President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday stressed the importance of think tanks in the formation of government policy and said she hopes that such organizations could help the nation find its place in the new world order.
Tsai made the remarks in her opening speech at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Think Tank Summit in Taipei, a meeting that is bringing together more than 30 leaders of think tanks from 15 nations in the Asia-Pacific region to address pressing issues and shared concerns.
Participants came from Japan, South Korea, the US, India, Australia and several other ASEAN members for the two-day meeting that is to conclude today.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The event was organized by the Institute for National Policy Research (INPR) in collaboration with the Taiwan Society of Japan Studies and the Center for Japanese Studies at National Sun Yat-sen University.
In an increasingly interconnected world, every decision could have far-reaching consequences, especially decisions concerning security and defense issues, Tsai said, adding that they could directly effect the national interests of all parties.
“It is therefore vital for policymakers to be well-informed by institutions that have the capacity for comprehensive research and are able to give impartial advice and analysis,” Tsai said, adding that due to their expertise, think tanks are sometimes more equipped than governments to make long-term projections.
She said it was her awareness of the importance of think tanks that in 2011 prompted her, in her capacity as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson, to establish a policy research think tank under the party’s New Frontier Foundation.
Many of the DPP administration’s policies were drawn up based on the think tank’s recommendations, she said.
With that in mind, Tsai encouraged participating think tanks to establish a joint policy platform for future engagement and analysis, and to use their insights and perspectives to help Taiwan find its place in the new international order.
INPR president Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂), who also serves as chairman of the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation, said that the Asia-Pacific region is increasingly important in global affairs, as it is the most dynamic and strategically critical region.
“We feel it is important for leaders of think tanks [in the region] to converse with one another to foster common values. Inevitably, we may be compelled to face together ... today’s volatile regional and global problems,” Tien said.
The Asia-Pacific region has become the stage for a big power rivalry in which a rising China is challenging the rules-based international order, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy President Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said.
Against this backdrop, Hsu said it is “imperative that think tanks in the region work together to identify challenges, prevent further erosion of order and form a cognitive community to emphasize the region’s common values and rules.”
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
RSS