Inflation rate at 1.75% in June, the lowest in 27 months

Inflation rate at 1.75% in June, the lowest in 27 months

2023-07-06

Taiwan’s inflation index increased 1.75% in June compared to a year earlier, according to the latest government data. That’s the smallest increase in 27 months. It’s also the first time in 23 months that the rate fell below the 2% inflation target. Officials said the slide was mainly due to the lower cost of fruits and vegetables.

Last month, the cost of 17 government-monitored household necessities went up by 4.47% year-on-year. That’s the smallest rise in 14 months. The cost of eggs rose just 7.17%, ending 19 consecutive months of double-digit growth. The worst inflation was seen in hotels and other accommodations, which rose by 22.37%.

終於降! 6月物價指數1.75% 23個月來首見低於2%

2023-07-06

主計總處今天公布6月物價指數年增率1.75%，除了是27個月以來新低，也是23個月之後，首見低於通膨警戒線2%，主要是因為蔬菜及水果分別下跌17.89%及7.51%。

至於行政院穩定物價小組關注的17項重要民生物資，6月平均年增4.47%，漲幅為14個月新低，雞蛋漲幅也縮小至7.17%，終止連續19個月雙位數成長。漲幅最大的是旅館住宿費，漲22.37%。

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US scholars praise Lai’s plan for preserving cross-strait peace

DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te has won fans in the U.S. with his plan to preserve cross-strait peace, as outlined in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. According to a former White House National Security Council staff member, Lai showed he would continue the policies of President Tsai Ing-wen – a key part of maintaining security and international relations. In contrast, the ex-staffer was blunt in his criticism of the KMT’s Hou Yu-ih. He said that Hou’s proposal for a shorter conscription term would not have a warm reception in Washington.

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Vice President Lai Ching-te proposed four “pillars” for maintaining cross-strait peace. U.S.-based scholar Bonnie Glaser said the proposal had fans in Washington, because it aligned with President Tsai Ing-wen’s cross-strait policy.

Ivan Kanapathy
CSIS senior associate
Vice President Lai is laying out a platform that will be consistent with what President Tsai Ing-wen carried out for the last seven and a half years for cross-strait relations and – I think – and for security and international relations, which I think is important, because Taiwan does need to increase its engagement with the rest of the world, increase its deterrence, I think that’s part of it, build up its economic security.

Think tank researcher and former White House National Security Council staff member Ivan Kanapathy praised Lai as a strong leader. He did not look favorably on the KMT candidate’s plan to cut down conscription to four months.

Ivan Kanapathy
CSIS senior associate
My view on the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement and reducing conscription, or holding it back to four months, both of those would not be very welcome decisions by most people here in the United States. Yeah, I think deterrence is a very, very important part of peace.

The scholar had diverging views on the two candidates’ cross-strait policies. Meanwhile, the KMT’s Hou Yu-ih took issue with Lai’s four pillars, saying they were built on a foundation of Taiwan independence. They would lead to Taiwan’s collapse, he said, drawing a sharp rebuke from the DPP.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
The path he has chosen is that of Tsai Ing-wen, and it’s a path that’s laden with the risk of war. The four pillars are built on the foundation of “practical Taiwan independence.” I believe that if Taiwan proceeds with them, it will swiftly collapse.

Lii Wen
DPP legislative candidate
In the op-ed, Vice President Lai Ching-te very clearly stated that maintaining the status quo serves the best interests of the Republic of China, Taiwan and the international community. The international community has affirmed the cross-strait and foreign policies of the Tsai administration and the DPP government, and that is because they’re highly predictable and stable, and because their cross-strait and foreign policies are consistent. We hope that Hou Yu-ih will not continue his misrepresentations and malicious smears.

Scholars say Lai is seen as a continuation of the Tsai administration. If Hou intends to critique his rival’s cross-strait policy, he must first earn the trust of the domestic and global audience.

2023-07-06

Hou Yu-ih urges party unity amid calls for a candidate swap

KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih is facing pressure from his own party to step down. With Hou faltering in the polls, calls for replacing him as a candidate have grown from whispers to open appeals. One KMT lawmaker, Cheng Li-wun, urged her party to find a stronger contender, saying that it wasn’t too late. But Hou himself is still standing firm. On Thursday, he issued a plea for party unity.

New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih presents merit awards to outstanding community leaders. On July 16, he’s scheduled to join a housing justice rally. According to the organizer, Hon Hai founder Terry Gou is also set to attend. All eyes will be on the pair for signs of a potential coalition.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
Chairman Gou’s participation in the July 16 rally is for a call for judicial reform, housing justice, and social equality. That is a sentiment we all share. The DPP was in power for seven years without taking action against housing speculation. But now, at this point in time, they’ve chosen to roll out this legislation. DPP Chairman Lai says that housing prices are going down – isn’t that utter nonsense?

Hou unleashed fire at the DPP’s presidential candidate, Lai Ching-te, who’s currently leading the polls. But despite the show of force, Hou is increasingly losing support within his party. KMT lawmaker Cheng Li-wun says that it’s not too late to replace him with another presidential candidate.

Cheng Li-wun
KMT lawmaker
It’s not too late to make the change. We need to think about how to make the best arrangement for everybody. The KMT must not shirk responsibility. If you say we can’t replace Hou, that we must support Hou, then you’re evading your responsibility and casting the burden solely on Hou Yu-ih. How can he shoulder it? How can he shoulder it with no prior preparation? At this moment in time, the KMT must still try to find its strongest candidate.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
There are lots of rumors going around. We need to unite and face the challenges together in order to overcome hardships.

As calls for a candidate swap grow, Hou’s campaign and the KMT are feeling the pain.

2023-07-06

Japanese specialty coffee roaster runs nostalgic cafe in Tainan

Now let’s take a trip to the heart of Tainan’s old city to visit a nostalgic cafe. Tucked in an alleyway is a Japanese-style coffee shop run by specialty coffee master Rika Tanaka. The coffee roaster began the business in 2017, and sells beans all over Taiwan and as far afield as Hong Kong. She originally came to Taiwan just for a holiday, but once she met her Taiwanese husband-to-be, everything changed. We spoke to Tanaka about how to brew a serious cup of coffee.

This small but perfectly formed coffee shop is nestled in an alleyway in Tainan’s oldest district. When Tanaka is roasting beans, just the smell is enough to make you stop in your tracks to take a deep sniff. Here she is in her element.

Rika Tanaka swiftly sifts through the beans, deftly picking out any impurities, and ensuring that no bad beans are left to spoil the brew.

Rika Tanaka
Specialty coffee roaster
Coffee is rather sensitive. So we manage the temperature of the flame, the air and the time. The flavor of the coffee totally changes. So you have to take care.

Tanaka is a certified premium coffee master with the Specialty Coffee Association of Japan. She specializes in dark roast and French roast coffee. In 2017, she moved to be with her husband, and began her roasting and delivery business. Her beans attracted high praise. Then the couple decided to convert Tanaka’s husband’s old family home into a retro, Japanese-style cafe.

Rika Tanaka
Specialty coffee roaster
You have to let the coffee beans rest for three or four days after roasting, before you can drink them. My method is to rinse them approximately three or four times, and then see how they look on top, how the bubbles are doing, and the speed at which the coffee is running out. Each bean has a different degree of freshness, so I decide based on the situation on the top.

Tanaka observes the bubbles in the coffee and the speed of the flow to adjust her brewing technique. She’s making Japanese pineapple bread, a popular sweet treat at the cafe. Cantaloupe ice cream soda is a nostalgic drink served in classic Japanese cafes. Even the decorations adorning the cafe have been brought here from Japan, creating an irresistibly nostalgic mood of olden days Japan, in the heart of old Taiwan.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by the New Immigrant Development Fund

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Grand Hotel’s century-old dragon rises again after decapitation

The Grand Hotel’s famous golden dragon fountain lost its head recently after a ceiling collapse accident. But just one week later, the century-old dragon is looking as good as new, thanks to the work of a bi-national restoration team.

