Fruit, flowers and incense paper were laid on a table on April 5 as the authorities prepared a ceremony before demolishing a precariously tilting building that has become a symbol of Taiwan’s biggest quake in 25 years.
The glass-fronted Uranus building, located in Hualien, the city nearest to the quake’s epicentre, is a 10-storey mix of shops and apartments that has stood for nearly 40 years. The 7.4-magnitude earthquake on April 3 caused it to tilt at a 45-degree angle, its twisted exterior quickly becoming one of the most recognisable images to emerge from the disaster. By April 5, the authorities said they would start taking it apart, first preparing a table of offerings in front of the building to ensure a smooth demolition and to “soothe the lost souls” of those killed in the quake. Chips, instant noodles, bottles of soda, and folded piles of paper money for the dead were set alongside baskets of flowers and a container holding incense sticks. “(We) offer sacrifices and pray for blessing for the demolition work of the Uranus building,” an announcer said over a loudspeaker. Traditional cultural rites like blessing a new home or providing offerings to spirits after buying a plot of land are commonplace in Taiwan. Hualien county chief Hsu Chen-wei and other officials wearing construction vests each lit a joss stick and bowed to the building. “The Uranus was built in 1986. All structures age due to time, earthquakes and many other conditions,” she told reporters later. “We hope to complete the demolition within two weeks so Hualien people can return to their regular lives. We hope that everyone will not be in such a panicky situation.” Workers then began using a pink crane to smash the glass windows covering the building’s exterior, revealing the inner brick facade as rain started to drizzle. By around 1pm, a severe aftershock hit the city, alarming the construction team as the building appeared to lean more perilously forward. Accelerating the process, workers began inserting giant metal bars to stabilise the structure. Inside an exposed upper-storey floor, a piano could be seen lying on its side, surrounded by debris from an apartment damaged by the massive tremor. So far, at least 10 people are known to have died from the quake, with more than 1,100 injured – though the authorities have not specified the severity of the injuries. Hundreds remain stranded around Taroko National Park – some in a hostel, others in a luxury hotel, on local hiking trails and a school cut off by landslides. A network of tunnels traverses the mountainous region, with key roads leading to the park now blocked by falling rocks and earth. Rescue teams have been mobilised from all over Taiwan and have deployed helicopters, search drones, and small teams on foot with dogs to look for those still missing. “Rescuers are not giving up, as the search continues in the mountains for earthquake survivors,” said Taiwanese Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim, calling them the “true heroes of a resilient Taiwan”.
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At least seven people were killed in a major earthquake in eastern Taiwan last night. Authorities report that more than 820 people have been injured and 127 people remain trapped in tunnels or buildings. The quake had a magnitude of 7.2, making it the strongest in Taiwan in almost 25 years.
The quake occurred during the morning rush hour, shortly before 8 a.m. local time. The epicenter was in the sea, about 25 kilometers from the coastal town of Hualien. More than a hundred aftershocks were recorded in the hours after the major quake. According to Taiwanese media, three of the fatalities died in a national park near Hualien. They were said to have been hit by a rock avalanche in the mountainous area. In the city, sagging buildings partly hang over the streets. A truck driver also died after his vehicle was hit by a landslide. President Tsai Ing-wen has promised that the army will be deployed in the rescue work. The earthquake also caused damage in the capital Taipei, more than 100 kilometers further north. Facade cladding, among other things, ended up on the street. Items also fell over in many homes. Offices and school buildings were evacuated and train traffic on the island was stopped. Hundreds of thousands of households were without power for several hours. After the quake, the Philippines and Japan issued tsunami warnings, but only small waves were generated. The quake was also felt along China's south-eastern coast, such as in the port city of Shanghai. China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province, was quick to offer aid to the island, but Taiwan has said it will not take advantage of it. Japan and Paraguay have also pledged assistance.
Last week, the US military news site Special Operations Forces Report (SOFREP) wrote that America’s “Green Berets” were planned to be deployed to Taiwan to act as permanent training observers and prepare the island’s special units. This represents a departure from past practice that saw frequent but non-permanent visits by US personnel to Taiwanese training facilities, the report said. The permanent US forces, according to the article, would be situated on the Kinmen Islands, just 10 kilometers from mainland China.
Beijing sees the self-governing isle as part of China’s sovereign territory, and has repeatedly warned it against formally declaring independence. Although Taiwan has governed itself since 1949, most of the international community, including the US, does not officially recognize it as a sovereign state. While the US does not officially support Taiwanese independence, it maintains security ties with the island. Under the ‘Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act 2022,’ to “deter People’s Republic of China (PRC) aggression against Taiwan” the US is authorized to spend up to $2 billion a year in military grants to bolster the island’s security up until 2027. Mainland China has slammed the increased rotation of US military personnel to the island. The US always prioritizes its own interests, and Taiwan is merely a “pawn” it uses against mainland China, Beijing’s spokesman Chen Binhua stated on Wednesday. He claimed that by “closely aligning with the US to carry out so-called military training programs,” Taiwan’s political leadership is gradually “pushing the people of Taiwan into a crisis.” “Any attempt to seek ‘independence’ through military means or rely on external forces for ‘independence’ will only lead to danger and ultimately result in self-destruction for Taiwan,” he warned. Lai Ching-te, the leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won Taiwan's presidential elections on Saturday. The DPP champions Taiwan's separate identity and rejects China's territorial claims and Beijing had repeatedly denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist.
Lai, the current vice president, was facing two opponents for the presidency - Hou Yu-ih of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of the small Taiwan People's Party, only founded in 2019. Both conceded defeat, reported news agency Reuters. The election held on Saturday was framed as a choice between war and peace by China. In the run-up to the elections, the opposition party, Kuomintang, warned voters that choosing Lai Ching-te could lead to unrest. Lai had said he is committed to preserving peace and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and boosting the island's defences The United States and Taiwan are exploring ways to expand Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations system and other international forums, as well as addressing a range of global challenges, including public health, aviation safety and climate change. The most recent routine consultation between the U.S. and Taiwan took place Wednesday, days after the Chinese delegation at COP28 opposed calls to include Taiwan in the United Nations climate talks in Dubai. All participants in the latest U.S.-Taiwan talks "recognized the importance of working closely with likeminded partners who share our concerns regarding attempts to exclude Taiwan from the international community," according to the U.S. State Department in a statement. Taiwan Relations Act Senior American officials have said Washington’s "One China" policy is "distinct" from Beijing’s "One China" principle. The U.S. policy is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. China has objected to the Taiwan Relations Act and deemed it as invalid. The Taiwan Relations Act has stated that "nothing in this Act may be construed as a basis for supporting the exclusion or expulsion of Taiwan from continued membership in any international financial institution or any other international organization." The Chinese Communist Party has never ruled Taiwan but claims sovereignty over the island, which became home to the Chinese Nationalist government after its defeat in 1949. During the U.N. climate talks held in the United Arab Emirates, Chinese officials lodged a protest after calls to include Taiwan's participation in the climate summit by other countries. "China has noted that during the meeting a handful of countries ignore the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and make noises about the participation by the Taiwan authorities in the COP," a member of the Chinese delegation said via a translator in the plenary hall in Dubai. Wednesday, officials from the State Department and Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed near-term opportunities to support Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) and other global public health bodies, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as Taiwan’s meaningful participation in other multilateral organizations. World Health Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization The Beijing government has been blocking Taiwan's representation at WHA meetings after the self-ruled democracy elected Tsai Ing-wen, a China skeptic, as president in 2016. China has also blocked Taiwan's participation in ICAO assemblies since 2013. Since the U.S. switched its diplomatic recognition from the government of Taipei to Beijing in 1979, Washington has insisted that the two sides should resolve their political disputes peacefully. Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said "fundamental differences" over Taiwan persist in Washington’s relationship with Beijing. The top U.S. diplomat on China said the United States will continue to implement the Taiwan Relations Act and help Taiwan with its defense needs, renewing the U.S. commitment to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
In recent months, China has been increasing its military activities near the strait. The United States has voiced concerns about any Chinese interference through military coercion, as Taiwan prepares for a presidential election in January 2024. "I think what we can do is to insist that the people in Taiwan have an opportunity to vote freely on January 13," Burns told an audience during a seminar hosted by the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations. In Beijing, Chinese officials said the election in Taiwan "is purely China’s internal affair." "Taiwan independence" means war and "Taiwan independence" is a dead end, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a recent briefing. In a recent interview with VOA, U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Matt Murray said, "We certainly want to make sure there are opportunities for engagement" between the U.S. and Taiwan in international economic forums, as Taiwan is one of the top trading partners and investors in the United States. Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, represented Taiwan during the APEC summit in San Francisco in mid-November, where he held talks with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. The two discussed the U.S.-Taiwan "relationship on the economy and technology," Harris said in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter. Chang also had a pull-aside meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the APEC meetings, according to Murray. The last U.S.-Taiwan working group meeting on international organizations took place in April. The history of Taiwan is a complex and multifaceted story that spans centuries, shaped by the interactions of various indigenous cultures, colonial powers, and geopolitical forces. Here is an overview of key events in the founding and existence of Taiwan: Indigenous Peoples: Taiwan's history begins with its indigenous peoples, who have inhabited the island for thousands of years. Austronesian-speaking tribes, including the Pingpu and Formosan peoples, were the first to settle in Taiwan. They established unique cultures and societies, living off the island's abundant natural resources. Dutch and Spanish Colonization (17th Century): In the 17th century, European powers began to take an interest in Taiwan. The Dutch East India Company established a foothold in southern Taiwan in the early 17th century, followed by the Spanish in the north. The indigenous peoples resisted these foreign incursions, leading to conflicts. Ming Loyalists and Qing Dynasty (17th-19th Century): The Ming Dynasty loyalists, led by Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga), expelled the Dutch from Taiwan in 1662. However, the Ming forces' rule was short-lived, as the Qing Dynasty defeated Koxinga's descendants and incorporated Taiwan into its empire in 1683. Taiwan remained a part of the Qing Dynasty for the next two centuries. Japanese Rule (1895-1945): In 1895, after the First Sino-Japanese War, the Treaty of Shimonoseki ceded Taiwan to Japan. The Japanese colonial period saw significant economic and infrastructural development but was marked by strict authoritarian rule and the suppression of local cultures. Taiwan played a role in World War II, particularly during the Pacific War. The story of Taiwan's founding and existence is closely intertwined with the political career of Chiang Kai-shek, a prominent figure in Chinese history. Here is a more detailed account that highlights Chiang Kai-shek's role: Early 20th Century: As the Qing Dynasty collapsed, China went through a series of internal conflicts and foreign invasions. Amidst this turbulence, Chiang Kai-shek rose to prominence within the Kuomintang (KMT), the Nationalist Party of China, under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen. Northern Expedition (1926-1928): Chiang Kai-shek played a crucial role in the Northern Expedition, a military campaign launched by the KMT to reunify China. During this campaign, the KMT sought to eliminate the warlords and unify the country under its rule. Chiang Kai-shek emerged as the leader of the National Revolutionary Army and successfully achieved several military victories. Shanghai Massacre (1927): In 1927, Chiang Kai-shek turned against his Communist allies, leading to the Shanghai Massacre. This marked the beginning of a split between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Chiang's KMT established the Republic of China (ROC) with its capital in Nanjing, while the CCP retreated to rural areas to continue its revolutionary activities. Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945): During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek led China in resisting the Japanese invasion. The war severely strained China's resources and infrastructure, and the KMT government retreated to Chongqing, where it continued to resist Japanese aggression. World War II and Post-War Period: At the end of World War II, Japan's defeat resulted in the return of Taiwan to Chinese control. The Allied forces, led by the ROC, took control of Taiwan, ending fifty years of Japanese rule. Chinese Civil War (1927-1949): The Chinese Civil War resumed after World War II between the KMT and the CCP. Despite receiving substantial aid from the United States, the KMT faced internal corruption and military setbacks. By 1949, the CCP, under Mao Zedong, emerged victorious, and Chiang Kai-shek retreated with the remnants of the KMT to Taiwan. Chinese Nationalist Rule (1945-1949): After Japan's defeat in 1945, Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China (ROC), led by the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT). Initially, the KMT administration faced challenges, including social unrest and conflicts with the local population. The ROC retained control of Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War, which concluded in 1949 with the Communist victory on the mainland. Cold War and International Recognition (1949-1971): During the Cold War, Taiwan became a key ally of the United States and was recognized by many Western countries as the legitimate government of China. The ROC held the Chinese seat at the United Nations until 1971 when the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, recognizing the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the only legitimate representative of China. Establishment of the Republic of China on Taiwan (1949):
In 1949, Chiang Kai-shek proclaimed Taipei as the temporary capital of the Republic of China. The KMT government declared itself the legitimate government of all of China, despite controlling only Taiwan and a few surrounding islands. Authoritarian Rule and Economic Development: Chiang Kai-shek established an authoritarian regime in Taiwan. While political freedoms were restricted, he initiated economic reforms that transformed Taiwan from an agrarian society into an industrialized powerhouse. Land reforms, infrastructure development, and an emphasis on education played key roles in this economic transformation. Chiang Ching-kuo and Democratization: Chiang Kai-shek's son, Chiang Ching-kuo, succeeded him in 1975. Under Chiang Ching-kuo's leadership, Taiwan gradually transitioned to democracy. Political reforms allowed for multiparty elections, and in 1996, Taiwan held its first direct presidential election, marking a significant milestone in the island's democratization. Chiang Kai-shek's legacy remains complex, with opinions divided on his contributions to Taiwan's development and the authoritarian nature of his rule. Today, Taiwan stands as a vibrant democracy with a unique history shaped by its complex relationship with China and the legacy of leaders like Chiang Kai-shek. Modern Taiwan (Post-1971): Following its expulsion from the UN, Taiwan continued to develop as an economic powerhouse. The island underwent a significant political transformation in the late 20th century, transitioning from authoritarian rule to democracy. Reforms initiated by leaders such as Chiang Ching-kuo and Lee Teng-hui paved the way for multiparty elections, and in 2000, Taiwan elected its first non-KMT president, Chen Shui-bian. Today, Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with a diverse cultural heritage and a thriving economy. However, its political status remains a contentious issue, with the PRC claiming sovereignty over the island and the international community maintaining a complex relationship with both Taiwan and China. Taiwan has revealed its first-ever domestically produced submarine, with leader Tsai Ing-wen hoping the move would make the island more “self-reliant.” The developer of the $1.5-billion sub previously dubbed it a “magical weapon in asymmetric warfare” with Beijing.
