President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday stressed the government’s determination to join regional trade blocs and said that increasing economic cooperation with major trade partners would reduce the nation’s economic dependence on China.
“China is our biggest trade partner, but we cannot put all our eggs in one basket... International competition is very cruel and it is difficult to catch up once you are marginalized. We must take part in regional economic integration to remain competitive,” he said while presiding over a meeting of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee.
The committee yesterday invited Council for Economic Planning and Development Minister Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔) to present a report on free economic zones, which are aimed at loosening regulations and opening local markets to foreign investors, including Chinese companies.
The council has set up free-trade pilot zones in several areas, including Keelung Port, Taipei Port in New Taipei City (新北市), the Taoyuan Aerotropolis in Taoyuan County, Kaohsiung Port and the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park. It has also lifted regulations covering labor recruitment, raw material imports, exports and capital flows to attract more investment.
The council estimated that the revised pilot zone plan would help boost private investment by NT$21 billion (US$709 million) and GDP by NT$30 billion this year, as well as create 13,000 jobs.
Kuan said Taiwan’s pilot zones are more liberalized than the free-trade area in Shanghai, but that the government will consider seeking cooperation with the Shanghai zone to promote free trade.
He dismissed concerns about the zones increasing the flow of Chinese workers to Taiwan, saying that the council would not relax regulations on the recruitment of blue-collar workers and the zones would not be open to Chinese workers.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
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