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