Economic contracts for tenth straight month

Economic contracts for tenth straight month

2023-09-27

Taiwan’s economy contracted for the tenth straight month in August, according to the National Development Council. The NDC’s composite index of indicators flashed a blue light, indicating economic contraction. Taiwan has now surpassed the nine-month contraction streak experienced during the global financial crisis. It’s equaled the ten-month downturns seen during the 2011 European debt crisis and 2015 tech recession. But the NDC says there are signs of a recovery coming soon.

Chiu Chiu-ying
NDC Dept. of Economic Development
The indicator continued to flash blue, mainly due to financial indicators. However, metrics such as exports have shown improvement. The declines in industrial production and sales have slowed. There’s been improvement in these fundamental indicators. With the gradual launch of new AI applications on the market, we expect improvement in exports.

The NDC says the worst of the downturn is over. With new products to hit the market, there’s hope of the economy picking up in the fourth quarter, potentially shifting to "yellow-blue," which indicates sluggishness. In addition, a minimum wage hike and a pay raise for public sector workers will both take effect next year, giving a boost to domestic demand.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

8月景氣藍燈連10個月低迷！第四季有望好轉

2023-09-27

國發會最新公布的8月景氣燈號，亮起第10顆景氣低迷的"藍燈"，不只追平2011年歐債危機和2015年科技景氣下滑，甚至比金融海嘯時期的連9藍還要久。

[[經濟發展處副處長邱秋瑩]]
“燈號還是呈現藍燈，主要是因為金融面的指標，但是實質面的構成項目，出口是有回升，工業生產跟銷售額是跌幅有縮減，所以實質面的指標是有呈現改善的，新興的AI的應用新品會逐漸上市，所以它有助於挹注我們的出口動能”

國發會預測”最壞情況”已過，受惠新機上市，出口燈號有望轉為黃藍燈，第四季出口動能，也相對樂觀，尤其明年基本工資調升、軍功教調薪，都可望替內需產業加溫，讓景氣逐步回溫。

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All three leading presidential candidates, from the DPP, TPP and KMT, have promised to support female leaders in politics. On Wednesday, all three attended a forum held by the Taiwan Women on Boards Association. Speaking at the event, the DPP’s Lai Ching-te promised that women would make up a third of his Cabinet if he is elected. He also said he would prioritize a woman for his running mate.

At a forum held by the Taiwan Women on Boards Association, DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te presented his gender equality policies.

Lai Ching-te
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There is no other man in Taiwan who is better suited to discuss this topic than I am. Tsai Ing-wen is Taiwan’s first female president. I was her premier, and now I’m her vice president. From her we can see the qualities that make a good female leader. The first one is resilience.

Lai praised President Tsai, saying she has strengthened Taiwan’s resolve and made it more diverse and inclusive.

Lai Ching-te
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If I am given the opportunity to lead this country, my goal will be for women to make up at least one-third of the Cabinet. And in the future, I will prioritize considering a woman as my choice for vice president.

Lai was asked if his running mate would be Taiwan’s representative to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim, but he declined to respond. In his speech, he also voiced approval of the Tsai administration’s policies for child and elder care.

Lai Ching-te
DPP presidential candidate
Former President Ma Ying-jeou set aside a budget of about NT$15 billion for children aged 0 to 6. Today, the budget is NT$120 billion. The long-term care program initially had 700 service locations. Version 2.0 increased that to more than 12,000.

Ko Wen-je
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In Taipei City, women run 35% of for-profit organizations. And over the past 25 years, 20% of recipients for entrepreneurial subsidies were women. So Taiwanese women are a pretty influential force.

Hou Yu-ih
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As New Taipei mayor, women make up one-third of my administration’s directors. Whenever seniors in our families become disabled or develop dementia and need someone to help, it is most often women who give up their jobs. That’s why I was the first one to propose removing Barthel index requirement for people aged 80 and up. Thanks to my policy presentation, my vision was realized before I could even get elected president, because the DPP took my idea and implemented it.

Seeking not to be overshadowed by the DPP, the KMT’s Hou Yu-ih and the TPP’s Ko Wen-je touted their mayoral records in gender equality.

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Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Plaque unveiling ceremony held for Nuclear Safety Commission

The Nuclear Safety Commission is up and running. The new government agency was unveiled at a ceremony on Wednesday. It will be taking on the duties of the Atomic Energy Council, handling Taiwan’s nuclear decommissioning and nuclear waste management. The Atomic Energy Council was restructured into the NSC this May by the Legislative Yuan.

