support for Taiwan 結果共332筆

Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) faces a potential financial crisis by year-end without government aid or electricity price hikes, warned Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua. An upcoming electricity price review may see rates for ultra-high-voltage users surge by over 10%. Wang emphasizes the need for discussion in the committee meeting and assures efforts to minimize impacts on the public. Taipower’s efficient management has helped curb price spikes and inflation, with plans in place for financial support and program development. Current electricity costs for major consumers stand at around NT$1.63, while Taipower’s generation cost, pre-tax, is NT$3.93, expected to surpass NT$4 post-tax.

The story discusses the Taiwan Tourism Administration’s ban on travel agencies organizing group trips to China, citing national security concerns. Hsiao Po-jen, President of the Taiwan’s Travel Agent Association, seeks to address industry concerns with President-elect Lai Ching-te. The directive has sparked protests from the travel industry, with potential penalties for violators. The Tourism Administration cites the ＂Act for the Development of Tourism＂ to support the ban, threatening license termination for those jeopardizing national interests. Hsiao argues that organizing travel groups should not be deemed harmful to national interests, hinting at possible legal actions in response.

Wang Cheng-hsu, successor to former Legislative Speaker You Si-kun, was sworn in as a legislator in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, pledging to enhance public health. Wang, a healthcare expert, aims to fulfill President-elect Lai Ching-te’s vision for better health care. His appointment was celebrated by former Legislator Chiu Tai-yuan, who believes Wang’s expertise will benefit Taiwan’s medical community.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu plans a multi-party meeting to discuss Premier Chen Chien-jen’s food safety report proposal. Expectations are for the 11th legislative term to begin on Feb. 20, with a focus on food safety issues under the DPP’s eight-year tenure. The KMT and DPP are engaging in discussions, with the TPP expressing support for the report.

Honduras owes Taiwan approximately US＄440 million (NT＄13.8 billion) in debt, which has accumulated over several years and remains unpaid even after severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China. The decision to end over eight decades of relations with Taiwan and establish diplomatic ties with China was made on March 25, 2023. The current president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, did not borrow any additional funds from Taiwan, with the last loan of US＄300 million being acquired by her predecessor, Juan Orlando Hernández, in 2019. These funds were primarily used for housing reconstruction, school facilities, and nutritional lunches. Honduras hoped that establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing would result in greater economic support and loans from the Chinese government. However, the country’s white shrimp exports were affected following the diplomatic break with Taiwan. As a result, Honduras has turned to China for similar tariff preferences.

Former Taiwan National Security Council secretary-general Su Chi believes there is a low likelihood of President Tsai Ing-wen visiting Taiping Island in the South China Sea. Su cites concerns over U.S. objections and the potential risk to Tsai’s safety as reasons for this prediction. He points out that the U.S. opposes Taiwan’s involvement in South China Sea issues and that Tsai would have to contend with Chinese fighter jets, aerial escorts, and security threats if she were to visit the island. Su also notes that the U.S. would not support such a trip as it could emphasize Taiwan’s political stance in the ongoing tension between the Philippines and China.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced that its Japan subsidiary, JASM, will construct a second wafer fabrication plant by the end of 2024. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2027. With support from the Japanese government, TSMC plans to begin production at its first JASM wafer fabrication plant in 2024, with a total investment exceeding US＄20 billion. The construction of the second plant is driven by increasing customer demand. The expansion aims to optimize JASM’s cost structure and supply chain efficiency, resulting in increased production. Once both plants are operational, JASM’s Kumamoto wafer fabrication plant will have a monthly capacity of over 100,000 12-inch wafers. The Japan fab will offer process technologies ranging from 40nm to 6nm, catering to automotive, industrial, consumer, and high-performance computing applications. TSMC also mentioned that capacity planning can be adjusted based on client requirements. The Kumamoto wafer plant is expected to create more than 3,400 high-tech professional jobs.

The Vision Zero pedestrian safety advocacy group calls on Taiwan’s new congress to support a draft pedestrian traffic safety facilities law. The group recommends comprehensive implementation of sidewalks, removal of sidewalk obstacles, standardization of temporary sidewalks during construction, and explicit arcade project guidelines. The draft law must be proposed by the National Land Management Agency and approved by the executive branch before being reviewed by the Legislative Yuan. Despite the passing of a basic road traffic safety law in 2023, Vision Zero notes that the projected death toll may still exceed 3,000. The chairman of Vision Zero, Chen Kai-ning, proposes four amendments to the law, including the provision of physical sidewalks on wider roads, marking sidewalk designations on narrower roads, establishing basic sidewalk standards and non-permissible uses, and installing physical sidewalks beside arcades. Between January and November 2023, there were 2,759 road fatalities and 367,311 recorded severe accidents in Taiwan, representing an increase compared to the same period in 2022.

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je plans to file a lawsuit against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Justin Wu after denying allegations of attempting to influence support for the legislative speaker candidate. Wu welcomes the legal action and calls for a clear courtroom discussion with all relevant communication records. The controversy arose after the election of the legislative speaker, with Kuomintang (KMT) members Han Kuo-yu and Johnny Chiang securing victory. The TPP accused certain DPP members of negotiating with Ko for a reciprocal endorsement arrangement. Wu asserts that Ko proposed the arrangement, but the DPP did not accept it. Wu demands that Ko explain why he abstained from the second round of the speaker election and raises questions about transparency in the recent election.

Taipei - DPP spokesperson Justin Wu clarified that TPP chairman Ko Wen-je had called a DPP senior member in the medical sector to seek support for Huang Shan-shan as Legislative Speaker, pledging unconditional support for the DPP’s Deputy Speaker candidate. This comes in response to the TPP’s claim on Facebook that the DPP planned to support TPP legislator Huang Shan-shan’s bid for Speaker in exchange for supporting DPP legislator Tsai Chi-chang as Deputy Speaker. The TPP stated that they do not engage in favor exchanges with the ＂New Tide＂ faction and rejected Ko’s proposal. Wu revealed that Ko had called a senior DPP member, expressing his hope for DPP’s support for Huang Shan-shan as Speaker and for the Deputy Speaker to support the DPP’s candidate unconditionally. Wu emphasized that the DPP group only supports You Si-kun for Speaker and is open to TPP’s recommendation for Deputy Speaker, rejecting Ko’s proposal.

Outgoing Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, expressed confidence that the majority of newly elected parliament members will support diplomatic relations between Tuvalu and Taiwan. Despite failing to regain his position in the recent elections, Natano emphasized his continued support for the relationship between the two countries. He stated that both novice and seasoned politicians, as well as senior MPs, share this sentiment and will likely continue to support the ties with Taiwan. After the elections, the 16 newly-elected members of Parliament will engage in complex negotiations to form different factions, with the faction holding the most members ultimately forming the new government and electing a prime minister.

Human rights lawyer Chen Chun-han, a legislative-at-large candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), responds to a controversy involving the online talk show ＂The Night Night Show with Hello.＂ Chen appreciates the show’s apology for allowing mainland China media personality Wang Zhian to mimic disabled individuals, which was seen as a dig at the DPP and indirectly at Chen. Despite thinking the apology came late, Chen commends Hello and his production team for planning a special segment to discuss the issues faced by disabled and rare disease patients in Taiwan. Chen emphasizes that the core of the criticism lies in whether society can tolerate discrimination against the disabled and respect their right to political participation. He states that this is a human rights issue that transcends ideological and party lines. Chen also mentions that voters needn’t feel obligated to vote for the DPP in 2028, highlighting Taiwan’s democratic freedom and the importance of supporting any political party based on personal beliefs. However, he adds that if Hello and his team find the DPP under Lai Ching-te’s leadership satisfactory within the next four years and genuinely wish to support it, they would be welcomed.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will closely monitor developments in Tuvalu post-election, as most elected officials have established frequent interactions and friendly stances with Taiwan, ensuring solid diplomatic ties. MOFA condemns China’s attempt to influence the election by buying off local media in Tuvalu. The loss of Tuvalu’s pro-Taiwan Prime Minister has sparked speculation about a potential shift in foreign policy and diplomatic alliance with Beijing. However, MOFA notes that the majority of elected Tuvalu officials maintain good relations with Taiwan and support upholding the amicable relations between the two countries. MOFA urges the international community to pay attention and counter autocratic dictatorial countries that manipulate elections in democratic states. This development reflects the ongoing competition between China and Taiwan for diplomatic allegiances in the Pacific region, with countries sometimes switching allegiances for economic or political support.

