Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (
"It has way too many flaws," Hsieh said. "Instead of explaining it more clearly, Ma ducks the questions and denies he ever proposed it."
Hsieh has proposed putting the common market proposal to a referendum and said that voters who supported the concept should vote for Ma and those opposing it should vote for him.
Hsieh made the remarks while discussing the common market concept with former DPP legislator Lin Cho-shui (
Hsieh said he is opposed to the "cross-strait common market" because a free flow of capital, labor and technology between Taiwan and China would undermine the local economy.
Hsieh said Ma asked Vincent Siew (
"Will the economy be better if Ma is president?" Hsieh asked.
Hsieh said that he did not think Ma knew how to tackle the problem of utility fees, while Hsieh said he acquired a full knowledge of it during his stint as premier.
Hsieh said he was against using further development and the investment of public funds to boost the economic growth rate because it would drive up commodity prices.
He is also against allowing Chinese investment in residential property because it would sabotage the supply and demand chain, he said. The country would pay a dear price if 10,000 Chinese tourists were allowed to visit Taiwan daily, he said.
To improve the economy, Hsieh said local industries must upgrade their technology and diversify their investments. His concept of economic prosperity would allocate resources more fairly, establish social justice and maintain the sustainable development of the environment, he said.
He would like to see the unemployed get jobs, commodity prices remain stable, less debt and lower housing costs. He also proposed cutting taxes, reducing inheritance and gift taxes and decreasing the corporate income tax rate.
To lure Chinese investment back, Hsieh said he proposed granting an amnesty to China-based Taiwanese businesspeople so that they could transfer their capital back home.
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
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
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