EDITORIAL: Exchange programs build better ties
EDITORIAL: Exchange programs build better tiesThe US Senate on Thursday passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which would not only provide military aid to Taiwan, but implement the Taiwan Fellowship Act to send US federal employees to Taiwan to learn Mandarin and work in government agencies. On the other hand, allowing US or any foreign federal employees to work in government agencies might raise concerns about national security. The government must assign dedicated officials to negotiate and arrange the US fellows’ internships for security reasons, while maximizing potential advances in Taiwan-US relations. Due to China’s increasing threat to the international community, Taiwan has become a crucial element in maintaining stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Taipei should consider establishing more fellowship exchange programs with like-minded countries to deepen cultural, political and economic ties.
Source:Taipei Times
December 20, 2022 17:11 UTC
Scientists: Atmospheric carbon might turn lakes more acidic
It’s a first step toward a hoped-for system that would track carbon dioxide and pH in all five Great Lakes over multiple years, said project co-leader Reagan Errera of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Photo: APOceans are becoming more acidic as they absorb carbon dioxide that human activity pumps into the atmosphere — the primary cause of climate change. Researchers say Great Lakes also could approach acidity around the same rate as in oceans by 2100. One measures carbon dioxide pressure in the water column and the other pH. Increasing water acidity in lab tanks to projected 2100 levels more than tripled their mortality rates, according to a report last year.
Source:Taipei Times
December 20, 2022 17:11 UTC
Defense firm L3Harris to buy Aerojet for US$4.7bn with eye on missile demand
Defense firm L3Harris to buy Aerojet for US$4.7bn with eye on missile demandReutersUS defense contractor L3Harris Technologies Inc on Sunday said it would purchase Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc in a US$4.7 billion all-cash transaction, as it looks to tap into rising demand for missiles amid the Ukraine conflict. The deal, which is expected to be completed next year, would add to L3Harris’ Space & Airborne Systems unit, which makes electronic warfare equipment and avionics sensors. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on July 1. Aerojet develops and manufactures liquid and solid rocket propulsion and hypersonic engines for space, defense, civil and commercial applications. Aerojet makes the RS-25 engines for NASA’s launch vehicle, as well as the RL10 engines that power launch vehicles made by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2022 17:15 UTC
Promoting track two diplomacy
Promoting track two diplomacyBy Neval MulaomerovicTaiwan’s international status remains in a state of flux, still plagued by isolation from multilateral institutions such as the UN, the WHO and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Track two diplomacy has transformed into a vital and dynamic form of international engagement. Whereas track one diplomacy involves government representation, track two diplomacy empowers civil society and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to take the lead on promoting bilateral and multilateral communication. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is actively promoting track two diplomatic engagements through her administration’s flagship foreign policy, the New Southbound Policy. Track two diplomatic engagements have shown promising results, although further contributions from think tanks, civil society and governments are necessary to secure Taiwan’s future.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2022 17:14 UTC
MND urged to implement one-year conscription
MND urged to implement one-year conscriptionBy Chen Yu-fu / Staff reporterThe Taiwan Association of University Professors yesterday urged the government to quickly announce and implement a policy of extending the conscription period from four months to one year. The world is watching whether Taiwan would extend the conscription period in the face of military threats from China, former minister of national defense Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) told a news conference in Taipei. The Taiwan Association of University Professors and former minister of national defense Michael Tsai, front row second left, host a news conference at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. “Young people in Taiwan are not against extending the conscription period; they want the ministry to change the training methods so they can learn something new during the conscription period. Separately, Veterans Affairs Council Minister Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬), who served as defense minister from 2016 to 2018, said that extending the conscription period is a reasonable policy.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2022 16:48 UTC
Rebuilt Nanfangao Bridge opens after collapse in 2019
Rebuilt Nanfangao Bridge opens after collapse in 2019Staff writer, with CNAThe rebuilt Nanfangao Bridge in Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳) opened to traffic yesterday, with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) telling a ceremony that she hopes the new bridge creates opportunities to revive the fishing town. The original bridge collapsed on Oct. 1, 2019, killing six workers from the Philippines and Indonesia who were on fishing vessels that were crushed by the falling structure. The rebuilt Nanfangao Bridge in Yilan County is pictured yesterday. Construction of the 796.53m Nanfangao Bridge began on July 16, 2020. Tsai said the bridge is expected to boost the local economy and tourism while improving traffic flow at the Nanfangao Fishing Port (南方澳漁港).
