Taiwan Roundup: Indictment of US soldier, rise of exports, Indian workers MOU

Indictment of US soldier

US Army soldier Korbein Schultz has been arrested on charges of selling sensitive military information, including documents detailing potential US actions regarding Taiwan. Schultz, an intelligence analyst, was also accused of conspiring to obtain and disclose military defence information and bribery of a public official. The 24-year-old was arrested at Fort Campbell, Tennessee, shortly after the indictment was released. “The men and women of the United States Armed Forces dedicate their lives to maintain our national security… Our laws protecting national defence information are critical to that mission and they must be enforced. Illegal dissemination of national defence information puts our country, our fellow citizens, members of our military and our allies at risk,” said US Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry Leventis.

Rise of exports

Taiwan's exports increased by 1.3% in February, marking the fourth consecutive month of growth. The total reached US$31.43 billion, with The Taiwan Ministry of Finance citing AI as the main reason for the surge. However, electronic parts and machine tools exports declined, and metals, plastics, and chemical products experienced contractions. Despite the Lunar New Year holidays, imports fell 17.8%, leaving Taiwan with a positive trade balance of US$7.89 billion, Taiwan News reported.

Review of Indian workers MOULabour rights advocacy groups in Taiwan on March 9 called for a substantive review of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Taipei and New Delhi on making India a source of migrant workers in Taiwan. The MOU, which could potentially recruit up to 100,000 Indian workers, has been met with backlash after Bloomberg reported in 2023 that it could recruit up to 100,000 workers, Focus Taiwan reports. The Taiwan International Workers' Association member Hsu Wei-tung called for the MOU to be subject to a substantive review, similar to economic treaties between Taiwan and other countries. According to Hsu, some lawmakers have called for a government-to-government (G2G) model for the recruitment of Indian workers, arguing that this could help Taiwan establish a G2G recruitment system and renounce the labour brokerage system. Taiwan's Labor Ministry plans to clarify its recruitment channels, including a G2G model, regarding Indian workers during future meetings with the Indian government, Focus Taiwan reported.

Food safety investigation

Taiwan's Control Yuan is investigating the country's food safety mechanism to protect public health following the discovery of toxic dyes in chilli powders. According to three Control Yuan members, the investigation will focus on the Asian nation’s existing inspection system and preventive measures to address public concerns. The government authority is looking into the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation's shortcomings and seeing whether any changes can be made, Focus Taiwan reports. The chilli powder case in the country led to the recall of several food products and temporary bans on chilli and curry powder in school lunches.  As of March 7, 127,089.2 kg of chilli powder and related goods have been taken off the shelves, according to Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration.

Taiwan Lantern Festival

The 2024 Taiwan Lantern Festival has reached its peak crowds, with over 15 million total visitors. Along with an increase in visitors and 230 additional trains, the festival, which started on February 4, has also resulted in the establishment of a control centre and emergency response team at some Taiwan Railway offices to facilitate the movement of people and offer on-site support if needed, local media Liberty Times reports. The annual event hosted by the Tourism Bureau in Taiwan includes a Pokémon GO City Safari event area, with many Pokémon players entering the area at noon.