U.K.-Taiwan trade in 2010 shows strong growth: BTCO

Taipei, March 1 (CNA) Two-way trade between the United Kingdom and Taiwan grew robustly in 2010 to NT$240 billion (5 billion pounds) and the positive trend was expected to continue with Taiwan's gradual development into a service-oriented economy, the top UK diplomat in Taiwan said Tuesday.

"Our trading relationship has always been strong and it is clear from these figures that trade has recovered strongly from the global economic downturn, " said David Campbell, director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) , the UK's de facto representative office in Taiwan.

Citing the latest statistics from the UK Revenue and Customs Department, Campbell said British exports to Taiwan last year totalled NT$50.4 billion, which was a significant increase of 40 percent from 2009 and way above the average 25 percent to the Asia-Pacific region for the same period.

Taiwan exports to the UK also rose last year, soaring by 38 percent compared with 2009, according to Campbell. Taiwan's main exports to the UK were telecommunications equipment, sound recording equipment, electrical machinery and appliances, office machines and automatic data processing machines, he said.

The pattern of Britain's exports to Taiwan is interesting to watch, Campbell said. Of the total 1.7 billion pounds in goods and service exports to Taiwan in 2010, physical goods accounted for 1 billion ponds, while financial, educational and other services made up the other 700 million pounds, he said.

Four or five years ago, the volume of UK service exports to Taiwan was only around 200 million to 300 million pounds, he said, noting that there has been a tremendous growth of Taiwan's service market.

Reviewing the bilateral trade relations, the director underlined the importance of the Taiwan market to the U.K., saying that the UK was exporting more to Taiwan than to Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines combined.

Taiwan's total exports to the UK were around 3.3 billion pounds (NT$159.2 billion) , which showed a trade surplus in Taiwan's favor, he said.

In terms of investment, a number of Taiwanese brands are now better known now in the U.K., he said. They include the computer maker Acer -- an official sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics -- and mobile phone maker HTC, which acquired a British company for 30 million pounds few weeks ago, Campbell said.

The UK is expected to lower its corporate tax from 28 percent to 24 percent -- the lowest rate in the G7 countries -- in four years, which would be an incentive for Taiwanese investors, he said.

British companies in Taiwan were most concerned about the government procurement issue and said that they deserved a level playing field with local competitors to apply for tenders, he said.

"We hope that real progress can be made in 2011 on market access issues, to further boost trade between Taiwan and the UK, " he said, adding that the next meeting of the Taiwan Britain Business Council will be held in Taipei in May. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

Taiwan remembers 228 incident 64 years after

Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) Taiwan's government officials, political opposition and victims' families remembered the 228 Incident in their own ways Monday, the 64th anniversary of the tragedy that left tens of thousands of people dead.

In a violent suppression of anti-government uprisings that began on Feb. 28, 1947 -- two years after Japanese colonial rule on the island ended -- KMT troops killed an estimated 18,000 to 30,000 Taiwanese, many of them the country's elite intellectuals.

President Ma Ying-jeou attended the opening ceremony of the National Taiwan 228 Memorial Museum in the morning and the central government's annual commemoration of the tragedy in Taipei in the afternoon on one of the most controversial days of the year in Taiwan.

"The very fact that the museum is open today symbolizes that the Republic of China government is a government of introspection and that Taiwan has already made strides in its development of freedom and democracy, " he said in his speech in the morning.

Standing in front of the 228 Memorial Monument in the 228 Peace Park in Taipei City and addressing families of the victims in the afternoon, Ma apologized to them on behalf of the government and pledged to continue trying to uncover the truth of the incident so the next generation could understand "the whole truth."

"We have now completed the process of compensation, and the presentation of 'reputation-restoring' certificates to the victims' families is ongoing, but we know the mission is not accomplished yet," Ma said.

In his speech as a representative of the families of the victims, Chang An-man, whose grandfather, father and uncle were murdered in the incident, recognized the government's continuing efforts under the direction of former presidents Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian and the incumbent Ma to help unearth the historical facts of the tragedy.

"However, the whole truth is not out there, as some information is missing. If we cannot understand the whole truth, the nature of the incident will be distorted or forgotten over time, " Chang said.

The government has held a 228 ceremony every year since 2003 as part of efforts to heal the historical wounds through legislative or concrete acts, such as making a formal apology and offering monetary compensation to the families of the victims.

However, public opinion has been split over the incident and the government's handling of the tragedy.

The main issues still in question include whether Chiang Kai-shek, the president of the Republic of China who was in China at the time, ordered the massacre and should be held accountable for it.

There are also conflicting estimates of the number of people killed during and after the incident, varying from 800 to more than 30,000 according to different studies.

Speaking in the eastern city of Yilan, Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said that while the government has offered a formal apology, the incident "has been a tragedy without perpetrators to this day" and that has hurt the feelings of the oppressed.

"There is only one truth about the incident, which should not be changed with party rotation, " she said.

Some family members of the victims, backed by the DPP and pro-independence groups, marched the streets in Taipei demanding that the party they felt was the main perpetrator, the KMT, pay compensation rather than the government.

In response to the demand, Ma said that the KMT government played the major role in the incident and that it was "appropriate" for the Republic of China government -- not the KMT -- to pay compensation.

A memorial service was also held in the southern city of Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan where thousands of people were killed in the incident, with hundreds participating in a ceremony at the 228 Peace Memorial Park.

As part of the activities to mark 228, local governments around Taiwan lowered the national flag to half-mast.

In related news, Nina Koldin, widow of the late United States Representative Stephen Solarz, who died in 2010, attended a memorial service for the twin daughters and mother of former DPP Chairman Lin Yi-hsiung, who were stabbed to death coincidentally on Feb. 28, 1980, when Lin was in jail as a political prisoner.

There are no suspects in the case to this day.

Koldin said she visited Taiwan to pay her respects and "to remind young people that they have to know what their democracy was founded upon."

Solarz was a long-time supporter of Taiwan's democratic movement. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwan commemorates 64th anniversary of 228 tragedy

Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou pledged Monday to keep investigating the "228 incident" during which tens of thousands of Taiwanese were killed by the Kuomintang (KMT) government.

Only by doing this, he said, can the next generation understand "the whole truth."

Ma made the remarks at a ceremony commemorating the 64th anniversary of the brutal bloodshed while standing in front of the 228 Memorial Monument in the 228 Peace Park in Taipei City and addressing families of the victims.

Tens of thousands of Taiwanese, many of them the country's elite intellectuals, were killed by the KMT in a violent suppression of anti-government uprisings that began Feb. 28, 1947 -- two years after Japanese colonial rule on the island ended. The suppression lasted for many years.

The government has held a 228 ceremony every year since 2003 as part of efforts to heal the historical wounds through actions such as issuing a formal apology and offering monetary compensation to the families of the victims.

"We have now completed the process of compensation and the presentation of 'reputation-restoring' certificates to the victims' families are ongoing, but we know the mission is not accomplished yet, " Ma said.

In his speech as a representative of the families of the victims, Chang An-man, whose grandfather, father and uncle were murdered in that incident, recognized the government's continuing efforts under the direction of former presidents Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian and incumbent Ma to help unearth the historical facts of the tragedy.

"However, the whole truth is not out there, as some information is missing. If we cannot understand the whole truth, the nature of the incident will be distorted or forgotten over time, " Chang said.

Even though Ma and his predecessors have reiterated the resolve of their respective administrations to heal the wounds and reveal as much information about some of the darkest days of the country's history as possible, public opinion about what happened remains divided.

Chang also said he was not happy with description of the incident provided at the exhibition at the National Taiwan 228 Memorial Museum either, but added that "that is correctable."

"And we all know that, at the end of the day, only love can tame the hatred, " he said.

(By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

228 Incident was Jasmine Revolution 64 years ago: victim's family

Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) If the Internet had existed in 1947, the 228 uprising that led to deaths of tens of thousands of Taiwanese at the hands of Chiang Kai-shek would have been recognized as today's Tunisian Jasmine Revolution, a man who lost his father in the uprising said at the opening ceremony of the National Taiwan 228 Memorial Museum Monday.

"If there had been the Internet to serve as a communication tool in 1947, the 228 Incident would have been recognized by the world as today's Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia as a movement seeking liberty and justice, " said Chien Ming-jen, president of First International Computer.

Tens of thousands of Taiwanese, many of them elite intellectuals, were killed by the Kuomintang (KMT) in a brutal suppression of anti-government uprisings that began Feb. 28, 1947 -- two years after Japanese colonial rule on the island ended. The suppression lasted for many years.

Born in March 1947, the successful businessman said he never met his father, a teacher who was arrested in 1950 and executed in 1951, and did not realize his family history until he was 32 years old.

"Many would say `Let's forget the past, ' but the stigmatization and fear that is attached to my family will take generations to erase, " he said, adding that the government should support the families of the victims and face history with honesty.

Delivering a speech after Chien had spoken, President Ma Ying-jeou pledged to continue an investigation into the truth of the incident and use the museum as a tool for all Taiwanese to learn about the country's history to make sure such a tragedy will not happen again.

"The very fact that the museum is open today symbolizes that the Republic of China government is a government of introspection and that Taiwan has already made strides in its development of freedom and democracy, " Ma said.

Premier Wu Den-yih described the incident as an "unfortunate tragedy." According to Wu, it is "inevitable" for any individual or government to make mistakes, but it is even more important to recognize the mistakes and make sure they will never happen again.

The government has held a 228 ceremony every year since 2003 as part of efforts to heal the historical wounds through legislative or concrete acts, such as making a formal apology and offering monetary compensation to the families of the victims.

As part of the activities to mark 228, local governments around Taiwan lowered the national flag to half-mast that day.

The museum, on Nanhai Road in Taipei City, is housed in a building that was constructed in 1931 during the period of Japanese colonization. It has served as school dormitory, the offices of the Taiwan Provincial Assembly and the news center of the American Institute in Taiwan.

Based on an amendment to the Act for Handling and Compensation for the 228 Incident, the government set up the National Taiwan 228 Memorial Museum in 2006 to preserve the history of the incident.

The museum, managed by the non-profit 228 Memorial Foundation, deals with matters relating to the compensation and rehabilitation of 228 Incident victims. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Tseng falls eight shots back in LPGA Singapore tourney

Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) World No. 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan has won all four tournaments she's played in this year, but she'll need to dig herself out of her deepest hole of the season if she wants to make it five in a row this weekend in Singapore.

Tseng, coming off wins in Australia and Thailand the past three weeks, struggled to an even-par 72 that left her eight shots behind Japan's Chie Arimura after the second round of the LPGA Tour's HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore Friday.

She overcame a seven-shot deficit to win her season opener, the Ladies Taifong Open in Taiwan in mid-January, but the field in Singapore is considerably stronger, making her chances of a comeback less likely.

Tseng enjoyed a solid start and finish to her round Friday but hurt herself with consecutive bogies at the ninth, 10th, and 11th holes.

She ended up tied for eighth with Morgan Pressel of the United States with a two-round total of 142.

Arimura, who made six birdies and an eagle Friday, shot the low round of the day with a 66 to lead all players at 10-under-par.

Two shots back in second was Australia's Karrie Webb, who also shot a 66 at the Tanah Merah Country Club. Sun Young Yoo of South Korea was another two shots behind in third.

Tseng had started the day tied for third just two shots behind Arimura and had a promising start by birdieing the first and fourth holes, but her struggles in the middle of the round left her unable to pressure the 23-year-old Japanese.

The 22-year-old Taiwanese star came into the tournament as the hottest player in the women's game, with victories at the Australian Women's Open, the ANZ Ladies Masters and the Honda LPGA Thailand the past three weeks.

Taiwan's Candie Kung shot a 2-under-par 70 Friday to finish tied for 12th with an even par 144, and compatriot Amy Hung shot her second 73 of the week to find herself in a tie for 26th. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Advocates call for more support of 'jasmine revolution' in China

Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) The people and government of Taiwan should offer more support for the "Chinese jasmine revolution" because democracy and human rights are universal values and a democratic China will serve Taiwan's interests, rights advocates said Friday.