Source:Taipei Times
December 18, 2022 16:54 UTC
KMT’s Huang Min-hui re-elected as Chiayi mayor
KMT’s Huang Min-hui re-elected as Chiayi mayorBy Lee I-chia / Staff Reporter, with CNAChiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was yesterday re-elected, defeating the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) candidate, Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋), and three independent candidates running in an election that had been postponed following the death of a candidate. Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui, front, second left, thanks supporters for their votes after winning the mayoral election yesterday. The Chiayi City Election Committee yesterday said it had set up 193 polling stations for the city’s 214,130 eligible voters. After one hour of counting, Huang Min-hui had already garnered 50,000 votes, surpassing the threshold of about 46,000 votes for winning the election. Lee said he has called Huang Min-hui to congratulate her, adding that she would hopefully implement some of the policies he had proposed during his campaign.
Source:Taipei Times
December 18, 2022 16:54 UTC
Air force to finish overhaul of ejection seats in all F-5s by the end of the year
Air force to finish overhaul of ejection seats in all F-5s by the end of the yearStaff writer, with CNAThe air force is to finish installing new ejection seats on all of its F-5 jets by the end of this year, a military source said on Saturday. The Ministry of National Defense last year budgeted NT$746.5 million (US$24.31 million) to install 70 Mk16 ejection seats manufactured by Martin-Baker Aircraft Co on the nation’s fleet of 70 F-5s. On Oct. 30, 2020, air force Captain Chu Kuan-meng (朱冠甍), 29, ejected from an F-5E during a drill after the jet’s engine malfunctioned. The ministry later confirmed that mechanical defects were found in Chu’s and Luo’s ejection seats. The decades-old F-5s are mostly used for training purposes, although they could be called into action during wartime, another unnamed air force source said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 18, 2022 16:54 UTC
Africa struggling to reduce dependency on Indian rice
Africa struggling to reduce dependency on Indian riceAFP, DAK, SenegalOutside Dak village in central Senegal women sing and dance as they chop through rice stalks with sickle or knife. Photo: AFPIn several African countries that rely on imported rice, self-sufficiency has become a buzzword. Africa accounts for 13 percent of the world population, but 32 percent of global rice imports, said Africa Rice, a research center set up by 28 nations and based in Abidjan. “Local rice production covers only about 60 percent of current demand in sub-Saharan Africa, which means 14 to 15 million tonnes are imported annually,” the center said. Meanwhile, Nigeria has followed a different strategy and slapped heavy taxes on imported rice to try to boost local production.
Source:Taipei Times
December 17, 2022 17:08 UTC
Japan’s teachers battle for change as deaths from overwork persist
A 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development survey found that Japanese middle-school teachers work 56 hours a week, versus an average 38 hours in most developed countries. Japanese middle-school physical education teacher Masako Shimonomura, center right, interacts with a student during class in Tokyo on Nov. 22. One investigation by a union-affiliated think tank found that school teachers work an average 123 hours of overtime each month, pushing their weekly workload well beyond the so-called “karoshi line” of 80 hours. Photo: AFPThat came too late for Kudo, a middle-school teacher, who in 2007 died of a brain haemorrhage at the age of 40. However, it took Kudo’s widow five years to get her husband’s death recognized as karoshi, a task complicated by the lack of records for his work hours.
