■ China Relations
Stop rattling sabres
A leader of the opposition People First Party (PFP) said yesterday at the Legislative Yuan that China should not resort to sabre-rattling against Taiwan, because Taiwan people do not accept military threats. Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), convener of the PFP Caucus at the Legislative Yuan, said China should instead respect the opinions of Taiwan's people. He also said that he is grateful to the US government for its statement on Nov. 19 that Washington is firmly opposed to the use of force in trying to settle the differences between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
■ Diplomacy
Taiwan needs subs, US says
The US thinks Taiwan needs submarines and is ready to make them available, but it is up to Taiwan to decide whether to pursue them or not, Randall Schriver, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said on Thursday. In a news conference organized for journalists posted in Washington by Taiwan media, Schriver said Washington believes the anti-submarine capability is most-needed by Taiwan at present and the US is willing to sell the vessels. He also categorically denied that any official from the Bush administration has ever called President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) a troublemaker, adding it is inappropriate to brand Chen as a troublemaker when his administration supports the US in many ways. Washington makes its views known to Taipei in private, he said.
■ Weather
Front brings cold weather
The Central Weather Bureau said yesterday that due to the arrival of a cold front, temperatures nationwide will begin to drop sharply and get much lower over the next two days. Meteorologists said temperatures in northern Taiwan yesterday dropped from a high of 23?C to a low of 17?C, and may drop further to 14?C today and tomorrow in some areas in northern Taiwan. The cold front may begin to weaken on Monday, they said. The bureau also said that ships sailing in waters near northern and northeastern Taiwan and in the northern half of the Taiwan Strait should remain on the alert for strong winds over the next two days.
■ Labor
Unemployment rate falls
Taiwan's jobless rate fell below 5 percent in October for the first time in five months, the government said yesterday. The figure dropped to 4.92 percent in October from 5.05 percent a month earlier, partly because there were fewer job losses associated with factory closures or downsizing, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said. A smaller number of first-time job seekers in October and fewer seasonal or temporary job terminations also contributed to the lower rate, it said.
■ Labor
Labor importers suspended
More than 40 Vietnamese companies have been suspended from sending laborers to Taiwan after Taipei threatened to stop receiving guest workers from the communist nation, Vietnamese state media said yesterday. The Taiwan government complained that increasing numbers of Vietnamese guest workers were breaking their assigned contracts and illegally taking up other jobs. Eight companies had their licenses suspended for six months, while 35 others were given two-month suspension terms, the Thuong Mai newspaper 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
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
MORE NEEDED: Recall drives against legislators in Miaoli’s two districts and Hsinchu’s second district were still a few thousand signatures short of the second-stage threshold Campaigners aiming to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday said they expect success in 30 out of 35 districts where drives have passed the second-stage threshold, which would mark a record number of recall votes held at once. Hsinchu County recall campaigners yesterday announced that they reached the second-stage threshold in the recall effort against Legislator Lin Szu-ming (林思銘). A total of 26,414 signatures have been gathered over the past two months, surpassing the 10 percent threshold of 23,287 in Hsinchu County’s second electoral district, chief campaigner Hsieh Ting-ting (謝婷婷) said. “Our target is to gather an additional 1,500 signatures to reach
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