Headline News
Legal cooperation pact in criminal matters with Poland
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the signing by Poland President Andrzej Duda of a bilateral agreement with Taiwan on legal cooperation in criminal matters, following the unanimous approval by both houses of Poland's parliament.
The agreement will help strengthen the transnational anti-crime efforts and judicial cooperation between the two countries, covering five major areas including criminal matters, extradition, prisoner transfer, exchange of legal and practical insights, and sharing of information for crime prevention.
Apart from Poland, Taiwan currently has similar arrangements with the United States, China, the Philippines, South Africa, Nauru and Belize.
The agreement with Poland is the first of its kind signed between Taiwan and a European country.
Taiwan ranks as 11th most democratic nation globally
Taiwan has jumped 20 places in the 2020 Democracy Index rankings to the 11th position globally from 31st in 2019, according to the index report released on Feb.2 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Describing Taiwan as a beacon of democracy in Asia, the report said that Taiwan’s spectacular rise reflects a consolidation of positive political and legal development in recent years.
At the 11th position, Taiwan also turns out as the most democratic country in East Asia, ahead of the only two other “full democracies” in East Asia, Japan (21) and South Korea (23). The top five countries in the global democracy rankings are Norway (1), Iceland (2), Sweden (3), New Zealand (4) and Canada (5).
Taiwan attractive as new outpost for foreign media reporting on China
Taiwan has witnessed over the past year an increased presence of international media outlets and is emerging as a major base for foreign journalists, who are prohibited from covering affairs in China without interference.
An additional 34 foreign reporters were posted in Taiwan in 2020, including journalists from the U.S., U.K, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and France. As of Dec. 25, a number of 124 international reporters from 71 media outlets registered in Taiwan.
“Journalists holding a media visa in China will be spied on and tracked, and risk putting those interviewed in danger. In contrast, the Taiwan government is more than willing to provide assistance, and media workers won’t have their visa revoked for reporting in the wrong direction,” Swedish journalist Joije Olsson said in an interview with Voice of America.
Economy & Society
Taiwan records economic growth of 2.98 % in 2020
Taiwan's economy grew 2.98% in 2020, beating a November forecast because of strong electronics and information technology exports in the fourth quarter, according to Taiwan's statistics bureau.
Taiwan’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth surpassed the previous forecast of 2.54% and is the highest since 2018.
It is also higher than China’s
economic growth in 2020, for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Google opens hardware R&D base in New Taipei City
U.S.-based Internet tech giant Google Inc. opened a new 16-floor office in Banqiao District, New Taipei, to serve as the company's largest hardware research and development center outside the United States.
Taiwan is one of the most important locations in the world where Google implements its global development strategies and as such, the company's team in the country has been highly involved or even played a key role in developing such major products as Pixel smartphones, the Nest smart speaker, Chromebook notebook computers, Chromecast streaming media players and wearable devices, said Elmer Peng, Google Vice President of Hardware.
Vice-President Lai Ching-te thanked Google at the opening for its trust in Taiwan and said that the new office will also serve as an innovation center for artificial intelligence and software technology.
Movie director Ang Lee conferred with France's highest distinction
Taiwan filmmaker Ang Lee was conferred with the Knights of the Legion of Honor, the highest order of merit bestowed by the French government, on Wednesday (Feb. 3).
According to the French Office in Taipei, Lee’s works “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Brokeback Mountain,” and “Life of Pi” are the most popular among French audiences.
Other recipients of the Knights of the Legion of Honor are Francis Ford Coppola, Emir Kusturica, and Clint Eastwood.