Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Where are the jobs?

Taipei Times Editorial

The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) reported on Monday that Taiwan’s GDP expanded by 9.22 percent in the fourth quarter of last year from a year ago. This was higher than the previous forecast of 6.89 percent issued in November and much stronger than the market had estimated.

On a seasonally adjusted, annualized quarter-on-quarter basis, the momentum of GDP growth was strong, too, as the figure surged by 18.02 percent in the fourth quarter, following a revised growth rate of 10.18 percent in the third quarter and 18.10 percent in the second quarter.

Where do Ma’s loyalties lie?

Taipei Times Editorial

It wasn’t difficult to find out how President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) spent his Lunar New Year holiday. Anyone who browsed news channels over the nine days could easily find Ma criss-crossing the nation, either busily campaigning for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidates for Saturday’s legislative by-elections or giving away red envelopes containing chocolate gold coins to temple visitors — often with KMT candidates standing close by.

It was festive and appropriate seeing the president spread holiday cheer and send out New Year greetings, but it is disturbing to see him perform his public duty with obvious partisan colors, blurring his roles as president and KMT chairman.

Taiwan, As the World Turns in February, Chou Hsi-wei Breaks down in Tears

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

It was another dramatic Taiwan Kodak moment and Chou Hsi-wei was there in the midst of it. After many years of incompetent rule, this Mayor of Taipei County with his flair for grandiose drama tearfully announced that he would not run for re-election. Why? It wasn't that he did not want to run; it was that his party, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politely refused to let him. Five crucial elections are coming up in December and the Mayor of the newly formed Sinbei City where Chou would run is one of them. The KMT cannot afford to lose any one of the five, but Sinbei City is one of the more crucial.