title: 臺東縣府持續深化地熱政策對話   落實部落共榮與環境永續

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記者張辰卿/台東報導

臺東縣政府持續積極地推動再生能源發展，在「慢經濟」政策推動下，綠能產業不僅被視為能源發展的關鍵，同時也是產業升級與地方創生的重要推動力量。強調開發須以尊重在地、友善環境為前提，自112年起臺東縣政府多次召開再生能源專家學者諮詢會議及部落座談會，屢次針對地熱開發相關議題展開討論，並主動下鄉與部落人員進行深入訪談，傾聽地方想法與意見。縣府強調，地熱開發推動應以「公平參與、共享收益、文化尊重、環境永續」四大原則為核心，貫徹「慢經濟」的核心價值，以落實公正轉型，確保綠能發展與環境、文化能共存共榮。

在「公平參與」方面，縣府強調開發前廠商應與部落充分溝通，建立互信基礎。為此，縣府居中協調，促使廠商端與部落端各自成立協會及聯合部落，讓雙方皆有單一聯繫窗口，確保彼此溝通管道暢通並維持平等對話基礎；在「共享收益」上，提出應推動地熱發電結合在地觀光，希冀未來打造具地方特色的地熱觀光產業鏈。主動召集業者與部落代表，共同研議未來可發展的觀光產業類型，協助業者排除投資障礙，及保障部落生存權及創造就業機會，讓地熱不僅是能發電，更能帶動地方經濟循環，達到互惠共榮的目標。

在「文化尊重」部分，縣府認為，無論開發區域屬公有地或私有地，均應充分尊重部落意願並落實諮商程序。縣府先前已有主動拜會能源署提出相關建議，並多次於公開場合重申應保障部落權益，讓諮商同意權真正落實於實務運作之中。最後，在「環境永續」面向，縣府以慢經濟政策指導下推動相關發展，強調綠能開發應以不破壞環境、不影響居民生活為前提，要兼顧環境永續與民生需求。

臺東縣政府積極參與中央召開之綠能相關會議並主動北上拜會經濟部能源署進行會談，已提案「開發地熱資源納入諮商同意事項」、「開發地熱資源關係部落的認定」及「明文訂定回饋或補償機制」等，目的在建議中央健全地熱發電相關法規，以促進地熱產業發展與保障在地居民權益與環境保護，積極協助中央優化法規與政策，獲得中央主管機關的正面回應與支持，透過不斷提出在地推動經驗與精進建議，也促使中央在未來修法與政策規劃中將臺東的經驗納入考量，展現縣府倡議成效與前瞻布局，逐步朝向環境、能源與地方共贏的永續目標邁進。

114年度臺東縣政府綠能推動辦公室綠能推動成果

臺東縣政府綠能推動辦公室自109年成立以來，持續執行臺東縣綠能相關事務，積極推動綠能轉型，致力打造韌性永續的友善城市。今年度推動的「補助非公有建築物設置太陽光電系統實施計畫」，截至9月底，目前申請經費核定約171萬元，累計補助容量達230.175kW，積極鼓勵民間投入綠能設置，帶動地方能源自主與永續發展。為了提升民眾對各類再生能源的瞭解與參與，縣府亦強化綠能推廣與諮詢服務，自今年1月至9月已提供了1,114件相關諮詢，內容涵蓋各類再生能源申設問題、補助申請、法規諮詢等，顯示地方對綠能議題的關注度與參與度持續提升。而再生能源同意備案案件截至9月共申請了156件，總核准裝置容量達8,166.92kW，預計能產出945萬度電，展現臺東推動綠能建設的穩健成果與發展潛力。

此外，地熱及小水力發電亦持續同步推進，展現多元能源布局成果。截至今年9月，地熱電廠開發申請案件共11件，總預計裝置容量約54.208MW，已有0.499MW完成商轉；小水力申設及規劃中案場共3處，預計裝置容量約1.45MW，商轉裝置容量達4.01MW，臺東正穩健逐步地邁向成為綠能韌性城市的願景。


title: 2025台北國際旅展 「流動的港口 世界的基隆」展現城市魅力

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記者陳金金 / 台北報導

「2025台北國際旅展」於11月7日起一連四天在台北南港展覽館一館隆重登場，基隆館以「流動的港口 世界的基隆」為主軸，結合「旅讀基隆 字母帶路」推出闖關活動，讓民眾以輕鬆有趣的方式認識基隆。現場還有滿額好禮、美食試吃及親子最愛的DIY體驗等多重好康，展現基隆獨特的港都風情與無限魅力。

▲基隆市文化觀光局江亭玫局長特地出席開幕活動，推廣「流動的港口 世界的基隆」，串聯基隆400年的歷史、文化、觀光與未來想像。( 圖 / 基隆市政府文化觀光局提供 )

基隆市文化觀光局江亭玫局長特地出席開幕活動，推廣「流動的港口 世界的基隆」，串聯基隆400年的歷史、文化、觀光與未來想像。江亭玫局長表示，基隆一年四季都適合旅遊與享受藝文活動，年度國際當代藝術特展「WE ARE ME — 我（們）到此一遊」自10月30日至115年2月1日在基隆美術館舉辦，以多件作品展開跨時間向度的對話，構築沉浸式的遊歷體驗。「光躍基隆 流動的港口 世界的基隆」將於11月21日至115年3月4日從海洋廣場延伸至基隆美術館前廣場與田寮河周邊火熱登場，以燈光、聖誕樹、氣偶等，結合人氣IP-鯊魚先生MR.SHARK，以愛與和平點亮港灣，讓海天一色映照城市的精彩，歡迎民眾前來共襄盛舉。

▲椏楓好物注重天然、手作，堅持以高品質的原料製成，深受消費者喜愛。( 圖 / 基隆市政府文化觀光局提供 )

今年基隆館邀請基隆市旅館商業同業公會、台灣好行濱海奇基線、國立海洋科技博物館、心干寶貝、委託行街區、狸小路燒肉店及椏楓好物等食、宿、遊、購、行相關業者共同參展，宣傳旅宿優惠方案、交通旅遊套票、特色遊程與在地伴手禮。推薦民眾規劃兩天一夜遊程，白天可以走訪基隆塔、遠見人文空間與崆書屋，中午在仁愛市場或是孝三路商圈品嘗美食，下午前往沙灣歷史文化園區，然後到廟口夜市與崁仔頂漁市，體驗最熱鬧的夜晚。入住優質旅宿後，第二天前往和平島地質公園或是正濱漁港色彩屋欣賞無敵美景，豐富多元的旅遊景點讓民眾滿載而歸。

▲委託行推廣基隆走讀行程與基隆在地特產不遺餘力。( 圖 / 基隆市政府文化觀光局提供 )

旅展期間，基隆館祭出多重好康，完成闖關活動即可獲得扭蛋抽獎，當日全館消費滿999元即可玩戳戳樂抽獎，獎項包含台灣好行濱海奇基線套票、走讀基隆遊程票券、北北基好玩卡、和平島地質公園及司令大院子光復樓票券等多項好禮。舞台活動除了有美食試吃、DIY體驗及互動小遊戲外，11月8日馬來西亞人氣網紅馬鈴薯小姐雁靈將在現場與民眾分享基隆旅遊，歡迎大家把握四天展期前來基隆館(攤位編號N725)！

▲心干寶貝用基隆尚青的海味製作各式美味海鮮醬。( 圖 / 基隆市政府文化觀光局提供 )

countries: 馬來西亞 台灣

taiwan-subdivisions: 基隆 基隆市 和平 田寮 仁愛 南港 光復


title: Rathbones 呼籲緊急區域投資，以推動英國經濟增長

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英國頂尖財富管理機構透過最新分析發現，英國是「已開發國家中地域經濟最不平等的國家」。該機構在全國設有辦事處並服務各地客戶Rathbones 呼籲政府在預算案中採取果斷行動，支持所有地區的經濟增長與投資，並警告高昂的能源成本與落後的交通網絡將阻礙企業投資並限制發展機會。

倫敦2025年11月8日 /美通社/ — 根據英國領先的財富管理集團之一 Rathbones 稱，在東南部以外地區進行的投資不足，對英國經濟前景的阻礙非常嚴重，需要緊急解決。

在秋季預算案公布前夕，Rathbones 向財政大臣提出關鍵建議，呼籲政府扭轉多年來對地區資金的忽視，釋放英國整體經濟的潛能。該機構警告，根據多項指標衡量，英國是已開發國家中地域經濟最不平等的國家。

該機構的分析，「建設繁榮：英國增長和投資的五個建議」 (Building Prosperity: Five Recommendations for Growth and Investment in the UK) 中，Rathbones 強調了區域的不平等，例如基礎設施和能源成本方面如何破壞英國的經濟潛力。該報告援引人均交通支出數據顯示，倫敦此項支出較次高地區蘇格蘭高出 80%。這意味著在倫敦以外的九大城市中，只有 40% 的居民能透過公共交通在 30 分鐘內抵達市中心，而歐洲同類城市的比例則為 67%。

《創造繁榮》(Building Prosperity) 報告基於 Rathbones 經濟學家與投資研究團隊的廣泛分析，並融合來自全國各地客戶的洞見分析，確定了政策行動的五大關鍵領域：退休金、商業稅、地區/公共投資、財富稅和房地產/房屋市場改革。該報告主張，唯有採取大膽的投資主導策略，方能打破多年來阻礙英國經濟發展的弱勢增長，與稅負壓力攀升的惡性循環。

關於區域不平衡所造成影響的主要發現包括：

能源成本和競爭力： 英國工業用電價格較已開發經濟體中位數高出近 50%，不僅是美國的 4 倍，更達歐洲平均水平的 1.5 倍。此現象對倫敦以外的能源密集型產業造成特別嚴重衝擊，例如製造業與數據中心——這些產業對數碼經濟至關重要。基礎設施延誤和錯過機會：HS2 鐵路北部支線的取消，加上 Northern Powerhouse Rail 計劃的延宕，恐將拖累北部地區的發展。Rathbones 呼籲對倫敦以外的主要交通項目重新承諾，並進一步將決策權轉移給城市和地區。規劃系統瓶頸： 該報告指出英國規劃系統如何造成延誤與成本增加，重大規劃決策中僅不到四分之一能在法定13週時限內完成。Rathbones 敦促政府在不稀釋情況下通過規劃和基礎設施條例草案，加快批准和交付大型項目，並確保為規劃系統提供足夠資金。

Rathbones 財富行政總裁 Camilla Stowell 表示：「我們的客戶是推動英國經濟實質運作的核心力量，在構建與管理這些現實活動中居於要害地位。然而，由於交通、能源及公共服務領域投資不足，太多地區正被拋在後頭。倘若政府真正在乎推動經濟增長，就必須優先考慮區域投資與基礎設施改革。證據很清楚：針對性的投資可以釋放機會，創造就業機會，並支援全國各地的企業。」

Rathbones 資產配置主管暨該分析報告的主要作者 Oliver Jones 補充：「區域投資不僅關乎公平，更在於釋放英國的經濟潛能。我們的研究顯示，全面性的基礎建設支出與能源改革能推動經濟成長、創造就業機會，並支援全國各地的企業發展。政府必須立即採取行動，確保每個地區都能為國家繁榮作出貢獻，並因此受益。」

在建設繁榮 (Building Prosperity) 的分析中，還呼籲政府：

透過退休金制度提高投資企業稅改革抵抗進一步對財富徵稅振興房屋市場

編輯須知

請按此處，閱讀完整報告。

請聯絡 [email protected]

Rathbones 簡介rathbones.com

Rathbones Group Plc (Rathbones) 是英國領先的投資和財富管理服務供應商之一，為私人客戶（個人和家庭）、慈善機構、受託人和專業合作夥伴提供服務。Rathbones 的宗旨是協助更多人妥善投資資金，從而享受優質生活。

自 1742 年創立以來，這公司歷經世代傳承，始終以管理、保全及增值客戶財富的信譽深獲信賴。服務包括選擇性投資管理、基金管理、稅務規劃、信託及公司管理、財務諮詢及銀行服務。Rathbones 同時支援財務顧問為客戶創造正向成果。

Rathbones 管理著 1,130 億英鎊*的客戶資產，其中 163 億英鎊透過其資產管理部門 Rathbones Asset Management Limited 進行管理。作為富時 250 指數成分股企業，Rathbones 在英國及英吉利海峽群島設有超過 20 間辦事處，僱用超過 3,350 名專業人士，其中約 750 名為投資專家，致力為客戶提供優質且個人化的財富管理服務。

* 截至 2025 年 9 月 30日

countries: 英國 美國


taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 琉球 士林

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墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

沈文程擔任「高齡換照新制」代言人 照片提供：大大娛樂

「雙金歌王」沈文程日前擔任「高齡換照新制」代言人，親自開車載著交通部長陳世凱帥氣進場，兩人在台北士林監理站現場合體，沈文程率先開唱經典曲〈五月十一彼下埔〉揭開序幕，這首歌象徵新制將於明年5月1日正式上路，也成了這場政策宣導最契合的開場。沈文程表示第一次被全台性的官方活動欽點，覺得「無限光榮！」，又稱自己是「模範生」，不但自己率先要去換照，還會出席全台6場快閃活動，陪大家一起換照！沈文程同時也宣布，將於2026年5月9日（六）台北國際會議中心TICC與5月16日（六）台中中興大學惠蓀堂舉辦《國際沈文程日—小琉球情歌演唱會》，邀粉絲共度「星空下的海灘夜」。購票請洽《年代售票》官網（www.ticket.com.tw）。

沈文程擔任「高齡換照新制」代言人 照片提供：大大娛樂

交通部長陳世凱致詞時表示，新制從明年5月起實施，70歲以上長者換照將有2年緩衝期，先透過體檢確認「硬體沒問題」，再上安全教育與危險感知課程，達到「軟體更新」，讓長者與家人都更安心。沈文程也幽默附和：「換照不是負擔是保障，不是限制而是守護！」

沈文程擔任「高齡換照新制」代言人 照片提供：大大娛樂

現場還出現超逗趣一幕，沈文程第一次見到部長，就忍不住稱讚：「你的聲音怎麼這麼好聽！」更誇他「外表溫文儒雅，講話卻風趣幽默」，原來陳部長的父親早年是知名電台播音員，身為pro級主持人，果然基因強大，讓沈哥豎起大拇指：「難怪虎父無犬子啊～口才嚇嚇叫！」笑說：「聲音好聽到，記者會變電台節目啦！」

沈文程(右)擔任「高齡換照新制」代言人與交通部長陳世凱(左)合拍宣傳照 照片提供：大大娛樂

沈文程透露，11月起將展開6場快閃宣導活動，鎖定公園、登山步道等長輩常聚地點，「會跟大家喝茶、聊聊天，也有監理人員現場解釋換照內容。」他笑說，第一次看到自己的大型人形立牌遍布全台時，心裡只有一個字：「害羞！」但仍不忘宣導：「70歲以上的同學們，看到我就要記得去換照喔！」

沈文程(左)親自開車載著交通部長陳世凱(右)帥氣進場 照片提供：大大娛樂

出道四十年的沈文程，唱過無數膾炙人口的金曲，從《心事誰人知》、《漂丿的𨑨迌人》、《舊情也綿綿》、《來去台東》，到翻唱多首西洋名曲如〈Slow Hand〉、〈The Temple of the King〉、〈Hotel California〉，首首陪伴歌迷走過歲月。近年《五月十一彼下埔》再度爆紅，更掀起「#國際沈文程日」熱潮，成為跨世代共鳴話題。

沈文程(左)親自開車載著交通部長陳世凱(右)帥氣進場 照片提供：大大娛樂

「從沒辦過個唱，一辦就全場滿！」沈文程笑說，2023年首度舉辦人生大型演唱會《國際沈文程日》巡演就「上癮」，在台北、台中、高雄場場爆滿，去年更加碼返場一輪仍秒殺。他感性表示：「那真的是我人生最感動的一刻！」也在當時預告《國際沈文程日》系列將於2026年再啟，特別選在5月中旬舉辦，呼應經典名曲〈五月十一彼下埔〉的網路熱梗！

沈文程也宣布 2026 舉辦國際沈文程日－小琉球情歌演唱會 照片提供：大大娛樂

沈文程笑著說：「唱歌是我這輩子最浪漫的事，不只唱給歌迷聽，也唱給家人、長輩聽。希望這次演唱會大家都能來，開心唱歌，也記得替爸爸媽媽關心換照喔！」

此篇文章最開始出處為: 沈文程代言交通部高齡換照新制 不是負擔是保障

title: 沈文程代言交通部高齡換照新制  不是負擔是保障


countries: 香港 美國

title: 全球頂流 K-POP 女團 aespa 快閃店即將登陸台北 限定體驗即將開幕

content_text:
墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

aespa快閃店海報 大步整合行銷 提供

全球頂流 K-POP 女團 aespa 快閃店即將登陸台北，萬眾矚目的「aespa

WEEK #RichMan POP UP」限定體驗即將開幕！ aespa於今年9/5發行全新迷

你專輯 《Rich Man》，搭配專輯全球上架宣傳，特別推出主題快閃店「aespa

WEEK #RichMan POP-UP STORE」，繼首爾、紐約與東京站大獲成功之後，

台北站即將於12/13-12/19日在台北新光三越A8 3樓登場，這次獨家的沉浸式體驗，將音樂、遊戲、設計與互動完美結合，為 MYs 打造獨一無二的夢幻樂園。

宣傳照(截自網路)

此次 「aespa WEEK #RichMan POP-UP @TAIPEI 」以 aespa 全新迷你專輯

《Rich Man》為主題設計，這場快閃活動邀請粉絲一同沉浸於充滿震撼音樂、華麗視覺與互動遊戲的奇幻世界中，同時體驗《Rich Man》的真諦無關物質與奢華，感受專輯中被賦予全新內涵的同時，並邀請粉絲體驗當中關乎內在的強大、自信同自我覺醒的精神意義。

宣傳照(截自網路)

「aespa WEEK #RichMan POP-UP @TAIPEI 」精心打造兩大沉浸式體驗專區，當中的「限定主題展區」讓粉絲走進一個讓 aespa 藝術魅力栩栩如生的世界，體驗以標誌性《Rich Man》概 念為靈感打造的震撼視覺裝置。而在「 現場互動體驗」區域中則讓粉絲能在專屬的聆聽區，伴隨你最喜愛的成員，一起感受音樂的律動，也能在投影區體驗精彩絕倫的視覺互動連結，透過聲音、畫面到空間氛圍的多重營造，全方位打造出獨一無二的沉浸式體驗。

aespa九月份在首爾快閃店開幕時在店內留下身影(截自IG)

近期aespa為了宣傳全新迷你專輯《Rich Man》卯足全力，除了在各城市推出

主題快閃店「aespa WEEK #RichMan POP-UP STORE」外，還飛到世界各地

宣傳，近期她們更登上美國知名節目《Good Morning America》及Fox TV 熱

門談話節目《The Jennifer Hudson show》宣傳，掀起國際媒體高度關注，人氣更加水漲船高。隨著aespa最新巡迴《2025 aespa LIVE TOUR – SYNK :

aeXIS LINE》今年八月底於首爾奧林匹克體操競技場 KSPODOME起跑，還將

於明年二月在香港開唱，讓粉絲引頸期盼亞洲其他站點的公布，期待能近距離

見證四位成員以全新專輯《Rich Man》為核心打造的華麗舞台與嶄新視覺世界

觀。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 全球頂流 K-POP 女團 aespa 快閃店即將登陸台北 限定體驗即將開幕


title: 新北參展ITF 邀民眾互動玩遊戲 感受「漾．新北」魅力

content_text:
記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

2025 ITF台北國際旅展7日於台北南港展覽館盛大開幕，新北市政府觀光旅遊局以「漾．新北」為主題，吉祥物「小客」現身與粉絲合照，互動玩遊戲、送好禮，吸引大批民眾湧入新北館，熱鬧非凡。新北館更與基隆館、台北館、桃園館推出疊色印章集章活動，凡於基北北桃四館不限金額消費，即可憑單據至該館服務台兌換空白明信片一張，再前往各館完成指定任務，就可至台北館服務台進行搖獎，抽出精選好禮。

今年新北館「漾．新北」以馬戲團為設計概念，搶先宣傳將於11月14日開城的「新北歡樂耶誕城」，歡迎大家到旅展搶先感受熱鬧的冬季慶典。新北館以一站式服務整合「食、宿、遊、購、行」旅遊資源，集結各區業者推出限量優惠與特色遊程，展現新北豐富的觀光魅力，並偕同傑仕堡有氧酒店、原森旅行社、大島台灣旅行社、淡蘭市集、春金伴手禮、雲仙樂園、維格餅家、全村的希望、烏來酋長文化村及澎派生活商行共襄盛舉，推出4天的限量好康活動。

另外，新北市政府觀光旅遊局推動「現金變旅程，入住新北享折扣」系列活動，結合本市多家旅宿業者及觀光景點業者推出多元優惠方案。烏來雲仙樂園推出纜車入園票優惠250元，活動持續至今(114)年底；深澳鐵道自行車也提供消費滿1000元即贈扭蛋的優惠。還有更多吸引人的旅宿優惠內容，均可至新北市觀光旅遊網最新消息查詢。

新北市觀旅局表示，「漾．新北」新北館單筆消費滿1,000元以上，即可獲得摸彩機會一次(每日限前20名)，獎項包括星級吃到飽餐券、家樂福禮券等豐富好禮，讓民眾逛展同時也能享受滿滿驚喜。新北市政府觀旅局也指出，今年秋冬在新店碧潭掀起一波「萌力爆棚」的療癒風潮！來自日本的超人氣插畫IP「水豚君（KAPIBARASAN）」於11月1日至12月28日進駐碧潭地景裝置展，白天可欣賞可愛療癒的水豚君造景，夜晚6時至10時則點亮裝置燈光，呈現截然不同的氛圍。高達12米的水上巨型水豚君首次登台亮相，搭配陸地上的「駱馬君」主題打卡點，形成「水陸雙亮點」，打造視覺與情感兼具的全新體驗。歡迎民眾把握機會逛展搶優惠。此外，時序已過中秋，新北的萬里金山、烏來及其他多處等溫泉泡湯，也不容錯過!更多新北旅遊資訊與活動消息，請上「新北市觀光旅遊網」及「新北旅客」臉書粉絲專頁及IG查詢。

taiwan-subdivisions: 新北 金山 萬里 烏來 桃園 基隆 南港 新北市 新店 水上

countries: 台灣 日本


title: 吞嚥訓練兩年     五股陳立群獲模範家屬表揚     從一粒米飯帶領插鼻胃管女兒正常進食

content_text:
記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

家住五股的陳立群拉拔早產兒小鈺，因多重障礙，從小反覆進出醫院治療、手術，因為吞嚥問題，到了幼兒園還是插著鼻胃管上課。陳立群為了餵食，從一粒米飯循序漸進，期間長達兩年的吞嚥訓練。她獲得新北市模範身心障礙者家屬表揚，先生原本要抱病一起參加祝福，不料又於日前往生，可謂屋漏偏逢連夜雨，不過她仍強打精神，帶著2名年幼子女參加。五股區公所、五股里長和新北市社會局均表示，會媒合資源幫助陳家。

陳立群原是大陸福建人，於10多年前嫁來台灣，有段幸福日子，不過大女兒卻35周早產，一個月後經醫師確診為唐氏症，還伴隨腸胃道閉鎖、視力異常、發展遲緩、先天性心臟病等，從加護病房返家時帶著諸多醫療儀器輔助。小鈺8個月時又接受腸胃道手術，之後就開始長達6年的早療和復健，陳立群從未放棄。目前小鈺已經讀國中二年級特教班，但生活自理能力仍不足。

▲陳立群（中）苦心拉拔早產唐寶寶受模範身障家屬表揚 社會局長李美珍等人道賀 得知她先生日前往生 大家表示將給予協助。(圖/新北市社會局 提供)

除了醫療和生活的照護，陳立群也配合學校與特教老師的教學安排，協助小鈺克服語言、聽力、認知與肌肉張力等障礙。小鈺有時會對她說「媽媽我愛妳」、「媽媽妳好漂亮哦」讓陳立群覺得一切付出值得。

五股區五股里長陳蔡燕女表示，所幸陳立群與先生後來又生下一個妹妹，發展正常，她的先生工作之餘擔任五股里巡守隊員，熱心參與公益，不過後來罹患淋巴癌。陳立群原本在泰山奇蹟之家擔任居服員，為了照顧住院的先生和小鈺，工作也常被迫中斷。先生原本要陪陳立群參加表揚，卻不幸於日前往生。

社會局表示，目前陳立群每月領有女兒身障生活補助5千多元，考量家中主要經濟來源中斷，會再適度媒合資源予以幫助。

taiwan-subdivisions: 五股 泰山 五股區 新北市 新北


title: 台灣公益聯盟促跨國公益合作   首屆永續發展國際論壇登場

content_text:
記者張辰卿/台北報導

台灣公益聯盟11/7日舉辦「第一屆永續發展國際論壇」，以「跨域行動、連結全球、公益共好」為主題，與國立臺灣海洋大學、佛光大學及《人間福報》等單位共同主辦。論壇邀集日本、新加坡、馬來西亞及台灣學者專家，聚焦全球永續發展實踐與挑戰，展現公益行動在國際議題中的多元參與與跨界合作。

日本政治與地緣經濟學專家石川雄介博士（Dr. Yusuke Ishikawa）以「貪腐與永續發展目標」為題指出，貪腐會削弱教育、基礎建設與社會公平，呼籲政府與公民社會攜手建立透明、公正制度，落實聯合國永續發展目標（SDGs）。

▲台灣公益聯盟創辦人鄭龍水博士進行開幕致詞以自身帶領政策推動經驗給予未來國內非營利組織發展建議。（圖/台灣公益聯盟提供）

馬來西亞拉曼大學中華研究學院副院長黃文斌分享「文化永續與地方創生」案例，以金寶縣為例，說明如何透過文化旅遊與教育合作，活化歷史場域、創造就業並帶動地方再生，展現文化永續的在地實踐。

新加坡南洋理工大學衣若芬教授則以「從AIGC文圖學視角看新加坡永續發展的經驗與未來」為題，探討人工智慧生成內容（AIGC）如何支持文化敘事與永續發展。她以新加坡的綠色政策與教育實踐為例，指出AI在城市治理與文化創新中扮演關鍵角色，並期盼透過跨域合作，實現人文與科技的永續共生。

台灣公益聯盟創辦人鄭龍水於圓桌論壇中表示，「永續」議題已從環境拓展至文化、社會與國家層面。非營利組織應成為「創新方案的提供者、改革倡議的推動者與跨界合作的橋梁」，整合社會力量推進公平與永續發展。他並鼓勵民間團體積極參與公共決策，發揮更大社會影響力。

▲日本政治與地緣經濟學專家石川雄介博士（Dr. Yusuke Ishikawa）以「貪腐與永續發展目標」為題發表專題演講。（圖/台灣公益聯盟提供）

此次論壇邀集數十位國內外產官學界代表，發表32篇涵蓋永續發展、弱勢關懷、教育改革與社區再生等主題的論文，期望透過跨國對話促進知識交流，凝聚資源，共同實踐「全球公益、永續共好」的願景。

▲馬來西亞拉曼大學中華研究學院黃文斌副院長以「文化永續與地方創生」為主題進行分享。（圖/台灣公益聯盟提供）

countries: 台灣 馬來西亞 日本 新加坡 臺灣


taiwan-subdivisions: 成功 彰化

content_text:
記者黃俊育 / 綜合報導

「2025台北國際金融博覽會」自11月7日起連續三天於台北世貿一館盛大開展，適逢彰化銀行創立120周年，特別打造以「幸福安養、防詐守護、智慧理財」為核心的主題館「ChaiBo轉運站」，以「Live Well」延伸至全方位服務，協助客戶實現心中美好生活願景，讓幸福順利轉運而至，吸引民眾駐足體驗。

彰化銀行董事長胡光華率領董事會成員、總經理等高階主管親臨現場，參與啟動儀式及體驗活動，並向民眾介紹參展主題等，展區人潮絡繹不絕，氣氛熱烈非凡。

彰銀表示，主題館由可愛吉祥物「柴寶與金妮」擔任導覽員，藉由同名車站名稱「十分幸福站－安養信託＆安居樂業」、「成功守護站―科技識詐」、「富貴好運站―智慧理財」串聯三大特色展區，引領民眾透過互動遊戲、數位展示與趣味挑戰的體驗活動，呈現彰化銀行在數位轉型、金融教育與服務創新的成果，讓民眾從遊戲中建立正確金融觀念、強化識詐意識並體驗智慧理財等多元金融業務。

在「十分幸福站」中，以信託桌遊裝置「信福柴寶旺旺來」結合教育與娛樂，協助民眾理解信託對資產管理與詐騙防範的重要性；現場也透過模擬居家突發事件的互動裝置，介紹居家綜合保險保障，參觀者可化身「豪宅主人挑戰者」，體驗選擇正確保險方案以守護資產。

「成功守護站」則展出彰化銀行對抗詐騙防護網「反詐守護星行動（Guardian Star）」，以S.T.A.R四大行動（S-Stop阻詐、T-Training識詐、A-AI Fintech防詐、R-Reach out協力）守護金融安全。民眾透過互動遊戲辨識詐騙陷阱情境，完成識詐闖關任務，有效提升並強化民眾識詐意識。

而在「富貴好運站」，全新升級的行動網銀「ChaiBo APP」成為亮點，整合存款、基金、證券與信用卡等多元金融服務，讓民眾透過趣味拉霸遊戲實際體驗行動網銀的便利操作；彰銀同時展示多款信用卡產品，包括外出消費必備的「My樂現金回饋卡」、網路購物首選「My購卡」與公益回饋升級之「馬偕認同卡」，並應用金融科技進行即時風險控管，以確保交易安全。

彰化銀行近年成立冠名射箭隊，並積極推廣射箭運動，現場特別規劃射箭體驗區，讓民眾在通關之餘感受百步穿楊的樂趣，更有機會獲得精美好禮。展覽期間，彰化銀行展區人氣旺盛，現場氣氛相當熱絡，不少民眾完成三大展區闖關遊戲並於打卡牆拍照打卡，帶走實用又具紀念性的精美禮品。

彰化銀行始終秉持「熱忱、效率、創新」的經營理念及「彰銀守護 安心託付」的品牌精神，為客戶提供全方位優質金融服務，本次參展不僅傳遞120周年永續經營之品牌形象，更展現彰銀持續朝金融創新與服務升級邁進的堅定決心，攜手客戶共創美好未來。

title: 別錯過這站!彰銀參展金融展     三大核心主軸吸睛     教你「Live Well」實現美好生活


title: 新北開創先例!環保局辦理「鋰電池複合型災害應變演練」     強化跨單位處理能力

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記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

因應近年來多起鋰電池相關災害事故，例如近期高雄三元能源科技工廠火災事件，為有效強化跨單位緊急應變處理能力、降低環境污染衝擊並確保市民生命財產安全，新北市環保局於今（7）日在長庚國際能源股份有限公司辦理「鋰電池複合型災害應變演練」，本次演練不僅為首例環保局鋰電池災害應變演練，亦彰顯新北市主動建立標準作業，開創先例的積極態度。

▲「鋰電池複合型災害應變演練」大合照。(圖/新北市環保局 提供)

環保局副局長朱益君表示，鋰電池已是現代每個家庭的必需品，鋰電池製造或貯存場所如若發生火災可能會產生大量熱、煙並有氫氟酸氣體及許多未知的有毒氣體，且有難以撲滅並易重新燃燒等複合特性，應變難度極高，此次演練動員市府各局處、中央應變小組及民間單位共超過百人，強化公私協力，建立各單位合作默契及事故發生初期的黃金應變作為；本次演練展示工廠火災發生之空氣污染影響潛勢模擬系統，在事故發生時介接消防局火點資訊，透過空氣擴散模式及AI自動機器人，模擬1小時空污可能影響範圍，繪製空氣污染擴散模擬圖卡及示警文字等，並同步通報相關局處、當地區公所及里長與公布於臉書、IG網站等之應變示警作為，讓民眾可即時得知示警訊息，及早啟動自我防護措施，有效降低災害風險。

▲民眾可於「災訊E點通」網站，查看1小時後的空污擴散範圍圖及示警圖卡，即時掌握是否位於空污影響範圍內，提前做好防護措施。(圖/新北市環保局 提供)

環保局說明，本次演練選定新北市長庚國際能源股份有限公司(鋰電池製造廠)辦理，模擬本市電池製造業者因廠區設備異常致引發火災波及鋰電池貯存區災害事件，結合環境部化學物質管理署北區環境事故專業技術小組，以及長庚國際能源股份有限公司、南亞塑膠工業股份有限公司共同參與。災害應變演練項目包含「自助」-廠區自衛消防編組災害應變、「互助」-聯防組織協力支援，以及「公助」-公部門救災及環境監測演練3大階段，並導入智慧科技提升應變效能，包括消防救災機器人、空拍機、空氣品質監測車、污染擴散預測模擬等科技化設備及技術，藉此強化各單位間應變合作機制，建立未來相關之應變模式，以降低對人員之傷害及環境之衝擊。

▲空品感測器模擬污染可能受影響範圍。(圖/新北市環保局 提供)

環保局強調，災害處理不只關係現場人員安全，更影響周邊居民的日常生活與健康，本次演練目的不僅讓災害「處理得當」，更是要讓民眾「安心生活」，這次的實兵災害演練，期能整合政府、業者間防災機制，建構更堅實、更具韌性的防災體系。

▲空氣品質監測畫面(空品檢測車)。(圖/新北市環保局 提供)

taiwan-subdivisions: 新北 新北市 高雄 北區

events: 空氣污染 空污 空品 空氣品質


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PATH TO NET ZERO: The latest NDC targets aim to reduce emissions by 26 percent to 30 percent by 2030 and 36 percent to 40 percent by 2035, compared with 2005

Taiwan has set a nationally determined contributions (NDC) target of 36 percent to 40 percent by 2035 ahead of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) in line with the international community, Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said yesterday.

The COP30 is to be held in Belem, Brazil, from Monday next week to Nov. 21. As of Thursday, 72 member nations of the UNFCCC had already proposed their 2035 NDC target as required by the Paris Agreement.

Taiwan is willing to join the world in addressing climate issues, as it is facing threats from extreme weather and its carbon emissions amount to more than 200 million tonnes per year, accounting for about 0.5 percent of the global total, Peng said.

Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: screen grab from the Ministry of Environment Web site

Taiwan’s carbon emissions continued to decrease over the past three years and dropped by more than 2 percent from 2023 to last year, while global emissions rose by 2.3 percent last year, according to the UN Environment Program’s emissions gap report, he said.

That showed Taiwan is on the right path to net zero, he added.

Although Taiwan is not a UNFCCC member nation and has not been invited to COP30, it has set NDC targets in line with the international community, and would share its experience and achievements with the world in other ways, Peng said.

The national decarbonization action plan was formed through interagency efforts over the past year under the guidance of Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), he said, adding that the latest NDC targets were submitted to the Presidential Office’s National Climate Change Countermeasures Committee in January and approved by the Cabinet this week.

The latest NDC targets, or “NDC3.0,” aim to reduce emissions by 26 percent to 30 percent by 2030 and 36 percent to 40 percent by 2035, compared with the baseline year of 2005, Peng said.

“This is a challenge that we would consider a ‘moonshot.’ It is difficult and we will spare no effort,” he said, adding that social consensus, industrial support and public-private collaboration would be necessary.

More than 4,300 people participated in discussions about the establishment of NDC3.0, Peng said, adding that such public engagement aligned with the COP30’s Global Mutirao initiative.

Peng had attended COP meetings 11 times before he assumed his post in the government, he said, adding that he is “the only environment minister in the world not invited to the UN climate conference,” as Taiwan is not a UNFCCC member.

“I hope that in the future we can contribute more directly within the international community,” he said.

To achieve the 2035 NDC target, Taiwan would seek to limit its national power demand to 350 billion kilowatt-hours per year by 2035, while low-carbon fuel transition would be stepped up across industries not powered by electricity, Climate Change Administration Director-General Tsai Ling-yi (蔡玲儀) said.

Taiwan would also seek to reduce coal-fired power to 9 percent and increase renewable energy use to 36 percent by 2035, with the national carbon emission factor of electricity production forecast to drop to 0.241kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour by 2035, she said.

Asked whether the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) might add to carbon emissions, Peng said that although LNG is a fossil fuel like coal, it functions as a transitional energy in many nations, as it produces much less pollution than coal.

Such a strategy is indispensable as Taiwan, unlike many European nations, has limited land to construct green energy facilities in the short term and has not reached a social consensus on adopting nuclear energy such as in France, he said.

title: Taiwan sets NDC target ahead of COP


title: Exports soar 49.7% to all-time high

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Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday.

It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing.

“There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,” Tsai said. “Taiwan’s exports are likely to expand another 35 to 40 percent in November, with a bright outlook for December.”

While Tsai declined to offer a forecast for next year, she said total exports this year would comfortably exceed US$600 billion, as cumulative shipments have already topped US$500 billion — surpassing the full-year total for last year.

Information, communications and audiovisual products used in AI data centers led the growth, skyrocketing 140 percent to a record high, while electronic components, mainly semiconductors, advanced 27.7 percent, a ministry report showed.

Together, the two categories accounted for nearly 80 percent of total export growth, Tsai said.

Exports to the US surged to US$21.14 billion, more than twice last year’s level, giving it a commanding 34.2 percent share of total shipments — well above China’s 23.2 percent — as local firms increasingly aligned with US partners in the fast-evolving AI ecosystem while trimming exposure to China.

European markets also demonstrated solid growth, with shipments rising 26.2 percent amid strong AI-related investments in Finland and Ireland.

Exports to ASEAN nations rose 40 percent year-on-year, reflecting the region’s growing role in the technology supply chain, Tsai said.

Imports climbed 14.6 percent to US$39.22 billion last month, driven by increasing trade within the AI supply chain. South Korean firms are supplying high-bandwidth memory chips that stack multiple DRAM dies vertically to boost data transfer speeds, she said.

The latest trade figures gave Taiwan a record trade surplus of US$22.58 billion, the ministry said.

In the first 10 months of this year, exports rose 31.8 percent to US$514.45 billion, while imports rose 21.3 percent to US$392.63 billion.

Exports are expected to remain supported by sustained AI and high-performance computing demand, expanding data center infrastructure, new product launches and year-end holiday sales in Western markets, Tsai said.

However, the ministry cautioned that shifts in global trade policies and geopolitical tensions could pose risks to export momentum.


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’Taiwan contingency’ could prompt Japanese armed reaction: Japan PM

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws.

Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session yesterday while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun.

"If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival- threatening situation," Takaichi was quoted as saying in the report.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pictured at the House of Representatives of the National Diet in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Under Japan’s security legislation, such a situation allows the country to exercise "collective self-defense" if an attack on an ally -- such as the United States -- or a country closely related to Japan is deemed to threaten Japan’s survival, even without a direct attack on Japan.

"The situation regarding Taiwan has become serious. We must assume the worst-case scenario," Takaichi was quoted by Kyodo News as saying during yesterday’s parliamentary session.

However, she noted that not all disruptions in the Taiwan Strait would meet the threshold, saying that civilian vessels forming a line to block passage would not qualify.

Her statement echoed that of former Japanese prime minister and fellow Liberal Democratic Party member Taro Aso, who has said on multiple occasions that Japan would likely consider a conflict across the Taiwan Strait as a survival-threatening situation.

In 2021, former prime minister Shinzo Abe warned Beijing against invading Taiwan, saying in a speech on Taiwan-Japan relations: "A Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan."

"In other words, it is also a contingency for the Japan- U.S. alliance," Abe added, urging China’s leadership not to misjudge the situation.

Takaichi, who was elected Japan’s 104th prime minister last month, is widely regarded as "Taiwan-friendly" and aligned with the policy direction of the late Abe.


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PRC’s third aircraft carrier has entered service: state media

‘FUJIAN’: The new aircraft carrier is equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system — something that previously only the USS ‘Gerald R. Ford’ possessed

China’s third aircraft carrier entered service this week, state media reported yesterday, marking a key milestone in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) drive to modernize the military.

The Fujian joins China’s fleet as Beijing projects its maritime power against the US and others in the region, with flashpoints including territorial disputes in the South China Sea and persisting claims over Taiwan.

The latest aircraft carrier is equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) — something that previously only the USS Gerald R. Ford possessed.

China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, carries out sea trials in an undisclosed location. Photo: AFP / Chinese Ministry of National Defense

The advanced takeoff system allows the Chinese air force to deploy jets carrying larger payloads and more fuel.

Xinhua yesterday reported that Xi had “personally decided” that the Fujian would adopt EMALS.

Analysts say China lags behind the US, which has 11 aircraft carriers in service, in overall military prowess, but Beijing has directed billions of dollars into defense spending, a trend that has unnerved some governments in East Asia despite China insisting its aims are peaceful.

The navy in particular has seen a massive expansion as leaders seek to grow China’s reach in the Pacific and challenge a US-led alliance.

The new carrier’s official commissioning took place at a naval port in Hainan Province on Wednesday, Xinhua reported, describing the atmosphere as “grand and enthusiastic.”

“After the ceremony, Xi Jinping boarded the Fujian ... and learned about the development of the aircraft carrier system combat capabilities, and the construction and application of the electromagnetic catapult system,” it said.

Xi also went into the carrier’s control tower to learn about flight operations, Xinhua said, adding that he “solemnly signed the ship’s logbook.”

After conducting sea trials, the Fujian joins China’s other two aircraft carriers in active operation, the Liaoning and the Shandong.

The Soviet-built Liaoning is the oldest, commissioned in 2012, while the Shandong entered service in 2019.

China’s third carrier is “by many measures more capable than the Liaoning and the Shandong,” said Collin Koh (許瑞麟), an expert in regional naval affairs at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

“Overall, compared to the two preceding carriers which are ski-jump configured, the Fujian has greater combat persistence and striking power,” Koh said.

The Fujian had already been in the spotlight leading up to its formal commissioning.

Chinese defense officials in September said that the Fujian had sailed through the Taiwan Strait to carry out “scientific research trials and training missions” in the South China Sea.

The defense ministries in Taiwan and Japan at the time said that they had detected the Fujian’s movements, which brought it within approximately 200km of the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台).


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Typhoon Kalmaegi churned across Vietnam yesterday, killing five more people after its devastating passage through the Philippines where the death toll rose to 188.

Kalmaegi unleashed record rainfall and flooding in the central Philippines this week — sweeping away cars, trucks and shipping containers before lashing Vietnam.

“The roof of my house was just blown away,” said Nguyen Van Tam, a 42-year-old fisherman in Vietnam’s Gia Lai Province where the storm made landfall late on Thursday.

Residents walk over the debris of a structure destroyed by high winds in Nhon Hai fishing village near Quy Nhon, Vietnam, yesterday. Photo: AFP

“We were all safe, [but] the typhoon was really terrible, so many trees fallen,” he said, adding that his boat had survived intact.

Vietnamese authorities were still assessing the damage yesterday, but the environment ministry reported five dead, and 57 houses collapsed in Gia Lai and neighboring Dak Lak.

Nearly 3,000 more had their roofs blown off or were damaged, it said, while 11 boats or ships sank.

Vo Thi Danh, 43, watched from higher ground as Kalmaegi ripped through Nhon Hai fishing village in Gia Lai, splitting boats into kindling and sweeping away the small seaside house where she lived with her family.

“The waves were so high, swallowing the whole house,” she said in tears as she surveyed the rubble. “The house totally collapsed, nothing left.”

It was one of seven homes clustered together in the fishing village that were reduced to chunks of concrete and twisted metal.

In the streets along Gia Lai’s Quy Nhon beach, journalists saw rescue workers and soldiers working with residents to clear uprooted trees, remove debris and collect sheet-metal roofs blown away in the night.

The state power company said 1.6 million clients lost electricity as the typhoon smashed the central coast, but service to one-third had been restored by yesterday morning.

The storm was next forecast to hit Thailand, which yesterday issued a warning for heavy rain and flooding starting in the northeast and spreading to the rest of the country.

title: Typhoon Kalmaegi claims five more lives in Vietnam


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MORE EFFORT NEEDED:  Taiwanese spend about NT$1.4 trillion on tourism annually, but only NT$500 billion of that goes to domestic tourism, President William Lai said

Taiwan aims to have a tourism industry valued at NT$1 trillion (US$32.2 billion) by 2030 and is looking to further connect the sector to other industries, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during the opening of the Taipei International Travel Fair.

Taiwan’s tourism sector was valued at NT$837.8 billion last year, and we hope to grow it to NT$1 trillion by 2030, Lai said.

Lai said he looked forward to the Executive Yuan or the Ministry of Transportation and Communications establishing a task force to achieve such goals, which not only encompasses domestic travel, but also travelers coming to Taiwan and Taiwanese traveling abroad.

President William Lai, center left, poses with other officials and event guests at the opening of the Taipei International Travel Fair in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

The value of the tourism sector is directly tied to efforts to promote domestic tourism at home and abroad, he said.

Taiwanese on average spend NT$1.4 trillion per year on tourism, of which about NT$900 billion is spent abroad and NT$500 billion goes to domestic tourism, Lai said.

“We must step up our efforts to promote domestic tourism,” he said.

Dancers perform at the opening of the Taipei International Travel Fair at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center’s Hall 1 yesterday. The event, which runs untill Monday next week, features exhibitors from 123 countries and cities, along with more than 40 Taiwanese travel agencies and 130 hotels, restaurants, airlines and theme parks. Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Visitors Association

Taiwan has the capacity make domestic tourism much better, Lai said.

The sector needs work, especially in terms of quality and costs, or it risks losing potential customers to foreign tourism, he added.

More than 6 million Taiwanese visited Japan last year, citing lower travel costs, Lai said, adding that government agencies must work with the industry to help boost people’s willingness to travel within Taiwan.

All government agencies should consider themselves the Tourism Administration, and even the president must contribute to the national efforts to promote domestic tourism, he said.

Lai tapped the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and the Tourism Administration to find which events are extremely popular in Taiwan, and come up with measures to attract tourists to attend such events, especially during non-consecutive holidays.

Lai cited Tainan’s Taiwan International Orchid Show and the International Mango Festival, the Nantou Global Tea Expo and the New Taipei City Sky Lantern Festival as examples of popular attractions, and said that such events, as well as other future programs, should look for ways to further improve event organization.

title: Taiwan aims for NT$1tn tourism industry by 2030


content_text:
By Chung Li-hua,Chiu Chih-jouand Jake Chung / Staff reporters, and staff writer

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) has instructed that proposed changes to National Health Insurance (NHI) supplementary premium rates be suspended after a severe public backlash, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said on Thursday.

Under the current system, rental income, interest and stock dividends exceeding NT$20,000 (US$644) are subject to an additional 2.11 percent supplementary premium rate.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare was mulling calculating such income on an annual basis to prevent people from evading such payments by settling accounts under the stated standard.

The mulled changes were also intended to increase the ceiling for the income-based supplementary premium rate up to NT$50 million from NT$10 million.

The changes, had they been approved and implemented, would have affected up to 4.8 million people and increased NHI income by about NT$10 billion to NT$20 billion, the ministry said.

Following a backlash, Lee on Thursday evening quoted Cho as saying that the ministry should initiate a dialogue with the public to arrive at acceptable reform measures.

The ministry had planned to have the proposed changes undergo the legislative process next year before their implementation the following year.

An aging population and a decline in the birthrate are cutting into the NHI’s primary source of income — salaried wages — and prompting the ministry to consider changes to supplementary premium rates, Lee said.

Ministry of Health and Welfare Department of Information Management Director Parng I-ming (龐一鳴) said that the NHI program had annual income of NT$800 billion, with NT$15 billion derived from stock dividends.

The NHI program is a social welfare program and those with means should endeavor to help those who are disadvantaged, Parng said, adding that the proposed amendments were still under discussion.

Analysts said that if the calculation method is changed, investors in high-dividend exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be affected.

KGI Securities Ltd (凱基證券) on Thursday released its latest fourth-quarter ETF report, which showed that as of Sept. 30, there were 287 Taiwan ETFs, of which 68 were income-distribution products, benefiting 15.53 million individuals, with more than 2 million accounts using regular investment plans.

If the supplementary health insurance premium is changed from a “single payment exceeding NT$20,000” to an annual cumulative basis, the greatest impact would be on investors who have concentrated their assets in high-dividend Taiwanese ETFs, it said.

Separately yesterday, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chong-liang (石崇良) said that all NHI-related polices have only one goal and that is to ensure that the program’s finances are sustainable and ready to help more people.

The program’s finances are in need of reform, he said, adding that reforms had been steadily applied over three decades.

“It [public disclosure of the proposed changes] was actually somewhat accidental; it was revealed during a media interview,” he said.

The proposed amendments would involve cross-ministry discussions and public hearings, he added.

Additional reporting by Lee Ching-huis

title: Premier suspends proposed changes to NHI program


taiwan-subdivisions: 大安 和平

title: Bail of suspect in Prince Group probe appealed

content_text:
Prosecutors yesterday appealed the court’s decision to grant bail to Tu Yu-wen (?又文), a suspect in the Prince Group probe, and are tracking down another suspect, Hu Xiaowei (胡小偉).

The Prince Group, based in Cambodia, was sanctioned last month by the US for transnational fraud and money laundering involving Taiwanese nationals and companies.

Judicial authorities carried out raids on Tuesday, and seized more than NT$4.5 billion (US$144.95 million) in assets, including seven luxury cars.

From left, Ku Shu-wen, Wang Yu-tang and Lee Shou-li, detained suspects in the Prince Group probe, are shown in a composite photograph. Photo: Taipei Times

Twenty-five people were also taken in for questioning.

Taipei prosecutors applied to detain Tu, after a judge on Tuesday granted her a NT$300,000 bail.

The modest bail amount drew public backlash, as the case involved billions of dollars in illegal proceeds.

Tu is in charge of 11 Prince Group luxury apartments in the Peace Palace (和平大苑) in Taipei’s Daan District (大安), prosecutors said.

Prosecutors alleged that Hu is the second-in-command of Prince Group head Chen Zhi (陳志).

Hu came to Taiwan multiple times over the past few years to set up and supervise the group’s nine subsidiary firms, which are all in Taipei, they alleged.

Four key suspects in the case were detained with restricted communication, as the court found they were likely to collude and tamper with evidence.

They included Taiwan Skyline Worldwide executives Ku Shu-wen (辜淑雯) and Chiu Tzu-en (邱子恩), alleged head of several Prince Group firms Wang Yu-tang (王昱棠), as well as Lee Shou-li (李守禮), the assistant of Chen’s top aide, Li Tian (李添).

A preliminary probe found that Prince Group ran scam centers and online gambling schemes abroad, and laundered the illegal gains by purchasing properties and luxury cars, prosecutors said, adding that the group allegedly had links with major Taiwanese crime syndicates involved in financial and investment fraud schemes.


title: More top official resignations rock the CTFA

content_text:
National soccer association the CTFA was rocked by more turmoil this week with the resignations of its technical director and other top officials.

CTFA secretary-general George Chao (趙士強) and technical director Chen Liang-chen (陳亮辰) resigned on Monday, which is expected to be formally approved today during a CTFA board meeting.

The meeting would also decide on other top officials’ resignations and whether to start the filling the vacant posts.

CTFA secretary-general George Chao speaks at an event in Taipei on July 28. Photo: CNA

CTFA chairman Wang Lin-hsiang (王麟祥) last month said he would tender his resignation at the board meeting, after Taiwan were beaten by Thailand 6-1 on Oct. 14, eliminating Taiwan from qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Some insiders said that announcement was a ruse, as Wang has made moves to retain his job and believed he would have enough votes during the meeting to stay on, while others said the people resigning are “sacrificial lambs” taking the fall for the recent turmoil in the CTFA.

The string of resignations has sports experts and fans worried.

Taiwan men’s national squad head coach Gary White quit in May — although some people said he was dismissed or that the CTFA did not renew his contract — after a string of defeats in preliminary rounds of the qualifiers for the World Cup and the Asian Cup.

Taiwan women’s national squad head coach Chan Hiu-ming (陳曉明) in August announced he was resigning, citing unfulfilled promises of support and resources from the CTFA, which the team needs to prepare for the AFC Asian Cup.

Chan was credited with improving the team’s performance at the international qualifiers.

The CTFA said Chan would remain until the end of the year, when his contract ends.

National squad director Chen Wen-fa (陳文發) and techical director Mehmet Fatih Kale both resigned in May, after less than four months on the job.

Several association deputy secretaries-general were also dismissed after Taiwan’s losses at international qualifiers and the cancelation of friendly matches with the New Zealand women’s national team due to unsafe pitch conditions at a stadium.

Fans and the sports community demanded that the CTFA and Wang take responsibility for the national squad’s elimination from the qualifiers, while players and coaching staff pointed to disarray and mismanagement in the CTFA.

After the 6-1 defeat to Thailand, Taiwan head coach Huang Che-ming (黃哲明) announced he was quitting, effective immediately, to take responsibility for the loss.

Huang, who was in charge for only two months, told reporters that the CTFA did not provide enough support for the national squad.

The team had little resources and no proper training pitch to prepare for international matches, he said.

As for replacements, soccer manager Matt Ross has been appointed as the new head coach of the Taiwan men’s national team.

Ross most recently headed the Nepal national team.


content_text:
KEEP BELIEVING: The film interviewed people involved, who described the process of putting the team together amid criticism the players were not good enough

A preview of the documentary Hero! Hito! Road to Champions (冠軍之路) was released yesterday, which features star players and Taiwan manager Tseng Hao-chu (曾豪駒) recounting Taiwan’s path to victory at the WBSC Premier12 tournament last year.

The preview, which was uploaded to YouTube, was for a documentary scheduled for release on Jan. 1. It features Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲), Lyle Lin (林家正) and other people who participated in the 12-team tournament, which was played in Taiwan, Mexico and Japan from Nov. 9 to 24 last year.

Adata Technology (威剛科技), which produced the film, said that it traveled throughout Taiwan, as well as to Japan and the US, to interview about 70 players, coaches and other people involved in Taiwan’s winning run from its group-stage games in Taiwan to the finals in Japan.

A frame from the documentary Hero! Hito! Road to Champions is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Activator Co via CNA

It recorded about 300 hours of footage, Adata said in a statement.

Director Lungnan Isak Fangas said that he hopes the documentary gets across the message that people should “never look down on yourself, but keep on believing and miracles can happen.”

The preview showed interviews with Tseng, Chen and Lin as the team’s leading players, as well as cheerleaders, and scouts and coaches, who described the process of putting the team together amid criticism that the players were not good enough.

Interviews were also conducted with key players from Japan, the US, Cuba and other people at the tournament, including Japan star pitcher Shosei Togo.

In related news, Chen, who plays for the Uni-President Lions in the CPBL, released a book about the winning Premier12 run and his wider baseball career.

“Through my book, hopefully more people would better understand what players go through during games, their mental state and how to deal with pressure,” he said.

“It explains how teammates work together and shows how they deal with injuries and wanting to quit, as well as times of hope and renewed enthusiasm,” Chen said.

“The book is reflective, but I hope it also passes on to the younger generation a love for baseball,” he said.

“It is my gift to the fans and to help develop baseball in Taiwan,” he added.

title: Preview of film on Taiwan Premier12 victory released


content_text:
Kaohsiung unveils coupons, events to stimulate tourism

The Kaohsiung City Government yesterday unveiled NT$50 coupons in a bid to stimulate the city’s tourism economy ahead of this month’s live concerts.

The coupons are redeemable at restaurants, department stores and night market stands, and are available to people who bought tickets to one or more of the concerts planned in the city, the Kaohsiung Economic Development Bureau said.

The concerts feature Hong Kong singer and actor Aaron Kwok (郭富城), Taiwanese rocker Wu Bai (伍佰) and South Korean girl group TWICE, who are to perform live in Taiwan for the first time, the bureau said.

A person holds up NT$50 coupons issued by the Kaohsiung City Government in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung Economic Development Bureau via CNA

Concert participants would be able to obtain coupons by presenting their tickets at the Kaohsiung metro’s Zuoying, Formosa Boulevard, Sanduo Shopping District, Kaohsiung Arena, Yanchengpu and Kaohsiung Main stations, it said.

The coupons can be used at four night markets and 400 select venues in the city, the bureau said.

Additionally, the municipality is to launch K-pop dance battles in collaboration with the city’s dance studios, restaurants and bars starting on Nov. 21 at the Kaohsiung Central Park shopping district, the bureau said.

Dream Mall, SKM Park, Hanshin Arena Shopping Plaza, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and other big-name department stores in Kaohsiung are to roll out special deals and rebates to coincide with the concerts, it said.


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MOL to let post-disaster recovery builders hire extra migrant workers

The Ministry of Labor (MOL) yesterday approved a plan allowing general construction firms engaged in post-disaster reconstruction projects to hire migrant workers beyond the sector’s existing 15,000-person ceiling to boost recovery efforts.

"To speed up post-disaster reconstruction, [the ministry] approved allowing general construction firms involved in rebuilding projects to increase their quota for migrant workers" during a meeting yesterday, said Su Yu-kuo (蘇 裕國), an official with the MOL’s Workforce Development Agency (WDA).

To address labor shortages in construction, the MOL in 2023 created a 15,000-person quota for general construction firms to hire migrant workers. The quota is allocated by the National Land Management Agency, which said in 2024 that the ceiling had been reached through staged distribution.

The Ministry of Labor’s logo is displayed at the ministry in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Lee Chin-hui, Taipei Times

Su said the approval, made at the meeting of the MOL’s cross-border workforce policy advisory committee, removes the overall quota constraint only for companies undertaking eligible reconstruction or public-interest projects.

It means construction firms that meet the eligibility criteria -- such as those that have signed reconstruction contracts with disaster-affected residents -- can add migrant workers without counting toward the sector’s 15,000-person ceiling, according to Su.

"Natural disasters are unpredictable and often cause severe post-disaster losses in a short time," Su said, noting that reconstruction must proceed quickly but requires "substantial manpower."

However, Su did not specify which disasters or regions would qualify for more migrant workers, or the time frame for which the planned new measure will apply.

In 2024 and 2025, Taiwan was hit by a series of natural disasters, most notably the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Hualien on April 3, 2024, and the bursting of a barrier lake on Sept. 23, 2025, which was triggered by heavy rain from Typhoon Ragasa and inundated Guangfu Township (光復) in the eastern county.

Both have prompted large-scale reconstruction efforts in the area.

Su noted that firms granted additional migrant worker quotas for reconstruction may keep them after rebuilding ends and reassign the workers to other ongoing projects, as part of efforts to "encourage firms to take on reconstruction projects."

As for when the planned measure will be implemented, Su said the ministry is awaiting an announcement from the National Land Management Agency.


title: Official backs Taiwan’s APEC access

content_text:
SHENZHEN 2026:  A US State Department official said that APEC members sought assurances from China that it would follow standing practices regarding participation

The US would ensure that Taiwan can participate in a “full” and “equal” way in next year’s APEC events in China, a senior US Department of State official said on Thursday.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday told Reuters when asked about Taiwan’s participation that Beijing would fulfill its obligations as the host, but Taiwan should comply with the “one China” principle.

That prompted concern that Taipei’s participation could be limited.

US Department of State senior official to APEC Casey Mace attends a news conference in Washington on Thursday. Photo: CNA

In Taipei on Wednesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) described China’s stance as an “additional condition” being placed on Taiwan’s participation.

However, the US has offered its backing.

“A really important feature of APEC is the fact that Taiwan is a full and equal participant and partner, and the United States supports that,” Casey Mace, a senior State Department official to APEC, said in a briefing on this year’s APEC events in Gyeongju, South Korea.

“When the 21 economies of APEC endorsed China as the host for 2026, it sought assurances from China that it would follow all standing practices and policies regarding participation, and so we expect that that they will live up to that certainly,” Mace told reporters.

China is to host next year’s APEC meeting in Shenzhen.

In a statement to Reuters published on Tuesday, the Chinese ministry said: “We would like to emphasize that the key to Chinese Taipei’s [Taiwan’s] participation in APEC activities lies in compliance with the one China principle and the relevant APEC memorandum of understanding, rather than any safety issues.”

Mace said that the US would continue to talk to its Taiwanese friends to ensure that they would participate in APEC events in China in a “full” and “equal” manner.

While Mace did not comment on concerns over the safety of Taiwanese at APEC in China, a State Department spokesperson on Tuesday told the Central News Agency that the US would “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China.”

In November last year, when Beijing announced it would host APEC events next year, Taiwan expressed concerns over its participation and the safety of its delegation.

It was particularly concerned about Chinese guidelines that provide for criminal punishments, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving what Beijing calls “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists.”

Then-National Security Council deputy secretary-general Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉), who is now an adviser to the council, said at the time that APEC’s decisionmaking process is based on consensus, meaning all members must agree on a decision before it is adopted.

After discussions among APEC members, they agreed to Beijing hosting next year’s meeting only after it promised to follow APEC’s policies and practices to ensure APEC members would be able to participate with dignity, while also protecting the safety of all participants, Hsu said.


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DEFENSE DEPARTMENT HOPEFUL:  Alexander Velez-Green said that coproduction should focus on areas in which Taiwan has workforce and production infrastructure

Joint weapons production by Taiwan and the US should focus on projects that are of relatively low complexity and within the capabilities Taiwan has now, a nominee for a key US Department of Defense post said.

Alexander Velez-Green, the nominee for deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, gave the assessment in his response to policy questions on “security capabilities” suitable for coproduction asked by the US Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of his confirmation hearing on Thursday.

Formal coproduction agreements often involve complicated and lengthy negotiations with partners and industries, he said, indicating that Taiwan should focus on projects that can be delivered quickly to bolster deterrence and support a “denial defense.”

The US, left, and Taiwanese flags are pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph.Photo: Cheng I-hwa, Bloomberg

“Appropriate coproduction or similar opportunities should focus on less technically complex capabilities for which Taiwan has existing workforce and production infrastructure,” he said.

On Thursday, Velez-Green told the committee that he has long supported arming Taiwan and ensuring it has the tools necessary to defend itself.

“I think that’s vitally important, not just as a matter of fairness, but also, frankly, from an operational perspective,” he said.

“If confirmed, you have my strong commitment to continue to advocate to that effect, including by providing options up to higher leadership for their consideration,” he said, adding that one option was a presidential drawdown authority (PDA).

Asked whether the fourth PDA for Taiwan under the administration of US President Donald Trump was on hold, Velez-Green said he was unsure of its status.

Asked about Taiwan’s role in deterring China and the need to expedite arms deliveries, Velez-Green said that “with respect to Taiwan and the first island chain, this is a critical terrain when we think about operating from a position of military strength in the Indo-Pacific” region.

“Having forceful deterrence along that geography is vital to ensuring a balance of power that allows us to achieve our ends,” he said.

The US’ focus is on the “denial of defense,” aimed at convincing China that any attempt at aggression would not only be costly, but would ultimately fail, making it not worth the risk, he said.

This also involves the role that US allies and partners can play in “this critical region,” he said, adding that it would be a problem if Washington could not provide allies or partners with the weapons they need.

In his written responses, Velez-Green said that “Taiwan needs to do more and faster, first and foremost by significantly increasing its defense spending and rapidly acquiring the appropriate weapons and systems needed to deter aggression from China.”

The US government has repeatedly pushed Taiwan to spend more on its own defense, with some officials calling for spending of up to 10 percent of GDP.

President William Lai (賴清德) has vowed to increase defense spending to more than 3 percent of GDP next year.

US lawmakers have said that arms vendors have been slow to deliver weapons ordered by Taiwan, potentially hurting its defense and deterrence posture.

title: Nominee outlines ideas on Taiwan-US arms making


content_text:
By Huang Ching-hsuang and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

Basic human rights were seriously contravened when the UN turned away a Taiwanese rights advocate from the World Summit for Social Development in Qatar, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

The ministry made the comment a day after Vivi Lin (林薇), who advocates gender equality, wrote on social media that she was barred from attending the event, which ran from Tuesday to yesterday, for holding a Taiwanese passport.

The UN framework has long denied Taiwanese the human right to attend global public affairs events, the ministry said.

The logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ office has not yet responded meaningfully to Taiwan’s demands to fix the situation lodged via allies and like-minded countries, it said.

The ministry continues to fight for the rights of Taiwanese through all channels and urges the UN to resist China’s use of coercion in international affairs, which runs against the UN Charter’s spirit of equal rights for all, it said.

The UN should swiftly rectify the unjustified discrimination of Taiwanese, the ministry said.

Lin said she had been invited to address the summit on issues concerning gender equity on behalf of a non-governmental organization recognized as an advisory group by the UN.

After submitting personal information for her security background check, Lin received a letter stating that she had misreported her nationality and must correct the mistake to be admitted to the event, she said, adding that the letter bore the signature of a UN official with an apparently Chinese name spelled in English.

“The point of the Chinese UN employee’s signature on the letter was to show that Beijing has people everywhere,” Lin said.

Taiwanese completing UN security background checks typically report themselves as stateless or leave the nationality column blank, because Taiwan, or the Republic of China, are not among the available options, Lin said.

The system is set up is to coerce Taiwanese into identifying themselves as citizens of the People’s Republic of China, she said.

The UN last month rescinded her application to attend after weeks of negotiations in which her protests that she was not Chinese were ignored, Lin said.

The rejection signaled an intensification in Beijing’s efforts to bar Taiwanese from international spaces, she said.

Rejecting Taiwanese contradicts the UN’s mission of leaving no one behind, she added.

title: Ministry criticizes UN after advocate denied event entry


title: KMT’s Cheng to attend White Terror memorial event

content_text:
By Su Yung-yao, Shih Hsiao-kuang and Fion Khan / Staff reporters, with staff writer

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is expected to attend an event to honor people killed during the White Terror era, including a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spy uncovered within the KMT government in 1950, event organizers said yesterday.

The event is to honor Wu Shi (吳石), a lieutenant general who was the Ministry of National Defense’s deputy chief of the general staff. Wu was executed after being convicted as spying for the CCP during the White Terror era.

Wu was accused of providing the CCP with critical intelligence on KMT troop deployments in southeast China, southern China and Taiwan when the KMT government was based in Nanjing, China, Taiwan Human Rights Memory Bank documents showed.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, center, speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

He continued working for the CCP after arriving in Taiwan, leading to his arrest and execution, the documents showed.

The CCP calls Wu a “martyr” and has promoted his story through a television show titled Silent Honor (沉默的榮耀).

The annual memorial service, organized by the Taiwan Area Political Victims’ Mutual Help Association, is to be held at Machangding Memorial Park (馬場町紀念公園) in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華), where Wu was executed.

The association, which advocates unification with China, called the park a “historic site where Wu and other martyrs sacrificed their lives,” expressing hope that “silent glory would no longer be silent.”

Cheng is expected to speak at the event.

The event’s theme this year is “Remembering history, cherishing the memory of martyrs, cross-strait solidarity, revitalizing the Chinese nation,” the association said in a statement.

The event would also include a tribute from the Beijing-based Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.

During the Chinese Civil War and the Cold War, many people sacrificed their youth or their lives, Cheng told reporters yesterday.

In Taiwan, many communist spies faced trial, while in China, many KMT members and political workers were arrested, imprisoned or killed, she said.

Hopefully such tragedies will never happen again, she added.

Taiwan has undergone decades of democratic transformation and is now a place that fully respects freedom of speech and individual thought, Cheng said.

Her attendance at the event would “hopefully advance cross-strait reconciliation and peace, and a society in which no one needs to pay the price for their personal political beliefs,” she said

Democratic Progressive Party spokeswoman Tai Wei-shan (戴瑋姍) said that although the memorial is framed as a “commemoration of the White Terror,” its actual focus is on intelligence agents of the CCP.

The organizers even promote the spirit of communist spies by hailing Silent Honor, which has a strong “united front” message, Tai said.

Cheng’s attendance would be equivalent to accepting the CCP’s historical narrative and cooperating with its “united front” tactics, she said, adding: “This raises the question: Is Cheng the chairwoman of Taiwan’s KMT or China’s KMT?”

Additional reporting by Chen Cheng-yu and CNA


people: 陳培瑜 黃國昌 羅智強

title: Four nominees for NCC posts are all voted down

content_text:
The Legislative Yuan yesterday voted down all four nominees to the National Communications Commission (NCC), leaving the media regulator with only three commissioners and unable to implement regulatory policies.

Each of the four nominees received 50 votes in favor and 60 against, falling short of the required 57 votes for confirmation.

The nominees — Chiang Jung-hsien (蔣榮先), Cherng Ming-shiou (程明修), Huang Wei-wei (黃葳威) and Lo Huei-wen (羅慧雯) — were all proposed by the Cabinet in July.

Staff members check votes for National Communications Commission nominees at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

The Executive Yuan said that they were selected for their expertise in information technology, law and communications, with Chiang and Cherng designated to serve as NCC chairman and vice chairman respectively.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus expressed full support for all four and urged the opposition parties to vote in favor.

However, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) rejected all of the candidates after internal discussions earlier in the day.

The NCC had seven commissioners before the terms of four expired on July 31 last year. Since then, only three commissioners — acting chairman Chen Chung-shu (陳崇樹), as well as Wang Cheng-chia (王正嘉) and Wang Yi-hui (王怡惠) — remain in office.

Following the failed confirmation vote, the NCC remains unable to make regulatory policy without a quorum of four members.

DPP caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) accused the KMT and the TPP of obstructing the nominations for political reasons rather than professional considerations.

The opposition parties cited concerns over professionalism and political bias.

TPP caucus convener Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said the nominees were found to lack the necessary competence for the positions to which they were nominated.

KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) said that his caucus had also unanimously voted to reject the nominees, citing instances of the NCC “abusing its authority.”


content_text:
Legislature group launched to boost Japan, S Korea ties

The Legislative Yuan yesterday launched a parliamentary group to advocate greater economic and security ties with Japan and South Korea.

The Northeast Asia Economic and Security Cooperation Association was initiated and would be headed by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉).

The association — the largest of its kind, with 35 lawmakers from across the political spectrum — would promote economic and security integration among Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, with plans to conduct regular and mission-oriented visits to both countries, Chiu said.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei, fourth left, gestures along with fellow lawmakers and guests at the founding of the Northeast Asia Economic and Security Cooperation Association at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

The three nations are tightly linked by geopolitics, industrial supply chains and socio-cultural exchanges, forming a “community of destiny” with relationships akin to family, he said.

The association is to plan legislative exchanges with Tokyo and Seoul every one to two months, focusing on semiconductor supply chains, security, disaster prevention, energy resilience and cultural issues, he said.

Legislative Yuan Deputy Secretary-General Chang Yu-jung (張裕榮), speaking on behalf of Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), said that the legislature would support for the association to promote international exchanges and cooperation.

Japan and South Korea have emphasized the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait on multiple occasions, underscoring close security ties shared by the three countries, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ger Baushuan (葛葆萱) said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs anticipates that the association would become an important platform for promoting trilateral legislative exchanges, Ger said.

Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Cynthia Kiang (江文若) said that the three economies are highly complementary in semiconductors and emerging technologies, and trilateral cooperation would improve supply-chain resilience in the Asia-Pacific region, forming a mutually beneficial industrial connection.

people: 邱志偉 韓國瑜


content_text:
The Control Yuan on Thursday accused TaiwanPlus, a government-funded English-language TV and streaming platform, of discriminating against broadcasters with a Taiwanese accent.

The platform denied the accusation.

The Control Yuan said in a statement that its Education and Cultural Affairs committee approved an investigative report into TaiwanPlus to be prepared by Control Yuan members Lin Yu-jung (林郁容), Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容) and Wang Mei-yu (王美玉).

The main entrance to the Control Yuan in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times

TaiwanPlus, which is subsidized by the Ministry of Culture, was launched in 2021 with NT$5.8 billion (US$186.83 million) of government funding, and a mission to expand Taiwan’s external broadcasting ability and boost international connections, the report said.

However, its audience is regionally concentrated in Asia (67.6 percent) and North America (20.6 percent), with much lower viewership numbers in Europe, Oceania and other areas, the report said.

While TaiwanPlus’ viewership has grown, overall it has fallen short in its goals of promoting and expanding Taiwan’s international visibility, the report said.

Internally, TaiwanPlus’ news coverage is largely guided by foreign managers, whose grasp of Taiwanese society has limits, the Control Yuan said.

This has resulted in disagreements with Taiwanese editors over how to select and cover stories, creating inconsistent standards of judgement with regard to domestic and international events, it said.

The ministry should consider establishing an editorial framework with a “Taiwanese perspective” and increased participation from local news professionals, it said, citing risks of “editorial imbalance.”

Another section of the report said that TaiwanPlus’ news coverage had been “out of focus,” affecting the platform’s credibility and image.

It was likely referring to an incident in the run-up to last year’s US presidential election, in which a video journalist referred to then-candidate Donald Trump as a “convicted felon.”

The video was taken down following criticism from figures including the minister of culture, which sparked criticism about media freedom.

The Control Yuan said that although TaiwanPlus is primarily an English-language platform, it is intended to showcase Taiwan’s diverse culture and distinct linguistic features.

Witnesses interviewed by the Control Yuan said that there had been instances in which TaiwanPlus managers refused to put individuals in on-camera roles because they spoke English with a Taiwanese accent, the report said.

To exclude Taiwanese accents from its broadcasts not only contradicts the platform’s original intention of sharing “Taiwan’s perspective,” but also risks discriminating against Taiwanese talent, it said.

The Control Yuan members urged the ministry to review TaiwanPlus’ standards for hiring newscasters, with an eye to establishing linguistic diversity and safeguarding the rights of Taiwanese English-speaking talent.

TaiwanPlus said that its selection of news anchors and reporters is based on their professional communication skills and ability to be understood, rather than any accent preferences.

Several Taiwanese journalists have passed its voiceover review process and 70 percent of its anchors are Taiwanese, it said.

Since the channel’s launch, international viewership has accounted for 94 percent of its audience, TaiwanPlus said.

The primary sources of viewership are the US (47 percent), the Philippines (13 percent) and India (9 percent), it said.

Total views last year increased 98.7 percent from a year earlier, while total viewing hours rose by 95 percent, it added.

title: TaiwanPlus accused of accent discrimination


title: Pork partners

content_text: Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday hold banners and bowls of braised pork rice in a show of support for farmers after the government lifted restrictions on live pig transportation and slaughter following an African swine fever scare.


title: Shedding light on cancer

content_text: Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Chien-kuo, front center, poses with Taiwan Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) Patient Care Association head Lin Zhi-sheng, front left, and association Secretary-General Chou Fang-ting, front right, at a press conference in Taipei yesterday urging efforts to raise awareness of NETs.


content_text:
PERSISTENT RUMORS: Nvidia’s CEO said the firm is not in talks to sell AI chips to China, but he would welcome a change in US policy barring the activity

Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said his company is not in discussions to sell its Blackwell artificial intelligence (AI) chips to Chinese firms, waving off speculation it is trying to engineer a return to the world’s largest semiconductor market.

Huang, who arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of meetings with longtime partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), took the opportunity to clarify recent comments about the US-China AI race.

The Nvidia head caused a stir in an interview this week with the Financial Times, in which he was quoted as saying “China will win” the AI race.

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia Corp, speaks to members of the media in Tainan yesterday. Photo: Bloomber

Huang yesterday said he merely intended to point out China’s prowess with the fledgling technology.

Huang is continuing to tour the world after making stops in Washington and South Korea last week, while striking deals across industries with companies looking to tap Nvidia’s artificial intelligence hardware expertise. Huang has been followed by persistent speculation that the US would permit sales of Blackwell — Nvidia’s leading-edge AI chip line — in China.

“There are no active discussions. Currently, we’re not planning to ship anything to China,” Huang said. “It’s up to China when they would like Nvidia products to go back to serve the Chinese market. I look forward to them changing their policy, and hopefully we’ll be able to serve the Chinese market again.”

Huang said he was in Tainan to visit TSMC.

“Business is very strong. So I came back to encourage my TSMC friends,” he said.

Huang is encouraging global adoption of AI to expand the use of Nvidia’s technology across regions and industries. Huang is trying to alleviate concerns of an AI bubble and prove that trillions of dollars in hardware investments — such as data centers and Nvidia chips — would pay off.

Nvidia remains barred from selling AI chips that would be financially lucrative in China. A US-China trade accord unveiled last week did not include sales of Nvidia’s Blackwell chips to Chinese customers, and officials in the administration of US President Donald Trump have indicated such a move is off the table for now. If Nvidia were allowed to ship more-capable products to China, it would be able to take advantage of a US$50 billion opportunity there, Huang said in August.

Demand for AI systems in China means that market is set to grow at 50 percent per year, he said.

The China setback has fed into concerns among some Wall Street investors about the sustainability of extraordinary spending on AI. They fear that AI risks falling short on its promise of generating new streams of revenue that can justify hundreds of billions of dollars in capital expenditures on data centers and the Nvidia chips that run them.

Huang yesterday also said that he remains upbeat about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) despite recent concerns over a potential market bubble.

Huang, who arrived in Tainan on Friday for his fourth trip to Taiwan this year, highlighted the strong demand and real-world applications of AI technology when asked to compare the current boom with the internet frenzy of the late 1990s.

"This time is very different because during the dot-com most of the fiber in the ground was dark, but this time all of the GPUs in the cloud [are] being used, and so the demand is very, very strong," Huang told reporters.

"Of course, AI technology is now so effective. The demand is very high because the technology is very compute-intensive. The computing demand is very high, so we are trying to catch up [with] very strong demand," he added, in response to growing global concern about a possible overvaluation of the AI industry.

title: No China sales: Nvidia


title: MSCI upgrades Taiwan stock index weighting

content_text:
MORE WEIGHT:  The national weighting was raised in one index while holding steady in two others, while several companies rose or fell in prominence

MSCI Inc, a global index provider, has raised Taiwan’s weighting in one of its major indices and left the country’s weighting unchanged in two other indices after a regular index review.

In a statement released on Thursday, MSCI said it has upgraded Taiwan’s weighting in the MSCI All-Country World Index by 0.02 percentage points to 2.25 percent, while maintaining the weighting in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, the most closely watched by foreign institutional investors, at 20.46 percent.

Additionally, the index provider has left Taiwan’s weighting in the MSCI All-Country Asia ex-Japan Index unchanged at 23.15 percent.

The latest index adjustments are to take effect after the market closes on Nov. 24.

MSCI added six Taiwanese stocks to the MSCI Global Standard Indexes: baseboard management controller chip designer Aspeed Technology Inc (信驊), automotive solution provider BizLink Holding Inc (貿聯), IC testing services supplier Chroma ATE Inc (致茂電子), printed circuit board (PCB) maker Gold Circuit Electronics Ltd (金像電子), IC testing firm King Yuan Electronics Co (京元電) and electric motor producer Teco Electric & Machinery Co (東元電機).

The inclusion largely reflected an increase in share prices of the six stocks to boost their market value in recent months, riding the waves of a boom of artificial intelligence applications, market analysts said.

All six have been moved up and out from the Global Small Cap Indexes, according to MSCI.

MSCI has removed seven stocks from the MSCI Global Standard Indexes, moving them to the MSCI Global Small Cap Indexes. They are PC vendor Acer Inc (宏碁), flat panel maker AUO Corp (友達), gaming PC brand Micro-Star International Co (微星), power management solution provider Silergy Corp (矽力), electronic components distributor Synnex Technology International Corp (聯強), uninterruptible power system maker Voltronics Power Technology Corp (旭隼) and semiconductor component distributor WPG Holdings Ltd (大聯大).

Alongside the seven stocks, four others — optical equipment maker Ability Enterprise Co (佳能), PCB maker Dynamic Holding Co (定穎), voice user interface developer Intelligo Technology Inc (意騰) and electronics component maker Longwell Co (良維) — have also been included in the MSCI Global Small Cap Indexes.

After the quarterly review, the number of companies on the MSCI Taiwan Index fell to 86 from 87, MSCI said.

Among those 86 companies, MSCI said Chroma ATE saw the largest weighting upgrade from zero to 0.42 percent as it was added to the MSCI Global Standard Index for the first time, while contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (台積電) weighting was lowered by 0.51 percentage points to 58.03 percent, the steepest cut.


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China is allowing Dutch chipmaker Nexperia BV to export again, setting the stage for the Netherlands to suspend its powers over the Chinese-owned company.

Signaling a breakthrough in a conflict that threatened to disrupt automotive production around the world, the Dutch government is ready to shelve the measure that gave it the authority to change key corporate decisions, people familiar with the matter said.

That order, which was issued in September by Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans, sparked the dispute and could be rescinded as soon as next week if chip flows are confirmed.

An employee works with a wafer in a production line of Dutch semiconductor company Nexperia in Hamburg, Germany, June 27, 2024 Photo: Reuters

The chips have begun shipping again from Nexperia’s Chinese operations, said officials from several auto companies.

After receiving an export license from China this week, Aumovio SE — a parts manufacturer that supplies Volkswagen AG, Stellantis NV and BMW AG, — has shipped Nexperia semiconductors and components containing them, Aumovio CEO Philipp von Hirschheydt said in an interview.

Von Hirschheydt said he was told the Chinese Ministry of Commerce lifted the broader Nexperia export ban on Friday.

“It will take some time before all procedures and processes will get back to normal,” Von Hirschheydt said.

There’s still a chance for disruptions in the next four to six weeks, but “if everything I know today is correct, we are not going to be affected,” he said.

Shares of Wingtech Technology Co (聞泰科技), the Chinese parent company of Nexperia, surged in the final minutes of trading to close nearly 10 percent higher in Shanghai. European automakers and their suppliers gained on the news. Volkswagen shares climbed as much as 2.7 percent in Frankfurt, with BMW increasing as much as 2.5 percent. Shares of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Fiat-maker Stellantis also rose.

Honda Motor Co has been told Nexperia’s chip shipments in China have resumed, and the carmaker aims to get disrupted production back on track during the week of Nov. 21, Honda executive vice president Noriya Kaihara said on Friday.

Robert Bosch GmbH is receiving Nexperia chips from China, people familiar with the situation said.

A spokesman for Bosch — one of the world’s largest parts suppliers — declined to comment. As of yesterday morning, there were still production disruptions at several Bosch plants that produce automotive electronics.

However, the situation remains murky. German parts supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG is preparing for production disruptions including temporary furloughs as a precaution, a company spokesperson said.

“It is unclear to what extent and at what speed deliveries from China could resume,” the spokesperson said. “The situation remains very tense across the industry.”

In a sign of easing tensions, the Dutch government said in a statement late on Thursday that it expects Nexperia’s Chinese unit to resume chip supplies in the coming days, a noticeable softening of its previous stance.

title: Nexperia restarts exports


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Chinese exports contract amid US trade issues, low spending at home

China’s exports unexpectedly contracted last month as weakening global demand failed to offset the slump in shipments to the US, dealing a blow to an economy already slowing amid sluggish consumer spending and investment at home.

Exports fell for the first time in eight months, dropping 1.1 percent from a year earlier, according to official data released yesterday. Shipments to all nations except the US rose 3.1 percent, not enough to compensate for the more than 25 percent decline to the US.

“The exporters in China have been frontloading their trade in order to avoid high tariffs in the US — it seems the frontloading finally faded in October,” said Zhang Zhiwei (張智威), chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, a Chinese hedge fund management firm. “Exports have been a key pillar for growth in China due to the weak domestic demand. Now that export momentum weakens, China needs to rely more on domestic demand.”

Chinese exports have been resilient, as other destinations made up for drops in shipments across the Pacific Ocean. Sales abroad had grown every month since February, when activity slowed because of the Lunar New Year holiday.

October marked a break in the trend of growth driven by the pursuit of new markets among Chinese companies. A range of trade indicators started to cool off from the record numbers seen in earlier months, with the Port of Shanghai processing the fewest containers since April.

The decline in overall exports last month came as a surprise to almost all forecasters, with the median estimate of those polled by Bloomberg at 2.9 percent. Only a single analyst in the survey had predicted a decline.

With the US reducing tariffs on Chinese goods by 10 percent from Monday, it is possible trade between the world’s two largest economies could see a pickup through the year-end.

However, the effect might prove limited because duties on Chinese goods are still higher than those on products from countries such as Vietnam.

And if the slowdown in demand from the rest of the globe continues, that could pull down shipments and the broader economy in the final two months of the year. Last quarter, China’s economic growth decelerated to the weakest pace in a year even as exports boomed.

It risks an even steeper slowdown in the months ahead. Analysts forecast the weakest growth this quarter since the final three months of 2022, when the nation was nearing the end of debilitating COVID-19 lockdowns.

The weakness looked to be broad last month, when shipments to the EU climbed 1 percent, the slowest growth since February.

Even so, Chinese export prices have fallen every month but one since mid-2023 due to domestic deflation, compensating for the stronger currency and making shipments cheaper.

