Toward a consensus for the nation
The complicated interplays of these forces and the resulting complex dynamics significantly increase the probability of a kinetic war in Taiwan. The real danger in Taiwan’s impasse is caused not so much by international conflicts, superpowers and their schemings, as by the intramural divisions among Taiwan’s political forces that prevent the formation of a single united front. They seemingly share a common ultimate objective, which is preserving Taiwan’s democratic way of life, but make drastically different assumptions about China’s future and behavior. Having Chinese roots and the Republic of China Constitution’s backing, the pan-blue camp is willing to accept Beijing’s “one China” principle and the “1992 consensus,” which allows alternative interpretations of what “one China” means. Given the imminence and increasing escalation of the US-China conflict, the time for Taiwan’s major political parties to get their acts together and arrive at a consensus strategy on how to preserve Taiwan’s peace and democratic way of life is now.
Source:Taipei Times
July 03, 2023 16:41 UTC
EDITORIA: Economy likely to remain ‘blue’
EDITORIA: Economy likely to remain ‘blue’The National Development Council (NDC) last week reported that Taiwan’s business monitoring indicators remained “blue” for a seventh straight month in May, pointing at a continued economic slowdown, while the index of leading indicators fell for a second consecutive month, adding to worries about persistent weakness in the nation’s export-reliant economy. The index of leading indicators seeks to forecast the economic landscape in the next six months. The NDC’s data showed that the index dropped 0.28 percent in May, following a 0.19 percent fall the previous month. As the leading indicators are still falling, it means Taiwan’s economy is not out of the woods yet. In a nutshell, it would be unlikely for the business monitoring indicators to show significant upward movement in the short term, until a definitive turnaround materializes, and the “blue” signal is likely to linger for a while.
Source:Taipei Times
July 03, 2023 03:40 UTC
Accidents among leading causes of newborn deaths
Hsueh made the remarks at a conference on reducing the nation’s neonatal mortality rate, organized by the Taiwan Society of Neonatology and the Taiwan Pediatric Association in Taipei. Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan, at the podium, talks about reducing the nation’s neonatal mortality rate at a conference in Taipei yesterday. National Taiwan University Children Hospital’s Division of Neonatology attending physician Chou Hung-chieh (周弘傑) said the neonatal mortality rate has been increasing in the past three years. Another common cause of neonatal death are perinatal respiratory disorders, he said. A neonatal death database should be established to analyze the cases and improve critical issues, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
July 02, 2023 21:43 UTC
Ko seeks to win big by rehashing trade issue
Ko seeks to win big by rehashing trade issueBy Wu Hai-ruei 吳海瑞Convincing voters who remember the debate over the cross-strait service trade agreement a decade ago, as well as the flaws in the legislative process surrounding it at the time, will be difficult. South Korea had not even started negotiations until 2012, but it quickly came up with the English version of an FTA with China, and the official signing was just around the corner. The Legislative Yuan approved the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in August 2010, and was still debating the service trade agreement and goods trade agreement. Plus, South Korea’s trade volume reached a record high of US$1.415 trillion last year, which was almost 1.6 times Taiwan’s trade volume of US$0.9075 trillion, instead of the huge differential of 1.9 to three times predicted by Kuan — and has been shrinking. This is why Ma wanted to rush the service trade agreement through without review, sparking the 2014 Sunflower movement.
Source:Taipei Times
July 02, 2023 21:41 UTC
Stephen M. Young On Taiwan: Further musings on Taiwan’s fate, in the shadow of Ukraine
Stephen M. Young On Taiwan: Further musings on Taiwan’s fate, in the shadow of UkraineThe ongoing war in Ukraine, precipitated by the dictatorial Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has been a disaster of monumental proportions. So how do we apply the paradigm of Putin’s Ukraine misadventure to the island state of Taiwan? First, Taiwan poses a very different military challenge to the Putin model of aggression against Ukraine. Like the odious Putin, Mr. Xi has grandiose ambitions to rule all he surveys for the rest of his life. It is all well and good for Mr. Xi to ramble on about “resolving” the Taiwan question in his lifetime.
Source:Taipei Times
July 02, 2023 17:49 UTC
Gasoline prices drop as diesel prices increase
Gasoline prices drop as diesel prices increaseBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterGasoline prices are to drop NT$0.1 per liter this week, while the cost of diesel fuel is to increase by NT$0.2 per liter, CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) separately announced yesterday. Crude oil prices moved down last week on market concerns that the European and US central banks might continue to raise interest rates, which would weaken energy demand, the companies said. Oil prices were also affected by a larger-than-expected fall in the US commercial crude oil inventories last week, they added. The price of premium diesel is to rise to NT$27.1 per liter at CPC stations and to NT$26.9 at Formosa pumps this week, they said. The company is also to keep liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices unchanged for retail and industrial users this month, but LNG prices for power generation users, such as Taiwan Power Co (台電), are to drop 5 percent, CPC said.
Source:Taipei Times
July 02, 2023 17:39 UTC
HK leader warns of ‘resistance’ on anniversary
HK leader warns of ‘resistance’ on anniversaryAFP, HONG KONGHong Kong must guard against “destructive forces engaging in soft resistance,” Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (李家超) said yesterday, as the territory marked the 26th anniversary of its handover from British to Chinese rule. Police question a man in Victoria Park in Hong Kong yesterday. Photo: AFPEx-security chief turned leader Lee said that Hong Kong was “largely stable” now, but was still being targeted by countries that oppose China’s rise. “There are also destructive forces engaging in soft resistance hidden within Hong Kong,” he said during a speech at an event marking the anniversary. Yoshiaki Ogawa, known for his coverage in Hong Kong, was later interviewed for about an hour, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
July 02, 2023 03:42 UTC
EU leaders call for peace in Strait
“The European Council opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. It reconfirms the EU’s consistent ‘one China policy,’” the leaders’ statement said. European Council President Charles Michel, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talk to reporters at an EU summit in Brussels on Friday. The EU would also seek to ensure a level playing field with China, so that trade and the economic relationship can be balanced, reciprocal and mutually beneficial, the leaders said. Taiwan would continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with EU members and like-minded democratic partners and jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity, it added.
Source:Taipei Times
July 02, 2023 03:42 UTC
Panama advance, Costa Rica held
Panama advance, Costa Rica heldAFP, NEW YORKPanama on Friday moved into the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2-1 win over Martinique after Costa Rica and El Salvador produced a frantic, but goalless draw. Martinique, surprisingly, made eight changes from the team who had beaten El Salvador in their opening game and faced relentless pressure from Panama from the outset. El Salvador’s Leonardo Menjivar leaps over Kendall Waston of Costa Rica during their CONCACAF Gold Cup match at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on Friday. Joshua Perez’s long-range effort was tipped wide by Costa Rica goalkeeper Kevin Chamorro, while at the other end veteran Celso Borges’ thunderbolt from outside the box brought a fine save out of Mario Gonzalez. Costa Rica threw centerhalf Kendall Waston into attack and he had the ball in the net with a delicate flick, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
Source:Taipei Times
July 02, 2023 03:38 UTC
Ministry extends visa-free entry for three countries
Ministry extends visa-free entry for three countriesStaff writer, with CNAThe trial visa-free entry program for tourists from Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines would be extended for another year, from Aug. 1 to July 31 next year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday. The decision to extend visa-free entry for citizens of the three countries was made following a review by agencies at a meeting on April 25, the ministry said in a statement. “Considering the need to revive mutual bilateral exchanges and tourism in the post-pandemic era, the participating agencies decided to extend the trial visa-free entry measure for one year for nationals of Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines,” the ministry said. Photo: Yang Cheng-yu, Taipei TimesThe ministry first granted visa-free entry to tourists from Thailand and Brunei on Aug. 1, 2016. “We will also continue to communicate with the governments of related countries to improve visa treatment for Taiwan nationals and make their overseas travel more convenient,” the ministry said.
Source:Taipei Times
July 01, 2023 21:43 UTC
Japanese are hiring agents to quit jobs for them
Japanese are hiring agents to quit jobs for themBy Yuri Kageyama / AP, TOKYOIn Japan, a nation reputed for loyalty to companies and lifetime employment, people who job-hop are often viewed as quitters, and that is considered shameful. Enter “taishoku daiko,” or “job-leaving agents.” Dozens of such services have sprung up in the past few years to help people who simply want out. “Quitting would be a betrayal.”Founded in 2020, Guardian, a taishoku daiko service, has helped many people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, escape less painfully from jobs they want to quit. With Guardian’s help he was able to quit in 45 minutes. Niino laughs, recounting how one of his own employees used a rival agency to resign and then went on to set up his own taishoku daiko company.
Source:Taipei Times
July 01, 2023 21:38 UTC
EDITORIAL: PLA tableware ban is just a first step
EDITORIAL: PLA tableware ban is just a first stepThe Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on Thursday announced a ban on food containers made from polylactide (PLA) at eight venues that is to come into effect on Aug. 1, the first step in banning the polymer, which is typically made from plant starch. PLA, one of the three most common bioplastics, is typically made from the starch found in sugarcane, corn, sugar beet and cassava. As the EPA said, Taiwan has no composting facility for recycling PLA. Therefore, the EPA’s ban on PLA in certain venues can be seen as a step toward reaching its plastic reduction goal. However, PLA food containers at the eight venues are estimated to account for less than 10 percent of all PLA products in Taiwan, so there is still a long way to go.
Source:Taipei Times
July 01, 2023 17:09 UTC
Israel enlists drones, AI and big data to farm for the future
At an avocado orchard in a kibbutz in central Israel, a tractor slowly pulls a device through the trees. A farmer drives a tractor pulling a pollination device at an avocado orchard near the Eyal kibbutz in the center of Israel on April 24. Photo: AFPSuch artificial pollination can help boost crop yields to feed the world’s growing population, BloomX founder and CEO Thai Sade said. Green Wadi chairman Shmuel Friedman, whose company is and agricultural consultancy that offers its services to countries in Africa, Asia and the Gulf, said there is demand for Israeli technology and expertise. “We have a good reputation in agriculture,” said Friedman, a former Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development official.
Source:Taipei Times
July 01, 2023 17:09 UTC
EDITORIAL: Helping Palau helps Taiwan
EDITORIAL: Helping Palau helps TaiwanThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said that it would continue to provide assistance to Palau for tourism and infrastructure, with the Pacific ally under pressure from China to break ties with Taiwan. China Airlines has two direct flights per week between Taiwan and Palau, but, despite always being full, they cannot meet tourism needs. If the flights are always full, there is clearly demand for travel to Palau, so promotional work should be straightforward. The government could pay Taiwanese to work on infrastructure projects in Palau at no cost to the Palauan government. Taiwan could cooperate with those agencies to help develop and fund infrastructure in Palau.
Source:Taipei Times
June 30, 2023 21:41 UTC
Noes the West should give China
Noes the West should give ChinaBy Joseph BoscoChina has a long tradition of fascination with numbers. However, there were deliverables from the US side, at least enough to give Beijing more talking points in its false narrative that Washington ever concurred with its “one China” principle. The expanded list now included “five noes and four no intentions to”: Respect the PRC system and do not seek to change it; do not seek a “new cold war”; do not seek to oppose China by strengthening alliances; do not support Taiwan independence; and do not advocate “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan.”The four “no intentions to” were: No intention for conflict with China; no intention to seek “decoupling” from China; no intention to obstruct China’s economic development; and no intention to contain China. China can be expected to expand its allegations of bad faith and deal breaking by US presidents. The US and the West should stop suggesting that they are indifferent to the nature of Beijing’s communist system and declare it the problem that it is.
Source:Taipei Times
June 30, 2023 17:34 UTC