The government's record in economic development over the past three years has won recognition from the world's major international economic institutes, Vice President Annette Lu (
"According to the World Economic Forum's 2003 Global Competitiveness Report, Taiwan's Growth Competitiveness Index ranked third in the world, which shows the efforts by the government and business have paid off," Lu said.
The vice president was speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Ministry of Finance in honor of the international conference's participants.
Lu said that Taiwan will continue to focus its industrial development strategies on technological research and development. The goal was to strengthen the country's leading position in high-tech industries as well as to develop the digital and biotechnology industries, she said.
"We will strengthen the base of those industries that have already achieved a leading position, especially the semiconductor and liquid-crystal display industries, to generate greater influence in the world," Lu said.
Speaking on cross-strait trade, Lu promoted her "soft power" strategy in response to China's enduring military threat.
"Some may consider the Taiwan Strait a region of tension and hostility. But in our eyes, this is an area full of business opportunities," Lu said.
"Our message is clear: We want peace, not war," Lu said.
Noting that the people of Taiwan have lived with constant threats and bullying from China over the years, Lu said the fundamental difference between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait actually lies in different views covering human rights, individual freedoms and political systems.
"It is the `basic values' that make the two societies different," Lu stressed.
Lu said that in her view, the ultimate goal of peace is unattainable "unless you can reach both democracy and prosperity."
Fortunately, Taiwan had been able to achieve all three goals of democracy, peace and prosperity, Lu said.
"We are willing to bring our experiences into play for the benefit of all mankind," Lu said.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS