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天主教前教宗本篤十六世（Pope Benedict XVI）的秘書告訴義大利新聞社（ANSA），本篤十六世已要求從一本爭議新書的作者中除名，書中引述他堅決反對允許已婚男性擔任神父。

本篤十六世與樞機主教賽拉（Robert Sarah）合著「來自我們心中深處」（暫譯，From the Depths ofOur Hearts）一書，內容摘要12日刊登於「法國費加洛報」（Le Figaro）。

這本新書引用本篤十六世的話寫道，對於放寬教士獨身制度的問題「我無法保持沉默」。這本書預計明天在法國上架，封面是本篤十六世與賽拉的合照。

本篤十六世的秘書耿斯凡（Georg Gaenswein）告訴ANSA，他代表前教宗要求共同作者賽拉「聯繫出版商，請求他們將本篤十六世從共同作者中除名，並從引言及結語移除他的簽名」。

耿斯凡指出，本篤十六世知道有本書準備出版，將他的文本授權賽拉「隨意使用」，但本篤十六世未同意聯名出書的任何計畫，也未看過及授權使用此書封面。

現任教宗方濟各（Pope Francis）正在考慮，是否讓「德行已獲證明的已婚男性」（viri probati）在特定情況下擔任神父，例如偏遠的亞馬遜地區。

這本新書掀起一場風暴，部分梵蒂岡專家質疑，梵蒂岡內部是否有極保守人士利用高齡92歲的本篤十六世。自2013年退休以來，本篤十六世大多避免引人注目。

countries: 梵蒂岡 義大利 法國

title: 新書槓教廷引發爭論 前天主教教宗要求撤掛名


title: 龐培歐：殺蘇雷曼尼是震懾伊朗戰略一部分

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美國十三日進一步淡化擊殺蘇雷曼尼是因他策畫立即攻擊美國使館的說法，國務卿龐培歐稱殲滅這位伊朗高級將領，是華府震懾伊朗的大戰略一部分，並表示震懾戰略不僅適用於伊朗，中國大陸跟俄羅斯也同樣適用。

路透報導，龐培歐在史丹佛大學胡佛研究所發表演說時，並未提到蘇雷曼尼所策畫立即攻擊帶來的威脅，僅在回答一個問題時重申他先前的主張，搶在這類陰謀發生前先發制人，是一月三日美國無人機攻擊伊朗二把手的原因。

龐培歐的演說「恢復震懾：以伊朗為例」，聚焦在他稱為對伊朗建立「真正震懾」的政府戰略，且較早前的共和黨及民主黨政策，助長伊朗的「惡意活動」。

龐培歐表示，殺死聖城旅指揮官蘇雷曼尼的背後有「更大的戰略」。

龐培歐說，「川普總統和我們國安團隊中的那些人，正重新建立震懾力，對伊朗的真正震懾力。你的敵人不僅必須了解你有能力付出代價，你也願意這樣做」。龐培歐並稱川普二○一八年退出二○一五年簽訂的伊朗限核協議，因為該協議讓德黑蘭更加膽大妄為。

當提到美國對伊朗經濟造成的傷害時，龐培歐說：「美國現在在伊朗問題上擁有歷來最大的優勢。」

龐培歐還說：「震懾的重要性不限於伊朗。在任何情況下，我們都必須阻止敵人捍衛自由。這就是川普總統努力讓我們的軍隊成為有史以來最強的重點。」

龐培歐並舉軍援烏克蘭致命武器對抗俄國支持的分離主義分子、退出跟俄國軍備控制協定並測試新中程巡弋飛彈、增加南海演習次數應對中國島礁軍事化行動，以及對中國輸美商品加收關稅等例子，稱這些都是美國政府震懾戰略的各個面向。

龐培歐說：「我們正在恢復震懾的威信。」

countries: 伊朗 俄羅斯 烏克蘭 中國 美國


title: 簽署貿易協議前夕 美將陸移出匯率操縱國

content_text:
美國與中國大陸即將簽署第一階段貿易協議，美國財政部十三日公布最新「美國主要貿易夥伴外匯政策報告」，將中國大陸移出匯率操縱國，但納入「觀察名單」。台灣雖未重新列入匯率操縱國觀察名單，但報告警示，「已接近觸動關鍵門檻」。

美財政部原定去年十月中旬發布匯率報告，但因美中進行貿易談判推遲。如今美中預定在美東時間十五日簽署協議，川普政府十三日宣布將中國大陸移出匯率操縱國名單，表示大陸已做出「可落實的承諾」，此舉也為兩國簽署協議排除一大障礙。

美國財政部使用三個標準來評估其他國家是否操縱匯率，包括積極干預外匯市場的程度、對美國貿易順差及經常帳順差的規模。被列為匯率操縱國不會立即受到處罰，但可能擾亂金融市場。

多家外電分析，美國政府突然認定中國大陸不再是匯率操縱國，公布時機正好在美中簽署第一階段貿易協議前兩天。如此來看，所有人也見識到匯率報告被拿來當討價還價工具，影響最大的，恐怕不是中國大陸，而是像台灣、泰國較小的貿易夥伴。

美國財政部表示，瑞士因買匯「顯著增加」而被重新列入觀察名單。愛爾蘭預定在四月發布的下次報告中移出觀察名單；泰國和台灣未被列入觀察名單，但已接近違反的關鍵門檻。越南「頻繁」干預匯率，但已向美財政部傳達「可信」訊息，解釋越南為重建外匯存底須購買外匯。

美國財政部去年八月指定中國大陸為匯率操縱國，當時人民幣貶破七元兌一美元關卡，美國總統川普指中方有意繼續其不公平貿易行為與操縱匯率，這是嚴重的違規行為。

台灣則在二○一六年至隔年曾三次被列入觀察名單，之後在二○一七年十月除名。但多位資深銀行人士認為，未來央行在匯率方面可能沒太大調節空間，台幣短期易升難貶，台幣昨續升，盤中重返廿九點八元，尾盤升值金額縮至一分，收廿九點九四二元。

countries: 越南 瑞士 台灣 中國 美國 泰國 愛爾蘭


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大陸去年十二月進出口表現超預期，出口在連續四個月負增長後首次轉正；至於二○一九年外貿表現，全年總出口實現正成長，但貿易戰拖累，中美雙邊貿易額降逾一成。

大陸海關總署副署長鄒志武預估，今年大陸外貿有望繼續保持總體「平穩增長」態勢。他表示，中美貿易摩擦確實給大陸外貿帶來一定的壓力，大陸對美國出口下降，但對非美市場和整體出口依然保持成長，隨著中美第一階段經貿協議簽署，不論對美中和全球貿易，以及今後經濟都帶來利多消息。

大陸海關總署昨日公布去年十二月外貿成績單，出口金額二三七六點五億美元創下單月歷史新高，年增百分之七點六，為連續四個月負增長後首次轉正，並創下二○一九年三月以來近九個月最高水準。

檢視二○一九年全年外貿成績單，據海關總署統計，以美元計價出口成長百分之零點五，進口下滑百分之二點八，全年貿易順差達四二一五億美元，擴大百分之廿五。

中美貿易額去年下降百分之十點七，東協取代美國，成為大陸第二大貿易夥伴，僅次於歐盟。儘管對美國貿易萎縮，但美國仍是大陸第二大出口目的地。

鄒志武表示，美中簽署第一個協議以後，擴大自美進口，不會影響其他國家、其他市場對中國大陸的出口。

另外，在二○一九年大陸民營企業進出口首次超過外商投資企業，成為第一大外貿主體，占外貿總值的百分之四十二點七。

countries: 中國 歐盟 美國

title: 貿易戰拖累 美中年貿易額降逾一成


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德國官員表示，德國警方今天清晨在全國掃蕩可疑的伊斯蘭好戰分子，聲稱這些人正在密謀發動攻擊，可能已選定目標。

德國是歐洲人口最多的國家，近年來曾遭受數起恐怖攻擊，當局向來對伊斯蘭分子的威脅保持高度警戒。

柏林檢察長辦公室發推文說：「由於有人涉嫌策劃危及國家的嚴重暴力行動，在柏林、布蘭登堡邦（Brandenburg）、北萊因-西發利亞邦（North Rhine-Westphalia）與圖林根邦（Thuringia）執行搜索。」

柏林警方發表聲明說，涉嫌的好戰分子來自於車臣（Chechen），年齡介於23至28歲之間，並且「疑似已勘查可能發動攻擊的地點」。

聲明指出，警方在例行盤查時，看到其中一名嫌犯手機裡的照片，認為啟人疑竇。

「明鏡周刊」（Der Spiegel）報導，警方還發現嫌犯有柏林市區內一處猶太教會堂的影像資料，懷疑他們可能鎖定這處會堂為目標。

報導說，他們可能也曾偵查數個購物中心做為下手的目標。

約180名員警投入這次大規模掃蕩，查扣了一些現金、硬體設備與刀械。

title: 掃蕩伊斯蘭好戰分子  德國警方分兵多路搜索


title: 美中貿易緊張情勢緩和 歐股小漲作收

content_text:
2020-01-15 02:19
 〔中央社〕美國在美中即將簽署第一階段貿易協議前，將中國移出匯率操縱國名單，顯示兩國貿易緊張情勢緩和，歐洲主要股市今天以微漲或小漲作收。

倫敦FTSE 100指數小漲0.1%，以7622.35點作收。

法蘭克福DAX 30指數微漲約5點，收在13456.49點。

巴黎CAC 40指數小漲不到0.1%，收6040.89點。

countries: 美國 中國


countries: 中國 香港 泰國

content_text:
武漢肺炎一度傳出可能「有限度人傳人」，但ＷＨＯ隨後稱並無明確證據，圖為香港西九龍站工作人員戴口罩為離港旅客檢票。 （中通社） 分享

泰國日前出現首例中國大陸以外的武漢肺炎確診個案後，衛福部疾管署副署長莊人祥昨說，該「二○一九新型冠狀病毒（2019-nCoV）」病例患者為大陸武漢六旬女性，未曾去過武漢華南海鮮市場，但去過其他市場，不排除人傳人的可能，但目前未傳院內感染案例，是否有其他動物感染源未被發現，須盡快釐清。

昨一度也傳出有世界衛生組織（ＷＨＯ）官員受訪說，2019-nCoV極可能「有限度人傳人」。有限度人傳人主要指親近者間小規模群聚感染，例如家人，但疫情也可能擴大蔓延，引發外界憂慮。不過，世界衛生組織隨後透過官方推特否認傳聞，強調截至目前為止，並無明確證據能顯示和證實有人傳人的威脅。

莊人祥說，人傳人的可能性還是一直未排除，ＷＨＯ將邀集專家討論，我將密切注意，與ＷＨＯ最新指引同步，立即修正感染管制措施。但ＷＨＯ尚未宣布會人傳人，我目前防疫比照ＷＨＯ指引，尚未針對泰國採取額外檢疫措施。

由於泰國確診個案未去過武漢華南海鮮市場，中國醫藥大學兒童醫院感染科主任黃高彬認為，不能排除該婦人出沒的傳統市場及華南海鮮市場，共同販售同一種野外動物為感染源。

在泰國發病的病例，追蹤與其接觸者一八五位，其中十六例同航班旅客已確認陰性，患者預計近日可出院返國。

截至本月十二日，大陸官方公布2019-nCoV病例共四十一名，重症六例治療中、一例死亡；我迄今共七名符合「中國武漢旅遊史發燒肺炎病例」個案，但並無確診個案。莊人祥呼籲計畫前往武漢或鄰近區域民眾，應避免出入傳統市場及接觸野生和禽畜類動物，勤以肥皂洗手、配戴口罩。若返國入境十四天內出現發燒或類流感症狀，應主動告知航管檢疫人員，主動告知醫師旅遊史。

title: 疾管署：武漢肺炎不排除人傳人


title: ‘Unpowered flight’ firms fail review

content_text:
‘Unpowered flight’ firms fail review

PREVENTING ACCIDENTS:The Sports Administration is working with local governments to draft ordinances, as only Pingtung County has comprehensive regulations
Members of the Consumer Protection Committee announce the results of an inspection on the “unpowered flight” sector at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.Photo: CNA
None of the businesses in Taiwan offering “unpowered flight” experiences passed inspections by the Sports Administration, the Consumer Protection Committee said yesterday.

There are 13 such businesses in the nation — two in New Taipei City, one in Yilan County, five in Hualien County, two in Nantou County, two in Taitung County and one in Pingtung County, the committee said.

The committee requested that the inspections be performed due to the potential risks to consumers posed by such activities, committee official Wang Shu-hui (王淑慧) said, adding that “unpowered flight” accidents often result in serious injuries.

The inspections were performed from June to November last year by experts, local government officials and consumer protection officials chosen by the Sports Administration, said Wang Li-heng (王力恆), an official in the agency’s Sports for All Division.

They inspected 23 items in four categories: facilities and equipment, flight space management, emergency response capabilities and administrative tasks, Wang Li-heng said.

All 13 businesses met the regulations for flight space and range, facilities, equipment and insurance, the agency said.

However, six business had not established management systems and three had not drafted emergency rescue plans and did not offer indemnity contracts, the agency found.

One Hualien-based company was unable to provide information for six inspection items, and did not completely meet the requirements for two of them, it found.

The Sports Administration said that it has since asked businesses to make improvements where needed.

Last year, more than 20,000 people in Taiwan participated in “unpowered flight” activities through a company, Wang Li-heng said, adding there were no major accidents.

However, considering that legislation is relatively slow and there is no legal basis for adding penalties to existing regulations, the agency is working with local governments to draft ordinances that include penalties as soon as possible, he said.

Only Pingtung has comprehensive regulations for “unpowered flight” activities, he said, adding that the agency hopes that other local governments would use Pingtung’s self-government ordinance as an example and draft their own regulations.

Committee Deputy Director Wu Cheng-hsueh (吳政學) said local governments that have yet to set self-government ordinances can use Article 33 of the Consumer Protection Act (消費者保護法) to conduct inspections.

Under Article 36 of the act, they may ask businesses to make changes within a limited period, he said, adding that under Article 58, fines of NT$60,000 to NT$1.5 million (US$2,004 to US$50,097) can be imposed.

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content_text:
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, center left, and Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib, center right, shake hands in Prague’s Old Town Square on Monday.Photo: AP

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Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib on Monday in the Czech capital signed a sister-city agreement formalizing ties between the two cities, after Prague canceled a similar agreement with Beijing to protest against China’s insistence on adherence to its “one China” principle in October last year.

Ko and Hrib on Monday afternoon met at Prague’s Old Town Hall to sign the agreement, which aims to foster closer cooperation in culture, technology, tourism, healthcare and other areas.

Memorandums of understanding between the two cities’ zoos and tourism bureaus were also signed at the ceremony, including an agreement that pangolins from Taipei Zoo are to be gifted to Prague Zoological Garden, which would make it the second zoo in Europe to have pangolins from Taiwan.

Ko said that he has met with Hrib four times since they first met at a smart city summit in Taipei in March last year.

Hrib has expressed his full support for Taiwan and the residents of Taipei, and Taiwanese can all feel his passion and friendliness toward the nation, Ko said, adding that Hrib would always be welcome to visit Taiwan.

“In spite of the indisputable geographical distance, we are bound by shared democratic values and respect for fundamental human rights and cultural freedoms, so we can learn from and inspire each other,” Hrib said.

Prague and Taipei becoming sister cities would be greatly beneficial to both cities, he added.

Hrib, who spent his medical internship in Taiwan, was elected mayor in November 2018 and called for the “one China” principle, which insists that Taiwan is part of China, be eliminated from the sister-city agreement between Prague and Beijing signed in 2016.

The Prague City Council in October last year voted to scrap the partnership agreement with Beijing after it failed to remove the article.

Hrib on Sunday condemned China, calling it an “unreliable partner” in an interview with a German newspaper.

In a Washington Post article published on Dec. 23, he called China “an unreliable business partner” that would breach deals already made with other countries to further its political agenda.

“Prague has its own choice to become a sister city with cities of the world, and I think Beijing should also allow Prague the right to choose,” Ko said on Monday.

After the ceremony, the two mayors visited the Prague Astronomical Clock and participated in a tree-planting ceremony before attending a banquet in the evening.

Unhappy over the signing of the sister-city agreement between Taipei and Prague, Shanghai yesterday ended all official relations with the Czech capital.

The Shanghai Municipal Government’s Foreign Affairs Office said in a notice that it “strongly condemns and solemnly protests” Prague’s decision.

Additional reporting by AP

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title: Ko inks sister-city deal after Prague renounces Beijing


title: Groups urge full review of Taoyuan runway project

taiwan-subdivisions: 蘆竹 大園

content_text:
Members of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights protest in front of the Environmental Protection Administration in Taipei yesterday against a project to build a third runway at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.Photo: CNA
Representatives from several advocacy groups yesterday gathered outside the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in Taipei to call for a thorough review of a proposal to build a third runway at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

The agency was scheduled to hold a second meeting to review a draft environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed runway.

About a dozen advocates held signs that bore messages such as “Without resolving the EIA controversy, [plans] cannot be passed hastily.”

At the first meeting in November last year, experts asked developers to provide a more detailed response to concerns such as the safety of an oil depot near the planned runway, air pollution and noise, Taiwan Association for Human Rights housing rights advocate Yu Yi-chia (余宜家) said.

Taoyuan International Airport Corp in its EIA report gave “empty answers to real questions,” she said.

“We want to once again remind [the developers] that if a disaster were to happen at the airport, it would have a huge impact on Taiwan’s overall society and economy,” she said.

The runway would be about 350m from the Shalun Oil Depot, Environmental Jurists Association legal project manager Hsu Meng-ping (徐孟平) said.

The oil depot supplies fuel not only to the airport, but also the rest of northern Taiwan, Hsu said.

The oil pipeline connecting the depot to the airport is “not buried very deep,” she added.

To her knowledge, the pipeline lies about 2m underground, she said, raising concerns about potential accidents.

She and the other advocates do not want to hear the developers keep saying “there will be no problems,” and instead want to know how the developers will respond “if, unfortunately, a problem occurs.”

Meanwhile, Environmental Rights Foundation research fellow Hsu Po-jen (許博任) called for a new social impact assessment.

A comprehensive social impact assessment should include a description of current conditions, a prediction of the project’s potential effects and plans for mitigating them, among other matters, he said.

The Taoyuan Aerotropolis project would “directly impact at least 15 percent of the population in Taoyuan’s Lujhu (蘆竹) and Dayuan (大園) districts,” Yu said.

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content_text:
New CEO tells staff Boeing must be ‘transparent’

IMPROVED BUSINESS CULTURE:New Boeing Co chief executive David Calhoun told employees that they must work to rebuild trust and restore key relationships
Boeing 737 MAX aircraft owned by Southwest Airlines sit idle at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California, on March 28 last year.Photo: AFP
New Boeing Co chief executive officer David Calhoun on Monday told employees that the company must strengthen its culture, focus on “integrity” and be “transparent,” an e-mail sent to staff showed.

Calhoun, a longtime Boeing board member, officially took over on Monday as chief executive, replacing Dennis Muilenburg, who was ousted last month, as the company faces a drawn-out crisis following deadly crashes of its top-selling 737 MAX jet.

Calhoun invoked the airline’s “tremendous legacy of aerospace achievement,” saying that employees must work to “rebuild trust” and restore key relationships with customers, partners and regulators.

“I see greatness in this company, but I also see opportunities to be better — much better,” Calhoun said. “That includes engaging one another and our stakeholders with greater transparency, holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards of safety and quality, and an incorporating outside-in perspective on what we do and how we do it.”

He takes the reins four days after the release of a new trove of embarrassing employee e-mails, including one saying that the 737 MAX was “designed by clowns.”

The aircraft has been grounded since March, following two deadly crashes.

Boeing faces numerous probes and lawsuits over the crashes. The incidents have already cost the company more than US$9 billion and led to the suspension of production of the 737 MAX, due to lengthy delays in winning regulatory approval to resume flights.

Calhoun said that returning the MAX to service safely “must be our primary focus,” including “following the lead of our regulators and working with them to ensure they’re satisfied completely with the airplane and our work so that we can continue to meet our customer commitments.”

Underlining the challenges ahead, ratings agency Moody’s Investor Service on Monday placed Boeing’s debt rating on review for downgrade.

Moody’s said that it saw “a more costly and protracted recovery for Boeing to restore confidence.”

Shares of Boeing on Monday closed up 0.1 percent in New York trading, paring gains from earlier in the day. Shares have fallen more than 20 percent since the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, which led to the grounding of the airplane.

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content_text:
A container ship makes its way at a port in Qingdao, China, yesterday.Photo: AFP
China’s trade surplus with the US narrowed last year as the world’s two biggest economies exchanged punitive tariffs in a bruising trade dispute, data showed yesterday, just as the two prepare to sign a deal that would dial down tensions.

The huge difference in trade traffic is a key bone of contention for US President Donald Trump in a long-running stand-off that has seen him impose tariffs on goods worth hundreds of billions of dollars, triggering retaliation from Beijing and jolting the global economy.

China’s surplus last year came in at about US$295.8 billion, down 8.5 percent from 2018’s record US$323.3 billion, customs data showed.

China’s surplus with the US last month was about US$23.2 billion, from US$24.6 billion in November.

Since November and last month, Chinese imports from the US, including soybeans and pork, have picked up, Chinese Deputy Customs Commissioner-General Zou Zhiwu (鄒志武) said yesterday.

The increased imports from the US would not affect China’s purchases from other countries, he said.

The trade tensions had “put some pressure on China’s foreign trade and firms that largely trade with the US,” Zou added.

“Although our exports to the US have declined, the effectiveness of enterprises diversifying their markets has been significant,” he said, adding that exports to non-US markets have risen and overall exports are still rising.

The signing of the new trade deal, which is part of a planned wider pact, would have an “important and positive significance” not just for China and the US, but also the rest of the world, Zou said.

China’s foreign trade volume last year fell slightly year-on-year, and its surplus with the world stood at US$421.5 billion.

China’s exports last month rose 7.6 percent year-on-year, continuing growth from July last year and surpassing the 2.9 percent forecast in a Bloomberg News survey. Imports surged 16.3 percent, far exceeding estimates.

For the whole of last year, China’s exports rose 0.5 percent, while imports fell 2.8 percent.

Meat imports spiked over the past 12 months, as officials brought in 1.9 million tonnes of pork — a 75 percent increase from the year before, while beef imports rose 60 percent.

The huge jumps come as the country’s pork supply is hammered by an outbreak of African swine fever that has wiped out about 40 percent of the national pig herd.

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title: China trade surplus with US dropped 8.5% last year


content_text:
Cosmos Hotel & Resorts Group (天成飯店集團) is to rejoin the market in Taichung by launching boutique property Cosmos Boutique (天成丰閣) in 2023, group marketing and communications head Blithe Chao (趙芝綺) said in a statement on Monday.

The arrival of Cosmos Boutique, which is to be constructed in Taichung’s most prosperous rezoned district, would expand the group’s portfolio to eight properties under various brands to accommodate guests with different travel budgets, Chao said.

For example, Cosmos Taipei (台北天成大飯店) near Taipei Railway Station and the Taipei Garden Hotel (台北花園大酒店) near the Ximen MRT Station are part of the group’s urban classics series, which targets travelers who want to explore parts of the city and tourist attractions that are easily reached by public transportation, she said.

The Sun Dialogue Hotel (繪日之丘) in Chiayi allows guests to tour southern Taiwan, while Hua Shan Din (華山町), near Taipei’s Zhongxiao-Xinsheng MRT Station, stands out because of its historical yet fashionable design, she said.

The group has renamed the Grand Cosmos Resort Ruisui (瑞穗春天國際觀光酒店) in Hualien to the Grand Cosmos (瑞穗天合) and made it a top luxury brand, she added.

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title: Cosmos Hotel & Resorts to re-enter Taichung by 2023


taiwan-subdivisions: 烈嶼 金城

content_text:
Jincheng picked for small town tourism campaign

KINMEN COUNTY PRIDE:The township was one of 10 chosen by the Tourism Bureau, and officials plan to use the accompanying subsidy to upgrade attractions’ facilities
Jincheng Township (金城) has been selected as one of Taiwan’s 30 classic towns for this year, the Kinmen County Government said on Monday.

Jincheng is the county’s second town to receive the designation after Lieyu Township (烈嶼) was selected in a Tourism Bureau poll last year, Jincheng Mayor Lee Cheng-chih (李誠智) said.

The designation is part of the bureau’s “Small Town Ramble 2.0” campaign, which highlights the cultural and lifestyle characteristics of 20 mountainous communities and 10 small towns.

Jincheng is home to numerous historic military sites and traditional villages, but it also has an abundance of natural resources, Lee said, adding that it was picked largely due to its traditional and innovative cultural characteristics.

For example, wildlife conservation elements were last year introduced for the first time into an annual religious festival celebrating the traditional Chinese folk deity Cheng Huang (城隍), the city god, he said.

An activity to raise public awareness for efforts to conserve the Eurasian otter was highlighted during the festival to increase people’s understanding of the crisis facing the species, he added.

Lee also touted the wide diversity of tourism resources and attractions in Jincheng, such as a mangrove forest around the Wujiang River (浯江溪) estuary, picturesque sunsets and white sand beaches.

The central government is to grant the selected 30 communities at least NT$1 million (US$33,398) in subsidies to promote tourism and improve tourism infrastructure, Lee said, adding that he plans to use the funds to upgrade facilities at tourist sites.

This year marks the 340th anniversary of the Cheng Huang Festival — the largest religious activity in Kinmen — and Jincheng Township Office plans to work with the Wudao City God Temple to seek funding from the central and county governments to expand the event.

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title: Think tank head to run for KMT chairman

content_text:
Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung listens in a Pop Radio interview in Taipei yesterday.Photo: CNA
Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) on Monday evening said that he would run for the chairmanship of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and that he hopes to sign a memorandum of understanding with Beijing to ensure cross-strait peace.

Chang made the announcement on Facebook, becoming the first KMT member to commit to a chairmanship bid after KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) on Saturday announced his resignation to shoulder responsibility for the party’s defeats in the presidential and legislative elections.

Following the KMT’s losses in the elections, the Republic of China and the party “are now pushed to the edge of the cliff,” Chang said in a statement on Monday.

If elected chairman, he would immediately begin negotiations with China to sign a memorandum of understanding to ensure cross-strait peace, he said.

He would reform the KMT’s structure and core policies to transform it into “a party that belongs to the young generation and fights for the public’s well-being and justice,” he added.

In a Pop Radio interview yesterday, Chang said that the KMT must propose a new cross-strait discourse superior to that of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

As the DPP is separatist at its core, only the KMT is capable of creating cross-strait peace, he said.

However, “the KMT must convince the general public that it only engages the mainland for the purposes of creating peace, and that it would never sell out Taiwan,” he added.

Certain KMT members have suggested a complete reform, which would entail abandoning the so-called “1992 consensus” as the party’s cross-strait stance, Chang disagreed.

“Some are saying that the party should do away with the ‘Chinese’ in its name or the ‘1992 consensus,’” Chang said. “But by trying to appear neutral on those subjects, it would merely be taking away the original spirit with which it was founded and the value of its existence.”

If the KMT is to give up its core values, its members might as well just found a new party, he added.

The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted to making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.

Separately yesterday, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) reiterated that he has no intention to run for KMT chairman.

Han said on Facebook that he has “no interest in either becoming KMT chairman or taking the election subsidy.”

Local media on Saturday reported that Han would receive an election subsidy of more than NT$160 million (US$5.3 million) for receiving 5.52 million votes in the presidential election, despite losing to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).

Asked about the subsidy, Han said in Kaohsiung that the subsidy would go to KMT headquarters.

“The entire subsidy has been taken by KMT headquarters and we did not receive a single dollar,” he said.

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people: 蔡英文 韓國瑜 吳敦義


title: Tsai, dignitaries pay respects to crash victims

taiwan-subdivisions: 汐止 烏來

content_text:
President Tsai Ing-wen, right, yesterday presents a letter of commendation to the widow of late chief of the general staff general Shen Yi-ming at a memorial service for Shen and seven other officers at Songshan Air Force Base in Taipei.Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

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President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday paid her respects to the victims of the Jan. 2 helicopter crash that killed eight military officers, including chief of the general staff general Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴).

At a ceremony at Songshan Air Force Base in Taipei, Tsai announced posthumous promotions for the eight officers, whose coffins were covered with the national flag.

“Thank you for your sacrifice, mission accomplished. The country will miss you and remember your contributions,” Tsai said.

She also announced that the government had approved three benefit packages for military personnel that Shen had pushed for: additional pay for paratroopers, higher bonuses for air force pilots and professional allowances for sergeants.

Tsai urged those in uniform to remember Shen’s patriotism and dedication to the job.

Shen, 62, was the highest-ranking military leader in Taiwan to die while conducting official duties since 1949.

After the service, four Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets and three UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters flew over the base in a “missing person formation” — an aerial salute performed in memory of a fallen pilot or well-known military service member — accompanied by a 19-gun salute from the army.

The remains of Shen and the other officers are to be buried in Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery in New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止) after their bodies are cremated.

National flags on government buildings nationwide, including schools, flew at half-mast yesterday.

The service was attended by a delegation led by American Institute in Taiwan Director Brent Christensen.

Heads of missions and military attaches from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, and heads of representative offices in Taiwan from countries such as France, Japan, Singapore and South Korea were also present.

US Brigadier General Matthew Isler, director of regional affairs for the deputy under secretary of the US Air Force, joined the ceremony. His name was announced by the master of the ceremonies.

The delegation led by Christensen included members of the US armed services, who attended on behalf of the Americans fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with Shen and the other officers, AIT spokeswoman Amanda Mansour said when asked for comment.

The US selected a delegation appropriate to the unique and tragic nature of the crash, and the resulting loss of life, she added, without providing names.

Nicaraguan Ambassador to Taiwan William Tapia led Paraguayan, Guatemalan and Honduran ambassadors, as well as military officers, to pay their respects at the ceremony.

The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter went down in the mountains of Wulai District (烏來) in New Taipei City, killing eight of the 13 people on board.

Two data recorders were on Wednesday last week sent to Sikorsky — the US manufacturer of the helicopter — to determine the cause of the accident. Sikorsky’s findings are expected to be known in about four weeks.

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content_text:
Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong explains the Anti-infiltration Act at a news conference in Taipei on Jan. 2.Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法) is to take effect today, the Presidential Office said yesterday on its Web site.

The 12-article law, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Dec. 31, prohibits people acting on the instructions of or with the funding of “infiltration sources” from illegal campaigning or lobbying, or receiving illegal political donations, as well as disrupting social order, peaceful assemblies, elections or referendums.

While the activities are already defined as illegal in the Criminal Code, the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法), the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法) and the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), the Anti-infiltration Act stipulates the punishments are applicable to people who break those laws on the instructions or with the financial support of infiltration sources, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said.

The Anti-infiltration Act applies only to people “who intentionally break the law, and not to those who are unaware of the situation,” the council added.

It stipulates that people who are influenced by infiltration sources and conduct illegal lobbying would be fined between NT$500,000 and NT$5 million (US$16,699 and US$166,990).

If the lobbying concerns national security issues, such as national defense, diplomacy and cross-strait affairs, the punishment would be a maximum of three years in prison or a fine of up to NT$5 million.

The Anti-infiltration Act states that for people who are influenced by infiltration sources and contravene articles 149 to 153 of the Criminal Code by disrupting social order, or Article 31 of the Assembly and Parade Act by disrupting peaceful assemblies and parades, the sentence would be increased by half of what is stipulated in the Criminal Code and the Assembly and Parade Act.

People who are influenced by infiltration sources to participate in illegal campaign activities, thus contravening the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act or the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, would be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, or fined up to NT$10 million.

The Anti-infiltration Act states that people under the influence of infiltration sources who disrupt elections, recalls or referendums and contravene either of the two election and recall acts, would face a sentence increased by half of what is stipulated in the two acts.

A life sentence or a minimum of 15 years in prison would be given to those under the influence of infiltration sources who disrupt public gatherings such as an election or petition rally.

The Anti-infiltration Act aims to fend off infiltration, rather than curb all cross-border exchanges, the council said, adding that it would not restrict regular exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.

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title: Anti-infiltration Act takes effect today


content_text:
TSMC shares hit record high ahead of conference

BULLISH ANALYSTS:The outlook for the industry is positive on growth drivers such as 5G adoption, data center demand and Internet of Things momentum
The price of shares of contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) rose yesterday, pushing the company’s market capitalization to a new high ahead of an investors’ conference scheduled for tomorrow.

“The strong buying showed many investors expect TSMC will give strong guidance for the first quarter at the conference,” Mega International Investment Services Corp (兆豐國際投顧) analyst Alex Huang (黃國偉) said.

TSMC shares rose 1.32 percent to close at NT$346, their highest-ever price, while the benchmark TAIEX closed up 0.55 percent at 12,179.81. On Monday, TSMC shares rose 0.59 percent.

Based on the latest closing price, TSMC’s market capitalization yesterday rose to a record high NT$8.97 trillion (US$299.6 billion), up from NT$8.86 trillion the previous day.

TSMC’s edge in technology should help it continue to secure large orders from major clients such as Apple Inc, Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Qualcomm Inc and MediaTek Inc (聯發科), a Japanese brokerage said in a research note.

There is therefore no reason to worry about TSMC’s fundamentals, the brokerage said, forecasting that the company’s consolidated sales would grow by 18 to 20 percent from last year, when they grew 3.7 percent year-on-year to NT$1.07 trillion.

In the first quarter, the traditional slow season for the global semiconductor industry, sales are likely to be stable or slightly lower than the fourth quarter of last year, but increase 38 percent year-on-year, the brokerage said.

The brokerage raised its target price for TSMC shares to NT$395 from NT$340, while leaving its “buy” rating unchanged.

Despite all the positives, one potential question mark for TSMC remains Huawei Technologies Co (華為).

Tighter export restrictions on the Chinese company by Washington would make some of TSMC’s technologies unavailable to Huawei, analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein led by Mark Li wrote in a client note on Wednesday last week.

While the impact on revenue is expected to be a low single-digit percentage and TSMC would be able to pivot to other customers, a short-term impact would be “inevitable” as a “supply-chain realignment takes time,” the note said.

However, the overall outlook for the semiconductor industry is positive on growth drivers that include 5G technology adoption, Internet of Things momentum, robust data center demand and new game console launches, Credit Suisse Group AG analysts Randy Abrams and Haas Liu said in a report on Monday.

“Stocks are recovering from the prior decade ... and returning to pre-crisis valuations that can be sustained,” the analysts said.

However, with higher valuations after a strong rally last year, any product cycle disappointments or macroeconomic shocks could lead to short-term pullbacks, they added.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

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title: High Court upholds ‘lenient’ jail terms for retired officers

content_text:
The High Court yesterday upheld controversial six-month prison terms for two retired lieutenant colonels found guilty of breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法).

The ruling caused an uproar, with many saying that six months was too lenient and that neither man would serve time, as their sentences could be commuted to fines of NT$180,000.

Lin Shih-pin (林世斌), 59, and Pien Peng (邊鵬), 56, retired in 2005 and 2010 respectively and went to work in China, where they were recruited by Chinese intelligence officers, a judicial investigation found.

The case caused alarm in Taiwanese military and intelligence agencies, because Lin had worked at the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, while Pien had worked at the Ministry of National Defense’s Communications Development Office.

Lin was involved in the development of radar-guided missiles after his former unit, the 206th Arsenal, was merged with the institute in 1984 to create the institute’s Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division, which developed the Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile.

Pien’s unit gathered signal intelligence and he also worked for the Foreign Intelligence Office of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff.

Investigators found that Lin was befriended by Chinese Central Military Commission Political Work Department Colonel Wang Yongxu (王永旭), who was responsible for intelligence-gathering activities targeting Taiwan’s military, including the recruitment of Taiwanese officers.

Wang recruited Lin in 2009 with financial incentives and paid for trips to major Chinese cities, the court said.

Lin later agreed to Wang’s request to invite other retired Taiwanese military officers to China, including taking an air force colonel surnamed Yu (游) to Shanghai and Xian in 2009 and 2010 respectively, it said, adding that Wang asked Lin to establish a spy network to access Taiwanese military secrets and pass them on to China.

Yu was commander of the air operations center at Leshan Radar Station, an important early-warning facility in the mountains of northern Taiwan.

Pien in late 2015 took two retired air force officers surnamed Fan (范) and Yen (顏) on a trip to Hangzhou, China, where they met Wang for dinner, investigators said.

The next year, Pien again invited them for a trip to China and offered financial inducements, they said, adding that Yen refused, but Fan agreed and visited Fuzhou, where he met with Wang and four other Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force officers.

The Chinese officers asked Pien and Fan about Taiwan’s nighttime aerial combat operations, fighter jet combat training and responses to an amphibious assault, investigators said.

Uncomfortable with the conversation, Fan reported the incident to the ministry after returning to Taiwan and an investigation was launched that uncovered Lin’s and Pien’s recruitment and their crimes, the court said.

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content_text:
New device detects kidney disease in cats in minutes

LITTER TEST:The device is not meant to replace detailed diagnoses by veterinarians and produces results in five minutes, as opposed to an hour needed by other methods
Zan Hsiao-wen, third left, a professor at National Chiao Tung University’s Department of Photonics, and researchers introduce a new urine testing system that can detect kidney disease in cats at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.Photo: CNA
A team of researchers at National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) yesterday unveiled a photo-electrical device for quickly testing urea concentration in cats, which can help detect kidney disease in felines at an early stage.

NCTU department of photonics professor Zan Hsiao-wen (冉曉雯) said that she has two cats, aged nine and 18, and that the younger one has kidney disease.

The hassle of visiting a veterinarian motivated her to design the quick-test device, she told a news conference at the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taipei.

Kidney disease is the most common chronic disease in cats older than 10, and is usually diagnosed via blood or urine tests, which cost at least NT$600 per test, in addition to other costs, said Kaohsiung-based Jong-Shing Animal Hospital vice president Huang Ming-ju (黃明如), who offered clinical advice to the team.

To detect kidney problems in cats, the team developed a device called “Dual Optical Fiber Reaction Tank” to test urine collected from a cat’s litter, as it is easier to collect than a separate urine sample, Zan said.

The detection process involves separating the urine from the litter in a reaction tank and using an acid-based solution to test the samples, Zan added.

The urine-containing solution influences optical and electrical currents that can be detected by a sensor attached to the device, she added.

The color of the solution deepens as the urea concentration increases, reducing the light that reaches the light sensor and weakening electrical currents, she said.

Cats with urea concentrations of lower than 400 millimoles might have kidney problems, as the kidneys cannot efficiently discharge urea, Zan said, adding that the device can produce test results in five minutes.

By comparison, a blood test for kidney disease can take up to an hour and kidney disease can only be confirmed after up to three months of clinical observation, Huang said.

The team used the device to test urine samples from 10 cats provided by the animal hospital, Zan said, adding that it only provides quick testing and is not intended to replace precise diagnoses by veterinarians.

As the team has only experimented with cat’s litter made of beans and wood materials, more research is needed for other materials, she added.

While other instruments for blood and urine testing can cost hundreds of thousands of New Taiwan dollars, the team’s device would only cost several thousand NT dollars, Zan said, urging businesses interested in the device to help commercialize it.

The team hopes to develop a smaller portable device with the same functionality by working with long-term collaborator Olivier Soppera of the French National Centre for Scientific Research, she said.

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content_text:
Taiwan unification ‘inevitable’: China

‘DIRTY TACTICS’:The CCP’s mouthpiece said Taiwanese will have a ‘hard life’ under the DPP, while other state media accused ‘external dark forces’ for Tsai’s victory
Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, center, waves to the press as he visits the Epworth Balancing Rocks in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Sunday.Photo: AFP
Beijing has said that anyone seeking to keep Taiwan separate from China would “leave a stink for 10,000 years” in its strongest remarks since the re-election of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who opposes unification with China.

On Monday, while on a tour in Africa, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) said: “The unification of the two sides of the [Taiwan] Strait is a historical inevitability,” the official Xinhua news agency reported.

He described those going against this trend as bound to “stink for 10,000 years,” an idiom to say one will “go down in infamy.”

Tsai’s landslide electoral victory on Saturday has been embarrassing for China, where state media spent most of the past year isolating Taiwan on the diplomatic stage, deriding Tsai and highlighting the popularity of her opponent, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which is pro-China.

Her win, after a campaign that leaned heavily on Hong Kong as a cautionary tale for Taiwan, is widely seen as a repudiation of Beijing’s attempts to draw Taiwan into its fold through military intimidation, economic incentives, cultural exchanges and other means.

Beijing has sought to downplay the election results, which also saw the Democratic Progressive Party maintain its majority in the legislature, giving Tsai’s administration a stronger mandate over the next four years.

In an editorial on Sunday, Xinhua said Tsai’s party had used “dirty tactics,” including fake news, repression and intimidation.

Chinese commentators said Tsai had “won by fear,” while the Global Times blamed infighting within the KMT.

“Yet no matter how much uncertainty there is across the Strait, the fact that the Chinese mainland is getting increasingly stronger and the Taiwan island is getting weaker is an inevitable reality,” an editorial late on Saturday said.

This week, authorities have tried to highlight the struggles Taiwanese would suffer under the DPP.

Yesterday, the international version of the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), criticized the DPP for focusing on politics rather than Taiwan’s struggling economy, a common argument made by Beijing and pro-China groups in Taiwan that closer ties would help wage and job growth.

“The people of Taiwan must tighten their belts and continue to live a hard life,” the paper said.

State media have also accused “external dark forces,” such as the US, an ally of Taiwan’s, of having a hand in the election.

Experts have said China is likely to double down on its strategy of punishing Taiwan.

During Tsai’s first term, Beijing cut off a dialogue mechanism, independent travel to Taiwan, and persuaded several of Taiwan’s few remaining allies to switch diplomatic recognition.

In her victory speech on Saturday, Tsai said that she was committed to maintaining peaceful cross-strait relations, but said it was a responsibility to be borne by “both sides.”

“China must abandon threats of force against Taiwan,” she said. “Democratic Taiwan and our democratically elected government will not concede to threats and intimidation.”

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people: 蔡英文 韓國瑜

title: Taiwan unification ‘inevitable’: China


content_text:
By Dave Carroll  /  Staff reporter, with AP and AFP, HOBART and ADELAIDE, Australia
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei returns to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in their Adelaide International women’s singles first-round match in Australia yesterday.Photo: AFP
The Chan sisters’ disappointing start to the new season continued yesterday at the Hobart International when they fell to a second consecutive first-round defeat, while fellow Taiwanese Hsieh Su-wei was ousted in the first round of the singles at the Adelaide International after a three-set battle with Aryna Sabalenka.

All looked well for top seeds Chan Hao-ching and Latisha Chan after they won the first set against unseeded Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine and Sharon Fichman of Canada, but the Taiwanese sisters could not maintain that momentum as they fell to a 2-6, 6-3, 10-4 defeat in 1 hour, 19 minutes.

The Chan sisters won only 55 percent of points on their first serve and 29 percent of their first-return points as they fell to a second straight first-round defeat after their earlier elimination at the Brisbane International last week.

India’s Sania Mirza won her first doubles match since returning to the WTA Tour following the birth of her son.

Mirza and Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine rallied to beat Oksana Kalashnikova of Georgia and Miyu Kato of Japan 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 10-3 to advance to the quarter-finals.

“Today was one of the most special days of my life to have my parents and my little baby boy with me in my first match after so long... and we WON our first round,” Mirza tweeted after the win. “Feel very grateful for the love I am receiving.. BELIEF!! Takes you places YES my baby boy, we did it.”

Mirza, who is married to Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, is playing at her first tournament since the China Open in October 2017.

In Adelaide, Hsieh lost her 100 percent career record against Belarusian Sabalenka, despite giving the sixth seed a scare before falling to a tight 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 loss in 2 hours, 5 minutes.

Hsieh saved six of 11 break points and converted three of four, but she failed to add to her victories in Rome in 2018 and in Birmingham, England, last year.

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty also survived a scare before battling to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round.

“I was able to play my style and control a bit more in the third set, but she hung around and got more aggressive,” the Australian said. “It was a very close one — but all of ours are. She controlled the match with me trying to do the best I could.”

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title: Chan sisters, Hsieh beaten in Australia


title: EDITORIAL: No excuse for attacks on Wang

people: 王婉諭 丁守中 蔡英文 習近平 韓國瑜

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Although Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) made all kinds of inappropriate statements during his campaign as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate, he had the common sense and courtesy to accept his defeat and congratulate his opponent President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) after she won Saturday’s election.

As ugly as the campaign was, at least things concluded civilly, which is a testament to Taiwan’s democratic values.

By contrast, former KMT Taipei mayoral hopeful Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) is still refusing to give up his quest to invalidate the 2018 election results — even after a recount that went even further against him — and the High Court last month ruled the results valid.

For all his faults, at least Han respected Taiwan’s hard-won democracy and the opinion of Taiwanese voters, saying in his concession speech: “Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and rule of law are the most valuable treasures we have.”

The same cannot be said for his rabid supporters, as things turned outright nasty on the Internet afterward.

It is nothing new for people to say terrible things from behind a computer screen, but the amount of hate and divisiveness is alarming for Taiwan moving forward.

This nation’s society has always been fractured along political and ethnic lines, but even Han urged his supporters: “No matter what, when we wake up tomorrow, we still want to see a united Taiwan.”

Unfortunately, some people are not listening, and it is not just society being fractured — there have been many reports of families falling apart after the election results were announced.

Aside from condemning the young people of Taiwan or urging Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to hurry up and attack Taiwan, netizens unhappy with the results have been spreading rumors that the voting was rigged and the system was hacked to ensure Tsai’s victory.

Such remarks have almost become pro forma, and are unlikely to be taken seriously, but what should not be considered acceptable are the cowardly, brutal attacks on New Power Party legislator-elect Claire Wang (王婉諭) that harp upon the grisly 2016 murder of her three-year-old daughter, nicknamed Little Lightbulb (小燈泡).

It is one thing to question Wang’s credentials, given her lack of political experience, but the comments focused on her daughter’s death have gone too far, with some saying that she has two more children who could be slashed, others actually threatening to harm them and one person posting a photograph of Little Lightbulb’s body.

Some of these cowards only apologized after Wang took legal action on Monday, but at least one has refused to admit any wrongdoing and criticized her for daring to sue, before sinking even lower by adding that Little Lightbulb left this world because she knew her mother was no good.

Elections have always been emotional affairs, especially in Taiwan, but what does it say about this society that people are willing to sink to such depths?

Is it getting worse because people think they can hide behind their keyboards or computer monitors, or are the differences between the pan-blue and pan-green sides becoming even more irreconcilable?

Han might be right for once in saying that the people of Taiwan need to unite more than ever.

However, the public must remember that there is a very real threat, not from their fellow citizens, but from Beijing, which probably takes great delight in seeing Taiwanese bickering even though the results of the elections were not in China’s favor.

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Nissan denies reported plans to split with Renault following Ghosn scandal

Nissan Motor Co is “in no way” planning to end its partnership with Renault SA, the Japanese automaker yesterday insisted after a report suggested that a divorce was possible in the wake of the Carlos Ghosn scandal.

Britain’s Financial Times — citing “several people with knowledge of the matter” — on Monday reported that senior executives at the scandal-hit firm were speeding up work on secret plans for a potential parting of ways with France’s Renault.

However, a Nissan statement firmly denied the claims, saying: “Nissan is in no way considering dissolving the alliance.”

“The alliance is the source of Nissan’s competitiveness,” the firm said, adding that it aims to continue delivering “win-win results for all member companies.”

The partnership, which also includes Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors Corp, has been troubled since the shock arrest of former Nissan chief executive Ghosn on charges of financial misconduct.

Ghosn, who last month jumped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon, said the charges against him were cooked up by disgruntled Nissan executives hoping to block his plans to more closely integrate the automaker with Renault.

Ghosn in a news conference in Lebanon said that the alliance is on the rocks and directionless.

New alliance chief executive Jean-Dominique Senard earlier hit back at the reports of a planned split, telling Belgian daily L’Echo that the claims had “no connection to the current situation of the alliance.”

“The Renault-Nissan alliance is not dead. Soon we will show you why,” Senard said in an interview published yesterday. “I ask myself, where does this sort of information come from? I am not sure it comes from a place of goodwill.”

At yesterday’s close in Tokyo trading, Nissan shares dropped 2.96 percent to ￥618, despite the company’s firm denial.

The 20-year partnership between Nissan and Renault, whose alliance is based on cross-shareholdings without a joint structure, has been badly shaken by the Ghosn scandal.

However, the alliance is “nowhere near” the point of collapse, Senard said, adding that its leaders were busy “recreating its original spirit” and planning future investments.

The leaks probably came from “a few disgruntled souls” inside the company who wanted to “vent their frustration,” a source close to Nissan said, adding that rebuilding trust between the two firms “will take time.”

French Minister of Finance Bruno Le Maire yesterday said that he expects automaker Renault to name its new chief executive in a few days.

Media reports that some Nissan executives want to break up the alliance with Renault are “malicious,” Le Maire said on French CNews TV.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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title: Visa to pay US$5.3bn for Plaid to reach start-ups

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Visa chairman and CEO Al Kelly welcomes attendees to a reception in Washington on June 4 last year.Photo: AP
Visa Inc grew into one of the world’s most valuable financial companies by serving as the pipes that help connect banks and merchants.

Now, it is making a major bet on doing the same for data between banks and financial start-ups.

Visa agreed to pay US$5.3 billion for Plaid, a financial technology (fintech) firm that connects popular apps such as Venmo to customers’ data in the established banking system.

The deal caps a meteoric rise for Plaid and aims to keep fueling Visa’s own ascent, which has seen its stock triple in the past five years.

The sale price is double Plaid’s US$2.65 billion valuation in a 2018 funding round.

Plaid’s developer tools help power a range of popular financial apps — such as Venmo, Coinbase Inc and Acorns Grow Inc — by channeling the banking data that they need for their apps and Web sites.

Founded in 2012, the firm has more than 200 million accounts linked on its platform, an investor presentation said.

That access underscores the demand from consumers to send their data to services that can move funds between accounts or into cryptocurrencies, give advice on personal finances, or reimburse a friend after brunch.

“We don’t see changing Plaid’s model. We see helping them accelerate their growth,” Visa chief executive officer Al Kelly said on a conference call about the way that Plaid earns its fees.

However, the way that data is shared would probably change, Visa president Ryan McInerney said in an interview.

Visa would work with banking partners, including JPMorgan Chase & Co, to ensure that fintechs are collecting consumers’ data “appropriately,” McInerney said.

“We have deep relationships with most financial institutions and we intend to evolve” Plaid’s data practices, he said.

As a benefit, fintechs might get more reliable connectivity.

Visa and Mastercard Inc are also investors in the company, Plaid said in a blog post last year.

Visa said that it expects the takeover to close in the next three to six months, with the acquisition adding 80 to 100 basis points to revenue growth in fiscal year 2021.

Longer-term, the deal would let Visa play a greater role in the financial industry’s tech-driven evolution, Kelly told analysts on a call.

“We see this giving us options and growth potentials at least for the next decade,” he said.

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Taiwan Star Telecom Co (台灣之星) is to obtain a fresh capital injection of NT$342 million (US$11.42 million) from its investors, including the nation’s biggest private fund, KHL Capital (達勝投資), as it looks to continue to compete in the nation’s 5G spectrum auction.

Local telecoms are competing fiercely for chunks of the 5G spectrum, with total bids reaching NT$132.517 billion as of the end of the 250th session yesterday.

The bids are three times higher than the floor price of NT$44 billion set by the National Communications Commission, making the nation’s 5G spectrum one of the most expensive in the world.

“KHL has decided to invest in Taiwan Star via a subscription for the company’s common shares and corporate bonds, as it is bullish about 5G prospects and the huge business opportunities it brings,” Taiwan Star said in a statement on Monday.

KHL is to become one of Taiwan Star’s top three shareholders along with Ting Hsin International Group (頂新集團) and Cathay Real Estate Development Co (國泰建設).

Taiwan Star said the new capital would help boosts its financial strength and give it more leeway to vie for 5G spectrum bandwidth in the auction.

The firm last year raised NT$4 billion via a rights issue and obtained NT$5.1 billion in loans.

KHL, cofounded by fund chairman Gary Kuo (郭冠群), has agreed to subscribe to 162 million new shares and NT$1.8 billion in corporate bonds via its investment arm KHL Investment I Ltd (達勝壹甲壹投資) and two other local funds.

KHL Capital is the largest shareholder of the nation’s biggest cable TV operator, China Network Systems Co (CNS, 中嘉網路).

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title: Capital injection boosts Taiwan Star’s 5G hopes


content_text:
LeBron James leads Lakers past Cavs

STILL THE KING:James scored 23 of his 31 points in a second half in which he passed Isiah Thomas for sole possession of eighth place on the NBA’s career list
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, left, shoots past Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers in their NBA game in Los Angeles, California, on Monday.Photo: AP
Kevin Love and LeBron James had not played against each other since before they got together on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 for a memorable four-year partnership.

After their first meeting since James moved to Los Angeles ended in a blowout win for the Lakers, they got together on court with Tristan Thompson to renew a friendship that is bigger than the game.

“That’s a brotherhood,” Love said. “That’s a bond that can never be broken. You saw Tristan and myself out there with him. That’s something we’ll always remember and kind of take to our graves. He’s my brother for life, and it is weird playing against him.”

The three champions’ connection is rock-solid, even after a game that demonstrated why only James is contending for another ring this year.

James on Monday scored 23 of his 31 points in a dominant second half, while Dwight Howard added season highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds in the Lakers’ ninth consecutive victory, a 128-99 win over the Cavaliers.

The Lakers posted their highest-scoring half in 33 years with 81 in the second behind James, who added eight assists while passing Isiah Thomas for sole possession of eighth place on the NBA’s career list.

James led Los Angeles to their third straight win without Anthony Davis, who is out with a bruised backside.

“Defensively, we got stops and we had great pace,” James said. “Even when they scored, we got the ball out and continued to play with pace. We played with a lot of balance.”

James has not been gone from Cleveland long enough to forget about his connection with Love or his spirited practice competitions with Thompson.

The Cavaliers who stayed behind recognized their old teammate’s steady brilliance, but they also saw the improved aspects to James’ ever-evolving game.

Thompson guarded James for long stretches, just like he would in scrimmages back in Cleveland. James still went 12 of 16, and he quarterbacked the Lakers’ up-tempo offense to perfection in the second half.

“He made some threes to get himself going, but he did a good job of getting his teammates involved,” Thompson said. “I accept the challenge. It’s fun playing against the best player of our generation, and probably one of the best of all time. I love it.”

Love had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland in the third stop of a six-game road stretch.

Two days after the Cavs posted a surprising win at Denver, they could not keep up with a franchise icon who has not slowed down.

Returning from a one-game absence with an apparent case of the flu, James improved to 2-0 against the Cavaliers since he departed for the second time in 2018.

James finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds in his return to Cleveland in November 2018, but he was injured in January last year when the Cavs beat the Lakers at the Staples Center.

Thompson had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, while Collin Sexton and Darius Garland added 16 points apiece.

Cleveland jumped to a 14-point lead in the first half while most of the Lakers played listlessly, but Los Angeles ran away from the middle of the second quarter.

“When the pendulum began to swing, we couldn’t stop it,” Cleveland coach John Beilein said. “LeBron took charge, just like he always has for a long time.”

Elsewhere, the Pacers held on for a 101-95 win over the 76ers, the Thunder trounced the Timberwolves 117-104, the Celtics crushed the Bulls 113-101, the Trail Blazers beat the Hornets 115-112, the Magic dethroned the Kings 114-112 and the Pelicans outlasted the Pistons 117-110 in overtime.

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title: LeBron James leads Lakers past Cavs


title: Sony eyeing 23 percent of Android phone market

content_text:
Sony Corp yesterday expressed optimism that with the emergence of 5G technology, shipments of its flagship smartphone models would make up 23 percent of the nations’ Android smartphone market this year.

Sony Mobile Taiwan president Jonathan Lin (林志遠) told reporters that the Japanese brand is preparing for the upcoming replacement demand that would accompany the roll out of 5G technology.

Sony’s flagship 5G smartphones, starting at NT$20,000 (US$668), are to be released in Taiwan in first half of this year, Lin said.

Smartphones costing NT$20,000 or more account for 60 percent of the company’s sales in Taiwan and that ratio is expected to increase to 70 percent with the release of its high-end 5G models this year, he said.

“Sony’s goal is to boost the market share of its flagship smartphone models in Taiwan and we are confident of an increase from 15 percent in 2019 to 23 percent this year,” he said.

Sony, with a 15 percent market share, is second only to South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co in the nation’s high-end Android smartphone market.

Sony is expected to unveil its 5G smartphone models next month at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and they are to be released in Taiwan in the second quarter of the year, according to local media reports.

Sony is also planning to release mid-range 5G models in Taiwan later this year, and to introduce competitive hardware that would allow new video and audio experiences, attracting more customers, Lin said.

However, while Sony is upbeat about Taiwan’s 5G market, it recognizes that telecoms face the challenge of consumers being deterred by the higher subscription fees for 5G services, he said.

The government’s 5G spectrum auction, which started last month, is still in progress, with fierce competition between the nation’s major telecoms.

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content_text:
LISTED COMPANIES

Revenue increases 0.98%

Local listed companies last month posted total combined revenue of NT$3.096 trillion (US$103.4 billion), up 0.98 percent year-on-year, the Taiwan Stock Exchange said yesterday. The bourse said that 535 companies posted higher revenue, while 406 reported a decline. Accumulated annual revenue of all listed companies last year was NT$32.767 trillion, a 0.04 percent decrease year-on-year, with 449 posting higher revenue and 492 experiencing a decline, the exchange said in a statement. The main sectors posting increased revenue were information services, biotechnology and medical care, and semiconductors. Sectors that reported a decline were electrical appliances and cables, electric machinery, and fuel, electricity and gas companies.

EMPLOYMENT

Growth hits 10-year low

The average number of people in work between January and November last year was 7.96 million, up 91,000, or 1.15 percent, from the same period the previous year, the slowest growth in 10 years, largely due to changing demographics, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said in a report on Friday last week. During the 11-month period, the average number of people employed in the manufacturing industry was up 10,000 year-on-year, including a 5,000 increase in the computer, electronics and optoelectronics sectors, while the average number of people employed in retail industry rose by 10,000, the report showed. The electronics industry has largely benefited from companies shifting production back to Taiwan to avoid higher US tariffs on Chinese-made goods, the report said.

