Eye On Taiwan

PHOTO ESSAY/Cheering fans allowed into Taiwan’s pro baseball games Posted: 08 May 2020 02:46 PM PDT Focus Taiwan Date: 05/08/2020 By: Kay Liu At the Fubon Guardians’ home venue in New Taipei. After nearly a month of games played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League greeted its first fans allowed back into the stadiums for the first time in two games played May 8. Some of the soldiers carried a giant national flag, while several chemical corp. soldiers sang the national anthem. Taoyuan's home team, the Rakuten Monkeys, continued to place cardboard cutouts and mannequins in the empty stadiums, along with a band of drumming robots.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan cricket English livestream to continue Posted: 08 May 2020 02:41 PM PDT Taipei Times Date: May 09, 2020 By: Staff writer, with CNA The outfield is pictured at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District yesterday. Photo: Grant Dexter, Taipei Times The second stage of the inaugural Taipei T10 cricket tournament starts today in the capital, with livestream English commentary for viewers around the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The TCA Indians and FCC Formosans topped their groups in the first stage, which gave them direct entry to the semi-finals, which are to be played next week. The playoffs today are to begin with the ICCT Smashers, the Chiayi Swingers and PCCT United competing in Pool 1, while the Taiwan Dragons, the Hsinchu Titans and the Taiwan Daredevils are in Pool 2 tomorrow. The matches are at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Songshan District, with the first match of three starting at 11:30am each day.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan operators take mobile hit, ready 5G moves Posted: 08 May 2020 02:37 PM PDT Mobile World Live Date:  08 MAY 2020 The three major mobile operators in Taiwan, Chunghwa Telecom; Taiwan Mobile; and Far EasTone, reported similar results for Q1 over the past week, with all suffering declines in mobile revenue and device sales, and taking initial steps to prepare for 5G launches later in the year. All three won 5G spectrum in three bands in an auction concluded in January, with their business plans approved by Taiwan’s National Communications Commission in late March. Chunghwa Telecom The operator led the market during Q1, with GSMA Intelligence figures showing it had a 34.3 per cent share by subscribers compared with around 25 per cent each for its two rivals. Mobile service revenue slid 3 per cent year-on-year to TWD14.3 billion ($477 million), which the operator credited to market competition and VoIP substitution. Device sales fell 15.6 per cent to TWD8 billion. It didn’t release ARPU figures.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s economy shows resilience in Q1 Posted: 08 May 2020 02:33 PM PDT High demand of electronic components lift export growth, dining industry still struggling Taiwan News Date: 2020/05/08 By Chris Chang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer Electronic products, components still create momentum of Taiwan’s exports  (CNA photo) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's international trade climbed in Q1 despite the severe impacts the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on the world economy; goods shipped to China, the U.S., and ASEAN countries saw the largest percentage increase. According to Taiwan's Ministry of Finance (MOF), the country's total exports in Q1 increased by 3.7 percent from last year, as a result of a 20 percent surge in electronic component exports alone. Meanwhile, imports shot up to 3.5 percent, mainly due to the high demand for manufacturing equipment and memory chips. Regarding trading partners, exports to the U.S. hit a historical high in Q1, with computers, disks, and Internet equipment making up the bulk of shipped goods. The sales of electronic components to Singapore turned a previous loss in exports to Southeast Asian countries over the past six quarters into a 5.6 percent increase. Because of the mixed demand for high-end technology, such as wafer testing and packaging, as well as raw materials for machines and plastic products, export growth to China was pegged at 6.7 percent.    [FULL  STORY]

Acer, Asustek post higher April sales due to remote working, learning Posted: 08 May 2020 02:29 PM PDT Focus Taiwan Date: 05/08/2020 By: Jeffrey Wu and Frances Huang Taipei, May 8 (CNA) Acer Inc. and Asustek Computer Inc., the two leading PC brands in Taiwan, both reported on Friday an increase in sales for April due to more people working and learning remotely, which boosted demand for computer products, offsetting the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Acer said it posted NT$19.75 billion (US$661 million) in consolidated sales, up 41.1 percent from a year earlier, while Asustek announced its consolidated sales for the month rose 13.7 percent from a year earlier to NT$22.74 billion. In a statement, Acer said although the COVID-19 pandemic had forced many consumers to stay at home, the company benefited from solid demand because of an increase in online working and learning. Under such circumstances, Acer said sales of its Chromebook notebook computers rose 327.9 percent from a year earlier in April, while purchases of its ultrabook computers almost doubled last month.    [FULL  STORY]

