fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Trade Finance Is On Its Way To Get More Digitised Post-covid
By: Emerio Banque
Tags: Trade, Digitization, Covid 19, Trade Finance, Finance

Since the COVID-19 has attacked the worldwide economy, several banks have noticed a disturbance in supply chains during the initial two-quarters of the COVID-19 outbreak. Due to this scenario, the worldwide banks are now considering shifting their paper-based trade finance transactions to the digital platform. Amid COVID-19, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, and State Bank of India were some of those banks that came forward to help their clients reducing the effects of the global pandemic as per the survey by Greenwich Associates, the analytics arm of rating firm Crisil.

As per the report released by Crisil, “Battered by the COVID-19 crisis, large Indian companies are looking to their banks for digital solutions that can make their supply chains more resilient to pandemic-related disruptions”.

The supply chain disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic are ultimately introducing the accelerated transformation of trade finance — one of the financial business’s last paper-based holdouts into a digital business.

There is no doubt that the coronavirus outbreak has affected the international trade flows more enthusiastically than the global financial crisis of 2008–2009. Now, the second wave of pandemic cases in the United States and Europe are destroying hopes of early recovery. As per the report, the large Indian corporates are continuing to experience the troubles they faced in the first half of this year including supply chain disturbances due to lockdown initiatives, industrial closures, and the subsequent delays in shipping and transport, etc.

Related: Trade Finance Industry To Consider DLT Adoption Amid COVID-19

Gaurav Arora, head of APAC & Middle East at the Crisil coalition Greenwich said, “In the crisis, operational agility and digital solutions are taking precedence over the traditional priorities of financing trades and meeting liquidity needs”.

The scenario of the global supply chain is changing with worldwide corporations re-evaluating their supply chains and repositioning for the “new normal.” In addition to this, trade finance is restructuring its shape, supported by digital interventions and the changing necessities of the corporates. The efficient and deep transformation in the global trade and commerce which is currently in progress will bound banks to boost their digitalization measures and turn end-to-end connectivity into a reality. The existing environment enables the banks to assess their current digitization drive, recognizing the gaps, and reconsider and restructure for the future, as per the report.
Trademark in Pakistan
By: Junaid Khan
Tags: Trade, Pakistan, Tardemark

What is a Trademark?

A Trademark is any graphical engraving that is good for perceiving items or organizations of one business from those of another business.

The territory or subject of a Trademark can be portrayed as the thoughtfulness or extraordinary name of a business. Brand names are astonishing instruments for perceiving items over the range of trade from the product of others.

Trademark in Pakistan is controlled by the Trademarks Ordinance, 2001.

Why do you need to enroll in your Trademark?

It is hard to set up an advantage creating business. Building such a business requires tremendous troublesome work and repentance on the piece of the business visionary. Brand names and other protected innovation laws exist to safeguard your associations from copycats who are reliably looking out to copy the personality of powerful associations and benefit from it.

Enlisting your outstanding Trademark in Pakistan with IPO Pakistan will give you real protection from all of the people who may hope to impersonate or copy your picture after your thriving. Subsequently, it is basic to start the route toward enrolling your Trademark all along.

What kind of associations/associations should think about enrolling their Trademarks?

It doesn’t have any effect whether you are a restricted scale retailer, a startup, or a worldwide beast, you should vehemently think about enrolling Trademarks for your things and organizations.

Failure to do so may allow your adversaries to misuse your picture all through of line advancing techniques

What protections does save enrollment give?

If you have enlisted a Trademark in your own name or in your association’s name, you have a particular alternative to use it. You can in like manner license another business to use and charge a cost against it. Selection furthermore gives genuine sureness, and if a legal discussion arises, you will have a strong position

The first sale of stock Pakistan ensures fruitful prerequisite through various allotted workplaces like the Police, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Pakistan Customs. You can similarly begin methodology to ensure hurts under fragments 46 and 47 of the Trademark Ordinance 2001, against parties who dismiss your advantages by copying your engraving.

An owner of an enlisted Trademark, you will have the particular alternative to hold all untouchables back from using indistinct or near signs in the trading of items or organizations.
Traditional Taiwanese Food Pidan with Tofu
By: Connect Business With Technique
Tags: Taiwanese Food, Tofu, Taiwan, Street Food, Food

What is Pidan Tofu

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and watched the menu but you don’t get what the dish means? Well, this is very common here in Taiwan. Sometimes you know the ingredients but totally you don’t get it when those ingredients combined together. Let’s check the definition of Tofu on wikipedia: Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be silken, soft, firm, or extra firm. Beyond these broad categories, there are many varieties of tofu. It has a subtle flavor, so it can be used in savory and sweet dishes.

Pidan is called hundred- year Egg also called century egg, thousand-year egg, and Ming Dynasty egg, all of which are eggs that have been preserved by being covered with a coating of lime, ashes, and salt before being shallowly buried for 100 days. The lime「petrifies」 the egg, making it look like it’s been buried for at least a century.

Pidan Tofu with sweet soy sauce

How we eat Pidan and Tofu in Taiwan

Let’s talk about Tofu in Taiwan. We usually have tofu together with other ingredients. For example, Tofu is good with mushroom and vegetables. Tofu is also good for deep-fried, it is very common you see it in any street vendor. The abundant of nutrition is good for people’s health.

Pidan is very common with porridge, we put Pidan and pork into porridge, and the taste is really good. This dish is also good for people who are down with the flu, it helps people get well sooner and reimburses all the nutrition patients need for.

Now, here is the point, what is the best way to enjoy Pidan and Tofu? It’s quite easy, you only need to buy Tofu and Pidan from supermarkets and put them in a dish, then put the sweet soy sauce, maybe add some scallion. Okay, it is time for your sidedish :)
👭🍷 黑皮諾 紅酒 瓶上有 女生 肖像，好市多 Found a 2015 Cambria Estate Pinot Noir at Costco ,Taiwan
By: Kyle Chu 微風捕手
Tags: Costco, 中文, Wine, Taiwan, 台灣

在好市多發現黑皮諾紅酒瓶上有女生肖像，引起我的注意，研究後發現背後是個「有心」的女性酒莊。

In Costco, I found a portrait of a girl on the Pinot Noir red wine bottle, which caught my attention. After research, I found that there is a “Heartwarming” female winery behind it.

位於加州聖瑪莉亞區的坎伯莉雅酒莊，由母親芭芭拉跟兩個女兒凱蒂與茱莉亞經營，她們釀造的葡萄酒酒標上有女生肖像，因為她們有個「贊助傑出女性計畫」， 每年募資贊助全球各地推動女權運動的傑出女性，有興趣可往一讀。

Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson’s daughters, Katie Jackson and Julia Jackson run this Cambria Estate Winery and a project named “SEEDS OF EMPOWERMENT” together.

回到這瓶酒上，這瓶2015年坎伯莉雅酒莊第四區黑皮諾紅酒，在官網標價56美金一瓶，但在台灣好市多標價499台幣。 Back to this bottle of wine, this bottle of 2015 Cambria Estate Pinor Noir Clone 4, is priced at $56 a bottle on the official website, but it is priced at NT$499 in Taiwan. 至於酒的滋味，官網形容有「櫻桃、石榴、肉桂與香草味」， 經一小時醒酒後，可以嚐出一點櫻桃味，還有點橡木桶香， 層次並不特別多，但果香濃郁，蠻適合搭配中秋節烤肉。 As for the taste of the wine, the official website describes “cherry, pomegranate, cinnamon, and vanilla”. After an hour of decanting, you can taste a little cherry, and there are some oak barrels. The fruity flavor is rich and quite Suitable for Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue in Taiwan.

坎伯莉雅酒莊官網部落格，提供很多搭配葡萄酒的食譜，值得喜歡做菜的朋友參考：

There is a blog on the official website of Cambria Winery, which offers many recipes for wines. It is worthy of friends who like to cook:
What the Taipei Doctors Union do to End Sexual Harassment at Work
Tags: Labor Unions, Doctors, Hospital, Sexual Harassment, Taiwan

What the Taipei Doctors Union do to End Sexual Harassment at Work 廖郁雯 Mar 22·2 min read

In the past four years, several members of the Taipei Doctors Union (TDU) worked hard not only to write editorials but also to publish research indicating that for ending sexual harassment at health care institutions, the managers needed both to plan enough gender equity education for all employees and to provide concrete prevention strategies.

In 2017, the TDU investigated nearly 600 doctors and physicians in Taiwan; also, the survey showed that 80% of female doctors and 63% of male doctors had seen sexual harassment at workplace. However, there is a startling facts : according to the survey, only 3.5% of doctors who was sexual harassed have used the reporting system; moreover, none of the male doctors ever used it.

photo credit to : https://link.medium.com/W2SN9qj6qeb

To let more people aware of the severity, on March 8, 2018, the TDU held a press conference to make many journalists to report the result of the survey; besides, to protect the reporters of the harassment, the TDU asked the managers of all health care institutions to perform root cause analysis of harassment cases to shed light on organization factors fostering harassment and inequities. Finally, the effectiveness of the publicity was successful, but the entire health care workforce has not been improving; in fact, based on the news, there was still many sexual harassment incidents in different hospitals in recent one year.

If we don’t take the problems seriously, there will more health care workers become victims or even transgressors; therefore, it is necessary that the medical colleges give routine or compulsory gender equity education courses to students. We realize that though there have been legal regulations to request the medical schools and hospitals to hold educational training about sexual harassment, the effects are usually unsatisfactory; thus, the TDU is going to cooperate with the Federation of Medical Students in Taiwan to scheme more friendly and more close-to-working-environment lessons to medical students.

photo credit to : the Taipei Doctors Union

To reform the masculine and unfriendly work culture, we still have many things to do, and it is imperative that we keep advocating stopping sexual harassment at work.
Aug 19, 2019
By: Gen-Chang Hsu
Tags: Taiwan

Aug 19, 2019

Day 12 Leaning new lessons

Today I went to Stanford Hospital to measure my weight, a weekly routine. I went to the clinics, walked to the scale, pressed the power button, and stepped on it. I repeated my measurement twice, and when I just about to leave, a nurse came to me and ask me what I was doing. She said that I should have asked them before using the scale. Although she did not really get “angry”, I knew she was a bit unhappy with it. “I’m sorry!” I said to her. I admit that this is really a bad habit, and I really want to remove it. Sometimes I feel it kind of difficult though, but will try to remind myself anytime ─ always ask others before using their things!

Later on, I went out again to apply for a Clipper card and a Safeway Club Card. I also copied the keys at a kiosk at Safeway. It was so cool. I haven’t seen this kind of machine in Taiwan before. Just plug in your key, and the machine will scan it and cast a new one for you! The machine even said that it could accept any kinds of key, and also 100% satisfaction guaranteed! Pretty convenient right!

Back to home, it suddenly occurred to me that I had a package sent from Taiwan. According to Chunghwa Post, it will take roughly three weeks to ship things from Taiwan to the US. It had been two weeks since the sending day, so I would like to check out the delivery progress. But when I entered my mail number on the online tracking system, I was a bit shocked ─ my package had been delivered to the address I provided on Aug 8, but due to incomplete address (I forgot to write down the apartment number), the package could not be delivered and was returned to the sender! Oh, I should have known it earlier so that I could go to the local post office to see if my package was still there. Now I am not sure where it goes, and I guess it is most likely on the way back to Taiwan. Just hope not to get it lost. Learn another experience today: always remember to provide the full address in the US!

Ready for the student orientation tomorrow.
I think I’m in a weird stage
By: Lost In Space
Tags: Taiwan, Relationships, Diary, Personal Development

There’re a couple of times that my friend asked me: “Have you considered a non-Taiwanese date?” I always responded to them, “Nah. I don’t feel like want to chat with other in English, especially something personal/emotional.” Because for me using English is a tiring process, which drains my brain quickly within just a few conversations. My vocabulary in English wasn’t abundant enough so it feels difficult to express my feelings in English. While there’s no problem for me using Mandarin, and that’s why I’m thinking only dating with Taiwanese.

But recently I found one thing, if I talked to a Taiwanese too much, I would like to develop a relationship with him/her/it. I would start expecting things from the other, although I clearly know it’s not healthy for our relationship.

Then, this morning, I was eating my breakfast in the McDonalds near Taipei Main Train Station. I was sitting their at the bar area, facing the windows out. Then, a backpackers approached, asked me if the chair next to me is occupied. “Of course it’s not”, I said. Then, after he got his meal and sat down, he brought out his phone and asked me how to use the WiFi provided by the McDonalds.

To use the WiFi, you need to download localized McDonalds (Taiwanese version) of an App and login with it. But it’s impossible to download it without the internet, right? So we began to chat a while, he’s a backpacker from Russia and just traveled from Indonesia. I then briefly share my experience in Indonesia and we all agreed how we love the country. I’ve finished my meal already, so I said “enjoy your meal!” to end our conversation. He then replied, “enjoy your life!”.

First, I never heard someone said that to me, which is really a fresh experience. I will remember this and said to someone else in the future lol. Second, I just had a quick casual talk with a foreigner, which I don’t think I will build a relationship with, and it feels relaxed and easy-going. I didn’t worry about messing up our conversation or relationship, as I from the very beginning didn’t expect anything back from him.

Well, that’s harsh. My previous assumption about only dating with Taiwanese quickly being challenged. At the moment, I’m feeling more stressful with Taiwanese than with a foreigner.
🍶 爺爺米酒味，月桂冠 濁酒， 好市多 Tasted almost like my Grandpa did, GEKKEIKAN NIGORIZAKE sake , Costco Taiwan
By: Kyle Chu 微風捕手
Tags: Costco, 中文, Taiwan, Sake, 台灣

台灣賣場少賣濁酒，所以每次有濁酒出現時，馬上就引起我注意。

Taiwanese stores sell less Nigori sake wine, so it always caught my attention.

好市多特賣的月桂冠濁酒，瓶身是因應環保概念製造的淡綠色磨砂瓶，味道出人意料的好。

GEKKEIKAN NIGORIZAKE sake in Taiwanese Costco, the bottle is in response to the concept of manufacturing environmentally friendly light green frosted bottle, the taste is surprisingly good.

這款濁酒幾乎嚐不到酸味，糟粕的濃香跟甜味入口直撲鼻頭，令我想起爺爺的米酒味。

This Nigori sake has almost no sour taste, and the scent of the dregs and the sweetness of the mouth are straight to the nose, reminding me of my grandfather’s rice wine.

爺爺年歲跟我父親相差太遠，鄉音重到所有人都只能猜他的話意，因此，爺爺在世時留下很多謎，爺爺自釀濁酒就是個失傳的謎。

My grandfather is almost 50 years old than my father. Ｈis accent is so heavy that everyone can only guess his meaning. Therefore, Grandpa left a lot of mystery when he was alive. Grandpa’s self-brewed rice wine is a lost mystery.

子女、親戚都想複製爺爺釀的香醇濁酒。

有人堅持使用的米是重點，有人說買對酒藥很重要，還有人信誓旦旦說偷偷倒進去，用來幫助發酵的金門高粱酒是關鍵，甚至還有人說包覆在大酒桶外面那床老棉被是控溫祕方。

Children and relatives want to copy the great rice wine brewed by Grandpa.

Some people insist that the use of rice is the key point. Some people say that it is very important to buy alcohol. Some people have vowed that Grandpa put in a little bottle of Kinmen Sorghum Liquor to help ferment is the key.

And a crazy relative said that the old quilt wrapped around the big barrel is the secret recipe for temperature control.

但爺爺的濁酒最後還是失傳了，沒有一個親友複製成功。

But in the end. no one discovered the secret to brew the rice wine.

這款月桂冠濁酒有爺爺米酒味道，喝完後舌底有淡淡米香。官網提醒了最好微冰飲用。

GEKKEIKAN NIGORIZAKE sake has the taste of Grandpa rice wine, and after drinking it, there is a light rice fragrance at the bottom of the tongue. The official website reminded you’ve gotta ice it slightly before drinking.
Get over here and Sprint
By: Juan Pablo
Tags: Taiwan, Design Sprint, Taipei, Design

“What on Earth is a Design Sprint?” Those were my exact thoughts when an old friend of mine first mentioned it to me during one of our somewhat random online conversations whilst catching up on our latest respective shenanigans. With great enthusiasm he explained to me how the Design Sprint could help businesses in Taiwan followed by an offer for me to help facilitate the process in the future. So let me just preface with that Taiwan is one of my favorite places in the world and I had just quit a corporate culture where long drawn out meetings with no progress in sight had become the norm. Fast forward, two and a half months later and I am traveling halfway across the globe on a 16 hour flight from Spain to Taiwan. I could hardly contain my excitement to work with my close friend after almost two years of a ‘bro-hiatus’. To top it off, I had the luxury of consuming an unlimited serving of fun-sized instant noodles aboard the plane.

So here I am, now working for Frankish Consulting and I am learning about the Design Sprint. During orientation, I was surprised by what a simple yet elegant tool it was. It would have definitely saved us from spending several unproductive weeks and even months invested on major projects that were ultimately scrapped. These failed projects were caused mainly by incongruencies between how our team and the client envisioned the requirements involved to meet their demands, and the execution of the final product. There was always this enduring impression that we were either taking several unnecessary steps or that basic, albeit consistent communication was not as fruitful as it could had been.

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

So now there is this methodology which enables us to avoid this never-ending cycle of despair and prevent us from stumbling upon some major setbacks, cool. The Design Sprint process allows us to approach a project in a strategic manner and get to a fairly accurate depiction of what the client would really be satisfied with, all within a very constrained timespan and before we actually get our hands dirty. The Sprint delivers us a prototype that we could test with potential customers and get instant feedback from them. We could help everyone save time, money and get happy customers; it would be very much a win-win situation, what’s not to love, right?

Photo by Tamarcus Brown on Unsplash

Thus, equipped with post-it notes, pens, stickers, and time timers (and obviously more noodles!), I embark on this journey and hope to be of as much use as I can be to this team.
Reconciliation: Emotionally Durable Unboxing Design
By: Anchi Hsin
Tags: UX, Storytelling, Design, Taiwan, China

Research

I was closed with my grandpa when I was a little child and he often brought me snacks and toys whenever we met. But one day, he gave me a stopwatch that looked very precious and valuable. I was surprised because it was so different from things he had sent me. He told me it was a tool he used while he was in the Chinese Nationalist’s navy and he continued his story. Obviously, I was too young to be able to understand. However, I remembered his speaking tone was shaking and his facial expression was dramatic.

The stopwatch is the tool that my grandpa used, along with a sextant, for navigating on the battleship.

After that, he hadn’t shared his story again to me ever since. As I grow up, even though I am interested in hearing more about his past, I didn’t open this topic again since I was afraid that I would uncover his wounds. Everything I knew about him was from my mother, who also knew very little of his story.

However, two years ago, out of curiosity, I finally decided to ask my grandpa his story. Surprisingly, It turned out that he was very willing to share it with me.

After knowing his story, I realized how much I missed, which made me want to do a design project for the stopwatch he gave me. At first, I didn’t know how to deal with this heavy and sensitive historical topic. However, after I met Yang, a friend of mine who is from Shenzhen, Mainland China, I suddenly found the message that I wanted to deliver.

The current national flags of Taiwan and China represent different political powers.

Nearly 80 years ago, in 1945, the Chinese civil war broke out. My grandpa joined the Chinese Nationalist party to support his family, while the brother of Yang’s grandpa was killed by it. In 1950, as the Communist party ended up winning the war, my grandpa left China for Taiwan with the entire nationalist army while his family remained in China. At the same time, martial law was established in Taiwan to forbid people’s connection across the Strait. As a result, my grandpa never got to see his parents again before they have passed away.
UMB Vision Studies’ Students in Taiwan Receive US National Certification in Low Vision
Tags: Vision Studies, Orientation And Mobility, Global Inclusion, Taiwan, Sgisd

UMB Vision Studies’ Students in Taiwan Receive US National Certification in Low Vision SGISDInclusion Mar 18, 2019·2 min read

In January, 2 Taiwan vision professionals, Mr. Chia-Hao Yang and Ms. Chia-Jui Chang, became Certified Low Vision Therapists (CLVTs) after training in the SGISD Vision Studies Program. This brings the total number of CLVTs in Taiwan to 6, all of whom have taken courses online through UMass Boston.

These recent graduates show the culmination of over a decade of collaboration between the Vision Studies Program and vision professionals in Taiwan. This relationship kicked off in 2008, when Dr. Moonset Yu, an adjunct Vision Studies faculty member originally from Taiwan, got a request from the Lions Club International to help establish the first low vision center at the Taiwan Foundation for the Blind in Taipei, Taiwan.

Dr. Yu engaged senior Vision Studies faculty members Dr. Laura Bozeman and Robert McCulley to help teach online CLVT training courses, with Dr. Yu providing English language assistance and mentorship.

January graduates Mr. Yang and Ms. Chang started taking Vision Studies courses in 2016. Currently, 2 more Taiwan vision professionals are enrolled in the courses and have begun their journey toward certification.

“As a member of the UMass Boston community, I am so proud of its quality courses, internationally accessible learning platform, and passionate faculty,” said Dr. Yu. “As a Taiwanese immigrant, I am also grateful to UMB for the supports it provided to the low vision field in Taiwan.”

“All the projects we needed to complete [for the certification] were enjoyable, hands-on, and useful,” said Ms. Chang. “On the discussion board, classmates offered ideas and experiences about their work in various settings as well as different countries … From UMB’s courses, we learned the concepts of ‘full person’ services and individual rights for services. These concepts now are embedded in our belief systems, and we became advocates for the well-being of people with low vision.”

Mr. Yang said, “Apart from the required reading, Dr. Bozeman always exposed us to a variety of questions or discussions ranging from specific eye disease management and psycho-social issues to the laws and regulations of low vision policies in countries all over the world. We did not read and then stop; we were learning to be more then the textbook.”

Congratulations to Mr. Yang and Ms. Chang, as well as the currently enrolled Taiwan vision professionals!

Learn more about the SGISD Vision Studies Program.
Why China wants to dominate Taiwan?
By: Yen Ling Chou
Tags: History, Politics, Taiwan, China, Power

In recent weeks, I posted my essays regarding the relationship between Taiwan and China on Quora. (Quora is a website that people ask questions and others answer them.) After that, some users of Quora requested my answers about the politics of Taiwan. Therefore, today I would like to write an article to explain why China desires to rule Taiwan.

The most important reason is geographic tactics. Taiwan is 100 nautical miles to the southeastern coast of China. If Taiwan is under the control of China, Taiwan can be the first line of defense for China. In addition, Taiwan is the breakthrough point of the first island chain. ( For United States, the first island chain is created to prevent the maritime approach from China and Soviet Union. The chain is composed of the Kuril Islands, Japan, Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Philippines, and Borneo.) As long as China controls Taiwan, it will increase influence over Pacific Ocean. Moreover, Taiwan is at the middle of Asia-Pacific transportation network, which links Ryukyu Islands and Manila. Since China does lots of trade with the countries surrounding China, Taiwan became more and more important.

Another reason is the historical issue. During the late 19th century, China was invaded by Russia, France, England and Japan so the Chinese government gave numerous lands to those countries to stop wars. In 1894, China lost the First Sino-Japanese War, and then China ceded Taiwan to Japan. That was a shameful time for China because China was a powerful and wealthy empire before 19th century. After World War II, China won the battle, and Japan returned Taiwan to China. Thus, the recapture of Taiwan signified the dignity of China.

The other reason is the political power. According to cn.NYTimes, the Chinese president Xi Jinping wished to continue his presidency after the consecutive term. ( Since the 1990s, the Chinese president could serve just two five-year terms. In 2018, presidential term limits were removed by the congress, and President Xi can stay longer than two terms as president.) For proving his legal authority, he needs a profound achievement like unifying the country so that citizens would agree to his rule. Besides, Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong want to be independent countries. The leader of those places will revolt against President Xi and build up their own governments if China let Taiwan independent. Hence, President Xi wants to annex Taiwan to China in order to maintain his political dominance.

On the whole, China is eager to absorb Taiwan due to geographic tactics, historical issue and political power. Whether Taiwan will become a province of China or not is dependent on the force of China and Taiwan.
Taiwan proposed purchase of US tanks, air defense systems
Tags: Proposedpurchaseof, Taiwan, Air Defense Systems

Taiwan’s proposed purchase of billions of dollars worth of US arms has met with a speedy response from China. Beijing has said more American weapons in Taiwan could damage US-China ties and security the Taiwan Strait.

The potential sale by the United States, Taiwan’s main arms supplier, includes more than a hundred tanks, along with anti-tank and Stinger missiles.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry confirmed the request on Thursday and in a speech, President Tsai Ing-wen said “We will keep on strengthening our self-defense capabilities (and) will also keep on being a contributor to regional peace.”

The list of weaponry includes:

108 General Dynamics Corp M1A2 Abrams tanks worth around $2 billion (€1.7 billion)1,240 TOW anti-tank missiles worth $200 million409 Javelin anti-tank missiles250 Stinger, portable air defense systems.

There are also reports that Taiwan may be seeking to buy 66 more F-16 fighter jets.

The US Congress, which has to approve the deal, has been sent an informal notification, according to Reuters news agency.

Military exercises in Taiwan in May

Risking US-China relations

The Chinese government, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, was quick to respond, warning the sales could “seriously damage” relations with the United States.

“We urge the US to fully understand the high sensitivity of the issue of arms sales to Taiwan,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Thursday. “We are severely concerned about the US move and are firmly against US arms sales to Taiwan.”

While the US recognizes Taiwan as part of China, it pledged under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to assist with the island’s self-defense. US Navy vessels regularly sail through the Taiwan Strait on “freedom of navigation patrols,” despite objections from Beijing.

President Tsai Ing-wen during 2018 naval exercises northeast of Taiwan

US-China trade war

The announcement of the potential sale comes as the US and China are in the middle of a trade war.

Disputes over tariffs on imports and exports have extended to Washington’s blacklisting of telecom giant Huawei and Beijing drawing up an “unreliable entities list” of companies and individuals deemed potentially damaging to Chinese companies.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has been seeking to promote the development of the US arms industry and last year announced changes to its export policy to expand sales to allies.

Already the world’s largest arms exporter, the US increased its share of total global exports to 36 percent in 2018, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“The USA has further solidified its position as the world’s leading arms supplier,” according to SIPRI’s Aude Fleurant. “The USA exported arms to at least 98 countries in the past five years.”
Apps for hailing a taxi in Taiwan
By: Thomas K
Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, Taxi, Travel

Living since a long time in Taipei I know how to make use of its great MRT subway system, but I often need to rely on taxis to get from the A to B due to time constraints or areas which aren’t well covered or remote. Its possible to hail taxis on the street in most parts of Taiwan but you may want to consider using one of the following apps or options to get a save and reliable ride.

Taiwan Taxi (台灣大車隊) — 55688

One of the major taxi companies in Taiwan, Taiwan Taxi(台灣大車隊 ) often simply referred to as 55688 (pronounced in Mandarin Chinese as wǔ wǔ liù bā bā) has probably the cleanest taxis. Their fleet, which seems to be mostly composed by Toyota Wish cars, also supports payment by popular credit cards and mobile payment methods such as Google Pay, Apple Pay.

The yellow sea of taxis in front of every high speed rail station in Taiwan

The drawbacks of this app are that it only comes in Chinese and needs a lot device permissions which include: Identity, Contacts, Location, Phone (including call log), Access to files, Camera (probably for scanning QR codes), Microphone (makes no sense I think), Wi-Fi connection information, Device ID & call information. However its easy to use and I never had any issues with it.

Click here to download the app on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store

FindTaxi by SleepNova

SleepNova is an app development company in Taiwan with experience to develop apps for large Taiwan enterprises. This app also requires a lot of permissions but nicely explains why it does so at the start of the program. Unfortunately it requires the use of a Google or Facebook account to login so you are sharing the email associated with your Facebook or Google account. The greatest advantage of this app is that it is completely in English. You can also select to book a taxi with specific features, ranging from Female, English or Japanese Speaking drivers over taxis which support wheelchairs. Sadly only one option can be selected at a time though.

A few screens of FindTaxi

Download this app for Google here, for Apple iOS here.

JKOS — 街口支付

This is also a mobile payment (or wallet) app and I really recommend this app if you consider to stay in Taiwan for a long time or if you have a local bank account. The app provides cashback for shopping or paying taxis. Paying for a taxi is as simple as entering the full amount to pay and confirm when you arrive at the destination; provided that you have linked your credit card or bank account. The taxi service is done in cooperation with above mentioned TaiwanTaxi / 55688 company.

JKOS interface, calling a taxi and displaying the ride history

You can find JKOS here for Google or Apple devices.

Another option — FamilyMart and 7–11

Should your phone ever run out of battery or if you are not carrying it with you then you can also visit the FamilyMart or 7–11 convenience stores. You are able to call a taxi with the help of the clerk using the iBon or FamiPort machines.

How do you master your taxi trips in Taiwan? Let me know your comments!
My First Vote| 2020 Presidential Election in Taiwan
By: Yvonne Cheng
Tags: Vote, Politics, Taiwan, Election 2020, Daily Life

Vote for Freedom🇹🇼

Yesterday was a significant day not only for me, but for Taiwan. I finally became 20 years old this year, which means I can legally exercise my civil rights. I volunteered to be a poll worker at my polling station. Just out of curiosity I applied to district affairs office immediately when they post a recruiting information. The office strongly encourages college students to engage in poll work as a volunteer since they think that young people are showing less political tendency and more neutral. ( I am not sure if it is true or not😆…one of my friends who has shown a super clear political standpoint said this statement is nonsense.😂😂)

My job was mainly watching the voting process to make sure that all steps were correct and fair. It was quite a boring job actually. For me, everything was fresh. This job allowed me to closely observe voters’ behaviour. Some elders still asked simple questions even though they had already voted several times, such as “How to vote?”. I think this situation shows one thing: they take very seriously about their ballots. They just double-checked to make sure that the ballot is valid and will be counted eventually.

It was a great experience for me to participate in such a huge national activity. We are the last free place in the Chinese-speaking world. We are proud of our democracy.

This article is quite short because I just want to make a quick note for the election day. 😜
Taiwan’s Naval Blunder Proves You’re Never Completely Out of the Woods with COVID-19
By: William Peregoy
Tags: Covid 19, Pandemic, Lockdown, Taiwan, Coronavirus

Singapore had a model response — but its infections have shot up in the past few weeks as contagion has taken hold in foreign labor dormitories and now the city-state is on lockdown and extending the lockdown.

Taiwan has by most accounts had the best response so far, but when I left the US to come to Taiwan in mid-March there were only 47 confirmed cases in Taiwan. For the next month, we watched with anxiety as that number shot up to near 400 — with 10–20 new cases everyday. With tight travel restrictions: closing the border to non-residents, and a mandatory 14-day quarantine on anybody entering the country, the vast majority of these ~350 cases from mid-March to mid-April were imported from abroad and caught either at the airport or while the infected person was already in quarantine.

As such, there hasn’t been any evidence of sustained community spread, so we’ve avoided the lockdown/‘shelter-in-place” situation most of the world is in.

