The government and various non-governmental organizations are always touting global recognition for the country, focusing on its developed status and the high-tech products it produces.
Unfortunately, a negative view of Taiwan is usually portrayed in the Western media, much of which is deserved. One example is, the attention given to the dreadful treatment of overseas workers and the slave trade.
However, we now have proof that the poor worker in Taiwan is paid such a low minimum wage that he or she may almost be living in Third World poverty.
The fact that this pittance has not risen for 10 years is another shocking expose of this country's values.
Needless to say, a minimum hourly wage, and it has to be assessed on an hourly basis, should reflect the cost of living. Taking today's price index into consideration. a fair rate would be in excess of NT$180. This is not inflationary, as it counteracts inflation by fueling the economy with consumers spending more.
Put simply, if you are Taiwanese, you should ask yourself this question: Would you buy a car, computer or an apartment made by a person who works more than 60 hours per week and is being paid only NT$100 per hour? Would you expect the product to be high quality? If your honest answer is "no," then do not expect Western consumers to buy your products!
It is no excuse to quote company bosses who complain about competition from China and other Asian countries. The Japanese learned this lesson, and through hard work they developed high quality products while managing to pay a decent wage.
It's all a question of ethics. It appears that many Taiwanese employers have no conscience.
This negative publicity may even lead to a boycott of many Taiwanese products in the West, especially when companies are exposed for maltreating foreign workers and generally using working practices reminiscent of a Dickens novel.
The CLA should listen to the working people and stop kowtowing to business leaders.
Pete John
London, England
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with