Support builds for four-day workweek, Executive Yuan to respond

2023-05-15

Could four-day workweeks be the future of work? An online petition for the shorter workweek surpassed more than 5,000 signatures on April 26. The government has two months to give a response. On Monday, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan said that global trends would be assessed before drafting a reply. He made a point of saying that so far, no country in Asia had introduced such a policy.

One private company, the publishing firm Booklife, adopted the four-day workweek on its own in 2013. The company says that results were good, that productivity stayed the same after the switch. The president of Soochow University says he supports the four-day workweek and would be happy to implement it, if relevant regulations were amended.

網發起周休三日東吳校長喊:若法令鬆綁願配合

2023-05-15

行政院副院長鄭文燦周一出席活動時，被問及有關在公共政策網路參與平台提案”要讓台灣成為亞洲首個周休三日的國家”一事，表示亞洲還沒有任何國家有這方面的政策推廣，政院會據實把全世界發展趨勢，向公民報告。

該提案在4月26日超過5000人附議，主管機關須在2個月內透過平台具體回應。不過東吳大學校長潘維大已經開出大專院校第一槍，表示支持周休三日，如果教育部鬆綁願意配合。民間企業其實也有圓神出版社，早在2013年就已經實施周休三日，而且自認成效良好，公司運作效率也很正常。

US lawmakers introduce bill to rename Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Washington

2023-05-15

Hang Kuang tabletop war games kick off

The tabletop war games of the annual Han Kuang military drills began on Monday. This phase comprises five days of round-the-clock simulations of possible enemy tactics against Taiwan. It will focus on China’s recent encirclement of Taiwan and incorporate lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war. The goal will be to sharpen the battle command skills of military leaders. Sources say the U.S. is paying close attention to this year’s games, and has sent a group to observe it firsthand.

The computerized war games of the 39th Han Kuang exercises kicked off on Monday. Over the five days of the drill, the chief of the general staff will direct leaders of the armed forces in round-the-clock exercises.

Chang Chun-chih (April 26)
Defense ministry
Our exchanges and training programs with the U.S. and our allies are carried out according to our annual plans

The defense ministry has not confirmed U.S. participation. But sources say the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is closely observing the computerized drills and will provide feedback afterward.

Chao Tien-lin
DPP lawmaker
Through the U.S. observing our exercises, the U.S. and its allies can develop more pragmatic strategies for deterring a Chinese invasion or a disruption to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Military cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. will only increase, not decrease.

The Han Kuang exercises are closely watched, amid China’s growing threat to Taiwan. Last Sunday, six PLA warplanes and five warships were detected operating in the region. Taiwan monitored the maneuvers with its missile systems.

Su Tzu-yun
Institute for National Defense and Security Research
The U.S. has openly confirmed that it will increase the number of staff deployed to assist with training in Taiwan. This advisory team will grow from 30 to 200 troops. The mutual trust between Taiwan and the U.S. is reflected in the Indo-Pacific defense coalition of democratic nations, particularly along the first island chain. There is now a crescent-shaped coalition spanning South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, which aims to contain China’s military threats.

The tabletop war games will focus on tactics used by the PLA during its two recent encirclement drills targeting Taiwan. The games will draw on lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war to enhance command capabilities at all levels in the military.

2023-05-15

Domestically made sub prototype nearing completion: shipbuilder

2023-05-15

22-strong advocacy group to rally for Taiwan outside WHA

The 2023 World Health Assembly will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from this Sunday to May 31. Despite not being invited, Taiwan will be represented by official and unofficial advocacy groups. In a press conference on Monday, one advocacy group announced its game plan for Geneva. Its 22 members plan to hold networking events and a street demonstration. The group will also join the WHO’s annual walking event to promote Taiwan’s cause.

The 76th World Health Assembly starts this Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland. A civilian advocacy group will fly out to Geneva to speak out for Taiwan.

Wu Hsin-tai
WHO advocacy group member
We are actually on the front line of the fight for democracy. We’re an outpost, so to speak, not only politically but also when it comes to global health care. It’s not only that we need to participate in the WHA – it’s that the WHA also needs the Taiwanese perspective.

Shih Shu-hua
WHO advocacy group member
Health minister Hsueh will also lead a visiting delegation, a group of 30 people. This is a government-civilian joint effort. The people and the government will work together to enhance Taiwan’s visibility.

The 22-person advocacy group, which includes several doctors, will depart for Geneva on Thursday. With help from local expats, the group will hold a 300-strong street demonstration. It will also participate in a walking event hosted by the WHO. Meanwhile, a medical group from Taiwan will hold seminars in Geneva, with former Vice President Chen Chien-jen participating online.