Exports shrink on virus woes Posted: 08 May 2020 02:26 PM PDT SLUGGISH DEMAND: Mineral product shipments tumbled 63.2%, while exports of textiles fell 37.4% following the postponement and cancelation of sports events Taipei Times Date: May 09, 2020 By: Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter The nation’s exports last month shrank 1.3 percent year-on-year to US$25.24 billion, the lowest since May 2017, as poor shipments of raw materials — due in part to price routs — more than eclipsed robust shipments of electronic components, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The retreat could worsen to between 4 percent and 6 percent this month as most global nonessential businesses are closed to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic, stalling trade activity, the ministry said. “Taiwan may feel a sharper pinch from the COVID-19 pandemic going forward, with downside risks looming larger than upside surprises,” Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing in Taipei. Mineral product shipments tumbled 63.2 percent, the worst decline in history, as unprecedented shutdowns in Europe, the US and parts of Asia saw demand slump, Tsai said.   [FULL  STORY]

Legislature approves additional NT$150 billion in COVID-19 relief Posted: 08 May 2020 02:22 PM PDT Radio Taiwan International Date: 08 May, 2020 By: Leslie Liao The Legislature passed an additional NT$150 billion budget dedicated to COVID-19 relief The Legislature has passed a supplemental budget for COVID-19 relief, allocating an additional NT$150 billion (US$5 billion). This additional funding brings the total set aside for COVID-19 relief so far to NT$210 billion (US$7 billion).    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s vice president says ‘possibility’ that Covid-19 came from Chinese laboratory Posted: 08 May 2020 02:18 PM PDT France24 Television Date: 08/05/2020 By::Marc Perelman In an interview with FRANCE 24, Taiwan's Vice President Chen Chien-jen, an epidemiologist by training, discussed his country's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, while criticising the response of China and the World Health Organization. Chen refused to rule out the "possibility" that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan. He also expressed concern about a second wave of the virus appearing in autumn or winter. Taiwan has some 440 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and so far only six deaths, despite being relatively close to the epicentre of the virus. Vice President Chen Chien-jen told FRANCE 24 his country had been able to control the pandemic because it took a very early decision to quarantine travellers from the Chinese city of Wuhan and quickly isolate and trace confirmed cases. He explained that this rapid reaction was a result of the experience of the SARS outbreak in 2003. Reacting to the Trump administration's claims that the virus had most likely originated at a laboratory in Wuhan – and not a seafood market as claimed by China – Chen said this theory could not be ruled out but that the only way to know was a thorough scientific probe. "The origin of the virus has to be examined scientifically and so far we can see that the virus originated from Wuhan. Whether it is from a laboratory or from the natural infection sources needs further confirmation," he said, adding that the laboratory theory was "one of the possibilities". He said that China clearly did not give the true figures of victims of the pandemic, saying that in the early stages, "only severe pneumonia cases were isolated and treated in hospital", thereby underestimating the real figures.    [FULL  STORY]

Paraguayan opposition call to dump Taiwan opposed by public: MOFA Posted: 08 May 2020 02:05 PM PDT Focus Taiwan Date: 05/08/2020 By: Emerson Lim CNA file photo Taipei, May 8 (CNA) Calls by some "left-leaning" legislators in Paraguay, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in South America, to shift formal ties to Beijing are opposed by public opinion in the country, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Friday, reiterating the long-standing friendship between the two countries. According to the latest issue of Americas Quarterly, published on May 7, the Paraguayan Senate took a vote on April 17 in a virtual session on whether to urge the president to change diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Confirming the report, MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said seven Paraguayan senators associated with the left-leaning party caucus "Frente Guazú" petitioned on March 30 to establish formal ties with Beijing in exchange for medical supplies from China and direct access to China's market. The 45-seat Paraguayan Senate voted against the proposal, 25-16, on April 17, with four absent, Ou said in a statement, adding that the ministry is closely watching developments. [FULL STORY]

Whale shark added to protected species list Posted: 08 May 2020 01:58 PM PDT Taipei Times Date: May 09, 20207 By: Wang Chun-chi and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer A whale shark swims past a whale-watching boat off the coast of Hualien County in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Turumoan Whale Watching and Water Entertainment Co The whale shark has been added to the nation’s list of protected species, the Ocean Affairs Council said on Tuesday, adding that offenders face fines and imprisonment. The whale shark, along with the giant oceanic manta ray and the reef manta ray, were on Tuesday last week added to the list, making the disturbance, abuse, slaughter or capture of any of the three species punishable by up to five years in prison, and a fine of NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million (US$10,033 to US$50,164), the council said. Whale sharks have been sighted in waters near Hualien for a few years now, and in March this year a roughly 6m whale shark swam into the Port of Hualien looking for food, it said. The capture of the three species has long been prohibited by stipulations in the Fisheries Act (漁業法), which require fishers to return the animals to the sea if accidentally caught, alive or dead, Hualien County Bureau of Agriculture Director Lo Wen-lung (羅文龍) said, but changes were made to enhance protection of the species by increasing the severity of punishments for offenders.    [FULL  STORY]

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The new Cold War is getting warmer

