Taiwan editorial abstract (File 4 of a daily roundup) A rough 2009 is over, but the new year may not necessarily bode well for Taiwan, either, as evidenced by persistently high unemployment and the retreat of local wage levels to those recorded 13 years ago.
While the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou has brazenly cited the recent rebound of the local housing and stock markets amid a global economic turnaround to prove the appropriateness of its economic policies, the reality is that its China-leaning policy has left Taiwan with a widening wealth gap and declining consumption power.