countries: 台灣 中國

companies: LINE 蘋果

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vivo X300 Pro、vivo X300 正式發表，攝影功能升級、可加裝增距鏡，台灣十月下旬推出  vivo 今日在上海體育館舉行發表會，正式推出全新 X300 系列手機，並預告台灣市場將於 10 月下旬登場。

vivo X300 系列是 vivo 成立 30 週年的重點作品，以專業影像為主軸，搭載聯發科技最新旗艦晶片天璣 9500，並結合自研影像晶片 V3+，同時延續與蔡司的合作，採用 2 億畫素 APO 超級長焦鏡頭，主打 AI 影像與效能的全面升級。

長焦拍攝再升級，可外掛增距鏡在影像部分，vivo X300 系列主打影像雙王定位，vivo X300 Pro 配備 2 億畫素蔡司 APO 超級長焦鏡頭，焦距為 85mm，搭配與三星聯合調校的全新 HP-B 1/1.4 吋感光元件與 f/2.67 光圈，通過蔡司 APO 認證並具備 CIPA 5.5 級防手震，可提供毫秒級運動追焦，追焦穩定性提升 200%，適合舞台與運動等動態場景拍攝。主鏡頭則採用 5000 萬畫素 LYT-828 感光元件，支援 4K 60fps 與 4K 120fps 錄影，方便後期剪輯與多設備調色。

標準版 X300 延續 Pro 機型的影像配置，採用 2 億畫素 HP-B 主鏡頭，並支援「先拍攝、後構圖」與 AI 電影分鏡等功能，長焦鏡頭使用索尼 IMX 885 感光元件，支援多焦段變焦與夜景人像模式，新增的 Live Photo 路人消除功能與全焦段閃光燈設計，讓旅拍與夜拍更具靈活性。

在 AI 應用方面，vivo 在既有 AI 四季人像技術上進一步升級，「AI 風光大師」讓使用者能一鍵切換天空與背景，提供晴空、夜景、暮色等多樣氛圍，並新增雪天、沙漠、海島三種場景與創意風格，包括賽博龐克、動漫渲染等效果。

此外，vivo 也同步推出蔡司長焦望遠鏡外接鏡頭，支援舞台、風景、人像與錄影模式，提供接近單眼的望遠拍攝效果。

天璣 9500 旗艦處理器X300 系列搭載全球首發的天璣 9500 旗艦晶片，vivo 與聯發科技共同針對影像運算、功耗控制與 AI 效能進行深度調校，天璣 9500 採用全新「影像超能效 NPU」架構，能快速完成運動追焦與即時 AI 運算，vivo 表示，X300 Pro 在室溫下的安兔兔跑分突破 410 萬，展現旗艦級效能表現。此外，X300 Pro 機型導入 vivo 自研影像晶片 V3 與獨家 VS1 協同處理晶片，構成「三晶片架構」，提供更強勁的運算效能與 AI 能力。

在續航部分，X300 系列採用第二代半固態藍海電池，X300 Pro 電池容量為 6510mAh，X300 為 6040mAh，支援 90W 有線與 40W 無線充電，X300 Pro 採用 16GB + 512GB 記憶體組合，重量 225g；X300 則為 12GB + 256GB。

作業系統方面，全新的 Origin OS 6 採用「藍河流暢引擎」，透過超核計算、雙渲染架構與光子存儲技術，獲得 SGS 與泰爾實驗室的五年重度使用流暢認證，vivo 也將提供五年系統更新、七年安全性更新。

Origin OS 6 系統也支援跨設備資料同步，並能與蘋果裝置互通，讓不同平台間的文件傳輸與筆記整合更順暢，例如新推出的「一碰傳」可消除系統壁壘，支援 Android 與 iOS 間的資料互傳，無需第三方 App。若用戶持有兩台 vivo 裝置，也可快速在手機間進行檔案與圖片傳輸。

新的「原子島」是一項整合文字、圖片與檔案處理的智慧拖曳功能，使用者可將地址文字直接拖曳至地圖應用中搜尋，或在會議中啟用 AI 字幕與即時翻譯，並能自動生成會議摘要，也可根據場景提供智慧建議，例如在導航途中提醒預計到達時間與路況。

此外，vivo 為注重資安與隱私的用戶設計「隱私空間」功能，允許將私人檔案或應用程式（如第二個 LINE 帳號）隔離於獨立空間中，確保資料安全，同時支援「維修模式」，在送修期間保護個人資料不外洩。

設計與顏色X300 Pro 配備 6.78 吋平面螢幕，提供曠野棕、自在藍、純粹黑與簡單白，機身厚度 7.99mm。

X300 則為 6.31 吋螢幕，推出幸運彩、惬意紫、自在藍與純粹黑等配色、厚度 7.95mm、重量 190g。機身使用懸浮水滴冷雕玻璃與珊瑚絨玻璃工藝，兼顧外觀與手感。

vivo X300 系列目前已在中國上市，台灣預計於 10 月下旬舉行發表會，最終規格與售價將依各地市場公布為準。


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記者張辰卿/台北報導近年來， 泡茶 不再只是長輩專屬的休閒時光，越來越多年輕人開始重新認識茶文化，將茶飲融入日常生活。從挑選茶葉、沖泡方式到送禮場合，茶不僅是一種飲品，更逐漸成為展現生活品味與誠意的方式。其中， 梨山茶 、大禹嶺茶等 高山茶 因品質與獨特風味，成為消費市場中備受推薦的熱門選擇。

高山茶受矚目，禮盒市場持續升溫高山茶之所以受到矚目，來自於台灣特殊的地理環境。位於高海拔地區的梨山茶與大禹嶺茶，因為晝夜溫差大與雲霧環繞，孕育出茶葉清香與口感層次。這些茶品在市場上，不僅被視為日常飲用的佳選，更是送禮時能體現誠意的代表。許多茶商也針對節慶與重要場合，推出精緻包裝的高山茶葉禮盒，讓茶成為符合現代需求的體面選擇。專家指出，伴手禮的價值不僅在於價格，更在於是否能展現心意，而茶正好符合這樣的期待。

送禮新風潮，茶葉推薦展現貼心品味隨著生活風格轉變，送禮不再僅僅著重於實用性，更多人希望能透過禮物傳達一份品味。 茶葉推薦 名單因此成為了熱門主題。相比酒類或甜點，茶葉展現出健康、清雅與耐保存的特性，既能適合不同年齡層，也能展現對收禮者的貼心。梨山茶的花香與柔和口感， 大禹嶺茶葉 的甘醇與清爽，讓不同風味的茶款能對應不同需求，成為多元化的選項。業者觀察，年輕族群在選購禮品時，越來越傾向挑選具文化象徵與生活美感的商品，茶葉正是其中之一。

泡茶新態度，年輕世代掀起品茶風潮除了送禮，高山茶葉在日常生活中也帶來了更多可能。泡茶與 品茶 逐漸走向簡化與時尚化，不需要繁複的茶具，一杯熱水與適量茶葉，就能享受片刻寧靜。許多年輕族群甚至將品茶視為新的社交方式，透過分享茶葉故事、交流沖泡心得，營造出專屬的氛圍。部分茶館也積極打造輕鬆的空間氛圍，讓品茶更貼近日常，讓茶文化從傳統走向現代，展現出新的生命力。

無論是節慶送禮，或是日常生活中尋找片刻清閒，茶葉正以全新的姿態走入人們的生活。梨山茶、大禹嶺茶等高山茶，不僅象徵著台灣茶的品質，更成為傳遞情感與展現風格的載體。送茶、品茶，逐漸成為一種貼近生活、兼具文化與美感的新趨勢。當茶與現代生活相互融合，這份傳統飲品不僅保留了文化底蘊，也在新世代找到屬於自己的舞台。

▲(圖/偉利科技提供)

title: 泡茶品茶風潮興起    高山茶成為年輕世代節慶送禮新選擇


taiwan-subdivisions: 新北 八里 臺北市 莒光 公館 板橋 深坑 中和 新莊 土城 泰山 新北市 林口

title: 新北捷運再增39公里、42站     侯友宜籲中央加速推動泰板輕軌     完善新北交通路網

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記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

新北捷運3.0規劃「七線並進」，包含五泰輕軌、臺北市民生線、深坑輕軌、八里輕軌、泰板輕軌、中和公館線及林口輕軌，未來新北市境內再增加39公里、42座車站、累計轉乘達33站。其中，泰山板橋輕軌目前在可行性研究階段，新北市長侯友宜(13)日特別前往泰板輕軌F21站周遭，了解路線規劃與進度，期望中央與新北攜手合作，一起推動在地期待的泰板輕軌。

▲泰板輕軌地方民意全力支持。(圖/新北市捷運工程局 提供)

高架車站數增加7站！侯友宜表示，泰板輕軌規劃長度10.3公里、共14座車站，路線連接泰山、新莊、板橋、土城、中和地區，原先規劃F18及F24兩座高架車站、長2.5公里，至於F19~F23站(浮洲段)由於路線須從台鐵、高鐵與台65線高架橋下方穿越限制，須平面通行以確保安全性。而因應交通部審查意見，部分土地開發效益納入附屬事業收入以提高經營比，未符合計畫審議一致性及要求提升運量以確保財務永續經營，上述意見配合修正，並參考已通車捷運路線的經驗，決定將既有的2處高架段延長，增加7個高架車站，調整後高架段總長7.3公里、共有9座高架車站，分別為F15~F18站(新莊塭仔圳段)及F24~F28站(板橋中和土城農業區段)，調整後列車同步能提高行駛速率，經估算全程行車時間可縮短11分鐘，以提升旅客搭乘意願及運量。

▲泰板輕軌F21站轉乘台鐵浮洲站僅30秒。(圖/新北市捷運工程局 提供)

侯友宜詳細說明，泰板輕軌可行性研究從2023年5月首度提送迄今，即將第五度送審！地方民意全力支持，泰板輕軌完工通車後可紓解地區交通瓶頸，帶動產業及住宅發展。今天捷運局已完整說明修正內容請盡速送審，希望中央與新北攜手合作，順利推動新北捷運建設，確保工程順利推進，讓市民能盡早搭乘更便利的大眾運輸工具。

▲泰板輕軌F28站模擬圖。(圖/新北市捷運工程局 提供)

新北捷運工程局長李政安補充，泰板輕軌延續五泰輕軌，沿線可4站轉乘！分別於F16站與新莊線輔大站轉乘、F21站與台鐵浮洲站轉乘，F23站與板南線亞東醫院站轉乘、F28站與萬大中和線莒光站轉乘。F21站與台鐵浮洲站間的步行時間僅30秒、距離70公尺即可便利轉乘，F21站鄰近台北紙廠簡易公園，未來規劃建置社會住宅及警察局，可提供更多居住機會，及安全的生活環境；另外，F28站步行1分鐘就能轉乘萬大中和線莒光站，其他兩個轉乘站，雖然需要站外轉乘，將研議盡量縮短轉乘時間。

▲泰板輕軌路線圖。(圖/新北市捷運工程局 提供)


taiwan-subdivisions: 新北 新店 水上 新店區 和美 新北市

countries: 日本 臺灣

title: 療癒風暴來襲     碧潭地景裝置展迎來水豚君     10月24日起與粉絲相約至12月21日

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記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

今年秋冬，新店碧潭迎來一波萌力爆棚的療癒風暴！來自日本的超人氣插畫IP「水豚君（KAPIBARASAN）」正式進駐碧潭地景裝置展與大家見面！自10月24日起展出至12月21日，於每晚6時至10時點燈，將與粉絲們相約共度暖心時光。

新北市政府觀光旅遊局今年特別邀請「水豚君（KAPIBARASAN）」來台，其中高達12米的水上大型裝置「水豚君」更是首度在臺灣登場，今年活動不僅水域上有重磅焦點，陸地上則是由他的好朋友「駱馬君」擔綱核心打卡點，形成獨特的「水陸雙亮點」，希望為市民朋友營造出多層次的參觀體驗。不僅如此，水豚君的好朋友們「水豚仔」、「懷特小姐」、「熱血君」、「暴走君」及「陽光君」也共同齊聚在碧潭東岸廣場，打造出團聚可愛氛圍，碧潭吊橋下方更設置了趣味十足的拍照迎賓牆，讓大家在抵達碧潭之際就能捕捉萌趣時刻，歡迎大家呼朋引伴走進碧潭這片自然美景共同找尋「水豚君（KAPIBARASAN）」及他的好朋友們的蹤影吧!

