Headline News
Tainan mayor Lai Ching-te new Premier of Taiwan
President Tsai Ing-wen appointed the mayor of Tainan, Lai Ching-te (57), as premier following the resignation of Lin Chuan. Lai, a former physician at National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan, has served 11 years as a legislator. In 2010 he was elected mayor of Tainan and served a second term while enjoying high approval ratings.
As the new premier, Lai will focus on the implementation of the 5+2 Transformation Plan, referring to five “pillar industries” – the Internet Of Things (also known as the Asia Silicon Valley), biotech, green energy, smart machinery and defense – high value agriculture and the circular economy.
The government counts on the program to boost innovation, create well-paid job opportunities and facilitate a more balanced regional development of Taiwan.
Taipei 5th most high-tech city in the world
Taipei was ranked by Business Insider the fifth most high-tech city in the world and the first in Asia. The ranking was based on an analysis of 85 cities worldwide by research firm
2thinknow, an Australia-based data innovation agency specializing in analyzing innovative cities
According to 2thinknow, Taipei is ahead of its competitors in the field of industrial design, and focuses more on hardware than software. The city is also home to some of the biggest PC companies in the world, including ASUS, MSI, Gigabite and Acer, and scores high in the number of venture capitalists.
San Francisco in California, USA, ranks first, followed by New York (2), London (3) and Los Angeles (4).
Economics
Taiwan Tesla headquarters inaugurated
The Taiwan headquarters of electric carmaker Tesla Inc. were inaugurated on August 11 in Taipei.
Deputy Minister Shen Jong-chin of Economic Affairs said at the inauguration that electric vehicles are part of the government’s green energy policy to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Taiwan.
Tesla will assist homegrown firms to cultivate an electric vehicle ecosystem, maintaining investment in supercharger infrastructure and work with higher education institutions on talent cultivation.
The headquarters are the first of its kind launched by Tesla in the world.
China Airlines, EVA Air report better results
Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL) and EVA Airways (EVA Air), report higher net profits for the second quarter, resulting from rising demand in passenger flights and recovering ticket prices.
CAL reported a 6.59 percent increase in sales for the second quarter, accounting for a NT$1.76 billion (US$58.09 million) net profit. The airline said that cargo also improved in the second quarter.
EVA Air reported that its consolidated sales for the second quarter rose by 5.61 percent to NT$40.2 billion. The number of passengers carried during the second quarter of this year rose by 10 percent while cargo volume recorded a growth of 5.3 percent.
Art & Culture
Taiwan artists in NEU NOW Festival Program
NEU NOW, the transdisciplinary art festival devoted to presenting the best of exceptional emerging artists, selected Taiwan artists Cheong Chi Wai and Hsieh Hung-Li with their art work “Log in Dinner,” (http://www.neunow.eu/artists/-log-in-dinner) for the 9th edition of NEU NOW in Amsterdam. An international jury selected Cheong and Hsieh from the more than 400 artists from 31 countries nominated.
NEU NOW aims to empower emerging artists and provide meaningful opportunities for the development of artists, creatives and visitors alike and will take place from 14-17 September in Amsterdam.
Temple Festivals and Folk Cultures Exposition
The Miao Hui Temple Festival, a traveling exposition to Europe, will have Its first stop in the Netherlands at Museumpark Orientalis at Heilig Landstichting near Nijmegen. The exposition (21 Sept. - 29 Oct. 2017) offers a harmonious combination of past and present with the objective to introduce the colorful festivals and folk cultural events around temples in Taiwan. It comprises a collection of cultural temple artifacts and photographs, film screenings and an interactive virtual reality experience.
The exposition will be officially opened on September 21 at 16:00 pm at Museumpark Orientalis with Taiwanese music performance, lion dances, Taiwanese snacks and refreshments and will be concluded with spectacular fireworks.
