Headline News
President Tsai congratulates Trump
President Tsai Ing-wen has conveyed her congratulations on behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of China to Donald J. Trump and Governor Mike Pence on their election as the 45th president and vice-president of the United States.
Tsai stated that the US is the most important democratic country in the world and that it is Taiwan’s most dependable and steadfast partner in the international community. She said she looks forward to working with President-Elect Trump and his team to further strengthen Taiwan-US relations, which will continue to serve as cornerstone for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.
Tsai also thanked the administration of President Barack Obama for the support Taiwan has received on many fronts in recent years.
James Soong heads APEC delegation
People First Party Chairman James Soong will serve as President Tsai Ing-wen’s envoy to the 24th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting from November 19-20 in Lima, Peru.
Soong’s objectives are to share Taiwan’s experiences in economic development and transformation. He will also look for new business opportunities to stimulate economic development and exchange views with various economic leaders at the meeting.
Soong and his delegation will work to connect Taiwan’s small and medium enterprises to global markets, enhance trade ties with APEC member economies and boost Taiwan’s presence in the international community.
Economy & Aviation
Taiwan committed to renewable energy
The government is committed to achieving its target of generating 20 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2025. Vice President Chen Chien-jen stated that the government is investing US$38 billion to increase solar power capacity to 20 gigawatts, or 250 billion kilowatt-hours, by that year.
Vice President Chen said that creating a nuclear-free country is not the only motivator to achieve the targets set by the government. Business opportunities that emerge from green energy as an emerging sector and boosting the country’s energy self-sufficiency rate, which is currently just 3 percent, are also important factors.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs stated Taiwan currently generates 4 percent of its power from renewable sources. In addition to building new solar power plants, the government is also building offshore wind turbines off the island’s western coast in order to increase this percentage.
EVA Air ranked in top 10 best airlines for 2017
EVA Air has been ranked the 9th best airline worldwide by rating agency AirlineRatings.com. Air New Zealand was awarded the top spot.
The ranking is based on four major international industry and government audits. Nine key criteria were used, including fleet age, passenger review ratings, investment rating and key product offerings.
EVA Air was one of the few air carriers to receive a maximum seven star rating, placing it alongside airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa.
Society
First ICW meeting held in Taiwan
The National Council of Women of Taiwan ROC (NCWT) is for the first time hosting the Executive Committee Meeting of the Paris-based International Council of Women (ICW). The event was opened with a speech from President Tsai Ing-wen on November 14 in Taipei City.
In her speech, President Tsai highlighted Taiwan’s successful efforts to boost women’s participation in public affairs, pointing out that more than one-third of the country’s legislators are female and her own position as government leader.
ICW President Jungsook Kim praised Taiwan’s efforts to promote gender equality through constitutional amendments and legislation in her opening address. She stated that Tsai’s election bodes very well for moving towards gender equality.
The ICW was established in 1888 and was the first group to fight for women’s rights on the international stage.
