President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) dismissed recent criticism from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday, insisting the country's economy is in good shape.
Chen took umbrage at a KMT-placed television ad which featured a South Korean criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration for placing too much emphasis on politics and not enough on the economy.
The man in the ad has lived in Taiwan for seven years and was chosen because his views supposedly represent those of foreigners living in Taiwan.
While addressing the 13th annual convention of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Taipei, Chen said the accusation had no basis in fact.
Chen said Taiwan's economic growth rate averaged 5.05 percent between 2003 and last year, while South Korea's averaged 4.25 percent during the same period. This year's economic growth rate is estimated at 4.6 percent, also higher than South Korea's 4.4 percent, he said.
The unemployment and inflation rates in Taiwan had also been lower than those in South Korea in every year since 2000 except 2005, Chen added.
Regarding the gap between rich and poor, Chen said that families with the highest incomes in Taiwan earned six times what those with the lowest incomes earned, whereas the multiplier in South Korea was eight.
The Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007 published by the World Economic Forum in September last year ranked Taiwan as the world's sixth most competitive economy. While Taiwan was ranked first in Asia, South Korea was fourth in the region -- behind Singapore and Japan.
"Taiwan's economic performance is not the best, but it is definitely better than South Korea's," Chen said.
"Why do some people keep saying Taiwan is no longer among Asia's four tiger economies? The answer is simple: They cannot see Taiwan because they do not have Taiwan in their hearts. It makes me feel sad," he said.
Chen said there were many other figures that prove Taiwan's economy is in good shape. He said that while some were placing advertisements highlighting weaknesses, others were working hard to improve the economy because they believe in Taiwan.
Chen encouraged Taiwanese businesspeople to return home and invest in their country after achieving success overseas.
"The country needs your help," he said. "We'd like you to unite and promote the achievements of the country, work hard for the economy and deepen democracy," he said.
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
NAMING SPAT: The foreign ministry called on Denmark to propose an acceptable solution to the erroneous nationality used for Taiwanese on residence permits Taiwan has revoked some privileges for Danish diplomatic staff over a Danish permit that lists “Taiwan” as “China,” Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs, told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Reporters asked Huang whether the Danish government had responded to the ministry’s request that it correct the nationality on Danish residence permits of Taiwanese, which has been listed as “China” since 2024. Taiwan’s representative office in Denmark continues to communicate with the Danish government, and the ministry has revoked some privileges previously granted to Danish representatives in Taiwan and would continue to review
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The bus operators would seek compensation and have demanded that the manufacturer replace the chips with ones that meet regulations Two bus operators found to be using buses with China-made chips are to demand that the original manufacturers replace the systems and provide compensation for breach of contract, the Veterans Affairs Council said yesterday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) yesterday said that Da Nan Bus Co and Shin-Shin Bus Co Ltd have fielded a total of 82 buses that are using Chinese chips. The bus models were made by Tron-E, while the systems provider was CYE Electronics, Lin said. Lin alleged that the buses were using chips manufactured by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon Co, which presents a national security risk if the
RSS