Phase-3 water rationing will begin April 1 in parts of northern Taiwan as the nation struggles with its worst drought in 67 years, declared Yang Wei-fu, vice minister of economic affairs, at a press conference March 19. The stringent water rationing will be implemented in New Taipei City’s Linkou, Banqiao, and Xinzhuang districts, along with…
The Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee on March 19 issued a non-binding resolution calling on the Ministry of Economic Affairs to ban the import of certain U.S. and Canadian beef products. The resolution move was in response to the Council of Agriculture’s declaration that six products, including tallow and bone marrow, were not internal organs and…
Civic groups and politicians commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Sunflower Movement protest that saw demonstrators opposing the proposed Cross-Strait Trade in Services Agreement (CSSTA) with China seize control of the Legislative Yuan’s main chamber. An organization known as the People as Masters Association led a demonstration outside the Legislative Yuan on March 18 to…
The New Year Brings some positive news. While no one seems able to agree on whether the new Chinese year is the Year of the Sheep or the Goat, the Taiwan economy broadly speaking bears more resemblance to a charging Ram. The Taiwan economy beat most growth forecasts in 2014 to come in at 3.74%,…
The world’s largest chemical company by sales, Germany’s BASF, expanded its investment in Taiwan with the opening of its new facilities in the Kuanyin Industrial Park in Taoyuan on February 5. The new facilities will provide advanced processing chemicals and materials such as ultra-pure electronic grade sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and ammonia water (NH4OH), as well…
Minister of Economic Affairs John Deng’s visit to Washington D.C. in mid-February, the first by an MOEA head in many years, was overshadowed by his announcement that bans on the import into Taiwan of six different types of beef products from the United States would be lifted. The Council of Agriculture made the decision after…
A scaffolding collapse on the site of acclaimed director Martin Scorsese’s new film, Silence, claimed the life of one worker and sent two more to the hospital with serious injuries. The accident happened at the Chinese Culture and Movie Center on January 29 when a ceiling collapsed onto contractors hired to reinforce an existing structure…
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman and 2012 presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen declared on a February 14 Facebook post that she would seek to run for the presidency under the DPP banner in the 2016 election. Tsai had long been considered the likely candidate to represent the opposition DPP as it attempts to maintain momentum following…
Disgraced Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co. chairman Wei Ying-chun was released on NT$100 million in bail on January 28 by the Changhua District Court. Wei, one of four brothers making up one of the wealthiest families in Taiwan, was indicted on October 21 for his role in the waste oil scandal that rocked…
Minister of National Defense Yen Ming resigned January 27, citing personal and professional reasons. He was replaced by Chief of the General Staff Kao Kuang-chi, who had previously briefly held the position of acting Defense Minister in August, 2013. Two days later, Premier Mao Chi-kuo also accepted the resignation of Minister of the National Development…
