan: Not So Dire Straits
Bruce Gilley
Since 2005, the island republic of Taiwan has been moving toward a closer relationship with China. As with Finland, the shifts have been motivated by Taiwan's desire to preserve its autonomy and democracy by ameliorating Beijing's fears of U.S. influence in the region. And, as with Finland, the shift will come at some cost
Manny leads Dodgers' romp past Taiwan All-Stars
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) -- Designated hitter Manny Ramirez went 3 for 4 to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 11-1 victory over the Taiwanese All-Stars on Sunday in the final game of a rain-shortened exhibition series in Taiwan.
Aftershocks ripple through Taiwan
Aftershocks rattled southern Taiwan in the hours after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook the island, but left it relatively unscathed.
Southern Taiwan jolted by 6.4-magnitude quake
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked southern Taiwan on Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries.
China threatens sanctions over U.S. arms deal
China has threatened to slap sanctions on American companies that sell arms to its rival Taiwan as part of a range of punitive actions Beijing is taking to protest the deal.
China suspends U.S. military visits after Taiwan arms deal
China said Saturday it had suspended military exchanges with the United States over Washington's $6.4-billion arms deal with Taiwan, the territory that Beijing claims as its own.
U.S. announces $6.4 billion arms deal with Taiwan
Overriding objections from China, the Obama administration unveiled a $6.4 billion arms deal with Taiwan on Friday -- including about $2.85 billion in missiles.
Taiwan's Chen, wife sentenced to life
Former Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian was convicted Friday on corruption and money laundering charges, and was sentenced to life in prison, according to officials at Taipei City Court.
Taiwan premier quits over typhoon response
Taiwan's premier resigned over criticism of the government's response to Typhoon Morakot, which slammed into the island last month.
Taiwan's former first lady sentenced
A court in Taiwan has sentenced the island's former first lady to a year in prison for lying to prosecutors in her husband's corruption case.
China cancels events over Dalai Lama
China -- showing its displeasure with the Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan this week -- has canceled upcoming trips to the island by top state officials, state-run media reported.
In Taiwan, Dalai Lama disputes China's claims
The Dalai Lama -- on a visit to Taiwan that includes prayers for recent typhoon victims -- has rebutted China's claims that he is there for political reasons.
Dalai Lama arrives in Taiwan
The Dalai Lama arrived in Taiwan on Sunday on a visit that will include prayers for victims of Typhoon Morakot, but which has raised the ire of neighboring China.
Dalai Lama to arrive in Taiwan on Sunday
The Dalai Lama will arrive in Taiwan on Sunday for a trip that will include praying for victims of Typhoon Morakot, his spokesman told CNN.
Typhoon death toll in Taiwan climbs higher
The number of people killed by a typhoon that slammed into Taiwan and China earlier this month continues to rise, Taiwan announced Thursday.
China opposes Dalai Lama's Taiwan visit
China "resolutely opposes" a planned trip by the Dalai Lama to Taiwan, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Thursday, hours after Taiwan's president announced the visit.
Taiwan death toll 'higher than feared'
A typhoon that struck Taiwan and China earlier this month killed more people in Taiwan than previous estimates, the government announced.
President Ma says sorry again for typhoon response
Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou apologized again today for the slow response to Typhoon Morakot and said he plans sweeping changes to the country's rescue agencies and may punish some government officials.
Hundreds stranded in typhoon-hit Taiwan
Hundreds of people await evacuation in Taiwan more than a week after Typhoon Morakot pummeled the island, a government Web site said Monday.
Taiwan's leader takes blame for typhoon response
Taiwan's leader Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday he accepts responsibility for the government's slow response after Typhoon Morakot slammed into the island killing at more than 120 people and unleashing floods, mudslides and misery.
Taiwanese call for souls to come home
Grieving Taiwanese families held roadside memorial services Saturday to honor those killed by Typhoon Morakot.
1,300 still trapped after Taiwan typhoon
More than 1,300 people are still trapped in remote mountainous villages in southern Taiwan, victims of treacherous mudslides and floods from Typhoon Morakot, the country's semiofficial Central News Agency said Saturday.
Taiwan village buried in mud
A survivor from the typhoon that devastated Taiwan told how she and her grandson were surrounded by rising water in their mountain village.
Countries pledge aid to Taiwan
More countries pledged aid to Taiwan on Friday, days after Typhoon Morakot battered the island and left dozens of villages deluged with floodwaters, killing 116 people.
Typhoon survivors find sanctuary in school
In the foothills of the Central Mountain chain in southern Taiwan, a rescue helicopter lowers itself onto an athletic field in the town of Nei Pu.
Deadly mudslides strike across East Asia
The wrath of Typhoon Morakot has affected nearly 9 million people across four coastal China provinces and killed dozens in Taiwan, officials said Tuesday.
Report: Hundreds survive typhoon in Taiwan
Military rescue teams in Taiwan found hundreds of villagers stranded by Typhoon Morakot along the island's mountainous regions, media reported.
Deadly typhoon causes Taiwan's worst flooding in decades
A mudslide triggered by torrential rains may have buried up to 800 villagers in southern Taiwan, media reports said Monday, as the country counted the cost of its worst flooding in decades.
Typhoon Morakot lashes Taiwan
Typhoon Morakot dumped heavy rain on Taiwan early Saturday and threatened to further soak the recently drought-stricken island.
Earthquake strikes Taiwan region
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Taiwan region early Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
China's economy, Taiwan top Wen's address
China's National People's Congress convened Thursday in Beijing, with Premier Wen Jiabao saying China's economy eyed an 8 percent growth target and that the nation was ready to end "a state of hostility" with Taiwan.
Taiwan citizens get vouchers to go shopping
More than 90 percent of eligible Taiwan residents took up the government's offer of 3600 New Taiwan Dollars (USD $108) to go shopping, government officials said Monday.
China sends goodwill pandas to Taiwan
Two giant pandas arrived in Taiwan Tuesday after leaving China's Sichuan province for their new home, in a sign of improving ties between the cross-strait neighbors.
China, Taiwan reopen regular links
Regularly scheduled commercial flights, shipping, and mail between Taiwan and China resumed Monday for the first time since the 1949 revolution that brought the Communist Party to power on the Chinese mainland.
Court orders detention of Taiwan ex-president
A judge ordered the former president of Taiwan detained Wednesday on corruption charges, just hours after he was taken to a hospital after he accused police of pushing and rough-handling him before he appeared in court in Taipei, according to state-run media.
Taiwanese leader meets Chinese envoy
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou met Thursday with the most senior Chinese official to visit the island in nearly 60 years, state-run media reported.
China envoy arrives in Taiwan on rare visit
The most senior Chinese official to visit Taiwan in nearly 60 years arrived on the island Monday for economic talks -- a sign of improving relations.
Taiwan President Faces Growing Opposition
As the market meltdown hits Taiwan's shores, president Ma Ying-jeou faces slipping approval ratings and hundreds of thousands taking to the streets in protest. Will his controversial policy of mending ties with China survive?
China nixes U.S. meetings over Taiwan arms deal
China has canceled or postponed several military exchanges with the U.S. in reaction to last week's announcement that the U.S. is selling weapons to Taiwan, a Defense Department spokesman said Monday.
U.S. to sell $6.4 billion in weapons to Taiwan
In a move bound to anger China, the United States intends to sell $6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan, the State Department said Friday.
Taiwan: Melamine Found in Nestle Milk Powder
Tests in Taiwan have found minor doses of the industrial chemical melamine in milk powders produced in China by the European food giant Nestle, and those products are being withdrawn
Punishment for 15 senior officials in Taiwan nuke mishap
The Air Force disciplined 15 senior officers, including six generals and nine colonels, for their roles in the mistaken shipment of nuclear weapons components to Taiwan, Air Force officials announced Thursday.
Typhoon Floods Low-Lying Taiwan Areas
Typhoon Sinlaku slammed into Taiwan with heavy rain and strong winds Sunday, flooding low-lying regions
Typhoon Sinlaku dumps rain on Taiwan
Typhoon Sinlaku was moving slowly toward the northern shores of Taiwan on Saturday, promising to dump heavy rain on on the region as it crawls north.
Another Political Storm Hits Taiwan
In a major blow to his DPP party, the family of Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-bian is accused of misusing millions of campaign dollars
Taiwan Ex-Pres Alleged $ Laundering
Former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's son and daughter-in-law returned home Monday from the United States, insisting they are innocent of any criminal role in an alleged money laundering scandal involving their family
Talking to Taiwan's New President
TIME talks to Taiwan's new leader Ma Ying-jeou about making friends with Beijing -- and how Taiwan could change China
Ma Ying-jeou: Creating closer ties
Elected with the largest margin of victory in the history of Taiwan's presidential elections, President Ma Ying-jeou is aiming to bring the good times back to Taiwan while looking to a friendlier future with China.
Tropical storm 'kills 14' in Taiwan
A tropical storm that lashed Taiwan on Friday killed at least 14 people, according to Taiwanese media reports.
Historic China-Taiwan flights begin
The first regular charter flights between China's mainland and Taiwan began Friday in a sign of warming relations between Beijing and Taipei.
Taiwan to Welcome Chinese Tourists
Taiwan's tourist attractions have a fresh coat of paint and restaurants are laying on special buffet lunches in anticipation of a surge in visitors from China when regular commercial flights between the old foes start Friday
China and Taiwan reopen talks
Chinese and Taiwanese officials agreed Thursday to set up permanent offices in each other's territories, in the first formal talks between the two sides in almost a decade.
China, Taiwan seek talks as relations warm
Chinese President Hu Jintao called for a resumption of talks "as early as possible" with Taiwan during a meeting with the island's ruling party's chairman in Beijing, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
Taiwan Pres Doubts China Unification
Taiwan's new leader Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that unification
with longtime rival China is unlikely "in our lifetimes"
because the Taiwanese oppose the mainland's authoritarian
rule
Return to Sender: The US Nuke Slip
The Pentagon plans to probe a politically sensitive 'misshipment' of nuclear missile components to Taiwan - Beijing's arch-nemesis
U.S. says missile parts mistakenly sent to Taiwan
The U.S. Defense Department accidentally shipped ballistic missile components to Taiwan, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Pentagon Admits Arms Shipment Flub
The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that it mistakenly shipped non-nuclear components for an intercontinental ballistic missile to Taiwan from a U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming
Taiwan votes, with China on minds
Voters in Taiwan on Saturday headed to the polls to vote in presidential elections, with the recent violence in Tibet in the backdrop and Taiwan's own relations with China on the front burner.
Opposition sweep to victory in Taiwan
Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party won a landslide victory in legislative elections Saturday, giving a big boost to its policy of closer engagement with China two months before a presidential poll it now seems poised to win.
Typhoon pounds Taiwan, China
Typhoon Wipha, with wind gusts up to 185 mph (298 kph), forced schools and businesses in Taiwan to close Tuesday as it churned toward the central Chinese coast.
Taiwan's War of Words with the U.S.
Taipei's bid for U.N. membership was always sure to anger Beijing. But President Chen Shui-bian has riled allies in Washington as well
Hundreds of thousands flee typhoon
Typhoon Sepat lashed Taiwan with strong winds and torrential rain on Saturday, cutting power supplies to nearly 57,000 homes, injuring 12 people and forcing more than a thousand others to evacuate, before ploughing on toward China.
Typhoon Sepat hammers Taiwan
Strong wind and rains lashed Taiwan as Typhoon Sepat made landfall on Saturday, cutting power supplies to more than 70,000 homes and forcing airlines to delay flights.
Quakes strike off Taiwan; tsunami appears unlikely
Two earthquakes struck off the southwest coast of Taiwan on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster that left more than 200,000 dead.
Misreading Missiles
Asia has more geopolitical hot spots than any region in the world. Political analysts and investors worry that North Korea might stumble into nuclear war with the U.S., that China might invade Taiw...
Typhoon, quake leave Taiwan shaken, stirred
As typhoon Longwang approached Taiwan, a moderate earthquake shook the island, prompting some residents to flee their homes.
Son: Father innocent of spy charge
The son of an American being held under house arrest in China on suspicion of conducting espionage for Taiwan said his father is an apolitical businessman who has no contacts in Taiwan and no dealings with any government agencies there.
Typhoon strengthens near Taiwan
A powerful typhoon in the East China Sea near Taiwan has intensified, with winds of 148 kilometers per hour (92 miles per hour) and gusts up to 185 km/h (115 mph), the CNN Weather Center says.
Thousands flee as storm hits China
China evacuated more than 1 million residents along its southeastern coast as a typhoon that devastated Taiwan hit the mainland on Tuesday.
Taiwan leader urges China talks
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has urged Beijing to negotiate with his government days after a landmark meeting between the island's opposition leader and China's president.
Foes put past behind them in China
Taiwan's opposition leader and Chinese President Hu Jintao have vowed to work together at the first meeting between the rivals in half a century.
China woos Taiwan non-separatists
An intriguing calm has settled on the Taiwan Strait as the Chinese Communist Party administration focuses on united-front tactics to woo non-separatist elements in the "breakaway province" of Taiwan.
China condemns Taiwan protests
A massive protest in Taiwan against China's new anti-secession laws is a misuse of people power, Chinese media said on Monday.
Taiwan: War bill a big provocation
Taiwan's government has warned that China's new anti-secession law is a "war bill" that will have a "serious impact" on security in the region.
Beijing lays down law over Taiwan
China has unveiled a controversial new law that would allow Beijing to use military action against Taiwan if peaceful means fail to stop the island pursuing independence.
U.S. urges China to rethink Taiwan law
The Bush administration has labelled as "unhelpful" a Chinese law authorizing the use of military force to prevent Taiwan from formally declaring its independence and urged Beijing to reconsider the measure.
New law sparks Taiwan protests
Thousands of people in Taiwan have taken to the streets to protest China's planned anti-secession law.
China: No independence for Taiwan
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao opened the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing by saying a planned anti-secession law would never permit independence for Taiwan.
China congress opens
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is delivering his opening address at the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing.
Taiwan president quits party post
Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian has resigned as leader of his party, taking the blame for a weekend legislative election defeat.
Taiwan says no to new mandate
The people of Taiwan have said no to a new mandate to accelerate President Chen Shui-bian's pro-independence policies.
Upset win for Taiwan opposition
Taiwan's opposition has won a legislative majority in a stunning upset over President Chen Shui-Bian's pro-independence coalition.
Strong quake rattles Taiwan
A large earthquake centered off Taiwan's eastern coast shook buildings in the capital of Taipei, damaging buildings and injuring several people, officials said.
Taiwan's Chen asks China to talk
Taiwan's leader has used his National Day speech to urge China to begin talks so that the two rivals can avoid war.
Where Hu stands on U.S., Taiwan
After patriarch Jiang Zemin's long overdue retirement, the Chinese leadership under President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao may pursue a more aggressive policy towards the United States and Taiwan.
Typhoon Aere batters Taipei
A strong typhoon is whirling across northern Taiwan, closing financial markets and schools for a second day.
Taiwan braces for Typhoon Aere
Financial markets, schools and businesses in Taipei and other parts of Taiwan have been shut as a strong typhoon closes in on the island.
Taiwan braces for typhoon Mindulle
Taiwan has issued land and sea warnings for Typhoon Mindulle -- the strongest storm to threaten the island this year -- which is set to brush past on Thursday.
Conflict risks dragging in U.S.
China has long threatened to reunify Taiwan by force if necessary, and has hundreds of missiles in place along its east coast, across the Taiwan strait.
China's war of words
The swearing in of Taiwan's president has given the Chinese government an opportunity to remind Taipei of the consequences of moves towards independence.
Top U.S. Taiwan official resigns
The head of the unofficial U.S. government office handling diplomatic relations with Taiwan has resigned, the State Department says.
China scolds U.S. over radar sale
China has reacted angrily to U.S. plans to sell high tech radar systems to Taiwan, denouncing the move as being against Washington's commitment to Beijing's "one-China" policy.
Clashes as Taiwan mulls recount
Angry protesters have stormed the headquarters of Taiwan's Central Election Commission as it formally declared President Chen Shui-bian the winner of Saturday's disputed poll.
Taiwan grapples with recount plans
Protests rattled Taiwan for a fourth day as the nation's main political parties grappled with competing plans to hold a recount of the weekend's contentious presidential election.
Taiwan riled by poll deadlock
Thousands of opposition supporters have refused to disband protests in Taipei until votes are recounted as conspiracy theories and allegations of fraud swirl around the weekend poll.
Report: Taiwan to seal ballots
Taiwan's high court has ordered all ballot boxes sealed as demonstrators protest the results of presidential elections, according to The Associated Press.
Taiwan: The two candidates
Profiles of the two candidates in Taiwan's presidential election:
Taiwan's first referendum
Taiwan will hold its first-ever referendum to coincide with Saturday's presidential election in a move that has infuriated arch-foe China and alarmed the United States.
Taiwan polls 'could spark crisis'
As campaigning for elections hits full swing across Taiwan the unfolding political drama is reverberating in capitals as far away as Beijing and Washington.
China 'won't meddle' with Taiwan
China has denounced plans by Taiwan's president to push ahead with a poll next month but says it won't interfere.
Unsafe bird culling worries WHO
Chicken cullers across Asia have been warned to wear protective clothing or risk catching the lethal bird flu and creating a global epidemic.
Taiwan: News & Videos about Taiwan - CNN.com
Find stories, videos, and photos about Taiwan from CNN.com.
Defense minister to step down if censure cases continue unabated
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - National Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu on Tuesday vowed to step down if he is not successful in reducing the rate at which the Control Yuan is censuring people under his ministry for ethical irregularities.
Premier sets preconditions for cross-strait talks on military CBMs
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Premier Wu Den-yih set two preconditions Tuesday for talks with China on cross-Taiwan Strait military confidence building measures (CBMs).
Newspaper reading drive in Taipei shows success: survey
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A newspaper reading campaign launched two years ago among elementary schools in Taipei City has succeeded in helping to develop students' liking for reading, according to the results of a survey released Tuesday by the city's Department of Education.
Ma vows to complete resettlement before Morakot anniversary
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - President Ma Ying-jeou reaffirmed his hope Tuesday that all households displaced by Typhoon Morakot will be resettled in permanent homes by the anniversary of the disaster that battered southern Taiwan last August.
NT dollar appreciation helps ease imported inflation pressure: CBC
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Pressure from imported inflation has grown since the beginning of the year but has been cushioned by the appreciation the Taiwan dollar, according to a report issued by Taiwan's central bank.
Central bank denies report about potential currency appreciation
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has denied reports that it may want to induce appreciation of the local currency to curb imported inflation pressures.
Feng Hsin raises prices for rebar and steel products
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Feng Hsin Iron and Steel yesterday raised its wholesale prices for rebar and other steel products, it announced.
Pre-built apartment visits drop by up to 50 percent
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Visits to pre-built apartment buildings in Taipei City dropped by 20 to 50 percent over the weekend after government measures to crack down on land speculation, a broker said, yesterday.
Ministry denies asking banks to hasten mergers
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's Ministry of Finance denied reports it plans to speed up the mergers of state controlled banks, according to a statement posted on the ministry's Web site yesterday.
Macronix sees demand for NOR-flash chips
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Macronix International Co., Taiwan's biggest producer of the NOR-flash memory chips that store operating systems in mobile phones, said demand is outstripping supply.
Overseas investors boost Taiwan dollar
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's dollar strengthened after overseas investors increased holdings of the island's shares on optimism improving ties with China will spur trade and economic growth.
AU Optronics applies to set up its first China LCD plant
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - AU Optronics Corp., the world's third-biggest maker of liquid crystal displays, said it submitted an application to Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs to build its first panel factory in China.
FSC ponders widening stocks margins
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is still considering whether to widen the limit by which stocks can rise or fall daily, said the agency's chairman, Sean Chen, yesterday.
SEF head to visit China to help Taiwan businessmen
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's top negotiator with China, Chiang Pin-kung, is scheduled to visit central China March 24-30 to boost support for Taiwanese businesspeople operating in the area, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said yesterday.
Ma calls for more debate on death penalty
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday that the contentious issue of whether Taiwan should abolish capital punishment needs to be openly debated to reach a reasonable solution in a rational manner.
Eight Taiwanese receive German scholarships
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Eight Taiwanese students received this year's Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) scholarships yesterday, which were presented by Stefan Rummel, director of the DAAD in Taipei.
EPA nixes idea of local gov'ts imposing energy taxes
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's top environmental official yesterday rejected the idea of local governments imposing energy taxes on businesses under their jurisdiction, saying it should be the job of the Executive Yuan.
LAFA dancers to perform at Vancouver festival Olympiad
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A Taiwanese dance troupe, the LAFA and Artists Dance Company, will leave Tuesday for the 2010 Vancouver Cultural Olympiad that will be held in the Canadian city at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre March 18-19.
Airport smoking areas being considered
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's tourism bureau will facilitate the planning of smoking facilities at Taoyuan International Airport, said the chief secretary of Taiwan's Tourism Bureau Liu His-lin Monday.
Driver dies in oil tank truck fire
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A driver died in an oil tank truck fire yesterday at noon in Taichung although the firefighters put out the flame quickly, local media reported yesterday.
NPM hopes to show full painting in 2012
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - An official from the National Palace Museum (NPM) expressed hope yesterday that China will agree to send the half of a famous Yuan dynasty landscape painting that it owns to Taiwan, so that it can be exhibited along with the other half of the work, which belongs to the NPM.
A dissatisfactory yearend III
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Zha Daren hit his office desk with the palm of his right hand. He jumped up from the seat, cursing irately and uncontrollably.
Unlicensed Taipei carparks to be probed
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taipei City faces a large number of unlicensed parking facilities, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) city councilor Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) told a press conference yesterday; the city government said they had organized a special group to probe into the problem, local media reported yesterday.
Cabinet committee expands application of 'anti-fat cats' article
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The finance committee of the Legislative Yuan yesterday resolved that the annual pay for government-appointed chairmen and presidents of enterprises or institutions will not be more than double those of ministers, as proposed by lawmaker Alex Fei of the ruling Kuomintang.
Ban of fowl slaughtering by vendors postponed: COA
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The government has decided to further postpone a plan to ban poultry vendors from slaughtering live chickens and ducks at traditional markets as originally planned on April 1.
Bank of Taiwan slammed for failing to stop fraudulent money transfer
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Bank of Taiwan (BOT) did not act fast enough when a woman, surnamed Lai, requested a freeze of her mother's account after finding out that her mother had been transferred NT$700,000 to fraudsters, resulting in the loss of the whole sum of money.
Gym criticized for not honoring contracts
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Being Sport gym was accused of forcing old customers to convert their old life-long contracts into new contracts with different terms after it was bought by Being group, a subsidiary of Uni-President Enterprise Corp (UPEC).
Detention center vows to avoid identity mix-up
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Taipei Detention Center promised yesterday it will tighten identity checks and other security measures to prevent the recurrence of the “mistaken identity” case in which a suspected detainee disguised himself as another cellmate to jump bail.
Sandstorms to affect Taiwan today
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday warned the public of a wave of sandstorms arriving today, which will affect air quality across the country, local media reported yesterday.
New house rates set
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Some 300,000 homeowners or about 3.4 percent of total households in Taiwan will see their housing tax rates hiked after a revised property tax system takes effect, Deputy Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford.
China Post Online - Taiwan , News
Taiwan's leading English-language newspaper since 1952. The China Post Online is the leading online provider of news and business and entertainment information on Taiwan.
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theTrumpet.com: Taiwan
theTrumpet.com -- Understand your world.
China Blames U.S. for Strained Relations
The Chinese foreign minister said the Obama administration had seriously disrupted the relationship with weapons sales to Taiwan and a visit with the Dalai Lama.
Moderate Quake Rattles Taiwan
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook southern Taiwan on Thursday.
Strain on HTC From Apple Suit Is Likely to Be Long-Term
Apple’s patent suit against HTC will not cause major problems for the Taiwan technology company in the short term, analysts said. But it could strain its relations with partners in the U.S. market.
China Warns U.S. Against Selling F-16s to Taiwan
China, already angry with the United States over an arms package for Taiwan, warned that sales of fighter jets would bring greater consequences for Washington.
When the Language of Diplomacy Includes ‘Kapow!’
“Formosa Betrayed” addresses one of the trickiest balancing acts in global politics.
U.S. Arms for Taiwan Send Beijing a Message
In announcing an arms sales package to Taiwan, the U.S. leveled a direct strike at the heart of the most sensitive issue between the two countries.
U.S. Deal With Taiwan Has China Retaliating
China announced an unusually broad series of retaliatory measures in response to the latest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, including sanctions against some American companies.
With Defense Test, China Shows Displeasure of U.S.
Analysts say they think that China timed the test of its missile interceptor system to express its anger over American approval of arms sales to Taiwan.
Taiwan Bans Some U.S. Beef Imports
Spurred by lingering concerns over mad cow disease, lawmakers moved to reverse a deal the governments had negotiated.
Asian Computer Makers Move Into Riskier Ventures
Companies that once built devices to Silicon Valley’s specifications are now investing in start-ups so they can compete with their former customers.
Asia Comic Art Makes It to the Museum
Four museums -- in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Taipei -- are participating in a large-scale biennale dedicated to Animamix, a style that borrows heavily from Asian animation and comics.
Taiwan Protests Flare Over Visit of China Envoy to Sign Accords
Tens of thousands of opposition demonstrators marched in the central city of Taichung a day before the arrival of a senior mainland Chinese envoy, Chen Yunlin.
Arms Sales to Taiwan Will Proceed, U.S. Says
The U.S. relationship with Taiwan is one of the most serious diplomatic issues between China and the U.S.
Animated News Clips Fuel Debate on Media Freedom
The use of animated depictions of violent events by Apple Daily, Taiwan’s most widely read newspaper, has provoked an intense discussion of their influence on children.
A Small Step to Bridging the Taiwan Strait
The final details were minor compared with the substance of the financial cooperation deal between China and Taiwan, but carried significance of their own.
NYT > Taiwan
World news about Taiwan, including breaking news and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Public has reservations over death row pardons: premier
Premier Wu Den-yih said yesterday that Taiwan's society would have great reservations over a general pardon that would commute the death sentences of convicts who
Ma vows to complete resettlement before Morakot anniversary
President Ma Ying-jeou reaffirmed his hope yesterday that all households displaced by Typhoon Morakot will be resettled in permanent homes by the anniversary of the
Cabinet closer to health insurance solution
The government was closer to a compromise about national health insurance premiums on the eve of a visit by resigning Department of Health Minister Yaung
China's manpower investment threatens privacy, says DPP
The government should ban Chinese investment in manpower agencies because it had failed to stop the leaking of private information, opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker
Politics
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Newspaper reading drive in Taipei shows success: survey
A newspaper reading campaign launched two years ago among elementary schools in Taipei City has succeeded in helping to develop students' liking for reading, according to the results of a survey released Tuesday by the city's Department of Education.
The campaign was launched in the 2008-2009 academic year on a trial basis in 46 classes at 25 schools. In the 2009-2010 academic year, the program has expanded to 70 classes in 30 schools, data from the department shows.
According to the results of the survey conducted among 1,221 participating students, 79 percent of them agreed that promoting newspaper reading in schools can boost their general interest in reading, and over 80 percent said they like reading newspapers.
Also, 70 percent agreed that newspaper reading can make life more fun, and over 80 percent agreed that the drive has raised their civic consciousness and awareness of cultural pluralism.
More than 80 percent of the students said newspaper reading has expanded their learning horizons and heightened their social consciousness. In addition, more than 70 percent said the reading habit has helped to improve their writing ability.
New museum showcases 'strange beings from outer space'
The museum formally opens on March 14 and is stocked with thousands of "petrified aliens" mostly originating in Xinjiang, all from the collection of Chen Yi-wen, chairman of the World Public Welfare Association. The museum comes out of 13 years of research by the "Innate Space Alien Horoscope Research Center".
There are "wizards" present at the entrance of the museum. Originally, the museum's operator believed that aliens created the first man, a wizard reputed to be able to heal sickness and communicate with them.
The first floor of the museum is two stories high and houses nearly 1,000 petrified "alien beings". Museum director Yang Hui-chun says that these are "alien beings that came to earth and were petrified after being buried in the ground for long periods. Their age is incalculable. Since the alien intelligence permeated the resulting stones, measurement has shown that they have alien magnetic fields and can be used to help humans improve their condition on earth."
Professor Li Chia-wei, chief editor of "Scientist" magazine, researches fossils at National Tsing Hua University. He says that at present, research on aliens is still stalled within the scientific world. As for the magnetic fields, which are easy to confirm using a compass, Li asks how it is possible to communicate with the aliens. Did they truly communicate? Li feels that it is very difficult to confirm these issues using any sort of scientific method. However, he says, one thing is certain: "Science has already confirmed that there is in fact life in outer space."
National Taiwan University Professor Chen Chao-chun, of the Department of Applied Mechanics, and the "Taiwanese godfather of flying saucers" and director of the Taiwan Society for Parapsychology, Lu Ying-chung, believe that humans use language to communicate, but aliens must surely be able to do so via thought waves or magnetic waves.
Chen gives the example of when his friend imagined a trip into outer space. Based on his descriptions, "Aliens can communicate using totally non-linguistic means, and even their spaceships are mind-controlled."
The museum is located at 156 Roosevelt Road, Section 4, phone: (02) 2365-1900. Admission is NT$100, which entitles the visitor not only to see the petrified "remains", but also to obtain a discount on tea, coffee, and vegetarian foods or have a photograph taken with an "alien" for free.
(The Chinese version of this article was published on March 14, 2010.)
For those interested in alien life forms, the place to go is the brand-new "Museum of Aliens" in the Gongguan commercial zone of Taipei, where one can see "petrified aliens" that are small in stature but "thousands of times more intelligent than man."
Taipei to install security cameras all over the city
Ready-to-cook food delivered to your doorstep
The set meals feature three main courses and one soup. All of the food ingredients are arranged to let the working woman cook up the prepared dishes in less than 10 minutes, and have the day's tasty dinner ready and waiting on the table.
Wu Chang-hui, the owner of the EZ Cook website, says that these days, women care more about preparing a well-balanced, healthy meal for their family to eat at home so that they don't have to eat out. Consequently, they rush to the supermarket or late-afternoon wet markets after they get off of work to buy dinner ingredients, searching for a parking space and being burdened with sacks and bags on the way home. Seeing this, Wu and his little brother decided three months ago to establish an Internet restaurant, delivering food ingredients to help working women address the troublesome issue of food preparation.
Wu says that each of their dinner sets is enough to feed two adults and two children, adding that all of the ingredients have been sliced and packaged into different bags, with easy-to-make recipes, spring onions, garlic, peppers and other spices included. All that mom needs to do is prepare the wok, heat the oil and then toss the ingredients in the wok to fry them, he says.
Wu posts 10 different dishes on the website each day, along with the menu for the entire month. Consumers can order meals for one day, one week or even one month. Due to manpower limitations, delivery is presently offered only within the Taipei metropolitan area from Tuesday to Saturday. The service can be reached by phone at: (02) 2987-6421 or by visiting their website at http://www.ez-cook.com.tw. (The Chinese version of this article was published on March 8, 2010.)
These days, professional women face the duel task of going to work and caring for the household; they usually have to rush home to prepare the evening meal right after getting off work, slaving away at yet another daily task. However, things could become easier for them now after an innovative Internet retailer began delivering fresh food ingredients directly to households.
Taipei Lantern Festival 2010 closes with firework show
Taipei Lantern Festival 2010 Sunday night closed with firework show, bringing 6 million visitors together during the 10-day session, the United Daily News reported Monday.
Ma shows support for Hau election bid
Gov't closely monitoring Datun volcanoes in Taipei
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Government geologists and scientists in research institutes have stepped up monitoring of the Datun volcanoes in northern Taipei following the strike of a strong earthquake in southern Kaohsiung County.
DORTS apologizes for failing to complete tests
Conditional approval given to reopen gondola
Horse Dance Theatre presenting 2010 productions in Taipei March 5-7
The Horse Dance Theatre, founded by emerging male dancers in Taiwan and which has given acclaimed performances in New York in 2008 and 2009, will premiere its 2010 productions at the Taipei Culture Center March 5-7.
"M_Dans 2010" repertoire will comprise nine works, including five solos and four group dances choreographed by renowned New York choreographer Eliot Feld and Horse members.
The theater's Artistic Director Chen Wu-kang made his name in New York performing the Eliot Feld-choreographed "Dust" and "Proverb" at the Joyce Theater in New York in 2008 and 2009.
Chen has been a principal dancer in the Mandance Project since 2004 when Ballet Tech Foundation in New York premiered the project. At the four performances over the weekend, Taipei audiences will have the opportunity to see Chen presenting "Proverb, " a sensuous choreography showing a single soul on a dark stage with the only illumination coming from lights he cradles in his palms.
In addition to "Proverb, " Horse choreographer and dancer Su Wei-chia will present "Zeppo," a production based on the story of American entertainer Zeppo Marx, which Feld choreographed specifically for Su.
Chou Shu-yi, who won the top prize in a global choreography competition sponsored by the renowned London dance house Sadler's Wells last November, will present his recent work "Start from the Body," which he said was inspired by a discussion with his mother about his performance.
After the Taipei performances, the dancers will prepare for an overseas tour that will begin with two performances at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay in Singapore April 30 and May 1.
Famous architect's landmark designs to be exhibited in Taipei
Models of landmark works by Richard Rogers, a world-renowned British architect who won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2007, will soon be exhibited in Taipei for the first time.
The exhibition at Taipei Fine Arts Museum will feature detailed introductions of 45 special architectural projects by Rogers and his partners, which include the famous Parisian landmark the Pompidou Center and the distinctive London Millennium Dome.
The collection will comprise 78 models and massive photographs as well as 22 videos, a 50 meter-long chronology detailing Rogers' career history and four films especially produced for the exhibition that will be held at the Taipei museum from March 6-May 2.
Rogers' company also designed R9 Central Park station of the mass rapid transit system in the southern Taiwan port city of Kaohsiung and the Ching Fu Group Headquarters building in Kaohsiung, both of which have become the city's new tourist attractions.
Prior to his departure for Taipei along with his two senior partners Graham Stirk and Ivan Harbour, Rogers told the Central News Agency that he does not rely on instant inspiration to create his designs but rather on a more slow-moving creative process.
Rogers, noted for his modernist and functionalist works, said he needs to understand the location and environment where the structure will be built and the specific needs of the client.
Asked about the secret to his career success, Rogers said he does not think there are any shortcuts to success which he said is more of a culmination of effort over time.
It requires teamwork because architecture is not only an art but also a science, Rogers said. Architects cannot expect from the start to build a landmark structure because it takes time to shape up and incorporates many elements, he added.
The 76-year-old Rogers further said he believes good architecture can change the world and that a well-designed structure and public space can help inspire good human interactions.
Rogers said he is gratified to visit Taiwan again. For him, Taiwan is a place that is full of vitality and vigor, he said, adding that he was impressed by Taiwan cities' momentum for rapid change.
Rogers' 45-year career took a big leap when he won the design competition for the Pompidou Centre in July 1971 with Piano, alongside a team from Ove Arup that included Irish engineer Peter Rice.
The building in Paris established Rogers's trademark of exposing most of the building's services (water, heating and ventilation ducts, and stairs) on the exterior and leaving the internal spaces uncluttered and open for visitors to the center's art exhibitions.
This style, dubbed "Bowellism" by some critics, was not universally popular when the center opened in 1977, but today the Pompidou Centre is a widely admired Parisian landmark. Rogers revisited this inside-out style with his design for London's Lloyd's Building, completed in 1984 -- another controversial design which has since become a famous and distinctive landmark in its own right.
Lottery ticket helps lost senior get home
Clever police officers used a lottery ticket in the possession of a lost and confused senior citizen to return him to the family fold.
On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, February 20, a patrol car from the Taipei City Police Zhongzheng No. 2 Substation encountered an elderly white-haired man standing alone in the cold around 7 p.m., on Zhao-an Street near Yingciao Elementary School. He was pacing back and forth, limping. The officers stopped and asked him what the matter was, and the man replied that he wanted to go home, but had become lost.
Shivering in the street shrouded in cold and biting winds, the old man was immediately driven back to the substation by the officers who found him, but he was not only unable to state his address, he had also forgotten his own name and age. He only knew that his surname was Huang. He was able to state a name he had used a decade before, but he could not write the characters, only pronounce it, which made it very difficult for the officers to determine exactly what the name was in Chinese.
The man had nothing in his pockets except a lotto ticket. Officer Lin Chia-hong of the Hsiamen station helped out by figuring out that the old man must live in the vicinity of the place that sold the ticket. Because the lottery ticket had codes stamped on it for the retailer and the machine that produced it, a call to the Taipei Lottery Corporation showed that the ticket was sold on Roosevelt Road in the Wenshan district of the city. Officer Lin then alerted the police stations in that area of the city to ask whether or not a man had been reported missing.
Through this massive cooperative effort, the police were able to ascertain Huang’s identity and see that he got home to his loved ones.
Public can have their mug shots displayed during Taipei Lantern Festival
In addition, this will be the first year to involve the general public to play a role in the event: 6,666 mug shots photographed at specific sites around town on February 16 and 17 will be projected on Taipei City Hall during the period of the lantern festival.
This year, the public artistic lantern area, an initiative started last year, will feature works from 10 artists to be projected onto Taipei City Hall. The accompanying sound and light show will be held each evening from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The shows will last for five minutes each half hour, displaying the works of three artists as well as the mug shots of members of the public.
A happy, lucky mascot tiger will also unveiled on the spot to greet the upcoming "Year of the Tiger." A huge inflatable tiger has been placed lying down just above the main entrance at the city hall building, while another is located right at the entrance. Lee Ming-de, the artistic supervisor for the public arts portion of the lantern festival, says that the mascot tiger at the entrance is 9.5 meters tall and rests on a 6.3-meter wide pedestal. An LED screen has been attached to the face of the mascot, enabling it to have a wide variety of expressions. The one lying down at the entrance has flowers above it to symbolize a "blossoming and lucky" 2010.
Organizers have also planned for projections to be displayed in the lantern area in the evening. The main images to be projected include the red brick structures from the Bopiliao old street in the Wanhua District of Taipei, as well as pictures of two tigers. It is on the faces of the two tigers that pictures of the public will be rotated.
The Department of Cultural Affairs reminded members of the public who are interested in projecting their picture on the tiger's faces to have their pictures taken by designated photographers from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on February 16 and 17 at the movie village in the Xinyi District, the square between the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi buildings in the Xinyi District, Longshan Temple, or at the Red Theater in Ximending. More information on the activity can be obtained at the official website: http://www.2010taipei-palantern.culture.gov.tw
(The Chinese version of this article was published on February 11, 2010.)
A public artistic lantern area of the 10-day 2010 Taipei Lantern Festival, which kicks off on February 26, was unveiled on Wednesday by the Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs. The site will be used to display various artistic works on a rotating basis along with light and sound shows.
Robot contest winners have no time for dating
The "IRALAB" team, which is composed of six undergraduate and graduate students from National Taiwan University's Department of Electrical Engineering, won the top prize and NT$400,000 in the category of robots playing basketball.
They said that the development process was exhausting, and the time-consuming work almost cost a team member his girlfriend. Other members also considered not having any time to find girlfriends the biggest sacrifice they made during the process.
Their design, the "Renball" robot, which consists of electrical distance measurement and camera technology, is able to accurately catch a basketball and then pass it to a human teammate on hand, making itself an wonderful point guard for the basketball team. IRALAB captain Lin Zi-da, a graduate student from the university's Department of Electrical Engineering, pointed out that Renball is a stable and precise basketball robot in that it utilizes electrical distance measurement technology, which takes the place of ultrasound, to better its performance in retrieving the basketball. The added cameras let the robots pass the balls to human players who are behind them. (The Chinese version of this article was published on February 8, 2010.)
The results of the First College and University Cup for Robots in Action were released on February 7 giving away a total of NT$1.21 million in cash prizes to winners in four types of competitions – robots playing basketball, robot creativity among super instructors, a robot cross-country basketball competition, and human-like robots facing various challenges.
How does the team plan on using the NT$400,000? The six students said, "The prize money will be used to develop a new generation of robots," adding that the NT$70,000 Renball still needs to be refined further in the areas of getting out of the way of the ball, catching the ball and passing the ball to moving teammates. In the future, hopefully the robots will be good enough to become practice companions on the basketball court. Combined with a remote control function, the robot will also be able to be used to retrieve the basketball.
Yellow-white illumination most relaxing: local lab
They discovered in the "smart space laboratory" set up by the university's "Color Team" that the yellow-white light generated by tungsten lights is the most relaxing to people. They also suggested that people add some illumination behind televisions; viewers' eyes will be more comfortable if the background of the television is lighter, regardless of whether they watch television in a bright room or dark room.
Associated Professor Chen Hong-xing from the university's Graduate Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering said that viewers' eyes will be easily fatigued if they watch TV with the lights turned off in the living room, where their pupils have to enlarge and shrink often to adjust to the changes of illumination that occur when they move around to get a drink or attend to other things in another space. The distinct contrast between the bright television light and the darkness of the wall behind it or the space surrounding it is the cause of this.
In finding that the low color-temperature, yellow-white light thrown off by tungsten lights are more relaxing, Graduate Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering Professor Hu Neng-zhong said that EEGs also showed that while the brain's alpha waves exhibited a higher degree of nervousness and agitation in an environment that featured high color-temperature blue-white light, it presented a more relaxed feeling in a low color-temperature yellow-light illumination setting.
As a result, offices typically employ a blue-white light to boost energy among employees. That hue, however, won't generally help people on dates at restaurants. (The Chinese version of this article was published on February 5, 2010.)
Researchers at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology have found what they call the most appropriate illumination and audio-video environment for living rooms.
Taipei's social affairs office to stay open over 9-day holiday
The bureau launched the program on February 2, and immediately started checking on low-income households throughout the city to make sure to include families that are on the border of poverty, despite having been disqualified as low-income households, in the city's yearend subsidy plan, which accounts for cash or food vouchers worth between NT$1,000 and NT$5,000 for each household, including those with solitary elderly people and unemployed middle-aged or older members. In all, the city government will distribute about NT$10 million of such financial assistance, which is expected to enable over 2,800 of these underprivileged households to get through the holiday period.
Jiang De-hui, the head of the Assistance Section of the Bureau of Social Affairs, said that during the Chinese Lunar New Year period, the public can dial the city hotline at 1999 to ask for welfare-related help, such as emergency cash assistance, settlement needs for solitary elderly people, or elderly people who need meals delivered.
The Streetpeople Shelter and other shelters for the homeless will also continue to provide 24-hour shelter services during the same period. The Wanhua branch of the Zenan Homeless Social Welfare Foundation, the Enyou Compassion Association and the Xinfu Public Activities Center in the Wanhua District will all open their doors on a temporary basis to provide needy people with lodging, meals and other material.
The bureau has also arranged for some 100 volunteers from the Longlife Association and the Association for Taipei Charitable Foundations to deliver New Year's meals to low-income householders and solitary or immobilized elderly people before Chinese New Year's Eve. (The Chinese version of this article was published on February 3, 2010.)
The Taipei City Government's Bureau of Social Affairs will remain on duty during the upcoming nine-day Chinese Lunar New Year vacation starting on February 13. Thirty-six of the bureau's employees will take turns manning the office and providing emergency assistance, such as helping solitary elderly people buy meals and arranging transportation to take them home.
Taipei's rangers fight to protect forest and mountain resources
Taipei is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the hilly land within the city makes up 55 percent of its area. In particular, Datun and Qixing mountains in Shilin and Beitou make up over half of the land area for those two areas. Looking at an aerial photo, it is obvious that over half of this part of the city is green space.
"When I got into the business, there were only four rangers in the whole city, and we had to cover the same area of forest and mountains as today. Now, there are 17 of us." Chen Wen-cheng looks back on 26 years in the conservation business; he has no plans to retire, however.
The beefing-up of the ranger force reflects the rise in consciousness among the people of Taiwan of the importance of preserving the island's land resources. In the early years, mountain paths were sketchy at best, and there were no handy devices like GPS navigation or aerial photographs available. The rangers had to rely on their own two feet to physically patrol the mountains, walking where few men had ever set foot before to catch violators. They encountered all sorts of situations in their work, not to mention attacks by wild dogs, bees, venomous snakes and all sorts of creepy-crawlies.
"The hardest thing to figure out is people, not animals." Nearly two-thirds of the rangers working in Taipei City have over 15 years of experience on the job, and they can tell some hair-raising stories about things they've encountered at work. Some have been confronted by machete-wielding Aboriginals and chased right off the mountain. Others have had hunting guns pointed at their heads, or even been entirely blocked from entering a forest area.
In the 1990s, when the building boom was at its height, construction companies would dump waste materials indiscriminately. Rangers sometimes had to go out in the middle of the night to find these illegal dumpsites. "You'd catch them at last, and then a dozen trucks would show up from nowhere and surround you. It was like being buried alive. You had to be tough about it." Veteran ranger Chang Chien-shui, on the force for 25 years, says that it wasn't hard to get used to tramping around in all sorts of weather over all kinds of terrain, but that it was hard to take just the right line with violators. "Go too hard on them, and you're a target, but go too easy and you're a violator yourself!"
Chang once ran into a large burial brigade who were getting ready to bury a coffin in public land in a mountainous area of Neihu. He made a report immediately, and the supervisor told him to stop them no matter what. Chang had to confront some 20 people who had waited for an auspicious day to bury their dead and who were all ready to take a swing at him. "I was standing there absolutely unarmed, without only my mouth to get me out of that bind. But is just talking enough?"
These days, city dwellers have a much better idea of the importance of preserving the mountainous areas near them. Even the avid climbers who can never have enough paths on the mountains often act as the eyes and ears of rangers now. If the idea of conservation of soil and water could be widened so that all the people of Taiwan were like those climbers, perhaps these hardy rangers could think about hanging up their hiking boots at last. (The Chinese-language version of this article was published on January 11, 2010.)
The devastating floods of last August emphasized the need to conserve Taiwan's soil and land. Forest rangers are now placing greater emphasis on reporting the illegal harvesting of forest resources and the poaching of animals, and soil and water experts in the cities are working to complete reports on mountain or slope areas. Any development, dumping of waste or construction of cemeteries without a permit will be swiftly brought to justice by the first officer who encounters it.
Christian clinic treats underprivileged for free
The clinic currently provides medical diagnosis services to about 15 or 16 people each day, with all of the medical care free of charge. Patients who are willing to foot the bill are not accepted. The Christian Benevolence and Friendship Center next door provides meals twice a day without any charge to needy people, who can also temporally board within the facilities' upstairs and downstairs, where 30 people and 18 people can be accommodated, respectively.
Shepherding the friendship center and the clinic, Reverend Lee Zheng-long says that the facilities would like to let more people know their services so that they can provide more assistance to the underprivileged. He urges people who are in need not to be embarrassed to seek help from them.
11 Christian Benevolence and Friendship Centers and Friendship Clinics are now in place throughout Taiwan, with the facilities funded entirely by the church. They plan to establish a total of 23 such facilities altogether. Besides looking for appropriate places to set up the centers or clinics, it is hoped that physicians will come forward and volunteer their time as well.
The Christian Benevolence and Friendship Center along with the Friendship Clinic are located on Huayin Street behind the location where the old Taipei train station used to be, not far from Zhongshan North Road. The clinic, which only started its operations on December 10, will treat the underprivileged, with or without ID cards, for free, making itself a welcome new addition for the poor and the underprivileged in Taipei.
School provides real treasure to encourage students to read
The "Fishing for Gold in a Sea of Books" plan has since successfully captured the hearts of the students. In the past, student Shan Lin-jung would only accompany friends to the library, but she never read the books there herself. Now, however, she goes to the library whenever she is free, because "you can read and you might find some money, too! It's great!"
There are currently gaps in Taiwan between North and South, city and countryside, and even in Taipei itself there are also gaps between schools, with the exclusive schools of the Da'an district generally filled with prosperous parents and students. Principal Chen says that middle and lower-income families at her school make up about 1/5 of the student population, and such students often lack not only the material goods but also the cultural stimulation needed for success. Chen believes that children will not be able to understand the pleasure of reading if they are not attracted to read on their own, and the school should make that happen.
Chen's first attempt was aimed at just getting students into the library. She dug into her own pocket to come up with NT$3,000, and then placed NT$100 bills and NT$10 coins in various places around the library as "treasure" for which students could hunt. Whether it was NT$10 or NT$20, the children learned that reading sometimes comes with additional rewards and surprises.
When the money ran out, the school switched to "Golden Questionnaires". Parent volunteers show up at the library each day to select different kinds of books, designing a theme and incentives. Only children who correctly answer the questions are eligible for a prize drawing to win from NT$5 to NT$50. There is also a Wall of Fame for book borrowers, and a monthly award for the "Reading King".
After two months, the plan has really inspired interest in reading on campus. The number of kids willing to walk into the library and borrow a book has risen 30%, and the library has helped out by extending its hours until 6 p.m. so that more children can come there to read after school hours. Chen was moved when one student told her, "I don't have any pocket money, but I'm reading a lot." It seems some youngsters in her school are developing a love of reading to testify the old saying that there really is a treasure trove in books. (The Chinese-language version of this article was published on December 21, 2009.)
The ancients used to say, "In books, there is a treasure trove." Chen Tsai-ching, principal of Taipei's Fangho Middle School, wanted to get more disadvantaged children into the school's library, and she devised a plan the ancients would surely approve of: hiding "gold certificates" inside the pages of various books. Any child who opens up a book has a chance of coming across unexpected spending money.
Golden rain trees bring unwanted red tide
Hong Chang-jung, head of the Xingye sub-district, says that the red bugs are attracted to the golden rain trees' sap in droves each fall and winter, making the plant not exactly universally loved in the sub-district. The bugs breed prolifically and often fly into homes, onto tabletops or beds, and frightening the elderly and small children. Cars parked beneath trees are soon covered in sticky liquid that is difficult to clean off. In short, the trees are seriously impacting the quality of life in the area, says Hong.
Huang Hsi-fu, head of the Xingde sub-district, hopes that the city will replace the trees with cherry trees or at least move them somewhere else, thus ending the headaches they are causing local residents.
At present, Taipei has golden rain trees planted on both sides of Xinhai Road, as well as Dunhua North and South Roads, Wolong Street, and Zhongzheng Road in Tianmu. The trees on Xinhai Road are closest to residences, and city councilor Li Keng Kui-fang is also calling for the Office of Parks to look into the appropriateness of using this species as a roadside planting.
Kao Min-tian, director of the Landscaping Team at City Government's Office of Parks, says that the red bugs are not harmful, and live in symbiosis with the trees. They are also part of nature, and if the trees are changed, other bugs will simply replace the current set. He feels that the city should better center its efforts on resident education.
Kao also notes that the red bugs breed between the end of December and April or May of the following year, so parks can help curb their numbers by spraying water or sprinkling a low-toxicity pesticide to reduce their numbers.
(The Chinese version of this article appeared on December 17, 2009)
Nearly 2000 golden rain trees (Koelreuteria formosana) lining the sides of Xinhai Road in Taipei have been giving local people a headache every autumn and winter as the trees attracts thousands upon thousands of red stink bugs, which tend to fly into residents' homes. The red plague can make people's scalps itch, and residents of the Xsingye and Xingde sub-districts of the city have requested the city government to solve the bug problem associated with the trees.
Taipei's commercial districts combine old and new
Taipei's history originated in the western part of the city, where several transportation hubs can also be found. Today, despite the city's commercial activity having gradually moved eastwards, this side of the city still features a melting pot feeling, having weaved various burgeoning elements into its own culture/history-centered texture. This juxtaposition makes it a must-see place for tourists coming to Taipei from abroad.
The commercial district behind the old Taipei railroad station was where many entrepreneurs got their start, and most ultimately made quite a name for themselves. This area includes Chongqing North Road, Huayin Street, Taiyuan Road, Zhengzhou Road (also known as Civic Boulevard), and other alleyways and corridors. Over 300 stores selling all types of goods can be found here, including accessories, leather goods, toys, gifts and hardware. Each business ownerin the area has his or her own story to tell about their efforts made to achieve success.
The center of the Longshan Temple commercial district is actually not the temple, which is a level two nationally protected building. Each day, a countless number of locals and foreigners come to the temple to light incense and pay their respects. Just as well known as the temple, however, is the night market located on Huaxi Street, which is just a few minutes' walk away. This is also a must-see stop on the itineraries of foreign tourists to the city.
The Bopiliao block of restored buildings in the Wanhua district, which date back over 100 years, have recently been renovated and re-opened. These buildings exhibit the architectural characteristics of southern China, and they have arcades that run in front of the buildings. In addition, many of the buildings still exhibit Western-style columns, which were popular during the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan. The movie Monga came to this spot to film on location. Bopiliao is expected to become an increasingly popular place for future visitors to the Longshan Temple commercial district.
The Ximending commercial district, also known as the West Gate district, is a haven for young people who are into pop culture. But in fact, Ximenting is another example of the old and new coming together in Taipei. To be sure, the district consists of a mishmash of styles. In recent years, the Red Brick Theater and the area around it has become an important center for people with an artistic flair to congregate. Many young people who have established their own brand names have set up small stores in the area. On the weekends there is a large market where people display and sell their wares. Once again, this injects a creative and innovative energy into the old buildings that dot the area.
Besides these three pivotal commercial districts, which are all located in the western part of the city, the Gongguan commercial district, which is situated in the southern part of the city, has also become a hotbed of retail activity. One reason for this is that it is a transportation hub. Aside from the business activities around subway stops in the area, the Taipei City government in recent years has created bike pathways and pedestrian walkways along the riverside in the Gongguan area. This has attracted many people to Gongguan to take a stroll or ride a bike.
The Taipei Water Park is a core feature of the Gongguan commercial district. Besides offering a place in the summer to cool off and play in the water, the area is also perfect for an evening stroll. In addition, a bicycle path circling the premises is gradually being completed, making a new spot for bicyclists to come and have a good time. (The Chinese version of this article was published on November 29, 2009)
If you are interested in getting a good feel for both the modern and traditional sides of Taipei City, you should visit four important transportation hubs throughout the city. These areas feature a blend of the old and the new, and are pivotal commercial areas in the city. The four areas are the commercial district behind the old Taipei railroad station, the commercial district around the Longshan Temple, the Ximending commercial area, and the Gongguan commercial district near National Taiwan University.
Persons with disabilities to rally for rights
Nookhope founder and chair Lian Mei-man says that Ketagalan Boulevard used to be a very sensitive location for Taiwan's government. In the past, demonstrators of all stripes have aired their views here. Only the disabled have been left out. This year, the group plans to take to the streets to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and show that the disabled are every bit as diverse a group as able-bodied persons, while requesting equal rights and respect.
The "Nookhope Grand Parade of the People" will set off at 1 p.m. on November 21 from Ketagalan Boulevard, and proceed to Chingfumen and Liberty Square at the CKS Memorial Hall. At 11 a.m., a "Live Without Barriers" parade will set off from the square to show the creativity disabled people bring to their everyday lives. Finally, a concert will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In addition, the Taipei City Government Office of Social Services has rallied a group of 120 disabled persons and Internet users and three guide dogs via the Internet and will bring them together on November 20 at 12:03 at the Shinkong Mitsukoshi in the Xinyi District for a quick event marking the kickoff of the 2009 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Also on Saturday, there will be a "Love Without Barriers" event held at the Shinkong plaza, which will feature wheelchair ballroom dance exhibitions, displays of adaptive products and information booths.
December 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and "Live Without Barriers', sponsored by Nookhope in Taipei, will commemorate the date with a parade on Saturday. Disabled persons are invited to come to Ketagalan Boulevard to demand equal civil rights.
Taiwanese tailors crowned in international contest
The two firms' defeating some of the world's most renowned tailors proved that Taiwan owns outstanding craftsmanship as well as creativity. They also helped make Taiwan known as the place for making excellent suits.
Grand Custom Tailor won the top creativity prize in the category of suits for men. The company's top tailor, Chen He-ping, designed and cut the suit to make it suitable for fancy occasions as well as for more ordinary affairs. Chen boldly designed a neckline that was a combination of a Chinese-style flat collar and a more typical Western collar. The collar, which was done in a silky pink material, was designed to extend the eyeline down the suit in an X pattern. The most ingenious part of the design was the hidden zipper. This meant that the collar to the suit could be unzipped and taken off, turning the jacket from an ordinary jacket into a jacket featuring coattails.
Chen He-ping says that while Taiwan's suit industry has honed its technical expertise over the past 10 years, it has lagged somewhat in terms of fashion sense and what's popular. But the country has started to make a name itself on the international stage after taking part in a number of international competitions and events. This is proving that Taiwan's skills in suit-making are gaining more and more clout worldwide, he says.
While many might think that men have a monopoly on suits, this is not the case. In fact, in recent years, tailor shops are increasingly looking to females as a source of business. Cho Rong Industrial, well known for making women's uniforms, has always kept an eye out for what is in fashion in order to manufacture extremely stylish products.
Liao Jia-lin has taken the stiff impression of cloth used to make men's suits and has changed this into dresses that feature interesting curves and forms. The cheongsam that Liao designed for the competition was an enormous hit with the judges, and it won top prize for creativity for women's wear.
The honorary chairman of the Taipei Tailor Commerce Association, Lin Zi-long, says that what makes hand-made suits so attractive is that they are made to fit the physiques of the persons who order them. The suits have a great style about them and are formfitting, he says, adding that tailors are able to offer outstanding after-sales service on the suits, enabling the suits to be used for decades. During the process of making the suits, the tailors will often leave extra fabric around the waist of legs so that the suit can be taken out a bit should its owner gain a few pounds over the years.
Grand Custom Tailor Co. and Cho Rong Industrial in Taipei won the top awards for creative male suits and female dresses in the 2009 World Congress of Master Tailors competition in Austria in August.
Taipei maps out routes to view public art
A large public artwork entitled "The Era of Travel" was unveiled on the 10th of November in the plaza in front of the Songshan Airport subway station. The large work of art, which is in the form of a rollaboard carry-on piece of luggage, will greet the public as they set out to take the Neihu Line of the Taipei mass rapid transit system.
The department said that at present there are over 360 public art works spread throughout Taipei, literately making Taipei a "fine arts museum without walls". Strolling through various areas, one can see a number of public artworks spread throughout the various stations of the Taipei MRT's Neihu Line. The design of the artwork at the Songshan Airport station carries the theme "The Story of Flying". Passersby will see a flying vehicle suspended in the underground station, where a form of a hot air balloon is also on view. In fact, wherever you look in the station, there are various items or paintings that will remind you of flying.
The Gangqian Station has an extremely rare exhibition of a huge piece of embroidery that was collectively made by 84 residents. Entitled "The Neihu Utopia", the embroidery is meant to bring to mind places in the vicinity of the station with various scenes depicted. Meanwhile, the theme of the public art at the Wende Station is "Birds Fly". A mosaic on display in the station showcases an image of waterfowl taking flight.
The department stated that the Public Art Seven Routes also include a corridor of public art along Dunhua Road, a collection of public art at the sports part located at the Dihua wastewater treatment plant, and public art on display in the Nangang Technology Park. More information on the activity and the various routes can be found at: http://taipeipublicart.culture.gov.tw
Walking is the best way to see what is happening in a city. The Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs has planned and kicked off its large–scale Taipei Public Art Seven Routes public art walking guide activity.
Local painter develops new acrylic painting style
“Originally I did not expect that an industrial coloring agent could be used for painting, but it has opened up a world of interesting changes in the colors,” said the founder of the “jingcai style” of painting, Lan Chih-kuan. She has applied metallic industrial coloring agents to acrylic boards in creating this new form of painting.
Lan and over 20 other local artists who are interested in pursuing this innovative type of painting are working to create a name for themselves in the artistic community. They fell into using these industrial coloring agents by accident.
The painter explained that the form that the artwork takes is somewhat similar to that of a block print. The colors used are even more vibrant than those used in oil paintings. This has created an entirely unique style of painting, which they refer to as “jingcai,” or “crystal painting.” This type of painting marks quite a breakthrough here, as it is one of the few new forms of self-developed art forms among Taiwan artists in recent years. The coloring agents are pretty similar to those used in the famous “qicai industrial arts” in Japan, where coloring agents are frequently used in ceramics and glasswork.
A graduate of National Taiwan University of the Arts, Lan's artistic background helped her experiment. Several years ago, she suddenly came up with the thought of spilling coloring agents all across a piece of acrylic. “What was really interesting was how the industrial coloring agents, on the slippery and glossy surface of the acrylic, would blend together and create intriguing changes. Once I saw the results it seemed like the two types of media were a match made in heaven,” Lan said.
Lan became extremely excited and began to devote herself entirely to this new form of art. “In the process of applying the industrial coloring agents to the acrylic, an unlimited number of interesting changes come about. Many painters are quite surprised by these works. Each one of these jingcai crystal paintings is like the life of an artist, which is full of surprise and wonder,” Lan said.
A joint exhibition of crystal paintings is currently being held at the Taipei Cultural Center on Bade Road. Meanwhile, Lan has a solo exhibit planned for the second floor exhibition space at the Howard Plaza Hotel that will run from Nov. 12-23.
Outdoor mosaic project beautifies a neighborhood eyesore
The area along the Tamsui River in the Dai Dao Cheng area of Taipei used to be home to cold, featureless, dark dike walls. Now, however, thanks to the efforts of a group of art lovers from the local Sheltering Sky Arts Association, three large murals covering 112 meters of mosaic art are in place. The works have transformed the riverside into a “ten-mile art gallery”, not only brightening the view for local residents, but also helping to bring style back to the area.
The Sheltering Sky Art Association is located on Huanhe North Road near the river, and can point to over 30 members, all of whom are aficionados of the arts. Standing on a high floor, one can look out to the beautiful vista of the Tamsui River, but the beauty of the riverside at ground level has been marred by the dike wall and the elevated highway, so that people have gradually forgotten the beautiful view that used to be accessible here.
“Why does a dike have to be so ugly?” “It looks so far away but it’s really not!” Association art teacher Bo Yin-ping once lived in New York City, before coming back to live in this part of Taipei some years back. Every time she sees the gray wall of the dike, she always thinks that Taiwan shouldn’t allow a separation between the river and the life of the people. In particular, the Tai Tao Cheng area of Taipei was founded and prospered on the use of the Tamsui River as a means of transporting goods, so the feeling of the riverbanks should not be lost to the people there.
The arts association thus decided to first begin work on the wall of the dike located between Huanhe North Road and Nanjing West Road, across the street from its headquarters. Their intent was to transform a black, dirty, closed-in space bounded by a cement wall into a work of art.
The first work, titled “Rebirth of the Great River”, was begun using small donations from members. The Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs also provided an NT$400,000-plus subsidy. To keep the art fresh without changes for at least 10 years, the decision was made to use mosaics instead of paint, and a master mosaic artist from Yingge was brought in to transform the wall.
The process of creating a mosaic is a complex one, and after Bo had completed the design for the stretch of wall, the association’s members divided up the tasks at hand. They first wanted to look at the wall and decide how the mosaic should be divided up and what color palette would be best, so that the perspective, sense of space and dimensionality of the completed work would be correct. After the Yingge ceramics workshop had fired and sorted the colors of the pieces to be used, they had to be put in place on site, starting from the top and working downward. Again, the dimensionality, color saturation and hue all had to be harmonious. Finally, the actual work had to be fixed onto the wall, while contending all the while with a busy flow of vehicles and pedestrians. Given these challenges, each mosaic took at least a year from start to finish.
Everyone liked the results when the first mosaic was completed, and with assistance from the Department of Cultural Affairs, two years ago a second one, titled “Endless Space”, was begun at the intersection with Minsheng West Road. The third mosaic is located next to the doc and is titled “Rebirth of Elegance”. For this work, local residents and children were invited to try their hands at fitting the pieces in, symbolically putting their hands to developing their neighborhood.
“It’s not just beautiful, it embodies the resolution to transform this community,” says Bo. The wall of the dike here is now a public work of art, bringing beauty to all and also representing the feeling local residents have for their home.
'Walk for Health' events bring fitness closer to home
The center has been holding the events on weekdays at 4:30 at the Laosong Elementary School since the beginning of June, 2009. Elderly residents are invited to participate, and each participant receives a free pedometer, a Passport to Weight Loss, and a hat. The events have been drawing from 200 to 300 walkers daily.
Lu Hui-chen, director of the center, says that Fan Tian-cheng, the head of the Fu Ming Neighborhood, used to snore badly, which bothered his wife to no end. After coming out for the walks, however, his snoring has disappeared, much to his wife's delight and relief. The center examined the walkers and discovered that after joining the program, 32% of them had been successful in gaining or losing weight, while 10% had reduced their waist sizes and 18% saw a drop in their BMI -- all good indications of improved health.
Lu says that after discovering the benefits of walking, some local elderly residents have started putting on their hats and coming out on their own to walk in the mornings as well. The friendly greetings and calls of encouragement exchanged make the activity good for the spirit as well as the body.
The Department of Health of the Taipei City Government is conducting a "Walk for Health" program at school playgrounds from Monday through Friday. Those interested in participating may dial 1999 to obtain more information from 12 District Health Centers.
Prescription medication cited as cause in sleepwalking burglary cases
At her trial at the Shilin District Court, Yu admitted to three counts of breaking into an automobile, but stated that she had been depressed for a long time and had serious problems with insomnia. She had been seen at Taipei Veterans' General Hospital numerous times, where doctors had diagnosed her and prescribed a certain type of sleeping pills. After she began taking the drug, her insomnia was cured, but she suffered from blackouts and abnormal judgment and behavior. These eventually led to her committing break-ins while half-asleep, she claimed.
In a letter to Taipei Veterans' General Hospital, the court asked for more information regarding the sleeping pills and Yu's use of the drug. The hospital responded saying that one of the side effects of the drug was indeed problems involving consciousness, hallucinations, loss of memory and sleepwalking, and added that the majority of patients suffering from these were women.
The court found that Yu had no prior convictions, and that her going alone to remote areas like the dike at the city limits to steal things was not "commonly seen" behavior. Added to this was the fact that after her arrest, on January 23, she went back to the hospital for further treatment, where a doctor determined that the side effects of the drug had influenced her behavior. After a switch to a different medication, the situation was alleviated, and Yu has never been seen stealing anything since.
Because the Court believed that Yu's crimes were caused by a reduced capacity in the wake of taking prescription medication, it sentenced her to 9 months for the serial thefts, but suspended the sentence for three years so that she could put her life back together.
Early on the morning of December 15, 2007, 46-year-old Ms. Yu set off for Chengde Road in Taipei armed with a screwdriver, which she used to break the glass on a car window, stealing NT$100,000 and a digital camera from inside. On the 28th of the same month, she again used the same means to break into a car on Tonghe Street, coming away with the owner's clothing, a watch, and other articles. On January 10, 2008, she was apprehended by the police while breaking into a car owned by a Mr. Pai.
Underground mall offers weatherproof attractions for all
Today, however, this underground mall bustles at noon with more and more white-collar workers stopping in each day to take a healthy walk. Some people walk for 30 to 40 minutes and put in about 10,000 steps. Others take the MRT from Shihlin especially to come here just for lunch and a relaxing time.
The facilities in the Easy Mall include a special square, providing young people with a dancing space with a four-wall mirror. There is a professional-grade stage in the middle, and young people perform or practice enthusiastically here day and night. The spectacle has become one of the hallmarks of the mall. One high-school student, "Hsiao B", says the biggest advantage of the underground mall is that it keeps people out of the rain, sun and wind. Moreover, the air-conditioned mall sports many chairs and tables and has become a gathering place for the elderly as well. They come here to read newspaper, play chess or chat with friends.
For the past two years, the mall has had book vendors in residence. They offer new books at a good discount, and regularly hold "book fairs" at which prices may drop to 20% of the original ticket. Some books can be had for as little as NT$10. As such, this has become a favorite destination for book lovers throughout the city.
The Children's Book City, in place for less than a year now, gives kids a place of their own to come and read. On weekends, there are parent-child activities organized here, and it has become a favorite retreat for children, and people with kids.
The Taipei Museum of Modern Art cooperates too, holding an "Experience Creativity Show" underground each month. The displays feature vanguard works of modern art, allowing people to enjoy them for free. The art adds to the cultural diversity on show at the mall. Artist Chiang Wei-chen says that it is possible to see works of art by artists of all ages and backgrounds in the mall, and the challenge lies in somehow shrinking this underground town through visual art.
The Taipei Easy Mall, called the "Zhongshan Underground Street" in Chinese, is located between the Taipei Main and Shuanglian MRT stations, covering a total length of 815 meters. After opening in 2000, Taipei's first MRT mall did not attract as many customers as anticipated. From 2000 to 2003, the mall languished without many commercial interests moving in.
Taipei Zoo classifies its recipe for pangolins
Because it can be difficult for them to find food in their natural habitat, pangolins can stay in a state of partial starvation for long periods of time. If they are raised in a controlled environment, pangolins often eat foods that do not agree with them or succumb to digestive ulcers, which can lead to death. As a result, pangolins have a low rate of survival in captivity. Therefore, zoos throughout the world have largely given up having pangolins due to problems associated with finding the right foods for them.
Taiwan has a high level of development in low-altitude areas. Wild pangolins have been hit by vehicles as they cross roads or injured in attacks by wild dogs. The injured pangolins are sent to the Taipei City Zoo to have their wounds treated and their health looked after. Given their frequent contact with the mammal, veterinarians at the zoo developed a unique diet for the animals that has been quite successful in helping them to survive.
Jin says that the so-called "Pangolin Diet" is based on the nutritional composition of ants and consists of a mixture of proteins, the addition of various nutrients, as well as dietary fiber. The pangolins are fed on the diet in a rational manner to extend their livespans. The Taipei Zoo has exchanged this recipe and their technology in taking care of pangolins with the Leipzig Zoo in Germany. Jin says that the scales and the tails of pangolins are frequently smuggled throughout Southeast Asia because they are widely believed to have the effect of treating bruises, clearing mammary glands and boosting sexual stamina. The zoo's recipe for feeding the pangolins therefore is sought after by many of these smugglers so that they can use it to raise large numbers of the animals in captivity. The zoo strictly forbids this, however, and it has taken measures to make sure that the recipe does not get into the hands of unscrupulous people.
Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, mainly rely on ants and termites for food. Their eating habits are quite different from other animals', says Taipei City Zoo spokesman Jin Shih-qian.
Accord signed to uphold tortoise conservation
The Burmese star tortoise is a rare species from Asia; its only habitat is coastal river jungles near Rangoon. Due to long-term upheaval caused by war on the Indo-China peninsula, the habitat of the species is under serious threat, and its numbers have declined sharply, to the point where it has been listed as the sixth endangered chelonian species in the world. Despite the protections it now enjoys, its reproductive rate has remained low.
Yeh Chieh-sheng, head of the Taipei Zoo, says that the tortoises lay between 80 and 100 eggs per year, but only 1 or 2 hatchlings typically survive. In 2008, with assistance from the Behler Chelonian Center, the zoo improved the climactic conditions in its turtle habitat, adjusting the humidity and temperature to more closely resemble that of Burma. At the same time, the zoo also slowed its hatching techniques. The institution's efforts were amply rewarded with the successful hatching of 26 young tortoises.
Yeh says too that the accord recently concluded by the zoo will see increased cooperation between the two sides in reproductive technology, individual exchanges, diversification of genetic pools for endangered species, and other areas of research. These efforts will establish a multi-national relationship and a model for cooperation in conservation, with the ultimate goal being to return the star tortoises to their native environment.
In 2003, the Taipei Zoo was the first such organization worldwide to successfully breed the Burmese star tortoise in captivity. In 2008, the zoo saw a huge boost to its numbers, with 26 adorable hatchlings added to its count. On September 16, 2009, the zoo inked an accord with the Behler Chelonian Center to cooperate on the preservation of endangered species. The two institutions will work jointly on conservation activities, assisting in the return of the tortoises to the wild.
City project breathes new life into cloth market
With NT$3,000 a restaurant can change its look and present different atmospheres based on their particular clientele. Fabric is an easily changeable basis for decorating a home or store. It is not only cost effective, the resulting look is also clean and simple, and it can easily be done as a DIY project at home.
Designer Li Wen-chi gives the example of one Western restaurant that was originally decorated in cool colors with earth tones. That was fine given that their customers were largely white-collar workers and families. However, when the restaurant was reserved for a party, a corporate function or a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, different interior materials and colors were needed to pep the place up. The restaurant now changes its tablecloths, chair covers and so on, puts a new cloth jacket on the menus, and adds a little color to accent pieces such as scarves or accessories to employee uniforms. In a short time, a completely new look is created for a custom event.
On September 16, Li demonstrated the decorating technique by creating a "Single Girls' Party" décor for an imaginary party reserving a private room in a restaurant. The cost for transforming the room ran less than NT$3,000, and literally thousands of types and patterns of cloth can be had in the Youhua Street area at an average cost of about NT$60 per meter. Even including labor costs, a chair cover came in at less than NT$150 custom-made, and pre-made types are available for even less for those for whom budget is a major consideration.
The Taipei City Office of Commerce is currently assisting the city's former cloth district in reinventing itself for the new century, bringing in designers and creative educational platforms. The Chiapo Nijung company has been set up as the first model store. Owner Su Chang-chin, who has 30 years of experience in the business, says that the company used to focus on sales of fabric for uniforms, but as demand declined, the industry is no longer a seller's market. Today, the company has adopted a "cloth art" platform to remain competitive. The firm now provides classes, brings in creative designers, and offers free consultations about cloth. The new initiatives have breathed new life into the faltering business.
Old Bopiliao in Taipei sheds light on another era
Mi Fu-kuo, an architectural scholar, says Bopiliao was an important area during the Qing Dynasty from which lumber shipped to Taiwan from Fuzhou in southern mainland China was sent to be stripped of bark before distribution. This is where the area's name derives from, since "bopi" literally means peeling off bark. The old buildings along the street also feature southern Chinese style arcades. During the Japanese occupation, new streets were created in a more orderly pattern, and on the southern end of the area a new roadway was opened, known today as Guangzhou Street. What resulted was a rare situation of a row of buildings bordered by streets on both sides.
At the time, many stores thrived in the area and were critical to the wellbeing of the people. For instance, the "Sun Book Company", a printer and book-binding factory, bound books with thread in a traditional way. This business contracted out its work to many families in the area. The Weiling Altar, referred to more colloquially as Shihgonggui, is a place where shamans exerted their power to expel demons from ill children brought in by their parents. Meanwhile, at the intersection of Kangding Road and Guangzhou Street are many businesses selling coal and wood charcoal, henceforth giving the area the name "charcoal market."
The movie Monga (Wanhua District pronounced in Minnan dialect) filmed in the area portrayed parts of the local streetscapes in the 1980s. Although it didn't restore the entire Bopiliao Old Street area, it did bring back some famous old enterprises in the area such as the Xiuying Tea Shop, the Rixiang Travel Service, and the Fengxiang Baths. While the younger generation looks upon the scene set up for the movie as having an Old World flavor; it was unreal for the older locals. Mrs. Yeh once lived along Bopiliao Street. She missed the place where she grew up and wanted her son to see the remains of the area, but she discovered that things were totally different with many stores being changed, she said. She complained that the architectural structures in the area have not been well preserved and the street has been turned into a folk culture village. The Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs said that after undergoing renovation, the Bopiliao Old Street will become a special arts and culture zone. Hopes are that a larger number of culture-related enterprises can be attracted to the area, which can also be rented out for scenes in movies or television shows. The current exhibit of "mixed arts" held in the area is another manifestation the renovation aimed at injecting a new life into this historic space.
What is referred to as Bopiliao Old Street today is actually Kangding Road, Lane 173 in Wanhua, one of the oldest districts in Taipei City. Framed on the southern side of Laosong Elementary School, as well as Kangding Road, Guangzhou Street, and Kunming Street, the Bopiliao Street area is dripping with 200 years of history starting all the way back in the Qing Dynasty, running through the Japanese occupation to the post-WWII period after the Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan from mainland China. It is the most intact street within the previously walled city of Taipei from the Qing Dynasty.
H1N1 prompts school to hold commencement via intercom
School Principal Lian Te-sheng says that how much students and faculty know about the flu determines the success or failure of a prevention program. Using video conferencing avoided cramming students cheek–to-jowl in the auditorium, reducing the probability of such close contact between students and lowering the chances of infection.
Faculty committee president Hen Shu-ting says, "The children think the video conferencing is very interesting. We are using this opportunity to educate them about the flu, and because of the unique delivery method, the kids are paying even more attention, so the program is very successful." Quite a few of the children were curious about the new format for the year's opening ceremony and "when they turned on the TV and could see and hear everything so clearly, they really loved the new way of holding the ceremony!" says Hen.
The school is taking many preventive measures, such as having students and teachers wear clinical masks, wash hands frequently and thoroughly, and voluntarily and quickly report any changes to their physical well-being. These were all introduced via videoconferencing, taking advantage of the kids' excitement about the new medium to get a very important message through to them.
With the new strain of flu continuing to spread, Kangning Elementary School in Taipei decided to use a school-wide public broadcasting system to hold its opening ceremony rather than gathering students in a public place. A high-tech video feed allowed a live broadcast of the event to each classroom to allow the students to participate in the ceremony. The school also delivered messages concerning flu prevention.
Elderly woman bids farewell to her beloved sewing machine
Jin is 70 years old and entirely blind in her left eye. Thirty years ago, she picked up a broken umbrella on Yangmingshan. "I figured that people who went around collecting junk for their recycling value would only want the metal skeleton of the umbrella. They would toss out the fabric used for the umbrella. This was not only wasteful, but also polluted the environment," she said. Jin said used the material to create back packs, making what become environmentally friendly "Jin Feng bags" that became quite the hot item. It is because of this that she started to be referred to as "Green Auntie."
Two years ago, Jin Feng-yi asked her daughter to buy a computer for her. She started to learn how to type Chinese and then she created her own blog, sharing with others how to make environmentally friendly back packs.
Jin's daughter, Tang Shu-yu, described her mother, who is blood type A and a Virgo, as intelligent and independent. "My grandmother was a child wife, who was bought into the family. Mother was born after her due date. In addition to being a late delivery, she contracted some viruses shortly after birth. She was born with poor sight in her left eye. When he was 18 years old, my grandfather was not happy with the meal that she had prepared for him and he struck her across her face. At this early age, she lost total sight in her left eye," Tang explained.
Tang Shu-yu said that after her mother graduated from elementary school she began learning the trade of sewing. The money she earned from her work was given to her little brother for his educational expenses and to buy various things. "My uncle ended up earning a doctorate in agronomy. He became an expert on Taiwan in the study of braconids," she says.
As things turned out, Jin Feng-yi married a man who came to Taiwan from mainland China in 1949. Prior to retiring, the man worked at the National Security Bureau. He had a deep fondness for his friends and he ended up spending all of his salary on helping out his friends in the army who he came to Taiwan with. Jin Feng-yi ended up working three different jobs to raise four children. The two sons in the household presently work as civil servants, and Tang Shu-yu graduated from National Taiwan University. Tang Shu-yu says, "Mother has made sacrifices her entire life for the welfare of others. After giving away her eldest daughter (her beloved sewing machine), we hope that she will do what she wants to do."
Since Jin Feng-yi's vision is getting worse, she decided to give her sewing machine and her collection of umbrella fabrics to the community college, hoping that this will provide some momentum to classes in environmental friendliness, which will get underway soon at the college. Meanwhile, Jin plans to begin realizing her dream of doing some traveling.
"Goodbye, my beloved sewing machine." Jin Feng-yi looks at the sewing machine and the large collection of umbrellas that have been with her most of her life. These items, along with other tools, have been loaded onto a truck and are being transported to Zhongzheng Community College in Taipei. Jin Feng says, "It feels as if I am giving my daughter away when she gets married. I hope that the new owner of these things will treat them dearly." She stands in the alleyway and waves goodbye to the truck that slowly heads away.
Taipei to hold triathlon for visually impaired youth
Two brothers, Lin Xin-wei and Lin Zheng-yu, both born almost totally blind, have been designated as the spokesmen for the event. The brothers are in the first year of high school and the third year of junior high school, respectively, and began learning how to swim at the ages of six and seven. Over the past several years, the two boys have won countless awards; they found self-confidence in the pool. Just last week, they received the Education Award from President Ma Ying-jeou.
The visually handicapped athletes frequently end up bumping into the side of the pool when they are swimming. As a result, it is not uncommon for them to sustain injuries. Coaches must use a bamboo rod with a PET plastic bottle attached to the end to tap the swimmers on the head, reminding them that they are five meters from the end of the pool and that they should get ready to turn around.
This was also a frustrating process for the two brothers when they first started swimming. Since they could not see anything, and it is impossible to hear when your head is under water, they frequently hit their heads against the side of the pool, making it not the most comfortable activity for them. However, with a coach by their side, they no longer had to worry about such things. As such, they attribute their outstanding performance in the pool to their coach, Chen Lun-zhung, who said that the two brothers' physical handicap has actually served to spark them to exert themselves to the best of their potential, thereby creating unlimited possibilities for them.
Swimming aside, the visually impaired athletes in the triathlon will also ride bicycles and run. In each of the three events, volunteer helpers will be there to ride tandem bikes and lead the contestants with a rope in completing the running portion of the competition. The sponsors are looking for 100 volunteers to help out at the event.
The 2009 Deaflympics will be held in Taipei from September 5 until September 15. The Taipei City Government's Sports Office and Standard Chartered Bank are jointly holding a triathlon for visually handicapped youngsters on August 23 at the city's Neihu Sports Center. A mass pledge was held on July 21 to spur visually impaired students' interest in participating in the competition, which will involve running, bicycling and swimming.
Restaurant's Mormon proprietor tastes alcohol without swallowing
Established in 1987, Tau Tau Shanghai Restaurant was originally located on Zhongshan North Road, and was favored by political and business figures, as well as Japanese years ago. The restaurant closed its doors in 1993, but was brought back to business in August of 2008 by its original maitre d'hotel, Jian Jing, on Jilin Road with the same name.
Interestingly enough, Jian Jing, the general manager and proprietor of the restaurant, and about one fourth of her employees are Mormons, including the 27-year-old Arizonan Kelsey, who fell in love with Taiwan when he first came here. He switched his major from architecture to Chinese, and in the beginning of last year flew back to Taiwan on a one-way plane ticket to show his determination to settle down and work here. Kelsey understands food well, and, as such, he was asked by Jian Jing, a fellow Mormon, to work at the restaurant.
Fluent in Japanese, the 48-year-old Jian Jing adopted the Mormon faith at 18, saying that she does not smoke, drink alcohol, tea or coffee, and abides by the religious precepts of the church. Jian says she does not eat much meat or seafood either. Nonetheless, in order to meet the needs of the restaurant's customers, she took a class to learn about the different types of wine and liquor, as well as gathering knowledge about which type of wine or liquor is most appropriate for certain foods. While she will taste the wines, she never swallows them.
"Customers who store bottles of wine or liquor in the restaurant can rest assured that the alcohol is safe and it will not be drunk by the staff!" jokes Kelsey. He says that foreigners are constantly approached with various questions by locals, saying that when some customers toast him or invite him to a glass of alcohol, he will take advantage of the opportunity to promote Mormonism, making everyone to understand that Mormons do not drink alcohol. He also works to dispel the perception among many that Mormons engage in polygamy, in which men take many wives.
"I will not go out of my way to preach while in the restaurant. However, I will encourage other employees to follow the dietary rules of the Mormon faith," he says. Kelsey adds that sometimes he will caution patrons not to drink too much liquor. Having worked in the food and beverage industry for many years, Jian Jing says she puts a heavy emphasis on the use of vegetables in season. She also uses a large amount of organic foods that she transports in from her home of Yilan in northeastern Taiwan. Jian does not encourage customers to order shark fins or bird's nests. "After all, you cannot just think about making money. You can’t run a restaurant at the expense of the ecosystem," Jian says.
One of Taipei's best-known Shanghai cuisine restaurants is run by an alcohol-free Mormon who seldom eats meat. However, the restaurant does offer alcohol and all sorts of meats to its customers like any other eatery. The special assistant to the general manager, Chris Kelsey, an American who previously spent two years in Taiwan as a missionary for the Mormon Church, is extremely polite, bowing constantly to customers as they complete their meal and leave the restaurant. He says that one of the most frequent questions he encounters is whether he has multiple wives.
Tianmu to offer treats and deals in food festival
The Tianmu Marketplace Development Association and the Taipei City Office of Commerce have teamed up to sponsor a two-day event, the "Specialty Stores and Foreign Food Exhibition" on June 20 and 21 from 12 noon to 9 p.m. The restaurants represented will offer dishes from Britain, France, Italy, Mexico, Indonesia, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Japan.
Restaurant owner Chen Pin-shen of "Beigang Meat Congee" says that he will offer 200 portions of congee for just NT$1 over the course of the two-day event. Those who miss out on that offer can enjoy a 10% discount at the shop, and those showing a ticket stub from the Tianmu Baseball Stadium for either day will get 20% off their orders.
The Mexican restaurant "El Gallo"will be on hand with Mexican tacos, again with 200 portions available over the weekend. There will also be chances to sample Korean noodles and Hong Kong specialties for just NT$1.
To attract people to the event, the Big Train clothing store, which specializes in large sizes, will be offering posters of artist Luo Chi-hsiang, a designer jeans spokesman. The Mentor hair studio chain will also treat 30 customers to NT$100 haircuts.
The association says that all 41 restaurants will be offering samples of their dishes as well as discounts ranging from 10 to 50% off their regular prices. Patrons may show a "Tianmu Marketplace Discount Book" to enjoy special prices at the restaurants.
The Taipei City Office of Commerce will provide rental information about some 57 vacant storefronts for rent in the zone. Information of entrepreneurship classes and business startup loans will also be available during the weekend.
Located in northern Taipei, the Tianmu Marketplace is a great place to sample the taste of many exotic restaurants. June 20 and 21 will mark the first-ever zone-wide exhibition, with 41 restaurants setting up stands to provide great food from nine different regions. For just NT$1, visitors can taste all sorts of great dishes.
Businessman rises from ashes via door-to-door sales
After the failure, Chiu started working in a necklaces and hair accessories factory, and his hands were covered with calluses after a couple of years. At night, he kept on working for another five hours selling products door to door. He says that he started anew, carrying a suitcase full of goods around. Each evening, he lugged the suitcase along with his daughter to residences and stores. Their trips covered both street stalls as well as stores from the Gongguan area in the southern part of Taipei all the way to the Shilin night market in the north. If they were able to sell NT$5,000 of accessories in one evening, they would go home happy and sleep well.
Chiu says that they had this kind of life for about two years before he was able to open his first store with his savings. "At that time, all I sought was to have adequate clothing and food for my family, and be able to support my wife and children. I never thought that I would end up becoming a boss," he says.
Chiu says that, although it is stressful being unemployed as a middle-aged person, one should never lose one's determination, and it is never too late to start over. He encourages others who are encountering the similar predicament that he faced to do the same. Chiu says that the right attitude and being willing to work hard are more important than having an enormous amount of capital to start up a business. "In fact, one could ultimately found a successful business with only a few thousand NT," he says.
Chiu Ah-fa started a lighter business over 30 years ago and lost NT$40 million (US$1,225,565 in 1997) at 45 years of age. Today, at 67, he owns four retail outlets in Dazhi, Neihu and other areas in Taipei selling various wares; the largest one is a 300-ping (991.737 square-metered) wholesale store with 40 employees, located in the commercial district just north of the Taipei train station. Monthly revenues generated by his stores top NT$2 million.
College students' graduation projects acclaimed on display
The university's Department of Industrial and Commercial Design held its graduation exhibition starting April 27. The graduation projects on display provide a window into the creativity and innovation of the students. Liao Geng-min and Yen Xuan-yi cooperated on a project to use onions to create an umbrella in the form of an onion. They also made "meat books," having been inspired by the look of pork bellies, and created bowls in the form of cabbage, as well as pocket books that look like kitchen cleavers. All of these items reflect items used in a Taiwanese kitchen.
Another student, Huang Pin-zhen designed a series of collapsible articles to be hung on the side of a bicycle, including chairs, cushions and tents. Huang's inventions make it possible for bicyclists to stop wherever they want and have a simple chair to sit on.
Huang Xin-ya used over 20 discarded tires from bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles and vans to design three different styles of "tire bags." The packs are both durable and environmentally friendly. Huang canvassed along Roosevelt Road and Keelung Road, looking for automobile and motorcycle repair and maintenance outlets, seeking out discarded tires from them free of charge. She then used a band saw that was available in the university's workshop, sawing the tires into quarters and completed the series of bags in a matter of months.
Several students at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology have won accolades with their invention of using light effects to create a slightly drunken feeling. Yang Jia-hao and Zheng Bo-fan placed an acrylic bar in front of an infrared camera. The camera was programmed to detect the placement of glasses on the bar. After further processing by the computer of the images, a projector was used to project seemingly hallucinatory images. The invention has created a new interpretation of interpersonal relationships and the interaction of various items.
Convenience store employees face the world with 24-hour smiles
Taipei residents find it impossible to imagine life without convenience stores. Here you can buy the newspaper, coffee, and a lunchbox, get a hot meal or make photocopies and send faxes. You can also get concert tickets, pay your utility bills, take care of parking fines and even pay your credit card bills. All these transactions crowd into the tiny space of this establishment.
But as the customers are thronging around for convenience, the employees must do the same things over and over again, all day, every day. Patrol the store, straighten up the shelves, watch the refrigerator case temperatures and restock. The minute customers come in the door, they expect to be checked out rapidly, and cannot be kept waiting. Then it's back to the straightening up, restocking and maybe changing the cash register's tape rolls. Without enthusiasm and dedication, it's impossible to stand up to this endless sameness day in and day out.
Store manager Lin Hsiao-liang began working here at age 16. Today, after 18 years, he has risen from his first job as a lowly work-study clerk to the manager of three such stores. Lin says that the service sector emphasizes employee attitudes. Because the employees are interacting with several hundred people a day and handling thousands of products, if they can't be positive and outgoing, they will seem like robots, mechanically chanting "Welcome to the store" and "Thanks for your patronage" as customers come in and out, as is the custom in Taiwan.
Lin says: "Employees who smile without meaning it, or who have dour faces, make the customers feel like they might as well buy their drinks from a vending machine. Why walk into the store in that case?" Lin believes that with over 10,000 convenience stores in Taiwan selling similar products, the competition is fierce. As such, only through the quality of its customer service can a store differentiate itself and therefore keep customers coming back.
Taiwanese convenience stores' services have become increasingly diverse in recent years. Ringing up orders and manning the cash register aside, employees today have to run the in-store fax and copy machine for customers as well.
During peak periods, they also have to work on store promotions and keep track of all the sales mandated by the central office. Employees have to move fast and think clearly; otherwise they might irritate the customers by messing up the sales price or the free gift.
Facing such a diverse job with such high pressure, don't most employees soon burn out? Lin says: "Customers might get tired of buying a cup of coffee here every day, and some employees, too, would feel the same way about pushing the button to dispense it every day." He believes that taking the attitude that the diverse duties expected of them are a way to have "fresh variety each day" is a way to keep the customers feeling good about the store. The workers also have a chance to earn scholarships, and if they focus on appreciating the joy of life through their interactions with customers, their work will not seem boring.