Earlier this year, the Legislative Yuan approved the downgrading of the Atomic Energy Council, from a second-level agency under the Executive Yuan to an independent, third-level unit. The new Nuclear Safety Commission was unveiled on Wednesday, with the premier and vice premier in attendance.

Chen Chien-jen
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To ensure food safety after the Fukushima nuclear accident, the Atomic Energy Council and the Nuclear Research Institute undertook most of the border checks for radioactivity in food imports. Altogether they tested about 210,000 items to ensure the products were safe. In the future, the Nuclear Safety Commission must earn the trust of the general public when carrying out its operations.

In line with the government’s goal of going nuclear-free by 2025, the new commission will assume the responsibilities of the Atomic Energy Council, ensuring nuclear safety in Taiwan. It will also handle nuclear decommissioning and nuclear waste management. The Fuel Cycle and Materials Administration under the Atomic Energy Council has been incorporated into the new commission, while the Radiation Monitoring Center has been downgraded to a fourth-level agency. Amid the downgrades, there are concerns that the new units won’t have sufficient capabilities.

Chen Tung-yang
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Our personnel, roles, and funding have not changed much. If there are any problems, we can ask the minister without portfolio to negotiate with the Executive Yuan. The spent fuel pools at the first and second nuclear power plants are approaching full capacity. We will continue to urge Taipower to coordinate a response with the local government.

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Taekwondo practitioners clinch two silvers at Asian Games

Turning now to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Team Taiwan added two silver medals on Tuesday, both in taekwondo. One was from Olympic bronze medalist Lo Chia-ling in the women’s under-57 kilogram event. Speaking after the match, Lo fought back tears and expressed regret over missing the gold medal. But she vowed to push herself even harder at upcoming competitions. Taiwan’s second silver was from Lin Wei-chun, who was making her Asian Games debut.

Olympic bronze medalist Lo Chia-ling won silver at the Asian Games, in the women’s under-57 kilogram event. After an emotional moment in the sparring ring, she brushed off her tears and set sights on an even greater goal.

Lo Chia-ling
Asian Games silver medalist
We had worked very hard to try and win a gold medal, but in the end, we failed to achieve that. It is a real pity. But I need to refocus. I feel regret, but I will turn it into motivation to work harder for other competitions.

Lo’s parents were in the front row in Hangzhou, cheering for their daughter.

Lo Wen-hsiang
Lo Chia-ling’s father
There was a bit of a difference in her strength and her opponent’s. That’s something she’ll need to work on in the future.

Lo plans to stay in China for training before the Taiyuan World Taekwondo Grand Prix in October, where she hopes to win qualification points for the Paris Olympics.

Over in the under-53 category, Lin Wei-chun also made it to the final. Lin’s mother, Liu Chao-ching, is also a taekwondo athlete, who won gold at the World Games and Asian Championship.

Lin Wei-chun
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In the first round against my South Korean opponent, her movements were very fast, so I was quite nervous. Although I was in the lead at the beginning, I got a bit careless in the last few seconds. Had I put on a better defense in the first round, I think the gold medal would’ve been mine.

In her post-finals interview, Lin spoke with regret about her defeat. Toward the end of the first round, Lin was in the lead 6-5. But a roundhouse kick from her opponent just before the buzzer turned the score to 7-6, forcing Lin to settle for silver.

Liu Chao-ching
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Her opponent got points in the last three seconds. She completely overlooked that kick. It’s a pity.

Though Lin missed out on gold, she still secured silver for Taiwan, marking a good start in her taekwondo career.

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Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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The taste test to distinguish genuine Taiwanese tea from the imitators

Taiwan’s tea leaf industry is worth more than NT$30 billion a year. But in recent years, cases of fake Taiwan tea that was grown overseas have made headlines. With Taiwan tea’s unique cachet justifying premium prices, plenty of unscrupulous tea sellers want in on the profits. How can consumers tell genuine Taiwanese tea apart from the imitators? According to farmers, the only solid method is to taste it. If you can taste a hint of citrus and it reminds you somehow of an island, that’s a good sign.

Pour in the hot water and wait one or two minutes until the leaves unfurl. The golden tea has a light, floral scent. Make sure to breathe in deep before taking a sip.

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Actually the most important way to determine the quality of tea is to drink and smell it – that’s the most precise way.

Tea experts have tricks to evaluate leaves. But in recent years, multiple tea merchants have been arrested for selling “premium Taiwanese tea” that was actually lower-grade Vietnamese leaves. As a consumer, how can you watch out for scams?

