[quote=“ccpcannonfodder”][quote]Taiwan’s economic growth of 4.4 percent last year was the lowest among 20 Asian countries,
according to a report issued last week by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
[/quote]
Can anybody name as many as twenty Asian countries?[/quote]
China 11.5
Hong Kong 6.4
Republic of Korea 4.9
Taiwan 4.4
Kazakhstan 9.0
Kyrgyzstan 8.5
Russian Federation 7.5
Turkmenistan 10.0
Uzbekistan 9.1
Bangladesh 6.5
India 9.0
Iran 5.8
Pakistan 7.0
Turkey 5.2
Indonesia 6.2
Malaysia 5.6
Philippines 7.0
Singapore 7.8
Thailand 4.5
Vietnam 8.3
Their figures for 2006 and 2005 weren’t quite so bad for Taiwan, which actually ranked one from bottom in both years, above Kyrgyzstan:
2006
China 11.1
Hong Kong 6.9
Republic of Korea 5.0
Taiwan 4.7
Kazakhstan 10.6
Kyrgyzstan 2.7
Russian Federation 6.7
Turkmenistan 9.0
Uzbekistan 7.3
Bangladesh 6.6
India 9.4
Iran 6.2
Pakistan 6.6
Turkey 6.0
Indonesia 5.5
Malaysia 5.9
Philippines 5.4
Singapore 7.9
Thailand 5.0
Vietnam 8.2
2005
China 10.4
Hong Kong 7.5
Republic of Korea 4.2
Taiwan 4.1
Kazakhstan 9.7
Kyrgyzstan -0.2
Russian Federation 6.4
Turkmenistan 9.0
Uzbekistan 7.0
Bangladesh 6.0
India 9.0
Iran 5.4
Pakistan 9.0
Turkey 7.4
Indonesia 5.7
Malaysia 5.3
Philippines 5.0
Singapore 6.6
Thailand 4.5
Vietnam 8.4
Omni, discounting the blocking of the budget for half a year from the KMT (that only costed 1% growth), the figures are different depending the sources. The Academia Sinica posted 5.15% growth for 2007. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2007/12/15/2003392688
[quote=“Omniloquacious”]…here are UNESCAP’s figures for real GDP growth in 2007 China 11.5
Hong Kong 6.4
Republic of Korea 4.9
Taiwan 4.4
Kazakhstan 9.0
Kyrgyzstan 8.5
Russian Federation 7.5
Turkmenistan 10.0
Uzbekistan 9.1
Bangladesh 6.5
India 9.0
Iran 5.8
Pakistan 7.0
Turkey 5.2
Indonesia 6.2
Malaysia 5.6
Philippines 7.0
Singapore 7.8
Thailand 4.5
Vietnam 8.3
[/quote]
Not sure what to make of figures like these… Even booming China is just barely ahead of Turkmenistan in this numbers game - with Uzbekistan pressing hard… It seems that mature economies cannot realistically hope to have the numbers that developing economies can generate.
Four countries missing from the UNESCAP list are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Burma/Myanmar. I can’t readily find figures for 2007, but according to this site, their GDP growth rates in 2006 were:
Brunei 5.1
Cambodia 10.8
Laos 8.3
Burma 7.0
Again, these were all better than Taiwan’s 4.7% growth rate that year.
As a professional cheerleader for Taiwan’s economic performance, I am greatly pained by figures like these that show how badly this economy has been suffering in recent years under the strangulating effect of misguided cross-strait policy.
[quote=“Omniloquacious”]Four countries missing from the UNESCAP list are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Burma/Myanmar. I can’t readily find figures for 2007, but according to this site, their GDP growth rates in 2006 were:
Brunei 5.1
Cambodia 10.8
Laos 8.3
Burma 7.0
Again, these were all better than Taiwan’s 4.7% growth rate that year.
As a professional cheerleader for Taiwan’s economic performance, I am greatly pained by figures like these and others that show how badly this economy has been suffering in recent years under the strangulating effect of misguided cross-strait policy.[/quote]
I’m not disputing the fact that the economy can and should perform better, but I thought you were developing a more logical case by limiting the comparisons to the 4 Asian Tiger economies. I don’t think figures like these support your argument because you are not necessarily comparing apples to apples - they all outperformed the 4 Tigers, save for HK edging out Brunei. I’m wondering why Japan isn’t in this list…?
Many factors are pushing Taiwan down, from problems in the Legislature (with a lot of needed bills blocked and the political instability caused by the fights between the 2 main parties), problems in the Executive (from unqualified personnel, excessive bureaucracy and corruption) to the business sector (tax evasion and corruption).
Taiwan needs immediate investment on infrastructure (specially the east coast), urban beautification and re-qualification (if they ever want to become a touristic place), environment and education.
