Taiwan’s consumer price index rises 2.75% in September

Taiwan’s consumer price index rises 2.75% in September

2022-10-06

Prices in September this year were 2.75% higher than the same month last year, according to the latest government data. That’s above the 2% inflation target set by the central bank. The cost of a basket of 17 government-tracked goods went up 5.84% from September 2021, the biggest increase in eight years. The price of cooking oil saw the biggest surge, at 16.03%, a 13-and-a-half-year high. Let’s hear from the government’s statistics agency.

Tsao Chih-hung
Statistics official
The main thing was the 5.3% raise we saw in food items. That accounted for about half of the 2.75% increase in the CPI for September. In late August and early September, the periphery of several typhoons delivered heavy rains to Taiwan, causing the price of vegetables to go up somewhat. The price of toilet paper went up due to rising international paper pulp prices. But the impact on domestic manufacturers was limited, so the rise wasn’t as pronounced as that for items like cooking oil. As the new Taiwan dollar continues to depreciate, the price of imported goods has increased significantly, almost 20%. Currently, there is no indication that imported inflation is easing.

Though the NT keeps depreciating, fueling imported inflation, the statistics agency says the worst effects of inflation have already passed. It says that it expects the CPI for the fourth quarter to be somewhat lower than that for Q3.

物價通膨持續漲! 9月CPI年增率2.75%又回升

2022-10-06

主計總處公布最新9月消費者物價指數，年增率為2.75%，終結連續兩個月跌勢，而且依然超過2%通膨警戒線，其中17項重要民生物資漲幅高達5.84%，創近8年新高，沙拉油跟調理油，年增率更是超過16.03%，寫下13年半新高紀錄。

[[主計總處專委曹志弘]]
“主要還是食物類上漲5.3%的影響，它就貢獻了2.75%一半的漲幅，8月底跟9月初，一些颱風外圍還有豪雨影響，所以蔬菜價格略為上漲。衛生紙受到國際紙漿的影響，不過國內廠商的調幅有限，所以漲幅並沒有像沙拉油那麼大，受到新台幣匯率貶值的影響，新台幣計價進口物價漲幅仍然很大，接近兩成，所以國內輸入性通膨壓力並沒有明顯趨緩”

雖然新台幣貶值，讓國內持續壟罩在輸入性通膨陰霾中，不過主計總處研判，國內物價高點已過，撇除短期天候因素，第四季漲幅，可望比前一季再縮小。

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With its frequent incursions, the PLA has shown that it has stopped recognizing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. That is making Taiwan reconsider what actions would be considered a “first strike” from China.

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Previously, we had said that we wouldn’t be the ones to fire the first round, or be the first ones to attack. We said we would only counterattack after the enemy starts the conflict. Does that approach still stand?

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Back then, we said that we wouldn’t fire the first round. That we wouldn’t strike unless they attacked us first. That includes artillery and missiles and so on.

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But now it seems that the definition of that has changed. If they send warplanes into our airspace, that counts as the first attack.

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That’s right.

The defense minister said that aircraft flying into Taiwan’s airspace would constitute a “first strike” against Taiwan. With cross-strait tension on the rise, the ministry is not just revising its definition of “first strike.” It has also decided to extend the duration of conscription.

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Concessions to Russia could result in China attack on Taiwan: former NATO official

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sounded the alarm for international response to the situation in the Taiwan Strait. The former secretary general of NATO warned in an interview with Fox News that the West should take Russia’s hints about nuclear weapons seriously, because Beijing is watching.

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The U.S. has been concerned about China’s recent escalation of military threats against Taiwan. President Joe Biden has mentioned four times that the U.S. military would help defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack. AIT Chairman James Moriarty, speaking at a Washington think tank forum, made it clear once again that Biden meant what he said.

James Moriarty
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The original documents make it clear that we would have to do something if there’s an attempt to change Taiwan’s status by force. That is, in a nutshell, what the president was saying.

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In every class, each student has a tablet in their hands. The teacher stands at the front and teaches through the devices.

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In Kaohsiung, there are shops proclaiming to be the king of milk, the king of schoolbags, the king of pork ribs. Is anyone in Kaohsiung not a king?

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I think it’s about our bold spirit. Because in the past very few people in Kaohsiung sold lotus root. We’re the second generation, in business since 1966.

Perhaps it’s also because a store called king is easy to remember and sounds pretty good. This lotus root shop has been in business 56 years. Customers say the name with the word “Dawang” sounds majestic.

But it does share many namesakes. This green bean soup shop has been in business for 50 years. Customers say the beans here have just the perfect texture, with each bean maintaining integrity.

Member of public
The king of green bean soup… You probably have to be very confident to choose that name. Something like king or conqueror…

King of green bean soup
The Chinese characters don’t have many strokes. I wanted to see if a name with the word king might make more money.

According to a Facebook page “Kaohsiung Tien” there are at least 25 establishments in the city who claim to be the king of something. There are kings of Job’s tears, mutton, glasses, pants, and all kinds of other clothes and cuisines. Perhaps the most famous is a drink shop claiming to be the king of milk in Kaohsiung, founded in 1966. Meanwhile, a young entrepreneur is continuing the honored tradition, opening up a shop as the king of ice treats.

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We call ourselves the king of ice treats because all our drinks are made with natural ingredients. We want that commitment to come across to every customer. We want to be the best in the drinks world, so we’re the king.

And let’s not forget the king of schoolbags, founded 63 years ago. It is still the only shop billing itself as the king of schoolbags in Taiwan. This store is a shared memory of school days for thousands of Kaohsiung locals. Next time you’re in the port city, make sure to watch out for royalty around every corner.

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