TRADE
Taiwan drops one spot
Taiwan has become China’s sixth-largest source of imports in the first quarter of this year, one notch down from the previous ranking, because of a higher comparison base a year ago. The lower ranking came after the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and China removed or reduced tariffs on certain goods from the start of this year. The Ministry of Economic Affairs on Sunday attributed the poorer performance to a relatively high growth rate of 76 percent in China’s imports of Taiwanese goods in the first quarter of last year. During the January-to-March period this year, Taiwanese exports to China grew 16.2 percent, Chinese customs figures showed.
TRADE
Stronger Israel ties sought
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said he hoped Taiwan and Israel can enhance trade and cultural exchanges. He noted that bilateral trade with Israel amounted to only US$1.2 billion last year, indicating that there was great room for improvement. In the past few years, the two countries have signed 15 pacts on cooperation in various fields, Ma said, adding that he hopes collaboration will further expand in the future. Ma said improved relations between Taiwan and Israel could also bring benefits to both sides and to the region. He made the remarks while receiving an Israeli parliamentary group at the Presidential Office. He said that when he visited Israel 12 years ago, he admired the country, saying that despite its small size, it had nevertheless devoted itself to the development of its economy and research in science and technology.
MEDIA
GIO urges ‘happy news’
The new head of the Government Information Office (GIO) urged the media yesterday to report more “happy news,” international news and investigative news. GIO Minister Philip Yang (楊永明) said at his inauguration ceremony that the media should focus more on what he called “happy,” or positive news, adding that this would make the public “engage more with society” and “view the news more positively.” He said international news coverage was important for allowing Taiwanese to keep up with the latest in global affairs and also helps Taiwan gain much-needed competitiveness in international markets by better understanding its counterparts. Investigative news provided readers with more in-depth and analytical stories, he said. Yang said one of the key objectives of the office was to assist the nation in promoting its soft power and to build a positive international image of the country.
CULTURE
Poetic train tickets exhibited
An exhibition featuring poetry written on mock train tickets opened on Sunday at a century-old historic building in Taipei. For the exhibition, part of the Red House’s ground floor was remodeled to look like a railway station. Boards designed as train tickets were hung on the wall, with a 20-character poem carved on each to symbolize a life journey, said one of the exhibition curators, Juan Shu-jung (阮淑容). “The words in the poems speak of different interpersonal relationships and people’s mental state at different stages of life,” she said. Visitors to the exhibition can obtain cards designed to look like train tickets and can write wishes on them, organizer EZ Studio said. The exhibition runs through June 13. Admission is free.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
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