Thanks to the Year of the Dragon baby boom, Taiwan will see a respite from the greying of its population. The latest figures from the Council for Economic Planning and Development delay the arrival of zero population growth from the earlier estimation of 2022 to between 2024 and 2027. Taiwan is estimated to officially become an aged society (with 14 percent of population over 65 years old) by 2018, one year later than previously estimated.With one of the lowest birth rates in the world, Taiwan h

Viewpoints Aug. 3, 2012

Japan has fallen to 25th place in a world ranking of innovation ― down five places from 2011 ― according to a study conducted by INSEAD, an international graduate school and research institution concerned with innovation in countries around the world. Japan’s economy, still the third-largest in the world, continues to rest on past achievements rather than advancing toward a better future.While Japan ranked relatively highly in some sections of the study, Japan’s knowledge and technology output c

Viewpoints Aug. 3, 2012

Market activity to promote the use of electronic books is picking up this summer. Efforts should be made to improve the environment for the spread of e-books so it can lead to further development of the culture of the printed word.Rakuten, Inc. a leading online shopping service, has begun marketing a low-cost electronic reader. U.S. online retailer Amazon.com, the largest operator in the market, will soon launch digital readers that can display Japanese. Meanwhile, more publishers are moving the

Viewpoints Aug. 3, 2012

For an economy that’s growing at an anemic rate of 1.5 percent, you would think there would be more discussion of the U.S. housing market on the campaign trail. The sector has powered past recoveries and is responsible for as much as one-fifth of gross domestic product. Yet President Barack Obama has made little more than a passing reference to housing in his campaign, calling it a drag on the economy and recommending an expanded mortgage-refinancing program. Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt

Viewpoints Aug. 2, 2012

Premier Wen Jiabao’s call to open up the economy further to private investors is a reminder that we have a lot more to do to provide a level playing field for the private sector. Wen urged the country during Monday’s executive meeting of the State Council to fully implement the policies encouraging the private sector’s growth. Admittedly, the government has been increasingly aware of the importance of the private sector and has devised a series of policies to facilitate the growth of private ent

Viewpoints Aug. 2, 2012

The power succession in North Korea has reached its culminating point. Kim Jong-il, who died seven months ago, left his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, as the successor but appointed a number of high-ranking officials to mentor him and help ensure a smooth transition. Now the training wheels are being removed and the young Kim is about to show the world who he really is and what he is capable of.After six months of training in the driver’s seat, Kim Jong-un has decided that he is mature enough to rul

Viewpoints Aug. 2, 2012

On June 29, one year ago, the National Assembly passed the revision of the Special Adoption Law, which gave more rights to adoptees, better protection to birth mothers, and greater protection of children’s rights. The law will enter into full force on Aug. 5.What changes are taking effect next week? It is not possible to give a definitive because the Ministry of Health and Welfare is still finalizing the decree and ordinance for the law application. However, from the draft published in March, it

Viewpoints Aug. 2, 2012

A diplomatic row is brewing between Seoul and Beijing over the claims by Kim Young-hwan, a South Korean activist for North Korean human rights, that he was severely tortured by Chinese security officials during his 114-day detention in the neighboring country.China’s Foreign Ministry flatly denied the claims on Tuesday, saying that the Chinese authorities that handled the case conducted an investigation “according to the law” and protected the legitimate rights of Kim and three other arrested So

Editorial Aug. 1, 2012

Domestic corporations are half-hearted about establishing workplace nursery facilities. Under the current Infant Care Act, a company operating a workplace with more than 500 regular workers or more than 300 female employees is required to operate a nursery. When the company is unable to run such a facility on its own, it may entrust care of the employees’ children to a nearby day care center or pay an infant care allowance to its employees. But more than half of domestic companies failed to meet

Editorial Aug. 1, 2012

Until recently, it was hard to imagine that Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s scandal-prone former prime minister, might attempt another comeback. Now, sadly for Italy and Europe, he might. Italy’s prospects are troubled enough without the turmoil that a resurgence of the billionaire media mogul would stir. Berlusconi, 75, was out of favor when he left office in November, and his career in politics looked over. A busy retirement ― including defending himself on a charge of paying a minor for sex, which

Viewpoints Aug. 1, 2012