Headline News
Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania opened
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Sunday (Nov. 21) praised Lithuania for defending its sovereignty and the values of freedom and democracy, adding that the two countries have continued to bolster exchanges and cooperation in different areas.
The main purpose of the recently opened Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania is to expand bilateral relations in economy and trade, science and technology, education, and culture, in addition to deepening people-to-people exchanges, MOFA said.
The ministry adds that friendship between the two countries will grow stronger and that together they “will contribute to international peace, stability, and prosperity,” and calls China’s downgrading of relations with Lithuania arrogant and petty.
In an open letter on Oct. 28, senior EU leaders wrote that China’s punitive campaign against Lithuania is “unjustified” and “disproportionate,” and that allowing Taiwan to set up a representative office in the country does not breach the EU’s “one China” policy.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel vowed to “push back” against “threats, political pressure and coercive measures” aimed at any of the bloc’s member states.
Majority in Taiwan supports cross-strait status quo
The majority of respondents to a survey about the public's views on Taiwan-China relations support the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a press release.
According to the survey of 1,072 individuals, 84.9 percent support maintaining the status quo between Taiwan and China, with 1.6 percent looking forward to unification and 6.8 percent supporting Taiwan declaring independence as soon as possible.
The poll, which the non-governmental Election Study Center at National Chengchi University was commissioned by the MAC to conduct, also revealed that 77.1 percent felt that Beijing was "unfriendly" towards the Taiwan government, while 9 percent had the opposite view.
On Beijing's attitude towards Taiwanese people, 57.9 percent chose "unfriendly," while 29.1 percent chose "friendly," according to the MAC.
Meanwhile, public views remain strongly against Beijing's "one country, two systems" formula, with 85.6 percent opposing it and 5.4 percent agreeing.
The poll was conducted from Nov. 10-14, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.99 percentage points.
Economy & Culture
Sony Group mulling partnership with TSMC
Sony Group confirmed it is mulling a partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to construct a chip fab in Japan.
Sony Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki made the announcement on Thursday (Oct. 28), according to Nikkei. “The stable procurement of semiconductors is a crucial issue amid the chip crunch, and (TSMC’s plant) could be a solution,” Nikkei cited Totoki as saying.
The company is in talks with TSMC and the Japan government to assist the Taiwan chipmaker and set up a chip plant in the country, Totoki said to Bloomberg. Sony is TSMC’s biggest Japanese client.
“Our basic stance is we would provide support for TSMC in setting up and operating a new factory in Japan,” the Sony CFO said. “Deepening the relationship with TSMC will have a big benefit for us.”
TSMC announced in early October that it plans to build a chip fab in Japan, with construction slated to start next year and production expected to begin in 2024. The new plant is estimated to cost around US$8.8 billion.
'City of Sadness' named greatest Asian film
A historical drama titled "A City of Sadness," directed by Taiwanese Hou Hsiao-hsien, topped the list of the 100 best films in Asia, in the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)'s latest rankings.
The 1989 award-winning film, which tells the story of a family caught up in the events of Taiwan's "White Terror" era, climbed to No. 1 this year on the BIFF's list, moving up from fifth place in the previous rankings.
Two other Taiwanese films by the late Edward Yang, also ranked among the top 10 films in Asia in the BIFF Asian Cinema 100 Ranking. "A Brighter Summer Day," a 1991 drama about two youth gangs, ranked third, while the 2000 romance "Yi Yi: A One and a Two" ranked 10th by the BIFF.
The Biff’s list is updated every five years by curators from around the world, to highlighting and promoting Asian cinema internationally.