The Democratic Progressive Party’s Speaker You Si-kun plans to meet with speaker and deputy speaker nominees from all political party caucuses in the legislature to seek advice and votes. The DPP nominated current Speaker You and Deputy Speaker Tsai Chi-chang for the positions in the next legislative term. The Kuomintang (KMT) has put forth Han Kuo-yu and Johnny Chiang as their candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Han and Chiang have already visited the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus. The TPP respects the decisions of the speaker and deputy speaker candidates who wish to conduct visits. The KMT will hold its caucus leadership election on Feb. 1, after which You and Tsai will personally visit the KMT caucus to seek their support.

The story discusses Ker Chien-ming’s support for You Si-Kun’s bid for the role of legislative speaker in Taiwan. Ker, the Democratic Progressive Party’s legislative caucus whip, stated that he is the most supportive of You Si-Kun’s election. However, Ker mentioned that the decision to appoint You now rests on Ko Wen-Je, the chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party. Ko had previously suggested that Ker may not strongly support You Si-Kun’s election. The Democratic Progressive Party caucus had proposed You Si-Kun for the post of legislative speaker and Tsai Chi-Chang as the vice speaker candidate. Ker believes that it is up to You Si-Kun and Tsai Chi-Chang to decide whether they would meet with the Taiwan People’s Party legislative caucus. Ker criticized the Taiwan People’s Party caucus for privately inviting candidates from the Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang for discussions, describing it as sensational and absurd. Ker emphasized that the key issue now is Ko Wen-je’s decision, particularly considering whether to appoint Han Kuo-yu, the Kuomintang candidate who Ker worries may be influenced by the Chinese Communist Party.

Kuomintang (KMT) legislative speaker and deputy speaker candidates, Han Kuo-yu and Johnny Chiang, are scheduled to meet with Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus and eight lawmakers on January 29. The dialogue is expected to last approximately 35 minutes and will be followed by a media conference. The TPP has emerged as a key minority party after the legislative elections on January 13. However, the party has not declared its support for either the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidates or the KMT for the legislative speaker race. The TPP has launched four demands for parliamentary reform, emphasizing transparency and openness in political values.

Legislative Speaker You Si-kun met with a Lithuanian delegation led by Matas Maldeikis, chairman of the Lithuania-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group. The meeting highlighted Taiwan’s recent election, which had a voter turnout of over 70%, as a clear message from the Taiwanese people to defend democratic freedom and national sovereignty. The delegation included three deputy speakers of the Lithuanian parliament and eight other cross-party lawmakers. Speaker You noted that 2024 is a ＂super election year＂ globally, with Taiwan being the second country to hold elections this year. He also expressed his wishes for Lithuania’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in May and October 2024. The speaker emphasized that elections represent the ＂possibility of choice,＂ ＂freedom to participate in politics,＂ and ＂protection of speech,＂ which are rights unfathomable under authoritarian rule. He called on global democratic allies to unite in facing authoritarian challenges and safeguarding democracy and prosperity worldwide. Speaker You expressed gratitude for Lithuania’s support and highlighted the countries’ cooperation on humanitarian aid, particularly in helping Ukrainian students return to school.

Vice President Lai Ching-te welcomes the bipartisan U.S. Congressional Taiwan Caucus, highlighting Taiwan’s strategic role and mutual commitment to peace and stability. The visit underscores unwavering support for Taiwan.

Taipei’s Executive Yuan Spokesperson, Lin Tze-luen, announced a budget surplus for the 2023 fiscal year, attributing the achievement to the combined efforts of civil society and the government. The surplus will be allocated responsibly to maintain fiscal discipline, primarily focusing on debt reduction and infrastructure investment. Taiwan’s economy has experienced consistent growth, resulting in a budget surplus for seven consecutive years. In 2022, the surplus reached an impressive NT$500 billion, leading to a proposed special budget of NT$380 billion. This special budget aims to enhance economic and social resilience, with provisions such as a cash payment of NT$6,000 per citizen, support for labor and health insurance programs, and assistance for Taiwan Power Company. Additionally, the special budget includes programs to aid residential loan holders from the middle class and below. Lin emphasized the government’s commitment to considering public opinion and promoting national affairs to facilitate Taiwan’s sustainable development.

