Trade group upbeat on second half of year at Taipei forum

Trade group upbeat on second half of year at Taipei forum

2023-06-12

The Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei hosted a trade forum on Monday to mark its 75th anniversary. The event brought together scholars from all over the world, for discussions on trade and environmental, social and corporate governance. President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan attended the opening ceremony.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
Next, Taiwan and the U.S. will start negotiations on seven issues including labor, environment, agriculture, and digital trade. These are the most pressing trade issues in the world right now, and they cover almost all the content of the CPTPP trade agreement.

Cheng Wen-tsan
Vice premier
Our exports to China, Hong Kong and Macao total US$185.975 billion, and our degree of dependence on them has come down to 38.8%. That’s the lowest level in 20 years and it’s a figure that continues to fall.

Huang Wen-rong
Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei
Exports have seen negative growth for nine months straight. This is primarily due to the slower recovery of global trade. Taiwan’s industrial competitiveness is actually very strong. Many of our products are already on the market, but the market is digesting them slowly. We should all be optimistic, because in the second half of the year, after August and September, we will see an uptick. It won’t be a major boost, but still a boost nonetheless.

According to the Ministry of Finance, exports in May stood at US$36.13 billion. That represents a year-on-year drop of 14.1%, and the ninth straight month of negative growth. The decline is expected to continue in June, with a projected decrease of 14% to 16.5%. Officials expect this negative growth cycle to last 12 to 14 months, meaning that exports could turn positive as early as September.

蔡總統出席經貿論壇聚焦歐美市場與ESG議題

2023-06-12

今天台北市進出口公會，舉辦"跨越75周年"全球經貿論壇，會場集滿各國學者，針對鏈結亞太、聚焦歐美，大談ESG議題，總統蔡英文和行政院副院長鄭文燦也親自到場力挺。

[[總統蔡英文]]
“接下來台灣和美國，將展開勞動環境農業以及數位貿易等七項議題的談判，都是當今全球最關注的經貿議題，也幾乎涵蓋CPTPP的貿易協定相關內容”

[[行政院副院長鄭文燦]]
“中國港澳的出口是1859.75億美元，大概依存度降到38.8%，這是20年來最低的，逐步在下降”

[[台北市進出口公會秘書長黃文榮]]
“現在出口連九個月的負成長，主要也是因為國外景氣恢復比較慢，事實上台灣產業競爭力是非常強的，因為我們很多產品都已經到市場，但是市場消化比較慢，大家要很樂觀，因為下半年八、九月以後，你就會看到，雖然不是春燕，但秋燕也會來”

財政部日前公布5月出口361.3億美元、年減14.1%，連9黑，預估6月年減幅度落在14%至16.5%，雖然將寫連10黑，但這波負成長週期估為期12至14個月，也就是說，出口最快9月轉正。

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New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih in hot seat over preschool drugging scandal

New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih is on the defensive amid a preschool drugging scandal in his city. At a press conference in city hall, Hou laid out the measures taken by his government to handle the crisis. Opposition councilors demand that he report to city council, accusing him of being slow to act. DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te says the mayor should have more empathy for the parents involved.

Holding up a visual aid, New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih addresses a preschool drugging scandal in his city during a regular press conference.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
From the very beginning, we have been handling this issue using a joint task force.

One day earlier, he had urged his 2024 presidential election rival, Lai Ching-te, to follow up on the case, saying “the judiciary is under your government’s jurisdiction.” On Monday, Lai criticized him for missing the point.

Lai Ching-te
Vice president
Think about it, if these children were our own children, our own grandchildren, think about how upset we would be. We need to empathize in this situation. Mayor Hou or the New Taipei City government should set up a medical team as soon as possible to protect these children’s health. Come on, Mayor Hou.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
Lai Ching-te specifically said that I missed…he said that I missed…he said that I missed the point, but actually it’s Lai Ching-te who missed the point. The measures that Lai Ching-te recommended, we have already been taking. So he doesn’t know what we’re actually doing at this stage. For the parents and their children, the most important thing is that they want prosecutors to quickly figure out where the drugs came from.

Hou stressed that his government was being proactive over the case. But DPP councilors say he has explaining to do at the city council.

Cho Kuan-ting
New Taipei councilor (DPP)
The bottom line is that you missed the golden window of opportunity. There are too many mysteries in this case, too many truths that are being covered up. Your only chance at saving yourself is to walk into New Taipei City Council tomorrow and face the questions of the people’s representatives.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
I’ll never try to evade the issues. We fully respect the procedures of the city council.

Lin Feng-yu
New Taipei research and development commission
Lawmakers and councilors convened a press conference, saying that in April, the scandal was reported to the 1999 hotline, but it was not taken seriously. I personally have no tolerance for cover-ups or concealment. If anything is being concealed, I will personally step down.

The chairman of the city’s Research, Development and Evaluation Commission pledged to resign if the case was being mishandled.

