Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday urged the people of Taiwan to shake off the notion that "Sinicization" equates to globalization and instead seek a new path to establishing Taiwan as a "world island."
Speaking at a meeting of a Hakka association, Lu said the Taiwan people should treasure the island's "soft powers," -- ?such as its strong human rights, democracy and technological development -- and allow Taiwan to become a great power in the world.
At a time when an ever increasing amount of Taiwan capital and talent is heading to China, Lu said the idea that Taiwan's future lies in the mainland is confused thinking, adding that those who hold this view forget about the efforts expended by Taiwan over the last half century in warding off the Chinese threat.
Pointing out that Taiwan is a democratic country that possesses high technology, Lu said there is no reason why Taiwan cannot become a major sea power in the world in much the same way that Holland, which is similar to Taiwan in terms of territorial size, did some 300 years ago.
The vice president also reminded those who consider that Taiwan's future lies in China that Beijing has deployed some 400 missiles along its southeastern coast aimed at Taiwan and has relentlessly obstructed Taiwan's efforts to join the UN and other international organizations.
China's leaders have always been eager to get their hands on Taiwan because of the island's advantageous geographic location and prosperity, Lu noted. She said that without Taiwan, it will be difficult for China to achieve its ambitions of becoming a marine super power, and therefore Taiwan is seen as an "aircraft carrier" which no other country wishes to see become a part of the People's Republic of China.
‘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
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