Taiwan is lagging on R&D, specially from public listed companies. I know a lot of them who simply don’t have any R&D, except for sorting components (as in trying to use bad ones that are still slightly usable) and RMA. These should be the companies that Taiwan needs to lead the country, yet they are sitting waiting that some IP they might use just fall on their laps. CES was a good show on how the lack of R&D is driving Taiwan down (apart from a few new things from the big guys (HTC/Asus/Acer)). Japan showed to the world a lot more than Taiwan (Taiwan is number 1 in LCD Production, but has nothing new to show).
… Interestingly, no-one here will address this. I’ve broached this with people too, and while the twenty-somethings are excusable, both blue and green high school teachers give me a blank glare.
I’m reminded, “the people get the government they deserve.”
And to misquote de Tocqueville, “democracy depends on an involved and intelligent populace.”[/quote]
I’ve broached this with TV reporters and received the same blank response. I find the level of ignorance about this topic to be beyond belief.
I rest my case! [/quote]
I think you’ve spotted the source of the problem.
Uhm yeah so I guess when the people of Taiwan vote in a pan-Blue president, you guys can stop scratching your heads about the economy. I think why you guys are getting blank stares is because that is the most stupid economic theory ever proposed, and they are too polite to tell you you’re stupid in public, thank goodness for the privacy of the internet.
Go to any high level economic meeting with real economist and please try to find the factor which represents opposing political parties. I hazard to guess you won’t find it. Even in game theory, the study of competition for net zero results, won’t factor in political parties.
Can anyone in their usual wonkish fashion tell us what exactly was the TI economic policy and how it would stimulate growth in Taiwan?
Say what you must about the KMT, but they were the party that led Taiwan through the “Taiwan Miracle,” so you’d think they have the knowledge capital and foresight to oppose some pretty stupid bills coming down the pipe from the DPP, which would adversely effect the economy.
[quote=“Muzha Man”][quote=“TheGingerMan”][quote=“Chewycorns”][quote=“Vorkosigan”]That’s ethnocentric western thinking, and I’m suspicious of it.
Michael[/quote]
And who can argue with the wisdom of a “Said-like” statement such as that.
Well, your analytical skills must be first rate. Got tenure yet? [/quote]
Classic Rejoinder!
That sure shut up Mr. “Ive Already Blogged About This, But…”
:bravo: [/quote]
Good one, Gingerman. [/quote]
Thanks, I guess.
No, it’s not. I was more interested in Chewy’s highly amusing comment about tenure.
To my senses, you’ve got it ass-backwards…
I would rather have posited it as “Chewy’s thought and analysis” and “perennial freshmen like Vork”…Just to clarify: I’d rather be lectured to by an astute well travelled wistful curmudgeon, than a vapidly verbose veneer who pontiificates on the patently obvious standard Poli Sci-Sociology quackery!
And, now to return to the swill pond of discourse between foddsie and droppsie…
“I would rather have posited it as “Chewy’s thought and analysis” and “perennial freshmen like Vork”…Just to clarify: I’d rather be lectured to by an astute well travelled wistful curmudgeon, than a vapidly verbose veneer who pontiificates on the patently obvious standard Poli Sci-Sociology quackery!”
I’m thinking Hall O’ Fame material here folks…Hall O’ Fame.
Most of us welcome Vork’s thoughts and analysis. Few of us enjoy being distracted by the second-rate banter of perennial freshmen like Chewie. [/quote]
[quote=“Michael Turton’s Blog comments dated February 22”]
Michael Turton’s blog is nothing more than a lone ranger trying to savage the little self-esteem left of Mr Chen. His blog will probably mislead some ignorant foreigners as if it’s the mainstream public opinion when the hidden fact is that it’s more a mouthpiece for DPP. Any blue comments in his blog will be condemned as coming from ugly and stoopid blue trolls. He doesn’t seem to understand that KMT was recently voted by the majority of Taiwanese and if the majority isn’t represented in his “View from Taiwan” blog, then what view is he trying to present.
He is still struggling hopelessly with all his unorthodox analysis of the recent election result. Claiming as a defender of democracy, he is distressed and upset when voters voted for KMT. As a life defender of DPP, his only wish is that DPP will continue to rule Taiwan indefinitely. If that’s the case, Taiwan might as well abolish election. So what difference does it made in comparing with CCP in China.
The only credit he ought to get is that his articles made up a good night story reading.
His (Michael Turton) blog will probably mislead some ignorant foreigners as if it’s the mainstream public opinion[/quote]
Probably already happened judging from some of the propaganda-fueled opinions you’ll find presented here in the Taiwan Politics threads. The usual and predictable knee-jerk anti-KMT sentiments are getting really tired.
[/quote]
He’s going to be the next Walter Lippman or H. L. Mencken I tell you. 