Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Data released by the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics on Friday showed that China’s GDP growth slowed to 6.5 percent in the third quarter, the lowest since early 2009. China’s growth faces increasing pressure from the US-China trade war, Beijing’s financial deleveraging and property curbs, the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes and a weakening yuan that is prompting capital outflows.

The People’s Bank of China has lowered its reserve requirement ratio four times to encourage lending and has urged banks to increase lending to cash-starved small companies, but Chinese media have reported that banks’ loan requirements for small firms and private companies remain stringent, and further reserve requirement reduction is expected.

aiwanese independence supporters wave flags and shout slogans at the Formosa Alliance’s rally in Taipei yesterday to demand the right to hold a referendum on Taiwanese independence.
Photo: EPA / Ritchie B. Tongo

Under the Formosa Alliance’s rallying call, tens of thousands of people yesterday gathered in front of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) headquarters in Taipei, demanding an amendment to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) to allow for a poll promoting Taiwanese independence and rejecting Chinese annexation.