E-commerce platforms in China's Taiwan region have witnessed surging sales during the "Double 11" online shopping festival which usually lasts from late October to mid-November, with a great number of consumers enjoying the convenient shopping experience and the online shopping bonanza.
The "Double 11" online shopping festival was first initiated by Alibaba in 2009 on the mainland.
Taiwan businesses has been joining the mainland's "Double 11" online shopping festival since 2013. It has become a major annual commercial event which stimulates consumption and boosts the economy.
This year, young people in Taiwan are enthusiastic about the shopping festival, with many buying trendy clothing and innovative electronic products from the mainland with the promotional discount activities on e-commerce platforms.
"There are free shipping vouchers or discounts during the shopping festival. I buy things like clothes and bags from the mainland," said a local resident.
"I just bought a new bag and a water bottle. The shipping was very fast, and they arrived almost the next day," said another resident.
Experts say the popularity of the online shopping festival in Taiwan shows the great potential in logistics, trade, and innovative collaboration between both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
"More and more young people in Taiwan are shopping online. I believe that in such circumstances, e-commerce on both sides of the Strait should leverage their strengths to complement each other so as to deliver mutual benefits. The mainland has been at the forefront of e-commerce development with advanced platforms for purchasing goods and highly sophisticated payment systems. Both sides of the Taiwan Strait should work together to bridge gaps, eliminate trade barriers, and accelerate the development of e-commerce," said Deng Daixian, secretary-general of the Straits Economic and Cultural Interchange Association.
Taiwan consumers enjoy "Double 11" online shopping festival
The Japanese society should do soul-searching regarding its history of aggression and adhere to the pacifist constitution, said Shiradori Hiroshi, a professor of the Hosei University, in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) in Tokyo on April 30.
He said the government's recent move to discuss revising the three security documents deserve particular attention as the country's foreign and security policies have already witnessed major changes.
"People outside of the country hold that Japan's post-war image as a 'peace state' is now facing a major shift. Against the backdrop of tremendous changes in its foreign and security policies, the revision of the three security documents deserves particular attention. There lacks public debate in terms of the procedure, with policy changes decided unilaterally at Cabinet meetings. It is necessary to fully explain to the public as to whether such a practice is proper," said Hiroshi.
The Japanese government held its first expert panel meeting to discuss revisions to the three security documents at the Prime Minister's Office on April 27, local media reported.
Japan's current National Security Strategy and two related documents, formulated in 2022, were designed to cover the next 10 years, but the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has decided to move up the timetable to accelerate the revision process.
Increasing defense spending is one of the key topics of the meeting, according to Kyodo News.
Hiroshi said this year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, or Tokyo Trials, and the Japanese society must do soul-searching regarding its history of aggression in WWII, when it brought enormous catastrophes on Asian countries.
"Eighty years have passed since the opening of the Tokyo Trials. Japan inflicted enormous suffering on Asian countries during WWII, which should serve as an opportunity for the soul-searching. It is exact on the basis of countless sacrifices that Japan's post-war pacifism and its identity as a 'peace state' took shape. On this 80th anniversary, it is necessary for Japan to re-examine and do soul-searching regarding its history," said Hiroshi.
The Japanese government's effort to revise the pacifist constitution is widely opposed by the public.
On Sunday, around 50,000 people gathered at Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park, chanting slogans and holding banners against the government's push for constitutional revision and military expansion, the largest turnout of its kind in recent years.
Japan should adhere to pacifist constitution: scholar