"Will that be another medium latte, no sugar for you today?" The convenience store employee sounds like the customer's friend as she shows her understanding of the person's preferences. Standing in the storefront a short distance from Taipei 101, amid the hustle and bustle of the area, most customers here are local residents and working folks from nearby offices. Some customers come here three or more times daily, for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, or maybe a lunchbox before starting an overtime shift. Many are here more than they are in their own kitchens cooking.
Noted musician teaches yue chin to popularize the traditional instrument
Chen Chang-sheng, the head of the Changan neighborhood in the Beitou district of the city, said that the Beitou-raised Chen Ming-chang felt it was his duty to come and help provide instruction upon hearing that a yue chin class would be held in the neighborhood. Chen Chang-sheng said that "Cape No. 7" triggered a huge interest in traditional musical instruments. As such, Chen Ming-chang's yue chin class attracted quite a few people, including children and foreign nationals from France and the U.S. A local man even makes the trip to the class each week all the way from Hsinchu (some 80 kilometers south of Taipei.)
An American student in the class, Ben, currently also studying guitar with Chen Ming-chang, is able to play the yue chin and sing a Taiwanese folk song at the same time. Ben said that he came to Taiwan nine years ago to study Chen Ming-chang's folk music as well as Huang Chun-ming's fiction; he has a special interest in traditional culture here.
Ben laughed when he said that if one does not understand the soul of the yue chin, it is impossible to write a good research thesis on the instrument. In referring to himself, Ben said that this was the reason that he decided to take the plunge to study the instrument. He said that while the yue chin has only two strings, it is really an amazing instrument for being able to produce a variety of music that is every bit as diverse as that of the guitar. He hopes to group up with other foreigners to play traditional local instruments in the future.
Meanwhile, the 45-year-old Chen Tsan-lang said that he does not mind making the special trip (from Hsinchu) to Taipei every Thursday evening to study the yue chin. He said that while young people love learning Western instruments like the piano, the violin and the guitar, it is important to pass along the skills of traditional local instruments to next generation.
Chen Tsan-lang has been learning the yue chin for nearly a year. Starting from scratch, Chen is now able to play and sing 10 songs. He said that if one has the will to learn, one will then be able to make it. Chen said his dream is to be able to support his round- Taiwan trip by making money from playing a yue chin.
If you saw the hit film "Cape No. 7," you may recall the scenes in which Uncle Mao was sitting at the entrance to his home playing the "yue chin," a traditional local stringed instrument kind of like a guitar, and singing. The popularity of the film caused a sudden rush among many people to learn how to play the yue chin. Chen Ming-chang, a well-known local musician, did not want to let Uncle Mao monopolize the limelight. On the quiet, Chen began offering free classes in the yue chin in the Beitou district of Taipei. The classes even attracted several foreigners. The unlikely result has been that the yue chin has served as a means to promote people to people diplomacy.
Young rap artist builds a fan base
Husky's real name is Liu Hsiang-ning, recently graduated from Tungnan University. He first came into contact with rap when he was a student at a five-year technical school. Last year, he obtained a license to perform as a street artist. He performs in Ximending on weekends and holidays with impromptu performances and interacting with the audience. When he sees audience members wearing flip-flops or holding beverages in their hands, he will include these details into his lyrics. He also asks the audience questions and has them shout out words, which he then strings together into rap. His talent is without peer in the area.
Besides his interest in rap, Husky usually spends an enormous amount of time honing his skills and doing his homework. He has to be familiar with daily events to avoid embarrassing situations. Last year when someone in the audience shouted out the words "Lehman Brothers" (an American financial institution that went bankrupt last year in the wake of the sub-prime loan crisis), Husky misunderstood as the name to mean somebody's relatives. Husky frequently breaks out into rap without realizing it when he is driving around or walking through the streets. His lyrics often urge young people not to spend too much time on the Internet, saying that they should work to pursue their dreams instead. Resentment toward the world and cynicism have no place in his rap lyrics, Husky says.
Husky says that he got his nickname from friends, who say that he looks like that breed of dog. Also equipped with a larger tongue, when speaking, his tongue frequently gets in the way, and he ends up biting it. When Husky took music classes in elementary school, he had no idea that he would grow up to be a rap artist
"You'll never achieve your dreams if all you do is talk. You have to do it!" Husky says. He hopes that one day he will be able to produce his own record. He says that more people have a chance to come in contact with rap through his street performances. As more people enjoy his music, he is moving closer to fulfilling his dream.
Even though "Husky" is unable to distinguish between "en" and "eng" sounds, the 23-year-old rap music lover has pursued his dream to be a street performer. Husky invented a name for himself in the Ximending district of Taipei, the center of youth activities, trendy stores and entertainment venues. When performing, Husky avoids using dirty language, which helped him gain a wider audience who rejected cuss words. His style became known as the "Husky style" of rap.
MRT staff mans the tracks while you sleep
"Track maintenance personnel must show a lot of dedication to their work," says Hsu, who has been involved in the maintaining and repair of tracks for nearly 10 years. He says that many new employees are not interested in this work since there is quite a lot of time pressure, and they have to work at night. Some of them are also scared of using various welding machinery or taking on hard work. Nevertheless, Hsu encourages them to see this work as an unforgettable learning opportunity and experience that surpass their expectation from an ideal or interested job. Hsu says that his being able to give an undivided attention to his work over the years is only because of the support and understanding of his family. When they take the subway system together, his children will use an adult's tone of speech in pointing to the trains and saying, "Dad, this is fruit of all of your work!" This one short sentence is enough to make him feel proud for a long time, he says.
The Taipei mass rapid transit system has 70 stations along its 75.8 kilometers of track, covering both underground and elevated areas. In 2008, the system carried an average of 1.23 million people each day, making track maintenance a necessary routine that allows no room for error. The maintenance staff's only mission is to make the track work, or else. As such, they are under an enormous amount of pressure, both psychologically and physically.
Hsu Shun-yung says that in the early stages after the subway system began operations, the workers did not have mobile cranes to use, leaving them no choice but to carry hundreds of kilograms of steel track required for the repair to the exact place. But, after flash butt welding cars and other automated and mechanized equipment were brought in to help in the last few years, the degree of difficulties was lowered and efficiency heightened.
Nonetheless, machinery is still machinery. It can break down, and at the end of the day there are many things that simply require manpower and special techniques to get done. One of these is Thermit welding, which Hsu Shun-yung says he has been done over 100 times. He also says that an experienced track welder is able to determine immediately if the track has been welded smoothly by taking one look at it. The Thermit welding technology is one of the most important techniques that he wants to pass down to his colleagues.
Hsu admits that with the work schedule the opposite of most, workers have to cherish the limited amounts of time that they have with their families. One time, when he and his family went on a long-expected outing, Hsu was summoned back to Taipei to carry out emergency repair work. In the eyes of the track maintenance personnel, making sure the rapid transit system delivers passengers safely is more precious than the time they spend with their families.
Septuagenarian teaches yoga moves that cured her daughter
"Well, I really started doing yoga to save my daughter. Looking good is just a bonus!" says Chao. Her daughter, Chao Hsin-ju, contracted rheumatoid arthritis thirty years ago, and both her legs became stiff and painful. At the time, the doctors just said, "There's no cure." But neither mother nor daughter took the matter very seriously. One day they saw a TV show on which author Hsing Lin-tzu, who had the same problem, and noted the twisted joints. Seeing the results made them realize how serious a disease Hsin-ju was facing.
Mei-fang decided that it made no sense to just sit around and wait for the worst. Seeing how supple the bodies of the people doing yoga at the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, she determined to save her daughter through exercise. The mother set to learning circle dances, tai-chi, and even traveled to Japan and India to study yoga, and set about teaching everything to her daughter.
Fifteen years went by, and each day the mother got up early to lead Hsin-ju in yoga routines, then spent three hours a day giving her acupressure massage. Hsin-ju was in such pain that she often cried, but she kept it up day after day. And the arthritis came back under control, with her inflammation indices dropping markedly.
Chao Mei-fang had been a beautician previously, doing makeup for many famous stars. She had also been a competitor in singing contests, and placed high in company with well-known singers of the day.
Mei-fang has continued to do yoga and tai-chi, and says there is no age limit to either activity. In fact, her teacher, Hua Shu-chun, was 93 when he died, and was still teaching yoga to the end. When media reports of an elderly lady who had fallen down and been severely injured while doing yoga, Mei-fang said that the woman probably was not doing it correctly. She suggests that elderly people who want to get into yoga should progress slowly and make sure to do some simple warm-up exercises first. There is no need to make it a competition or insist on doing the most difficult moves to get the benefits of yoga.
Seventy-year old Chao Mei-fang has been doing yoga over 30 years; she is spritely, flexible, and does all manner of yoga routines on a regular basis. In fact, it has done her so much good that many men compliment her on her beauty, even at her age.
Historic Taipei buildings made into relaxing venues
Nowadays, Taipei's subway can easily take you to many historical buildings. Some of these areas feature elegant surroundings and unique restaurants. Near the subway's Ximen Station, the Dingxi Tea House in the Red House Theater complex and Fortress Coffee on the second floor of Zhongshan Hall are within a few minutes' walk. Near Zhongshan Station is the famous Spot Coffee (located inside the former U.S. Ambassador's residency.) Taking the Danshui subway line further northward to the Shuanglian Station will lead you to the Dance Coffee Shop situated inside the Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Research Institute. Further north, near Yuanshan Station, is the Taipei Story House's Story Tea House, located inside a European-styled villa build in 1914 by a wealthy Taiwanese tea merchant. All of these places are wonderful sports to spend an afternoon.
The Story Tea House, run by the Landis Taipei Hotel, features outstanding food and service, including signature hotel dishes such as Alsace sauerkraut and pig's feet and Dongpo Pork. During the weekends, live music is featured in the square outside. Visitors must buy a ticket for entrance, and they can browse through the historical site before settling down for a meal.
Fortress Coffee inside the Zhongshan Hall, finished in 1936 as the Taipei City Hall during the Japanese occupation, is a favorite hangout for the elderly as well as people who work in the area. Senior citizens particularly like to visit this coffee house for nostalgic reasons. The Dance Coffee Shop operated by the Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Research Institute is a good place for parents to take their children to during the weekend, because when parents are enjoying a cup of tea or coffee, they can also watch the kids romping around on the lawn within the shop's enclave.
The owners of the Dingxi Tea House inside the Red House Theater (originally a market building completed in 1908) especially like the low-key elegance that permeated many places in Taipei decades ago. As such, the interior of the teahouse, with sofas, tables and lighting fixtures, and the food and beverages, all feature the atmosphere of Taipei in the late 1930s. The teahouse has a cooperative arrangement with a tea plantation in Nantou County. Tea is blended with wine, creating a special Wulong tea wine that has become quite popular among patrons. On weekend evenings, after the Red House Theater closes for the night, the teahouse starts playing 78 rpm records from decades ago. This has become a favorite spot for fans of old music to come and enjoy the atmosphere.
Another interesting historical place in Taipei is Taiwan's first beer factory, the Jianguo Beer Factory. Opened in 1919 and still producing draft beer, this place is a living relic. In recent years, the factory has been transformed into a beer-themed leisure and recreation park. The Taiwan Beer Company has also opened the 346 Warehouse Restaurant. This eatery offers beer, a range of stir-fried dishes and various barbecued items. At night on the weekends, live bands crank out tunes, creating a festive environment.
Taipei is full of interesting coffee shops and restaurants. Every once in a while, however, you will find truly unique establishments. Inevitably, businesses operating in these historical venues offer visitors a feeling of returning to the past.
Open-air teahouse entertained Taipei residents with television
The stretch of Kuilin Road where it runs into Huanhe South Road in Taipei is the site of the current Sanching Temple, situated next to a park. This entire area was once within the old Riverside Village. In the "Taipei Guide" published in 1953, it was featured as an important city destination, on par with the Presidential Palace.
Chun Sheng-po recalls that life was hard in those days, and there was not much available for entertainment. A few bamboo shelters erected on the riverbank, singers were hired, and music groups took the stage, providing people with an opportunity to chat, drink tea, and enjoy the shows. This developed almost accidentally into a trend toward "open-air concerts". In their heyday, the fun extended as far as Jiangzicui in Banqiao, with some 20 establishments welcoming customers.
Chun says that in reality, no money was earned on these concerts, because the minute there was a storm, no one would show up to listen. It was not until the age of television and he was able to buy a few of the first batch of Toshiba television sets on the market did business start to pick up. At the time, all the singing stars wanted to be on television. When major events occurred, such as Armstrong walking on the moon or a Little League world championship, the store would be crammed with people, and the 200 available seats were not nearly enough for everyone. Recalling how hospitable his grandfather was, "It was free to watch the television. Only the tea cost money," Huang says. Neighbors from the area liked to come in; old soldiers from the Mainland would visit the place to listen to nostalgic songs to sooth their homesickness. The crowd rang with the sounds of many different accents, and the atmosphere was lively.
As television became more common, however, and music halls caught on, the riverside teashops' business gradually died down. In 1994, the Riverside Village was expropriated and turned into a park in accordance with the municipal development plan, and no longer exists.
In the 1950s, the western part of Taipei was home to an open-air teashop called the "Riverside Village". In its early days, it attracted singing stars to perform, and opened up a new and prosperous page in the history of the areas along the Danshui River. It was also the forerunner of later music halls. Today, although the establishment is long gone, it is still possible to enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting along the riverbank, sipping tea and listening to music.
Zhongshan North Road a microcosm of foreign cultures
Zhongshan North Road was first constructed during the Japanese occupation, before WWII to enable Japanese to pay their respects at the Yuanshan Shrine, which was located where the Grand Hotel sits today. Presently, the area that stretches from east of Zhongshan North Road, west of Xinsheng North Road, South of Nanjing East Road and north of Civic Boulevard was the administrative zone during the period of Japanese rule called "Tacheng Ting" and included dormitories for administrative officials. It was then considered a high-end residential district where Japanese government officials and well-off Taiwanese lived. Trade began to flourish between Taiwan and Japan in the 1960s. In order to attract Japanese businessmen, many clubs and Japanese style bars opened up in the area. Over time, the area became known as the Tiaotung commercial district.
Wang Ming-ming, the chief of the Chengyi neighborhood in the Zhongshan District, said that the Chinese characters for "Tiaotung" in Japanese mean "alleys and lanes," and the area was specially laid out based on the style of certain districts in traditional Japanese cities, thereby providing a place where the Japanese occupiers who were nostalgic for motherland could come. These days, the area's streets still have a strong Japanese flavor. In total, over 100 Japanese-style barbecue restaurants, restaurants serving Japanese cuisine and piano bars are located in this small commercial district, and signs in Japanese and Japanese-style storefronts are everywhere. The strong Japanese flavor of the area is behind the Taipei City government's plans to create a designated "Japan Street" in the area. Presently, plans are being laid out to create a place that focuses on barbecue restaurants. Officials hope that this will help drum up business for restaurant operators in the area.
Many older people here still remember that Zhongshan North Road used to be home to a group of 'strange women' living on doing business with American GIs stationed in Taiwan after WWII. The song 'Say yes, my boy' is about just such scenarios. In a matter of a few short years, countless pubs opened in the neighboring Shuangcheng Street area, making local business increasingly vibrant.A number of stores in the area started selling military supplies and the various goods that were given to American soldiers and officers as fringe benefits. As such, the Chingkuang Market located within the neighborhood became one of the earliest places in Taipei that sold foreign products, said Huang Chih-chang, the head of the Hengan neighborhood in the Zhongshan District, adding that in those days, some of the biggest entertainment stars could frequently be seen browsing through the local stores.
After the American military departed Taiwan, a number of half Caucasian, half Asian faces could be seen in the area. These children of mixed race did not speak English. A good number of these younger people who were born to American fathers and Chinese mothers had a hard time adapting during their adolescence. Many gradually moved away from the area. However, one thing that has not changed is that the area is still home to pub after pub. The commonly seen English signs are historical reminders of the time when the American soldiers crowded the streets here.
While footprints of the Japanese colonialists and the American soldiers still serve to lend insight to the area's past, Saint Christopher's Catholic Church, which was once a popular spot for American soldiers to worship, is now a popular place for laborers from the Philippines to pray on the weekends ever since Taiwan opened its doors to foreign laborers in recent years. In addition, a large number of grocers and other outlets have opened up in the area around the church selling various items from Southeast Asia. A number of restaurants have also opened to cater to the demand. This has created another center for a foreign culture in the Zhongshan North Road area.
All along Taipei's Zhongshan North Road are international five-star hotels and stores with name brands from throughout the world. However, many people may not realize that the street is filled with vestiges of the Japanese occupation, and American military aid, in addition to the activities of current South East Asia immigrants. From the Japanese occupation all the way to today, the 'Tiaotung' commercial district along Zhongshan North Road remains home to countless Japanese restaurants where Japanese culture can be seen. Meanwhile, its Shuangcheng commercial district offers reminders of the American soldiers' drinking culture that became established when they were stationed in Taiwan. Today, Zhongshan North Road is also home to a number of grocers selling Southeast Asia foods and is also home to churches that attract hoards of local Philippine laborers on their vacation days.
Beach training pays off for Special Olympian
Chang'an Middle School principal Kao Min-hui recognized Lin on Thursday, and the boy's parents were also on hand to enjoy his glory. Lin clutched his father's hand and occasionally made gestures at him. Lin's mother, Ouyang Liang-na, carried his snowshoes and said, standing off to one side: "He tends to stick with his dad."
Mr. Lin recalls how, when his son was born, he saw the doctor swallow heavily, and felt in his heart that his son would be somehow "different"His family determined to treat him just like any other boy. Since his youth, they took their son with them wherever they went, and had him learn the piano, how to play board games, play the harmonica, swim, and rollerblade.
Lin was introduced to the ROC Special Olympics when he was in seventh grade. In eighth grade, he was selected as a member of the snowshoeing team. The event required him to run on a snow surface wearing snowshoes. To increase his strength, Lin ran three laps of the school track each morning, rain or shine. At one point, he was ready to give up because of his falls, but his parents pulled out all the stops to comfort him and encourage him to go on. After two years of training, this year Lin won the world 100 and 200 meter gold medals and earned a silver medal in the 400 meter.
Lin's homeroom teacher, Pu Mian-sheng, says that Lin often helps children with cerebral palsy in the class learn to do things, and helps mobility-impaired children push their wheelchairs. According to his teacher, Lin is a happy and loving child.
Lin Wen-hong is a ninth-grader at Chang'an Middle School in Taipei, and he has Down's Syndrome. In February, he represented Taiwan in participating in the Winter Special Olympics meet in the United States, competing in the "snowshoeing" event and bringing home two gold and one silver medal. Since Taiwan has no snow to practice on, Lin runs on the beach in the sand. Even when he falls, he grits his teeth and goes on, and the hard work has paid off for him.
Fruit and vegetable wholesale market insider shares early-morning world
"To sell fruit and vegetables, you need to keep the freshness, and the key is speed to market and volume of sales." Lai Chao-hsin has worked at the market for 23 years, working his way up from a job as a simple merchandise handler to one of the top auctioneers. Grabbing a knife, he looks at each item prior to the start of the sale. Each link of the trip from field to market is a race against the clock. "Auctioneers are in the service business. We help the farmers, but we also keep an eye out for the consumers as well."
"20...20...19...19..." The electronic auction clock's LCD display lights up, showing the price as it moves downward. The auctioneer constantly spits out numbers as buyers watch the figures slide toward the price they have in mind. At any time, they might reach out and grab a ticket, and after they have placed a winning bid, they have it stamped by the auctioneer to close the deal.
Today's market is far removed from the old days, when non-computerized auctions carried the potential for fraud. The electronic system used at the market these days means that the entire auction process is transparent, both the auctioneer's price calls and the bids by buyers. It takes only three or four seconds for a transaction to be completed.
The fruit and vegetable auction is based on "lots", with the quantity of each lot ranging from a few boxes to several hundred. This particular market takes in between 1500 and 2000 tons of fruits and vegetables each day, and over 5,000 lots of produce are sold and priced between the hours of 3:30 and 7 a.m. A top auctioneer like Lai, with years of experience, may move 80 tons of produce a day.
"People who aren't insiders often write these long articles about the price of product, but the reality is that they just don't understand the auction process," says Lai. "Take cabbage. On any one day, we bring in five or six varieties of cabbage. Some people don't understand things. They look on the board and see the lowest price and think it applies to all the different kinds."
Prices are decided largely by supply and demand, Lai says. The auctioneer plays several roles. They must deal with the buyers each day, but also take on front-line duties with regard to the hard-working farmers. "If things don't sell for a good price, we often have to play the role of a market analyst, sharing our experience with the growers." Produce prices bob up and down, and the farmers are not necessarily making a profit. For example, after a typhoon, the farmers have nothing to harvest, and although consumers cry about high prices, the farmers have it tough too.
It's 3:30 a.m. While most of the people in Taipei are deep in dreamland, the lights are already on at the Number One Fruit and Vegetable market located under the Huazhong Bridge in the city's Wanhua district. Even at this early hour, the area rings with the clamor of voices as sellers of fresh fruits and vegetables fill the sales area. One by one, their items are placed on shelves and prices set through an auction process. By the time the sun comes up, the products are ready to be shipped to retail establishments throughout Taipei.
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President vows to complete resettlement before Morakot anniversary
President Ma Ying-jeou reaffirmed his hope Tuesday that all households displaced by Typhoon Morakot will be resettled in permanent homes by the anniversary of the disaster that battered southern Taiwan last August.
Addressing a groundbreaking ceremony for a housing project for Morakot victims in Kaohsiung County's Xiaolin Village in southern Taiwan, Ma said it would not be easy to realize the goal but vowed that the government will do whatever it can to achieve it.
More than 800 households have already been resettled in newly built permanent houses in major disaster zones in Nantou, Chiayi, Pingtung and Kaohsiung counties, while others remain sheltered in military barracks or temporary prefabs, Ma said.
Typhoon Morakot struck Taiwan August 7-9, 2009, triggering the worst flooding and mudslides in southern Taiwan in half a century and leaving more than 700 people dead or missing and more than 10,000 families homeless.
The devastation also led to the resignation of former Premier Liu Chao-shiuan for what critics said was the government's botched response to the disaster. In an effort to enhance public confidence in his administration's competence and efficiency, Ma said the govenrment will stage a series of disaster response training drills in April to hone rescue and relief skills.
Relevant government agencies and military units will complete personnel deployment and preparatory work before the advent of the typhoon season, Ma said.
Noting that the military has made disaster response one of its core missions, Ma said military personnel arrived in Kaohsiung County's Jiaxian Towship within 17 minutes after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the area recently.
The quick response pointed to progress the military has made since the Morakot disaster, Ma said, adding that all military units in Taiwan's four major combat zones have been assigned post-disaster relief missions in specific locations and completed many rounds of training exercises.
DPP may speed up election nominations
Premier sets preconditions for cross-strait talks on military CBMs
Premier Wu Den-yih set two preconditions Tuesday for talks with China on cross-Taiwan Strait military confidence building measures (CBMs).
First, Taiwan must maintain a streamlined yet strong military that is capable of defending Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, Wu told lawmakers during an interpellation session at the Legislative Yuan.
Second, the talks must be conducted step by step, he added.
The premier also said the two sides should show mutual respect and self-restraint and achieve an equal footing before they can further discuss issues regarding military CBMs.
For example, he said, in the event of a military plane from either side crossing the median line in the Taiwan Strait, the two sides should remain calm and avoid immediate war.
On a proposal by ruling Kuomintang Legislator Justin Chou that Taipei and Beijing set up a hotline to reduce the chances of such incidents, Wu said he will pass on the idea to President Ma Ying-jeou.
Defense minister to step down if censure cases continue unabated
National Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu on Tuesday vowed to step down if he is not successful in reducing the rate at which the Control Yuan is censuring people under his ministry for ethical irregularities.
Kao was responding to questions posed by lawmaker Chiang Lin-chun of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) , who said the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has been among the government's most censured agencies.
Chiang pointed out that during 2008 and 2009, the MND and its subordinate agencies accounted for 10 percent of all censures meted out by the Control Yuan, the country's top body responsible for monitoring the behavior of government officials and civil servants.
Of the 348 people the Control Yuan asked government agencies to discipline in 2008, 118, or more than one-third, were with the MND.
In 2009, the Control Yuan impeached 45 people, eight of whom were part of the ministry.
"If the situation is not improved, I'll step down," Kao affirmed, after being asked by Chiang if the MND would continue to be the top target of the Control Yuan next year.
Kao said his ministry is different from other agencies because of its size, with a staff of 370,000 people if the armed forces are included.
But he acknowledged that the ministry's scale could not be used as an excuse and said that it is conducting "monthly, and even weekly reviews."
Meanwhile, Kao said that the ministry will weigh the experience of other nations in deciding whether to increase the annual NT$700 (US$21.94) subsidy given to female soldiers to buy underwear.
Kao said the cost of clothing for soldiers is included in their salary in almost every country with the exception of France, which allocates additional funds to subsidize clothing purchases.
The media reported Tuesday that everything soldiers wear, from their uniform and neck ties to shoes, socks and sneakers have been purchased in bulk and distributed individually, but as the sizes of the underwear used by female soldiers vary widely, the ministry gives them a subsidy to buy their own.
When the NT$700 subsidy began in the early 1990s, it was adequate to meet servicewomen's needs because price levels were lower at the time, Kao said, but the military is revisiting the issue now that prices are higher and female soldiers account for nearly 6 percent of all military personnel.
President's South Pacific visit to refuel in Guam: MOFA
President Ma Ying-jeou will make transit stops in the U.S. territory of Guam to refuel during his week-long trip to the South Pacific that will take him to all six of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the region, Foreign Minister Timothy Yang said Tuesday.
"The United States has approved Taiwan's request for the transit stops," Yang said.
Yang said Ma and his 90-person entourage will make a 60-minute stop in Guam on March 22 on the outward journey and a 90-minute stop March 27 on the return trip.
Ma's first trip to the South Pacific since he assumed office in May 2008 will take him to the Solomon Islands, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu from March 21-27.
Guam, an island in the western Pacific Ocean, is an unincorporated territory of the United States.
Raymond Burghardt, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), is expected to greet President Ma in Guam on March 27, Yang said.
Yang added that he appreciated U.S. assistance on President Ma's overseas trips in the past two years.
Asked whether the assistance showed Taiwan has gradually mended its relations with the U.S. after the U.S. beef import controversy, Yang declined to comment, but said Taiwan has successfully limited the impact of the dispute over whether to lift a ban on certain U.S. beef products.
"We have had discussions with the U.S. and successfully limited it (the beef controversy) to a trade issue, " he said.
Public has reservations over death row pardons: premier
Premier Wu Den-yih said Tuesday that Taiwan's society would have great reservations over a general pardon that would commute the death sentences of convicts who have yet to show remorse for their behavior.
The premier was responding to questions at a legislative hearing on whether President Ma Ying-jeou might declare a general pardon next year when the Republic of China celebrates its 100th anniversary. Legislator John Chiang of the ruling Kuomintang also asked if convicts on death row would be included in such a plan.
Wu answered that neither President Ma nor an organizing committee preparing the centennial anniversary celebration had discussed the idea with him to date. Granting special pardons or a general amnesty is a presidential power enshrined in the Constitution, Wu said, one that he has never contemplated. But he said that while he personally believes it would be plausible to pardon minor offenders, the public would have reservations about pardoning major offenders.
"I think society would be better able to accept commuting the sentences of those who have committed only minor offenses and not serious crimes," the premier said.
"As for those who have committed heinous crimes or who have never shown a twinge of remorse, society will have great reservations about pardoning them," he added.
President has packed itinerary for South Pacific trip
President Ma Ying-jeou will have a packed schedule on his first official trip to the South Pacific next week, during which he will discuss among other topics the impact of climate change, unveil a number of collaboration projects and promote Taiwan-made products.
Ma will visit six of Taiwan's diplomatic allies -- the Solomon Islands, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu -- from March 21-27.
His itinerary will include meetings with his counterparts on issues such as fishery cooperation, climate change, energy resource development and vocational training.
All of these topics were tailored based on the needs of each country, said Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang at a press conference.
In the Marshall Islands, the focus will be on providing medical services, especially cataract surgeries, while in Kiribati it will be on Taiwan's efforts to establish a fishery cultivation center there.
Taiwan will work with Tuvalu authorities on vocational training for fishermen, collaborate with Palau on indigenous cultural exchanges, set up an agricultural program in Nauru, and discuss with Solomon Islands officials prospects for the development of alternative energy there.
In addition, Yang said, President Ma will take the opportunity to promote Taiwan-made products.
To this end, the president will take mobile phones made by HTC, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of smartphones, as gifts for high-ranking officials of the six countries and promote solar cells made by Motech Industries, one of the top ten solar cell manufacturers in the world.
Acknowledging that the use of such devices might be limited in the six countries because of the lack of 3G mobile telecommunication infrastructure, Yang said that the idea is to promote Taiwanese products.
Those phones "can take good, high-resolution photos," he said.
Meanwhile, the MOFA has already shipped two Luxgen MPV cars -- Taiwan's first automobile brand made by the Yulon Group -- to Taiwan embassies in Kiribati and the Solomon Islands to replace older vehicles.
The idea is to replace older cars and at the same time display the Taiwan-made products to foreigners, Yang said. The ministry could do the same at all Taiwanese embassies abroad to promote Taiwan-made automobiles, he added.
"Diplomacy also includes the promotion of local products and trade opportunities," he stressed.
In a departure from former President Chen Shui-bian's format of arranging a leaders' summit in one of the six South Pacific countries, Ma's will make separate state visits to all six nations, Yang noted.
President Ma wants to show his sincerity in deepening friendship and boosting cooperation with the allies, Yang said.
Ma and his 90-member entourage will make a one-hour transit stop March 22 in Guam on the outward leg of the trip and a 90-minute stop on their return, according to Yang.
The delegation will travel aboard a China Airlines 737-800 plane.
China CAAC vice minister to arrive in Taiwan
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The vice minister of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Xia Xinghua, was scheduled to arrive in Taipei Monday for a
President calls for more rational debate on death penalty
President Ma Ying-jeou said Monday that the contentious issue of whether Taiwan should abolish capital punishment needs to be openly debated to reach a reasonable solution in a rational manner.
"The controversy may not be resolved any time soon, but if a discussion is not started, we may be mired in emotional arguments forever, which would not be conducive to healthy social development," Ma said while meeting with a group of members of the Prosecutors Association of Taiwan.
The meeting came just days after Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng resigned because of an outcry over her refusal to sign off on the executions of any of the 44 convicts on death row and her vow to push for the abolition of the death penalty.
In his view, Ma said the question of whether the death penalty should be scrapped can be addressed separately from the issue of whether a moratorium should be imposed on the execution of inmates on death row.
"The two issues are not completely correlated and can be dealt with separately," the president said.
Ma indicated that some reform initiatives were already being acted upon, including the absence of any crime that exclusively punishable by the death penalty; the declining frequency of judges giving death sentences; and stricter restrictions on parole for those given life sentences.
On the other hand, however, education, debate and publicity on matters related to the abolition of the death penalty have been seriously inadequate, Ma said.
The Ministry of Justice and other law enforcement authorities should devote more effort to those areas to create more room for rational debate, Ma urged.
The United Nations has passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on the execution of the death penalty and while it is not binding, it points to a trend worthy of attention, Ma said.
"As Taiwan hopes to take part in more international activities, it cannot afford to ignore or overlook developments in related areas," the president added.
Ma also took advantage of the setting to recognize Wang's contributions to judicial reform during her nearly two years in office.
Among others, Ma said, Wang's approval of computer monitors in prosecutorial hearings of suspects was a commendable reform that he said could enhance the accuracy of transcriptions of testimony and reduce human error or negligence in the investigative process.
On judicial reform issues, Ma said the public's concerns may not necessarily coincide with those of prosecutors and lawyers. For instance, ordinary people generally do not understand key points at issue in proposed bills on speedy prosecutions and the oversight of judges.
"What concerns them most are how to establish an exit mechanism for unfit judges or prosecutors and how to upgrade the quality and efficiency of criminal investigations," Ma said.
On wiretapping, Ma said he has repeatedly asked intelligence and law enforcement authorities to uphold the principles of the rule of law.
"Any wiretapping operation should meet two requirements -- it must be necessary and proceed according to the law, " Ma explained, adding that simply being legal was not enough to justify all wiretaps.
Prosecutors Association President Chu Nan thanked Ma for agreeing to meet with them and listen to their opinions, and for nominating Deputy Justice Minister Huang Shih-ming to be the country's top prosecutor.
The nomination is now pending legislative confirmation.
Mass production of Clouded Leopard armored vehicles scheduled
Taiwan will begin mass production of locally developed CM-32 Clouded Leopard armored vehicles in November, a Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said Monday.
Fielding questions at a legislative session, the official said that production of the vehicles is expected to begin soon, once various "technical problems" involving cracks in the chassis in several of the first batch of 14 have been solved.
According to reports, Taiwan will produce over 650 of the vehicles at a cost of NT$58.1 billion, to replace its aging fleet of M-113 and V-150 armored vehicles.
The wight-wheeled Clouded Leopard, which has a crew of either nine or 10, is seven meters long and weighs 22 tons. It can be configured for various types of service in the army.
The official said that the main developers of the vehicles -- the Ordnance Readiness Development Center and the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology -- both of which are under the MND's Armaments Bureau -- are collaborating well with other related institutes to address the technical problems.
DPP chairwoman wants Taiwan to look outwards
Taiwan has no other choice but to "look outwards" in the face of globalization, said Tsai Ing-wen, the chairwoman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Monday.
In a speech delivered at National Dong Hwa University in eastern Taiwan, Tsai said many members of the public were made deeply "insecure" by the challenges brought about by globalization and were struggling to stay afloat.
She credited her party's appeal to these "insecure" voters for its recent electoral success, winning six of seven seats up for grabs in the legislative by-elections this year.
"As a country with an island-type economy, Taiwan cannot be 'too romantic,' and has no other choice but to look outwards rather than inwards," she said.
On President Ma Ying-jeou's plan to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China to further expand cross-strait trade and sharpen Taiwan's competitiveness, Tsai acknowledged that it was unavoidable for Taiwan to engage China economically.
She said, however, that "defense mechanisms" and other complementary measures were necessary before such a pact is inked.
Taiwan's opposition, including Tsai's DPP, has been critical of the proposed trade pact with China -- which the government hopes to sign by the middle of the year -- arguing that it will negatively impact several industries and hurt Taiwan's sovereignty.
Tsai agreed with the view of a student from China, enrolled at the university on an exchange program, that "there have been no big differences in the economic and other public policies between the ruling Kuomintang and the DPP."
Tsai, however, emphasized that her party tends to focus more on caring for less privileged groups.
Taiwan-UK relations improving as exchanges grow: BTCO director
Taipei, March 14 (CNA) Relations between the United Kingdom and Taiwan have been substantially improving as the result of hard work and growing exchanges on all fronts, the U.K.'s representative to Taiwan said in an interview with the Central News Agency recently.
Increased trade flow and investment, and growing cultural, educational and tourism exchanges have all contributed to the improving bilateral ties, said David Campbell, director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) , the country's official authority in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties.
In terms of tourism, the U.K.'s decision to lift visa requirements for Taiwanese tourists in March 2009 has pushed visitor numbers to Britain sharply higher.
According to statistics from Taiwan's Tourism Bureau, the number of Taiwanese visitors to the U.K. between March and December 2009 rose 37.2 percent from the same period a year earlier.
Also, Taiwan's EVA Air offers flights to London seven days a week and China Airlines will soon launch service to London three times a week, and Campbell believes that with increasing capacity and better packages, even more Taiwanese tourists can be expected to visit the U.K. in the future.
The number of Taiwanese students studying in the U.K. have also increased over the years, with about 15,000 Taiwanese currently enrolled in British educational institutions.
British education officials have been "full of praise" for Taiwanese students' accomplishments, Campbell said.
"It has been one of the success stories," he said. "I'm told that 20 years ago there were less than 50 and now the U.K. is the second most common destination, behind the U.S., for overseas Taiwanese students."
The growing number of Taiwanese students in the U.K. had various levels of significance for bilateral ties, Campbell said.
More Taiwanese will understand and appreciate British culture, and Taiwanese businesses in the U.K. will have a larger talent pool of university graduates who can seamlessly blend in with the companies.
Campbell was also upbeat in describing the bilateral investment climate, noting that about 180 Taiwanese companies have invested in Britain.
Kenmark Industrial, an LCD (liquid crystal display) panel manufacturer, established a factory last year in East Midlands in one of the biggest investment projects undertaken by an Asian company in the U.K. recently, and electronics OEM Foxconn, IC design company MediaTek, mobile phone maker HTC and computer vendor Acer also operate there.
The prevalence of larger companies developing a presence in Britain does not mean, however, that smaller companies cannot succeed, Campbell said, citing the success of bicycle manufacturer Giant Manufacturing in the U.K. and Europe in recent years.
"It's not the size of the company, it's the range of your products, " Campbell stressed. He said that as more Taiwanese companies strategize globally, they should consider opportunities in Britain as a gateway to the European market.
The U.K. has been recognized as an ideal place to set up a corporate headquarters, having four times the number of any country in Europe, Campbell said.
Meanwhile, there are over 300 British companies operating in Taiwan, including banks HSBC and Standard Chartered, both of which have made acquisitions in Taiwan in recent years, the diplomat noted.
Cultural exchanges between British and Taiwanese institutions in the U.K. and Taiwan must also be highlighted as a source of increasing mutual understanding, he contended.
In some ways, Campbell said, the U.K. and Taiwan are much alike in focusing on innovation, new ideas, health care, education, urban development and the development of biotechnology.
He said his office has been working with government agencies and corporations in Taiwan on many issues, including climate change and urban regeneration.
On climate change, Campbell said he is happy with the responsive reaction from businesses and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the increased discussions in society, and the practical commitments made by President Ma Ying-jeou.
On the proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and China, Campbell said that the U.K. supports free trade in general, but his office will have to see more details to have a clearer picture of its content and impact.
The BTCO has been closely monitoring what European and British businesses want and will assess the benefits and impact of the agreement based on various resources, including an independent study by the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei, because ultimately the U.K. will "be very much influenced by U.K. businesses, " he said. (By Chris Wang)
Opposition TSU pushes for referendum on ECFA
Taipei, March 14 (CNA) The opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) on Sunday pushed for a referendum on the proposed cross-Taiwan Strait economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA).
The TSU launched a signature-collection drive Sunday in an effort to initiate a referendum on the ECFA, which would ask voters: Do you agree or disagree with the government and China signing an economic cooperation framework agreement?
TSU Chairman Huang Kun-huei said at a news conference to launch the campaign that the first threshold for a referendum initiative requires some 86,000 signatures -- 0.5 percent of the country's 17.32 million registered voters in the last presidential election.
The TSU expects that more than 100,000 signatures will be collected, he said.
Huang said that if enough signatures are collected and submitted to government agencies, it would mean that an ECFA referendum has entered the legal process.
By entering the legal process, Huang argued, even if the government signed an ECFA with China, the process would have to be completed before any agreement could take effect.
Huang called on the public to make President Ma Ying-jeou pay the penalty for advocating the ECFA and use their ballots to vote him out in the 2012 presidential election.
"It's useless simply opposing the cross-strait trade pact. You (the Taiwan public) should give your signatures, the faster the better, to initiate the ECFA referendum," he stressed.
Koo Kuan-min, a strong advocate of Taiwan independence, said the signing of an ECFA with China would harm millions of people in Taiwan and that the president should be held responsible.
Also speaking at the news conference, John Tkacik, a former research fellow on China policy with U.S. think-tank the Heritage Foundation, said if Taiwan signed the ECFA with China it would be marginalized and its sovereignty and existence rights compromised.
Given the importance of the ECFA, Tkacik said, the people in Taiwan should be given a chance to express their opinions on the matter in a referendum.
"The matter should not be determined by 'secret negotiations' between one political party and another," he contended.
Tkacik said he supports the holding of a referendum in Taiwan on ECFA, and he was puzzled why President Ma's administration is so affraid of such a referendum.
Several heavyweights of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) also spoke at the news conference. The DPP proposed last September to hold a national referendum to decide whether a referendum should be held to approve the ECFA.
The initiative, however, was rejected by the Referendum Screening Committee under the Executive Yuan on grounds that it was based on a hypothetical situation and did not meet the criteria of the Referendum Law.
DPP Secretary-General Su Jia-chyuan said Taiwan's signing an ECFA with China will lead the Taiwanese people to face high risks to their sovereignty and economy.
"The DPP will throw its full support behind the TSU and will soon mobilize all its ranks in the hope that enough signatures will be collected within one month," Su vowed.
Former Vice President Annette Lu suggested that the opposition camp push for an ECFA referendum on the one hand and propose new measures to reduce the impact to industries that would be most affected by the pact on the other.
"Let's strive to make Taiwan a nest for the Taiwanese, rather than a cage," Lu said.
(By Sophia Yeh and Deborah Kuo)
Proper respect for differences conducive to interactions: official
Taipei, March 14 (CNA) Taiwan's top China policy planner said Sunday that it is conducive to healthy interaction across the Taiwan Strait that China appropriately acknowledges the differences in economic scale and systems between the two sides.
Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan said cross-Taiwan Strait relations are unique but complicated, with wide gaps in Taiwan and China's economic scales.
"We are glad that the Chinese leadership has the same understanding, " Lai said in response to remarks made by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Sunday that China will make concessions to Taiwan in the "early harvest" list to be included in a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA).
Lai reiterated that during a conversation in 2008 with Chen Yunlin, China's top negotiator with Taiwan, she used the term for "mutuality" in Taiwanese to drive home her point.
The Taiwanese often use the term "mutuality" in their daily lives based on the premise that the two sides understand each other and acknowledge the differences between them, Lai said.
As to whether has the second round of official cross-strait negotiations on the ECFA have been postponed to the end of March, Lai said the precise dates for the meeting to be held in Taipei have yet to be finalized.
Meanwhile, Huang Chih-peng, chief of the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs who chaired the first round of ECFA talks for Taiwan in Beijing, said both sides strongly want to have the ECFA signed as scheduled.
"The two sides will exchange their 'early harvest' lists as scheduled and both are striving toward the goal of having the pact struck in June," Huang noted.
Huang and Tang Wei, director of the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Department under China's Ministry of Commerce, who chaired China's delegation in the first round of talks, will also be the lead negotiators for their countries in the second round.
Wen said Sunday that the ECFA will be signed based on the principles of "equal consultations, mutual benefit and accommodation of each other's concerns."
(By Feng Chao, Yang Su-min and Deborah Kuo)
Tsai seeks truce between Kaohsiung party rivals
Taiwan needs trade pact with China: vice president
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) Vice President Vincent Siew said Saturday that Taiwan needs to sign a trade pact with China but stressed that the government would not open its doors too wide to China.
Making his case in Taiwanese at a forum on economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan in southern Taiwan, Siew argued that when the global economy is in crisis, Taiwan is bound to feel the impact, and it must find ways to adjust to the worldwide economic earthquakes that seem to occur every 10 years.
In dealing with the crisis, Taiwan has many challenges to overcome -- its national competitiveness must be enhanced, it must actively innovate domestically, and it needs markets abroad.
As Asia integrates its economy, therefore, Taiwan cannot be left on the outside, Siew said.
"Taiwan needs to sign an ECFA with China. Otherwise, it will be marginalized," he asserted.
If Taiwan signs an ECFA with China, it can avoid being marginalized, investment and employment opportunities will increase and exports will grow, he contended.
"This is a crucial moment for the nation, and we must seize the opportunity," he added.
He also said that Taiwan will not open its doors too wide to China while negotiating the trade pact.
"Taiwan will start with the items it most needs, then gradually move on to others, " Siew said, adding that "we will solicit the maximum benefit, and we hope to minimize the pressure on us in the future."
He said that Taiwan's goal is tariff concessions and protection of investments and intellectual property rights.
"Taiwan will also insist on not allowing in more Chinese agricultural products or opening the door to Chinese laborers, " he added.
Siew acknowledged that the ECFA would not benefit some sectors, and he said Taiwan would try its best to exclude those sectors in the ECFA negotiations or put them off to a later date.
Meanwhile, the second round of talks on the ECFA, which Taiwan had originally hoped would take place in Taipei in early March, are now most likely to be held at the end of the month, economic officials said.
The focus of the second round of negotiations will be the exchange of "early harvest" lists, which refer to industries and services on both sides that will be granted immediate tariff concessions or more liberal trade terms under the ECHA. (By Chang Jung-hsiang, Lin Shu-yuan and Lilian Wu)
China urged to release ailing Taiwan agents
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A local legislator urged China yesterday to release on humanitarian grounds imprisoned Taiwanese intelligence agents who are ailing, and he suggested that the issue be put on the agenda of a future round of talks between Taiwan and China.
Conflicts escalating between parties
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Infighting is heating up between two opposition heavyweights who are vying for the candidacy representing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the year-end race in Kaohsiung.
Europe supports Taiwan’s role in ICAO, UNFCCC
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The European Parliament has strongly supported Taiwan’s efforts to gain admission to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as an observer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.
Ex-president questions impact of ECFA on signing FTAs with others
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) Former President Lee Teng-hui on Saturday questioned whether Taiwan will be able to sign free trade agreements (FTAs) with other countries after it signs a trade pact with China, as the government has argued.
Government officials have repeatedly sold the proposed pact with China as a way to open the door to negotiations on free trade agreements with other countries.
Beijing currently blocks other countries from holding such negotiations with Taiwan, but the government believes that it will lessen its resistance if an economic cooperative framework agreement (ECFA) is signed.
Lee rebuked the government for toeing China's line and thinking that signing an ECFA would induce other countries to sign free trade agreements with Taiwan.
"The government thinks that if it signs the ECFA, it will solve all problems. It has failed to consider national interests, " he argued.
He also questioned if the public could believe any of China's words, saying that "nothing China says has a twinge of truth."
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Lee Teng-hui Democratic Association, he also criticized the bitter rivalry between the ruling and opposition parties and their failure to put national interests and public welfare above everything else.
He said that after the democratization of Taiwan, the issue of independence vs. unification should no longer hurt Taiwan.
"The issue cannot be solved in a short time. Politicians should be able to accommodate different ideologies and not deal with political issues in an irrational way," he said.
The long-term rivalry, Lee added, has held back the country's progress.
"Has Taiwan made any progress since 2000? " asked Lee, who served as president between 1988-2000. (By Hsieh Chia-chen and Lilian Wu)
DPP to unveil '10-year' political platform
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) expects to unveil a "10-year" political platform that will address the challenges Taiwan faces in the coming decade when it holds its plenary assembly in August, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said Saturday.
Addressing a state affairs conference, Tsai said proposing a 10-year plan while in opposition reflected the DPP's ambition and the recognition that many of the country's fundamental problems need a decade to be solved.
Tsai tried to contrast the idea of the platform with the ruling party's approach to governance.
"The ruling Kuomintang (KMT) regained power with an authoritarian and conservative mindset, and the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou was not prepared to rule the county, " Tsai said.
Instead of drafting a comprehensive and long-term development program for Taiwan, the KMT has resorted to short-term approaches to rule the country, she added.
The China-leaning stance of Ma administration has blurred the fact that Taiwan and China remain under separate rule and makes many people feel that Taiwan is poised to be united with China, she argued.
Although a high percentage of Taiwan's people view themselves as Taiwanese, that does not mean they are fully aware of the importance of Taiwan's independent sovereignty, Tsai contended.
"The DPP must continue working hard to raise public awareness about Taiwan's independent statehood and help the people strengthen their identification with this country," she said.
According to C.S. Liu, deputy director of the DPP's Policy Research and Coordinating Committee, the DPP will draft the platform with the aim of helping Taiwan prepare for the possible challenges of the coming decade.
The "10-year" platform will touch on a wide range of issues, including the economy, population, carbon reduction, government finances and the development of national territory, Liu said. (By K. H. Wen and Flor Wang)
No meeting with Obama planned in Guam: President Ma
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that he will not meet his United States counterpart, Barack Obama, in Guam on March 21 when he makes a transit stop there before visiting Taiwan's allies in the South Pacific.
Although Obama is expected to be in Guam on the same day Ma is there, the president said they will not meet because they will be there at different times.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Henry Chen told the media that Ma will simply make a short stop in Guam for refueling.
After transiting in Guam, Ma will leave for the Marshall Islands, the first stop on his tour of the country's six diplomatic allies in the region, according to Chen.
He will then travel to Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Solomon Islands, and Palau before returning home March 27, Chen said, noting that the president will not stay overnight in the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.
It will be Ma's first visit to Taiwan's South Pacific allies since he took office in May 2008. Ma will also be the first Republic of China (Taiwan) president to visit six diplomatic allies in six days, Chen noted. (By Hsieh Chia-chen and Elizabeth Hsu)
ECFA vital for Taiwan: VP
Taiwan cannot afford to be absent from the regional economic integration that is happening around the world and the signing of a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China could serve as a starting point for that effort, Vice President Vincent Siew said Friday.
Speaking with a group of business and professional leaders in the southern city of Tainan, Siew said the present global trade trends feature region-to-region commercial interchanges rather than nation-to-nation.
"Taiwan's trade and business sectors will not be able to survive if they have no markets because the island is not part of any regional trade or business bloc," the vice president said.
To prevent that situation, Siew said, the government has been striving to keep Taiwan from being isolated or further marginalized, with the first remedial step being the signing of the ECFA with China.
He reiterated that while signing an ECFA will not be a panacea that will solve all the problems, not signing it will lead Taiwan to nothing but doom and gloom.
"Our strategy is to minimize the harm and increase the advantages to the highest possible level, " Siew said.
He reassured the public that while seeking to sign the ECFA, the government will stand fast upon its insistence that no Chinese laborers will be allowed to work in Taiwan and that Taiwan will not open any wider its agricultural market to Chinese imports.
Taiwan is an island economy with openness being a key characteristic, according to Siew, who added that when Dutch traders first made inroads into Taiwan 400 years ago, they were attracted by the country's unique trade characteristics.
"Global trade is Taiwan's lifeline. If Taiwan is absent from regional economic integration, the results will be horrible," he said.
Premier Wu approves Justice minister's resignation
Premier Wu Den-yih late Thursday approved the resignation of Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng over her controversial support for abolition of death penalty in the country.
Wang published an article in her capacity as justice minister Tuesday, stating that abolition of the death penalty should be done to defend the right to life laid out in the Constitution.
She reaffirmed her stance the following day when challenged on her position that she would rather step down than approve an execution.
Wang, who has received support from various people, including lawyers, has been facing mounting criticism from all walks of life, especially from the families of kidnap and murder victims.
Actress Pai Ping-ping, whose daughter Pai Hsiao-yen was kidnapped and murdered in 1997, said in a press conference called by several legislators earlier that day that the minister "had given her leniency to the wrong people."
Hsiao-yen's murderer, Chen Chin-hsing, was executed in October 1999 after being convicted of kidnapping, murder and multiple counts of sexual assault.
At present there are 44 death row inmates in Taiwan. Since December 2005, no executions have been carried out.
Several members of the Control Yuan said they hope to conduct an investigation to find out why the justice minister believes she can decline to order an execution.
The Presidential Office said Thursday afternoon that "the administration must abide by the law," referring to a statement by Wang two days earlier that no executions will be carried out during her tenure.
Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang said that "in a constitutional country, everything must be done according to the law. Executions of death row inmates can only be postponed when there is a legally sufficient reason. Otherwise, the Ministry of Justice must handle it properly in line with the law."
Lo added that although the abolition of capital punishment is an international trend, in Taiwan there is no consensus on the issue and that it requires a lot of rational discussion.
He said that the government will study how to revise the law to reduce the number of capital punishments, and in the meantime, extend the jail terms for severe crimes and raise the parole threshold, he said.
Premier names acting justice minister
Premier Wu Den-yih named Deputy Minister of Justice Huang Shih-ming Friday as acting minister of justice after formally approving Wang Ching-feng's resignation from the ministerial post.
Both Wang and Huang tendered their resignations to Wu the previous day over a controversy surrounding the question of whether Taiwan should abolish the death penalty and whether the minister of justice should sign execution orders for the 44 convicts on death row, the Executive Yuan said in a press statement.
"Wu formally approved Wang's resignation but asked Huang to stay and serve as acting minister," the statement said.
Huang has also been nominated by President Ma Ying-jeou to serve as the country's top prosecutor. His nomination is pending confirmation by the Legislative Yuan.
No room for stay of execution in rule of law: premier
Premier Wu Den-yih defended Friday his quick approval of Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng's resignation over a death penalty row, saying there is no room for any stay of execution when upholding the rule of law.
Responding to press inquiries about his approval late the previous day of Wang's verbal offer to resign after Wang said that no nation has ever replaced a justice minister simply because he or she believed that the death penalty should be scrapped, Wu said he accepted Wang's offer after consulting with President Ma Ying-jeou.
While abolishing capital punishment is a worldwide trend and the government respects Wang's stance on the issue that human rights should be protected, Wu told reporters before attending a legislative session that until the existing law is revised, death sentences handed down by the courts should be executed in accordance with the law.
Since Taiwan is a country governed by rule of law, Wu said, there should be no room for pause in sticking to the letter of the law.
Wang chose to quit because she could not simultaneously uphold her personal insistence on not to execute any prisoner on death row and fulfill her official duties, Wu said, adding that he respects her decision and thus approved her resignation.
Noting that Ma agreed with his decision, Wu shortly afterward formally approved Wang's written resignation.
KMT begins talks with Taichung hopefuls
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Justice Minister Wang refuses to approve executions
Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng said yesterday she’d rather resign than have one prisoner executed during her term in office.Wang came under fire from lawmakers for
Presidential, legislative elections may be held together: CEC
The 2012 presidential and legislative elections may be held at the same time, but if absentee voting is introduced, it might be better to start that system in the presidential election, a senior election official said Thursday.
Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Rai Hau-min said the government's policy is to streamline and combine as many elections as possible to reduce their frequency.
He was responding to questions from the press about his reactions to a recent remark by Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang that national development and reform are hampered by the frequency of elections.
The public's best interests should be the main consideration in any decision to combine elections, Rai said later in the day while fielding questions in a Legislative Yuan committee meeting.
Factors such as "accuracy, fairness and feasibility" should also be evaluated in the process of deciding whether to combine elections, Rai said, adding that the CEC should not make any decision on the matter before a comprehensive assessment has been conducted.
During the hearing, several lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties expressed concern over the possibility of the 2012 presidential and legislative elections being held together.
In response, Rai said the CEC would not rule out that possibility.
The current presidential term will expire May 19, 2012, while the legislative terms will end Jan. 31, 2012. It has been customary for presidential elections to be held in March and legislative elections in January.
There are no legal restrictions to moving up the presidential election, but the Constitution will have to be amended if the legislative election is to be delayed, Rai said.
Therefore, he said, it would be more feasible to bring forward the presidential election to January 2012 so that it could be held at the same time as the legislative poll.
During the meeting, lawmakers also asked Rai about a proposal to introduce absentee voting.
"The CEC stance is that the new voting system should start in the presidential election because only one constituency and a single ballot will be involved, which will make it simple in terms of the practical polling process," Rai explained.
Asked whether the proposed absentee voting system is likely to be implemented in the mayoral elections for five special municipalities late this year, Rai said that would be too hasty a move.
The government is mulling an absentee voting system under which eligible voters will be allowed to cast ballots on election day in the constituencies where they work rather than in the places where their households are registered, as the current rules stipulate.
Chiayi City Council speaker detained by prosecutors
The speaker of the Chiayi City Council was detained Wednesday after being questioned over alleged vote-buying in a recent city council speaker election.
Seven councilors gathered in front of the Chiayi City Council Thursday to express their support for Lin Chen-hsun but said they respect the prosecutor's rights and responsibilities.
Lin, who was an independent councilor in the southern city, defeated the former speaker, Tsai Kuei-szu of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), by one ballot in the March 1 election.
Two councilors were questioned by prosecutors last Friday over alleged bribery in the run-up to the election. Chang Min-chyi was detained after being questioned, while the other councilor, David Fu, was released on NT$200,000 bail.
The Chiayi City Council has 24 councilors, eight from the KMT, six from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), nine independents and one from the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
Rumors have been rife that some councilors were threatened or bribed, and many councilors had asked for police escorts prior to the election.
Tsai had served for two terms, while his late brother-in-law Hsiao Teng-wang previously served for three terms. Lin's victory was seen as a disruption of over 20 years of control over the city council by Hsiao's family.
Chen Chu registers to enter election
Chen calls for increased airport traffic
Health minister to brief president on health insurance reform plan
Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang said Wednesday that he will brief President Ma Ying-jeou on a national health insurance premium reform plan March 17.
Yaung, who announced his surprise resignation Monday, said at a hastily called news conference that he felt bad over leaving his post before completing the scheduled briefing.
"It is inappropriate for me to offer to resign before finishing my work. It shows a lack of respect for the country," Yaung said.
In his March 8 resignation statement, Yaung cited as a major factor in his decision his disagreement with Premier Wu Den-yih on how the national health insurance premiums should be adjusted to bolster the cash-strapped program.
According to Yaung, the DOH could not go along with Wu's insistence that 75 percent of the people should be unaffected by the planned increases and that only the wealthiest 25 percent should be made to pay more.
Yaung said Monday he could only assure Wu that 59 percent of the insured would remain unaffected by the premium hikes.
On Wednesday, Yaung said the Presidential Office is scheduled to call a meeting March 17 of senior government officials and members of the ruling Kuomintang's legislative caucus to discuss the health premium adjustment issue.
Besides the DOH-drafted reform package, the Executive Yuan-proposed version and a proposal that includes different premium rates for different income levels will also be discussed at next Wednesday's meeting, Yaung said.
Stressing that the health insurance premium adjustment plan is by no means aimed at enhancing wage earners' financial burden, Yaung said Taiwan's widely accalimed health insurance system may collapse if the premium rates are not raised soon.
Yaung said some of his foreign friends have offered views on how to overhaul Taiwan's health insurance system. "I will convey the advice to President Ma at the upcoming meeting," Yaung added.
Asked whether he will stay on his post, Yaung did not answer directly, saying instead that it was a personal matter unworthy of public discussion.
He said he was more concerned about keeping the national health insurance program afloat not only because it was related to public health but also because it is critical to protecting people from becoming financially destitute due to illness.
Premier Wu has rejected Yaung's resignation, but Yaung said he will continue his onging leave of absence until March 17.
As of the end of last year, the national health insurance program had accumulated a debt of NT$58.8 billion (US$1.84 billion) and the amount may zoom to an estimated NT$101.5 billion by the end of 2010 if no adjustment is made.
President makes effort to retain health minister
President Ma Ying-jeou met with Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang Wednesday in an effort to convince him to stay in his post.
Ma, who concurrently serves as ruling Kuomintang (KMT) chairman, met with Yaung at KMT headquarters before a weekly KMT Central Standing Committee meeting, party sources said.
It marked the first time the president had met with Yaung since the latter announced his surprise resignation Monday over what he called his disagreement with Premier Wu Den-yih on how the national health insurance premium rates should be adjusted to keep the cash-strapped program afloat.
During their brief meeting, the sources said, Yaung presented Ma with a DOH-drafted insurance premium reform report.
According to the sources, Yaung was apparently adamant on sticking to his decision to quit, despite Ma's efforts to persuade him to stay. However, he did reaffirm a promise to attend a March 17 meeting to be chaired by Ma on the health insurance premium issue.
Yaung said at a hastily called news conference earlier in the day that he will brief Ma in person on the premium reform plan next Wednesday.
"I feel bad about leaving my post before completing the scheduled briefing... It is inappropriate for me to offer to resign before finishing my work. It shows a lack of respect for the country," Yaung said.
In his March 8 resignation statement, Yaung said the DOH could not go along with Wu's insistence that 75 percent of the public should be unaffected by the planned increases and that only the wealthiest 25 percent should be made to pay more.
"We could only assure Wu that 59 percent of the insured would remain unaffected by the premium hikes," Yaung said.
Besides the DOH-drafted reform package, the Executive Yuan-proposed version, another proposal that includes different premium rates for different income levels will also be discussed at the March 17 meeting, Yaung said.
Wu has rejected Yaung's resignation, but Yaung said Wednesday that he will nonetheless continue his ongoing leave of absence until March 17.
As of the end of last year, the national health insurance program had accumulated debts of NT$58.8 billion (US$1.84 billion), an amount that might soar to an estimated NT$101.5 billion by the end of 2010 if no adjustments are made.
Meanwhile, Cheng Shou-hsia, director of the DOH's Bureau of National Health Insurance, said it will be up to the president or premier to decide which adjustment package should be adopted and when the adjustment will take effect.
Local elections to be synchronized from 2014: MOI
Seven kinds of local elections will be synchronized from 2014 so that they are held on the same day, to reduce social costs and the frequency of elections, Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah said Wednesday.
The issue of frequent elections in Taiwan has come to the forefront following a recent decision by Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang to step down over the controversy caused by a proposal to increase the premium rates for the cash-strapped National Health Insurance program.
According to Yaung, election considerations are what has kept the government from raising the insurance premiums, despite the program's rising deficit. He grumbled that frequent elections "are bringing disaster upon the nation and the people." Politicians are traditionally reluctant to support unpopular government policies at election time as they fear doing so will cost them votes.
Jiang, however, noted that this problem has been addressed in a recent amendment to the Local Government Act.
Under the revised law, elections for special municipalities and their councilors, cities and counties and their councilors, as well as heads and representatives of townships, villages and boroughs, will all be held on the same day from 2014, Jiang said.
At the national level, although the presidential election and legislative elections are held on different days, they are nevertheless held in the same year, the minister said.
Despite the complaints about the negative impact of frequent elections, it would be impossible to combine all elections or abolish any of them, because they are a necessary process in a democratic country, he said.
Chiang says ECFA signing likely by June
Hualien County chief Fu fined over appointment
President wants DOH head to stay on
President Ma Ying-jeou would like to see Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang stay on, and he supports the rejection of Yaung's resignation by the premier, a Presidential Office spokesman said Tuesday.
Yaung announced his resignation Monday, citing a disagreement with Premier Wu Den-yih on how health insurance premium rates should be adjusted to raise revenues for the cash-strapped program.
"The president supports national health insurance system reform and thinks that the adjustment of the insurance premium rates has room for discussion, " said Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang.
Lo also dismissed reports that a high-level meeting at the Presidential Office Monday was the key to Yaung's resignation.
According to the reports, participants at the encounter tended to support Wu's proposal that 75 percent of the population enrolled in the compulsory health insurance plan be left unaffected by the premium increase plan, as opposed to 59 percent under the DOH head's version.
Lo said the participants did discuss several options to improve the system's finances, but the only consensus reached at the meeting was to invite related officials to give a briefing March 17.
Yaung went to his office Tuesday to pack his things, and he asked reporters waiting there to describe him as the "former" DOH head, a sign of his determination to leave despite the premier's efforts to keep him from stepping down.
Meanwhile, civic groups said Tuesday that Yaung was an able man who knew how to solve the ailing health insurance system but still ended up resigning.
They said that if the Executive Yuan has no determination to push for a second-generation health insurance system, then no new DOH head can solve the problem.
Teng Hsi-hua, a spokesman for a national health Insurance monitoring group, said that given the ruling Kuomintang's overwhelming majority in the 113-seat legislature, if it is sincere in pushing for a second-generation system, it will be able to pass it.
The second-generation health insurance program would calculate premiums based on total household income instead of only on salary and wages as is the case at present.
The new system would ensure that those with unearned income, such as from capital gains on stock market and property transactions or rental income, would pay more in health insurance premiums.
Liu Mei-chun, executive director of the Taiwan Medical Reform Foundation, said the insurance program, which had accumulated a debt of NT$58.8 billion as of the end of last year, is in dire straits.
If there is no comprehensive review, she said, the next minister will face the same problem.
President decorates former top national security aide
President Ma Ying-jeou decorated former National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Su Chi Tuesday with the Order of Propitious Clouds medal.
Ma lauded Su's contributions to pushing for defense and diplomacy reforms, including cementing Taiwan's ties with allies pragmatically and effectively, enhancing the country's international profile, building mutual trust with countries that do not recognize Taiwan diplomatically, and earning a green light from Washington for arms sales to the country.
For his part, Su said it was a great privilege to receive the order and that it confirmed the work of himself and his former colleagues at the NSC.
Su, who served in the administration of former President Lee Teng-hui between 1993 and 2000, said he joined Ma's administration in 2008 because Taiwan was "seriously ill" because of the eight-year rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), now in the opposition.
However, he said, the policies unveiled by President Ma Ying-jeou and Vice President Vincent Siew will cure the country of the disease that affected the country's politics, economy, defense, diplomacy and ties with Beijing under the DPP.
In the past two years under Ma's leadership, the country has recovered a lot, it's safety is more secure on the international stage and the country's internal situation is progressing too, according to Su.
"The longer the medicine prescribed by the new administration is taken, the more effective it will be," he said.
He thanked Ma for inviting him to serve in his administration, and praised his NSC successor Hu Wei-jen as a warhorse in the field of national security affairs and the best man to carry the torch for national security.
Su quit on February 11, saying his work at the NSC was "finished, " although political pundits have said he stepped down to take the blame for his bungling of a deal with Washington to allow imports of U.S. bone-in beef.
The deal caused a political scandal in Taiwan and was eventually nixed by the Legislative Yuan, which was considered a setback for the Ma administration.
After leaving government, Su is expected to work for the National Policy Foundation, a ruling Kuomintang think tank.
Government must pay more to solve insurance premium problem
The head of the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) said Tuesday that unless the government is willing to pay more for the national health insurance program, it will be difficult to solve the problems surrounding the cash-strapped insurance system.
BNHI Director-General Cheng Shou-shia was referring to Premier Wu Den-yih's recent directive that 75 percent of the population enrolled in the compulsory health insurance plan, including those whose monwhly salaries are between NT$50,000 and NT$60,000, must not be affected by a plan to increase premiums.
According to a BNHI proposal, however, only 59 percent of the insured would remain unaffected.
Cheng said that if the BNHI wants to achieve the Cabinet's goal, the amount paid into the system by the government will have to be raised to 39 percent.
At present, the government shoulders 10 percent of the cost per insured person, while the employer pays 60 percent and the individual pays 30 percent.
"But this will involve a law amendment by the legislature, which will be a long process that will not help resolve the system's immediate financial woes," he said.
There is also the question of where the government would get the money to pay for the additional expense, he added.
Cheng, who tendered his resignation along with Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang a day earlier, said that when Yaung invited him to serve as BNHI head, he was told his most important task was to work out a proposal to balance the books of the health insurance program.
Describing the program as now floundering, Cheng said that if premiums are not hiked, it will be "irresponsible" for the government to continue to borrow money from the banks to support it.
He also said the adjustment of premium rates will need greater "political acumen, " implying that the government should get over its reservations about raising premiums in an election year -- elections will be held for five municipalities at the end of the year.
He said that according to estimates, the program will need to at least break even for the next five years if it is to stay afloat.
June good time to sign ECFA: SEF chairman
June would be a good time for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) , if the negotiations on the pact can be completed between April and May, Taiwan's top negotiator with China said Tuesday.
Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung expressed hope that the two sides can sign three agreements -- including the ECFA, an agreement on the protection of intellectual property rights and another on the avoidance of double taxation -- in the upcoming fifth round of talks between himself and his Chinese counterpart, Chen Yunlin, president of the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS).
The talks are scheduled to take place in China in May or June, with the exact date and location not yet decided upon.
Chiang explained that the negotiations on where and when the talks will take place cannot begin until the government has issued instructions in this regard.
"The negotiations have not begun because the Mainland Affairs Council has not given its authorization," he noted.
Speaking at a celebration to mark the 19th founding anniversary of the SEF, Chiang reiterated that the quasi-official organization -- founded in 1990 to handle cross-strait exchanges in the absence of diplomatic ties -- will continue with its efforts to carry out the tasks given by the government to promote cross-strait ties.
58 percent of Ma's campaign promises for women executed: gov't
More than half of President Ma Ying-jeou's 12-point campaign promises regarding women have been delivered or carried out, marking an execution rate of 58 percent, the government said Tuesday.
Three of the 12 policy goals set by Ma while he was campaigning for president in the 2008 election have been carried out, while four are yielding positive results and five others are being implemented, said Chu Ching-peng, minister in charge of the Cabinet-level Research, Development and Evaluation Commission.
The three objectives President Ma's administration has delivered on involve increasing benefits to the country's female population, Chu told a news conference.
These include: relaxing restrictions on mainland Chinese spouses of Taiwanese citizens to work in Taiwan; initiating soft loans for women to start micro-businesses; and granting subsidies to local governments to build exercise equipment or workout facilities and to improve street lighting, Chu said.
Four of Ma's women's policies have begun to yield positive results, including that a gender equality promotion committee will be set up after an amendment to the Executive Yuan Organization Act is passed to facilitate the implementation of policies boosting women's rights and welfare, Chu said.
In addition, the administration has helped 497,081 women secure employment and provided job opportunities for 17,048 foreign and Chinese spouses of Taiwan's citizens over the past year, Chu added.
The administration has also amended relevant statutes to provide subsidies to companies that allow unpaid paternity or maternity leave, and helped raise women's breast cancer and cervical cancer screening rates, he said.
Also speaking at the news conference, Council of Labor Affairs Minister Wang Ju-hsuan said over 26,000 people, including men, applied for child care leave subsidies between May 1-December 31, 2009, with the subsidies totaling NT$1.72 billion.
Meanwhile, according to Wu Tai-cheng, minister in charge of the Central Personnel Administration, who also spoke at the press conference, President Ma's commitment to increasing the number of female members in his Cabinet has been delivered.
"After 21 months in office, President Ma has increased the number of female officials of the ministerial level to 20 percent of the entire Cabinet, compared to 12.5 percent in the preceding Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration," Wu said.
The Research, Development and Evaluation Commission hosted the news conference Tuesday in response to DPP Legislator Huang Sue-ying and several women's rights advocacy groups, who accused Ma Monday, on International Women's Day, of having delivered on only three of his 12 campaign promises regarding women, with six "failing as bounced checks."
Premier urges DOH minister to stay on
Premier Wu Den-yih continued efforts Tuesday to retain Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang, who resigned Monday over a disagreement on how to improve the National Health Insurance system's financial solvency.
"The issue can be resolved, but people should not leave rashly," the premier said, characterizing the dispute as a difference of opinion over whether a tiered or single premium rate system should be adopted.
Praising Yaung as an outstanding Cabinet member eager to fulfill his responsibility over the past six months, Wu said at a legislative hearing that he asked Yaung not to follow through on his intent to step down immediately after learning of his resignation.
In a surprise move, Yaung announced his resignation Monday afternoon, citing the difficulty of meeting Wu's demand that 75 percent of those covered by the compulsory National Health Insurance (NHI) program not be affected by a plan to raise health insurance premium rates.
According to the premier, Yaung insisted on maintaining a single rate system, under which only 59 percent of the population would be exempt from premium hikes.
Yaung's plan would have meant that 41 percent of the insured paid an extra NT$97 per month on average for their premiums, while the underprivileged, farmers, fishermen and the military would not have had to pay more.
But Wu said that plans developed by the Cabinet using a tiered rate, requiring those in higher income brackets to pay higher rates, would leave up to 75 percent of the insured unaffected by premium hikes.
Despite the difference of opinion, Wu remained focused on keeping Yaung in the Cabinet.
"I am doing my best to encourage Yaung not to depart and also to persuade the top brass at the Bureau of National Health Insurance who said they wanted to step down with Yaung to stay on at their posts," Wu said.
Vice Premier Eric Liluan Chu, who also expressed his strong hope that Yaung would remain on the job, said the rate hike question was still open to discussion within the Cabinet.
Later the same day, the legislative caucus of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) voiced its support for a tiered health insurance premium rate.
Caucus whip Lin Hung-chih said caucus members fully backed the idea because it meant that premiums for only those with a monthly salary of over NT$50,000 (US$1,567) , or 25 percent of the insured population, would be adjusted upward.
"The caucus supports adopting a tiered rate system to calculate NHI premiums, which would have people with the financial means to carry a slightly heavier burden and help underprivileged groups," Lin said.
Under Yaung's proposal, premiums for those whose premiums were calculated based on a monthly income of more than NT$24,000 per month would have to pay higher premiums, a situation that would be unacceptable to most of the public, Lin argued.
DPP’s Yeh Yi-jin joins Tainan race
Ma’s top prosecutor pick airs views on death penalty
Report shows Taiwan perceived as less corrupt
The public's perception of clean government in Taiwan has improved, with civil servants receiving a higher rating than politicians, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said Tuesday, citing a report by a Hong Kong consulting firm.
The report on corruption perception levels in Asia-Pacific countries is set to be published Wednesday by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy.
According to a MOJ statement, Taiwan was ranked eighth in terms of political cleanliness among the 16 countries and regions surveyed this year, up one notch from 2009.
Taiwan trailed Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, the United States, Japan, Macau and South Korea but finished ahead of Malaysia, China, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.
The ranking is based on the results of a survey in which respondents were asked to rate the level of corruption of these countries on a 0-10 scale based on their subjective impression. The lower the score, the less corrupt the government or people being rated.
The report emphasized that it measured perceptions of corruption rather than the actual level of corruption in surveyed countries.
Government employees at the central and local levels in Taiwan received scores of 5.4 and 4.49, respectively. Meanwhile, local political leaders were given a score of 7.53, and national political leaders received a score of 8.07.
Taiwan's average score of 6.28 was better than China's 6.52.
The report revealed that the corruption scandal involving former President Chen Shui-bian and his family as well as vote buying in local elections were the main reasons why Taiwanese politicians had negative corruption perception ratings.
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Newspaper reading drive in Taipei shows success: survey
A newspaper reading campaign launched two years ago among elementary schools in Taipei City has succeeded in helping to develop students' liking for reading, according to the results of a survey released Tuesday by the city's Department of Education.
The campaign was launched in the 2008-2009 academic year on a trial basis in 46 classes at 25 schools. In the 2009-2010 academic year, the program has expanded to 70 classes in 30 schools, data from the department shows.
According to the results of the survey conducted among 1,221 participating students, 79 percent of them agreed that promoting newspaper reading in schools can boost their general interest in reading, and over 80 percent said they like reading newspapers.
Also, 70 percent agreed that newspaper reading can make life more fun, and over 80 percent agreed that the drive has raised their civic consciousness and awareness of cultural pluralism.
More than 80 percent of the students said newspaper reading has expanded their learning horizons and heightened their social consciousness. In addition, more than 70 percent said the reading habit has helped to improve their writing ability.
Energy taxes not business of local governments: EPA
Taipei-Shanghai flights to be increased for 2010 World Expo
A visiting Chinese official said Tuesday in Taipei that direct flights between Taiwan and Shanghai will be increased in a flexible manner to meet greater demand during the World Exposition 2010 that will open in May in Shanghai.
Xia Xinghua, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), who was visiting Taiwan in his capacity as a senior advisor to the China Air Transport Association, said the CAAC would fully consider the requests raised by airlines from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to offer additional flights.
Xia also urged Taiwan-based airlines to offer more flights to second-tier cities in China such as Chengdu, Kunming, Nanjing, Tianjin, Nanchang and Jinan.
Admitting, however, that negotiations on raising the number of flights on popular routes take time, he encouraged Taiwanese aviation companies to better manage their existing flights to these destinations.
Xia, who arrived ibn Taiwan at the head of 17-member group of Chinese representatives a day earlier, made the remarks at a seminar designed to boost cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges in civil aviation.
Since Taiwan-China air links were established in July 2008, China has opened 31 destinations for carriers on both sides, giving a boost to cross-strait exchanges on a wide range of fronts, he noted.
Top executives from the civil aviation industry of both sides met at the event, but both sides remained sharply divided over adding flights to popular cross-strait routes on a regular basis.
The Taiwanese representatives, led by Su Hong-yih, chairman of the Taipei Airlines Association, called for an increase in the number of flights from Taiwan to popular Chinese destinations such as Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.
Citing strong demand on these routes and the desire of Taiwanese carriers to provide more flights to these destinations, Su said it is natural that airlines want to open more profitable flights.
As the two sides failed to reach common ground in this regard, Su proposed that they should deal instead with more urgent issues such as two-way cooperation in aircraft maintenance and repair.
Taiwanese scholar inducted into World Academy of Ceramics
A ceramics professor from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) has been selected for membership of the prestigious World Academy of Ceramics (WAC) , a spokesman for the southern Taiwan university said Tuesday.
Jow-Lay Huang, an expert in functional and structural ceramics, is among the 14 ceramics specialists to be inducted into the academy this year, the spokesman said, adding that Huang is the first and only academic from Taiwan to be named as a WAC academician.
The WAC was established in 1987 in Italy to promote progress in the field of ceramics and to foster better understanding of its impact, according to the NCKU spokesman.
The academics elected are internationally renowned scholars who have made significant contributions and achievements in the academic research field of ceramics. The academician title is one of the top honors given by the WAC and the total number of international academicians is limited to 200.
Huang is a distinguished professor at the NCKU's Department of Materials Science and Engineering and also serves as president of the Taiwan Association for Coatings and Thin Film Technology.
He graduated from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at National Tsing Hua University in northern Taiwan and obtained a doctorate from the University of Utah in the United States. He has published over 300 papers and patents, has served as guest editor of two international academic journals and has delivered speeches at many WAC conferences, according to the spokesman.
"Huang will be introduced in the opening ceremony of the International Conferences on Modern Materials and Technologies 2010 to be held in June in Tuscany, Italy," the spokesman added.
The WAC has very great influence on the development and education of the material-related cultural, technological, industrial, historic and artistic fields. It not only acts as a platform for international academic exchanges and cooperation but also plays an important role in promoting ceramics development and cultivating professional talent, the spokesman said.
Locally-made cars may be in President's motorcade overseas: MOFA
A type of locally-made car may be among the vehicles in the motorcade of President Ma Ying-jeou when he visits Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the South Pacific later this month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy C.T. Yang said Tuesday.
Yang was referring to two Luxgen vehicles made by the Yulon Motor Co. that are being shipped to Taiwan's embassies in the Solomon Islands and Kiribati to replace the aging cars used by embassy staff in the two countries.
President Ma is scheduled to depart on the South Pacific tour on March 21. The week-long trip will take him to all six of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the region, including the Solomon Islands and Kiribati as well as the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Tuvalu.
This will be Ma's first trip to the South Pacific region since he assumed office in May 2008.
Yang said that as embassy officials in the two countries have difficulty buying appropriate cars there, the two Luxgens will be shipped there and that they might be included in the President's motorcade if necessary.
Calling the locally-made vehicles -- claimed by Yulon to be the first "intelligent cars" in the world with special high-tech features -- "a remarkable achievement for Taiwan," Yang said that he would not rule out the possibility of asking all overseas offices under his ministry to use the vehicles as long as they are reasonably priced.
Japanese cyclist wins Tour de Taiwan stage 3
Japanese Takashi Miyazawa won stage three of the Tour de Taiwan 2010 in Changhua County, central Taiwan Tuesday.
Miyazawa won in a time of 3 hours, 13 minutes and 28 seconds.
More than 100 cyclists from various countries took part in the 135-km race. They departed from atop Baqua mountain near the Buddha statue, passed through Lukang, a park and a garden and ended at a place a few meters downhill from the starting point.
Parts of the route were steep uphill paths, which was the main challenge for the competitors.
Taiwan taekwondo team wins big in German competition
A Taiwanese taekwondo team scored impressive wins Sunday at the German Open 2010 in Hamburg, taking two gold, three silver and three bronze medals.
The two gold medals went to Chao Yu-chin and Tsai Hsiao-ju, both from Taipei County's Shulin Senior High School -- the alma mater of two Olympics taekwondo athletes Chen Shih-hsin and Sung Yu-lin.
Students from the Shulin high school also won three silver and two bronze medals in the competition.
The third bronze medal was won by a student from Yulin Junior High School, also in Taipei County.
The Taiwanese team was composed solely of students from the two schools.
Shulin Mayor Chen Shi-rong, who has taken taekwondo teams from his city to competitions in the Netherlands, Germany and Austria over the past few years, attributed Taiwan's brilliant performance this year to Shulin's tremendous effort to nurture and train taekwondo athletes.
The 16 athletes who participated in this year's German Open were all winners of national competitions, according to Chen.
He said the city will continue to financially support the participation of top Taiwan athletes in foreign competitions in order to help them improve their skills and gain competition experience.
Chang Shih-ming, president of Shulin Senior High School, which is known for turning out many star athletes, said that the technical standards of taekwondo athletes in Europe have improved significantly in recent years from a level that was below Taiwan's.
There is a lot that Taiwan can learn from the European countries, he said, noting that, for example, they had a wide range of quality taekwondo gear at the competition.
With taekwondo becoming increasingly popular in Europe in recent years, the event, organized by the German taekwondo Federation, this year attracted 1,200 competitors from 55 countries, including many world championship title holders.
New museum showcases 'strange beings from outer space'
The museum formally opens on March 14 and is stocked with thousands of "petrified aliens" mostly originating in Xinjiang, all from the collection of Chen Yi-wen, chairman of the World Public Welfare Association. The museum comes out of 13 years of research by the "Innate Space Alien Horoscope Research Center".
There are "wizards" present at the entrance of the museum. Originally, the museum's operator believed that aliens created the first man, a wizard reputed to be able to heal sickness and communicate with them.
The first floor of the museum is two stories high and houses nearly 1,000 petrified "alien beings". Museum director Yang Hui-chun says that these are "alien beings that came to earth and were petrified after being buried in the ground for long periods. Their age is incalculable. Since the alien intelligence permeated the resulting stones, measurement has shown that they have alien magnetic fields and can be used to help humans improve their condition on earth."
Professor Li Chia-wei, chief editor of "Scientist" magazine, researches fossils at National Tsing Hua University. He says that at present, research on aliens is still stalled within the scientific world. As for the magnetic fields, which are easy to confirm using a compass, Li asks how it is possible to communicate with the aliens. Did they truly communicate? Li feels that it is very difficult to confirm these issues using any sort of scientific method. However, he says, one thing is certain: "Science has already confirmed that there is in fact life in outer space."
National Taiwan University Professor Chen Chao-chun, of the Department of Applied Mechanics, and the "Taiwanese godfather of flying saucers" and director of the Taiwan Society for Parapsychology, Lu Ying-chung, believe that humans use language to communicate, but aliens must surely be able to do so via thought waves or magnetic waves.
Chen gives the example of when his friend imagined a trip into outer space. Based on his descriptions, "Aliens can communicate using totally non-linguistic means, and even their spaceships are mind-controlled."
The museum is located at 156 Roosevelt Road, Section 4, phone: (02) 2365-1900. Admission is NT$100, which entitles the visitor not only to see the petrified "remains", but also to obtain a discount on tea, coffee, and vegetarian foods or have a photograph taken with an "alien" for free.
(The Chinese version of this article was published on March 14, 2010.)
For those interested in alien life forms, the place to go is the brand-new "Museum of Aliens" in the Gongguan commercial zone of Taipei, where one can see "petrified aliens" that are small in stature but "thousands of times more intelligent than man."
National Freeway Bureau mulls new freeway toll plan
Weather roller coaster to continue this week: CWB
Kenyans dominate Kenting National Park marathon
Sandstorms to blanket Taiwan Tuesday: EPA
A wave of sandstorms are expected to hit Taiwan Tuesday, affecting the air quality, according to the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).
Dust storms began to sweep China's southern Xinjiang region and northern areas last weekend and are moving toward eastern China, the Cabinet-level agency said in a press statement Monday.
Citing forecasts by the Central Weather Bureau, the EPA said a cold front from China is forecast to move into Taiwan Monday evening and by Tuesday will influence the entire island.
The EPA said sand-laden winds will arrive in Taiwan along with the cold front and will affect the quality of the air.
However, as the the cold front is expected to bring precipitation, the EPA said, the impact of the sandstorm on air quality may be alleviated.
Nonetheless, the agency is urging the public to take precautionary measures against the duststorms.
Breakfast distant luxury for disadvantaged children: survey
Having breakfast is a distant luxury for children from disadvantaged families, some of whom go to school in the morning on an empty stomach four days a week, according to the findings of a survey released Monday by a local charity.
The survey conducted by the Child Welfare League Foundation found that 40 percent of the children from low-income families, socially deprived families or other families in need do not have breakfast every day.
The survey results reveal that 17 percent of the disadvantaged children who responded to the survey have breakfast only every two days, while 10 percent of the group save their lunch at school for breakfast next day.
Those disadvantaged children who do eat breakfast often tend to have breakfast that is low in vegetables and fruit, such as one or two slices of toast or a bowl of rice with ground pork, the survey found.
The survey also found that 20 percent of the school children do not have dinner every day and that 9 percent only get dinner every two days. Ten percent of them said they save their school lunch for dinner in the evening.
Some 10 percent said they often feel hungry at night so they drink water to stave off their hunger pangs.
Wang Yu-min, executive director of the foundation, said school children from disadvantaged families are also disadvantaged in terms of nutritional intake.
Even though the overall economic climate in Taiwan has begun to rebound, the disadvantaged families have not yet felt any of the benefits, and the children of these families are the direct victims, Wang said.
The survey was conducted February 25-March 3 by the foundation among 1,536 respondents aged between 9 and 12, including 304 from disadvantaged families.
More smoking areas planned to win back Japanese visitors
Taiwan's Tourism Bureau promised to coordinate the establishment of smoking rooms at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Monday after a Japanese tourism association remarked that Taiwan's strict airport smoking ban has been keeping Japanese tourists away from Taiwan.
Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) reported at the third Taiwan-Japan Tourism Summit Forum in Nantou, central Taiwan that a January 2009 amendment to the Tobacco Hazard Prevention and Control Act that limits smoking to certain areas at airports in Taiwan has been seen as a "threat" to Japanese tourists.
According to Liu Hsi-lin, chief secretary of the bureau, Japanese tourists have frequently complained that there are no smoking facilities at any of the airport terminals at Taoyuan, which prompted the airport to create two outdoor smoking terraces in January.
In addition to creating the outdoor smoking terraces, the airport is also mulling whether to set up indoor smoking rooms with air-cleaning equipment, although Liu added that this cannot be done until relevant legal issues have been resolved -- the airport previously unveiled a plan to set up nine indoor smoking rooms but the plan was aborted after drawing protests from anti-smoking groups that said it was in violation of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention and Control Act.
Given the high number of smokers in Japan, many have decided not to visit Taiwan because of its strict anti-smoking laws, Liu said, citing the report by JATA, a national organization of travel agents and suppliers.
Liu said that as Japan is one of the main sources of visitors to Taiwan, the bureau as a government agency in charge of local tourism promotion has the responsibility to coordinate and help solve the problem.
EPA nixes idea of imposing energy taxes locally
Taiwan's top environmental official on Monday rejected the idea of local governments imposing energy taxes on businesses under their jurisdiction, saying it should be the job of the Executive Yuan.
Stephen S.H. Shen, minister of the Environmental Protection Administration, said in the southern port city of Kaohsiung that energy taxes were national taxes and should be assessed by the administration rather than local governments.
Accompanied by legislators, officials and Kaohsiung City councilors, Shen visited the Kaohsiung plants of state-controlled enterprises Tang Eng Iron Works, China Steel Corp. (CSC), and Taiwan Power Company to learn more about their carbon dioxide emissions and dioxin-like compounds discharge.
After hearing a briefing at CSC, Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Li-na acknowledged the company's significant contribution to Taiwan's economic growth but said it was also responsible for half of the carbon dioxide emissions generated in the city.
"CSC should be assessed energy taxes by the local government to make up for the toll taken on the quality of life and health of nearby residents," Chen argued.
Shen responded that scientific evidence was still needed to determine how seriously carbon emissions had affected people's health, and he also stressed that if an energy or green tax were to be levied on CSC, it would be the responsibility of the central government.
CSC President Tsou Juo-chi said CSC would do everything it could to save energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions to fulfill its corporate social responsibility, pointing to a committee being organized to find ways to minimize the company's carbon footprint.
"But we hope the administration and the legislature exercise fairness when they are planning energy taxes or screening legislation on controlling greenhouse gas emissions to help us maintain a reasonable competitive environment," Tsou said.
President speaks to opening of World Model UN meeting
Teenagers use of Internet may point to security gap, group says
Taipei, March 14 (CNA) The main motivation driving Taiwan's teenagers to use the Internet is to make "cyber friends" rather than to play online games, a recent survey has found, leading to possible concerns for their safety.
"Teenagers think it is challenging to make cyber friends, " but while they have some idea that a risk exists, they are not fully cognizant of what it entails and how to deal with it, said Vivian Huang, the head of the "Cyber Angel's Pick" association, which conducted the survey as part of its annual report on teenager Internet safety.
The survey, targeted at Taiwanese students attending grades 3-7, found that 26.7 percent of the respondents said making friends online was the main reason they surfed the Internet, while 25.1 percent said playing online games was the main attraction.
The findings were a reversal of the results found in a similar survey a year earlier, in which playing online games was cited more often than making friends as the main motivation by a 30.1 percent to 22 percent margin, Huang said.
Other troubling indicators were discovered by her Internet safety group.
When the children were asked in the 2009 survey whether or not they knew that Taiwan began to implement an Internet content rating system on Oct. 25, 2005, 69.7 percent of those surveyed said they did not know, she added.
Also disconcerting, Huang said, is that 28.5 percent of the children surveyed did not think their parents could show them how to use the Internet in a correct way.
Though more and more parents are using computers and other high-tech communication devices, they were found mostly unable to guide their children to surf on the Internet safely, she said.
At the same time, schools are also not providing sufficient training to enable students to protect themselves on the Internet, argued Huang, a professor in National Chengchi University's Department of Radio and Television and an expert on digital media.
The professor suggested that the government establish a cyber safety inspector system similar to that adopted by the Australian government, as part of efforts to secure Internet safety for Taiwan's youth.
Cyber Angel's Pick will also begin operating in late March a cyber safety hotline, which will answer people's questions about online security and risks.
Aside from focusing on safety issues, the survey also tried to get a broader picture of how Taiwanese youth in grade 3-7 use the Internet.
It found that the respondents spend an average of 3.04 hours surfing the Internet on weekend days or holidays, twice the time they spend online on school days, when they spend an average of 1.34 hours online.
Some 34.5 percent of the polled students surfed the Internet only on weekends and holidays, while 19.4 percent went online every day, and 15.3 percent used online services once or twice a week, the survey found.
The survey was based on 6,457 valid questionnaires received from students attending grades 3-7 in 109 elementary and junior high schools around the country. (By Chen Li-ting and Elizabeth Hsu)
Taiwan's Yani Tseng wins Women's Australian Open golf title
Taiwan's Yani Tseng came from behind to win the Women's Australian Open in Melbourne Sunday.
The victory was Tseng's first title in 2010 after finishing third in both the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore in late February and the Honda PTT LGPA Thailand in mid-February event with 273.
Starting the day four shots behind overnight leader Karrie Webb of Australia, Tseng shot a blistering seven-under 66 on the final day, the best of any player to win the tournament with a 9-under 283.
"I haven't had this feeling for a while so I am very happy," Tseng said.
Webb finished third with a 287 after shooting a final-round 74 in the Ladies European Tour event.
Tseng powered her comeback with seven birdies on the final 12 holes that saw her make putts from everywhere, which she credited to a new grip.
"I changed my grip on Friday and now I really feel the speed on these greens," she was quoted as saying on the Ladies European Tour Web site.
Tseng, who collected 90,000 Australian dollars for winning the event, admitted that even though she was putting well, her nerves nearly got the best of her.
"For the last three holes, my whole body was shaking. When I stepped up to putt, I felt my heart going really fast. I told myself to be relaxed. I told my caddie to be relaxed too," she said.
Mock U.N. conference opens in Taipei
Taipei, March 14 (CNA) The annual mock United Nations conference organized by university students in Taiwan and the United States opened Sunday in Taipei, with 1,800 participants from over 40 nations, excluding China.
The Taiwan government granted visas to between 70 and 80 students of major universities in China, but they failed to obtain the permission of the Chinese government to attend the five-day event, according to event organizer, National Taiwan University (NTU) , in charge of public relations.
The World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) conference, created by Harvard University in 1992, is taking place in Taiwan for the first time after NTU won the bid to organize the event after four failed attempts.
In his opening remarks, Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou said he expected the students to learn how to solve differences peacefully.
"You should learn the skills and attitudes in dealing with other leaders representing other countries and learn to use all peaceful means to solve international disputes, " he told the students from over 200 colleges.
He also noted that since he came to office in May 2008, Taiwan has no longer been a flash point as his administration has improved ties with Taiwan's long-time political rival China.
Ma also said that Taiwan, which was a founding member of the U.N. under the name the Republic of China, but lost its representation in the world body in 1971, has been following the principles of the U.N. charters.
For example, he said, Taiwan ratified two U.N. human rights conventions last year and will adopt them as domestic law.
He also said that Taiwan has been excluded from taking part in U.N. activities in the past, without specifically attributing the reason to China's obstruction.
"Some of my friends joked that just because of that, you decided to bring the Model U.N. to Taiwan, " he said, drawing laughs from the students.
But he also spoke of Taiwan's breakthrough in participating in U.N. activities.
"After working for so many years, we were able to attend the World Health Assembly organized by the World Health Organization last year. We hope we can do it again this year, " Ma said.
About 30 minutes before the event opened, scores of activists supporting the independence of Tibet marched loudly outside the hall, and some of the participating students took their pictures.
The WorldMUN conference will feature 22 committees discussing a wide range of issues such as terrorism, medical tourism, human rights, biodiversity, and corruption.
Participating students will act as delegates from countries other than their own, already determined by drawing lots. Taiwanese students will speak for Namibia, Paraguay, Switzerland, Somalia, the Czech Republic and Maldives at the conference. (By Alex Jiang)
Nation bids fond farewell to singer-songwriter Hung
Award-winning baker aims to make Taiwan's name shine
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) Fresh from his victory at an international baking competition in France, Wu Pao-chun said Saturday that he wants to pass on his know-how to local people so that Taiwan's name will forever shine in world baking circles.
"I hope that the performance will not simply be a flash in the pan for Taiwan's baking sector but will help Taiwan continue to shine in the future," Wu said.
Wu, who had just returned from Paris after winning the bread category in the 2010 Bakery Masters competition in Paris, said that before he traveled to France, his friends worried about him because he was boasting that he wanted to return home a champion.
But it was by setting such a high goal that he was able to succeed.
"As a Taiwanese, I went with the fighting spirit of the Taiwanese," Wu said.
"I was going to fight even if I was bruised all over and get back up and continue forward. This is my philosophy, and I feel that a lot of things are not impossible," he said.
Wu defeated seven other competitors from France, Japan, Sweden and other countries to win the honor in the bread category.
He recalled that during the competition, he had to complete 250 loaves of bread during the eight hours, which he described as a "nervous and exciting process, " and he only completed the required elements with five minutes to spare.
Wu produced loaves with very personal shapes and a multitude of flavors that he spent a great deal of time devising. It was that blend of flavors and shapes that won over the public and members of the jury.
One of the breads Wu made was typical of Taiwan ingredients such as Taiwanese millet wine, dried litchi and roses.
Looking ahead, he said that he will collaborate with National Kaohsiung Hospitality College to pass on his know-how so that "Taiwan's name will shine forever."
Wu, who first made his name in Kaohsiung and now works in a bakery in Taipei, said he plans to open his own shop, which may take four to five months to prepare.
"If I have the chance, I also want to take part in the baking competition on Japanese TV," he said.
In addition, he wants to raise money and set up a foundation in honor of his mother in a bid to help poor children so that they will not be hindered by their poverty.
The Bakery Masters is a new competition this year and drew its competitors from those who took part in either the Louis Lesaffre Cup or the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (Bakery World Cup).
Wu and two other Taiwanese bakers won second place for Taiwan in the 2008 Bakery World Cup. (By Chen Hsun-hsieh and Lilian Wu)
Taiwanese citizen's human rights 'generally respected'
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan generally respects its citizen’s human rights, said the 2009 human rights report released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs of the US Department of State (美國國務院).
74-year-old man fathered sixth son earlier this year
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A 74-year-old man in Chiayi County became a father again earlier this year when his newly-married wife gave birth to a boy, local media reported yesterday.
75% of 2009's naturalized citizens are from Vietnam
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan added 9,853 naturalized citizens in 2009, of which more than three-quarters came from Vietnam, the Ministry of the Interior announced yesterday.
Google Maps stirs controversy with shot of naked lady
Applications for tuition subsidies surge 70%: CLA
Taipei's MRT to launch low-carbon competition
Discovery Channel to shoot films on 100 years of ROC
Discovery Channel is inviting proposals for a new documentary series focusing on the "100 years of the Republic of China," the company said yesterday.Submissions are
Taiwan buys first high-tech polygraph chair
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) Taiwan now has its first high-tech polygraph chair after a district court in central Taiwan bought the chair from a U.S. company to boost the accuracy of polygraph tests, according to local reports.
The Taichung District Prosecutors Office recently purchased the chair from Indiana-based Lafayette Instrument Co., a major manufacturer of polygraph instrumentation and equipment, the reports said on Thursday.
"The equipment is designed to be highly sensitive and it can detect very small physical reactions, " said Lee Chin-ming, an investigator at the prosecutor's office and one of Taiwan's few polygraph experts.
"When one tells the truth, his or her physical reactions will be stable. If one tells a lie, you will immediately see a change in the reactions, " he noted.
Lee said that both the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Ministry of Justice have polygraph chairs, but the sensor is either in the seat or foot pad, and suspects often move their bodies when sitting on the chair to affect the test results.
There are three sensors -- in the seat, arms and the foot pad -- of the new polygraph chair, which will minimize the impact of these deliberate moves, Lee said.
The new chair's sensors will be attached to the subject's chest, abdomen, fingers and feet, and the computer screen will show changes in breathing, the nerve system or heart beat, the reports said. (By Alex Jiang)
MIT branding campaign makes a stop in Taipei County
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) The government's drive to promote the MIT (made in Taiwan) logo for domestic brands continued Saturday at a two-day product fair held in Taipei County, where locally made textile products and shoes were on display.
Companies producing shoes, socks, towels, bedding and bags were invited to promote their products at the fair, which was organized by the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs(MOEA).
To soften the potential impact of opening Taiwan's market wider to Chinese goods once a cross-Strait economic cooperation and framework agreement (ECFA) is signed, the MOEA launched the MIT logo campaign last December for 12 domestic industries.
According to the MOEA, 1,819 products from 81 companies have obtained certification and are now being sold with the MIT logo.
Bai Chi-chung, the president of the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI), said the MIT brand has come to represent a quality guarantee and helped differentiate domestically made goods from the deluge of textile products imported from China and Vietnam.
Companies in 12 industries, including garments, underwear, towels, swimming suits, bedding, socks, bags, home appliances, and stone materials, are eligible to apply for the MIT certification, free of charge.
The MIT certification is good for two years and can be extended after renewed inspection. (By Sunrise Huang and Fanny Liu)
President promotes tree-planting to reduce carbon dioxide
President Ma Ying-jeou urged the public Friday to plant trees to help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as he planted one himself to mark Arbor Day.
Speaking at a tree-planting activity in Taipei County, Ma said the government has been promoting a reforestation project that has the goal of reclaiming 60,000 hectares of forest over eight years.
With Taiwan's carbon dioxide emissions having decreased by 4.4 percent in 2009, the government hopes to further decrease the emissions by 5 percent during the 2016-2020 period, Ma went on.
The president noted that the concept of planting trees has existed in Chinese culture since the time of Mencius.
In 1894, Sun Yat-sen -- who later became the founding father of the Republic of China -- wrote to Qing Dynasty Prime Minister Li Hung-chang urging him to promote the planting of trees, Ma said.
In 1924, the ROC government initiated a large-scale reforestation project as part of efforts to prevent flooding, he continued, adding that modern people should follow the examples of Sun and Mencius and continue to plant trees to create a better living environment for future generations.
Council of Agriculture (COA) Chairman Chen Wu-hsiung noted that trees not only can green and beautify the environment but also can absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
According to the Forestry Bureau under the COA, one tree can absorb 5-10 kg of carbon dioxide, while 112 trees can together remove the amount of carbon dioxide produced by one air conditioner in a year.
If the country's 23 million people were each to plant a single tree, those trees would together clear the carbon dioxide released by 200,000 air conditioners in a single year, the bureau said.
On the sidelines of the activity, however, a group of environmentalists from Taipei City created a disturbance, protesting against what they said was Ma's "killing of numerous old trees" during his terms as Taipei mayor and urging him to "stop putting on a show."
Life for a life concept should be abandoned: outgoing minister
Outgoing Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng urged the Taiwan public Friday to be rational on the issue of the death penalty and said that the society's deep-rooted mentality of a life for a life should be abandoned.
Wang offered to resign Thursday amid an uproar triggered by her public insistence on stays of execution for death row inmates. Her resignation was approved by Premier Wu Den-yih the same day.
At the Ministry of Justice, she packed her belongings and bade farewell to her colleagues, saying that she found it impossible to face any new deaths.
"Leaving is the best option for me at this juncture," she said.
Wang's announcement three days ago that she would not sign any execution orders for condemned prisoners prompted an outcry by victims of violent crime and their families. Among them was actress-TV host Bai Bing-bing, who accused Wang of being unable to empathize with the families of crime victims "because none of Wang's relatives have been murdered."
In rebuttal, Wang said that after decades of work to protect the interests of victims of violent crime and their families, she can fully empathize with them.
She argued that it is easy to have a criminal executed for his crime, but it is more important for society to examine the reasons for his cruel and violent behavior.
"We should find and apply the right antidote to the root of the problem and give convicts a chance to repent," she contended.
In related news, high-ranking prosecutorial sources said Friday that it is rare in the Republic of China's judicial history for the posts of state public prosecutor general and justice minister to be vacant at the same time.
President Ma Ying-jeou nominated Deputy Minister of Justice Huang Shih-ming in late January to serve as prosecutor general but the Legislative Yuan has not yet confirmed Huang's nomination.
The position was vacated by Chen Tsung-ming who resigned Jan. 19 immediately after he was impeached by the watchdog Control Yuan for dereliction of official duty and lack of integrity.
"A major reshuffle in the judicial ranks is unavoidable this year," the sources said.
They forecast that Hsieh Wen-ting, secretary-general of the Judicial Yuan and Yen Ta-he, head of Taiwan High Court's Public Prosecutors Office, will be the two top candidates for justice minister.
Marine algae from Japan becomes the latest office 'pet'
Office pets have been known to lighten up the atmosphere in busy workplaces, but a Taiwanese company is now hoping that the wonders of the deep sea will prove to have an equally therapeutic effect.
The company, Caliber Multimedia, is introducing three different desktop "seaweed pets" to keep office workers company. They consist of marine algae from Japan that grow naturally over time in a water-filled transparent sphere.
General Manager Alex Chang said the company has sold 10,000 of the desktop distractions in Taiwan over the past two months, after previously developing a "magical crystal" and "wish flower" that also grow on their own after the consumer mixes water with a powder that the comes as part of a kit.
"These innovative products have opened a new market in recent years. We're not only developing our own creative items to export to the United States and Europe, we're also introducing interesting items from other countries to Taiwan," Chang said.
According to a recent poll, many workers suggested that a real office pet such as a hamster or parrot would make people more productive.
But not every boss can accept the idea, and therefore many employees choose to scatter other objects around their desk to cheer themselves up, a trend that has exploded around the world and one on which Caliber Multimedia hopes to capitalize.
The three kinds of mini algae being used in the company's latest offerings were originally food products, and their creator, Nobumasa Kariya, chief director of Japan-based SEA-LABO Corporation, said he had not expected to find another function for the algae.
His research into the algae was simply motivated by trying to increase their production, but his findings led the algae to grow so much that a new application presented itself and opened a new market in Japan, Kariya said.
The company has sold 500,000 of the desktop "pets" since they were introduced in March 2009.
Taiwan's `citizen reporters' lauded for disaster coverage
"Citizen reporters" of Taiwan's PeoPo news service have outshone themselves in disaster reporting and their coverage is widely quoted by the mainstream media, a local TV executive said Thursday.
One day before Typhoon Morakot wrought havoc in Taiwan August 8, 2009, a citizen reporter in the northeastern county of Yilan had already alerted the public about the incredible volume of rain brought by what turned out to be the worst typhoon in 50 years, said Sylvia Feng, president and chief executive of Public Television Service (PTS).
"This citizen reporter was the first to alert the public to the severe damage caused by the typhoon, hours before the government came to realize the magnitude of the disaster, " she told a workshop session of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference (WITBC) held in southeastern Taiwan's Taitung County.
"They (citizen reporters) beat all the 24-hour TV news channels," she said. "They were widely quoted by newspapers and TV channels."
Such an achievement is not easy in Taiwan, which has eight 24-hour news channels for an island of 23 million people, she added.
"Every evening, there are 18 national newscasts competing for audience attention," Feng noted.
Commercial stations in Taiwan, therefore, concentrate on trying to boost their ratings by sensationalizing their reports or polarizing sensitive issues, she said.
"Lots of people are fed up," Feng went on, adding that PTS therefore decided to provide an alternative for local viewers by launching the PeoPo service in April 2007.
PeoPo, which translates in Taiwanese into "a smart way of doing things," at present has 3,517 citizen reporters covering a wide range of issues.
The Chinese-language blog on which text, videos and audio clips are posted, requires citizen reporters to sign up with an ID, and PTS has organized more than 300 training workshops around the country for them, Feng said.
PeoPo now has more than 34,000 news stories contributed by the citizen reporters, attracting at least half a million visits to the website every month, she added.
PTS does not censor or edit the reports, she noted.
The citizen reporters receive no salaries, but PTS pays them a small fee when their work is used, according to Feng.
PeoPo news has also become part of the iTunes podcasting service since February this year after an Apple representative learned about the citizen reporting service last December, Feng continued.
She also said there have been no slander or defamation cases reported relating to the blog.
Feng's presentation received a widespread interest from foreign media executives attending the conference. Fielding questions from the audience, Feng said she did not know if any of her news staff feel threatened by these amateurs.
"But I think that's unfortunate. I think they should," she said.
Asked if these citizen reporter stories are not sufficiently objective, Feng said the TV station does not interfere with how the reporters do their stories, but respects their voices.
She said she is more concerned with giving both general citizens and indigenous citizens a channel to express themselves and their perspectives than with the objectivity of the stories they tell.
"If a citizen reporter feels that a PeoPo story is biased, he or she can simply make another story to present a different view," she pointed out.
Feng also revealed a plan to expand the service by recruiting at least 30 indigenous citizen reporters this year.
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Norwegian media executive aims for indigenous TV channel
A radio and TV executive from Norway said in southeastern Taiwan Wednesday that he wants to follow Taiwan in establishing a TV channel that speaks for his own indigenous tribe.
"You have Taiwan Indigenous Television (TITV). We do not have our own Sami television channel yet," Nils Johan Heatta, director of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's (NRK's) Sami Radio, said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference (WITBC) being held in Taitung County.
Heatta is scheduled to take over the chairmanship of the WITBC -- a global media network, in 2012.
"One of my dreams is to be able to launch a TV channel for the Sami people," Heatta added.
Norway has a Sami population of 40,000. Other regions with significant Sami populations include Sweden, Finland and Russia.
Heatta also noted that a Norwegian policy has unexpectedly raised the Sami people's awareness of their own identity at a time when the government is working to assimilate the tribe.
"There has been a very strong assimilation policy from the governments in Sweden, Norway and Finland to assimilate the Sami, " Heatta said, adding that "it was forbidden to speak the Sami language at school in these countries up until 1958."
Although Sami Radio, which is part of the Norwegian government-owned NRK, started broadcasting in 1946, it was part of the Norwegian government's efforts to bring Norwegian news and Norwegian society to the Sami, who did not understand Norwegian, he noted.
"But the effect was the opposite to the one desired," he went on.
"The Sami people suddenly could hear their own language on the radio and it told them that yes, our language is usable and useful in media, " Heatta said.
As a result, young Sami people started a "cultural uprising" to fight for their identity, he said.
Heatta said he was impressed by the organizers of the conference in Taiwan, the second of its kind -- Norway will host the next conference in 2012.
He was among dozens of senior executives of the nine members of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) attending the biennial conference hosted by TITV and Public Television Services (PTS).
TITV, which is under Taiwan's public broadcasting group Taiwan Broadcasting System (TBS) with PTS, was established December 1, 2004 after activists spent years of effort on its creation.
As a WITBN member, TITV has been working with indigenous media organizations in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, South Africa and Wales on news, staff and program exchanges over the past two years.
Number of people enrolled in national pension insurance drops
The number of people enrolled in Taiwan's national pension insurance program has been declining because many people cannot afford or do not want to pay insurance premiums and lack knowledge of the program and its benefits, Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah said Thursday.
As of November 2009, the number of insured had dropped by about 160,000 to 4.06 million from 4.22 million recorded at the end of 2008, Jiang said during a legislative session.
Meanwhile, the scale of the national pension fund reached NT$65.8 billion and a total of NT$ 19.2 billion was claimed from the fund, according to the minister.
In response to opposition Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Sue-ying's concerns that the dwindling number of insured might cause the collapse of the program, Jiang said his ministry will strengthen its efforts in promoting the scheme and its advantages and provide more convenient premium payment options to the insured.
Huang also pointed out that the MOI has commissioned the Bureau of Labor Insurance to manage the national pension fund, but the fund's rate of return on investment (ROI) is only 1.51 percent, far lower than the new labor pension plan fund's rate of 12.95 percent and the old labor pension plan fund's 15.4 percent.
In response, Wen Yuan-hsin, an MOI official monitoring the fund, said that the MOI has asked the bureau to improve its investment performance and the return on investment rate is expected to increase this year.
The national pension system was put into effect on Oct. 1, 2008 and is open to anyone with a household registration in Taiwan aged between 25 and 65 who is not covered by other social welfare insurance plans, such as farmer's health insurance, government employee insurance, insurance for military personnel and labor insurance.
Those insured must pay 60 percent of the premium, while the government will pay the remaining 40 percent.
Under the regulations, an insured person who pays a monthly premium of NT$674 for 40 years will receive NT$8,986 every month from the age of 65 -- the standard retirement age -- until death.
Climate change affects indigenous peoples most: scholar
Indigenous peoples worldwide contribute little to global warming but suffer the most from its impact, a local professor said Thursday at an international indigenous conference in Taiwan.
"Most indigenous peoples around the world are not the major source of air pollution, energy overuse or carbon dioxide emissions," said Jolan Hsieh, an associate professor at the College of Indigenous Studies of Taiwan's National Dong Hwa University.
"However, who sustains the most damage of all when natural disasters occur? Seems like it's obviously the indigenous people," she said at the World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference (WITBC) in southeastern Taiwan's Taitung County, which has a large indigenous population.
Hsieh, a member of Taiwan's Siraya Tribe, urged indigenous peoples to contribute their traditional wisdom to help save the planet.
During her presentation, she also displayed some Web sites as examples of how indigenous people can make their voices heard via the Internet.
Indigenous villages in southern Taiwan were hard hit by floods during Typhoon Morakot last August.
Etan Pavavalung, a member of Taiwan's Paiwan Tribe, said at the conference that his tribe had to relocate after the typhoon.
"Many of my tribe's elders blamed the disaster on the government's wrong policies on mountain protection and land development," he said.
Masao Aki, director of Taiwan Indigenous Television (TITV), said that when the Morakot disaster occurred, TITV immediately decided to suspend some of its programs and to focus instead on the typhoon damage.
In addition to providing updated news reports, TITV set up a call-in service to help local indigenous people find their missing family members, he added.
The TV channel also worked with citizen journalists to report on the devastation and post updates on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, Masao said.
TITV's video footage from the disaster areas was shared with Taiwan's mainstream media outlets and foreign news media, including BBC, CNN and NHK, he noted.
"We have therefore created a standard operating procedure (SOP) for future disaster reporting," Masao said.
At the session, Phillip Kabua, the Marshall Islands' ambassador to Taiwan, highlighted the urgency of the climate change crisis.
"Time is running out and the clock is ticking away fast," he told the audience.
At the end of the session, Lulama Mokhobo, an executive of South Africa's Public Broadcasting Services (SABC) who moderated the session, asked all the participants to stand and observe a minute of silence for those who suffered as a result of climate change.
The conference was co-hosted by TITV and Public Television Services, both under Taiwan's public broadcasting group Taiwan Broadcasting System.
TITV took over the chairmanship of the nine-member World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) this year and will hold it until 2012.
Government debt collectors bring in NT$200 billion in nine years
The Administrative Enforcement Agency (AEA) said Thursday that in its nine years of operation, it has collected a total of NT$200.18 billion in debts owing to the government.
Collection agents at the AEA's many branches around the country have recovered an average of NT$20 billion a year between January 2001, when the agency became operational, and March 5 this year, it said.
The agents have made every effort to retrieve big amounts of money owed to the government in delinquent taxes and debts, using methods such as executive power of seizure, freezing and auction of property belonging to debtors, ordering the detention of defaulters, and limiting their freedom of movement, the agency noted.
The agency, which is under the portfolio of the Ministry of Justice, said it is drafting regulations under an "anti-luxury clause," that would target people who owe huge amounts in taxes but continue to live a life of luxury.
On the other hand, the AEA said, it has devised measures to allow people in financial straits to pay national health insurance premium arrears in installments and will increase the maximum number of installments from 36 to 60 to reduce the financial burden on such people.
Magazine survey finds Taiwan environmentally fragile
Taiwan's soil has become even more fragile and vulnerable to natural disasters since the onslaught of Typhoon Morakot last August, according to a report carried in the latest issue of CommonWealth Magazine.
The Chinese-language business monthly has had staff posted in southern Taiwan since last December to examine major rivers in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area, which bore the brunt of Morakot's devastation.
Lin Hsing-fei, a CommonWealth editorial writer, wrote in the report that the typhoon that battered southern Taiwan with strong winds and torrential rain August 7-9, 2009, brought down from higher ground more than 1.2 billion cubic meters of soft sediment such as sand, silt and mud.
According to Lin, more than 51,200 hectares of land -- twice the area of Taipei City -- collapsed in Morakot-triggered flooding.
Hsieh Meng-lung, a part-time assistant professor at National Taiwan University's (NTU's) Department of Geology specialized in river evolution, was quoted in the report as saying that Taiwan is made of fragmented geological formations.
"There is almost no safe place in Taiwan," Hsieh said, adding that the Laonong River in the mountains of Kaohsiung County are especially fragile and susceptible to landslides.
The CommonWealth report said the Executive Yuan's post-Morakot reconstruction committee commissioned Chen Hung-yu, an NTU professor, to lead a 75-member team to monitor all of the rivers and streams in the disaster zones to assess whether the 144 tribal settlements in the region were still safe to live.
Initial survey results show that the amount of sediment in Taiwan's rivers almost tops world records. As Taiwan is relatively young in terms of geological formation, its soil is generally soft and vulnerable to flooding and mudslides, the report said.
Commenting on the report, Lee Hung-yuan, an NTU civil engineering professor, said that a huge amount of silt and mud brought down by Morakot remains stuck in mountainous regions and that southern Taiwan is expected to face mudflows and other disasters when typhoons and downpours strike the area in the years to come.
Chen Chen-chuan, deputy chief executive of the post-Morakot reconstruction committee, said the calamity wrought by Morakot-triggered flooding and mudslides to eastern and southern Taiwan's environment and ecology is unprecedented and beyond imagination.
Today, he said, a single spring rain can wreak havoc in the Morakot-battered regions.
In the face of Taiwan's environmental degradation and ecological sensitivity, Chen said, the public and private sectors should work in concert and race against the time to complete rehabilitation and reconstruction work ahead of the typhoon season.
"We should redouble our efforts on all fronts, including disaster prevention and avoidance, as well as reconstruction, and should respect nature and know how to interact with typhoons and various other climate challenges," he added.
Executions must be carried out according to law: Presidential Office
The Presidential Office Thursday said that "the administration must abide by the law," referring to a statement by Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng two days earlier that no executions will be carried out during her tenure.
Wang published an article in her capacity as justice minister Tuesday, stating that abolition of the death penalty should be done to defend the right to life laid out in the Constitution. She reaffirmed her stance the following day when challenged on her position that she would rather step down than approve an execution.
Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang said that "in a constitutional country, everything must be done according to the law. Executions of death row inmates can only be postponed when there is a legally sufficient reason. Otherwise, the Ministry of Justice must handle it properly in line with the law."
Lo added that although the abolition of capital punishment is an international trend, in Taiwan there is no consensus on the issue and that it requires a lot of rational discussion.
The government will study how to revise the law to reduce the number of capital punishments, and in the meantime, extend the jail terms for severe crimes and raise the parole threshold, he said.
Premier Wu Den-yih also advocated that capital punishment should be carried out if the legal process has reached its end and there are no constitutional complications.
Wang, who has received support from various people, including lawyers, has been facing criticism from all sides, especially from the families of kidnap and murder victims.
Actress Pai Ping-ping, whose daughter Pai Hsiao-yen was kidnapped and murdered in 1997, said in a press conference called by various legislators that day that the minister "had given her leniency to the wrong people." Hsiao-yen's murderer, Chen Chin-hsing, was executed in October 1999 after being convicted of kidnapping, murder and multiple counts of sexual assault.
At present there are 44 death row inmates in Taiwan. Since December 2005, no executions have been carried out.
Several members of the Control Yuan said they hope to conduct an investigation to find out why the justice minister believes she can decline to order an execution.
Dodgers arrive to enthusiastic welcome from baseball fans
A split squad of the Los Angeles Dodgers of the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) arrived in Taipei Thursday for three exhibition games against an all-star team from Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
This is the Dodgers' second visit to Taiwan, following a series of exhibition games here 17 years ago.
Led by Dodgers manager Joe Torre, the squad, whose members include two Taiwanese players -- pitcher Kuo Hung-chih and infielder Hu Chin-lung -- as well as MLB all-star hitter Manny Ramirez, received an enthusiastic welcome from a large crowd of baseball fans upon their arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Torre waved to the fans and signed autographs, while Ramirez looked casual and cheerful, greeting local fans with smiles and hand gestures.
Kuo, who emerged as the Dodgers' top set-up man last year, received an earnest welcome from faithful fans. He told reporters that he is in good shape and confident of pitching well in his upcoming exhibition game.
The left-hander is scheduled to start a March 14 game to be held in Kaohsiung, the third of the three-game series. As usual, he will pitch only one inning.
Meanwhile, infielder Hu said he is very happy to come home with his team to play in front of local fans.
The Dodgers split squad includes 13 players on the MLB roster. Torre announced in Los Angeles Tuesday that left-hander Eric Stults and right-hander Josh Towers will start for the Dodgers in the first two exhibition games to be played at Tienmu Stadium in Taipei March 12 and 13.
The Dodgers have so far not revealed in which of the three games Ramirez, a major draw of the exhibition series, will play.
Another focal point of the series will be to see how Chen Chin-feng of the CPBL's La New Bears performs against his former team.
Chen became the first Taiwanese baseball player to perform in the Major Leagues in September 2002 after being called up by the Dodgers. He appeared in 19 games between 2002 and 2005 for the big-league club before returning to Taiwan to play in 2006.
While the Dodgers are in Taiwan, Kuo and Hu will join coaches Tim Wallach and Jim Slaton in hosting a clinic for young Taiwanese baseball players at Tienmu Stadium prior to Friday's game.
Torre will meet with Taiwanese baseball promoters and experts in a seminar scheduled for March 13 to offer his recommendations on how Taiwan can develop the sport, particularly in light of the game-fixing problems that have plagued the CPBL.
Taipei to install security cameras all over the city
Wang makes 1st appearance at Nationals camp
Taiwan-native right-hander Wang Chien-ming joined the Washington Nationals spring training camp in Florida on Monday morning, marking his first appearance with the team since it
Kuo, Hu look forward to upcoming games
Two Taiwan-native members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, lefty Kuo Hong-chih and infielder Hu Chin-lung, both expressed their excitement on Monday night over the upcoming
Taiwan bracing for cold wave
Temperatures would fall to 6°C late yesterday and early today in Northern Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau predicted.The South would also see minimums falling to
Kuo may start Dodgers' third exhibition game in Taiwan
Taiwan's Kuo Hong-chih may start the third of three exhibition games the Los Angeles Dodgers will play in Taiwan after scheduled starter Charlie Haeger was injured in an exhibition game, a report posted on the Dodgers official Web site said Tuesday.
If Kuo indeed starts the March 14 game to be held in Kaohsiung, he will only pitch one inning, the report said.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre announced that left-hander Eric Stults and right-hander Josh Towers will start for the Dodgers in the first two exhibition games to be played at Tienmu Stadium in Taipei on March 12 and 13.
Kuo, who emerged as the Dodgers' top set-up man last year, pitched the fifth inning of his team's exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies Tuesday and retired the side in order, striking out two.
It was Kuo's first appearance in a spring training game this year.
A split squad that according to the report on the Dodgers' Web site will include 13 players on the Major League roster will travel to Taiwan to battle an All-Star team from Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
Aside from Kuo, the other top draws are expected to be Manny Ramirez and Taiwanese infielder Hu Chin-lung.
The Dodgers have so far not revealed in which of the three games Ramirez will play.
Another focal point of the series will be to see how Chen Chin-feng of the CPBL's La New Bears performs against his former team.
Chen became the first Taiwanese baseball player to perform in the Major Leagues in September 2002 after being called up by the Dodgers. He appeared in 19 games between 2002 and 2005 for the big-league club before returning to Taiwan to play in 2006.
While the Dodgers are in Taiwan, Kuo and Hu will join coaches Tim Wallach and Jim Slaton in hosting a clinic for young Taiwanese baseball players at Tienmu Stadium prior to Friday's game.
Torre will meet with Taiwanese baseball promoters and experts in a seminar scheduled for March 13 to offer his recommendations on how Taiwan can develop the sport, particularly in light of the game-fixing problems that have plagued the CPBL.
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Central bank denies report about potential currency appreciation
The Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has denied reports that it may want to induce appreciation of the local currency to curb imported inflation pressures.
A local newspaper said in a front page article Tuesday that the central bank has hinted at Taiwan dollar appreciation in an effort to mitigate inflation from imported commodities, because growth in inflation from domestic demand is likely to remain moderate.
The article was based on a report submitted to the Legislative Yuan's Finance Committee Monday that outlines key points of a presentation to be given by central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan Wednesday to the committee.
In a statement released Tuesday, the central bank said the newspaper misread the report and stressed that it has not hinted at any future trend for the local currency.
"We hope news media will refrain from making arbitrary judgments to mislead readers," the statement said.
The Taiwan dollar opened lower at NT$31.87 against the U.S. dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange Tuesday, but rebounded to NT$31.799 at 9:45 a.m., a rise of NT$0.021 from Monday's close.
In the central bank report, Perng argues that pressures from imported inflation are on the rise but says that an appreciating currency can mitigate their impact.
He notes that the Taiwan dollar's exchange rate relative to the greenback has moved in an opposite direction than international crude oil prices, limiting the impact of higher crude oil prices and other commodities on domestic consumers.
But he does not explicitly say in the report that the central bank would follow a policy of allowing the Taiwan dollar to appreciate further.
Instead, the report outlines the central bank's belief that the currency's exchange rate should be determined by market mechanisms but says the CBC will intervene to maintain market order if accidental or abnormal factors lead to drastic market fluctuations in defiance of economic fundamentals.
Feng Hsin raises prices for rebar and steel products
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Feng Hsin Iron and Steel yesterday raised its wholesale prices for rebar and other steel products, it announced.
Pre-built apartment visits drop by up to 50 percent
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Visits to pre-built apartment buildings in Taipei City dropped by 20 to 50 percent over the weekend after government measures to crack down on land speculation, a broker said, yesterday.
Ministry denies asking banks to hasten mergers
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance denied reports it plans to speed up the mergers of state controlled banks, according to a statement posted on the ministry’s Web site yesterday.
Macronix sees demand for NOR-flash chips
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Macronix International Co., Taiwan’s biggest producer of the NOR-flash memory chips that store operating systems in mobile phones, said demand is outstripping supply.
AU Optronics applies to set up its first China LCD plant
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - AU Optronics Corp., the world’s third-biggest maker of liquid crystal displays, said it submitted an application to Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs to build its first panel factory in China.
FSC ponders widening stocks margins
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is still considering whether to widen the limit by which stocks can rise or fall daily, said the agency’s chairman, Sean Chen, yesterday.
Bank of Taiwan slammed for failing to stop fraudulent money transfer
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Bank of Taiwan (BOT) did not act fast enough when a woman, surnamed Lai, requested a freeze of her mother’s account after finding out that her mother had been transferred NT$700,000 to fraudsters, resulting in the loss of the whole sum of money.
New house rates set
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Some 300,000 homeowners or about 3.4 percent of total households in Taiwan will see their housing tax rates hiked after a revised property tax system takes effect, Deputy Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford.
Taiwan shares close higher
Taiwan's share prices closed higher Tuesday with the weighted index, the market's key barometer, moving up 60.71 points, or 0.79 percent, to close at 7,695.63.
The local bourse opened at 7,671.41 and fluctuated between a low of 7,645.17 and a high of 7.695.81 during the day's trading. Market turnover totaled NT$66.80 billion (US$2.1 billion), the lowest single day total since the beginning of this year.
All eight major stock categories gained ground, with construction shares gained the most at 2.53 percent. Banking and financial stocks advanced 0.92 percent, foodstuff shares rose 0.91 percent and textile issues rose 0.79 percent.
Machinery and electronic shares gained 0.72 percent, plastics and chemical issues rose 0.45 percent, paper and pulp shares were up 0.4 percent and cement issues edged up 0.05 percent.
Gainers outnumbered losers 1,311 to 1,295 with 310 remaining unchanged.
Foreign investors and Chinese QDIIs were net buyers of NT$11.76 billion in shares.
US dollar flat
The U.S. dollar traded flat Tuesday, ending the day at the previous day's close of NT$31.820 on the Taipei Foreign Exchange.
A total of US$623 million changed hands during the trading session.
The U.S. currency opened at NT$31.870 and fluctuated between NT$31.770 and NT$31.870.
Cross-strait ECFA will be signed in 'very near future': VP
Taiwan will sign an encompassing trade pact with China very soon to further remove trade barriers across the Taiwan Strait, Vice President Vincent Siew said Tuesday.
After the proposed cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) is signed in the "very near future," Siew added, Taiwan will work for economic integration with Southeast Asian nations by striking bilateral or multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs).
Addressing a forum organized by Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Taiwan's investment environment and prospects, Siew said Taiwan stands a good chance of becoming a regional funding center, particularly for high-tech industries.
With a highly competitive high-tech sector and a mature capital market, Siew said, Taiwan can serve as a regional financing center for technology companies from around the world.
Citing 2008 global ratings, Siew said Taiwan topped the world in 15 high-tech industries, including computer memory chip contract production and semiconductor packaging and testing services, and ranked second in 10 other high-tech fields such as IC design and LCD flat panels.
Five of the 10 companies that issued Taiwan Depository Receipts (TDRs) last year were high-tech companies, Siew went on.
To create an even more favorable and open investment climate, Siew said the government will further liberalize market regulations and attract more high-tech companies to apply for listing in Taiwan, particularly those from China, Japan and Southeast Asia.
By so doing, Siew said, the Taiwan Stock Exchange will expand in scale and will distinguish itself from the Singapore and Hong Kong bourses.
With the global financial tsunami receding and the world economy bottoming out of its year-long recession, Taiwan's economy is also regaining momentum, Siew said, adding that the country's major economic records and indicators have all posted gains. Among others, both exports and manufacturing production have returned to positive territory after being mired in steady contraction for nearly a year.
Market analysts forecast that Taiwan's gross domestic product will post a growth rate ranging between 3.5 percent and 5.5 percent, while the top budget office has raised its GDP growth forecast to 4.72 percent for this year.
Thanks to the government's strenuous efforts to improve Taiwan's general business environment and stimulate growth, Siew continued, Taiwan's ranking in the World Bank-sponsored survey has moved up 15 notches.
Moreover, Siew said, the government has spared no efforts to encourage industrial innovation in a bid to make Taiwan a technological innovation hub in Southeast Asia.
"We will soon complete legislation on encouraging industrial innovation by offering tax incentives for research and development, for companies that open regional operation headquarters in Taiwan, and for talent cultivation," Siew said.
As Taiwan no longer has cheap labor, it has to focus on the development of the service sector, with the aim of making the country into a regional or even global operations hub and a springboard for companies seeking to tap into the vast Chinese market, according to Siew.
On Taiwan's economic policy priorities, Siew said emphasis will be given to industrial innovation, green energy, job creation and signing cross-strait ECFA.
Outlook for semiconductor sector optimistic until Q2
The outlook for the semiconductor industry will remain optimistic until at least the second quarter of this year, an official of the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) said Tuesday.
However, GSA Chairman Nicky Lu said, the outlook for the second half of the year will hinge on whether orders of logic fab are normal or not.
Lu, who is also chairman and CEO of Etron Technology, a fabless IC design and product company, also predicted in the GAS conference that the RAM market will boom until 2011.
Meanwhile, Frank Huang, chairman and CEO of Powerchip Semiconductor Corp., said on the sidelines of the conference that supply in the DRAM market is tight and that the situation could continue until the second half of the year because the sector will face many bottlenecks, which will limit output increase.
Huang noted that a global DRAM sector oversupply began in 2006, which he said was attributed to the world's loosened monetary policy, resulting in overinvestment by DRAM businesses.
Later, however, when many nations began to tighten credit, Huang went on, the DRAM sector became a lot more cautious in its investment, leading to a general tightening of supply that is still apparent today.
Huang added that if the price of 1Gb of DRAM can maintain a range between US$2.5 and US$3, it will be a reasonable level, but if the price breaks US$3, it will put pressure on computer factories.
Taiwan shares open higher
The Taiwan Stock Exchange's main index opened higher Tuesday than its previous close, moving up 36.49 points at 7,671.41 on a turnover of NT$2.1 billion (US$65.63 million).
The weighted price index lost 113.41 points, or 1.46 percent, to close at 7,634.92 Monday.
US dollar down in early Taipei trading
The U.S. dollar was traded at NT$31.799 at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday on the Taipei Foreign Exchange, down NT$0.021 from Monday's close.
Foreign exchange rates
The exchange rates for major foreign currencies quoted in New Taiwan dollars by Chang Hwa Bank Tuesday.
BUYING RATES SELLING RATES US dollar 31.600 32.000 Euro 45.00 44.00 Hong Kong dollar 4.048 4.148 Japanese yen 0.3494 0.3554 Australian dollar 28.95 29.15 Canadian dollar 31.09 30.29 Pound sterling 47.68 48.08 Singapore dollar 22.66 22.86 South African rand 4.239 4.339 Sweden krone 4.423 4.523 Swiss Franc 29.86 30.06 Thai baht 0.9619 1.0019 N. Zealand dollar 22.29 22.49 Chinese yuan 4.508 4.728
* Exchange rates for the US dollar in amounts less than US$10,000.
NT dollar appreciation helps ease imported inflation pressure: CBC
Pressure from imported inflation has grown since the beginning of the year but has been cushioned by the appreciation the Taiwan dollar, according to a report issued by Taiwan's central bank.
The report, submitted to the Legislative Yuan's Finance Committee Monday ahead of central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan's appearance before the committee March 17, stresses the important role the currency has played in limiting the inflationary impact of global commodity prices.
It says the Taiwan dollar has appreciated 0.6 percent since the end of last year and considerably more since March 2, 2009, when the country's currency fell to a low of 35.174 against the U.S. greenback.
The Taiwan dollar finished 2009 at 32.03 to the U.S. dollar and closed at 31.82 on Monday.
The report says that in recent years, the Taiwan dollar's exchange rate against the greenback had moved in an opposite direction to international crude oil prices, which had helped cushion the pressure of imported deflation or inflation due to the volatility of the crude oil market.
The report notes that imported prices in the first two months of 2010 had risen by 14.34 percent in U.S. dollar terms compared to the same period a year earlier but only 8.32 percent in Taiwan dollar terms, blunting their impact on local consumer prices.
Meanwhile, the report also says that the central bank will closely watch the real estate market and duly adjust the market's liquidity to maintain financial stability.
It notes that as Taiwan's economy has slowly recovered, and inflationary pressures have remained limited, the central bank has maintained a loose monetary policy since last year.
But it cautions banks to step up their risk management of mortgages, especially on speculators, as part of the government's efforts to curb rising housing prices.
Some 10,000 job openings available at NTU job fair
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A job fair took place yesterday at the National Taiwan University (NTU), with 180 enterprises offering over 10,000 job openings, double last year’s level, indicating that this year’s university graduates will face a more accommodating job market than in the recent past.
TAITRA lauds AMKO’s advanced lighting endeavors
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A senior official of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) praised yesterday the persevering efforts of AMKO SOLARA Lighting Co. to develop the cutting-edge lighting equipment for consumers, enterprises, and world’s major metropolises that continue upgrade their street lighting systems.
Investment solicitation group leaving for China shortly
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan’s first group to solicit Chinese investment this year is set to depart for China on March 29 and plans to visit several influential car makers, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced.
Taiwan promotes bicycle tours at Berlin travel fair
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A Taiwan booth promoting bicycle tour packages in the country became a draw Thursday at the world’s largest travel fair, the ITB, in Berlin.
Taiwan share prices close lower
Taiwan's share prices fell Monday with the weighted index, the market's key barometer, moving down 113.41 points, or 1.46 percent, to close at 7,634.92.
The local bourse opened at 7,750.87 and fluctuated between 7,766.36 and 7,634.92 during the day's trading. Market turnover totaled NT$74.98 billion (US$2.36 billion).
All eight major stock categories lost ground, with textile issues moving down the most at 2.16 percent. Construction shares plummeted 1.94 percent, banking and financial stocks dropped 1.8 percent, and machinery and electronics fell 1.55 percent.
Cement issues plunged 1.51 percent, followed by foodstuff shares at 1.34 percent, paper and pulp issues at 1.2 percent, and plastics and chemicals at 0.75 percent.
Losers outnumbered gainers 2,292 to 610, with 186 remaining unchanged.
Foreign investors and Chinese QDIIs were net sellers of NT$4.13 billion-worth of shares.
US dollar down
The U.S. dollar lost ground against the New Taiwan dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange Monday, dropping NT$0.02 to close at NT$31.82.
A total of US$640 million changed hands during the trading session.
The U.S. currency opened at the day's high at NT$31.84, and fell to NT$31.764 before rebounding.
Nearly 40 percent of homeowners to benefit from adjusted tax rates
Nearly 40 percent of homeowners in the country are expected to benefit from a revised property tax system after it takes effect, Deputy Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford said Monday.
Chang held a meeting with officials from cities and counties around the country to discuss a new five-tiered property tax plan that he said would be more fair and reasonable than the existing single rate system.
Currently, a residential property valued at NT$100 million is subject to the same 1.2 percent property tax rate as one valued at NT$3 million, he noted.
If the five-tiered tax system is implemented, about 40 percent of homeowners will pay property taxes of 1.1 percent, while owners of luxury or upscale homes will be subject to a tax rate of 1.8 percent.
Under this new tax regime, Chang said, about 58 percent of homeowners would pay property taxes at the same rate as before while 3.44 percent of homeowners would pay a higher rate.
Meanwhile, the new plan would assess property taxes on commercial properties, such as offices, at a rate of 4-5 percent, a slight increase from the existing 3-5 percent.
The meeting also discussed an adjustment to the existing land tax. A majority of land owners, or 97.22 percent, would remain unaffected under the proposed plan, Chang said.
Low property and land taxes have been fingered as one of the factors sending housing prices soaring, particularly in the capital Taipei City.
Taiwan shares open higher
The Taiwan Stock Exchange's main index opened higher Monday than its previous close, moving up 2.54 points at 7,750.87 on a turnover of NT$1.96 billion (US$61.25 million).
The weighted price index lost 1.33 points, or 0.01 percent, to close at 7,748.33 Friday.
US dollar down in early Taipei trading
The U.S. dollar was traded at NT$31.790 at 9:45 a.m. Monday on the Taipei Foreign Exchange, down NT$0.05 from Fri's close.
Foreign exchange rates
The exchange rates for major foreign currencies quoted in New Taiwan dollars by Chang Hwa Bank Monday.
BUYING RATES SELLING RATES US dollar 31.591 31.991 Euro 43.19 44.19 Hong Kong dollar 4.047 4.147 Japanese yen 0.3484 0.3524 Australian dollar 28.98 29.18 Canadian dollar 31.14 31.34 Pound sterling 48.02 48.42 Singapore dollar 22.66 22.86 South African rand 4.233 4.333 Sweden krone 4.445 4.545 Swiss Franc 29.89 30.09 Thai baht 0.9603 1.0003 N. Zealand dollar 22.20 22.40 Chinese yuan 4.507 4.727
* Exchange rates for the US dollar in amounts less than US$10,000.
NTU job fair offers 8,000 openings
Taipei, March 14 (CNA) A job fair held at National Taiwan University (NTU) Sunday provided some indication that this year's university graduates will face a more accommodating job market than in the recent past.
Some 8,000 job openings were being offered by 180 enterprises, according to the university. A total of 165 companies manned 218 booths on campus on Sunday, while 39 companies held briefings for potential employees and another 14 arranged company visits.
In drawing 20 percent more employers and offering 3,000 more jobs this year than last year, the fair is an indication that Taiwan's economy has bottomed out, said NTU President Lee Si-chen.
Companies present at Sunday's fair were primarily from the financial, high-tech, and leisure and recreation sectors.
The booths run by the world's biggest contract chip-maker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) , and the biggest OEM electronics supplier, the Hon Hai Group, were the most popular, drawing crowds of job seekers who submitted their resumes.
TSMC, which plans to hire 3,000 people this year, conducted interviews on the spot.
In addition, smartphone maker HTC Corp. and leading fabless chip house MediaTek Inc. also announced they would hire 600 and 550 new people, respectively, this year.
MediaTek President Hsieh Ching-jiang, an alumnus of NTU, praised the university's students for their intelligence but stressed that only through persistence and perseverance could they achieve success professionally.
He also exhorted NTU students to pay attention to ethics in the workplace and have a good understanding of cooperation and teamwork.
The NTU job fair was part of a series of recruitment activities on campuses around Taiwan usually held between March and May every year.
This year, new graduates are expected to have more opportunities to choose from as the local employment market appears ready to boom, according to Jessie Hung, a top executive at the online human resource Web site Yes123.com.
Hung suggested that soon-to-graduate students should take advantage of on-campus job fairs and actively distribute their resumes or personal data sheets to drum up interview opportunities.
Taiwan's unemployment rate among people with university educations or above is about 6 percent at present. (By Lin Szu-yu and Y.L. Kao)
Taiwan eyes electronic waste recycling market in China
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) Taiwan and China will cooperate to recycle the soaring volume of electronic waste in China, an official with the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs said Saturday.
China's program to promote sales of "home appliances in the countryside" is expected to trigger a buying spree of electronic gadgets to replace older items around the country, which will lead to increasing demand to recycle the discarded appliances, said Chu Hsin-hua, head of the IDB's Sustainable Development Division.
The IDB estimated that the Chinese market for electronic waste recycling services will expand to between NT$400 billion and NT$500 billion (US$15.8 billion) a year, about 10 times the size of Taiwan's market and one that's big enough to be worth fighting for, Chu said.
According to the IDB, Taiwan's electronics manufacturing sector is good at handling e-waste, and China sought technical assistance from Taiwan in recycling its increasing waste more than once last year.
Prompted by the demand, the two sides are expected to open a workshop in May to provide interested businesses with information on possible cooperation in the fields of e-waste recycling and pollution control on electronics production lines, the IDB said. (By Lin Shu-yuan and Elizabeth Hsu)
Scholar suggests affordable housing policy should focus on rentals
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) With many Taipei residents being driven away by the high cost of housing, one scholar suggested Saturday that the government should deal with the problem by setting up a sound rental system rather than building and selling affordable units.
Chang Chin-oh, a professor in National Chengchi University's Department of Land Economics and long an advocate of affordable housing, said soaring housing prices in Taipei City have resulted from speculative buying rather than a lack of supply.
"Increasing supply will never solve the housing price problem, " he said.
Chang observed that many houses in Taipei City remain dark at night, and the low power consumption of the city's residential buildings also proves that the city is littered with empty houses.
The government should therefore adopt an affordable housing policy based on rentals that protects the people's residency rights, Chang said.
He recommended that the public housing the government plans to build be rented to low income families rather than sold, so that salaried workers who cannot afford to buy their own houses can have places to live at reasonable rents.
Chang also advised the young generation that owning a house is not necessary, because it will not only increase their financial burden but also create restrictions in choosing their workplace.
The government said last month that it will offer 4,000 affordable housing units for sale near the yet-to-be-completed Linkou Station of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit system in 2013.
Lin Tzu-ling, deputy minister of the Ministry of the Interior said Thursday that each unit will be sold for about NT$170,000 to NT$180,000 per ping (3.3 square meters), but the government will try to keep the price as low as NT$150,000 per ping to meet public expectations. (By Erin Ho and Fanny Liu)
Cross-strait wage gap narrowing: AISP
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) The gap in wages between Taiwan and China is narrowing rapidly, prompting Taiwanese companies with facilities in China to consider looking to Taiwan to meet their staffing needs, or even move some operations home, an industry source said Saturday.
Sun Houng, chairman of the Association of Industries in Science Parks (AISP) , said the difference in workers' salaries on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has narrowed considerably due to rising pay and labor shortages in China since the Chinese New Year holiday.
"This has prompted some Taiwanese firms to assess the possibility of looking for new blood in Taiwan, " Sun told reporters at a job fair co-sponsored by the AISP and the Hsinchu Science Park Administration in Hsinchu City. "That will help increase job opportunities in Taiwan."
Premier Wu Den-yih, who has vowed to step down if unemployment does not fall to below 5 percent by the end of this year, also paid a visit to the job fair and offered his best wishes to job seekers.
"After going through a hard year in 2009, all major economic indicators have turned for the better," Wu said.
Benchmark companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. United Microelectronics, and AU Optronics were all actively recruiting people at the fair, at which some 4,700 openings were available.
More than 6,500 job seekers flocked to the event despite the rain, with 1,506 landing jobs on the spot.
Some 61 percent of the job seekers were in the 26-35 age bracket, while 27 percent were 25 or younger. Two-thirds of the job seekers were males.
About 62 percent of the job seekers had a university education, while 12 percent held a master's degree. Another 16 percent were senior high school graduates, and 10 percent were graduates of junior colleges. (By C. C. Chang and Flor Wang)
Housing act submitted to Cabinet for review
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) A draft of Taiwan's first Housing Act, which would bring transparency to the country's real estate market and introduce social housing, has been submitted to the Executive Yuan for review, the Construction and Planning Agency (CPA) said Saturday.
The draft bill would address housing subsidies, social housing, and fair housing targeted at economically disadvantaged groups and also mandate making housing market information transparent.
The same bill, with minor differences, was first drafted by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) in 2007 and has been submitted for review by the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan several times in recent years.
Mandating transparency is seen as one of the pivotal clauses in the draft bill, because making real estate pricing information public is believed to be an effective way to curb housing prices.
At present, the government cannot force individuals or real estate brokers to report the prices of property transactions because of legal restrictions.
The proposed law hopes to clear away those legal hurdles and make it possible to set up an open platform providing up-to-date information on housing prices, as requested by lawmakers last Wednesday.
On social housing, Construction and Planning Agency Director-General Yeh Shih-wen said the bill targets low-income or economically disadvantaged households, and requires that the housing units, which can only be rented, be built by nonprofit organizations, private charities, or the government.
He added that the draft bill would also regulate the rents of social housing units. (By Erin Ho and Fanny Liu)
Gov’t curb on home prices criticized
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's developers yesterday criticized a series of credit-control measures launched by the government to curb surging housing prices, saying the government's actions will eventually cause people's assets to shrink.
Taiwan approves plans for China investment
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's Cabinet has approved plans to allow mainland Chinese companies to invest in domestic lenders, brokerages and insurers, paving the way for a broader economic accord as cross-strait relations improve.
Taipei ranks 21st in global financial report
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taipei ranked 21st in a Global Financial Centers Index report published by the City of London Thursday, up four notches from 25th place in a similar report issued last September.
Traveling to Taiwan is not easy: Chinese business leader
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A China business leader who founded the computer brand Lenovo has complained about all the troubles and paperwork that Chinese nationals have to go through to visit Taiwan, a report said yesterday.
Telecom firms charge unreasonable penalties
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Telecom companies have been charging unreasonable fees for USB modem services, according to a study conducted by the Consumers’ Foundation (CF).
Goldman Sachs to hold cross-strait business summit in Taiwan
Goldman Sachs, the global investment banking and securities firm, is scheduled to hold a cross-Taiwan Strait technology summit March 22 in Taipei that will bring together CEOs and heads of heavyweight technology companies in Taiwan and China, a spokeswoman for the company's Taipei office said Friday.
The forum, an unprecedented event by the company in Taiwan, could be seen as illustrating the increasing importance the investment company attaches to the Taiwanese bourse's status in the greater China equity market, according to a report carried Friday in local daily the Commercial Times.
Expected to attend the summit are the heads and CEOs of six leading Taiwanese technology companies -- Morris Chang, chairman and CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.; Cher Wang, chairwoman of mobile-phone maker HTC Corp.; J.T. Wang, chairman and CEO of Acer; Tsai Ming-kai, chairman of Taiwan's largest fabless IC design house MediaTek; LCD maker AU Optronics Chairman K.Y. Lee; and Jason Chang, chairman and CEO of ASE Group, which specializes in IC packaging and testing.
Hou Weigui, chairman of Chinese mobile phone maker Shenzhen Zhongxingxin Telecommunications Equipment Co.; Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment Co. President Rong Xiuli; and Lee Kaifu, chairman of Innovation Works in China, will also be invited to attend the forum, according to the report, which was later confirmed by the spokeswoman.
In addition, some 100 major foreign institutional investors, including Capital, Fidelity, Schroders, JF, Wellinghton, and Morgan Stanley, which manage combined securities assets of about US$100 billion, will be invited to attend the forum, which is expected to spur another wave of inflow of foreign funds into Taiwan's stock market, according to the report.
The institutional investors, some of which are shareholders in the nine technology firms, will exchange views with the company heads on their operation directions in the coming decade, the report said.
As international institutional investors are very concerned about a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement between Taiwan and China that is likely to be signed later this year, Goldman Sachs will invite Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) , the semi-official body responsible for holding talks with China, to give a keynote speech on the issue during the forum, according to the spokeswoman.
New York-headquartered Goldman Sachs, which opened its Taipei office 10 years ago, decided to expand its investment in Taiwan's equity market last September and appointed Chang Hsi-lin as president for the Taiwan region.
Foreign investors should be banned from NT$: bank
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Foreign investors should be banned from using the Taiwan dollar as collateral when borrowing securities, recommended the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan), yesterday.
Linkou housing to sell for more than promised
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The government has decided to build low-price apartments in Linkou Township in Taipei County, near one of the stations of the future airport link that passes through the area, said Lin Tsu-ling, Deputy Minister of the Interior, yesterday.
Taiwan says idle foreign funds declined, more inflows
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The amount of speculative capital from abroad sitting idle in Taiwan declined this year even as more money was transferred to the island, the central bank said.
Home purchase 'misery index' high
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taipei City’s home purchase misery index reached a new high in February, as people’s salary fell while home prices skyrocketed, said My Housing Magazine, compiler of the index, yesterday.
Technology sector continues driving jobs
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - AU Optronics (AUO) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), two of the island’s most prestigious manufacturers, both announced hiring plans, yesterday, amidst an economic recovery.
Supervisory unit caps salaries at state financial firms
Taiwan shares close lower
Taiwan's share prices closed lower Friday with the weighted index, the market's key barometer, moving down 1.33 points, or 0.01 percent, to close at 7,748.33.
The local bourse opened at the day's high of 7,773.52 and dropped to 7,726.09 before rebounding during the day's trading. Market turnover totaled NT$77.04 billion (US$2.42 billion).
Five of the eight major stock categories gained ground, with paper and pulp issues moving up the most at 0.49 percent.
Foodstuff shares advanced 0.31 percent and plastics and chemical stocks gained 0.23 percent. They were followed by banking and financial stocks at 0.15 percent and cement issues at 0.02 percent.
Three stock categories lost ground, with construction shares dropping the most at 0.42 percent, followed by textile issues at 0.15 percent and machinery and electronics at 0.15 percent.
Losers outnumbered gainers 1,580 to 1,047, with 371 remaining unchanged.
Foreign investors and Chinese QDIIs were net buyers of NT$2.54 billion-worth of shares.
US dollar down
The U.S. dollar lost ground against the New Taiwan dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange Friday, dropping NT$0.007 to close at NT$31.84.
A total of US$754 million changed hands during the trading session.
The U.S. currency opened at the day's high at NT$31.847 and dropped to NT$31.739 before rebounding.
Taiwan shares open higher
The Taiwan Stock Exchange's main index opened higher Friday than its previous close, moving up 23.86 points at 7,773.52 on a turnover of NT$1.99 billion (US$62.19 million).
The weighted price index lost 29.42 points, or 0.37 percent, to close at 7,749.66 Thursday.
Foreign exchange rates
The exchange rates for major foreign currencies quoted in New Taiwan dollars by Chang Hwa Bank Friday.
BUYING RATES SELLING RATES US dollar 31.567 31.997 Euro 42.99 43.99 Hong Kong dollar 4.047 4.147 Japanese yen 0.3481 0.3541 Australian dollar 29.01 29.21 Canadian dollar 30.94 31.14 Pound sterling 47.68 48.08 Singapore dollar 22.64 22.84 South African rand 4.228 4.328 Sweden krone 4.416 4.516 Swiss Franc 29.64 29.84 Thai baht 0.9575 0.9975 N. Zealand dollar 22.14 22.34 Chinese yuan 4.508 4.728
* Exchange rates for the US dollar in amounts less than US$10,000.
US dollar down in early Taipei trading
The U.S. dollar was traded at NT$31.799 at 9:45 a.m. Friday on the Taipei Foreign Exchange, down NT$0.048 from Thursday's close.
ECCT urges Taiwan to sign trade pact with China
The European Chamber of Commerce Taipei (ECCT) has urged Taiwan's government to sign a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China as soon as possible, saying it could remove barriers for Taiwan to ink economic pacts with other countries.
ECCT Chairman Nicholas Winsor said at a press briefing Wednesday that he believes that the ECFA would help Taiwan to initiate negotiations for trade enhancement agreements (TEMs) with the European Union and Russia.
This view was supported by Godwin Chang, a member of the ECCT's board of directors and CEO of Societe Generale Coporate and Investment Banking's Taipei Branch, who said that more foreign banks would be willing to come to Taiwan if the government could offer them preferential treatment and if it signs the ECFA with China later this year.
Francine Wu, another board member and CEO of Schroders Investment Management Co., noted that the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement that was signed between Hong Kong and China in 2005 lifted aban on international mutual fund proxy firms in Hong Kong wishing to sell their products in China, which in turn prompted such firms to offer higher pay to recruit Taiwanese professionals specializing in mutual fund proxy.
She said that after the ECFA is signed, the scope of Taiwan's mutual fund market will expand significantly.
The Cabinet removed Article 30 of a proposed bill to stimulate industrial innovation, which would have offered a preferential 15 percent corporate income tax rate to any of the world's 500 biggest companies that locate their headquarters in Taiwan.
Touching on the issue, the ETTC said that in addition to offering preferential tax treatment as a means of attracting investment, it is also quite important for the government to formulate complementary measures, such as improved labor policies to let in more foreign workers.
Other factors that would be taken into consideration by potential foreign investors include the level of transparency in government policy-making and the personal income tax system for professionals hired by foreign companies in Taiwan, said the ETTC.
The Taiwan government should also step up its efforts to publicize the various steps it is taking, apart from offering incentives, to attract foreign investment said Steffan Huber, an ECCT director and president of Bayer Taiwan Co., Ltd.
Taiwan and China signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in financial supervision late last year and are in the process of negotiating an all-encompassing trade agreement that they hope to sign this year.
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