title: 曾淑勤帶你走入臺灣山林社區部落 探索人與自然共生的永續故事

people: 陳美惠 施錦芳

taiwan-subdivisions: 和平 屏東 牡丹 嘉義 高雄

content_text:
墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

里山心旅程舉辦開播記者會 照片提供：承新傳播公司

屏東科技大學社區林業中心陳美惠教授為傳播人與自然的和諧共生、生態與生產的共榮、傳統文化與智慧的傳承，讓更多人體會社會、生態與生產的多元價值，與承新傳播公司，合作推出臺灣第一個完全以里山為主題的系列節目「里山心旅程」，(10/29)日於林業及自然保育署舉辦開播記者會。節目主持人曾淑勤、節目指導陳美惠，關心臺灣生態旅遊與地方創生發展的監察院施錦芳委員，補助節目拍攝的文化部陳運生組長、原民會張信良副處長，長期支持場域發展的林業保育署鄭伊娟簡任技正、觀光署茂管處鄭偉宏代理處長、牡丹鄉公所潘壯志鄉長，致力文化推廣的原住民族文化事業基金會瑪拉歐斯董事長、學生週刊葉偉仁發行人，以及來自嘉義、高雄、屏東及台東等拍攝地的社區部落領袖及公部門代表，共同見證臺灣第一個完全以里山為主題的系列節目「里山心旅程」，並將於10月31日起於11個電視及網路媒體開播，期盼大眾共襄舉，將臺灣產官學社區努力維繫的里山里海之美及與永續價值，分享到更多世界角落。

文化部與原民會及觀光署等產官學界大力支持之下記錄著在地居民為守護土地、傳承文化所付出的努力與感動 照片提供：承新傳播公司

承新傳播在文化部與原民會支持之下，參考「里山根經濟—社區林業的知與行20年」這本書的架構，進行企劃及製作，由屏東科技大學森林系陳美惠教授指導，與南臺灣12個具指標性的社區部落共同合作，歷經近2年拍攝製作，攜手推出全新故事紀錄節目《部落抓風味2－里山心旅程》，深入呈現臺灣在地的永續發展與文化創生，每一集都記錄著在地居民為守護土地、傳承文化所付出的努力與感動。10月31日起，陸續在原住民族電視台、年代much TV、壹電視資訊綜合台、壹電視電影台、民視四季線上、亞洲旅遊台、寰宇綜合台、亞洲綜合台、美食星球台、公視 Taiwan+、學生週刊11個電視及網路影視平台正式播出，展現「越在地、越國際」的永續精神，將臺灣里山倡議實踐的經驗推向世界舞台。

陳美惠教授與南臺灣12個具指標性的社區部落共同合作，歷經近2年

拍攝製作 照片提供：承新傳播公司

由陳美惠教授帶領社區林業研究中心團隊，與林業及自然保育署、相關公部門、跨領域專家、社區部落合作，長期推動社區林業與里山倡議，深耕場域20餘年，以國際里山倡議的核心思想–保全與活用里山資本為基礎，結合產官學社區攜手努力發展屬於臺灣的里山根經濟（Deepeconomy)，在地創生的同時，讓所有的生命共享地球，帶來地方創生的新境界，如今這樣的理念與行動已在臺灣各地開枝散葉，全臺參與社區林業及里山倡議的社區部落超過1千個，從各個面向營造更好的生態與生活，許多社區部落更進一步發展兼顧保育與生計，以社區為本的生態旅遊(Community based Ecotourism)，目前65個生態旅遊社區推出遊程超過百條與不計其數的特色商品，社區居民不僅在地守護環境生態，關照社區福祉，也發展出在地旅遊經濟，帶來地方創生可觀的成果與永續深耕的社會力。

陳美惠教授深耕場域20餘年 照片提供：承新傳播公司

節目中有精采的深度旅遊體驗，充滿深入臺灣的趣味，在驚歎臺灣山林海洋之壯闊，鄉村質樸的人情之外，看到徹夜巡守每年十月過境臺灣的灰面鵟鷹、梅花鹿重返大地奔馳草原、從黑夜到天明深情守護陸蟹過馬路，莫拉克災後重建撐起文化產業的女力、百年戰役體悟到的愛與和平、愛護森林找回蘊藏的聚寶盆….。節目內容兼具學理、行動、理想、溫度與感動，每一個畫面與對話，都是來自這片土地真實的智慧與實踐。

曾淑勤透過她溫暖真誠的腳步，帶領觀眾走入臺灣山林社區部落，探索人與自然共生的永續故事 照片提供：承新傳播公司

本節目由陳美惠教授指導，曾淑勤擔任主持人，透過她溫暖真誠的腳步，帶領觀眾走入臺灣山林社區部落，探索人與自然共生的永續故事。節目以「里山倡議」為核心精神，將永續觀光、生態旅遊、林下經濟與環境教育的臺灣經驗，呈現人與土地共生的溫暖故事，展現產官學社區之間彼此的陪伴與培力，攜手守護環境與文化，喚起全民共同參與愛土地、護生態的信念。

獲得原民會、學生週刊等支持報導 照片提供：承新傳播公司

這不僅是一趟看見風景的旅行，更是一次思考臺灣未來的行動。邀請大家

共同見證臺灣社區部落居民，愛土地、護生態的努力，讓全世界看見臺灣

在地落實的軟實力。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 曾淑勤帶你走入臺灣山林社區部落 探索人與自然共生的永續故事


title: 西門子攜手海納德深耕臺灣碳管理市場   「西碳跡」閃耀國際智慧能源周

content_text:
圖:海納德、西門子、四方維、宇宙之星戰略合作簽約儀式。(圖/海納德提供)

(記者張耀元報導)

當 2025 年國際智慧能源周的聚光燈照亮臺北南港展覽館時，一場跨越企業邊界的綠色合作成為全場焦點 —— 全球工業巨頭西門子與臺灣本土企業海納德聯手推出的「西碳跡」碳管理解決方案，以其 「AI 驅動全流程、當地語系化精准落地」的獨特優勢，讓在場近百名企業家與專家眼前一亮。這場合作的起點，並非冰冷的商業談判桌，而是深圳一間飄著咖啡香氣的會客室裡，一次關於 「如何幫臺灣中小企業渡過碳合規難關」的深度對話。

「當時西門子的碳管理專家沒有先推銷系統，反而問我『臺灣中小回收廠最頭疼的是運費、電費還是人力』，這個問題一下子擊中了行業痛點。」海納德董事長楊豐銘回憶起 2024 年初的那次會面，仍清晰記得咖啡杯上氤氳的熱氣與雙方眼神裡的共鳴。彼時，歐盟碳邊境調節機制（CBAM）即將全面生效，臺灣近萬家中小企業面臨 「碳資料算不清、合規跟不上」的困境，而西門子雖手握先進的碳管理軟體，卻苦於不熟悉臺灣產業的「在地密碼」—從傳統製造業的生產流程到中小企業的成本敏感點，都需要「接地氣」的解決方案。

圖:海納德董事長楊豐銘。(圖/海納德提供)

正是這份 「以客戶痛點為核心」的共識，讓兩大企業從理念契合走向實際合作。經過近一年的磨合，西門子打造的「西碳跡」解決方案在本次能源周正式亮相：通過AI演算法自動採集生產環節的能耗資料，對接臺灣環保署的碳排放因數資料庫，不僅能即時生成符合國際標準的碳足跡報告，還能針對不同行業給出定制化減碳建議。

在現場演示中，一套針對電子回收廠的方案讓觀眾驚歎不已—系統僅用 30 分鐘就完成了某工廠過去3個月的碳核算，且誤差率低於2%，而傳統人工核算至少需要 3 天。

「這不是簡單的『軟體輸出』，而是『技術 + 當地語系化』的深度融合。西門子中國區高管在現場表示，選擇海納德作為臺灣地區獨家合作夥伴，正是看中其對本土產業的深刻理解——海納德團隊不僅走訪了臺灣200多家中小企業，還聯合清華大學、成功大學的專家制定了「臺灣製造業碳核算指南」，讓西門子技術真正 「落地而不水土不服」。

圖:西門子代表現場解說西探跡技術應用。(圖/海納德提供)

展會期間，不少中小企業主圍著展臺諮詢。「我們是做金屬回收的，以前算碳全靠估，現在有了這套系統，終於能清楚知道每一步的碳排放了！」一位元來自高雄的廠商拿著演示報告興奮地說。據瞭解，目前已有 50 多家臺灣企業與雙方達成合作意向，涵蓋電子、化工、回收等多個領域。

從深圳咖啡室的理念碰撞到國際能源周的高光時刻，西門子與海納德的合作不僅為臺灣企業應對全球碳合規提供了「金鑰匙」，更開創了 「國際技術 + 本土服務」的綠色合作新模式。正如楊豐銘在發佈會結尾所說：「減碳不是孤軍奮戰，而是一場需要攜手前行的馬拉松，我們很高興能成為連接國際技術與臺灣產業的橋樑。」

countries: 臺灣 中國 歐盟

taiwan-subdivisions: 臺北 成功 高雄 南港


content_text:
墨新聞｜記者游宏琦／高雄報導

特約記者／姜綿齊 日本沖繩報導

責任編輯／游宏琦

從高雄到沖繩：一段跨海的青春記憶

今年 23 歲的町田力樹（Machida Rikiki），是土生土長的沖繩青年。與許多同齡人不同，他說著一口流利中文，笑容裡透著陽光的溫度。

原來，他今年 7 月才剛從台灣高雄的樹德科技大學會展行銷系畢業。四年的留學歲月，讓他深刻體驗到台灣人熱情又真誠的待人之道。

圖一：町田力樹畢業於高雄樹德科技大學/攝 姜綿齊「在台灣的每一天，我都感受到被照顧、被信任。那份人情味，我一輩子都忘不了。」

——町田力樹

返鄉後的思考：我能為台灣人做什麼？

回到沖繩後，町田力樹心中始終懷念著台灣。他觀察到，當地旅遊市場雖蓬勃，但多數導遊只服務日本旅客，能以中文帶團、又真正了解沖繩文化的導遊幾乎沒有。

「我希望台灣人不只是拍照、吃飯、購物，而是能真的認識沖繩。」

於是，在 10 月，他做出一個勇敢的決定——成為一名會說中文的「在地導遊」。

把我的家鄉介紹給我「第二個家鄉」-的台灣人

從那天起，町田力樹開始為台灣旅客客製化行程，用最自然的方式講述沖繩的歷史、風俗與人情。

他帶著遊客聽海浪聲、學習三線琴的節奏，甚至親自推薦當地人最愛的平民美食。

圖二：町田力樹是土生土長的沖繩人/攝 姜綿齊「如果看到台灣人錯過好吃的東西、好看的風景，我會比他們還難過。」

——町田力樹

他笑說，自己雖然只是一個普通的年輕人，但希望能讓更多台灣朋友感受到「在沖繩，也有人記得你們的好」。

一份小小的心意，連結兩個島嶼的溫情

對町田力樹來說，這不只是工作，更是一種「回饋」。

他坦言，自己在日本遇到困難時，總有台灣人主動伸出援手——那份溫情，成為他服務的原動力。

如今，越來越多台灣旅客透過社群聯繫他，邀請他擔任導遊。每當接到新訊息，他都會露出開心的笑容：

「能服務台灣人，是我的榮幸。」

從個人開始的友誼外交

雖然只是個體的努力，町田力樹卻相信，「善意是會擴散的」。

他希望有一天，能帶動更多沖繩年輕人學習中文、了解台灣，讓兩地的友情不再只停留在新聞或歷史裡，而是活在每一次微笑與問候之中。

圖三：町田力樹用流利的中文幫助過許多台灣旅客/ 攝 姜綿齊「沖繩的海很藍，台灣的心很暖。

我只是想，讓這兩種顏色能彼此照亮。」

——町田力樹

此篇文章最開始出處為: 【台日友好新篇章】 沖繩男孩留學台灣返鄉，當中文導遊：用服務回報台灣的溫暖

countries: 台灣 日本

title: 【台日友好新篇章】  沖繩男孩留學台灣返鄉，當中文導遊：用服務回報台灣的溫暖


content_text:
墨新聞｜記者游宏琦／高雄報導

撰文／寵貓物理治療師 許云菁

責任編輯／游宏琦

紅燈，也是身體的「綠燈」

常常說自己沒時間運動？

常覺得身體好沈重、好僵硬？

騎車等紅燈時覺得無聊、手機又不能滑？

其實啊！愛自己，不一定要去健身房才叫運動，也不一定要花錢按摩才能舒壓。

每一個「見縫插針」的小空檔，都是療癒與充電的時刻。

像是停紅燈的時候——深呼吸、抬頭挺胸、活動手腕、放鬆大拇指、輕輕轉動上背。

幾十秒的小動作，就能讓筋膜呼吸、能量流動，讓自己回到身體裡。

紅燈不浪費：機車族的「微伸展充電時光」

在都市生活裡，許多人每天通勤就要花上20到40分鐘。如果你也是每天騎著機車穿梭城市的上班族，不妨善用紅燈的幾十秒，讓身體小小充電！

這套迷你伸展流程只要5～60秒，有多少時間就做多少。

無負擔、有效率，鬆綁筋膜緊繃、喚醒疲憊肌肉，讓血液重新流動。

云菁的小撇步：騎車族伸展全攻略

① 前胸筋膜開展（圖2）

保持正確坐姿，讓胸口打開、呼吸更順暢。

② 胸椎旋轉活動（圖3）

一手扣住後座把手，挺胸，讓上背恢復靈活度與呼吸空間。

③ 上肢筋膜滑動與腕部交替伸展（圖4）

手掌放在座墊邊緣、手肘伸直加上挺胸，

釋放長時間固定姿勢的緊繃，減少手腕酸麻。

④ 大魚際肌放鬆（圖5）

大拇指固定在座墊邊緣，虎口打開、手肘伸直，

讓過度使用的肌肉釋放壓力，避免勞損。

⑤ 肩頸三部曲：斜角肌、提肩胛肌、胸鎖乳突肌（圖6）

輕柔地側彎、低頭、仰頭轉向天空，

幫助肩頸放鬆，解除壓力堆積。

為什麼這麼有效？

無論早晨騎車上班，或是下班回家，

長時間維持同一姿勢都會讓筋膜循環受限、氧氣不足。

透過短暫但有意識的伸展，

能促進血液流通、喚醒交感與副交感神經的平衡。

伸展完的身體就像「重新開機」——

精神更好，活力更足，笑容也更自然。

云菁小提醒

安全優先，雙腳穩踩地面、眼神留意車流以「輕伸展＋深呼吸」為主，不追求幅度若天氣太冷太熱，可改為肩膀小幅環動紅燈伸展是一種「有意識的休息」

讓生活流動，身體也會發光

許多人的疲勞，不是因為過勞，而是「太久沒動」。

從紅燈的一分鐘開始，讓身體重新連線。

當你願意聽見身體的聲音，

每一次呼吸與伸展，都能成為療癒自己的小儀式。

【免責聲明】本文為物理治療臨床觀察分享，僅供健康參考，若有症狀請洽專業醫療單位診斷。

我是許云菁，一位寵貓，也寵你的物理治療師 （圖7）

歡迎加入Line｜線上諮詢｜預約

https://lin.ee/uAZLCjz

寵貓物理治療師 專欄回顧

第一篇｜認識云菁 https://more-news.tw/164689/第二篇｜貓奴與姿勢 https://more-news.tw/243082/第三篇｜久坐的危害 https://more-news.tw/364292/第四篇｜中秋烤肉姿勢 https://more-news.tw/380337/第五篇｜喝水對筋膜的重要性 https://more-news.tw/409334/

此篇文章最開始出處為: 一分鐘紅燈療癒術：讓身體重新開機的筋膜小伸展/ 寵貓物理治療師的小撇步

title: 一分鐘紅燈療癒術：讓身體重新開機的筋膜小伸展/ 寵貓物理治療師的小撇步


content_text:
I-MAB (Nasdaq: IMAB)正式更名為新橋生物（NovaBridge Biosciences；Nasdaq: NBP），股票交易將於 2025 年 10 月 30 日正式生效，新品牌標誌著其向全球生物科技平台型公司的戰略轉型。

2025-10-29

全新企業品牌標誌著公司向全球生物科技平台的戰略轉型，致力於加速創新藥物惠及全球患者。公司擬在香港進行首次公開募股（IPO），並通過在美國納斯達克（NASDAQ）和香港聯交所（HKEX）雙重上市，擴大對全球資本和創新資源的鏈接。基於全新「中心-輻射（hub-and-spoke）」業務模式，公司已成立子公司 Visara Inc. (Visara)，並已收購新型雙特異性生物分子VIS-101（靶向 VEGF-A/ANG2）。相較現行標準療法，VIS-101有望為濕性年齡相關性黃斑變性（wet AMD）和糖尿病性黃斑水腫（DME）患者提供更持久、更有效的治療選擇。公司核心資產givastomig（一款潛在同類最佳地位的Claudin 18.2×4-1BB雙特異性抗體），正按照此前公布的投資計劃持續推進研發。

馬里蘭州羅克維爾2025年10月29日 /美通社/ — 新橋生物（NovaBridge Biosciences，下稱「新橋生物」或「公司」）今日宣布，公司已完成名稱變更，由「I-Mab」正式更名為「新橋生物」。此項更名決議已獲得公司於2025年10月24日召開的特別股東大會高票通過，並獲董事會批准。自2025年10月30日開盤起，公司美國存托股份（ADS）將正式啟用新公司名稱及新股票代碼「NBP」（Nasdaq: NBP），取代現有代碼「IMAB」（Nasdaq: IMAB）。

公司同步上線全新品牌及官網（www.novabridge.com），標誌著向全球生物科技平台戰略轉型邁出關鍵一步，持續致力於加速創新療法惠及全球患者。

關於此次名稱及股票代碼變更，現有股東無需進行任何行動，公司CUSIP號碼將保持不變。在部分第三方網站或應用程序上，若搜索「NovaBridge Biosciences」或「NBP」時，可能暫時無法查詢到公司美國存托股份（ADS）在2025年10月30日之前的歷史交易數據。如遇此種情況，相關數據可暫時通過搜索「I-MAB」或「IMAB」進行查詢。

新橋生物Logo – 相連的分子結構組合成字母「N」，寓意公司與合作伙伴攜手共建更健康未來；開放的圓環象徵持續創新與探索精神。

新橋生物執行董事長傅唯先生表示：「全新的企業品牌形象生動體現了我們新的戰略核心——通過高效協作、科學轉化與卓越執行，加速推進變革性療法，為患者和投資者創造更大價值。美港兩地雙重上市是公司全球化戰略的關鍵一步，這將幫助我們拓寬投資者範圍、提升交易流動性和資本鏈接能力，並強化在快速增長的亞洲市場的影響力。」

新橋生物首席執行官傅希湧博士表示：「新品牌形象與我們向全球生物科技平台轉型的戰略高度一致。近期，在針對givastomig（一款有望成為胃癌治療領域的同類最佳 Claudin 18.2 靶向療法）的『三聯會議（Triple Meeting[1]）』上，公布了令人振奮的I期單藥臨床最新數據；同時，我們已成立子公司 Visara ，及其近期收購的 VIS‑101（一款有望成為下一代同類最佳的新型雙特異性生物分子，靶向VEGF-A和ANG2），進一步驗證了新戰略的可行性。我們正積極推進 givastomig 全球隨機對照 II 期研究，預計於 2026 年第一季度完成首例患者入組。憑借新品牌帶來的積極勢頭，充分釋放創新藥物的潛力，為患者和投資者創造價值。」

新橋生物的商業模式與產品管線布局

公司將與全球領先創新者合作，甄選並加速高潛力藥物資產。該模式融合嚴謹的資產甄選、定制化的轉化策略及高效臨床執行，並依托康橋資本深厚資源與全球能力，在多治療領域推進最具潛力的創新藥。

公司將採用「中心-輻射（hub-and-spoke）」模式，通過設立專注特定治療領域或資產的衛星子公司，保持高效靈活的運營結構，從而實現風險可控與價值最大化。

管線概覽

Givastomig是一款潛在同類最佳地位的Claudin 18.2×4-1BB雙特異性抗體，目前正在開展1b期臨床試驗，旨在用於治療胃癌及其他Claudin 18.2陽性的胃腸道惡性腫瘤。計劃啟動一項全球隨機對照的II期研究，目標於2026年第一季度招募首位患者。Givastomig正通過與ABL Bio的全球合作進行聯合開發，其中新橋生物作為牽頭方，與ABL Bio平分全球權益（大中華區和韓國除外）。Ragistomig是一款抗PD-L1×4-1BB的雙特異性抗體。基於一期臨床數據，目前開展的1b期研究旨在擴大治療窗口，預計將在2026年下半年產生結果。該項目正與ABL Bio聯合開發。Uliledlimab（抗CD73單抗）在腫瘤微環境中，CD73是腺甘介導免疫抑制的限速酶。目前正在開展的隨機II期臨床試驗中，將uliledlimab聯合特瑞普利單抗（toripalimab）的方案與帕博利珠單抗（Pembrolizumab）單藥或特瑞普利單抗單藥在經CD73篩選的患者人群中進行對比，其無進展生存期（PFS）數據預計將在2026年下半年公布。新橋生物擁有uliledlimab在大中華區以外的全球權益。

VIS-101由新橋生物在新商業模式下成立的子公司Visara收購，是一款靶向VEGF-A和ANG2的雙特異性生物分子，目前處於II期開發階段。

VIS-101是一款新型雙特異性生物分子，靶向VEGF-A和ANG2，且分子活性更強，相較於現有標準療法，有望為濕性年齡相關性黃斑變性（wet AMD）、糖尿病性黃斑水腫（DME）和視網膜靜脈阻塞（RVO）患者提供更持久的療效。VIS-101已在美國和中國完成了初步的安全性和劑量遞增研究，目前正在中國完成一項隨機劑量範圍的II期研究。VIS-101預計將於2026年具備開展III期試驗的條件。此次收購已通過新成立的子公司Visara完成。Visara是一家臨床階段生物制藥公司，專注於開發同類最佳的眼科療法，其依托新橋生物約3700萬美元的注資，以及一家戰略合作伙伴所貢獻的部分相關權益而成立。新橋生物成為 Visara 的控股股東，並擁有VIS-101的全球權益。Visara由其聯合創始人兼執行董事長Emmett J. Cunningham, Jr.博士領導。Cunningham博士在過去25年中一直是一位醫生、創新者、企業家和投資人，曾任黑石集團高級董事總經理以及Clarus Ventures董事總經理。Cunningham博士也是國際公認的感染性和炎症性眼病專家，合作發表了逾450篇學術論文。

1：「AACR–NCI–EORTC 分子靶點與癌症治療國際會議」（AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics）也被稱為「三聯會議（Triple Meeting）」，於 2025 年 10 月 22 日至 26 日在美國馬薩諸塞州波士頓舉行。

關於新橋生物

新橋生物（更名前為I-MAB；納斯達克代碼：IMAB，自2025年10月30日起將更改為「NBP」）是一家全球生物科技平台公司，致力於加速創新藥物的可及性。我們將專業的業務拓展能力與敏捷的轉化臨床開發相結合，以發現、加速並推進突破性資產。通過銜接科學、戰略和執行，新橋生物使變革性療法能夠從發現階段快速推進至有需求的患者。

公司的差異化管線主要由givastomig和VIS-101領銜。其中，givastomig是一款潛在同類最佳的雙特異性抗體（Claudin 18.2×4-1BB）；VIS-101是一款同類第二且有望成為同類最佳的雙功能生物制劑，靶向VEGF-A和ANG2。

Givastomig通過4-1BB信號通路，在表達Claudin 18.2的腫瘤微環境中條件性激活T細胞。givastomig正開發用於治療Claudin 18.2陽性的胃癌及其他胃腸道惡性腫瘤。新橋生物還與合作伙伴ABL Bio合作開發ragistomig，這是一款雙特異性抗體，在實體瘤中將PD-L1作為腫瘤結合靶點、4-1BB作為條件性T細胞激活劑。此外，新橋生物擁有uliledlimab在中國以外地區的全球權益。Uliledlimab是一款抗CD73抗體，靶向腫瘤中由腺甘介導的免疫抑制。

VIS-101靶向VEGF-A和ANG2，可為濕性年齡相關性黃斑變性（wet AMD）和糖尿病性黃斑水腫（DME）患者提供更強有力且持久的療效。VIS-101目前正在針對濕性AMD開展一項大型、隨機、劑量範圍的2期研究。新橋生物是Visara 的控股股東，並擁有VIS-101的全球權益。

欲了解更多信息，請訪問：https://www.novabridge.com

公司擬在納斯達克與香港聯合交易所雙重上市

關於新橋生物擬赴香港IPO並在香港聯交所（HKEX）上市的更多信息將於日後公布。

擬議發行的時間、規模、結構和具體條款尚未確定，仍取決於市場狀況以及包括香港聯交所（及其上市委員會）在內的相關監管機構的審批。對於擬議的香港上市是否會完成、何時完成或將在何種條款下完成，無法提供任何保證。

在獲得監管機構和公司必要批准的前提下，公司目前預計將維持其在納斯達克的美國存托股（ADS）上市地位，並尋求在美國和香港實現雙重上市。最終決定將根據市場狀況和監管反饋作出。

本公告僅為信息披露之用，且不構成對公司任何證券的認購、購買或收購要約或邀請。公司股東及潛在投資者在涉及公司證券的交易時，應謹慎評估相關風險。

前瞻性聲明

本公告包含前瞻性聲明。這些聲明依據1995年美國《私人證券訴訟改革法案》的「安全港」條款作出。可以通過術語例如「將」、「預計」、「相信」、「旨在」、「預期」、「未來」、「打算」、「計劃」、「潛在」、「估計」、「有信心」等以及類似表述（或其反義表述）來識別這些前瞻性聲明。新橋生物也可能在其提交給美國證券交易委員會（SEC）的定期報告、向股東發布的年度報告、新聞稿及其他書面材料中，以及公司高管、董事或員工向第三方所作的口頭陳述中作出書面或口頭的前瞻性聲明。凡不屬於歷史事實的陳述（包括關於新橋生物的信念和預期的陳述）均為前瞻性聲明。本新聞稿中的前瞻性聲明包括但不限於以下內容：新的公司戰略可能帶來的潛在益處；公司以新名稱和股票代碼在納斯達克交易的有效性；新橋生物擬推進香港 IPO，進而實現擬在納斯達克全球市場與香港聯合交易所（HKEX）雙重上市的計劃；givastomig、VIS-101及公司其他候選藥物的戰略、臨床開發、計劃、結果、安全性和有效性；新橋生物候選藥物（包括 givastomig 和 VIS-101）的戰略與臨床開發；預期的臨床里程碑和結果及相關時間；公司的預期資金可維持運營的周期。前瞻性聲明涉及的風險和不確定性可能導致實際結果與這些前瞻性聲明中包含的結果存在重大差異，包括但不限於以下因素：新橋生物證明其候選藥物安全性和有效性的能力；公司獲得證券監管機構及交易所必要批准的能力；候選藥物的臨床結果（可能支持也可能不支持進一步開發或新藥申請/生物制品許可申請（NDA/BLA）的批准）；相關監管機構（包括美國證券交易委員會以及香港聯合交易所上市委員會）就新橋生物候選藥物監管審批所作決定的內容和時間；新橋生物在候選藥物獲批後的商業成功能力；新橋生物獲得並維護其技術和藥物知識產權保護的能力；新橋生物對第三方開展藥物開發、生產制造及其他服務的依賴；新橋生物有限的運營歷史，以及新橋生物獲得額外運營資金並完成其候選藥物開發和商業化的能力；以及新橋生物已於2025年4月3日向美國SEC提交的20-F年度報告中「風險因素」部分更全面討論的風險，以及新橋生物隨後向SEC提交的文件中討論的潛在風險、不確定性和其他重要因素。所有前瞻性聲明均基於新橋生物當前可獲得的信息。除法律要求外，新橋生物不承擔因獲得新信息、未來事件或其他原因而公開更新或修訂任何前瞻性聲明的義務。

新橋生物投資者及媒體聯繫人PJ Kelleher – LifeSci Advisors+1-617-430-7579[email protected]

雷鳴（Kyler Lei）– 新橋生物+1-240-745-6330[email protected][email protected]

countries: 美國 韓國 香港 中國


title: 港灣新聞網／AI監控發揮神效！海巡署智慧港區系統即時救下一條命

content_text:
圖/海巡署

港灣新聞網／臺中報導昨（28）日下午，海巡署中部分署第三岸巡隊麗水漁港安檢所運用「智慧型港區監視系統」巡查港區時，意外發現一名女子疑似有輕生舉動。值班人員即刻啟動緊急應變機制，派員趕赴現場施救，並通報臺中市政府警察局烏日分局麗水派出所與臺中市政府消防局第四大隊大肚消防分隊前往協助，最終成功將該名女子救起，挽回一條寶貴性命。

智慧監控發揮關鍵作用 海巡即時反應防止憾事

據了解，當日下午14時許，麗水安檢所值班人員透過「智慧型港區監視系統」例行監看港區畫面時，發現港區水面上有可疑人影。經放大畫面檢視，確認有一名女子半身已浸泡在水中，情況十分危急。

海巡人員立即依程序出勤，第一時間抵達現場，將該女子攙扶上岸並安撫情緒，成功避免悲劇發生。經初步了解，該女子疑似因服用安眠與精神科藥物後情緒低落，所幸救援即時，未釀成生命危險，隨後由大肚消防分隊將女子送醫檢查治療。

科技輔勤成果顯著 海巡展現生命守護決心

第三岸巡隊表示，本案再次驗證了「科技輔勤」在海巡勤務中的關鍵價值。「智慧型港區監視系統」不僅能即時掌握港區動態，更能在緊急狀況中協助人員迅速反應，有效發揮高科技結合救援行動的實質效益。

該隊強調：「高科技監控系統不只是港區安全的守門員，更是守護生命的延伸力量。」此事件凸顯海巡署持續推動智慧科技應用於港區管理的重要成果，展現科技結合人性關懷的力量。

呼籲珍惜生命 海巡署118專線守護不間斷

海巡署呼籲，生命無法重來，請民眾珍惜每一刻。如於岸際或港區周邊發現有人情緒異常、不穩定或疑似有輕生傾向，應立即撥打118海巡服務專線通報，海巡人員將於最短時間內前往現場處置，全力守護民眾生命安全。

海巡署也提醒，社會應共同關懷心理健康議題，鼓勵民眾主動尋求協助。若有情緒困擾或身心壓力，亦可撥打安心專線1925，由專業人員即時提供心理支持與協談服務。

taiwan-subdivisions: 臺中市 成功 臺中 大肚 烏日


taiwan-subdivisions: 成功 中山

countries: 台灣 美國 日本

events: 發電 停電

things: 資安 經濟

content_text:
圖/工研院

港灣新聞網／綜合報導隨著AI技術快速滲透各行各業，能源需求同步暴增，電力系統的智慧化與韌性強化成為產業永續發展的重要關鍵。為促進跨域交流與創新應用，工業技術研究院（工研院）與台灣電力與能源工程協會今（29）日共同舉辦「智慧電網×韌性未來：AI驅動之產業契機研討會」，邀集產官學專家探討AI驅動下的電網發展策略與產業機會。

圖說 : 工研院舉辦「智慧電網×韌性未來：AI驅動之產業契機研討會」，邀集專家共同探討電力強化的技術與商機，圖(左起)為加雲聯網創新資安長劉俊瑋、工研院電網策略室主任李俊耀、工研院綠能所所長劉志文、中山大學電機系教授盧展南、台灣電力與能源工程協會理事長劉文雄、台電副總經理陳銘樹、台電專業總工程師黃銘宏、台達電子處長柯佾寬、工研院資通所組長邱碧貞

出席貴賓包括台電副總經理陳銘樹、台電專業總工程師黃銘宏、台灣電力與能源工程協會理事長劉文雄、工研院綠能與環境研究所所長劉志文、中山大學電機系教授盧展南、台達電子處長柯佾寬、加雲聯網創新資安長劉俊瑋、工研院資通所組長邱碧貞等，共同為智慧電網未來發展指引方向。

電力轉型邁向AI時代 打造智慧電網新契機

根據經濟部統計資料，2024年我國發電、輸電及配電機械業產值已達1,195億元，創歷史新高，顯示電力與AI科技結合的市場潛力龐大。工研院指出，AI帶動能源管理數位化，電網不僅要「穩定供電」，更要「智慧調度」以應對天災、突發事件及再生能源的不穩定性。

研討會以「AI驅動電網韌性」為主軸，聚焦在極端氣候與高電力負載下，如何透過智慧監控、儲能與虛擬電廠（VPP）技術維持電網穩定、安全與彈性運作，同時開啟綠色轉型與產業創新的新契機。

圖說 : 本次研討會邀請產業界專家，從電網韌性強化與通訊系統支持分享專業觀點，圖左起為工研院資通所組長邱碧貞、加雲聯網創新資安長劉俊瑋、台達電子處長柯佾寬、台電專業總工程師黃銘宏、工研院綠能所所長劉志文

工研院劉志文：以虛實整合推動智慧電網產業化

工研院綠能與環境研究所所長劉志文表示，AI時代帶來龐大電力挑戰，工研院積極運用虛實整合的研發能力，推動多項智慧電網關鍵技術，並已取得具體成果。

他介紹，工研院研發的「聚合多元資源虛擬電廠（VPP）技術驗證平台」能整合再生能源、儲能及節能設備，以「螞蟻雄兵」式能量協作維持供電穩定。目前已導入連鎖商場、學校等實際場域，並參與台電的輔助服務市場，讓用電戶不只是消費者，更能成為電力穩定的「參與者」。

同時，工研院也與日本大廠合作推動百萬瓦級功率轉換系統（PCS）驗證與應用，強化再生能源電力輸出穩定，確保電網運行安全與效率。劉志文強調：「未來工研院將持續攜手產業夥伴，強化電網韌性、推動智慧能源應用，打造具國際競爭力的綠能生態圈。」

劉文雄理事長：強化電網韌性是全民責任

台灣電力與能源工程協會理事長劉文雄指出，AI與數位轉型雖帶來便利，但也挑戰電力系統的供需平衡。電力是AI產業的基礎能源，提升韌性應以「整合資源規劃（IRP）」制度為核心，兼顧電力供應與需求兩端，建立長期線性規劃以強化電網調度靈活度。

他舉例，美國加州2022年面臨電力危機時，政府號召全民減少用電，一小時即減少100萬瓩，成功避免大規模停電。劉理事長呼籲：「電力韌性不僅是政府與台電的責任，更需要全民參與，共同打造安全永續的電力生態系。」

台電陳銘樹：推動5645億元電網強化建設計畫

台電副總經理陳銘樹表示，台電目前正推動總經費達5,645億元的「強化電網韌性建設計畫」，以「分散、強固、防衛」三大主軸進行，朝「區域韌性」與「全國融通」雙軌佈局，強化再生能源與儲能系統的區域供電能力。

他指出，台電同步推動智慧電網發展，涵蓋基礎建設、電力交易平台、儲能系統、智慧電表及資通訊整合等三階段。截至9月底，AMI智慧電表已布建近400萬具，未來將持續增加覆蓋率。陳副總經理強調：「電網強化與智慧化是確保供電穩定的根本，也為AI產業提供堅實後盾。」

專家觀點：AI、資安與災時通訊並進 打造全方位韌性網路

研討會邀請多位產業專家發表專題演講：

台電專業總工程師黃銘宏談「強化我國配電電網韌性之策略與技術」，指出台電正推動配電自動化與智慧管理系統，提升防災與再生能源併網能力。

台達電子處長柯佾寬博士以「電力電子技術對電網韌性之效益」為題，解析虛擬同步機、即時虛擬慣量量測與混合式微電網群的應用，強化供電穩定。

加雲聯網創新資安長劉俊瑋探討「智慧變電站：從通訊協定到資安韌性」，表示導入IEC 61850與IEC 62443標準，協助台電建構高可靠性的次世代電力自動化架構。

工研院資通所組長邱碧貞以「災時通訊網路系統之建構」為題，分享透過低軌衛星、5G專網與無人機中繼建立多層備援系統，未來將結合AI與6G網路強化防災應變力。

工研院2035技術藍圖：以智慧電網布局永續未來

面對全球淨零排放與能源轉型趨勢，工研院已於「2035技術策略與藍圖」中，將智慧電網、儲能技術與綠能人才培育列入永續環境核心領域，積極搶先布局未來國家競爭力。

工研院表示，未來將持續整合AI、能源管理、通訊與資安等跨域技術，與政府及產業攜手，打造更具韌性、安全與智慧化的台灣電力新時代。

title: 港灣新聞網／AI帶動能源新革命！工研院推智慧電網強化台灣供電韌性


content_text:
圖/商研院

港灣新聞網／綜合報導為推動臺灣企業邁向高齡社會新經濟趨勢，財團法人商業發展研究院（Commerce Development Research Institute，簡稱商研院 CDRI）董事長許添財於本週一（10月27日）親自率領「日本北海道大健康產業考察團」，展開為期五天的深度參訪行程。

圖說 : 許添財董事長率團赴日 商研院考察北海道大健康產業

考察團成員達28人，來自餐飲、醫療、長照、日照中心、健康科技、環境工程、食品與生技等多元產業，聚焦探討日本在高齡化社會下的大健康產業創新模式，期望為臺灣中小企業在轉型升級與跨域合作上帶來具體啟示與新思維。

商研院率產業菁英團隊 跨域共探日本健康創新

此次考察團成員陣容堅強，包含祥寶長照集團、中華科技大學、碧波庭、千葉連鎖餐飲、紳宇企業、唯豐食品、彰化可可生產合作社、凡尼亞生醫、全球藥品、華新醫材、台灣居家服務策略聯盟、聯新醫院、全崴科技、東森健康生技、富冠科技、大成豊建設等知名企業與組織。

團隊由商研院整合產官學研能量，期望透過現地觀摩與對談，了解日本高齡化社會中「AI智慧醫療、長照整合模式、健康宅與再生醫療技術」等最新發展，並思考臺灣產業如何導入相應創新機制。

圖說 : 商研院(CDRI)董事長許添財指出，日本大健康產業在高齡化社會中快速發展，積極導入AI與ICT應用，不僅重視數據分析與服務品質，更展現創新精神與持續研發的毅力。

深入參訪高齡醫療與復健機構 洞見日本健康產業模式

首站，考察團造訪札榥公司，深入了解其以免疫細胞療法為核心的再生醫療模式，運用樹狀細胞、殺手型T細胞、NK細胞等先進技術強化免疫系統，預防癌症、牙周病與皮膚炎等疾病。該公司同時重視空間隱私設計與服務品質，展現日本高端醫療的人文溫度。

接著參訪山內株式會社，該公司以「介護預防型日間復健中心」為核心業務，提供3小時功能訓練服務，累積服務超過1.4萬名高齡者，並結合能源、汽車與健身產業資源，形成跨領域的長照創新模式。

在萬得倉儲公司，團員見證了北海道首家結合企業總部與診所功能的「綜合照護福利企業」，推動育兒、照護與生活障礙改善，致力打造「共融、互助」的社會生態系。

同時拜訪Medical System Network（醫療系統網路株式會社）與百索諾株式會社等企業，了解其AI與數位健康應用成果。特別是百索諾運用AI聲音傳感器與可視化超音波健康檢測技術，使民眾可隨時監測身體狀況，展現健康科技的平民化趨勢。

此外，小樽的KT日照中心以「復健型日照」為市場定位，成功在老年人口比例高達41%的地區打造四間具代表性的日照機構，成為日本地方高齡照護創新的標竿。

許添財：台灣企業應整合生態系、打造健康產業新價值

商研院董事長許添財表示，日本在面對高齡化浪潮時，以數據導向與AI科技為核心，打造出完整的大健康產業鏈，兼具創新思維與服務品質。他指出：「台灣中小企業若能借鏡日本模式，整合生態系、強化上下游鏈結並展開異業合作，必能提升品牌競爭力、優化經營模式，並開創台日攜手的新商機。」

