No reason for exhibition industry to fear marginalization: experts

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) Taiwan will not be marginalized in the exhibition industry because of warmer ties across the Taiwan Strait and the competitiveness of its niche sectors, industry leaders said Friday on the final day of an international seminar.

"Far from a significant risk of marginalization, an interesting development over the past one and a half years is in fact the reverse of that situation, " Paul Woodward, Asia Pacific Regional Manager of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), said on the last day of an annual UFI Open Seminar in Taipei.

Woodward observed that Taiwan is entering "an exciting new era of opportunity" to be able to take advantage of much improved Taiwan-China relations, as flows of people and business activities have increased and many Chinese businessmen are able to visit Taiwan as exhibitors and buyers.

In terms of marginalization, Taiwan will be able to take the matter into its own hands, said Walter Yeh, executive vice president of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) , Taiwan's international trade promotion organization.

Taiwan should connect with the international business community but walk its own path, he said, based on Taiwan's competitiveness in Asia and around the world in niche sectors such as bicycles, information technology-related products, solar cells, semiconductors and LCD displays.

"We may not be able to be the best hub of the exhibition industry, but we are able to be one of the best hubs and compete shoulder-to-shoulder with cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Singapore, " Yeh said.

Taiwan is one of the pioneers of the industry in Asia with 25-30 years of experience, and in 1986 it built one of the finest exhibition venues -- the Taipei World Trade Center -- in the Asia Pacific region at the time, Woodward noted.

With upgraded skills and education of personnel, Taiwan will be able to go up a notch in the exhibition industry, he said.

UFI President Manfred Wutzlhofer observed that in the post-financial crisis era, businesses cannot afford to look at only domestic markets but must also develop international markets for long-term benefit and development.

That's why it's time for Taiwanese businesses to develop "brand products" after enjoying decades of success as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) because brand products create more profit, he said.

A record 220 delegates from 24 countries and regions gathered in Taipei from March 4-5 for UFI's Open Seminar.

Regulation mistake causes Taiwan's sports lottery deficit: analyst

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) A regulation mistake is the main reason that led to the poor performance of Taiwan's sports lottery revenue, but the sports lottery still has the potential to make a better showing, an analyst told CNA Friday.

Taiwan Sport Lottery Corp. (TSLC) under Taipei Fubon Bank, the sole company authorized to operate the lottery, asked for permission Feb. 8 to cut by half the revenue it is contracted to give the government, attributing lower-than-expected sales to a delay in launching the lottery, a change made to regulations governing its issuance, and the global financial crisis.

"Under the current regulations, the sports lottery is doomed to be non-profitable for operators, " said Griffey Chang, a sports lottery analyst who breaks down game odds daily for betters.

"It's not that there's no market for sports betting in Taiwan. On the contrary, there has been a huge underground betting market for years," he said.

The second and the most important factor of all, he said, is that the government asked the company to submit annual revenue by a fixed-rate portion of "expected sales" rather than "actual sales." According to that contract, which authorized Taiwan Sport Lottery to run the lottery from 2008 to 2013, Taipei Fubon Bank is required to give the government NT$20.83 billion over six years, or an average of NT$3.47 billion a year.

The bank had expected a sales revenue of NT$33.65 billion from 2008 to 2009 but the actual sales reached only NT$19.1 billion -- 56.8 percent of expected sales.

The large amount of promised revenue forced the bank to add it as an operating cost and bookmakers to lower the game odds, making the lottery unappealing for consumers, who ended up betting with underground operators, he went on.

Chang estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of sports betters in Taiwan and many of them are students because "they play sports, watch games and there is peer influence." There is also a technical problem that has affected sales, Chang said.

Sports betters are not allowed to bet on single games over the fear of game-fixing. For example, local professional baseball games are bundled with U.S. Major League (MLB) games, which means betters will have to correctly predict the outcomes of several local and MLB games to receive a return.

"The design discourages betters who don't follow foreign sports or do not read English, " Chang observed.

However, the creation of the sports lottery has turned more people into sports fans, he continued.

Over time, the lottery will have a positive impact on local sports by bringing in more fans as well as helping the sports federation with revenue, he said. Under the regulations, the government must allocate 90 percent of the revenue it receives from the sports lottery to sports development.

"The sports lottery business involves the livelihoods of many people, including more than 1,000 betting stations and disadvantaged groups. I do not think the government and the TSLC will let it fail," he said.

Local fans unhappy with Dodgers' exhibition games roster

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) Local baseball fans have expressed disappointment with the roster of the Los Angeles Dodgers' three-game exhibition series in Taiwan, while the game organizers said the roster is unlikely to change.