COMPUTERS

Restructuring pays off

Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) has continued to reap the benefits of a restructuring which started in the second half of last year, after revenue last month grew year-on-year for the sixth straight month. Consolidated revenue increased 6 percent year-on-year to NT$32.7 billion, with fourth-quarter revenue increasing 7 percent to NT$97.2 billion, the highest in five quarters, Asustek said last week. Annual revenue last year fell 0.81 percent to NT$351.3 billion, the company said. Asustek has forecast 15 to 20 percent year-on-year growth of sales of its gaming PCs this year and plans to increasingly use Advanced Micro Devices Inc’s (AMD) chips this year as Intel Corp has yet to resolve its shortage. At CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, last week, Asustek unveiled new gaming PCs equipped with AMD’s new Ryzen chips.

AUTO PARTS

Iron Force revenue grows

Auto parts maker Iron Force Industrial Co (劍麟) posted consolidated revenue of NT$396.27 million for last month, a 14.5 percent increase year-on-year. “Revenue growth in December was mainly due to the good performance of shipments of three main automotive safety products, which boosted the company’s factory utilization rate to a high level,” the company said in a statement on Thursday last week. Steady growth in shipments of automotive safety parts and store display fixtures saw revenue for last year increase 8.8 percent to NT$4.6 billion, from NT$4.23 billion the previous year, the company said. “The two business segments made great contributions to the company’s revenue in 2019 and helped buck a downward trend in the industry,” Iron Force said in the statement.

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title: Taiwan Business Quick Take


content_text:
Hong Kongers flocking to join new trade unions as a protest tactic

Dozens of new unions have formed since June last year, the strongest push to unionize since the 1997 handover, as a way of protecting workers from pressure on their firms from the CCP
Before the Hong Kong protests began in June last year, Chris Ngai spent most of his free time playing World of Warcraft and finding new cocktail recipes. Now the bespectacled 24-year-old junior engineer is launching a trade union.

His aim is to ramp up pressure on Hong Kong’s government, which has so far made no political concessions to protesters’ demands for greater democracy in the territory, despite millions of people marching in the street.

“The ongoing pro-democracy movement has fundamentally changed people’s lives,” Ngai said the day before he set up a booth along the route of a Jan. 1 march to sign up new members. “It has forced many who were ignorant about society to stand up.”

As violent clashes with police become more common, the pro-democracy movement has reached a point of “anger and hopelessness” and needs new tactics, Ngai said.

Ngai said he and his team persuaded about 90 engineers, architects and construction workers to join his Hong Kong Construction and Engineering Employees General Union in the past month.

His booth was only one of dozens along the 4km route of the New Year’s Day march, each with a distinct flag and logo, attracting lines of hundreds of people to join new unions for civil servants, hotel staff, theater professionals and others.

Ngai and his fellow organizers are spearheading the biggest push to unionize the laissez-faire, ultra-capitalist finance mecca — where collective bargaining rights are not even recognized — since Britain handed the territory back in 1997.

They are also at the forefront of the ever-experimenting Hong Kong pro-democracy movement as it looks for more effective forms of protest.

“The movement has been thriving on its ad-hoc character,” said Ma Ngok (馬嶽), a political scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “Now more people think the movement may be a long haul, so they need a more organized base to sustain it.”

About 40 pro-democracy unions, including Ngai’s, have formed in recent months or are in the process of registering with the government, with dozens more starting to organize, the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) said.

The confederation, which last month started running crash courses on establishing unions, said about 2,000 people have already joined unions this year and thousands more joined late last year.

The territory has a population of about 7.4 million.

The Hong Kong Labour Department records show that 25 new unions registered last year, compared to 13 in 2018. Of those, 18 formed in the second half of the year, as protests escalated.

Like many new protest tactics, the call to unionize first spread via the encrypted messaging app Telegram, where a channel promoting labor organization has grown to more than 74,000 subscribers in less than three months.

Traditional unions in Hong Kong are seen by residents primarily as clubs for hobby classes, banquets and retail discounts. The new unions are motivated more by protecting workers from being punished by employers for expressing their views.

About two months after protests began in June over a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions of criminal suspects to China, protesters got a wake-up call on Beijing’s powers of coercion.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China demanded that Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific suspend staff involved in or supporting demonstrations.

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content_text:
Global PC shipments rebound last year after seven years of contraction

Global PC shipments last year reached 266.69 million units, growing 2.7 percent year-on-year and ending seven consecutive years of contraction, US market research and consulting firm International Data Corp (IDC) said in a report on Monday.

The growth was mainly driven by shipments last quarter, which increased by 4.8 percent year-on-year to 71.78 million units, the highest in four years, thanks to the Christmas holiday season and the transition of PCs to Windows 10, as businesses anticipated the end of support for Windows 7, the report said.

Microsoft Corp ceased to support Windows 7 from yesterday.

Easing US-China trade tensions along with other industry drivers further helped boost PC shipments in the fourth quarter of last year, the report added.

Despite a weak start, the global PC market witnessed year-on-year growth in sales over the past three quarters, IDC data showed.

As a result, the world’s top three PC vendors — China’s Lenovo Group Ltd (聯想) and the US’ HP Inc — have consolidated their hold on the PC market, with a combined share of 65.4 percent last year, up from 63.2 percent in 2018, the report said.

In terms of overall PC shipments, Apple Inc followed in fourth place with its global market share declining year-on-year to 6.6 percent, while Taiwan-based Acer Inc (宏碁) followed in fifth place with its share declining to 6.1 percent.

The IDC report did not cover PC shipments by Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), but US advisory firm Gartner Inc reported preliminary results for the firm showing that it trailed behind its peers with only a 5.5 percent market share.

Although concerns over the supply of central processing units (CPUs) by Intel Corp lingered on last year, they have been partially assuaged by the market’s adoption of CPUs from Advanced Micro Devices Inc, the report said.

“The market will still have its challenges ahead, but last year was a clear sign that PC demand is still there, despite the continued insurgence of emerging form factors and the demand for mobile computing,” IDC mobile device program vice president Ryan Reith said in the report.

The next 12 to 18 months should be difficult for traditional PC shippers, as upgrades to Windows 10 are in the rearview mirror, but the deployment of new technologies, such as 5G and devices with dual or folding screens, are yet to be fully reflected in market demand, IDC research manager Jitesh Ubrani said.

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content_text:
Eight influenza patients died last week, CDC reports

Eight people died of seasonal influenza last week, bringing the death toll nationwide since Oct. 1 last year to 34, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

From Sunday last week to this past Sunday, a total of 124,118 people sought treatment for flu-like symptoms at hospitals and clinics nationwide, an increase of 7.6 percent from the previous week.

Of those, 118 were had severe complications associated with the flu, and 80 percent had influenza A subtype H1N1, the CDC said.

In the agency’s weekly report, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said the fatalities included a 38-year-old diabetic who arrived at a hospital emergency room with serious flu-like symptoms, which led to him going into cardiac arrest.

The man was resuscitated, but later died from flu-related complications, becoming the youngest fatality since the beginning of the current flu season in October, Lin wrote.

None of the eight people who died had been recently vaccinated against the flu, Lin said.

So far this flu season, 617 people have been found to have severe complications, most of whom are 50 years old or above, and 99 percent had not been recently vaccinated and 80 percent had one or more chronic diseases, Lin said.

To help avoid infection, people should wash their hands regularly and refrain from visiting crowded or poorly ventilated venues, while those with respiratory symptoms should wear masks, although the best protection is to get a flu shot, the CDC said.

As of yesterday, 1.21 million doses of government-funded flu vaccine were still available, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said.

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title: US removes currency manipulator label

content_text:
US removes currency manipulator label

‘ENFORCEABLE COMMITMENTS’:The Chinese yuan has strengthened to 6.93 to the US dollar and the US says that the new trade pact addresses currency issues
The US on Monday removed the currency manipulator label that it imposed on China last summer, in a sign of easing tensions between the two economic powers after nearly two years of conflict.

Just two days before US President Donald Trump is set to sign a “phase one” trade agreement with China, the US Department of the Treasury in its semi-annual report to the US Congress said that the Chinese yuan has strengthened and that Beijing is no longer considered a currency manipulator.

Although the US Treasury refrained from slapping the label on China in its report in May last year, Trump in August accused Beijing of weakening its currency “to steal our [US] business and factories,” restating a longstanding grievance.

Chinese authorities in August allowed the yuan to fall below 7 to the US dollar, sending shudders through stock markets at the time and stoking Trump’s ire.

“Over the summer, China took concrete steps to devalue its currency,” also known as the renminbi (RMB), and those moves “left the RMB at its weakest level against the dollar in over 11 years,” the US Treasury said.

However, more recently the yuan strengthened to 6.93 to the US dollar.

The US Treasury said that the new trade pact addresses currency issues.

“In this agreement, China has made enforceable commitments to refrain from competitive devaluation and not target its exchange rate for competitive purposes,” US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

However, that commitment is identical to the one that Beijing has long made as part of the G20.

Although the semi-annual currency report always gains attention as a key sign of relations between the powers, the currency manipulator designation was largely symbolic.

The label called for the US Treasury to work with the IMF to “eliminate the unfair competitive advantage” created by China’s alleged actions and to consult with Beijing about the matter.

As part of the trade deal, “China has also agreed to publish relevant information related to exchange rates and external balances,” Mnuchin said.

However, many economists questioned the decision to label China a manipulator in the first place.

“China shouldn’t have been designated to start with. Small current account surplus/GDP; scant intervention,” Mark Sobel, a former US executive director at the IMF and a longtime former US Treasury official, said on Twitter.

While he acknowledged the large trade surplus, he said that “economists disregard those.”

“RMB fell in response to Trump’s tariffs. Designation was blatant/errant political act,” Sobel tweeted.

The announcement was getting “way more attention than it should, because it matters only on the most superficial symbolic level,” Peterson Institute for International Economics research fellow Martin Chorzempa said.

The phase one deal is significant and “will lead to greater economic growth and opportunity for American workers and businesses,” Mnuchin said.

However, Beijing still needs to take steps “to stimulate domestic demand and reduce the Chinese economy’s reliance on investment and exports,” the US Treasury said.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (劉鶴), the top Chinese trade envoy, arrived in Washington on Monday ahead of today’s expected signing of the agreement.

After multiple rounds of tariffs, the US trade deficit in goods through November last year was running at more than US$320 billion, which is about US$62 billion below the same period in 2018.

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content_text:
By Tsai Chang-sheng and Dennis Xie  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Hsinchu District Court has ordered a woman to move out of her apartment due to odors and cockroaches coming from trash that she had stored in her home.

The woman, surnamed Lee (李), had filled her condominium with stacks of recyclables, which greatly disturbed her neighbors, members of the building’s management committee said, adding that the situation did not improve even after it intervened.

Lee signed agreements in 2016 and 2017 committing to improve the conditions in her home and the committee sent people to help with cleaning and disinfection, they said.

However, Lee failed to honor the agreements and did not clean her home, they added.

Lee’s unwillingness to cooperate prompted the committee to call a meeting in July 2017, at which the building’s residents agreed to file a request with the court demanding that she leave, they said.

The committee members said that the request cited the Condominium Administration Act (公寓大廈管理條例), Article 6, which stipulates that all residents are required “not to disturb the peace, safety and sanitation of other inhabitants when maintaining, repairing their own units or designated private areas or exercising their rights.”

The court conducted an investigation and found an infestation of cockroaches on Lee’s floor, as well as a pervasive stench — which reportedly began as early as 2012 — emanating from her apartment, they said.

The judge ruled that Lee was contravening the act by seriously affecting the health and rights of other residents, they added.

Lee did not deny her home was a mess and that she had promised to clean it up, but said she had to postpone cleaning because she did not feel well, adding that the situation has improved.

The building’s security guard said Lee moved out a few months before the court’s ruling, and the apartment, which is now vacant, has been completely cleared.

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title: Hsinchu woman ordered to move due to trash piles


title: Seven quit top KMT committee

people: 楊瓊瓔 蔣萬安 沈智慧 李彥秀 黃昭順 吳敦義 柯志恩 江啟臣

content_text:
Seven quit top KMT committee

‘COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION’:In light of the party’s defeats in the elections, Johnny Chiang said that the KMT needs thorough reforms to regain public trust
From left, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Lin Wei-chou, Chiang Wan-an and Johnny Chiang and Taipei City Councilor William Hsu speak to the media in Taipei yesterday.Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Standing Committee members, including legislators Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) and Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), have announced their resignations from the committee to reform the party following its defeats in Saturday’s elections.

The party must thoroughly review its losses in the presidential and legislative elections and promote reforms, Johnny Chiang said on Facebook late on Monday.

Saying every single party member is responsible for the KMT’s defeats, he added that he would resign from the committee and urged its other members to follow suit.

“To regain the trust of the people, the KMT must undergo a complete transformation,” Johnny Chiang said.

After all committee members resign, the party should form a provisional decisionmaking committee consisting of KMT mayors, county councilors, council speakers and a number of legislators to lead the party as it reforms its policy stance and power structure, he said.

Younger lawmakers who are competent and receptive to the public’s needs, such as KMT legislators Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) and Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), should be promoted to the party’s upper management, he added.

Within several hours, six more committee members announced that they would join Johnny Chiang in resigning from the committee with the aim of reforming the party.

They were legislators Chiang Wan-an, Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) and Shen Chih-huei (沈智慧), legislator-elect Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔), Changhua County Council Speaker Hsien Tien-lin (謝典林) and Taipei City Councilor William Hsu (徐弘庭).

While KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) had said that he would formally tender his resignation at a committee meeting today, Hsu said that the committee “does not need to and should not decide on Wu’s resignation.”

Asked outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday if he intends to run for chairman after Wu steps down, Johnny Chiang said that “the chairmanship election is not a priority at this stage.”

People are more concerned about whether the KMT can review its mistakes, act responsibly and understand the public’s wishes, he said.

Asked the same question, Chiang Wan-an said that irrespective of his position, he would do his best to promote reforms in the party.

He added that he resigned from the committee because its current decisionmaking model “can no longer quickly and effectively respond to changes in the public’s will.”

Separately, committee member Lee Chao-ping (李昭平) said that while he agrees that all committee members should resign, if they do so immediately, it could cause today’s meeting to be canceled.

Without the meeting, Wu might be allowed to remain in his post instead of taking responsibility for the electoral defeats, he said.

Meanwhile, the KMT said in a written statement that all committee members’ terms ended in October last year, but elections had been postponed due to Saturday’s polls.

As a result, their resignations are a nonissue, the party said.

Wu and all executive-level members involved in the elections would resign at today’s meeting, it said.

A chairperson by-election and committee elections would be held on March 7, it added.

Additional reporting by CNA

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title: Taipei, Canberra in communication on providing relief aid

content_text:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.Photo: CNA
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been communicating with Canberra about Australia’s needs for relief aid amid massive bushfires, and its preliminary plan is to donate about 100,000 surgical masks, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said yesterday.

The bushfires continue to rage across southeast Australia, killing scores of animals and causing serious damage to property, Ou told a news briefing in Taipei, adding that people traveling to the country should beware of air pollution.

Asked what aid Taiwan would provide to Australia, she said that the government plans to donate 100,000 masks, but added that the exact number and type have not been confirmed, as it is still gathering information about the country’s needs.

As masks are considered medical products in Australia, the ministry would need to follow local regulations when making the donation, she said.

The Australian Office in Taipei has also provided a list of several organizations that could receive donations for the bushfires, she added.

In related news, the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs said that the ministry would donate 20,200 tonnes of rice to Haiti, up from 8,600 tonnes donated last year, as the Caribbean ally faces a food crisis amid social unrest.

After filing an application with the Council of Agriculture, the ministry would next month arrange the shipment of rice to the island country, department Deputy Director-General Silvia Liu (劉聿綺) said.

Due to an ongoing conflict between its ruling and opposition parties, the Haitian parliament on Monday stopped operations and the country’s affairs are being temporarily run by administrative orders, she said.

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title: Highwealth eyes earnings as presale projects wrap up

taiwan-subdivisions: 南港 信義

content_text:
Highwealth Construction Corp (興富發) expects better earnings this year, as some presale projects are about to be completed, allowing it to realize profits.

The Taipei-based developer reported its optimistic outlook after selling NT$60 billion (US$2 billion) of presale and newly completed housing units last year, saying that its presale volume this year is expected to reach NT$40 billion to NT$50 billion.

Inventory digestion drove 20 percent of sales last year, while presale projects underpinned 80 percent, enabling Highwealth to post profits for the next two to three years, company founder Cheng Chin-tien (鄭欽天) said.

Last week, the company sold a 1,625.94 ping (5,375.02m2) plot of land in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) to YeaShin International Development Co (亞昕), Shin Ruen Development Co (新潤興業) and Hiyes International Co (海悅國際開發) for NT$1.79 billion.

The firm decided to make a quick profit on the plot, rather than wait a few more years for it to become even more profitable, Highwealth spokesman Liao Chao-hsiung (廖昭雄) said, adding that major property developers are buying up plots in Nangang, as the Taipei City Government plans to build a business district there after finishing one in Xinyi District (信義).

Cheng said that he has told his employees to aim for NT$100 billion in sales this year, as the property market is expected to thrive amid a stable economy, a low-interest environment and ongoing capital repatriation.

For the whole of last year, revenue totaled NT$23.79 billion, while earnings per share stood at NT$2.06 in the first three quarters — a decline of more than 45 percent from 2018.

The property market has a labor shortage due to a rapidly growing demand for factories and office space as Taiwanese manufacturers return home from China to avoid US tariffs on China-made goods, Cheng said.

Highwealth plans to introduce new construction methods that increase the use of prefab building materials and a significant reduction in labor, Cheng added.

The company would also tap further into the hospitality and retail sectors, he said.

Over the next two to three years, Highwealth expects to open a department store in Kaohsiung, as well as launch hotels in Tainan and New Taipei City, Cheng said, adding that the Tainan hotel would have 120 guestrooms, while the hot spring resort hotel in New Taipei City would have 202 rooms.

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title: Chaun-Choung plans Vietnam unit

content_text:
Chaun-Choung plans Vietnam unit

EXPANSION:The firm said it aims to establish a core production site in the country and capture growing business opportunities through its new subsidiary
Chaun-Choung Technology Corp (超眾), which supplies heat-dissipation modules for PCs and networking devices, yesterday said that it would invest US$10 million to set up a unit in Vietnam.

The firm said it aims to establish a core production site in the country and capture growing business opportunities through its new subsidiary, Nidec Chaun Choung Vietnam Corp, which is still pending approval by Vietnamese authorities.

The news came after the firm last month announced plans to set up a production facility to produce vapor chambers and thermal modules in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.

The company said that it would invest up to US$172 million within seven years in Vietnam.

Funding and support for the investment project purportedly came from Japan’s Nidec Corp, which became a major stakeholder after acquiring a 48 percent stake in the Taiwanese firm over a year ago for NT$4.48 billion (US$149.62 million) via a tender offer.

After having received orders from Sony Corp for its PlayStation 5, Chaun-Choung is expanding capacity for vapor chamber production this quarter at its plant in Kunshan, China, Chinese-language United Daily News reported last month.

The company’s expansions would help it meet growing demand for thermal solutions from mobile phone vendors, fueled by the launching of 5G models, which generate more heat on average compared with their 4G predecessors, analysts said, adding that the rise in demand would also benefit industry peers, including Taisol Electronics Co (泰碩) and Auras Technology Co Ltd (雙鴻).

US market researcher International Data Corp has predicted that shipments of 5G smartphones would reach 123.5 million units this year, making up 8.9 percent of total smartphone shipments.

Meanwhile, the global thermal management market is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 8 percent, from US$11.1 billion last year to US$16.2 billion by 2024, during which the Asia-Pacific region should see the greatest growth, the Ireland-based market intelligence provider ResearchandMarkets.com has estimated.

The firm’s revenue last year increased 12.06 percent year-on-year to NT$8.59 billion, while net profit surged 48.13 percent to NT$587.71 million over the first three quarters of last year, or earnings per share of NT$6.81, up from NT$4.6 in 2018.

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