Blinken emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wang called on the US to remove sanctions against Chinese companies and individuals. Chinese state media recently published reports of Chinese citizens being searched at the US border. Both sides also discussed the Israel-Hamas war and the war in Ukraine. Blinken “reiterated that the United States will stand up for our interests and values and those of our allies and partners,” Miller said.

Officials reject negative views about Indian workersStaff writer, with CNAOfficials yesterday rejected negative perceptions about Indian migrant workers that arose after the two countries on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding on the issue. Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) called on the public not to stigmatize Indian workers, saying that migrant labor is necessary because local workers are not inclined to do the so-called “3K” — difficult, dirty or dangerous — jobs, including those in long-term care and construction. Separately, Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) said that negative stereotypes of migrant workers should be rejected, adding that there are many talented Indian workers around the world. Taiwanese tend to wrongly assume that migrant workers are a source of social issues, but the crime rate among migrant workers in Taiwan is less than half of that among Taiwanese, Tsai said. Many countries have talked with India about bringing workers to their countries, including Japan and South Korea, Tsai said.

Taiwan, India ink MOU on workersDISTRIBUTION OF LABOR: Taiwan would decide on the number of workers and types of industries, while India would handle recruitment and training, the labor ministry saidBy Lee Ching-hui and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan and India yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on migrant workers, the Ministry of Labor confirmed in a news release. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India, Taiwan’s de facto embassy, inked the agreement with its Indian counterpart, the India Taipei Association (ITA). The ministry’s comments came hours after Chinese-language media reported that a labor agreement had been reached. Negotiations on opening Taiwan to migrant workers from India began in 2020, but were shelved because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. Employer groups and lawmakers have urged labor officials to open new sources of migrant workers, it said.

Taiwan to invest NT$5.77bn in cycling pathsBy Cheng Wei-chi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe government is to allocate about NT$5.77 billion (US$184 million) over three years to build bicycle paths nationwide to boost Taiwan’s profile as an international destination for cycling enthusiasts, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai gestures beside tourism mascot Bravo the Bear yesterday as he embarks from Taipei on an nationwide bike tour to survey the state of the nation’s cycle paths. Photo: Cheng Wei-chi, Taipei TimesThe bike routes must appeal to Taiwanese as well as cyclists from abroad, he said. Railways, footpaths and cycling paths are all key facets to encourage low-carbon tourism, Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said. Chou said he hoped that cyclists visiting Taiwan would not only take a round-the-island tour, but also visit other cycling routes such as Sun Moon Lake, Dapengwan (大鵬灣) and Penghu County.

Japanese economy overtaken by GermanyAP, TOKYOThe Japanese economy is now the world’s fourth-largest after it contracted in the fourth quarter of last year and fell behind Germany. The Japanese economy contracted 2.9 percent from July to September last year. Photo: AFPJapanese economy was the second-largest until 2010, when it was overtaken by Chinise economy. Japan’s nominal GDP totaled US$4.2 trillion last year, while Germany’s was US$4.4 trillion or US$4.5 trillion, depending on the currency conversion. Japan was historically touted as “an economic miracle,” rising from the ashes of World War II to become the second-largest economy after the US.

Human rights group holds ‘Free Tibet’ cycle eventStaff writer, with CNAThe Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT) held a “Cycling for a Free Tibet” event in Taipei on Wednesday ahead of the March 10 Uprising Day to raise public awareness of the Tibetan desire for freedom. Given the situation in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong, Taiwan has to defend itself against tyranny in any way necessary, Shen said, adding that he would continue to voice support for freedom, democracy and human rights in the legislature. Fung said people should not take freedom for granted, and that Taiwan could be China’s next target. Everybody should come together in the fight for freedom and human rights, he said. For the Kaohsiung event, cyclists are to meet at 1:30pm on March 2 at Exit 3 of the Kaohsiung MRT Cultural Center, it said.

To a good extent, the US election in November would also be the decision time for defending democracy. When people lose their ability to judge, society would forever lose its democracy and freedom. In this election, people have spoken and chosen democracy and freedom, as well as checks and balances. They want the ruling party to be more disciplined, a wise choice for a mature democracy. We must treasure and protect our democracy and freedom as if we could lose it at any moment.

Asian equities sink as rate cut hopes diminishAFP, HONG KONGMost Asian equities sank yesterday, tracking a sell-off on Wall Street, as a forecast-topping US inflation report dealt a hefty blow to hopes for an early interest rate cut. Expectations for a rate cut have been doused in recent weeks by a series of strong indicators — particularly on the economy and jobs — while several monetary policymakers warned they want to see more data before shifting. A pedestrian walks past an electronic board showing Nikkei 225 index and the rate of yen against US dollar in Tokyo yesterday. The “CPI report caught a lot of people off guard”, Chris Zaccarelli of Independent Advisor Alliance said. In that case, it’s unlikely that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in May,” Innes said.

Impact of foreigners leaving ChinaBy Antonio GraceffoUp to half of the foreigners residing in China have departed over the past few years. Due to the economic downturn and an inhospitable business environment, foreign companies are divesting from their operations in China. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Beijing has grown increasingly paranoid about the activities of foreigners living in China. At the same time that foreigners are leaving, China is struggling to find or train skilled technical workers. Antonio Graceffo, a China economic analyst who holds a China MBA from Shanghai Jiaotong University, studies national defense at the American Military University in West Virginia.

Trump may keep the US in NATO, but the damage is doneWhen it comes to what NATO members spend on defense, what Trump had to say was never that important, as most governments had been increasing their budgets as a result of Russian aggression before he took officeBy Marc Champion / Bloomberg OpinionFormer US president Donald Trump says he is good at negotiating real-estate deals and I do not doubt him. As he prodded Europeans to share more of the NATO burden in 2017, Trump correctly identified that what the alliance’s members valued most was its Article V collective defense clause. The good news for Europe is that when it comes to what NATO members spend on defense, what Trump had to say was never that important. In fact, after a sharp three-year run, the rate of increase in European NATO defense spending plateaued after Trump took office. No more was Trump responsible for the deceleration in real defense spending increases that happened to follow his inauguration.

Climate change parches Morocco amid policy woesAFP, BERRECHID, MoroccoAround this time every year, Moroccan wheat farmer Abderrahim Mohafid is usually preparing for his spring harvest, but this year his fields lie unusually bare. “The harvest is already lost,” said Mohafid, 54, as he glanced at his 20-hectare field where almost nothing has grown. Sheep rest in a dry cereal field in Berrechid, Morocco, on Wednesday last week. In November last year, they had sown 2.3 million hectares compared to between 4 million and 5 million hectares on average in previous years, he said. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has similarly warned of a “disorderly intensification of irrigation” in Berrechid over the past two decades.

Asian markets mixed, with most shuttered for holidaysAP, BANGKOKAsian shares were mixed yesterday, with most regional markets closed for holidays, while US futures edged lower after the S&P 500 ended last week above 5,000. Photo: AFPWith Chinese markets closed for the week for the Lunar New Year holiday, there was a dearth of market moving news. Europe’s main stock markets rose at the start of trading yesterday, as investors awaited key economic data releases due this week with the annual earnings seasons nearing an end. On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent, finishing above 5,000 for the first time, at 5,026.61. Profits have mostly been better than expected for the big companies in the S&P 500 this reporting season, which is roughly two-thirds finished.

You’re delinquent?’ He said: ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. You gotta pay,” Trump said. Attendees cheer as former US president Donald Trump arrives on stage during a “Get Out The Vote” rally in Conway, South Carolina, on Saturday. Trump, front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, was a fierce critic of NATO when he was president, repeatedly threatening to pull out of the alliance. He cut defense funding to NATO and frequently complained that the US was paying more than its fair share.

Magnussen in doped record attemptAPRetired swimming champion James Magnussen faces potential legal and ethical issues after declaring he will deliberately dope in an unofficial attempt to break the 50m freestyle world record. Magnussen is to be paid US$1 million to make the attempt at the Enhanced Games, a sort of Olympics without drug testing that has been condemned by the Australian Olympic Committee as “dangerous and irresponsible.”“I want to approach this the right way,” Magnussen said on Instagram on Friday. Australia’s James Magnussen celebrates winning the gold in men’s 100m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 27, 2014. WORLD CHAMPIONThe 32-year-old Magnussen has a personal best of 21.52 seconds in the 50m freestyle that he set 11 years ago. The time and venue of the Enhanced Games have yet to be announced.

Paris Olympics will be my last: Fraser-PryceAPJamaican great Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce says the Paris Games would be her fifth and final Olympics. A few weeks later, Fraser-Pryce went on to lead a Jamaican sweep in the 100m at the Beijing Games. It was the first of her eight Olympic medals. Fraser-Pryce finished third at the world championships last year and is considered a contender in Paris, along with defending world champion Sha’Carri Richardson and two-time defending Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah. “There’s not a day I’m getting up to go practice and I’m like: ‘I’m over this,’” Fraser-Pryce said.