Room for U.K.-Taiwan collaboration: BTCO

Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) Low carbon economy, creative industries and digital economy are among areas in which the United Kingdom and Taiwan can collaborate further under Britain's new coalition government, the top British representative in Taiwan said Tuesday.

The British government's position on Taiwan and China relations remains unchanged and is in line with that of the European Union, David Campbell, director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) -- the U.K.'s representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official bilateral diplomatic ties -- said at a media briefing.

Updating the media about the policy of the new government led by Conservative Party Prime Minister David Cameron and his Liberal Democrat deputy, Nick Clegg, Campbell said the administration "places trade and commercial interests at the heart of its foreign policy."

The coalition, which took office in May, is also tackling the biggest issue -- the scale of its deficit -- and is trying to re-balance the economy away from consumption toward saving, investment and enterprise, he said.

Taiwan can play a big role in the development of low carbon economy, creative industries, digital economy and the 2012 London Olympics, he said, adding that Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Acer, one of the International Olympic Committee's global partners, which will provide information technology services for the Olympics, serves as a good example of this.

The U.K. government is committed to developing a sustainable low carbon economy with an ambitious target of getting 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, Campbell said. With respect to the creative industries, the U.K. has the largest creative industry sector in the EU and many creative sub-sectors such as architecture, design and digital media.

Green energy and culture and creation are listed as two of the Taiwanese government's "Six Key Emerging Industries, " project that includes tourism, medicine and health care, biotechnology, and high-end agriculture, so the two countries share similar strategies and have common ground to foster closer collaboration and exchanges, he said.

Responding to a reporter's question on whether his office has noticed a loss of Taiwanese investors to China after the two sides signed the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) to further liberalize cross-Taiwan Strait trade, Campbell said that while the U.K. shares the same position as the EU in welcoming the signing of the ECFA, "it is too early to tell" what the impact of the trade pact will be.

"We would say there's good news and bad news for us. The good news is we attract a very large portion of Taiwanese investment in the EU. The bad news is that the percentage of Taiwan's investment in the EU is very small."

Campbell said his office is trying to explain the advantages in terms of Europe rather than just the U.K., because Taiwanese companies are not only interested in the U.K. market of 61 million but also in the EU market of 500 million people. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Civic groups call for reform as education conference opens

Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) Civic groups called for education reform on a wide range of issues, including attention on special education, a 12-year compulsory education system and deregulation on the sidelines of the National Education Conference in Taipei on Saturday.

The two-day conference at the National Central Library gathered officials, teachers and representatives of civic groups from across the country with the aim of formulating "an education policy that will pave the way for Taiwan's 'golden decade, '" according to Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji.

The conference, which was the first of its kind in 16 years, planned to discuss 10 central themes, including the education system in general, higher education, special education, faculty training, internationalized campuses and education, and lifelong learning.

Across from conference, civic groups gathered to highlight issues related to education.

"Taiwan's education problems will not be solved by a conference, especially one that excludes people who have been working at the front line of education and spend time with students and children every day, " Lu Jen, a professor at Ming Chuan University, told the media in a "civic education conference" that was called by more than a dozen civic organizations.

"Deregulation is key in Taiwan's education reform. Taiwan's food culture has prospered without the government holding a food conference. The same results can happen for education," Lu said.

He called for the government to "take its hands off" education and let institutions develop under a free market concept.

In his opening speech at the conference, President Ma Ying-jeou said there was still a lot of work to do in developing the education system, but added that "Taiwan must have done something right" to allow Taiwanese students to shine in international competitions and continue its impressive technological development.

Ma stated several priorities of his education policy, such as narrowing the financial gap between public and private institutions, increasing student exchanges and improving the quality of vocational education. He also highlighted the importance of making adjustments for Taiwan's low birth rate, which the Council for Economic Planning and Development has projected will be the lowest in the world this year.

Outside the conference, representatives from civic groups voiced their concerns. The implementation of a 12-year compulsory education system should be a priority because the high school enrollment system puts too much pressure on students, said Hsieh Kuo-ching, president of the National Alliance of Parents Organization.

The current compulsory education system, which has been in place since 1968, requires six years of elementary school and three years of junior high school.

"We demand a timetable for implementation, because the discussion of a 12-year compulsory education has been going on for more than a decade but nothing has been done," he said.

Kuo Hsin-mei, president of the Association for Learning Disability in Taiwan, said that special education needs have not been addressed by the government at all, which she said was obvious because there isn't a single agency under the Ministry of Education to handle special education issues.

Khoo Jih-perng, an associate professor at Taipei Municipal University of Education who represents an academic alliance calling for the passage of a bill on childhood education and child care, said Taiwan lacks a preschool education policy.

Khoo said Taiwan needs a policy that integrates education and social welfare resources to tackle the issue of working parents not having enough money for child care and preschool education, especially single-parent families.

Other representatives urged the government to increase the budget for lifelong learning and carry out teacher evaluation at all levels to ensure high-quality education for students.

The conference concludes Sunday. Education Minister Wu said that his ministry would incorporate the results of the conference and that it aimed to release an education white paper by the end of the year as a blueprint for future policy. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc

Five candidates win British Council scholarships

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) Five Taiwanese aspirants have won the first IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Scholarships contested in Taiwan and will soon head overseas to start the fall semester in selected schools, the British Council Taipei announced Friday.

"We are delighted to announce the five winners of our new British Council IELTS scholarships for Taiwanese students planning to study at postgraduate levels at overseas universities," said Alison Devine, the new director of the British Council, the U.K.'s top international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities.

Lin Nen-wei, Lee Yi-fang, Wu Pin-hsien, Li Yi-shan and Luh Tau-yu will each receive a scholarship of NT$100,000, said Devine, who assumed her post in late June. Except for Luh, who will be studying in the United States, the other winners will be going to the U.K.

Devine said the winners were among 15 individuals who were selected from a pool of 153 applicants in the first phase of the process before emerging through the second-phase interview process.

Most of the winners are professionals with working experience. Li, who was admitted to the University of Edinburgh, has taught at a junior high school in the central city of Taichung for five years.

Lee, who will attend University College London and major in preschool education, has been an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers for four years.

"Most Taiwanese students choose to study in the U.K. because it takes only a year, rather than two years in the U.S., to receive a degree. It takes a lot of financial pressure off students and their parents," Lee said.

Annual tuition in the U.K. ranges between NT$400,000-500,000, Lee said, about half what it costs in the U.S.

The winners also praised IELTS, an exam testing the ability to listen, speak, write and read in English, and compared it favorably to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) , a U.S. Internet-based test, for its face-to-face interaction.

Prudence Chou, the British Council's Exam Service Manager, said the average score of Taiwanese students taking the test increased from 5.59 (out of nine points) in 2007 to 5.72 in 2009, but indicated that there was still room for improvement relative to the average scores of other Asian countries.

According to the British Council, female test takers outnumbered male test takers by a 7: 3 ratio, which one of the winners attributed to Taiwan's social traditions.

"I discussed the fact with my friends and most of them thought that it would be much harder for Taiwanese men to suspend their jobs without pay for a year like me. Men tend to shoulder more 'social pressure' to be financially stable in Taiwan's society, " said Li, who plans to resume her job as a teacher in late 2011.

The British Council Taipei said it will offer scholarships again in 2011 to help more Taiwanese students. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwan hopes for 'flexible approach' in AUO case: MOFA

Taipei, Aug. 26 (CNA) Taiwan's government hopes the U.S. will take a "flexible approach" in a case involving AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) after three active and former top executives were banned from leaving the U.S., a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said.

"The case is now in the middle of the legal process and the Taiwan government does not intend to interfere with the U.S. justice system. According to the principle of presumed innocence, however, we hope that the U.S. takes a flexible approach when dealing with this case, " Harry Tseng, director-general of the MOFA's Department of North American Affairs, said Thursday at a media briefing.

The three executives, along with AUO, its U.S. subsidiary, and other senior managers, were indicted in June by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly conspiring to fix the prices of TFT-LCD panels from Sept. 14, 2001 to Dec. 1, 2006.

The executives were barred from leaving the U.S. and told to remain in California by a court in San Francisco on Aug. 19 after they appeared for a hearing on the case.

AUO CEO Chen Lai-juh and AUO Vice Chairman Chen Hsuan-bin remain in San Francisco to manage AUO's business interests there, while former AUO Executive Vice President Hsiung Hui returned to his residence in San Diego.

Tseng said that the fact the executives traveled to the U.S. to plead their cases showed they were not aiming to avoid court appearances.

While the executives can still manage business within the U.S., a travel ban and a long legal process could affect their business operation, he said.

The ministry has been trying to consult the U.S. administrative branch on the case as well as contacting officials from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) , the U.S. representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official bilateral diplomatic ties, Tseng said, but there was not much the government could do.

The ministry learned about the case as early as July and AUO has sought legal consultation from the ministry, he added. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc 

Matsu to boost tourism to prevent marginalization

Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's outlying Matsu Island group is launching a drive to attract more foreign tourists in the hope that a local tourism boost can prevent marginalization amid the warmer ties between Taiwan and China, a local tourism official said Tuesday.

"If Matsu does not try to leverage its geographic advantages, its economy will be marginalized as cross-strait direct flights are now running at full steam, " said Tsao Erh-yuen, director of the Tourism Bureau of the Lianjiang county government, on the sidelines of a press conference to announce a three-day tourism promotional tour.

Matsu, an archipelago in the Taiwan Strait lying 190 km from Taiwan's Keelung and 19 km from the Chinese coast, is administered by Taiwan as a part of Lianjiang County. The other part of the county is in China and has been under the control of the People's Republic of China since 1949.

Matsu, which is located off the coast of eastern Fujian Province, and Kinmen, another Taiwan-controlled outlying island which is near China's Xiamen, were at the forefront of the cross-strait conflict and remained under the war-zone civil administration until 1992, five years after the lifting of martial law in Taiwan.

According to Tsao, the local economy received a boost in 2001 after the implementation of the "mini three links" that allow limited postal, transport and trade links between several Chinese cities and Kinmen and Matsu.

However, he added, since links allowing direct flights, shipping and postal between Taiwan proper and China were fully implemented in 2008, Matsu has become merely a "stopover" en route to Taiwan for Chinese tourists.

"Generally speaking, our local tourism really needs a shot in the arm, " he said. According to Tsao's bureau, total tourist arrivals to Matsu were around 20,000 in 2004, increasing to more than 80,000 in 2009. Kinmen attracts far more travelers than Matsu by a 5:1 ratio.

For this reason, Matsu, which is known for its liquor production, traditional Fujianese architecture and military tunnels and fortresses, intends to do everything it can to attract more foreign tourists, who account for less than 10 percent of its annual visitors, said Lianjiang Magistrate Yang Sui-sheng.

The tour will include three female Russian students studying at Kainan University in northern Taiwan's Taoyuan County. Alexandria Zakhazova, 22, her 20-year-old sister Daria and Maria Kravchenko, 18, will get first-hand experience of the archipelago, along with 12 foreign reporters.

"We came to Taiwan to study because this is a place where you can see multiple influences, including those from Japan, the United States and China. I think it's going to be an exciting experience to learn about a new place. And we would love to visit as many places as possibly can during our stay in Taiwan, " said Alexandra Zakhazova.

The girls appeared at the press conference dressed in Republic of China army uniform a day before their departure for Matsu, an area of less than 30 square kilometers that at one point was home to a garrison of more than 50,000 troops. The number of soldiers stationed there is now down to around 2,000. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Forum highlights importance of technology for city development

Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) Participants in a forum held in Taipei Saturday highlighted the importance of technological development for the competitiveness of a global city and previewed a future trend of the rise of mega cities.

The future of a modern city has a great deal to do with its technological readiness and how tech-savvy its residents are, according to experts in various fields, including a social media website founder, a political candidate in the year-end Taipei mayoral election and an Internet guru.

"Of all the cities I have visited, I have seen some that have prospered because of their advanced technological development and I have seen some that have faltered, " said Alvin Yoon, founder of Plurk -- one of the most popular social media websites in Taiwan -- at the forum organized by Business Next magazine.

Yoon, who travels constantly on business, said that Taipei's Easy Card is one of the best innovations for a resident in everyday life because it can be used not only on almost every public transport system but also in libraries and designated stores, an innovation that had left him with a good impression.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) , Taiwan's Networked Readiness Index ranked No. 11 in the world and third among Asian countries in 2010.

The world is also embracing a trend toward the rise of mega cities, said Rebecca Chang, a former general manager of Google Taiwan. She added that the mayor of a mega city would be expected to have at least the same -- if not more -- impact than a head of state in the future.

The reason for this is simple, she said, because according to estimates, more than 70 percent of the people on Earth will live in urban areas in the future.

Chang said she is cautiously optimistic about Taipei's future as a technologically advanced metropolis, as the city ranked No. 39 in the Global Cities Index 2010 released the previous week by U.S.-based Foreign Policy magazine, and because Taiwan has always been one of the most successful countries in developing information and communication technology.

Su Tseng-chang, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party's candidate in the Taipei mayoral election in November and an avid user of social media sites such as Plurk and Facebook, said technology and the Internet have changed the face of modern politics.

Citing the example of U.S. President Barack Obama, who is seen as the most successful political candidate to have run an election campaign on the Internet, Su said political candidates now are able to communicate with and mobilize voters, as well as to receive donations online.

"Modern politics is no longer a top-down process. It is now a bottom-up process and a two-way dialogue. The government and the cities are no longer run by the elite but by everyone who is willing to participate in the dialogue, " said Su, who has more than 55,000 fans on his Facebook fan page. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

U.S., EU observing Taiwan's move on rice wine tax cuts

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) The representative offices in Taiwan of the United States and the European Union (EU) both took a wait-and-see approach Thursday to an imminent amendment of a law that would lower the tax on rice wine, which both parties consider a violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations.

The Executive Yuan passed a draft amendment to the Tobacco and Alcohol Tax Law last month to adjust the tax on rice wine by moving it from the distilled spirit category to the cooking wine category. The amendment was expected to clear the Legislative Yuan late Thursday.

"We will carefully look at new laws or amendments that may conflict with the WTO obligations of members, particularly any changes that will treat domestic products more favorably than imported ones. We expect WTO members to act in accordance with their WTO commitments, " said Sheila Paskman, a spokeswoman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).

The European Economic and Trade Office said meanwhile that it will let the EU Parliament in Brussels handle the EU's official response.

Under the draft amendment, the tax on a 0.6-liter bottle of rice wine will be reduced from NT$29.25 (US$0.93) to NT$5.4 and the price of a bottle of rice wine will be cut to NT$25 from NT$50. The price adjustment has sparked questions in the U.S. and the EU as to whether it violates the regulations of the WTO, of which Taiwan is a member.

Citing public opinion surveys, the government has argued that 96.4 percent of the population use rice wine solely for cooking rather than drinking, in an effort to convince the U.S., the EU and other WTO members that lowering rice wine prices will not have an impact on other types of alcohol.

Both the U.S. and the EU -- the main producers of brandy and whisky -- fear that once the price of the kitchen staple is lowered, sales of whisky, brandy and other varieties of alcohol will be affected. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

AIT affirms 'solid' U.S.-Taiwan relations

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) reaffirmed the "solid" relationship between the United States and Taiwan Thursday in response to a question regarding a domestic political controversy about current bilateral relations.

"I think the U.S.-Taiwan relations are pretty solid, politically and economically...but of course there is room for improvement, such as in the area of educational and cultural exchange, " said Sheila Paskman, spokeswoman of the AIT, the U.S. representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.

Paskman was responding to a reporter's question about what Su Tseng-chang, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party's candidate in the year-end Taipei mayoral election, said earlier this week in New York. Su said that the current administration of President Ma Ying-jeou "had boasted about its accomplishment of improving Taiwan-U.S. relations."

She also reiterated U.S. support for improved cross-Taiwan Strait relations and the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA), a historic trade pact signed June 29 that aims to liberalize trade between Taiwan and China.

Paskman, who took up her position in July, declined to compare bilateral relations during the current and the previous administrations, saying that she was new to the job and was not in a position to make comparisons.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Su's comment with a press release Wednesday, citing comments by U.S. officials and U.S. support for the signing of the ECFA to highlight the current administration's success in managing Taiwan-U.S. ties. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc

APEC food security forum opens in Taipei

Taipei, Aug. 18 (CNA) The first-ever food security forum of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) opened in Taipei Wednesday, hoping to develop an action plan by the end of the three-day meeting, Taiwan's top agriculture officials said.

The forum will launch a discussion on establishing a regional food security mechanism, a pressing issue in light of climate change, said Chen Wu-hsiung, the head of the Council of Agriculture (COA) , which organized the forum.

The initiative was submitted by Taiwan, which uses the name of Chinese Taipei in APEC, in the APEC Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group last year, Chen said.

APEC is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim Member Economies to cooperate on regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. According to the COA, 95 delegates from 20 economies are attending the three-day meeting that ends Aug. 20.

With respect to Taiwan's food security, Chen said the government is paying attention to the issue and has developed a complete strategic plan to tackle the problem.

The plan involves building safety stocks, combating climate change, improving agricultural production efficiency, and forging sustainable agricultural development, he said.

Taiwan has increased its annual stock of rice -- Taiwan's food staple -- from 300,000 tons to 430,000 tons, Chen said. Although Taiwan is only 30 percent self-sufficient in grains, the domestic supply of rice has been stable and most of Taiwan's food imports are grass crops.

The COA has been working on revitalizing fallow land and has successfully replanted 20,000 hectares of the 220,000 hectares of idle farmland in the country, according to Chen.

The ministry also plans to restructure the agricultural sector to focus more on producing field corn and lower-quality rice that can be grown quickly in large quantities in case of a food shortage.

"High-quality rice is already abundant in Taiwan," Chen said. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Canadian office in Taiwan to be relocated

Taipei, Aug. 17 (CNA) The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT), Canada's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official bilateral diplomatic ties, said in a press release Tuesday that its office will be closed Aug. 19-23 due to relocation.

No visa or passport services will be available during the relocation period, the CTOT said, adding that its office will reopen Aug. 24 at No. 1, Songzhi Rd., Xinyi district, located in Taipei's busiest commercial district.

"The new CTOT represents a significant re-investment for Canada and demonstrates the value we place on Canada-Taiwan relations. Over the next year, as the CTOT celebrates 25 years in Taiwan, we will be announcing a number of new initiatives which will make Canada an even more attractive and convenient place to visit, work, study or to do business, " said CTOT Executive Director Scott Fraser. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J