Ministry of Environment officially starts operations
Ministry of Environment officially starts operationsStaff writer, with CNAThe new Ministry of Environment officially started operations on Tuesday after a plaque-unveiling ceremony and inauguration of its first minister, Shieu Fuh-sheng (薛富盛). The ministry was upgraded from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) established in 1987 after a law to redesignate the EPA a ministry cleared the legislature on May 9 and was promulgated by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on May 24. Addressing the plaque-unveiling ceremony, Tsai said the ministry is determined to respond to global trends and expressed confidence it would work with various sectors of society to help accelerate the nation’s transition to netzero emissions. President Tsai Ing-wen, fourth left, Premier Chen Chien-jen, fourth right, and others pose for a photograph at an inauguration ceremony for the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday. Four specialized agencies — the Climate Change Agency, the Resource Recycling Agency, the Chemical Substance Management Agency, and the Environmental Management Agency — and a National Environmental Research Institute have been established under the Ministry of Environment.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2023 03:36 UTC
Pew’s Indian survey misleading
Pew’s Indian survey misleadingBy Prashant Kumar SinghA recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that 43 percent of Indians have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan, while 35 percent have a favorable view of neither China nor Taiwan. Thus, a significantly large proportion of Indians not only have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan, but have an equally unfavorable view of China and Taiwan, indicating that they might not see any difference between them. That ordinary Indians have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan is unconvincing because there is no logical or commonsense explanation as to why this should be the case. Another example would be that if you survey Indians and ask a simple question about whether India should diplomatically recognize Taiwan; the results could be surprisingly supportive. This probing is necessary because the survey findings do not square with the positivity that has been observed in bilateral ties in recent years.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2023 16:44 UTC
India first to land spacecraft near moon’s south pole
India first to land spacecraft near moon’s south poleAFP, BENGALURU, IndiaIndia yesterday became the first nation to land a craft near the moon’s south pole, a historic triumph for the world’s most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space program. This handout screen grab taken and received from the live feed of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) website on August 23, 2023, shows the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft seconds before its successful lunar landing on the south pole of the Moon. India on August 23, became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon’s south pole, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a "historic day". India has landed a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, an unchartered territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water and precious elements, as the country cements its growing prowess in space and technology. Students with painted faces surround a replica of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft in Chennai, India, on Tuesday.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2023 16:43 UTC
EDITORIAL: China’s tourism cudgel returns
Beijing, which has banned independent Chinese tourists from Taiwan since August 2019 and group travel since 2020, has shown no intention to resume cross-strait travel. Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said that Taiwan and China must mutually show goodwill before normal cross-strait tourism could resume. The regulations on cross-strait group travel should also be negotiated through existing channels, such as the tourism associations in Taiwan and China, to ensure that cross-strait travel is reinstated reciprocally. Taiwan welcomes tourism exchanges with all nations, including China, but communication should be both ways. The government should be wary of an inappropriate reopening of travel across the Strait, which would worsen the tourism deficit, and sabotage the tourism market and quality in Taiwan.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2023 03:40 UTC
Economic incentives needed for green power
Economic incentives needed for green powerBy Chen Yung-jen 陳詠仁The presidential candidates of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) have both announced their energy policies. Due to climate change and an energy crisis, the international community is increasingly emphasizing the development of distributed generation, renewable energy and energy flexibility. The Ministry of Economic Affairs allowed the private sector to establish independent power producers to generate electricity for sale between 1995 and 1999. Companies that need to rely on green energy can be both the manufacturer and the consumer, and hence the burden of green power generation can be distributed more equally. The government has failed to achieve its goals in terms of green energy development.
Source:Taipei Times
August 22, 2023 16:49 UTC
Taiwan pulls out of Central American Parliament
Taiwan pulls out of Central American ParliamentBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterTaiwan has withdrawn from the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) to safeguard its sovereignty and dignity after the parliament passed a proposal to replace Taiwan with China as an observer in the bloc, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The plaque of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured at the ministry’s building in Taipei in an undated photograph. The move not only divided the unity of the parliament and undermined democracy and harmony in the region, but also hurt the cooperation and friendship between Taiwan and Central America over the years, it said. The decision also “highlighted China’s intentions to undermine democracy in Central America and its ambitions to expand its power in the region,” it said. The ministry reiterated that Taiwan, a sovereign and independent country, and China do not belong to each other.
Source:Taipei Times
August 22, 2023 16:48 UTC
Repulse warships, planes, ex-deputy commander urges
The Y-9 and Z-9 advanced farther than the fighters, entering Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone, the ministry said. “This time, the military exercises were launched on the same day that the announcement was made. Unlike previous ones, they did not announce in advance the coordinates of the areas where military exercises would be conducted and how long they would last. Long before the military exercises began, they were prepared to conduct cognitive, psychological and media warfare along with the military drills,” Chang said. Chinese warships would not be driven away unless they reached the median line.
Source:Taipei Times
August 22, 2023 13:59 UTC
MOFA censured over trafficking
MOFA censured over traffickingREPORT FINDINGS: The ministry’s handling of job scam trafficking cases was lax, while a victim was tortured more due to a video the Kaohsiung prosecutors’ office releasedBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterThe Control Yuan has censured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office over the handling of cases involving Taiwanese who were imprisoned in Cambodia after being caught up in human trafficking job scams. Control Yuan member Yeh Ta-hua presents a report during a news conference at the Control Yuan in Taipei yesterday. As for the ministry, it failed to fully grasp the human trafficking situation in Cambodia, Yeh said. In addition, 682 people in Cambodia, 194 in Thailand and 124 in Myanmar sought help from Taiwanese offices abroad, she said. The Control Yuan said that improvements should be made and asked the Cabinet to follow up with the relevant agencies.
Source:Taipei Times
August 22, 2023 05:29 UTC
VP Lai welcomes LDP delegation from Japan
Vice President William Lai, front right, shakes hands with Japanese Liberal Democratic Party Youth Division director Norikazu Suzuki, center, at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday. The relationship between Taiwan and Japan is “a true friendship” based on universal values such as democracy and human rights, Suzuki said. Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei TimesThe Youth Division constantly thinks about what actions it can take to promote peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, he added. The delegation also met with New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, at the New Taipei City Central Emergency Operations Center yesterday. The city established its Youth Department last year and hopes to engage in more exchanges with the LDP Youth Division, Hou said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 21, 2023 20:42 UTC
Growing community
Intel cancels deal with TowerFOUNDRY DISAPPOINTMENT: An analyst said the failed deal would be ‘modestly disappointing’ for Intel’s foundry efforts, which were not going to be easy with Tower Intel Corp yesterday said that it is walking away from its attempt to acquire Tower Semiconductor Ltd, abandoning a US$5.4 billion deal after failing to win regulatory approval in time. Intel has mutually agreed with Tower Semiconductor to terminate the agreement reached in February last year, it said in a statement. The purchase of the Israeli company was the keystone of Intel chief executive officer Pat Gelsinger’s plan to get into a faster-growing part of the semiconductor industry, the foundry market dominated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電). Tower has a relatively small presence in that area — where companies make chips
Source:Taipei Times
August 21, 2023 20:06 UTC
US calls on China to end pressure against Taiwan
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday also urged Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan. Photo: EPA-EFE / Taiwan navyOn Saturday, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command launched joint air and sea patrols, and navy and air force drills near Taiwan proper. Making a fuss about the trip “is unhelpful to cross-strait stability,” he said in the interview that was conducted during his visit overseas. Hou yesterday added that he hoped that conflict across the Taiwan Strait could be reduced through dialogues and exchanges. He called for cross-strait dialogue instead of confrontation, saying that people hope for stability in the Taiwan Strait, a safe Taiwan and peace of mind.
Source:Taipei Times
August 20, 2023 20:05 UTC
EDITORIAL: China’s economy may prove risky
EDITORIAL: China’s economy may prove riskyWith rising default risks from Country Garden Holdings Co to China’s leading asset management firm, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group Co, concerns are growing that a slump in the Chinese property market could trigger a wider financial crisis, creating a potential spillover effect that would impact the broader economy. Taiwanese financial firms have slashed their exposure to the world’s second-largest economy quickly and sizably. Bad news has repeatedly broken out in China’s real-estate industry in recent years with the risk of a snowballing economic downturn. However, more actions are still needed if Taiwanese financial firms aim to promptly respond to any major financial events in China. To tackle headwinds, firms must review and adjust their holdings of Chinese securities and bolster risk management after extending loans to the Chinese market.
Source:Taipei Times
August 20, 2023 16:43 UTC
Taipei Zoo holds public memorial service
Taipei Zoo holds public memorial serviceGHOST MONTH: This year’s special arrangement was made to offer a memorial service to fans of the zoo’s stars so that they can pay respects, Taipei Zoo saidBy Yang Hsin-hui and Jason Pan / Staff reportersTaipei Zoo has invited the public for the first time to participate in a memorial service for animals that recently passed away at the zoo. The memorial is to take place from today until Aug. 30 and coincides with Ghost Month. The Taipei Zoo’s Life Memorial Cenotaph is pictured in an undated photograph. This year people are welcome to join in the event billed “Learning from Life, Memorial to Star Animals,” it said. The deaths of several animals at Taipei Zoo in recent years included giant panda Tuan Tuan (團團), male giraffe Chu Chung (菊忠), female giant anteater Koudaisha (口袋莎) and Malayan tapir Moko (貘克), the release said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 20, 2023 15:51 UTC
Hoop siblings from US make mark in Taiwan
Taiwan B players Adam Hinton, left, and Robert Hinton hold gifts at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium on Thursday. Photo: CNAHowever, it is something bigger than basketball that brings the brothers back to their “second home,” Taiwan. And we love everything about the culture, especially the food,” Adam Hinton said. While the NBA is their top priority as basketball players, Robert and Adam Hinton said that they have dreams outside the sport. Making it to the NBA is still a dream, but given the uncertainties the future holds and their experience of playing in Taiwan, Robert Hinton said that he would keep his options open.
Source:Taipei Times
August 19, 2023 20:06 UTC
Pedestrians’ safety is the priority
Pedestrians’ safety is the priorityBy Jeremy Wang 王英明There were 2,990 people killed in traffic accidents in 2021, a mortality rate of 0.000124, which is five times higher than in many other countries. In Taiwan, drivers and pedestrians often do not abide by traffic rules. As long as drivers are “forced” to follow the rules and stop at crosswalks to yield the right of way to pedestrians, Taiwan would no longer be a living hell for pedestrians. Vision Zero should advocate that pedestrians and drivers are not to be set against each other, promoting the idea that both are on the same side. In this sense, “return the roads to the people” is not only for the sake of the pedestrians, but for everyone.
Source:Taipei Times
August 19, 2023 17:54 UTC