The U.S. Major League team announced Tuesday its 33-man split squad roster that will make the March 12-14 trip. While all-star hitter Manny Ramirez is scheduled to visit, the roster includes only three starters and 17 players with Major League experience.

Fans expressed their resentment on the Internet, saying that the roster is "watered-down, " while some ticket buyers have demanded refunds. Unhappy fans have also established a Facebook page to demand their money back.

"We have been working very hard with the Dodgers to bring as many starters as possible to Taiwan. I believe we've done our best and we will accept every refund demand, " said Eric Chang, president of Bros Sports, which is organizing the event.

Ramirez, first baseman James Loney and second baseman Ronnie Belliard are the only players on the roster who are expected to make the starting list in the upcoming season. The top four pitchers of the Dodgers rotation -- Hiroki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Vicente Padilla -- will not make the trip.

Local fans complained that the roster pales in comparison with one 13 years ago when the team visited Taiwan for the first time. The Dodgers brought almost all the players on its 25-man roster in 1993.

However, MLB Asia President Jim Small pointed out that as the team is in the middle of the spring training, while the 1993 took place in the off-season.

The Dodgers will play three games against a local Chinese Professional Baseball League all-star team, on March 12 and 13 in Taipei and on March 14 in Kaohsiung.

Taiwan pledges to maintain control on high-tech commodities

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) The government is determined to continue its control measures on strategic high-tech commodities (SHTC's) and to work with the international community to prevent nuclear proliferation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

In response to reports in the local media and by the Associated Press (AP) , Department of North American Affairs Director-General Harry Tseng said the ministry has been handling a case in which a Taiwanese company was involved in the transshipment of 108 Swiss-made nuclear-related gauges to Iran.

"The ministry was informed of the case last March and has been dealing with it since that time, " Tseng said.

According to the AP report, China's Roc-Master Manufacture & Supply Co. placed orders for the pressure transducers with Heli-Ocean Technology, Swiss manufacturer Inficon's agent in Taiwan, early last year. Roc-Master later changed the shipping destination from Shanghai to Tehran.

The device was not on any embargo lists, Tseng pointed out, adding that Heli-Ocean Technology's client was also not from any of the countries on the SHTC watch-list.

"The company did not violate Taiwan's regulations on sensitive high-tech commodities, " he said.

When the news broke out last December, several U.S. Congressmen expressed their concerns to Taiwan, Tseng went on.

Taiwan began implementing the SHTC export control measures in 1995 and established a "sensitive commodities list" (SCL) on commodities exports to Iran and North Korea in 2006, he said.

"Taiwan has been cooperating with various countries, including the U.S., Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and Israel, on the SHTC controls, " he said.

According to the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) , Taiwan's sensitive commodities export watch-list is based on the European Union's "Community Regime for the Control of Exports of Dual Use Items and Technology" and the "Common Military List of The European Union."

According to an anonymous Taiwanese official, Taiwan had contact with a foreign intelligence agency after the transaction and the agency provided intelligence that it suspected an Iranian entity could be procuring pressure transducers from a company in a third country and using them for nuclear proliferation purposes, AP reported.

The official was quoted by AP as saying that the government has decided to require Heli-Ocean to declare any further sales to the Iranian company before they can go ahead.

Canadian Trade Office to host high definition surveillance seminar

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) will host a seminar March 5 on high definition surveillance systems and their benefits to correctional facilities, transportation systems, corporate and academic campuses as well as manufacturing plants and energy-related facilities, the office said Thursday.

"There is no doubt in the world that video surveillance has come a very long way in the past few years, " said CTOT Executive Director Scott Fraser.

He noted that since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, there have been major changes in the security infrastructure in North America.

"The United States has introduced security measures at its seaports, airports, in public spaces and along its borders to guard against potential attacks," he said.

He added that this reality has led to significant advances in the information technology security industry in Canada to the point where corporations and governments worldwide now rely on Canada's expertise in biometrics, cryptography and encryption, mobile authentication, cybersecurity, public safety and product certification.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng and Kuo Yi-Chun, an industry analyst at the Industrial Technology Research Institute, will be two of the key speakers at the seminar.

The event, titled "High Definition Surveillance Seminar: Benchmark for the Future," will be held March 5 from 9: 30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m at the Westin Taipei, which is located at 133 Nanjing East Road, Section 3.

Taiwan players eye three-peat in women's pool tournament

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) Local players will be setting their sights on a third consecutive pool tournament win when the Amway WPA Women's World 9-Ball Open begins in Taipei Thursday with the participation of 48 players from 19 countries.

The annual tournament, which is now in its 13th year, will be held from March 4-7 at The Living Mall, a major shopping center in downtown Taipei.

The competitors are a mix of experienced veterans and talented youngsters, including defending champion Chou Chieh-yu, U.K. veteran Allison Fisher, 14-year-old Kamila Khodjaeva of Uzbekistan, and China's 17-year-old Liu Sha-sha, who is ranked No.1 in the world.

Other notable players are Taiwanese veteran Liu Shin-mei; South Korea's Cha Yu-ram, Kim Ga-yong and Lim Yun-mi; Monica Webb and Vivian Villarreal of the U.S.; Japan's Chihiro Kawahara; and Taiwan's Lai Hui-shan and Chang Shu-han.

In the tournament, 24 of 48 players will advance from eight preliminary groups to the playoffs after a round robin "race to seven." A single-elimination format will be used in the playoffs, where players will match up in head-to-head battle. Semifinalists will play in a "race to nine" competition, with winners meeting in a race-to-eleven title game.

Chou Chieh-yu, 23, beat Ireland's Karen Corr 11-9 in the final last year to take the title. Taiwan's Lin Yuan-chun was the champion in 2008.

Tougher UK visa rules will not impact Taiwanese students

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) Tougher rules on UK visa applications which take effect Wednesday will not affect Taiwanese students aspiring to study in the United Kingdom, the UK representative office in Taipei and Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

The new rules require that applicants have a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in a foreign language or its equivalent to study in the UK and that they take courses to improve their English language competency once they enter the UK. The rules also reduce in half the amount of time a student studying below first degree level will be able to work in the UK to just 10 hours per week during each school term.

The rule change was made because UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown had requested a review of the student visa requirements in November 2009 to prevent abuse of the system.

David Campbell, Director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) , said the new rules should not have any negative impact on Taiwanese students.

"These changes are aimed at reducing immigration abuse, and should not affect anyone who is studying at a reputable educational establishment, " Campbell said.

"UK universities and colleges have an excellent reputation worldwide, and we are very pleased that increasing number of Taiwanese students are choosing to take advantage of the opportunities they offer, " Campbell added.

Campbell also noted that the rules do not change the fact that Taiwanese students do not need visas to take up short courses (less than six months) in the UK.

BTCO is the UK's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also does not expect the new measure to negatively impact the number of Taiwanese students hoping to study in the UK, director-general of MOFA's Department of European Affairs Chiu Jong-jen said.

Currently, there are more than 15,000 Taiwanese students studying in the UK, Chiu said.

Eliza Lee, marketing and communications manager of the British Council, the UK's international cultural relations organization, said the measures are targeted at students from India, Pakistan and other countries who go to the UK to work rather than study.

"Taiwanese students enjoy a good reputation overseas because they work hard in school and always appreciate different cultures and blend in well, " said Lee.

The new regulations, Lee said, are beneficial to Taiwanese students because the UK government requested schools to register with the Education Ministry so those schools will be counted as "highly trusted institutions" and foreign students will be able to attend trusted institutions.

Taiwanese students who studied short language courses in the UK increased by 15 percent last summer after Taiwan was granted six-month visa-free treatment by the UK, she noted.

The new immigration rules also impose a ban on bringing in dependents for anyone studying a course for less than six months; and a ban on dependents of anyone studying a course lower than foundation or undergraduate degree level from working. 

EU transition pushes back Taiwan's Schengen visa-free plan: MOFA

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) Taiwanese have to wait a little longer to enjoy visa-free privileges entering the Schengen Area because the European Union (EU) is going through a transition period after the Lisbon Treaty took effect, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

"Hopefully, we can get it done before the end of this year to benefit Taiwan's tourists, students and businessmen entering Europe, " said Chiu Jong-jen, director-general of the Department of European Affairs under the MOFA.

He said that the ministry had expected Taiwan's nationals to be granted visa-free privileges at some point between April and June this year.

Charles Tannock, a member of the European Parliament (MEP), also said in Taiwan last October that he hoped Taiwanese people will be able to enter EU nations without a visa by early 2010.

While the previous EU Commission's term expired at the end of last October and the Lisbon Treaty kicked in last December, it will take some time for the new EU Commission and the EU to get past a transition period, and that is why the initiative is expected to be pushed back, Chiu said.

The ministry is optimistic about the proposal, however, because Taiwan has worked on the initiative for years, Chiu said. Taiwan meets every requirement the EU requests in the visa-free program and it is "fully qualified" for receiving the privilege, he added.

"The Schengen visa-free initiative is a huge task for the ministry. If the proposal is passed in the European Council, it will benefit all the people in Taiwan, " Chiu said.

