149 replies to this topic

[marshall]

Wikipedia has done a thorough job in removing the charts of the nationality breakdown for IQ in different countries.  I was hoping to give you an IQ number for Taiwanese.  However, from memory, ethnic Chinese were usually near the top.  Once you fix the political structure in Chinese societies and free their minds, the rest will take care of itself.  Anyway, for your information, East Asians (i.e. Chinese, Hong Kong residents, Koreans, Japanese, and Taiwanese) usually do well on IQ tests or international OECD PISA tests.

In my opinion, Wikipedia and all other conversation leading to social stratification should be legally banned.  It accomplishes nothing constructive and pigeonholes ethnic groups into superior/inferior categories that affect their collective psychology and social standing.  The variation of ability amongst every group crisscrosses among all of the world's people.  In the near future, genetic research will uncover the genetic markers that control cognition and then the smartest geniuses of history will become comparative "retards" to the average of that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_inte...side_of_the_USA

"IQ differences outside of the USA

According to Richard Lynn and others, racial differences in IQ scores are observed around the world.[24][25] A commonly-cited review by Richard Lynn lists IQ scores for East Asians (105), Europeans (99), Inuit (91), Southeast Asians and Amerindians (87 each), Pacific Islanders (85), South Asians/North Africans (84), Non-Bushmen sub-Saharan Africans (67), Australian Aborigines (62) and Bushmen (54).[26][27][25][28][24]"

I've always found IQ tests to be fundamentally flawed because they are omitting components of intelligence that are obviously not being measured properly.  The fact that several groups have measured IQs below 70 is a testament to this.  The idea that entire nations have an average intelligence below retardation (IQs <=70 are considered retarded) is ludicrous.  The example I must point out are the Bushmen with an average IQ of 54.  The idea that hunter gatherers who can survive in the wilderness against lions, hyenas, leopards, etc, and claimed to barely have enough intelligence to put socks on is a joke.  This is just common sense.  IQ tests do test cognitive ability, but only to the extent that the thinking process of the people being tested think and rationalize in the ways required to solve the questions of the IQ test.  The fact that the Flynn Effect is used to explain variations of IQ among the same groups between generations and their related educational and socioeconomic situations is very telling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article....d=flynns-effect

[Martian]

In my opinion, Wikipedia and all other conversation leading to social stratification should be legally banned.  It accomplishes nothing constructive and pigeonholes ethnic groups into superior/inferior categories that affect their collective psychology and social standing.  The variation of ability amongst every group crisscrosses among all of the world's people.  In the near future, genetic research will uncover the genetic markers that control cognition and then the smartest geniuses of history will become comparative "retards" to the average of that time.


I've always found IQ tests to be fundamentally flawed because they are omitting components of intelligence that are obviously not being measured properly.  The fact that several groups have measured IQs below 70 is a testament to this.  The idea that entire nations have an average intelligence below retardation (IQs <=70 are considered retarded) is ludicrous.  The example I must point out are the Bushmen with an average IQ of 54.  The idea that hunter gatherers who can survive in the wilderness against lions, hyenas, leopards, etc, and claimed to barely have enough intelligence to put socks on is a joke.  This is just common sense.  IQ tests do test cognitive ability, but only to the extent that the thinking process of the people being tested think and rationalize in the ways required to solve the questions of the IQ test.  The fact that the Flynn Effect is used to explain variations of IQ among the same groups between generations and their related educational and socioeconomic situations is very telling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article....d=flynns-effect

That's why I never posted Taiwan's IQ results to explain Taiwan's world's highest per-capita U.S. patents in the articles "Greater China Outnumbers German Patents" or "China Claims #9 Rank In U.S. Patents."  A long time ago, I wrote a lengthy article on IQ and its correlation with economic performance.  However, I decided not to post it.

[Martian]

Wikipedia has done a thorough job in removing the charts of the nationality breakdown for IQ in different countries.  I was hoping to give you an IQ number for Taiwanese.  However, from memory, ethnic Chinese were usually near the top.  Once you fix the political structure in Chinese societies and free their minds, the rest will take care of itself.  Anyway, for your information, East Asians (i.e. Chinese, Hong Kong residents, Koreans, Japanese, and Taiwanese) usually do well on IQ tests or international OECD PISA tests.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_inte...side_of_the_USA

"IQ differences outside of the USA

According to Richard Lynn and others, racial differences in IQ scores are observed around the world.[24][25] A commonly-cited review by Richard Lynn lists IQ scores for East Asians (105), Europeans (99), Inuit (91), Southeast Asians and Amerindians (87 each), Pacific Islanders (85), South Asians/North Africans (84), Non-Bushmen sub-Saharan Africans (67), Australian Aborigines (62) and Bushmen (54).[26][27][25][28][24]"

I spoke too soon.  To double-check, I retraced my old steps.  I quickly found an IQ table on Wikipedia for 82 countries and an updated table for every country in the world.  Wikipedia has not removed any of the IQ tables on nationality.

[Martian]

As long as Taiwan doesn't get blasted to smithereens by mainland China, things are usually looking up for plucky little Taiwan.  Today brings more good news.  Taiwan is ranked as the world's eighth most-competitive economy.

http://www.businessweek.com/images/ss/10/0...ries_2010/9.htm

"No. 8 Taiwan

Change Since 2009 Ranking: +15
Real GDP Growth, 2009: –1.9 percent
Per Capita GDP, 2009: $31,834

World Competitiveness Rankings:

Economic Performance: 16
Government Efficiency: 6
Business Efficiency: 3
Infrastructure: 17

Jumping 15 places in this year's rankings, Taiwan is the most improved country in the IMD's 2010 competitiveness yearbook. The country's focus on technology, coupled with its deep economic connections across Asia Pacific, has left it positioned to profit from the global recovery. There's just one concern: Rising competition for foreign investment from neighbors looking to copy Taiwan's economic model eventually could dampen growth."

[marshall]

Just wondering, what are the specific criteria for this ranking of most competitive economies?  I just went over the list and it has China listed as the 18th most competitive economy.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/05/05...ies_2010/12.htm

Here is a summary of the ranking...

No. 18 China

Change Since 2009 Ranking: +2
Real GDP Growth, 2009: 8.7 percent
Per Capita GDP, 2009: $6,436

World Competitiveness Rankings:

Economic Performance: 3
Government Efficiency: 25
Business Efficiency: 28
Infrastructure: 31

...can you figure this one out?  It has China as the 18th most competitive economy, government efficiency at 25th place and business efficiency at 28th place???  China has one of the world's most efficient governments in my opinion, definitely in the top 5, which is well known for getting things done, fast, efficiently, on schedule and often below budget across the board for a long list of government projects and endeavors.  Compare that to the bureaucratic morass that envelops everything government related in the U.S. which has a government efficiency rating of 11th place?  China's business sector has seen the most explosive growth in history despite the government favoring the public sector and providing tax advantages to foreign companies.  I can give a pretty good argument that China's private businesses are among the toughest in the world now, for their size.

The same sort of ranking trend permeated this listing.  If you ask me, this list is useless. LOL  At least it got 1st place correct, Singapore. In my opinion, this list is placing far too much emphasis on whatever egghead statistical variables they are using to come to their conclusions, while ignoring what is happening in the real world.  That's the problem, they are ignoring the real world, what is happening on the ground and instead are relying on hypothetical models of what makes a competitive economy vs. what actually IS a competitive economy.  Any casual observer with common sense knows what I mean, it's self-explanatory.  If it needs to be explained, they simply don't know China or economics.  They ranked Sweden as the world's 6th most competitive economy, I mean c'mon!

As long as Taiwan doesn't get blasted to smithereens by mainland China, things are usually looking up for plucky little Taiwan.  Today brings more good news.  Taiwan is ranked as the world's eighth most-competitive economy.

http://www.businessweek.com/images/ss/10/0...ries_2010/9.htm

"No. 8 Taiwan

Change Since 2009 Ranking: +15
Real GDP Growth, 2009: –1.9 percent
Per Capita GDP, 2009: $31,834

World Competitiveness Rankings:

Economic Performance: 16
Government Efficiency: 6
Business Efficiency: 3
Infrastructure: 17

Jumping 15 places in this year's rankings, Taiwan is the most improved country in the IMD's 2010 competitiveness yearbook. The country's focus on technology, coupled with its deep economic connections across Asia Pacific, has left it positioned to profit from the global recovery. There's just one concern: Rising competition for foreign investment from neighbors looking to copy Taiwan's economic model eventually could dampen growth."

[Martian]

Just wondering, what are the specific criteria for this ranking of most competitive economies?  I just went over the list and it has China listed as the 18th most competitive economy.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/05/05...ies_2010/12.htm

Here is a summary of the ranking...

No. 18 China

Change Since 2009 Ranking: +2
Real GDP Growth, 2009: 8.7 percent
Per Capita GDP, 2009: $6,436

World Competitiveness Rankings:

Economic Performance: 3
Government Efficiency: 25
Business Efficiency: 28
Infrastructure: 31

...can you figure this one out?  It has China as the 18th most competitive economy, government efficiency at 25th place and business efficiency at 28th place???  China has one of the world's most efficient governments in my opinion, definitely in the top 5, which is well known for getting things done, fast, efficiently, on schedule and often below budget across the board for a long list of government projects and endeavors.  Compare that to the bureaucratic morass that envelops everything government related in the U.S. which has a government efficiency rating of 11th place?  China's business sector has seen the most explosive growth in history despite the government favoring the public sector and providing tax advantages to foreign companies.  I can give a pretty good argument that China's private businesses are among the toughest in the world now, for their size.

The same sort of ranking trend permeated this listing.  If you ask me, this list is useless. LOL  At least it got 1st place correct, Singapore. In my opinion, this list is placing far too much emphasis on whatever egghead statistical variables they are using to come to their conclusions, while ignoring what is happening in the real world.  That's the problem, they are ignoring the real world, what is happening on the ground and instead are relying on hypothetical models of what makes a competitive economy vs. what actually IS a competitive economy.  Any casual observer with common sense knows what I mean, it's self-explanatory.  If it needs to be explained, they simply don't know China or economics.  They ranked Sweden as the world's 6th most competitive economy, I mean c'mon!

The way that I see it, the rankings are a lagging indicator of an Asian country's competitiveness.  I agree with you that facts on the ground show that the rankings are flawed.  China is the world's largest exporter and it also has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves, by far, at $2.4 trillion dollars.  Additionally, China's economy is growing quickly and non-stop.

China should be ranked in the top 3 countries of international competitiveness, but it takes time for those Europeans and other Westerners (e.g. Americans) to finally acknowledge the progress made by Asian countries.  For example, ten or twenty years ago, Paul Krugman wrote a ridiculous book to claim that Taiwan's economic progress was based mostly on exploiting low labor costs.  He completely ignored Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park and the growing number of Taiwanese patents.  In my view, it was sour grapes taken to an extraordinary level.

I wanted to point out the new rankings because it shows that the Europeans are grudgingly starting to acknowledge the economic progress made by Asian countries.

[marshall]

The way that I see it, the rankings are a lagging indicator of an Asian country's competitiveness.  I agree with you that facts on the ground show that the rankings are flawed.  China is the world's largest exporter and it also has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves, by far, at $2.4 trillion dollars.  Additionally, China's economy is growing quickly and non-stop.

China should be ranked in the top 3 countries of international competitiveness, but it takes time for those Europeans and other Westerners (e.g. Americans) to finally acknowledge the progress made by Asian countries.  For example, ten or twenty years ago, Paul Krugman wrote a ridiculous book to claim that Taiwan's economic progress was based mostly on exploiting low labor costs.  He completely ignored Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park and the growing number of Taiwanese patents.  In my view, it was sour grapes taken to an extraordinary level.

I wanted to point out the new rankings because it shows that the Europeans are grudgingly starting to acknowledge the economic progress made by Asian countries.

I think that these studies and rankings that underestimate China's level is a good and positive thing for China for the same reason that I think it's good that China and Chinese should be insulted, criticized and discriminated.  This helps to destroy the still pervasive belief of Western countries benevolent intentions for China.  Note that I refer to a handful of Western countries not all of them.  Today, none of the top Chinese leadership has any illusions about Western intentions, but the same cannot be said about the larger general population.  The general population is still relatively uneducated and too ignorant of past and present history to understand how the world works.  So, in the meantime, the Chinese need to be educated in ways that are more simple to understand, which is through their common sense (via exposure to biased Western reporting) and emotions (via insults, criticism and discrimination).

The commanding heights are controlled by the Western countries and will continue to be true until a big and strong enough usurper can overturn the order.  For this to happen, China must continue on its present course.  This article is just a microcosm of what I'm referring to.  It is a ranking that is used to help guide multinationals foreign investments using dubious ideas that perpetuate the existing order.  Some more obvious examples are the ISO and ITU standards setting bodies.  Some even more glaring examples are the World Bank and IMF.  The entire global system of how things work revolves around the standards which guide the rules and who controls the rules controls the world.

The two most important standards that China must avoid at all costs is the perpetuation of the financial and political world order as it exists today.  The financial system is dominated by the financial oligarchy of Europe which owns the U.S. Federal Reserve and profits from the misfortune that it periodically imposes on the American people, and indirectly to the rest of the world.  Their misuse of the Fractional Banking System has led to the creation of similar reserve banks popping up worldwide, operating in similar ways. This will eventually destroy the world financial system.

Multi-party democracy is the other standard I'm referring to.  This one is more benevolent but it plays the same destructive role played out in slow-motion.  The world is doomed to a far lesser potential because of the cancer of multi-party democracy which gives the illusion of its inherent superiority because of the sycophants (mostly politicians) who dominate and profit from its perpetuation.  Even now, multi-party democracy has already long begun to stifle progress in every field of endeavour I can think of because of its inherent pandering of interest groups.  Over enough time, this will eventually lead to total gridlock and stultify Humanity's collective potential.  I summarized many of these problems with multi-party democracy in a long previous message that I have linked below.

marshall    QUOTE (Martian @ Apr 2 2010, 01:46 AM) Yo...   Apr 5 2010, 07:39 AM

This does not mean Western societies are necessarily purposely conniving to prevent China's rise, although there are a few exceptions.  Much of it is knee jerk reactions to long established norms to how to react to anything China related or developing country related, which is what I think this ranking does.

[Martian]

I think that these studies and rankings that underestimate China's level is a good and positive thing for China for the same reason that I think it's good that China and Chinese should be insulted, criticized and discriminated.  This helps to destroy the still pervasive belief of Western countries benevolent intentions for China.  Note that I refer to a handful of Western countries not all of them.  Today, none of the top Chinese leadership has any illusions about Western intentions, but the same cannot be said about the larger general population.  The general population is still relatively uneducated and too ignorant of past and present history to understand how the world works.  So, in the meantime, the Chinese need to be educated in ways that are more simple to understand, which is through their common sense (via exposure to biased Western reporting) and emotions (via insults, criticism and discrimination).

The commanding heights are controlled by the Western countries and will continue to be true until a big and strong enough usurper can overturn the order.  For this to happen, China must continue on its present course.  This article is just a microcosm of what I'm referring to.  It is a ranking that is used to help guide multinationals foreign investments using dubious ideas that perpetuate the existing order.  Some more obvious examples are the ISO and ITU standards setting bodies.  Some even more glaring examples are the World Bank and IMF.  The entire global system of how things work revolves around the standards which guide the rules and who controls the rules controls the world.
...
This does not mean Western societies are necessarily purposely conniving to prevent China's rise, although there are a few exceptions.  Much of it is knee jerk reactions to long established norms to how to react to anything China related or developing country related, which is what I think this ranking does.

You have a very interesting view about the West's anti-China attitude and propaganda campaign.  However, I believe that you are correct.  The more that the West "insult, criticize and discriminate" against China, the more motivated the Chinese become to develop their country.  The unintended consequence of blatant Western hostility towards China is to foster greater Chinese unity and determination to modernize and repel hostile Western nations.

[marshall]

You have a very interesting view about the West's anti-China attitude and propaganda campaign.  However, I believe that you are correct.  The more that the West "insult, criticize and discriminate" against China, the more motivated the Chinese become to develop their country.  The unintended consequence of blatant Western hostility towards China is to foster greater Chinese unity and determination to modernize and repel hostile Western nations.

The anti-China protest movement has long taken on a life of its own.  Today, China is the all-weather bogeyman scapegoat for all things evil.  This has created a virtuous cycle of anti-China protest and often ludicrously biased reporting that has successfully turned the entire country against those calling themselves pro-democracy activists.  This could have worked to destabilize China if it were done in a more tactful, less biased way.  The thing is, the entire pro-democracy movement has turned into a lynch mob.  The fact that this happened and the level of rhetoric and venom sustained for a full 20 years now means it has long crossed over into the consciousness of the general Chinese population. I think a good strategy would be for China's government to fund some of the more biased and hostile anti-China organizations.

China has always been a highly patriotic country.  It doesn't need additional incentives to foster greater patriotism.  It does need incentives to foster unity though.  Large scale discrimination of China is one of the several reasons why I think a color revolution in China is impossible today.  It's ironic that what were once U.S. government inspired anti-China operations designed to weaken the PRC, has only helped China become orders of magnitude stronger and more united.

[Martian]

TSMC continues to impress technologically


Figure 1. Inside TSMC’s Fab 12 GigaFab That Produces 300-mm Wafers

I want to point out that TSMC (i.e. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.) continues to impress with improved yields per wafer (e.g. "27 percent area reduction compared to an equivalent 0.25-micron Embedded Flash IP") and lower failure rates.

Firstly, "Next generation of [Intel] Xeon processors was produced using 0.18 micro technology" (see second newslink).  TSMC is using the same advanced 0.18 micron technology as Intel.  Secondly, "TSMC had observed lower failure rate as compared to the previous generation 0.25 um."

TSMC Announces 0.18-Micron Automotive Grade Embedded Flash IP -- HSINCHU, Taiwan, R.O.C., May 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

"TSMC Announces 0.18-Micron Automotive Grade Embedded Flash IP
Second generation automotive embedded flash IP achieves AEC-Q100 grade 1 qualification

HSINCHU, Taiwan, R.O.C., May 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today announced the 0.18-micron automotive Embedded Flash IP as its second generation Embedded Flash IP that passed AEC-Q100 product qualification requirements for a wide range of automotive applications.

TSMC's 0.18-micron automotive Embedded Flash IP macro features 27 percent area reduction compared to an equivalent 0.25-micron Embedded Flash IP. The 0.18um technology generation hits a cost and performance sweet spot as vast amount of IPs have been developed for many applications. The addition of this 0.18-micron automotive qualified Embedded Flash IP enables customers to extend their current 0.18-micron product portfolios to automotive micro-controller applications.

The 0.18-micron automotive Embedded Flash process entered initial volume production last year. More than 38000 8-inch wafers or an equivalent number of 43 Million automotive MCU units have been shipped. So far TSMC had observed lower failure rate as compared to the previous generation 0.25 um in which 0.1ppm or less has been achieved.

Much of the learning in bringing the 0.25-micron Embedded Flash technology to production readiness has also resulted in a quicker time in achieving this new record for the new IP.

"This new milestone results from a truly synergistic alignment between TSMC's strength in manufacturing consistency and our customers' expertise in test methodology. It underscores TSMC's relentless pursuit to meet the stringent automotive electronics requirements," said Kuotung Cheng, director of automotive program at TSMC.

TSMC is the only foundry that provides AEC-Q100 qualified 0.25-micron and 0.18-micron Embedded Flash IP as general offers to all its customers.

About TSMC  

TSMC is the world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the industry's leading process technology and the foundry's largest portfolio of process-proven libraries, IPs, design tools and reference flows. The Company's managed capacity in 2009 totaled 9.96 million (8-inch equivalent) wafers, including capacity from two advanced 12-inch GIGAFABs™, four eight-inch fabs, one six-inch fab, as well as TSMC's wholly owned subsidiaries, WaferTech and TSMC China, and its joint venture fab, SSMC. TSMC is the first foundry to provide 40nm production capabilities. Its corporate headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan. For more information about TSMC please visit http://www.tsmc.com.

SOURCE Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd."

Intel Pentium III processor family

"Jan 2, 2010 ... Next generation of Xeon processors was produced using 0.18 micro technology. There were two different versions of these processors - with ..."

[Martian]

China-Taiwan "free-trade pact"

BBC News - Taiwan and China agree details of key trade deal

"Page last updated at 14:27 GMT, Thursday, 24 June 2010 15:27 UK

By Cindy Sui


BBC News, Taipei Taiwan delegation head Kao Koong-lian (Right) shakes hands with Chinese counterpart Zheng Lizhong at the talks on 24 June. The two sides have been negotiating the deal for months.

Taiwan and China have finalised details of what many believe will be the most important agreement between the two sides in 60 years.

The agreement - similar to a free-trade pact - will cut export tariffs and give more access to each other's market.
...
Following a year of negotiations, the two sides hammered out the agreement on Thursday. It gives Taiwan more economic benefits than China.

More than 500 Taiwanese products - including auto parts, petrochemicals and fruit - will be able to enter the booming Chinese market with reduced tariffs immediately and no tariffs within three years.

Only about half the number of Chinese products will get similar treatment in Taiwan.

Taiwan's government said the deal will boost trade, increase economic growth and help the island's exports stay competitive.
...
The agreement is scheduled to be signed in China next Tuesday."

[marshall]

China-Taiwan "free-trade pact"

BBC News - Taiwan and China agree details of key trade deal
...
Taiwan and China have finalised details of what many believe will be the most important agreement between the two sides in 60 years.

The agreement - similar to a free-trade pact - will cut export tariffs and give more access to each other's market.
...

The change in relations between the PRC and Taiwan administration, that has occurred since the KMT gained power, is just stunning.  Never could I have foreseen that just 2 years later, Chen Shui-Bian, his wife, his son-in-law, etc would be rotting in jail while the KMT would begin a reproachement, implement the 3 direct links and sign a free trade pact.  All indications point to a de-militarization of the Taiwan Strait.  I'm sure China is considering withdrawing a large portion of the missiles facing Taiwan.  Unfortunately, there is a high probability that U.S. influence will prevent this.  

[Martian]

Economic effects of China-Taiwan free trade agreement/ECFA will resemble NAFTA

I think it is safe to say that trade between China and Taiwan will double or possibly triple (if the ECFA has the same effect as NAFTA) in the next 15 years.

NAFTA Pros and Cons

"NAFTA Pros and Cons
Thursday April 24, 2008
See Update - July 10, 2009

The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA has become an important point in the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Both Democratic candidates promise to either amend or back out of the agreement. Senator Clinton wants to halt all new trade agreements and strictly enforce existing agreements, including all regional trade agreements.

Senator Obama blames "politicians in Washington" for signing trade agreements that he says are bad for the economy because they provide perks for businesses but don't protect workers.

NAFTA is the world’s largest free trade area. The agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico links 439 million people and produces $15.3 trillion in goods and services annually. Some of the advantages include a tripling of trade between the NAFTA signatories from $297 billion in 1993 to $903 billion in 2007. Critics say that the agreement has led to a net loss of 879,000 jobs in the U.S., and a decline in labor protection and degradation of the environment in Mexico."

[Martian]

Taiwan's impetus for ECFA is response to China-ASEAN FTA

I would be remiss to not mention that the impetus for Taiwan to sign the ECFA is to remain competitive against China's other trade partners, such as ASEAN.  The China-ASEAN FTA (i.e. free trade agreement) came into full effect on January 1, 2010.  You can read the economic ramifications of the China-ASEAN FTA at the following link:

China-ASEAN free trade area starts operation_English_Xinhua

"China-ASEAN free trade area starts operation
XINHUANEWS 2010-01-01 13:13:26

NANNING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) kicked off their free trade area (FTA) on Friday.

The world's largest FTA embracing developing countries covers a population of 1.9 billion and China-ASEAN FTA sets stage for economic integration involves about 4.5 trillion U.S. dollars of trade volume.

The average tariff on goods from ASEAN countries to China is cut down to 0.1 percent from 9.8 percent."



Big jump in exports to China

"Thursday April 1, 2010
Big jump in exports to China

MALAYSIA’S exports to China increased by 143% last year compared with 2006, said International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.

The export value was RM8.4bil last year with a total of 23,424 certificates of origins issued, he said.

“This means that Malaysian companies are benefiting from increasing exports after the implementation of the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in July 2005,” he said.

Under the Asean-China FTA, the import duties were reduced in stages.

On Jan 1, import duties were abolished when 90% of products traded in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and China became duty free.

“The import duties of the remaining 10% would be reduced eventually,” he said in his reply to Charles Santiago (DAP-Klang).

Mustapa said products exported to China included rubber, vegetable oil, stearic acid, raw palm oil and acetic acid.

Total exports of Malaysia to China was RM67.24bil while imports from China was worth RM60.66bil last year.

“Malaysia enjoys a trade surplus of RM6.58bil with China,” he said.

Mustapa said the ministry had yet to receive any negative feedback from local industries on the implementation of Asean-China FTA.

“The iron and steel industry sector is worried about the stiff competition from China,” he said.

Mustapa said the Government would monitor the impact of the FTA and would take the necessary steps to ensure that the local industry could compete with China.

“Malaysia will continue to discuss with other Asean countries to ensure that Asean-China FTA would not bring adverse effects to Asean,” he said.

Currently, the Government ensures that imported products from China met the standards in all aspects including health and security."

[Martian]

"Economic absorption will be followed by political unification: [Taiwanese] Scholars"

Taiwan President Ma in hurry to sign ECFA to push unification with China: Experts - Taiwan News Online

"Taiwan President Ma in hurry to sign ECFA to push unification with China: Experts
Economic absorption will be followed by political unification: Scholars
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2010-03-07 03:32 PM

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President Ma Ying-jeou is in a hurry to sign an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement so he can realize his ultimate aim of unification with China, reports quoted experts Sunday.

Ma and his government have been pushing for the ECFA to be signed in May or June, despite widespread opposition within Taiwan.

The first phase of Ma’s plan was to realize a One China economic market, which would lead to political unification, academics told a seminar in Taipei Saturday.

Once Taiwan signed ECFA, its economy would be completely absorbed by China, former Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu told the meeting organized by the Taiwan New Century Foundation.

Since Ma came to power in May 2008, he has been following policies that completely echoed those of the Communist regime in Beijing, said Wu, naming his “diplomatic truce.” The policy amounts to abandoning attempts to win new diplomatic allies overseas on the presumption this will lead China to do the same.

For decades, Taiwan and China have been waging a diplomatic competition to persuade the highest number of countries to recognize their side as a country. Taiwan has 23 allies, mostly small or impoverished nations in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific.

Wang To-far, chairman of the Institute for National Development, said ECFA would lead to the complete annexation of Taiwan’s economy by China, resulting in a One China market. As a result of Ma’s policies, 44 percent of Taiwan’s exports went to China and Hong Kong in January, a clear sign of this trend, Wang said.

The realization of the single market would lead automatically to peaceful political unification the way Beijing wants it, the academic said.

Ruan Ming, adviser to the Taiwan Research Institute, said Ma was acting on Chinese President Hu Jintao’s instructions to put Taiwan on the track to unification and outside of international society.

If the Taiwanese people failed to wake up in time, they would find themselves without a choice,

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan Solidarity Union want a nationwide referendum about ECFA because they say it will harm Taiwan’s sovereignty and decimate its small and medium enterprises by flooding the market with cheap Chinese goods.

The government has been maintaining the view that ECFA is necessary to protect Taiwan’s competitiveness as China, Japan, South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations cut tariffs.

A round of preparatory talks between Taiwan and China about ECFA is scheduled for Taipei later this month."

[Martian]

European Economic Zone preceded European Union

I believe the Taiwanese scholars were referring to the precedent set by the transition of the European Economic Zone (e.g. an European free-trade area) to the European Union (e.g. an economic and political union).  Today, the Europeans share more than just a common economic market. The Europeans also permit free movement of European citizens within all of Europe. Also, the Europeans share a common currency in the Euro.

History has shown that economic union precedes political union for culturally-similar entities. The Europeans are culturally-similar Christians with the same cultural values. The Hans in China and Taiwan are even more culturally-similar than the Europeans; the similarity extends to linguistic heritage.

The European Union is indeed a political union. The European president is Herman Van Rompuy. "The European Parliament (EP) forms one half of the EU's legislature (the other half is the Council of the European Union, see below). The 736 (soon to be 751) Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected by EU citizens every five years." See European Union - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Let's ask an European to shed some light on the matter of political integration in the European Union.  By the way, the creation of the position of permanent European president is an indication that European political integration is growing tighter.

Herman Van Rompuy: First European President

"Who is Herman Van Rompuy: First European President

Herman Van Rompuy, the First European President

Hello and welcome to Herman Van Rompuy, the First European President. The European Union enters a new phase: it's getting its first permanent President. Still, I don't like the European Union, and this nomination feels like a stone in a prison wall which will prevent Belgium from ever leaving the EU.

Don't take me wrong, this doesn't mean that I don't like Europe: I'm a proud European. It's just the economical and political union I have problems with.

This lens will talk you through the first permanent European President, Herman Van Rompuy, "former Belgium's Prime Minister.

If you would like to learn more about this person, take a cup coffee or tea and read on.


Herman Van Rompuy by Luc Van Braekel | Wikimedia Commons
Creative Commons License. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License."

[Martian]

Taiwan's HTC EVO 4G squares off against iPhone 4

HTC EVO 4G true challenger to the iPhone 4 | White Hat News

"Jun 8, 2010 ... HTC EVO 4G true challenger to the iPhone 4 ... Apple has added this new mobile, in the middle of the thrill of the Taiwanese HTC's new product which have ... HTC EVO 4G went on sale in US last Friday via operator Sprint. ..."

YouTube - iPhone4 vs HTC Evo
3,151,053 people have watched this video.

YouTube - HTC EVO vs iPhone4
698,813 people have watched this video.

[Martian]

Best Buy Trying To Fire Employee Over Those Hilarious EVO Versus iPhone Videos

"Best Buy Trying To Fire Employee Over Those Hilarious EVO Versus iPhone Videos
by MG Siegler on Jul 1, 2010



By now it seems like just about everyone has seen the iPhone 4 vs. HTC EVO video (and the rebuttal video). The video portrays an electronics store employee trying to convince a person looking for an iPhone 4 to buy an HTC EVO 4G instead. It’s hilarious — like all good humor, so funny because it’s at least partially true. But you know who didn’t find it funny? Best Buy. How do I know that? Because they’re trying to fire the kid who made it.

The video in question was made by Brian Maupin, a 25-year-old based in Kansas City, Missouri. For the past three and a half years he’s been working at Best Buy selling mobile phones. He’s probably not going to be doing that anymore as Best Buy has suspended him indefinitely and is currently taking the steps to terminate him, Maupin tells us. The reason? The video.

The video became so popular (it currently has nearly 1.3 million views on YouTube) that someone at Best Buy corporate saw it. They then put two-and-two together that it was an employee at one of their stores that made it, and the hammer came down. “They felt it disparaged a brand they carried (iPhone/Apple) as well as the store itself and were fearful of stockholders & customers being turned off to Best Buy Mobile,” Maupin says.

What’s ridiculous is that nowhere in the video does Maupin have anything indicating the fictitious store the iPhone buyer is walking into is a Best Buy. At the beginning, the cartoon employee identifies the store as “Phone Mart.” The character isn’t even wearing the signature Best Buy blue polo shirt — and they’re standing in an outdoor field with a pink tree.

In other words, nothing about this video seems to imply Best Buy in anyway. In fact, the only reason it will be tied to Best Buy now is thanks to this story.

Maupin says he was asked to quit, which he declined to do, and so they suspended him this morning telling him that he would most likely be terminated after they review it with HR. He expects the decision in the next day or two. “I issued a statement to them explaining that the video was intended to be comedic and hence, not taken seriously by them or all these stockholders & customers they are worried about [being] turned off to buying from them due to the video,” Maupin says in his defense.

Maupin isn’t sure how exactly Best Buy corporate knew to tie the video to him, but believes they did so because a couple other videos under his Tiny Watch Productions (a little indie film group he made with his friends) YouTube account featured videos referencing him and Best Buy. Maupin says he removed those videos at Best Buy’s request, but refuses to take down the EVO vs. iPhone videos because, again, they in no way reference Best Buy.

Regardless of whether he keeps his job or not (which he doesn’t expect to), Maupin is optimistic. “I see it all as a blessing in disguise. I’ve wanted to start my career in graphic design/animation for so long, I see this as my kick in the pants to go get it,” he says."

[Martian]

Sprint HTC EVO 4G Android WiMax Smartphone Demo at CTIA

I admit that I'm not a cutting-edge tech adopter.  I don't own a smartphone.  I became interested in the "HTC EVO 4G vs. iPhone 4" controversy when a newspaper featured an article stating that Best Buy (e.g. America's largest electronics retailer) was trying to fire one of its employees.

After watching the video where the beige bear recites a litany of superior features for the HTC EVO 4G over the iPhone 4, my curiosity has been piqued.  I recommend that you watch the following impressive widescreen and HD video and decide for yourself whether a HTC EVO 4G phone is right for you.  I plan to buy one within the next 3 months.

YouTube - Sprint HTC EVO 4G Android WiMax Smartphone Demo at CTIA
422,338 people have watched this video.

[Martian]

Taiwan makers to ship over 63 million digital cameras for 50% global share in 2010, says MIC

"Taiwan makers to ship over 63 million digital cameras for 50% global share in 2010, says MIC

Taiwan-based ODM/OEMs will ship 34.43 million digital cameras in total during the second half of 2010, resulting in a total shipment volume of 63.2 million units for the year, accounting for 50.16% of the global total of 126 million units, according to projections by the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) under the government-sponsored Institute for Information Industry (III).

In addition, Taiwan-based makers will ship 284 million compact camera modules (CCMs) for cameraphones in 2010, accounting for 23.09% of the total global shipments of 1.23 billion units, MIC pointed out."

10.1MP CCD Digital Camera - CC650 (Taiwan Manufacturer) - Digital Camera - Photographic Apparatus Products - DIYTrade China manufacturers

"VISION START CO. LTD.

Country/Region:
Taiwan

Business Nature:
Manufacturer

Phone:
886-7-3721305

Contact:
Macy Hsu (Sales Manager)

Product Description

Specifications: Image sensor: 10.1 mega pixel 1/1.7 inch CCD
Color: 24 bit color
Image Resolution: Still: 3648*2736, 2816x2112, 2048x1536, 640x460, Video: 640*480
Lens: Auto Focus lens
Zoom: 1X~10.4X (In still Capture model). 1X, 2X, 4X, 8X (in PB mode)
Shutter Speed: 1~1/1500sec.
ISO: Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400
White Balance: Auto, Manual, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent 1, fluorescent 2, Cloudy
LCD Display: 2.8" color LTPS-TFT LCD
Scene mode: Sport, Portrait, Night Portrait, Night, Candlelight, Fireworks, Landscape, Natural Green, Sunrise, Sunset, Text, Black & White. Sepla, Splash Water, Flowing Water and Pets.
Memory: Internal: 32MB (26MB available for image storage)
External: SD card up to 2GB
File Format: JPEG (EXIF 2.2), DCF 1.1, DPOF, AVI
Export Markets: worldwide
Min Order: 60pcs
Standard Met: CE, FCC, Rohs"

[fairy tale]

If a majority of Taiwanese do not want to become a part of China, they should not be forced, just like if a Majority of Kashmiris one day decide to not be a part of Pakistan or India, and instead want a separate country. Taiwanese People should be wooed by good gestures and will, and not be forced  to accept a historical fact that no longer is a part of their reality.

You are not Chinese, you won't understand China, your thinking is not to Taiwan as part of China, but no matter what you say, it belongs to China in Taiwan is China's inherent territory, and Taiwan's part to admit that you are Chinese, only a few people do not admi

[Martian]

Taiwanese scientists among pioneers in exploring Dark Energy


"A remnant of the Cygnus Loop supernova. Image courtesy of NASA."

Radio Astronomers Develop New Technique for Studying Dark Energy -- PITTSBURGH, July 21 /PRNewswire/ --

"Radio Astronomers Develop New Technique for Studying Dark Energy

PITTSBURGH, July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneering observations made by researchers from Academia Sinica in Taiwan, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Toronto  with the National Science Foundation's giant Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have validated a new tool for mapping large cosmic structures. Observations made using the method, called intensity mapping, promise to provide valuable clues about the nature of the mysterious "dark energy" believed to constitute nearly three-fourths of the mass and energy of the universe. The findings will be published in the July 22 issue of Nature.

Dark energy is the label scientists have given to what is causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate. While the acceleration was discovered in 1998, its cause remains unknown. Physicists have advanced competing theories to explain the acceleration and believe the best way to test those theories is to precisely measure large-scale cosmic structures.

Sound waves in the matter-energy soup of the extremely early universe are thought to have left detectable imprints on the large-scale distribution of galaxies in the universe. The researchers developed a way to measure such imprints by observing the radio emission of hydrogen gas. Their technique, called intensity mapping, when applied to greater areas of the universe, could reveal how such large-scale structure has changed over the last few billion years, giving insight into which theory of dark energy is the most accurate.

"Our project mapped hydrogen gas to greater cosmic distances than ever before, and shows that the techniques we developed can be used to map huge volumes of the universe in three dimensions and to test the competing theories of dark energy," said Tzu-Ching Chang, of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan and the University of Toronto.

To get their results, the researchers used the GBT to study a region of sky that previously had been surveyed in detail in visible light by the Keck II telescope in Hawaii. This optical survey used spectroscopy to map the locations of thousands of galaxies in three dimensions. In the GBT survey, instead of looking for hydrogen gas in these individual, distant galaxies — a daunting challenge beyond the technical capabilities of current instruments — the team used their intensity-mapping technique to accumulate the radio waves emitted by the hydrogen gas in large volumes of space including many galaxies.

"Since the early part of the 20th century, astronomers have traced the expansion of the universe by observing galaxies. Our new technique allows us to skip the galaxy-detection step and gather radio emissions from a thousand galaxies at a time, as well as all the dimly-glowing material between them," said Jeffrey Peterson, of Carnegie Mellon's Bruce and Astrid McWilliams Center for Cosmology.

The astronomers also developed new techniques that removed both man-made radio interference and radio emission caused by more-nearby astronomical sources, leaving only the extremely faint radio waves coming from the very distant hydrogen gas. The result was a map of part of the "cosmic web" that correlated neatly with the structure shown by the earlier optical study. The team first proposed their intensity mapping technique in 2008, and their GBT observations were the first test of the idea.

"These observations detected more hydrogen gas than all the previously-detected hydrogen in the universe, and at distances ten times farther than any radio wave-emitting hydrogen seen before," said Ue-Li Pen of the University of Toronto.

"This is a demonstration of an important technique that has great promise for future studies of the evolution of large-scale structure in the Universe," said National Radio Astronomy Observatory Chief Scientist Chris Carilli, who was not part of the research team.

In addition to Chang, Peterson and Pen, the research team included Kevin Bandura, a McWilliams Fellow at Carnegie Mellon.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc."

[Martian]

Jeremy Lin makes way to NBA via Harvard


Jeremy Lin.  A Chinese-American Ivy League sports pioneer.
[Wikipedia: Listed height 6 ft. 3 in. (1.91 m)]

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../707229862/1062

"Jeremy Lin makes way to NBA via Harvard

Last Updated: July 22. 2010 10:06PM UAE / July 22. 2010 6:06PM GMT

OAKLAND, UNITED STATES // Jeremy Lin has become one of the most unique players in the NBA: a Chinese-American point guard who graduated from Harvard.

Lin signed a two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, and is expected to be in the competition to back up Stephen Curry at point guard.

Harvard is widely considered the top academic school in the United States, but it is not known as a breeding ground for professional athletes. Especially in the game of basketball.

If Lin gets onto the court, he will be the first Harvard alumnus to play in an NBA game since 1953.

He also would be the first ethnic Chinese to play the guard position in the NBA. The league has had several Chinese players over the past decade, but all of them have been seven-footers such as Yao Ming and Yi Jianling.

“I understand there are not many Asians in the NBA and there are not many Ivy Leaguers in the NBA,” Lin said. “Maybe I can help break the stereotype.”

Lin averaged 16.4 points and 4.5 assists per game at Harvard last season, when he was the captain of a Crimson team that went 21-8. But his name was not called during the NBA draft last month, and he fought his way on to a roster with several impressive performances during the NBA’s summer league this month in Las Vegas.

Golden State was an obvious destination for Lin. He was a Warriors fan while growing up in the nearby city of Palo Alto, and the San Francisco area has a large East Asian-American population.

“I consider myself a basketball player more than an Asian-American,” he said.

“I’m ready to play at this level and I appreciate the support of the Asian community.

“This is a dream come true. I always wanted to be in the NBA and now I get to do it with the Warriors, the team I grew up watching.”

Lin, 21, is the younger son of Chinese immigrants from Taiwan."

[Martian]

Watch out Suntech! World #3 Taiwan is hot on your heels.


China's Suntech BIPV.  Suntech Power Holdings Co. is the world's largest maker of polysilicon solar-power modules.

A Solar Surge in Oft-Overlooked Taiwan

"A Solar Surge in Oft-Overlooked Taiwan

Published July 22, 2010

Germany and China, as two of the world's solar energy powerhouses, draw considerable media attention in the growing industry.

Taiwan, another major solar manufacturing center, is often overlooked. It may gain more notice now, because its key solar companies saw revenues double during the second quarter of 2010 as demand surged.

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council says Taiwan's solar cell industry is the third-largest in the world. Second-quarter sales rose 95 percent to the equivalent of $1.1 billion, according to monthly reports that companies file with Taiwan stock exchange authorities.


PHOTO CREDIT: SOLAR HOME & BUSINESS JOURNAL
A ground-level view of a portion of Taiwan's spectacular solar-topped
Kaohsiung Stadium.

Taiwan’s solar cell makers include Motech, Gintech, E-Ton Solar Tech, Sino-American Silicon Products Inc. Sinonar Corp. and Green Energy Technology. Motech and Gintech are among the world’s 10 largest suppliers by revenues, the trade council said in a news release.

India, the council said, is among many nations that have recently ramped up power generation from solar cells. India is building solar generation capacity that is expected to power nearly 1 million homes by 2013. Taiwan’s Motech has an agreement to supply cells to India’s Solar Semiconductor.

New uses for solar cells are expanding in places where power generation from fossil fuels is impractical or harmful to the environment, the trade council reported. Mobile phone base stations are increasingly solar-powered, according to market research firm Pike Research.

“Energy is one of the top expense items for mobile network operators,” Pike Research Managing Director Clint Wheelock said in a recent report.  'As solar and wind equipment become more cost-effective in the next few years, renewable energy will be an increasingly attractive option for base station power.'”

[Martian]

Researchers successfully breed larger fluorescent fish


The fluorescent angelfish, developed in Taiwan using gene-transfer technology, is the result of cooperation between the Council of Agriculture and Academia Sinica. (CNA)

http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xitem=108475&CtNode=416

"Researchers successfully breed larger fluorescent fish

* Publication Date：06/28/2010
* Source： Liberty Times

A new generation of larger sized fluorescent fish developed in cooperation between the Council of Agriculture and Academia Sinica could light up aquariums around Taiwan and abroad within the next two years.

The COA and Taiwan’s top research institute have helped the island lead the global pack once again in gene transfer technology for fluorescent fish breeding. A private Taiwan biotechnology company developed small-sized fluorescent fish in 2001 and later mass-produced them for the market.

Field tests and the process of certification are expected to be completed some time next year, with commercial production of the larger fluorescent fish, including angelfish and cichlids, likely to begin as early as 2012.

So far, the research team has achieved success in breeding fluorescent angelfish that have survived for up to five generations.

COA Minister Chen Wu-hsiung stressed that announcement of the research team’s breakthrough symbolizes that Taiwan continues to maintain its preeminent position in the world in terms of the application of gene transfer technology to fluorescent fish breeding.

James Sha, director-general of the Fisheries Agency under the COA, said field tests must be carried out to make sure the fluorescent fish cannot reproduce in the wild or they may upset the natural ecosystem’s balance.

He added that certification will only be issued for the fluorescent fish to be sold on the market after the field tests prove the fish pose no threat to the natural environment. (SB)"

[Martian]

Han Economic Growth for 2010


Singapore: 18.1% in the first half of the year (see Singapore economy roars ahead as China hits speed bump | The Australian)


China: 11.1% in the first half of the year (see China's GDP up 11.1% in first half 2010 - People's Daily Online)


Taiwan: 5.93% for 2010 (see TIER raises economic growth forecast to 5.93% for 2010 - Taiwan News Online)


Hong Kong: 4% to 5% for 2010 (see Hong Kong Economy Accelerates - WSJ.com)

[Martian]

China and Taiwan have caught up with U.S. advanced five-axis machine tools


Advanced high-precision five-axis machine tool fabricating an engine block

"Foreign companies in China and Taiwan have caught up with U.S. technical capabilities, rendering stringent U.S. export controls moot." (see first paragraph in news article)

Let's do the math.  From the seventh paragraph, 45 foreign companies produce advanced five-axis machine tools in the BRIC+Taiwan countries.  "China has 20 indigenous five-axis machine tool companies; Taiwan has 22."  45 - 20 (in China) - 22 (in Taiwan) = 3 left in Brazil, Russia, and India combined.

For comparison, "there are six American companies dedicated to producing five-axis machine tools." (see fourth paragraph in news article)

U.S. Precision Machine Tool Industry Is No Longer A Global Competetitive Force

"U.S. Precision Machine Tool Industry Is No Longer A Global Competitive Force

March 5, 2010    Volume 17, No. 4
By Richard A. McCormack
richard@manufacturingnews.com

U.S. producers of some of the most technologically advanced machine tools are in trouble, according to an assessment by the Department of Commerce. Sales of high-precision five-axis machine tools are declining. U.S. share of global exports is in a free fall. Foreign companies in China and Taiwan have caught up with U.S. technical capabilities, rendering stringent U.S. export controls moot. U.S. companies are being purchased by foreign rivals. A lack of training programs has created a shortage of skilled workers able to use the complex machinery. Commercial and U.S. government customers prefer foreign machine tools. Export controls are hampering foreign sales. The entire U.S. machine tool industry spends only $1 million a year on research on five-axis machine tools.

These are some of the findings from a "Critical Technology Assessment" conducted by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security.

U.S. producers of five-axis machine tools had sales of $253 million in 2008, down 11 percent from 2005 sales of $284 million. That was before the U.S. machine tool industry suffered a meltdown in 2009, when domestic consumption tumbled by 60.4 percent, according to the Association of Manufacturing Technology.

Sales of five-axis machines to domestic customers from U.S. producers declined by 19 percent from 2005 to 2008, from $242 million in 2005 to only $195 million in 2008. There are six American companies dedicated to producing five-axis machine tools, and at least 20 in China. Five-axis tools are used for the production of precision components in the aerospace industry, in making gas and diesel engines, automobile parts, and throughout the medical, textile, oil, glass, heavy industrial equipment and tool industries. "Many other industries are discovering the advantages of these machines," says the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

Yet "only a handful of U.S. producers actually manufacture five-axis machine tools in high volume and most generate less than 10 percent of their annual net finished machine tools sales from five-axis machine tool business lines," according to the market and technology research report from BIS.

U.S. producers of five-axis machine tools exported only $58 million worth of equipment in 2008. In a tally of global exports of all machine tools, the United States -- with exports of $740 million -- accounted for only 4.3 percent of global exports in 2007.
...
BIS also assessed foreign producers of five-axis machines. It found that not one of the 45 companies that are indigenous to Brazil, China, India, Russia and Taiwan use U.S. technology, parts, components or materials. China has 20 indigenous five-axis machine tool companies; Taiwan has 22. None of these companies have to deal with the types of export restrictions facing American firms. As a result, these companies are able to produce all the machine tools that are in demand in China and Taiwan, plus they are "able to produce in sufficient quantity to export to other LRCs," says BIS.

One of China's five-axis machine tool makers has 24 distinct models. China now has 28 companies capable of building more than 1,000 CNC machine tools. There are 130 Chinese companies with annual capacity of more than 100 machine tools. The country is now supplying most all of its own demand, with only 10 percent of the market being supplied through imports. "In 2005, approximately 59,600 units of CNC machine tools were produced in China," according to the BIS report. In 2007, the combined amount of CNC metal-cutting and forming tools produced in China was 126,268, more than double the amount produced in 2005. China is now supplying its own demand for five-axis machine tools used throughout its military.

The BIS quotes the Export Compliance Working Group of the American Chamber of Commerce in the People's Republic of China as saying: "Given the existing domestic and joint venture development and the foreign availability of high-level machine tools, U.S. companies could not make a material contribution to China's military development. China's military demands are already satisfied by domestic and foreign supply."

The United States exported 515 five-axis machine tools between 2005-2007, and only 12 of these went to China. DMTG, China's largest producer of machine tools, exports products to more than 100 countries.
...
The report is located at U. S. Bureau of Industry and Security defenseindustrialbaseprograms/osies/defmarket researchrpts/final_machine_ tool_report.pdf."

[Martian]

Taiwan shows its prowess as World #4 in machine tool exports


Taiwan's Shun Chuan CSR-1860 CNC Lathe

The following videos are all high-definition (e.g. make sure to select 720p for the YouTube video in the bottom right-hand corner), widescreen, and in English.  Each one is only a few minutes long.  The videos provide a comprehensive and entertaining look at Taiwan's machine tool industry.  For anyone interested in technology, I highly recommend watching them.

General overview of Taiwan's machine tool industry:

YouTube - English version-Taiwan machine tools and components promotion video (I/II)

YouTube - English version-Taiwan machine tools and components promotion video (II/II)

The following videos have a similar format.  The first two-thirds of each video discuss the outstanding technical features of the machine tool.  For an ordinary person like myself, it is the last third of the video with action-packed footage that I find the most interesting.

High-tech features of specific machine tools:

CNC Engraving Machines, Laser Engraving & Cutting Machines
A beautifully-compact machine with 0.005 mm accuracy!
YouTube - CNC Engraving Machines, Laser Engraving & Cutting Machines - HD Video produce by S&J Corp.

CNC Lathe, CNC Automatic Lathe
"Ultra-fast efficient machining"
YouTube - CNC Lathe,CNC Automatic Lathe - HD Video produce by ???? S&J Corp.

CNC Lathe, CNC Turning Center
Heavy machining of medium carbon steel, steel alloy, and aluminum alloy
"Fast turns and guaranteed repeatable accuracy"
YouTube - CNC Lathe,CNC Turning Center - HD Video produce by ???? S&J Corp.

CNC Turning Center, CNC Turning Lathe
"For milling and complicated machining"
YouTube - CNC Turning Center, CNC Turning Lathe - HD Video produce by ???? S&J Corp.

TIMTOS Welcome Letter

"TIMTOS
2010/03/25

To Whom It May Concern,

The 2011 Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS 2011) will take place at TWTC Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) Exhibitions Hall 1, 2, 3 and the Nangang Exhibition Center from March 1 to 6, 2011.

The biennial exhibition has already become a focus for international buyers, and the upcoming 15th TIMTOS is sure to be a prominent international event in the industry. The machine tool industry forms a crucial element in Taiwan’s machinery industry; in addition, Taiwan is currently the world’s 4th largest manufacturer of machine tool. This year’s exhibition is centered on the procurement of top-quality “Made in Taiwan” machine tool and total solution for machine industry.

After the successful turnout in 2009 and to stimulate more inspiration under the economic crisis worldwide, TAITRA determines to contribute more efforts for continuing the glory of TIMTOS in 2011. It provides a vertically-integrated window on the top industry players and offering buyers unparalleled convenience. The event is estimated to provide spaces and opportunities for over 910 exhibitors, 4,500 booths and 44,500 visitors, so further interaction and exploration can be achieved through the period of March 1-6, 2011!

We sincerely welcome you to join us to exhibit the latest products and demonstrate the most up-to-date technologies. Please find the show’s Application Kit from our website. Should you have any queries or require further assistance, please feel free to contact me (email: timtos@taitra.org.tw) at any time. Our overseas branch offices will also be more than happy to help you (check your closest contact at: ???????????? Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)).

Sincerely yours,
Paul Cheng, Show Manager
Exhibition Dept. Section I
Taiwan External Trade Development Council"

[Martian]

British Open Champion Yani Tseng is No. 1 in LPGA women's world rankings


"Taiwan's Yani Tseng displays the trophy after winning the Women's British Open, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England, Sunday Aug. 1, 2010." (AP Photo/Tim Hales)

Taiwanese golfer vaults to No.1 in LPGA women's world rankings - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

"Taiwanese golfer vaults to No.1 in LPGA women's world rankings
2010/08/02 14:22:46

Taipei, Aug. 2 (CNA) Taiwanese golfer Yani Tseng has moved into the top spot in the standings for the LPGA Player of the Year award after winning the 2010 Women's British Open at Royal Birkdale Sunday.

The 21-year-old held off Katherine Hull of Australia by one stroke to claim the title and 260,000 pounds (US$408,714) in prize money.

The victory catapulted Tseng from the world's number five to the top place in the standings for the LPGA Player of the Year award, ahead of Japan's Ai Miyazato, the United States' Christie Ker and South Korea's Na Yeon Choi and Ji Yai Shin.

Tseng also vaulted into the third place on the U.S. LPGA Tour's list of top earners for the year after she won the British Open. Tensg has racked up prizes totaling US$1.12 million so far this year, behind Shin with US$1.21 million and Choi with US$1.18 million.

Tseng's total earnings in her golf career now approach US$4.2 million, which puts her in 40th place on the world list.

Tseng made history Sunday by winning the British Open. She is the youngest woman golfer to capture three majors.

Her previous wins came in the 2008 LPGA Championship and the Kraft Nabisco Championship in March this year.

She is also the first Taiwanese golfer to conquer the coastal Royal Birkdale course since the LPGA Women's British Open was launched in 1976.

Tseng realized the dream that veteran Taiwanese golfer Lu Liang-huan pursued 39 years ago. In 1971, Lu, now 75 years old, lost to Lee Buck Trevino of the United States at Royal Birkdale by one stroke.

Tseng has become the fourth Asian golfer to have her name engraved on the championship trophy since the British Open was upgraded to a major LPGA event in 2001. The other three Asian winners have all been South Koreans.

Tseng was also the first female golfer to win both the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the British Open in the same year. (By Oscar Wu and Sofia Wu)"

[marshall]

The way that I see it, the rankings are a lagging indicator of an Asian country's competitiveness.  I agree with you that facts on the ground show that the rankings are flawed.  China is the world's largest exporter and it also has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves, by far, at $2.4 trillion dollars.  Additionally, China's economy is growing quickly and non-stop.

China should be ranked in the top 3 countries of international competitiveness, but it takes time for those Europeans and other Westerners (e.g. Americans) to finally acknowledge the progress made by Asian countries.  For example, ten or twenty years ago, Paul Krugman wrote a ridiculous book to claim that Taiwan's economic progress was based mostly on exploiting low labor costs.  He completely ignored Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park and the growing number of Taiwanese patents.  In my view, it was sour grapes taken to an extraordinary level.

I wanted to point out the new rankings because it shows that the Europeans are grudgingly starting to acknowledge the economic progress made by Asian countries.

Speaking of bogus rankings based on ideological beliefs, the triple-A sovereign credit rating of the United States was recently downgraded by a Chinese credit rating agency.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/7120896.html

Moody's and S&P still have American sovereign credit ranked as triple-A while Chinese sovereign credit is 4 rankings lower....meaning United States sovereign debt is ranked as rock solid safe as you can get while China's sovereign debt is supposedly on somewhat shaky financial ground.  Let those who understand fractional banking and who are aware of how the U.S. government is monetizing their national debt absorb this information and comprehend how fools and their money will eventually be parted.  Whether this will be done by debt default or stealth debt default through rabid money supply inflation is still up for debate.

[Martian]

Physicists find new method to probe neutrino magnetic effects


"Kuo-sheng Nuclear Power Plant where scientists from Taiwan and mainland China are performing low-energy neutrino experiments"


"Underground neutrino detector viewed from above."  (File picture; for illustration purpose only)

Physicists find new method to probe neutrino magnetic effects - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

"Physicists find new method to probe neutrino magnetic effects
2010/08/10 18:43:30

Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) A local research team has recently discovered a new method to detect possible neutrino electromagnetic interaction, a discovery that will increase experimental sensitivity by more than 100 times, a researcher with Taiwan's top research institute Academia Sinica said Tuesday.

"The new method has raised the sensitivity of the study of neutrino magnetic moments, which can promote future research in particle physics and cosmology, " said team leader Henry Tsz-king Wong, a research fellow for the Institute of Physics at Academia Sinica. He described neutrino magnetic moments as a scientific term used to indicate possible neutrino electromagnetic interaction.

"The feature of the new method is that we unveiled a mechanism of atomic ionization for the detection of neutrino magnetic moments and demonstrated great enhancement in sensitivity," said Wong.

The researchers also used data made available by the Kuo-Sheng Reactor Neutrino Laboratory in northern Taiwan.

Future studies about demonstrating the existence of the "neutrino magnetic moments, " as well as for monitoring low radiation at the reactor neutrino lab and many other fields will benefit from the new method, Wong said.

"This innovative concept was received with intense interest by the international scientific community. Data analyses and experimental projects exploiting this idea are being planned in other laboratories, " said Wong, who was a researcher at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) from 1992 to 1996.

The findings were published in the Physical Review Letters journal Aug. 2. (By Sunnie Chen)"

[Martian]

"Taiwan doctors find possible way to treat brain cancer"


Challenge: How to transfer drugs past the blood-brain barrier?

Brain tumor treatment: New procedure shows promise for treating brain tumors - latimes.com

"New procedure shows promise for treating brain tumors
By Rachel Bernstein, Los Angeles Times
August 10, 2010

In a study on rats, researchers use magnets, ultrasound and tiny particles to deliver chemotherapy drugs to precise locations. Clinical trials on humans are at least four to five years away.

Patients with brain tumors don't have many good options — surgery and radiation can damage crucial parts of the brain, and chemotherapy drugs don't easily cross the blood-brain barrier. A new procedure using magnets, ultrasound and minuscule drug-coated particles may be an effective solution, according to a study on rats published in Tuesday's edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers, led by Dr. Kuo-Chen Wei of Chang Gung University in Taiwan, injected tiny magnetic beads called nanoparticles, coated with a chemotherapy drug, into the rats' tails. They used ultrasound to open up a small region of the blood-brain barrier and a magnetic field to attract the particles to a precise location in the brain.

When they applied the treatment to rats with brain tumors, the tumor growth was slowed and the rats lived two-thirds longer than untreated rats.

"The technology's not very difficult," Wei said, "but the idea is novel."

Clinical trials in human beings are at least four to five years away, he added.

Brain tumors are difficult to treat with traditional drug delivery methods because the brain is insulated from circulating blood. Focused ultrasound — similar to, but much stronger than, the ultrasound technique used on pregnant women — temporarily disrupts the barrier, allowing drugs to enter.

Once the drugs get into the brain, they should ideally be delivered to a precise location to cut down on the damage to healthy tissue. This report is the first in which magnetic targeting was combined with ultrasound to attract the nanoparticles — and their drug passengers — to a specific part of the brain.

"The method has significant clinical potential," said Dr. Kullervo Hynynen of the University of Toronto Medical School, who conducts similar research but was not involved in the new study.

Wei and his team are working to improve the treatment so they can apply it to human patients. He said they needed to try additional chemotherapy drugs and nanoparticle types, as well as improve the ultrasound and magnetic-targeting technology.

Still, some scientists worry that opening the blood-brain barrier to allow powerful chemicals into the brain is too dangerous.

"The potential for toxicity in normal brain regions could cause all kinds of problems," said Allan David, a drug delivery researcher at the University of Michigan. "I think it's an interesting study, but it's still far from clinical studies."

Some of the danger of opening the blood-brain barrier may be avoided by combining Wei's approach with a type of drug that is activated only upon reaching the tumor, David said, so that healthy brain tissue is left unharmed."

[chinamark]

Hello..?

I do not live amongst the ' Most' countries & in any case I do have a right to my own views.

A One China Policy is that of PRC not of that of Taiwan ......so ?

....and I am not trolling.

Indias Want China  cleavage to   100 countries . just like  what  they did  to Pakistan  in 1970's .   But they know  they do not have  the  power .   China's  army glad  to visit  india  again . just liek  what we  did  in the  1960s .

[China-chen]

no Taiwanese,only  Chinese

[gnak]

Han Economic Growth for 2010

at the title

although most chinese call themselves han... the physical and mental difference within the "han" people are very great... i wouldnt call han a race but its good slogan to unite ppl together and isnt that wat is all about.

if only europe shared the same ideology lol. i honestly cannot tell the difference between french, german etc etc unless they speak lol.

[Martian]

Taiwan's GARMIN has a dominating 60% share of U.S. GPS market


GARMIN nuvi 760

Next Generation of GPS About to Blast Off | Uncommon Wisdom Daily

"Next Generation of GPS about to Blast Off
by Tony Sagami on June 2, 2010


Tony Sagami

On May 14, the space shuttle Atlantis blasted off for its 32nd and last mission. The Atlantis has flown to the Mir space station seven times and the International Space Station 11 times.

The Atlantis shuttle has ventured into space and returned with troves of scientific information and I still get goose bumps when I watch a shuttle launch. It is with a twinge of sadness to know that the Endeavour is scheduled to fly the last mission of the space shuttle program in November.

The space shuttles may grab most of the space headlines, but they are hardly the only things being shot into space.

It didn’t get a lot of media attention, but the United States Air Force launched the first of an advanced new fleet of navigation satellites last week.


New GPS satellites are about to be launched into orbit.

This new generation of satellites, built by Boeing, will enhance the current GPS fleet by adding 12 more GPS satellites to replace the current ones that are nearing the end of their service life, as well as dramatically enhance the capabilities of GPS systems. GPS networks will now offer ultra-precise navigation and near-instantaneous information.

“These next-generation satellites provide improved accuracy through advanced atomic clocks; a more jam-resistant military signal and a longer design life than earlier GPS satellites; and a new civil signal that benefits aviation safety and search-and-rescue efforts,” said Craig Cooning of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, which built the new satellite.

The GPS satellite network was originally developed for the U.S. military, but has since found use for a wide range of commercial applications.

“GPS 2F will increase the signal power, precision and capacity of the system, and form the core of the GPS constellation for years to come. It has twice the signal accuracy of previous navigation satellites,” said Air Force spokesman Commander Colonel David Madden.

The current network of satellites orbits the globe 14 times a day, but has gaps in coverage as the signal is passed from satellite to satellite. After the launch of the 12 new generation satellites, the signal will be continuous and very close to instantaneous.

10 PRACTICAL GPS USES
1. Keep track of where your children and the car they are driving are.
2. Monitor the location of elderly members of your family, so that they don’t wander off alone.
3. Plan a road trip around interesting points of interests, landmarks, campsites, and restaurants.
4. Get emergency roadside assistance at a touch of a button from your vehicle.
5. Find lost pets easily using collars with built-in GPS.
6. Emergency personnel can quickly locate you when you call 911 on your cell phone.
7. Get directions and find shortcuts.
8. Find the closest Chinese, Italian, seafood, or sushi restaurant.
9. Track your luggage, laptops, and anything of importance while traveling.
10. Find family or friends in a crowd.

One Asian company is positioned to prosper from this improved GPS coverage. I’m talking about Garmin (Nasdaq:GRMN).

Garmin isn’t a household name, but it is global leader in portable and fixed-mount GPS-enabled products geared for the aviation, automotive, boating, and outdoor recreational markets. It’s even got GPS systems for cyclists, runners, and dogs.

Dogs? You bet. Hunting is really big in Montana and I have one friend who has spent more than $10,000 on training classes for his dogs. The last thing he wants is for one of his prized boys to run off into the woods never to be found again. His solution is the Garmin Astro GPS device that can tell him where his dog is by simply following a little animated dog icon on the small handheld screen.

Garmin is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, but its main manufacturing and research center is in Taiwan, which is why it hit my Asian radar screen.


Garmin is a global leader in GPS-enable products.

When it comes to GPS systems, Garmin absolutely dominates the U.S. market with a 60% market share and a 20% market share in Europe.

That’s like money in the bank because the application, market, and profits from GPS-enabled systems are going to explode. GPS technology has been used for military and aviation uses for years, but the potential in the gigantic consumer market has yet to be tapped.

According to Morningstar, the total market for personal navigation devices is forecast to triple in the next five years, but even that optimistic forecast may be too low.

Garmin has a stranglehold on the automotive navigation segment, which accounts for more than half of its annual sales.

Garmin’s success is simple: Its navigation systems do much, much more than just give directions. Garmin fills its products with cool features like up-to-date traffic flow and incident information, MP3 players, language translators, currency converters, travel guides, digital photo organizers, gas price data, weather forecasts, and movie showtimes for area theaters.

Ford and Chrysler offer Garmin personal navigation devices in their cars, as well as almost the entire rental car market: Avis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Dollar-Thrifty, National, and Alamo.

Plus, Garmin has built powerful distribution relationships for its portable GPS with established companies like Target, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart plus original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Ford, BMW, Honda Motorcycles, Cessna, Piper, and Premier Marine.

The application for GPS technology is still in its infancy and has only recently become available in cell phones. I expect the new USAF satellites to accelerate that marriage between cell phones and GPS service and the cell phone market could become even bigger than the automobile market for Garmin.

Garmin pays a $1.50 annual dividend, which works out to more than a 4% yield, sells for less than 10 times earnings, has ZERO debt, and $1.3 billion ($6.58 per share) of cash.

Should you rush and buy Garmin today? You need to do your own homework, but the new generation of GPS satellites is going to help make Garmin products better, more valuable, and ultimately generate bigger profits.

Best wishes,

Tony"

[Martian]

Taiwan Lantern Festival in HD

Please make sure to select 720p in the bottom right-hand corner. It is far clearer than 480p.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muF3En3lfPU

[Martian]

Taiwanese are Chinese in every respect except for the debt that Taiwan owes the U.S.

Martian whats your view on this are they Chinese or not??

Taiwanese are Chinese in every respect.  The history, culture, customs, location on Mainland China where every Han knows the birthplace of their ancestors, food, language, mannerisms, and other endless similarities.

Taiwan is already technically a part of China under the "One China" policy.  However, Taiwan is not under direct Mainland China control for two reasons.  Firstly, Taiwanese like to run their own little island and they would like to maintain this independence for as long as possible.  It is rational for most Taiwanese to delay reunification until China is fully modernized.

The second reason (and arguably the more important one) is that most Taiwanese know that they owe the U.S. a tremendous debt for maintaining Taiwan's independence during the Cold War.  Without U.S. military and economic support, Taiwan would have ceased to exist many decades ago.  Most Taiwanese understand this debt to the United States.

Due to the opposition of the United States to reunification, there is not a serious effort in Taiwan by either the president or the populace to push forward with reunification.  While there is no formal U.S. opposition, every major U.S. organization, think tank, and media (i.e. Heritage Foundation, Jamestown Foundation, Atlantic Monthly, New York Times, L.A. Times, Time magazine, Newsweek, Forbes, and endless others) insist on reunification only if Mainland China is democratic.

The United States has worked hard to help create the conditions for a prosperous democracy in Taiwan.  The U.S. will not let Taiwan go, except under conditions that are acceptable to the United States.  The idea of a non-democratic Mainland China swallowing a democratic and prosperous Taiwan is a non-starter.

Hence, we have the current status quo.  The pledge by the U.S. to adhere to the "One China" policy keeps China happy and assures them that Taiwan will eventually return to the motherland.  Taiwan is currently governing the island and that keeps the U.S. happy.  Most Taiwanese just want to enjoy their lives and wish that Mainland China and the U.S. can work things out between them.

The bottom line is that Taiwanese are Chinese.  However, Taiwan's historical debt to the United States for its existence means that no Taiwanese is willing to look an U.S. official in the eye and inform them that Taiwan is pushing ahead with reunification without U.S. approval.

This precarious state of affairs will not last indefinitely.  As the relative balance of power between Mainland China and the U.S. changes, the relentless progression of Mainland China's modernization, and the loss of the memory that Taiwan owes a debt to the U.S. by the younger generations, Taiwan will eventually return to the motherland.

Taiwan is an anachronism and a remnant of the Cold War.  It's final status (e.g. signing a Hong Kong-style "one country, two systems" 50-year agreement) will most likely be determined in the next twenty to forty years.  In twenty years time, there is a good chance that China's economy will be larger than the United States (e.g. the U.S. may lack the resources or will to maintain Taiwan's de facto independence).  In forty years time, China will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of modern China.  By then, China's economy will most likely be significantly larger than the U.S. and the technology gap would have almost disappeared.

[Martian]

Blood is thicker than water

Its sort of like Koreans right[?] a geographical and Ideological boundary separates other wise they one and the same, right?? or have i got some thing wrong??

You are absolutely correct.  Regardless of an imaginary line on a map, Koreans are Koreans and Hans are Hans.  For example, the Hans in Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997 under the "one country, two systems" 50-year agreement.

The divided Korean peninsula and a divided China across the Taiwan Strait are both vestiges of the Cold War.  I would be surprised if both of these unsettled issues from the Cold War are not resolved within 50 years.

It is ironic that Vietnam was unified during the Cold War, but it resulted in a poor nation.  On the other hand, China, Taiwan, and South Korea are growing richer year after year.  Shanghai, Taipei, and Seoul are examples of the growing wealth.

The North Koreans have no one to blame except themselves.  They chose to isolate themselves from the world in the tradition of the Hermit Kingdom.  However, I expect the North Koreans to catch-up quickly to the modern world after they choose to open up their country.  China (e.g. North Korea's benefactor) and South Korea (e.g. fellow Koreans) will both help North Korea to modernize.

Whether it is a reunified America after the Civil War, reunified Vietnam, or reunified Germany, history has shown that it is difficult to keep a people separate for very long.  China and Taiwan will reunify when the U.S. relents in its objection, China's relative power to the U.S. passes a critical point, or China simply gets tired of waiting and calls the American bluff to defend Taiwan by triggering a military crisis in October 2049 (e.g. 100th anniversary of New China).

The Koreans can reunify whenever the North Koreans stop being paranoid (or the South Koreans offer the ruling Kim Jong-Il's family a sufficiently sweet deal with guarantees) and South Korea is willing to pay the majority of the massive cost (e.g. on the order of a trillion dollars; approximately the cost of German reunification) for rebuilding North Korea.

[Martian]

Beautiful Hong Kong

Let's take a look at today's Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" structure.

Please make sure to select 720p in the bottom right-hand corner. It is far clearer than 480p.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdDeO5blsXI...feature=related