▲飼育員小哥與水豚君一同仰望夜空共賞煙火的場景將在114年10月24日於碧潭上演。(圖/新北市觀旅局 提供)

同時，碧潭餐飲遊憩區也將同步盛大開幕，匯聚多元業態，包括咖啡輕食、主題餐飲及特色商品等，並推出多重優惠活動，非假日消費享88折及假日95折的「好鄰優惠」來回饋新店居民、單筆消費滿額贈禮活動及在店內消費打卡分享獲得限量好禮等。另外，在碧潭地景裝置展出期間，新北市各局處也攜手推出多元活動，每周日以及11月1日、2日有農業局為推廣新北市小農農產品辦理的「希望市集」及「小青新咖啡節」；經濟發展局與DCC碧潭廣場分別在10月26日、11月9日及16日每日下午3時至晚間6時於碧潭吊橋下舉辦結合魔術、雜耍、特技及泡泡秀的「街頭魔法 藝術再現」以及「加入LINE會員即獲品牌折扣券」的特惠活動，還有新店區公所於10月28日辦理和美山步道觀光導覽，大朋友小朋友千萬別錯過。

今年碧潭地景裝置展即將在10月24日晚間盛大登場，除了特別以「水豚君（KAPIBARASAN）」為主題打造的地景裝置外，當晚隆重登場的絢麗煙火秀也是一大亮點，飼育員小哥與水豚君一同仰望夜空共賞煙火的場景搬進碧潭，營造出如詩如畫的浪漫氛圍。接著展覽期間每逢周末假日還有「水豚君快閃店」，在推出碧潭限定周邊商品的同時也設有可愛拍照照景區，藉由可愛角色與在地風景結合，打造專屬新北的文化魅力。更多活動資訊，請持續關注「新北市觀光旅遊網」或「新北旅客」臉書粉絲專頁。


taiwan-subdivisions: 三芝 新北 三芝區 石門區 新北市

title: 新北客底文化大爆發     客家局三芝故事館辦成果展     太鼓、客家歌舞熱鬧揭幕

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記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

新北市政府客家事務局推動「新北濱海客家帶客底意識擾動與文化活動計畫」至今，（12）日在三芝故事館舉辦「花見台2線—三石客底成果展」開幕活動。現場由新北市客家事務局局長劉冠吟、中央客家委員會處長陳瑞榮、三芝區區長賴小萍、石門區區長吳家兆及新北市議員與三芝、石門區國小校長等貴賓共同出席，並由「新北市客家傳統文化發展協會」太鼓表演與三芝幼兒園福成分班的客家歌舞揭開序幕，氣氛熱鬧熱情。

▲運用三芝在地物產地瓜葉子進行槌染，象徵熱鬧為北海岸客底成果展揭開序幕。(圖/新北市客家事務局 提供)

劉冠吟表示，本計畫自113年啟動，透過「客底意識擾動」與「客家文化活動」兩大主軸，帶領社區與學校重新發掘自身的客家文化根源。以工作坊與教案走入社區與校園，讓民眾從飲食、信仰、宗族等日常細節中，重新辨識自己身上客家文化的痕跡，進而發覺自己是客家人。

教育紮根及地方認同 青年以食物說故事

▲三芝國小幼兒園福成分班小朋友帶來客語演唱。(圖/新北市客家事務局 提供)

在文化傳承及教育推廣方面，新北市客家局首度與三芝國小、乾華國小及老梅國小合作，共同開發「三芝米食」與「石門茶文化」主題教案，並邀請返鄉客家青年擔任講師及教學設計者，讓客家文化融入食農教育，從學童階段扎根，深化家鄉的認同與培養客家文化自覺。

▲由三芝與石門在地客家傳統協會帶來太鼓開場表演。(圖/新北市客家事務局 提供)

本次成果展以「花見台2線」為主題，展出7組返鄉青年團隊的創意飲食設計與文化故事，巧妙結合了茭白筍、地瓜、米食、阿里磅紅茶到石滬笠螺等在地農漁特產，轉化成充滿溫度的「食物故事」，講述青年返鄉後，重新連結家鄉文化、找回客家身分的歷程，展現北海岸產業與客家族群息息相關的經典故事。

四大主題特展啟動 展望北海岸客家藍圖

新北市客家局指出，「花見台2線—三石客底成果展」即日起於三芝故事館展出，展期至114年10月31日。內容涵蓋「我也是客家人」、「飲食記憶」、「祭祀文化」、「產業特色」等四大主題，完整呈現北海岸地區客家文化的紋理與當代表現。未來，新北市客家局將持續與中央客委會合作，推動北海岸客家觀光廊帶計畫，逐步建構「北海岸客家藍圖」，以文化為根、地方為本，讓北海岸的客家故事持續發光。


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墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

美國傳奇巨星勞勃瑞福（Robert Redford） 照片提供：金馬影展

美國傳奇巨星勞勃瑞福（Robert Redford，1936-2025）上月辭世，震撼影壇。紀念這位影壇傳奇，本屆金馬影展選映《虎豹小霸王》、《刺激》、《往日情懷》、《天生好手》、《遠離非洲》等5部演出代表作，以及2部執導經典《凡夫俗子》、《大河戀》，致敬這位才華洋溢的電影人。

2002年榮獲奧斯卡榮譽獎的勞勃瑞福，不僅紅極一時，創造許多銀幕經典形象，也演而優則導，以《凡夫俗子》奪得奧斯卡最佳影片及導演。而他推動成立的「日舞影展」更是獨立電影與影壇新銳的重要舞台，影響層面遠超乎一般偶像巨星。

勞勃瑞福（Robert Redford）演出5部電影作品 照片提供：金馬影展

勞勃瑞福在成名作《虎豹小霸王》（Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969）與保羅紐曼共譜一冷一熱的西部情誼，一反傳統類型的嚴肅調性，反而洋溢浪漫與幽默，插曲〈Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head〉琅琅上口傳唱至今。他在片中的綽號「日舞小子」也成為日舞影展名稱的由來。另一部與保羅紐曼合作的騙中騙經典《刺激》（The Sting, 1973），兩人在片中既像師徒也是戰友，聯手坑黑幫老大一筆，兼為好友復仇。本片除了締造票房佳績，也榮獲最佳影片、導演等7座奧斯卡，更讓勞勃瑞福脫穎而出提名影帝。

勞勃瑞福外貌俊俏，主演文藝愛情片理所當然，但他慎選劇本，眼光獨到。與芭芭拉史翠珊合演的《往日情懷》（The Way We Were, 1973），是基於對導演薛尼波拉克的信任，加上故事不只風花雪月，還觸及麥卡錫主義等時代政治背景，他也為貴公子角色賦予更深邃的內在。薛尼波拉克與勞勃瑞福合作的另一部愛情經典《遠離非洲》（Out of Africa, 1985），女主角由梅莉史翠普擔任，她也對勞勃瑞福的銀幕魅力讚不絕口，兩人浪漫的對手戲風靡全球，豪奪奧斯卡最佳影片與導演等7項大獎。另一部名作《天生好手》（The Natural, 1984），勞勃瑞福詮釋昔日棒球神童，在消失多年後重返球場，既要面對職棒黑幕，也要重拾失落的純真，影片高潮迭起，被譽為影史最佳棒球電影之一。

勞勃瑞福（Robert Redford）演出5部電影作品 照片提供：金馬影展

金馬片單還囊括兩部勞勃瑞福的導演代表作。《凡夫俗子》（Ordinary People, 1980）講述中產階級家庭面對兒子意外離去的創傷，厚積薄發，首執導筒便擊敗強敵《蠻牛》、《象人》獲得奧斯卡最佳影片與導演。《大河戀》（A River Runs Through It, 1992）則透過舒緩節奏，闡述美國西部山林河畔的手足情誼與自然之美，不僅觸動人心，更捧紅布萊德彼特，儼然象徵好萊塢男神的傳承，導演評價也水漲船高。

勞勃瑞福（Robert Redford）導演2部電影作品

2025金馬影展將於11月6日至23日展開，10月24日周五下午於臺北文創舉辦選片指南，10月26日周日開始售票。更多金馬相關訊息將陸續公布，請鎖定金馬官網、Facebook粉絲專頁、Instagram，或下載金馬APP，掌握第一手消息。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 2025金馬影展致敬傳奇巨星勞勃瑞福 選映7部演員與導演代表作

title: 2025金馬影展致敬傳奇巨星勞勃瑞福 選映7部演員與導演代表作


title: 侯友宜贈匾感謝     劉和然代表市府前往永和聖安宮     肯定廟方對地方公益的貢獻

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記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

新北市副市長劉和然（11）日上午前往永和「秀朗聖安宮」參拜祈福，恭祝保安廣澤尊王聖誕千秋、香火鼎盛，並祈求新北市政順利推行、市民安居樂業。為感謝廟方長年投入公益與地方服務，劉副市長特別代表市長侯友宜贈匾「神威顯赫」，以表達敬意與感謝之意。

劉和然表示，秀朗聖安宮長期致力社會服務與慈善公益，並於民國111年成立「新北市永和秀朗聖安宮愛心慈善協會」，以「關懷偏鄉兒童、弱勢家庭及長者」為宗旨，持續透過多元活動為社會送暖，凝聚愛與關懷的力量。廟方的善行深獲社會各界肯定，實為地方信仰與公益的典範。

▲劉和然劉特別代表侯友宜贈匾「神威顯赫」，感謝廟方長年投入公益與服務。(圖/新北市民政局 提供)

劉和然強調，廣澤尊王象徵「保安護民」的精神，正如新北市政府推動各項政策時，始終以市民安全與福祉為首要考量。無論是治安維護、公共安全或社會照顧，市府團隊都秉持照顧每一個人的理念，落實侯友宜市長安居樂業的目標。

民政局補充，秀朗聖安宮奉祀的廣澤尊王已有139年歷史，是台灣地區重要的民間信仰神祇之一，被尊稱為「保安之神」，庇佑家宅平安、驅邪鎮煞、護佑孩童，更是地方居民心中的守護神。同時，也是永和地區重要的文化信仰中心，連結信仰與文化，成為凝聚地方情感的重要力量。

taiwan-subdivisions: 永和 新北市 新北


people: 陳儀君 劉哲彰

taiwan-subdivisions: 新店區 新北 新莊 中山 五股 新北市 樹林 蘆洲 鶯歌 和美 泰山

title: 不只投票更是決定預算!新北社福參與式預算新店區開箱     投滿8票抽iPhone 17 Pro

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記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

新北市社會福利參與式預算進入第10年，今年輪由新店區接棒辦理，共有超過40個公民團體和社區發展協會參與培力，最終產生18個提案，內容含括兒少、青年、婦女、銀髮族、原住民等多元服務，甚至有心理韌性、大自然守護和球類運動等。即日起開始進行提案投票，總預算300萬元，依得票結果開箱分配執行。為鼓勵投票，社會局祭出包含iPhone17 Pro、Dyson乾溼全能洗地吸塵器等大獎，凡年滿15歲設籍、居住、就業、就學於新北市者，皆可透過「新北VOTE」投票系統進行線上投票，須投滿8票，方屬有效票。其中設籍新店區者投票可加權2倍計算。

▲投票啟動記者會說明各項投票須知。(圖/新北市社會局 提供)

社會局和新店區公所13日上午在大豐社福活動中心舉行投票啟動記者會，社會局長李美珍、新店區長黃秀川、市議員陳儀君、劉哲彰和18個提案單位均與會參加。

▲18個提案單位參加投票啟動記者會 爭取脫穎而出知。(圖/新北市社會局 提供)

李美珍表示，新北市當年在市議員陳儀君的倡議之下，從105年開始推動社會福利參與式預算，一步一腳印，從蘆洲、泰山、五股、鶯歌、樹林、新莊，到今年由新店區公所繼續推動。近幾個月來，透過參與式預算培力暨住民社福大會，鼓勵各團體提出構想，並進行提案輔導，最後辦理提案審議工作坊，讓提案內容更加貼近民眾的需求。

▲最早倡議參與式預算的市議員陳儀君感謝社會局自始至終持續推動社會福利參與式預算。(圖/新北市社會局 提供)

