Alexa Internet Statistics for Taiwan

wretch.cc homepage

From Alexa.com, the top 10 visited websites in Taiwan are:

1. Yahoo!
2. Facebook
3. 無名小站 (wretch.cc)
4. Google.tw
5. Youtube
6. Google
7. 伊莉心情車站 (eyny.com)
8. pixnet
9. Windows Live
10. gamer.com.tw

Looking at these results, the majority of the sites are some form of social networking, with Facebook, wretch.cc, and pixnet (the latter two being Taiwanese photo-sharing sites, like Flickr or Photobucket). The others are major search engines and video sharing sites like Youtube, with the only exception being the 10th spot (as online gaming is a major part of Taiwanese cyber-culture).

The rising dominance of the internet is shifting the entire media landscape. Traditional forms of media like television, print, and radio are either being pushed aside or absorbed into the internet (like livestreaming radio broadcasts or Hulu on-demand). What sets the internet apart from the other traditional medias is its permeation. National and geographic boundaries are rendered obsolete, as the entire world can come together into one massive community on the internet. The free exchange of beliefs, the exponential proliferation of ideas, all of these are shaping the world in a way that unites us. Of course, cultural homogeneity is always a danger, and with these exchange of ideas it is possible that certain aspects of distinct cultures will form a new synthesized culture on the internet. 

NextMedia

The Taiwanese branch of Hong Kong media conglomerate Next Media produces a series of humorous animations that summarize and satirize international news. The voice over script is a straight up news story, and the clips' humor comes from the absurd, non-sequitur animations.

Taiwan's Freedom House Press Ranking

As rated by Freedom House's Freedom of the Press report, Taiwan ranks well among Pacific Asian countries.In its region, Taiwan's score is comparable to countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, while in the rest of the world, its score is akin to Canada, France, and Austria.

Status: Free
Legal Environment: 7
Political Environment: 9
Economic Environment: 8
Total Score: 24

The report states that: Taiwan's media environment is one of the freest in Asia, with a vigorous and diverse press that reports aggressively on government policies and alleged official wrongdoing. The constitution provides for freedoms of speech and of the press, and the government and independent courts generally respect these rights in practice.

Media coverage is often critical of the government, and news outlets were especially exacting on the official response to Typhoon Morakot in 2009, ultimately contributing to the replacement of the prime minister. Nevertheless, political polarization poses a challenge to press freedom, with most major news outlets seen as sympathetic to one of the two main parties.


Physical violence against journalists is rare, and both local and foreign reporters are generally able to cover the news freely. There were no reports during the year of assaults or official harassment of journalists.

Given that most Taiwanese can access about 100 cable television stations, the state’s influence on the media sector is minimal. Print media are completely independent, and following reforms in recent years, broadcast media are no longer subject to GIO licensing and programming reviews.


The report is generally very positive on Taiwan, though concerns are raised about growing economic ties to China, which may impact self-censorship. Already, some outlets are omitting references to Tibet, the Falun-Gong sect, and human rights in China, as well as "embedded marketing," which I made a mention of in a previous post. On a positive note, embedded marketing was banned earlier this year.

Internal WHO Memo Causes Controversy

Kuan Bi-ling, a DPP legislator, handed out a "leaked" internal memo from the World Health Organization (WHO) which called into question the role of Taiwan within the International Health Regulations (IHR). The memo states: "Taiwan, as a province of China, cannot be party to the IHR" -- an assertion supported by China. The memo refers to World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution 25.1, which ejected Taiwanese representatives to the WHO, and called it a "touchstone for such matters." Taiwan's ineligibility for the IHR is "consistent with that resolution."

This internal memo comes into direct contradiction with President Ma Ying-jeou's administration, which claims that Taiwan was indeed included into the IHR in 2009, when they were allowed to attend the annual WHA meeting as an observer. "There's no question about it. Taiwan has been a participant in the IHR since 2009," said a Taiwanese Department of Health official.

Another contentious issue stems from the listing of a former DOH deputy chief, Chang Shan-chwen, as being from "Taiwan, China," and also referring to Taiwan as "the Taiwan Province of China." Kuan stated "Our representatives apparently have to attend [WHO] expert sessions under the designation from [China] and Chang is no different." Chang immediately refused this statement saying "If something like this did happen, I would never have participated in the [WHO]."

