Taiwan slipped in a study ranking countries on corruption, but academics and lawyers insisted yesterday that progress was being made.
According to a study released by Transparency International Taiwan (TI-Taiwan) at a press conference yesterday, Taiwan ranked 30th on a list of 133 countries. The country achieved a score of 5.7 on the 10-point "Corruption Perception Index." The 5.7 was a slight improvement over last year's 5.6, but the nation fell from last year's 29th spot. A higher score on the index indicates less corruption.
"Thanks to Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan's (陳定南) hard work on an anti-corruption crackdown over the past three years, statistics show that local corruption cases are decreasing," Hsieh Li-kong (謝立功), an associate professor at Central Police University, said at the press conference.
The study is the result of surveys conducted by 13 non-governmental organizations and the work of more than 20,000 participants from over 200 countries.
According to the index, Finland was the least corrupt nation with a score of 9.7. Iceland ranked second with a score of 9.6. Denmark and New Zealand shared third place with a score of 9.5.
Closer to home, Singapore came in fifth place with a score of 9.4 -- the highest rank among Asian countries -- while Hong Kong, the second highest score in Asia, was listed 14th worldwide with a score of eight.
China placed 66th with a score of 3.4.
Canada and the UK tied for 11th with a score of 8.7. The US, with a score of 7.5, placed 18th.
Bangladesh ranked last with a score of 1.3.
"The index reflects ... participants' impression of corruption toward these 133 countries," said Jay Shih (
Hsieh said that clean elections are key to driving away corruption and that Chen has made remarkable progress.
"It is a problem of the public's attitude," Hsieh said. "In the past, candidates believed that they had to buy votes to win elections. After they won their campaigns, they began to accept bribes in order to `balance' their bank accounts. It is a vicious cycle."
According to Hsieh, establishing connections with foreign law enforcement agencies should be a priority as it would help Taiwan handle an increasing number of international corruption cases.
Su Yiu-chen (蘇友辰), defense counsel in the Hsichih trio murder case, said that the government is making progress despite slipping in the ranking.
"It only showed that many other countries are also making progress," Su said. "We still have lots of room to improve."
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS