Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

The Cabinet’s shortsighted PhDs

Taipei Times Editorial

The Cabinet may claim to be a body of doctoral degree holders, but they are often incapable of explaining their ever-changing policies. This was true of the US beef import debacle and it applies both to an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China and to the draft industrial renewal act that the legislature is about to vote on. On the eve of the vote, the Cabinet suddenly announced that it would cut the 20 percent business income tax rate in the draft to 17 percent. That cut will cost the government NT$30 billion (US$956 million) in lost tax revenue.

Taiwan needs boost in creativity, not more cuts in taxes

Taiwan News Editorial

Initially billed as a means to simulate industrial innovation and research and development, the draft Statute to Encourage Industrial Innovation has turned into yet another program to provide a "low cost" environment for Taiwan businesses with scant concern for the cultivation of long-term sustainable competitiveness based on high value added, robust product and service quality and creativity.

Initially approved by the rightist Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) Cabinet in May 2009, the draft bill was advertized as a means to promote research and development, innovation and manpower training and provide ways to solve the needs of business for capital and land.

Obama must act before it’s too late

Li Thian-hok 李天福

A crisis is gathering in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s status as an independent democracy is being undermined daily as the momentum for its annexation by the People’s Republic of China inexorably gains strength. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to implement the cultural and economic integration of Taiwan with China, aiming for the signing of a peace accord before the end of 2012. The fall of Taiwan would be a geostrategic disaster for the US and would most likely deprive US President Barack Obama of his chance for re-election in November 2012.

What the US president should tell Hu Jintao

Nat Bellocchi 白樂崎

On April 12 and 13, US President Barack Obama’s administration is convening a nuclear security summit in Washington. This is an important event with potential to make the world a safer place. Only days ago, it was announced that Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) would also attend the summit.

After the turnaround in China’s position — it had earlier indicated little interest in attending the summit with a high-level delegation — Obama had a lengthy telephone conversation with Hu. The call took place on April 1, when Obama’s plane had just landed at Andrews Air Force Base after a fundraising trip to New England.

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