Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday urged President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to push China to implement and enforce a comprehensive system to protect Taiwanese fruit product brand names and intellectual property rights.
Speaking at a news conference, DPP legislators Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) and Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said that the total value of counterfeit Taiwanese fruit products on the market in China amounted to about NT$20 million (US$656,000).
They said that Taiwan’s fruit exports last year totaled NT$40 million, with about NT$20 million in sales to Japan, NT$5 million to Hong Kong, NT$3.6 million to South Korea and about NT$2 million to China.
The lawmakers claimed that the low value of Taiwan’s fruit exports to China was not only the result of Taiwan’s agricultural know-how being stolen in China, but also because the Chinese market was flooded with fruit labeled with fake Taiwan brand names.
The total volume of counterfeit Taiwanese fruit sold on the Chinese market is almost equal to Taiwan’s total fruit exports to Japan, they said.
Pointing out that this has greatly harmed Taiwanese fruit growers’ interests, Lee and Chen urged Ma to push China, through the Straits Exchange Foundation as well as via direct negotiations, to better protect the intellectual property rights of Taiwan’s agricultural products.
“We hope Ma’s administration listens to the voices of Taiwanese farmers and not simply cater to the needs of the other side of the Taiwan Strait,” they said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS