Taiwan Weekly is a newsletter released every week by Fair Winds Foundation, Association of Foreign Relations and Taipei Forum that provides coverage and perspectives into the latest developments in Taiwan.
TSMC CEO：Export Controls Damage Globalization
Chief Executive Officer CC Wei of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) made a rare warning on December 17 that export controls and banning products from other foreign countries destroy productivity and efficiency gained under globalization, or at least they reduce benefits offered by a free market.
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This Week in Taiwan 1211-1217
December 12: Tiktok, a short-form video platform developed by the Chinese company ByteDance, has become the subject of public discussions on information security. The Ministry of Digital Affairs on December 5 banned the public sector from using it. Legislator Luo Mei-ling stated on December 12 that TikTok can still be browsed from the Internet at the Legislative Yuan and questioned whether executive agencies are synchronized in complying with the new regulations. Responding to interpellation, Secretary-General Lee Meng-yen of the Executive Yuan stated that he will coordinate with the other four branches of government to follow suit. Spokesman Luo Ping-cheng of the Executive Yuan stated that civil servants who violate the ban will be disciplined according to regulations.
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Blessing and "Curse" in Morris Chang's Remarks at Arizona Plant Tool-in Ceremony
At the tool-in ceremony of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) new fab plant at Phoenix, Arizona, on December 6, founder Morris Chang, who has always been skeptical towards this investment, finally gave his blessing to the project in his address.
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Lai's Ultimate Test Will Be Xi
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) saw a major setback in the local elections, and President Tsai Ing-wen's 2024 succession plan has also hit a wall.
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Government's Shifting Blame Make Agricultural and Fishery Businesses Suffer
Mainland China's General Administration of Customs announced the ban on imports of Taiwan's fishery products on December 8, including Pacific sauries and four-finger threadfins, at a total value of NT$6 billion (about US$196 million).
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This Week in Taiwan 1204-1210
December 6: The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) held a tool-in ceremony at its new fab in Arizona. President Joe Biden attended the event and delivered remarks, thanking TSMC for creating 10,000 high-tech jobs and allowing the United States to regain its leading position in global chip manufacturing.
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NTU Finds Cheng Plagiarized Thesis, Revokes Degree
It was revealed that Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan of Taoyuan, a favored contender for the chairmanship of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and premier, committed plagiarism in completing his master’s thesis.
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Director-General and Professor Chen Should Step Down at the Same Time
It has been more than a week since the end of the local elections, but the so-called "green surprise” continues to unfold.
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Besides Demands to "Clear Evil Ministers," Problems with "Ruler" Should Also Be Considered
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a heavy blow in the local elections, and many DPP members are asking to "clear evil ministers around the ruler" by getting rid of her close aides, cyber-army, and members of the party's Central Standing Committee with criminal gang backgrounds.
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This Week in Taiwan 1127-1203
November 28: The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a major defeat in the local elections. President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as party chairwoman, while Premier Su Tseng-chang verbally resigned but then accepted the president's request for him to stay in his post, stirring public outrage. DPP Taipei City Councilor Wang Shih-chien fired the first shot, asking "war criminal" Su to step down. Chairman You Ying-lung of the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation also criticized that President Tsai should issue an "edict" to identify the core "war criminals." Otherwise, the DPP will be completely annihilated in 2024.
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