taiwan-subdivisions: 蘇澳 三重 太平 宜蘭縣 宜蘭

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記者陳金金 / 宜蘭報導

迎接秋冬泡湯旺季，煙波蘇澳四季雙泉館推出限定體驗「冷泉散步」，邀旅人深入冷泉小鎮，展開一場療癒身心的秘境之旅。活動自即日起至2026年2月28日止，由宜蘭縣觀光大使協會專業老師帶領導覽，帶領房客走訪隱藏版冷泉地景「豆腐乳冷泉窟」、阿里史冷泉與白米溪沿岸風光。行程中更特別安排「日式冷泉茶席」，以行健村有機玄米茶搭配現烤醬烤糰子，於茶香與泉韻之間細品蘇澳風情。活動限館內房客參加，四人成行、十五人滿團。

▲宜蘭縣觀光大使協會專業老師帶領旅人深度走訪蘇澳冷泉小鎮。( 圖／煙波國際觀光集團提供 )

▲冷泉散步行程中享用煙波集團特製的「日式冷泉茶席」，品嚐行健村有機冷泉玄米茶、搭配主廚現烤醬烤糰子。( 圖／煙波國際觀光集團提供 )

同時，飯店同步推薦「黑饌之巔．一泊二饗」住房專案，官網訂房每晚4,880元起，雙人入住景觀海景家庭房即可獨享國際級黃金雙湯，泉質為稀有弱酸性碳酸鐵泉，富含高濃度鐵質，被譽為媲美日本有馬溫泉「金之湯」的御用名湯。入住旅客可享豐盛早午餐與雙人鍋物套餐晚餐，並能加購秋冬限定「豐卵紅蟳佐薑醋」，第二隻只要80元，滿足泡湯、賞景與品蟹三重願望。

▲飯店獨擁國際級黃金雙湯與絕美蘇澳日出海景，每房皆可享受溫泉與冷泉。( 圖／煙波國際觀光集團提供 )

▲ 即日起至11月底訂購煙波集團「含早餐住房專案」或「一泊二食專案－晚餐」皆能加購品味季節限定美味「豐卵紅蟳佐薑醋」。( 圖／煙波國際觀光集團提供 )

榮獲有「飯店界奧斯卡」之稱的世界奢華酒店大獎（World Luxury Hotel Awards）肯定的煙波蘇澳四季雙泉館，以獨擁「冷、溫雙泉」聞名。旅客能在面向太平洋第一排的海景房中，一邊泡湯、一邊迎接日出與海天一色的壯闊景致，徹底釋放壓力，享受最純粹的秋冬度假時光。

更多詳情請上官網 www.lakeshore.com.tw

title: 煙波蘇澳泡湯季開跑  開啟冷泉秘境散步旅


countries: 臺灣 波蘭 台灣 歐盟 日本

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生活中心/綜合報導

在5G、低軌衛星、人工智慧與雲端服務浪潮推動下，全球通訊基礎設施升級加速，不僅帶來數位轉型契機，也讓資安防護成為產業與國家必須面對的核心課題。數位發展部數位產業署（10/17）日舉辦「次世代通訊應用暨資安協作國際論壇」，以「跨越5G、邁向次世代」為主軸，邀請來自日本、歐盟等國際專家及國內產官學代表，透過專題演講、跨國合作簽署與談，深入探討衛星應用服務需求與未來全球合作模式，協助各界掌握趨勢、強化臺灣在國際產業鏈的角色。

▲次世代通訊應用暨資安協作國際論壇。(圖/數位發展部數位產業署提供)

聯盟轉型揭幕×三大專題演講

數位產業署陳慧敏副署長於上午出席致詞時指出，數位發展部秉持「資安即國安」的核心理念，將資安視為數位發展的基石，希望透過本次活動，凝聚國內外專業與智慧，共同為臺灣打造更具戰略地位的未來。上午首先舉行「次世代通訊資安協作聯盟（NextCom CASTLE）」揭牌更名儀式，新聯盟承續「5G CASTLE資安協作聯盟」基礎，並拓展至6G、低軌衛星、通訊設備資安及場域維運防護，未來將透過國際標準對接、案例驗證與技術回饋，建立通訊與衛星的檢測驗證機制，打造安全可信的跨域協作生態圈。此一轉型將協助臺灣產業提升自主防護能量，並與國際標準接軌，實踐「數位轉型領航，資安是基石」的願景。

隨後展開三場專題演講，邀集了Palo Alto Networks顧問藍博彥、資策會產業情報研究所分析師蘇奕霖、以及臺北晶華酒店執行副總經理羅明威，解析5G在各領域的應用潛力與臺灣發展策略。

▲由資策會與日本XGMF簽署合作備忘錄（MOU），雙方將就5G專網與衛星應用推展展開深入合作。(圖/數位發展部數位產業署提供)

深化台日合作×國際專家分享

下午議程聚焦次世代通訊趨勢與國際合作討論，由資策會與日本XG Mobile Promotion Forum（簡稱XGMF）簽署合作備忘錄（MOU），並由數位產業署林俊秀署長見證。林俊秀署長表示，希望透過本次MOU的簽署，使台灣與日本在5G、6G、非地面網路 (如LEO) 等次世代通訊應用推廣上展開更緊密的合作，期許台日共築通訊創新應用生態圈，加速創新應用落地並拓展亞太市場。隨後三位國際專家發表主題演講：XGMF的NTN 計畫主持人豊嶋守生博士介紹「日本次世代通訊發展：非地面網路(NTN)推廣計畫與應用案例」；日本Space Shift執行長金本成生則以「用 AI 分析衛星數據：從觀測到洞見」為題，展示如何透過衛星數據與人工智慧分析技術推動應用落地；來自波蘭物聯網暨人工智慧聚落(SINOTAIC)發起者Marek Ostafil則發表「展望太空：歐盟衛星計畫與數據應用」，解析歐洲在太空產業布局與數據應用的最新趨勢。

跨界對談×凝聚合作藍圖

壓軸綜合座談以「衛星應用服務的需求與未來全球合作探索市場需求，建立永續發展的策略聯盟」為題，由中華電信網路技術分公司總經理賈仲雍與三位國外講者，及我國智庫驅動執行長劉嘉凱、攸泰科技歐亞事業部助理副總經理楊秉叡共同交流，議題包含日歐推動衛星數據應用的經驗；探討開源社群在數據應用的角色；針對跨國策略聯盟提出合作機制，例如示範場域、聯合研發與資料共享平台等；以及針對未來短中長期國際合作方向進行討論。展現出國內外產官學研社群協力的生態能量，也勾勒出臺灣與國際共創永續的願景。

政策、產業、國際三力匯聚 奠基臺灣次世代通訊與資安新格局

「次世代通訊應用暨資安協作國際論壇」完整串聯政策願景、產業應用與國際合作三大面向，展現我國在次世代通訊與資安領域的前瞻布局。透過聯盟更名，臺灣將資安協作推向更高層次，並與5G、衛星應用及未來6G發展緊密結合；專題演講凸顯技術落地的實務價值；MOU簽署與國際專家分享，則強化亞太與歐洲間的合作網絡；跨界座談更進一步凝聚多元觀點，共繪全球合作藍圖。數位發展部數位產業署強調，資安是推動數位轉型永續發展的根本，論壇的不僅是產業掌握趨勢的平台，也提升臺灣國際能見度、為跨域合作奠定基礎。未來除持續深化「次世代通訊資安協作聯盟」的角色，將推動可信、安全且具韌性的數位通訊生態系，與各界攜手迎向次世代挑戰與機會。

title: 次世代通訊應用暨資安協作國際論壇登場


title: Avathon 推出航空營運自主

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自主已超越駕駛艙，並延伸至廠房、機庫和供應鏈——改變航空業運營

加州普萊森頓2025年10月17日 /美通社/ — Avathon 今天宣佈推出統一人工智能與知識平台「航空營運自主」，連結製造、供應鏈和保養數據，從而於整個航空生命週期，推動協調決定。

該平台透過整合來自生產質素、物料清單 (BOM)、供應商採購、零件可用性和勞動能力的見解，而協助組織將製造和物流決定與現役保養和維修作業同步——減少飛機停航待修 (AOG) 事件、提高吞吐量和質素，並加強機隊準備。

航空業面對營運壓力，與日俱增。航空公司與營運商必須執行複雜網絡維修，同時保養老化機隊。代工生產商 (OEM) 必符合嚴格質素標準，同時擴大生產規模。然而，供應鏈因為製造來源減少和材料短缺 (DMSMS)、交貨時間長，以及地緣政治或貿易驅動採購限制，而變得緊張。

同時，保養團隊因為技術人員短缺和退休，而造成嚴重缺口。這威脅進度符合規定要求，以及資產可用性。

這些壓力因為飛機生命週期與零件生命週期錯配，而日益加劇。因此，有需要不斷重新設計備用零件、進行策略性定位和協調供應鏈。預計 2043 年，全球將需要超過 700,000 名新保養技術員，而美國僅短於兩年內，便欠缺 50,000 名保養技術員。同時，每 5 至 10 年便更新零件一次。因此，航空組織必須採用智能兼自主運營，從而保持生產效率、機隊準備與網絡可靠。

全球多間領先航空組織內，已部署 Avathon 的自主平台。這些合作確保 Avathon 的解決方案處理 OEM、MRO 和航空運輸業者的營運現實。

Avathon 董事局成員兼 AE Industrial Partners 合夥人 Beckett Jackson 表示：「航空業正在平衡特殊需求和特殊限制。我們作為投資者，看到人工智能如何從根本上改變該航空業管理複雜的機會。因為 Avathon 的方法不僅提供見解或狹隘自動化，還可在製造、保養和供應網絡之間進行推理，並隨著時間提高效率和彈性，而脫穎而出。 」

Avathon 自主平台將製造、供應與現役營運之間分散數據，轉換為自主代理即時採取行動的知識。

Avathon 顧問兼前波音中東、土耳其及非洲主席 Bernie Dunn 表示：「對航空運營而言，自主代表下一個躍進。我們與多個地區的 OEM 和航空公司的合作中，我親眼目睹營運複雜和供應限制如何造成全球連鎖反應。該行業不僅需要更好數據，還需要可以即時採取行動的系統。Avathon 的平台將決定嵌入最重要領域——保養、質素與供應——這為全球任何地方的每項營運，提供效率與彈性。 」

Avathon 自主平台由電腦知識圖譜 (CKG) 推動，連結資產、人手與流程之間的營運數據。該系統不斷從新輸入中學習，容許人工智能代理在整個生命週期（從建立到保養再到維持）中，進行推理。同時，保持透明和完全可審計。

Avathon 行政總裁 Pervinder Johar 表示：「航空是地球上最複雜營運環境之一。我們的使命是向營運帶來自主，而營運不會失靈，——無論廠房，還是現役機隊。我們正在透過整合製造、保養和供應的數據，協助業界大規模地實現更安全、更迅速兼更有效率的工作情況。」

航空營運自主現為 OEM、MRO 和商業營運商提供。如欲查看更多資料，請瀏覽 www.avathon.com。

關於 Avathon：

Avathon 帶來由人工智能和知識圖譜驅動的工業自主，協助組織連結各個營運過程的數據、決定與執行。該公司的自主平台為全球最重要產業提供決定智能與執行，而實現更安全、更具彈性兼更有效率營運。

countries: 美國 土耳其


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在斐濟，中國漁船所做的遠不止於捕撈。它們不僅向當地船員傳授先進的捕撈技術，還分享了捕撈之外的其他技能。

每年有超百艘中國船只以斐濟為基地，在此卸貨、維修船只，並在當地進行海產品加工。這不僅創造了就業機會，也推動了岸上配套產業的發展。

在本期報道中，South記者劉曉迪探訪了一家中國漁業公司在斐濟的基地，通過與企業及斐濟海關官員的對話，展現了中斐漁業合作如何為這個太平洋島國持續注入經濟活力。

countries: 斐濟 中國

title: 中斐漁業合作助推島國經濟煥發活力


title: Lai vows to enhance combat readiness

people: 顧立雄 賴清德

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REFORM: The armed forces must embrace new training and equipment by integrating emerging techniques and technology, to transform military power, the president said   By Su Yong-yao, Chen Chih-chen and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer

The nation’s armed forces would comprehensively enhance their combat capabilities, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday aboard the navy’s Tsoying (左營) destroyer, just hours after the conclusion of the military’s annual Hai Chiang (海強, “Sea Strong”) live-fire exercise near Taiwan proper.

Lai was accompanied by Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄), Navy Commander Admiral Tang Hua (唐華), Surface Combatant Group 62.1 Commander Rear Admiral Wei Chien-chung (魏建中), and other senior defense officials and military officers.

Lai attended a briefing on the drills before inspecting the Tsoying’s combat information center, foredeck, helicopter hangar, and air defense systems and drones, then gave a speech to the naval service personnel.

President William Lai, eighth right, listens to a briefing onboard the destroyer Tsoying in Kaohsiung yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office

The five-day drill tested the fleet’s readiness for potential conflict with China, including joint interception, damage control, formational maneuvers, aerial replenishment and live-fire missions, the Ministry of National Defense said.

Warships in Surface Combatant Group 62.1 deployed Sikorsky S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, Albatross surveillance drones made by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, naval mines, 5-inch guns, 40mm cannons and Chaparral missiles, a video released by the Presidential Office showed.

Lai thanked the naval service members on the ship, saying the Hai Chiang exercise is vital for bolstering the military’s capacity to counter a Chinese blockade and recover from combat damage in wartime.

Naval personnel who took part in the drills should take pride that they have performed superbly as befits the navy’s highest standards of professionalism, skill and diligence, he added.

Surface Combatant Group 62.1 has long served as the guardian of Taiwan’s territorial waters and maritime security, Lai said, adding that he hoped the unit would continue to uphold its tradition of honor, discipline and prowess in battle.

The armed forces must enhance their asymmetric capabilities and innovative defense technologies to counter the long-term threat posed by China and its increasing use of “gray zone” tactics, he said.

The military should prioritize the deployment of precision-guided weapons, uncrewed systems, applied artificial intelligence and other measures to bolster the nation’s defensive resilience, he added.

The armed forces must embrace new training, thinking, equipment and technology by integrating emerging capabilities and techniques to achieve a comprehensive transformation of military power, he said.

Such objectives can only be realized through a whole-of-society effort and a firm commitment within the military to implement necessary reforms across all levels of command, Lai said.

Separately, Koo is expected to brief lawmakers on the progress of the Hai Kun (海鯤), Taiwan’s first domestically built defense submarine, on Monday and Thursday, the Legislative Yuan’s agenda showed.

Koo’s scheduled sessions follow the navy’s confirmation that the prototype submarine has encountered technical problems affecting its diesel-electric propulsion system and operational firmware.

That prevented the Hai Kun from completing key components of its sea acceptance tests — including diving and torpedo-firing trials originally slated for last month — and could lead to significant delays in CSBC Corp’s (台船公司) delivery of the vessel to the navy, which was initially planned for next month.


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PROJECTION:  The institution said it expects inflationary pressure to ease in the second half of the year, but households could continue to feel the pinch from rising food prices

The Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) yesterday sharply raised its forecast for Taiwan’s economic growth this year to 5.45 percent, citing sustained global demand for semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI)-related technologies.

The upgrade from 3.05 percent in July underscores stronger-than-expected growth momentum, despite global uncertainties and rising US-China trade friction.

“Taiwan’s economic showing has turned out better than most research bodies expected,” CIER president Lien Hsien-ming (連賢明) told a news conference in Taipei.

Chunghua Institution for Economic Research president Lien Hsien-ming speaks to reporters in Taipei on Sept. 2 last year. Photo: Hsu Tzu-ling, Taipei Times

The outperformance reflects Taiwan’s dominant role in advanced semiconductor manufacturing and the global buildout of AI infrastructure, he said.

Lien linked the brighter outlook to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), whose earnings guidance on Thursday boosted market optimism.

The world’s largest contract chipmaker raised its annual revenue growth forecast to 35 percent from 30 percent, driven by surging demand for leading-edge chips used in AI applications.

Other local companies in the AI supply chain have also posted strong results this year, even as traditional industries continue to face headwinds due to weak global consumption.

CIER expects third-quarter GDP growth to reach 5.82 percent before moderating to 2.71 percent in the fourth quarter, consistent with the usual slowdown among upstream technology suppliers.

CIER researcher Peng Su-ling (彭素玲), citing S&P Global Market Intelligence data, said that Taiwan’s expansion stands out globally, with projected growth outpacing the global average of 2.69 percent and South Korea’s 0.91 percent.

Taiwan’s growth this year reflects a balanced mix of domestic and external demand, Peng added.

Domestic demand is expected to contribute 2.5 percentage points to overall GDP, supported mainly by a 10.55 percent increase in private investment tied to AI-related capacity expansion, Peng said.

Exports are forecast to add another 2.95 percentage points, rebounding from last year’s drag, Peng added.

CIER expects consumer prices to rise 1.81 percent this year, with inflationary pressures easing in the second half as the New Taiwan dollar’s appreciation helps offset import costs.

However, households could continue to feel the pinch from rising rent, food prices and service charges, Peng said.

The think tank said its forecast does not account for renewed trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The US has threatened to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on Chinese goods after Beijing tightened controls on rare earth exports.

Lien said the direct impact on Taiwan should remain limited, as the local semiconductor industry is not a major consumer of rare earth materials.

title: CIER raises economic growth forecast to 5.45 percent


people: 吳思瑤 韓國瑜 馬文君

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The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed a special budget bill aimed at bolstering economic, social and national security resilience that includes funding for a proposed NT$10,000 (US$326) cash handout to members of the public.

The distribution of the cash handout is expected to begin early next month, Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun (莊翠雲) said, adding that details would be announced on the same day the president signs the budget into effect.

Foreign nationals with permanent residency or those married to Taiwanese nationals are eligible for the NT$10,000 cash handouts, the Cabinet has said.

New Taiwan dollar notes are pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: CNA

The Cabinet approved the NT$550 billion special budget on Sept. 11, with NT$236 billion earmarked for the cash handout and NT$20 billion for reserve funds for future industrial support.

The Legislative Yuan’s finance and other committees conducted a joint review before forwarding the bill for cross-party negotiations.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) convened cross-party talks on Wednesday, during which eight proposals were marked for a vote, including a NT$200 million cut to national defense capacity-building, a NT$2 billion freeze on subsidies to labor and health insurance funds, and a reduction in media promotion expenses.

Lawmakers yesterday approved a revised version of the Cabinet’s NT$550 billion special budget, cutting a total of NT$5.3 billion.

The final budget is NT$544.7 billion, with key allocations for social welfare, industry support and labor protection remaining intact.

Most reductions came from defense spending, including the Ministry of National Defense’s bottled-water procurement plan, which drew public criticism for its high costs and vague logistics.

Lawmakers cut NT$400 million from the plan, reducing its total to about NT$390 million, after saying that the NT$120 price tag for each bottle was “wasteful.”

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) said earlier this month that the ministry should focus on combat readiness and supply-chain resilience rather than funding an “opaque” program.

The defense ministry said that the plan aimed to ensure a stable supply of safe drinking water during emergencies and overseas missions, adding that the bottles, imported from Japan, could be stored for up to five years.

However, the ministry later found local manufacturers that could produce similar drinking water and accepted the reduced funding after consulting suppliers and holding cross-party negotiations.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) yesterday criticized what she described as “excessive” cuts to defense-related spending, warning that foreign forces could take advantage of Taiwan’s defense vulnerabilities to act if an opportunity arises.

title: Legislature passes special budget bill with handouts


title: Trump signals he is not ready to sell Kyiv Tomahawks

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US President Donald Trump was to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for talks at the White House yesterday, with Trump signaling he is not ready to agree to sell Kyiv a long-range missile system that the Ukrainians say they desperately need.

The one-on-one comes a day after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call to discuss the conflict.

Over the past few days, Trump had shown an openness to selling Ukraine long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, even as Putin warned that such a move would further strain the US-Russian relationship.

US President Donald Trump, right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23. Photo: AP

However, following the call, Trump appeared to downplay the prospects of Ukraine getting the missiles, which have a range of about 1,600km.

“We need Tomahawks for the United States of America too,” Trump said. “We have a lot of them, but we need them. I mean, we can’t deplete our country.”

