■ Retail
Wal-Mart to allow unions
Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's biggest retailer, gave ground to Chinese pressure yesterday and said it would allow its workers to set up a trade union. The decision by the US-based company, under intense scrutiny worldwide for its labor practices, highlighted the importance of a market where it bought US$15 billion worth of goods last year and is aggressively adding stores. "Should associates request formation of a union, Wal-Mart China would respect their wishes and honor its obligations under China's Trade Union Law," the firm said in a statement. Wal-Mart calls its employees associates. China threatened last month to blacklist Wal-Mart and a handful of other foreign firms if they did not set up trade unions at their China units.
■ Technology
Spending expected to rise
Spending in Eastern Europe and Asia is expected to lead a recovery in the global technology market over the next three years, according to an industry report released yesterday. After enduring years of sluggish growth, technology spending is expected to climb steadily through 2007 as China, Poland and other countries in the developing world invest heavily in hardware, software, networking equipment and services, according to a study commissioned by World Information Technology and Services Alliance, an industry trade group. Total spending should hit US$3.2 trillion in 2007, up from US$2.1 trillion in 2001, the report said. Spending in Asia and the Pacific Rim is expected to grow quickest at 9.3 percent annually, while spending is predicted to increase in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at a rate of 8.9 percent per year.
NATIONAL SECURITY: The Chinese influencer shared multiple videos on social media in which she claimed Taiwan is a part of China and supported its annexation Freedom of speech does not allow comments by Chinese residents in Taiwan that compromise national security or social stability, the nation’s top officials said yesterday, after the National Immigration Agency (NIA) revoked the residency permit of a Chinese influencer who published videos advocating China annexing Taiwan by force. Taiwan welcomes all foreigners to settle here and make families so long as they “love the land and people of Taiwan,” Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told lawmakers during a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The public power of the government must be asserted when necessary and the Ministry of
CROSSED A LINE: While entertainers working in China have made pro-China statements before, this time it seriously affected the nation’s security and interests, a source said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) late on Saturday night condemned the comments of Taiwanese entertainers who reposted Chinese statements denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty. The nation’s cross-strait affairs authority issued the statement after several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑), Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希), on Friday and Saturday shared on their respective Sina Weibo (微博) accounts a post by state broadcaster China Central Television. The post showed an image of a map of Taiwan along with the five stars of the Chinese flag, and the message: “Taiwan is never a country. It never was and never will be.” The post followed remarks
Proposed amendments would forbid the use of all personal electronic devices during school hours in high schools and below, starting from the next school year in August, the Ministry of Education said on Monday. The Regulations on the Use of Mobile Devices at Educational Facilities up to High Schools (高級中等以下學校校園行動載具使用原則) state that mobile devices — defined as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches or other wearables — should be turned off at school. The changes would stipulate that use of such devices during class is forbidden, and the devices should be handed to a teacher or the school for safekeeping. The amendments also say
CONSISTENT COMMITMENT: The American Institute in Taiwan director said that the US would expand investment and trade relationships to make both nations more prosperous The US would not abandon its commitment to Taiwan, and would make Taiwan safer, stronger and more prosperous, American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said. “The US’ commitment to Taiwan has been consistent over many administrations and over many years, and we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, including our opposition to any attempt to use force or coercion to change Taiwan’s status,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Friday last week, which was published in the Chinese-language newspaper yesterday. The US would double down on its efforts
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