There will be a screening of the Taiwanese TV series “Hoping,” which tells the story of Taiwan’s battle with SARS.

Chou Te-wang
WHO advocacy group member
In the past, we’d have about 100 people from our government and civilian teams, plus at least 200 to 300 people from the local expat community. That’s the scale of the street demonstration we’re looking at. We will also hold a Taiwan creativity exhibit over there.

The group is set to shine a light on Taiwan, to let the world see its contributions to global health.

2023-05-15

Hualien artwork features Taiwan Railways Administration logo cut into the rice

A unique artwork has sprung up in a rice field in Hualien. It’s the logo of Taiwan Railways Administration, cut into the rice! The project is the brainchild of local businessman Lin Chin-tang. He wanted to thank TRA for its support for the people of the East Coast after last year’s earthquakes in Taitung. For just a couple of months, travelers taking the line down Hualien can enjoy a spectacular seasonal landmark.

A plain of rolling fields stretches to the horizon, as a train rumbles past. Look closer and you might recognize this logo, “painted” in purple on the paddy field. It’s the familiar sign of the Taiwan Railways Administration.

Lin Chin-tang
TRA logo art project founder
To let everyone know that TRA is the only line that will take everyone from Hualien and Taitung home, or bring all the travelers from around the world to Hualien and Taitung. I think this is a way for me to give back to my home in Hualien.

Lin Chin-tang is a native of Hualien’s Yuli Township, and runs a business which provides cleaning services to TRA. He conceived this project as a way to say thanks to TRA, after it was impacted by the Taitung earthquakes last year. TRA suffered heavy losses to the railway line between Hualien and Taitung, which is used by residents and tourists alike. This art project says “thanks for everything.”

Painting the rice field involved computerized painting and positioning techniques, as well as traditional methods of seedling transplantation, in an extremely elaborate process.

Hsia Pao-ming
Rice field artist
After it was leveled, we painted a nine-square grid. The nine-square was the most traditional seedling planting pattern farmers used in the past.

The unique artwork sits beside the track that runs from Yuli to Fuli, in a field of about half a hectare near the famous Kecheng Bridge. The brilliant red bridge against the lush green fields serves as a perfect backdrop for a photoshoot.

Wu Chin-tien
TRA Hualien Office
You can admire the art there from now until mid-June, after which the rice will need to be harvested.

This is not the first rice field art in Taiwan. But it is the first time the TRA logo has been celebrated in such a way, especially as a gesture of gratitude from a local.

2023-05-15

Taipei Veterans General Hospital launches Taiwan’s first heavy ion therapy center

2023-05-15

TSMC talent shortage threatens its global leading edge: US media

Taiwan’s semiconductor behemoth TSMC is facing a serious talent shortage, which could threaten its leading edge in the industry, according to the New York Times. The report says that, over the past decade, its employee head count has grown almost 70%, but Taiwan’s birthrate has plummeted. Over the same period, the number of people with master’s and doctorate degrees have also plummeted, by 12% and 20% respectively. The article says there is not enough talent to meet demand, especially as young people may not be keen on TSMC’s demanding work culture.

TSMC’s business may be booming, but it could soon face a labor crisis. The New York Times has published a report titled: “Taiwan Is Running Low on a Strategic Asset: Engineers.” It says that a talent shortage could affect TSMC’s global lead. The report says TSMC has continued to expand its production capacity, with its number of employees increasing by nearly 70% in the past 10 years. In that same time, Taiwan’s birthrate has halved.

Liu Pei-chen
Taiwan Industry Economics Services
Despite a trend of a declining birth rate, and a decline year by year of those who specialize in science and engineering, TSMC still has more pull than small-and-medium-sized enterprises, which are more worried.

Taiwan has seen negative population growth for three consecutive years. According to statistics from the interior ministry, a decade ago there were 200,000 births per year. Last year, there were only 139,000 in a historic low. In terms of talents in science and engineering, there were 82,000 graduates with relevant skills in 2012 and only 65,000 in 2020, a drop of 20%. Master’s and Ph.D. students have also dropped 12% and 20% respectively. In addition to Taiwan’s declining birthrate, the company faces massive poaching from international companies. Working conditions are also a key factor.

Yang Tsung-pin
Job bank spokesperson
The tech industry gives a kind of salary that’s on a Taiwan level. Multinationals use global salaries to lure away talent. The pay is several times higher than in Taiwan. The entire tech industry here needs to be on call any time. I joke that new tech hires with high status will tangibly be much wealthier, but your health is also wealth and this may not necessarily increase as well.

The government in 2021 set up four semiconductor colleges, with hopes of strengthening educational resources for this industry. Companies are also cooperating with universities to launch internships, hoping to grab outstanding talents as soon as possible. After all, the chip industry is receiving unprecedented attention worldwide, so talent cultivation for Taiwan is a race against time.

2023-05-15

Tourism Spotlight Award opens for online voting

2023-05-15

The life of a freelance writer: game plots, online teaching and commercial copy

We’re hearing a lot these days about rising inflation, and wages not keeping up with the cost of living. But what about freelance workers, who don’t have any stable salary at all? Today we take a look at how one freelance writer is making a living in this wobbly economy. Cheng Min-chih is a literature graduate and novelist. She works as a freelance teacher and also writes the plots for video games! By taking on a variety of projects, she earns upward of NT$50,000 a month. But she says a freelance career can be extremely stressful, and it’s hard to save money.

Thirty-year-old Cheng Min-chih is a writer. She’s been working freelance for five years now. She spends about half her time teaching online, and the other half writing the plots of video games.

She designs everything from the characters’ personalities to their lines. She took part in two very famous games’ construction, and typically spends 40 to 50 hours on each project. At the same time, she spends four to eight hours a week teaching online.

Cheng Min-chih
Freelance writer
About 50% of my income comes from games, and 40-50% from teaching. When I started writing games I earned about NT$5,000 a month from it. That crept up and up over time, to NT$20,000 or NT$30,000, and now it can be NT$40,000.

As a freelancer, Cheng has a lot of flexibility in arranging her schedule. Games and teaching earn her between NT$40,000 and NT$50,000 a month. Sometimes she also takes on commercial copywriting cases, and altogether earns up to NT$60,000 a month. Her biggest-earning project brought in a tidy six-figure sum.

Cheng Min-chih
Freelance writer
Working freelance means you have to be responsible for all your own equipment and costs. It can feel extremely stressful. I’m working hard to save NT$10,000. Part of it is I’m living with my parents, and I contribute to their bills, just a small token amount.

As a graduate of National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Taiwanese Literature, Cheng has also published five novels. Then she worked as a personal assistant at an international corporation, but her salary there was just NT$24,000 a month. The high-stress environment also caused her health problems. So she quit that job and decided to find her own way as a freelancer.

Cheng Min-chih
Freelance writer
My income is quite good right now, but I have to take on another project in order to be more able to make ends meet.

With inflation rising, living expenses are very high. Cheng supports herself by taking jobs of several kinds, and hopes that by diversifying her income streams, she can develop more financial stability.

2023-05-15

Fried rice restaurant with endless menu gives loyal customers decision paralysis

As inflation soars, the price of eating out is creeping up. Restaurants across Taiwan are reluctantly raising prices. But many favorite local eateries are still going strong, especially when they count on personal connections with customers. Today we meet Mr. Huang, who runs a fried rice restaurant in Taipei. On the wall of his joint are more than 500 variations on fried rice. Customers complain the endless menu gives them decision paralysis. But something about the chef’s warm and efficient service keeps them coming back for more.

Mr. Huang cracks an egg into the pan, adds crabmeat, and stirs furiously. Last in is the rice. He serves up 250 bowls of fried rice every day. He doesn’t even need to look up as he reaches for the sauces by muscle memory.

This fried rice joint in a Taipei alleyway has been in business for 34 years. Every day at lunch a crowd gathers, but lots of people are stumped by the menu. There are more than 500 variations on fried rice listed - too many to fit on the wall. The options include every possible combination of garlic, tomatoes, peppers, and pork liver…

Customer
The last time I came, I was just choosing my order for 10 minutes, standing there thinking.

Customer
I spend a long time thinking – seven or eight minutes.

Mr. Huang
Fried rice restaurant owner
I started with about 30 basic choices. Over time, people would ask, “Can you add this or add that?” I’d say, “Of course.” And gradually it got more and more customized.

Some customers have begged Huang for a quick menu of favorite choices to save them from decision paralysis. He can cook the meal much faster than they can choose.

Mr. Huang
Fried rice restaurant owner
It was a bit of a muddle at first. I would miss things out as I took the order, or as I grabbed the different ingredients for the pan. Some customers don’t speak very clearly and we miss something.

Creating such a customizable menu was a steep learning curve, requiring lots of concentration at first. Recently, with inflation as high as it is, Huang has had to raise prices, but he hopes his warm and personalized service will keep customers close by.

2023-05-15

Support builds for four-day workweek, Executive Yuan to respond