World knows PRC cause of tension: Lai
Speaking to foreign reporters in Taipei, Lai said it was not President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) or Taiwan that was to blame for tensions. Vice President William Lai interacts with the media in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Ann Wang, ReutersLai has said he does not seek to change Taiwan’s official name, the Republic of China. Both Lai and Tsai have said that as Taiwan is already an independent country, there is no need for a separate declaration of independence. Lai thanked US President Joe Biden’s administration for its efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait over the past three years.
Source:Taipei Times
August 25, 2023 20:31 UTC
Bargain hunters
Citigroup Inc to focus on its strengths in TaiwanTaipei Times (TT): What is your view on the sale of Taiwan’s consumer banking businesses to DBS? Citi Asia-Pacific chief executive officer Peter Babej: It was a difficult decision, but the right decision in the long term for our business, our people and the firm. If we look 10 or 20 years down the road, we are not the best owner, because we cannot put as much into the local consumer franchise as some other institutions that are more focused on this side of the business. We are very happy that close to 3,000 of our colleagues ended up with DBS. By Crystal Hsu
Source:Taipei Times
August 25, 2023 20:11 UTC
IRSTs to vastly improve F-16V’s long-range detection, target tracking: experts
IRSTs to vastly improve F-16V’s long-range detection, target tracking: expertsStaff writer, with CNAA proposed US arms package comprising infrared search and track systems (IRSTs) for the nation’s fleet of F-16V aircraft would vastly improve their long-range detection and target tracking, significantly boosting air-to-air combat capabilities, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. Military experts expressed similar views, with one saying that IRSTs would allow fighter jets to track the infrared energy from enemy aircraft, without activating radar. The US military in 2020 launched an IRST upgrade program called the IRST-21, and the resultant product has been used on F-15 and F-16 jets to target stealth jets and small drones that have small radar footprints, Su said. When Taiwan takes delivery of the IRSTs, it would be able to more effectively counter Chinese stealth fighter jets such as the J-20, Su said. The advanced sensor systems would allow F-16V jets to hit enemy aircraft with AIM-20 missiles beyond visual range, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 25, 2023 03:41 UTC
The wild, queer and bloody high school sex comedy coming to theaters
The only way they can figure out how to get close to said cheerleaders, however, is to form an all-female self-defense class that quickly devolves into a bloody fight club. They knew it had the potential to be riotously funny, slyly insightful and boundary pushing for queer teen representation. From left: Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott, Zamani Wilder, Summer Joy Campbell, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber and Virginia Tucker in a scene from Bottoms. And then there’s the fight club, which they had to keep reminding everyone wasn’t just a joke. “I think some people still thought it was just going to be a fun comedy.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2023 20:22 UTC
Taiwan must be more proactive
Taiwan must be more proactiveBy Hu Wen-chi 胡文琦The Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) on Monday voted to expel Taiwan after more than two decades as a permanent observer and replace it with China, whose growing economic influence in Latin America has increasingly marginalized Taipei. Prior to the vote, US lawmakers have voiced concerns over the proposal, initiated by Nicaragua, to eject Taiwan as a permanent observer and invite China. Nicaragua in 2021 broke its longstanding diplomatic ties with Taiwan and switched allegiance to Beijing. Instead, it must take proactive action to communicate and coordinate with the US’ House of Representatives and Senate. Only by building on mutual respect and collaborating with like-minded friends can Taiwan and the US plan the next step forward.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2023 16:38 UTC
Xi skips speech on economy at BRICS summit
Xi skips speech on economy at BRICS summitBloombergChinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) failed to attend a business forum in South Africa where he was expected to deliver a speech defending China’s economy and its support for emerging markets, as fears mount that the Asian nation’s struggles could cause global turbulence. Instead, delegates were greeted on stage by Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao (王文濤), who read the speech without giving an explanation for Xi’s absence. “The Chinese economy has strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality. Photo: AFPHours later, Xi attended a dinner with the leaders of South Africa, Brazil and India, and Russia’s foreign minister, who are in Johannesburg for the annual BRICS summit of emerging market powers. Prior to South Africa, the Chinese leader had spent just two days overseas this year, when he visited Russia.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2023 09:13 UTC
Wanted Hong Kong activists in Britain decry ‘harassment’
Wanted Hong Kong activists in Britain decry ‘harassment’The activists fear for themselves abroad and their families back homeAFP, LONDONA heightened fear for their safety, increased worry for their families, and a desperate search for international support — this is what dominates everyday life for two activists in Britain who are among Hong Kong’s most wanted. Australian lawyer Kevin Yam, who is among eight overseas-based Hong Kong activists who have bounties on them by Hong Kong authorities for alleged breaches of a Hong Kong national security law, poses last month for a photo in Sydney, Australia. ‘HARASSING’ FAMILIES, COLLEAGUESAnna Kwok, 26, a Washington DC-based Hong Kong activist, who has been designated by the Hong Kong police as a fugitive with a HK$1 million dollar bounty offered for her arrest, is photographed on July 11 near the White House in Washington, DC, US. “I will remind myself... the burden on us is still much less than what the people in Hong Kong are bearing,” he said. “We are here to speak out the truth and what is really happening in Hong Kong, and (urge) the global community to implement a more assertive policy towards China and towards Hong Kong,” Law said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2023 03:48 UTC
Ministry of Environment officially starts operations
Ministry of Environment officially starts operationsStaff writer, with CNAThe new Ministry of Environment officially started operations on Tuesday after a plaque-unveiling ceremony and inauguration of its first minister, Shieu Fuh-sheng (薛富盛). The ministry was upgraded from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) established in 1987 after a law to redesignate the EPA a ministry cleared the legislature on May 9 and was promulgated by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on May 24. Addressing the plaque-unveiling ceremony, Tsai said the ministry is determined to respond to global trends and expressed confidence it would work with various sectors of society to help accelerate the nation’s transition to netzero emissions. President Tsai Ing-wen, fourth left, Premier Chen Chien-jen, fourth right, and others pose for a photograph at an inauguration ceremony for the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday. Four specialized agencies — the Climate Change Agency, the Resource Recycling Agency, the Chemical Substance Management Agency, and the Environmental Management Agency — and a National Environmental Research Institute have been established under the Ministry of Environment.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2023 03:36 UTC
Pew’s Indian survey misleading
Pew’s Indian survey misleadingBy Prashant Kumar SinghA recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that 43 percent of Indians have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan, while 35 percent have a favorable view of neither China nor Taiwan. Thus, a significantly large proportion of Indians not only have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan, but have an equally unfavorable view of China and Taiwan, indicating that they might not see any difference between them. That ordinary Indians have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan is unconvincing because there is no logical or commonsense explanation as to why this should be the case. Another example would be that if you survey Indians and ask a simple question about whether India should diplomatically recognize Taiwan; the results could be surprisingly supportive. This probing is necessary because the survey findings do not square with the positivity that has been observed in bilateral ties in recent years.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2023 16:44 UTC
India first to land spacecraft near moon’s south pole
India first to land spacecraft near moon’s south poleAFP, BENGALURU, IndiaIndia yesterday became the first nation to land a craft near the moon’s south pole, a historic triumph for the world’s most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space program. This handout screen grab taken and received from the live feed of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) website on August 23, 2023, shows the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft seconds before its successful lunar landing on the south pole of the Moon. India on August 23, became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon’s south pole, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a "historic day". India has landed a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, an unchartered territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water and precious elements, as the country cements its growing prowess in space and technology. Students with painted faces surround a replica of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft in Chennai, India, on Tuesday.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2023 16:43 UTC
EDITORIAL: China’s tourism cudgel returns
Beijing, which has banned independent Chinese tourists from Taiwan since August 2019 and group travel since 2020, has shown no intention to resume cross-strait travel. Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said that Taiwan and China must mutually show goodwill before normal cross-strait tourism could resume. The regulations on cross-strait group travel should also be negotiated through existing channels, such as the tourism associations in Taiwan and China, to ensure that cross-strait travel is reinstated reciprocally. Taiwan welcomes tourism exchanges with all nations, including China, but communication should be both ways. The government should be wary of an inappropriate reopening of travel across the Strait, which would worsen the tourism deficit, and sabotage the tourism market and quality in Taiwan.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2023 03:40 UTC
Economic incentives needed for green power
Economic incentives needed for green powerBy Chen Yung-jen 陳詠仁The presidential candidates of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) have both announced their energy policies. Due to climate change and an energy crisis, the international community is increasingly emphasizing the development of distributed generation, renewable energy and energy flexibility. The Ministry of Economic Affairs allowed the private sector to establish independent power producers to generate electricity for sale between 1995 and 1999. Companies that need to rely on green energy can be both the manufacturer and the consumer, and hence the burden of green power generation can be distributed more equally. The government has failed to achieve its goals in terms of green energy development.
Source:Taipei Times
August 22, 2023 16:49 UTC
Taiwan pulls out of Central American Parliament
Taiwan pulls out of Central American ParliamentBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterTaiwan has withdrawn from the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) to safeguard its sovereignty and dignity after the parliament passed a proposal to replace Taiwan with China as an observer in the bloc, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The plaque of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured at the ministry’s building in Taipei in an undated photograph. The move not only divided the unity of the parliament and undermined democracy and harmony in the region, but also hurt the cooperation and friendship between Taiwan and Central America over the years, it said. The decision also “highlighted China’s intentions to undermine democracy in Central America and its ambitions to expand its power in the region,” it said. The ministry reiterated that Taiwan, a sovereign and independent country, and China do not belong to each other.
Source:Taipei Times
August 22, 2023 16:48 UTC
Repulse warships, planes, ex-deputy commander urges
The Y-9 and Z-9 advanced farther than the fighters, entering Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone, the ministry said. “This time, the military exercises were launched on the same day that the announcement was made. Unlike previous ones, they did not announce in advance the coordinates of the areas where military exercises would be conducted and how long they would last. Long before the military exercises began, they were prepared to conduct cognitive, psychological and media warfare along with the military drills,” Chang said. Chinese warships would not be driven away unless they reached the median line.
Source:Taipei Times
August 22, 2023 13:59 UTC
MOFA censured over trafficking
MOFA censured over traffickingREPORT FINDINGS: The ministry’s handling of job scam trafficking cases was lax, while a victim was tortured more due to a video the Kaohsiung prosecutors’ office releasedBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterThe Control Yuan has censured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office over the handling of cases involving Taiwanese who were imprisoned in Cambodia after being caught up in human trafficking job scams. Control Yuan member Yeh Ta-hua presents a report during a news conference at the Control Yuan in Taipei yesterday. As for the ministry, it failed to fully grasp the human trafficking situation in Cambodia, Yeh said. In addition, 682 people in Cambodia, 194 in Thailand and 124 in Myanmar sought help from Taiwanese offices abroad, she said. The Control Yuan said that improvements should be made and asked the Cabinet to follow up with the relevant agencies.
Source:Taipei Times
August 22, 2023 05:29 UTC