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43 hours without water: Metro construction disrupts supplies in Taoyuan, New Taipei

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Korean language announcements to go live on Taipei MRT in August

A new language will soon be heard at selected stations on the Taipei Metro. From August, Korean-language announcements will go live at 15 MRT stations. The move comes amid a rise in the number of Korean tourists visiting Taiwan under their own steam. Travelers who come to the country without a tour group are more likely to appreciate help getting around in their own language. MRT bosses consulted social media to work out which stations could make the most of a linguistic upgrade. The metro is also expanding the coverage of Japanese announcements on its network.

The number of overseas tourists coming to Taiwan has skyrocketed since the pandemic. The No. 1 source of visitors is Japan, but the Taipei Metro Corporation has noted a serious rise in South Korean travelers coming to Taiwan independent of a tour group. That’s why they’re adding new announcements in Korean.

Voice of Ling Chi-hsiao
Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation
Fifteen stations will add new Korean announcements for a train arriving at the station. We originally had 13 stations with announcements in Japanese, and we will also add Japanese at eight more interchange stations. We expect them to go online at the end of August, providing a more internationalized service.

To choose which stations need Korean, the company considered social media data as well as trending topics of discussion online, to work out where Korean visitors see as the capital’s top destinations. They hope their announcements will reach as many Korean travellers as possible.

Voice of Ling Chi-hsiao
Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation
Considering the international development trends of metropolitan areas, we provide Mandarin, English, Taiwanese and Hakka language announcements, and at relevant stations we have added arrival announcements in Japanese or Korean. We have taken into account whether the announcement can play to completion by the time the train pulls in to the platform.

Very soon, you might hear Korean floating through the air beside the many other languages spoken in this station. If you’re lucky enough to hear your native language while traveling abroad, you might just find it touches a note of gratitude.

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Chen Shih-chung talks nicotine stains and dental health after quitting smoking

Former Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung recently announced that he’s been off tobacco for a whole year. Before quitting, the dentist and statesman had been a smoker for 60 years. Since retiring from frontline politics, he’s back in the dental clinic, practicing his first career again. He sat down with us to talk dental health, specifically: how can smokers avoid those tell-tale nicotine stains on their teeth? It turns out the secret isn’t rocket science, just dedication.

Chen puts on his scrubs. He’s gone back to his roots in dentistry.

Here in his dental clinic stands a mini figurine of “A-chung” the former Central Epidemic Command Center chief – a gift from another dentist, with lasting sentimental value for the former minister. In this rare interview, Chen was happy to share that he has been off tobacco for a whole year, after being addicted to smoking for six decades. And that means no more fussing over nicotine stains on his teeth.

Chen Shih-chung
Former health minister
Before, when we smoked, we had to think about how to keep our teeth clean. But then I said, “If you clean your teeth after every meal – brushing and flossing – like we do, then basically you don’t really get nicotine stains.”

The former Minister of Health and Welfare is proud that his rigorous dental routine kept the stains away – for the most part.

Chen Shih-chung
Former health minister
When I did get stains, I’d deal with them straight away. When you have bad habits, like foods that stain your teeth, smoking or chewing betel nut, then you need to brush your teeth anytime, anywhere. The longer you leave it before brushing, the harder it is to get them clean. If you shorten that time lag, then of course it’s easier. And obviously it gets harder and harder the more stains you have built up.

Reflecting on his own experience, Chen has a piece of strong advice for fellow addicts: get serious about brushing your teeth if you want to avoid unsightly stains. He’s not so definite about teeth whitening, though – it might not be right for everyone. Now that he’s back in the clinic, everyone wants to know: who are his patients?

Chen Shih-chung
Former health minister
For example, when my wife has dental problems, I take a look.

The politician is finally back at home with his first love – teeth. Chen’s parting injunction to us was to keep your teeth as clean and beautiful as possible, because it can make you want to brush them more, and – of course – drastically reduce your risk of gum disease.

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Hsieh Su-wei and Wang Xinyu capture French Open championship

Taiwanese tennis player Hsieh Su-wei has made a thrilling comeback at the French Open, winning the women’s doubles championship with partner Wang Xinyu. The unseeded pair rallied from a set down to overturn the 10th-seeded U.S.-Canadian duo, Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez. This was Hsieh’s first Grand Slam tournament since going on hiatus in 2021 due to injuries.

An overhead smash seals the match. Taiwanese ace Hsieh Su-wei and China’s Wang Xinyu made their Grand Slam debut together at this year’s French Open. After a remarkable run at the tournament, they reached the final and ousted the 10th-seeded American-Canadian pair, Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez. This is Hsieh’s second women’s doubles title at the French Open.

Hsieh and Wang lift their trophy as they celebrate. After capturing her first Paris title with Peng Shuai in 2014, Hsieh is back on the podium.

Hsieh Su-wei
French Open women’s doubles champion
Come back after nine years. Because nine years ago I was with other partner, and today I’m coming back after my injuries.

To reach the final, the non-seeded Hsieh-Wang duo defeated four seeded pairs. They had a rocky start in the final, losing the first set.

Hsieh and Wang rallied in the second set to force a tiebreak. They broke their rivals twice and leveled the match at 5-5.

