Notes from Central Taiwan: Taiwan: Not with a bang, but with a pamper
For the first time in its history, the working age population between 15 and 64 fell from census to census, declining 169,000 to 16.54 million. The number of people over 65 in Taiwan is now at 3.67 million, nearly 16 percent of the population. AGING IN TAIWANArticles on aging tend to focus on its effects on the health care system, but our growing elderly are going to transform every aspect of society. In Taiwan a decade ago, the proportion of children living with elderly parents was higher than in China, South Korea or Japan. In addition to the medical and social costs, the growing population of the elderly will affect defense arrangements.
Source:Taipei Times
November 14, 2021 16:27 UTC
Taiwan in Time: The dawn of Taiwan’s nuclear age
Taiwan’s first nuclear power plant. The First Nuclear Power Plant under construction. Then-president Chiang Kai-shek in 1970 visits the construction site of the First Nuclear Power Plant. When the Chernobyl accident happened in 1986, fears over the dangers of nuclear power reached a fever pitch. As for the First Nuclear Power Plant, both of its reactors were shut down after their 40-year operating license expired in 2018 and 2019.
Source:Taipei Times
November 14, 2021 02:28 UTC
Asian shares advance as inflation shock tapers off
Asian shares advance as inflation shock tapers offReutersAsian share prices advanced on Friday as a shock from a surprisingly strong US inflation reading ebbed, with investors hopeful that the worst price hikes could be soon over. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.3 percent to 25,327.97, while the China Enterprises Index gained 0.7 percent to 9,114.37. The Hang Seng Tech Index climbed 1.6 percent, with tech giants Meituan (美團) and Tencent Holdings Ltd (騰訊) up 2.6 percent and 1.6 percent respectively. Index heavyweights Meituan and Tencent shored up the Hang Seng Index, while Alibaba Group finished down 0.5 percent. The US consumer price index rose 6.2 percent year-on-year last month, the strongest advance since November 1990.
Source:Taipei Times
November 13, 2021 21:54 UTC
Couple’s dropped spying charges spark criticism
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday said that it would not indict the couple, citing a lack of evidence. Prosecutors said that the records did not show sufficient evidence of collaboration with Chinese intelligence, and that requests made to Chinese authorities for more information went unanswered. Lo said that prosecutors demonstrated a lack of professional judgement in requesting information from China on a case related to Chinese intelligence activity. “I would like to see the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Yuan improve the way national security cases are handled,” Wang said. The judiciary should improve investigation processes for cases involving national security, science and technology, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
November 13, 2021 18:59 UTC
A taper tantrum could follow US inflation spike
Indeed, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said after the CPI report that it is “premature” to change the calculation about raising interest rates. Powell has made it clear that the central bank would not raise interest rates while it is still buying bonds. However, there is good reason to believe that such a move would unnerve people, potentially causing a taper tantrum. POLICYMAKERS SPLITRight now, policymakers are split between raising interest rates or leaving them unchanged next year. If that happens, look out for “Taper Tantrum 2.0.”Brian Chappatta is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering debt markets.
Source:Taipei Times
November 13, 2021 18:59 UTC
Brazil victory qualifies them for Qatar
Neymar on Thursday set up Lucas Paqueta in the 72nd minute to give Brazil a 1-0 win against Colombia in Sao Paulo. Photo: APThe top four teams in South America earn direct entry to the World Cup. Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta controls the ball during their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Thursday. Brazil replacement Matheus Cunha, left, and Colombia defender Davinson Sanchez at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Thursday vie for the ball during their South American qualification match for next year’s FIFA World Cup. Asked about the team’s future now that the spot in Qatar is sealed, Brazil coach Tite said he would seek “solidity, creativity, goals and victories” until the World Cup begins.
Source:Taipei Times
November 13, 2021 02:42 UTC
Alliance to boost Taiwan’s space industry profile
Alliance to boost Taiwan’s space industry profileBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterLawmakers yesterday established a Trans-Pacific Aerospace Parliamentary Alliance to deepen relations with Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries to consolidate the nation’s role in the global space economy. The alliance is chaired by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱), with New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Ann Kao (高虹安) serving as deputy chairs. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin, center front, other lawmakers and guests pose for a photo at the establishment of a Trans-Pacific Aerospace Parliamentary Alliance at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei TimesThe alliance aims to foster ties with countries having advanced space technology — such as Japan, South Korea and New Zealand — or emerging space economies such as Indonesia and Malaysia, he said. While the US did not want Taiwan to develop launch rockets a few decades ago, the trend has “changed somewhat,” as the global space industry has become increasingly commercialized, Chung said.
Source:Taipei Times
November 13, 2021 02:41 UTC
Badosa scores upset; Taiwan’s Hsieh wins
Badosa scores upset; Taiwan’s Hsieh winsAP, GUADALAJARA, MexicoTaiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Elise Mertens on Thursday won their opening match in the doubles at the WTA Finals, while in the singles, Paula Badosa started off slowly, but won 10 games in a row to upset top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-0. Paula Badosa of Spain returns against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during their match at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFESabalenka, who won titles in Abu Dhabi and Madrid this season, is the first seed in Mexico because world No. Hsieh and Mertens won 68 of the 120 points — with 41 winners on their own serve — and saved two of the three break points they played. “First group win in the pocket,” Hsieh wrote on Facebook shortly after the match.
Source:Taipei Times
November 12, 2021 21:57 UTC
Evidence lacking to charge China executives
Evidence lacking to charge China executivesStaff writer, with CNATwo executives from a Hong Kong company believed to have conspired with Chinese intelligence agents will not be charged with breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法) due to a lack of evidence, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Although Xiang and Kung were released days after their arrest, they have since been barred from leaving Taiwan pending further investigation into the allegations. In the course of the investigation into Guotai, the indictment said, Chinese police interviewed Xiang in Hong Kong on Aug. 9, 2016. Ten days later, Xiang and Kung traveled to Taiwan, where they each opened personal bank accounts. After returning to Hong Kong, Xiang and Kung transferred HK$203 million from company accounts into their joint accounts at two Hong Kong banks, prosecutors said.
Source:Taipei Times
November 12, 2021 19:00 UTC
Investors leaving stock market amid uncertainty
Investors leaving stock market amid uncertaintyBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe number of local stock investors last month declined for the third consecutive month to 2.94 million, attributable to a plunge in local stock prices and uncertainty over the US’ monetary policy, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed. The number of investors peaked at 3.86 million in May, but fell to 3.34 million in June following a local outbreak of COVID-19, the data showed. With fewer investors, stock market turnover has more than halved from NT$12.38 trillion (US$444.75 billion) in July to NT$5.9 trillion last month, the data showed. As the US Federal Reserve might update its monetary policy, investors have started acting more conservatively on the local stock market, which is susceptible to the volatility of the US financial market, a stock exchange official said. Some investors might have held back due to the plunge in the TAIEX in the middle of last month, the official added.
Source:Taipei Times
November 12, 2021 19:00 UTC
Blinken vows ‘action’ if China attacks
Blinken vows ‘action’ if China attacks‘NOT ALONE’: There are many countries that share the US’ ‘determination to make sure that we preserve peace and stability in that part of the world,’ Blinken saidReuters, WASHINGTONThe US and its allies would take unspecified “action” if China were to use force to alter the “status quo” over Taiwan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. Blinken was asked at a forum hosted by the New York Times whether the US would step in to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses a news conference at the US Department of State in Washington on Wednesday. Blinken did not say what sort of action he was referring to. US President Joe Biden caused a stir last month when he said the US would come to Taiwan’s defense if China attacked.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2021 22:14 UTC
Post-Merkel Germany must revise PRC stance
Post-Merkel Germany must revise PRC stanceBy Chang Kuo-tsai 張國財The international democratic community is worried about China’s “wolf warrior” role, which has been condemned by many countries. Italy, which was the first G7 member state to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative, seems to have woken up from its China dream. Former communist bloc members the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia have also made about-faces and are saying “no” to China. Communist China under President Xi Jinping (習近平) is throwing its growing military weight around. Will it ultimately bring stability and harmony to the international community, or will it bring discord and disaster?
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2021 22:12 UTC
Investment program awards three firms
The investment is part of the government’s Invest in Taiwan program, which provides incentives for advanced manufacturing projects, such as favorable loan terms. That first investment should finish development by the end of the year, the ministry said. Macronix has invested in its Taiwanese facilities as it focuses on high-end 3D NAND and advanced NOR flash memory chips, the ministry said. The new investment is expected to create 97 jobs for highly qualified tech personnel, it added. Anji is a designer and maker of solar projects, and a developer of solar power plants.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2021 18:59 UTC
Xi warns against new ‘cold war’ in Asia-Pacific region
Xi warns against new ‘cold war’ in Asia-Pacific regionAP, WELLINGTONChinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday warned against letting tensions in the Asia-Pacific region cause a relapse into a “cold war” mentality. Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking over videolink, addresses the APEC CEO Summit in Wellington on Wednesday. His reference to the Cold War echoes Beijing’s oft-stated position that the US should abandon that way of thinking in dealing with China. “The Asia-Pacific region cannot and should not relapse into the confrontation and division of the Cold War era,” Xi said. Xi also said the region should make sure to keep supply lines functioning and to continue liberalizing trade and investment.
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2021 16:56 UTC
Book review: China’s media warfare against Taiwan
Book review: China’s media warfare against TaiwanFor Chinese strategists, media warfare, and the broader political warfare effort of which media warfare is part, is just as important as building the PLA into a force able to defeat Taiwan’s militaryBy Grant Newsham / Contributing reporterCan the People’s Republic of China (PRC) invade and conquer Taiwan? Last year, he published a seminal work on PRC Political Warfare: Political Warfare: Strategies for Combating China’s plan to “Win without Fighting.”This time, Gershaneck focuses on what China has done and is doing to Taiwan on the media warfare front. To Chinese strategists, media warfare (and the broader political warfare effort of which media warfare is part) is just as important as building the PLA into a force able to defeat the US military. RECOMMENDATIONSThe author wrote his most recent book to help Western nations “better detect, deter, counter and defeat” Chinese media warfare — and political warfare writ large. But certainly the US Government has its own media warfare and political warfare effort to match and defeat whatever Beijing is doing?
Source:Taipei Times
November 11, 2021 03:58 UTC