TAIPEI - More than 58 percent of unmarried adult office workers in Taiwan have no plans to get married, and half of couples without children do not plan have them due to economic pressures and other reasons, according to a job website survey.Job website Yes123 conducted an online survey of 1,304 adult office workers aged 20 or above in March, and collected 888 questionnaires from enterprises.Unmarried respondents cited low income levels, difficulty to find the right person, can't afford to buy a house,, want to live a free life, and insufficient saving as the main reasons for not entering marriage.Demographic data showed about 135,400 couples got married in Taiwan last year, the lowest in nine years, while 181,600 new babies were born last year, the lowest in eight years.Demographic authorities estimate Taiwan will see negative population growth in 2022 and become a super aging society by 2026. Its work force could be halved in 2065 from the level of 2018.Yes123 found 38.7 percent of office workers said they had children.Half of workers without children said it was because their current incomes could not support such plans. Some said they were work-laden and too busy to look after children. Others said they were not satisfied with the education quality and institutions in Taiwan.Analyzing the survey results, Yang Tsung-pin, spokesman for Yes123, said low salaries, long work hours, high house prices and education environment were to blame for the low birth rate.To raise a child, a couple expects to have a decent monthly household income of 102,000 new Taiwan dollars (about $3,300) on average, or about 2.45 times the average regular salary level, according to survey. silicone medical alert wristbandsrubber band wristband makerrubber bracelets cheapdebossed wristbandssilicone wristband supplier malaysia
BEIJING - China has lodged solemn representations with the United States over a Taiwan-related bill, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.The US Senate on Wednesday passed the Taiwan Travel Act, which aims to encourage high-level visit exchange between the United States and Taiwan. The US House of Representatives also passed the bill in January.Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a routine news briefing that although some of the act's clauses are not legally binding, it seriously violates the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques.China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly against the act and has lodged solemn representations with the US side, said Hua.She said the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US ties.We urge the United States to adhere to its commitment to the one-China policy and the three Sino-US joint communiques, stop official contacts with Taiwan, and prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues in order to avoid damage to China-US ties, Hua said.