At first glance, it seems suspicious that the only source is a DPP legislator, who undoubtedly has his own political agenda, but it is worth nothing that the Taipei Times has a reputation for supporting the Pan-Blue Coalition, which is headed by the KMT. Whether this is sneaky political move by the DPP or the KMT, it touches on a very delicate issue: the issue of Taiwan's role in international organizations. The majority of the world, and thus international organizations, views the CCP as being the sole legitimate government of China, leaving Taiwan isolated and with few friends. Events like the Olympics are careful to brand the Taiwanese teams as being from "Chinese Taipei" in efforts not to offend the mainland and also give recognition to Taiwanese participants. It is an issue that countries need to carefully tip-toe around, lest they bring up the more contentious aspects of the precarious status quo.

NTU-Peking University begin academic exchanges

The National Taiwan University (NTU) and the Peking University have taken a further step in developing their relationship by signing three memorandums of understanding covering administrative procedures for inviting guest and adjunct professors, increasing the number of exchange students from two to 10 per year.

National Taiwan University

"Both schools have many similarities," said Peking University president Zhou Qifeng. "We share the same educational philosophy and we both strive to be world-class universities. There are many things we can do together to help each other."

China is now presently encountering issues with rapid urbanization, issues that Taiwan experienced in the 70s and 80s. Taiwan can share its past experience in this regard, said Zhou. "Each school has its own features and specialities and mutual cooperation can help students learn from these different aspects," he said.

There are presently some 300 Taiwanese students studying at Peking University.

Grudges often run deep and no amount of reconciliation will mend all wounds. More often than not, peaceful dialogue and cooperation must be left to the younger generations, as seen in this news report here. With a new generation of professionals entering the market, old animosities are washed away, and the potential for cooperation rises exponentially. These memorandums represent the beginning of a new era for Taiwanese-Chinese relations.

President States that He is "pro-Japanese"

At the recent unveiling of a memorial garden dedicated to a Japanese engineer noted for his construction efforts during the Japanese colonial period, President Ma Ying-jeou called himself "Japan's best friend" in Taiwan, saying that Japan's contribution to the construction of Taiwan could not be denied.

Ma and Mori at the opening ceremony.

Yoichi Hatta was a Japanese engineer credited with the construction of the Chianan Canal and the Ushantou Reservoir in southern Taiwan during the Japanese colonial rule. At the memorial garden's opening, Ma made a speech stating that although the handover of Taiwan to Japan after the first Sino-Japanese war was a tragedy, Japanese contributions to the construction of Taiwan could not be overlooked. Also present at the ceremony was Yoshiro Mori, a former Japanese Prime Minister, and a delegation of more than 200 Japanese visitors.

Ma in the past has been labeled as anti-Japanese by elements of both the Taiwanese and Japanese media, and this speech seeks to dispel such rumors. "I hope people can look at the love-hate relationship from different historical perspectives," Ma said.

This highlights a particularly contentious issue in Taiwanese politics, that of Taiwanese-Japanese relations. KMT supporters tend to be less open towards the Japanese because of war crimes committed against China during the Second World War, and the refusal of some of Japan's more nationalist ministers to acknowledge that war crimes were indeed committed. Native Taiwanese on the other hand, enjoy a very close relationship to the Japanese. From 1894-1945, Taiwan was Japan's attempt at creating a perfect colony. The natives were treated well and the Japanese built up infrastructure, bridging the rural south to the metropolitan north and generally improving the standard of living for most all of the country. Many native Taiwanese actually fought for the Imperial Army in China against KMT forces, which in turn led to tensions between the two factions after the KMT fled to Taiwan in 1949.

By expressing openness and friendliness towards the Japanese, Ma is separating himself from the anti-Japanese stance the KMT is known for, thus ingratiating himself with both the Japanese and the native Taiwanese. But at the same time, he may also be alienating himself from the more die-hard KMT supporters.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2011/05/09/301622/Ma-calls.htm

Taiwan: CIA Factbook

A brief overview of Taiwan's entry in the CIA Factbook:

 Background:
In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the local population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of Taiwan's eventual status - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

Population: 23,071,779 (July 2011)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.32 years 

     -male: 75.5 years

     -female: 81.36 years (2011 est.)

Religion: mixture of Buddhism and Taoism (93%), Christianity (4.5%), indigenous (2%)

Ethnic Groups: Taiwanese 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, indigenous 2%

Literacy: 96.1%

Debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; public opinion polls consistently show a substantial majority of Taiwan people supports maintaining Taiwan's status quo for the foreseeable future; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China; advocates of eventual unification predicate their goal on the democratic transformation of the mainland.

No diplomatic representation to the US, though commercial and cultural relations are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts.

