■Cross-strait ties
Business safety a concern
The personal safety of Tai-wanese businesspeople working in China is being increasingly threatened amid a decline in public order there, the Straits Exchange Foundation said yesterday. The foundation said that as of the end of last year, it had received 592 complaints of intimidation against Tai-wanese businesspeople in China last year. Foundation officials said the figure represents only the tip of the iceberg and is an indication of growing social insecurity in China. The officials said that the personal safety of Taiwanese businesspeople based in China is not helped by the fact that many of them break the law there, some intentionally but others because they lack an understanding of the Chinese legal system. For instance, they pointed out, most Taiwanese business-people detained or arrested in China are usually charged with violations of Chinese tax laws, carrying prohibited political publications or being involved in business disputes and false marriages.
■ Travel
Ministry issues warning
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday issued a travel warning for Iraq, Israel and Palestinian-controlled territories as a result of the buildup of US and British forces in the Gulf region. The ministry also advised Tai-wanese to either leave or defer non-essential travel to areas near Iraq, including Kuwait, Yemen and south-eastern Turkey, the ministry said in a statement. People who plan to travel to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Qatar and Turkey should exercise extreme caution during their trips, the ministry warned. Taiwanese travelers in need of help should contact Taipei's representative offices in these countries or neighboring countries without hesitation, the ministry said. The latest updates on travel warnings from the ministry can be found on the Internet on a government Web site (http:
//www.boca.gov.tw).
■ Environment
Officials to get dump tour
Taiwan Power Co will arrange for Taitung County Councilors to travel to Europe to visit low-grade nuclear waste dump sites next month, company officials said yesterday.
The officials said 30 councilors will travel to eastern and northern Europe beginning March 15 to visit various nuclear waste facilities and observe their operations. Taipower has listed Nantien Village, Taren Township in Taitung County as a possible dump site for its nuclear waste because the area meets conditions set by the Atomic Energy Council -- a sparsely-populated area with little development potential and without geological formations that could threaten the safety of the facilities.
■ Diplomacy
Panamanian group arriving
Carlos Alvarado, the president of Panama's Legislative Assembly, is slated to lead a 13-member delegation that arrives tomorrow for a five-day visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. Accompanied by his wife, the Panamanian official will meet President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and call on Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), said the statement. They will also visit the Center for Chinese Language and Culture Studies of the National Normal University, the National Museum of Pre-history, Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park and other cultural and economic establishments. The dele-gation will leave Taipei on Feb. 20.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS