台湾外汇储备再创新高 排名全球第四

choi

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VOA Chinese, Dec. 5, 2009.
http://www1.voanews.com/chinese/news/taiwan/Taiwan-Nov-foreign-exchange-reserves-hits-record-high-20091205-78600997.html
("台湾11月底之前的外汇储备已经达到3471.9亿美元，比10月份增加了59.68亿美元 *
* * 排名第3的俄罗斯，10月份的外汇储备是3782亿美元。")

My comment:
(a) Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS),
Executive Yuan, Taiwan (www.dgbas.gov.tw; 行政院主計處) on Nov. 26, 2009
released 國民所得統計及國內經濟情勢展望, which predicted, among other things
, that despite -2.35% real GDP growth rate for the year,the TRADE surplus (
excluding service) would be $29.9 billion. The amount cannot explain the
huge increase in foreign reserve, which, according to Taiwan's central bank,
is due to appreciation of other currencies (EURO, Yen) relative to dollars
(central bank also estimated a few days ago that $1 billion hot money was
parked in Taiwan).
(b) I did not expect Taiwan to come close to Russia.
(i) In 1970s, economists in Taiwan kept saying a pile of foreign reserve was
not a good thing, reflecting poor use of the reserve which should be
invested. Which is true. So I am not thrilled to learn foreign reserves of
Taiwan keep climbing.
(ii) Apparently Russia has fallen on hard times since the financial crisis
began last year.


--------------Separately
(1) Lin Szu-yu and Elizabeth Hsu, Number of Taiwanese students learning 2nd
foreign language increases. Central News Agency, Nov. 30, 2009.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1120964〈=eng_news&cate_img=logo_taiwan&cate_rss=TAIWAN_eng
("The most popular languages for the students to study as a second foreign
language are Japanese, Spanish, German and French" in descending order)

(2) Sheryl Lim, Foreign workers' English boost. AsiaOne (Singapore), Dec. 3,
2009.
http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20091203-183610.html
(In half a year, foreign workers in the hotel, retail and food-and-beverage
sectors at Singapore must pass an English- language proficiency test, in
order for their employers to obtain preferential tax treatment)

The last four paragraphs of the report:

"One work-permit holder who benefited from it is Ms Sophia Liu, 23, a
waitress at Royal Plaza on Scotts.

"Ms Liu, a Taiwanese, learnt English in school but only as a second language.

"She said: 'In Taiwan, we do not speak English often. We don't use it in our
daily conversations.

"'The BCE [for Basic Conversational English] course has helped me improve my
English standards and now I feel more confident speaking English at work.'

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※ 修改:．choi 于 Dec  6 15:33:14 修改本文．[FROM: 128.197.0.0]