Source:Taipei Times
December 17, 2022 17:08 UTC
India aims to harness the market to cut air pollution
India aims to harness the market to cut air pollutionBy Rajesh Kumar Singh / BloombergFarmers in India are being encouraged to sell their crop waste rather than burn it to help accelerate progress on curbing fires that spread a deadly, choking smog across key cities. Smoke from the burning of crop stubble lingers over most of north India for weeks during the cold months of November and December, with air quality deteriorating to hazardous levels in several areas, including the capital, New Delhi. Photo: Reuters“The environmental issues due to crop residue burning are mainly because of the inefficiency of the supply chain,” BiofuelCircle founder Suhas Baxi said. If there was sufficient demand and infrastructure, using the country’s entire supply of crop waste for bio-energy could generate as much as IS$50 billion in annual revenue, Baxi said in an interview. The lack of a reliable supply chain — from timely procurement, to storage, processing plants and finally a market for the products — has meant that farmers continue to burn most of their crop residue.
Source:Taipei Times
December 17, 2022 17:08 UTC
Fashionably brewed
Apple suppliers to hasten move out of China: reportCOVID-19 DISRUPTIONS: The first-round production shift would involve handsets, earphones and smart watches, primarily to India, Vietnam and Thailand, Yuanta said Major electronics manufacturers in Apple Inc’s supply chain are expected to speed up shifting their production lines out of China after the country’s COVID-19 restrictions caused frequent disruptions, Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) said on Friday. However, the relocation of the supply chain is a project that will take many years to complete, not to mention that China remains a big market for Apple. In addition, the migration of supply chain mainly refers to the relocation of the US firm's assemblers, not the shift of production sites of its components suppliers, Yuanta said. The first round of shifting production would involveBy Chen Cheng-hui
Source:Taipei Times
December 16, 2022 17:13 UTC
Dalai Lama willing to visit Taiwan
Dalai Lama willing to visit TaiwanBy Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer, with CNAThe Dalai Lama on Wednesday said he is willing to visit Taiwan again whenever possible, adding that he hopes Taiwan could change China “through the power of democracy and freedom.”The Tibetan spiritual leader made the remarks at his residence in Dharamsala, India, while meeting members of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in Delhi. The Dalai Lama, center, watches a dance performed by Tibetan artists at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India, on Sept. 7. Asked whether he would visit Taiwan again, the Dalai Lama said he would visit whenever convenient once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. When he was asked during a news conference in November last year about visiting Taiwan, the Dalai Lama said he had no plans to do so because Taiwan-China relations were “quite delicate” and he did not want to “cause local political difficulties.”Although the discussion on Wednesday mostly covered religious topics, the Dalai Lama also praised Taiwan’s democracy and rule of law. On the topic of Tibet’s future, he said that he no longer seeks political independence, but instead “genuine autonomy” within China’s framework to preserve Tibetan religion, culture and ethnic identity.
Source:Taipei Times
December 16, 2022 17:12 UTC
Hot-rolled plate, cold-rolled coil prices to rise
China Steel Corp employees work in a plant on July 11. Photo: CNAThe Kaohsiung-based company said it took its cue from global peers, which have raised steel prices amid an improving industry outlook. As the prices of iron ore and other commodities continue to hover at high levels, they have lent support to global steel prices, China Steel said. “It is clear that global steel prices have hit the bottom and are ready to rebound,” it said. Responding to improving market conditions, China’s major steelmakers started hiking hot-rolled steel for exports by US$30 per tonne, China Steel said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 15, 2022 19:01 UTC
EDITORIAL: Ko an unlikely presidential choice
EDITORIAL: Ko an unlikely presidential choiceKo an unlikely presidential choiceIf the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was the biggest loser in the nine-in-one elections, then the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) was undoubtedly the runner-up. In post-election somberness, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) re-election as party chairman also failed to generate interest. Other minor parties, such as the New Party, the People First Party and the New Power Party, were born out of similar contexts, but none could escape marginalization in the end. The bloodiest example might be the decline of the New Power Party, a party born out of the Sunflower movement. If Ko wishes to model his presidential ambition on former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) or Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), he might have to think again.
Source:Taipei Times
December 15, 2022 16:41 UTC