許董事長強調，此行不僅是單次考察，更是為台灣中小企業開啟「從製造走向健康服務經濟」的關鍵一步。

王建彬院長：延續國際合作動能 11月赴東京再啟運動科技交流

商研院院長王建彬補充指出，商研院將於11月24日至28日再度率團前往日本東京，展開「運動科技產業考察」，並透過成立運動科技部門，持續推動國內運動、健康與科技產業的國際接軌與創新發展。

他表示，商研院致力於串聯「科技＋健康＋產業升級」的鏈結平台，透過國際合作與在地創新，協助中小企業掌握全球健康經濟趨勢，邁向永續成長。

things: 經濟 長照

countries: 臺灣 台灣 日本

taiwan-subdivisions: 彰化 成功

title: 港灣新聞網／許添財率團赴日考察北海道大健康產業　商研院推動台日健康經濟新合作


title: 港灣新聞網／教育攜手國防！高師大與陸官簽署合作協議促進人才交流

content_text:
圖/高師大

港灣新聞網／高雄報導為深化學術與文化交流、推動教育創新及科技研發，國立高雄師範大學（高師大）與陸軍軍官學校（陸官校）今（29）日上午於高師大和平校區正式簽署「策略聯盟合作協議書」。

圖說 : 簽約後雙方出席師長歡喜合影

此次簽約由高師大副校長唐硯漁與陸軍軍官學校教育長黃孫德昌代表簽署，雙方主管團隊共同見證，象徵兩校正式攜手開啟跨域合作的新里程碑。未來雙方將整合人才、設備、技術與學術資源，建構「學研與軍事教育交流的新典範」，共同推進國家教育與科技發展的深度連結。

多面向合作 打造教育與軍事雙贏平台

依據簽署協議內容，雙方合作範圍廣泛，涵蓋學術資源共享、專題研究合作、成果交流、學術研討會共同舉辦及師生交流計畫等。

在課程層面上，高師大與陸官校將依互惠原則開放校際課程互選，鼓勵學生跨域學習與實作應用，並推動教師及研究人員的技術交流與共同研究，以強化教學與研究能量。

此外，雙方將積極鼓勵高師大學生報考ROTC軍官班或專業軍官班，並開放陸軍官校畢業生報考高師大研究所，促進雙向流動與進修發展。若研究方向與雙方教師專長相符，陸官教師亦可擔任共同指導教授，深化合作研究關係。

圖說 : 策略聯盟分別由唐副校長（左）與黃孫教育長代表簽署

唐硯漁副校長：教育與軍事攜手開創新局

高師大副校長唐硯漁致詞指出，自107學年度起，陸軍官校每學期約有45至50位同學修習高師大通識教育課程，學生在課堂中展現積極學習態度與優異表現，深獲授課教師肯定。

他表示，此次簽署「策略聯盟合作協議書」，不僅是學術教育與軍事教育跨界合作的重要里程碑，更象徵兩校在「教育共榮、資源共享」的共同願景下攜手邁進。透過策略聯盟，能為師生創造更多跨校學習機會，也為國家教育與軍事人才培育奠定堅實基礎。

黃孫德昌教育長：攜手推動國防教育數位轉型

陸軍軍官學校教育長黃孫德昌表示，陸官校與高師大長期維持良好合作關係，此次結盟更進一步深化雙方的教育與研究交流。他強調，未來希望借重高師大在教育研究、師資培育及智慧校園系統建構方面的優勢，與陸官校的軍事教育與資訊應用能力結合，共同推動國防教育數位轉型與現代化發展。

黃教育長指出，雙方未來將透過跨校選課、雙語教學計畫及科技導入教學等方式，拓展學生國際視野與跨文化溝通能力，培養兼具教育素養與科技應用能力的新世代軍事人才。

教育與科技融合 引領未來人才培育新模式

高師大與陸軍官校均表示，未來將持續推動「教學創新、科技賦能、人文與國防並進」的合作模式，讓學術研究成果能與國家安全教育、智慧科技發展接軌，打造兼具學術厚度與科技廣度的教育新典範。

此次策略聯盟不僅展現高師大「教育為本、創新為用」的辦學理念，也呼應陸軍官校積極推動智慧軍事教育的發展方向，為高雄及南臺灣的教育與科技合作注入新能量。

taiwan-subdivisions: 和平 高雄


taiwan-subdivisions: 中山 高雄

content_text:
圖/國立中山大學

港灣新聞網／高雄報導今（29）日適逢農曆九九重陽節，同時也是詩人余光中冥誕。為向詩壇巨匠致敬，國立中山大學文學院特舉辦《AI、詩與光影：當「靈光」遇見「陽光」》雙聯展，為中山45週年校慶揭開序幕。展覽自10月27日至11月7日於360藝文空間展出，由「人文科技週」與「數位人文與AI藝術潛力國際研究群」共同策劃，透過AI生成藝術、互動裝置與詩意光影，探索科技與文學的交會，詮釋余光中筆下的詩意靈光。

圖說 : 中山大學文學院以詩意向大師致敬，舉辦《AI、詩與光影：當「靈光」遇見「陽光」》雙聯展，為中山45週年校慶揭開序幕。展覽由「人文科技週」與「數位人文與AI藝術潛力國際研究群」共同策劃，於10月27日至11月7日在校內360藝文空間登場。以AI生成藝術與互動裝置重新詮釋余光中的詩作，探索在科技普照的時代，人類創作那份不可取代的「靈光」

AI詩藝交融 探索科技時代的人文靈光

策展團隊以AI生成圖像與聲音轉譯技術重新演繹詩人余光中的經典作品，展覽分為兩大展區——《靈光「現」場：文藝家與他們的產地》與《縮時顯影：季節光影印象》。

中山大學文學院副院長兼策展人羅景文表示，《靈光「現」場》由藝術家陳昱榮、謝福音及中山大學研究群共同創作，以AI影像、聲音與互動技術重構詩的意象，讓觀眾在詩句與光影之間感受語言的溫度與流動。《縮時顯影》則由南嶼詩社與文學院師生共同策展，分為「複色光」、「光閘」、「菲林」、「失焦」四個篇章，以四季為題，描繪自然與情感交織的時光印象。

圖說 : 〈To be〉以余光中對「存在」的哲思為出發點，運用生成式影像與互動投影，透過觀者的移動與凝視，讓詩意在光影間交錯。

三件AI詩藝創作吸睛 詩意與科技共鳴

展場中三件以余光中詩作為靈感、結合AI的互動作品最受矚目。

〈冷雨低迴〉取材自〈聽聽那冷雨〉與〈雨聲說些什麼〉等詩篇，運用聲音辨識與影像轉譯技術，將詩句節奏轉化為水紋與聲波，讓觀者彷彿置身詩人筆下的雨幕中；〈To be〉則從余光中對「存在」的哲思出發，透過生成式投影，讓詩意隨觀者移動而流動變化；〈花韻流影〉取材自〈水仙操：弔屈原〉，以AI演算結合彩繪與聲響，讓花影與光色在畫布間閃爍流轉，展現科技作為詩意延伸的無限可能。

四季詩意再現 南嶼詩社打造「縮時顯影」

「縮時顯影」展區由南嶼詩社呈現詩與自然的對話——春之〈複色光〉以藤蔓與圓片構築柔和景象；夏之〈光閘〉以壓克力方塊與藍染布折射日光；秋之〈菲林〉以落葉與詩句描摹私語；冬之〈失焦〉則以霧面塑膠與棉絮重現冬日的靜寂。觀者彷彿「走進詩」，在四季光影與文字節奏中，感受時間流動與情緒遞嬗的交織。

圖說 :〈花韻流影〉取材自余光中〈水仙操：弔屈原〉將「水仙」與「操」分別象徵形象與樂律，融合彩繪、聲音與AI演算，讓畫布上的花影隨之閃爍。

校長李志鵬：以藝術回應科技浪潮

開幕式中，中山大學校長李志鵬表示：「這場展覽是校慶最具人文溫度的禮物。大學不僅要引領科技，更要滋養人文深度。」他指出，AI時代雖充滿效率與速度，但創作的靈光與感性依舊無法被取代。

文學院院長賴錫三也指出，「人文科技週」象徵人文精神與科技創新並行，實踐「科技向前走，人文當靠山」的新中山理念。

人機共創新典範 AI藝術啟動人文未來

策展人羅景文補充，中山大學成立「數位人文與AI藝術潛力國際研究群」，正是希望在AI時代中探索創作新可能。他強調：「AI不是取代藝術，而是開啟新的詮釋維度。人機協作的過程，讓創作者能發展獨特風格，展現人文與科技交融的創新力量。」

展覽將持續至11月7日，對外開放參觀，邀請師生與市民共同感受AI藝術與詩意光影交融的魅力。

title: 港灣新聞網／詩、AI與光影交融！中山大學以藝術致敬余光中冥誕


title: Minister thanks Trump and Takaichi

content_text:
TOKYO SUMMIT:  The new Japanese PM’s words have demonstrated Japan’s ‘firm position on urging the prioritization of cross-strait peace,’ the foreign ministry said

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for supporting peace in the Taiwan Strait, a day after the two at a summit in Tokyo emphasized the importance of regional stability and ahead of a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea today.

The previous day’s meeting was the first time Takaichi had met with the US leader since becoming Japanese prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Since taking office on Tuesday last week, Takaichi has urged the international community to maintain cross-strait stability and check authoritarian expansion, the ministry said, citing her speeches at the ASEAN summit and the East Asia Summit in Malaysia this week, and her meeting with Trump.

Her announcements demonstrated Japan’s “firm position on urging the international community to prioritize cross-strait peace,” which plays an integral role in global security and prosperity, the ministry said.

“As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan is committed to enhancing its self-defense capabilities,” it said.

Taiwan would “defend the freedom, openness, peace, and prosperity of Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific” region with Japan and other like-minded countries, it added.

Separately, the Presidential Office said that Taiwan welcomes dialogue that could reduce regional tensions ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting.

The government views with positivity any efforts aimed at decreasing the risks of military conflict and facilitating peaceful development in the region, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) told reporters.

Taiwan is especially thankful for Washington’s support for Taiwanese security and democracy, as demonstrated by statements by US officials at the UN General Assembly and the US-Japan-South Korea joint declaration, Kuo said.

During his summit with Takaichi, Trump reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and US opposition to attempts to unilaterally change to the “status quo,” Kuo said.

The US and Japanese leaders’ comments were affirmations that the international consensus about Taiwan still holds, she said, adding that the nation communicates closely with the Trump administration.

Taiwan continues to work with Washington to maintain peace and stability in the Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, she said.

In related news, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said that the structural rivalry between the US and China would test Trump’s and Xi’s efforts today to moderate the competition between their nations.

The meeting is expected to revolve around topics concerning trade, economics and mechanisms governing a managed competition, Tsai said.

Washington and Beijing appeared to have adopted an approach to first handle fentanyl and exports of rare earths before confronting more difficult issues, he said.

The process would give Trump and Xi leeway to show some accomplishments to their domestic audiences, and cultivate an atmosphere of being positive and reasonable, he said.

However, the competition between the two nations stems from enduring structural issues, including clashing national security interests and technology controls that defy easy solutions, Tsai said.

Although the talks might broach geopolitical topics, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already assured the international community that Trump would not use Taiwan as a bargaining chip in negotiating with Xi, Tsai said.

Should issues concerning Taiwan become part of the talks, Trump’s advisers and staff would furnish him with the appropriate guidance, he said, adding that the bureau would closely observe the talks.

Additional reporting by Fang Wei-li

people: 習近平 林佳龍


title: China confirms Xi-Trump meeting in S Korea today

content_text:
China yesterday said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump would have “in depth” talks on “major issues” today.

Trump has said he expected their first face-to-face meeting of his second term to result in the US lowering tariffs imposed on China in relation to fentanyl.

Beijing said the face-to-face meeting would take place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea.

People hold banners and flags during a protest against China in Gyeongju, South Korea, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the talks would take place in Busan, a short flight from Gyeongju.

“During this meeting, the two leaders will have in-depth communication on strategic and long-term issues concerning China-US relations, as well as major issues of mutual concern,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) told a regular news conference.

“We are willing to work together with the US side to ensure that this meeting yields positive outcomes, provides new guidance and injects new momentum into the stable development of China-US relations,” Guo said.

Trump earlier said that he expected a “lot of problems” to be solved with Xi in their talks on dialing down their trade war.

The US president also said that he was not able to arrange a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to South Korea.

Trump said that he would aim to “straighten out” tensions between North Korea and South Korea as he met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

“I know Kim Jong-un very well ... we really weren’t able to work out timing,” Trump added.


title: Israel hits several targets in Gaza

content_text:
Israel yesterday said that it had carried out strikes on dozens of Hamas targets following the death of a soldier, with Gaza experiencing its deadliest night of bombing since a US-brokered truce went into effect earlier this month.

The Israeli military said that it had targeted 30 senior militants.

Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz said that “dozens of Hamas commanders were neutralized.”

Israeli military personnel operate on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border yesterday. Photo: Reuters

“There will be no immunity for anyone in the leadership of the terrorist organization Hamas... Whoever raises a hand against an IDF soldier, his hand will be severed,” Katz said, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

Israel said it launched the wave of strikes after a reservist — Master Sergeant Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37 — was killed in Rafah when his engineering vehicle was hit by enemy fire.

“A few minutes later, several anti-tank missiles were fired at another armored vehicle belonging to the troops in the area,” a military official said.

Hamas said its fighters had “no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah” and reaffirmed its commitment to the US-backed ceasefire.

It also delayed handing over what it said was the remains of a deceased hostage from its attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, because the “escalation will hinder the search, excavation and recovery of the bodies.”

After the strikes the Israeli military said it had begun “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire.”

US President Donald Trump, who helped to broker the nearly three-week-old truce, had earlier said that nothing would be allowed to jeopardize the deal, but he also endorsed Israel’s right to “hit back” if attacked.

Gaza’s civil defense agency said that the strikes killed more than 100 people.

The territory’s main al-Shifa Hospital said that one strike hit its back yard.

“We had just started to breathe again, trying to rebuild our lives, when the bombardment came back,” said 31-year-old Khadija al-Husni, living under canvas at a school in the al-Shati refugee camp. “It’s a crime. Either there is a truce or a war — it can’t be both. The children couldn’t sleep; they thought the war was over.”


taiwan-subdivisions: 士林 北投

people: 黃仁 蔣萬安 郭昭巖

content_text:
US chipmaker Nvidia Corp has confirmed its Taiwan headquarters would be built on Beitou Shilin Technology Park’s (北投士林科技園區) T17 and T18 plots in Taipei, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) told a meeting of the Taipei City Council yesterday, adding that the city government would fast-track administrative procedures to help the company establish its presence as soon as possible.

A videoconference earlier in the day with Nvidia produced three conclusions, Chiang said at the meeting, which discussed the special municipality’s policy plans and budget for next year.

The conclusions were that the company’s headquarters would be built on the 3.89 hectares of the combined T17 and T18 plots; Nvidia hopes the city would promptly terminate its contract with Shin Kong Life Insurance Co (新光人壽), which holds development rights for the land; and the city would accelerate administrative steps to facilitate the investment, Chiang said.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an speaks at the Taipei City Council yesterday. Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

Deputy Taipei Mayor Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) told reporters before the meeting that Shin Kong Life is expected to submit cost estimates this week and finalize a termination deal with the city government by next week.

The plan was the result of negotiations between Nvidia, the city government and Shin Kong Life, Chiang said.

Once the insurer and the city reach an agreement to terminate their contract, the city government would provide a cleared site and grant Nvidia special surface rights under a project-based model, he said.

The termination agreement could be completed by the end of next month, with a formal contract between the city and Nvidia expected by the middle of next year, he said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Yang Chih-tou (楊植斗) said that the announcement might improve Shin Kong Life’s bargaining position.

KMT Taipei City Councilor Kuo Chao-yen (郭昭巖) said that the compensation for terminating the contract — NT$2.99 billion (US$97.62 million) in land-use rights fees, NT$279 million in rent and NT$365 million in performance bonds, totaling NT$3.63 billion — should be reviewed by independent third party lawyers and accountants to ensure fairness.

Nvidia founder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) in May said that his company would establish its new Taiwan headquarters in “Beitou Shilin,” with the facility to be named Nvidia Constellation.

Once the contract with Shin Kong Life is terminated by mutual agreement, the municipality plans to invoke special land-right provisions under the Land Expropriation Act (土地徵收條例) to help Nvidia secure the site, a process estimated to take one to two months, the city government said.

All administrative procedures — including urban planning, land-use adjustments and infrastructure coordination — would be accelerated to facilitate Nvidia’s move into the site, city officials said.

title: Taipei mayor says Nvidia site plans confirmed


content_text:
Boosting defense not a provocation, but a deterrent: Lai

Boosting national defense is not a provocation, but to deter an invasion, and safeguard Taiwan’s democracy and freedom, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.

“Investing in our armed forces is investing in peace,” Lai said at a ceremony to promote military officers at the Presidential Office in Taipei.

China is continuing its “gray zone” tactics, using military intimidation in the waters and airspace around Taiwan, he added.

“Its actions are designed to put pressure on our troops, while they also threaten regional security and disrupt global economic development,” he said.

“Taiwan must have resolute determination to safeguard the homeland, deter annexation or invasion, as well as moves to force unification,” Lai said.

“Taiwan would boost its asymmetrical warfare capabilities by adding more high-tech networks and hardware systems,” he said.

“We shall introduce new training methods, new strategic concepts, new equipment and new technologies to modernize Taiwan’s military and make it more flexible,” he said.

The armed forces should work together toward these goals, implementing the concepts into every unit, he added.

Lai congratulated four officers who were promoted to major general: Liang Ting-wei (梁庭蔚), Lee Chen-hua (李振華), Hu Chih-hua (胡志華) and Lo Wei-chung (羅偉中).

Liang was promoted for his work as head of a command to assist with relief and recovery efforts in Hualien County following Typhoon Ragasa last month.

Lee, an air force officer, was promoted for his work redesigning and deploying air routes.

Hu, a Mirage fighter pilot, was promoted for his outstanding record in flying and his work at air show demonstrations.

Lo was promoted for overseeing reforms at National Defense University in Taoyuan, as well as success with student recruitment efforts and course curriculum improvements.


content_text:
‘REUNIFICATION’:  China aims to ‘Hong Kong-ify’ and ‘Macau-ify’ Taiwan to belittle its international standing and erode its sovereignty, a top security official said

China’s “patriots” model is what Beijing used in Hong Kong and Macau, and has no market in Taiwan, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday, in response to stronger rhetoric from Beijing ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Peng Qingen (彭慶恩) told a regular news conference in Beijing earlier yesterday that peaceful “reunification” under the “one country, two systems” model is the fundamental approach to “resolving the Taiwan issue.”

“We are willing to create ample space for peaceful reunification and will spare no effort to pursue this prospect with the utmost sincerity,” he said. “However, we absolutely will not renounce the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures.”

National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen speaks at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

The comment struck a tougher tone than a series of articles in state media this week that pledged benign rule.

China has never renounced the use of force to “reunify” with Taiwan, but the policy is not often directly voiced in public and did not appear in three Xinhua news agency commentaries this week about Taiwan.

One of the commentaries mapped out how “patriots” could rule Taiwan after “reunification,” and promised its existing social system and way of life would be respected.

Beijing’s top official in charge of Taiwan policy, the Chinese Communist Party’s fourth-ranked leader Wang Huning (王滬寧), did not mention force in a key policy speech on Saturday, which instead focused on how both sides would benefit from “reunification.”

In Taipei, Tsai said that Beijing has “no way to enact the application of the Macau or Hong Kong model in Taiwan.”

“The aim is to belittle Taiwan’s international standing, and Hong Kong-ify and Macau-ify Taiwan, to achieve the political objective of eliminating Taiwan’s sovereignty, which the Chinese Communist Party seeks to do,” Tsai said.

In 2021, Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule from the UK in 1997, held its first “patriots-only” election with candidates vetted as loyal to Beijing. Turnout hit a record low.

Taiwan held its first direct presidential election in 1996, and democracy is a noisy and vibrant affair where candidates are free to espouse any point of view — be it pro-independence or pro-Beijing.

China’s government refuses to talk to President William Lai (賴清德), saying he is a “separatist.”

The Taiwanese government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

China’s renewed push for an autonomy model for Taiwan — which no major Taiwanese political party supports and the government in Taipei has repeatedly denounced — comes ahead of a meeting between Trump and Xi today.

Trump told reporters yesterday that he did not know whether he would even discuss Taiwan with Xi.

people: 賴清德 習近平

title: Taiwan rejects Beijing’s ‘patriots’ rule model


title: NSB identifies Chinese vessels’ intrusions

content_text:
The National Security Bureau (NSB) yesterday said that it has identified at least eight methods by which Chinese vessels intrude into restricted waters near Kinmen County, adding that such activities have made monitoring the area more difficult.

Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) made the remarks in response to a question by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Yeong-kang (陳永康) at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee about an image showing Chinese vessels intruding into Taiwan’s territorial waters.

Tsai confirmed that the image captured at 8:40am yesterday showed that seven to eight commercial vessels passed through restricted waters near Kinmen, adding that there were also a few vessels that could not be identified because their automatic identification system was switched off.

A Chinese oceanographic research vessel named Yan Ping No. 2 is pictured in Taiwan’s restricted waters near the outlying islands of Kinmen County on March 12. Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch

Chen said that he suspected that they were Chinese fishing boats commissioned by the Beijing government to carry out special missions, or vessels operated by the China Coast Guard.

Such activities in restricted waters near Kinmen should not be called “gray zone harassment” and should be regulated by Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA), but the agency has a limited number of ships to patrol the area, Chen said.

He warned that Chinese vessels might intrude more frequently into Taiwanese waters and drop anchor there under the pretext of being commercial ships, which could affect safety and law enforcement in waters near Kinmen.

Tsai said that the coast guard has dispatched vessels to the outlying islands to address the abnormal activities at the front line, including identifying the locations and types of vessels.

Meanwhile, a bureau analysis has identified eight to nine methods by which Chinese vessels intruded into Taiwan’s territorial waters, such as turning off their automatic identification systems and using maritime mobile service identity numbers from other ships, Tsai said.

“This has indeed raised the level of difficulty of monitoring intrusions of Chinese ships,” Tsai said.

Aside from boosting intelligence-sharing efficiency, the coast guard has allocated about NT$20 billion (US$653 million) to build more patrol ships, which should boost its capabilities in reporting, verifying and repelling intruding vessels.

Separately, Chen said that China’s Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

As a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization, China would announce the designated guidance zones for the airport’s takeoff and landing operations, which could cover half of Kinmen County, Chen said.

Beijing could use this to expand its jurisdiction over Taiwanese territories, he said.

The Ministry of National Defense, Mainland Affairs Council and CGA should closely monitor the situation and be prepared to respond promptly if needed, he said.


content_text:
NEW FRONTIER:  Aside from leveraging its chip expertise, Taiwan should cultivate local talent and boost partnerships with developed countries

Taiwan has an “absolute advantage” in semiconductors that it should leverage to build its own quantum computing ecosystem and cultivate local talent, an Academia Sinica fellow said on Tuesday.

Developing a homegrown quantum computer would stimulate advances in related hardware and control software, said Chen Chii-dong (陳啟東), a distinguished research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Research Center for Critical Issues and executive officer of its Thematic Center for Quantum Computing.

Taiwan’s strength in semiconductor manufacturing could be harnessed to establish dedicated production processes and testing platforms, as chips are crucial to quantum computing performance, he said.

Jeff Lin, general director of the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center, speaks at the Quantum Taiwan 2025 seminar in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: CNA

Chen also emphasized the importance of education and the time needed for talent cultivation, saying that Taiwan welcomes talents from the fields of physics, information science, electrical engineering and electronics to enter the quantum domain.

Also on Tuesday, Jeff Lin (林昭憲), general director of the partially government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute’s Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center, proposed several strategies to boost Taiwan’s quantum industry ecosystem.

First, Taiwan should leverage its advantages in its semiconductor, and information and communications technology (ICT) industries, targeting core technologies and integrating them with artificial intelligence applications to create an innovative chain from research and development to market implementation, he said.

Second, Lin suggested establishing a strategic research and supply chain partnership with developed countries and areas such as the US, Europe and Japan, as well as boost industry-academia-research collaborations.

For quantum technology governance, Taiwan should construct a comprehensive framework that covers the issues of risk assessment, data sovereignty, and ethics principles, he said.

Regarding talent management, the nation should strengthen its legal and education systems to cultivate cross-disciplinary talent, Lin said.

Lastly, Taiwan should set up a quantum research and verification platform that integrates innovation funds and resources to speed up commercialization, and build an ecosystem of start-up incubation and innovation investment to transform research efforts into industrial energy, he said.

Quantum technology has become the new strategic frontier following artificial intelligence, Lin said, adding that 30 countries have already incorporated the field into their national development plans.

Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors, medical technology, energy, automation and ICT provide a strong foundation for transforming quantum opportunities into practical advances, he said.

title: Expert says Taiwan has chip edge for quantum computing


title: DPP blasts incoming KMT vice chair’s China visit

content_text:
By Lin Hsin-han and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter and staff writer

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) of complicity in Beijing’s campaign to subvert the nation, a day after incoming KMT vice chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) met with high-ranking communist officials in Tianjin, China.

Hsiao, who also heads the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, told China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao (宋濤) that cross-strait relations are entering a “new stage” and that the KMT supports China’s so-called “unification” of Taiwan.

DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) cited senior KMT members as saying that Beijing had interfered in the party’s chairperson election to support Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) successful campaign for party leadership.

Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director and incoming Chinese Nationalist Party vice chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen, left, shakes hand with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao in Tianjin, China, on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation

Cheng’s sending of a “senior KMT official” to grovel before Beijing even before assuming office on Saturday is an admission of the party’s complicity in a new phase of Beijing’s “united front” warfare against Taiwan, Wu said.

China has held celebrations of its so-called “Taiwan Retrocession Day” as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army stepped up its provocative activities around Taiwan, which have earned not condemnation, but praise from the KMT, he said.

In Tianjin, Hsiao said that surveys by several media outlets show that an overwhelming majority of Taiwanese support dialogue with China, while ignoring the preconditions that the public support for the nation to engage in talks with China, Wu said.

Only fully empowered officials can act as legitimate negotiators in cross-strait dialogues, he said, adding that the KMT’s unauthorized talks with communist officials have no legal standing.

Wu added that a recent poll showed that about 80 percent of Taiwanese believe Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, and an equal number reject Beijing’s “one China” principle, which asserts that Taiwan belongs to China.

The KMT’s lies are as shameless as they are futile, as they deceive no one but the party itself, he said.

The People’s Republic China should acknowledge the reality that the Republic of China in Taiwan is a sovereign and democratic nation, Wu said, adding that honest dialogue can begin only if Beijing gives up violence and threats against Taiwan.

Asked about the DPP’s comments, Hsiao said that “malicious comments by shameless DPP politicians” are not worth responding to.

Separately, Cheng yesterday said that Taiwan needs a “reasonable defense budget,” but added that “too high and unreasonable” military spending would exceed the nation’s financial capacity.

Taiwan “is not an ATM” and defense spending must not increase without limit or it would fuel “an endlessly escalating arms race,” she said.

Cheng reiterated her opposition to the DPP government’s plans to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP before 2030, which it said would boost deterrence against Chinese aggression.

Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said the KMT chair-elect’s opinion was inconsistent with “democratic countries around the world.”

“Investing in national defense is investing in peace” and is intended to maintain Taiwan’s “free and democratic way of life,” Kuo said.

Cheng later told reporters that the Presidential Office “misread” her comments.

She said she firmly supports regional and cross-strait peace, but opposes any defense budget that “has no upper limit” or “creates a serious crowding-out effect” on public finances.

Taiwan should clearly tell the world that “we are peace-loving” and that the country’s “23 million people do not wish to create or provoke any regional conflict,” she said at a banquet at the Nantou County Council.

Additional reporting by Chen Cheng-yu and CNA


title: Hotels, ports could soon apply to hire migrants

content_text:
By Chung Li-hua and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The hospitality sector and ports could soon apply to hire migrant workers, provided they increase the monthly salary of their lowest-paid domestic workers by NT$2,000 (US$65.30) for every foreign worker hired, according to new migrant worker policies to be finalized at a Cabinet meeting today.

The 50 percent cap on the proportion of migrant workers hired would remain in place.

The policies are expected to be implemented next year, and are designed to protect the jobs and livelihoods of domestic workers.

A hotel room in Yilan County is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei Times

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) in a meeting with a manufacturers’ association on Oct. 16 said the government would shortly be releasing a comprehensive national workforce review.

The new policies would increase the number of migrant workers entering Taiwan, and shorten the processing time for applications to support the needs of businesses and families, he said.

No further information has been released regarding foreign domestic workers after President William Lai (賴清德) last month pledged to allow families with at least one child up to age 12 apply for a foreign domestic helper.

Currently, the policy is limited to families with two children younger than six.

The proposal is reportedly still being reviewed and would not be included in the new policy plan.

As of the end of August, Taiwan had 854,000 migrant workers, which might increase by 10,000 to 20,000 once hiring regulations are relaxed for hotels and ports.

Moreover, the Ministry of Labor is to allocate more than NT$80 million next year to establish a foreign worker recruitment center, which would send personnel abroad to recruit and train foreign technical workers.

The program would begin in the Philippines before expanding to Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, the ministry said.

It aims to ensure direct recruitment to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers, it added.

people: 賴清德 卓榮泰


people: 鄭照新 盧秀燕

content_text:
POTENTIAL FRAUD: Documents for the disposal of dead pigs were tampered with, the Taichung deputy mayor said, adding that evidence was forwarded to prosecutors

The gene sequencing results of Taiwan’s first cases of African swine fever (ASF), which could help determine the virus’ source, would be released tomorrow at the earliest, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.

The cases were publicly confirmed on Wednesday last week following an outbreak at a pig farm in Taichung’s Wuci District (梧棲).

Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) told the legislature that the sequencing would be matched with results uploaded by other countries to determine similarity and infer the origin.

However, China has not uploaded its gene sequencing data, he added.

Out of the 9,511 samples from illegally imported pork products, brought in or discarded at the border, from 2018 to Thursday last week, 997 tested positive for the ASF virus, the ministry said.

Of them, 147 were from China, 13 from Vietnam and Thailand.

Taiwan has never had ASF, so the first case must have been imported, Chen said, adding that preventing its spread through investigations and sterilizing food waste is a priority to eradicate it, he said.

Subsidies for the pork industry would be announced by Saturday, after related budgets are reported to the Executive Yuan, he said.

Subsidies for culled pigs would likely be conditional, and while it could not implement a price guarantee, the government would stabilize the quantity of pork in the wholesale market after a transportation and slaughter ban is lifted, with a monitored price and further adjustments on the way, he said.

Officials are still debating whether eateries serving pork dishes should receive subsidies, which would be difficult to determine, he added.

Meanwhile, Taichung Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin (鄭照新) told a news conference in the city that triplicate forms documenting the disposal of dead pigs were tampered with, leading to discrepancies in reported figures.

The evidence was sent to prosecutors for investigation on Sunday and Tuesday, Cheng said.

The forms are important for ASF mortality statistics and case investigations, with one copy kept by the rendering plant, one by local animal health authorities and one by the hog farmer, officials said.

Regarding the economic impact of the outbreak, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said that 400 fresh meat vendors in the city were affected by supply shortages, with some forced to close.

Public markets would temporarily waive rental fees, and central and local governments are working to provide additional compensation, she said.

Meanwhile, a veterinarian aide surnamed Wang (王), who was consulted by the farm where the outbreak was detected, was questioned by prosecutors yesterday to determine whether he had illegally prescribed medication for pigs, which only licensed veterinarians are authorized to do, the Taichung City Government said.

The hog farm owner told investigators that he had consulted Wang, who had reported the abnormal deaths of pigs at the farm, when he found pigs dying before administering drugs to the animals, the government said.

Wang — who left the country after the incident, but returned on Tuesday — could face a fine of NT$100,000 to NT$500,000, it said.

He was summoned yesterday morning to ascertain if the Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Disease (動物傳染病防治條例) had been contravened, prosecutors said.

He was released after being questioned as a witness and consented to have his mobile phone examined for evidence, they added.

Additional reporting by Tsai Shu-yuan

title: ASF sequence results expected tomorrow


content_text:
SOME BIG REDUCTIONS:  Railway construction projects would be affected by the amendments, with TRC getting NT$2.95 billion less for train maintenance

Subsidies allocated to the six special municipalities for the construction of MRT systems would be reduced by NT$30.85 billion (US$1.01 billion) next year following the passage of amendments earlier this year, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.

The amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法), proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party lawmakers, would substantially increase government revenue allocated to local governments, while decreasing funds for the central government, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) told lawmakers at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.

Subsidies that can be granted to local governments from the central government would decrease as a result, he said.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai, left, and Railway Bureau Director-General Young Cheng-chun give a report to the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

The ministry initially budgeted NT$39.9 billion to subsidize the construction or expansion of MRT systems in Keelung and the six special municipalities, but the Executive Yuan only approved NT$9.05 billion, he said.

Railway construction projects proposed by Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) and the Railway Bureau would also be affected by the amendments, according to the ministry’s budget plan next year.

TRC originally budgeted NT$21.25 billion for railway construction projects next year, but the amount approved by the Executive Yuan was NT$6.71 billion short. The budget for enhancing the safety of railway structures and the maintenance of trains was cut by about NT$2.95 billion.

The Railway Bureau planned to allocate NT$50.06 billion for railway construction projects, but is set to only receive NT$30 billion. Funding to electrify the dual railway tracks between Hualien and Taitung counties, and build an underground railway system in Taoyuan would be cut by about NT$16.9 billion.

The ministry has few resources to support infrastructure projects following the passage of the amendments, Chen said, adding that rules governing the distribution of subsidies have yet to be finalized.

“We would continue to review projects proposed by local governments. However, the amount of subsidies they receive each year would vary, depending on the government’s fiscal condition,” he said.

All Railway Bureau projects would proceed as scheduled based on contracts with construction firms, while budget plans would be compiled each fiscal year, bureau Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said.

TRC said its project to maintain trains and enhance railway structure safety is a multiyear plan, adding that more funding would be allocated in subsequent years should a shortfall occur this year.

The ministry said it would adjust subsidies proposed by local governments based on their respective needs, adding that it would also account for a locality’s financial soundness and the extent of MRT network development when deciding on the amount of subsidies to be allocated.

MRT systems fall under the jurisdiction of local governments, but the central government is obligated to provide subsidies to cover part of construction costs and to ensure that the systems deliver benefits from cross-regional connectivity, the ministry said.

Following the passage of the amendments, the funding local governments can access has vastly increased, and they should prioritize the needs of residents by budgeting appropriately for MRT and light rail systems, it added.

title: Subsidies for MRTs to be cut under KMT bills


title: Airport police break up vape smuggling ring

content_text:
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted 12 people, including an airport security officer, on suspicion of smuggling more than 9,000 heated tobacco products into Taiwan.

A woman surnamed Yang (楊), 40, along with her mother and nine other suspected, allegedly bribed Aviation Police Bureau officer Chen Po-jung (陳柏融), 28, to help them evade customs, the indictment said.

They were all charged for contravening the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act (菸酒管理法), while Chen was also charged under the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).

Heated tobacco products seized by customs at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office

Customs Administration officials at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport were alerted to Yang, her mother and the other suspects, for avoiding luggage checks several times this year by passing through a special entry gate, allegedly with the aid of Chen, the indictment said.

Yang and her mother were arrested early last month, when they used a special entry gate with assistance from Chen after arriving from South Korea, it said.

Police found more than 500 heated tobacco products in their possession, it said.

From April to last month, Yang and her associates passed through the airport 26 times, smuggling more than 9,000 heated tobacco products inside luggage, while Chen accepted NT$950,000 in bribes, the indictment said.

Heated tobacco products warm processed tobacco to release a nicotine aerosol. Although banned in Taiwan in 2023, the government this year eased restrictions on the devices, approving several for sale starting this month. However, they were soon removed from shelves due to labeling issues.


title: Record 5,749 centenarians in Taiwan this year

content_text:
The number of centenarians in Taiwan hit a record 5,749 as of Aug. 29, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday as the nation celebrated the Double Ninth Festival.

The festival, also known as the Chongyang Festival or Senior Citizens’ Day, falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month and honors the elderly. To mark the occasion, the government gives cash gifts and gold lock-shaped charms symbolizing longevity and good health to citizens aged 100 and above.

This year’s procurement for the charms totaled about NT $76.99 million (US$2.51 million), up from nearly NT$60 million last year, according to acting head of the ministry’s Department of Social and Family Affairs Chou Tao-chun (周道君).

President Lai Ching-te, front second left, visits centenarian Chen Huo-sen in Taichung on Oct. 14. Photo courtesy of the Office of the President

Chou said the number of centenarians has grown steadily, from 5,011 in 2023 to 5,542 in 2024, before rising again this year by 738, or about 15 percent.


title: Taiwanese authors to attend Toronto literary festival

content_text:
Taiwanese author Terao Tetsuya (寺尾哲也) and translator Lin King (金翎) are to showcase their work at the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA).

King, the English translator of Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi’s (楊?子) Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), is to speak at two forums at the festival on Saturday.

In the first forum at 4pm at Northrop Frye Hall, King is to discuss “Literature in Translation,” with Beninese-Canadian writer Ryad Assani-Razaki and Singaporean writer Jeremy Tiang (程異), and in the second, at 6:30pm at Emmanuel College, she would speak on “Echoes Across Eras,” along with Korean-Canadian writer Jinwoo Park.

A screen grab from the Toronto International Festival of Authors’ Web site highlights a discussion panel featuring Taiwanese translator Lin King. Photo: screen grab from Toronto International Festival of Authors’ Web site

Published by Graywolf Press in November last year, King’s translation of Taiwan Travelogue has received critical acclaim, winning the National Book Award for Translated Literature and the Asia Society’s Baifang Schell Book Prize.

King has also been shortlisted for the National Translation Award in Prose and the First Translation Prize by the American Literary Translators Association.

Terao, also known as Tsao Sheng-hao (曹盛濠), is on Saturday at 2:30pm to attend a panel discussion on “Stories Without Borders,” speaking alongside Canadian author Sheung-King, the pen name of Aaron Tang, at Victoria College’s Alumni Hall.

Terao’s Spent Bullets (子彈是餘生), which won the Golden Book Award and the New Bud Award at the Taiwan Literature Awards, is set in Taiwan and Silicon Valley. It explores themes of ambition and the search for meaning in contemporary life.

The English translation by Kevin Wang (王可) was released by HarperVia on Oct. 14.

TIFA, founded in 1974, is Canada’s largest and longest-running literary festival.

This year’s edition, which started yesterday and runs through Sunday, is to feature about 100 events — including talks, readings and masterclasses by writers from more than 10 countries, the festival’s Web site says.


title: Section of Central Cross-Island Highway reopens

content_text:
Hualien County authorities yesterday reopened a section of the Central Cross-Island Highway, known as Provincial Highway No. 8, between Taroko National Park and Tiansiang (天祥) following the controlled demolition to partially drain a barrier lake.

Vehicle traffic can now access the section, closed since Oct. 17 after a landslide formed the barrier lake near the west entrance of the Jin Heng Tunnel (靳珩隧道) in Taroko National Park, during designated hours, the Highway Bureau’s Eastern Region Branch Office said.

The section from 175km to 176km, including the Jin Heng Tunnel and Ludan Bridge (魯丹橋), is no longer flooded, and repair crews inspected facilities and cleared mud from the road, the office said in a statement.

Road construction workers stand outside a tunnel on a section of the Central Cross-Island Highway near Taroko National Park yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Highway Bureau

Before the closure, multiple sections of the highway in Hualien County had already been subject to time-restricted traffic controls amid repair work on damaged slopes, road surfaces and roadbed gaps.

Local authorities closed the stretch on Oct. 17 as a precaution after the barrier lake was determined to be at risk of overflow, which occurred in the days that followed.

A controlled demolition to release water from the dam began on Saturday, leading to its collapse at about 11:30am yesterday, the Forestry and Natural Conservation Agency’s Hualien office said.

When the dam collapsed, the water level of the lake dropped about 18m within 40 minutes, office deputy head Chiu Yi-chien (朱懿千) said.

