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（中央社記者陳韻聿台北12日電）世界衛生組織（WHO ）將台灣錯誤標示於中國疫區項下，導致義大利中斷台 義直航班機等有損台灣民眾權益情事。歐洲多國友台議 員為此昨天致函WHO秘書長譚德塞，表達嚴正關切，並 要求更正。

外交部表示，由歐洲跨國國會友台小組組成的「福 爾摩沙俱樂部」（Formosa Club）昨天聯名致函WHO秘 書長譚德塞，對WHO將台灣錯誤標示於中國疫區項下表 達嚴正關切，並要求更正。福爾摩沙俱樂部成員在聯名 函中也對台灣以觀察員身分參與WHO表達支持。

外交部指出，聯名函也提到，台灣遭WHO錯置在中 國疫區項下不但無助疫情控制，更誤導義大利停飛台義 直航班機，對台灣造成嚴重影響；此外，台灣無法完整 參與WHO技術性會議，造成全球衛生安全體系嚴重漏洞 ，WHO應更正此現象。

外交部表示，此前義大利、英國、歐洲議會、拉脫 維亞及葡萄牙等友台議員已陸續致函WHO秘書長就台灣 參與情況表示關切，如今福爾摩沙俱樂部跨歐友台議員 接續仗義執言，顯示各歐洲理念相近國家持續增強支持 台灣參與國際組織的力道，WHO應正視。

福爾摩沙俱樂部去年10月在布魯塞爾成立，是歐洲 議會及德、英、法三國國會友台小組的交流平台，目標 包括推動台灣參與國際組織。（編輯：黃國倫） 1090212

title: WHO中國疫區含台灣  歐洲多國議員要求更正

countries: 中國 台灣 葡萄牙 義大利 英國


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為啥物，開放中國配偶的囝仔來臺灣，這項措施會隨來收回咧?根據了解，是總統府佮行政院高層，今仔日透早針對民意，進行開會討論，也建議疫情指揮中心、共政策撤回。

武漢肺炎疫情延燒，陸委會11號宣布，開放陸配子女來台，引發爭議，蔡總統12號和行政院長蘇貞昌、防疫指揮中心成員等高層開會後，做出撤回這措施的決定。蔡總統透過臉書，傳達「國內防疫優先」的概念，強調許多網友，透過臉書等平台，表達對這項措施的疑慮，也擔心風險是否增加，並強調這些意見，都有列入參考，因此有撤回的決定。

==統府發言人 丁允恭==
 昨天就有很多民眾
 透過不同的管道
 表達說對這個
 陸配子女入境措施的想法
 那總統也很重視這一些
 大家的訊息
 同時他對防疫工作的安全
 也是非常的重視

由於這項措施涉及人道考量，更涉及到疫區人流的管理，非同小可，也有不少民意代表，向行政院反應基層民眾的恐慌與憂慮，最後府院聯手進行危機處理。就連民進黨主席卓榮泰也表示，台灣社會認為、保護國內安全最重要，面對人民的期待，行政部門因此決定不執行。

==民進黨主席 卓榮泰==
 顯然是台灣社會面對這個疫情
 大家還是認為
 以保護台灣國內的安全
 是最為重要的
 那人民有這樣的期待
 所以陸委會
 跟相關的行政院的部會
 在今天 就我所知道
 已經做了最後的決定
 這個將不予繼續的執行

卓榮泰強調，政府應該要做一些檢討，以後要更深思熟慮，也要再次向民眾表達，政府為了守住台灣，會更彈性、更敏感的面對所有需求。

記者陳佳鑫 林志堅 台北報導

title: 府院緊擋恬 撤回開放中配囝兒來臺灣

countries: 臺灣 台灣 中國

references: 網友 臉書

people: 蘇貞昌 卓榮泰


countries: 台灣 中國 臺灣

people: 陳時中 陳明通

title: 陸委會昨開放中配囝兒來 加重防疫工課惹批判

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開放中國配偶來臺灣的政策，閣有上新的發展，陸委會本底昨昏下晡宣布、開放中國配偶的囡仔來臺灣，煞引起外界反彈。昨昏暗時，陸委會主委陳明通閣親身說明，愛有三个條件才會使入境。在今仔日下晡一點，中央流行疫情指揮中心正式宣佈，若無臺灣國籍者，攏袂使入境。

武漢肺炎疫情在全球蔓延，各國防疫都上緊發條，陸委會11號下午才宣布，准予陸配子女來台，引發外界反彈，晚上7點陸委會主委陳明通親上火線，召開記者會宣布，限縮條件，改為陸配未成年子女，在中國沒有親人照料者可專案申請來台，會後又發新聞稿，再增加「父母皆在台灣者」，沒想到、不到一天政策又大轉彎，中央流行疫情指揮中心12號宣布、撤回政策，只要不具我國國籍者，不同意入境。

==中央流行疫情指揮中心指揮官 陳時中==
 目前陸配子女
 如果不具有我國國籍
 仍滯留在中港澳地區者
 不同意入境

陳時中表示，相關討論及爭議不少，但經過專業的評估，在減少人員流動風險、保護國人優先條件下，防疫不容有破口，他強調，國籍是可以選擇的，當初選擇、就要自己承擔，而且目前滯留中國的台商還很多，加上清明節又有一波返台人潮，若任意開放，恐怕國內醫療量能會不足。

==中央流行疫情指揮中心指揮官 陳時中==
 我們對於這樣的國籍的選擇
 是可以選的
 那已經選擇了他的國籍
 沒有選擇到台灣的國籍
 那現在就必須要自己做安排
 自己要做承擔

陳時中重申，居家隔離、居家檢疫，也是防疫重要的一環，若以平均每天約有5千人來計算，14天至少有7萬人需要進行追蹤，不僅增加防疫人員負擔，也可能變成防疫漏洞，更何況還有人趴趴走；而根據統計，目前居家隔離者有400多人，違反規定者有3人，累計開罰26萬元，居家檢疫者有1.8萬人，有9人違反規定，累計遭罰62萬元。

記者 賴淑敏 蔣龍祥 台北報導


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總統蔡英文今仔日接見、資訊人才得獎者，特別講著臺灣；這回運用科技來對付武漢肺炎，親像是疾管署LINE官方口座，佮日前"國家級警示簡訊"等等，期待未來政府會使繼續佮民間合作，另外需要佇厝內隔離的人，是愈來愈濟，中央提供的定位監控手機數量無啥夠，目前攏靠里長咧追查，有的里長表示:壓力真大，建議愛用重罰，才袂予ﰀ拋拋走。

總統蔡英文12號接見2019資訊月傑出資訊人才得獎者及主辦單位，特地表示，這次台灣也善用科技因應武漢肺炎疫情，像是疾管署LINE官方帳號"疾管家"最近就很熱門，以及細胞簡訊提醒要注意的防疫資訊，期待未來與民間持續合作。

==總統 蔡英文==
 台灣對於科技的應用
 不論是在防疫交通或者是教育
 各領域這些經驗都會不斷的
 提升產業的實力
 促進台灣跟國際交流

因應疫情，政府也推廣使用通訊軟體和app，查詢相關事項，不過現在需要居家隔離和居家檢疫的人數持續增加，已超過一萬人，中央提供的二千支定位監控手機卻不太夠用，只能靠第一線里幹事和里長打電話聯繫。

里幹事早晚至少要打一次家用電話，確認居家檢疫者身體狀況及是否在家，如果沒連絡上還要到家親自檢查，人數一多確實有些里感覺壓力很大，也希望政府祭出重罰，才能嚇阻大家隨意出門，因為被抓到也會造成社區恐慌。

==台北市內湖區安湖里長 尤樹旺==
 不然人家忙得要死
 結果抓到你這樣簡單給他過
 你只要說重重的罰錢
 我不相信(有人敢亂跑)
 錢啦 大家都愛對不對

另外政務委員唐鳳也接著準副總統賴清德腳步，10號飛抵美國華府進行訪問，更在華府智庫csis發表演說，演講中舉台灣大選為例，強調中國對於民主社會的各種介入，值得國際關切，也分享台灣對抗假訊息經驗，讓外界知道如何透過大眾參與，讓假訊息無法見縫插針。

記者 韓瑩 張梓嘉 王德心 台北報導

things: 假訊息 防疫

people: 賴清德 蔡英文 唐鳳

countries: 美國 中國 台灣 臺灣

title: 用科技應對疫情 蔡總統望佮民間繼續合作


content_text:
原標題：「口罩航班」流傳網路！捐贈行動負責人講述背後故事 來源：中新經緯

中新經緯客戶端2月13日電 (吳亦涵)持續發展的疫情，也牽動著海外同胞們的心，自疫情受到廣泛關注以來，許多身在海外的華人華僑們，也在通過自己的方式，為抗擊疫情做出貢獻。

近日，一段南航「口罩航班」的視頻，在國內的社交媒體上引發了關注，這是一趟從肯亞首都內羅畢飛往廣州的南航航班，由於貨倉已滿，工作人員將客艙清空，飛機上的客艙載滿了N95口罩、醫用外科口罩等醫用物資。

這些物資，主要由肯亞中華總商會和肯亞江蘇商會聯合發起和組織籌集，由肯亞華人華僑愛心捐贈，將直接發往各地急需防護用品的醫院。為何會出現「口罩航班」？肯亞同胞為了抗擊疫情做了哪些努力？為此，中新經緯客戶端專訪了肯亞中華總商會會長卓武。

中新經緯：能否介紹下「口罩航班」的事件始末？

卓武：首先要解釋下，「口罩航班」是大家對載有口罩這個航班的誇張說法。實際上，當時是因為捐贈物資數量太多，飛機上的貨倉已經滿了，而物資又急需運送回國，送到需要的醫護人員手中。因此南方航空的內羅畢營業部領導協調乘客，組織空餘客艙進行了口罩等醫用物資的運輸。當時甚至連機長，空姐都充當了搬運工，協助把貨物放進了客艙。

在這裏我們要向南航表示感謝，他們做出了很大的「犧牲」，當時，直航中國的肯亞航空公司已經停航了，南方航空為我們所有的捐贈物資提供了免費運輸服務，創造性的用人貨混裝的方式，幫助我們將這批物資順利的運送到中國。

中新經緯：捐贈物資回國后又如何運送到醫院呢？

卓武：首先我們對接的醫院多是通過網路醫院捐贈公告，或者一些商會成員的推薦，還有一些國內涉僑部門的推薦。這包括了湖北、安徽、四川、山東等急需醫用物資的醫院。我們直接對接醫院，了解他們的實際需要，在我們準備好物資后，主動對接醫院所在省份的紅十字會或者慈善總會，再把物資定向的捐贈給醫院。

像我們捐贈給武漢市一些醫院的醫用物資，都是我們捐贈給湖北省慈善總會，再指定某醫院作為使用單位的。一般會先由南航直接運輸到長沙，在長沙由浩通物流公司免費清關，後由湖北省慈善總會聯繫使用單位到長沙提貨。還有的是到廣州。在廣州，我們請歐盛威公司協助我們免費清關，再聯繫京東物流，幫助我們把醫用物資在湖北省慈善總會的委託下，直接送達醫院。

此外我們還看到，當捐贈物資到達目的地后，很多受捐贈的醫院都是直接駕車(救護車或者警察)到機場直接提貨。從購買物資、報關、發運以及送至醫院，全程每個環節我們都保持著關注和跟進，生怕那個環節出點問題。整個過程中，我們與國內的航空公司、慈善機構以及物流公司等機構和單位，共同組成了一條義務的物流鏈，我們非常感謝在這些批次捐贈活動中給我們配合的夥伴們。

中新經緯：能否聊聊肯亞僑胞們具體的捐贈情況？

卓武：我們是1月23日19:55分開始為新型冠狀病毒疫情募捐的，特別是了解到國內醫院的醫護人員都缺少醫用物資后。當時，我們在肯亞中華總商會的各個群里就發起了募捐倡議，此後在肯僑胞便積極的參與，不斷的有捐款捐物進來。

在整個過程中，我們也遇到過一些難題，比如醫用物資採購困難，以及運輸方面貨倉經常爆倉，在發運過程中被甩貨等問題，經過各種協調，我們目前已經把10批捐贈物資順利的發運出去了。

中新經緯：當時是如何採購這些醫用物資的呢？

卓武：我們首先是號召大家捐款，然後再去購買醫用物資，並且號召大家在資源緊缺的情況，發動身邊的朋友、愛心人士尋求資源。

以N95口罩為例，由於肯亞貨源少，而且每天價格都在漲，N95口罩單隻價格已上漲五倍也可能買不到。因此我們在購買口罩的過程中，冒著風險隨時背著現金進行「掃街」。此外，也有很多肯亞朋友向我們推薦了一些供貨商。

在這10天左右的時間里，我和我的同仁們白天在市場上尋求資源，晚上進行統計。此外，疫情爆發以來，我們還需要考慮(肯亞-中國)航班班次情況，將採購到的物資整理髮送，以確保捐贈物資能夠及時運回國內。

中新經緯：未來是否還有捐贈計劃？

卓武：下一步，我們可能會考慮到採用捐款的形式，一方面，肯亞的醫用物資十分有限，特別是最近這幾天，內羅畢已經不太好買到口罩等醫用物資；另一方面，可能是出於預防疫情的考慮，肯亞政府也要開始對口罩等醫用物資限制出口了。

因此目前我們也希望能和其他社會力量一同援助國內，畢竟我們的力量也是有限的，而大家的團結和努力才是最大的力量！我們也十分感謝奮戰在一線的醫護人員們的付出，也希望你們能夠保護好自己！平安回家！(中新經緯APP)

countries: 中國 肯亞

title: 「口罩航班」流傳網路！捐贈行動負責人講述背後故事


content_text: （中央社台北12日電）今彩539第109037期開獎，中獎 號碼17、19、35、33、23。3星彩中獎號碼735，4星彩 中獎號碼8662。     實際中獎獎號以台彩公布為準。1090212...

title: 今彩539第109037期開獎


content_text:
（中央社記者吳佳蓉台北12日電）武漢肺炎疫情對相關 產業衝擊陸續浮現，繼台銀、華銀、台企銀及第一銀行 日前宣布推出紓困措施，兆豐銀、土銀、合庫今天也跟 進公告紓困方案，公股行庫齊力協助企業度過資金難關 。

1月下旬以來，疫情已由中國大規模擴散至全球其 他27個國家或地區，直接衝擊觀光、餐飲、交通運輸及 航空等產業，春節連假延長，也恐對電子及紡織產業供 應鏈造成影響。

為協助企業度過資金難關，公股銀行陸續表示將配 合政府辦理政策性貸款，現階段也以自有資源，陸續推 出紓困措施，作法包括受理貸款還款展延，放寬信用卡 繳款期限，提供個人信貸等，並針對不同對象，如中小 企業、小微企業等，推出低利貸款。

繼台灣銀行、台灣企銀、華南銀行及第一銀行日前 推出武漢肺炎紓困措施，兆豐銀行、土地銀行、合作金 庫今天也公告紓困方案，面對記者詢問，彰化銀行也回 覆設有相關措施。

兆豐銀表示，因應疫情影響，推出「愛企貸」中小 企業優惠貸款專案，可搭配中小信保基金保證機制，利 率前3個月最低1.83%起，融資期限最長3年；經確診為 「武漢肺炎」患者，或居家隔離、居家檢疫不得外出的 個人貸款戶，可來申請3個月內暫免還款繳息，並減免 逾期利息及違約金。

土銀推出「抗疫興家園、土銀心相挺」紓困行動方 案，除接受借款暫緩繳款、延長借款期限申請，也推出 「中小企業抗疫專案貸款」，搭配信保基金，每戶最高 可申貸新台幣100萬元，並享優惠利率及免收開辦費優 惠。

合庫銀則新訂「新型冠狀病毒貸款專案」，額度 100億元；營運受疫情衝擊的既有客戶，可申請緩繳本 息及展延借款期間，將依個案評估是否核准。

彰銀表示，客戶因疫情影響，有貸款申請展延、延 長寬限期或額外取得資金等需求，都將儘量提供協助， 並研議延長「中小企業小額貸款專案」放款年限，適當 提高相關額度，助小微企業快速取得資金；針對薪資轉 戶，將規劃提供既有放款利率優惠及申請消費性貸款利 率優惠等措施。

世界衛生組織（WHO）2月11日將武漢肺炎定名為 COVID-19（2019年冠狀病毒疾病）。（編輯：張均懋） 1090212

title: 助企業度過難關 3公股銀跟進推紓困方案

events: 武漢肺炎 冠狀病毒

countries: 中國 台灣


title: 東元推車用動力新品　布局電動物流車

content_text: 東元12日下午舉行車用動力產品發表會，推出相關馬達 和驅動器產品，布局電動物流車領域。圖右2為東元董 事長邱純枝，圖中為東元會長黃茂雄。 中央社記者鍾榮峰攝　109年2月12日...


title: 山富旅遊危機入市　3月上旬轉上櫃

content_text: 如果您繼續閱讀，視同您同意我們隱私條款。This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By clicking agree you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy..


title: 賴正鎰估台灣GDP成長下修0.3個百分點

content_text: 商總理事長賴正鎰12日指出，台灣首季經濟成長恐受武 漢肺炎影響，不過，第2季將爆發性反彈。估全年GDP成 長率下修約0.3個百分點，全年成長率落在2.2%至2.3% 之間。 中央社記者蔡芃敏攝 109年2月12日...


title: 2019美國家庭負債暴增18兆元 創金融危機來新高

content_text:
（中央社華盛頓11日綜合外電報導）美國紐約聯邦準備 銀行今天表示，2019年美國家庭負債較前個年度增加 6010億美元（約新台幣18兆元），這是2007年以來最大 的年度增幅，當時就是2008年全球金融危機前夕。

根據紐約聯邦準備銀行（New York Fed Reserve Bank）公布的報告，因購屋者持續享有低利率，造成抵 押貸款的額度不斷攀升，去年負債增加使得美國家庭債 務額創下新高，超過2008年金融市場崩盤前的高峰。

這項季度報告指出，美國家庭債務在連續22季的增 加後，去年底總額達到14兆1500億美元（約新台幣424 兆元）。

2019年第4季的美國房屋貸款新增額度，創下2005 年第4季以來的新高，同時，信用卡與車貸的欠款也是 債台高築。

為促進經濟成長，美國聯準會（Fed）去年3度調降 基準貸款利率，去年10月最後一次調降使利率來到1.5% 至1.75%之間，吸引購屋者不斷搶進房地產市場。

不過債務負擔對部分美國家庭構成傷害，紐約聯邦 準備銀行警告，越來越多的信用卡債務人沒錢還款，特 別是年輕人。

紐約聯邦準備銀行的報告指出，2019年美國年齡介 於18歲至29歲的持卡人，其中有4.3%拖欠卡款，30歲至 39歲的持卡人中，僅有2.8%未按時還款。（譯者：曹宇 帆/核稿：陳彥鈞）1090212


content_text:
中國解放軍24小時內兩次派戰機繞台，國防部長嚴德發昨天視察空軍，捍衛領空。美國國務院則呼籲北京，停止脅迫行徑，為兩岸和平著想。不過，中國外交部則是持續開砲。

透過無線電玩家的錄音，可以清楚聽到，共軍軍機逼近我國空防領域。在共機繞台的2個多小時中，國軍21度廣播驅離，展現捍衛領空的決心。由於共軍9號和10號，24小時內兩度軍機繞台，國防部長嚴德發11號特別視察空軍，援引空軍烈士高志航名言，期許國軍保持高度警覺、捍衛領空。
 國防部發言人史順文說明嚴德發引述空軍烈士高志航的名言：「身為中華民國空軍，我們不會讓敵機飛在頭上耀武揚威。」

亞太防務雜誌總編輯鄭繼文說：「這一次進入中線以外，後續有沒有其他的動作。如果持續還有一些軍事訊號發出，我認為這樣的一個對照比較合乎邏輯。」

對於共軍兩度軍機繞台，美國國務院呼籲北京應該停止脅迫行徑，因為美國對兩岸和平，有著深切利益，兩岸都應該努力建立這個基礎。不過，中國態度持續強硬。中國外交部發言人耿爽表示，中國雖然同意台灣以個人名義視訊參加WHO的疫情專家會議，仍舊痛批民進黨政府是政治操作、令人不齒。

陸委會發言人邱垂正回應：「耿爽的說法是推卸責任、轉移焦點，不但無助於改善兩岸關係，國際社會也不會認同。」

陸委會強調，面對中國的無理打壓，以政治因素凌駕在人類健康安全議題之上，防疫當前、人道優先，兩岸應該相互合作，才能解決問題。

title: 共機頻繞台 嚴德發視察空軍期許捍衛領空

countries: 台灣 中國 中華民國 美國


content_text: （中央社台北12日電）雙贏彩第109037期今晚開獎，中 獎號碼為14、09、24、15、16、11、05、02、18、22、 17、19。     實際中獎獎號以台彩公布為準。1090212...

title: 雙贏彩第109037期開獎


title: 武漢肺炎衝擊產業 政院擬發放振興抵用券

countries: 台灣 中國

content_text:
（中央社記者顧荃台北12日電）行政院會明天將討論因 應武漢肺炎衝擊產業的紓困措施，包括內需型產業、農 業，以及航空與觀光業等，其中包括將透過「振興抵用 券」等相關措施刺激消費。

武漢肺炎疫情衝擊國內各項產業，世界衛生組織（ WHO）2月11日將武漢肺炎定名為COVID-19（2019年冠狀 病毒疾病）。

行政院發言人Kolas Yotaka（谷辣斯‧尤達卡）晚 間表示，針對台灣各產業可能被武漢肺炎疫情而影響， 明天行政院會擬通過各項紓困措施。

Kolas表示，經濟部就五大項內需服務業（餐飲、 零售、會展、商圈、夜市及傳統市場）進行盤點，政府 除提供融資協助外，也在疫情期間提供數位轉型、環境 優化及人才培育等協助。讓這些受到影響的店家，可以 蓄積能量、提升品質。

Kolas說，疫情結束後，將在資金面提供業者新增 貸款的能量、在市場面透過大型展銷活動來吸引消費者 ，並透過「振興抵用券」等相關措施刺激消費。

她說，振興抵用卷用法類似夜市券，細節將在明天 院會通過後說明。

在農業方面，Kolas表示，包括學校午餐食材媒合 通路（因有機短期葉菜類採收期較短，銷售不易）、加 強分散及拓展海外市場、中國船員暫無法來台之因應措 施、與電商合作協助農產品網購銷售、農漁業紓困貸款 、休閒農業產業優化，並調整生產結構等。

在交通方面，Kolas說，將針對旅行社、觀光飯店 、航空、運輸、小三通等相關行業，因政府政策導致原 本已下訂、接團、訂房取消等業務受影響，將提出短期 補貼、紓困、貸款利息補貼等措施，同時也提出中長期 轉型振興計畫。以上內容，仍須以院會通過的為主。

另外，行政院官員表示，預計將在下週20日行政院 會提出紓困特別條例草案，待立法院三讀通過後，即可 提出特別預算。目前各部會仍在加緊盤點特別預算共需 多少經費，對於較緊急的產業紓困將先以公務預算支應 ，以緩濟急，因此特別預算金額尚未定案。（編輯：蘇 龍麒）1090212


title: 民間自製火箭飛鼠一號將試射

content_text: 位於台東縣達仁鄉南田村的晉陞太空科技公司火箭發射 基地，由民間主導研發的實驗火箭「飛鼠一號」12日在 黑夜雨勢中已就定位，等待13日清晨試射升空。 中央社記者孫仲達台東攝　109年2月12日...


title: 台微體長效疼痛管理藥 二期臨床結果年中揭曉

content_text:
（中央社記者韓婷婷台北12日電）台微體今天表示，非 鴉片類術後長效疼痛管理藥物TLC590二期臨床試驗提前 完成收案，在硬組織手術後用於鎮痛的試驗結果將於 2020年中揭曉。

台微體指出，此隨機分組、雙盲、活性藥及安慰劑 對照的二期臨床試驗，正於美國4所臨床試驗中心進行 ，主要試驗結果計畫於2020年中揭曉。

台微體總經理葉志鴻表示，假如TLC590在這個骨骼 組織手術上的表現，能如先前一/二期軟組織手術臨床 試驗結果一樣出色，將有把握繼續前進，邁入三期臨床 試驗。

展望2020年，葉志鴻表示，將聚焦2大目標，包括 完成關節炎長效止痛藥物TLC599三期樞紐性臨床試驗的 收案，並取得TLC590二期臨床試驗的結果。

台微體公布2019年財報，去年營收新台幣2.09億元 ，較2018年6200萬元增加235.6%；營業費用10.3億元， 較2018年9.8億元增加4.7%；稅後淨損8.08億元，較 2018年稅後淨損9.02億元縮小，每股虧損12.32元。（ 編輯：張良知）1090212


content_text:
菲律賓昔日暗時宣布，禁止台灣人民入境，今毋但咱的外交部抗議，閣有在野黨的立委，提議講，換咱著將「菲律賓的國民」來台灣遊覽，毋免申請簽證的優待，暫時擋恬，通好表明態度。抑今仔日，菲律賓國內的內閣，會召開會議，咱也當咧拍拚，盡量予in了解，台灣抵擋這層病症，拍拚的成果，說服對方，趕緊取消禁止令。
 武漢肺炎疫情延燒，菲律賓衛生部10號宣布禁止台灣人民入境，並宣稱這是因為一個中國政策，引發朝野譴責，民進黨立院黨團表示，菲律賓以政治影響防疫，忽視台灣本次在防疫上的卓越水準，令人遺憾，在野黨則要求外交部，必須嚴正表達抗議，並提出強硬反制措施，暫停對菲國免簽。

==國民黨立委 洪孟楷==
 我們要求外交部
 他要做一個趕快的裁示
 是不是來暫停對菲律賓的免簽
 直到菲律賓把我們台灣
 劃出疫情範圍地區

==民眾黨團副總召 張其祿==
 免簽或這是這些取消
 或者是現在他們菲律賓人來台
 不管是旅遊或者那些我們先禁止
 因為其實我們也相信
 中國還是會施壓一些其他的國家
 那就會造成別的國家
 其實我覺得這就是一個示範

在野黨紛紛呼籲檢討對菲律賓的免簽措施，展現態度，外交部則回應，相關建議尊重委員，不過這次菲律賓無預警發出對台航班禁令，也讓外交部措手不及，甚至第一時間還表示是烏龍消息，學者分析，雖然外交部信任駐菲代表處沒錯，但是需要雙重確認，尤其是菲律賓近來的親中立場明顯，難免不讓人聯想到是政府政治考量。

==中華亞太菁英交流協會秘書長 王智盛==
 並不是台灣是疫區
 而是因為基於一個中國原則
 這樣其實就已經很明顯的
 不被聯想到是菲律賓
 在親中的壓力之下的
 政治操作跟考量

外交部表示正積極和包括菲律賓總統府和外交部等單位全面交涉，根據了解，菲律賓政府12號將召開內閣會議，衛生部、移民署和外交部等機關都將與會，消息人士指出，可能藉友台成員，呈現台灣防疫水準以及台灣疫情現況，試圖說服相關單位解除對台禁令。

記者 韓瑩 張梓嘉 台北報導

title: 菲國禁臺灣人入境 在野立委主張免簽證暫停

countries: 臺灣 菲律賓 中國 台灣


content_text:
大陸17省市與50餘地縣級市的省際公路與公共運輸已逐漸恢復營運，除了是疫情防控已出現積極現象，主要還是企業復工與居民生活所需。圖為勞務輸出大省的四川，農民工搭乘大型公路客運返回城市工作。（圖／中新社）

在一個多月來新冠肺炎疫情擴散期間被各地方政府封閉的省際公路客運，以及城市公共交通、軌道客運，在近期已有多數陸續恢復營運。此舉除顯示大陸新冠肺炎的疫情已漸趨穩定，也是為了封城多時之後，必須因應城市內居民生活與企業生產需要而重啟公共交通運輸。

據《新華視點》報導，大陸國務院交通運輸部指出，截至2月12日，江蘇、浙江、安徽、福建、山東、湖南、廣東、重慶、四川等9個省份已有序恢復省際道路客運，17個省份有序恢復省內道路客運。

此外，河北、遼寧、吉林、安徽、江蘇、福建、山東、河南、湖南、廣西、雲南、甘肅、寧夏等省份的26個地級市、27個縣級市已恢復地面公共交通運營；在已開通城市軌道交通的41個城市中，33個城市軌道交通線路正常運營。

早先許多分析人士認為，停運公共交通採取封城或半封城措施是疫情嚴重時不得不進行的防控手段，但封閉各地省際公路與市內公共交通會嚴重影響市民日常生活，對於企業復工也造成重大阻礙，因此在國務院下令盡一切力量復工後，重啟公共交通將大幅改善疫情防控對企業復工的造成障礙，也能大量地恢復市民正常生活。但是，恢復公共交通對疫情防控仍有極大壓力，目前雖疫情防控已出現積極現象，仍需嚴格防範再次發生疫情擴散。

title: 陸17省市省際公路與城市客運逐步恢復營運


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title: 爽跟越南妹玩1龍2鳳 台商見正宮不舉 醫一招救他


content_text:
54歲資深藝人董至成昨(12日)驚傳與結婚21年的妻子羅若云婚姻亮紅燈，婚變原因更是令人震驚，疑似妻子與兒子的游泳女教練小恩有著長達7年的曖昧情，令董至成聞訊震驚不已。 對此，「通靈大師」江嘉葉直指董至成夫妻宮弱無氣，而無法經常陪伴妻兒更是兩人感情的最大致命傷。

江嘉葉稱董至成性情剛烈暴躁，額頭高聳寬廣，可惜氣不足，容易動怒，待人和善，眼神有力有氣，與人相處，常以大哥姿態照顧朋友，甚至會兩肋插刀力挺友人，是個很值得交的朋友。

她還說：「董至成年輕時因容易動怒，處事不夠圓滿，常會得罪人，40歲之後，慢慢收斂脾氣，懂得適應環境，能屈能伸，對友人的包容度也越來越大，對母親很孝順，但心有餘力不足，因工作關係很難與母親相聚，對妻兒也很照顧，疼老婆疼孩子，尤其老來得子，更是寶貝孩子，事事遷就，兒子萬歲。」

不過江嘉葉也稱，可惜董至成子女宮弱，與兒子緣分淺，會聚少離多，夫妻宮也弱無氣。她說董至成老婆能幹會持家，但個性較強硬些，兩人很多想法不同，常會有爭執，董至成為了多賺些錢讓妻兒享福，無法常陪老婆孩子，也是夫妻感情很大的致命傷。

最後，江嘉葉亦提醒董至成事業運從45歲開始下滑，7、8年後才會慢慢往上爬，只是他到了62歲又是一大關卡，事業又遭挫折，建議董至成要懂得理財和存錢，

不要隨便投資任何事業，演藝事業賺錢才是正途，「現在還有人幫你理財，若真的離婚，可要多存老本，為自己老年打算！」

title: 董至成老婆傳出軌女教練鬧離婚 她揭最大致命傷！


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就在梅根與夫婿哈利王子淡出王室，脫英一個月後，知名女權作家葛莉爾（Germaine Greer）接受澳洲「60分鐘」（60 Minutes）節目專訪，痛下重手，毫不留情地對兩人發動攻擊。

據《每日郵報》（Daily Mail）與《信使新聞報》（The Mercury News）報導，直言不諱的葛莉爾預測，梅根和哈利脫離王室，沒人管後，兩人的婚姻可能會是場「災難」。她甚至質疑梅根對哈利的愛，直指他們2018年那場名流與眾星雲集的婚禮，根本「充滿了娛樂特質」。

「她最好是愛啦，」葛莉爾說，「要是她一直都在作假－天啊！那有多慘。」

此外，葛莉爾指出，哈利會愛上梅根，或許是因為想尋找擺脫王室生活的出路。當她回顧兩人在溫莎城堡聖喬治禮拜堂（St George's Chapel）的豪華婚禮時說，那給人留下的印象就是前好萊塢女星梅根「活在完全虛幻造作的世界裡」。

事實上，早在將近兩年前葛莉爾就預言，一旦梅根了解，身在王室究竟是怎麼回事時，總有一天會想「逃出」英國王室。

countries: 英國 澳洲

title: 假愛？梅根哈利婚姻夢一場


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（中央社記者江明晏台北12日電）超商龍頭統一超1月 合併營收新台幣227.05億元，較去年同期增加8.51%， 受惠年節挹注，統一超1月營收衝出單月歷史新高佳績 。

統一超說明，7-ELEVEN於1月在高雄開出第二家「 卡娜赫拉的小動物」品牌聯名店及去年底台南首家Big7 陽光城門市，帶動相關區域營運成長；適逢跨年與農曆 春節檔期，以福袋、全店集點、鮮食、零食、飲料等行 銷活動炒熱買氣；轉投資事業包括菲律賓7-ELEVEN、悠 旅生活（星巴克）、統一生活（康是美）等表現亮眼挹 注整體營收。

轉投資事業部分，統一超說，海外事業菲律賓 7-ELEVEN店數持續成長，截至1月底共2880家門市，較 去年同期成長320店；星巴克1月新推出紙本飲料券與鼠 年新品、春節禮盒需求旺盛，業績續揚；康是美推出優 惠，強化醫美保養、保健、零食等商品結構，門市及網 路商城同步成長。

7-ELEVEN本業部分，鮮食部分，燴飯及輕食便當帶 動相關業績成長近2成。

展望2月，統一超說明，由統一企業集團提出全新 生活提案Simple-Fit，7-ELEVEN針對2020年提出新生活 飲食相關商品，加上西洋情人節、228連假，多樣化的 生活提案及新品，預計帶動另一波消費需求。

7-ELEVEN門市截至109年1月底店數共5712家。（編 輯：黃國倫）1090212

title: 年節挹注 統一超1月營收創新高


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Ban on Chinese minors to remain

CONSEQUENCES:Chen Shih-chung said the children could not have been left in China without caregivers and their parents did not choose Taiwan as their nationality
The departure area of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport stands almost deserted yesterday. Less than 60,000 people entered and left the country through the airport on Tuesday — a 10-year low.Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times

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The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced that Chinese minor children of Taiwanese and Chinese couples would continue to be banned from entering Taiwan.

At their regular weekly meeting yesterday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) overturned a policy announced by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Tuesday that would have allowed the children entry under special conditions, the center said.

Facing a widespread outbreak of COVID-19 in China, the center announced a ban on the entry of Chinese visitors from Thursday last week, but the council initially relaxed the policy on Tuesday.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, yesterday told a news conference in Taipei: “We are revoking all the control measures allowing Chinese minor children of Taiwanese and Chinese couples to return to Taiwan announced by the MAC on Tuesday.”

“Chinese children of Taiwanese and Chinese couples who do not have nationality of our country and are still in China, Hong Kong or Macau will not be allowed to enter Taiwan,” he said.

The MAC had announced that the exception would allow Chinese minor children of Taiwanese and Chinese couples who have an Alien Resident Certificate or a long-term visa for visiting family or relatives to enter Taiwan, but they would be placed in home quarantine for 14 days after arrival.

The announcement quickly sparked public confusion and criticism, with the MAC on Tuesday night saying that the policy had been narrowed to only include Chinese children who are under 18 years old, “have been living in Taiwan” and “have no one to take care of them in China,” adding that they must apply for entry and gain approval from the National Immigration Agency.

Chen yesterday said that anyone who is in Taiwan would receive equal medical treatment if they are infected, and anyone who is in home isolation or home quarantine in Taiwan would also be regulated equally.

“However, there must be a differentiation at border controls and priority is given to Taiwanese,” he said.

Many Taiwanese in China are likely to return for the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday, so the center is worried that loosening border controls would cause a capacity shortage, he added.

About 5,000 people are placed in home quarantine every day and as quarantines last 14 days, there would be more than 70,000 people in home quarantine every day and more people are needed to monitor them, Chen said.

COVID-19 testing capacity has increased to about 1,010 people per day, but two test results are required to confirm each case and about 40 percent of the nation’s 1,100 negative pressure isolation rooms are being used, so some capacity must be reserved for possible emergency situations, he said.

“We know there is kinship between Chinese minor children and their Taiwanese parents, but our principle is to put Taiwanese first,” Chen said. “There are already many problems to deal with among Taiwanese, such as those who are ill, but stranded in Wuhan [the epicenter of the outbreak in China]… Emergency rescue operations could be needed at any time.”

“We will not allow our medical and related capacity to be used on non-Taiwanese. Of course, we hope to help others if we have spare capacity, but the CECC will have failed in its duty if we cannot act within our power,” he said.

people: 蘇貞昌 陳時中 蔡英文


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Measures ready if Manila keeps ban, source says

BACKUP PLAN:While Taipei is working to correct the ban, its countermeasures touch on various areas, including economy, health, agriculture and immigration, the source said
The government hopes to maintain Taipei-Manila rapport, but has listed seven to eight countermeasures if the Philippines persists in its travel ban on Taiwanese visitors, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday.

On Monday, the Philippines — one of the countries covered by the government’s New Southbound Policy — added Taiwan to its temporary travel ban.

The ban initially targeted only people from China, Hong Kong and Macau and was instituted last week.

Taiwan was included, as it is considered part of China by the WHO, Philippine Undersecretary of Health Eric Domingo said on Monday.

While Manila Economic and Cultural Office Chairman and Resident Representative Angelito Banayo later that day said that “the statement made by Health Undersecretary Dr Eric Domingo is not an official position” and apologized for the confusion, Taiwanese have remained barred from entering the Philippines.

The reversal wreaked havoc on domestic airlines and travel agencies, with some lawmakers urging the government to cancel its visa-waiver program or restricting the number of Philippine migrant workers.

Adding Taiwan to the ban was a wrong decision made by a single official, as the Philippine presidency, national security and foreign affairs agencies appeared to be ignorant of the decision, a source familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.

While the government is working to ask Manila to correct the ban by removing Taiwan, it has also come up with certain countermeasures if the ban persists, they said.

The countermeasures touch on various government agencies, including economy, health, agriculture and immigration, the source said, without divulging specifics.

Two conflicting forces, either leaning toward Taiwan or China, have existed inside the Philippine government, the source added.

When bilateral relations reached their worst in years in 2013, when Taiwanese fisher Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成) on board the vessel Kuang Ta Hsing No. 2 was shot dead by the Philippine Coast Guard, Taiwan imposed a series of sanctions on the Philippines.

The sanctions included freezing the applications of Philippine workers and suspending bilateral exchanges in trade, fisheries and aviation.

In a news briefing in Manila yesterday, Domingo adopted a more reserved stance when asked about the issue, saying only that the decision might be finalized today or tomorrow.

Additional reporting by CNA

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Qualifier Jason Jung on Tuesday stunned former world No. 5 Kevin Anderson in the first round at the New York Open, an event at which the world No. 131 -— who was born in Torrance, California, but represents Taiwan — has earned three of his five ATP Tour victories.

Jung saved a set point on his way to a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory over the South African, now ranked 120th after suffering an injury-ravaged season last year.

Jung converted two of five break points and won 94 percent of points on his first service to wrap up the victory in 1 hour, 28 minutes.

“I guess I like these courts. It’s always nice to get a big win and gives [me] a little confidence boost, so hopefully I can build on that. I’m just really happy,” Jung told the ATP Web site.

“Obviously, Kevin is coming back, but he’s been in two Grand Slam finals. Great confidence for me and hopefully this translates into 2020... It’s been a long journey for me and I’m just trying to enjoy every moment that I can,” Jung added.

Jung next faces British seventh seed Cameron Norrie, who defeated American wild-card Brian Shi 7-5, 6-3.

THAILAND OPEN

Taiwanese qualifier Liang En-shuo yesterday forced Chinese fourth seed Zheng Saisai to battle all the way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the second round of the singles at the Thailand Open.

Liang, the Australian Open girls’ singles and doubles champion in 2018 and ranked No. 238, had advanced after a 6-3, 6-0 defeat of China’s Wang Xinyu in the first round on Monday, but world No. 36 Zheng proved too tough a prospect for the 19-year-old in Hua Hin.

In the first round of the doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Yu-chieh and Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway fell to a 6-2, 6-0 defeat to Barbara Haas of Austria and Ellen Perez of Australia in 48 minutes.

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title: Jung stuns Anderson in New York


title: King proud women’s tennis still leads fight for equality

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The revamped Fed Cup Finals taking place in Budapest in April shows that women’s tennis remains the leader in the battle for equality for women’s sport, American trailblazer Billie Jean King said on Tuesday.

King, who fought the establishment to create the professional Women’s Tennis Association in 1973, was at the Fed Cup draw as the 57-year-old women’s team event launched a new chapter.

Twelve nations featuring many of the world’s leading women players are to descend on the Hungarian capital for a week-long event boasting US$18 million in prize money.

Tennis already sets the bar with equal prize money paid to women and men at Grand Slams, but King said that the Fed Cup prize pot matches that of the revamped Davis Cup held in November is “huge.”

“This is an unbelievable opportunity for the next three years,” 76-year-old King, a Fed Cup global ambassador, told reporters by telephone after the draw ceremony held in the stunning Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest.

“It makes me very proud that women’s tennis is showing that it’s still the leader in women’s sports. That means a lot to me, so we must continue to be that,” she added.

King, who on the court won 12 Grand Slam singles titles (eight in the professional era), but also fought off court for the creation of a professional tour and for equal prize money, played in the first edition of the Fed Cup in 1963.

That event, started 63 years after the first men’s Davis Cup, featured 16 nations in London, with King helping the US to victory over Australia in the final.

The new format, featuring 12 nations battling for the title over a week, is something of a throwback to the first edition, but King said that it is actually worlds apart.

She was paid daily expenses to cover dinner while the winning team in Budapest are to share US$3.2 million, with US$1.2 million going to the winning federation. Teams who fail to progress out of the four groups would still share US$500,000.

“That’s how it was, we were amateurs,” said King, who paired with Darlene Hard to beat career rival Margaret Smith (now Court) and Lesley Turner in a deciding doubles in the final. “But I was desperate to have our name first on the trophy.”

“That first Fed Cup featured 16 nations, total. This year, 116 started out. That gives you a measure of the huge growth,” King said.

“And the new format? It’s huge. The players wanted one less week in the calendar, they got that. And they wanted more money, and the ITF [International Tennis Federation] came up with the money,” she said.

“It’s equal with Davis Cup, which is a very important message, because the ITF has really basically governed themselves to have equality, to make sure they are fighting for equality. They are not just talking, they are showing,” she added.

Women’s tennis was an example for other sports, especially in the US, King said.

“We need all women’s sport thriving. Baseball is 150 years old, NFL is a 100 years old and NHL is 100 years old this year, and there’s no women’s leagues. That’s another thing on my brain to try and figure out,” King said.

“We took our stance 50 years ago. We were going to get suspended. We didn’t know what would happen to us, but we fought like crazy for three things: to have a place to compete, to be appreciated for accomplishments, not just looks, and to make a living,” she said.

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title: Blues-Ducks match postponed due to Bouwmeester scare

content_text:
St Louis defenseman Jay Bouwmeester on Tuesday night collapsed on the bench during a break in play in the first period, prompting the Blues and Anaheim Ducks to postpone their game.

Bouwmeester appeared to be awake and alert as he was being transported out of the arena to a hospital.

Teammates Vince Dunn and Alex Pietrangelo immediately called for medical help after Bouwmeester slumped over with 7 minutes, 50 seconds left in the first period. After a couple of minutes, Bouwmeester was taken out on a stretcher through a tunnel next to the Blues bench.

Bouwmeester appeared to be grabbing a drink of water when he began to slowly fall. Emergency medical personnel rushed to the Blues’ bench.

Players from both teams gathered to see what was wrong before he was taken away. Both teams then went to their dressing rooms and the game was called off a few minutes later tied at 1-1.

Players from both teams met for hugs and well-wishes after changing out of their gear. The game is to be made up at a later date.

The 36-year-old is in his 17th NHL season and has for that time been known for his strong skating and conditioning. He helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup last season and won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2014.

Bouwmeester was skating in his 57th game this season, the 1,241st of his NHL career. He skated 1 minute, 20 seconds in his last shift before collapsing and logged 5 minutes, 34 seconds of ice time in the game.

The Blues in April last year signed the veteran defenseman to a US$3.25 million, one-year deal for this season.

Bouwmeester held one of the longest ironman streaks in NHL history with 737 consecutive regular-season games played until a lower-body injury in 2014. He missed time in the 2015-2016 season with a concussion and a hip injury ended his 2017-2018 season.

He played all but four games last year and has not missed a game this season.

The last player to collapse on an NHL bench was Dallas forward Rich Peverley in 2014. Peverley had an irregular heartbeat and the quick response of emergency officials made sure that he was all right.

The NHL has pages of emergency medical standards that spell out in specific detail that at least two doctors must be in attendance for every game and one must be within 15m of the bench.

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content_text:
National Taiwan Normal University president Wu Cheng-chih (吳正己) in an opinion piece published in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Monday last week said that the tech sector might have taken all the computer teachers.

Wu said that teacher education is no longer popular, adding that there are now only two “pure” teacher education universities left in Taiwan, and that only 15 percent of National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) graduates work as teachers.

Wu also said that the 12-year Basic Education Curriculum Guidelines should teach students computational thinking, but that there is a shortage of teachers in the area of basic information studies, and not even 10 NTNU graduates per year want to teach computer studies.

Wu suggested that instructors in fields with an excess of teachers should receive a second specialty, as there is a need to integrate smaller schools in remote areas and they are addressing this problem by jointly hiring teachers and sharing them.

In response to the new political situation and new social demands, the Teacher Education Act (師資培育法) promulgated in February 1994 differs from the earlier Teacher Education Law (師範教育法) of 1978, according to which students were given teacher qualifications on graduation, together with the right and obligation to receive and accept a position as teacher.

The problem is that graduates with an information technology background are unwilling to work as teachers.

Young graduates cannot be blamed for not wanting to teach information technology in elementary schools and high schools, because doing so means having to first go through several levels of tests and evaluations.

Furthermore, the tests include written and oral tests, as well as live teaching trials.

In addition to being meticulous in their preparation, they must also familiarize themselves with the culture of public education and memorize the test questions, which many see as a perilous undertaking.

All this makes it difficult for young people with educational ideals to put those ideals into practice.

After going through numerous resumes, one business leader enamored with talented people realized that a young candidate who had announced his intent to show up for an interview never arrived.

The business leader called the job applicant and asked when he would be coming around for “some fun.” With just a few encouraging words, the young jobseeker’s worries faded away.

Could a similar scene play out in educational circles?

In addition, having a reserve of trained teachers should also be required.

For example, with the COVID-19 outbreak wreaking havoc in China, elementary schools and high schools have delayed returning to school, but cram schools are running as normal and students have to attend classes.

Some school presidents have expressed concern, but all they can do is to urge schools to take all the necessary prevention measures.

Another example is English-language classes in elementary schools: Many teachers agree that cram schools are more helpful to students’ English-language skills, because the language is only taught a couple of hours per week in elementary school, which is far from adequate.

Some students attend cram school, while others do not, and if there are not enough chances to study at school, the results are catastrophic.

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title: Solving a national teacher shortage


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: China’s permission not needed for WHO forum: MOFA

Taiwan did not need China’s permission to join a WHO expert forum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, blasting China for politicizing a public health issue to shift global attention away from its failure to contain an outbreak of COVID-19.

The WHO on Tuesday convened a two-day forum in Geneva, Switzerland, on critical research and development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, among other innovations.

While the Centers for Disease Control on Monday said that Taiwanese experts might join the forum remotely under the name of “Taipei,” the ministry said that it was striving for them to join in a way more closely aligned to the nation’s interests, without confirming that it had settled on “Taipei.”

The Ministry of Health and Welfare late on Tuesday confirmed that attendees were only required to fill in their English names and e-mail addresses in the WHO’s online meeting registration system, without showing nationality, the foreign ministry said.

Asked about Taiwan’s participation, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) on Tuesday told a news briefing that to join WHO technical events, Taiwan needs China’s permission under the “one China” principle.

The Democratic Progressive Party should be ashamed for using the issue for political gain, he said.

MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) yesterday condemned China for politicizing a public health issue.

China is to blame for the rapid spread of the disease, and instead of focusing on how to contain the outbreak, it has allowed politics to override human health and has employed the fictional “one China” principle to pressure and downgrade Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity, she said.

Beijing is trying to shift attention away from the dissatisfaction of the Chinese public and other countries over its failure to curb the disease, which is more shameful, Ou said.

Taiwanese experts joining the forum was the result of direct communication between the Taiwanese government and the WHO, without needing China’s permission, she said.

Taipei continues striving to join WHO events based on the principles of expertise, pragmatism and making contributions, and it has won unprecedented support from the global community during the WHO’s executive meeting, she added.

MOFA called on the international community to recognize the abominable nature of the authoritarian Chinese government and urged the WHO to allow Taiwan to join all of its events with dignity and equality.

While Taiwan’s confirmed cases have been listed as part of China’s in the WHO’s situation reports, Taiwan has always reported its cases to the global body without relying on China, it said.

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content_text:
The past two months have been eventful ones for Taiwan in ways that are still unfolding, with developments shifting the international community’s perception of Taiwan and its place in the world, and also its view of the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Some developments were born of a clear shift in Taiwan-US-China dynamics and others exacerbated by an outbreak of COVID-19 in China. All are the result of the CCP’s domineering approach to governance and international relations.

One example is the official US attitude toward Taiwan, as seen through the words and actions of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He congratulated President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) after her resounding victory in last month’s presidential election, diverging from the congratulatory messages of previous US administrations by congratulating Taiwan — not just the “Taiwanese people”— by name, with wording suggesting that Taiwan is a nation. He also explicitly recognized Tsai’s efforts at resisting “unrelenting” pressure from Beijing, rather than suggesting that Taiwan is in some way an obstruction to the resolution of cross-strait tensions.

On Saturday, Pompeo addressed increasing awareness within the US government of Beijing’s “united front” efforts during an event at the National Governors Association in Washington. He stressed the importance of avoiding individual deals and agreements with China that undermine US national policy. Pompeo explicitly urged the governors to be vigilant against China’s efforts to shun Taiwan, warning that Beijing is increasingly shifting its diplomatic battle to the local level, and that its approach shows “depth, systemization and intent.”

Another sign of Washington’s shift in its willingness to stand up to Beijing concerning relations with Taiwan was the presence of vice president-elect William Lai (賴清德) at last week’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, an event attended by US President Donald Trump. This came at the end of a visit to the US capital, which saw Lai become the highest-ranking official to visit since 1979.

This more explicit recognition by Washington of its ties to Taiwan has seemingly emboldened Taipei to offer a robust response to Beijing’s shenanigans, something that it had been reluctant to do until relatively recently.

In addition to Tsai’s own comments about the strength of her election mandate, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) took a markedly confrontational tone on Twitter over the WHO’s praise of China’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, saying: “@WHO, what’s wrong with you?” and, hours later: “Are you going to stand by your statements or retract them? Hello?”

It is China’s handling of the outbreak and its refusal to allow Taiwan to participate in the WHO’s response that have focused international attention on Taiwan’s existence and sovereign status, as well as the unreasonable treatment it receives from the CCP.

Perhaps a more serious threat for the CCP are questions within China concerning its governance style, and therefore its very legitimacy.

There are already tensions concerning Xi’s handling of the outbreak. This all seemed to come to a head on Friday last week with the death of Li Wenliang (李文亮), a 34-year-old doctor who had originally raised concerns about the new virus, only to be suppressed by the authorities. This was met with a domestic outcry that suggests a new level of frustration among Chinese.

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title: EDITORIAL: A boon from shifting perceptions of Taiwan

people: 蔡英文 賴清德 習近平 吳釗燮


title: Booming earbud market faces uncertainty from virus

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The true wireless stereo earbud market soared 53 percent quarterly to 51 million units last quarter, but Counterpoint Research Inc on Tuesday trimmed its growth outlook for this quarter due to growing uncertainties from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Claiming a 41 percent market share, Apple Inc’s offerings posted a 44 percent growth last quarter on the back of its new AirPods Pro, of which the company has sold up to 6 million units, despite supply shortages, the report said.

China’s Xiaomi Corp (小米) claimed second place in the market on hefty sales of its Redmi AirDots, while South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics Co followed closely behind.

Dongguan Hele Electronics Co Ltd (東莞和樂電子) and JLab Audio LLC were fourth and fifth place respectively, the report said.

Overall, the true wireless stereo earbud market swelled from 46 million units in 2018 to 130 million units last year, slightly beating previous predictions of 129 million units, it said.

While the market is expected to continue an upward trend, the COVID-19 outbreak has somewhat dampened market outlook, the Hong Kong-based researcher said.

“The spread of a coronavirus will have an impact on production and operations in China as some of ODM/OEM [original design manufacturer / original equipment manufacturer] and component fabs will not function properly [to maintain] the supply of true wireless hearables,” Counterpoint senior analyst Liz Lee (李利茲) said in an e-mail.

“We expect that Asia-Pacific [region] (excluding China) will have over 70 [percent] growth [year-on-year] and China will have over 110 [percent] growth for 2020,” Lee said, adding that these figures would be further adjusted next quarter, depending on how the epidemic situation in China plays out.

Lee previously forecast a 90 percent growth rate for the region, excluding China, and a 120 percent growth rate for the Chinese market.

Demand is not likely to be heavily affected as a larger proportion of sales are made through online channels compared with those of other devices such as smartphones, Lee said.

“The market growth is also mainly driven by demand from developed countries in other regions such as the US, so the key will be only how much and how quickly the impact on the supply side can be reduced,” she said, adding that increasing demand for Apple’s AirPods Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Plus would further propel growth in these regions.

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Electronics components supplier Lite-On Technology Corp (光寶科技) plans to target Mexican and Brazilian markets with industrial automation solutions, part of the company’s smart life and applications business group, as it seeks to expand its presence in Latin and South America.

The company — which this month is participating in EXPO Manufactura, Mexico’s annual industrial machine equipment event — said it is looking to meet growing demand from businesses seeking industrial automation solutions across their production lines.

“We aim to satisfy the needs of three major industries in the region, including textiles, footwear and automobile manufacturing,” a Lite-On official surnamed Chang (張) said by telephone, adding that yesterday it debuted its new servo systems and converters at the expo.

“Right now, we are seeking local sales partners that would allow us a swift entry into the Mexican and Brazilian markets, as well as other Central and South American markets to establish rapport with local clients,” Chang said.

Lite-On plans to set up a sales service center for its industrial automation solutions near a plant in Mexico, he said, citing remarks at the event made by Lite-On Industrial Automation general manager Cheng Ken (鄭智峰).

Lite-On has since 2018 been expanding its Mexican plant and last year set up a regional office in the US.

“In the future, we also expect other North American customers to use the Lite-On Mexico service. By delivering products directly from Mexico, we will be able to speed up the product delivery time and flexibly respond to customer needs,” Cheng said in a statement.

Revenue in the smart life and applications business group is expected to grow 30 percent on an annual basis this year, Lite-On said last year.

Lite-On reported a 27.51 percent annual decline in revenue for last month to NT$11.31 billion (US$376.6 million), which it blamed on fewer working days due to the Lunar New Year holiday.

The company’s information technologies segment remained its largest contributor, accounting for 66 percent of overall sales, while its optoelectronics business made up 20 percent and its storage segment contributed 8 percent.

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title: Lite-On sets eyes on Mexico, Brazil


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South Korean shares linked to director Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning movie Parasite — a dark comedy about the gap between rich and poor — have soared after investors piled in following its unprecedented success at the Academy Awards.

Shares in its production company, distributor and even an instant noodle maker featured in the film have all shot up since Parasite became the first non-English-language film to win Hollywood’s top prize on Sunday, prompting celebrations in South Korea.

By yesterday’s close, Barunson E&A Corp, the company that produced Parasite, was up 91 percent on Seoul’s junior KOSDAQ market from Friday, the last trading day before the Oscars ceremony.

Nongshim Co, the South Korean food and beverage maker that makes the two instant noodles in the recipe featured in the movie, was up 11 percent.

Parasite distributor CJ ENM Co, already one of the South’s biggest media firms, was up 4.5 percent on the main KOSPI market.

Parasite cost a reported 13.5 billion won (US$11 million at the current exchange rate) to make, but since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May last year, it has earned US$130 million worldwide.

For a tiny South Korean hedge fund, the shock Oscar win of Parasite could not be better news.

The fund, run by Seoul-based Ryukyung PSG Asset Management Inc, has invested about US$500,000 in the movie.

The privately sold fund invests only in movies distributed by CJ ENM, and it has returned 72.1 percent since its launch in July 2018, according to data compiled by KB Securities Co and seen by Bloomberg News.

It has also profited from other South Korean cinema hits, including Extreme Job and Exit.

“Film funds are in the limelight at the moment,” Samsung Securities Co analyst Andy Kim said in Seoul.

While the popularity of Parasite could help attract more demand, it might still be hard to widen the investor base significantly given the niche investment’s high volatility and the difficulty of assessing whether a movie will sell well, he said.

Meanwhile, Parasite’s box office dividend in the US and the UK has become clear.

Although it is already available on DVD and streaming formats in the US, it took more than US$501,000 at cinemas on Monday — a 213 percent increase on figures for Monday last week.

Parasite is playing on more than 1,000 US screens and its distributor is planning to add about 1,000 more this weekend.

In the UK, where Parasite opened on Friday last week, it took just under ￡1.4 million (US$1.82 million) on 400 screens to become the highest grossing subtitled film ever in the UK.

Its UK distributor has confirmed plans to add another 50 screens this weekend

Additional reporting by Bloomberg and the Guardian

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title: Shares linked to ‘Parasite’ rocket after Oscar wins


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Citi rolls out greater benefits as it forges work-life balance for working parents

EXTENDED PERIODS:The company extended maternity leave to 16 weeks and offered four weeks of parental leave for non-birthing parents, including adoptions
Citibank Taiwan Ltd (台灣花旗) recently announced that it would implement a new welfare policy that is set to benefit more than 4,000 employees nationwide.

As of Jan. 1, the standard paid maternity leave for mothers was extended from eight weeks to 16, while forms of paid parental leave, including parental leave and adoption leave, was extended from five days to four weeks.

These changes are above the benefits stipulated by the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法). They apply to all women giving birth, as well as non-birthing parents, regardless of how they are building their families, such as through adoption.

Committed to diversity and inclusion, Citi has rolled out various initiatives as part of its continued efforts to create work-life balance for all.

“At Citi, we support each other at all life stages. We believe that advancing gender equality requires that women and men support one another both at work and at home,” Citibank Taiwan human resources head Winifred Dente said.

The four-week paternity leave is the longest such paid leave in Taiwan’s financial industry.

Citi already offers an additional seven-day family care leave — of which 5.5 days are paid — so that employees can have peace of mind and tend to any family member when such needs arise.

Citi is also a leading financial institution in Taiwan in the campaign for gender equality.

Female employees account for 70 percent of Citibank Taiwan’s workforce, and as many as 60 percent of senior management executives are females, which is not only higher than its local peers, but Citigroup’s 33 percent as well.

To help female employees juggle career and family, Citibank Taiwan in 2018 launched the Citi Women’s Network, a club that offers resources and peer support to inspire female employees and champion the value of progress.

Early last year, Citigroup make public its gender pay gap, taking the lead in the industry, and pledged to narrow the gap for women and minority groups.

So it came as no surprise that the company was included in the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equity Index, becoming one of 230 global enterprises that have made commitments to promoting gender equality.

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Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak: Foxconn shoots for half of its PRC output this month

Shares of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), the biggest assembler of Apple Inc’s iPhones, rose more than 3 percent yesterday on news the company aims to resume half of its output in virus-hit China by the end of this month.

The company, known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團) outside of Taiwan, hopes to resume half of its production in China by the end of the month, a source said.

The world’s largest contract electronics maker also aims to resume 80 percent of production in China next month, said the source, who has direct knowledge of the matter, citing internal targets set by chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉).

Hon Hai’s plant reopenings in China after the Lunar New Year holiday were delayed by the rapid spread of COVID-19.

“Chairman Liu hopes by end of February the production could reach 50 percent,” the source said.

“Shipments will be affected, but it’s too early to give an exact number,” the source said.

“We might still have a chance to make it with overtime, but we also need to monitor consumer sentiment to come for the end products,” the source added, referring to electronics, including smartphones.

The company did not immediately respond to e-mail and telephone calls to seek comment.

Hon Hai on Monday received the green light to reopen two major plants in China, and its plant in Kunshan was approved on Tuesday to resume production, an internal document reviewed by Reuters showed.

However, just about one-10th of the workforce had returned to the plants in Shenzhen and Henan Province’s Zhengzhou as of Monday, a source said.

The two plants make up the bulk of Hon Hai’s assembly lines for Apple Inc’s iPhones and further delays to production after the enforced closures could hit global shipments of the smartphones.

Apple had previously estimated first-quarter revenue in a wider range than usual to factor in uncertainty over the virus.

Shares of Hon Hai yesterday gained 3.14 percent in afternoon trade to close at NT$85.5 on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, outperforming a gain of 0.94 percent on the TAIEX.

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Virus Outbreak: Taiwanese badminton players allowed to return from Manila

The nation’s athletes competing in the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Manila are to return home, despite a travel ban put in place by the Philippine government on Monday night to contain COVID-19, the Chinese Taipei Badminton Association has said.

The Philippine Civil Aviation Authority issued a clarification on Monday night that the ban, which was announced on Feb. 2, includes Taiwan, as Manila has a “one China” policy.

Those who are not citizens of the Philippines, or holders of a permanent resident visa there, and arrive directly from Taiwan, or stayed in Taiwan or transited through there 14 days prior to their arrival, would be rejected entry into the Philippines, the agency said.

The championships began on Tuesday, but the Taiwanese delegation arrived on Saturday and Sunday to prepare for the competition, the association said, adding that the nation’s athletes are able to compete as scheduled.

“The athletes and their coaches have entered the Philippines and do not have any safety concerns. Through assistance from the Sports Administration, the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and the National Sports Training Center, we were able to keep in close contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Manila Economic and Cultural Office, and communicate with travel agencies so that we could arrange flights to bring our athletes and coaches home,” the association said.

As travelers entering Taiwan via China, Hong Kong and Macau are subject to a 14-day home quarantine, the delegation would avoid transiting through these areas on their return flight, association secretary-general Lee Yu-lung (李侑龍) said, adding that coaches and athletes were asked to only leave their hotels to attend the competitions.

As teams from China and Hong Kong were unable to participate in the championships, both the women’s and men’s teams from Taiwan were able to secure medals in Manila, Lee added.

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NDF’s value grew to more than NT$1 trillion in 2019

TSMC BOOST:The Executive Yuan fund’s benefited from the increase in the value of the chipmaker’s shares that it owns and the dividends that the company paid
A booming equity market in the country has boosted the value of the Executive Yuan’s National Development Fund (NDF) to more than NT$1 trillion (US$33.3 billion) for the first time in its 47-year history, a quarterly report released on Tuesday showed.

The fund, which was established in 1973 to invest in the industrial sector and foster domestic economic growth, saw its assets reach NT$1.0093 trillion at the end of last year.

The fund’s investments made a profit of NT$23.24 billion last year, with its net worth reaching NT$758.54 billion, the report said.

A fund official attributed results to a strong showing by the local equity market, with the TAIEX rising 2,269.33 points, or 23.3 percent, increasing the value of equities owned by the fund.

The higher asset value and profit also reflected an increase in returns on the fund’s investments, the official said.

Market analysts said the solid gains posted by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) were one of the major drivers to the fund’s increased assets and profits, as the NDF is one of the chipmaker’s largest shareholders, with a 6.38 percent stake.

TSMC’s shares rose 46.78 percent, meaning that the value of the shares owned by the NDF rose by about NT$174.50 billion, while the chipmaker also paid large dividends to its shareholders, which also boosted the fund’s assets and profit, analysts said.

TSMC issued a NT$10 cash dividend per share, meaning the NDF received NT$16.54 billion.

Keen to cultivate local venture capital to help boost the domestic investment environment, the NDF launched the Business Angel Investment Program in May 2018.

As of the end of December, the fund had provided NT$967 million to 75 start-ups, the report said.

The NDF’s angel investor program has drawn a great deal of attention from start-ups and there has been a steady increase in applications for funding, the fund official said.

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content_text:
FocalTech Systems Co (敦泰電子), which designs driver and touch controller ICs used in flat panels, yesterday said net income grew last quarter for a second consecutive quarter, thanks to rebounding market share and strong demand for integrated driver and controller (IDC) chips.

The company said it expected to further recoup lost market share this quarter as customers are increasing the adoption of its IDC chips for mobile phones.

IDC chips contributed 50 percent to the company’s overall revenue last quarter.

However, FocalTech said it is conservative about its business this quarter in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in China and a low-season effect for the smartphone industry.

“This adds great uncertainties to our smartphone business. Therefore, we are conservative about our business in the first quarter,” FocalTech chairman Genda Hu (胡正大) said in a statement.

The company reported that net income for last quarter plummeted 30 percent to NT$51 million (US$1.7 million), from NT$73 million in the previous quarter, with earnings per share declining from NT$0.29 to NT$0.2. It reported losses per share of NT$2.65 billion a year earlier.

Revenue expanded 9 percent quarterly and 37 percent annually to NT$2.81 billion last quarter, as the company increased the number of wafer suppliers to avoid the supply constraints incurred in 2018 and 2017.

Gross margin fell to 20.04 percent last quarter, from 23.18 percent in the previous quarter, due to intensive price competition for IDC chips, FocalTech said, adding that on an annual basis, gross margin improved from minus-8.35 percent.

The company said gross margin would improve gradually this year, buoyed by increasing adoption of next-generation IDC chips.

Last year as a whole, FocalTech posted a net loss of NT$206 million, compared with a net loss of NT$2.49 billion in 2018 and the third consecutive year of losses, which the company attributed to a wafer shortage.

Revenue slipped 8 percent to NT$9.16 billion last year from 2018, it said.

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title: FocalTech reports growth for consecutive quarters


title: DGBAS cuts outlook amid outbreak

content_text:
DGBAS cuts outlook amid outbreak

MARKET AT RISK:The DGBAS minister said that COVID-19 might hurt demand for electronics and could dent the economy by up to 0.5 percentage points this year
The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) yesterday trimmed its forecast for the nation’s GDP growth this year from 2.72 percent to 2.37 percent, as the COVID-19 outbreak in China has dealt a blow to Taiwan’s exports and private consumption.

The downward revision mainly reflects supply-chain disruptions and weaker consumer activity, which would slow the economy this quarter to a 1.8 percent increase, the weakest gain since the second quarter of 2016, the statistics agency said.

“Exports would bear the brunt as China accounts for 40 percent of Taiwanese exports,” DGBAS Minister Chu Tzer-ming (朱澤民) told a news conference in Taipei.

The outbreak is also interrupting operations of local firms based in China, but it could also hurt the larger market’s demand for electronics, Chu said, adding that poor visibility is limiting the accuracy of the agency’s projections.

International research bodies have not yet adjusted their growth forecasts to account for the outbreak, the DGBAS said.

The outbreak might dent the nation’s economy by between 0.35 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points this year, if it can be contained in three months, Chu said.

That would be less serious than the 2003 SARS outbreak that erased 0.57 percentage points from Taiwan’s GDP growth that year, he said.

Exports of goods and services are now expected to grow only 1.73 percent this year, down 0.96 percentage points from the previous estimate, after factoring in a sharp decline in tourist arrivals, Chu said.

To cope with the fallout of the outbreak, five-star hotels have been offering discounts and takeouts.

Upscale mall operator Breeze Group (微風集團) is reportedly reducing its staff by 30 percent, as visitors to Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) have dropped by 70 percent, local Chinese-language media reported yesterday.

Private consumption, which accounts for more than 50 percent of GDP, is expected to squeeze a 0.75 percent increase this quarter and expand 1.58 percent this year, the DGBAS said.

The prediction suggests a downgrade of more than 50 percent from the agency’s earlier estimate.

The DGBAS reduced its forecast for this year’s private investment growth by 0.95 percentage points to 3.1 percent, after last year’s figure proved much stronger, with an increase of 9.61 percent from 7.61 percent.

DGBAS also revised down GDP growth for last year to 2.71 percent, 0.02 percentage points lower than data released last month.

The adjustment came after the economy grew 3.31 percent in the final quarter of last year, 0.07 percentage points softer than previously reported.

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Virus Outbreak: Flu most severe in five years; death rate lowest: CDC

This year’s flu season has seen 914 severe cases, but only 75 deaths — the highest number of cases with severe symptoms and the lowest mortality rate of the past five years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

Emergency rooms last week reported treating 82,856 patients, down 19.5 percent from a week earlier, CDC doctor Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.

Despite declining figures, hospitals still reported 56 new admissions of patients aged 2 to 91 with severe influenza symptoms and the deaths of 14 patients aged 23 to 90, Lin said.

A 23-year-old man in Taichung is the youngest casualty this flu season, Lin said.

The man, who had a congenital immune deficiency and chronic lung inflammation, sought treatment in the middle of last month for a fever, cough and wheezing, Lin said.

The man was diagnosed with the influenza A virus subtype H1N1 and developed bilateral pneumonia, but died in intensive care from septic shock and dysrhythmia, Lin said.

Most of those who have died this flu season had chronic illnesses, or a prior history of underlying diseases, and not all received a flu shot, Lin said.

Twelve of the 14 who died contracted the influenza A virus subtype H1N1, Lin added.

Measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are similar to those used to control influenza, which could be why hospitals are seeing fewer people for the flu, Lin said.

People tend to not seek treatment for minor illnesses, which might also be a reason for this year’s lower figures, Lin added.

The CDC estimates that the flu season is past its peak, but that further monitoring is warranted as it has not yet concluded, Lin said.

The influenza A virus subtype H1N1 is the strain contracted by 73.5 percent of all flu patients, although influenza B is on the rise, Lin said.

People should visit their nearest medical facility as soon as possible if they experience difficulty breathing, a bluish discoloration in their finger tips or toes, or disorientation, Lin said.

As of Sunday, 288,000 flu shots funded by the government had still not been administered, so those who have not received a flu shot should hurry and get one, Lin said.

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Virus Outbreak: Taiwanese on quarantined liner must stay onboard

The 22 Taiwanese aboard the Diamond Princess cruise liner quarantined in Yokahama, Japan, must remain on the ship at least until Wednesday next week, when the current quarantine period is set to end, Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Secretary-General Kuo Chung-shi (郭仲熙) said yesterday.

Kuo told a Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) news conference that the quarantine period could be altered, as Japanese authorities are considering testing more of the ship’s passengers and crew.

The government is working closely with Japan to monitor the condition of the 22 Taiwanese on the ship, he said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had notified Japanese authorities that an 85-year-old Taiwanese passenger was suffering nosebleeds and coughing up blood, but the ministry had not received permission to have him taken off the ship, Kuo said.

Japanese doctors later boarded the ship to examine the man, and they gave him medication, after which he showed considerable improvement, Kuo said.

Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that Taiwan’s representative office in Japan was in contact with the 22 Taiwanese on the ship and would provide any necessary assistance to them.

Despite the efforts to control the spread of the virus on the Diamond Princess, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare yesterday confirmed that another 39 people had tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 174.

Of the 39, 29 were reportedly passengers and 10 were crewmembers, including one of the ship’s quarantine officers.

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Students walk along a corridor on a school campus in Taichung yesterday.Photo: Su Meng-chuan, Taipei Times
The College Entrance Examination Center yesterday announced that it has postponed this year’s Advanced Subjects Test (AST) due to scheduling concerns caused by a delay in the start of the new semester.

The AST is typically held from July 1 to July 3, after the second semester has ended, the center said.

However, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Central Epidemic Command Center on Feb. 2 decided to postpone the start of the new semester for students at the senior high school level and under by two weeks to Feb. 25, it said.

The summer break has also been pushed back, and is now expected to begin on July 15 and end on Aug. 29, it said.

Several universities and senior-high schools that are hosting the AST this year have said that if the test were to be held as scheduled, they would have difficulty arranging venues, as classes would still be in session, the center said.

At a meeting yesterday, officials suggested that the best solution would be to hold the test from July 3 to July 5, while keeping the scope of the test unchanged, it said.

A consensus was reached after evaluating the proposal with representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Joint Board of College Recruitment Commission, the exam center said, adding that it would move quickly to accommodate the change.

Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said that officials believe the “slight” adjustment would minimize the impact on schools.

Additional reporting by Rachel Lin

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title: Virus Outbreak: Advanced Subjects Test postponed: exam center


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Virus Outbreak: DPP members defend reversal of Chinese kids policy

Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Cho Jung-tai talks to reporters in Taipei yesterday after the government reversed the Mainland Affairs Council’s decision to allow Chinese children of Taiwanese and Chinese couples to visit Taiwan during the COVID-19 outbreak.Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
Leading Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members yesterday defended the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) decision to overturn the Mainland Affairs Council’s (MAC) announcement allowing the entry of Chinese children of Taiwanese and Chinese couples into Taiwan, and praised the Executive Yuan’s quick response.

Officials said that the move could have placed too much burden on already-strained domestic resources in the fight against COVID-19.

DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) lauded the government’s quick response after MAC’s announcement on Tuesday drew a predominantly negative response.

The Executive Yuan was quick in reading the pulse of public opinion, and put a temporary stop to that policy to reflect the will of Taiwanese, Cho told reporters at party headquarters in Taipei.

The council was acting in keeping with policies that are being implemented when it made the announcement on Tuesday. he said.

“However, it is clear that in light of the epidemic, the public believes that the government must prioritize protection of its citizens, and that their welfare must come first,” he added.

Asked if the MAC and other ministries have been rash in making decisions, Cho said that careful assessment and prudent examination are vital in the decisionmaking process.

“It is important that to safeguard Taiwan, government officials must be more flexible and sensitive to the needs and will of the public,” he said.

DPP Legislator Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) said that Taiwan had in recent years had many interactions with China.

It is not just the MAC, but legislators across parties have received many appeals and requests for assistance, including family problems, he said.

“I can understand that as school is about to reopen, the MAC and other officials have come under a lot of pressure, with appeals and requests for help for students going to school, along with personal and family situations,” he added.

Asked about the policy reversal, Cheng said: “This showed that the decision and its implications were not carefully assessed.”

However, “I am sure that [MAC officials] will be more prudent the next time,” Cheng added.

DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said that MAC officials made a “foolish” announcement on Tuesday.

“Right now, most Taiwanese are very worried about the ‘Wuhan virus’ and they are distrustful of the Chinese government,” Wang said. “As such, people were riled up and criticized MAC officials. I see this reaction as a very good thing for Taiwan, as it sends a strong signal of their discontent about the decision.”

“It was a rather foolish decision, and when it was announced I had already told them that the decision should be postponed,” he said.

“With Taiwan still combating the ‘Wuhan virus’ outbreak, which has strained our healthcare resources, and with the MAC failing to come up with a clear explanation, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), the head of the CECC, had to put a stop to the MAC’s policy,” Wang added.

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people: 鄭運鵬 王定宇 陳時中 卓榮泰


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Virus Outbreak: Coast guard stops ‘illegal’ mask shipment

EXPORT BAN:Officials said that the captain of the boat in which more than 71,000 masks were found likely planned to pass them off to another boat while at sea
By Liu Yu-ching and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Officials from the Coast Guard Administration and other agencies in Magong City, Penghu County, yesterday inspect boxes of masks confiscated from the fishing vessel Ji Cheng Fa.Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
With the nation banning mask exports, Coast Guard Administration officials in Penghu County yesterday seized tens of thousands of masks on board a fishing vessel.

The boat, the Ji Cheng Fa, was reporting to customs in Magong when officials boarded the vessel and found the boxes of masks, the agency said, adding that it was investigating their source and distributor.

There were more than 71,000 masks in 195 boxes, of which 70 contained N95 respirators, officials said.

When questioned, the boat’s captain said that he planned to give the masks to friends in the county’s Wangan (望安) and Cimei (七美) islands.

As there is a ban on mask exports, people are allowed to carry only up to five boxes of masks for personal use when passing through customs, officials said.

Given the large quantity of masks, particularly the medical-grade respirators, found onboard the boat, the coast guard said that it would need to conduct an investigation.

It said it had already reported the case to the Penghu Public Health Bureau.

The masks were confiscated and distributed to front-line medical personnel, it said.

Officials said that they suspected the ship’s captain planned to pass the masks off to another boat while at sea, and that they had advised officials stationed on Wangan and Cimei to be on the lookout for other boats smuggling masks.

The ban on mask exports is in effect from Jan. 24 to Feb. 23 to ensure an adequate supply of masks for domestic use, Coast Guard Administration 7th Corps Deputy Chief Cheng Wen-hao (鄭文豪) said.

The masks were confiscated in accordance with Article 39 of the Customs Anti-smuggling Act (海關緝私條例) and the captain would be fined three times the value of the masks in accordance with Article 36 of the act, he said.

Additional reporting by CNA

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taiwan-subdivisions: 七美 望安


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Virus Outbreak: Hualien owner closes pool after incident

HEALTH CONCERNS:The fitness center operator decided to suspend operations until March 31 after a person who broke quarantine was spotted near its pool
By Hua Meng-ching and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
A temporary closure sign is attached to the shutters of Yawei fitness club in Hualien City yesterday after a member who was supposed to be under quarantine swam in the club’s pool on Saturday last week.Photo: Hua Meng-ching, Taipei Times
A fitness center in Hualien City has voluntarily closed until the end of next month after a member who was under quarantine was seen in the pool area.

The member had been aboard the cruise ship SuperStar Aquarius, which docked in Keelung on Saturday last week, and although none of the passengers showed symptoms of COVID-19 infection, all passengers were required to quarantine themselves at home for 14 days.

When the member visited the fitness center’s pool the day after the ship docked, the person was recognized by another member and was asked by staff to leave.

The fitness center owner said that when confronted, the member who had been on the cruise ship said: “Why don’t you tell someone to come catch me then?”

“An argument ensued and everyone started watching, and then one of the staffers came over and told the member that to comply with disease-prevention regulations, [the member] cannot use the pool,” the owner said.

On Tuesday, the center posted a notice at the entrance saying it would be closed until March 31 amid concern over the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The person in question had broken quarantine as they had not exhibited symptoms and felt they were healthy, Hualien Health Bureau Deputy Director Chung Mei-chu (鍾美珠) said, adding that the bureau had already warned the person not to break quarantine again.

Whether the fitness center should close is fully at the discretion of the owner, Chung said.

Asked whether there were other people in Hualien who had been aboard the cruise ship, Chung said she was not at liberty to answer the question.

As to whether the person who broke quarantine would be penalized, she said the county has not made a decision.

The public should not worry, as the bureau would follow up with anyone who is under quarantine to ensure they do not break regulations, she said.

Central Epidemic Command Center rules state that people under self-quarantine should take their temperature once every morning and once every evening; avoid going outdoors as much as possible; report any health anomalies to officials; and wear a mask at all times if they need to go outdoors, bureau official Hsieh Shu-hui (偕淑惠) said.

The fitness center has received more than 100 calls from concerned members, particularly from older members who were at greater risk of falling ill, the owner said.

In response to these concerns, the center chose to voluntarily close the center and thoroughly disinfect it, the owner said.

The center would use the time to take care of needed renovations, the owner said.

All memberships would be extended after the center reopened, the owner added.

All center staff would help with the disinfecting and renovations, and would continue to be paid as normal during the closure, the owner said.

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The Supreme Court yesterday issued a final verdict in the case of unlicensed cooking oil producer Kuo Lieh-cheng (郭烈成), ordering a combined sentence of 20 years in prison for aggravated fraud and breaches of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法).

Kuo had operated an underground cooking oil factory in Pingtung County’s Jhutian Township (竹田) that supplied processed oil materials to Kaohsiung-based Chang Guann Co (強冠企業), which made various “fragrant lard” products that were sold nationwide under the Chuan Tung brand and generated profit estimated at NT$6.5 million (US$216,436 at the current exchange rate).

An investigation pointed to Kuo as one of the principle figures in the 2014 tainted oil scandal, along with Chang Guann executives and Pingtung-based animal feed producer Ching Wei Co (進威).

Related cases that year embroiled Ting Hsin International Group (頂新集團), as well as its subsidiaries Wei Chuan Food Corp (味全) and Cheng I Food Co (正義食品), which purchased oil products from Chang Guann for the production of food products.

Judges yesterday upheld the verdict in the second retrial last year by the Kaohsiung branch of the High Court, which found Kuo guilty of eight offenses, each carrying a jail term of between two and three years, for a combined 20-year prison sentence, which Kuo’s defense team appealed to the Supreme Court.

As yesterday’s ruling is the final verdict, 38-year-old Kuo, who during the legal proceedings changed his name to Kuo Ying-chih (郭盈志), is to serve out the sentence.

In last year’s High Court retrial, Kuo’s employee Shih Min-yu (施閔毓) was handed a reduced 20-month term, from an initial 30 months, after being found guilty of involvement in the scheme.

Prosecutors had found that Kuo and Shih bought recycled oil from leather goods factories, hog feed producers, fish processing plants, restaurant grease traps and kitchen fryers, as well as inferior-grade fat labeled as not for human consumption.

The investigation had found that at the factory, the two men mixed and processed the materials into what they labeled as “cooking oil products,” which Kuo claimed were fit for human consumption and sold to Chang Guann.

Chang Guann then used the oils at its food manufacturing plants to make various products, including the “fragrant lard,” which were sold to nearly 300 food retailers and market grocers, eventually ending up in restaurants, street food vendors and homes nationwide, prosecutors said in their indictment.

In the first ruling in the case, the Pingtung District Court in July 2015 convicted Kuo and Shih of aggravated fraud and contraventions of the act, handing Kuo a 12-year sentence and Shih an eight-year term.

The men appealed and in August 2016 the High Court upheld their convictions, but increased Kuo’s sentence to 23 years and six months, while reducing Shih’s term to 30 months.

After another appeal, the High Court in 2018 reduced both of their terms, with Kuo given 19 years and four months, while Shih’s sentence was reduced to 20 months.

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title: Tainted oil maker jailed for 20 years in final verdict


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: CECC to continue using the ‘Wuhan pneumonia’ name

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday said that it would use the name “Wuhan pneumonia” when communicating with the public about the disease caused by the previously-named 2019 novel coronavirus, after the WHO on Tuesday officially named the virus “COVID-19.”

The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland, that “co” stands for corona, “vi” for virus and “d” for “disease,” while “19” denotes the year 2019, as the outbreak was first identified in December last year.

The name was chosen to avoid references to specific geographical locations, animal species, an individual or group of people, and prevent the use of other names that might be stigmatizing, he said.

The WHO last month temporarily named it 2019 novel coronavirus, while the Chinese National Health Commission had temporarily called it “novel coronavirus pneumonia,” and many news reports called it the “Wuhan coronavirus.”

The CECC yesterday said that it would also adopt the name COVID-19 to be in line with international information published by the WHO.

However, it would continue to call it “Wuhan pneumonia” when announcing disease information to the public for better understanding, it said.

Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said the decision was made because people are used to calling the disease “Wuhan pneumonia,” so they might be confused by the name COVID-19.

The official name for the illness as a notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan — “severe pneumonia with novel pathogens” — is too long for people to remember, Chuang added.

In related news, the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation on Tuesday urged three types of people to postpone donating blood for at least 28 days: those who have returned from China, Hong Kong, Macau or Singapore; people who have recovered from COVID-19; and people who have come into direct contact with infected people.

It also urged people who have developed a fever and respiratory infection or pneumonia symptoms after donating blood to see a doctor and contact the blood center as soon as possible.

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The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that its Communications Policy White Paper would be made available online next week, adding that it would tackle some of the important issues facing the broadcast media industry, such as content generated by over-the-top (OTT) media.

A presentation by the commission showed the general direction of how OTT operators should be regulated, including ensuring that they would not contravene copyright laws and would adhere to tax regulations.

Set-top boxes, TV sticks and other devices that can be used to access OTT content must pass inspections conducted by the commission, it said.

Suppliers of these devices must sign an affidavit to show that they do not offer viewers unauthorized content and channel firmware or Android app package downloaders, which can be used to illegally obtain content.

The Ministry of Finance in 2018 unveiled the Regulations Governing the Levying of Income Tax on Cross-border Electronic Services by a Foreign Profit-seeking Enterprise (外國營利事業跨境銷售電子勞務課徵所得稅要點), which requires OTT TV and other e-commerce service providers to file taxes if their annual sales revenue in the nation exceeds NT$480,000, the commission said.

The NCC would also present a draft Internet audiovisual media service act, which would require all OTT service operators to register their services with the commission.

They would also be required to disclose certain information about their business and service user agreements, the commission said.

Large OTT service operators, on the other hand, are obligated to unveil specific measures on how they plan to develop local media content industry, it said

Asked if the NCC would require iQiyi (愛奇藝) and other Chinese OTT providers to establish operations in Taiwan, NCC Commissioner Hung Chen-ling (洪貞玲) said the white paper only establishes the fundamental principles governing the regulations of the OTT service, including a more “light-handed” approach that only requires OTT operators to register with the NCC, instead of obtaining a license first.

It would focus on the regulations of large OTT operators and would be more lenient on smaller ones, she said.

The white paper does not touch on matters related to the source or structure of funding for OTT services, she said.

Whether Chinese OTT operators would be required to establish operations domestically cannot be decided by the NCC, Hung said, adding that the commission would have to consult with the officials at the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Culture first.

The white paper also stipulates principles on amending the regulations banning the investment in broadcast media by the government, political parties and the military.

It would restrict the foundations and trustees funded by the government from managing media companies.

Whether and how the government and political parties should invest in media outlets should be stipulated clearly in the Budget Act (預算法) and the Political Party Act (政黨法), it says.

The latter should define the type of the politicians who are banned from assuming management positions in media outlets, including elected and appointed officials and those holding management positions in political parties, the white paper adds.

Rather than punishing media firms when they passively receive funding from the government, political parties or the military, the commission would hold investors accountable if they are from any of the three fields.

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title: NCC to make its white paper available online


people: 蔡英文 賴清德 江啟臣 林榮德 郝龍斌

content_text:
KMT chair candidates voice support for reforms

‘DIFFICULT REFORMS’:Electoral defeats in 2016 and this year showed that the party needs to redesign and adjust its core aspects, KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang said
Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice chairman Hau Lung-bin, left, and KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang shake hands at KMT headquarters in Taipei yesterday after presenting their policy platforms for the party’s chairperson by-election.Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) and former KMT vice chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday presented their platforms as candidates in the party’s chairperson by-election to be held on March 7.

Speaking before the presentations began at KMT headquarters in Taipei, KMT Acting Chairman Lin Rong-te (林榮德) called the by-election “the most important step in the party’s push for reform.”

“No matter which of the two of us serves as the chairman of the KMT, we will face difficult reforms,” Chiang said. “The KMT has reached an important moment when reform cannot be avoided.”

Chiang said the party’s defeats in the 2016 and this year’s elections showed that it needs to “redesign and adjust” aspects such as its core values, policies and its nomination process.

Among the proposals he has made are the creation of an 11-member decisionmaking group within the party that would “respond quickly to public opinion”; better use of online tools to communicate with the public; and a digitization of the services the party provides to its members.

Chiang also called for a series of discussions on the party’s values and policies, including its policy on cross-strait relations.

Meanwhile, Hau attributed the party’s losses in the Jan. 11 elections to “selfishness” and a “lack of unity.”

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and former premier William Lai (賴清德) ran on the same ticket after competing in the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential primary, he said, adding: “This is an example we must learn from.”

“The KMT’s core philosophy is to defend the Republic of China [ROC] and oppose Taiwan’s independence,” Hau said, adding that he would follow that philosophy.

In his speech, Hau also addressed calls for older members of the KMT to hand over the party’s leadership to the younger generation, saying that a person’s attitude, ability and experience — rather than age — determine whether they are competent.

During the question-and-answer portion of the presentations, reporters asked Chiang whether he plans to run in the 2022 local elections or the 2024 national elections.

Chiang said that his focus at the moment is on serving the public in his capacity as a lawmaker and leading the KMT’s reform if he is elected next month.

If elected, his term as chairman would end on May 20 next year, he said, adding: “After 2021, I do not know whether I will have an opportunity to perform other duties.”

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content_text:
Method boosts hydrogen generation

INNOVATION:A team of researchers used a graphene layer to coat solar panels used to separate hydrogen from water, increasing light penetration by 20 percent
National Taiwan University material science professor Chen Chun-wei, left, and Tung Hai University assistant professor of chemistry Wang Di-yan at the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taipei yesterday hold a certificate for an improved method of using sunlight to generate hydrogen from water that they invented along with National Taiwan University of Science and Technology chemical engineering professor Hwang Bing-joe.Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
A team of researchers yesterday said that they have used new materials to separate hydrogen from water, which they said could improve light conversion and advance the application of the clean energy source.

Hydrogen is a promising source of clean energy with no carbon emissions and the Japanese government is promoting it to power many facilities for the Tokyo Olympics this summer, National Taiwan University material science professor Chen Chun-wei (陳俊維), who led the research team, told a news conference at Ministry of Science and Technology in Taipei.

However, the production of hydrogen is costly and requires a considerable amount of electricity, and using solar energy to reduce costs is a critical research topic, he said.

While silicon is a commercial photo-electrochemical material, silicon solar panels reflect and waste up to 40 percent of sunlight and cannot withstand the corrosion caused by electrolytic solution, Chen said.

The team has over the past decade been conducting research under the ministry’s Taiwan Consortium of Emergent Crystalline Materials program.

About three years ago, it found a method to improve the efficiency of silicon by applying a thin graphene layer, Chen said.

The graphene layer is made up of a single layer of atoms and is only 0.34 nanometers thick — one-100,000th of a human hair — so that it would not reduce light penetration, while it exhibits great optoelectronic properties and provides superior corrosion protection, he said.

The most challenging part was evenly distributing the graphene layer on silicon panels, as the traditional way of coating using polymethylmethacrylate cannot flexibly attach the layer on a rough surface, Chen said.

To overcome the problem, the team developed a novel method using ethylene-vinyl acetate, a soft polymer, for the coating, improving the light absorption of silicon panels by nearly 20 percent, he said.

National Taiwan University of Science and Technology chemical engineering professor Hwang Bing-joe (黃炳照) and Tunghai University assistant professor of chemistry Wang Di-yan (王迪彥) were also part of the team.

They detailed their findings in a paper published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials in August last year, with the paper featured on the back cover of the issue.

While they still need to introduce additional electricity, as well as platinum as a catalyst, to assist in the photo-electrochemical water splitting process to produce hydrogen, their ultimate goal is to do so without using electricity, Wang said.

In view of large-scale industrial application, operators would have to produce a large amount of graphene and opt for a more cost-efficient catalyst, he added.

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title: Method boosts hydrogen generation


content_text:
US Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at a US Democratic presidential primary event at the Stan Spirou Field House in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Tuesday.Photo: AFP
US Senator Bernie Sanders on Tuesday won New Hampshire’s high-stakes Democratic primary, according to US TV network projections, leaving rivals including former US vice president Joe Biden in his wake as he staked his claim to challenge US President Donald Trump in November.

Sanders, the flag-bearer for the party’s progressive wing, had 26 percent of votes with most of the count complete in the northeastern state, where he routed former US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016.

“Let me take this opportunity to thank the people of New Hampshire for a great victory tonight,” Sanders told cheering supporters after National Broadcasting Co and American Broadcasting Co called the result in his favor.

“This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump,” the senator from neighboring Vermont added as he raised the roof with his rallying cry for fairer taxes and healthcare reform.

Former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg finished second at 24 percent as he readied for the more difficult battles ahead.

“Now our campaign moves on to Nevada, to South Carolina, to communities across our country, and we will welcome new allies to our movement at every step,” Buttigieg said.

US Senator Amy Klobuchar maintained a late surge to place third on about 20 percent, while US Senator Elizabeth Warren finished in fourth at about 9 percent.

Trump weighed in, tweeting: “Bootedgeedge [Buttigieg] is doing pretty well tonight. Giving Crazy Bernie a run for his money. Very interesting!”

After months atop the pack, Biden had already conceded that he expected to do badly in New Hampshire, as he did a week earlier in Iowa — and the former vice president’s worst fears were beginning to materialize as he languished in fifth with just more than 8 percent.

The performance will be a body blow to the 77-year-old, who has failed to generate the fundraising numbers or the enthusiasm levels of his rivals for the top spot on the Democratic ticket.

White House hopefuls had been seeking clarity in the Granite State after the first-in-the-nation Iowa count devolved into chaos, with Sanders and Buttigieg eventually emerging neck-and-neck.

For tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang (楊安澤) and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, that meant facing reality and bowing out after they failed to make an impact.

“You know I am the math guy and it is clear tonight from the numbers that we are not going to win this race,” Yang told cheering supporters as he bowed out.

Yang was polling at a lowly 3 percent with 20 percent of precincts reporting on Tuesday evening in New Hampshire, placing him well out of contention.

“I hope this campaign can be a message and a word of caution and guidance to my Democratic colleagues that Donald Trump is not the cause of all of our problems. He is a symptom of a disease that has been building up in our communities for years,” Yang added.

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title: Sanders wins New Hampshire, Biden crashes