The red cloth is removed, revealing a dragon that’s once again gazing at the heavens. Recently hungry termites brought down the roof over the fountain, decapitating the dragon. But with help from a Japanese specialist and one week of restoration, the dragon is once again in tip-top shape. Even a clogged fountain pipe was repaired.

Yinghua Academy teacher
It’s cool, really cool. I see so many people are excited about it, and the students probably really enjoyed this experience.

Hong Kong tourist
We just happened to come at the right time. This dragon is really great with its head lifted up like that.

The dragon is a remnant of a shrine from the Japanese colonial era. It only has three claws, in contrast to the five-clawed dragon of Chinese lore. The hotel invited Japanese scholar Dr. Suzuki Eka as well as scholars and experts from Taiwan to restore the statue. After they got to work, an unexpected discovery was made: the dragon had been broken before.

Pan I-ling
Restorer
There was concrete at the breakage point. Because this concrete is a relatively recent material, we judged that it was added in for the purpose of connecting parts or providing filler.

The team came to the conclusion that the dragon’s shape had been changed during an earlier relocation. Comparing the dragon to old photographs, there are clear differences in its color, shape, and the angle at which it holds up its head.

Lin Yu-sheng
Grand Hotel CEO
Two days before the dragon broke, a staff member said he dreamed that the dragon said it didn’t want to be in its current body, because it didn’t used to look like that. A week later, our scholars told us that the dragon should be restored to its original form.

Lin said that in the future, there will be a second round of restoration, with the goal of returning the golden dragon to its original appearance.

2023-07-06

Taitung’s famed Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree faces a rebrand

Taitung’s Chihshang Township is famous for a tree named Takeshi Kaneshiro. The tree got its name 10 years ago when EVA Air filmed a commercial there featuring Japanese-Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro. But because the tree’s adoption contract is about to expire, the airline has decided to rename it the “Tea-Offering Tree.” The news has drawn a mixed reaction from tourists.

A leafy bishop wood stands tall next to rice paddies that stretch into the distance. Many visitors line up here to snap a photo with the famous tree, which is known as the Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree. But rumor has it that the tree will soon return to its former name: the Tea-Offering Tree.

Visitor
It would feel a bit strange, since the reason people know about this place is because Takeshi Kaneshiro helped EVA Air film a commercial here.

Visitor
It’s not a big deal. All that matters is the tree’s still here.

The Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree is considered one of Taiwan’s most famous trees. Ten years ago, EVA Air hired Kaneshiro to do a commercial here, “adopting” the tree in the process. It’s now a must-visit tourist destination. But Kaneshiro’s contract with the airline is up, and the airline proposes changing not only the tree’s name, but also all related road signs, direction signs, and tourism brochures.

Sun Chia-ming (June 29)
EVA Air
The contract with Kaneshiro is expiring. But because we’ll continue to do tea ceremonies there, we’ll call it the Tea-Offering Tree.

Although EVA Air wants a name change, the Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree draws over 5 million visitors a year, creating tremendous opportunities for Taitung tourism. The township office is fighting to retain the iconic name.

Lin Chien-hung
Chihshang Township Head
We’ll go through any channel of communication we can to get Takeshi Kaneshiro to support us in letting Chihshang Township continue using his name for this landmark. I believe we can get this done and that this should be a win-win situation for both parties.

Regardless of the outcome, for tourists who have already visited this unique site, it will forever be the “Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree” in their memories.

2023-07-06

Hsinchu chef focuses on nostalgic flavors of Hakka cuisine

A Michelin-starred chef has opened a new restaurant in Hsinchu, to focus on the nostalgia of a military dependents’ village. After more than 40 years in the kitchen, chef Lei Hsiao-ping is back to the flavors of home. His Hakka menu features grass jelly chicken soup, as well as home-made koji rice. Customers say the natural flavors are just like mom’s cooking.

Glistening leg of duck garnished with house-made red koji rice: a sweet and sour feast.

Lei Hsiao-ping
Chef
We steam a duck, and when it’s cooled off, we bathe it in a fermented red yeast rice sauce. After two days, the flavor of the red yeast rice has seeped in.