"I think that it is just a matter of time for Taiwan to be granted a visa-free treatment in the Schengen area, " he added.

Hungarian parliamentarian Zsolt Nemeth said during his visit to Taiwan in January that Hungary, which will take over EU's rotating presidency in January 2011, supports granting visa-free treatment to Taiwanese passport holders.

The Schengen Area comprises the territories of 25 European countries.

Ramirez highlights Dodgers' Taiwan exhibition games roster

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) The Los Angeles Dodgers of U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) announced its complete roster for a three-game exhibition series in Taiwan next month, with All-Star hitter Manny Ramirez and a pair of Taiwanese players -- Kuo Hong-chih and Hu Chin-lung leading the way, game organizers said Tuesday.

Ramirez is among 33 Dodgers who will play three games against a local Chinese Professional  Baseball League (CPBL) All-Star team, on March 12 and 13 in Taipei and on March 14 in Kaohsiung.

In the complete roster the Dodgers announced Tuesday, 17 of the 33 players have Major League experience, organizers Bros Sports said in a press release.

Ramirez, a 37-year-old Dominican-American power hitter, headlines the much-publicized series. Known for his offensive ability, the 12-time All-Star is also a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 people to have hit over 500 career home runs. His 28 career post season home runs are also the most by any player in MLB history.

Also expected to receive much fanfare are a pair of home-made heroes: left-handed reliever Kuo Hong-chih and shortstop Hu Chin-lung.

Kuo, 28, spent his entire MLB career with the Dodgers from 2005 to present and had 9 wins, 13 losses and 14 saves. His Taiwanese teammate 26-year-old Hu is known for his defensive performance, and appeared in 82 games from 2007-2009, playing mostly in the minor league.

The visit will be the Dodgers' second to Taiwan. The National League team played a CPBL All-Star team in a series of exhibitions in 1993.

According to the MLB official Web site, the games will mark the third time since 2008 that a MLB team has traveled to Asia. In March 2008, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres played two Spring Training games in Beijing, the first-ever MLB games played in China. Later that month, the Boston Red Sox and Oakland A's opened the 2008 MLB regular season with a two-game series in Tokyo, Japan.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' complete roster is listed below:
Pitchers (16) : RHP Mario Alvarez, LHP Alberto Bastardo, RHP Robert Boothe, RHP Jesus Castillo, RHP Hyang-Nam Choi, RHP Scott Dohmann, RHP John Ely, RHP Francisco Felix, RHP Charlie Haeger, RHP Kenley Jansen, LHP Kuo Hong-chih RHP Josh Lindblom, RHP Jon Link, LHP Juan Perez, LHP Eric Stults and RHP Josh Towers Catchers (four): J.D. Closser, Gabriel Gutierrez, Lucas May, and Jesse Mier.

Infielders (eight): Ronnie Belliard, Angel Berroa, Jamey Carroll, Chin-lung Hu, John Lindsey, James Loney, Russ Mitchell and Ramon Nivar.

Outfielders (six) : Brian Barton, Xavier Paul, Manny Ramirez, Prentice Redman, Michael Restovich, and Trayvon Robinson. Coaches: Manager Joe Torre, first base coach John Shoemaker, third base coach Lorenzo Bundy, pitching coach Jim Slaton, hitting coach/bench coach Tim Wallach and bullpen catcher Mike Borzello.

Taiwanese in Concepcion safe after Chile quake: MOFA

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) Six Taiwanese expatriates in the central Chilean city of Concepcion were safe after a devastating magnitude 8.8 quake struck the country Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

Three of the six Taiwanese in Concepcion, which has a population of about 1 million and is located about 115 kilometers from the quake epicenter, could not be reached immediately after the temblor due to communications breakdown, but they have now all been confirmed safe, MOFA spokesman Henry Chen said.

"Two staff members from the MOFA's office in Chile, carrying food and water, drove for eight hours from Santiago to Concepcion and got in touch with all their compatriots there, Chen said. "They are all safe." According to the MOFA, there are 1,300 Taiwan nationals in Chile and most live in the Santiago area some 300 kilometers north of Concepcion. Internet and phone communications were still down in Santiago, the MOFA said.

According to news reports out of Chile, the death toll from the quake as of Tuesday was 723 and climbing. It is estimated that two million people have been displaced or otherwise affected by the disaster.

After the South American country decided Monday to accepting donations and foreign aid, the Taiwan government announced that it will donate US$200,000 for earthquake relief and said it stands ready to offer other humanitarian assistance if asked.

Meanwhile, a trade promotion group that was scheduled to arrive in Santiago March 24 as part of a South American tour will not cancel its visit, said the organizer of the trip, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA).