Although Taiwan did not have a team competing in the 2018 World Cup in Russia this June, it was still well represented on the playing fields. The uniforms worn by the athletes from the great majority of the 32 participating countries were made by Taiwanese companies, mainly for such prominent international brands as Nike and…
Elizabeth Yeh (Philippines) Today Elizabeth Yeh is well known among many of Taichung’s international travelers as the owner of the Elizabeth Travel Service, a future that never would have occurred to her as a young girl in Manila. After earning a degree in medical technology and moving on to medical school, she had to give…
Thirty-nine state enterprises have been converted into private companies since 1989. The next stage will be the most difficult. Over the past three decades, a total of 39 state-owned enterprises in Taiwan have been transformed into private corporations through the sale of shares in an effort to promote efficiency and reduce the direct involvement of…
Companies are seeking to avoid the low-margin trap by moving into this technically demanding segment of the industry. As the days are gone when fabric could be cut and sewn in Taiwan at competitive costs, its textile sector has been shifting toward technical textiles for which production relies on automation rather than human labor. In…
U.S. Restricts Exports to Chinese IC Company The U.S. Commerce Department announced that American companies will need to apply for licenses for all exports or transfers of commodities, software, and technology to China’s Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co., effective October 30, and that “such license applications will be reviewed with a presumption of denial.” Micron,…
The recent influx of immigrants from ASEAN nations dovetails with the Tsai administration’s New Southbound Policy. Southeast Asian immigration to Taiwan is steadily rising amid deepening ties between the island and ASEAN nations. Between 2010 and 2016, Southeast Asian immigrants increased from 130,000 to 170,000, according to government data. Last year, for the first time…
Given the tepid economy and tensions in relations with Beijing, the island is no longer a magnet for cross-Strait marriages. When Lisa Li arrived in Taiwan in 2001, the island was more advanced than anywhere on the Chinese mainland. The capital city of Taipei had a brand-new MRT system, five-star international hotels, and 24-hour convenience…
Taiwan’s population is projected to peak at 23.61 million in 2021 and then begin to decrease. The fertility rate of an average of 1.17 children born to each woman is insufficient to maintain the present population level, never mind expand it. Government efforts to boost the fertility rate – primarily in the form of childcare…
A day in the life of a Taiwan-based Swiss lawyer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 4:30 a.m. Getting enough sleep turns out to be one of the biggest challenges here. Due to the 12-hour time difference, Harvard’s location in Massachusetts is not the most suitable for dealing with Taiwan matters. At first I tried various approaches, for…
Investigations Continue of Railway Accident In the worst railroad accident in Taiwan in many years, 18 passengers were killed and nearly 200 injured when a Puyama Express train jumped the tracks in Yilan County, overturning five of the eight cars. It appeared that the train was going at too high a speed around a curve,…
