China unilaterally suspends tariff concessions for 134 Taiwanese products under ECFA

China unilaterally suspends tariff concessions for 134 Taiwanese products under ECFA

2024-05-31

China’s attempts to pressure Taiwan continue under the Lai administration. The Chinese Ministry of Finance has decided that from June 15, tariff concessions will be suspended on 134 Taiwanese products under ECFA. The Mainland Affairs Council says the decision is politically motivated. Let’s hear from the Executive Yuan.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
It is crucial to express our opposition and desire for correcting this through regular channels to the international community. I hope that members of international organizations can become accustomed to working within the organizational rules, and not alter them on a whim.

Chiu Chui-cheng
Mainland Affairs Council
This kind of political maneuver to oppress and threaten Taiwan only serves to distort the direction of mutually beneficial cross-strait trade and create distance between both sides, breaking links. The mainland authorities shoulder the full responsibility for these consequences. The actions are not in line with WTO or ECFA regulations. We urge for bilateral talks and negotiations on the matter.

Once again, Taiwanese businesses are feeling the brunt of China’s political maneuvers. The Ministry of Economic Affairs says it will help affected businesses export their products to other markets. With no gesture of goodwill from China to date, the tourism sector has also been dealt a blow. Group tours bound for China will no longer be organized starting June 1.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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中方宣布中止ECFA"134項產品" 陸委會主委:政治操作

2024-05-31

總統賴清德上任後，中國壓迫不斷中國財政部公告從6月15日開始，台灣生產的潤滑油等134項產品，中止適用ECFA。陸委會主委邱垂正痛批政治操作，中方要負起全部責任。

[[行政院長卓榮泰]]
“向國際社會透過正常管道，表達反對跟希望能更正的態度，我也希望國際任何組織的任何成員，要能習慣、適應在國際組織的生活，不要隨便更改互動規則”

[[陸委會主委邱垂正]]
“這種對台施壓、恐嚇的政治操作，只會扭曲兩岸經貿原本互利互惠的發展方向，更讓兩岸經貿漸行漸遠，脫鉤斷鏈，相關責任應由陸方全部負擔。不符合WTO跟ECFA規範，我們呼籲雙方還是透過協商”

業者無奈成為中方政治操作犧牲品，經濟部強調會協助他們轉移市場，面對這遲遲等不到的善意，觀光業者期待的6月1號禁團令解除，我方也無法放行。

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After Taiwan’s expulsion from the WHO, is the WTO the next target?

Also owing to Chinese pressure, Taiwan has not been invited to take part in the WHO’s World Health Assembly for eight years. Now there are fears that Taiwan’s membership in the World Trade Organization or WTO will become China’s next target. FTV recently held an exclusive interview with Lo Chang-fa, Taiwan’s permanent representative to the WTO. Let’s hear what he had to say.

The flag of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s formal name, flies at Taiwan’s WTO mission in Geneva. Taiwan acceded to the WTO in January 2002. Chinese pressure eight years ago forced Taiwan out of the WHO and it hasn’t received an invitation to take part in the World Health Assembly for eight years. Now, there are fears that the WTO will become China’s next target.

Lo Chang-fa,
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First of all, we take part under the name “Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.” This agreement is valid and it will be permanently valid. Second, there is no mechanism in the WTO to expel members.

Ambassador Lo Chang-fa suggests that Taiwan can follow this trade model to sign bilateral medical agreements with countries friendly to Taiwan, which would strengthen international medical networks and cause the WHO to pay attention to Taiwan.

Taiwan’s WHO delegation visited Geneva University Hospitals and a foundation for surgical innovation and training a day before they came back to Taiwan.

Hospital representatives meticulously introduced the uses of various inspection instruments and clinical surgical equipment. About 40% of the hospital’s energy comes from renewable sources. The Taiwanese delegation discussed minimally invasive surgery, medical expenditures, and funding issues. They exchanged experiences and learnt from each other.

Chiu Tai-yuan
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Medical care is so concentrated in Taiwan. How do we integrate things and cooperate so that all our medical personnel related to surgery can get the best training environment and use the minimum of national resources to get the best training they can get.

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After the visit to the Geneva University Hospitals on May 30, the delegation will continue to hold bilateral meetings with other countries to gain more international support.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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President Lai approves Examination Yuan nominees with differing political backgrounds

The Presidential Office announced a new list of appointees for chief officials in the Examination Yuan on Friday. Current Vice President Chou Hung-hsien will be promoted to president. His deputy will be Hsu Shu-hsiang, whose brother is a former KMT legislator. In addition, Teng Chia-chi, a former deputy mayor of Taipei recommended by the TPP will serve as one of the commissioners. Analysts have taken this as a gesture of goodwill from the Presidential Office following the legislature’s passage of highly divisive amendments put forward by the opposition KMT and TPP. Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said the new appointees had been handpicked because of their professional talents and that political affiliations were not a factor.

On Friday, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim announced that President Lai Ching-te had promoted Chou Hung-hsien, the current vice president of the Examination Yuan, to be president. Hsu Shu-hsiang, the former president of TransWorld University, will be appointed its vice president. Hsu is the brother of former KMT lawmaker Hsu Shu-po. Even though Hsu Shu-hsiang’s KMT membership was struck off by the opposition party in 2016 because he supported Tsai Ing-wen’s bid to be president, this has still raised eyebrows.

Hsiao Bi-khim
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The president’s thinking is in two general directions. One is professionalism and the other is representation. Representation is in accordance with the president’s expectations. We utilize talent regardless of party affiliation. Under the concept of a grand democratic alliance, our nomination team recommended candidates and the president selected and ratified them.

There are other highlights in the list of nominees for the Examination Yuan.

Among the list of seven appointees for Examination Yuan commissioners is Teng Chia-chi, who served as deputy Taipei mayor when TPP founder Ko Wen-je was in office as mayor of the capital, and who was also recommended by the TPP. There’s also former KMT legislator-at-large Chiau Wen-yan, and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Service Lu Chiu-hui, who is a KMT member. All the other appointees do not have party affiliations.

Hsiao Bi-khim
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With his rich experience in local governance and managing public service manpower, Mr. Teng Chia-chi as an Examination Yuan commissioner will definitely be of assistance to the Examination Yuan in promoting relevant innovations to its operations. After we officially send the formal list to the Legislative Yuan for approval, we hope that each commissioner from the perspective of talent selection in the national interest can support our Examination Yuan personnel and every appointee that we’ve nominated.

Even though Hsiao says the appointments are non-partisan and professional, it remains to be seen whether the Legislative Yuan, which is dominated by the TPP and KMT, will accept this argument and give these nominations their needed approval.

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From laundries to almond boneless chicken, Chinese Americans make mark in Detroit

The Midwestern U.S. city of Detroit is known as the home of American automakers. What’s less known are the contributions of the Chinese residents throughout the city’s history.

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While its exact origins in the new world are unknown, local lore claims the dish is the product of Chinese immigrants from the early 1900s. It’s hugely popular in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs – a region with some 70,000 Chinese Americans. There used to be a centralized Chinatown here. Now, Detroit’s Chinatowns are only remembered in this museum exhibit. The first Chinese immigrants arrived in 1872, and established laundry businesses, which attracted more migrants from China. Some opened restaurants. Most of them were from Guangdong province in Southern
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The red light district. Yeah, it was terrible. I mean, it was tough. We were exposed to a lot of things growing up as a kid. You would see the prostitutes on the road all the time and coming into our restaurant, too.

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It’s not a Chinese community anymore down there and that’s the sad part.

Similar to many U.S. cities, the nexus of the Chinese community in Detroit assimilated into the suburbs and strip malls. But the memories of the Chinatowns live on out here and inside Chinese restaurants where almond chicken is still served.

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Huge sand sculptures, kite flying and starry tours offer summer fun in Northeast Coast

If you’re looking for some seaside fun, the northeast coast of Taiwan might just be the place for you. The Fulong International Sand Sculptures Art Festival kicked off its 17th edition on Friday. The exhibition features 45 sculptures, which are sure to be a hit with adults and children alike. In conjunction with the sand sculpture event, another festival will be held in Fulong and surrounding areas with concerts, tours and fun activities for the whole family lasting until mid-October.

The main sand sculpture, depicting a building, towers 8 meters tall above Fulong Beach.

Lee Shih-chen
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A total of 45 works are on display at the 2024 Fulong International Sand Sculptures Art Festival. Here, organizers say, applying sunscreen is a must.

The sculptures feature more than 40 famous cartoon characters and mascots, for children and children at heart to enjoy.

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Huang also said his company would always invest in Taiwan.

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This military base in Taoyuan’s Pingjhen uses AR technology to create an interactive display of a wireless FM radio. Under the guidance of instructors, students learn to use the machine one step at a time.

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After earning a bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, Lo Chia-ling has been competing around the world to qualify for the upcoming Paris Olympics, becoming the only Taiwanese athlete to do so. She hasn’t been able to train recently due to an ankle injury. But luckily, she’s expected to recover by June and hopes for a clean bill of health before taking to the mat for Team Taiwan this summer.

After warming up, Lo Chia-ling and her coach begin some basic training.

She earned a bronze medal in the last Olympics in Tokyo. Since last year, she has been competing around the world to earn a place in Paris. Now she has enough points to qualify as Taiwan’s only competitor in taekwondo. But she’s accumulated some injuries from competing so much, and has had to stop technical training due to her ankle.

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