GDP (purchasing power parity): 823.6 bn USD

PPP: 35, 800 USD
Unemployment rate: 5.9%

Telephones
     -main lines: 14.596 million
     -mobile: 26.959 million

Broadcast media
     -5 free-to-air nationwide TV networks
     -roughly 75 TV stations
     -85% of households utilize cable
     -around 170 radio stations

Internet users: 16.147 million

 19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service; service obligation - 2 years; women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense is in the process of implementing a voluntary enlistment system over the period 2010-2015, although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 4 months of military training.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html

Universities Given Focus for Upcoming Election

Both the KMT and the DPP are turning to first time voters for the upcoming 2012 presidential election, with both candidates touring the country's university lecture halls and ingratiating themselves with students, who studies show are still mostly undecided.

DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen

For the past few months, President Ma Ying-jeou has been meeting university students and making media appearances about once a week. Tsai Ing-wen, the DPP Chairperson and candidate, says she plans to catch up. Tsai says her approach will be different from that of Ma's, focusing more on youth-oriented issues like student competition, the changing global landscape, and the experience of growing up, bolstered by her own experiences as a student in the US and the UK. Even during the DPP primaries, Tsai relied heavily on university students to boost her prescence in online blogs, discussions, and media appearances.

Tsai and the DPP observe that Ma and the KMT are out of touch with today's youth. Notably, a KMT lawmaker was forced to retract her comments when she suggested a "slap in the face" for students who did not stand up to speak with Ma at a question-and-answer session. A poll by cable news channel TVBS showed that although Ma leads Tsai in the polls by 1%, Tsai had a 9% lead over Ma in the age 20-29 category.

I think this focus on first-time voters and university students was at least in part brought upon by the 2008 US presidential election, where a large portion of Obama's base was the youth vote. Both parties now are looking to capitalize on this, but I think the DPP has the drop here because of its more liberal image, as opposed to the more conservative and traditionalist KMT. Though, I don't think it will be as much of a deciding factor as it was in the US because party split is ideological, but also in part involves heritage. People who immigrated or are the descendants of immigrants in 1949 with the remnants of the Nationalist Chinese government are typically more sympathetic to the KMT, whilst native Taiwanese and descendents of Ming and Qing dynasty settlers tend to identify more with the DPP.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/05/09/2003502792

Freedom House lowers Taiwan's press ranking

Taiwan continues to drop down in the Freedom House press rankings, going from 43rd in 2008, to 47th in 2009, and now 48th in 2009. Taiwan is now ranked seventh in Asia-Pacific behind countries like Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, as opposed to be being ranked fourth in 2007.

The report stated: "A growing trend of marketing disguised as news reports, a proposed legal amendment that would limit descriptions of crime and violence in the media, and licensing obstacles all contributed to these concerns."

Another major concern was Taiwan's improving relations with China. The report fears that with deepening commercial ties, media owners and some journalists whitewashed news about China to protect their own financial interests. For example, the reports notes that in a column commemorating historical events in both Taiwan and China written for the Want Daily newspaper, the author failed to mention the Tiananmen Square massacre, despite being published on June 4th, the date of its anniversary. The China Times Group, which owns Want Daily, is owned by Tsai Eng-meng, a businessman with "significant commercial interests in mainland China," the report said.

Another major concern was government intervention in the media, citing how the Taiwanese National Communications Commission refused broadcasting licenses to Next Media, the parent of top-grossing news publications in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Another concern was embedded marketing, or advertising disguised as news, which was brought to national attention when Dennis Huang, a reporter at the China Times resigned in protest at the state of the media, in which both big business and government "buy positive coverage." Furthermore, at least three foreign journalists found that their Yahoo email accounts had been compromised in a manner similar to the attacks on Google's system in China.

The DPP responded by corresponding the drop in ranking with the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou, saying that "the decline in ranking highlighted 'serious problems' in interaction between government and the media."

Government officials have promised to make improvements addressing all issues and to achieve better performance next year, starting with the passing of the Budget Act, which bans embedded marketing by government agencies.

http://taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/05/04/2003502357

Chinese Official Calls to Oppose Independence

At the KMT-CCP (Kuomintang-Chinese Communist Party) forum in China yesterday, a senior Chinese official called for opposition to Taiwanese independence and for the recognition of the 1992 Consensus, a tacit understanding that states that there is only one China, but leaves each side to form its own interpretation.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a top Chinese political advisory body, made the remarks in fron of former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung at the opening of the forum in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Wu Po-hsiung in Beijing

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) widely refuses to recognize the 1992 consensus and insists it does not exist. To its credit, former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi admitted he coined the term in 2000, just before the beginning Chen Shui-bian's presidency, the first DPP president.

