Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Tsai’s foundation to host academic forum on economy

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

The newly established Thinking Taiwan Foundation chaired by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will hold a two-day workshop on the economy today and tomorrow.

The workshop on Taiwan’s economic development launches the foundation’s series of forums aimed at bringing together academics under the age of 40 to encourage participation in public policy discussion among the young generation, the foundation said.

Four panel discussions on macroeconomics, the global economy, the cross-strait economy and governance are to be moderated by former Council of Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) chairman Chen Po-chih (陳博志), former Financial Supervisory Commission chairman Hu Sheng-cheng (胡勝正), former finance minister Lin Chuan (林全) — who now serves as the executive director of the foundation — and Tsai.

Tsai is to moderate the panel on the cross-strait economy, which is expected to focus on the hollowing-out effect of Taiwan’s industries and Taiwan’s growing economic dependence on China, according to a staffer of the foundation.

The workshop is part of the foundation’s plans to facilitate public participation and discussion of public policy. The foundation also hosts a Web site called the “Thinking Taiwan Forum,” which aims to promote online discussion of public policy.

Meanwhile, the DPP national headquarters plans to hold four seminars on China affairs beginning on Sept. 11, with DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) participating.

The seminars will focus on political, economic, social and human rights development in China as the party tries to increase its understanding of China, which Su said was a priority for the DPP after its loss in the January presidential election, according to DPP Policy Research Committee Executive Director Joseph Wu (吳釗燮).

A “open studio” forum is also scheduled to begin on Aug. 21 with three consecutive seminars, which are to be broadcast live online, on youth-related issues.