DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te slammed by rivals for student subsidies

DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te slammed by rivals for student subsidies

2023-06-30

The DPP’s presidential candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, is facing a storm of criticism from his rivals over student subsidies. Lai proposed subsidies for private university students last week, and on Thursday they were passed by the Executive Yuan. The subsidies will reduce private-university tuition by NT$35,000 per student per year. TPP presidential candidate Ko Wen-je says the passage is no more than "vote buying," while the KMT’s presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih has slammed the DPP administration’s move as a last-minute election ploy. However, not everyone in the KMT is behind Hou. On Friday, Taichung mayor Lu Shiow-yen said she actually likes Lai’s proposal.

The DPP presidential candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, recently proposed narrowing the gap between public and private university tuition fees and related miscellaneous expenses. On Thursday, the Executive Yuan approved an annual tuition subsidy of NT$35,000 per head for students of private colleges and universities.

Chen Chien-jen
Premier
It’s also because we’ve stuck to fiscal discipline in recent years, so the government’s tax surplus has exceeded NT$100 billion each of the past five years, and last year it was close to NT$500 billion. So this kind of process allows us to give all students even more care.

However, these good intentions from the government are also being questioned by opposition politicians. They allege that throwing money around on such a large scale is no more than a vote-buying policy. The KMT’s presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih in particular has attacked Lai for days. However, Taichung mayor Lu Shiow-yen has spoken up in support of the policy.

Lu Shiow-yen
Taichung mayor
I personally support it. This money comes from the state. Everyone who has a chance to be president should enforce it.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
When we look at the management of public and private tuition fees, we should not wait until the last year when there is an election and use this as an election tool. What’s most important is that our entire higher education system needs to move toward gradually integrating public and private institutions.

Hou refused to take questions from journalists on why he and his fellow KMT member Lu had different opinions. Instead, he’s still continuing to attack Lai for this policy.

支持學費減免政策！盧秀燕:"對的事"不分黨派

2023-06-30

副總統賴清德日前拋出"拉近公私立學校學雜費差距"，獲得行政院大力支持拍板通過。卻引來藍白兩黨總統參選人侯友宜跟柯文哲痛批，是政策買票。倒是台中市長盧秀燕和侯友宜不同調，表態支持，還說對的事應該不分黨派，但侯友宜還是堅持，該做的是要全面審視高教制度。

賴清德日前拋出"拉近公私立學校學雜費差距"，行政院週四拍板通過私立大專院校學生，每年補助3.5萬學費。

[[行政院長陳建仁]]
“也是因為我們在近年來，因為我們堅守財政的紀律，所以政府的稅收盈餘在近5年來都超過1千億，去年更將近5千億，所以在這樣的一個過程當中，我們就能夠對所有的學生做更多的照顧。”

但政府美意，也被在野黨質疑，大撒幣政策買票，尤其國民黨總統參選人侯友宜連日砲轟，不過，同黨的台中市長盧秀燕，卻開第一槍支持。

[[台中市長盧秀燕]]
“我個人是支持的，這筆錢來自於國家，每一個人有機會當選總統，都應該實施。”

[[新北市長侯友宜]]
“面對在公私立學費的衡平性，不要到選舉最後一年再來做選舉的工具。最重要我們整個高教的制度，要採取公私立慢慢來做整併。”

國民黨內部不同調，侯友宜沒有正面回應問題，但仍批評賴清德的"學費減免"政策，藍綠持續攻防。

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Students discuss government’s plans to cut private university tuition fees

So how do the students themselves feel about Vice President Lai’s idea of subsidies for private university students? On Thursday, an NGO devoted to equal rights in higher education held a press conference, where students praised the Executive Yuan for slashing private university and college tuition fees by NT$35,000 per student per year. They added, however, that the government hadn’t taken this nearly far enough, citing other significant obstacles they faced, such as massive student loans.

Holding placards and chanting slogans, this group of young people who care about equal rights in higher education are delighted to see that ahead of the legislative and presidential elections, some candidates are directly putting forth policies that tackle youth issues.

Huang Ching-tang
Fu Jen Catholic University student
As soon as I graduated, I was burdened with student loans of NT$400,000. Equality in education funding I think is a common responsibility and ideal of society and the nation. I hope that in future my fellow students won’t have the same heavy burden of debt that we do.

Chen Hsiang-ting
Tunghai University student
Students may abandon their ideal faculty in a private university because public university tuition fees are cheaper. This policy can effectively resolve the problem of students’ rights to select suitable higher education.

However, the group has even more demands of the government – including improving the quality of education at private universities, prudently planning for a mechanism for retiring universities that can’t find sufficient students, and reducing students’ accommodation costs.

Chen You-chun
Chinese Culture University student
Tuition fees and other miscellaneous expenses come to about NT$100,000 each year. What still needs to be included is if students from out of town need accommodation expenses. We hope that the three presidential candidates can pay attention to the problems of economic pressure on students regarding student loans and other issues.

The DPP’s presidential candidate Vice President Lai Ching-te has proposed to bridge the gap in tuition fees between public and private universities. Shortly after this, the Executive Yuan approved NT$35,000 in subsidies per head annually for private university students. Opposition parties have criticized the government for throwing money around before an election and say it amounts to a vote-buying policy. The students had this to say in response:

Huang Ching-tang
Fu Jen Catholic University student
This issue is not a kind of vote-buying policy and we need to face it squarely. Even though I myself may have many doubts about this policy -- for example the supporting measures need to be improved -- I believe this policy in itself is good.

Chen Fang-yu
Soochow University professor
Calling it a vote-buying policy is an extremely cheap shot, because as long as all your policies are beneficial to people, they could be said to be vote buying. For a long time, young people have felt that politicians seem to be very far away from them, so I think it’s very good to see even more policies that directly impact youth get on the agenda of everyone’s discussions.

The group hopes that the political mudslinging over Lai’s plans to reduce tuition fees will not obscure the real need for reform. The hearts of youth can only be won over with practical policies.

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The US is looking to boost trade with India as part of ‘friendshoring’ efforts

The United States is India’s largest trading partner, with trade between the two nations currently around US$191 billion in 2022. With the two forging a closer relationship, here’s a look at the prospects for boosting U.S.-India trade. Voice of America reports.

While defense deals between the U.S. and India took center stage during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last week, on the sidelines, they also spoke about bilateral trade.

Atul Keshap
U.S. India Business Council
I’ve talked repeatedly about the need for both governments to be impatient about setting a goal of $500 billion in trade and investment between the United States and India.

The U.S. Commerce Department says trade with China reached more than US$690 billion in 2022, but with a China favoring deficit of US$383 billion. U.S. Representative Ro Khanna from California says bilateral trade with India offers the U.S. a chance to have a more balanced relationship than the one with China.

Ro Khanna
US lawmaker
India, with some of the agreements, is going to be buying things from a number of our defense contractors or defense companies. So, they’re helping to create jobs here in the United States, and that is where we need to learn from the mistake made with China, which was an unreciprocal trade agreement.

The U.S. is encouraging businesses away from China and promoting what’s called “friendshoring,” or doing more business with countries that are political and economic allies, like India. During Modi’s Washington visit, India agreed to lift retaliatory tariffs placed on U.S. aluminum and steel imports, but the U.S. kept in place its tariffs on Indian aluminum and steel, which surprised some analysts, like Inu Manak, from the Council on Foreign Relations.

Inu Manak
Council on Foreign Relations
India got a pretty raw deal and it’s quite surprising the Biden administration did not do anything to remove these tariffs as a signal of support for its growing relationship with India.

Manak also says India needs to cut regulations to create a more welcoming environment for U.S. investment.

Inu Manak
Council on Foreign Relations
India has had many long-standing restrictions on foreign direct investment. They have restrictions on foreign ownership.

