Headline News
Trump says U.S. will not end arms sales to Taiwan
U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear to Beijing that Washington will not end arms sales to Taiwan and will continue to equip it with defensive weapons, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
A senior White House official who took part in the talks between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping was cited in the article saying that the Chinese side “obliquely” raised its opposition to the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. “The President spoke of our one-China policy based on the three communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act, so we’re going to continue providing defensive weapons commensurate with our obligations under the law,” the White House official was quoted.
Responding to Xi’s remark that the Taiwan issue is the most important and sensitive issue in Sino-U.S. relations, Trump also said that the U.S. government will continue to uphold its ‘one-China’ policy.
Climate change is a humanitarian issue
“The climate change issue is a humanitarian one. We should all work together,” Environmental Minister Lee Ying-yuan stated after he was blocked from attending the recent COP 23 climate conference in Bonn due to objections from Beijing.
“Such a power (China) should have more confidence in itself,” Lee said calling on the Chinese government not to hinder Taiwan’s efforts to join the global fight against climate change. Taiwan wants to share its knowledge of environmental issues with all countries affected by climate change, Lee said.
The Taiwan delegation headed by Lee, nevertheless managed to hold 31 rounds of bilateral meetings with delegations from friendly countries on the sideline of the conference.
The Global Climate Risk Index 2018, published by Germanwatch, a non-profit, non-governmental development and environmental organization for sustainable global development, ranks Taiwan seventh among countries most severely affected by climate change.
Forbes: President Tsai 3rd most powerful female politician in the world
Forbes Magazine ranked President Tsai Ing-wen as the third most powerful female politician in the world in the list titled “2017 Power Women: Most Powerful Women in Politics.”
Forbes calls Tsai’s economic policies a success. The magazine lists her implementation of a five-industry plan, focusing on biotech, pharmaceuticals, national defense, smart machinery, green energy and the Internet of Things to stimulate the economy, together with the fact that trade with China has increased to US$133 billion as of July this year.
At the top of Forbes’ list is German Chancellor Angela Merkel followed by U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May.
Science and Technology
Taiwan wins 36 medals at German Invention Fair
A total of 36 medals including 14 gold, 14 silver and 8 bronze, were won by Taiwan at the iENA international trade fair in Nuremburg, Germany, from a total of 800 submissions
from across the world. Among Taiwan’s gold medal winners are Grape King Bio and Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.
One of Grape King Bio gold-winning inventions is a method that enhances erinacine A in liquid state fermentation while producing hyphae. Erinacine A has proved effective in the treatment of dementia and listening difficulties and prevents the accumulation of carbohydrates.
Kaohsiung Veterans’ General Hospital won gold medals for two patented products: a new set of gloves for ICU patients and speedy electrocardiography.
Aviation and Tourism
EVA Air profits from passenger demand
Taiwan’s EVA Airways Corp reported a marked profit gain in the last quarter over a year ago. Its net income during the period ending Sept. 30 surged 92.4 percent annually to NT$4.53 billion (US$150.14 million) due to rising demand for passengers and cargo transport.
Rising consumer spending led to a 5.6 percent rise in air cargo transport pricing and a 5.8 percent gain in cargo transport volume, despite a 2.7 percent dip in capacity. EVA Air also saw its overall passenger load factor rise 8.9 percent from a year earlier.
Taipei 14th most popular city destination
Taipei ranked 14th in the "Top 100 City Destination Ranking 2017" by Euromonitor International, with a reported 9.2 million international visitors in 2016. It finished ninth among Asian cities in the rankings, behind Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Macau, Shenzhen, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, and Tokyo.
