Print

Mail

wiki links

Taiwan News Quick

■ Economy
Growth of 7 percent expected
An economist at Mastercard International predicted on Friday that the economy will grow by 7 percent this year -- the highest forecast of the year's growth made by any institution. Yuwa Hedrick Wong (王月魂), Mastercard's economic advisor for the Asia-Pacific region, pointed to the country's booming technology, tourism and retail industries to support his optimistic forecast.
Wong said the high-tech industry is expected to gain more than 10 percent in profits from its fixed investments this year. This, coupled with strong exports, will drive up the country's consumption and push down the unemployment rate, Wong said. The number of foreign visitors as a percentage of the global total increased from 2.2 percent in 1998 to 2.7 percent in 2002. Increasing numbers of foreign arrivals will stimulate growth in the retail industry, Wong said.

■ Foreign aid
Rice donated to Haiti
The government recently donated 3,000 tonnes of rice to Haiti to help the Caribbean nation assist its poor people. Hsieh Hsin-ping (謝新平), Taiwan's ambassador to Haiti, announced the donation Jan. 15 at a ceremony attended by Joseph Philippe Antonio, the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the Foreign Ministry. Paul Duret, Haitian minister of Planning and External Cooperation, accepted the donation on behalf of the Haitian government. According to Hsieh, the rice will be distributed by the Haitian government to people in need, particularly those affected by a recent flood. The donation is worth about US$500,000. Hsieh said that the government will do its best to help Haiti overcome its problems. Haiti is one of Taiwan's long-term diplomatic partner in the Caribbean.

■ Diplomacy
Official leaves Guatemala
Control Yuan President Fredrick Chien (錢復) left Guatemala City for home on Friday, after attending the inauguration of Guatemalan President Oscar Berger on Jan. 14 in his capacity as a special envoy from Taiwan. During his meeting with Chien, the Guatemalan president said that the relationship between the two countries was very friendly and that he would strongly support Taiwan's efforts to participate in international organizations. Berger also expressed the hope that Taiwanese investment in Guatemala would increase in the coming years. In addition to attending the presidential inauguration, Chien also paid a visit to out-going President Alfonso Portillo to thank him for his support for the Taiwanese government during his four years in power. During his stay in Guatemala City, Chien also met with the secretary-general of the Dominican Republic's Presidential Office, as well as leaders of overseas Chinese communities in Guatemala.

■ Weather
Cold front lingers in Taiwan
Taiwan's weather will remain cold over the next few days and turn even colder on the eve of the Lunar New Year on Wednesday due to the arrival of a new cold front, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. Weather bureau meteorologists forecast lows of 13 degrees Celsius in northern Taiwan and 15 degrees Celsius in central and southern Taiwan during the day over the weekend. They said that temperatures could drop to 11 degrees Celsius at night. Temperatures are expected to get warmer on Tuesday but then drop again the next day to as low as 8 degrees Celsius with the arrival of another cold front, the meteorologists said.

This story has been viewed 2628 times.