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As it stands, there’s actually no reliable way to distinguish Vietnamese and Taiwanese tea. We can only tell them apart by taste. For example, Taiwanese oolong has a slight hint of the island climate, and a fruity citrus note. Oolongs from Vietnam don’t have that in the same way.

It’s hard to tell the leaves apart by sight, but you can taste the difference if you know what to taste for. For oolong, it’s that citrus note you should watch out for in genuine Taiwanese tea.

Voice of tea farmer
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Ecosystem protection pond provides a shelter for dry spells in Mugua River

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This is Mugua River in Hualien. It plays a key role in power generation and agricultural irrigation in the area. But that means the river level drops when there’s a break in inflow or outflow at the power plant, creating a struggle to survive for the river’s inhabitants.

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Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Seasonal catch on sale at Yehliu Holiday Live Crab Market on New Taipei coast

It’s the perfect season for crab in New Taipei, and a fresh crab market will open over the holiday weekend. Fishermen hope to entice seafood fans to the Yehliu Holiday Live Crab Market on the North Coast. There consumers can find lots of precooked crab dishes as well as live crab to take home. But if you can’t make it there, you can also enjoy the seasonal catch at a five-star hotel, where crab meat will appear in adorable crab-shaped dumplings.

Live Wanli crabs are still wriggling as they come off the fishing boat. Fishmongers sort through and categorize them by quality.

Liu Ho-jan
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People say seasonal food tastes the best. So Mid-Autumn is the best season for eating crab, and as I just said, the weather has been great so the quality of the crab this year is fantastic.

The Yehliu Holiday Live Crab Market on the New Taipei coast will kick on the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend. There’ll be cooked dishes made with freshly caught crab, and a sale of live crab lucky bags.

Wu Liang-cheng
Chinese Fisheries Fishing Boat Association
The producers are selling directly to people who love to eat crab. We expect a catch of over 1,000 tons this year. We recommend viewers to go to the seaside to give it a try.

And for those who can’t make it to the Yehliu market, producers also have a collaboration with a five-star hotel. Its restaurant has dreamed up a special dish for each different species of Wanli crab.

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Flower crabs, three-spot swimming crabs and rock crabs. Our special Wanli crab dishes include the crab and prawn dumplings. We boil the crab and then tear it open and mix it with prawn meat, and then shape the dumplings into the shape of crabs.

As fall gradually sets in, New Taipei hopes to attract shoppers to the north coast for a crab bonanza. Fishermen urge seafood lovers to grab the chance now, in the perfect season.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Overcast skies in north, east to dim chance of spotting moon

The Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend is coming up, but rains might also be on the way, so plan accordingly. Rising humidity is expected starting Thursday, bringing a chance of rain in Greater Taipei, Taoyuan, and the East Coast. In the north and northeast, you can also expect overcast skies, which means if you want to see the moon, you’ll need to try your luck. Here’s a look at your holiday weather.

Downpours began in the south Tuesday night and persisted to the next day, prompting heavy rain advisories in five cities and counties. Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up, but rising humidity is in the forecast from Thursday to Saturday. In the north, northeast, and Hengchun Peninsula, cloudy skies could make moon gazing a challenge.

Lin Ping-yu
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Windward areas like Northern Taiwan, and especially greater Taipei, will have a slightly higher chance of rain. The Taoyuan area too could see some rain. In the eastern region, rainfall could be more significant. In the northeast, conditions could include heavier cloud cover. As for central and southern regions, if thunderstorms strike in the afternoon, there will be a better chance of seeing the moon in the evening.

Over the Mid-Autumn holiday, the night sky will be less visible in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung. There will be a higher chance of clear skies in Hsinchu and regions to its south, including Tainan and Penghu. In other news, the Central Weather Administration noted that so far this month, only one tropical storm has formed in the Pacific. That’s the fewest storms recorded in any September since 1951.

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Since the start of September, there’s only been one storm, Tropical Storm Yun-yeung, or the 13th tropical storm of the year. No other tropical storms have formed. But looking ahead, we can see major low-pressure zones near Taiwan, particularly near the South China Sea and east of the Philippines. Tropical weather systems could still develop in the future, although it remains to be seen whether they become tropical storms.

The first northeast monsoon of the autumn season is due to arrive on Oct. 1. Temperatures are set to drop 2 or 3 degrees Celsius. Northern Taiwan could dip below 30 degrees, so expect fall to be in the air.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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