Taiwan Newsletter Issue 125
Editorial: Taipei Representative Office in The Netherlands, Information Division Website: http://www.taiwanembassy.org/nl E-mail: info@taiwanembassy.nl Tel: 070-2503000
Headline News
Taiwan chooses to stand with the oppressed
Taiwan chooses to “stand with those who are oppressed and whose religious rights have been taken away by authoritarian regimes” because Taiwanese know “how it feels when someone tries to take away your rights, wipe out your identity and challenge your way of life,” President Tsai Ing-wen said at the opening of the Regional Religious Freedom Forum.
Leaders from more than 15 countries in the region gathered in Taipei to discuss how to better protect and promote religious freedom.
“We remain committed to creating a world where people are free from fear of persecution, or fear of exile because of their religion or ethnicity,” Tsai said.
The forum was organized by the Foundation for Democracy and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).
Elections for President and Parliament set on 11 January, 2020
The Central Election Commission announced that the next presidential and legislative elections will be held on 11 Jan. 2020.
The new Legislature will then take office in February while the elected President and Vice-President will be inaugurated on 20 May, 2020.
Economy & Society
HHC and Damen Shipyards sign MOU
Taiwanese dredging and nearshore construction company Hong Hua Corporation (HHC) and Dutch Damen Shipyard signed a MOU worth US$30 million for the expansion of the fleet of offshore wind support vessels and the setting up of a simulation center for training local crew for the support work and the buildup of the offshore wind power capacity in Taiwan.
HHC also procured two crew transfer vessels – FCS 2710 CTVs- from Damen to be delivered in Feb. 2020. HHC is expanding its fleet of CTVs in view of the government’s plan to switch to a mix of 50% liquefied natural gas, 30% coal and 20% renewable energy by 2025.
StarLux Airlines orders 17 A350XWB aircraft from Airbus
Taiwan’s StarLux Airlines Co. signed a contract with Airbus for 5 A350-900s and 12 A350-1000s, valued Euro 5.1 billion, to be delivered between 2021 and 2024.
In addition to the purchase, StarLux will also lease 10 A320neo planes from Airbus, which will be delivered from October 2019 through 2022.
StarLux will be the first Taiwanese carrier to operate the A350-1000s.
EVA Air 2nd cleanest airline in the world
Taiwan’s EVA Airways is ranked the 2 nd cleanest airline in the world by the U.K.-based Skytrax airline review agency. The top six cleanest airlines are all Asian airlines, with All Nippon Airways heading the list.
Swiss Air is the highest ranked European airline on the 8th spot, followed by Lufthansa on 10th , Austrian on 13th, KLM on 24th and Finnair on 25th .
The ranking is based on studies by microbiologists, who analyzed samples from surfaces throughout the aircraft including tray tables, seat cushions, carpeting, as well as washbasins and toilets
Migrant workers remit US$3 billion in 2018
Migrant workers in Taiwan remitted more than US$3 billion in 2018, according to data from the Central Bank of Taiwan.
The remittance amounts by average US$300 per migrant worker on a monthly basis.
The number of migrant workers has grown steadily since 1993, when Taiwan started the admission of foreign workers.
In 2013 the number was 545,000 to reach as high as 703,162 by the end of October 2018. The migrant workers are originating primarily from Southeast Asian countries