Word: ma
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Strides toward détente carry a political price for Ma. Many in Taiwan don't consider the island to be part of China, and they fear closer ties will eventually lead to a loss of identity, even sovereignty. Last October, hundreds of thousands protested against Ma's China policy in a Taipei rally organized by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Another large protest is planned for May 17. Ma "sees the closer ties [with China] as an opportunity," says Cheng Wen-tsang, the DPP's spokesman. "But we see them as a threat...
...Ma counters that everything he has done is in Taiwan's best interests, especially concerning the economy. The global financial crisis hit trade-dependent Taiwan especially hard. Exports in April plunged a staggering 34% from the same month in 2008 - the sixth consecutive monthly double-digit decline - as demand for the island's computer and electronic equipment shriveled in the U.S. and Europe. The government expects GDP to contract 3% in 2009; some private estimates predict worse. The severity of the crisis brought new urgency to the effort to improve ties with China in order to capitalize...
Read "The World According To Ma...
...boosting profits. Eric Kuei, general manager of Fruit Taiwan Corp., says the time to transport his pineapples and other produce to Shanghai from Taiwan has been cut from seven days to three, which means more time on Chinese store shelves and a 20% increase in profits. "After Ma got elected, everything's more convenient for businessmen," says Kuei. In a recent survey conducted by Taiwan's CommonWealth magazine, 60% of the CEOs questioned said that liberalized cross-strait relations were improving Taiwan's economic competitiveness. This positive outlook has helped fuel a 40% surge in Taiwan's stock market this...
...Ma is promising more reform. In April, China and Taiwan inked an agreement that will start the process of liberalizing cross-strait financial services. More broadly, Ma intends to forge a comprehensive economic-cooperation agreement with Beijing that would reduce tariffs on Taiwan exports to China as well as provide investment guarantees and protect intellectual property. There is a reason to hurry. In 2010, China is slated to slash tariffs on goods from nations in Southeast Asia, potentially putting Taiwan's products at a greater disadvantage in the China market. Through a bilateral trade agreement, Ma says, "We hope...