Coach bus drivers quitting ‘daily’ to get higher pay as city bus drivers: operator

2023-03-07

The coach bus industry bore the brunt of COVID, leaving many drivers with no choice but to change careers. But now that COVID is winding down, the industry is facing a shortage of drivers. Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport says it is facing a shortage of 200 drivers. It adds that employees have been quitting daily since the Lunar New Year break.

The company says the main reason for the resignations is likely higher pay for urban bus drivers. Last year, drivers for either coach buses or city buses would get between NT$50,000 and NT$60,000 a month. However in October, Taipei and New Taipei adjusted their rates for city bus drivers up by NT$6,000 a month. The substantial difference is making drivers switch career paths to become city bus drivers.

市區公車加薪6000! 國光客運司機爆跳槽風

2023-03-07

疫情期間，客運業受創慘重，很多司機賺不到錢紛紛轉行。如今疫情趨緩後，運輸需求回溫，卻找不到足夠司機開車。以國光客運為例，農曆年後每天都有駕駛提離職，目前人力缺口多達200人。

業者指出，主要是被市區公車業挖角去，原本市區公車和客運兩邊駕駛月薪，平均都落在5萬至6萬元，但去年10月，雙北市公車運價調漲，司機每個月也跟著加薪6000元，市區公車月薪躍升到6萬至7萬元，兩者落差擴大。

Tsai to meet Speaker McCarthy in Los Angeles to avoid conflict from China

Speculation in recent weeks has been rife over whether U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would visit Taipei, in a move that was sure to anger China. Now international media is reporting that President Tsai Ing-wen has decided to hold a meeting with him, but not in Taiwan. Instead, the two officials would meet on U.S. soil to avoid potentially sparking backlash from China. Neither U.S. or Taiwanese officials have yet confirmed the report, but the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has confirmed that Tsai is expected to give a speech there in April.

On Tuesday, the U.K.-based Financial Times reported that President Tsai Ing-wen has convinced U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to meet in California in April. That’s seen as a compromise, instead of a potential visit by McCarthy to Taipei, to avoid provoking Beijing’s ire.

Karine Jean-Pierre
White House press secretary
I don’t believe that Taiwan has announced any travel for the president, of Taiwan. Taiwan’s presidents have traveled to the United States in the past, so I would refer you to Taiwan for anything specific on that, and certainly I would refer you to the Speaker’s office for any potential meeting that he may be having.

Ned Price
US State Department spokesperson
Members of congress, the speaker of the house, in a case like this, is going to decide for himself, or herself, the meeting, the nature of the meeting that he or she wishes to make.

Both the White House and the U.S. State Department would neither confirm nor deny the planned meeting. Back in Taipei, the foreign minister was equally tight-lipped.

Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
The head of state’s diplomatic affairs are one of the most important aspects of the foreign ministry’s work. We at the ministry will carefully consider how to best arrange the president’s state visits. However, at this point when no clear plans have yet been made, it would be inappropriate for me to make any comments.

According to a source, Tsai is planning to wait until the end of March to give full details on the trip, which is to be her first trip since the start of the pandemic. She is expected to fly first to New York, where she will transit to ally nation Guatemala for a summit, and then to ally Belize for a state visit. On the return leg of her journey in early April, Tsai is expected to fly to Los Angeles where she will meet McCarthy, and give a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Tsai Ing-wen (August 2018)
President
President Reagan once said something well worth reflecting on—"everything is negotiable except two things: our freedom and our future."

Tsai previously visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, when she visited California in 2018. Tsai spoke publicly on that visit, which at the time was considered a diplomatic breakthrough. Now the president is reportedly planning a second trip to the library, and her alleged planned speech at the site is sure to garner much attention again.

