Taiwan agrees to purchase US$2.6 billion of agricultural products from Iowa

Taiwan agrees to purchase US$2.6 billion of agricultural products from Iowa

2022-09-21

A Taiwanese delegation for agricultural products has signed a memorandum of purchase agreement with the U.S. state of Iowa. The agreement, worth US$2.6 billion, or NT$82.36 billion, was inked on Sept. 20, U.S. time. In the agreement, Taiwan has committed to purchasing 2.61 to 2.94 million tons of soybeans from Iowa, as well as 1.5 million tons of corn between 2023 and 2024. Let’s hear from the state officials:

Kim Reynolds
Iowa governor
From the beginning, the key to Iowa and Taiwan’s bilateral relationship has been to identify and encourage areas of collaboration.

Mike Naig
Iowa agriculture secretary
For us, exports are going to play and should play and continue to play a significant role in profitability, so we need markets for products, and those markets can be international, they can be domestic and they can be local.

Taiwan is Iowa’s 12th largest trading partner, importing goods worth a total of approximately US$305 million from the state. In the first half of 2022, exports from Iowa to Taiwan grew by 4% compared to the total the year before, showing ever closer trade relations between the two sides.

台訪團簽署"美農產品採購書" 高達26億美元

2022-09-21

台灣農產品訪問團與美國農業大州愛荷華州，簽署金額高達26億美元，約823.6億台幣的農業採購意向書，承諾將在2023年到2024年間，購買約261萬到294萬公噸黃豆，和149.8萬公噸玉米，持續提升台美夥伴關係。

[[愛荷華州長萊諾德]]
“愛荷華州和台灣雙邊關係的重點，一直以來都是找出和鼓勵不同領域的合作。”

[[愛荷華農業部長奈格]]
“對我們來說，出口貿易會是，應該是，而且持續是極端重要的賺錢來源，因此我們需要為產品尋找市場，國際、國內或是本地的都可以。”

目前台灣是愛荷華州的第12大貿易夥伴，2021年愛荷華對台出口總計約為3.05億美元。光是2022年上半，愛荷華對台出口量，就比去年全年增加了4%，顯示台美關係正在持續提升。

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Paraguay, Marshall Islands and Guatemala speak up for Taiwan at UN General Assembly

So far, three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies have spoken up for Taiwan at this year’s United Nations General Assembly. They are Paraguay, the Marshall Islands and Guatemala, all of whom advocated for Taiwan’s inclusion in the U.N. system. In additing to calling for Taiwan’s admission as a full member, Guatemala’s president went as far as calling for Taiwan to be recognized as a nation. More allies are expected to speak up for Taiwan in the coming days.

The General Debate of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly has opened in person for the first time since COVID. Three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies voiced support for Taiwan on Day One of the debate.

Mario Abdo Benitez
President of Paraguay
My country underscores our support for the request of the Republic of China, Taiwan to be a full member of the United Nations system. We are convinced of the valuable contribution that its participation would make to the multilateral system.

The president of Paraguay voiced support for Taiwan to join the U.N. system, and took the opportunity to express his solidarity with the Taiwanese people after Sunday’s earthquake in Taitung. In the afternoon session, the president of the Marshall Islands devoted two and a half minutes protesting Taiwan’s unfair treatment.

David Kabua
President of the Marshall Islands
Today, we call on the U.N. to better welcome Taiwan and its people into our global family. How long will the U.N. persist in closing its doors and thereby denying access to the people of Taiwan? The United Nations circle of unity will remain incomplete without Taiwan and its people.

The president of Guatemala did not name names, but heavily implied that China was preventing Taiwan from joining the U.N. and being recognized as a nation.

Alejandro Giammattei Falla
President of Guatemala
Within these reforms, ensure the right of Taiwan to belong to this organization and also recognize it as a nation. Because it has been denied this right by one of the permanent members of the Security Council.

Of the four Taiwan allies speaking on Day One, only Honduras did not make any mention of Taiwan. The country is led by Xiomara Castro, whose term began in January this year, after an electoral campaign advocating for cutting ties with Taiwan. It marks the seventh year in a row that Honduras does not mention Taiwan in the General Debate.

2022-09-21

US Seventh Fleet, Royal Canadian Navy warships transit Taiwan Strait

The U.S. Seventh Fleet announced last night that it had conducted another routine transit of the Taiwan Strait. This time around, it was the destroyer USS Higgins that sailed across the strait with the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Vancouver. In a statement, the seventh fleet stated that the transit demonstrated the commitment of the U.S. and its allies to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The transit comes just days after U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview that the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a Chinese attack.

Scott Pelley
CBS reporter
So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, U.S. forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.

Joe Biden
US president
Yes.