Zelenskiy had been seeking the weapons that would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deep into Russian territory and target key military sites, energy facilities and critical infrastructure, saying such strikes would help compel Putin to take Trump’s calls for direct negotiations to end the war more seriously.

However, Putin warned Trump during the call that supplying Kyiv with the Tomahawks “won’t change the situation on the battlefield, but would cause substantial damage to the relationship between our countries,” Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said,

Ukrainian officials have also indicated that Zelenskiy plans to appeal to Trump’s economic interests by discussing the possibility of energy deals with the US.

Zelenskiy is looking to offer to store US liquefied natural gas in Ukraine’s gas storage facilities, which would allow for US presence in the European energy market.

Trump announced following the call with Putin that he would soon meet with the Russian leader in Budapest to discuss ways to end the war. The two also agreed that their senior aides, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would meet next week at an unspecified location.


title: S Korea arms fair showcases uncrewed, AI weapons

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South Korea began its largest-ever arms fair yesterday, with firms expected to show off new uncrewed and artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced weapons from howitzers to suicide drones, as Seoul seeks to bolster its military and pursues more global defense sales.

Organizers said a record 600 companies from 35 countries were to participate in the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) this year.

The ADEX began with three days of air shows at an air base, including flights by its newly developed KF-21 jet. The festivities would be followed next week by business exhibitions at a conference center.

The South Korean Air Force Black Eagles performs during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition in Seongnam, South Korea, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

Earlier this month, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said that the country’s defense budget for next year would rise 8.2 percent to 66.3 trillion won (US$46.6 billion), as it faces more tensions around the region and North Korea.

Arms have become one of South Korea’s fastest growing exports, as it has inked multibillion dollar deals selling everything from howitzers and ammunition to missiles and warships around the world.

Hanwha Aerospace said it would unveil next-generation versions of its self-propelled K9 howitzer that use automation and AI to reduce or eliminate the need for a crew.

The company also said it would showcase its L-PGW, a missile-launched loitering munition, or a suicide drone, which can circle an area before using AI to identify and destroy a target.

Uncrewed weapons and AI would provide more capabilities and help South Korea maintain its defenses, despite a shrinking population that would reduce the number of available soldiers, it said.


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FALSE INFORMATION: ‘It is very good’ that the KMT is calling for measures to bolster democracy, as any effort to shore up legislation should be bipartisan, Chiu said

China’s intervention in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) chairperson election could prove the necessary catalyst for genial collaboration between the ruling and opposition parties to protect against Chinese-sourced fake information campaigns, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said.

Chiu made the remarks in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) published yesterday.

The KMT’s chairperson election is to take place today. Over the past weeks, several candidates in the KMT leadership race have said that China has been meddling in the election campaign.

Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng speaks to the Liberty Times in an interview published yesterday. Photo: Huang Chun-hsuan, Taipei Times

Chiu in the interview urged a consensus between the ruling and opposition parties to implement legislation to effectively combat disinformation from China and prevent it from endangering Taiwan’s democratic way of life.

China’s “united front” tactics are very flexible, Chiu said, citing how it previously played the KMT against the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and is now creating similar distinctions within the KMT by potentially supporting specific candidates and attacking others.

The creation of China-friendly, pro-local, pro-unification and pro-democracy factions within the KMT is a classic divide-and-conquer tactic employed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), he said.

In past elections, a torrent of information or controversies originating in China has sought to change the Taiwanese public’s perceptions and sway their voting, and such fake information has often led to conflict within Taiwan and affected its democracy, Chiu said, adding that the government must take the lead in exposing such acts.

“It is very good” the KMT is now calling for measures to bolster democracy, as any effort to amend the National Security Act (國安法) and the Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法) and shore up Taiwan’s legislation regarding the prevention of foreign infiltration or intervention in the nation should be bipartisan instead of unilateral, he said.

Chiu urged the ruling and opposition parties to work together to deter the flood of Chinese “united front” rhetoric against Taiwan via fake messages and deepfake videos distributed through dummy social media accounts.

Democratic Taiwan’s open access to information makes it more vulnerable to being manipulated by artificial intelligence-generated fake news and deepfake videos on the Internet, while authoritarian China’s centrally controlled access to the Internet and distribution of news means its people are less affected, he said.

China spends very little on spreading false information, while Taiwan spends much more to expose, investigate and verify it, he said.

Chiu suggested that Internet platforms, such as Google, Meta and Line, should take responsibility for combating fake news.

Chiu also said that Taiwan must step up efforts to implement programs to increase media and information literacy so that the public would not be misled when reading about cross-strait news.

Meanwhile, on Hong Kong political analyst Willy Lam’s (林和立) claims that Chinese infiltration of Taiwan is so complete that the “CCP’s united front work organizations can issue direct orders to major KMT lawmakers,” Chiu in the interview said that the MAC leans toward disbelief, but said that the MAC cannot speak for Lam or the KMT.

We believe that anyone who was born and raised here, and has loyalty to the country and its people, and loves the land, would not take orders from Beijing, Chiu said.

title: Unite and fight China’s meddling: MAC minister


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FORCED TO CANCEL TRIP: The Judicial Yuan expressed its ‘utmost concern’ over Azerbaijan’s refusal to grant visas and entry permits to the delegation of six judges

Six members of the Judges Association of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (JAROC), were unable to attend the International Association of Judges’ (IAJ) annual conference in Azerbaijan after being denied visas and entry permits, the association said yesterday.

The delegates received assurances from the organizers that they would be helped with visa and entry procedures under the IAJ’s principles of inclusiveness and equal participation, but they received neither approval nor any formal explanation, the JAROC said in a statement.

The 67th IAJ General Assembly was held in Baku this year from Saturday last week to yesterday.

The logo of the Judges Association of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: screen grab from the Judges Association of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Web site

The group was forced to cancel its trip as a result, the JAROC said, adding that the incident not only violated members’ right to full participation, but also undermined the IAJ’s commitment to judicial independence, equal exchanges and cooperation.

Describing the incident as regrettable, the JAROC called on the IAJ to establish a clear, fair and transparent mechanism to prevent similar cases.

It also urged timely and open procedures to ensure that all member states can participate in international meetings with dignity and equality.

The incident was just another example of the barriers Taiwan faces in trying to participate in international events, as many nations bow to the wishes of China in keeping Taiwan out of the international gaze, although the JAROC did not directly accuse Beijing of interfering at the event.

The IAJ is a professional, nonpolitical, international organization of national associations of judges. It was founded in Salzburg, Austria, in 1953 and has its headquarters in Rome.

The IAJ annual meeting is hosted in rotation by its member nations. Taiwan previously hosted the 65th edition in 2023.

Separately yesterday, the Judicial Yuan expressed its “utmost concern” over Azerbaijan’s refusal to grant visas and entry permits to the JAROC delegation.

In a statement, the judicial body said it would continue to support civil organizations promoting Taiwan’s free and independent rule of law internationally.

title: Judges denied visas to attend IAJ meeting


title: EU urges peace in Taiwan Strait

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Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are in the interest of the EU and the world, members of the European Parliament’s China delegation said on Thursday.

The remarks were made in a statement issued by the Bureau of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) after a meeting in Brussels, the first EU-China meeting of parliamentarians since 2018.

“The European side emphasized that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are in the interest of the EU and the world, and stressed that the EU rejects any unilateral change to the status quo, particularly through force or coercion,” the statement said.

Members of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the People’s Republic of China and their Chinese counterparts pose for a photograph in Brussels on Thursday. Photo: screen grab from the European Parliament Delegations’ Web site

“The EU will continue to pursue close cooperation with Taiwan within the framework of its one China policy,” it said. “Furthermore, the European side rejected any distortion or misrepresentation of facts, particularly with regard to UN Resolution 2758.”

Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th UN General Assembly in 1971, and Beijing has used it as the basis to claim sovereignty over Taiwan.

It resulted in Taiwan, or the Republic of China, losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taipei has since been excluded from participating in the UN and its affiliates.

Washington has repeatedly accused Beijing of making “coercive efforts” to exclude Taiwan from the international community with the “misuse” of UN Resolution 2758.

According to the Chinese position, Resolution 2758 sees the PRC as the “sole legal government representing the whole of China,” including “the Taiwan region.”

Taiwan has refuted that position, saying the resolution does not state that Taiwan is part of China, nor does it give the PRC the right to represent Taiwan in the UN.


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South Korean economist Yoon Heo on Thursday advised against using “logical persuasion” in ongoing tariff negotiations with the administration of US President Donald Trump, saying that emotional appeals — particularly those invoking his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) slogan — would be a more effective strategy.

Speaking at a seminar in Taipei hosted by the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, Heo, a professor of international trade at Sogang University, shared insights from South Korea’s ongoing trade negotiations with the Trump administration.

Heo, a chief trade and economic security adviser for South Korea, said Seoul employed a tactic to rebrand and repackage its past, present and future investment plans in the US, emphasizing that the US was already the top destination for South Korean outbound investment in 2023.

A 3D-printed miniature model depicting US President Donald Trump, a US flag and the word “Tariffs” are pictured in an illustration on April 17. Photo: Reuters

During the negotiations, the South Korean delegation introduced a proposal called “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again,” aimed at revitalizing US shipbuilding, Heo said, adding that Trump reportedly responded very positively to the proposal.

The plan involved building shipyards, training shipbuilders and repairing US Navy vessels — measures that would help the US counter China’s rapidly expanding naval capabilities, Reuters reported.

Heo said that logical persuasion “would not have worked” with Trump.

Before a South Korean delegation met with the US president, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick reportedly warned them not to mention the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, as South Korea’s large trade surplus would only anger Trump.

Heo suggested that Taiwan’s negotiators could adopt a similar approach.

“You say: ‘We want to contribute to your MAGA project. We want to contribute to rebuilding the United States, but we need you to help us persuade our domestic constituents,’” he said.

Former representative to the EU and Belgium Roy Lee (李淳) said: “We are negotiating with a friend, not an enemy — and that’s even more difficult.”

Lee said the US is not just any friend, but a “super big friend” that is probably Taiwan’s only security provider — a fact that Washington has repeatedly emphasized during the ongoing tariff talks.

He added that the US is also an essential partner in Taiwan’s supply chains, technology development and talent training.

Therefore, Taiwan has little choice but to agree to “most of Washington’s demands,” while seeking ways to make up for any perceived harm caused to the US, Lee said.

“The key is really how you communicate and create consensus within Taiwan,” he said.

Noting that South Korea put almost its entire domestic market on the table in its negotiations for a free-trade agreement with the US 15 years ago, Lee asked: “Is Taiwan ready to do that?”

“We want to have free trade, but we don’t want to open up... We can’t have it both ways,” he said.

title: Emotional appeal best US trade strategy: economist


title: Pingpu indigenous people’s act passed by the legislature

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By Lin Che-yuan, Yang Mien-chieh and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, and staff writer

The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed the Pingpu Indigenous People’s Identity Act (平埔原住民族群身分法), which stated the definition of what a Pingpu indigenous person is and the standards of eligibility, and put them under the jurisdiction of the Council of Indigenous Peoples.

The standard definition of the indigenous Pingpu people is that the term includes all indigenous peoples who speak an Austronesian language and are not defined as per the groups listed under Article 4 of the Indigenous People’s Act (原住民身份法), the bill says.

In the same article, it further states that the indigenous people whose languages, customs and culture are still extant and who still maintain their identity, and can cite subjective historical documents that can back up such identity, customs, languages and culture, can place an application with the Council of Indigenous Peoples.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu bangs the gavel as the Legislative Yuan passes the third reading of the Pingpu Indigenous Identity Act in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times

The review panel would include experts and academics and should comprise 11 to 23 people, and the number of panel members of any gender should not be fewer than one-third of the total number of committee members, the act says.

The mission, organization, operations, selection of panel members, their terms of service and the circumstances requiring committee members to recuse themselves should all be defined by the Council of Indigenous Peoples, it says.

Should an application be approved, the government is obligated to publish official notices outlining the criteria for recognition for that application for five years and, if necessary and after consulting with the people, extend the official notice period by another five years.

If, during this period, the people feel the need to issue, either collectively or individually, a documented application for additional certification processes, the Council of Indigenous Peoples should accept such petitions.

As of yesterday, nine Pingpu groups — the Siraya, the Taivoan, the Makatao, the Taukat, the Kaxabu, the Pazeh, the Papora, the Papulu and the Ketagalan — had already filed applications, the council said.

There are 620,000 lowland and highland indigenous people, and there are potentially 980,000 Pingpu indigenous people, according to council statistics.

The council said that preparations for relevant ancillary acts and cross-jurisdictional administrative processes have been completed and the government would attempt to expedite the ratification of applications and register people under their new ethnic identities.

The Siraya people filed an administrative lawsuit seeking rectification of their Siraya identity in 2010, and received a favorable ruling from the Constitutional Court in 2022.

The court ruled that the legal definition of “indigenous,” which excludes other classifications such as the Siraya, fails to uphold paragraphs 11 and 12 of Article 10 of the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China (中華民國憲法增修條文).


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BARRIER LAKE: A total of 384 people in 120 households from Fushih Village, and 564 people in 179 households from Sioulin Village, both in Sioulin Township were evacuated

More than 900 residents in two villages along the Liwu River (立霧溪) in Hualien County were evacuated yesterday amid warnings that a new landslide-formed barrier lake in Taroko National Park could overflow.

A total of 384 people in 120 households from Fushih Village (富世) and 564 people in 179 households from Sioulin Village (秀林), both in Sioulin Township (秀林), were evacuated to a dormitory of Asia Cement Corp and a school, the township office said.

The evacuation followed reports of rising water levels in a barrier lake that formed after a landslide near the Swallow Grotto Trail (燕子口步道) in Taroko National Park, discovered earlier yesterday by construction workers.

A barrier lake near the Swallow Grotto Trail in Taroko National Park in Hualien County is pictured yesterday.  Photo courtesy of the Highway Bureau

The lake and landslide dam are near the 175.5km mark of the Central Cross-Island Highway, known as Provincial Highway No. 8, outside Jin Heng Tunnel (靳珩隧道), the Directorate-General of Highways’ Eastern Region Branch said.

If the lake were to overflow, floodwaters could reach Jinwen Bridge (錦文橋) near the park entrance within 50 minutes, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Hualien Office said.

As of about 5pm, the dam was holding an estimated 270 tonnes of water, enough to raise water levels at Jinwen Bridge by about 5m, tapering to about 2m further downstream where the riverbed widens, it said.

The section of Provincial Highway No. 8 between Taroko National Park and Tiansiang (天祥) was closed from 6pm yesterday until further notice, the Highway Bureau’s Eastern Region Branch Office said.

Floodwaters from the barrier lake could reach the road by about 7pm, the office said.

The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a weather system near Guam could strengthen into a tropical depression and become a tropical storm today.

Forecast models indicate the system is likely to move through the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and Luzon in the northern Philippines before tracking west toward China’s Hainan Province, bringing rain across Taiwan from tomorrow, the CWA said.

Last month, a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in Hualien burst during Super Typhoon Ragasa, flooding Guangfu Township (光復).

As of yesterday, official figures showed that the disaster left 19 people dead and 157 injured, with five people still missing and 717 rescued, data released on Tuesday showed.

taiwan-subdivisions: 秀林 光復

title: Over 900 evacuated in Taroko alert


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EVA Airways president Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) and other senior executives yesterday bowed in apology over the death of a flight attendant, saying the company has begun improving its health-reporting, review and work coordination mechanisms.

“We promise to handle this matter with the utmost responsibility to ensure safer and healthier working conditions for all EVA Air employees,” Sun said.

The flight attendant, a woman surnamed Sun (孫), died on Friday last week of undisclosed causes shortly after returning from a work assignment in Milan, Italy, the airline said.

A member of the Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union offers flowers outside the office of EVA Airways Corp’s Taipei branch yesterday in tribute to an EVA flight attendant who died after falling ill at work.  Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

Chinese-language media reported that the woman fell ill working on a Taipei-to-Milan flight on Sept. 22 and the cabin crew supervisor allegedly ignored her complaints.

Two days later, she worked on the return flight amid deteriorating health and was hospitalized shortly after the plane arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Sept. 25.

She was later transferred to Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, where she died following several weeks of treatment.

At a news conference, Sun expressed condolences to the flight attendant’s family and apologized for the incident’s impact on them and on the public.

EVA Air “humbly accepts the voices of criticism and correction from society,” he said, adding that the airline is taking steps to compensate the woman’s family, investigating the incident and identifying procedural failings.

The death of the flight attendant was a painful reminder that the airline must review its internal procedures concerning employee health, personnel management and communication mechanisms, Sun said.

The company’s policy on employee health would be reconstructed from scratch to conform to the highest possible standards, he said.

Executive vice president Hsiao Chin-lung (蕭錦隆) said the company expects to conclude its internal investigation within a week, as many of the deceased woman’s colleagues are on international duty.

EVA Air would improve procedures for monitoring employee health before and during flights, including the establishment of a self-reporting system for employees to declare medical concerns, he said.

The airline also plans to revise its protocols to ensure that staff who report feeling unwell are properly heard, and to implement standard operating procedures for handling in-flight medical incidents involving crew members, he added.

Training for supervisors would be improved to address the flaws in decisionmaking and communication that appeared to have played a role in the incident, Hsiao said.

Performance evaluation criteria would also be revised to ensure that employees can take necessary medical or self-care leave without fear of negative career repercussions, he said.

Junior vice president Yang Hsiu-hui (楊秀慧) said the current “priced assignment” system was intended to reward high-performing employees rather than penalize those who need to rest.

Additional reporting by CNA

title: EVA Air apologizes over flight attendant’s death


title: Employers to fund long-term migrants’ pensions

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In line with the government’s long-term retention program for migrant workers, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Tuesday issued a notice that employers must begin setting aside pension funds for blue-collar foreign workers who have worked for the same employer for more than 10 years.

The new regulation is to take effect in April, the ministry said.

Department of Employment Welfare and Retirement Director Huang Wei-chen (黃維琛) said that while blue-collar foreign workers are covered under the old labor pension system, employers were previously exempt from making contributions on their behalf.

Migrant workers are pictured at the Daan Forest Park in Taipei in an undated photograph.

Photo: CNA

That exemption stemmed from earlier interpretations that treated migrant workers — a general term that refers to blue-collar workers from outside Taiwan, mostly the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam — as “supplementary labor,” since they were previously allowed to stay in Taiwan for only up to six years, Huang said.

The ministry issued the new directive after the implementation of the long-term retention program, which allows migrant workers to stay longer and therefore qualify for pensions, he said.

The Control Yuan earlier this year instructed the ministry to review its previous policies in light of extended work periods for migrant workers and to assess whether past exemptions might contravene the law, he added.

Employers are required, per the older pension regulations, to contribute between 2 and 15 percent of a worker’s total monthly wage to their pension fund, the notice said.

For migrant workers who have been employed by the same company for 10 years or more, their wages must also be included in the company’s overall pension reserve calculation, it added.

While more than 7,000 companies in Taiwan employ blue-collar foreign workers, not all have established pension accounts under the old retirement system, Huang said.

Local governments should assist employers in setting up such accounts in preparation for the regulation’s implementation next year, he said.


title: FDA develops tests for flavored cigarettes

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is developing testing methods for 27 additives set to be banned from flavored cigarettes, Health Promotion Administration (HPA) Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) said on Thursday.

The HPA in March announced that 27 additives would be prohibited under amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法).

Shen said the FDA is formulating detection methods that would be implemented once post-market management mechanisms are fully in place.

A person reaches for a cigaratte in a pack in an undated photograph.

Warning: Smoking can damage your health.Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times

These methods would apply to traditional and electronic cigarettes, she said.

Teenagers are especially vulnerable to nicotine addiction and more likely to become habitual smokers, Shen said.

Long-term smoking increases the risk of cancer and causes severe lung damage, while in the short term it weakens immunity, making people more susceptible to colds, while reducing athletic performance and post-exercise recovery, she said.

Shen urged teenagers to relieve stress through outdoor activities instead of turning to addictive substances such as cigarettes.

She also said 14 flavored cigarette products that have received conditional approval from the HPA would soon reach the market.

All other flavored cigarette products remain illegal and cannot be sold, she added.

Cigarette products of any kind are prohibited from being advertised at gatherings, tea parties, information sessions, through live-streaming, unboxing videos and user experience sharing, Shen said, calling on the public to comply with the law.

The HPA has initiated online and on-site inspection projects in collaboration with local public health bureaus and would soon conduct intensive checks of physical cigarette shops in response to the upcoming sale of flavored cigarettes, she said.

Inspections would focus on whether physical stores are selling cigarettes to minors, while authorities would also clamp down on illegal online advertising, transactions or user experience sharing, she added.

Evidence of any contraventions would be forwarded to local public health authorities for investigation and penalties, she said.

When drafting the prohibition on flavored cigarettes, the HPA initially considered a ban based on “flavors,” but it later realized that such a standard would complicate testing procedures, she said.

Therefore, the proposal was revised to focus on the ingredients used in flavored cigarettes, with 27 specific additives listed in the second announcement of the draft ban, she added.

HPA Tobacco Control Division head Lo Su-ying (羅素英) said the flavored cigarette ban continued to draw public attention following the second announcement, adding that the agency would consider supplementary measures to enhance oversight.

The implementation of the ban would depend on the development of testing capacity and regulatory mechanisms, Lo said, adding that related regulations are expected to be finalized and announced next year.


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OLD TAIWAN: Visitors to the museum can see vintage pushcarts, old televisions, handcrafted furniture and other artifacts showcasing everyday life in old Taiwan

A Taiwanese vintage artifact museum has been established in Tainan by the owner of Chu Hsin Chu (筑馨居), a restaurant recognized in the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand selection.

Chou Jung-tang (周榮棠), who is also president of the Tainan B&B Cultural Development Association and known to locals as “Uncle Brave” (勇伯), is a chef known for his expertise in traditional Taiwanese cuisine.

A passionate collector of antiques, Chou founded the Chu Hsin Chu Taiwanese Vintage Artifact Museum to showcase his personal collection, with each item telling a story of everyday Taiwanese life.

Chou said he began to replace modern furniture with traditional Taiwanese furniture and decorations when the trend of revamping old buildings into bed-and-breakfast places emerged 15 years ago, adding that he bought whatever he could obtain and filled his house with it.

The museum was set up to showcase the lives of ordinary people in Taiwan, he said.

An array of artifacts that had been stored in a warehouse were arranged into displays, allowing visitors to feel as though they have stepped into a time capsule, Chou said.

Sugar jars, old-style shop signs, traditional Chinese medicine cabinets, the “ding-a-ling” sound of tofu pudding pushcarts and children’s folk percussion instruments all evoke the sounds and sights of Taiwan’s old days, he said.

Chou commissioned wood artist Liu Chin-wen (劉進文), who won First Prize in the traditional craftsmanship category of the Tainan Fine Arts Exhibition last year, to carve the museum’s signboard using bishop wood and boxwood, a traditional carpentry technique distinctive to the city.

At the museum entrance, beside the hand-carved signboard, stands a traditional “ba-pu” ice cream pushcart that still jingles when a NT$10 coin is inserted.

Inside the museum, visitors are greeted by tens of thousands of Taiwanese vintage items displayed throughout the space, including an array of traditional pushcarts once used by tofu pudding vendors, grocers, soy sauce makers and maltose sellers from all walks of life.

Chou said he often gave such pushcarts to local communities for use at markets and cultural events.

Other exhibits include an old-style double-door television set, as well as a television that is a “first-generation” television in Taiwan and can only be tuned to TTV Main Channel, the first television channel operating in Taiwan.

Hanging on one wall is a collection of bronze ice cream scoops, numbered from 7 to 40 by size. The No. 40 scoop, larger than an adult’s fist, is extremely rare, Chou said.

Another exhibit is a “singing” drawer that produces musical tones when opened. The mechanism once served as an early form of burglar alarm, a common household safeguard among older generations, he said.

Other highlights include kiln-fired ceramics produced at the historic Thirteen Kilns site in Tainan’s Gueiren District (歸仁), and a mural signed by artist Chen Tsang (陳滄) in 1930, salvaged shortly before the demolition of an old building, he said.

The museum is open for reservation, Chou said, adding that he hopes visitors would experience the everyday life of old Taiwan and connect with the stories of earlier generations.

title: Tainan’s ‘Uncle Brave’ opens Taiwan vintage museum


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ENTERTAINMENT

Taichung to mark Diwali

A dance competition and bazaar are to be held on Friday next week at Taichung City Hall Square to celebrate the Indian Diwali Festival, the India Taipei Association said yesterday. The association said it is bringing “the festival of lights” to Taichung on the 30th anniversary of its establishment in Taiwan to highlight the city’s thriving Indian cuisine scene and large population of Indian students. The inaugural India Dance Competition Grand Finale would feature 30 teams competing from 5pm to 9pm, with eight winners to be announced on site and total prizes of NT$120,000 to be distributed. Performances would range from Indian classical and folk dances to fusion styles incorporating street, contemporary and ballet elements, the association said. The Diwali Bazaar would he held from 3pm to 9pm, featuring 30 booths with Indian cuisine, traditional “henna” hand- painting, handicrafts and interactive art workshops, it said. Art displays and a lamp lighting zone, symbolizing the festival’s spirit of the “triumph of light over darkness,” would also be featured, it said. The festivities would be the association’s third Diwali celebration in Taiwan, following previous events in Taipei in 2023 and Kaohsiung last year.

CRIME

Ketamine factory raided

Taichung prosecutors yesterday said they have indicted five suspects on charges of manufacturing narcotics, after 1,756kg of chemicals with an eventual street value of NT$1.5 billion (US$48.88 million) was seized from a factory in Changhua County. The Criminal Investigation Bureau said it received intelligence in June that a drug-smuggling ring was producing ketamine in a 1,650m2 corrugated iron factory in an industrial park in Changhua County’s Siansi Township (線西). The group allegedly chose the site to conceal chemical odors among nearby plastic and machinery plants, the bureau said. The Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office instructed the bureau and the Taichung Police Department to gather evidence and obtained a search warrant on June 19, after which it dispatched a task force to raid the site. Police seized 628kg of ketamine and 1,228kg of unfinished product, plus plastic and metal drums, raw chemical materials, drug-making paraphernalia and mobile phones, the office said. Five suspects were arrested, including the suspected ringleader, a man surnamed Chen (陳). They were transferred to the Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office for investigation before a court approved their detention. The seized drugs have been destroyed.

CRIME

Fugitive posed as woman

A person who told police they were a woman after being arrested for failing to pay a taxi fare in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水) was later found to be a man who had been evading authorities in Yilan County for six years, police said. The 33-year-old fugitive, surnamed Yang (楊), has been living and working in Taipei and New Taipei City under a female identity. Yang was arrested early on Thursday over an unpaid fare of NT$700, police said. Officers were called to the scene by a taxi driver who said his passenger claimed to have no cash, left to retrieve money from home and never returned, they said. Yang spoke in a “soft voice,” police said, adding that they produced an ID card belonging to somebody else. A fingerprint check later revealed that Yang was wanted by Yilan prosecutors on charges including fraud and public endangerment, police said. Investigators said Yang had long disguised himself as a woman to avoid arrest.

taiwan-subdivisions: 淡水 線西

title: Taiwan News Quick Take


title: Leap of joy

content_text: Atayal show host Yukan Losing jumps with his award after winning the award for Best Host in a Children’s or Youth Program at the 60th Golden Bell Awards ceremony at the Taipei Music Center yesterday.


title: Musical weekend

content_text: Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai, third right, holds a placard along with event guests at a news conference in Kaohsiung yesterday promoting this year’s Teldreka Festival, which is to take place next weekend at Maolin Lover’s Valley Hot Spring Park in Kaohsiung’s Maolin District.


title: Marathon preview

content_text: New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi, third right, yesterday poses for a photo with five runners wearing shirts designed for next year’s New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon. Registration for the race, which is scheduled for March 15, would open on Oct. 30, Hou said.


title: Automakers warn on chip disruption

content_text:
CHINESE EXPORT CURBS: A dispute between China and the Netherlands could halt chip supply, affecting vehicle production, US and European auto associations said

Groups representing major automakers late on Thursday warned that a chip disruption stemming from a dispute between China and the Dutch government could quickly affect US auto production.

Automakers and their suppliers received notice from chipmaker Nexperia (安世半導體) last week that it could no longer guarantee delivery of its chips, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association said, adding that manufacturing could be significantly disrupted.

In the US, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai and nearly all other major automakers, urged a quick resolution.

The logo of Chinese chipmaker Nexperia is pictured in Hamburg, Germany, on June 27 last year. Photo: Reuters

“If the shipment of automotive chips doesn’t resume — quickly — it’s going to disrupt auto production in the US and many other countries, and have a spillover effect in other industries,” alliance CEO John Bozzella said. “It’s that significant.”

Several automakers told Reuters that US auto plants could be affected as soon as next month. They declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The chips made by Nexperia are crucial to production of US parts and vehicles.

The Dutch government on Sunday announced that it had, as of Sept. 30, taken control of Chinese-owned computer chipmaker Nexperia, citing worries about the possible transfer of technology to Nexperia’s Chinese parent company, Wingtech Technology Co (聞泰科技).

Court documents showed the Dutch government’s move came after months of rising US pressure on the company. Nexperia was at risk of being impacted by a new US rule that extends export control restrictions to companies at least 50 percent owned by one or more entities on the US entity list.

Washington put Wingtech, which has 100 percent ownership of Nexperia, on the US list in late December last year.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Oct. 4 issued an export control notice prohibiting Nexperia China and its subcontractors from exporting specific finished components and sub-assemblies manufactured in China, a statement Nexperia published on Tuesday said.

Manufacturers in Europe are holding urgent meetings to fend off potential outages that could come within a month, people familiar with the matter said.

The industry has upped inventories after the COVID-19 pandemic sparked previous chip shortages. However, automakers like Volkswagen AG and suppliers including Robert Bosch GmbH might take months to switch from Nexperia to alternative sources, the people said, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.

“If the situation is not resolved quickly at the political level, there is a risk of a standstill in large parts of global automotive production and in numerous other industrial sectors,” said Wolfgang Weber, who heads Germany’s electrical and digital industry association ZVEI.

While Nexperia’s chips are not considered cutting edge, they are widespread and make up a key part of the automotive supply chain, with hundreds of them in a single car. Its semiconductors help operate functions like switches or steering wheel control.

The automotive sector accounts for more than 60 percent of Nexperia’s revenue, which came in at US$2.06 billion last year.

The export curbs are already prompting companies to look elsewhere.

German chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG — one of the dominant suppliers to the auto industry — is fielding calls from Nexperia customers seeking alternative supplies, the people said.

Automakers do not necessarily source chips directly, but often buy finished parts with semiconductors in them from larger suppliers such as Bosch and Aumovio, the car-parts business spun off by Continental.

Those companies also get individual components from smaller suppliers, making it difficult to quickly assess the scope of potential supply-chain disruptions.


content_text:
China’s sanctions on US-linked units of shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean threaten to impact ambitious plans for shipbuilding cooperation between Seoul and Washington by disrupting supplies of Chinese equipment and materials, officials in Seoul said yesterday.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday banned transactions and cooperation with Hanwha Ocean’s US-linked units, citing security risks stemming from what it said was their involvement in the US government’s “relevant investigative activities.”

Beijing announced the sanctions as the US and China began charging additional port fees on each other’s vessels, in the latest exchange in a protracted trade war ahead of a planned meeting of the two countries’ leaders.

The National Security Multi-Mission Vessel “State of Maine” is pictured at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the day of its christening on Aug. 26. Photo: Reuters

South Korea has vowed to “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” [MASGA] with a pledge of US$150 billion of investment in the sector to help US President Donald Trump’s push to revitalize US shipbuilding to catch up with China’s.

The decline of the US shipbuilding sector and the industries needed to support it were such that it would be impossible to supply materials and parts from within the US, officials in Seoul said.

“There is bound to be an impact,” South Korean Minister of Defense Procurement Program Administration Seok Jong-gun said.

“I don’t see how we can make all the materials and supplies for Philly Shipyard within the US,” Seok said in a parliamentary yesterday.

“So if you’re going to get a lot of things to the US from South Korea, and you have sanctions and all kinds of obstacles to doing that, I’d say there’s going to be an impact on MASGA eventually,” he said.

Hanwha also runs a shipyard in China’s eastern province of Shandong that builds modules of ship components, a company filing showed.

It supplies the modules to its shipyard in South Korea for the final assembly, it said.

While analysts said the Chinese sanctions would not have an immediate impact, they added it might be a harbinger of tougher Chinese actions that could hit South Korean shipbuilders cooperating with the US.

South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon estimated the Chinese sanctions would cost Philly Shipyard US$60 million over the next two years. Yu did not give a breakdown of the estimate but cited likely disruptions of supplies to the shipyard and delayed delivery of vessels.

“This is not simply a trade issue, but a grave matter that affects our economic security and industrial supremacy,” Yu said, adding that he visited the shipyard last month.

Philadephis-based Philly Shipyard was bought by Hanwha last year and is one of five subsidiaries in the US hit by the new Chinese sanctions.

Hanwha’s South Korean competitors, HD Hyundai and Samsung Heavy Industries, are eyeing projects envisioned for rebuilding US maritime capabilities, including work to build and maintain navy vessels.

Earlier yesterday, the US Department of State lambasted the Chinese sanctions as an “irresponsible” act that interferes with a private company’s operations and undermines South Korea-US cooperation on revitalizing US shipbuilding and manufacturing.

“China’s actions ... are the latest example in a long pattern of China’s attempts to coerce [South] Korea,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.

Hanwha Ocean declined to comment on the lawmaker’s claim on losses.

title: China’s sanctions threaten S Korea-US shipbuilding


content_text:
INCREASED TENSIONS: Risks from higher US tariffs and disruptions in supply chains could lower global growth by 0.3 points, the fund’s Asia and Pacific director said

The IMF sees “significant downside risks” to global growth due to renewed frictions between the US and China, an officiall said yesterday.

After months of tentative stability in US-China relations, tensions flared in recent weeks when Washington expanded tech restrictions and proposed tariffs on Chinese ships entering US ports.

China responded with similar actions, outlining tighter export controls on rare earths and other critical materials.

People walk by the flags in front of the IMF building during the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

“If these risks materialize in greater tariffs and disruption in supply chains, then growth could be lower by 0.3 points,” IMF Asia and Pacific director Krishna Srinivasan told Bloomberg TV’s Haslinda Amin. “If there are further tensions that would also mean downside risks for China.”

Policymakers are closely watching renewed trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.

This week, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent criticized a top Chinese trade official, accusing him of arriving in Washington uninvited and acting in an “unhinged” manner.

Economic activity in the Asia-Pacific region remains resilient, despite bearing the brunt of US tariffs and facing elevated policy uncertainty. Still, Srinivasan said the IMF worries how trade tensions have yet to be resolved.

“The great tensions are still pretty much predominant,” he said.

The IMF expects Asia’s economic growth to slow to 4.5 percent this year from 4.6 percent last year, representing a 0.6 percentage point upgrade from its April prediction when US President Donald Trump first announced import levies.

Growth is projected to further slow to 4.1 percent next year.

At a briefing earlier in Washington, Srinivasan highlighted three factors supporting Asian growth: strong exports, a tech boom, and easier macroeconomic policies bolstered by favorable financial conditions.

However, he cautioned that risks to the outlook remain to the downside, noting that the impact of tariffs is still unfolding and could escalate, as could risk premiums and interest rates, particularly if trade policy uncertainty or geopolitical tensions rise.

title: IMF sees ‘significant’ risks from US-China dispute


content_text:
Acer Gaming Inc (宏碁遊戲), a gaming console and PC game title distributing arm of Acer Inc (宏碁), on Wednesday said it expected its gaming business to continue growing next year, as several blockbuster titles are slated for release.

Acer Gaming made the remarks on the sidelines of an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting. Acer owns about 70 percent of Acer Gaming.

Having obtained its shareholders’ approval, the company said it has submitted a plan to list on the Taiwan Innovation Board.

Acer Gaming Inc president James Hsu attends a media briefing in Taipei on Nov. 26, 2023. Photo: CNA

The gaming industry outlook for next year appears upbeat, with several blockbuster titles expected to launch and particularly strong momentum in Asia, company president James Hsu (徐挺洋) told reporters.

The momentum should drive the company’s business growth next year, extending from its growth this year, Hsu said.

The company has also received strong feedback from several home video game console markets after launching Ghost of Yotei, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, earlier this month, he said.

It has secured agency rights for several games, mainly from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s series, in Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore, while its 59.59 percent-held subsidiary Winking Studios Ltd handles the outsourcing segment, it said.

Its business consists of two segments — distributing game titles for other companies and providing outsourced game art production services to international developers.

The outlook for the gaming PC market remains optimistic, but a shortage of key components — mainly PC processors — along with rising RAM prices could push up end-product prices, it said.

Acer Gaming reported NT$3.72 billion (US$121.23 million) in revenue in the first nine months of the year, up 28.6 percent from a year earlier, company data showed.

Net profit grew 2.05 percent to NT$25.63 million in the first half of this year, from NT$25.12 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share rose to NT$0.73 last quarter from NT$0.72 a year earlier.

Gross margin rose to 11.39 percent in the first half, from 10.13 percent a year earlier. Operating margin slid to 1.25 percent from 1.9 percent.

title: Acer Gaming forecasts growth into next year


content_text:
Stocks yesterday fell as losses in US lenders deepened, with doubts over regional banks’ health prompting traders to cut risk at the end of a volatile week. Bonds and haven currencies were major beneficiaries, as investors rushed for safety.

The S&P 500 looked set for a second day of losses, with index futures down 1 percent, as US banking stocks extended their slide in premarket trading. Bank of America Corp, Citigroup Inc, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo & Co slid more than 1.5 percent. Deutsche Bank AG slumped more than 6 percent in Frankfurt.

Meanwhile, Wall Street’s chief fear gauge, the Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, jumped to its highest level since US President Donald Trump roiled markets in April with his tariff policies.

Aperson passes by a Citibank branch in New York on Saturday last week. Photo: Bloomberg

Risk measures for Europe’s credit market rose, with an index tracking credit default swaps on senior bank bonds up as much as 3.2 basis points, the most in almost a month. A similar gauge that tracks CDS contracts for subordinated bank debt climbed the most in a week.

US Treasuries added to Thursday’s gains, with 10-year yields falling 2 basis points to 3.96 percent. Gold fluctuated, while the yen and Swiss franc led advances among major currencies against the US dollar.

The moves underscored growing concerns about the US credit market, offering the clearest sign yet of the nervous undercurrents running through Wall Street. They add to a mounting list of investor worries, from the US government shutdown to fears of an artificial intelligence bubble and renewed US-China trade tensions.

“This very much looks like end-of-cycle symptoms, where we can see hints of complacency in lending standards,” said Raphael Thuin, head of capital markets strategies at Tikehau Capital. “With this year’s rally and costly valuations, the temptation to take profits and secure year-to-date gains is high.”

As the fallout from the collapse of auto-parts supplier First Brands Corp ripples through the lending industry, short interest in the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF has risen to 30 percent of shares outstanding, from 18.4 percent on Oct. 8, data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence showed.

Among the biggest decliners in European bank bonds yesterday were JPMorgan’s euro-denominated securities due January 2036, which fell about 0.5 percent, the most since early last month, and Barclays PLC’s bonds due 2035, which dropped the most in about three weeks.

Some analysts downplayed yesterday’s moves as an overreaction rather than a sign of systemic risk, calling comparisons to the start of the financial crisis overblown.

“Today’s move on European banks is purely a knee-jerk reaction, as there are currently a lot of reasons to sell them: falling interest rates, political risk and the fact they rallied so much this year,” said Jerome Legras, head of research at Axiom Alternatives Investments. “I was there in 2007 and I can tell you that this is absolutely nothing like it.”

title: Stocks tumble as credit jitters deepen


title: Let imagination take flight

content_text: A visitor poses for a photo between the pages of a giant book at the Frankfurt International Book Fair in Germany yesterday. The book fair runs until tomorrow. Its “guest of honor” this year is the Philippines, with the motto “The imagination peoples the air.”


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Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽) urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare to work with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to allow more flexibility in Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp’s (THSRC) new “quiet carriage” policy.

The policy — which was implemented on Sept. 22 and is undergoing a three-month grace period — requires passengers to put their mobile phones on silent, use headphones when watching videos or listening to music and move to the vestibules when taking phone calls.

Inspired by regulations on Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, the rules are meant to guarantee all high-speed rail passengers can experience quiet, restful journeys.

As is the case with any new policy, it attracted criticism within a matter of weeks — in this case for seeming to single out families with children.

Critics say that the rules are hostile to families, after online anecdotes surfaced from parents of crying children saying they had been approached by staff holding up signs. A social media post by a passenger using derogatory language against children and parents further inflamed the controversy.

Advocates of the system say that the rules are meant to target disturbances caused by noisy adults, not unavoidable sounds from young children or those with special circumstances.

There are two extremes to this debate. One insists that passengers must accept all noise from children as a natural characteristic of public transportation, while the other asserts that the rules must be applied strictly and to everyone, with no exceptions. Both sides miss the point — the policy aims for balance.

THSRC data show that most noise disturbances on trains are not caused by children. Between Sept. 22 and last week, staff issued a total of 13,000 reminders to noisy passengers — more than 70 percent of which involved adults talking on phones or playing media without headphones.

This indicates that the new rules already address the bulk of preventable disruptions. Adults can reasonably control their own noise, while infants and toddlers cannot. That being said, reasonable expectations matter. Infants cannot be expected to remain absolutely silent, but parents of older children should ensure they do not scream or invade others’ personal space. While this might be difficult, it is one of the responsibilities that comes with parenthood.

One potential solution would be to establish designated family-friendly carriages. Families traveling with children under certain ages, or those traveling in large groups, could be given priority for tickets in these carriages with the understanding that some leeway would be given for soft conversation and occasional unavoidable noise from children.

At the same time, strict enforcement of “quiet carriage” rules could be reserved for specific carriages, providing passengers who prefer to ride in silence a guaranteed quiet environment.

On the rest of the train, pragmatic regulations — such as switching phones to silent, requiring the use of headphones and taking calls in vestibules — could still be implemented to guarantee all passengers a base level of comfort.

Adults should be held to consistent standards, while passengers traveling with very young children should be expected to exercise discretion about whether they can realistically comply with strict rules. Other countries have made similar policies work effectively.

Ultimately, the goal is mutual respect. Passengers deserve a peaceful journey, while parents of very young children deserve practical accommodations.

With reasonable expectations, designated spaces and understanding from all sides, the policy could achieve its purpose without punishing families or disregarding the comfort of other travelers.

title: EDITORIAL: Quiet carriages can find a balance


title: THSRC’s surrender bad for society

content_text:
When Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) announced the implementation of a new “quiet carriage” policy across all train cars on Sept. 22, I — a classroom teacher who frequently takes the high-speed rail — was filled with anticipation. The days of passengers videoconferencing as if there were no one else on the train, playing videos at full volume or speaking loudly without regard for others finally seemed numbered.

However, this battle for silence was lost after less than one month. Faced with emotional guilt from infants and anxious parents, THSRC caved and retreated.

However, official high-speed rail data have long indicated that the true sources of noise pollution are typically adults who treat trains as a mobile office by holding conference calls, and those who watch videos on their phones at full volume — often referred to as “giant babies.” Yet the public debate somehow devolved into a confrontation between families with children and child-hating passengers. What should have been a discussion about self-discipline and public etiquette became an emotional confrontation of labeling and blame.

We can absolutely empathize with children who cannot control their behavior, but that is different from parents who neglect their duties and allow their older children to misbehave. To equate a baby’s crying with three or four-year-olds running around, screaming and kicking the seat in front of them is the ultimate insult to parenting. The former is a natural instinct — society should show tolerance to infants and parents should comfort them. The latter is disorderly behavior, and parents have a responsibility to discipline their children and not allow them to infringe on others’ space.

When high-speed rail staff gently reminded parents about noisy children, their actions were blown out of proportion online and denounced as discrimination against children, unfairly labeling them as lacking empathy. The emotional blackmail has blurred the lines between right and wrong. In the end, the company opted to remove the signs altogether.

I took a southbound train the other day, a two-hour ride. For one full hour, the carriage was filled with the playful screams of two or three children about 10 years old, with absolutely no sign of parental intervention. From now on, it seems that this would be the new normal for the high-speed rail after its surrender.

European railways have clearly defined “quiet carriages” and “family carriages,” allowing people to choose the carriage that best suits their needs. In quiet carriages, any form of noise — whether from adults or children — is discouraged to maintain a peaceful environment for those who require rest or focus. Children are given more leeway in family carriages, although such tolerance should never serve as a free pass for parents to shirk their responsibilities.

THSRC’s surrender marks yet another instance of public policy being defeated by populist sentiment. True civility lies in the ability to clearly distinguish between those who cannot and those who simply refuse — and in the courage to hold the latter accountable. The quiet carriage policy’s failure is a prelude to the collapse of civility in Taiwan’s public spaces.

Lin Po-kuan is a junior-high school teacher.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


content_text:
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp’s (THSRC) newly introduced “quiet carriage” policy was intended to enhance the quality of travel, allowing passengers to enjoy some peace during long journeys. The new system quickly sparked controversy, as passengers traveling with young children reported being asked to be quiet — even when seated outside the designated quiet carriages — and in some cases were met with staff holding up signs.

What was originally meant to be an innovative service respecting diverse needs has become a symbol of heavy-handed order. When mandated quiet turns into a form of social pressure, it exposes an issue in Taiwan’s public spaces — our tendency to pursue order while overlooking understanding and communication.

The value of public space lies not only in the ease of transportation, but also as a mixing ground for civilized life. When we emphasize quiet, we are defining who gets to speak and who must remain silent. Holding a sign up to a mother because her child is crying is not merely a matter of behavioral norms, but a form of exclusion.

Public spaces bring strength by embracing diverse voices rather than allowing only the “quiet” to exist. A truly mature society should not use low volume as an indicator of civility, but by whether it can tolerate even the smallest imperfections of human sound.

If THSRC wishes to promote a quiet carriage policy, it should also teach people to understand the concept of diverse forms of being quiet, and make regulations a tool for mutual understanding rather than a weapon of indifference and accusations.

In terms of policy design, the controversy reflects a conflict between the right to quiet and the right to public use. The policy’s supporters say that maintaining low noise levels during long journeys is a person’s right, while opponents say that public transportation is an open space by nature — bringing young children, making phone calls or engaging in quiet conversation are all normal behaviors.

The problem lies in how policy implementation in Taiwan often disregards the need for a balancing mechanism between two sides, allowing one to take precedence. If the system emphasizes silence without considering humanity, it would ultimately risk causing new divisions.

Service design should be guided by the principle of flexible spaces — offering options such as family-friendly carriages, quiet zones and general seating areas — so that order and freedom can coexist.

This issue has also revealed a deeper anxiety within Taiwanese society — an increasing intolerance for external disturbances. Similar debates have occurred over issues such as giving up seats on the MRT, noisy children in restaurants and neighborhood noise disputes. These issues reflect public pressures resulting from the rise of individualism — everyone desires respect, while becoming less tolerant.

When public spaces are imagined as extensions of someone’s personal space, any disruption can become an intrusion. If this mental inflexibility is not addressed, no number of regulations would maintain genuine harmony. Perhaps what Taiwanese society needs is not a quiet car, but a more flexible heart.

The high-speed rail’s mission, as one of Taiwan’s most vaunted transportation services, should transcend efficiency — and also reflect society’s capacity for tolerance and inclusivity.

True “quiet” is not about who can remain silent, but about whether people can coexist among sound. Only when every passenger learns to balance between silence and understanding would Taiwan’s public spaces truly evolve from institutionalized order to a culture of empathy.

Roger Lo is a freelancer.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: Flaws of quiet carriage policy


title: The refugee mentality of Ma, Lung

content_text:
If we view former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) within the context of the “Chinese refugee generation,” their words and actions become much easier to understand.

Ma belongs to the first generation of Chinese refugees. His parents fled to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War, and brought the phantom of the Republic of China (ROC) with them. From a young age, he was indoctrinated with narratives of the “Chinese Dream,” fighting communism and rebuilding “the nation.”

This generation harbors a mix of love and fear toward the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): On one hand, they resent the CCP for seizing their “homeland on the mainland,” yet on the other, they continually seek to justify their own identity through appeals to “national unity” and a cause.

Drawn in by its rhetoric on national identity, their attitude toward the CCP has shifted over time from hostile to sympathetic.

Lung is a second-generation immigrant — she did not personally experience flight and displacement, yet was deeply shaped by her parents’ “refugee complex.”

This group enjoys the benefits of freedom and democracy while living in Taiwan, while nurturing a romanticized notion of “Chinese culture.”

They lean toward a reconciliatory approach to cross-strait relations, believing that communication, understanding and cultural ties can dissipate antagonism and achieve peace. Lung’s discourse on “pushing for peace” and “resilience to engage with the other side” is a reflection of this.

Whether it is Ma’s subservience or Lung’s fantasies, they overlook a core reality of the cross-strait situation.

Communist China is neither an ordinary nation state nor a rational partner that can be persuaded through cultural exchange or good-faith dialogue. Rather, it is a totalitarian system that places authoritarian stability above all.

There are certainly differences between the Ma and Lung positions, with the former leaning toward political attachment and the latter toward cultural illusion. However, they are both expressions of a shared inability among the “refugee generation” to escape China’s shadow. Neither is capable of meeting the current moment in Taiwan. On the contrary, they are doing real harm.

It is regrettable that more than 90 percent of the first and second generations of Chinese refugees display a tendency toward sympathizing with the CCP, if not throwing their lot in with it entirely. It not only shows a lack of gratitude to Taiwan, but also poses a real threat to its survival.

Chang Che-ting is an assistant professor at National United University’s Department of Chinese Language and Literature.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader


title: Restrictions on Tibetan movement

content_text:
Denial of passports to Tibetans is not simply an inconvenience but a calculated tool of political control, cultural erasure and religious suppression. By restricting mobility, the Chinese state violates fundamental rights guaranteed in its own constitution and in international law, and it creates long-term social, cultural and humanitarian costs for the Tibetan people.

Forced separation from families is a significant issue for Tibetans abroad, as they face difficulties connecting with relatives in Tibet. Many cannot visit dying family members due to passport refusals, and those who attempt to return risk severe punishment. Elderly pilgrims have encountered detention, interrogation and document confiscation, illustrating a regime that manipulates mobility to exert control.

China’s passport policies must be seen within the broader framework of Sinicization and “grid management,” which seek to transform Tibetan identity into a version acceptable to the state. Surveillance and ideological control intensify through travel restrictions that even affect Tibetans studying abroad, whose families are harassed to silence them from attending political or cultural events in exile. The system is designed to isolate Tibetans from global engagement and weaken their culture and faith.

Following the 2012 Kalachakra Initiation in India, thousands who returned to Tibet had their passports confiscated and were sent to “patriotic education” programs. Beyond religion, Tibetans are barred from healthcare, education and cultural exchanges overseas — rights other Chinese citizens enjoy.

These restrictions clearly violate domestic and international laws. China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law affirms every citizen’s right to apply for a passport, and the constitution guarantees equality before the law. Yet Tibetans face arbitrary denials based on loyalty tests.

Internationally, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee freedom of movement. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties obliges nations not to undermine their treaty commitments. China’s systematic denial of passports constitutes a breach of both domestic and international obligations.

These violations have drawn global concern. UN human rights experts sought clarification from China in 2018, and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination condemned the near-total ban on Tibetan passports. Ironically, China permits travel for political spectacle — such as Indian pilgrimages to Kailash Mansarovar — while restricting Tibetans from similar journeys.

Beijing aim sto restrict the cultural, religious and familial ties that uphold Tibetan identity rather than promoting security. China erodes Tibetan autonomy and increases alienation by restricting mobility.

To address the issue of human rights in Tibet, international bodies and governments should urge China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and impose sanctions on officials responsible for discriminatory passport policies.

Prioritizing religious freedom in dialogues with China is essential, and civil society must elevate Tibetan voices, framing the denial of mobility as a significant human rights concern.

By severing Tibetans from their families, religion and cultural exchange, China deliberately inflicts profound psychological and social harm. True resolution requires sustained global advocacy, solidarity among exiles and the recognition that freedom of movement is vital to the survival of Tibetan identity.

Tenzing Nyidon holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University. She is currently an intern at the Tibet Policy Institute.


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

content_text: George Santayana wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”This article will help readers avoid repeating mistakes by examining four examples from the civil war between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forces and the Republic of China (ROC) forces that involved two city sieges and two island invasions. The city sieges compared are Changchun (May to October 1948) and Beiping (November 1948 to January 1949, renamed Beijing after its capture), and attempts to invade Kinmen (October 1949) and Hainan (April 1950). Comparing and contrasting these examples, we can learn how Taiwan may prevent a war with


content_text:
Japan’s imported baby boom spotlights a political and demographic time bombAn increase in births to non-Japanese comes as politicians keep dodging the choice between economic decline and a more diverse population

This week brought encouraging news for Japan’s long battle to defuse its demographic time bomb: Last year, the number of babies born to one sector of the population rose to a record of more than 22,000 — that is about 3,000 more than the previous year and a 50 percent increase on a decade ago.

But none of the women who answered calls — invariably issued by conservative male politicians — to have more children were Japanese.

Despite the happy backdrop, the cries of babies born to women from China, Brazil, the Philippines and Vietnam reverberating around maternity wards was a reminder of the failure of successive governments to persuade Japanese couples to have bigger families.

Births among Japanese parents stood at 686,000 babies, 41,000 fewer than in 2023, according to the data, released in the same week as figures showing that Japan’s foreign population is edging towards 4 million (3.2 percent) — a share of the 124 million population that would have been unimaginable a decade ago.

The surge in migration has not happened by accident, and should not have been unexpected. It has been seven years since then-Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe — hardly a liberal — recognized the need to accept more low-skilled workers to address labor shortages.

Non-Japanese faces are no longer a novelty in towns and cities, and, increasingly, in depopulated rural regions. Immigrants work in convenience stores, restaurants and factories, on building sites, and in agriculture and fishing.

Previous descriptions of Japan as a modern-day sakoku nation of self-imposed isolation, whose leaders refuse to lower the drawbridge to all but a few foreign workers, is clearly out of date, but the national debate over migration feels all too familiar, starting with the response to elections in which Sanseito, a minor party of the right, dramatically strengthened its presence in the upper house after vowing to put “Japanese first.”

Sanseito now has 15 seats in a 248-seat chamber, in addition to three in the more powerful lower house. Its rise could — as some commentators suggested — be short-lived as voters, having registered their dissent, return to more mainstream parties.

A snap general election notwithstanding, Sanseito and its leader, Sohei Kamiya, would have to wait until 2028 to build on the gains it made this summer, but it has already succeeded in setting the tone of the debate on immigration.

All of the major parties, including those on the center-left, have voiced concern over foreign workers, while the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has vowed to bring illegal immigration down to zero and ensure that guest workers do more to integrate.

During the LDP’s contest to elect a new leader, the winner, Sanae Takaichi, opened her campaign with a broadside against badly behaved foreign tourists, claiming without evidence that she had personally witnessed a visitor assault one of the sacred deer in Nara, where she is a lawmaker.

Other politicians have tapped into claims that foreign migrants are taking jobs from Japanese workers and are more likely to commit crimes — neither of which are supported by evidence.

The debate occasionally spills over into xenophobia.

In Kawaguchi, near Tokyo, Kurdish residents are the targets of hate speech and misinformation. Authorities in four regional cities were forced to clarify that a now-canceled friendship initiative with African nations would not lead to an influx of workers from Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania.

At a ski resort in Hokkaido, locals are protesting against plans to build lodgings for more than 1,000 seasonal workers, many of whom are foreign, drafted in to work in tourism and construction.

There are signs, though, that economic necessity would eclipse the political rhetoric and migration would continue to accelerate at a pace that could see foreigners comprise more than 10 percent of the population in 15 years — three decades sooner than previously forecast.

That would please business leaders polled by the Nikkei business paper last month, almost all of whom said migrant workers were the vital link in a supply chain that would strain to breaking point without them.

While Japan’s employers have answered the migrant worker question in the affirmative, the choice between economic decline and a more diverse population is one the nation’s politicians continue to dodge.


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By Claire Fu, Ellen Zhang and Kevin Yao / Reuters, SINGAPORE and BEIJING

The Chinese Communist Party meets next week to map a five-year vision that prioritizes high-tech manufacturing in its quest to upgrade its sprawling industries and project global power as its rivalry with the US intensifies, analysts say.

Known as a plenum, the meeting is also likely to pledge strong measures to lift household consumption and curb deep, historical supply-demand imbalances that threaten long-term growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

The two goals are decades old and pull in opposite directions, a policy challenge that has become acute now with US-China tensions worsening, making it hard for Beijing to pivot to demand-side policies, analysts say.

Industrial prowess demands channeling state resources to producers, while boosting consumption requires funds be redirected to households, leaving less for business and government investment.

China’s growth over the past decade was driven by the pursuit of the first goal at the expense of the second, but this is now fanning deflationary pressures and creating unsustainable debt.

The intensifying rivalry between the US and China, underlined by US President Donald Trump’s renewed threats of triple-digit tariffs, has complicated matters for policymakers in Beijing, analysts say.

It is a choice to prioritize great power competition over the compelling need to address domestic growth imbalances.

China’s next five-year plan, the closely watched policy document that the plenum is to produce for parliamentary approval in March next year, would “definitely emphasize, and re-emphasize, support for high-tech research and industrial development,” said Chen Bo (陳波), senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute.

“In terms of a country’s hard power, manufacturing is still a top priority,” Chen said. “When conflict arises, what ultimately matters is manufacturing, not services.”

A speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) published by the Chinese Communist Party magazine Qiushi in July said that the world was going through changes not seen in a century, which made “technological revolution and major-country competition increasingly intertwined.”

Xi called on the nation to secure the “strategic high ground” in the global technology race.

China now leads in industries such as electric vehicles, solar and wind power, and is leveraging its dominance of rare earths production with export controls before potential trade talks between Trump and Xi later this month.

Apart from a few high-end sectors, such as aircraft or advanced semiconductors, its supply chains are largely domestic.

With the West aiming to reindustrialize and rearm after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and amid growing tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea, the stakes are too high for Beijing to even contemplate slowing down on that front.

“If you do not develop high-end industries, you will be subject to others in the future,” said Guo Tianyong (郭田勇), professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, adding that China needs a better policy balance.

Morgan Stanley analysts said they expect post-plenum statements to deliver a “tech and supply-driven framework, with incremental focus on social welfare.”

Consequently, “decisive reflation remains elusive in 2026,” they added.

Beneath the envy-worthy headline growth, the past five-year cycle has been anything but smooth sailing for the economy — factory gate deflation is becoming entrenched, adding to a property crisis, a municipal debt scare, endemic industrial overcapacity and record youth unemployment.

A generation who studied for highly skilled and well-paid service-sector jobs, which a consumption-driven growth model had better chances of creating, faces limited opportunities.

“If you only rely on external demand and domestic demand is not working, then you will have unemployment problems and also deflation,” said Larry Hu (胡偉俊), chief China economist at Macquarie. “If it continues like this for one or two years, it’s still okay, but in the long run, it will definitely be a problem.”

Hu expects China to get serious about stimulating consumption if and when external demand shrinks enough to threaten growth targets.

The 2026-2030 blueprint would be China’s 15th five-year plan since it adopted Soviet-style policy formulation cycles in the 1950s.

Analysts say China can muddle along with its contradictory goals by tilting industrial support toward tech research and away from capacity expansion, while gradually building on its incipient efforts to strengthen the welfare system.

Over the past year, Beijing has rolled out consumer goods subsidies, childcare benefits and small pension increases. A court ruling that makes social insurance contributions mandatory for both employers and workers lays the groundwork for stronger welfare over the longer term.

One policy adviser, asking for anonymity to discuss sensitive topics, said benefits would likely rise further in the next five years, with lower pensions increasing faster than higher ones, but improvements “won’t be particularly substantial,” even though “everyone recognizes the issue of insufficient demand,” adding that the small social security budget and tight local government finances limit policy options.

After the property sector’s downturn, the adviser added: “We are unable to find new demand drivers.”

Dan Wang (王丹), China director at Eurasia Group, expects the five-year plan to “focus more on people’s livelihood, including social security, healthcare systems, and possibly more support and protection for low-income groups,” but such language should “absolutely not” be read as a paradigm shift.

“In a now very typical Marxist country, it’s all about production,” Wang said.

title: China to keep ‘all about production’ economic policy