■Globalization
ICC urges new trade talks
The US, Japan and other industrialized nations must find ways to revive global trade talks that are stalling because of disputes over the Iraq war and farm aid, an International Chamber of Commerce official said. Lack of progress by the 30 trade ministers at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED) to bridge differences when they meet this week will reinforce concerns the current round of WTO talks won't reduce trade barriers. The OECD's two-day annual meeting starts today. "The world economy badly needs a shot in the arm and this would help business and consumer confidence," said Stefano Bertasi, deputy director of policy at the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, which represents thousands of companies in more than 130 countries. "Now that the war is over, it's time for countries to patch up their differences and coalesce around the WTO."
■ Communications
Ericsson announces job cuts
Ericsson AB, the world's largest maker of wireless networks, will cut as many as 13,000 more jobs, or a fifth of its workforce, after posting its eighth straight quarterly loss. The Swedish company's headcount will fall to 47,000 next year, Ericsson said in a statement. Ericsson had earlier said it would slash its workforce to below 60,000 from 105,000 at the end of 2000. Carl-Henric Svanberg, who took over as chief executive officer this month, is finding employee reductions announced by predecessor Kurt Hellstroem aren't enough to keep up with slumping demand. Industry sales of wireless networks, which accounts for two-thirds of Ericsson's revenue, will drop by more than 10 percent this year, the company said.
Agencies
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a