2023-03-07

Premier responds to reports that Taiwan may stockpile US ammunition

2023-03-07

China’s foreign minister cites PRC Constitution on Taiwan sovereignty claims

China’s newly appointed foreign minister on Tuesday argued that China’s claims over Taiwan are laid out in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. He accused the U.S. of meddling in Taiwan’s affairs, and said that Washington was guilty of double standards for recognizing Ukraine’s sovereignty, but not Beijing’s sovereignty claims over Taiwan. One researcher said that China was confusing the issue, but that the world could see through its rhetoric.

At his first press conference after taking office, Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang on Tuesday read a portion of China’s Constitution that claims Taiwan to be a part of the People’s Republic of China.

Qin Gang
Chinese foreign minister
Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People’s Republic of China. It is the sacred duty of all the Chinese people, including our fellow Chinese in Taiwan, to achieve the great reunification of the motherland.

Jeff Liu
Foreign ministry spokesperson
Taiwan has never been a part of the People’s Republic of China. Regardless of how China distorts Taiwan’s sovereignty claims, it cannot change the fact that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other.

MOFA shot back at Qin, saying that authoritarianism and democracy cannot coexist. Chengchi University researcher Soong Kuo-cheng also went on the offensive saying that the “red book” containing China’s Constitution has long been out of date.

Soong Kuo-cheng
Chengchi University researcher
If you use this constitution to represent something, that’s just a pretense and has no meaning. The reality is that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other. Why not take the earlier Republic of China constitution? The Constitution of the Republic of China existed before the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China.

Throughout the press conference Qin also took aim at the U.S., warning it not to meddle in Taiwan-related affairs. Qin tried to liken Taiwan to Ukraine, saying that the U.S. respects Ukraine’s territory and sovereignty, but not China’s territory and sovereignty.

Soong Kuo-cheng
Chengchi University researcher
This way of confusing who the invader and the invaded are is not the proper way to discuss sovereignty. Everyone can see through it. Qin wants to make it as if the U.S.’ support for Taiwan was a double standard. By arguing that Taiwan is China’s sovereign territory, China would not be invading Taiwan, but instead fighting in a civil war.

The researcher said that Qin’s sugar coating of China’s aggression toward Taiwan is consistent with Beijing’s “united front” efforts, and that the world can see through Beijing’s rhetoric.

2023-03-07

Belize embassy hosts art exhibition to celebrate Women’s History Month

2023-03-07

The joys of Canadian food: grain-fed healthy beef, fleshy Atlantic lobster and more

Taiwan is Canada’s 13th-largest trading partner globally and its 5th-largest trading partner in Asia. But did you ever think that behind all these dry statistics lies delicious food? Grain-fed beef from Canada has a unique flavor that many Taiwanese enjoy. FTV reporter Stephany Yang recently joined Canadian Trade Office in Taipei deputy director Derry McDonnell for a Canadian dinner. Let’s hear more about what they chatted about.

The chef pan-fries the Canadian ribeye beef medium rare, then tops the meat with a sauce made from horseradish.

This is the main dish, pan-seared Canadian rib-eye served with seasonal vegetables and horseradish sauce. Canada is the second largest country in the world, boasting a vast hinterland, rich water resources, grasslands, and mountains. Canadian Trade Office in Taipei deputy director Derry McDonnell says that Canada uses grain to raise cattle, which gives Canadian beef a uniquely tender taste.

Derry McDonnell
Canadian Trade Office in Taipei deputy director
We are quite proud of Canadian beef. It is very good quality. What is unique about Canadian beef is that it is grain fed so it is quite flavorful and it is reasonably priced and quite healthy. We don’t have, for example in Canada, a high degree of growth hormones, steroids, or that kind of thing. It is really a good choice. It hits the sweet spot for beef.

There is also this dish, "Canadian Atlantic lobster and bisque." The chef first boils the fresh Canadian Atlantic lobster for seven to eight minutes. Then, the chef unshells the lobster

The bisque is boiled with lobster head, onions, vegetables, carrots, basil, and lemon leaves. Due to its geographical advantages, Canada is a large supplier of seafood for Taiwan from the Atlantic Ocean. This includes lobster, crab, flounder, shrimp, shellfish, and more. The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and a hotel have partnered to launch a month-long Canadian Food Festival in Taiwan’s capital until March 31.

