■ Trade
China tells US to end curbs
A top Chinese official said the US must phase out curbs on certain high-technology exports to China because these measures are a major contributor to the US trade deficit with that country. Vice Premier Wu Yi (吳儀) said in a speech on Thursday that the persistent US trade imbalance with China is far more compli-cated than many Americans believe. Wu acknowledged China bears some responsi-bility for the gap but said a determined Chinese effort over the past three years has produced a 76 percent increase in US exports to China. She compared this with a worldwide US export growth of only 9 percent during that period. "To expand US exports to China requires more than the uni-lateral efforts of China," Wu said, speaking at a dinner sponsored by the National Committee on US-China Relations, the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-China Business Council. "The American side should also show sincerity and take concrete actions to relax unreasonable controls on
its exports to China."
■ Internet
Amazon's earnings strong
Internet retailer Amazon.-com Inc handily beat anal-ysts' expectations for its first-quarter earnings on Thursday, crediting the success to low prices and expanded selection. It reported net income of US$111 million, or US$0.26 per share, for the quarter ended March 31. It lost US$10.1 million, or US$0.03 a share, in the same period
a year ago. Excluding one-time costs, Amazon said it would have earned US$0.23 per share, exceeding the average estimate of US$0.19 by analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. Net sales were US$1.53 billion, compared to US$1.08 billion for the same period, when Amazon was struggling to make its first profit outside a holiday season.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft