EDITORIAL: China needs to be put in its place
EDITORIAL: China needs to be put in its placeChina is demonstrating “growing aggressiveness” through repeated close encounters with US military aircraft and vessels, the White House said on Monday. Second, the US is understandably concerned about the free passage of cargo vessels through international waters in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Third, the close intercepts by China occurred in international waters — more than 12 nautical miles (22km) from a country’s shore — and regardless of whether Bejing recognizes those international waters, every other country with interests in the region does. Perhaps China has forgotten the lessons of World War II: Things did not end well for the aggressors, and they would not end well for China either if it attempts to impose itself on other countries. Only through a coordinated and unambiguous response from the international community would China get the message that its aggressions will not be tolerated.
Source:Taipei Times
June 07, 2023 17:00 UTC
Vietnam province vows power for global firms
Vietnam province vows power for global firmsBLACKOUTS: Searing summer temperatures are straining the nation’s power grid and thousands of factories have been forced to curb their consumption of electricityBloombergVietnam’s northern province of Bac Giang, home to suppliers for Apple Inc and other global electronics companies, has promised daytime power to factories as blackouts sweep the nation. Outages have hit industrial parks in some northern provinces including Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, state utility Vietnam Electricity Group’s northern unit has said. Canon Inc’s factory in Bac Ninh Province faced an outage from 8am on Monday to 5am yesterday, the unit said. Soaring power usage in northern Vietnam is expected to continue this month amid intense heat, it said. Bac Ninh People’s Committee Chairman Le Anh Duong urged companies to arrange shifts for the efficient use of power.
Source:Taipei Times
June 07, 2023 03:38 UTC
Eswatini to keep standing with Taiwan
Eswatini to keep standing with TaiwanDEEPENING TIES: Taiwan built a modern hospital in Eswatini, helped save lives and brought electricity to remote regions, Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku saidBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterVisiting Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku vowed to continue standing with Taiwan and support the nation’s international participation during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday. Taiwan can contribute greatly to the world and Eswatini would continue to speak up for Taiwan and support its inclusion in international organizations, global forums and the UN system, he said. The warm and reciprocal relationship between Eswatini and Taiwan has lasted for more than a half-century, he said, adding that his country would keep working with Taiwan to overcome difficulties. Masuku’s trip came after a visit by Eswatini Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini in March and by King Mswati III in October last year, which “fully demonstrates the importance Eswatini attaches to the friendship with Taiwan,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Eswatini has long been a vocal supporter of Taiwan on the global stage, it said, adding that Eswatini Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi urged the WHO to include Taiwan at the World Health Assembly last month.
Source:Taipei Times
June 06, 2023 21:45 UTC
President touts military reforms during her term
President touts military reforms during her termStaff writer, with CNAPresident Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday outlined a number of military reforms achieved during her seven-year presidency at a ceremony to promote 27 senior military officers. At the conferral ceremony at the Ministry of National Defense’s Taipei headquarters, Tsai said that since taking office in May 2016, she has launched a series of military reforms to boost the armed forces’ ability to defend national security. President Tsai Ing-wen, front, left, attends a conferral ceremony at the Ministry of National Defense in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAThe president also thanked the promoted officers for their tireless efforts, and urged them to continue to exercise their leadership in their new roles to improve training and nurture talent in the nation’s armed forces. “Together let us modernize and professionalize our troops for national security reasons and show the world our determination to safeguard our country,” Tsai said.
Source:Taipei Times
June 06, 2023 21:37 UTC
US’ Austin eyeing upgraded India ties to counter China
US’ Austin eyeing upgraded India ties to counter ChinaAP, NEW DELHIUS Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin yesterday discussed upgrading the partnership with India, a major arms buyer, and set a road map for cooperation for the next five years as both nations grapple with China’s economic rise and increased belligerence, officials said. Austin and Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh explored ways of building resilient supply chains, a statement from the Indian Ministry of Defence said. Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, left, shakes hands with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin before his ceremonial reception at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi yesterday. “I’m returning to India to meet with key leaders for discussions about strengthening our Major Defense Partnership. Together, we’re advancing a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Austin wrote on Twitter after his arrival in New Delhi on Sunday.
Source:Taipei Times
June 06, 2023 03:46 UTC
Hon Hai sales rise on phone demand
“The outlook for the second quarter remains unchanged from earlier guidance.”Revenue would drop quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year during the April-June period, as demand usually softens during production transitions, it said. Server demand from the enterprise side was weak, but cloud-service providers such as Google and Amazon.com continued to show resilient demand, Liu said. Hon Hai expects demand for its consumer electronics to decline sequentially this quarter, he added. Demand for its cloud, networking and computing products would be flat on a quarterly basis, whereas demand for components and other products would grow sequentially, he added. During the first five months, Hon Hai accumulated NT$2.34 trillion in revenue, falling 2.08 percent from NT$2.39 trillion during the same period last year.
Source:Taipei Times
June 06, 2023 03:40 UTC
Heat surge past Nuggets to level Finals
Heat surge past Nuggets to level FinalsDIGGING DEEP: After being dominated in Game 1, Miami reasserted themselves with an early lead, leaving Denver coach Malone ‘perplexed’ at his own team’s performanceAFP, DENVERThe Miami Heat on Sunday handed the Denver Nuggets their first home defeat of the playoffs, surging in the fourth quarter for a 111-108 victory that leveled the NBA Finals at one game apiece. The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, right, reacts after a play, as the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic walks past in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Sunday. “This is NBA Finals, we are talking about effort. “This is the NBA Finals. That’s what this league is, that’s what this game is, make-or-miss game, make-or-miss league,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
June 05, 2023 21:47 UTC
Sleepy sales
Qualcomm says AI needs more power than the cloudBIG MARKET: As growth in the number of devices and data traffic accelerates, it will not be possible to send everything to the cloud, a Qualcomm executive said Qualcomm Inc is betting the future of artificial intelligence (AI) will require more computing power than what the cloud alone can provide. The world’s largest maker of smartphone processors is transitioning from a communications company into an “intelligent edge computing” firm, Qualcomm senior vice president Alex Katouzian said. The edge in question is the mobile device that a user taps to access a network or service, and Katouzian used his time headlining one of the major keynote events at the Computex show in Taipei to make the case for how big a market that would be. The US company’s chips help smartphones harness
Source:Taipei Times
June 05, 2023 18:41 UTC
JPMorgan turns to blockchain for US$ trades in India hub
JPMorgan turns to blockchain for US$ trades in India hubBloombergJPMorgan Chase & Co has tied up with six Indian banks to introduce a blockchain-based platform to settle interbank dollar transactions in the nation’s newest international financial hub. The move would provide a further fillip to New Delhi’s attempt to position GIFT City as an alternative trading center to Singapore and Dubai. The Reserve Bank of India has started a domestic non-deliverable forward market settled in dollars at GIFT City. “By leveraging blockchain technology to facilitate transactions on a 24x7 basis, processing is instantaneous and enables GIFT City banks to support their own time-zone and operating hours,” Kulkarni said. The pilot project was scheduled for launch yesterday, using JPMorgan’s blockchain platform Onyx, after approval from the International Financial Services Center Authority.
Source:Taipei Times
June 05, 2023 18:40 UTC
EDITORIAL: US initiative a key stepping stone
The RCEP is mainly composed of ASEAN member countries with the main goal of reducing tariffs and eliminating trade barriers. The Washington-led regional economic initiative was formally established in Tokyo in May last year, an indication that the US wants to deepen its integration with the Indo-Pacific region by collaborating with its democratic partners. The Cabinet’s Office of Trade Negotiations views the initial trade agreement between Taiwan and the US as the first fruit of the most wide-ranging and comprehensive trade negotiations conducted by Taipei and Washington since 1979. It would also provide Taiwan with more opportunities to take part in regional trade blocs, including the CPTPP, the office said. The government could also use the initiative as a stepping stone toward signing bilateral trade agreements with other countries, and therefore avoid marginalization.
Source:Taipei Times
June 05, 2023 03:40 UTC
Chinese near-miss with US ship a ‘provocation’
The incident highlighted that China considers the Taiwan Strait a domestic waterway, and it was an attempt to demonstrate its military hegemony, they said. Crew on the Canadian vessel contacted the Chung-Hoon after seeing the Chinese vessel alter its course and told the US ship to move to avoid a collision, Global News said. The US destroyer responded by asking the Chinese warship to steer clear of the ship, but it ultimately needed to change course and decelerate, it said. The 1972 International Regulations for Avoiding Collisions at Sea stipulate that the Chinese frigate should have yielded and avoided the US vessel, he said. Should the situation permit it, the ship should avoid crossing the bow of the other ship, the regulations say.
Source:Taipei Times
June 04, 2023 21:41 UTC
Presidential Election: Ko Wen-je visits officials in Japan
Presidential Election: Ko Wen-je visits officials in JapanStaff writer, with CNATaiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder and Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday departed for Japan, where he said he wants to gain a better understanding of the country. Japan is Taiwan’s most important partner in Asia, and the two sides have maintained close trade and economic ties and interactions, said Ko, who is also the TPP’s presidential candidate. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je, left, and his wife, Peggy Chen, wave to reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei TimesHe would visit the parliament, administrative agencies and think tanks, as well as meet with Taiwanese expatriates and students in Japan, Ko said. He would also meet other Japanese lawmakers and visit Japanese think tanks in the diplomatic and defense areas, including the Japan Institute of International Affairs, before returning to Taiwan on Thursday.
Source:Taipei Times
June 04, 2023 21:39 UTC
Advancing technology
Qualcomm says AI needs more power than the cloudBIG MARKET: As growth in the number of devices and data traffic accelerates, it will not be possible to send everything to the cloud, a Qualcomm executive said Qualcomm Inc is betting the future of artificial intelligence (AI) will require more computing power than what the cloud alone can provide. The world’s largest maker of smartphone processors is transitioning from a communications company into an “intelligent edge computing” firm, Qualcomm senior vice president Alex Katouzian said. The edge in question is the mobile device that a user taps to access a network or service, and Katouzian used his time headlining one of the major keynote events at the Computex show in Taipei to make the case for how big a market that would be. The US company’s chips help smartphones harness
Source:Taipei Times
June 04, 2023 18:38 UTC
KMT to probe sex assault claim against its legislator
KMT to probe sex assault claim against its legislatorStaff writer, with CNAThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Saturday pledged to investigate an accusation that former Hualien County commissioner and KMT Legislator Fu Kun-chi sexually harassed a reporter in 2014. The KMT in a statement said that “there is no room for ambiguity” and that it would immediately launch an internal investigation into the accusation. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Fu Kun-chi is pictured in an undated photograph. He said that he fully respects gender equality, and urged Tung to file a lawsuit if she believes she was sexually harassed by him. DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲), former DPP legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) and members of gender equity groups in a joint statement expressed support for victims of sexual harassment.
Source:Taipei Times
June 04, 2023 16:57 UTC
Taima Star ferry stranded at sea for hours
Taima Star ferry stranded at sea for hoursStaff Writer, with CNAA vessel ferrying passengers from Taiwan to the Matsu Islands drifted at sea for several hours yesterday because of power troubles, leaving 389 passengers stuck at sea, according to the Maritime and Port Bureau. A push boat tows the Taima Star ferry yesterday. After it contacted the ferry’s operator, the bureau learned that the ferry suddenly had problems supplying power to its engines. The push boat and Taima Star finally arrived at the destination just before 3 pm yesterday. Upon arrival, Lienchiang County, which administers the Matsu Islands, gave the passengers food and NT$600 (US $19.56) in compensation.
Source:Taipei Times
June 03, 2023 21:50 UTC