The president of Google's Chinese operations Lee Kai-fu (
Lee, who has been to the country's top universities to recruit engineers for the company's local research and development center which opened at the end of last month, said that young Taiwanese people do not work as hard as Chinese people, and lack the passion for pursuing ideals that young Americans have.
"Young people in Taiwan have global vision, but I worry about their definition of success and values. I think more students accept social values, and only care about making money," he said yesterday during the "World citizen -- be the best of yourself" forum held at National Taiwan Normal University.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES
The two also said integrity and honesty were the two key values both in the technology industry and in politics.
Asked about how to maintain these two values in China, Lee said that Google put significant effort into educating its employees.
"We spend a great deal of time helping our employees understand what's important, and making sure that they know the company's values," he said.
Ma, who is also the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) chairman, said political figures needed to promote such values, and used the occasion to defend himself.
"People compare me to a non-stick pan. I am when it comes to corruption and sex, but I stick to integrity and chastity," he said.
The two also discussed in private the recent controversy over Google's decision to bow to Web censorship by China's government.
Ma said Beijing's "soft control" was not good for China.
"Google will follow China's regulations, but on the other hand, it will provide another version which is not censored. But it [that version] may be logged off sometimes," Ma said, recounting his conversation with Lee after the forum.
Ma said it was understandable that the company needed to comply with the Chinese government's regulations in order to do business there, but Beijing's censorship would only result in a negative image.
In response to Google's recruitment of Taiwanese, Ma called on the government to be more open to help boost the country's competitiveness.
"Since we joined the WTO, we should be more open. This way, high-tech companies who set up R&D centers in Taiwan can encounter no limitations when attracting talent, including new talent from China," he said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS