The Executive Yuan yesterday proposed eight policies, dubbed the “Strengthen Taiwan Policies,” to counter the effects of 31 incentives for Taiwanese unveiled by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office.
The eight policies aim to increase benefits for researchers; lend more momentum to innovative industries; boost employee rewards and benefits; improve the work environment of medical professionals; enhance protection against corporate espionage; ramp up industrial innovation and transformation; boost the momentum of Taiwanese stocks; and deepen investment in the development of the film industry, Vice Premier Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉) told a news conference at the Executive Yuan.
The policies are to be geared toward four main goals: encouraging quality education and corporate jobs while intensifying efforts to keep talented individuals, as well as recruiting from abroad; maintaining Taiwan’s advantage in the global supply chain; promoting the expansion of the capital market; and strengthening the cultural and film industries, he said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times.
Taiwan will become a top nation that will be attractive to talented individuals worldwide, will have a healthy economy and become strong, all based on liberty, democracy and the rule of law, he added.
China’s policies are aimed at siphoning off Taiwan’s capital and locally educated talent, which shows an evident political motive, Shih said, adding that the government must handle this issue practically and seriously.
“With a strong Taiwan, we will fear no challenge,” Shih said.
At least 15 items of the eight policies are to be implemented by the Cabinet and its various agencies this year.
To improve local stocks’ global visibility, the Cabinet said it would increase reviews for initial public offerings and cut down the review time from eight weeks to six.
Overseas subsidiaries of listed local companies would be encouraged to base themselves and list in Taiwan, the Cabinet said, adding that it would also promote the inclusion of 30 companies in an MSCI index to attract more international investment.
Measures to prevent corporate secrets from being leaked to China would include amendments to the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法) to establish a “retention of corporate secrets” system and punishments for related criminal activity for breaking such laws, it added.
To accelerate industrial innovation and transformation, the Cabinet said it would subsidize corporations’ purchases of “smart” machinery and software that would help them maintain a competitive edge.
It added that it would provide assistance to facilitate strategic alliances between Taiwanese industries and international corporations to further bolster the nation’s edge in the global supply chain.
Separately yesterday, Premier William Lai (賴清德) said the Cabinet would refer to China’s new policies — which Beijing has termed “incentives for Taiwan” — as simply “measures” to avoid playing along with China’s rhetoric.
As long as Taiwanese can demonstrate solidarity and bolster the nation’s economy on the foundation they have built, the nation will attract more talent and increase its global presence, Lai said.
Additional reporting by Sean Lin and Chen Mei-ying
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased its locally developed variants of the Vision 60 robotic patrol dog, which it plans to deploy on the nation’s outlying territories in the South China Sea. The variants were produced under the Joint Lab project — created by the institute and domestic companies — and assembled with domestically produced motors, lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) systems alongside licensed tech from the US, Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division deputy director Jen Kuo-kang (任國光) told the media event at a military base in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area. Taiwan has built up its strengths
NOT IMMEDIATE: Taiwan has a chance to appeal the proposed 10 percent tariff before it starts, while other countries face a 12.5 percent tariff from the trade office Taiwan is among 60 economies determined by the US to have failed to impose or enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor, according to a notice released on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which proposed imposing an additional 10 percent or more tariff on them. The USTR in a statement said that following an investigation, it had determined under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that the failure of the 60 economies to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is
TIT-FOR-TAT: The US allegedly revoked the visa of a Chinese national working at Xinhua News Agency in the US in response to Beijing’s expulsion of Vivian Wang The Presidential Office yesterday condemned China for expelling a New York Times correspondent from Beijing following the newspaper’s interview with President William Lai (賴清德), saying the move highlighted Beijing’s suppression of press freedom and its threat to international news media. Taiwan has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing used similar tactics to “threaten and pressure international media outlets and journalists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. “This concerns not only press freedom and freedom of expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant partners are paying close attention to the situation,” she
RSS