And after month of 10–20 new cases every day, we finally got to see zero new cases in a day again a few times early last week.

But, you’re never completely out of the woods with this thing. A couple of days ago, 3 members of the Taiwanese navy, who had been out at sea for the past month, reported symptoms, went to the doctor and tested positive. Taiwanese authorities quickly tested more people from that ship and two others — and 21 more members of the navy tested positive. Now over 700 members of the Taiwanese navy are in quarantine. But, the 24 positive cases were out and about in the community for a few days after being back in Taiwan. So, now anxiety levels in Taiwan are high again.

One would almost certainly expect family members, close friends, girlfriends, etc. of some of these navy members to be showing up in the confirmed case count in the coming days. But how many others from the community-at-large?

We could be heading for a lockdown/’shelter-in-place” soon — but, if that’s the case, I have faith that Taiwan is still much better prepared for such a situation than other countries have been.
Document remote signature security Leave it to BeingSign to complete
By: Statecraft Tech
Tags: Security, Tracking, Taiwan, Blockchain, News

Image source: Statecraft

【Published by: BeingSign | Editor: BeingSign | Translator: Statecraft 】

BeingSign — A blockchain online and remote signing system developed by the Taiwan team, focusing on process efficiency and file security. Targeting the future needs of Taiwanese companies’ digital transformation, more than seven new versions have been launched since their development in 2018. From blockchain storage, workflow design, and process tracking systems, BeingSign focuses on developing signing services that are in line with the status of Taiwanese companies.

Blockchain storage & encryption verification technology, greatly improving remote signing security

BeingSign signed record storage blockchain process / Source: BeingSign

Digital tools have been booming in recent years, but most companies still rely on paper documents to communicate when working on important internal and external documents, because paper gives the signatory unique and physical security. BeingSign uses the irreversible nature of the blockchain to store signing records on the chain. In addition, the user’s double key is used to perform encryption and decryption verification to ensure the correctness of the signing user’s identity and greatly enhance the security of the remote signing process Promotion.

Meet remote signing status and optimize workflow

BeingSign workflow includes two roles: “Agree” and “Sign” / Source: BeingSign

When signing a memorandum of cooperation or contract within an enterprise, the cooperation “window” usually negotiates the conditions and submits it to the chief for signature. BeingSign believes that these two roles should be distinguished in the process, so the two roles of “agree” and “sign” are developed to show the true status of signing.

Tracking system to make progress transparent

Grasp instant signing progress anytime, anywhere / Source: BeingSign

One of the key aspects of digitization is “information transparency”. Participating in signing users can track real-time consent and signing progress in the system. After the signing is completed, the system will automatically notify relevant personnel and provide signing completion certification.

In response to the needs of the COVID-19 epidemic to isolate remote work, BeingSign is open to signing for free once a day (multiple documents can be signed at the same time) to spend the period affected by the COVID-19 epidemic together!
Wafer And IC Shipping & Handling Market Worth $14.16 Billion By 2025
By: Gaurav Shah
Tags: Germany, Semiconductors, France, Taiwan, China

The global wafer and integrated circuits (IC) shipping & handling market size is expected to reach USD 14.16billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to grow substantially over the forecast period on account of the rising demand for ICs in communication systems and consumer electronics.

The market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period on account of increasing demand for integrated circuit (IC) chips in communication systems, automotive and consumer electronics. In addition, the rising demand for ICs is expected to have a positive impact on the demand for silicon and integrated circuits (IC) processing & storage, shipping & handling markets, which is likely to drive the demand for wafer carriers over the projected period.

The raw material manufacturers are trying to integrate across various stages of the value chain, namely supply of raw material, manufacturing of the products and supply of the manufactured products to achieve higher profit margins and meet the rising consumer demand, by reducing the lead time.

Click the link below:

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wafer-integrated-circuits-ic-shipping-handling-market

Further key findings from the report suggest:
Day4 for、while、repeat while 迴圈使用＆練習. (待更新錯誤）
By: 燮羽 Will
Tags: Taiwan, Swift Programming, Practice

2020/9/4（部分待更新錯誤，迴圈的應用有點理解混亂）

2020/9/5（更新99乘法表的錯誤）

//for 迴圈

for 名稱 in 宣告的名稱{

}

例

// 1. 迴圈基本用法

var name = [1,2,3,4,5,6]

print ＝ [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]



// 2.印出1...100

for index in 1...100{

print (index)

}



// 3. 印出 1~99

for index in 1..<100{

print (index)

}



// 4. 99乘法表

for i in 1..<10{

print("\\(i) * 7 = \\(i)")

}



// 5. if 迴圈印出字典內容

var fruitDict = ["red":"apple","yellow":"banana","green":"mango"]



for (key,value) in fruitDict {

print(key + ":" + value)

}



//where and for 迴圈運用



例

// 1. 印出雙數 （％是除 求餘數）

for index in 1...10 where index % 2 == 0{

print(index)

} print = 2.4.6..8.10



// 2. 印出單數

for index in 1...10 where index % 2 != 0{ //不等於整數

print(index)

}

// while 迴圈



// 持續執行到完成條件

var index = 1

while index <= 10 {

print(index)

index += 1 //沒設定這行 就會一直迴圈下去造成當機

} //pirnt 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10



//while迴圈 配合陣列使用



var animalArray = ["cat","dog","lion","tiger"]

var index = 0



while index < animalArray.count {

print(animalArray[index])

index += 1

} //印出animalArray



//while 配合 repeat使用 （跟while迴圈不一樣的點是 就算不符合條件，最少都執行一次）



var myCounter = 1

repeat {

print("just do it \\(myCounter) time")

myCounter += 1

}while myCounter < 11

//print 10次 just do it myCounter time
Instagrammer to Introspection
Tags: Travel, Lifestyle, Austronesian, Taiwan, Aboriginal

I recently archived all of my posts from over a decade ago.

This has been a recommendation from my brother-in-law, also coinciding with my own embrace of technological minimalism.

I’ve set the social media alarms; I’ve ignored them. I’ve listened to songs that can commiserate with the endless thumbing, i.e. “Scroll” by AdrianXpression.

Now I use it to casually stay in touch. Still, I feel the tingle especially during a visit to a mountain village in Taiwan.

The Taiwanese aboriginals are related to the Austronesian people. They speak a dialect I do not as Han-American-Chinese, fully utilizing the dashes.

Throughout the day's festivities, I am handed a badge and I feel I should be opening my phone apps. Around me, the younger aboriginal people who’ve managed to make the trek from the cities where they work, hold their phones in one hand while simultaneously carrying one end of the long bamboo which holds a pig tied to a spit. The sun beats down on everyone standing in the field of the elementary school as we observe the rites, elders with eyes closed, children fidgeting. Everyone is dressed traditionally; the clothing signifies the tribe. Intricately beaded dresses and colorful headpieces adorn the community.

By evening we’ve traveled to another mountain village. Beneath a large tent, we watch as competitors scramble up ropes to grab the prize. This is followed by a competition to see who spears the coconut flying through the air onto their sharp-pointed poles first. It looks challenging from afar because the coconuts appear smooth when they are fibrous which snags on the spears quickly. There are communal dances and a special one reserved for the young and unmarried.

This village is famous for music. As sunset dissipates into the night, the sounds of an award-winning choir of acapella harmonies rise to the beams of the venue as if their voices and timbers were born to coalesce.

Livestream. But I know that my phone will not capture the ethereality.

A local woman shares that she has been lazy to attend the festivities recently, but explains that the songs are a conversation.

Each might be indistinguishable to unknowing ears, but they are call and response like the birds of the remote mountaintops. This form of serenade is gradually being lost she notes.

Before leaving I am offered a traditional long dagger resembling a machete to purchase. These have been brought from Hua Lian, a city on the East less populated side of the island. That is when I become most poignantly aware of being Han-Chinese-American.

We are exchanging oral histories, and stories in a way bartering content. I don’t need the machete, but those knives are a relic of the time when the locals had to walk nine hours to the store for a pack of cigarettes.

I reflexively ask, “why didn’t you buy more?”

“We couldn’t afford it,” the local woman responds.
Japanese Photographer: Let the Beauty of Taiwan be Seen
By: Commonwealth Magazine
Tags: Island, Japan, Indigenous, Taiwan, Photography

I am Kobayashi Kengo, a photographer from Japan. I am currently learning Mandarin in National Taiwan Normal University, and documenting my life in Taiwan with a pen and a camera. I’ve started my Working Holiday in a tea house in Taipei. Why a tea house? As a matter of fact, I’ve heard that young people in Taiwan generally lack interest in the tea-art industry. This motivates me to share the world (including Japan) my experience of the charm and grace that seasons a cup of local Taiwanese tea.

Remember the 311 Eastern-Japan earthquake? That was five years ago, when I first knew about Taiwan. At a time when we were embittered with pain and grief, it was Taiwan that reached out a helping hand — an act of kindness that we will never forget. From then on, we wholeheartedly pray for the harmony and flourishing of both countries.

I did not choose to learn Mandarin in Taipei only to express my gratitude to Taiwan. I chose it for myself, expecting to dive deeper into the culture by learning the language, to draw closer to the locals, and to call attention to this island, to let more people know about this country.

Taiwan is genuinely beautiful. I had visited a variety of countries, seen magnificent scenery after scenery, met a myriad of different people, but never had I encountered such unique charm before I came to Taiwan. This country named ‘Taiwan’ gives off an indescribable magic power — the sense of kinship among the people, the harmony with nature in the landscape, and the picturesque view of the high mountains and deep waters.

Wrapped in the warmth of their country, the people feel it, keep it in mind, and put it in practice. Satisfying smiles can be found on the faces of working grannies and grand-dads. A heritage of collective wisdom from the ancestors and the aboriginal traditions can be tasted in the food. A beautiful island-nation with 75% of its land in the mountains can be seen shining its unique glint in the heart of Asia. With only two hands, there is a limit on what I can do, but at least I photograph. I want to make more people see into Taiwan through my lens. If you agree, come join me. Let’s spread the beauty of Taiwan to the world.

For more stories of Taiwan and the greater China region, visit our website or subscribe to our newsletter.

My works this time consist of four themes. Allow me to introduce them to you.

First comes ‘The Land of Jade’ (翡翠大地). Taiwan, the island-nation with 75% of its land in lush mountains, impresses many visitors with its fresh greenness. Yet to me, it is no simple green, but a lively shade of Emerald Green (ひすいいろ). What I want to convey through my following works, is that ‘the essence of a country lies not in the expansion of the land, but the embodiment of humanity and inner values within.’