News

Executive Yuan unveils new regulations on pork imports

2020-11-27   Taiwan Today

The Executive Yuan announced new regulations on all pork imports Nov. 26, spotlighting government efforts to ensure food safety ahead of the lifting of an import ban on pork containing the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine starting next year.

Gain new insights through reviewing the past:Enhance Temperature-Sensitive Manufacturing Productivity and Quality through Industrial Big Data and Artificial intelligence

2020-11-27   Ministry of Science and Technology

High-precision temperature control process is commonly applied to industrial manufacturing. To guarantee the quality of temperature-sensitive manufacturing, it often leverages veteran engineers’ experiences by frequently adjusting configuration which also implies suspending running machines. Thanks to the support of Digital Economy Project from Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of Taiwan, the research team at Department of Computer Science, National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) developed “Industrial IoT Temperature Control Mechanism for Production Prediction” to collect Industrial Big Data and establish a real-time production monitoring & prediction system based on artificial intelligence (AI). With the system, the complicated manual process of thermal profiling and calibration could be significantly reduced. Moreover, the parameters of manufacturing process for new products could be estimated based on historical manufacturing records, and therefore the process from new production introduction (NPI) to stable and mass manufacturing would be accelerated.

VP Lai urges support for groups working with mentally, physically challenged in Taiwan

Groups working to give the mentally and physically challenged opportunities to lead full lives and contribute to the economy warrant widespread support from all segments of society in Taiwan, Vice President Lai Ching-te said Nov. 26.

Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s Promotional Videos “Taiwan – The Perfect Solo Travel Destination for Culture & Small Towns” Honored with “Asia – Overall Destination-Cultural Arts” Magellan Gold Award

2020-11-26   Tourism Bureau

The 368 townships in Taiwan each boasts its own character. Taiwan Tourism Bureau has been dedicated to promoting ecotourism since 2017 and its effort is widely recognized by international travel media. The Bureau collaborated with Black Buddha, an U.S. based production company, to create “Taiwan – The Perfect Solo Travel Destination for Culture & Small Towns” promotional videos. It is announced on the 16th that the series is honored with the “Asia – Overall Destination-Cultural Arts” Gold Magellan Awards. Winning consecutive silver awards in 2018 and 2019 in the categories of “Asia - Adventure Destination” and “Asia - Overall Destinations-Eco-Friendly "Green" Destination,” this is the Bureau’s first Gold award promoting Taiwan’s arts & culture.

Taiwan-Israel economic and technological conference achieves positive outcomes, including signing of standards agreement

2020-11-26   Ministy of Economic Affairs

The 13th Taiwan-Israel Economic and Technological Cooperation Conference was convened in virtual format on Nov. 25, with the two sides exchanging views on a range of issues, including cooperation on water resources, circular economy, energy, industrial R&D, fintech, AI applications, mobile telecommunications, and smart city development. The conference, co-chaired by Taiwan Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chern-Chyi “C.C.”Chen and Ohad Cohen, Trade Commissioner, Director of the Israeli Ministry of Economy’s Foreign Trade Administration, included the signing of a bilateral agreement on standards cooperation.

Austronesian Forum attended by ambassadors and representatives to Taiwan from 14 countries

2020-11-25   Council of Indigenous Peoples

The 2020 Executive Council meeting was convened by the Council of Indigenous Peoples in Taipei today, present were ambassadors and representatives of the Austronesian Forum members to Taiwan. The meeting was chaired by Chairperson Icyang of the Executive Council. Delegates to the meeting all highly approved of the results the Forum has achieved in various working projects, and confirmed that the Forum general assembly will be held at the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the second half of next year.

Switzerland is listed as one of the jurisdictions with which Taiwan is able to exchange Country-by-Country Reports effectively in accordance with the existing Agreements in force

2020-11-25   Ministry of Finance

The Ministry of Finance states that in order to implement the Base Erosion and Profits Shifting (BEPS) related measures, Taiwan and Switzerland have confirmed to exchange Country-by-Country (hereinafter referred to as “CbC”) Reports in accordance with Article 25 (Exchange of Information) of the Agreement between the Taipei Cultural and Economic Delegation in Switzerland and the Trade Office of Swiss Industries, Taipei for the Avoidance of Double Taxation with respect to Taxes on Income.

Taiwan’s New Measures for Management of Medical Masks

2020-11-24   Ministry of Health and Welfare

Taiwan has recently initiated two new measures to reinforce the management of medical masks. Since July 7th, 2020, the country began to implement border random inspection of medical masks. From September 24th, 2020, domestically manufactured medical masks are required to be marked with government-issued debossed stamps. These measures aim to control the quality of imported medical masks and differentiate domestic medical masks from those imported.

Veteran woodcarving artist Chen Chi-tsun wins national craft achievement award

2020-11-24   Ministry of Culture

Seasoned woodcarving artist Chen Chi-tsun (陳啟村) received the National Craft Achievement Award, Taiwan's highest crafts prize, for his outstanding contribution to the craft art at a ceremony held at the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute’s (NTCRI) Taipei Branch on Nov. 22.

Open data vital to digital economy, smart governance

2020-11-23   Executive Yuan

At the Cabinet’s weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Su Tseng-chang received a National Development Council briefing on the benefits of smart government data management. The premier said the council’s work to promote the Open Data initiative and the My Data platform is helping to create a data economy and a public-private model of cooperative governance. These are key strategies for expediting Taiwan’s digital transformation and implementing smart governance, and will improve administrative efficiency and government services.

Press conference following the 2020 APEC meetings and Economic Leaders’ Meeting

2020-11-23   Office of the President

The Presidential Office held a press conference on the afternoon of November 21 following the 2020 APEC and Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM). Accompanied by Minister without Portfolio John C. C. Deng (鄧振中), National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉), and Senior Official for APEC and Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of International Organization Director-General Bob L.J. Chen (陳龍錦), Leader’s Representative Morris Chang shared an overview of the APEC meetings, and the results achieved during the Ministerial Meetings and the AELM with the Taiwanese people, and then took questions from reporters.

Premier looks forward to deeper ties as US thanks Taiwan at APEC meeting

2020-11-20   Executive Yuan

The 2020 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting convened for the first time via videoconference on Monday, with Taiwan represented by Minister without Portfolio John C.C. Deng and Minister of National Development Kung Ming-hsin. At Thursday's weekly meeting of the Cabinet, Premier Su Tseng-chang said that Taiwan had taken this opportunity to not only share the nation's experience with containing COVID-19 and maintaining economic growth, but also once again broadcast its willingness to contribute even more to the global pandemic fight and strengthen links with countries around the world.

Triple stimulus vouchers available to APRC holders starting Nov. 16

2020-11-20   Ministy of Economic Affairs

The triple stimulus voucher program was originally launched on July 15 to allow not only Taiwanese citizens but also their foreign or Chinese spouses with resident permits to purchase them, which effectively spurred consumption in Taiwan.

CPC Corporation, Taiwan won 9 TCSA awards, continuing to set new high records for state-owned enterprises

2020-11-19   Ministy of Economic Affairs

The winners’ list of the “2020 TCSA Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Award” organized by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy was announced today (18). CPC Corporation, Taiwan won the “Comprehensive Performance Award-Taiwan TOP50 Sustainability Corporate Award” and “Corporate Sustainability Report Awards-Energy Industry Platinum Award” and 7 “Excellent Project Awards”-“Innovative Growth Award”, “Talent Development Award”, “Social Inclusion Award”, “Gender Equality Award”, “Climate Leadership Award”, “Sustainable Water Management Award” and the “Circular Economy Leadership Award” totally counted for 9 awards. The number of awards continued to hit a record high. Chairman Dr. Jerry J.R. Ou attended the awards ceremony and shared the glory with all colleagues.

President Tsai attends 3rd Global Corporate Sustainability Forum and Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards ceremony

2020-11-19   Office of the President

President Tsai Ing-wen attended the Third Global Corporate Sustainability Forum and Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards ceremony on the morning of November 18. She explained the government’s sustainable development policies, and expressed hope that government and business will learn from each other and explore the viability of various action plans together so that we can actively share Taiwan’s experiences with our global partners.

Premier: Improve food safety to give consumers peace of mind

2020-11-18   Executive Yuan

Premier Su Tseng-chang convened the 2020 meeting of the Executive Yuan food safety board Monday, pledging to protect the nation's health by aggressively implementing President Tsai Ing-wen's five-point food safety policy: source control, production management, stronger inspections, tougher penalties and citizen oversight.

President Tsai attends 2020 AmCham Taipei Annual General Meeting

2020-11-18   Office of the President

While attending the 2020 American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei Annual General Meeting at noon on November 17, President Tsai Ing-wen expressed hope for the signing of a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) between Taiwan and the United States. Such an agreement would further allow the two countries to capitalize on the complementary nature of our industries and create even more business opportunities that can ultimately build an even stronger economic partnership between Taiwan and the US, she said.

International Online Workshop Hosted in Taipei to Accelerate Women Entrepreneurship

2020-11-17   Ministy of Economic Affairs

On November 16, the final workshop held under the APEC Women-Led Start-Up Accelerator Initiative was hosted in Taipei. More than 60 participants from the APEC region participated in this grand event, contributing to Asia-Pacific Start-Up connection and development through this virtual workshop. Despite of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, this event contributed to the empowerment of women entrepreneurs in the field of access to capital and market.

MOFA expresses sincere gratitude for unprecedented international support at the resumed session of the 73rd WHA

2020-11-17   Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has further demonstrated to the international community the need for Taiwan’s participation in global disease prevention mechanisms. Through the joint efforts of the government and civil society, Taiwan’s bid to participate in the World Health Assembly this year has once again received unprecedented global support. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) expresses its sincere gratitude for this overwhelming show of support and is confident about the prospects for its WHA campaign.

5th Automatic 30-Day Visa Extensions Announced for Foreigners who have Legally Stayed for 180 Days or More

2020-11-16   Ministry of the Interior

Considering the current state of the global pandemic is still grim, NIA has decided to provide the 5th automatic extension to foreigners who entered Taiwan before or on March 21, 2020, and have not overstayed their allowed duration of stay (including their initial visa and all previous extensions).

Taiwan holds virtual forum on Innovation of the National Cancer Registry with the U.S., Japan, Canada, the UK and the Netherlands for cancer prevention

2020-11-16   Ministry of Health and Welfare

In view of severe impacts of cancer on human health and the society, many developed countries consider cancer registry as the cornerstone of cancer prevention and control. In the evening on November 12, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) held a virtual forum on Innovation of the National Cancer Registry at Taipei with more than 100 health officials and experts from 17 countries, such as the United States, Japan, Canada, the UK and the Netherlands. The forum underlined that a comprehensive cancer registry not only helps health authorities develop policies for cancer prevention and control but also facilitates academic research on cancer risk factor and the outcome of cancer prevention and treatment.

Presidential Office congratulates Belize on successful parliamentary elections

2020-11-13   Office of the President

Taiwan’s diplomatic ally Belize successfully held parliamentary elections on November 11 local time, with the opposition People’s United Party (PUP) emerging victorious. John Briceño, the PUP leader, was elected prime minister and will form a new government. Presidential Office Spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said that upon hearing the news, President Tsai Ing-wen directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Taiwan’s Belize embassy to convey sincere congratulations to Prime Minister-elect Briceño on his election on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan, and also deliver her personal letter of congratulations.

Taiwan and the Philippines sign the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Cooperation in Immigration Affairs and Human Trafficking Prevention

2020-11-13   Ministry of the Interior

To further enhance cooperation on immigration affairs and effectively combat human trafficking, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Cooperation in Immigration Affairs and Human Trafficking Prevention on 19 October 2020 in the Philippines.

Taiwan-EU digital economy dialogue to be staged virtually next month

2020-11-12   Focus Taiwan

A second round of the Taiwan-European Union (EU) Dialogue on Digital Economy is scheduled to be staged in December, albeit in virtual format due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Development Council (NDC) announced Tuesday.

‘Triple stimulus’ vouchers extended to more foreigners in Taiwan

2020-11-12   Executive Yuan

Premier Su Tseng-chang announced Thursday that eligibility for the “triple stimulus” voucher program will be extended to holders of Alien Permanent Resident Cards and diplomatic identification cards starting next Monday, as a gesture of goodwill and hospitality to foreigners residing in Taiwan.

CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan could buy Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through COVAX: CECC

2020-11-11   Focus Taiwan

There is “a possibility” that Taiwan will be able to purchase Pfizer and BioNTech SE’s (BNT’s) promising COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX allocation plan, a Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) official said Tuesday.

U.S., Taiwan to hold economic dialogue on Nov. 20

2020-11-11   Focus Taiwan

The United States and Taiwan are scheduled to hold a dialogue on economic prosperity on Nov. 20, and State Department official Keith Krach will lead the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday.

President Tsai names TSMC founder as Taiwan's envoy to APEC summit

2020-11-10   Focus Taiwan

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Tuesday named retired entrepreneur Morris Chang (張忠謀) as Taiwan's representative to the leaders' meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum scheduled to open on Nov. 20 in Malaysia.

Taiwan donates 30,000 masks to St. Lucia

2020-11-10   Focus Taiwan

The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in St. Lucia, with the help of a Taiwan business group, donated 30,000 surgical masks to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the Caribbean country on Monday.

Central, Latin American parliamentarians urge WHO to accept Taiwan

2020-11-09   Focus Taiwan

A total of 144 parliamentarians from various Latin American countries and the Central American Parliament (CAP) issued a joint declaration during a video conference Friday supporting Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that day.

President Tsai meets Haitian Ambassador Rachel Coupaud

2020-11-09   Office of the President

While meeting with Haitian Ambassador to Taiwan Rachel Coupaud on the afternoon of November 6, President Tsai Ing-wen stated that the ambassador is Haiti's best spokesperson in Taiwan and will always be Taiwan's good friend. The president also expressed hope that Ambassador Coupaud will continue to give Taiwan her full support and wished her great success in her new post.