Saying that participation in the WTO had brought Taiwan to the global market, President Chen Shui-bian (
"Taiwan is an island, however it cannot remain insular. It needs to embrace a new mindset in this era of globalization," Chen said.
"Joining the WTO is a global trend. Taiwan's participation in the WTO opens it to the world market, as well as opening the whole world's market to Taiwan," the president added.
PHOTO: CHEN TSEH-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
He called on the nation's farmers to have confidence in their products, saying that "so long as Taiwan's produce guarantee quality, we are not afraid of competition."
The president made the remarks yesterday after viewing the documentary Let it Be (
The film, which won the Image-Taiwan Award at the Fourth Taiwan International Documentary Festival last year, depicted the labor of farmers tending their crops against the backdrop of an unpredictable Mother Nature.
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Council of Agriculture Chairman Lee Chin-lung (李金龍) and farmers who were featured in the documentary were invited by the president to join him at the viewing yesterday.
The president cited statistics to counter claims often made by opposition parties of the potential for big profits for farmers from fruit exports to China.
Chen said that Taiwanese mangos exported to Japan could be sold for US$4 per kilogram, while those sent to China sold for US$0.70 per kilogram.
"Japan, Singapore and the US are all very good markets [for Taiwan's produce]," Chen said.
According to Chen, the export value of Taiwan's agricultural produce reached US$3.5 billion last year.
New produce this year will be rice and papaya, which have passed the appropriate tests and can now be exported to Japan, he said.
The president praised the farmers' hard work and devotion in caring for the crops and the land.
"Taiwanese farmers' deep love for this land is the same as the love that generations in Taiwan harbor toward the land," he added.
Chen said that he was willing to listen to the views of the farmers and encouraged them to speak their minds.
He added that the government, in recognition of the contribution the farmers have made to the country, in 2003 raised farmers' pensions from NT$3,000 per month to NT$4,000 per month.
Lu also spoke to the audience, and said she had been touched by the documentary.
"Those who complain about their meals should apologize" in view of the strenuous work by the farmers in minding their crops, she said.
"I suggest this documentary be sent to Taiwan's No.1 tycoon so he can watch it, for his words have truly hurt people's feelings," she added.
Lu did not name who she was speaking about, but she appeared to be referring to comments made on Tuesday by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘), who strongly criticized the government's plan to levy a minimum tax on high-income earners.
"There is much unfairness in society, there needs to be more justice," she said.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
The Taipei MRT is to begin accepting mobile payment services in the fall, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said on Saturday. When the company finishes the installation of new payment units at ticketing gates in October, MRT passengers can use credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the operator said. In addition, the MRT would also provide QR payment codes — which would be compatible with Line Pay, Jkopay, iPass Money, PXPay Plus, EasyWallet, iCash Pay, Taiwan Pay and Taishin Pay — to access the railway system. Currently, passengers can access the Taipei MRT by buying a single-journey token or using EasyCard,
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