taiwan-subdivisions: 北門 布袋 嘉義 七股

title: 「2025鯤鯓王平安鹽祭」11月15、16日登場   搭台灣好行－西濱快線換限量祈福收納袋!

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記者張辰卿/地方報導

「2025鯤鯓王平安鹽祭」將於11月15日至16日隆重登場，這場結合「王爺信仰」與「鹽業文化」的盛會，是世界最大規模的鹽祭典。今年雖經歷颱風重創，但在雲嘉南濱海國家風景區管理處與南鯤鯓代天府等協力下已完成整備，廣邀全國民眾前來共襄盛舉。

為鼓勵民眾選擇最便捷、最低碳的交通方式，「台灣好行-西濱快線」推出平安鹽祭專屬好康！這是您參與盛會、兼享獨家禮遇的最佳途徑。即日起，旅客只要使用電子票證或購買一日券搭乘西濱快線，憑向司機索取的兌換券，即可於指定地點免費兌換限量版「平安鹽祭祈福收納袋」！

▲搭「台灣好行-西濱快線」兌換限量版平安鹽祭祈福收納袋! (圖/雲嘉南濱海國家風景區管理處提供)

「台灣好行-西濱快線」不只是交通工具，更是暢遊嘉南西濱地區的觀光任意門！ 它完美串聯嘉義、台南濱海的重要景點，沿線途經夢幻的布袋高跟鞋教堂、北門水晶教堂、井仔腳瓦盤鹽田，並能直達活動核心的南鯤鯓代天府，以及壯觀的七股鹽山等熱門站點。搭乘台灣好行，省去開車塞車的煩惱，讓您的平安鹽祭之旅從起點就滿載收穫與祝福。

平安鹽祭活動內容豐富，前夕（11月14日）由國際知名大提琴家張正傑舉辦祈福音樂會揭開序幕。今年由朱府千歲王爺輪值，規劃多項精彩儀式，包括大法師祈福、護鹽騎士送鹽，以及憑發票可兌換限量「平安鹽袋」（共12,000份）等。11月15日的「平安鹽祭晚會」邀請蔡昌憲、許志豪等多位巨星登台，並設有雲嘉南觀光圈市集。現場另有總獎金超過新臺幣50萬元的「跋桮挑戰賽」，鼓勵民眾踴躍參加。

▲搭「台灣好行-西濱快線」兌換限量版平安鹽祭祈福收納袋! (圖/雲嘉南濱海國家風景區管理處提供)

誠邀全國民眾搭乘「台灣好行-西濱快線」前往，體驗這場最具特色的宗教與文化盛典！更多活動資訊，請上「雲嘉南，好好玩!!!」臉書粉絲專頁查詢。


countries: 臺灣 日本

title: 經濟部舉辦「2025麻油料理擂台競賽」十強廚藝對決

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記者張辰卿/台北報導

自上（9）月13日的南北場初賽，參賽業者歷經激烈角逐與專業評選，及延續歷年推動臺菜的精神，經濟部今年首度以臺菜經典風味「麻油」為主題，舉辦「2025麻油料理擂台競賽」。決賽於10/26日在南港展覽館盛大登場，取得決賽資格的十家優秀業者再度齊聚一堂，以精湛廚藝詮釋傳統與創新的風味對決，爭奪年度「麻油料理王」殊榮。

此次評審團由裁判長施建發（阿發師）集結國內知名專家與名廚，並特別邀請國際料理聞名的臺裔名廚王凱傑（Jason Wang）與日本米其林星級主廚須賀洋介（Yosuke Suga），共同組成專業評審團，另外為擴大聲量與吸引大眾關注，活動特別設立「全民試吃投票區」，邀請觀眾親自品評參賽作品並投下心目中的人氣獎，讓評比更具公信力與參與感。經評審團專業品評與民眾熱烈投票，傳統組充分展現了深厚的料理底蘊與對傳統精神的堅持，由「台北凱達大飯店-家宴中餐廳」的〈老火甘蔗頭麻油雞〉勇奪金獎；「山海樓」的〈麻油雞米糕〉榮獲銀獎；「台北喜來登大飯店-請客樓」的〈酒香麻油雞煨飯〉摘下銅獎；「山海樓」的〈麻油雞米糕〉獲得最佳人氣獎。創新組則以嶄新思維詮釋了麻油料理的多元風貌，由「台北互舍酒店-互餐廳」的〈互舍椪餅〉勇奪金獎；「沁園春」的〈食客新風四小福〉榮獲銀獎；「台北六福萬怡酒店-粤亮廣式料理」的〈麻油雞水晶凍〉摘下銅獎；「沁園春」的〈食客新風四小福〉獲得最佳人氣獎。

▲「2025麻油料理擂台競賽」決賽創新組由「台北互舍酒店-互餐廳」的〈互舍椪餅〉勇奪金獎。(圖/經濟部商業發展署提供)

經濟部江文若次長表示，臺灣不只擁有傲視全球的半導體產業，商業服務業中的餐飲產業也表現亮眼。飲食對民眾來講，不僅要吃飽，更要吃得好、吃得巧。本次美食競賽以麻油為主題，因為麻油不只是調味品，更代表家的溫暖及文化的傳承，就像媽媽坐月子及入冬後的一碗湯品，總是令人從胃裡湧出一股暖意。今日活動只是個開端，後續將搭配立冬、冬至等重要節氣，大力推廣麻油料理，將臺灣麻油料理推向國際，讓觀光客知道臺灣除了夜市小吃及珍奶，還有香味四溢的麻油料理。

決賽現場米其林餐廳及運用在地食材的料理名店主廚全心投入，無論是在傳統風味的傳承，或創新手法的突破上，都展現主廚烹飪技巧的深厚底蘊與無限潛力。參賽者從食材選配、烹調細節到擺盤設計，無不傾注匠心，讓麻油的溫潤香氣成為創意與技藝交融的象徵。

▲「2025麻油料理擂台競賽」決賽經過激烈競爭，由「台北凱達大飯店-家宴中餐廳」的〈老火甘蔗頭麻油雞〉勇奪傳統組金獎。(圖/經濟部商業發展署提供)

經濟部鼓勵民眾在享受麻油香氣的同時能走入餐廳支持在地店家，以實際行動品味臺菜、活絡餐飲市場，攜手擴大國內消費動能，讓臺灣美味成為推動經濟成長的力量。

FB商業發展署-關心商業大小事https://www.facebook.com/moeadoc.gov.tw

FB臺灣美食https://www.facebook.com/GourmetTaiwan

(經濟部商業發展署廣告)


title: KPS CAPITAL PARTNERS 將從 ALBEMARLE 收購 KETJEN 的控股權

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新公司將成為煉油與石化業的全球先進催化劑與添加劑領袖

紐約2025年10月27日 /美通社/ — KPS Capital Partners, LP（簡稱「KPS」）今天宣佈，已透過新成立附屬公司而與 Albemarle Corporation（簡稱「Albemarle」）（紐約證券交易所代碼：ALB）達成最終協議，即收購 Ketjen Corporation 的煉油催化劑解決方案業務（統稱為「Ketjen」或「公司」）控股權。該交易完成後，KPS 和 Albemarle 將透過自己的附屬公司分別持有約 51% 和 49% 的 Ketjen 股份，而 KPS 在 Ketjen 董事會佔大多數和擁有營運控制權。Albemarle 將保留 100% Ketjen Corporation 的高效能催化劑解決方案（簡稱「PCS」）業務。該交易預計於 2026 年第一季完成，並須遵守常規交易條件和批准。

Ketjen 是全球領先先進催化劑解決方案製造商，而該等先進催化劑解決方案用於轉化、加工和淨化原油和可再生原料為廣泛應用（包括石化、運輸、建築和農業等）的燃料與化學品。該公司的催化劑和添加劑透過提升從各種傳統和再生原料提煉燃料和化學品的可靠性、質素和產量，而提高客戶的盈利能力。Ketjen 總部位於德州侯斯頓，聘任約 840 名員工，並於北美、南美、歐洲和亞洲經營兩個生產設施、兩個研究科技中心和兩間合資企業。

KPS 執行合夥人 Raquel Vargas Palmer 表示：「Ketjen 是石化與燃料生產商的全球領先關鍵催化劑與添加劑供應商，因此我們很高興對 Ketjen 進行控股投資。該公司的解決方案是各式各樣產品（包括可持續發展燃料與化學品）製造所需，確保安全、質素和排放標準，同時提高生產產量和生產商盈利能力。我們將利用 KPS 的數十年全球製造經驗，而於創新與持續進步為中心上建立創業文化，同時提供加速該公司成長機會的策略支援與資金。Ketjen 保持致力支援煉油業客戶，並提供領先業界的解決方案、服務與質素。我們期待與 Ketjen 的優秀員工、高層管理團隊和 Albemarle 合作，推動該公司成長與盈利能力。」

Ketjen 總裁 Michael Simmons 表示：「Ketjen 團隊很高興與 KPS 合作，開啟我們作為獨立公司的新一頁。KPS 在投資和加強工業和特殊物料業務上，擁有優良業績記錄。因此，我們相信他們是支持我們長遠成長的最佳合作夥伴。他們對卓越製造、營運改善和創新的承諾，將協助我們建基於 Ketjen 的強大市場地位，並加深與世界各地客戶的合作關係。」

Albemarle 主席兼行政總裁 Kent Masters 表示：「KPS 及他們於管理大型全球製造和工業企業的公認專業知識，令我們刮目相看。Albemarle 保留在 Ketjen 的股份，突顯我們相信該公司在 KPS 領導下的盈利增長與創造價值潛力，而我們期待與 KPS 合作，推動 Ketjen 的下一階段成長。 」

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP 擔任 KPS 的法律顧問，而 Raymond James 擔任 KPS 的財務顧問。Barclays、Jefferies、BNP Paribas 與 Santander 已承諾提供債務融資，支持此交易。

關於 KetjenKetjen 的煉油催化劑解決方案業務，向石化與煉油業的領先生產商提供先進催化劑解決方案。Ketjen 提供安全兼可靠的解決方案（從流化催化裂解，到潔淨燃料解決方案與加氫處理），盡量提升生產效能與商業價值。Ketjen 總部位於德州侯斯頓，並為 25 個市場的全球客戶提供服務如欲查看更多資料，請瀏覽 www.ketjen.com。

關於 AlbemarleAlbemarle Corporation（紐約證券交易所代碼：ALB）於轉化必要資源為交通、能源、連結和健康的關鍵成份方面，帶領全球。我們以人類和地球為中心，而攜手合作開拓最新移動、能源、連結與保護方式。可靠兼優質的全球鋰和溴供應，協助我們為客戶提供先進解決方案。如欲更了解 Albemarle 同仁如何協助創造更具韌性的世界，請瀏覽 Albemarle.com、LinkedIn 和 X。

關於 KPS Capital PartnersKPS 透過自身附屬管理實體，而成為 KPS Special Situations Funds 投資基金組合的經理，管理資產約 194 億美元（截至 2025 年 6 月 30 日）。三十多年來，KPS 的合夥人一直致力透過對各行各業的製造與工業公司進行控股權投資，而實現顯著資本增值。這些行業包括基本物料、品牌消費品、醫療與奢侈品、汽車零件、資本設備和一般製造業。KPS 透過與優秀管理團隊進行建設性合作和改善企業，而為投資者創造價值，並透過結構地改善投資組合公司的策略地位、競爭力和盈利能力，而帶來投資回報，並非主要依靠財務槓桿。KPS Fund 的投資組合公司目前全球直接或透過合資企業，創造年度總收入約 216 億美元。在 21 個國家/地區經營 211 間製造設施，並聘任約 55,000 名員工（截至 2025 年 6 月 30 日）。如欲查看 KPS 投資策略及投資組合公司資料，請瀏覽 www.kpsfund.com。


title: 「2025香港原創潮玩展@吉隆坡」香港原創設計力量開拓東盟市場

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十二位港產潮玩設計精英 展出超過四百件原創潮玩

五大特色展區曝光 「潮玩 X 香港非遺」限時聯乘引爆潮玩焦點

香港2025年10月27日 /美通社/ — 由創意創業會主辦、文創產業發展處為主要贊助機構的「2025香港原創潮玩展@吉隆坡」，將於 2025年 11月 7 日至 16日在馬來西亞吉隆坡舉行。展覽設有五大展區，雲集十二位知名及新晉香港原創潮玩設計師，展出逾四百五十件原創潮玩。此外，現場亦有博物館藏級及拍賣會級珍藏，涵蓋 1990 年代至今的作品，呈現香港原創潮玩文化的演變與精粹。

「2025香港原創潮玩展@吉隆坡」今日（27日）在香港舉行啟動禮，為盛事揭開序幕。署理文創產業專員曹黎淑霞女士擔任主禮嘉賓，並與創意創業會會長莊詠琳女士、副會長梁永恩先生及展覽策展人江志強先生等嘉賓共同主持啟動儀式。多位參展設計師亦攜同他們的原創作品出席啟動禮，並分享參展心得及創作理念。

署理文創產業專員曹黎淑霞女士感謝創意創業會主辦今次展覽，並預祝展覽圓滿成功、參展設計師滿載而歸。

創意創業會會長莊詠琳女士在啟動禮上表示：「創意創業會致力帶領香港潮玩設計師開拓海外市場，為設計師提供展覽、銷售及商業洽談等實質支援，讓更多海外人士、買家及潛在商業夥伴了解到香港原創潮玩的獨特魅力，並促進同業間的文化交流和合作。期望今次吉隆坡的展覽為設計師在東盟市場開拓更多商機，進一步打響『香港原創』品牌！」

「2025香港原創潮玩展@吉隆坡」將吉隆坡敦拉薩國際貿易購物天堂(The Exchange TRX)的公共空間劃分五大展區，包括「巨匠潮玩」、「飛躍潮玩」、「經典潮玩」、「互動體驗」，以及「潮玩 X 香港非遺」限定展區。場內設計巧妙地以巨型玩具包裝盒、扭蛋機及盲盒作為主題裝置，打造一個玩味十足的沉浸式玩具世界。

今次展覽焦點之一，是首次亮相的「潮玩 X 香港非遺」限定聯乘專區，由其中六位參展香港人氣原創潮玩設計師打造聯乘作品，他們以創新手法將香港獨有的非物質文化遺產，與現代潮玩藝術巧妙結合，打造出限定版潮玩。另外，多位參展的香港人氣潮玩設計師將親臨吉隆坡展覽，並舉辦主題講座，與玩具迷分享香港潮玩獨特魅力。

「2025香港原創潮玩展@吉隆坡」五大展區將呈獻超過四百五十件香港原創潮玩，並設有珍貴資料圖片、錄像、AR互動拍攝專區，帶領觀眾穿越香港潮玩的創意時光。

五大展區焦點搶先看

—「巨匠潮玩」展區 —

展區由六位香港殿堂級原創潮玩設計師的作品坐鎮，包括（排名不分先後）Bee Wong、B.wing、Foon Wong、Kenny Wong、Lung Kasing及 Winson Ma將會展出他們最具代表性的作品，建構獨一無二的陳列空間。觀眾可以在此了解香港頂尖潮玩品牌的創作風格、理念和最新動向，一窺大師級的匠心獨運。

—「飛躍潮玩」展區 —

六位創意出衆的香港設計師，包括（排名不分先後）Felix Ip、Jeffery Yau、Leo Pak、 Nicolas Lesaffre、Steven Choi及 Tony Leung 將他們的精選之作展現於「飛躍潮玩」展區，展現香港原創潮玩的新浪潮與澎湃活力。透過六個開放式設計的獨立攤位，觀眾能近距離欣賞各位設計師的代表作品，並深入了解其創作背景和設計意念。

—「潮玩 X 香港非遺」展區 —

此專區將獨家呈獻六位備受矚目的香港原創潮玩設計師（排名不分先後）：B.wing、Felix Ip、Jeffery Yau、Nicolas Lesaffre、Steven Choi及 Winson Ma專門為是次展覽創作的全新限定聯乘香港非遺的作品。設計師巧妙地將六項香港非物質文化遺產，包括：太極拳、涼茶、飛機欖、印章雕刻技藝、吹糖及飄色製作技藝，與現代潮玩結合，以創新手法重新演繹傳統技藝與文化精髓。透過這些獨特和富創新性的限定作品，觀眾將感受到跨界聯乘所帶來的獨特思維和驚喜體驗。

—「經典潮玩」展區 —

展區將帶領觀眾穿越時空，回溯由上世紀九十年代至今的香港潮玩文化發展軌跡。展品包括一眾殿堂級潮玩設計師的博物館藏級和拍賣會級珍藏。同場亦展出極具歷史價值的海報、錄像、雜誌和不同的周邊產品，讓觀眾一同見證香港潮玩文化在世界各地的影響力和輝煌事蹟。

—「互動體驗」專區 —

多位香港潮玩設計師將會到吉隆坡展覽現場，出席一系列精彩活動及講座。場內更設置擴增實境 (AR) 互動拍攝專區，讓觀眾可以在現實世界中與潮玩角色的 3D 虛擬模型「同框」自拍。觀眾完成拍照並分享至社交媒體後，更有機會參加大型扭蛋遊戲，贏取參展設計師及大會精心挑選的紀念品。

「2025香港原創潮玩展@吉隆坡」展覽詳情：

countries: 香港 馬來西亞


content_text:
COUNTERING CHINA: The US engaged in more strategic dialoguesand information exchanges with Taiwan, seeking to unite democratic alliesto counteract Chinese forces, the bureau said.   By Fang Wei-li, Chen Chih-cheng and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters, with staff writer

The US held at least 15 military drills jointly with its Indo-Pacific allies over the past four months to counteract the Russia-China military coalition and Chinese expansion in the region, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report delivered to the legislature yesterday.

The bureau is to report on “the influence of recent changes in the East Asian situation on Taiwan” at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee today.

In its report, the bureau said that China, Russia and North Korea gathered at China’s large-scale military parade held in Beijing on Sept. 3 to demonstrate their alignment against the US, while the Chinese People’s Liberation Army more frequently conducted joint maritime and aerial drills and “gray zone” harassment in the Taiwan Strait, East China Sea and South China Sea, attempting to challenge the regional order.

On the other hand, the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region engaged in bilateral or multilateral combat-oriented joint exercises, with allies from outside the region such as the UK, France, Canada and the Netherlands occasionally invited, to jointly counter the trilateral alignment and deter Chinese aggressive actions, it said.

Both the frequency and scale of such joint exercises reached a record high, the bureau said.

The US and its allies also reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, it said.

The US not only cooperated with Taiwan to bolster the global semiconductor supply chain, but also engaged in more strategic dialogues and information exchanges with Taiwan about the China’s political infiltration, military expansion, cognitive warfare and cyberattacks, seeking to unite democratic allies to counteract Chinese forces, the bureau said.

Data from the bureau showed that the US armed forces held at least 15 bilateral, trilateral or multilateral exercises along with its Indo-Pacific allies from July to this month, averaging at least three exercises per month.

These joint operations included the first Resolute Force Pacific exercise — which had seven participating countries — the Operation Highmast exercise held by the British Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group, the Bushido Guardian 25 exercise held by the US, Japan and Australia, and the ongoing Annualex 25 exercise led by the US and Japan, it said.

Taiwan’s Han Kuang military exercise, which ran from July 9 to 18, was held concurrently with the Resolute Force Pacific, the Cope Thunder and the Talisman Sabre exercises, the report said.

Although the Ministry of National Defense did not make remarks about such a coincidence, the attitude of the Indo-Pacific region’s democratic partners toward China’s military expansion is implicit in their actions.

The bureau said all these joint exercises focused on multidomain operations, including air superiority, maritime dominance, long-range, anti-ship warfare and mobile reinforcement, as well as cyberwarfare and space warfare, and sought to enhance interoperability.

For example, the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group took part in a joint maritime and aerial exercise with 12 countries — including the US, Japan, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Norway —- while it was conducting the Operation Highmast drills in the region, it said.

The US and its allies intensified their joint exercises in the Indo-Pacific region for a reason — to counteract the China-Russia military coalition and deter Chinese expansion, it added.

title: US steps up military drills: NSB report


content_text:
‘GREAT ALLY’: The US president today is expected to meet new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi before making a speech on an aircraft carrier

Optimism grew yesterday that US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would end their bruising trade war in talks this week, as the US president touched down in Tokyo on the latest leg of an Asian tour.

Trump said en route to close US ally Japan that he was hopeful of a deal when he sees Xi on Thursday, while also indicating he was willing to extend his trip to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

“I have a lot of respect for President Xi and we are going to I think ... come away with a deal,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, adding that he aimed to go to China “in the earlier part” of next year.

US President Donald Trump, left, is welcomed by Japanese Emperor Naruhito upon his arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo yesterday. Photo: AFP

As dozens of people gathered at Haneda airport to take photographs, the presidential plane — also bearing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent — landed at sunset.

Sporting a golden tie, Trump boarded a helicopter to take him into the bright lights of the Japanese metropolis in time for an evening audience with the emperor.

“A great man,” Trump said afterward.

Trump today is expected to meet new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and make a speech on the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, docked at the US naval base Yokosuka.

“I hear phenomenal things. [Takaichi] was a great ally and friend of [former Japanese prime minister] Shinzo Abe, who was my friend,” Trump said.

Trump’s Asia trip, his first tour of the region since returning to office, began in Malaysia on Sunday with a flurry of agreements on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit.

He also moved to mend fences with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but not with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, ruling out a meeting any time soon.

“Canada has been ripping us off for a long time and they’re not going to rip us off any more,” Trump said.

Trump is due to meet Xi on Thursday in South Korea for their first face-to-face talks since the 79-year-old Republican’s return to the White House.

Takaichi on Friday last week announced that Japan would be spending 2 percent of GDP on defense this fiscal year, but Washington, which has about 60,000 military personnel in Japan, wants Tokyo to spend more, potentially matching the 5 percent of GDP pledged by NATO members in June.

Most Japanese imports into the US are subject to tariffs of 15 percent, less painful than the 25 percent first threatened.

However, Trump also wants Japan to import more US products such as rice, soybeans and cars, including “hot” Ford F-150 pickup trucks.

Questions also surround Japan’s commitment to invest US$550 billion in the US, as specified in their July trade deal.

“What I expect is that, since he [Trump] is someone who acts decisively, things might move in a positive direction for Japan,” Tokyo resident Sayaka Kamimoto, 45, said.

Trump is due in South Korea tomorrow for an APEC summit and is due to meet South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

Trump has also fueled speculation that he could hold face-to-face talks with North Korea’s Kim while on the Korean Peninsula.

“I would love to meet with him if he’d like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong-un. I liked him. He liked me,” Trump said.

title: Trump lands in Japan hopeful of a China deal


title: IAJ deeply regrets Taiwanese judges being excluded

content_text:
By Yang Kuo-wen and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The International Association of Judges (IAJ) has pledged to uphold members’ unconditional right to participate in annual meetings, saying it deeply regrets that Taiwan’s representatives were excluded from this year’s gathering in Azerbaijan, the Judges Association of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (JAROC) said yesterday.

Six members of the JAROC were unable to attend the 67th IAJ annual meeting in Azerbaijan earlier this month after being denied entry permits.

The Azerbaijan Union of Judges had repeatedly assured the IAJ that it would assist members without prior visas to obtain visas on arrival, saying it had received approval from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Taiwanese association said.

The 67th Annual Meeting of the International Association of Judges held in Baku, Azerbaijan, is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: screen grab from International Association of Judges’ Web Site

Five of the judges canceled their trip after they did not receive formal invitation letters or entry permits from the Azerbaijani government.

The delegation’s leader, High Court Judge Lin Yi-lun (林伊倫), flew to Azerbaijan, but was denied entry at the border and forced to return.

The Azerbaijani government’s exclusion of Taiwan’s judges was reportedly due to pressure from China to uphold the “one China” principle.

The JAROC promptly called on the IAJ to establish a clear, public and transparent mechanism to prevent similar incidents from happening.

The Judicial Yuan also expressed deep concern over the unfair treatment of JAROC’s representatives, and said it would continue to support civil organizations in promoting Taiwan’s freedom and rule of law on the global stage.

The JAROC yesterday said that it received a letter from the IAJ expressing regret over the exclusion, which it said hurt the entire organization and its annual meeting.

The Azerbaijani State Migration Service had contravened the IAJ’s spirit of international cooperation and inclusiveness, it said.

It pledged to uphold the unconditional right of members to participate, and to choose the meeting location carefully to ensure that no judge is excluded due to government policies.

Taiwan’s association thanked the IAJ for its support and promises, saying it looks forward to every member being able to participate in future annual meetings.


content_text:
Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching claim the mixed doubles title in London

Taiwanese Olympians Lin Yun-ju (林昀儒) and Cheng I-ching (鄭怡靜) on Sunday won the mixed doubles title at the World Table Tennis Star Contender London competition.

The duo, ranked No. 11 in the world, defeated world No. 5 pairing Wong Chun Ting (黃鎮廷) and Doo Hoi Kem (杜凱?) of Hong Kong on the final day of the event at the Copper Box Arena in London.

The Taiwanese started off strong, pulling six points ahead of their rivals at one point in the first game, but Wong and Doo bounced back to win the game 11-8.

Taiwanese table tennis players Cheng I-ching, left, and Lin Yun-ju hold their trophies at the awards ceremony at the World Table Tennis Star Contender London competition on Sunday. Photo: screen grab from World Table Tennis’ Facebook page

At the start of the second game, Lin and Cheng seemed to have regained their composure and they went neck-and-neck with Wong and Doo, tying the score 9-9 at one point, before going on to win 11-9.

The Taiwanese mixed doubles partners, who were bronze medal winners at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, maintained their momentum in the third game, taking it 11-7.

They seemed unstoppable when the crucial fourth game started, as they quickly took an early five-point lead, scoring a 7-2 advantage.

With just one final point to conclude the 10-6 game for the gold, the Taiwanese duo faced a strong comeback by the Hong Kong players, who scored three points to put the game on edge at 10-9.

However, with the gold medal in sight, Lin and Cheng converted a match point to win the game and take the mixed doubles title.

Once ranked world No. 1 as a mixed team, Lin and Cheng had been playing with other partners or competing in other categories before teaming up again this season.

At the Star Contender London competition, held between Tuesday last week and Sunday, Lin and Cheng made it as far as the semi-finals in the men’s and women’s singles respectively.


content_text:
India, China direct flights resume as relations improve

Passengers of the first direct flight between India and China in five years touched down yesterday, after Asia’s giants lifted a long-term air travel suspension as they cautiously rebuild relations.

IndiGo Flight 6E1703 from Kolkata touched down in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou shortly before 4am, officially resuming nonstop air links that had been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent geopolitical tensions.

The neighbors and world’s two most populous nations remain strategic rivals competing for regional influence, but ties have eased gradually since a deadly Himalayan border clash in 2020.

Passengers line up to check in for a direct flight from Guangzhou, China, to Kolkata, India, at Guangzhou airport yesterday. Photo: AFP

The Indian government said the resumption of flights would boost “people-to-people contact” and aid the gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges.

Passengers aboard the first flight — among them many Indians in search of cross-border business opportunities — spoke at Guangzhou airport about the convenience of the resumed links.

“It was such a smooth and easy, lovable trip,” said Rashika Mintri, a 44-year-old interior designer from Kolkata.

“I could come again and again,” she said.

Warming relations with Beijing come as India’s ties with key trade partner Washington falter, following US President Donald Trump’s order imposing punishing 50 percent tariffs.

Trump’s aides have accused India of fueling Russia’s war in Ukraine by buying Moscow’s oil.

There are already regular flights between India and Hong Kong, while additional services from the capital New Delhi to Shanghai and Guangzhou are to begin next month.

Abhijit Mukherjee, the captain of the flight yesterday, said that without the new nonstop flights, passengers would need to travel through other airports, such as Bangkok or Singapore.

“It adds up,” the 55-year-old pilot said of the transfers.

The direct flight he had just completed was “very smooth,” he said, holding a bouquet of flowers presented to him upon arrival.

India’s eastern port city of Kolkata has centuries-old ties with China dating back to British rule, when Chinese migrants arrived as traders. Indo-Chinese fusion food remains a beloved staple of the city’s culinary identity.

“It’s great news for people like us, who have relatives in China,” said Chen Khoi Kui, a civil society leader in Kolkata’s Chinatown district of Tangra. “Air connectivity will boost trade, tourism and business travel.”

India runs a significant trade deficit with Beijing, relying heavily on Chinese raw materials for industrial and export growth.

The thaw between New Delhi and Beijing followed meetings between their leaders in Russia last year and in China in August.

The resumption of direct flights is a “first step” in repairing ties, said passenger Athar Ali, a 33-year-old businessman from India, as he waited to check in for IndiGo’s flight returning the aircraft to Kolkata.

Earlier this month, soldiers on each side exchanged gifts of candy on the Hindu festival of Diwali as a gesture of goodwill.


title: MND denounces report of China bomber drills

content_text:
CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS:  The defense ministry reported no unusual activity in the region, stating that just four Chinese aircraft have been spotted in the previous 24 hours

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday denounced as a propaganda ploy a Chinese state media report that a group of Chinese H-6K bombers flew near Taiwan to practice “confrontation drills.”

Chinese state media late on Sunday publicized the alleged drills ahead of an expected meeting in South Korea between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).

The MND has not reported any unusual activity lately.

A Chinese military aircraft is pictured in an undated video released by the Chinese state-run China Central Television. Photo: Screengrab from the China Central Television’s Web site.

China Central Television’s Sina Weibo account said, without giving a date, that Chinese People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command units had conducted combat-oriented training to test their capabilities in areas such as air blockades and precision strikes.

“Several J-10 fighters flew in combat formation to a designated target airspace, and multiple H-6K bombers went to the waters and airspace around Taiwan island to carry out simulated confrontation drills,” it added, without providing the location.

The H-6K strategic bomber can carry nuclear weapons.

The MND said in a statement that the report was “clearly a public-opinion operation aimed at intimidation.”

“We call on our citizens to remain united in the face of such cognitive operations, to uphold freedom and democracy, and to defend our homeland together,” it added.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not respond to a request for comment.

In its daily bulletin of Chinese activities in the previous 24 hours, the MND yesterday morning reported just four Chinese military aircraft — three fighter jets in the Taiwan Strait and one support aircraft to the southwest of Taiwan.

Defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity through “concrete actions and safeguarding the peace and happiness of hundreds of millions of people is our solemn commitment,” the China Central Television report said.

It showed a video of bombs being dropped, and in one segment an air force officer says that the “coast of Taiwan can be clearly made out,” although it is not clear from the image whether any land can be seen.

Trump and Xi are expected to meet on the sidelines of a regional summit in South Korea this week to discuss their ongoing trade dispute.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said that Taiwan should not be concerned about the talks.

Taipei has over the decades enjoyed strong, although unofficial, support from Washington, which despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

In an interview with two Taiwanese YouTubers broadcast late on Saturday, President William Lai (賴清德) said peace had to rely on strength, pointing to his government’s commitment to increased defense spending.

“We have ideals about peace, but cannot have illusions to believe that an agreement on a piece of paper can achieve peace,” he added.

China has rebuffed multiple offers of talks from Lai, accusing him of being a “separatist.” Lai has said only Taiwanese can decide their future.

people: 賴清德 習近平


title: Trump-Xi talks no threat: experts

content_text:
BIGGER FISH:  While Taiwan is a sensitive issue between the US and China, it is not the most urgent for Trump and Xi to address in South Korea, an academic said

The US would not give up on Taiwan in the short term and would not reach a major deal on cross-strait issues when US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) meet in South Korea on Thursday, an academic said yesterday.

Trump has said he would bring up Taiwan in his talks with Xi, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said the US would not seek a favorable trade agreement with China at the price of “walking away from Taiwan.”

Trump-Xi talks create unease with Taiwanese as the US president’s behavior is unpredictable, which has been compounded by US tariffs and his pressure on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co to expand investments in the US, an official familiar with Chinese “united front” tactics said.

Tamkang University Center for Cross-Strait Relations director Chang Wu-ueh speaks at a seminar at National Chengchi University in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chen Fu-yu, Taipei Times

That is why Rubio made public remarks that the meeting would not put Taiwan at stake, they said.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wants Washington to support its anti-Taiwanese independence position, but China’s assertion that it could take Taiwan by force complicates the problem, the official said.

“Anyone who does not support cross-strait ‘reunification,’ including those who support the Republic of China, can be accused [by the CCP] of ‘supporting Taiwanese independence,’” they said.

US skepticism sentiment has risen in Taiwan as the CCP spreads news ahead of the talks, they added.

However, Washington would be going against the “six assurances” it pledged to Taiwan in a 1982 joint communique if it were to join China in opposing Taiwanese independence, they said.

Tamkang University Center for Cross-Strait Relations director Chang Wu-ueh (張五岳) said at a seminar at National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations that Taiwan is the most sensitive, most important issue between the US and China, but it is not the most urgent matter, and therefore would not be prioritized in this week’s talks.

Compared with other issues that could have severe consequences — such as those concerning tariffs, trade, economics and technology — the Taiwan-US relationship has not been at the center of the current conflict between the US and China, he said.

Although Beijing would prefer Washington to shift to an “anti-Taiwanese independence” stance and would elaborate on its so-called cross-strait “reunification” policy during the talks, both sides know they must minimize disagreements and avoid miscalculations, Chang said.

The talks are unlikely to result in a major agreement on cross-strait issues, he added.

The two countries still lack mutual trust, he said.

Xi does not have any bargaining chip good enough to satisfy Trump, and there are also disagreements in China about whether Trump is credible, he said.


title: DPP knocks new KMT head’s budget opposition

content_text:
Taiwan cannot trust China to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said yesterday in response to incoming Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) opposition to increasing the military budget.

Cheng, who is on Saturday to start her four-year term as leader of the KMT, said that Taiwan cannot afford President William Lai’s (賴清德) proposal to raise military spending to 3.32 percent of GDP.

However, Chung said the increased spending is needed, as US President Donald Trump has pressured countries aligned with the US to take greater responsibility for their own defense.

Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin speaks to reporters at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-song, Taipei Times

If the KMT hopes to return to power after years in the opposition, it needs to understand the importance of maintaining good relations with democratic allies, he said.

“It is especially important for Taiwan’s leader to maintain friendly ties with the US,” he said.

Taiwan cannot place all of its faith in preserving peace in the goodwill of China, Chung added.

Domestic and international media have suggested that Cheng’s opposition to raising the military budget could upset Washington and Trump.

It is the responsibility of all Taiwanese to safeguard peace and national security, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said.

“It is important that all of us face up to the military threat from communist China,” Wang said.

Cheng’s opposition to increasing military spending would anger Trump, but those who should really be upset are Taiwanese, he said.

China has raised its military expenditure every year to 1.78 trillion yuan (US$249.95 billion) this year, Wang said.

“We see Beijing bolstering its budget to upgrade weapons and the training of its armed forces. We are facing this increasing military threat, and we must also spend more on defense to safeguard our homeland,” he said.

Beijing opposes Taiwanese sovereignty and any voice advocating for Taiwanese independence, he said.

“They do not want Taiwan’s 23 million people to have any form of national sovereignty, whether we call ourselves ‘Taiwan’ or the ‘Republic of China,’” he added. “It does not matter what term we use. China only wants Taiwanese to accept its ‘one country, two systems’ framework, under which Beijing rules Taiwan.”

Taiwan can only hope to deter a military conflict by preparing for war, and only when Taiwan possesses sufficient military strength can it negotiate peace, Wang said.

If Taiwan weakens its military and undermines national security, it would be at the mercy of an enemy state, which would force Taiwanese to pay a terrible price, he added.

people: 賴清德 鄭麗文 鍾佳濱 王定宇


content_text:
KMT pre-election blackout bill risky, DPP legislator says

A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) bill to shorten the pre-election media blackout period from 10 days to three could open the door to foreign interference, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said on Sunday.

KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) introduced draft amendments to Article 53 of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), saying that no evidence shows pre-election polls influence voters’ decisions.

Most countries with similar restrictions limit the publication of polls to one to six days before voting, and many have moved to shorten that period, Weng said.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung delivers a speech at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times file photo

Her bill seeks to protect the public’s right to know, in line with the Constitution’s protection of freedom of speech, she said.

The bill passed its preliminary review in December last year after KMT lawmakers blocked DPP members from entering the meeting room and approved it unanimously in the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee.

The proposed three-day blackout period might appear to enhance transparency, but would weaken safeguards against the spread of fake polls and external manipulation, Chuang said.

The 10-day blackout period is designed to prevent fabricated polls from influencing election results, he said, adding that reducing it to three days would leave insufficient time to fact-check and counter misinformation.

Given China’s long history of using disinformation and fake polls to manipulate public opinion in Taiwan, the potential risks should be carefully considered, he said.

While the public’s right to know is important, national security and electoral integrity must also be ensured, he added.

If the blackout period is shortened, fact-checking mechanisms, penalties and media self-regulation must also be enhanced; otherwise, more false polls could circulate, Chuang said, urging the governing and opposition parties to evaluate the proposal cautiously.

Citizen Congress Watch executive director Chang Hung-lin (張宏林) on Sunday said that shortening the blackout period could create social disruption ahead of elections.

China has interfered in Taiwan’s elections, and even the KMT has acknowledged the problem, he said, citing former Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), who condemned China for allegedly employing online operatives to manipulate the KMT’s chairperson election.

Taiwan currently lacks legal provisions to penalize people who fabricate election polls, Chang said.

The legislature should focus on amending regulations to penalize the dissemination of fake polls rather than shortening the blackout period, which could further polarize society during elections, he said.

The influence of external disinformation and fake social media accounts on Taiwan’s elections should also be addressed, he added.

people: 張宏林 莊瑞雄


content_text:
NONCOMPLIANT:  The farm failed to show its kitchen waste was cooked properly, but Taichung’s environment bureau did not visit the site in June or August, an official said

The first stage of disease tracing showed that the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak has been contained at its initial site in Taichung’s Wuci District (梧棲), Deputy Minister of Agriculture Tu Wen-jane (杜文珍) said yesterday.

Tu told a news conference in Taichung held by the ASF Forward Command Center that the public can be “assured, but not relaxed.”

Meanwhile, Taichung Agriculture Bureau Director Chang Ching-chang (張敬昌) gave a timeline of the outbreak.

Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih, left, speaks at the Central Emergency Operations Center for African swine fever in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times

The city’s Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office received a report on Oct. 13 evening from a veterinary aide surnamed Wang (王), who worked with the affected farm, and officials were dispatched to the site the following day, he said.

The office’s veterinarian diagnosed the pigs with an actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection, but did not collect samples after hearing that the hog farmer, surnamed Chen (陳), had given medication to the animals that had nasal bleeding, Chang said.

The same veterinarian returned to the site on Monday last week to take samples, he said, adding that the pigs did not show typical symptoms of ASF, so sampling was not considered necessary.

Chen had not committed a regulatory violation by administering medication to his pigs after abnormal deaths without reporting the matter to the office veterinarian, Chang said.

Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) has also said that sampling would be required for pigs with bleeding symptoms.

A city government investigation found that Chen had called Wang for advice regarding his pigs, who provided instructions and medication.

However, Wang was only a veterinarian aide and was not authorized to prescribe medication, prompting authorities to take him in for questioning.

Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said that the farm had also failed to upload required videos or photographs showing kitchen waste being cooked properly before being fed to pigs.

The farm uploaded such data 24 times in May, eight times in June and once in July, but did not upload anything in August, Peng said.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) yesterday said that there are currently no penalties for such contraventions, and urged lawmakers to amend the law accordingly.

Environmental protection agencies are required to inspect pig farms once every two to three months to ensure the safety of feeding procedures, Environmental Management Administration Deputy Director-General Lin Tso-hsiang (林左祥) said.

If a farm fails to upload records, inspections should be increased to once every month, he said.

However, the Taichung Environmental Protection Bureau only inspected the site in May and July, and did not visit in June or August, he added.

Bureau head Chen Hung-yi (陳宏益) said that it recorded 15 contraventions from the 37 pig farms in the city that use food waste as feed over the past two years.

In the 24 times the outbreak site was inspected over the past three years, there were no problems or any records of fines, he said, adding that the bureau had called the farm every month since June to demand the records.

title: ASF outbreak at initial site contained


title: More rain, cooler air for northern Taiwan: CWA

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COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday

The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country.

The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said.

The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said.

From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas, and 20°C to 21°C in low-lying and coastal areas, he said.

Daytime highs are forecast to reach 23°C to 25°C, he said.

Temperatures in the north tomorrow might briefly rebound to a high of about 28°C, with a chance of sunshine on the western side of the Taipei metropolitan area.

When the second wave of northeasterly winds arrives on Friday, temperatures would fall gradually to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, Liu said.

Rain would continue mainly in the windward areas of the region throughout the week, with heavy showers likely on the north coast of Keelung, in mountainous areas around Taipei and in Yilan County, he said.

A northeasterly monsoon is today to bring rain to northern and eastern Taiwan, thunderstorms in mountainous areas and possible scattered showers in central parts of the country, Liu said.

With the arrival of the next surge of northeasterly winds on Friday, more rain is expected in northern and eastern Taiwan, and some afternoon thunderstorms in the central and southern regions, he said.


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Holiday travel, temperature swings spread flu: doctor

Drastic temperature swings in late autumn combined with increased travel have created a breeding ground for viruses, particularly influenza, as clinics across Taiwan reported a sharp increase in visits following the holidays, a doctor said on Sunday.

The late autumn to early winter travel season serves as a prelude to peak flu transmission, thoracic and critical care medicine specialist Ooi Hean (黃軒) wrote on social media, urging people to watch for symptoms such as fever, pain and extreme fatigue.

Many people mistake initial flu symptoms for a common cold triggered by cooler weather, but within three days, they might develop a high fever, severe body aches and intense sore throats, and test positive for the flu, he said.

The significant temperature differences, from warm during the day to cold at night, in late fall dry out respiratory mucosa, making it more susceptible to viruses, Ooi said.

Furthermore, people on holiday trips carried viruses across the country, he added.

The flu peak in temperate northern hemisphere areas mostly spans from October to April, he said.

Influenza A (H3N2) is expected to be the dominant strain this year, Ooi said, adding that last year’s flu vaccine might not protect against this season’s strains.

The WHO updates the vaccine strain annually based on viral mutations, with the H3N2 subtype showing a notable change this year, he said.

Meanwhile, H1N1 and Victoria, a lineage of type B, strains remain largely unchanged, he said.

Staying up late, irregular sleep schedules and indulging in fried foods can weaken the immune system, Ooi said.

Poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep significantly increases the risk of flu and upper respiratory infections, the doctor said, citing research results, one of which involved hundreds of thousands of participants showing that people with insomnia face a fourfold higher risk of contracting the flu.

Influenza is not just a “cold,” he said, urging people to watch for signs, including a fever above 38°C with chills, muscle and joint aches, severe headache and sore throat, extreme fatigue, and shortness of breath, especially for people with chronic illnesses and elderly people.

Those with these symptoms should seek medical attention, as antiviral drugs, such as oseltamivir, can effectively shorten the illness duration and lower the risk of severe complications if administered within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, he said.

To boost immunity and protect against viruses, people should prioritize sleep, aiming for seven hours nightly; wear masks in public, and thoroughly wash their hands and face once home; stay hydrated with warm water to maintain mucosal barriers; and limit consumption of fried foods, while eating vegetables, fruit and high-quality proteins such as fish, tofu and eggs, Ooi said.

Members of high-risk groups, such as pregnant women, elderly people and those with chronic conditions, should get vaccinated early to reduce the risk of severe illness and complications, he said.


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Good diet, exercise, sun exposure urged to avoid sarcopeniaBy Yang Mien-chieh and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Those older than 40 years old should make sure they get a sufficient amount of exercise, food and sun exposure to avoid sarcopenia, a medical researcher said on Sunday.

After the age of 40, muscle mass begins to decline, which can lead to sarcopenia — a loss of muscle mass, strength and function — which raises the risk of falls and fractures, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences assistant professor Wang Hsiao-ping (王曉萍) said.

Sarcopenia is a common but often overlooked problem among older adults, particularly when combined with poor nutrition and lack of physical activity, which can accelerate loss of mobility and independence, she said.

Wang said the condition typically appears in people older than 60, but might develop earlier among those with chronic diseases or sedentary lifestyles.

Many with sarcopenia might not even know they have the condition, but a simple way to check for it is to form a circle around the thickest part of your calf using the thumbs and index fingers of your two hands, she said.

“If there is a gap between your fingers and your leg, it could indicate possible sarcopenia,” Wang said.

Another method is to sit with your knees bent at a 90° angle and measure around the thickest part of your calf using soft tape, she said.

Men with a circumference smaller than 34cm and women with less than 33cm are in a high-risk group, Wang said.

Exercise is the best way to delay muscle loss, she said, recommending that people do resistance training, such as squats, elastic band exercises or weight training two to three times per week.

This should be complemented by 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly, such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling, to improve cardiovascular health, Wang said, adding that balance exercises such as taichi and yoga can also reduce the risk of falling and help seniors stay mobile.

“Diet plays an equally important role. For those without medical restrictions, protein intake should reach 1.2g to 1.5g per kilogram of body weight per day, evenly distributed across three meals,” she said, citing fish, chicken, eggs, soy products and dairy as good sources of protein.

Vitamin D and calcium are also key to maintaining strong bones and muscles, and can be obtained from foods such as fish, eggs, tofu and milk, Wang said.

Omega-3 fatty acids from salmon and nuts help reduce inflammation and support muscle function, she added.

Wang cautioned against diets consisting only of starch or vegetables, as it could lead to malnutrition and muscle loss.

“Sunlight exposure also helps strengthen bones. Sunlight enables the body to produce vitamin D, which boosts immunity, supports bone health and improves sleep quality,” she said.

However, people should avoid the intense midday sun and instead expose their arms and legs to sunlight for 15 to 30 minutes before 10am or after 4pm, while taking appropriate skin protection measures, she added.


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Alishan tour train tickets to go on sale from Nov. 18

Tickets for maple viewing tours on the Alishan Forest Railway in December are to go on sale on Nov. 18, the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office said yesterday.

The “dancing maples” themed steam train tours traverse Chiayi County’s Alishan National Forest Recreation Area and Erwanping (二萬平), stopping at key stations along the route and several exclusive maple-viewing spots, it said.

There would be performances at Jhushan Station (祝山), the highest station in Taiwan, and Dueigaoyue Station (對高岳), the office said, adding that those who join would have an opportunity to view the famous “sea of clouds” at Erwanping.

A steam train on the Alishan Forest Railway is pictured at Jhushan Station in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office

Five tours are to run on Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, and tours are limited to 100 passengers, it said.

Tours reservations are to cost NT$3,100 (US$101), and would include train tickets, a meal and souvenirs, the office said.

The tours would run on the Steam Locomotive No. 31, a Shay locomotive previously used for the logging industry, the carriages of which are made entirely of Taiwanese cypress, it said.

Ecological photographer Huang Yuan-ming (黃源明), known for his pictures of the Alishan sea of clouds, is leading the tours, it added.

Passengers would be served a seasonal lunchbox on the return journey, featuring regional delicacies such as handmade bread from the Tsou indigenous community, locally grown pumpkin and wild onion leaves, it said.

Tickets can be booked online at the official Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office’s Web site or Facebook page, with reservations to open at 10am 15 days before each departure date, it said. Bookings can be made at (05) 277-9843 ext. 359.


title: Investigation into couple’s deaths point to overdose

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Police said an investigation into the deaths of a man and a woman at a Taipei luxury residence found illegal substances in the room, such as mephedrone, ketamine and nimetazepam, as well as one vaping device, and the cause of death was likely drug overdose.

The case received significant media attention, as the deaths happened in a high-end residential complex in an upscale area and the deceased were young.

The man, who owned the unit and managed a venture capital company that invests in tech start-ups, was in his 30s, while the woman was 25, police said.

A photo of an apartment in Taipei, where two people were found dead in their living room on Saturday. Photo: Screen grab from Google Maps

The father of the man, surnamed Chen (陳), said that after he could not reach his son on Saturday, he went to his home to look for him.

As he had a key to the residence, he went in and found his son and the woman, surnamed Tseng (曾), next to each other in front of the sofa in the living room, he said, adding that he then called an ambulance and the police.

When medics arrived, they found that the couple had no vital signs, and they were declared dead at a hospital.

Evidence at the scene showed no signs of a third party nor foul play, police said, adding that the building’s surveillance system showed no other person had entered the unit after Chen and Tseng came home on Friday, and that they did not go outside again.

Police said they found an unknown white powder and other materials on the table, as well as a vaping device, so they suspect that the couple had been consuming narcotics, which led to an overdose.

Initial test results from the police’s forensic science center yesterday confirmed that the white powder contained several substances classified as illegal narcotics in Taiwan, they said.

The powder included mephedrone, also known as Meow Meow (喵喵), a synthetic stimulant related to amphetamine, as well as nimetazepam, a hypnotic drug popular at parties, police said, adding that the vape pod allegedly contained cannabis.

Family members of the deceased agreed to an autopsy, which would be performed in the next few days, so that forensic doctors can determine the exact cause of death, police investigators said.


title: Australian firefighters help Taiwan stray dogs

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The Australian Firefighters Calendar, a company known for its calendars featuring shirtless male firefighters, yesterday teamed up with the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (ANZCham) to donate NT$80,000 of its calendar sales to a stray dog shelter in Taipei.

The calendar typically chooses one non-governmental organization to donate to. This year, it was Dog Home Taiwan, Australian Firefighters Calendar director David Rogers told a news conference at Taipei Expo Park.

Ezydog, an Australian manufacturer of dog accessories, also donated NT$80,000 worth of products to the shelter.

Australian firefighters pose with dogs adopted through Dog Home Taiwan and their owners at Taipei Expo Park yesterday. Photo: CNA

ANZCham executive director Glenn Lio (劉少浡) said that the size of the donation is usually based on sales of the Australian Firefighters Calendar.

The donation this year were raised from the sales of previous calendars, Lio said.

Rogers said the firefighters featured in the calendars are usually chosen from across Australia, from Melbourne to Perth and the Great Barrier Reef region.

The first criterion is that they need to identify with the “charity side” of the business and be willing to give back through donations or dedication of their personal time, he said.

“They have to look fit and strong, which is important, but to me the most important thing is they’ve got to be good people,” he said.

Each year, his team turns down 100 to 150 firefighters, due to the large number of applicants, Rogers said.

Alex Eldridge, one of the calendar’s models, said it was a rewarding process.

“I’m a dog lover myself, so it’s nice to be able to give back to charities that we resonate with,” Eldridge said.

ANZCham Taiwan on Tuesday next week is to hold its Melbourne Cup Charity Luncheon at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Taipei for the fourth consecutive year to continue its fundraising drive for the care of stray dogs in Taiwan and for other causes, Lio said.

Some of the Australian firefighters featured on this year’s calendar participated in the Taiwan Pride parade in Taipei on Saturday and gave away free calendars, he said.

The firefighters are this week to engage in exchanges with their counterparts in Taitung County and Kaohsiung, and are to attend the charity luncheon as well, he added.


title: Run for a cause

content_text: Uniform Invoice Cup participants run in Kaohsiung yesterday. The annual event is held by the Ministry of Finance to encourage people to ask for a receipt whenever they make a purchase. This year’s event also collected 732,168 receipts, which would be donated to 20 social welfare groups in Kaohsiung.


content_text: Residents of Hualien County’s Guangfu Township who were affected by the Mataian River barrier lake disaster last month protest outside a community recreational center yesterday. They accused Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi, elected from Hualien County, and KMT Legislator Sra Kacaw of barring residents from participating in a post-disaster reconstruction meeting at the center.

title: Community outrage


title: European get-together

content_text: Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, front third left, and Rihards Kols, chair of the Formosa Club annual conference, front third right, pose for a group photograph with attendees of the Formosa Club’s annual conference at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. The Formosa Club in Europe, a cross-party platform of European legislators, is holding its second annual conference in Taipei between yesterday and today.


title: Taiwan shares close at record high

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OPTIMISM:  Asian equities rallied to record levels as progress in US-China trade negotiations and expectations of a Fed rate cut bolstered investor confidence

Taiwanese shares yesterday closed sharply higher at a new record, lifted by optimism over progress in US-China trade talks and expectations of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve this week.

Shares elsewhere in Asia also rallied, with Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 breaching 50,000 for the first time and South Korea’s KOSPI closing at a new high.

“Like other Asian markets, local investors were encouraged by the upbeat mood over US-China trade talks to raise their holdings today,” MasterLink Securities Corp (元富證券) analyst Tom Tang (湯忠謙) said.

A woman stands in front of an electronic stock board at the Taiwan Stock Exchange in Taipei on Oct, 13. Photo: CNA

“Buying focused on tech stocks, as many investors were hoping for a rate cut by the Fed after Washington reported cooler than expected inflation in September,” Tang said. “Lower interest rates will no doubt make tech stocks dividend yields more attractive.”

On Sunday, US and Chinese negotiators agreed on a framework for a trade deal ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea on Thursday, on the sidelines of the APEC summit — their first face-to-face encounter since Trump returned to office in January.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent told CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday that the threat of additional tariffs on China was “effectively off the table.”

In a series of US television interviews, Bessent said the discussions produced initial agreements for Beijing to curb exports of precursor chemicals used in fentanyl production and to make “substantial” purchases of soybeans and other agricultural products, while delaying new export controls on rare earths.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰) said the two sides reached a “preliminary consensus” on tariffs, export controls and fentanyl cooperation, describing the talks as “candid, in-depth and constructive.”

The breakthrough came after months of escalating tensions, with Trump threatening a massive tariff hike in response to China’s expansion of rare earth export controls early this month — a move Washington called “economic coercion.”

“Despite the framework agreed upon by US and Chinese negotiators, investors need to watch closely how the Trump-Xi meeting proceeds as uncertainties remain before a formal deal is cut,” Tang said.

The TAIEX rose 461.37 points, or 1.68 percent, to close at 27,993.63, retreating slightly from 28,000 after contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) pared early gains on profit-taking. TSMC closed up 2.07 percent at NT$1,480.

In Japan, opinion polls showed newly installed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had public support for her market-friendly policies and confident debut at the regional summit.

The Nikkei 225 gained 2.5 percent to finish at a record 50,512.32.

Seoul’s KOSPI also advanced more than 2 percent to break 4,000 for the first time, boosted by a 3 percent rise in Samsung Electronics Co and a nearly 5 percent jump in chipmaker SK Hynix Inc.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney also made gains, while Jakarta and Manila fell.

Additional reporting by AP and AFP


title: Jobless rate dips to a 25-year low for September

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STABILIZED MARKET: Despite stronger hiring, rising underemployment pointed to the impact of US tariffs and the global manufacturing softness

Taiwan’s unemployment rate fell to 3.38 percent last month — the lowest for September in 25 years — as more first-time jobseekers secured employment, although a rise in underemployment highlighted lingering pressure from US trade tariffs, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.

After seasonal adjustments, the jobless rate held steady at 3.35 percent, unchanged from August, indicating that overall labor market conditions have stabilized following the end of the graduation season, the agency said.

The number of unemployed dropped by 8,000, or 2 percent, to 407,000 as recent graduates entered the workforce, DGBAS Census Department Deputy Director Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) told a news conference in Taipei.

Jobseekers fill out application forms at a job fair at the Chungyo Department Store in Taichung on Aug. 30. Photo provided by a reader via CNA

However, signs of strain remain. The number of underemployed — those working fewer than 35 hours a week for economic reasons — climbed to 129,000, an increase of 8,000, or 6.56 percent, from August, reaching the highest level this year.

“The US tariff policy is still affecting Taiwan’s labor market,” Tan said, adding that manufacturing employment has fallen by about 13,000 from a year earlier, with reciprocal tariffs and global industrial overcapacity dampening orders and constraining hiring in traditional sectors.

If ongoing tariff negotiations with Washington yield more favorable terms, Taiwan’s labor market should remain stable rather than weaken further, she said.

Job losses due to business downsizing, closures or dissatisfaction with previous employment each declined by about 2,000, suggesting a gradual improvement in overall employment conditions, Tan added.

By education level, university graduates recorded the highest unemployment rate at 4.6 percent, followed by 3.27 percent among those with graduate degrees and 2.99 percent among high school or vocational school graduates, DGBAS data showed.

By age group, those aged 20 to 24 had the highest jobless rate at 12.01 percent, while those aged 15 to 19 stood at 9.48 percent, reflecting typical patterns for new entrants to the labor market. The rate for those aged 25 to 29 was 5.71 percent, and 3.37 percent for those aged 30 to 34.

The average duration of unemployment extended to 19.4 weeks, up 0.9 weeks from August, with first-time jobseekers unemployed for an average of 18.5 weeks.

Long-term unemployment — defined as being out of work for more than a year — rose to 49,000, an increase of 6,000 from the previous month, but 3,000 fewer than a year earlier.

For the first nine months of the year, Taiwan’s average jobless rate was 3.35 percent, 0.04 percentage points lower than a year earlier, the DGBAS said.


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The consumer confidence index this month fell from a four-month high last month, despite five of six subindices increasing, a report released yesterday by National Central University said.

The index dropped 0.73 points month-on-month to 63.96, and is down 13.1 points on an annual basis, the report said.

The report was based on a survey of 3,245 people aged 20 or older from across Taiwan between Oct. 18 and Tuesday last week, the university said.

Six subindices are used to gauge the public’s sentiment concerning the next six months: consumer prices, household finances, economic climate, job opportunities, stock investments and purchases of durable goods.

This month, the subindex for job opportunities posted the largest increase, moving up 2.51 points from last month to 69.58, the report said.

Taiwan’s unemployment rate fell to 3.38 percent last month from 3.45 percent the previous month, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics reported yesterday.

The subindex for consumer prices recorded the second-largest gain, climbing 2.27 points to 32.22, followed by household finances, which rose 2.17 points to 74.71, and economic outlook, which also gained 2.17 points to 78.35, the university’s report said.

The subindex on purchases of durable goods such as houses and vehicles gained the least, increasing 1.67 points to 92.37, it said.

Expectations for stock investments over the next six months were the only subindex to decline, falling 15.16 points month-on-month to 36.52, even as the TAIEX continued to hit record highs on the strength of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), the most heavily weighted stock on the main board, amid the ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

Among those surveyed, 17.1 percent said they plan to invest in stocks within the next six months, down from 24.9 percent last month, while 80.6 percent said they would stay on the sidelines, up from 73.2 percent, the report said.

The results suggest that many investors are reluctant to chase prices after the TAIEX’s 20.59 percent rally so far this year, with some likely to take profits as the index nears the 28,000-point threshold, it said.

The TAIEX yesterday rose 1.68 percent to close at 27,993.63.

Meanwhile, the index for the timing for home purchases increased 1.48 points month-on-month to 90.42, a survey the university conducted separately with Taiwan Realty Co (台灣房屋) showed.

Of the respondents, about 25.9 percent said it would be a good time to buy a home in the next six months, up from 25.7 percent last month, while 39.8 percent disagreed, down from 41.9 percent the previous month, the survey showed.

This indicated that people remained optimistic about property buying opportunities, the university said.

title: Consumers turn cautious


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Hon Precision to boost capacity 40 percent on surging AI chip demand

Hon Precision Industry Inc (鴻勁精密), a supplier of chip test handlers used in advanced chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) packaging equipment, yesterday said it plans to expand production capacity by about 40 percent to meet surging demand from artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing chipmakers.

The company counts Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), US chip giant Nvidia Corp, and ASE Technology Holding Co (日月光投控) — the world’s largest chip packager and tester — among its major clients.

Hon also supplies active thermal control (ATC) equipment and cold plates that are used in advanced chip testing equipment.

The company plans to break ground on a new factory in Taiwan this quarter. Once operations begin in 2028, the facility is expected to raise the firm’s quarterly shipments to 750 units, up from the current 550 units, the company said.

“We have been doing our best to increase capacity, but customers’ demand still outpaces our capacity,” Hon Precision vice president Collin Weng (翁德奎) said at a media briefing in Taipei.

“The visibility for the first half of next year is also very clear. We do not see any shift at all,” he said.

The company’s production capacity is fully booked for the next two quarters, which is rarely seen for the semiconductor industry, where visibility typically extends only about three months, Weng said.

Equipment delivery lead times have stretched to four to five months, compared with the usual three to four months, he said.

Hon’s upbeat outlook echoed TSMC’s recent comments on sustained AI chip demand, which have eased market concerns over a potential “AI bubble.”

TSMC said earlier this month that it is also expanding its CoWoS capacity to close the widening supply-demand gap.

Hon expects a significant revenue growth next year, driven by strong customer demand, Weng said.

Key customers are upgrading test handlers and ATC equipment with higher price tags after new-generation chips enter production, using more complex technologies generating more heat, he said.

Revenue in the first nine months of this year more than doubled to NT$21 billion (US$683.6 million) from NT$9.03 billion a year earlier, the company said.

The US market contributed about 52 percent of its total revenue in the first half of this year, it said.

Net profit for the first half surged to NT$5.03 billion from NT$2.14 billion a year earlier, while earnings per share rose to NT$31.15 from NT$13.38, company data showed.

Shares rallied 8.07 percent to NT$2,235 on the Taipei Exchange’s Emerging Stock Board yesterday, making it the most expensive stock on the preparatory board. The company plans to debut its shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange next month.


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The global server market is expected to surge 80 percent to US$455.41 billion this year, up from US$253.02 billion last year, driven by accelerated infrastructure expansion among cloud service providers (CSPs), International Data Corp (IDC) said in a report on Tuesday.

Non-x86 server systems are expected to grow 169.5 percent year-on-year, while x86 systems are expected to expand 57.9 percent, the US-based market researcher said.

IDC projects a further 24.3 percent growth next year, bringing total market value to US$565.9 billion.

People visit a booth displaying artificial intelligence graphics processing unit servers during the COMPUTEX trade show at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center on May 20. Photo: RITCHIE B. TONGO, EPA-EFE

Despite macro challenges such as slowing economic activity, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical conflicts and rising tariffs, rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) continue to fuel demand for high-performance servers, it said.

Large CSPs are expected to continue their accelerated infrastructure build-outs over the next five years, while other enterprises are expected to balance between on-premises deployments and cloud-based AI investments, it said.

That trend is expected to support a compound annual growth rate of 28.7 percent in the server market through 2029, it added.

The combined capital expenditure of the world’s eight largest CSPs is forecast to jump 61 percent year-on-year to US$420 billion this year, as they ramp up investments in server racks powered by Nvidia Corp’s graphics processing units and boost spending on data centers and in-house application-specific integrated circuit design, Taipei-based market researcher TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said earlier this month.

The eight CSPs are: Google, Amazon Web Services, Meta Platforms Inc, Microsoft Corp, Oracle Corp, Tencent Holdings Ltd (騰訊), Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (阿里巴巴) and Baidu Inc (百度), TrendForce said.

This year, servers powered by Nvidia’s GB200 and GB300 chips are expected to be the main targets for CSPs, driven by higher-than-expected demand, it said.

Next year, their total capital expenditure is projected to rise a further 24 percent to more than US$520 billion and reach a new record high, as server shipments such as Nvidia’s GB and Vera Rubin series are expected to increase, TrendForce said.

title: Global server market expected to surge 80% this year


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Qualcomm unveils chip to rival Nvidia in AI accelerator market

Qualcomm Inc, the top maker of mobile phone processors, is entering the lucrative artificial intelligence (AI) data center market with new chips and computers, aiming to challenge Nvidia Corp in the fastest-growing part of the industry.

The AI200 will start shipping next year and be offered as either a standalone component, cards that can be added into existing machines or as part of a full rack of servers provided by Qualcomm. The first customer for the offerings will be Saudi Arabia’s AI start-up Humain, which plans to deploy 200 megawatts of computing based on the new chips starting next year.

Those debut products will be followed by the AI250 in 2027, the San Diego company said yesterday. If supplied only as a chip, the component could work inside gear that’s based on processors from Nvidia or other rivals. As a full server, it will compete with offerings from those chipmakers.

The logo of Qualcomm Inc is pictured at the Smart City Summit and Expo in Taipei on March 18. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE

Qualcomm is trying to break into an area that’s reshaped the semiconductor industry, with hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on data centers to power AI software and services. The company said new memory-related capabilities and the power efficiency of designs that owe their roots to mobile device technology will attract customers, despite Qualcomm’s relatively late entry.

The new offerings are built around a neural processing unit, a type of chip that debuted in smartphones and is designed to speed up AI-related workloads without killing battery life. That capability has been developed further through Qualcomm’s move into laptop chips and has now been scaled up for use in the most powerful computers.

Under chief executive officer Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm is trying to diversify away from its dependence on smartphones, which are no longer increasing sales as quickly as they once did. The company has branched out into chips for cars and PCs, but is only now offering a product in what’s become the biggest single market for processors.

Qualcomm has been “quiet in this space, taking its time and building its strength,” Qualcomm senior vice president Durga Malladi said. The company is in talks with all of the biggest buyers of such chips on deploying server racks based on its hardware, he said.

Winning orders from companies such as Microsoft Corp, Amazon.com Inc and Meta Platforms Inc would offer a significant new revenue source for Qualcomm.

The company has posted solid, profitable growth over the last two years, but investors have favored other tech stocks. Qualcomm shares have gained 10 percent this year, lagging behind a 40 percent surge by the Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index.

Nvidia, which remains atop the AI computing world, is on target to generate more than US$180 billion in revenue from its data center unit this year, more than any other chipmaker – including Qualcomm – will get in total, according to estimates.


title: Budget EV

content_text: Models pose for a photograph next to Toyota Motor Corp’s first all-electric sport-utility vehicle, the bZ4X, at a launch event in Taipei yesterday. Priced at NT$1.28 million (US$41,668), it is set to be the lowest-priced imported electric vehicle in Taiwan. Distributor Hotai Motor Co said it has set an annual sales target of 4,000 units.


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US President Donald Trump has said that he plans to impose substantial tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals to force companies to move production from Taiwan and around the world to the US. He also said the US economy could be boosted by US$20 trillion by the end of this year, in large part due to companies moving their operations to the US to avoid tariffs.

While Trump’s tariffs face legal challenges, the US president has maintained that his “America First” trade stance would spur more domestic manufacturing and reshoring of important industries to the US. Yet, Trump’s protectionist policies have stirred significant turmoil in global supply chains and, for Taiwan in particular, it has raised concerns about whether semiconductor investment in the US and local manufacturers’ expansions overseas would reduce their operations at home, leading to an outflow of talent and the hollowing out of local industries.

National Development Council Minister Yeh Chun-hsien (葉俊顯) last week downplayed such concerns. Taiwan’s tech investment in the US is not about carving off part of its industry, but simply duplicating its development in a new location, he told a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee. A critical mistake of the US’ trade policies of the 1980s was in shifting a portion of its manufacturing to Southeast Asia, Yeh said. Taiwan seeks to retain manufacturing, especially critical and advanced manufacturing, while helping the US cultivate its talent pool, he added.

Manufacturers around the world are contending with the complex decision of shifting supply chains to avoid high US tariffs, and Taiwanese companies are no exception. With a declining birthrate, the nation is no longer able to shore up a large labor base in manufacturing, and the US’ tariffs give firms a motive to relocate abroad. That movement would create a short-term crisis of reduced exports, job losses and less manufacturing in some parts of Taiwan. Small and medium-sized enterprises in southern and central Taiwan would be particularly affected.

However, Pegatron Corp chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢) remains confident in Taiwan’s industrial competitiveness. At a semiconductor conference last week, Tung said that previous overseas expansions of Taiwanese firms did not hollow out local industries, but helped enhance companies’ capabilities and grow Taiwan’s influence on a global stage, because the core of research and development and the decisionmaking remain in Taiwan.

In the 1980s, Taiwan’s traditional industries, such as plastics and textiles, led the first wave of relocation to China due to the appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar, followed by upstream and midstream raw material suppliers. In about 2000, the same pattern of relocation emerged in the information and communications technology industry. However, the waves of relocation have not created a hollowing-out effect on Taiwan’s domestic industrial base, but instead have ushered in a wave of booming new industries. Intermediate goods, such as key electronic components and semiconductors, have also become the new main export items and new markets for Taiwan-made goods have been created.

A speedier relocation of Taiwanese firms could occur this time, as higher and broader US tariffs might prompt more manufacturers to expand their presence in alternative, lower-tariffed markets. As long as Taiwan retains critical technology and advanced manufacturing at home, harbors an environment conducive to the development of newer and more dynamic companies here, and further develops the EU and emerging markets to reduce dependence on a single market, while firms’ technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence and robotics, in Taiwan can outgrow their pace of relocation, the crisis could be converted into an opportunity for Taiwan’s industries.

title: EDITORIAL: Charting industrial expansion in US


title: Constitutional review imperiled

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Three grand justices — Tsai Tsung-jen (蔡宗珍), Yang Hui-chin (楊惠欽) and Chu Fu-mei (朱富美) — have released a five-point statement arguing that the Constitutional Court remains bound by the provisions of the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (CCPA, 憲法訴訟法) governing the quorum and voting requirements for convening and hearing cases. Amended in December last year, the act now requires at least 10 justices to hear a case and nine affirmative votes to declare a law unconstitutional, replacing the previous rule that required two-thirds of sitting justices to participate and a simple majority to reach a decision.

However, with only seven sitting justices and a deadlock in the Legislative Yuan stalling further nominations, the court has effectively been paralyzed. It seems that the justices who claim that the court is therefore unable to rule on the CCPA’s constitutionality have fallen into a circular reasoning trap.

First, the justices have argued that because the CCPA is a constitutionally authorized piece of legislation, and they are bound by the Constitution, they must abide by the CCPA and only convene the Constitutional Court under its stipulated provisions. This would be perfectly logical if the constitutionality of the CCPA itself were not in question, specifically Article 30, which sets out the new voting thresholds for judgements.

If a law is blocking itself from review, and justices do not intervene, does this not amount to legislative powers interfering in the court’s ability to carry out its constitutional function? To presume the constitutional viability of a law prior to its own review would surely be a case of judgement before trial.

Second, all valid legislation, including laws enacted under constitutional authority and those promulgated by presidential order, is subject to constitutional review. This review system allows the nullification of any law found to contravene the Constitution, as stipulated in Item 1, Article 171. Accordingly, the CCPA itself must also be open to such review. Yet the very statute whose constitutionality is in question is being invoked to block its own examination — a crisis of tautological and circular reasoning.

Third, the role of grand justices is to implement and enforce the legal hierarchy set out in Article 171 of the Constitution — their primary goal should be to uphold the Constitution as the nation’s foundational law.

It is the justices — not legislators — who interpret the spirit of the Constitution and ensure no enacted law contravenes it. The statement released by these three grand justices, appearing to capitulate to the Legislative Yuan, therefore, is puzzling and deeply concerning.

Hsu Hui-feng is a professor at CTBC Business School’s Department of Business and Economic Law.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader


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Art and cultural events are key for a city’s cultivation of soft power and international image, and how politicians engage with them often defines their success. Representative to Austria Liu Suan-yung’s (劉玄詠) conducting performance and Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen’s (盧秀燕) show of drumming and the Tainan Jazz Festival demonstrate different outcomes when politics meet culture. While a thoughtful and professional engagement can heighten an event’s status and cultural value, indulging in political theater runs the risk of undermining trust and its reception.

During a National Day reception celebration in Austria on Oct. 8, Liu, who was formerly director of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and has a rich background of musical training, took up the mantle of conducting the performing wind orchestra for an arrangement, and was met with applause. Utilizing his own expertise, his participation helped showcase a cultured Taiwan to the world. His success lies in the genuine professionalism behind his actions, rather than political peacocking. He did not seize the event as a platform for a political agenda, but engaged meaningfully through the medium at hand. It was cultural diplomacy done well, showing how the country’s image can be elevated in good faith.

In comparison, Lu’s drumming “performance” is an example of what not to do. Her jumping on the drums without a lick of musical expertise was not only painful to watch, but took away from the musicians’ performance time and muddied the focus of the music festival itself. It reeked of political theater and was rebuked by audiences and music critics — the Taichung Jazz Festival’s image has doubtless been slightly tarnished. As a rule, political appearances like this, done for the sake of exposure and personal gain, always backfire.

Falling on the same weekend, the Tainan Jazz Festival offered an alternative model. With world-class jazz music set alongside a market and pond in the historic Wu Gardens, the festival was a cultural show of real substance and international appeal. Emerging from a combination of public initiative and professional leadership, Tainan has become known as a southern jazz capital, proof that artistic agency is integral to the success of a cultural project.

Liu won applause, while Lu ran up against disdain. The lesson is clear: Cultural events are not showgrounds for politicians, and politics should not be put before the arts. When politicians have no relevant background in the field they should position themselves in roles of support or sponsorship, and assist in organizing resources and promoting culture, rather than taking to the stage.

Yang Chih-chiang is a teacher.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader

title: Art is for artists, not political points


title: Future of Taiwan-Indonesia relations

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This month is the first anniversary of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s presidency — he officially assumed office on Oct. 20 last year. As his first year draws to a close, a key question is how Jakarta plans to manage its posture toward Taiwan, an issue at the intersection of geopolitics, economics and diplomacy.

From the outset, Prabowo emphasized a foreign policy of being “a good neighbor” under a “free and active” diplomatic framework. In his inaugural address he pledged to steer Indonesia with independence of judgement and to avoid automatic alignment with any great power.

Indonesia under Prabowo has signaled adherence to a “one China” policy. However, Jakarta and Taipei continue significant informal ties. Taiwan hosts about 300,000 Indonesian workers, and the number of Indonesian students in Taiwan is also significant. The presence of these workers and students means the bilateral relationship is not just abstract diplomacy, but involves real people and livelihoods.

In October last year, a statement from Prabowo’s campaign office said that “good relations between Indonesia and Taiwan will continue” under his presidency. The same month, the head of the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) in Jakarta said Taiwan hoped for “more open” ties with Indonesia under the incoming administration.

Last year, Prabowo held a call with Nvidia Corp chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation in Indonesia, reiterating Indonesia’s interest in technology partnerships.

These developments suggest that during his first year, Prabowo’s handling of Taiwan relations has been one of cautious continuity: avoiding sudden shifts, while maintaining practical engagement. Such an approach reflects Indonesia’s need to preserve stable relations with China, protect Indonesian citizens in Taiwan and maintain diplomatic room to maneuver.

From Taiwan’s perspective, Indonesia remains a partner of growing strategic importance: large in population and economic weight within Southeast Asia, with an established workforce and student presence in Taiwan, and an increasingly active role in technology dialogues.

For Jakarta, the challenge is how to convert this posture into meaningful action that advances Indonesia’s interests while preserving its independent voice.

First, Jakarta might more explicitly reaffirm that, while adhering to its “one China” policy, it values a peaceful “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait and takes seriously the welfare of Indonesians working and studying in Taiwan.

Second, economic engagement with Taiwan — especially in technologies, education and workforce issues — offers Indonesia a path to diversify its partnerships beyond China.

Third, Indonesia must continue protecting the large community of Indonesians in Taiwan, ensuring that consular support, labor-protection standards and educational pathways reflect the realities of migration and study abroad.

Finally, diplomatic messaging matters: Jakarta must manage its signals to reassure Beijing while still demonstrating that Indonesia remains independent and capable of shaping its regional future.

One year into his presidency, Prabowo’s handling of relations with Taiwan is best described as cautious continuity. However, continuity alone may not fully leverage the opportunities at hand — particularly when so many Indonesian lives and regional interests are intertwined with Taiwan. If Indonesia under Prabowo can articulate a clearer Taiwan policy framework, deepen practical ties with Taiwan, and safeguard its significant community of workers and students abroad — all while maintaining diplomacy that neither provokes Beijing nor undermines Indonesia’s standing — then the coming years could see Jakarta move from accommodation to constructive leadership.

The measure of Prabowo’s foreign policy mettle is not simply whether he maintains nuetrality on Taiwan, but whether he enables Indonesia to play a constructive role in the region’s future. That begins with moving from posture into policy — and while doing so, bearing in mind Indonesians in Taiwan, in classrooms and workplaces, as well as recognizing how emerging technology partnerships such as the one with Nvidia link, Indonesia, Taiwan and the region in a new era of geopolitics.

Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat is director of the Indonesia-China desk at the Center of Economic and Law Studies in Jakarta.


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Under scorching sun and pouring rain, food delivery drivers zipping through the streets has become ubiquitous. The timely arrival of meals, beverages and packages depends entirely on their hustle.

Ministry of Labor data showed that there are about 150,000 delivery platform workers nationwide, but most of them are classified as self-employed, meaning they are neither traditional employees nor protected under the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法). Operating outside of the system, they have become a gray area in modern labor.

Delivery workers embody the new face of labor in the modern economic era, yet their rights remain stuck in the past. They work long hours, accepting orders under the hot sun and in heavy rain through all the seasons, but when they get into car accidents or are injured, they often face obstacles due to lack of labor insurance and compensation. Delivery platforms use the banner of occupational freedom to exercise strict control — order assignments, awarding bonuses and driver ratings are all dictated by algorithms. Delivery workers might appear free, but every move they make is monitored and managed from behind the scenes.

The EU last year implemented its Platform Work Directive, which requires companies to disclose their dispatch and reward mechanisms while ensuring employees earn at least minimum wage.

Japan has established a special enrollment system that allows those classified as self-employed, such as delivery workers, to join its accident compensation insurance system — this way, delivery drivers are no longer left to fend for themselves. Taiwan could learn from these international examples while adapting to the needs of local workers, paving the way for a new labor model.

Draft bills to protect delivery workers proposed by parties across the political spectrum cover key measures such as minimum pay requirements, reasonable working hours, occupational injury insurance and health management mechanisms. They proposed requiring delivery platforms to establish transparent complaint channels to prevent platforms from arbitrarily suspending or blocking accounts, or cutting off workers’ access to orders.

All these measures aim to safeguard fundamental fairness, thereby ensuring that market competition does not come at the expense of workers’ safety.

It is worth acknowledging that the executive branch has already begun institutional deliberations and legislators across partisan lines have shown strong consensus for reform.

The government should not just conduct more research or engage in further discussion, but present a concrete proposal and accelerate the review process to ensure the new system is designed properly.

Delivery workers sustain the convenience of city life, from delivering the meals that kept people fed during the COVID-19 pandemic to supporting the digital economy. Their contributions deserve to be respected and protected.

Safeguarding delivery workers is not merely about amending a single law — it is the starting point for achieving social justice and labor dignity.

As delivery workers zip through the streets, the government should race just as hard to protect these workers’ rights and keep them at the forefront of legal reform.

Only then would delivery work become a modern profession that is dignified and secure, allowing Taiwan’s pursuit of labor justice to make truly measurable progress.

Chen Ching-yun is a former director of the Legislative Yuan’s Bureau of Legal Affairs.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: Protecting the rights of delivery workers


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

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The US Senate’s passage of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which urges Taiwan’s inclusion in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise and allocates US$1 billion in military aid, marks yet another milestone in Washington’s growing support for Taipei. On paper, it reflects the steadiness of US commitment, but beneath this show of solidarity lies contradiction. While the US Congress builds a stable, bipartisan architecture of deterrence, US President Donald Trump repeatedly undercuts it through erratic decisions and transactional diplomacy. This dissonance not only weakens the US’ credibility abroad — it also fractures public trust within Taiwan.For decades,

By Meng Chih-cheng 蒙志成


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In Poland, economic boom masks growing distance between genders

In 2015, I found myself advising Poland’s president on the nation’s demographic woes: The country’s birthrate had stalled at 1.3 children per woman, one of the lowest in Europe. Most Polish couples wanted to have two kids, but settled for one. The reasons were predictable: precarious jobs, not enough childcare, apartment prices out of reach.

We were all, it turned out, fighting the wrong battle. In the decade since then, unemployment in Poland has sunk to one of the lowest in the EU. Incomes have more than doubled. Nursery and childcare places are multiplying. The government now channels almost 8 percent of the national budget into cash transfers known as the “800 Plus” program, so called because the state pays families 800 zlotys every month (US$220) for each dependent child.

During the same period, the population has shrunk by 1.5 million. A million new one-person households have materialized in the demographic ledger, quiet entries in a changing social contract. Last year, Poland’s birthrate collapsed to 1.1 — meaning it ranks among the world’s least fertile countries, beside war-scarred Ukraine. This year, it is poised to fall further, to 1.05.

The problem is not simply that Poles are having fewer children. Increasingly, they have no partners with whom to try. The latest phase of gender conflict impedes not only childbearing, but the very formation of couples — here understood as heterosexual unions — on which birth statistics still mostly rest.

For most of human history, being alone meant being dead. The word “loneliness” barely existed in English until the industrial age. At the dawn of the 20th century, only a tiny share of adults remained unmarried — fewer still in eastern Europe than in the west. In the lands of today’s Poland, scarcely 8 percent were single; in England, it was nearly twice that.

A century later, the balance has flipped. Nearly 50 percent of Poles under 30 are single. Another 20 percent are in relationships, but live apart. This generation, in particular those aged 18 to 24, surveys show, is more likely to feel lonely than any other — even more than Poles older than 75. Last year, almost two in five young men said they had not had sex for at least a year. Abstinence, too, has become partisan: right-leaning men and left-leaning women are the likeliest to be sexually inactive.

Young Poles are not just sleeping apart — they are scrolling apart. Seven in 10 have played the lottery of dating apps.

The promise of infinite possibility appears to have delivered infinite hesitation: Only 9 percent of young couples have actually met online. What appears, in statistics, as a fertility crisis seems, in lived experience, to be a crisis of connection.

Gender conflict — stoked by political polarization, dating algorithms and the clash between autonomy and intimacy — has swept much of the world. In post-communist Europe, the conflict feels more acute. Three forces combine to set the region apart: the dizzying speed of change, the rise of psychotherapy as cultural grammar and the legacy of communism itself.

Few regions have transformed with such vertigo. Since 1990, GDP per capita in Poland has risen eightfold, even adjusting for the cost of living. Since 2002, unemployment has fallen from 20 percent to 2.8 percent. Prosperity has altered both daily life and consciousness, upending generational life patterns and sparking a reckoning between the genders.

Changing times entail changing cultural norms. They also complicate the intergenerational exchange.

My grandma, who left school at 10, urged me to skip going to university at Cambridge lest I lose my sweetheart; my mom, who was one of the first college-educated nurses in our town, rooted for me to go, but warned against the UK student loan, insisting that it is wrong to live in debt — as if it were an aberration rather than a cornerstone of the economic order.

Far away in Krakow, at the opposite end of Poland — and of the social ladder — my partner’s parents, erudite professors, pressed him to polish his master’s thesis rather than risk launching a business that would one day thrive. For many of my friends, adulthood meant not learning from parents, but explaining the world to them.

The family, once imagined as Poland’s invulnerable core, has begun to fragment. When the Berlin Wall fell, less than 6 percent of children were born out of wedlock — almost five times fewer than in Britain. As that generation came of age, many chose distance over duty. Data on estrangement remain imperfect, but by one estimate up to one in four Poles under 45 has no contact with their father; up to one in 13 is cut off from their mother. When parents no longer serve as role models, stepping into parenthood yourself becomes an act of improvisation.

What the family and the church once provided, the therapist’s couch now supplies. Raised on a low-calorie emotional diet, many Poles have turned to psychotherapy. A decade ago, it was taboo. Today, public health providers report a 145 percent surge in psychological consultations in 10 years. Private practitioners, where most patients actually seek help, boast of growth rates that would make venture capitalists envious. The shift is cultural as much as clinical: At glossy business summits, the keynote is as likely to be Esther Perel as it is a billionaire founder. Parliament now debates how to regulate what critics call the wild west of the psychotherapeutic industry, where virtuosos of soul-searching mingle with peddlers of life hacks.

The 22 percent of Poles who rushed to couches in the past five years are disproportionately young, female and unmarried. They emerge fluent in the language of “self-care,” “needs” and “boundaries,” directed toward men who often respond in the idiom of “duties,” “norms” and “expectations.”

Behind the drama lies a paradox peculiar to post-communist Europe: It is at once more and less gender-equal than the West. Communism, in rejecting the bourgeois model of the family, propelled women into full employment and higher education, a policy that left Poland with one of the EU’s smallest gender-pay gaps. By the 1980s, women already outnumbered men at universities. Yet in the private sphere — marriage, domestic labor, child-rearing — conservative norms endured. When women still seek partners with equal or higher status, but in a society where they get two out of three university diplomas, the numbers no longer add up.

Men and women are literally in different places too: Internal migration has shifted the balance so that in the country’s largest cities — such as Warsaw, Lodz and Krakow — there are at least 110 women for every 100 men. Men are more likely to stay in smaller towns, away from the new economy and new norms.

And so, Poland’s baby deficit is not something that can be remedied with cash bonuses, cheaper mortgages or subsidized childcare. What is faltering in the first place is not the willingness to raise a child, but the capacity to build a life with someone.

Beneath Poland’s economic boom lurks what could be called the new generation’s Ingmar Bergman moment: a quiet crisis not of war or want, but of silence — of how to live together, how to find each other, how to sustain intimacy in a nation where people have learned all too well how to thrive on their own.

Anna Gromada is an assistant professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and a policy adviser to international organizations.