In the future the goal is to expand business relationships as the U.S. continues to expand its military relationship with the world’s largest democracy.

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Hitachi inaugurates research center in Hsinchu devoted to semiconductor technologies

Foreign investment in Taiwan continues to increase. In the latest, a subsidiary of the Japanese multinational conglomerate Hitachi opened up an R&D center in Hsinchu on Thursday devoted to semiconductor technologies. President Tsai Ing-wen attended the inauguration, where she said foreign companies were bullish on investing in Taiwan, reflecting Taiwan’s key role in the semiconductor industry’s global supply chain.

A semiconductor-equipment supplier that is a subsidiary of the Japanese multinational conglomerate Hitachi, has added to its investments in Taiwan with an R&D center in Hsinchu. President Tsai Ing-wen was on hand to witness the inauguration ceremony.

Foreign companies are increasing their investments in Taiwan. According to statistics, three major foreign investment projects in Taiwan amount to as high as NT$2.07 trillion, showing international companies are taking a bullish view on Taiwan.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
All this shows that Taiwan has superiority when it comes to technology and manufacturing in the global semiconductor industry. Taiwan has a high degree of resilience and can respond to all kinds of challenges. It has been a long-term reliable supply chain partner for major international manufacturers. Foreign-funded enterprises are increasing their investments in Taiwan, which not only demonstrates international confidence in Taiwan’s investment prospects, but also an optimistic outlook.

It’s not only President Tsai who has confidence. Business people are also giving their thumbs up.

Tsao Shih-lun
SEMI
The government’s strong support and assistance have provided a solid backing for Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. At the same time, it has also facilitated world-class leading semiconductor companies, such as this Hitachi subsidiary, to continue investing in Taiwan, and cultivating Taiwan. That allows Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain to keep playing an indispensable and pivotal role during new changes in global geopolitics.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
Our goal is to build up Taiwan and become a center for advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes. I also hope the R&D energy and technology transfer brought here by this center will give a great boost to realizing these goals.

With the increase of international investment, the semiconductor industry will continue to flourish, leading to increased job opportunities and Taiwan’s geostrategic role becoming more important than ever.

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Disabled pianist and train buff wins the President’s Educational Award

An elementary student has become the first Keelung native to win the President’s Educational Award. Chang Wen-chu is a fourth grader who loves playing the piano and trainspotting. Having been born with multiple disabilities, he receives various kinds of therapy. His parents have been highly involved in his education and treatment. It’s been especially important for mom and dad to learn how to support Wen-chu with big emotions. We met the Chang family to hear more about their journey.

Chang Wen-chu
President’s Educational Award winner
My name is Chang Wen-chu and I am in fourth grade at Dung-guang Elementary School. I live in Keelung. My interests are train watching, taking the train and playing the piano. I have been learning the piano for five years.

Chang Wen-chu introduces himself to the camera. He’s one of 56 recipients of this year’s President’s Educational Awards, and he’s the only winner from Keelung.

Father of Chang Wen-chu
When we can all help him to increase his skills, including the government, schoolteachers, the principal, and various medical institutions, then he has the skills and the problem is no longer a problem.

Wen-chu was diagnosed with multiple disabilities at the age of two. As a small child, he would have violent tantrums when he encountered challenges. His parents decided to leave behind their international careers to spend more time with him and accompany him in therapy.

Mother of Chang Wen-chu
We have a division of labor to take care of our son. His dad focuses more on his education, the piano, homework. I focus more on play and on emotional regulation.

With the support, patience and presence of his parents, Wen-chu has learned how to manage emotional tensions, and developed a keen interest in trains. Trainspotting is the family’s favorite hobby, for which they travel all over the country.

Wen-chu loves playing the piano, and won third prize in the National Disabled People’s Talent Competition.

With the care and love of his parents and teachers, Wen-chu is developing many skills and talents in his own way and his own time. And he gave his mom and dad a big thank you.

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