The new Cold War is getting warmer US and Chinese antagonism in the past week has shown that there’s still room for geopolitical instability in a world united by coronavirus fear The cordial tone struck at trade talks between the US and China on Friday belied a week in which the world’s two biggest powers looked more likely than ever to come to blows. As US President Donald Trump intensifying his rhetoric against Beijing with his now-daily accusations of Chinese culpability for the coronavirus outbreak, the PRC's leaders have bristled with indignance. It’s like the bad old days of the Cold War all over again, writes Gordon Watts in a piece that highlights the growing fractures in the never-warm relationship between the two nations. The manic hyperbole emanating from Beijing and Washington has chilled the diplomatic atmosphere amid the coronavirus pandemic and rising tensions in the South and the East China seas. There are even fears inside President Xi Jinping’s administration that a US-inspired coalition will challenge the Communist Party’s right to rule, Watts writes. To understand the reasons behind Trump’s invective, don’t look for clues in his flip-flopping Tweets, which have tied even him in knots, argues. MK Bhadrakhumar argues there may be three different explanations: the most obvious being that its a cover up for his own parlous response to the pandemic, which has left the US with the highest virus-linked death rate in the world. Such are the depths that the never-terribly-special relationship has plumbed that the US Marines are beefing up to take on an increasingly belligerent China, reports Grant Newsham. With China arming itself to the teeth and jostling for more control over the South China Sea, the Marines – widely seen as the most ferocious and expeditionary force in the Pentagon’s portfolio – are rising to the challenge with new strategies designed to frustrate the People’s Liberation Army in its own neighbouhood. Storms on the horizon: Vietnam is believed to be inching towards filing an international arbitration case against China’s regional maritime claims. For its part, China is upping the stakes too, according to Pepe Escobar, who argues that in response, the nation is turbo-charging a number of economic plans to protect its economy while also projecting its influence beyond its borders. That includes restoring the productivity of the Made in China machine and the controversial – and by some reports, stalling – Belt and Road Initiative to restore its own global supply chains. It also includes the digital yuan, which China hopes will topple the dollar as the world’s dominant reserve currency. It’s in the South China Sea, however, that China’s growing geopolitical muscularity is causing much concern. US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo accused China of “exploiting” the world’s preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic by carrying out provocations in the maritime area. A string of incidents involving the PLA’s navy and those of four Southeast Asian neighbors highlights what John McBeth describes as part of a divide and conquer strategy. One of those neighbours, Vietnam, is believed to be inching towards filing an international arbitration case against China’s expansive maritime claims, a potential legal response to the rising intimidation and harassment in the contested waterway, writes David Hutt. And as if that wasn’t enough, now Japan appears to be ratcheting up its preparations for darker days in the region. Its defense ministry is developing what it calls an anti-ship “hypervelocity gliding projectile,” or HVGP, for deployment on island bases, reports Dave Makichuk. It is a weapon that could cause havoc for the Chinese navy in the South China Sea, and the Japanese military plan to put it in use by 2026 — a “game changer,” as it’s described by ATLA, the agency developing the missile. Read the full stories on Asia Times Cold War chill sweeps through China and the US Deciphering Trump’s political attacks on China  US marines revamp amid China’s growing threat China has oil and gas trump card on US China squeezes debt repayments from virus-hit nations China forges ahead through chaos and threats Vietnam may soon sue China on South China Sea China plays divide and rule in South China Sea Japan raises stakes with hypersonic missiles MORE TRENDING STORIES India’s miserly response a path to viral collapse  Unlike the trillion dollar measures rolled out by the United States and Japan, India is putting forward a comparatively miserly US$25 billion in government support for its coronavirus-hit economy. But, as Sumit Sharma reports, it’s not clear to most analysts that will be enough to stave off an economic collapse.  Bali’s Covid-19 defenses start to wash away Previously persuaded it may have a mysterious immunity, Bali appears to be headed for a cruel Covid-19 wake-up call after a single cruise-ship worker who refused to self-quarantine reportedly caused widespread infections in a village in the east of the Indonesian tourist island. John McBeth reports. Global virus lockdown was ‘madness’  It was called “lockdown madness.” But the line was not coined on some obscure conspiracy-mongering website. And, no, it was not part of a rant from US President Donald Trump. Instead, “Lockdown Wahn” (lockdown madness or insanity) is the term first used by Stefan Homburg, the professor of public finance at Leibniz University in the German city of Hannover to describe the global response to the coronavirus. Uwe Parpart has the story. Why UK has world’s worst Covid-19 death rate   Stark metrics suggest that the British mishandling of the pandemic may be the world’s worst, writes Andrew Salmon, as the nation surges to the top of a trifecta of Covid-19 metrics: total infections; total deaths; and, case-fatality rates. Asia Times publishes fast, accurate and independent news, commentary and analysis in English, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesian and Filipino and is regularly read in more than 30 countries every day. Learn more about Asia Times here No longer want to receive these emails? Unsubscribe. Asia Times, 17/F Tung Che Commercial Center, 246 Des Voeux Road West, Hong Kong, SAR China N/A