The situation posed no immediate risks, but the downstream portion of the Liwu River (立霧溪) to the river mouth remains dangerous, and people should stay clear of the riverbed, the office said.


title: Taiwan News Quick Take

content_text:
ASTRONOMY

Comet to be visible today

Comet Lemmon, believed to be the brightest comet of the year, is expected to reach its peak brightness today, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The comet is gradually approaching the sun and brightening, with its luminosity forecast to peak today before fading rapidly after passing perihelion on Saturday next week, the museum said in a statement. The comet can be observed with binoculars and might even be visible to the naked eye under favorable conditions, it said. For the best view, check the skies within about an hour after sunset, at about 6pm, from a wide, dark location with minimal light pollution, it added.

SOCIETY

Taipei housing data released

About 17 percent of people 60 or older in Taipei last year lived in three-generation households, 5.8 percentage points lower than five years ago, a Taipei Department of Budget, Accounting and Statistics report released yesterday showed. Ninety-nine percent of residents aged 60 or older lived in ordinary residential housing, about 72.8 percent of whom were homeowners, 5.4 percentage points lower than five years ago, while 17.2 percent lived in a house owned by a family member, a 3.5 percentage point increase, the report showed. Most lived with their children or other family members, with 41.1 percent living in a dual-generational household, while 24.7 percent lived with a spouse or partner, followed by three-generation households at 17 percent. About 9.8 percent lived on their own, up by 3.5 percentage points from five years ago, and 7.4 percent lived in four-generation households, or with a caregiver or other family member, up 1.6 percentage points from the previous survey.

DIPLOMACY

Manila picks new office head

The Philippines has named women’s rights advocate Corazon Padiernos as its new representative to Taipei, saying she would lead Manila’s efforts to bolster bilateral ties with Taiwan. Prior to her appointment as officer-in-charge of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), Padiernos had served on the office’s board of directors, and oversaw its tourism and agriculture sectors, it said. “MECO warmly welcomes Chairperson Padiernos and looks forward to her leadership in further strengthening the partnership and people-to-people ties between the Philippines and Taiwan,” the office said. Padiernos succeeds Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, who was last month named as the new secretary-general of the Philippine House of Representatives.

CRIME

Police seize heroin shipment

Police in Taiwan and Malaysia seized 4.21kg of heroin smuggled in mobile phone casing shipments, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said on Tuesday. The main suspect, a man surnamed Wang (王), 41, was identified as a member of Thento Union, a Taiwan-based international criminal organization. After Taiwanese and Malaysian law enforcement learned of a cross-border drug transport operation, Taiwanese personnel intercepted the shipment containing NT$20 million (US$652,955) of heroin hidden beneath the bottom panels of boxes of mobile phone cases and disguised to evade X-ray detection, said Chang Chao-hsiung (張詔雄), head of the first investigation team of the bureau’s International Criminal Affairs Division. To avoid detection, the gang used international express freight services to complete customs declarations and shipped the heroin to a claw machine shop in Keelung, police said.


title: Security forum

content_text: Premier Cho Jung-tai, center, and Minister of Justice Cheng Ming-chien, fourth left, pose alongside other government officials and international participants at the opening ceremony of the Taiwan-Western Asia & Africa Forum on Regional Security and Transnational Crime in Taipei yesterday. More than 300 experts from 45 countries are attending the highest-level international law enforcement and security conference in Taiwan.


content_text: Democratic Progressive Party Taichung City Councilors hold placards at a news conference at the city council yesterday. They accused Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen and her administration of doing a poor job of clarifying the African swine fever outbreak in the city since last week, as city officials have changed their story about the case several times.

title: ‘Below-par’ performance


title: A noble send-off

content_text: Residents of Biantou Village in Changhua County’s Sihu Township form a “thousand-year-old team” to say thank you and wave goodbye to military personnel as they prepared to leave the community yesterday. The army’s ground forces are holding an exercise in Chiayi and Changhua counties from Saturday last week until tomorrow.


title: UMC reports 68% profit growth in Q3

content_text:
GROWTH FORECAST: Despite global economic uncertainty and geopolitical risks, the company expects next year to be another year of growth on 22-nanometer demand

Contract chipmaker United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) yesterday reported a sequential growth of 68 percent in net profit for last quarter and said its wafer shipments this year would grow 13 percent year-on-year.

UMC said net profit last quarter surged about 68 percent to NT$14.98 billion (US$489.1 million), the highest in about one-and-a-half years, compared with NT$8.9 billion in the second quarter. That represented annual growth of 3.52 percent from NT$14.47 billion.

Under a broad-based recovery in the industry’s mature process technologies, UMC said that strong demand for its 22-nanometer process technology would also drive its wafer shipments next year.

A person holds a silicon wafer in front of United Microelectronics Corp’s logo at the company’s offices at Hsinchu Science Park in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times file photo

“We benefited from a pickup in sales of smartphones and notebook computers, driving replenishment orders from customers. Our 22-nanometer technology platforms continue to provide us with differentiation in the market, with 22-nanometer revenue now accounting for more than 10 percent of total sales,” UMC copresident Jason Wang (王石) told an online earnings conference yesterday.

This year alone, UMC said it would have more than 50 product tape-outs based on its 22-nanometer technology.

In the semiconductor industry, a tape-out refers to the final stage of the chip design cycle before it is sent for manufacturing.

UMC expects next year to be another growth year, despite the global economic uncertainty and geopolitical risks, Wang said.

The growth would be fueled by robust demand for UMC’s 22-nanometer technology used in producing high-end smartphone display driver ICs and other applications, he said.

As a result, the combined revenue from 22-nanometer and 28-nanometer technologies would grow by a double-digit percentage next year, Wang said.

The 22-nanometer and 28-nanometer technologies together contributed 35 percent to the chipmaker’s revenue last quarter.

UMC said the cooperation with Intel Corp to produce 12-nanometer chips in the US proceeds smoothly and is on track to start contributing revenue in 2027.

UMC is open to exploring future technology partnerships with Intel beyond 12-nanometer technology, as the partnership is helping UMC cement its market position in the US, Wang said.

In addition to the US and Singapore, UMC aims to “balance” its capacity split between Taiwan and overseas sites to boost supply chain resilience and address tariff issues, Wang said, adding that the ultimate goal is to supply customers from different regions.

Earnings per share rose to NT$1.2 from NT$0.71 in the second quarter and NT$1.16 from the third quarter last year.

Gross margin improved to 29.8 percent last quarter from 28.7 percent in the previous quarter. On an annual basis, gross margin dropped from 33.77. percent.

UMC said it expects wafer shipments and average selling prices this quarter to be flat on a quarterly basis, while gross margin stands at 26 to 28 percent.

The factory utilization rate is expected to be about 75 percent, slightly lower than 78 percent last quarter, it said.

The chipmaker retained its capital expenditure this year at US$1.8 billion.


content_text:
SUSTAINED MOMENTUM:  The company expects AI demand to persist and aims for AI-related business to account for more than 20 percent of total revenue this year

Lite-On Technology Corp (光寶科技) expects fourth-quarter revenue to grow sequentially and annually on higher shipments of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) power supply products, company president Anson Chiu (邱森彬) said yesterday.

The electronic components maker expects the growth momentum to persist next year on the back of strong AI demand, Chiu said at an earnings conference in Taipei.

The company aims for AI-related business to account for more than 20 percent of total revenue this year and to continue to increase next year, he said.

From left, Lite-On Technology Corp chief financial officer K.T. Lim, president Anson Chiu, and director of investor and public relations Julia Wang attend an earnings conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Lite-On yesterday reported that net profit in the third quarter rose 47.2 percent quarter-on-quarter and 37 percent year-on-year to NT$4.65 billion (US$151.81 million). Earnings per share improved to NT$2.05 from NT$1.39 in the previous quarter and NT$1.48 in the third quarter last year.

Third-quarter revenue rose 11 percent quarter-on-quarter and 22 percent year-on-year to NT$44.89 billion, driven by strong growth in cloud computing and the AI-of-Things, the company said.

Sales in the cloud computing and AI-of-Things segments accounted for 48 percent of total sales, followed by the information technology and consumer electronics segment at 36 percent, and the optoelectronics segment at 16 percent, it said.

Operating margin was 10.4 percent, up 1.2 percentage points from the previous quarter, but down 0.3 points year-on-year, while gross margin rose to 25 percent, up 2.9 percentage points quarter-on-quarter and 2.6 percentage points year-on-year, it added.

The company last quarter added two new battery backup unit (BBU) production lines in the US, which would increase its current capacity by 30 percent, Chiu said.

The company’s major client for the BBU business is a leading cloud service provider, he said, without naming it.

Customers have preordered all of next year’s BBU capacity, he added.

Its US plant would mainly handle BBU production, followed by its Kaohsiung and China plants, he said, adding that the company has also been expanding its power supply unit (PSU) production lines in Vietnam and Kaohsiung.

Lite-On would continue to invest in the US and Vietnam to meet strong demand for BBUs next year, he said.

The company supplies PSUs primarily to graphics processing unit makers and application-specific integrated circuit makers, he added.

Total capital expenditure this year is expected to reach between NT$6 billion and NT$7 billion, up 25 percent from last year, Lite-On chief financial officer K.T. Lim (林建忠) said, adding that spending next year is expected to rise further to NT$7 billion.

title: Lite-On expects Q4 revenue growth on AI shipments


title: Housing transfers sharply cool to lowest since 2017

content_text:
Taiwan’s housing market cooled sharply this year, with property transfers in the first nine months plunging 28.1 percent to 194,976 units — the lowest level for the period since 2017, data released yesterday by the Ministry of the Interior showed.

The volume ranks as the third-lowest on record, with only 175,787 units in 2016 and 193,238 units in 2001 lower, according to Chen Chin-ping (陳金萍), deputy research head at Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋), Taiwan’s largest broker by number of offices.

Chen attributed the slowdown to the central bank’s ongoing selective credit controls, tighter loan restrictions and limited supply of new-home handovers.

Buildings in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District are pictured on July 14. Photo: Hsu Yi-ping, Taipei Times

Seasonal factors, such as the traditionally slow summer vacation period, further dampened market activity, she said.

The decline contrasts sharply with last year’s monthly transactions, which exceeded 30,000 units from April to August, fueled by favorable lending terms for first-time buyers.

The surge prompted the central bank to tighten mortgage conditions to curb risks of loan concentration and a potential housing bubble.

Policymakers sought to ease the slowdown last month by freeing first-home loans from the banking loan ratio limit, enabling banks to extend more credit. Authorities also extended the window for home relocators to sell properties from 12 months to 18 months after purchase, while retaining first-home mortgage privileges.

“The policy adjustments are positive for loan accessibility and may help reduce the wait-and-see attitude among first-time buyers,” Chen said.

Despite the measures, last month’s home sales fell 3.9 percent from the previous month and dropped 30 percent year-on-year, highlighting ongoing caution among buyers amid economic uncertainty, including potential impacts from US tariffs.

The government has described the 20 percent tariffs as temporary and said trade negotiations continue, hoping to bring down the tariff rate.

Market watchers said the fourth quarter would be crucial in assessing whether policy easing could stabilize transactions. The central bank plans to review loan restrictions in December to determine whether they should be extended into next year.

In related developments, Taiwan’s construction cost index rose just 0.8 percent in the first three quarters, the slowest pace since 2017, according to Sinyi Realty Co (信義房屋).

The slowdown signals that cost-driven pressures on housing have largely disappeared, even though developers have said there is little room for price concessions given earlier spikes in building material costs since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With construction costs stabilizing, housing prices will increasingly depend on demand rather than cost pressures,” Sinyi Realty research manager Tseng Ching-der (曾敬德) said.


title: Hon Hai to join alliance building robotaxi service

content_text:
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday said it is partnering with Nvidia Corp, Stellantis NV and Uber Technologies Inc to jointly develop self-driving vehicles and deploy a global robotaxi service.

Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), in a statement said that the alliance aims to accelerate the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles worldwide, centered around Nvidia’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered self-driving systems.

Hon Hai said it would provide “hardware and integration know-how” to combine Nvidia’s technology with the vehicle platforms of Stellantis, while Uber would leverage its global network to operate robotaxi services.

A Foxconn electric two-wheeler powertrain system is displayed at Foxconn’s annual tech day in Taipei on Oct. 8 last year. Photo: Ann Wang, REUTERS

“Autonomous mobility is a strategic priority within Foxconn’s EV [electric vehicle] program,” Hon Hai chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) was quoted as saying in the statement.

On Tuesday, Liu at Nvidia’s GPU Technology Conference in Washington said that Hon Hai is working closely with Nvidia to build AI-related infrastructure and integrate AI into its manufacturing processes.

The efforts include an ongoing project to integrate AI into Hon Hai’s manufacturing plant in Houston, Texas, plans that were made public for the first time at the conference, according to a separate statement issued by Hon Hai.

The project would leverage Nvidia’s AI systems to simulate factory scenarios, build thermal analysis software, plan routes for robots that move around in the factory and monitor manufacturing operations, the company said.

The Houston facility would be the first to deploy humanoid robots, powered by the Nvidia Isaac GR00T N model, on its production lines to create a “benchmark AI smart factory,” Nvidia said.

Meanwhile, Hon Hai said it would continue to expand its AI-related production lines in the US, with additional facilities planned in Texas, Wisconsin and California in partnership with Nvidia to meet growing customer demand.

Hon Hai has been operating in the US since 1985, and operates more than 40 facilities across 12 states, according to its Web site.


content_text:
Nvidia Corp chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Tuesday announced a flurry of new partnerships and dismissed concerns about an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble, saying the company’s latest chips are on track to generate half a trillion US dollars in revenue.

The Blackwell processor, Nvidia’s flagship AI accelerator, and the newer Rubin model are fueling an unprecedented surge of sales growth through next year, Huang said at a company presentation in Washington.

The event — Nvidia’s first GPU Technology Conference held in the US capital — highlighted the partnerships that the company is forging across the industry.

Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the keynote address at the Nvidia AI summit in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: Bloomberg

The chipmaker is teaming up with Uber Technologies Inc, Palantir Technologies Inc and CrowdStrike Holdings Inc, among others, aiming to ensure its technology remains at the heart of the AI frenzy. Nvidia unveiled a new system to connect quantum computers with its AI chips.

Nvidia’s tie-ups also reflect its increasingly global ambitions. The company is planning a 1 billion euros (US$1.16 billion) data center in Germany with Deutsche Telekom AG and just announced a US$1 billion investment deal with Nokia Oyj. Huang also is poised to unveil pacts with Samsung Electronics Co and Hyundai Motor Group when he visits South Korea later this week.

“We have now reached our virtuous cycle, our inflection point,” Huang told thousands of attendees at a convention hall blocks from the White House. “This is quite extraordinary.”

Huang also emphasized the ways his company is helping advance US President Donald Trump’s economic agenda for building US manufacturing. The Nvidia chief delivered his remarks days before Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to finalize a trade deal that would ease years of trade tensions. Previous restrictions have effectively blocked Nvidia’s prized AI chips from China

Huang praised Trump’s commitment to winning the global competition in AI, but urged careful engagement with China because of the country’s massive software developer base and its growing technology capabilities.

However, much of the presentation focused on the AI industry reaching a turning point: Huang said that AI models are now powerful enough that customers are willing to pay for them — and that in turn would justify the costly build-out of computing infrastructure.

The remarks helped ease fears of an AI investment bubble, sending shares of Nvidia up 5 percent to a record closing high of US$201.03 in New York on Tuesday.

Nvidia extended gains to more than 8.5 percent in Asia after Trump said he would speak with Xi about the company’s Blackwell chip. Trump touted the chip as “super duper” and said that Huang recently brought a version of the accelerator to the Oval Office.

“I don’t believe we’re in an AI bubble,” Huang said during a Bloomberg Television interview after the presentation. “All of these different AI models we’re using — we’re using plenty of services and paying happily to do it.”

The Santa Clara, California-based company expects to ship 20 million units of its latest chips. A previous generation — Hopper — only accounted for 4 million units in its whole lifetime, Huang said.

Huang said that his projections for the Blackwell and Rubin chips did not include sales in China.

people: 黃仁 習近平

title: Nvidia CEO downplays AI bubble fears


content_text:
TSMC A14 fab construction approved, set to start soon: Science park

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has secured three construction permits for its plan to build a state-of-the-art A14 wafer fab in Taichung, and is likely to start construction soon, the Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau said yesterday.

Speaking with CNA, Wang Chun-chieh (王俊傑), deputy director general of the science park bureau, said the world’s largest contract chipmaker has received three construction permits — one to build a fab to roll out sophisticated chips, another to build a central utility plant to provide water and electricity for the facility and the other to build three office buildings.

With the three permits, TSMC will be able to begin the construction of its high-speed wafer fab soon, citing a recent briefing to the park authorities by the chipmaker as noting the facility will use the advanced A14 process, Wang said.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) logo is pictured at its plant in Hsinchu Science Park on Oct. 9. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA

Wang’s comments came after the National Science and Technology Council (NSTS) confirmed on Oct. 18 that TSMC had applied for permission from the science authorities to build the A14 fab.

According to information on the TSMC’s Web site, the A14 technology is designed to drive artificial intelligence (AI) transformation by delivering faster computing and greater power efficiency.

The A14 technology, or 1.4-nanometer process, will be 15 percent faster than the 2nm process at the same power, TSMC said. With a 30 percent power reduction, the 1.4nm chip will have the same speed as the 2nm, which is scheduled to start commercial production later this year, the company said.

The 3nm process is the latest technology for which TSMC has started mass production. According to the chipmaker, its advanced processes, including 3nm, 5nm and 7nm, are in high demand during the current AI development boom and the company has intensified efforts to upgrade its technologies to meet growing demand.

The science park has completed preparatory work for the A14 fab site with TSMC conducting join inspections and said the chipmaker is likely to kick off construction work soon.

Taichung City Government has said TSMC’s new fab is expected to create NT$485.7 billion (US$15.85 billion) per year in production value and about 4,500 job openings.

According to the US-based tech site Wccftech, TSMC is aiming to begin construction of the A14 fab at the end of the year and start mass production in the second half of 2028. A recruitment campaign has begun for the new facility, Wccftech said.

To a market estimate, TSMC will spend US$49 billion to build the plant.


content_text:
Wistron to inaugurate AI supercomputing facilities in Texas in H1 of 2026

Wistron Corp (緯創) yesterday said it is scheduled to inaugurate artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputing facilities in Texas in the first half of next year as part of the company’s efforts to accelerate its US operations with physical AI strategies.

The contract electronics maker in a statement said it is investing US$761 million to build the AI supercomputing center in Texas in partnership with AI chip designer Nvidia Corp.

“Wistron will leverage Nvidia technology to build its smart factories in the US, specifically for manufacturing AI supercomputers in Texas,” the company said. “The core of our strategy will revolve around physical AI, primarily through the use of digital twins to enhance efficiency, design and operations.”

Wistron Corp’s logo is pictured outside a company building in Hsinchu County’s Jhubei City on June 19. Photo: Lee Wen-yee, Reuters

In cooperation with Nvidia, Wistron said its Texas center will be one of the first in the US to roll out AI supercomputers entirely domestically, marking a critical milestone in the onshoring of technical supply chains on US soil for the growing AI industry.

Under the partnership, Wistron said it will leverage Nvidia Omniverse libraries to build high-fidelity, physically accurate digital twins (virtual replicas) of the Taiwanese firm’s factories, including the new AI supercomputer assembly and test facilities in Texas.

Wistron said these digital twins — a digital replica of a physical object, person, system, or process, contextualized in a digital version of its environment — will be used for factory planning and operations to allow engineers to simulate and optimize layouts, test equipment placement, and refine workflows before starting any physical construction, which is expected to reduce time-to-market and avoid costly change orders.

As for real-time operations, Wistron said the digital twins technologies will be connected to thousands of physical sensors, also known as IoT data, in the facility, providing a real-time digital dashboard of production status and operational metrics, which is expected to enable managers to monitor performance, identify bottlenecks, and quickly allocate resources.

Wistron said through its physical AI project and long-term investments in the US, the company aims to strengthen its leadership in AI innovations and going forward foster smarter, more sustainable manufacturing processes.


content_text: A woman walks in a traditional market in Kaohsiung yesterday. Most stalls selling freshly slaughtered pork in local traditional markets have temporarily closed, after the government imposed a 15-day ban on transporting and slaughtering pigs to ensure tight control of the spread of the African swine fever virus. To compensate vendors, several local governments yesterday announced waivers to stall usage or rental fees for one month.

title: Pork pause


title: EDITORIAL: China’s ‘reckless’ narratives

content_text:
Ahead of US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) meeting today on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea, an op-ed published in Time magazine last week maliciously called President William Lai (賴清德) a “reckless leader,” stirring skepticism in Taiwan about the US and fueling unease over the Trump-Xi talks.

In line with his frequent criticism of the democratically elected ruling Democratic Progressive Party — which has stood up to China’s hostile military maneuvers and rejected Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework — Lyle Goldstein, Asia engagement director at the US think tank Defense Priorities, called Lai “reckless” for reiterating Taiwan’s sovereignty in a June speech, which Goldstein said angered China and would likely come back to burn the US.

The same day Time published an op-ed by retired Chinese People’s Liberation Army senior colonel Zhou Bo (周波), who claimed that “time is not on the American side thanks to China’s growing [military] capability,” adding that Trump should pressure Taiwan to accept the so-called “1992 consensus.”

Goldstein’s and Zhou’s articles are part of escalating cognitive warfare narratives by pro-China forces to compel Washington to give up its support for Taiwan in exchange for potential trade concessions from Beijing. They also seek to spread skepticism of the US in Taiwan and build momentum for China ahead of the meeting.

In criticizing Lai, Goldstein quoted Taipei Times columnist Courtney Donovan Smith (“Lai’s ‘nation’ speech a multi-faceted strategic strike,” June 28, page 12) as saying that “never before has a Taiwanese president devoted an entire speech to laying out clearly, point-by-point and unequivocally how Taiwan is unquestionably a sovereign nation.”

Smith’s column actually concluded that Lai delivered a “strategically brilliant speech,” showing how Taiwan meets the definition of a state codified in the 1933 Montevideo Convention that soundly refuted Beijing’s false claims on Taiwan. Lai’s speech would only be considered “reckless” for those oblivious to Taiwan’s sovereignty, or to those fearful of Taiwan’s democracy and self-determination to decide its own future.

While the “Taiwan issue” would unsurprisingly be brought up in the meeting, as Xi has made the most of any opportunity to reiterate China’s ambitious claims over Taiwan, Trump would likely seek to ease tensions in the region. Following the Gaza peace plan and Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire agreement, Trump would be eager to promote peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Any discussion of Taiwan at the meeting should be focused on de-escalating cross-strait and regional tensions.

Trump on Friday last week said he would bring up Taiwan with Xi, and expressed “a lot of respect for Taiwan.” China would not make any move on Taiwan, the US president said, adding that “it would be very dangerous for them to do.”

US trade representatives said the US aims to reach a trade deal in the meeting, covering tariffs, fentanyl, rare earths, TikTok and agriculture products. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that Taiwan should not be worried about being used as “a bargaining chip,” adding that the US would not seek a favorable trade agreement with China at the price of “walking away from Taiwan.”

Taiwan has long been a sensitive issue in US-China relations, but not necessarily an urgent one, especially for a China facing a weakening economy and domestic market slump. Any deliberate move by Xi on Taiwan in the meeting with Trump would only prove that China is the true “reckless” troublemaker.


content_text:
On Sunday, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is looking to expand the bracket of those aged 70 or older who pay 30 percent of their medical fees out-of-pocket to fully encompass anyone whose income is on par with the working generation. The plan is to be implemented by 2028 and seeks to address the younger generation’s economic burden in light of inflated medical costs, and the exacerbation of low birthrates and an aging population.

The current system has those aged 70 to 74 pay 20 percent of medical fees out-of-pocket, with higher earners paying the same 30 percent rate as workers. Those aged 75 or older pay only 10 percent, or 20 to 30 percent for higher earners. The ministry said that the bracket for higher earners should be expanded to more accurately encompass those individuals who can afford it and have comparable incomes to the working-age population — and that more people paying the 30 percent rate is necessary for the sustainability of the system.

It is a common issue for mature welfare states — an aging population, longer life expectancies and advancements in medical technology amount to a cost burden that, if placed on the younger generation, would mean system collapse. Healthcare spending has already exceeded 11 percent of Japan’s GDP, and the proportion of elderly people with sufficient income and assets to pay their way is on the rise. For them to continue to enjoy healthcare subsidies to the current extent would undermine the system’s fairness and integrity.

The principle of the most able shouldering more of the burden is one of social equity. For Japan’s tax-exempt co-payment model to maintain sustainability without increasing taxes, there is an emerging consensus that elderly people cannot be let wholly off the hook and that high earners must contribute more.

In Taiwan, 1995 saw the rollout of the National Health Insurance (NHI) system — 30 years later, user fees are virtually nonexistent. The public enjoys advanced medical technology at extremely low cost, and any adjustments to payment thresholds suggested by the NHI Administration have been met with resistance. The system has lost fiscal vigilance and its risk-spreading functions.

During my tenure as director-general of the NHI Administration, I advocated for co-payment system reforms so that those who receive high-cost medical treatments pay reasonable fees to ensure that the most disadvantaged people can get the care they need, a shift supported by then-premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).

While the NHI global budget payment system provides control over expenditure, it has also created issues with competition between medical centers and excessive clinic visits for the healthcare system. Not enforcing reasonable co-payments would mean waste becoming a systemic issue. Japan’s reforms are well worth Taiwan’s consideration: Real societal justice means that those who can must pay a little more so that people in need do not have to forgo medical treatment due to the cost. Co-payments are not designed to punish or cut welfare, but to ensure responsible use and the sustainability of the system.

Taiwan has long been trapped by the misconception that reform is an attack on livelihoods. In reality, user payments could protect the longevity of the NHI and ensure generational justice. Japan dares to address the sensitive question of generational burdens because it understands that if today’s payments are not adjusted, future young generations would be unable to bear the load.

NHI reform is not just a technical question, but one of values. On this, Japan is choosing the path of fairness and sustainability. Only when society is willing to accept reasonable co-payments as a form of social responsibility would the NHI system win back trust and be able to continue safeguarding the health of each and every citizen.

There are three ways in which Taiwan could make a start: First is to establish a tiered co-payment structure based on income, with an upper cap and protections for serious diseases and low-income groups. Second, adopt differential pricing for high-cost medical imaging services, consumables and new medicines, and introduce assessments of necessity and value to guard against overuse. Third, establish exemptions for rare diseases or serious illnesses, and ensure that people are informed and supported. Reforms should be empathetic, targeted and precise.

Reforms must be bold and well-communicated, backed by data and sound principles. The goal is clear: Those who have the means should shoulder more of the burden and those in need must not be forgotten.

This way, in another 30 years’ time, the NHI as a public institution could live on as a source of genuine national pride.

Lee Po-chang is a chair professor at Taipei Medical University’s College of Public Health and former director-general of the NHI Administration.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader

title: Securing sustainable healthcare