The dish is flavored with grass jelly from Hsinchu’s Guanxi Township. Silkie chicken is flash boiled, then red jujubes and goji berries are added. No flavorings except salt go in, creating a fresh, bright and sweet result.

Member of public
It makes me miss my mom, and think of the taste of my childhood. I feel happy and touched, eating this.

Member of public
It feels so natural. Good things taste natural.

The head chef, Lei Hsiao-ping, grew up in a military dependents’ village in Hsinchu. After high school, he went north to work in a Hong Kong style teahouse. He began as a humble kitchen porter, and in six months he was chef’s apprentice. At 26 he was already a sous chef. He moved from restaurants into the hotel industry, and in 2019 he led his hotel kitchen team to win a Michelin star. After 40 years away, he’s finally moved back to Hsinchu to rediscover the flavors of his childhood.

Lei Hsiao-ping
Chef
My roots are in Hsinchu. I was born and bred here. I grew up eating in the military dependents’ village. Coming back to find that flavor has been quite hard, because you can hardly find those villages anymore. I’ve been searching in my memories, adapting them, and even using my imagination. The taste of mom’s cooking is the hardest thing to create.

Lei has retained the classic flavors of his childhood, while bringing in lots of innovative influences from many world cuisines, harvested from his experience working in different establishments for so many years.

Lei Hsiao-ping
Chef
What you eat is so important for your health. I want ingredients that will mean you don’t need to go to the pharmacy, to create better meals.

Lei has spent the better part of his life in the kitchen. His greatest aspiration is to create food that keeps diners healthy. With all the care he puts into ingredients and techniques, customers can enjoy the taste of home.

2023-07-06

Malaysian author and anthropologist Wong Lee Lan teaches Indonesian at NTU

As Taiwan’s ties with Southeast Asia deepen, more and more people want to learn Asian languages. Today we meet an Indonesian language teacher who’s passionate about helping people connect with new cultures. As a Malaysian immigrant, Wong Lee Lan knows first hand the process of getting to know a new culture and overcome language barriers. She first came to Taiwan to study, aged 18, later gaining a PhD in anthropology. Over her rich career, she’s published books, hosted radio programs, and taught languages, all while raising three children. Let’s take a peek inside her class at National Taiwan University.

In this Indonesian class at National Taiwan University, Wong Lee Lan asks her assistant to share the dress that young Indonesian women wear when they come of age at 17. It’s the perfect teaching tool to talk about Indonesian culture.

Wong’s cultural classes really stand out. Today it’s midterms, and this is the test.

Wong Lee Lan
Indonesian language teacher
They have to just sing a song. Everyone knows that singing is the easiest way to get close to people. If you learn an Indonesian language song, or a Malay song, then you can connect about that with friends there whenever you like. You can say, “I can sing one of your songs,” and sing it.

Wong’s vibrant classes have earned her a five-star teacher rating on NTU’s student forum on PTT. She also won the 2018 Taiwan University Teaching Excellence Award. Wong is a Malaysian immigrant and gained her doctorate in anthropology from National Tsing Hua University. The work of passing on cultural heritage is a passion as well as a responsibility.

Wong Lee Lan
Indonesian language teacher
For the semester final exams, we take the students to Taipei City Mall, to the Indonesian Street, for a visit. If it happens to be Eid, the Eid Festival, and there’s a carnival, then we take the students to really experience the culture viscerally, with all their senses, tasting the food.

Students spend time getting to know Indonesian immigrants and chatting about daily life, making genuine contact with Southeast Asian circles in Taiwan. The real classroom is out here in society.

Wong Lee Lan
Indonesian language teacher
What I really look forward to is everybody having contact with different cultures and developing communication skills, and then we won’t be afraid or anxious about it, or have misunderstandings.

Wong even offers free classes on her online channel, to spread knowledge of Malay and Indonesian culture. In this age of globalization, she’s helping spread seeds of understanding and mutual appreciation.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by New Immigrant Development Fund

2023-07-06