The U.S. Congressional Taiwan Caucus co-chairs, Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and Democratic Representative Ami Bera, are visiting Taiwan from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26, 2024. This marks their first visit to Taiwan in recent years, symbolizing their bipartisan commitment to Taiwan’s democracy. Their visit comes after Taiwan’s presidential election, celebrating the victory of Taiwan’s democracy. Diaz-Balart and Bera will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, Vice President and President-elect Lai Ching-te, and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Talks are scheduled with Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim and other Taiwanese political leaders. Both Diaz-Balart and Bera have been long-standing friends of Taiwan, often leading or proposing initiatives and bills supportive of Taiwan. The Congressional Taiwan Caucus is the largest secondary body in U.S. Congress relating to foreign affairs. Their visit reemphasizes the U.S. Congress’ support for Taiwan, following the 2024 presidential election and marking the 45th legislative anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to deepen Taiwan-U.S. relations based on shared values and the U.S. Congress’s support.

Legislative Speaker You Si-kun, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), expresses confidence in his re-election ahead of the legislative speaker vote on Feb. 1. Reports suggest a split vote by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), with support for You from the DPP for Speaker and endorsement of Johnny Chiang from the Kuomintang (KMT) for Deputy Speaker. You emphasizes the need for constitutional amendments to address significant legislative reforms proposed by the TPP’s new legislators. He also recommends a review and reform of the entire constitutional system, advocating for adherence to the conventional separation of powers. The TPP will hold an internal meeting on Jan. 26 to discuss the matter further.

Vice President and President-elect Lai Ching-te reaffirms commitment to democracy and peace in Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region during meeting with U.S.-Taiwan Business Council. Lai highlights alignment of Taiwan-U.S. economic cooperation with Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Expresses gratitude for U.S. support following election, acknowledges solidarity against Chinese authoritarianism. Thanks U.S. for commitment to Taiwan’s security and efforts to address double taxation issue. Anticipates strengthened supply chain partnerships between Taiwan and U.S. through enacted double-tax relief act.

The Minister of Economic Affairs, Wang Mei-hua, plans to help Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) seek budgetary support from the Executive Yuan to alleviate its financial distress. Taipower reached out to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) for assistance, citing escalating international fuel prices caused by the Russia-Ukraine war. Other global power companies, such as Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), and Électricité de France (EDF), have already experienced significant price hikes. Taipower’s rates are relatively low compared to the cost of power generation, resulting in policy-driven losses. As of 2023, Taipower has accumulated losses of NT$382.6 billion due to absorbing price increases to protect Taiwan from global inflation. The MOEA disclosed that Taipower and the CPC Corporation have discrepancies in predicting natural gas prices, leading Taipower to observe international coal prices for cost estimates in 2024. While mitigating Taipower’s financial woes in the short term poses challenges, Wang aims to prevent further losses. The MOEA will assist Taipower in lobbying the government for budget support once financial situation estimates are finalized. The decision to adjust electricity prices will be made by the Electricity Price Review Committee.

In Taiwan, private universities like Tamkang University are merging departments due to declining student numbers and birth rates. Experts question the effectiveness of these mergers while education groups call for government support to maintain teaching quality and protect teacher and student rights.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has been closely cooperating with Tuvalu in various fields and will continue to strengthen such cooperation for mutual prosperity. MOFA’s remarks came after rumors that Tuvalu might establish diplomatic ties with China after its general election on Friday. Bikenibeu Paeniu, Tuvalu’s ambassador to Taiwan, suggested that Tuvalu might seek diplomatic recognition from Beijing after its Jan. 26 general election. Taiwan’s foreign ministry noted that numerous high-ranking officials from Tuvalu had congratulated Taiwan’s elected president and vice president after its democratic election and reiterated their commitment to preserving the friendship between the two countries. Some experts believe that Paeniu’s comments require further verification and cannot rule out the possibility that Tuvalu is using this as leverage to solicit support from Australia.