4Q11 GDP Growth Rate + Urging F-16 Sale: Taiwan

choi

(1) Robin Kwong, Challenges for Taiwan’s Growth Tzar. Financial Times, Jan 31, 2012 (blog)
http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics ... taiwans-growth-tzar
("Taiwan’s economy grew by just 1.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011, far below economists’ estimates of 2.8 per cent, according to government data announced on Thursday. For the full year, the economy grew by 4.03 per cent. It gets worse when you look at the quarterly numbers. Fourth quarter GDP was down -0.25 per cent from the third, which was down -0.21 per cent from the second. So Taiwan has, technically, slipped into recession")

My comment:
(a) It is hard to tell if Taiwan is in recession. You see, GDP growth rates in both Taiwan and China are year on year, comparing with the same quarter a year ago, whereas the same among world economic powers are quarter on quarter. Economics defines a recession as negative GDP growth rates in two consecutive quarters, but that is quarter-on-quarter data. Year-on-year data can not translate directly.
(b) Meg Chang, Taiwan December Joblessness Falls to 4.18 percent. Taiwan Today, Jan 31, 2012.
http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=185346&ctNode=445

(2) JR Labbe, US Should Let Taiwan Buy F-16 Fighter Jet. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jan 31, 2012.
http://www.star-telegram.com/201 ... aiwan-buy-f-16.html

Note: Tarrant County, Texas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarrant_County,_Texas
(Its county seat is Fort Worth; The county is named in honor of General Edward H Tarrant of the Republic of Texas [1836-1846] Militia)

Dallas is the county seat of Dallas County, which is on the right side of Tarrant County.