Derry McDonnell
Canadian Trade Office in Taipei deputy director
We have a month-long Canadian food promotional event going on at this hotel. It will be on till the end of the month, where a number of Canadian dishes and ingredients are being featured, whether it is beef, seafood, or even some Canadian desserts, or classic Canadian snacks if you will. Canadian lobster is harvested at a particular time of the year when the lobster has not shed its skin into a new shell. So the gap in between the meat and the shell is narrow. It is not full of water. So, when you buy a Canadian lobster, you are getting as much meat as possible from the animal. That is a nice feature as well.

According to data Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade, Canada’s exports to Taiwan reached US$2.52 billion, and Taiwan’s exports to Canada amounted to US$3.3 billion last year. To further strengthen ties, Canada and Taiwan on Feb. 7 began negotiations for a "Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Arrangement." The two sides are planning to officially launch formal talks this April. The trade agreement seeks to safeguard existing investments as well as strengthen trade and investment ties in the future.

Derry McDonnell
Canadian Trade Office in Taipei deputy director
The primary purpose of a FIPA is to provide investors with reasurrance that their investments in either location are going to be protected. And that it will be a stable investment environment. We have seen a lot of growth in bilateral trade with Taiwan. This past year, 2022, we saw a 20% increase in bilateral trade with Taiwan. That is on top of 30% growth the year before. So, business is booming between Taiwan and Canada. We are really happy about that.

Taiwan is Canada’s 13th-largest trading partner globally, and its 5th-largest trading partner in Asia. The two countries hope that the proposed deal can further strengthen the two sides’ partnership in the Indo-Pacific.

2023-03-07

Kaohsiung mayor meets close confidant of former PM Abe Shinzo in Japan

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai continues on his visit in Japan. On Tuesday, he sat with Hagiuda Koichi, a close confidant of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Chen and Hagiuda voiced hope for closer cooperation between the two sides, to bring relations to a “new level.” Chen says that means Taiwan and Japan will become inseparable.

Tuesday was the third day of Chen Chi-mai’s Japan visit. In the morning he sat with the chair of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party, Hagiuda Koichi. The politician is well-acquainted with Taiwan, having only just visited back in December.

Hagiuda Koichi
LDP Policy Research Council chair
We had more stops on the itinerary, but Legislator Chiu kept offering us alcohol. So I felt light as a feather afterward.

Hagiuda said that during his Taiwan visit, he was accompanied by DPP lawmaker Chiu Yi-ying, adding that he was happy to see her again. The Japanese politician is seen as a close confidant of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, and is a strong advocate for Taiwan in Japan. His own hometown of Hachioji is a sister city to Kaohsiung. He said meeting its mayor, Chen Chi-mai, was like meeting a close relative.

Hagiuda Koichi
LDP Policy Research Council chair
I hope there is not just city-to-city exchanges at the local level, but also exchanges between the people of our two countries.

Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung mayor
Hagiuda mentioned that Taiwan and Japan should work to bring their partnership to the next level. In my opinion, this new level would be one where we are inseparable.

Chen voiced hope for closer Taiwan-Japan ties, after Hagiuda said bilateral ties should be upgraded.

Chang Po-yang
TSP Kaohsiung councilor
In the past, when Taiwan needed help during the COVID pandemic, Japan donated vaccines to us, to help us through a tough spot. On the front of international relations, whenever we have problems, many pro-Taiwan groups, and politicians led by former PM Abe Shinzo offered their support to us. Friendships like these are hard to come by. We should treasure our ties. This kind of inseparable relationship is better than just a friendship, because we help each other out.

After the meeting with Japanese politicians, Chen headed to Foodex Japan to promote Kaohsiung’s agricultural products.