In an exclusive interview on CBS “60 Minutes,” U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. would defend Taiwan in a Chinese invasion. After the comments, the White House came out to reiterate that its stance on Taiwan remained unchanged. It is the fourth time that Biden says in public that the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense in a Chinese attack.

Jake Sullivan
White House national security adviser
He was asked a very similar question back in Tokyo in May. He gave a similar answer in Tokyo in May that he gave in the “60 Minutes” interview. “Have you just announced a major policy change?” And he said, “No, I have not.” Well, as the President said in his interview on “60 Minutes,” we continue to stand behind the “One China” policy. We continue to stand against unilateral changes to the status quo. And we continue to stand for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The president has reiterated those basic commitments on every occasion that he’s talked about Taiwan, including in this interview.

And the U.S. is not just showing support for Taiwan with words. The U.S. Seventh Fleet on Tuesday night confirmed that the USS Higgins and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Vancouver had conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit earlier in the day. It added that the transit demonstrated the commitment of the U.S. and its allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Catherine Colonna
French minister of foreign affairs
The status quo, which is the current situation in the area, should not be challenged — neither by China nor by anyone else.

The French foreign minister spoke up for Taiwan in New York, where the United Nations General Assembly is underway. And more support has come from other foreign dignitaries. After a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio released a joint statement condemning China’s recent provocations over Taiwan. In recent days, more and more countries have spoken up against China, while standing up for Taiwan.

2022-09-21

Campaign masks are the new trend for election mementos in 2022

Political mementos are a part of modern elections. And in 2022, the campaign mask is a big trend. More and more candidates are giving out face masks at campaign events, whereas in the past they often gave voters tissue paper. We took a trip to a mask manufacturer that is happy to be booked up with orders from local politicians.

Face masks roll off a production line. A political candidate’s card is placed on each one before they are packaged. Then a sticker is added by hand, and these campaign mementos are ready to leave the busy factory.

Yang Ssu-min
FTV reporter
The mask factory is working flat out, with 18 machines working at full speed, all in an effort to get these campaign materials out as fast as possible.

As electioneering ramps up, candidates are giving out all kinds of flyers and leaflets at events. Many printers are totally booked up with orders, there’s so much demand. This production line is expected to be running 13 hours a day from now until November, producing 300,000 masks a day.

Yang Chia-hao
Biotech company CEO
In the past it was always packs of tissues that were campaign promotional products. Now, because mask production costs are low, and you can package them individually, it’s changed a lot. We used to place the candidate’s card behind the pack of tissues. We don’t do that now. You can print it on the whole mask. You can also put a card in with the mask.

Some masks come with a card, while others have a name or a slogan printed directly on. The production cost of face masks used to be much higher. Following advances in technology and the greater protection afforded by new materials, custom masks are a more attractive freebie. They’re cheaper, too.

Chao Chin-ying
Biotech company CEO
In reality our production costs are only NT$3-4 per gram. So, accordingly, we use them in our masks and toiletries, for example. So that’s why our final price is affordable for the general public.

Before the pandemic, there were about 44 mask manufacturers in Taiwan. After demand exploded and the “National Mask Squad” was formed, manufacturers multiplied until there were almost 700. Many shut down afterward, and now there are about 200 manufacturers. Luckily at election time there’s a fresh spike in demand for election souvenirs.

2022-09-21

Sculpture of marines storming a beach unveiled at Zuoying Naval Base

A sculpture depicting a battalion of marines storming a beach has been unveiled at Zuoying Naval Base in Kaohsiung. The public artwork was made from copper by veteran sculptor Fang Hui-kuang. He says he wanted the work to reflect the glory and the shocking effects of such a battle. The sculpture was commissioned by military officials to celebrate 75 years of Taiwan’s marine corps.

A battalion of marines in determined poses. Leaning slightly forward, they are ready to spring forward in an instant. Each figure has a clear role.

Fang Hui-kuang
Sculptor
When the marines advance, it’s professional knowledge which type of soldier will take up which position. Where does the mortar go? Where do the artillerymen go? So once I had confirmed those things, I could start making my artistic plans. The work has a rather flowery name: “The Key to Victory.”

Fang Hui-kuang was commissioned by the armed forces to create a copper sculpture for this spot. It’s taken more than two years since he first began to envision the piece to its unveiling. These nine copper figures were smelted at temperatures over 1,000 degrees. Now they sit near Zuoying Naval Base on a street corner, a site of contact between the military and local civilians.

Fang Hui-kuang
Sculptor
I think that the moment when a marine unit seizes a beachhead is the most stunning. In that moment, no matter what their training is or how patriotic, or what moral fortitude, courage or abilities they have, it’s a totally shocking scene.