Also discussed at the forum was the issue of increased cross-strait flights for tourists from both countries. With the advent of hi-speed rail, domestic flight numbers have been steadily dropping in Taiwan, and the same is expected to happen with China when it completes its own hi-speed rails. Wu hopes that spare flights can be re-purposed to accommodate cross-strait travel. 

Over the years, the KMT's hardline stance against the mainland has softened and now the party seeks to restore and normalize economic and social ties with China.  The dialogue is kept alive by a precarious status quo, where China makes no attempt to regulate or govern Taiwan, and Taiwan makes no declarations of independence or radical political moves.  However, the DPP favors breaking all past ties with the mainland, for instance, the renaming of the Republic of China (which is Taiwan's present official name) to the Republic of Taiwan. It seems that this needlessly endangers Taiwan by provoking China, and even in the face of gradual reconciliation, the DPP still advocates a hardline independence stance.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/05/08/2003502707

Study suggests meditation can inhibit aging

A research center/Buddhist retreat in Northern Colorado has been conducted trials in 2007 attempting to find links between regular mediation and observable significant health benefits.  The project, dubbed Shamatha, was done at the Shambhala Mountain Center over the course of two three-month periods and cost around 4 million USD, partly funded by private organizations. After several years of analysis and number crunching, the results from the study are just beginning to be published, and initial reports suggest dramatic results.

The report notes that participants in the study had significantly higher telomerase activity. Telomeres play a key role in the aging of cells, acting like a clock that limits their lifespan. When a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter, unless an enzyme called telomerase can build them back up. When a telomere gets too short, the cell cannot replicate and thus dies. Psychologist Elissa Epel from UC San Francisco said "If the increase in telomerase is sustained long enough, it's logical to infer that this group would develop more stable and possibly longer telomeres over time." The Shamatha project suggest that there is a definite link between meditation and cellular aging.

This article was interesting to me because it reads and feels very similar to articles we see here in the West about some new miracle cure all that was just confirmed by some scientific institute or another and how it can drastically improve your quality of life with little effort on your end. The human desire for easy fixes to complex problems shows through here, and just acai berry can get you down to a size 2, meditation can regenerate dying cells and chromosomes. That's not to say that there isn't credence to this study, but often these sorts of things are blown out of proportion. As to what it says about Taiwanese media, I believe it shows that as soon as a country hits a certain standard of living, luxury healthcare and posh science arise, which is telling about the standard of living in Taiwan.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2011/04/26/2003501700/1

Thousands rally for labor rights

Protestors took to the streets yesterday demanding improvements in work environments, bridging the wealth gap, better support for those in poverty, the abolition of the temporary worker system, and an overall improvement in the quality of life. The majority of the march was organized by labor groups and unions, with others like women's and youth groups joining in. Some protestors dressed like Sun Yat-Sen, the founder of the Republic of China, to protest the ruling party's failure to enact his "good living for all" vision.

May Day protests in Taipei

The protest numbered around five thousand, with the biggest demand being an increase in the minimum wage, from 17,880 NT per month to 22,115 NT per month (an increase of about 130 USD). The demand is in response to the rising poverty rates, mostly due to increasing education costs which drive students deep into debt.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has expressed support for the protests. Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsan encouraged people to "voice your anger and dissatisfaction with the Ma Ying-jeou administration."

The last statement by the DPP is particularly telling about the political climate in Taiwan. The protests are, at best, a tangentially partisan issue and yet the DPP insists that these social woes be laid at the feet of the KMT. It's a political hotbed in Taiwan, with any and everything being turned into a political attack on the opposing party.

Source:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2011/05/02/300732/Thousands-rally.htm

Media Conglomeration and Concentration in Taiwan

After the liberalization of the country in the mid 1980s, the state began gradually loosening restrictions on the regulation of politically dissenting media, particularly newspapers. Out of Taiwan's 170 daily newspapers, the three largest are family owned, the largest being the United Daily News, founded in 1950. The UDN has a history of being extremely pro-state and was strongly anti-reformist during the martial law period. True to its roots, it still maintains a very strong pro-state stance, favoring an eventual reunification with the mainland. On the opposite side of the political spectrum is the Liberty Times, founded in 1980 strongly favoring Taiwanese identity and solidarity as well as independence. The third largest is the China Times, considered moderately pro-government, though it has fallen on hard times as of late as it was sold to food producer conglomerate Want Want China in 2008. Newspaper ownership in Taiwan became entirely privately owned when the last state-run newspaper, the Central Daily News, closed its doors in 2006.

Formosa TV (FTV) the first
wholly DPP owned and
controlled television station.