Several human rights advocates held a press conference in Taipei to comment on the rumblings of revolution that have surfaced on Chinese websites over the last week.

A Boxun.com blog post on Feb. 17 called on Chinese people to gather at 2 p.m. on Feb. 19 in 13 Chinese cities to protest for "food, jobs, living space, and fairness and justice." The movement, described as the "Chinese jasmine revolution, " ended with arrests of protesters and a wave of Internet censorship.

The Taiwanese rights advocates said that people of Taiwan -- independence supporters and unification supporters alike -- should support China's democratic movement and the government should lead the charge.

Yang Hsien-hung, President of the Taiwan Association for China Human Rights (TACHR) , urged the Taiwan government to actively voice its opinions on human rights and democracy and make clear that it will not hold any political dialogue unless China addresses these issues.

"President Ma Ying-jeou, as a head of state, should have the courage to single out China's human rights problems, " Yang said.

Ruan Ming, a former Chinese Communist scholar who now has Taiwanese citizenship, said that "China and other authoritative regimes are witnessing a new era of political movements driven by the youth, who present their ideology with a new strategy -- the Internet."

The political movement that has swept through Africa and the Middle East is destined to arrive in China eventually, he said, adding that even though the number of people answering the call this past week may be small, "the Chinese government is obviously nervous."

John C.F. Wei, a human rights attorney, urged the Chinese government to initiate dialogue with dissidents and called on Taiwanese people to pay attention and support human rights and peaceful democratic movements in China.

"A collapsed China is not necessarily a good thing for Taiwan, " he said, alluding to the economic consequences for Taiwan if China became unstable.

Chang Tieh-chih, a well-known blogger, warned that Taiwan knew too little about China, especially its "dark side, " despite warming cross-strait ties. The crackdown on dissidents and the censorship of Internet search engines and web forums showed that "China might be powerful on the outside, but is, in fact, fragile on the inside."

"No one can predict when a revolution will happen, " said Chang. "However, the social situation in China has reached a boiling point and the Chinese people are now more courageous than ever in voicing their opinions."

Posts circulating on the Internet have hinted that there could be a second wave of protests in China on Sunday, Feb. 27. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ly

Winless tennis player to seek first win in Davis Cup

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's top-ranked men's tennis player, Lu Yen-hsun, will be looking for his first victory of the year in the upcoming 2011 Davis Cup tennis tournament in Shanghai to break out of an early season slump.

Lu, who finished 2010 with a memorable quarterfinal run at Wimbledon, has lost all five matches in the ATP Tour this year, including an opening round exit in the Australian Open, and saw his world ranking drop from a career high of No. 33 in mid-January to No. 42 last week.

"I have been waiting for my first win of the year like you have. I tried to be at ease with the fact (of not winning) but I know I should be more aggressive on court, " said Lu.

The 27-year-old said several factors have contributed to his lackluster performance, including draws, the level of competition and opponents, but said fatigue is not one of them.

"I have experienced similar early-season slumps like this in the past. The most important thing for me is to stay focused and try to find a way to win, " he said.

Lu will have an opportunity to grab his first victory of the year in Shanghai, where he will team up with Chen Ti, Yi Chu-huan and Yang Tsung-hua against China in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 first round competition March 4-6.

However, Lu has been suffering from a severe bout of flu that made him too sick to compete in the Dubai Tennis Championship in the United Arab Emirates earlier this week.

If Taiwan beats China, it will advance to the second round to face top seed Australia, which receives a first-round bye. A win over Australia will lift Taiwan to the world group playoffs.

"It doesn't matter if it's a rout or a close win. We need this win. We are determined to beat China to advance to the next round, " Lu said, adding that he hopes to recover before the Shanghai event.

Taiwan has never advanced to the World Group, the tournament's top tier in which 16 countries compete. Taiwan's best Davis Cup performances were in 2005, 2006 and 2009, when it reached the second round in Group 1 of the Asia/Oceania Zone. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Tseng two shots back at Singapore HSBC Women's Champions

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) Yani Tseng of Taiwan, currently the world's No. 1 woman golfer, shot a two-under-par 70 to finish two shots behind Japan's Chie Arimura after the first round of the HSBC Women's Champions tournament Thursday in Singapore.

Tseng, who is looking for her fourth straight win in as many weeks, had six birdies and four bogeys to finish the day. She is tied for third with Karrie Webb of Australia, Sun Young Yoo of South Korea and Karen Stupples of Great Britain.

Na Yeon Choi of South Korea was second with 69 at the Tanah Merah Country Club, while world No. 2 Jiyai Shin of South Korea is tied for seventh with five other players.

Tseng hopes to capture another victory in the US$1. 4 million LPGA event. She has won four consecutive titles this year, including the Taifong Ladies Open in Taiwan, the Australian Women's Open, the ANZ Ladies Masters and the Honda LPGA Thailand last week. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ly

Taiwanese student in Christchurch remains missing

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) A Taiwanese student was still listed as missing after a powerful earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman James Chang said Thursday.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Christchurch Tuesday morning, Taiwan time, killing at least 98 people. About 120 people have been pulled out of collapsed buildings, but over 200 still remain missing.

The Taiwanese was among a group of foreign students who were reportedly trapped under the collapsed Canterbury TV building, according to New Zealand media. New Zealand police have said that the building was "not survivable" and they have abandoned all hope of finding survivors.

Speaking to the media, Chang said the student remained listed as missing after attempts by Taiwanese officials in Christchurch to make contact with the student via mobile phone failed. The student was also not at home when officials paid a visit to the student's residence.

Chang declined to disclose the identity of the student, citing privacy.

The MOFA has been in contact with the student's family in Taiwan and will provide any assistance if necessary, he said. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ly

No need to argue with Philippines over apology: foreign minister

Taipei, Feb. 23 (CNA) There is no need for Taiwan to argue with the Philippines to obtain an apology for Manila's deportation of 14 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China, Taiwan's foreign minister said Wednesday.

"I can't remember the last time in my diplomatic career that I've seen one country officially 'apologize' to another... and apology takes many forms," Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang told reporters.

Taiwan, which had repeatedly demanded a formal apology from the Philippine government since Manila's deportation of 14 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China Feb. 2, appeared to have softened its stance after a visit to Taipei Monday by Philippine presidential envoy Manuel Roxas.

A "fact sheet" agreed on by Roxas and Taiwanese officials after their 12-hour marathon meeting Monday night stated that any Philippine officials who are found to have mishandled the case would be held accountable and possibly reprimanded.

For the Taiwan side, this "would signify a kind of apology, " the statement read.

Citing the example of the United States-China dispute in 2001, which resulted from a mid-air collision of two of their aircraft, Yang said the U.S. only told China that it was "sorry" but it never issued a formal apology.

In the Taiwan-Philippines case, the dispute sprang from an issue of judicial jurisdiction, not sovereignty, he said.

"The people of Taiwan should be rational in their reaction to the unfortunate incident," he advised.

"Taiwan and the Philippines have a wide range of ties and exchanges and the relations are too important to be sacrificed to a disagreement over one word," he added.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has been taking heat in Taiwan's legislature, as lawmakers across party lines have criticized the ministry as being soft in its negotiations with the Philippines.

John Chiang, a ruling Kuomintang (KMT) legislator and former foreign minister, panned the MOFA for arranging a meeting between Roxas and President Ma Ying-jeou although the envoy had already said that an apology was "not in his mandate."

The MOFA had said that whether Roxas would be allowed to meet with Ma would be contingent on the message he was bringing to Taiwan.

The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus criticized President Ma's foreign policy and urged the Taiwan government to freeze imports of Filipino workers.

But KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung said that both sides should focus on developing bilateral relations in areas such as the mutual legal assistance agreement and Economic Partnership Agreement mentioned in the consensus.

The Philippine side on Wednesday maintained that the administration of President Benigno Aquino III had made the right decision to deport the 14 Taiwanese suspects to China.

Aquino admitted that Roxas' mission to Taiwan "was not very successful" but expressed optimism that the rift could be resolved "without the Philippine government having to apologize," according to the Philippine media.

"They have their political realities in Taiwan and we understand where they are coming from and we hope they understand also where we are coming from," the president was also quoted as saying. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc