Ma visits diplomatic allies Guatemala, Belize
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) kicked off March 14 a seven-day visit to Central American diplomatic allies Guatemala and Belize. Ma was welcomed by Guatemala President James Ernesto Morales Cabrera, held talks with Jose Antonio Alvarado, president of the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), and addressed the Guatemala City-based institution. After arriving in Belize March 17, Ma met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, as well as leaders of the Republic of China’s allies in the Caribbean—St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris, St. Lucia Prime Minister Kenny Anthony, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. The president, who was on the 12th and final overseas trip of his two four-year terms in office, also made transit stops in Houston and Los Angeles.
Taiwan calls on Japan to respect fishing rights
Japan’s seizure of a Taiwan fishing boat and demand of a security deposit to secure its release violate the spirit of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and infringe upon the rights of Taiwan fishermen, Foreign Affairs Minister David Lin (林永樂) said April 29. During a meeting with Mikio Numata, Japan’s representative to Taiwan, Lin said Japan unilaterally expanded its Okinotori reef claim. As the Okinotori reef cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of its own, it does not meet the criteria of an island under Article 121 of UNCLOS, he added. President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said Japan’s actions violate freedom of fishing on the high seas as laid down in Article 87 of UNCLOS. A reef has 12 nautical miles of territorial waters from its baseline, while an island has a contiguous zone, a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf, according to UNCLOS. The Dong Sheng Ji No. 16 was seized April 25 by the Japan Coast Guard while operating 150 nautical miles east-southeast of the 9-square-meter Okinotori reef in the western Pacific Ocean. The boat and its crew were released the next day after paying a 6 million yen (US$54,000) security deposit.
Obama thanked for signing bill supporting Taiwan’s Interpol bid
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs March 18 thanked U.S. President Barack Obama for signing into law a bill supporting Taiwan’s participation in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate March 8, the bill directs the U.S. secretary of state to develop a strategy within 90 days of its enactment assisting Taiwan to obtain Interpol observer status and take part in associated activities; instruct Interpol Washington to request such status for Taiwan; and urge Interpol members to back Taiwan’s bid and participation.
Taiwanese identity climbs to 20-year high
A survey released March 14 by the Taipei City-based United Daily News found that a total of 73 percent of respondents identify themselves as Taiwanese, up from 44 percent in 1996—the year of the country’s first direct presidential election. Eleven percent of respondents said they were Chinese while 10 percent said they were Taiwanese and Chinese. According to the poll, the 20 to 29 age group has the highest connection to the island, with 85 percent seeing themselves as Taiwanese. The survey also found that 46 percent of respondents prefer maintaining the cross-strait status quo, down from 55 percent last year. Those favoring independence tallied 36 percent, up from 28 percent, while those preferring unification with mainland China comprised 12 percent, down from 13 percent.
Ex-minister of finance tapped as premier
Former Minister of Finance Lin Chuan (林全) was tapped March 15 by President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to serve as premier in her administration. A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign-trained economist, Lin is viewed as an effective communicator capable of quickly and efficiently implementing policy. Born in 1951 in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City, Lin served as finance minister from 2002 to 2006. He is renowned for rolling out a raft of financial reforms, as well as the alternative minimum tax system.
International media group makes first visit to Taiping Island
The first visit to Taiping Island in the South China Sea by an international media group took place March 23. Organized by the Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign contingent included 12 journalists from global news outlets like Agence France-Presse, Al Jazeera, The Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNN, Financial Times, Kyodo News, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. Upon returning from the one-day visit, the group was welcomed by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who invited the Philippines to send representatives to tour the island in an effort to help the government of the Southeast Asian nation understand that Taiping Island is an island and not a rock, as it argues in an international tribunal. He also welcomed the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague to conduct a site visit.
Taipei-Vatican ties praised at pope’s anniversary Mass
A Mass celebrating the third anniversary of the election of Pope Francis was held March 6 at Taipei Immaculate Conception Cathedral. During the event, which reflects the strength of official ties between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Holy See, Vice President-elect Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said he values the pope’s interest in Taiwan and expects the new government to continue promoting bilateral relations. The two sides have been working to assist victims displaced by war in Iraq and an earthquake and its aftershocks in Nepal. Another example of cooperation was the largest exhibition outside the Holy See of liturgical artifacts used by popes throughout the centuries recently staged at the Taipei City-based National Palace Museum. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Leo Chen-jan Lee (李澄然) said the two sides will continue bilateral cooperation.
Biomedical, smart machinery policies outlined by Tsai
A series of policy initiatives aimed at boosting the competitiveness and production value of Taiwan’s biomedical and smart machinery industries were proposed Feb. 23 by President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). The biomedical component comprises 31 reforms including amendments to the Act for the Development of Biotech and New Pharmaceuticals Industry, Fundamental Science and Technology Act, and Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. The smart machinery component includes the formation of a policymaking advisory panel in Taichung City, central Taiwan for accelerating industry upgrades and offering support in such fields as international cooperation, land acquisition, marketing, research and development, and talent recruitment. Spurring innovation in the aerospace, agriculture, green energy, Internet of Things, semiconductor, shipbuilding, and digital creative industries is another plank in Tsai’s platform of upgrades.
Tainan International Orchid Show helps local industry bloom
The Taiwan International Orchid Show (TIOS) was held March 12-21 in Tainan City, southern Taiwan. A total of 2,800 buyers from 24 countries and territories took part, with visitor numbers projected to have reached 200,000. The Council of Agriculture said sales at TIOS could generate NT$10 billion (US$304.2 million) in production over three years beginning in 2016. Taiwan’s orchid exports stood at US$177 million in 2015, with 31 percent going to the U.S.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport wins global recognition
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport ranked second globally in the 25 to 40 million passenger category of the Airport Service Quality Awards for the second consecutive year, according to the Montreal-based Airports Council International (ACI) Feb. 29. It was also the third-best airport in the 2 million-plus passenger Asia-Pacific category as assessed by ACI in its annual survey. Ministry of Transportation and Communications data reveal that the airport served 38.47 million passengers in 2015, an increase of 7.45 percent from the year before. The number is expected to top 86 million by 2042 on the back of facility expansion projects.
New Taipei City and Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan were named among the top seven intelligent communities of 2016 by the New York City-based Intelligent Community Forum (ICF). Six of the island’s municipalities have made the list since 2004, with Taipei and Taichung in central Taiwan winning the top ICF award in 2006 and 2013, respectively. Two standout smart city initiatives are Taipei’s public bicycle rental system YouBike and the sizeable national investment in mobile broadband connectivity. The offshore counties of Kinmen and Lienchiang—both situated just off the coast of mainland China—as well as Penghu are also rolling out smart city policies like an integrated circuit resident card, e-government platform and tourist information app.
Taiwan firm flies high in worldwide drone market
Taiwan’s Carbon-Based Technology Inc. is soaring to new heights in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry. UAVs produced by the outfit in Taichung City, central Taiwan are mainly used in such fields as aerial mapping, agricultural surveys and forest monitoring. The company’s No. 2 ranking in the global market stems from an innovative and experienced team thinking outside of the box. Some top-selling products include the Avian RTK, a drone that can fly at speeds of 63 to 81 kilometers per hour and photograph an area of 6 square kilometers. Also, in 2015 the company developed a hand-thrown lightweight UAV that can remain aloft for 40 minutes and transmit images in real time.
Clinical test results recognized across Taiwan Strait
Taiwan and mainland China recently recognized for the first time the results of clinical drug tests conducted by hospitals on opposite sides of the Taiwan Strait. The breakthrough, made possible thanks to the 2010 Cross-Strait Cooperation Agreement on Medicine and Public Health Affairs, eliminates the need for local pharmaceutical manufacturers to carry out duplicate clinical trials in mainland China. This potentially saves up to three years in bringing a new product to market and helps maximize its profitability before the lifting of patent protection.
Kaohsiung yacht firm eyes major expansion
Alexander Marine Co. in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City was the world’s fourth-largest builder of motor yachts 78 feet or above last year. In 2015, the company recorded revenues of NT$1.62 billion (US$50.4 million), a 250 percent increase from the year before. Looking ahead, the firm is working to expand its Kaohsiung shipyard—a strategy going hand in hand with local government efforts to develop the city’s shipbuilding industry. Seventeen of Taiwan’s 33 shipbuilders are based in Kaohsiung, accounting for 80 percent of total sector output. A special zone for yachting-related industries will be set up in the port city’s South Star development project near the mouth of Kaohsiung Harbor. This is expected to help the homegrown yacht sector maintain global competitiveness.
Transformation efforts pay dividends for Taiwan
Taiwan scored 9.53 out of 10 to top 129 countries and territories surveyed for democratic change, economic development and good governance, according to the Transformation Index released Feb. 29 by the Germany-based Bertelsmann Foundation. Conducted biennially since 2006, the index measures how developing countries and territories, along with those in transition, steer social change toward democracy and a market-based economy. Lauded as a high performer in terms of democratic politics and liberal market policies, Taiwan achieved a top-ranking score of 9.5 in the status component. The nation also rated “developed” economically, notching up perfect scores in currency and price stability, private property and fiscal performance. In the overall rankings, Taiwan was followed by Estonia, the Czech Republic, Uruguay and Poland, while major regional competitors South Korea, Singapore and mainland China trailed in 11th, 25th and 84th, respectively.
Taipei Metro impresses on 20th anniversary
The Taipei Metro celebrated its 20th anniversary March 28, with congratulatory videos from subway systems around the world flowing into the offices of operator Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. (TRTC). One of the most popular was a clip by New York City Transit Authority staffers wishing the metro happy birthday in Chinese. The Taipei Metro began operations on March 28, 1996, and boasts five lines serving 117 stations. It has a total track length of 131 kilometers and carried an average of 1.97 million riders per day as of the end of February, according to TRTC data. From 2004 to 2008, the transportation system was ranked No. 1 in the world for reliability by the London-based benchmarking groups Community of Metros and Nova Group of Metros. According to TRTC, it no longer holds the top spot, but continues to rank among the leaders.
Prodigy helps computer rout human Go champ
Aja Huang (黃士傑) celebrated a milestone victory when a computer program he helped develop, called Alphago, defeated champion South Korean professional Go player Lee Se-dol 4-1 in Seoul from March 9-15. A member of Google DeepMind, a London-based artificial intelligence firm, Huang holds a doctorate in computer science and information engineering from National Taiwan Normal University. The Taiwan programmer first made a splash in 2010 when his Go program Erica beat its Japanese counterpart Zen, considered by many to be the best program of its kind, during the Computer Olympiad in Japan.
Taiwan climbs in 2016 World Happiness Report
Taiwan climbed three places to 35th in the latest World Happiness Report released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in the lead-up to World Happiness Day, which takes place on March 20. In the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan ranks fifth. It gained 6.379 points across the indicators of generosity, gross domestic product per capita, freedom to make life choices, healthy life expectancy, perceptions of corruption and social support. The baseline happiness ranking is 2.33.
Women make large-scale socioeconomic gains
Women in Taiwan are making significant socioeconomic gains, according to a report released March 4 by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. The report shows that 45 percent of women held tertiary degrees last year compared to 39.3 percent for men. The average monthly salary of women in the industrial and services sectors was NT$43,709 (US$1,340) in 2015, up 2.9 percent from the year before. Meanwhile, labor participation rates for women continued an upward trend to reach 50.7 percent. The number of women in Taiwan stood at 11.78 million in 2015, 68,000 more than men.
Young AI entrepreneur earns global accolades
Yu Chih-han (游直翰) was added March 16 to the ranks of the Geneva-based World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Young Global Leaders, an organization designed to foster the growth of outstanding individuals and entrepreneurs. The Taiwan artificial intelligence (AI) luminary runs the Taipei City-headquartered Appier Inc., a technology company he launched in 2010 focusing on self-driving cars and robotics. The Harvard University-trained computer scientist caught the eye of the WEF based on his business acumen and high-tech accomplishments, such as his innovative use of AI to track the behavior of Internet users across various devices. The technology he helped advance is used in online advertising and has extensive business intelligence applications. Silicon Valley-based Sequoia Capital invested US$6 million in Appier in 2014. This was the first time a Taiwan startup had secured backing from the renowned firm.
Program turns shelter dogs into therapy companions
A training program that turns shelter dogs into therapy canines is underway in Taipei City. Established by the local government’s Animal Protection Office, the project selects suitable candidates and arranges for their training and matching with owners through the Taipei-headquartered Formosa Animal-Assisted Activity and Therapy Association. The animals help the elderly and infirm, and provide them with companionship. Since the organization’s establishment in 1999, it has trained more than 300 dogs. The success of the program reflects an increasing awareness of the importance of animal welfare in Taiwan. According to Council of Agriculture figures, the number of dogs at public shelters nationwide has fallen by 28.62 percent since 2012.
Lantern Festival shines light on cultural traditions
The 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival wrapped up March 6 in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City, ending a monthlong Lunar New Year celebration. Held for the first time in the northern Taiwan metropolis, the event took place near the Taoyuan high-speed rail station and featured a 26-meter-high main lantern modeled after the Monkey King from the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” The design was selected to celebrate the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese zodiac. The event, which achieved a single-day record of 3.69 million visitors, was just one of many islandwide festivities celebrating the Year of the Monkey. Taipei City, as well as the southern cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan and southeastern Taiwan’s Taitung County, also held festivities. The most well-known annual event is New Taipei City’s Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. This year it attracted tens of thousands of spectators to witness the release of an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 illuminated rice paper lanterns.
Mazu ritual showcases ancient heritage
One of Taiwan’s oldest annual Mazu pilgrimages began March 16 at Gongtian Temple in Miaoli County. This year an estimated 20,000 devotees carried a palanquin bearing the Goddess of the Sea along a 400-kilometer route from southern Taiwan to Chaotian Temple in Yunlin County, western Taiwan. The ritual originated among fishermen living in mainland China’s coastal provinces, and came across the strait in the 1730s. The deity is enshrined at 510 temples throughout Taiwan. In 2009, Mazu worship was included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In 2011, the pilgrimage was designated one of Taiwan’s intangible cultural assets.
National musical instrument bank launches
A national musical instrument bank was launched April 12 as part of efforts to ensure students enjoy equal access to music education. The Ministry of Education-backed program encourages manufacturers, urban schools and the public to contribute instruments for use by educational institutions in remote areas. The donated instruments will be refurbished by faculty and students at Taipei-based Shih Chien University. Since trial operations began last December, Shih Chien University has received more than 100 instruments. Many of these are under repair and will soon be delivered to schools islandwide.
MOFA honors winners of Taiwan video clip competition
The winners of the Show Taiwan in One Second competition organized by the Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) were recognized at a ceremony March 23 in Taipei City. The two-month competition, which concluded on Feb. 29, drew over 920 submissions from people who recorded special moments or aspects of their lives in clips lasting from one to 10 seconds. Twenty entries were selected as finalists. One member of the competition’s three-judge panel, Kurt Lu (盧建彰), crafted the best submissions into a pair of two-minute shorts. The compilations were then uploaded to Trending Taiwan—a MOFA-backed YouTube channel showcasing the nation’s natural beauty, rich heritage and prosperous modern society.
Kavalan woos global whisky aficionados
Single malt whiskies made by Kavalan Distillery in Taiwan’s northeastern Yilan County recently claimed top honors in two of the most prestigious liquor competitions in the world. Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength was named the best of its kind at the World Whiskies Awards (WWA) held March 17 in London. This is the second straight year that the distillery has been honored at the WWA. Four other Solist series whiskies were double-gold winners in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition later that same month, with Moscatel Sherry Cask earning the Best Other Whisky of the year award. Established in 2006 as Taiwan’s first whisky distillery, Kavalan is named after an aboriginal tribe of the Yilan area. The distillery’s offerings are available in 38 markets across Asia, Europe and North America.
PHOTO CREDITS: Chang Su-ching, Chen Mei-ling, Chin Hung-hao, Chuang Kung-ju, Richard Chung, Huang Chung-hsin, Kuo Han-chen, Jimmy Lin, Appier Inc., Bocheng Long-term Care Services, Carbon-Based Technology Inc., Central News Agency, CommonWealth Magazine, Democratic Progressive Party, Executive Yuan, International Cooperation and Development Fund, Kaohsiung City Government, Kavalan Distillery, Legislative Yuan, Linking Publishing, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, New Power Party, Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines, Taoyuan City Government, United Daily News
ILLUSTRATIONS AND INFOGRAPHICS: Cho Yi-ju, Yui Han, Kao Shun-hui