Liberalization also gave rise to the number of privately-owned, non-government aligned media companies that soon began to gain popularity and overshadow the state media. However, media bias still is rampant. For example, the three terrestrial TV channels: China Television Co. (CTV), Chinese Television System (CTS), and Taiwan Television Enterprise (TTV). Of these three companies, the KMT owned 68 percent of CTV and a small share of TTV, the KMT-controlled Taiwan provincial government owned 49 percent of TTV, and the Ministry of National Defense owned 60 percent of CTS - for whose staff KMT membership was obligatory. But as time progressed, notably anti-KMT companies emerged, like Formosa TV, owned by strong supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the primary opposition party. However, none of these companies claim editorial neutrality, rather, Formosa TV just added an equally politically biased network on the other side of the spectrum. As of 2007, the 5 largest cable television systems are EThome, China Network Systems, Taiwan Broadband Communications, Fuyang Media Technology, and the Taiwan Infrastructure Network Provider. EThome and China Network Systems own the majority of the market share, 24% and 25.7% respectively, as opposed to independent systems which take up only 19.2%.  Foreign investment is also a key part of the media landscape as well, with various Hong Kong media conglomerates owning channels, such as Phoenix group. Though many of these stations were founded by the KMT and had membership comprised of only KMT party members, they now have private ownership after a 2006 statue opened up shares to private owners and investors.    

Sources:
http://www.pressreference.com/Sw-Ur/Taiwan.html
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/EB25Ad02.html
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2008/11/05/2003427822

Overview

This a blog for Global News Media (JOUR 312i) which will focus on the media of the Republic of China, informally known as Taiwan. In this introductory post, I will give a brief overview of the Republic's modern history, political background, and a general summary of various media within the country.

The Taipei Skyline with the Taipei 101 in the center,
the tallest building in the world from 2004-2010.

After their defeat in the Chinese Civil War, the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalists) fled to Taiwan, where they set up a provisional government with the ultimate goal of retaking the mainland. After tensions with native Taiwanese, who had fought for the Japanese during the Second World War, the KMT declared a martial law which would last for four decades under the single party, authoritarian regime. During this period the media was heavily censored, and materials considered pro-Communist or pro-Taiwanese were banned, and their authors jailed. Beginning in the late 1980s, gradual liberalization came and eventually Taiwan became one of the freest and least restrictive democratic nations in East Asia, as well as one of its economic powerhouses.

Politics in Taiwan do not follow a traditional left-right spectrum, but are divided by stance on their policy on China. There are two major political coalitions in Taiwan, made up of smaller, like-minded parties. The Pan Blue coalition, made up of KMT supporters favor eventual reunification with the mainland, while the Pan Green coalition, lead by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is made up of mostly native Taiwanese who favor a sovereign "Republic of Taiwan" completely separate from the mainland. Social and economic issues are considered secondary and views that could be considered liberal or conservative are spread across both coalitions.

Logo of the China Times,
a moderate-Blue newspaper

It is important to get a background of the political situation in Taiwan due to its dominance in Taiwanese media. Almost all of its hundreds of newspapers have some kind of political slant, ranging from the ultra-Blue United Daily News, to the ultra-Green Liberty Times. For this blog, I will try to keep up with the three largest newspapers, the United Daily News, the China Times, and the Liberty Times, each representing a different position in the political spectrum.

Television in Taiwan has a wide array of programming and is broadcast simultaneously in digital and analogue. The government plans to make the full switch to digital by 2013. Taiwan has one of the highest percentage of cable subscribers in the world, roughly 85%, due to its cheap cost. Programming ranges from sports, news, variety, documentary, movies, and foreign channels. Recently, channels aimed at minorities like the Hakka and Taiwanese aboriginals have also launched. The government hopes to introduce HD channels in the near future.

Taiwan is one of the most wired places in the world, with 13.8 million internet users in a country of 22.9 million. 21.6% of the population subscribe to broadband or some sort of high speed internet.

Logo of the Democratic Progressive Party

In 2010, Taiwan ranked 48th on the Press Freedom Index, a ranking comparable with other countries like France, South Korea, and Italy. Since the democratic reforms in the late 1980s, censorship now applies mostly to libel and slander, with cross-strait relations and national security issues being covertly and overtly censored as well. Ironically, it was the DPP controlled government that was mired in censorship controversy in the late 2000s. Many broadcast networks were refused license renewals by the Green controlled government in 2006. The official reason given was that their channels were not up to standards, but it is interesting to note that almost all of the stations refused licenses were pro-unification in one way or another. Likewise, the pro-mainland Hong Kong network Phoenix was refused landing rights in Taiwan, and mainland Communist publications like Xinhua and the People's Daily were banned. These policies were reversed in 2008 when the KMT was voted back into power.