In the sunshine, the copper reflects that shocking moment even more vividly. Fang wanted his work to express the glory in a scene of soldiers charging past enemy lines to protect their home and country.

Fang Hui-kuang
Sculptor
Also, at the Marine History Museum next door, they tell the history of the marines, so that people can get closer to the military in their daily lives, and understand soldiers and battalions, the responsibility they have to fight tirelessly for our country and our society.

This year is the 75th anniversary of the creation of Taiwan’s Marine Corps. If you want to learn more about this vital link between Army and Navy, and find out more about Taiwan’s military history, Zuoying has plenty for army buffs to see and do.

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Education ministry allocates NT$20 million budget to digitalize public schools

Since the beginning of the year, the education ministry has funneled NT$11.7 billion to provide tablets and fast internet connection to every public school classroom. Today we visit two schools, one in Hsinchu and the other in New Taipei, to see how digital technology is put into action.

Tablet in hand, students at Hsinchu’s Guang-Hua Junior High School take their lesson outdoors. They’re on their way to complete the mission set by their English teacher, Wang Ching-hung.

Lee Po-yen
Student
I really like learning at school with tablets, because they improve our concentration and make classes more interesting, unlike more traditional lessons where there’s only a textbook, which is slightly duller.

To digitalize the classroom, the Ministry of Education is handing out up to NT$900 million in subsidies for schools to procure more than 700 units of digital learning content and software, to construct and upgrade the digital learning ecosystem in public schools.

Wang Ching-hung
English teacher
About four to five years ago, kids started using tablets in the classroom, while teachers began lecturing on smart boards. Therefore, since digital learning technologies were being introduced to the classroom, the learning site had been transposed from the classroom to the wider campus. That way, students would learn in a more continuous manner, instead of only learning during English lessons scheduled three times a week.

Up north in New Taipei, students at Yong-Ping High School access the day’s lesson with laptops. This learning method had long become routine here.

Tsai Ya-han
Geography teacher
Personally, I really like where this new educational trend is going, where we utilize technology to make classes more exciting. And because technological tools are constantly keeping up with the times, we can improve upon existing lessons every year. For example, this year we can do maps, and next year we’ll integrate virtual reality into lessons. We can always update lessons.

Between 2022 and 2025, the education ministry will allocate up to NT$20 billion in total to set up internet connection in every classroom and make sure every student has access to a tablet. For now, the ministry is working on upgrading digital hardware and software in primary and secondary schools, to construct a better digital learning environment.

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Spotlight on film music composer, Thomas Foguenne

Immigrants from all over the world come to Taiwan where they find work, start families and contribute to making the island so special. In today’s installment of "An Immigrant Story" we meet Thomas Foguenne, an award-winning film score composer and pianist from Belgium.FTV reporter Stephany Yang sat down with Foguenne to find out more about his work.

His fingers fly across the piano keyboard. This is award-winning composer Thomas Foguenne. Foguenne came to Taiwan 12 years ago, and since then, he has created over 80 music pieces for documentaries, features, dance performances, theater plays, commercials and more.

Thomas Foguenne
Film music composer
I came to Taiwan for the first time 12 years ago to visit friends. I was on holiday, but I loved it so I came one more time and then again. One thing leading to another, I started to study Chinese here. I started to work. I got married. Something that inspires me and always me are stories, telling stories. So that’s why I got interested in film music. That’s something that I got to develop here in Taiwan.

He won Best Sound and Music at the Golden Bell Awards for “The Cat in the Closet" in 2016, and for "The Thorn" in 2018. He said much of his inspirations came from different music, films and personal experiences that he encounters.

Thomas Foguenne
Film music composer
Composers and film music composers are two very different jobs. As a film music composer you are a film-maker. You’re taking part of the making of a film. For that, you have to consider yourself as a film-maker. You have to watch films, understand films. Not just doing music on the side. That would be my main advice.

Based in Europe and Taiwan, Foguenne graduated from the Royal Academy of Music of Mons where he studied orchestra conducting, electroacoustic music, contemporary music composition, piano, chamber music, and harmony and music theory. Foguenne is also a teacher in both Taiwan and Belgium. With his extensive experience in the music industry, he says he hopes to continue to share his knowledge with students in both Taiwan and Belgium.

Thomas Foguenne
Film music composer
Teaching is a job that you learn as much as you teach. That’s something that I get a lot out of. You spend time with young people. You see their struggles and you see their talents. Of course, you have a lot of chances for you to prepare the class and learn a lot of things. I love it.

In August 2022, Foguenne was granted citizenship by Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior. Foguenne says he strives to continue producing music and giving back to his two homes: Belgium and Taiwan.

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