During the pivotal third set, they seized a break point opportunity in the second game to take a 3-0 lead. They saved four break points in the fifth game and Hsieh closed out the win in the sixth.

Hsieh went on hiatus in 2021 due to an injury. Due to not competing for a year and a half, her world ranking points dropped to zero, leaving her unranked. She returned to the circuit in April, playing in Madrid and Rome with her long-time partner Barbora Strycova. She then reached the quarterfinals of the Strasbourg Open, bringing her doubles ranking to No. 286, before taking on the French Open. With just four tournaments over six weeks, Hsieh has gone from 0 to 2,285 ranking points, soaring to No. 29 in the world rankings.

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NT$500 billion “Singles’ Economy” has wide-ranging impacts on consumer trends

Life in Taiwan is changing, and one major symbol of social shifts is the rise in number of people who live by themselves. There are now more than 3 million people living alone in Taiwan. That’s just over one third of all Taiwanese households. Today we take a look at how this social change is impacting the consumer economy. Everything from meals to groceries, and even karaoke booths, is changing to meet the rising demand of singles. And of course, the pet industry is booming, as people turn to cats and dogs rather than child raising.

Ms. Chen, in her 50s, is browsing in a supermarket. She chooses a small pack of vegetables, and a single piece of fruit.

Ms. Chen
I choose small packs. It doesn’t matter if the single item is a bit more expensive. I’m used to being single, and I think it’s great – you don’t have to worry about what the other person wants to eat. You just decide for yourself.

Statistics show that more than 3 million people currently live alone in Taiwan. That’s 34% of households – a 2.8% increase from one year ago. Among those who live alone, the proportion who are unmarried people in their 30s has shot up in one year, from 45% to 54% of the total.

This lettuce was originally sold in a big pack. Now there’s also a single portion. Many convenient ready meals are also gaining popularity due to the single market.

And consumers no longer feel embarrassed to sit down to a feast by themselves. Restaurants have installed single-person seating areas for traditional group meals like roast pork or hotpots. You can even buy mini kitchen gadgets designed for the single household.

Jessica
Online retailer PR manager
For example, we have plug-in single hotpots, and mini ovens, as well as small, instant meals that you don’t need to do anything to. They’re all popular products.

If you want to go and sing karaoke alone, you can get a solo booth. The single market is no longer synonymous with “unmarried people,” either. There are lots of people who were married and are divorced, as well older people who live alone and have retired. The “singles’ economy” is now worth over NT$500 billion a year in Taiwan. And another market that benefits from the rise of solo life is the pet industry.

Sun Ming-te
TIER Macroeconomic Forecasting Center
Nobody was paying attention to the pet economy of the single demographic. There are now more pet cats and dogs in Taiwan than children. The money spent on pets is part of the “singles economy.” Single people buy fewer items, but spend more on each item, so manufacturers can think in that direction when they design products for the single demographic.

Taiwanese culture is changing. Small, nuclear families tend to be the center of people’s lives now. And for the many single-person households in Taiwan, convenience and autonomy are priorities shaping new consumer trends.

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Rains batter Kaohsiung, refilling reservoirs

Heavy rains are battering the south, with some areas reporting more than 100 millimeters in just 24 hours. Early morning thunderstorms added to the chaos for commuters. Forecasters warn that Taiwan is currently under a low-pressure zone that’s making the weather highly volatile. The rains may persist throughout this week, as another plum rain front approaches the island.

This is Fengshan Station in Kaohsiung. Workers rush to clear water from the underground parking lot.

Outside, it’s raining hard. And inside, water drips from the ceiling. Workers say the electrical system may be flooded.

Flooding was also reported near Bade Road in Renwu District. Residents say that ongoing drainage work had caused rainwater to pool.

Member of public
It’s just a little construction work on the sewage system, but it’s all flooded now. It’s ridiculous.

Over on Sianfong Road and Jhihseng Road in Zuoying District, the rains loosened the soil and caused several trees to fall. No injuries were reported.

Heavy showers have battered Kaohsiung since the early morning. More than 100 millimeters over 24 hours was reported in several districts, with constant lightning strikes. The storm led to several traffic mishaps during the morning rush hour. But rains in Tainan and Kaohsiung had a positive effect on local reservoirs.

Voice of Ho Ta-fu
Southern Region Water Resources Office
As of 10:30 a.m., Tsengwen and Wushantou reservoirs had a combined 98.4 million cubic meters of water. That’s about 16.81% of their combined total capacity. Nanhua Reservoir had 39.15 million cubic meters, and was at 43.75% capacity.

Liu Yu-chi
Central Weather Bureau
Today is the day with the most significant rainfall. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the front will be closer to the south of Taiwan and the Bashi Channel, so the south will see heavier rains. Low pressure zones could bring bigger uncertainties to the forecast for this week.

In the coming week, the rains will be concentrated in central and southern Taiwan, though the north may also see brief downpours. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Guchol continues on its path away from Taiwan. It’s not expected to make landfall, but the west coast and Hengchun Peninsula should still be on the alert for big waves.

2023-06-12