2023-03-07

Taiwan’s premier circus group, Formosa Circus Art, wins Tainan residency

Following the wildly successful “Focasa” festival of circus arts, Taiwan’s premier circus group has been granted permanent residency in Tainan. A special, permanent home for Formosa Circus Art has been approved by Tainan City government. The group has toured in more than 20 countries worldwide, and boasts a solid following in Northern Taiwan. This is its first time calling the South home. The team is fired up about having a permanent home, and promises lots more fun and frolics ahead.

A spectacular circus show captivates young and old. This circus festival, held in Tainan last month, presented many different circus groups’ unique performances in a “circus village” format. Now, Formosa Circus Art plans to put down solid roots at a permanent base in one of Taiwan’s oldest cities.

Cheng Po-hui
FTV reporter
The Tainan City government has arranged a special area here in Shueijiaoshe Cultural Park where Formosa Circus Art can be in residence.

Chang Yu-wen
Formosa Circus Art brand manager
We can all gather here in a concentrated way, foster a kind of team spirit, and concentrate on our practice. For us, this venue is a fantastic space.

Formosa Circus Art was founded in 2011. First based in Northern Taiwan, it has toured in more than 20 countries. Now it hopes to bring the circus closer to Taiwanese audiences in the country’s south.

Lin Chih-wei
Formosa Circus Art founder
We have a very stable audience base in the North. But in recent years we’ve been asking how to bring the circus into daily life for more people. We’ll collaborate with lots of local governments from a base in Tainan, and gradually extend out into Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

Their pop-up events in quiet backstreets have made a big splash and brought the magic of the circus to many new audiences.

Huang Wei-chih
Formosa Circus Art marketing director
It has to be fun. It has to be fun. When we go into little side streets, the stilt-walker appears especially tall, and they bend right down to say hello to people sitting below at restaurant tables. People love that. And that really moves us, because it restores our original ideas and intentions. In the past when we would stand on street corners, begging people to come down to the circus tent.

Over the next 10 years, the group hopes to establish a circus culture centered on its ideas of circus life. The residency in Tainan is a chance to put down roots in the south for the first time, and usher in a new era for the circus in Taiwan.

2023-03-07

Former Yankees pitcher holds press conference about Taiwan visit

2023-03-07

Forecasters say no significant rainfall is expected until May as reservoirs dry up

Water levels at reservoirs in Southern Taiwan continue falling, with Tsengwen reservoir hitting a low 18% capacity. The Central Weather Bureau says the past three months have been the driest in the last 60 years for areas south of Taoyuan. Meteorologists say they expect the spring season to be drier and warmer than usual, warning that rains may not come until May, with the plum rain season.

The sun shines down, but don’t pack away your winter clothes just yet, as the weather is set to change. From Sunday, windward areas in the north and east will begin to see wet weather. And starting Monday, a cold air front moving south could cause temperatures to drop below 10 degrees in the north.

Wu Wan-hua
CWB forecaster
During this time, we expect lows of 10 degrees in the Matsu Islands. Kinmen, Central Taiwan, Northern Taiwan and the east coast will see lows of 11 to 12 degrees. In other areas of Taiwan they’ll dip to 13 to 14 degrees. In open areas in the coast, or near mountains it could be even colder.

Water remains scarce in Southern Taiwan, with Chiayi’s Tsengwen Reservoir dipping to 18.1% capacity. According to the CWB, the three months from December to February have been the driest in Taiwan in 60 years for areas south of Taoyuan. If starting the period in June that’s the fourth driest period in 70 years. The weather stations at Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Chiayi and Tainan have all recorded the fewest rainy days since they were installed. There’s been so little rainfall some are calling it the drought of the century.

Chen Yi-liang
Central Weather Bureau
We often have to wait until the plum rains to get any significant rainfall in Central and Southern Taiwan. From our previous records, there is a high likelihood of scarce to normal rainfall in March and April. Whether the plum rain season will start in May is something that’s somewhat more uncertain. We’ll continue looking at the data and offer an explanation.

The CWB says it expects the spring months to be drier and warmer than usual, adding that the rains may not come back until May.

2023-03-07