A free-trade agreement (FTA) between Taiwan and New Zealand was passed by the Legislative Yuan yesterday, the first FTA Taiwan has signed with a non-diplomatic ally.
Lawmakers across party lines lauded the bilateral economic cooperation agreement, the first FTA with a country other than China that President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration has signed since 2008, saying that it was a step forward in Taiwan’s participation in regional economic integration.
The Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Cooperation (ANZTEC) was signed on July 10.
New Zealand’s parliament has already ratified the accord.
In a press release issued after the plenary session, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said the agreement would create a win-win situation for both sides, as the two economies are complementary to each other.
The DPP also urged the government to continue pursuing FTAs with Taiwan’s major trade partners, including Japan, the EU and the US, to avoid overdependence on the Chinese market.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) and People First Party Legislator Thomas Lee (李桐豪) raised concerns about the potential negative impact of the agreement on the local dairy industry and livestock breeding industry.
New Zealand has an annual trade surplus of US$600 million with Taiwan in terms of dairy and beef products and the government should develop supplementary measures to assist local farmers, Lee said.
The agreement had political implications, as Taiwan was able to sign the deal with New Zealand because Hong Kong has a similar pact with New Zealand, Hsu said.
He further called on Beijing to stop suppressing Taiwan’s international space.
A report published by the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research estimated that the agreement could boost Taiwan’s GDP by US$303 million and create 6255 job opportunities.
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
A new board game set against the backdrop of armed conflict around Taiwan is to be released next month, amid renewed threats from Beijing, inviting players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years from now. China has ramped up military activity close to Taiwan in the past few years, including massing naval forces around the nation. The game, titled 2045, tasks players with navigating the troubles of war using colorful action cards and role-playing as characters involved in operations 10 days before a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan. That includes members of the armed forces, Chinese sleeper agents and pro-China politicians
The lowest temperature in a low-lying area recorded early yesterday morning was in Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township (公館), at 6.8°C, due to a strong cold air mass and the effect of radiative cooling, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. In other areas, Chiayi’s East District (東區) recorded a low of 8.2°C and Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾) recorded 8.5°C, CWA data showed. The cold air mass was at its strongest from Saturday night to the early hours of yesterday. It brought temperatures down to 9°C to 11°C in areas across the nation and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties,
STAY VIGILANT: When experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, such as dizziness or fatigue, near a water heater, open windows and doors to ventilate the area Rooftop flue water heaters should only be installed outdoors or in properly ventilated areas to prevent toxic gas from building up, the Yilan County Fire Department said, after a man in Taipei died of carbon monoxide poisoning on Monday last week. The 39-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), an assistant professor at Providence University in Taichung, was at his Taipei home for the holidays when the incident occurred, news reports said. He was taking a shower in the bathroom of a rooftop addition when carbon monoxide — a poisonous byproduct of combustion — leaked from a water heater installed in a poorly ventilated
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