李美珍強調，參與式預算主要精神是從下而上的民主，在地人關心在地事，看到18個提案內容，含括各個族群的福利服務，甚至有結合時事和議題，如心理韌性、數位AI、綠色照護、青銀共融等，令人敬佩提案單位的用心。

▲民眾在現場利用手機掃描QRcode進行線上投票。(圖/新北市社會局 提供)

市議員陳儀君表示，10年前她運用議員建議款，開始從新店達觀里推動參與式預算，當時國內對於參與式預算的觀念和運作還是很模糊，第2年她再接再厲，推動和美山賞螢步道的維護，民眾慢慢理解，不僅議員有建議權，原來公民也有，而且逐步擴大到教育、文化等層面。非常感謝社會局10年持續推動社會福利參與式預算，讓參與式預算的精神真正落實。

▲台灣自然科技學會提案要跟阿公阿嬤守護火金姑，隔代攜手認識螢火蟲。(圖/學會 提供)

新店區長黃秀川表示，這次新店參與式預算發現有許多創新提案，新北市諮商心理師公會要為居民建構「心理韌性」，守護健康；台灣自然科技學會要跟阿公阿嬤守護火金姑，隔代攜手認識螢火蟲。另外在地新民羽球協會、老馬籃球協會等也都提案要推動球類運動，中山社區要推動共耕共學和五感、老人會要推動綠色照護等，都極具創意。

新店社福參與式預算投票期間從10月13日至11月30日止，凡年滿15歲設籍、居住、就業、就學於新北市者，皆可透過「新北VOTE」（網址：www.vote.ntpc.gov.tw ）進行線上投票，一人須投滿8票方屬有效票。若不熟悉網路操作或並非新北市民，在投票期間內，可至新店區公所或市府大樓1樓西側聯合服務中心外的實體展示區，將由志工提供投票協助，完成投票會贈送精美小禮及抽獎，歡迎大家踴躍參與。


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MiTAC Computing神雲科技以AI叢集整合方案亮相2025 OCP Global Summit，推動資料中心邁向開放與節能未來

2025-10-13   加利福尼亞州聖荷西2025年10月13日 /美通社/ — 作為專業伺服器設計與製造商，神達控股股份有限公司（股票代號：3706）旗下子公司神雲科技股份有限公司（MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation），將於2025 OCP Global Summit（10月13日至16日，舊金山聖荷西）隆重登場，並於C14展位展出最新AI叢集與資料中心解決方案。此次展出主軸為「From AI Server to Cluster – Open for Growth. Built to Cool.」，展現從單一AI伺服器擴展至完整叢集的開放式基礎架構，並搭配創新的液冷節能設計，全面提升效能與永續性。

MiTAC Computing Showcases Future-Ready AI Cluster Solutions at the 2025 OCP Global Summit to Empower Open and Energy-Efficient Data Centers

此次展出涵蓋AI、HPC、雲端與企業級應用，完整呈現神雲科技伺服器從單機到叢集的整合實力，並攜手AMD、Broadcom、CoolIT、Intel、Micron、Murata、NVIDIA與 Solidigm等合作夥伴，共同推動開放運算與永續發展。

從Server到Cluster｜以氣冷到水冷，AI到HPC的機櫃，展示完整資料中心解決方案神雲科技本次展會中展示完整機櫃級解決方案，進一步展現「From AI Server to Cluster」的核心理念。現場展出的OCP ORv3機櫃與EIA標準機櫃，分別代表新一代開放式基礎架構與傳統企業資料中心的兩大方向。

OCP ORv3液冷機櫃｜液冷散熱與模組化電源，實現永續高效能資料中心神雲科技展示的OCP ORv3 43OU液冷機櫃，搭載多達14台C2811Z5多節點伺服器，每節點支援AMD EPYC™ 9005系列處理器與DDR5記憶體擴充，專為高效能運算與大規模資料中心部署而設計。整體叢集配置中，加入Lake Erie儲存模組，搭配管理交換器與數據交換器，實現運算、儲存與網路的完整協作。

在基礎設施部分，機櫃導入Murata 33kW Power Shelf MWOCES-211-P-D電源系統，提供高效率且具備彈性的電力管理，足以支援持續高負載的運算環境。散熱方面，配置 CoolIT 200kW CHx200+ In-Rack CDU液冷解決方案，具備200kW等級散熱能力，有效將高密度運算伺服器的熱能導出，確保系統在長時間運作下仍維持穩定效能與節能表現。

透過OCP ORv3的模組化設計與開放式架構，神雲科技的液冷機櫃不僅展現了高效能與高可靠性，更兼顧能源效率與永續性，為資料中心提供從單機到叢集、從氣冷到液冷的完整升級路徑，加速AI、HPC與雲端應用的導入與擴展。

EIA 氣冷機櫃｜標準化架構結合800G高速互連，推動 AI 叢集快速部署神雲科技在本次展會展示的EIA 45U氣冷機櫃，配置4台G8825Z5 8U AI伺服器，搭載 AMD Instinct™ MI350X/ MI325X GPU，為大型語言模型訓練與生成式AI推論提供強大算力。網路部分導入Dell Z9864F-ON交換器，其核心採用Broadcom Tomahawk 5晶片，可支援800G高速互連，確保節點間資料傳輸的低延遲與高可靠性。機櫃同時整合GC68C-B8056管理伺服器與TS70A-B8056儲存伺服器，實現高效能計算與高速資料存取的緊密結合。透過伺服器、網路、管理與儲存的完整整合，神雲科技將傳統EIA標準架構延伸至叢集級別，幫助企業在不改變現有資料中心基礎設施的情況下，快速建置相容、可擴充且具高可用性的AI/HPC叢集環境，真正落實「From Server to Cluster」的理念。

Live Demo｜開源韌體驅動透明、安全與永續的資料中心在C14攤位，神雲科技也將進行Live Demo，展示OpenBMC與Open Platform Firmware (OPF) 如何在真實環境中改變資料中心的管理模式。透過與Open Source Firmware Foundation、ISV 與開放硬體社群的合作，神雲科技展示了以開放韌體取代專有堆疊的創新路徑：包括透過Redfish實現一致化伺服器管理、以 Coreboot／LinuxBoot／UEFI等可選架構加速開機並縮短POST時間達50%，同時結合Broadcom MegaRAID 9560-16i / MegaRAID 9660-16i RAID卡，進一步強化資料存取的可靠性與安全性，再透過可審計的安全機制支援SBOM與NIST 800-193防護。

此外，神雲科技也與全球領導廠商共同推動OCP OPF規範的制定，並展示已在AMD EPYC™ 9005/9004系列處理器平台上完成的Open Platform Firmware PoC，進一步驗證其在真實硬體上的可行性與未來擴展潛力。這場Demo將讓與會者直觀體驗開放、模組化且具永續性的基礎架構，如何為未來Server到Cluster的擴展提供透明度、掌控力與長期安全性。

在展示叢集解決方案與開源韌體創新之後，神雲科技也將完整呈現其伺服器產品線，涵蓋 AI運算、HPC與雲端、以及企業級資料處理，展現從單機到叢集的全面升級實力。

AI 運算平台｜液冷與 GPU 加速全面升級，驅動大規模 AI 訓練與生成式應用

G4527G6：採用NVIDIA MGX™ 4U架構，搭配雙路Intel® Xeon® 6767P處理器，可配置8張NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs與Solidigm D7-P5520 SSD，結合GPU的強大平行運算效能與SSD的高效資料存取，特別適合電腦視覺、深度學習模型訓練與AI應用開發。G4826Z5：首次亮相的AI液冷高密度GPU平台，支援多達8顆AMD Instinct™ MI355X GPU與AMD EPYC™ 9005/9004系列處理器，同時可擴充至24個DDR5-6400記憶體插槽，最高容量達6TB。平台採用CPU與GPU全面液冷設計，確保在高密度配置下仍能維持長時間穩定效能。搭載Broadcom P2200G網路介面卡，提供高速、低延遲的連接能力，專為大規模AI訓練與資料密集型運算打造，是本次展會的重點液冷旗艦產品。

HPC與雲端的最佳實踐｜OCP標準平台，兼顧高效能與大規模部署

C2811Z5：符合OCP標準的液冷High Density多節點伺服器，支援AMD EPYC™ 9005系列處理器，每節點可配置12個DDR5-6400記憶體插槽，最高容量達 3TB。搭載 NVMe E1.S儲存介面，並配合Micron 9550 NVMe SSD，在高頻寬存取與長時間運算下，依然能保持穩定效能，特別適合科學模擬、工程設計與氣象分析等HPC場景。其液冷設計不僅有效提升散熱效率，更協助資料中心在效能、能源效率與可靠性間取得最佳平衡。Capri 3：OCP雲端伺服器平台，具備模組化與彈性擴充特性，並搭配 Broadcom N1400GD網路介面卡，提供高速且穩定的網路連線。適合雲端虛擬化、軟體定義儲存與大型資料湖架構，能靈活應對不同的雲端工作負載與大規模資料中心部署需求。

Enterprise 資料處理與儲存｜靈活擴充與高可靠性，支援企業級應用與資料密集工作負載

R1520G6：企業級1U伺服器，搭載Intel® Xeon® 6700P系列處理器，並結合Micron DDR5 DRAM與 Micron 6550 ION NVMe SSD，在高記憶體需求與長時間高密度讀寫場景中，展現卓越效能與耐久性，滿足企業級應用對可靠性與高效率的嚴苛要求。R2520G6：企業級2U伺服器，支援雙路Intel® Xeon® 6700P系列處理器與多達 24顆NVMe U.2 SSD。搭載 Solidigm D7-PS1010 SSD，具備PCIe 5.0高頻寬與長時間效能穩定性，特別適合資料儲存、大數據分析與 AI 資料預處理等需要高速儲存的應用，幫助企業快速將龐大資料轉化為即時洞察，協助決策與營運優化。

除了完整的機櫃解決方案與現場 Live Demo，神雲科技也將於10 月 14日舉辦兩場高階論壇（Executive Sessions），深入探討AI叢集的未來發展趨勢以及永續資料中心的架構演進。神雲科技誠摯邀請產業先進蒞臨C14展位，親身體驗最新的伺服器與叢集解決方案，並與我們一同交流，探索「From Server to Cluster」的創新之路。

如需產品型錄與更多資訊，可參閱：MiTAC Computing 2025 OCP Global Summit Landing Page

神雲科技官方網站：https://www.mitaccomputing.com/Intel 平台型錄AMD 平台型錄


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記者蘇凱中/宜蘭報導

113學年度全國中等學校馬術錦標賽，在家自學的高三學生吳苓楷榮獲「高中組-Youth項目」冠軍及「高中組-Senior I項目」亞軍，13日獲代理縣長林茂盛接見表揚。

林茂盛表示，馬術是一項結合騎士與馬匹之間高度默契的運動，需長期訓練與堅定毅力才能在賽場上展現實力。吳苓楷同學能在全國賽事中脫穎而出，實屬難得，也展現出她對馬術的熱情與專注。馬術不僅考驗技術，更是一場對自律、專注與耐力的全方位挑戰。吳同學的優異表現不僅為個人增添光彩，也讓宜蘭縣在全國體壇嶄露頭角，期勉她持續努力，未來朝更高層次邁進。

吳苓楷說，馬術是她一路走來最堅定的選擇，從一開始因身體狀況接觸馬術，到與馬匹建立深厚默契，再到如今能在比賽中穩定發揮、獲得佳績，這一切都離不開家人與教練一路上的陪伴與鼓勵。她也坦言，曾因傷勢一度想放棄，但正是這些支持讓她學會堅持、勇敢迎戰每一次挑戰。未來她希望能持續精進技術，朝更高層級的賽事邁進。

title: 全國馬術錦標賽獲佳績  吳苓楷獲代縣長接見表揚

taiwan-subdivisions: 宜蘭縣 宜蘭


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SENATE RECOMMENDATION: The National Defense Authorization Act encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s navy to participate in the exercises in Hawaii

The US Senate on Thursday last week passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which strongly encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s naval forces to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, as well as allocating military aid of US$1 billion for Taiwan.

The bill, which authorizes appropriations for the military activities of the US Department of Defense, military construction and other purposes, passed with 77 votes in support and 20 against.

While the NDAA authorizes about US$925 billion of defense spending, the Central News Agency yesterday reported that an aide of US Senator Jacky Rosen told it that the bill includes US$1 billion military aid for Taiwan under the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative.

The act also strongly encourages the US secretary of defense to invite the naval forces of Taiwan to participate, as appropriate, in any RIMPAC exercise, and that if the defense secretary decides not to invite Taiwan’s naval forces, they should submit to the congressional defense committees a written justification for such a decision no later than 30 days after the decision is made.

RIMPAC is the world’s largest multinational maritime exercise, conducted biennially in Hawaii, hosted by the US and bringing together nearly 30 partner nations to strengthen collective forces, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The bill includes a provision instructing the US secretary of defense, in coordination with the US secretary of state, to seek to engage with Taiwanese officials in a joint program for the purpose of enabling the fielding of uncrewed systems and counteruncrewed systems capabilities.

Another provision calls for analysis on the critical digital infrastructure of Taiwan, in the event of a military invasion or blockade by China, and for identifying potential actions by the Pentagon to protect such infrastructure.

The bill also authorizes the US secretary of defense to assign a Defense Priorities and Allocations System order rating, prioritizing the order of foreign military sales, including to Taiwan, Israel, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, as well as NATO members, major defense partners and other eligible purchasers.

The bill calls for establishing a partnership between the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit and its counterpart in Taiwan to enhancing market opportunities for defense technology companies based in the US or Taiwan, bolster Taiwan’s defense industrial base, and counter the Chinese Communist Party and its proxy groups’ dual-use defense technology development.

It also sets a limit on the travel expenses to be used by the office of the US secretary of defense until it submits a “Taiwan Security Assistance Road Map” — a multiyear plan to fulfill the defensive requirements of Taiwan’s military forces, and submits a report on the Pentagon’s activities necessary for supporting the potential establishment of a regional contingency stockpile for Taiwan.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Thursday last week, US Senator Dave McCormick said that the NDAA includes the Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act, which requires the US governor of the IMF to use the US vote to support the admission of Taiwan as a member of the IMF.

The US House of Representatives last month approved its own version of the NDAA, and the House and Senate Armed Services Committees are to negotiate a compromise bill before sending it to US President Donald Trump to sign or veto.

Additional reporting by CNA

title: US bill urges Taiwan invite to RIMPAC


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Israel yesterday said that the last 20 surviving hostages returned home after two years in captivity in Gaza, as US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers after brokering a ceasefire with Hamas.

Trump’s lightning visit to Israel came ahead of a summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh cochaired by the US president, who has declared the war in Gaza “over.”

In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd which gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke of the first hostage releases, although the pain for the loss of those who had not survived was palpable.

Ziv Berman, one of the released Israeli hostages formerly held captive in Gaza, gestures from the window of an Israeli CH-53 Sea Stallion military helicopter at Sheba Tel-HaShomer Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, yesterday. Photo: AFP

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel is due to release nearly 2,000 prisoners held in its jails.

In the Palestinian city of Ramallah, huge crowds gathered to welcome home the first buses carrying prisoners, with some chanting Allahu akbar, or “God is great,” in celebration.

“Welcome home,” the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a series of social media posts, hailing the return of the hostages.

On Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Noga shared her pain and joy.

“I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” she said.

Israel has said it did not expect all of the dead hostages to be returned yesterday.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is also due to return the bodies of the 27 hostages who died or were killed in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza conflict.

Among those Israel was due to release in exchange are 250 security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis, while about 1,700 were detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war.

On Oct. 7, 2023, militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians.

In Gaza, too, the ceasefire has brought relief, but with much of the territory flattened by war, the road to recovery remains long.

“I returned to Sheikh Radwan with my heart trembling,” 38-year-old Fatima Salem said after she returned to her neighborhood in Gaza City. “My eyes kept searching for landmarks I had lost — nothing looked the same, even the neighbors’ houses were gone. Despite the exhaustion and fear, I felt like I was coming back to my safe place. I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction.”

Trump’s visit to the Middle East aims to celebrate his role in brokering last week’s ceasefire and hostage release deal, but comes at a precarious time as Israel and Hamas negotiate what comes next.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One at the start of the “very special” visit, Trump brushed off concerns about whether the ceasefire would endure.

“I think it’s going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries,” he said of the fighting.

“The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” the US president added.

title: Israel welcomes home surviving hostages


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INTEGRATION: Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo said the ‘T-Dome’ would establish a more efficient ‘sensor-to-shooter’ system for a higher kill rate

The US Department of State on Sunday supported Taiwan’s commitment to raising its defense spending, emphasizing that the US’ top priority is to safeguard stability in the Taiwan Strait and ensure Taiwan has sufficient self-defense capabilities.

In his Double Ten National Day address on Friday last week, President William Lai (賴清德) said that Taiwan would use its new defense budget to accelerate the development of the “T-Dome,” a multilayered air defense system designed to counter growing military pressure from China.

Lai added that defense spending would reach 5 percent of GDP by 2030 to demonstrate Taiwan’s commitment to self-defense.

A still image from a video released by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology shows that the coverage range of the Chiung Kung missile is significantly greater than that of the Tien Kung III missile. Photo: screen shot from Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology video

The US Department of State responded by saying it strongly supports Taiwan’s efforts to strengthen its defense and deterrence through reforms and raising military spending.

The department said it welcomes Lai’s announcement that Taiwan plans to increase defense spending to more than 3 percent of GDP this year and 5 percent by 2030.

The US’ top priority is to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and it would continue to uphold the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure Taiwan has sufficient self-defense capabilities to deal with the threats it faces, it said.

In Taipei yesterday, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said the “T-Dome” air defense system would establish a more efficient and integrated “sensor-to-shooter” mechanism for a higher kill rate, with a year-end special budget to propose specific spending on the system.

“If you do achieve integration, the probability of successful interception naturally increases, and you can conduct firepower coordination with greater efficiency and better resource allocation,” Koo said.

“Sensor-to-shooter” is something the US military has been focusing on, including with the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept to connect sensors and shooters into one single system.

Taiwan’s existing surface-to-air defense systems are centered around the US-built Patriot and Taiwan-made Sky Bow missiles, as well as Stinger missiles for low-level intercepts. Taiwan is also developing the Chiang-Kong missile for high-altitude interception.

“If we don’t integrate anti-missile, anti-air and anti-drone capabilities, we won’t be able to achieve efficient interception. We will prioritize procurement that emphasizes mobility and high survivability,” Koo said.

A special budget to come by the end of the year would focus on new equipment for the “T-Dome,” he said.

“T-Dome” also fits into Taiwan’s asymmetric approach to warfare to make its forces, which are much smaller than China’s, agile and able to pack a greater and more targeted punch, Koo said.

title: US backs William Lai’s defense spending pledge

people: 賴清德 顧立雄


title: Sanae Takaichi eyes deeper Japan-Taiwan cooperation

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Taiwan is a “cherished friend,” newly elected Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Sanae Takaichi said yesterday in a social media post, adding that she hopes to deepen cooperation between Japan and Taiwan.

Takaichi, a senior Japanese Diet member who served as minister of state for economic security from 2022 to last year, defeated Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi in an LDP leadership election on Oct. 4.

President William Lai (賴清德) congratulated her on social media on the day of her victory, adding that Takaichi is a staunch, unwavering friend to Taiwan and that he hoped that relations between the two nations would reach a “new level,” becoming a force for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), leaves the LDP’s headquarters in Tokyo on Friday last week. Photo: AP

Takaichi thanked Lai and the Taiwanese people on social media, and said that Taiwan and Japan share fundamental values, economic ties and history.

Many Japanese also commented on Takaichi’s post, saying Taiwanese have always been warm and friendly to Japan, with many sharing the hope that bilateral exchanges would continue to flourish under Takaichi.

During a visit to Taiwan in April, she met with Lai and the two agreed to maintain close communications, including sharing security-related information.

A handwritten letter from Takaichi was delivered to Lai on Friday last week by a delegation of Japanese parliamentarians. Hajime Sasaki, a senior official of the Japan-Republic of China Diet Members’ Consultative Council, said that he did not see the contents of the letter, but believed it was a thank-you note in response to Lai’s congratulatory message.

Taiwanese academics specializing in Japanese affairs have expressed optimism about future Taipei-Tokyo relations after Takaichi won the election to become LDP president, putting the 64-year-old on track to potentially become the nation’s first female prime minister, adding that Takaichi is considered “Taiwan-friendly” and often models policy direction after her political mentor, late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan’s parliament is to convene on Friday to elect a successor to outgoing Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, a seat Takaichi appears poised to fill. However, Japan’s largest opposition party said on Friday last week that it would seek to support a unified candidate with other groups in a bid to block Takaichi’s election as prime minister after the ruling coalition collapsed, local media reported.


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Russia yesterday said that there are currently no plans for a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, after Trump warned he might send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

Trump has been mulling potential supplies of the long-range missiles to Kyiv via European allies since his meeting with Putin in Alaska in August failed to produce a peace deal.

He on Sunday said that he might warn Putin about the possible deliveries if Russia does not halt its offensive, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “There are no clear agreements on a phone conversation yet.

A firefighter works at the site of a Russian drone strike on the outskirts of Odesa, Ukraine, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

“There are many opportunities for promptly organizing such a conversation,” if it was needed, he said.

Russia has repeatedly said it would see supplying the weapon as a significant escalation.

The missiles have a range of 2,500km, putting much of western Russia, including the capital, Moscow, within striking distance.

They are also technically capable of carrying nuclear warheads and Moscow said it would treat any launches of the missile as if they were loaded with a nuclear weapon.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, now a deputy chair of Russia’s security council, yesterday said that if the US opted to supply the weapons, it could backfire on Trump directly.

“The delivery of these missiles could end badly for everyone. And above all, for Trump himself,” he wrote on Telegram.

Trump and Medvedev, known for his hawkish and provocative anti-Western comments, in August clashed after the US leader upped his pressure on Moscow to halt its offensive in Ukraine.

Trump responded by redeploying military submarines and warning that Medvedev’s statements could “lead to unintended consequences.”

title: No Putin-Trump telephone call planned, Russia says


content_text:
PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE:  The CCP’s bounty notices are a clumsy attempt to extend its long-arm jurisdiction and wage ‘lawfare’ against Taiwan, the official said

China’s “bounty notices” targeting what it called 18 members of Taiwan’s “psychological warfare unit,” along with threats of the death penalty against them, are an attempt to create a chilling effect among Taiwanese, an official said yesterday.

The public security bureau in the Chinese city of Xiamen on Saturday published the names, photographs and ID numbers of 18 alleged “core members” of the military unit.

China Central Television’s online outlet Ri Yue Tan Tian later published an article saying that those deemed “particularly vile” would face severe punishment, including the death penalty, lifelong accountability or trial in absentia.

A ‘bounty notice’ released by China’s Xiamen Public Security Bureau on Saturday listing what it called 18 members of Taiwan’s “psychological warfare unit” is pictured. Photo: Screen grab from the Internet

The unit “did whatever it takes to incite hostility among people in Taiwan toward mainland China” and “attempted to undermine cross-strait peace and obstruct reunification,” the article said.

The so-called bounty notice “fully demonstrated that mainland China has various methods and exceptional skills in cracking down on separatists,” it said, adding that “for the 18 people ... the death penalty, lifelong accountability and trial in absentia will be swords of Damocles hanging over their heads, causing them to live in constant fear.”

A Taiwanese official familiar with Chinese “united front” tactics said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeted the Ministry of National Defense’s psychological warfare unit after previously threatening to punish members of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command.

“These bounty notices are intended to intimidate military personnel and create a chilling effect among the public,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

However, the CCP has no jurisdiction over Taiwan, and members of the unit are highly unlikely to travel to China, the official said.

“Such bounty notices are meaningless,” they said.

The CCP is arbitrarily investigating and publishing the names of whoever it deems necessary, without needing to provide evidence, much like the so-called “22 guidelines to punish Taiwanese independence separatists,” the official said.

This means the CCP can label anyone guilty regardless of facts or evidence, they said.

People traveling to China could face arrest without reasonable cause, and the risk remains high, they added.

“Coercion like this would not work,” they said.

The CCP is targeting Taiwanese military personnel through bounty offers and threats of punishment in an effort to undermine morale, the official said.

However, such attempts are bound to fail, as the accusations made by Beijing are one-sided and do not include supporting evidence, they added.

The CCP also used the bounty notices to spread domestic propaganda, portraying Taiwan as a threat and warning Chinese to be aware of Taiwanese infiltration and attempts to sow division, the official said.

In reality, it is the CCP that has been infiltrating and sowing division in Taiwan, engaging in “united front” warfare, they said, adding that Beijing is brazenly interfering in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) chairperson election.

Without any due process, the CCP published personal photographs and information of Taiwan’s military personnel online, the official said.

That was an “extremely crude and sloppy act of investigation,” they said.

Anyone who opposes China’s “one country, two systems” policy toward Taiwan could be investigated and reported according to the “22 guidelines,” and placed on a “wanted” list, the official said.

The CCP is attempting to extend its long-arm jurisdiction to Taiwan, and the bounty notices amount to a form of “lawfare,” albeit a clumsy one, they said.

What is most alarming is that the CCP has already infiltrated Taiwan’s armed forces to a significant degree, a situation that warrants stronger countermeasures, they added.

title: China’s ‘bounty notices’ are meaningless: official


title: ‘Hai Kun’ delivery likely to be delayed: Ku

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Minister of National Defense Wellington Ku (顧立雄) yesterday said that it would be “challenging” for the builder of the Hai Kun (海鯤) submarine to deliver the ship to the navy next month, as equipment tests and calibration take time.

Ku spoke of progress in readying Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine before attending a briefing at the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

“I am confident that the submarine would eventually be completed, but the testing and calibration would take time, and it would be extremely challenging to complete them for delivery to the navy next month,” Ku said.

The indigenous submarine ”Hai Kun“ undergoes tests in Kaohsiung in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of CSBC Corp, Taiwan

The submarine project’s progress was supported by legislators across party lines after the confidential briefing, the navy said in a statement at noon yesterday.

Legislators urged verifying the safety and quality of the submarine before proceeding to sea trials, a navy spokesperson added.

Testing the prototype submarine is being conducted in three phases: surface navigation tests, shallow-water diving tests and deep-water diving tests, the navy said, adding that the submarine entered the surface navigation testing phase on June 17.

So far, three surface navigation tests had been conducted to verify integrated functions of various systems, including propulsion, navigation instruments, communications systems, ship control and periscopes, the navy said.

The submarine was evaluated at CSBC Corp’s dry dock from July 8 to Sept. 2 in three major areas: hull watertightness inspection, equipment calibration, and inspection and maintenance of combat systems, the navy said.

For sea trials, preparations have been completed for the combat and sonar systems, as well as main hydraulics and submarine ballast systems, the navy said.

However, two system groups — the main engine and power management system, and the integrated platform management system (IPMS) — still require testing before the submarine meets the necessary preconditions for diving tests.

Testing of the main engine and power management system takes more time, as it involves multiple contractors and requires coordination to arrange the testing schedule, the navy said, dismissing claims that it had encountered technical issues.

The testing is critical, as it would verify the main engine’s seaworthiness to ensure the vessel’s stability and functionality underway, it said.

Meanwhile, IPMS is a highly automated and integrated system capable of remotely operating and monitoring equipment aboard, the navy said, adding that the hardware of the system has undergone testing, with software modifications and validations ongoing.

CSBC has dispatched additional software engineers to work alongside the original manufacturer to accelerate completion, the navy said.

The testing results of the two systems would be jointly evaluated by the project team, foreign consultants, and the navy officers operating the submarine, the navy said, adding that only after meeting the necessary conditions for safe diving would sea trials be scheduled.

Shallow-water diving tests primarily verify functions related to ship handling, intelligence-gathering equipment, emergency systems and combat management, while deep-water diving tests add functional verification of the vessel’s performance capabilities.


people: 鍾佳濱 郝龍斌 陳培瑜 朱立倫

content_text:
By Hsieh Chun-lin, Lin Che-yuan and Jason Pan / Staff reporters

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) should support proposed amendments to national security laws if it believes foreign forces are attempting to interfere with elections in Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus said yesterday.

The call came in the wake of allegations by senior KMT member and media personality Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), who said that the KMT chairperson election has been the subject of an “overwhelming wave of Chinese intervention” targeting one of the candidates, former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌).

Another candidate, Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), also said that throughout the campaign, multiple artificial intelligence (AI)-generated short videos and spurious statistics have been disseminated to attack the candidates, including himself.

Democratic Progressive Party caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu, right, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

DPP caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) said that national security bills proposed by the DPP caucus since the new legislative term began in February last year have been blocked by the opposition 632 times.

“This week, all KMT chairperson candidates and their supporters suddenly realized that “online disinformation is real, and foreign interference in Taiwanese elections is real,” she said. “Now that they recognize how much such actions harm Taiwan’s democracy and freedom, they should support proposals to amend national security laws.”

Calling out KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), DPP caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said: “The Chinese Communist Party’s interference in Taiwan’s democratic parties is a collective threat. Both the ruling and opposition parties should respond together, regardless of political affiliation.”

On Sunday, activist organization Taiwan Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) urged political parties to work together to amend the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) to combat a surge in disinformation campaigns.

“The KMT has tasted the bitter fruit of online attacks made by foreign hostile forces through fake news and AI-generated videos. We hope it recognizes the severity of the problem and takes action to help stop Chinese interference in Taiwanese politics. It is time to fix the Anti-Infiltration Act,” he said.

The act bans the dissemination of false public polls or fake news to influence elections or interfere in a political party’s primaries or nomination systems, Lai said.

“However, there are no additional severe penalties if China or any foreign hostile force were to interfere in our political parties’ elections, including for chairperson, central standing committee members and the like,” he said. “The ruling and opposition parties should together review and close the loopholes in the Anti-Infiltration Act.”

Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) Chairman Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) on Sunday said that one effective way to combat disinformation is to cut off the source of funding to sever their connections to channel their money to agents and proxies in Taiwan.

When the money flow dries up, these agents and proxies would no longer be able to create content, produce videos and circulate disinformation on social media, he said.

The TSP has long urged legislators to pass the “foreign influence transparency act,” he said.

“Only by comprehensively monitoring the money flows of Chinese-affiliated organizations in Taiwan can we immediately monitor unidentified financial flows and pre-emptively block them and shut them down,” Wang said.

“We can then halt these activities, stop the infiltration and deter their recruiting efforts in Taiwan, he said.

title: DPP tells KMT to back national security bills


content_text:
NATIONAL SECURITY: The three are accused of repeatedly hacking Radio Taiwan International’s Web site, including posting a flag of China

Taipei prosecutors yesterday appealed a court decision to release on bail two suspects who allegedly hacked the Radio Taiwan International (RTI) Web site.

RTI management on Sept. 11 reported to authorities an online attack, in which hackers replaced the banner on its page with the People’s Republic of China flag.

Funded by the Ministry of Culture, RTI provides news content about Taiwan to domestic and worldwide audiences in 20 languages, including Mandarin, Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese), English, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Japanese.

The government lists RTI among the nation’s “critical infrastructure” in terms of national security.

The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement that it worked with Taipei police on Sept. 26 to search the residence and office of two RTI employees — a Web administrator surnamed Wu (吳) and section supervisor surnamed Yue (岳) — and question them.

Prosecutors said they also questioned an RTI contractor surnamed Huang (黃).

On Friday, they requested the court to detain Wu and Huang, who face pending charges of breach of trust and other offenses.

“There is evidence that Wu and Huang repeatedly hacked the RTI Web site. An investigation also found that the trio planned another hack on Double Ten National Day,” prosecutors said, adding that the hackers undermined national security, and they could collude and tamper with evidence.

The Taipei District Court on Friday granted bail of NT$100,000 to Yue, prohibiting him from leaving the country and ordering him to wear an electronic monitoring device. It also granted bail of NT$270,000 and NT$150,000 to Wu and Huang respectively.

Taipei prosecutors appealed the decision.

RTI in a statement last night said it would fully cooperate with the authorities “to ensure the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure.”

It added that it would seek civil damages for harm to its reputation and property.

title: Prosecutors appeal release of 2 RTI hacking suspects


content_text:
Government network hit by over 2.8 million cyberattacks a day

The Government Service Network of the Executive Yuan has reported more than 2.8 million cyberattacks a day on overage so far this year, a document submitted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) to the Legislative Yuan showed yesterday.

In the document, sent to lawmakers ahead of a legislative committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday, the NSB said hackers attacking the Government Service Network seemed focused on several areas, such as critical infrastructure projects and sensitive information about the government’s overseas cooperation.

Their motivation in going after systems related to national defense, foreign affairs, and communications was to collect sensitive information and manipulate key infrastructure progress, the NSB said.

In addition to the cyberattacks, the NSB report said Taiwan’s intelligence agencies had detected more than 1.5 million pieces of controversial information posted through more than 10,800 abnormal online accounts so far this year.

The NSB accused China of being behind the campaign, saying that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) largely applied the controversial information to "use Taiwan to attack Taiwan" and to "reproduce content to amplify their attacks," the NSB said in the report.

Most of the accounts, disguised as forums and Facebook accounts, disseminated false data to influence public opinion, intensify internal confrontation in Taiwan, applaud China, and raise distrust of the United States.

In terms of China’s espionage tactics, the NSB said 24 individuals were indicted for their involvement in espionage in the first nine months of 2025, including 13 retired and incumbent military officers.

Most of the cases involved former officers who attempted to persuade active officers to join them to collect confidential information from the government, the NSB said.

In evaluating China’s cyber tactics, the NSB said China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and national security and police agencies have organized a coordinated network and set up a cyber army together with the Chinese public to launch cyberattacks on Taiwan and secure sensitive information.

These Chinese cyberattack operators have adopted a dual strategy, combining covert infiltration with political manipulation to conduct psychological operations aimed at undermining the Taiwanese public’s faith in the government, the NSB said.

With nationwide local government elections coming in 2026, the NSB said, the CCP is likely to intensify its efforts to intervene in Taiwan’s affairs, and it pledged to investigate abnormalities during election season to ensure that the process remained smooth.


taiwan-subdivisions: 萬榮 鳳林 光復

people: 劉世芳 徐榛蔚 陳建村

content_text:
PLANNING ONGOING:  An evacuation plan is being compiled, which would not involve asking people to take shelter on higher floors of buildings, a Hualien County official said

Without an updated evacuation plan, the government is unable to lift the red alert for Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) amid danger from the barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪), the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said.

The barrier lake overflowed on Sept. 23 due to excessive rainfall from Typhoon Ragasa, killing 19 people and injuring hundreds more. Homes were also damaged by tonnes of mud carried by floodwaters, with the cumulative dredged materials reaching 90,000 tonnes.

The amount of water in the barrier lake has dropped to 1.7 percent of the original capacity, greatly reducing the risks, the agency said.

The barrier lake in the Mataian River in Hualien County is pictured from the air on Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Hualien branch

Guangfu Township levees have been stabilized to withstand water from the barrier lake, but an evacuation plan must be in place and approved by Hualien County Commissioner Hsu Cheng-wei (徐榛蔚) before the red alert can be lifted, it said.

Hualien County Government Research and Administrative Department Director Chen Chien-tsuen (陳建村) said that they are compiling an evacuation plan for 8,000 people in three townships, adding that they are not considering asking people to seek shelter on higher floors of buildings, also known as vertical evacuation.

Guangfu Township has about 10 shelters, which could accommodate about 1,334 people, Chen said.

However, the county has neither the capacity nor enough personnel to execute the evacuation plan, he added.

Chen cited Article 35-2 of the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act (災害防救法), which stipulates that if a municipal, or county (city) government fails to cope with a disaster, the central government must send people to provide support, or assign coordinators to provide support and assistance, as requested by the special municipal, or county (city) government.

In response, Minister Without Portfolio Chi Lien-cheng (季連成), the chief coordinator of disaster relief efforts in Hualien County, said that the county government must compile a list of all resources available in Hualien, including tour buses and personnel, to evacuate the 8,000 people in the three townships.

“Hualien still has 10 other townships that can offer assistance. Resources would always be lacking if you only plan at the township level. If more resources are needed after the inventory check, the central government can help by finding resources in other localities,” Chi said.

A total of 8,524 people in Guangfu, Wanrong (萬榮) and Fonglin (鳳林) townships need to be evacuated in case of flooding caused by an overflow of the barrier lake, the county said.

These include 147 people on the priority list — elderly people, children and those who are physically challenged, it said.

Separately, Minister of the Interior Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) said that the central emergency response center still maintains a Level-1 response status, adding that there would a simulation of the evacuation plan.

“The disaster zone has severe road damage, and many people still stay in the shelters. We are asking Hualien County and the three townships to list all the flood survivors and their locations, so we can effectively execute the evacuation plan,” Liu said.

title: Guangfu Township still on red alert


title: Bureau warns people of relief effort-related scams

content_text:
By Yao Yueh-hung and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Scam tactics have evolved, despite a decrease in the number of reported cases over the past year, with scammers repeatedly targeting flood relief efforts, the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau said yesterday.

Scam rings were using fake fundraisers to swindle people who wanted to aid the disaster relief efforts in Hualien County, after a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) overflowed and swept into Guangfu Township (光復), the bureau said.

People who want to donate money or supplies, or join rescue efforts, should follow official procedures, the bureau said, cautioning people against clicking suspicious links or believing strange messages.

Criminal Investigation Bureau Director-General Chou Yu-wei, center, entertainer Lotus Wang, second left, and other officials hold placards at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo copied by Yao Yueh-hung, Taipei Times

Scams related to disaster relief efforts are different from other scams, which often lure people with the promise of high returns, it said, adding that relief effort scams exploited people’s empathy to lower their guard, and offered thank-you rewards, altruistic statements or public welfare engagement as bait.

For example, a scam ring posted on social media that it was providing free rain boots for volunteers, but required a NT$58 delivery fee, it said.

Once they get in touch with a person on Line and get the delivery fee, scammers would ask the person for their bank account number so they could “authenticate” their name and include it in a “recognition list,” but the scammers just want to create a dummy account using the victim, the bureau said.

Another scam involved deceiving people into sending them money by claiming that income from the sale of sports lottery analysis reports would be donated to disaster relief campaigns, it said.

Data from the agency’s “165 anti-fraud dashboard” showed that the number of reported scam cases averaged 470 per day nationwide last month, down by 22 percent from 601 cases over the same period last year.

The total financial loss also decreased to about NT$223.92 million (US$7.29 million) from about NT$396.8 million over the same period, down by 44 percent, the data showed.

Although there was a declining trend in scam cases, scam tactics continued to evolve, the bureau said.

Investment scams accounted for 36.29 percent of financial losses, followed by catfishing scams at 22.06 percent and fake authority scams at 13.01 percent, it said.

As the NT$10,000 universal cash handout would soon be implemented, people should be aware that the government would not notify them of the matter via e-mails or text messages, nor would it ask them to send money via automatic teller machines or Web banking systems, the bureau said.

It advised people to keep the “four noes” in mind: No clicking links, no entering information, no remitting money and no forwarding messages.


people: 蔣萬安 黃仁

content_text:
Taipei, Shin Kong Life at odds over compensation for Nvidia HQ land

The Taipei City Government yesterday urged Shin Kong Life Insurance Co to accept a compensation agreement in exchange for relinquishing the surface rights of plots T17 and T18 in Beitou Shilin Science Park, where AI chip giant Nvidia Corp wants to build its Taiwan headquarters.

The controversy over the 3.89-hectare land plots stems from the fact that Shin Kong Life won the bid for the rights in 2021.

However, the company is contractually prohibited from transferring the surface rights before completing construction and obtaining building use permits for the site.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, left, and Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan attend a session at the Taipei City Council yesterday. Photo: Ho Yu-hua, Taipei Times

Although Shin Kong Life has said it is willing to directly transfer the surface rights to Nvidia, the city government said such a move would violate the contract, as nothing has been built on the site.

Speaking at the Taipei City Council yesterday, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) said Nvidia had asked the city government and Shin Kong Life to mutually terminate the surface rights agreement, so that the property would return to the city and could be transferred to Nvidia.

While Lee did not divulge the details of the city’s request to Shin Kong yesterday, he said the city had previously suggested paying compensation in the range of NT $500-800 million (US$16.30-26.02 million), in addition to returning the more than NT$3 billion the company bid to acquire the land rights.

The NT$800 million figure is based on three years of estimated profits gained from the land, Lee said.

Shin Kong Life, however, has argued that it should receive NT$10.7 billion in compensation for terminating the contract, based on expected profits over a 50-year period, according to Lee.

Meanwhile, during a call with reporters, Lee was asked who would bear the compensation costs, as some city councilors have demanded the city pay no more than NT$4 billion in total -- for buying back the rights plus compensation -- with anything above that paid by Nvidia.

Lee said Nvidia prefers for the city and Shin Kong Life to first terminate their contract, so that it can deal directly with the city government. Privately, Nvidia has expressed openness to paying some form of compensation, he added.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday he is "confident" the city can reach an accommodation with Shin Kong Life by Oct. 24, the deadline by which Nvidia has asked the city to resolve the matter or else propose alternative sites that meet its requirements.

Shin Kong Life, for its part, said it was holding internal deliberations over its response after receiving the city government’s request on Monday afternoon.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) announced his company’s intention to build its Taiwan headquarters in the Beitou Shilin Science Park during a speech at the Computex Taipei expo in May of this year.


content_text:
Proposals to allow people to pay extra for imported brand-name drugs need careful consideration, as they might create a negative impression about domestically produced generic drugs, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week confirmed that as of last month, pharmaceutical companies had reported plans to discontinue supply of 47 types of drugs in Taiwan.

Shih on Sunday outlined the ministry’s plan to prevent panic buying or hoarding of drugs.

From left, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang, National Health Insurance Administration Deputy Director Chen Liang-yu, and Food and Drug Administration Director-General Chiang Chih-kang attend a meeting of the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee yesterday morning, he said that the 47 types of drugs — mainly used to treat hypertension and high cholesterol levels — have expiring patents and can be substituted with generic drugs, so shortage should not be a problem.

Some doctors and pharmacists have proposed amending laws to allow balance billing of certain brand-name drugs — that is, patients can decide if they want to pay the difference between the price of a brand-name drug and the alternative generic drug covered by the National Health Insurance.

Asked about the suggestion, Shih said careful assessment and consideration are needed to decide whether to introduce such a system.

Some countries, including Taiwan, follow the policy of paying the same price for drugs of the same “ingredients, dosage and dosage form,” while others allow drug companies to set different prices for the same drug, he said.

However, allowing people to pay extra for brand-name drugs would not only affect the cost of treatment for patients, but might also affect the development of domestically produced generic drugs, Shih said.

The government is promoting the generic drug industry, so the ministry needs to consider whether brand-name drugs with expired patents and substitute generic drugs can be priced differently, he said, adding that it might create a negative impression about locally made drugs.

Allowing the public to pay extra for imported brand-name drugs might also have a negative effect on Taiwan’s drug supply resilience, especially its goal of reducing dependence on imported drugs, he added.

At the meeting, legislators asked why the FDA received a report about suspected industrial-grade hydrogen peroxide tainted pork intestines by Pai Wei Foods Co in June, but only took action to remove the tainted products from the market this month.

Shih acknowledged flaws in the FDA’s handling procedures.

Saying he eats noodles with pork intestine nearly every week, Shih said he deeply feels the public concern over this issue.

The ministry will reflect on its behavior and adjust its procedures to ensure food safety, he said.

However, he added that there is a serious shortage of food safety inspectors.

There are more than 710,000 legally registered food businesses, and about 160,000 underwent inspections last year, he said, adding that it might take up to four years to inspect all businesses.

While businesses that have failed inspections would be subject to more frequent inspections, Pai Wei Foods was not listed among these high-risk companies, Shih said.

A NT$54 million (US$1.76 million) fine has been imposed on the company, the highest among similar cases, he said.

title: Extra fee for brand-name drugs under assessement


title: EVA investigating death of flight crew who fell ill on duty

content_text:
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday.

The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager.

Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical emergencies — and instead insisted that she continue working, the post said.

Two EVA Airways aircraft are pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Tsai Yung-jung, Taipei Times

When the plane landed, the manager ignored the flight attendant’s requests to use a wheelchair and call an ambulance, it said, adding that the flight attendant was eventually taken to the hospital, where she later died.

“This was not some regrettable coincidence, but the result of systemic and long-term indifference to crew members’ health,” said the post, which was written anonymously by a person who identified themselves as a fellow flight attendant.

In a joint statement yesterday, the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union and EVA Airways’ corporate union said that the incident had occurred on a flight from Milan to Taipei late last month.

The unions said they hoped the tragedy would make the airline more responsive to the needs of its cabin crew, who are often afraid to take sick or personal leave, because it could affect their performance review and annual bonus.

The unions are also looking into whether the cabin crew manager’s behavior constituted workplace bullying, and encouraged EVA Airways to do the same, the statement said.

The airline confirmed that it had been in contact with the flight attendant’s family during her hospitalization, and had learned of her “tragic death” on Saturday.

The company said they offered their deepest condolences and would continue to provide support to the flight attendant’s family, adding that they were investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, the Taoyuan City Office of Labor Inspection yesterday said that it had dispatched officials to EVA Airways to begin its own investigation into the incident.


content_text:
New Zealand yesterday became the eighth country to open its e-Gate service to Taiwanese biometric passport holders, two ministries said.

The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in separate statements said that they had been working with New Zealand’s immigration agency to make the service possible.

Taiwanese biometric passports holders traveling to New Zealand for leisure, business or educational purposes can now use the e-Gate upon arrival, the ministries said.

People line up in front of check-in counters at Auckland Airport on Aug. 28 last year. Photo: Bloomberg

However, travelers still need to complete the New Zealand Traveler Online Declaration form at least 24 hours before entering the country to obtain e-Gate access, they said.

New Zealand is the eighth country to grant e-Gate access to Taiwanese passport holders, after South Korea, Australia, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia and the US.

In line with Taiwan’s policy of reciprocal e-Gate use, plans are underway to provide the same service to holders of New Zealand biometric passports by next month or December, the ministries said.

Annual travel between Taiwan and New Zealand averages about 60,000 people, they said.

title: New Zealand opens e-Gate services for Taiwanese


title: Students push back on English test graduation policy

content_text:
DIFFERING OPINIONS: Some universities have forgone the policy, but some still require students to meet certain English proficiency criteria before they could graduate

Many Taiwanese universities require students to meet English proficiency standards for graduation, which schools said aim to enhance students’ employability and global mobility, but such policies have faced backlash from students, as they have to pay additional fees for benchmark tests.

Ministry of Education data for the 2023-2024 academic year showed that 97 institutions still require English proficiency tests for students graduating from regular bachelor’s programs.

The ministry on Sunday said that under the University Act (大學法), institutions should set their own graduation conditions and assessment criteria within a reasonable and necessary scope.

It said it reminded schools in 2019 to carefully consider the appropriateness of including English proficiency tests as graduation requirements, adding that the purpose of such tests should be to help students improve their English skills, not merely compel them to pass a test.

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University academic affairs director Chen Yung-sheng (陳永昇) said that only a small number of students have failed to graduate due to English proficiency requirements.

However, given that most of the university’s programs are in electrical engineering, science and biomedical fields — where English is often essential — the school canceled the test requirement and instead encouraged students to improve their English naturally, he said.

The university promotes diverse English-learning opportunities and English-medium instruction courses to foster a bilingual campus environment that motivates students to use English, he added.

National Cheng Kung University academic affairs director Shen Sheng-chih (沈聖智) said that while the school still values students’ foreign language skills, it has authorized each department to set its own standards, based on their academic and professional needs.

The university also offers online summer courses through its language center to help students improve their English, he said, adding that the school aims to be flexible and adjust policies based on feedback.

Meanwhile, National Taiwan University (NTU) said it requires undergrads to acquire six English-language course credits and pass an advanced English course before graduation.

However, students who meet certain English test score criteria may apply for exemptions, the university said.

NTU student Lee Jui-lin (李瑞霖) said that setting an English proficiency threshold for graduation is redundant, as departments that require intensive use of English texts often already hold students to higher standards.

However, for departments focused on other languages, such as Japanese or Korean, mandatory English proficiency standards can unfairly delay graduation, he said, adding that the university should let departments decide their own rules.

At Chung Yuan Christian University, undergraduate students are still required to meet specific English test score thresholds — such as passing the intermediate level of General English Proficiency Test, scoring at least 550 on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) or achieving 4.0 on the International English Language Testing System.

University academic affairs director Pi Shih-ming (皮世明) said that most of the university’s students major in engineering and employers in such fields usually require a TOEIC score of 550.

Rather than having students struggle after graduation, it is better to help them meet the standard while still in school, he said.

The university provides students with multiple ways to reach the requirement, including offering English courses, campus activities, summer intensive programs and internal proficiency exams for those who have repeatedly failed external tests, ensuring their graduation is not delayed, Pi said.

In 2017, National Chengchi University (NCCU) law student Lai Yi-ling (賴怡伶) refused to submit proof of her English test results, protesting the school’s requirement that students pay for external testing to meet graduation criteria.

As a result, she did not receive a diploma, for which she filed an administrative lawsuit. That same year, several student associations launched petitions calling for the abolition of the policy.

NCCU and other universities including Fo Guang University and National Taipei University of Education have since scrapped the requirement.


content_text:
A Better Place (留學生), a film exploring the increasingly blurred line between international students and migrant workers in Taiwan, was among the titles recognized at the first-ever Taiwan International Human Rights Film Awards.

The film follows two Vietnamese students, Ching-chun and Mei, who work at part-time jobs where they face exploitation and risk becoming undocumented workers in Taiwan.

It received the top prize in the Youth Category.

A still from the production of Taiwanese TV drama A Better Place is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Public Television Service

An award ceremony was held on Sunday at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei following the conclusion of the film festival.

The film’s Malaysian director, Ben Oui, said he hoped to use the protagonists’ dual identities to provide a realistic portrayal of the daily struggles faced by people in similar situations.

The jury commended A Better Place for its in-depth portrayal of Taiwan’s deep-seated, systemic labor issues, the Ministry of Culture, which organized the festival, said in a statement on Sunday.

Meanwhile, The Taste of Pork Belly (五花肉) by director Sophie Suei (隋淑芬) bagged the top prize in the Open Category.

Edited by Golden Horse Award-winning veteran Liao Ching-sung (廖慶松) and starring Esther Huang (小薰) and Tuo Tsung-hua (庹宗華), the film portrays the 1960s White Terror through the eyes of a young boy discovering his parents’ grim secrets, the ministry said.

The jury praised its literary storytelling and nuanced female perspective, describing it as a “silent indictment of the times,” it said.

Oui and Suei would each receive NT$150,000 in prize money.

In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Culture Sue Wang (王時思) said the entries covered a wide range of topics, including the White Terror era and labor rights, to judicial justice, freedom of religion and immigration, highlighting cinema’s power as a medium for collective memory and dialogue on human rights.

“These are stories that can only be told on free soil like Taiwan’s,” she said.

title: Film on foreign students’ struggles wins top prize


title: Tale to tell

content_text: CPBL president Tsai Chi-chang, center, gestures with the directors of the movie “Team Fantastic” Ray Jiang, second right, Weiming Wang, second left, and main cast Jason Wang, left, and Rhydian Vaughan, right, at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. The film is about the national men’s baseball team’s victory in the WBSC Premier12 championship last year.


content_text: Dancers from the troupe ComingTrue perform at a news conference in Tainan yesterday promoting the upcoming International Fire Dance Arts Festival. The festival is to take place at Tainan’s Yuguang Island from Oct. 24 to 26.

title: Playing with fire


title: ’Run for Taiwan’

content_text: Taiwanese in yellow T-shirts marked with “Taiwan” pose for a photograph with Republic of China flags at the ASML Marathon Eindhoven in the Netherlands on Saturday. The Taiwan Business Families Association in the South Netherlands (TSN) organized the “Run for Taiwan” campaign, calling for solidarity among Taiwanese expatriates in the Netherlands.


title: Rare earth rules to hit motors, drones

content_text:
DOWN, NOT OUT:  Shares fell in Taiwan, but clawed back some losses from Trump’s tariff announcement, as investors remain positive on a US-China trade deal, an analyst said

The high-speed motor and drone sectors would bear the brunt of Beijing’s newly announced rare earth export curbs, while the semiconductor industry is expected to be indirectly affected, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday.

China last week announced new restrictions requiring companies to obtain export licenses if their products contain more than 0.1 percent of Chinese-origin rare earth materials by value.

The effect on the semiconductor industry would likely be indirect, as local chipmakers do not purchase much directly from China, importing most rare earth materials from Japan and most equipment from the US, Kung told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee.

Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin, front row, center, and other officials attend a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times

The ministry is monitoring the impact the restrictions might have on the local chip supply chain and would propose countermeasures if needed, he said.

Beijing in April already imposed restrictions on some rare earths, making a price increase inevitable, but as they account for a relatively small share of global supply chain costs, the ministry would watch closely to see whether it leads to broader price hikes, Kung added.

Shares in Taiwan yesterday plunged, but recouped part of earlier losses as US President Donald Trump — who on Friday threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods after Beijing’s rare earths announcement — adopted a more conciliatory stance on Sunday, easing investors’ jitters.

The TAIEX closed down 378.50 points, or 1.39 percent, at 26,923.42, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the most heavily weighted stock on the main board, falling 1.74 percent, while smartphone chip designer MediaTek Inc (聯發科) was down 2.23 percent.

“Bargain hunters emerged to pick large-cap electronics stocks, including TSMC as US stock futures rebounded, pointing to a possible higher opening on the spot market after Trump softened his tone,” Concord Securities Co (康和證券) analyst Kerry Huang (黃志祺) said. “Many investors still have high hopes that the US and China are expected to sit down to resolve the trade issues.”

Nevertheless, China yesterday held its position, calling for Trump to withdraw his latest tariff threat and other export control measures announced over the weekend.

“China urges the US to promptly correct its erroneous practices,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian (林劍) said. “If the US insists on going its own way, China will certainly take resolute measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”

Economic indicators show that the retaliatory actions and uncertainty are affecting trade between the two countries. Chinese trade data released yesterday showed that exports to the US have fallen for six consecutive months, dropping 27 percent last month from a year earlier.

Additional reporting by CNA and AP


content_text:
CONFIDENCE BOOST:  After reporting NT$1.56 billion in net profit, Nanya said it had a positive outlook for shipping and profitability this quarter and next year

DRAM chipmaker Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技) yesterday reported its first quarterly profit in about three years as chip prices soared 40 percent sequentially amid thriving demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and scarce supply of mature chips for non-AI devices.

The company posted net profit of NT$1.56 billion (US$50.82 million) last quarter, from losses of NT$4.1 billion in the previous quarter and NT$1.49 billion in the third quarter last year, with earnings per share of NT$0.5.

Gross margin improved to 18.5 percent, compared with minus-20.6 percent in the second quarter and 3.2 percent a year earlier.

Nanya Technology Corp’s logo is pictured in front of the company’s headquarters in New Taipei City on July 3 last year. Photo: Grace Hung, Taipei Times

Shipments expanded more than 20 percent and revenue soared 78.4 percent from the previous quarter, the company said.

The significant improvement boosted the company’s confidence about business prospects for this quarter and next year. It yesterday raised its shipment growth forecast this year to 50 percent annually from a previous estimate of 40 percent.

“We are positive about the fourth-quarter outlook. We have high confidence that it will be a better period than the third quarter. Gross margin and profitability would continue to improve,” Nanya Technology president Lee Pei-ing (李培瑛) told an online earnings conference. “Next year will be a quite good year.”

Lee attributed the positive outlook to an anticipated increase in demand for DRAM chips next year, thanks to wider adoption of AI in servers, PCs, smartphones and robots.

This quarter, average selling prices of the company’s products are to climb from last quarter, he said.

The price rebound follows a three-year downward spiral for DRAM chips used in PCs, smartphones and consumer electronics, he said.

Almost every memory chipmaker was affected over the past three year as the emergence of OpenAI’s generative AI models and Nvidia Corp’s AI servers stimulated demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which made up just 9 percent of total memory shipments, he said.

Nanya Technology attributed a drastic price rebound last quarter to a supply crunch of less advanced DDR4 and low-power DDR4 chips as the world’s major memory makers allocated more capacity to produce lucrative HBM or DDR5 DRAM chips to meet booming demand.

It would take time, effort and costs to reallocate those capacities back to making DDR4 and low-power DDR4 chips, it said.

“The supply gap remains quite significant,” Lee said. “We are unable to fully catch up to customers’ demand. We are doing our best to increase production and to satisfy customer’s demand.”

DDR4 and low-power DDR4 chips made up more than half of Nanya Technology’s total shipments last quarter, DDR5 chips accounted for 10 percent, and the remainder was DDR3 and others, the company said.

title: Nanya posts first quarterly profit in about three years


content_text:
Aging population reshaping Taiwan’s housing market, real-estate brokers say

Taiwan’s rapidly aging population is fueling a sharp increase in homes occupied solely by elderly people, a trend that is reshaping the nation’s housing market and social fabric, real-estate brokers said yesterday.

About 850,000 residences were occupied by elderly people in the first quarter, including 655,000 that housed only one resident, the Ministry of the Interior said.

The figures have nearly doubled from a decade earlier, Great Home Realty Co (大家房屋) said, as people aged 65 and older now make up 20.8 percent of the population.

“The so-called silver tsunami represents more than just a demographic shift — it could fundamentally redefine the balance of supply and demand in the housing market,” Great Home Realty research director Lai Chih-chang (賴志昶) said.

The phenomenon is evident across Taiwan’s six largest metropolitan areas.

Taipei had 116,000 elderly-occupied homes, up 71 percent from 2016, while the number in New Taipei City surged 108 percent to 165,000 — the highest nationwide, Lai said.

Taoyuan recorded the fastest expansion, rising 128 percent to 67,000 homes, followed by Taichung with 80,000 (up 111 percent). In southern Taiwan, Tainan’s elderly-only homes climbed 77 percent to 67,000, while Kaohsiung’s soared 91 percent to nearly 109,000.

A similar surge occurred in homes occupied by just one elderly person, government data showed.

Taipei recorded 89,000 such units, up 71 percent from 2016, while New Taipei City had 131,000, up 109 percent. Taoyuan again led with a 132 percent spike to 52,000 homes, followed by Taichung’s 60,000 (up 118 percent). The number of single-resident homes occupied by someone aged 65 or older also soared in Tainan and Kaohsiung, 84 percent and 95 percent respectively.

Lai attributed the acceleration to urban redevelopment, smaller household sizes and youth migration to new residential areas, leaving many elderly parents to live alone.

“In cities such as Taoyuan, Taichung and New Taipei City, new housing developments have coincided with a stronger trend of household separation, pushing up the number of elderly people living alone,” he said.

H&B Realty Co (住商不動產), Taiwan’s largest brokerage by franchise count, reported similar findings.

The rapid rise in single-resident households occupied by an elderly person underscores mounting pressure from an aging population and evolving family structures, H&B chief researcher Jessica Hsu (徐佳馨) said.

Growing demand for age-friendly housing — particularly units with elevators, barrier-free layouts and proximity to healthcare services — is set to reshape Taiwan’s property landscape, she said.

As younger people move out, elderly parents are increasingly left behind, fueling housing demand centered on elderly-friendly facilities and accessible living environments, she said.

With elderly people projected to account for more than one-quarter of the population within the next decade, developers and policymakers face growing pressure to adapt urban planning, housing design and community care systems for an increasingly gray society.


content_text:
Chinese semiconductor firm Wingtech Technology Co (聞泰科技) yesterday said it would seek help from Beijing and vowed to protect its interests, after Dutch authorities intervened over its European subsidiary Nexperia Holding NV.

Officials in the Netherlands invoked the Goods Availability Act to take control of Dutch-based chip maker Nexperia late last month, citing national security concerns, the Dutch government said in a statement on Sunday.

That means that while the company — based in Nijmegen, Netherlands — can continue regular production, its decisions can be blocked or reversed by the Dutch government.

Nexperia Holding NV flags wave in Nijmegen, Netherlands, yesterday. Photo: EPA

The move was due to “recent and acute signals of serious governance shortcomings and actions” within Chinese-owned Nexperia, the statement said.

“These signals posed a threat to the continuity and safeguarding on Dutch and European soil of crucial technological knowledge and capabilities,” it said.

Wingtech said it was engaging with “relevant government departments to secure support” following the decision.

The company is discussing legal remedies and measures with international law firms, it said in a filing published on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

It vowed to “take all necessary actions to maximize the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of the company and all shareholders.”

Once part of Dutch electronics giant Royal Philips NV and its semiconductor spin-off NXP Semiconductors NV, Nexperia was eventually bought by Wingtech in 2018.

It makes chips for everyday goods such as cars and refrigerators.

“China always opposes overstretching the concept of national security and discriminatory moves that target companies from certain countries,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian (林劍) said at a regular news briefing in Beijing yesterday. “China is firmly resolved in defending its own legitimate and lawful rights and interests.”

Semiconductors have become a key battleground between China and the West.

The US and the Netherlands are among the powers that have imposed restrictions on exporting advanced chipmaking equipment to China, fearing Beijing could use it to make cutting-edge weapons.

Wingtech was put on one of Washington’s “entity lists” in December last year, meaning it had been determined by the government to be acting contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the US.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

title: Wingtech seeks China’s help after Dutch intervention


title: Three of FPG’s four major units swing back to profit

content_text:
Three of the four major units of Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, 台塑集團), the nation’s largest industrial conglomerate, swung back to profit last quarter on the back of improving core businesses, steady foreign exchange rates, rising investment gains and dividend income, the companies said yesterday in separate regulatory filings.

Nan Ya Plastics Corp (南亞塑膠) reported NT$3.26 billion (US$106.2 million), Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corp (台灣化學纖維) posted NT$1.79 billion and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) made NT$8.58 billion in net profit in the third quarter of the year, the filings showed.

Those were compared with net losses of NT$4.1 billion for Nan Ya Plastics, NT$6.8 billion for Formosa Chemicals and NT$7.5 billion for Formosa Petrochemical in the second quarter.

The Formosa Plastics Group headquarters in Taipei’s Neihu District is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Formosa Plastics Group

Nan Ya Plastics said last quarter’s earnings per share (EPS) of NT$0.41 were the highest in eight quarters, as income from electronic material products and plastic processing products increased, and losses from foreign exchange rates decreased, while investment gains expanded from the previous quarter.

The company posted losses per share of NT$0.05 in the first three quarters of the year.

Formosa Chemicals said its EPS last quarter was NT$0.3, compared with losses per share of NT$1.16 for the previous quarter, which the company attributed to continued efforts to optimize its product mix, adjust production to control inventory losses, expand niche products and new customers, and take orders selectively to maintain product prices.

The company reported losses per share of NT$0.94 in the first three quarters.

Formosa Petrochemical, which posted EPS of NT$0.9 last quarter, said the positive quarter came as income from its refining business increased amid higher crude oil prices, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions and tighter sanctions against Russian oil exports, while losses at its naphtha cracking business decreased mainly because of higher prices and lower inventory losses.

The company’s EPS in the first three quarters reached NT$0.5, it added.

Formosa Plastics Corp (台灣塑膠), the group’s flagship company, remained in the red last quarter with a net loss of NT$600 million, as new petrochemical capacities from China and the US’ “reciprocal” tariff measures dented market demand, pulling down product prices and impacting profit margins, it said.

However, last quarter’s losses per share of NT$0.09 were a significant improvement from losses per share of NT$1.04 in the previous quarter, it said.

It was NT$1.13 in the first three quarters, it added.

Overall, the four FPG units posted a combined net profit of NT$13.03 billion in the July-to-September quarter, compared with a combined net loss of NT$25.07 billion three months earlier, indicating an improvement in overall operations.

The four companies maintain a neutral outlook for this quarter, with only Formosa Plastics Corp expecting a quarterly increase in revenue as the industry enters the high season — benefiting demand for products including polyethylene, polypropylene and ethylene vinyl acetate — as well as due to the firm’s improved capacity utilization, it said.


title: TSMC Q3 profit expected to soar 28% on AI spending boom

content_text:
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest manufacturer of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips, is expected to post a 28 percent jump in third-quarter profit to a record due to the insatiable demand for AI infrastructure, though US tariffs could impact its outlook.

TSMC, the world’s No. 1 contract chipmaker and a key supplier to Nvidia Corp and Apple Inc, is forecast to report a net profit of NT$415.4 billion (US$13.55 billion) for the three months through Sept. 30, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate compiled from 20 analysts.

SmartEstimates place greater weight on forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate.

The logo of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is pictured outside its plant in Hsinchu on Thursday. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA

TSMC has already flagged a market-forecast-beating rise in third-quarter revenue of 30 percent. Any profit result above NT$398.3 billion would mark the company’s highest-ever quarterly net income and its seventh consecutive quarter of profit growth.

Mario Morales, group vice president at research firm IDC, said he expects TSMC’s revenue to grow at least 30 percent to 35 percent this year.

"I am expecting that TSMC will continue to outperform its peers given the ongoing exponential growth of AI infrastructure investments and that the leading chip suppliers such as Nvidia and AMD [Advanced Micro Devices Inc] have only one place to go — TSMC," he said.

Morales said that even as tariffs and trade disputes add uncertainty, AI infrastructure remains a "strategic land grab" for cloud-service providers, manufacturers and companies, ensuring investment continues to concentrate in that space.

TSMC, Asia’s most valuable listed company with a market capitalization of around US$1.22 trillion — nearly three times that of South Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co — is due to report on Thursday and will provide fourth-quarter guidance in an earnings call.

It remains unclear how much US President Donald Trump’s tariffs will affect TSMC. Taiwan’s exports to the US are currently subject to a 20 percent tariff, but that excludes chips.

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick proposed last month that Taiwanese companies split their production of chips 50-50 between Taiwan and the US, compared to the current setup where the vast majority of the production is in Taiwan.

Taiwan has rejected that idea, and TSMC is already investing US$165 billion building factories in the US in Arizona.

Shares in TSMC have gained 30 percent so far this year on optimism over AI, largely brushing off tariff concerns. The heavyweight’s rise has powered the benchmark TAIEX’s 16.9 percent advance over the same period.

companies: 台積電 Apple


title: Indigenous art

content_text: Members of the media walk through Sami artist Maret Anne Sara’s new sculptural installation, “Goavve-Geabbil,” at Tate Modern in London yesterday. The multilayered sculpture is to be exhibited from today until April 6 next year.


content_text:
The steering committee of the National Stabilization Fund (NSF) on Thursday held a meeting to discuss domestic and international developments that could affect Taiwan’s stock market. The committee decided to allow the NT$500 billion (US$16.3 billion) fund to remain active to support local shares, as Taiwan-US tariff negotiations, as well as the results of a US investigation into semiconductors and other tech products, have not yet been finalized, begging caution.

The committee said that because uncertainties in international politics and the economy — such as rising financial assets amid easy monetary policy, ballooning global debt, inflation and escalating geopolitical conflicts — persist, the fund must continue implementing its market stabilization mission to maintain investor confidence and capital market stability.

The committee on April 8 activated the fund to shore up the local market amid panic-driven sell-offs triggered by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement on April 2. The NSF invested NT$12.25 billion in local equities between April 9 and Sept. 30 and recorded NT$3.66 billion in unrealized gains and NT$40.92 million in dividend receivables, the committee’s latest report showed.

Taiwan’s shares surpassed 27,000 points to hit new highs last week, powered by booming demand for artificial intelligence and a rally in tech stocks abroad. The NSF helped support the local market and shored up investor confidence, with the TAIEX surging 9,910.16 points, or 56.98 percent, from April 9 to Thursday, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed.

Given a sharp escalation in US-China trade tensions on Friday — triggered by Trump’s threats of new, massive tariffs on Chinese imports and Beijing’s reciprocal port fees and rare earth curbs — it is certainly understandable why there is cause for concern, and there is no harm in being cautious.

However, the discussion about the activation of the NSF remains divided. Some experts believe the pressure of the markets resembles an invisible hand that can allocate resources most effectively, so any interference would disrupt the market’s natural correction mechanism and distort stock price structure, while others believe the government’s direct support of local equities is a necessary institutional defense.

This kind of debate reflects the difficulty in striking a balance between free market policies and state intervention. No one can deny that the NSF has rarely disappointed investors. Each time it entered the market, it provided a short-term lift to stock prices and much-needed stability when market confidence was most fragile.

The stocks most frequently bought by the fund ranged from electronics and finance to traditional industries, and many of them were blue-chip stocks, which are viewed as a safe haven for investors once the market turns bearish.

To be sure, the activation of the NSF is a way to protect the market and maintain trust in the local investment environment and the country’s economic fundamentals. However, there is no guarantee that the momentum can be sustained in the months after the fund retreats, and investors looking for a longer-term investment should see fundamentals as a key consideration.

Friday came as a painful reminder for investors that tariffs are still a threat to the market, whether the NSF is in play or not. Even as tech enthusiasm buoys Taiwan and regional markets, once a trade war flares up, it could cast a shadow.

title: EDITORIAL: Holding the line amid tariff tensions


content_text:
As the public knows, during legislative questioning of government officials, it is not a matter of whose position is “above” or “below,” or who is more important. What matters is whether the exchanges involve genuine questions with genuine answers, genuine questions with evasive answers, evasive questions with evasive answers or evasive questions with genuine answers.

Of course, genuine questions with genuine answers is the best possible outcome. Officials who answer genuine questions with evasive answers deserve criticism.

Evasive questions with evasive answers signal that both sides are shirking their public duties. Evasive questions with genuine answers reveal laziness or guilt on the part of the questioning legislator.

The exchange between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Tuesday last week — as the questioning and responding parties respectively — regarding the Sept. 23 Mataian River (馬太鞍) barrier lake overflow disaster in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) is a classic example of evasive questions met with genuine answers.

Fu said: “The central government had no proper evacuation plan — this was a human-caused disaster,” to which Cho replied, “The planning and implementation of evacuations are, of course, the responsibility of local governments.”

Disaster response tasks are clearly divided between the central and local authorities. For someone who previously served as Hualien County commissioner, Fu’s ignorance of the fact that evacuation is the duty of local authorities is either shameless posturing or evidence of his utter negligence during his term. That he even dares to shift the responsibility for local evacuation plans onto the central government is absolutely ridiculous.

Fu then asked, “Where is the evacuation plan for 8,600 people?”

Cho, in addition to reiterating that evacutations fall under the responsibilities of local governments, provided further details: “At 8am on the morning of Sept. 22, Mr. Chiu (邱) of the Guangfu Township civil affairs department said that evacuations would start at 1pm and be completed before nightfall.”

Cho’s statement provided evidence of the personnel, time and location. “Mr. Chiu” is presumably a member of Hualien County Commissioner Hsu Chen-wei’s (徐榛蔚) team. Cho used the testimony of a Hualien County Government worker as evidence against Fu. In the end, Fu’s feigned ignorance only exposed his own weakness.

Seeing that he could not gain an advantage on that front, Fu asked, “Who is responsible for disaster relief?”

Cho responded: “The local coordinating authority at the scene is responsible for disaster relief,” which gave Fu an opening to quip, “Thank you, Premier Cho, for finally speaking the truth.”

However, he was immediately shut down by Cho’s sharp retort: “It was due to the local government’s inefficiency that the central government had to take over completely” — a slap in the face for Fu.

In the end, Fu had no choice but to fall back on the Republic of China (ROC) trademark and ask, “Does the ROC no longer have a central government?”

Cho, calm and unperturbed, shot back: “There is a central government, but there is no local government — there is no Hualien County Government.”

The premier’s parting line to Fu, “We are concerned with saving lives — only you are concerned with saving your political career,” was the perfect counter.

As a Confucian-inspired saying goes, “One is humiliated by others always because one has brought humiliation upon oneself first.” The back-and-forth between Cho and Fu in the legislative chamber teaches an important lesson — during questioning, both parties can and should respect each other. They should not attempt to blur the lines of accountability, or they risk neglecting their duties and losing the public’s respect.

Fu and Hsu bungled the disaster relief efforts, failed to acknowledge their mistakes and even tried to shift the blame onto the central government. By contrast, the usually mild-mannered and humble Cho responded to the challenge bravely, using facts and reason, tearing off his opponent’s mask — an example deserving of praise.

Chang Kuo-tsai is a retired National Hsinchu University of Education associate professor.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: Cho’s dialogue shows Fu’s weakness

people: 徐榛蔚 卓榮泰