CEC marks 75 years with tech show
CEC marks 75 years with tech showBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterContinental Engineering Corp (CEC, 大陸工程) yesterday showcased its technological applications at the construction site of a public housing project in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港). Vehicles drive past the construction site of a public housing project in Taipei’s Nangang District yesterday. Continental Engineering Corp chief executive officer Simon Buttery poses for a photograph at a media briefing in Taipei’s Nangang District yesterday. Photo courtesy of Continental Engineering CorpThe project, featuring two 27-floor buildings, is to have more than 1,400 apartments with one to three bedrooms, Continental said. Its parent company, Continental Holdings Corp (欣陸投控), reported NT$1.54 billion in net profit last year, the second-highest profit in the company’s history.
Source:Taipei Times
March 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Cabbage patch kids
Annette Lu floats ‘one Chinese’ frameworkBOOK LAUNCH: Taiwan and China could launch discussions on integration, rather than unification, to establish an integration program similar to ASEAN, Annette Lu said Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday suggested breaking the impasse between Taiwan and China by using the phrase “one Chinese” (一個中華), instead of “one China” (一個中國) and “integration” instead of the “unification” of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Ahead of the launch of her new book on how to settle old scores between the two sides of the Strait, Lu introduced a third way beyond unification and independence to deal with cross-strait relations. She suggested that Beijing change its “one China” principle into a broader “one Chinese” principle, which she said would be more acceptable to Taiwan.
Source:Taipei Times
March 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Museum battles
Annette Lu floats ‘one Chinese’ frameworkBOOK LAUNCH: Taiwan and China could launch discussions on integration, rather than unification, to establish an integration program similar to ASEAN, Annette Lu said Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday suggested breaking the impasse between Taiwan and China by using the phrase “one Chinese” (一個中華), instead of “one China” (一個中國) and “integration” instead of the “unification” of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Ahead of the launch of her new book on how to settle old scores between the two sides of the Strait, Lu introduced a third way beyond unification and independence to deal with cross-strait relations. She suggested that Beijing change its “one China” principle into a broader “one Chinese” principle, which she said would be more acceptable to Taiwan.
Source:Taipei Times
March 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Think tank raises GDP forecast to 4.4%
Yuanta-Polaris Research Institute president Liang Kuo-yuan speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday after the institute raised its GDP growth forecast for Taiwan this year to 4.4 percent. Photo: Wu Chia-ying, Taipei TimesExports might grow 5.16 percent this year, up from the previous forecast of 5 percent, while imports might increase 3.97 percent, down from 4.07 percent, the Taipei-based think tank forecast. With projected GDP growth of 4.4 percent, Taiwan would rank somewhere in the middle worldwide, behind major economies such as the US and China, explaining why the NT dollar has lost some momentum against the greenback, it said. Yuanta-Polaris expects the NT dollar to trade at an average of NT$28.5 this year versus the greenback. Taiwan’s robust exports would continue to bolster its current account surpluses and countries with strong trade surpluses are unlikely to have a weak currency, Liang said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 24, 2021 15:56 UTC
‘Megaship’ in Suez Canal nearly free
The MV Ever Given — a so-called “megaship” at 220,000 tonnes and 400m long — which ran aground in the southern part of the canal in Egypt, had been partially moved and is alongside the bank, said Ahmed Mekawy, deputy manager of the Suez Canal for GAC Group, a provider of port-agent services. The vessel was soon expected to be refloated, Mekawy said, adding that the Suez Canal Authority would then work on resuming transit for all waiting ships. The MV Ever Given container ship blocks the Suez Canal in Egypt yesterday. Efforts to free the ship had so far proceeded faster than initial warnings that traffic could be choked off for days. The 193km-long Suez Canal is among the most trafficked waterways in the world, used by tankers shipping crude from the Middle East to Europe and North America.
Source:Taipei Times
March 24, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taiwan, India discuss AI technology cooperation
Taiwan, India discuss AI technology cooperationTACKLING RISKS: Academic institutions from Taiwan and India have worked on a pandemic prevention system, and now plan to develop a tool to detect fabricated videosBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterAcademics and officials from Taiwan and India yesterday held an online meeting to promote a “smart pandemic prevention system” to advance bilateral cooperation in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The meeting was also joined by Indian Department of Science and Technology International Cooperation Division Director Chadaram Sivaji. In May, the universities plan to start another project to use AI tools to detect fabricated faces and voices in videos, Hsiung said. Hsiung was born in India and moved to Taiwan to study mathematics at National Taiwan University. Taiwan-India cooperation in technology focuses on engineering, information technology and sciences, said Wang Chin-tsan (王金燦), director of the Science and Technology Division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India, who also joined the conference.
Source:Taipei Times
March 24, 2021 15:56 UTC
About 60% say property prices likely to rise: poll
About 60% say property prices likely to rise: pollBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterAbout 60 percent of people expect housing prices to pick up next quarter, and many believe it wise to enter the market this year as tightened measures are driving out speculators, a survey by Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋) found yesterday. “That is because selective credit controls and harsh tax terms would not affect first-time home buyers or people who live in their own houses for a long time,” Hsieh said. He declined to bet on full-year figures because of concerns that developers might become more conservative if property tax changes clear the legislature, as it would take more time for developers to make a profit. The government seems serious about property tax revisions and people intent on saving taxes could embark on a sell-off, as policymakers aim to make the new tax terms retroactive, he said. The finance ministry has said property tax revisions are its top priority for the current legislative session.
Source:Taipei Times
March 24, 2021 15:56 UTC
Cooperation on air crash probes urged
Cooperation on air crash probes urgedLEGAL AMENDMENT NEEDED? The board should be involved in the investigation of all military aircraft incidents, as this would make the investigations more transparent, Hung said. This exposes a security loophole that arises from insufficient investigations of military aircraft incidents, Lin said. Investigation by the military showed that the crash was caused by the area’s unknown topography, weather and human errors, Lin said. However, military personnel should know the topography ahead of a mission, and military aircraft should be able to operate in all kinds of weather, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 24, 2021 15:56 UTC
Wu confirms military gear gifts to Paraguay
Wu confirms military gear gifts to ParaguayBy Lu Yi-hsuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerMinister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday confirmed that Taiwan has gifted Paraguay a retired military helicopter and other equipment, and denied rumors that Taiwan’s relations with Paraguay are being undermined by Beijing. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Sz-huai (吳思懷) had asked Joseph Wu whether the Ministry of National Defense had made the gifts to the government in Asuncion. “There is an evident discrepancy between what China promises and what it can deliver,” Joseph Wu said. Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines have not been approved by the WHO, and countries shouldthink carefully before inoculating their citizens with the vaccines, Joseph Wu said. Regarding concerns over whether Paraguay would switch recognition to Beijing, Joseph Wu said that Asuncion was aware that Beijing was stirring unrest in the region and Paraguay is “definitively not pro-Beijing.”Taiwan-Paraguay relations remain solid, Joseph Wu said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 24, 2021 15:56 UTC
Cathay increases economic growth forecast to 4.2%
Cathay increases economic growth forecast to 4.2%LOOKING UP: The firm raised its forecast for private investment growth to 3.7%, as TSMC has raised its capital expenditure to between US$25bn and US$28bnBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterCathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控) yesterday raised its forecast for the nation’s economic growth this year to 4.2 percent, up from the 3.2 percent it predicted in December last year, due to stronger-than-expected private investment and the improving global situation, it said. The firm raised its prediction for private investment growth to 3.7 percent, as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, in January raised its capital expenditure to between US$25 billion and US$28 billion, it said. Cathay Financial previously expected private investment to slow this year and grow 2.5 percent in light of a high comparison base last year. Taiwanese firms would continue to benefit from strong demand for new technology applications and devices required to maintain a low-contact economy, Hsu said. Cathay Financial forecast that the central bank would keep benchmark interest rates unchanged this year, as the nation’s inflation is expected to remain mild, Hsu said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 24, 2021 15:56 UTC
World democracies should unite
World democracies should uniteBy Huang Tien-lin 黃天麟There is some good news to report. The Quad, and related regional institutions, are closely bound up in US-China and Taiwan-China relations, as well as the security and continued survival of Taiwan. Within the next six years, the government should transform Taiwan into an economic, military and legal fortress of comprehensive and robust national security legislation. One can clearly see that the club of democracies would hold decisive market advantage. Huang Tien-lin is a former advisory member of the National Security Council and a national policy adviser to the president.
Source:Taipei Times
March 24, 2021 15:56 UTC
China bristles at West after sanctions over Uighurs
New Zealand and Australia yesterday welcomed the measures, but both stopped short of introducing their own on China, a major export market for their goods. “Frankly ... we are not worried at all,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying (華春瑩) told reporters. Reinhard Butikofer, a German legislator targeted by the sanctions, said the response was “brazen and ridiculous”. The EU faces a delicate balancing act over relations with China, as it treats Beijing as a rival, but also a potential economic partner. Late last year, Brussels sealed a major investment accord with China after seven years of negotiations.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 16:01 UTC
Taipei hosts smart city trade show
Taipei hosts smart city trade showStaff writer, with CNAThis year’s Smart City Summit and Expo, an annual international gathering focused on smart city developments and solutions, began in Taipei yesterday, featuring physical and online displays. Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, there was no reason to cancel the event, especially when countries and cities around the world are focusing on smart city development, said Paul Peng (彭双浪), chairman of the Taipei Computer Association (台北市電腦公會), one of the event’s organizers. A man looks at a smart transportation system on the first day of the Smart City Summit and Expo at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2 yesterday. The expo runs until Friday. Tsai said that the government is looking to accelerate smart city development and to assist local companies in developing applications that can be exported to emerging markets in Southeast Asia.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taipei allocates NT$608bn for infrastructure
Taipei allocates NT$608bn for infrastructureStaff writer, with CNAThe government has allocated NT$608 billion (US$21.35 billion) to spend on public infrastructure this year, in a bid to stimulate the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Development Council (NDC) said on Monday. Premier Su Tseng-chang, right, speaks alongside National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin during a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesRegarding the Taoyuan Aerotropolis project, more than NT$60 billion would be allocated in September for the acquisition of land, the council said. The 4,500 hectare project, near Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, is to be a modern industrial logistics center, development zone and urban residential area. Government agencies are being urged to expedite work on infrastructure projects, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
EDITORIAL: End inappropriate school activities
EDITORIAL: End inappropriate school activitiesTaichung Municipal Fengyuan High School has come under fire for a live simulation staged for its Terrorism and Anti-Terrorism course, in which students were asked to divide into groups and engage in combat armed with gel blasters. While gel blasters are touted as safe, nontoxic and biodegradable, they do cause pain. In the video, students are seen rubbing their wounds, while one lifts his shirt to display a rash on his back. The students being “executed” in the video were wearing regular school clothes without any protective gear. More people need to speak out about these types of ridiculous school activities so that they can be consigned to the past.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC