Published since 2019 by the Fair Winds Foundation and Association of Foreign Relations, Taiwan Weekly provides in-depth report and analysis of the major issues facing Taiwan.

This Week in Taiwan 0716-0722

This Week in Taiwan 0716-0722

July 17: Vice President William Lai will serve as a special envoy to attend the presidential inauguration of Santiago Peña in Paraguay. Mr. Lai's expected transit stop in the United States has attracted scrutiny. Xie Feng, mainland China's ambassador to the United States, stated that Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in U.S.-China relations and that the presumptuous behavior of Taiwan independence activists should be stopped. The top priority is to resolutely block Mr. Lai's visit to the United States, Feng added.

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Semiconductor Industry Under the Shadow of Cross-Strait Conflict

Semiconductor Industry Under the Shadow of Cross-Strait Conflict

The semiconductor industry has become Taiwan's "protective sacred mountain" over the last 20 years.

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Percent Exports Increase by 1.2% Thanks to New Southbound Policy?

Percent Exports Increase by 1.2% Thanks to New Southbound Policy?

The Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN), Executive Yuan, recently pointed out that the proportion of exports to the New Southbound countries has increased by 1.2 percent in the past six years.

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"A Taiwan Emergency is a Japanese Emergency":Will Okinawa Bear the Brunt?

"A Taiwan Emergency is a Japanese Emergency":Will Okinawa Bear the Brunt?

People often refer to former Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s famous saying: "A Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency."

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This Week in Taiwan 0709-0715

This Week in Taiwan 0709-0715

July 10: For the first time in seven years, real wages in Taiwan have declined. According to statistics released by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), Executive Yuan, from January to May, the average recurring salary was NT$43,341 (about US$1,397), an annual increase of 2.46 percent, and the total salary increased by 1.61 percent. The annual growth rate of the consumer price index (CPI) was 2.44 percent during the same period. The DGBAS indicated that considering the price factor, real total salary is NT$58,348 (about US$1,881), an annual decrease of 0.81 percent. The figures show that salary growth cannot keep up with commodity prices.

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Hou's Comments on Shortening Military Service May Affect His U.S. Visit in September

Hou's Comments on Shortening Military Service May Affect His U.S. Visit in September

In an interview, Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih expressed that after stability and peace are ensured in the Taiwan Strait, he will reduce the length of compulsory military service back to four months.

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National Security Bureau Official's Contradicting Views on PLA Capabilities

National Security Bureau Official's Contradicting Views on PLA Capabilities

Director-General Tsai Ming-yen of the National Security Bureau (NSB) stated that the current atmosphere of war in the Taiwan Strait is all "manipulation" and not based on reality and that Communist China is not capable of attacking Taiwan by force at this juncture.

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Housing Justice and Lai's Empty Promises

Housing Justice and Lai's Empty Promises

The Executive Yuan passed a new plan for differential house tax rates on July 6.

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This Week in Taiwan 0702-0708

This Week in Taiwan 0702-0708

July 1: General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, delivered a speech at the National Press Club luncheon in Washington, pointing out there is no sign that mainland China has decided to attack Taiwan in 2027, and the United States and other countries still have time to make it clear to China that the use of force is a bad idea. He emphasized that the U.S. military must be ready at any time and advance military modernization as soon as possible to ensure its superiority over China and increase the likelihood of deterring war.

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Tsai Administration's "Backing Hong Kong" Gone Awry?HK Immigration to Taiwan Declines Sharply

Tsai Administration's "Backing Hong Kong" Gone Awry?HK Immigration to Taiwan Declines Sharply

In 2019, the protests in Hong Kong broke out, and the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan loudly proclaimed its support for Hong Kong.

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