• Stepping Up the Ladder

• A Model for Drug Pricing

• A Taxing Question for Mutual Funds

— By Don Shapiro

For those in Taiwan who enjoy T-bone steak and beef short-ribs, there was good news this month in the announcement that imports of U.S. bone-in beef would be resumed as of mid-November. A ban on those cuts of meats, along with beef offal, had been in force since the mad-cow scare of 2005.

• Divergent Opinions on Regulating Convergence
  BY THIBAULT WORTH
   

• Taiwan Off to a Solid Start in the 4G Era
  BY PHILIP LIU
  
  

• Here Comes Digital TV
  BY DON SHAPIRO
  
  
  

The 2009 Taiwan Business Alliance emphasized economic ties with China and Southeast Asia, and the risk of over-reliance on the ICT sector.

BY JANE RICKARDS

With additional reporting by Anita Chen and Don Shapiro.

Hu Sheng-cheng’s Views on the Economy

During the two terms of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, Hu Sheng-cheng was a leading economic policy-maker, first as a Minister Without Portfolio, then as Minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, and finally as Chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission. The holder of a doctorate from the University of Rochester, Hu taught for many years at Purdue University before his return to Taiwan. He is an academician at Academia Sinica. Hu was interviewed by Taiwan Business TOPICS editor-in-chief Don Shapiro.

• MACROECONOMICS

• CROSS-STRAIT
  EXILED UIGHUR LEADER DENIED ENTRY

• DOMESTIC
  NEW CABINET MINISTERS ASSUME OFFICE
  CHEN SHUI-BIAN GETS  LIFE SENTENCE
  U.S LEGAL EXPERT CRITICIZES THE TRIAL
  YUNLIN BY-ELECTION GOES TO DPP

• INTERNATIONAL
  TAIWAN DROPS U.N BID
  TAIWAN HOSTS ANOTHER LARGE SPORTS EVENT

• BUSINESS
  HIGHER RANK IN WEF COMPETITIVENESS SURVEY
  PENGHU RESIDENTS NIX CASINO PLANS
  

How to Move to a Higher Level? A Report on the Service Sector

Reported BY JANE RICKARDS, AMY PAN, and PETER TZENG

By Don Shapiro

Weak in providing historical context, this volume focuses market-by-market on some key individuals who spurred their countries’ economic development.

The Miracle:
The Epic Story of Asia’s Quest for Wealth
By Michael Schuman
HarperCollins Business, New York.
2009. 422 pages
ISBN-10: 0061346683.
ISBN-13: 978-0061346682

By Philip Bowring

Text and Photos Courtesy of colorado tourism office

Traveling is a kind of magic that can open up a rich new world of possibilities. It removes people from their habitual pursuits, and pushes them in unexpected directions. In doing so, it refreshes the soul with new sights, sounds, and experiences. But magical though it is, travel is also big business. In 2008, 3.84 million visitors came to Taiwan, where they spent US$5.94 billion on hotels, food, souvenirs, transportation, and entertainment. Also last year, more than 8.4 million people left the island to travel overseas, while many more made trips within Taiwan itself, again spending large sums on vacations and business travel.