Preferred Hotel Group Marks First Time Presence in St. Petersburg

Standard Chartered maintains
forecast for Taiwan’s GDP
growth
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) Standard Chartered Bank maintained its
forecast Monday for Taiwan’s gross domestic product (GDP)
growth in 2014 amid an improving global economy.
“Recent trends in major data suggest that 2014 growth
prospects are improving, aided mainly by a recovery in demand
in major overseas markets,” Tony Phoo, a Taipei-based
economist at the bank, said in a statement in which he
maintained the country’s growth forecast at 3.9 percent.
The current growth recovery gained further momentum in the
first quarter, Phoo said, citing improving export growth, a
rise in overseas orders and industrial production gains.
Several leading local producers of semiconductors, integrated
circuits, printed circuit boards, notebook computers and
motherboards reported strong gains in March sales revenue.
This, Phoo said, is clear evidence that the launch of new tech
gadgets, as well as integrated and wearable mobile devices,
has helped boost overall export sales of related electronics
parts and components.
In addition, domestic consumption has shown increasing signs
of a pick-up as well. Car sales rose 9.7 percent during the
January-March period from a year ago, a sharp rebound from a
contraction of 4.2 percent registered for the whole of 2013.
Consumer confidence is also improving, having been on a steady
upward path since 2013, aided mainly by expectations of higher
household incomes and optimism over the job market outlook,
the economist said.
With the unemployment rate likely to fall below 4 percent in
2014 and real wage growth expected to rise, consumer spending
is expected to continue to improve in the coming months, said
Phoo.
(By James Lee)
ENDITEM/J
U.S.
seeking
Taiwan’s
participation
in
APEC
scholarship program
Robert Wang, U.S. senior official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) Robert Wang, U.S. senior official for
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), said Monday in
Taipei that he is here to seek Taiwan’s participation in a
U.S.-initiated APEC scholarship program for students from
developing countries.
The program, which was proposed by the United States during
this year’s first APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in China in
February, is aimed at increasing opportunities for young
people to study in APEC economies, Wang told the local media
in an interview.
If Taiwan participates in the program to provide APEC
scholarships, students can come to study in Taiwan and learn
about Taiwan, he said.
“It benefits the students but it also benefits Taiwan in terms
of expanding its relationship with students from different
economies who would be able to come and study in Taiwan,” he
said.
The U.S. is seeking more countries to take part in the
program, and Wang said he hopes the primary list of
participating countries will be completed at the second
officials’ meeting in May.
He expects details of the program to be made available on the
APEC’s official website in November.
Under the U.S.-proposed initiative, students will be able to
study at universities with scholarships or obtain internships
with private businesses, Wang said.
Wang is on a visit that will wrap up Tuesday. During his
visit, he participated in an APEC Business Advisory Council
(ABAC) meeting and met with President Ma Ying-jeou and
economic and foreign affairs officials.
Wang assumed the role of U.S. senior official for APEC in
August 2013 and paid a visit to Taiwan the following month,
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
(By Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/ls
Taichung
mayor
touts
potential benefits of Taiwan
Tower project
The design chosen for the Taiwan Tower project. (From
http://twtower.taichung.gov.tw/)
Taichung, April 21 (CNA) The planned Taiwan Tower project
should give Taichung’s tourism sector a major boost and help
reduce the city government’s debts, Taichung mayor Jason Hu
said Monday.
“There will be no waste of money in building the Taiwan
Tower,” Hu stressed.
Mu Gui-xing, the director of the city’s Urban Development
Department, said the tower should attract an estimated 5.65
million visitors and inject about NT$10 billion (US$330
million) a year into the local economy.
The Taiwan Tower, Mu said, will be operated using an
“Operation-Transfer” (OT) model, which means the city
government could receive an estimated NT$100 million in
royalties and business tax and the contractor could recover
its investment in 8 years.
As of the end of 2013, the Taichung government had debts of
NT$49.8 billion (US$1.67 billion), according to the Ministry
of Finance.
Mu said construction on the 313.9-meter high tower is
scheduled to begin in January 2015, and it will be
complemented by a museum, restaurants and various stores.
Mu said that during the construction, the city government will
project three searchlights into the sky, which represents the
promise and hope of Taiwan Tower.
(By Hao Hsueh-chin and Aileen Chuang)
ENDITEM/ls
Culture
Ministry
backs
opening of printing sector to
China
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) The Ministry
of Culture on Monday threw its weight behind the opening of
Taiwan’s printing industry to China under a service trade
pact, saying it believes current government measures can
assure that the opening will not have a negative impact on
Taiwan’s publishing sector.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Investment Commission,
responsible for the screening and approval of foreign
investment projects in Taiwan, has blocked many Chineserelated investments since Taiwan opened its book retail and
wholesale businesses to China in 2009, the ministry said in a
statement.
Among those rejected are China National Publications Import
and Export (Group) Corp. and Beijing-based Cathay Bookshop,
according to the ministry.
It said the commission’s screening measures are effective and
capable of safeguarding Taiwan’s publishing sector.
Opponents, however, are concerned that the service trade pact,
which will open up Taiwan’s printing business but not its
publishing industry to Chinese investors, will allow China to
censor Taiwanese publications.
The service trade pact, which was signed between Taiwan and
China in June last year, will allow Chinese companies to
obtain a stake of no more than 50 percent in Taiwanese
printing service providers.
In the statement, the ministry also denied ever pushing for a
cross-Taiwan Strait cultural agreement and said it has no
plans to open Taiwan’s publishing sector to China.
The ministry’s statement came after writers and people from
the publishing sector formed an alliance a day earlier calling
for the monitoring of culture-related agreements signed with
China and demanded that the ministry come up with a detailed
development plan for the publishing industry.
Writers, artists, film directors and people from the
publishing industry initiated a petition April 9 calling on
the Ministry of Culture to fully communicate with the cultural
sector before signing any cultural agreements with China.
In response, the ministry has invited people from the cultural
sector to participate in three upcoming forums to exchange
views on publishing policies.
The forums will take place April 30, May 13 and May 28 and
will address topics related to independent bookstores, a
single pricing scheme for publications, and the present and
future of Taiwan’s publishing industry, the ministry said.
(By Sabine Cheng and Christie Chen)
ENDITEM/J
Fulong
sand
sculpture
festival to feature ‘joy of
travel’
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) A sand sculpture festival set to kick
off May 3 at a beach on the northeastern coast of Taiwan will
highlight artists’ “aspirations for great journeys beyond time
and space,” organizers said Monday.
There will be sculptures themed under French writer Jules
Verne’s novel “Around the World in Eighty Days,” Chinese
mariner Zheng He’s voyages and even space travel, said
officials from the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic
Area Administration.
“We hope the sculptures will present the various aspects of a
global village,” said administration deputy chief Liu Shihming.
Liu said a total of 30 artists from 17 countries — including
Canada, the United States, Italy, France, India and Singapore
— will attend the festival, which will run through June 30.
The annual festival, which was held at Fulong beach for the
first time in 2008, attracted more than 450,000 visitors in
2013, he said, adding that it is estimated that visitor
numbers will reach 500,000 this year.
Admission will be free for the first 3,000 people on the
opening day of the festival, which charges NT$100 (US$3.30)
from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
ENDITEM/J
Kaohsiung to assess plan for
2019 Asian Games bid
The closing ceremony of the 2009 World Game in Kaohsiung.
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) Kaohsiung expressed possible interest
Monday in making a bid to host the 2019 Asian Games after
Hanoi announced last week that it was withdrawing as host
because of the prohibitive cost of staging the event.
Chen Wu-hsiung, the head of the city’s Department of Sports,
said during a city council meeting that it will assess a plan
to bid for the 2019 Asian Games, which it expects will take
about one month.
Chen was responding a call by Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen
Hsin-yu for the city to make a play for the event.
Vietnam’s prime minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, said on April 17
that Hanoi could not host the Asian Games because the state
budget was limited and had to meet more pressing needs.
Last month, the Vietnamese government pegged the cost of
holding the event at about US$150 million.
Chen Hsin-yu proposed that Kaohsiung should join hands with
Tainan and Pingtung County to demonstrate the strength of the
three local governments in southern Taiwan and host the
regional sports event.
She said Kaoshiung lost out to Taipei as the country’s
candidate to bid for the 2019 Asian Games in 2010, but Taipei
later decided against the idea in favor of a successful bid to
host the 2017 Summer Universiade.
Hanoi and Surabaya, Indonesia, were the only two cities that
eventually sought to host the event, with Hanoi being chosen
as host in 2012.
Initial reports after Hanoi’s withdrawal cited Indonesia as
the early favorite to replace Vietnam as the host, but the
Indonesian government said it still have some questions about
cost that have to be answered.
The city councilor said Kaohsiung hosted the 2009 World Games,
and contended that the city has an outstanding stadium and
abundant experience in hosting international sporting events.
Chen Wu-hsiung agreed that Kaohsiung had the facilities and
experience needed to stage the event, but he said it would be
up to the central government to decide whether the country
submits a bid.
Taipei is preparing to host the 2017 Universiade and might
also be a logical candidate to put up a bid because many of
the necessary facilities would already be in place, but Taipei
City government spokesman Chang Chi-chiang said the city had
no interest in the idea.
A New Taipei official said the city won the right to host the
2016 International Children’s Games and will continue to
pursue bids to host the 2020 Asian Beach Games and the 2023
Asian Games.
Taichung said it will bid to host the 2019 Asian Youth Games
but not the 2019 Asian Games.
Meanwhile, Tainan and Taoyuan said that they will carry out
thorough assessments to determine if making a bid makes sense.
(Wang Shwu-fen and Evelyn Kao)
Enditem/ls
March export orders up
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) Taiwan’s export orders climbed for a
second straight month in March, thanks to increases in major
export products including mobile devices and electronics,
according to government data released Monday.
Export orders for the month rose 5.9 percent from a year
earlier to US$37.9 billion. The figure represented a 23.6
percent increase from February and pushed export orders
between January and March up 2.7 percent to US$104.7 billion,
the Ministry of Economics Affairs said.
The ministry attributed the year-on-year rise in March to
growth in orders for goods, including handheld devices, which
rose 8.6 percent in March to US$9.3 billion from the previous
year and 25.5 percent from February.
A 10.1 percent jump from the previous year in electronics,
including wafers and computer memory chips, also contributed.
Annual growth in orders for metal products, plastic and rubber
goods and chemical products also helped, increasing 6.2
percent, 5.3 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
Orders from the six main markets rose in March from the
previous year, including a 3.1 percent rise in China and Hong
Kong, 1 percent in the United States, 8.9 percent in Europe,
12.8 percent in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and
17.9 percent in Japan.
(By Huang Chiao-wen and Scully Hsiao)
ENDITEM/J
NSB to play bigger role in
monitoring Chinese services
providers
National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai De-sheng (right) and Vice
Economics Minister Cho Shih-chao.
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) The National Security Bureau (NSB)
Monday sought to allay worries about opening Taiwan’s service
market to China by announcing plans to regulate and monitor
Chinese companies and individuals that pose a potential
security risk.
The cross-strait trade-in-services agreement will remove many
barriers for Chinese services providers to set up companies
and offices in Taiwan, but concerns remain that some of them
could be covert spies for Beijing, the bureau said in a report
to the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign and National Defense
Committee.
An increase in the inflow of personnel from across the Taiwan
Strait will therefore pose a challenge to national security,
the bureau admitted, but it said it is working on a regulatory
mechanism targeting
organizations.
“major,
specific”
individuals
and
The NSB said it has also conducted an item-by-item review of
security-related issues of 64 business categories that Taiwan
is preparing to open to China pending the enactment of the
service trade pact.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a separate
report that the NSB officially joined the Investment
Commission responsible for reviewing foreign and Chinese
investment projects on April 11, a move aimed at strengthening
the management of such projects.
The change allows NSB officials to participate in the review
of all investments regardless of their nature and size,
according to Vice Economics Minister Cho Shih-chao.
Before that, investment plans would be sent to the NSB for
review only when it involved Chinese investors or when the
NSB’s participation was deemed necessary, Cho said.
(By Claudia Liu and Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/WH
Computex to highlight smart
living
technologies,
applications in June
Taipei,
April
21
(CNA)
Asia’s
largest computer show will focus this year on smart living
technologies and applications, from 3-D printers to wearable
devices, according to one of the organizers of Computex Taipei
Monday.
Some 1,700 exhibitors from Taiwan and abroad will present the
newest advancements in hardware as well as its applications to
make life more convenient during the June trade fair, said the
Taipei Computer Association.
On display will be smart accessories including glasses,
watches, bracelets and even clothing, the association said.
The annual show will explore convenience of service as offered
by interconnectivity, from hand-held devices to home
appliances and vehicles.
The
concept
will
extend
to
wired
security
management,
including tools for remotely controlling household energy and
monitoring platforms, the association said.
In addition to displays and procurement meetings, organizers
will invite industry heavyweights and market analysts to share
their insights on industry trends and practical applications
such as healthcare and education.
At the announcement, the association launched a new mobile
application for this year’s show that will provide up-to-date
information and registration services.
Computex Taipei will take place at the Nangang Exhibition
Hall, Taipei International Convention Center, and Taipei World
Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 and Hall 3 from June 3 to 7.
The five-day computer show, the world’s second largest, will
feature 1,700 exhibitors and is expected to draw over 130,000
visitors, including 38,000 international buyers, according to
the association.
(By James Lee)
ENDITEM/WH
Premier, opposition leader to
discuss nuclear issue
Taipei, April 21 (CNA) Premier
Jiang Yi-huah and Chairman Su Tseng-chang of the opposition
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will hold talks on the
future of Taiwan’s fourth nuclear power plant later Monday, a
Cabinet official said.
Su will call on Jiang at the Executive Yuan for the talks
behind closed doors Monday afternoon, the official added.
The rare meeting comes after the administration and opposition
party both expressed willingness to discuss the thorny issue
over the weekend.
Su said Monday that he will ask Jiang about lowering the
threshold for a national referendum on the hotly debated power
plant to be considered valid.
The Referendum Act requires over half of all eligible voters
to cast a ballot for it to be binding. All six of the
referendums held in Taiwan so far have failed to meet that
requirement.
The meeting between Jiang and Su has come at a time when the
dispute over the nearly completed nuclear plant appears to be
coming to a head.
The DPP announced last week that it will push for a statute
that will allow a special referendum that would require only a
simple majority, regardless of the number of eligible voters
who turn out to cast their ballots.
Jiang criticized the DPP plan as unrealistic, but he softened
his stance by Sunday to say the administration is open to
talking about the issue.
Su has in recent days been pushing on the power plant issue, a
longstanding controversy brought back into the spotlight in
March 2011 following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that
devastated a Fukushima power plant.
The opposition leader on Sunday held talks with Taipei Mayor
Hau Lung-bin, a heavyweight in the ruling Kuomintang (KMT),
who reiterated his stance that the fourth nuclear plant should
not become operational unless its safety can be guaranteed.
Hau said that the issue should not be put off any longer and a
resolution should be found.
Su also plans to call on
major figure in the KMT.
located in a coastal area
few dozen kilometers from
in Taipei.
New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu, another
The fourth nuclear power plant is
in northeastern New Taipei, only a
the economic and political capital
To complicate the issue, Lin Yi-hsiung, a highly respected
former DPP chairman and die-hard anti-nuclear power activist,
plans to begin an “indefinite” hunger strike Tuesday. Many in
the DPP have expressed concern for the 72-year-old, saying he
should not have to become a martyr for the cause.
(By Hsieh Chia-chen and Jay Chen)
Enditem/WH