Quickies on the market and on the arms freeze

China Times reports KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang, long involved in defense issues, says that Taiwan asked three times for F-16s:

立法委員訪問團七月卅一日在華府指出，兩年來，中華民國政府三度向美國提交F-16C/D戰機的採購意向書，可是三度遭到美國政府退回具體日期，分別是二○○六年七月廿七日、○七年二月十三日以及○七年六月廿二日。美國還要求台灣不要再提。

The dates in the penultimate sentence are 2006 July, 2007 Feb, and again in 2007 June. The last sentence says that the US then asked that Taiwan not bring up the issue again. Note that Bush Administration has claimed (a) there is no arms freeze and (b) that it dates from after the election of Ma, because the KMT asked the Administration to freeze arms sales because they didn't want to disturb President Ma's delicate surrender negotiations talks with Beijing. Again note that (a) and (b) contradict each other, and both contradict known facts. If the Bush Administration were any more full of shit, the President would need sewage permits to hold a press conference.

Ma save us! The property market slowdown continues!

The local property market continued its slowdown last month with market watchers expressing mixed views about its future prospects, a statement released yesterday said.

Evertrust Rehouse’s (永慶房屋) survey found that residential property prices in the greater Taipei area saw a 10 percent month-on-month decline to average NT$267,000 (US$8,670) per ping (3.3m²) last month while trading volume dropped by 15 percent in the same period.

....

The real-estate index, co-compiled by Chang and Cathay Real Estate Development Co (國泰建設), the nation’s second largest developer, showed that the 30-day trading volume indicator saw a 23.49 percent year-on-year decline in the second quarter of this year to reach 412 points, although closing prices saw a 6.15 percent growth at the same time, to average NT$195,500 per ping nationwide in the second quarter.

On a quarterly basis, both closing prices and the 30-day trading volume indicator jumped by 2.53 percent and 28.05 percent respectively in the second quarter, Chang said.

In addition, Evertrust’s survey found that the property market in Taichung saw 30 percent month-on-month decline last month, although average prices remained steady.

The property market in Kaohsiung, however, appeared to benefit from investments made by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), and the launch of the city’s mass rapid transit system, seeing a 5 percent growth in sales last month, compared with June.

In other areas where Ma was going to save us, the Liberty Times said today we are getting 150 tourists a day from China. Hopefully this is just a temporary depression as everyone gears up for the Olympics.

[Taiwan]