Tsai oversaw the vessel's launch ceremony on Thursday, set to be the first of eight new submarines to enter service by 2025. They will join just two other subs in Taipei’s fleet, both obtained from the Netherlands some four decades ago. “In the past, a domestically developed submarine was considered an impossible task. But, today, a submarine designed and manufactured by our country's people sits before our eyes,” she said, adding that “Taiwan must take this step and allow the self-reliant national defense policy to grow and flourish on our land.” The announcement comes amid repeated warnings from Taiwanese officials about Chinese military activity in the airspace and waters around the island, with Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng recently pointing to a string of “land, sea, air and amphibious” drills by the People’s Republic. The submarine project was launched in 2016 and has cost Taipei over $1.5 billion, with the first prototype named “Hai Kun” – or “mythical sea creature” in Chinese. Keeping with its moniker, the developer of the sub, CSBC Corp, has described the vessel as a “magical weapon in asymmetric warfare,” a claim echoed by Taiwan’s leader on Thursday. A representative for China’s Defense Ministry responded to the news during a daily press briefing later on Thursday. Asked about the new hardware and whether it could “prevent the People's Liberation Army from entering the Pacific” in the event of a conflict, spokesman Wu Qian dismissed the idea as “nonsense.” “It is just a mantis trying to use its arms to stop a chariot, and it will eventually lead to its own destruction,” Wu said, referring to Taiwan’s military modernization efforts. The official added: “No matter how many weapons the [Taiwanese] authorities build or purchase, they cannot stop the general trend of the reunification of the motherland.” Beijing views Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory, claiming the right to reunify with the island by force should it ever declare independence. Though few nations recognize Taipei as a sovereign state, the US and several allies maintain informal but strategic relations with the self-governing territory, frequently drawing the ire of China. The Chinese military has launched major wargames following high-level meetings between US and Taiwanese officials over the last year, including a massive simulated blockade after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in 2022. A similar demonstration was held last April following a sit-down between Pelosi’s successor, Representative Kevin McCarthy, and Tsai. The US and Vietnam are discussing a potential deal to sell American-made F-16 fighter planes to Hanoi, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing two people familiar in the matter.
The negotiations, which are still in the “early stages,” have reportedly been “a key topic” of talks between officials from both sides over the past month in Washington, New York, and Hanoi. “Part of what we’re working on internally as the US government is being creative about how we could try to provide better financing options to Vietnam to get them things that might be really useful to them,” a US official was quoted as saying. Relations between the US and Vietnam started to normalize in 1994 after Washington lifted its 19-year embargo. President Joe Biden visited Hanoi earlier this month, describing the countries, once hostile to one another, as “critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time.” The reported negotiations come as Washington accuses China of coercing and intimidating Vietnam and other neighbors, with whom Beijing has territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Last month, the State Department approved the sale of F-16 spare parts and equipment to Taiwan, which is in the process of upgrading its fleet of warplanes. The Taipei government said in May that 66 new F-16V jets ordered from the US were expected to arrive by 2026. China has denied stoking tensions in the region and has accused the US of harboring a “Cold War mentality.” Beijing also firmly opposes foreign military aid to Taiwan, which it considers its sovereign territory. The US is not working to create a “NATO for the Pacific” as a way to target China, the White House has claimed, after President Joe Biden declared a “new era” of security cooperation with South Korea and Japan.
Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at Camp David on Friday for the first summit of its kind, where the heads of state agreed on several new initiatives in the military, economic, and technological spheres. “This is the first summit I’ve hosted at Camp David, and I can think of no more fitting location to symbolize our new era of cooperation,” Biden said at a joint press conference, adding that Washington’s commitment to Seoul and Tokyo remains “ironclad.” The US president went on to state that the three allies would enhance their “trilateral defense collaboration” in the Indo-Pacific region, including with “annual multi-domain military exercises.” The drills would build on periodic wargames already staged in the area, which have triggered the ire of both Chinese and North Korean officials. During a separate media briefing earlier on Friday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was asked whether the three-way partnership would be “the beginning of some kind of mini-NATO for the Pacific,” but replied in the negative. “It’s explicitly not a NATO for the Pacific. We’ve said that. We will continue to underscore that and so will both Japan and Korea,” Sullivan said, adding that Friday’s summit was “not against anyone.” Though Biden also claimed the meeting was “not about China,” the president and his allied counterparts referred to the People’s Republic repeatedly in comments to reporters. During a one-on-one meeting with Kishida earlier in the day, Biden said the two leaders would work together to combat Beijing’s “dangerous behavior in the South China Sea,” and stressed the need for “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.” Asked whether Tokyo’s stepped-up military ties with Washington might trigger an “economic cold war” with Beijing, Kishida said Japan would continue to cooperate with China on “common challenges” and “strongly request responsible conduct.” President Yoon also outlined what this new defense cooperation would entail, stating that the three allies would create a framework to respond to attacks on any of their countries, as well as sharing information about North Korean ballistic missile launches in “real time.” He also announced plans for “systematic training and drills” to be carried out on a regular basis. A military conflict between China and Taiwan could take place in 2027, the self-governing island’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has claimed. Appearing on the UK’s LBC radio station on Thursday, Wu said: “We are taking the Chinese military threat very seriously… I think 2027 is the year that we need to be serious about.” He expressed hope that “like-minded partners, the UK included, can stop China from initiating any war against Taiwan.” Reuters revealed last month that the British government had approved a considerable increase in exports of submarine parts and technology to Taiwan in 2022. It followed a call by former prime minister Liz Truss for a “global NATO” to arm Taipei in the same way the alliance was arming Kiev.
Wu’s assessment of China-Taiwan relations echoes that outlined by CIA Director William Burns in February. Appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation, he claimed that “President Xi has instructed the PLA, the Chinese military leadership, to be ready by 2027 to invade Taiwan.” He added, however, that this alone does not mean Beijing had “decided to invade in 2027 or any other year.” A month prior to Burns’ comments, NBC cited an internal memo by General Mike Minihan, the head of the US Air Mobility Command (AMC), in which he told his staff that fighting over the island could break out within two years. However, while an AMC spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the memo, an anonymous Pentagon official told the outlet that “these comments are not representative of the department’s view on China.” On Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned that “those who play with fire on the question of Taiwan will burn themselves.” He insisted that Beijing “will never back down in the face of any act that undermines China’s sovereignty and security.” Earlier this month, the country’s state-run CCTV channel quoted President Xi as calling on the military to step up “training oriented toward actual combat.” Taiwan has been de facto independent since 1949, when the losing side in the Chinese civil war fled to the island and established its own administration. While only a handful of nations have recognized Taiwan as a sovereign state, the US has long maintained close, unofficial ties with Taipei, both militarily and economically. Formally, Washington still professes to adhere to the ‘One-China’ principle. Beijing considers the island to be an inalienable part of its territory that has been seized by separatists. While the Chinese leadership says it prioritizes a peaceful ‘reunification’, it has not ruled out military options. Paris is an ally and not a “vassal” of Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, defending his comments about “strategic autonomy” of the EU regarding the rising tensions between the US and China.
“Being an ally does not mean being a vassal... doesn’t mean that we don’t have the right to think for ourselves,” Macron said in Amsterdam at a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Asked for the French position on Taiwan, Macron said Paris supports the status quo, meaning the “One China policy and the search for a peaceful resolution to the situation.” Returning from his trip to China on Sunday, Macron argued that the EU can’t just be “America’s followers,” and that it is not in the bloc’s interest to stoke tensions over Taiwan. “The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction,” he told reporters. The remarks earned a swift rebuke from US Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican on the foreign affairs committee, who suggested Washington might leave the EU to handle the Ukraine conflict by itself. Taiwanese Parliament Speaker You Si-kun on Tuesday argued that France had forsaken its motto of ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’, and that advanced democracies should not “ignore the lives and deaths of people in other countries,” adding that Macron’s comments left him “puzzled.” Meanwhile, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that Macron was “perfectly right to demand European independence and sovereignty,” while the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, noted that “quite a few” leaders of EU countries think like Macron, even though they “wouldn’t say things the same way.” When asked about the French president’s comments on Monday, the US State Department said France is a long-standing ally and that occasional disagreements do not detract from the “deep partnership” with Paris. As for the EU position, a State Department spokesman cited a recent speech by the bloc’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, which described China as “a national and economic security threat,” and said there is “immense convergence” between Washington and Brussels on the matter. Mr. Big have announced a farewell tour, taking place in 2023 and 2024. As of now the veteran rock band has unveiled dates for a run of Asia this summer, with US, European, and South American shows slated to be revealed for 2024. The tour, dubbed “The Big Finish,” will find Mr. Big playing its 1991 album Lean Into It in its entirety. The LP yielded the band’s smash ballad “To Be With You,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In a press release, Mr. Big said that it’s the right to time to end their touring career following the passing of drummer Pat Torpey, who died in 2018 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. The band also revealed that Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train) will fill Torpey’s slot behind the drum kit. “We wanted to do a proper farewell, and this seems like the right way to do it,” stated bassist Billy Sheehan. Guitarist Paul Gilbert added, “We’re in the process of making sure we come up with a suitably big entertainment extravaganza to go along with our music. And since our music has resonated so wonderfully in places all over the world, we’re going to play in as many of those places as we can.” And lead singer Eric Martin concluded, “If we were in the movie business, we’d just put it all up in lights and say, ‘Welcome to The BIG Finish!’ Seriously, I’m glad we’re getting a chance to do it all onstage together as MR. BIG again and raise a flag to everything we’ve done as a band over the years.”As for welcoming D’Virgilio to the band, Sheehan noted, “We found a wonderful drummer in Nick, and he’s got a great voice too.
The history of China and Taiwan is complex and spans many centuries. Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, was originally inhabited by Austronesian peoples, but was later colonized by the Dutch and the Spanish in the 17th century. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Taiwan was ceded to Japan by China as a result of the First Sino-Japanese War. After World War II, Taiwan came under the control of the Republic of China, led by the Nationalist government. However, in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong (毛泽东), won the Chinese Civil War and established the People's Republic of China. The Nationalist government, led by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), and military fled to Taiwan and continued to rule there, with the support of the United States.
Chiang Kai-shek was a Chinese political and military leader who played a major role in China's history during the 20th century. He was the leader of the Nationalist government of China from the 1920s until his death in 1975. He led the Nationalists in their fight against the Chinese Communist Party during the Chinese Civil War and was the President of the Republic of China (ROC) which governs Taiwan, from 1949 until his death. When the People's Republic of China (PRC) was established in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist government were forced to flee to Taiwan. Chiang became the leader of the government in Taiwan, which was recognized as the legitimate government of China by many countries, including the United States, until the 1970s. Chiang Kai-shek led the government of Taiwan for more than two decades, during which time Taiwan underwent rapid economic development and modernization. However, his rule was also marked by authoritarianism and suppression of political dissent. Chiang's government also claimed to be the legitimate government of all of China, but this claim was not recognized by the international community, and the PRC refused to have any diplomatic relations with countries that recognize the ROC as the legitimate government of China. Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, and his son, Chiang Ching-kuo, succeeded him as leader of Taiwan. Since then, Taiwan has evolved into a democracy and has developed a separate political and economic identity from mainland China. For several decades, the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan maintained that it was the legitimate government of all of China, and was recognized as such by the United States and many other countries. However, in the 1970s, the United States switched its official recognition to the People's Republic of China, and most other countries followed suit. Since then, Taiwan has developed into a separate political entity, with its own government, economy, and political system. However, the People's Republic of China still claims Taiwan as a part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to reunify the island with the mainland. The relations between the two sides have been complex and sometimes tense, but in recent years, economic ties have increased significantly. On our tour within the circle of pedal colours I like to kick off with orange. And for sure a very famous orange pedal, which has been around since 1978, the Boss DS-1 and the revamped Boss DS-1w, is orange. If the Tube Screamer is the quintessential overdrive, then the DS-1 is its distortion counterpart. Cheap, available, it’s used by players from Steve Vai to Kurt Cobain. First introduced in 1978, the Boss DS-1 was initially based around a Toshiba preamp, rather than the op-amp that would be used for later iterations of the circuit. This circuit resulted in a warm distortion tone, which was made gritty by the hard-clipping diodes placed after the amplifier stage. Although its tone is more angular, the ProCo Rat employs a similar hard-clipping action, and this is what tends to characterise a distortion versus an overdrive. The Tube Screamer, by comparison, has a soft clip, with diodes placed in the feedback loop of its op-amp. As the first distortion that Boss released, it has gone on to define the compact pedals that have come after. Probably the only pedals as recognisable as the DS-1 are the DM-2 analogue delay, BD-2 Blues Driver and DD-3 Digital Delay. Over the past few years, Boss has been introducing Waza Craft versions of some of its compact pedal series: premium versions featuring a complete redesign of the original circuits by the original developers. Some of these have been welcome revamps of pedals that have been out of production for some time, such as the CE-2, the DM-2 and the Dimension C. But this latest is not only one of the earliest Boss compacts but one that has been continuously in the Boss catalogue since 1978 and is, in fact, its bestseller. The DS-1W retains the original pedal’s triumvirate of Tone, Distortion and Level knobs but features two modes selected via a top-panel toggle switch. S is Standard mode, offering the sound of an original DS-1, while C is a new Custom mode, which delivers an alternative take on it.
Firing up the pedal in S mode you’re confronted with a sound that will be familiar to many, considering that Boss has sold over 1.5 million units and the DS-1 has been put to prominent use on stage and in recordings for the past 44 years! There are no clean sounds here – you’re into hard-edged distortion from the get-go with the Distortion knob at zero and the Level knob cranked up fairly high (from three o’clock onwards) to make sure the sound doesn’t recede as you kick the pedal in. The sound here is characterised by scooped midrange, but it can be nicely tailored with a Tone knob, which sets just the right balance of rolled-off bottom-end with strident highs.
Switching over to C mode, you’ll notice a volume jump as it’s 6dB louder with a different midrange profile. The sound is thicker with the mids poking forward, giving more presence to cut through a mix, and that extra 6dB offers much more leeway in adjusting the Level for a boost. What’s more, there’s increased sensitivity to picking and volume knob control, engendering a more dynamic playing experience suited to a range of musical scenarios. Taiwan plans to give cash payouts of nearly $200 to every citizen this year, Premier Su Tseng-chang has announced, saying the island’s economic growth will be shared by everyone. The export-reliant economy, a global tech powerhouse for products including semiconductor chips, grew 6.45 percent in 2021, the fastest rate since it expanded 10.25 percent in 2010.While economic growth is expected to slow in 2023, the government has made plans to plough an extra T$380 billion ($12.4bn) in tax revenue from last year back into the economy to help protect the island from global economic shocks, including subsidies for electricity prices and labour and health insurance.
Su said a total of T$140 billion, part of the tax revenue, would be spent as cash payouts and each citizen would get T$6,000 ($195.61). “The fruit of economic achievements will be shared by all citizens, from young to old,” Su told reporters on Wednesday, adding the potential payout requires approval from parliament, where the ruling Democratic Progressive Party has a majority. “We wish to give all citizens a New Year blessing after the beginning of the Lunar New Year,” Su told reporters, referring to the week-long holiday that starts on January 20. He did not give details of how the government would deliver the payouts. Taiwan is a major producer of semiconductors used in everything from cars and smartphones to fighter jets. Its economy continued to grow stably during the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years helped by strong chip demand for consumer electronics as more people worked from home. Taiwan’s central bank in December cut its 2022 estimate for gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 2.91 percent from its previous forecast of 3.51 percent in September. For 2023, it projected GDP would grow by 2.53 percent. The economy grew 4.01 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier. |
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