As a result, Chinese companies could continue to make inroads abroad during the trade war with the US.


title: Tesla shareholders vote for US$1tn pay for Musk

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Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk won shareholder approval on Thursday for the largest corporate pay package in history, as investors endorsed his vision of morphing the electric vehicle maker into an artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics-focused company.

The proposal was approved with more than 75 percent support, and Musk bounded to the stage of the company’s annual meeting at its factory in Austin, Texas, accompanied by dancing robots.

Musk, already the world’s richest person, could get as much as US$1 trillion in stock over the next decade, although required payments would take the value down to US$878 billion.

A Tesla Cybercab drives in Times Square following an appearance in New York City on Oct. 27. Photo: Reuters

The vote is crucial for Tesla’s future and its valuation, which hangs on Musk’s vision of making vehicles that drive themselves, creating a robotaxi network across the US and selling humanoid robots, even though his far-right political rhetoric has hurt the Tesla brand this year.

The board warned he could leave if he did not get the pay package. While some investors said it was incredibly expensive and unnecessary, many saw it as a way to retain Musk and believe that the goals set in the package ensured shareholders would be rewarded.

“What we are about to embark upon is not merely a new chapter of the future of Tesla, but a whole new book,” Musk told a cheering group of shareholders.

He then made a string of promises on stage — from, in April, beginning production of the Cybercab, its two-passenger steering-less robotaxi, to unveiling its next-generation Roadster electric sports car. He said Tesla would need “a gigantic chip fab” to make AI chips and should work with Intel.

Shareholders re-elected three directors on Tesla’s board, voted in favor of annual elections for all board members and approved a replacement pay plan for Musk’s previous package that is held up in court.

“Other shareholder meetings are like snoozefests, but ours are bangers,” Musk said. “I mean, look at this. This is sick.”

Shareholders voted in favor of Tesla investing in Musk’s AI startup, xAI, although there were many abstentions. That could reflect the hesitancy of big investors to bless the arrangement without stronger board oversight, said Jessica McDougall, partner at strategic and governance advisory firm Longacre Square.

Many investors would be “looking for the board to provide assurances and convictions that there are guardrails in place to be sure there’s not too much mixing of businesses,” she said.

A win for Musk was widely expected, as the billionaire was allowed to vote with his roughly 15 percent stake after the automaker moved to Texas from Delaware.

Excluding Musk’s influence, the majority was small enough to warrant review of CEO pay by the board at most companies, said Jessica Strine, CEO of shareholder advisory firm Jasper Street Partners.

At Tesla, she said: “Realistically, there is not going to be such a review.”

Goals for Musk over the next decade include the company delivering 20 million vehicles, having 1 million robotaxis in operation, selling 1 million robots and earning as much as US$400 billion in core profit. However, in order for him to get paid, Tesla’s stock value has to rise in tandem, first to US$2 trillion from the current US$1.5 trillion, and all the way to US$8.5 trillion.


content_text: Customers shop at a Trial Go store in Tokyo yesterday. Discount-store chain operator Trial Holdings Inc is mounting a challenge to Japan’s convenience store giants, betting that compact, low-cost outlets operating around the clock can attract shoppers.

title: Trial run


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The Cabinet on Thursday last week approved several measures that would ease the limits on the number of migrant workers manufacturers may hire, along with allowing the hospitality sector and ports to recruit foreign workers. Employers would be required to raise the salary of their lowest-paid domestic worker by NT$2,000 for each additional migrant worker hired, and the total number of such recruits should not exceed 10 percent of their workforce. The Cabinet is also reviewing President William Lai’s (賴清德) proposal to expand eligibility for families to hire foreign domestic helpers.

These policies, while intended to address Taiwan’s numerous demographic challenges — record low birthrates, a rapidly aging population and worsening labor shortages — are part of a problematic trend. As the government eases restrictions on hiring foreigners, it does so without meaningfully improving working conditions. Issues such as low wages, a lack of labor protections and strict limits on job mobility remain unaddressed, even as migrant workers become an ever-larger part of Taiwan’s workforce.

Tying the hiring of additional migrant workers to a small salary increase for a local employee might seem like an attempt to protect Taiwanese workers and incentivize domestic hiring. In practice, however, it is unlikely to meaningfully benefit local workers and risks widening inequality. The measure would effectively give businesses a green light to bring in cheaper labor provided they make a token gesture toward fairness. In a sector already characterized by wage stagnation, this would deepen the divide between Taiwanese and migrant workers, and allow companies to avoid addressing structural issues such as low salaries and undesirable working conditions.

In criticizing the measure, Taiwan Labor Front secretary-general Yang Shu-wei (楊書瑋) posed a critical question: Are industries truly short of workers, or simply short of workers willing to accept low pay? This approach suggests the latter.

Lai’s proposal to expand the hiring of foreign domestic helpers has even more troubling implications. Unlike manufacturing workers, caregivers are excluded from the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) and lack basic protections such as minimum wage guarantees, overtime pay and regular rest days. Many routinely work long hours for below-minimum pay and have very few avenues for seeking help when faced with abuse or mistreatment.

While a decision on the policy’s implementation is not expected until the end of this year, the government should not move forward without developing a corresponding plan to address these long-standing issues. Expanding the scope of domestic caregiving without reforming its legal framework and establishing concrete labor protections would only reinforce patterns of exploitation.

Migrant workers play a central role in Taiwan’s economy. Their numbers have increased 15 percent over the past two years, with the majority employed in domestic caregiving, manufacturing and construction — all sectors marked by low pay, physically demanding labor and difficult working conditions. That figure would certainly continue to climb under the latest policy changes, but if legal protections and oversight fail to keep pace, Taiwan risks becoming entrenched in a labor system in which a growing share of its workforce remains underpaid and undervalued. Migrant workers are being treated as a stopgap solution to demographic decline rather than as human beings who deserve fair treatment and adequate legal protections.

By continuing to ease hiring restrictions on migrant workers without addressing their exploitation, the government is signaling to employers that exploiting them through low wages and minimal protections is an acceptable — and even encouraged — practice.

If migrant workers are to play an integral role in Taiwan’s caregiving and manufacturing sectors, then their rights and welfare must be treated as a matter of national interest.

title: EDITORIAL: Addressing migrant workers’ rights


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On Sunday, 13 new urgent care centers (UCC) officially began operations across the six special municipalities. The purpose of the centers — which are open from 8am to midnight on Sundays and national holidays — is to reduce congestion in hospital emergency rooms, especially during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year.

It remains to be seen how effective these centers would be. For one, it is difficult for people to judge for themselves whether their condition warrants visiting a major hospital or a UCC — long-term public education and health promotions are necessary.

Second, many emergency departments acknowledge that overcrowding mainly stems from a lack of nursing staff, which limits the availability of beds and leaves severely ill people waiting in the emergency room. Mild to moderate cases are not the primary cause of emergency room congestion. UCCs charge NT$150 for a visit, compared with NT$750 for an emergency visit at a major hospital.

This might provide some incentive, but a difference of just NT$600 might not be enough for people who are anxious about their health. For them, a few advanced tests might be worth the cost, and many could choose to bypass the UCC and head straight to the emergency room.

Taiwan’s healthcare accessibility is among the best in the world. People enjoy the freedom to seek care directly at major medical institutions without first seeking a referral. However, statistics show that the National Health Insurance (NHI) costs for outpatient visits at major hospitals are nearly four times higher than those of local clinics. Taiwan’s so-called tiered healthcare system has yet to be fully implemented.

The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) justified the establishment of UCCs by citing that about 80 percent of primary healthcare institutions across the nation remain open on Saturdays, but only about 20 percent operate on Sundays.

This reasoning is not entirely sound. Nearly no primary healthcare institutions are open on holidays in other countries, such as the US and Japan. Taiwan’s holiday opening rate for primary healthcare institutions is already quite high by comparison. In Japan, holidays are reserved for handling only severe emergencies, while mild cases — such as those UCCs are meant to treat — are typically not addressed. Taiwanese have grown accustomed to the low cost, accessibility and convenience of the NHI system and continue to use it extensively.

Public satisfaction with the NHI system exceeds 90 percent, and foreign visitors are often amazed by Taiwan’s high efficiency and low cost of medical treatment. Behind this success, however, are the hard work and sacrifices of the nation’s healthcare workers: It is because of this that the prestige once associated with the medical field has gradually dimmed, and the healthcare system has repeatedly faced threats of collapse.

Keeping in line with the spirit of a tiered healthcare system and considering that about 80 percent — about 9,600 — of primary healthcare institutions across Taiwan remain open on Saturdays, and about 20 percent — or more than 2,400 — operate on Sundays, the NHIA should implement two measures.

First, it should strengthen incentives for primary healthcare institutions to operate on holidays by modeling the reward system announced for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday and multiplying consultation fees.

Second, it should consider implementing a mandatory referral system for tiered healthcare on holidays — people should be required to obtain a referral from a primary healthcare institution before visiting a major hospital or else pay higher registration fees and copayments. This system could then gradually be expanded to apply on weekdays.

Without such measures, it would be extremely difficult to effectively implement a tiered healthcare system, NHI resources would continue to be wasted, healthcare workers would remain overburdened, and issues of overcrowding in emergency departments and the impending collapse of the medical system would remain impossible to resolve.

Lin Yung-zen is the director of the Taiwan Primary Care Association.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: A truly tiered healthcare system


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For years, Europe’s discussion of Taiwan has been a diplomatic afterthought, folded into broader debates about China and strategic autonomy. That habit no longer matches reality. What happens in the Taiwan Strait is going to shape Europe’s economy, its security assumptions and its credibility as a community of democracies. The choice is not between war and neutrality. It is between treating Taiwan as a polite footnote or addressing it as a strategic priority.

Taiwan is not a distant symbol. It is woven into Europe’s daily life. The nation anchors the global semiconductor supply chain, producing more than 60 percent of the world’s chips and 90 percent of the most advanced ones, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. A blockade or military action would not only destabilize East Asia, it would shake European factories, hospitals and households. No industrial strategy can shield the continent from such a shock. Strategic autonomy begins with recognizing vulnerabilities and acting before they are exposed.

The case for engagement is not only economic. Taiwan is a pluralist democracy that emerged from authoritarianism on its own terms. It holds competitive elections, maintains judicial independence and sustains a vibrant civil society. In a region where authoritarian power projects confidence, Taiwan quietly proves that prosperity and freedom can coexist. If Europe claims to defend the rule of law and human dignity, it cannot treat Taiwan’s future as a matter of etiquette.

Europe already has a foundation to build on. The EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy names Taiwan as a key partner, and the European Parliament has urged closer ties. Several member states have acted. Lithuania opened a “Taiwan Representative Office” and, despite Beijing’s retaliation, remained economically resilient. The Czech Republic under President Petr Pavel expanded cooperation in innovation and education. Denmark, Germany and France maintain offices in Taipei, and have deepened exchanges in trade and technology. None of these steps contravened the “one China” policy. All showed that clarity, handled professionally, is compatible with prudence.

Yet hesitation persists. Many states still treat Taiwan policy as a subset of their China policy. That is a strategic mistake. On issues such as supply chains, cyberresilience, health security and aviation standards, Taiwan is a partner of foremost importance. The longer Europe delays engagement, the harder it is going to be to build habits of cooperation any future crisis is going to require.

A serious approach begins by normalizing presence. More member states should establish or upgrade representative offices in Taipei, staffed with economic, scientific and cultural attaches who can support European companies and attract Taiwanese investment. This means investing in semiconductor resilience through joint research, talent exchanges and structured investment frameworks. Diversification is not achieved by speeches in Brussels; it is built through cooperation with those who already manufacture at scale.

Europe should support Taiwan’s participation in international bodies where global safety depends on full information. Its exclusion from the WHO and the World Health Assembly during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite its early and effective response, is a clear example of how politics can undermine collective security. The same logic applies to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and WTO technical bodies. Europe does not need loud campaigns, it needs steady persistence, making the case that inclusion benefits everyone.

When Lithuania faced economic coercion, the EU’s coordinated response mattered beyond that single case. It showed that member states are not left to fend for themselves when they make principled decisions. That message must not fade.

Critics say that Europe cannot risk commercial ties with China or be drawn into another geopolitical rivalry. However, engagement with Taiwan is not a proxy for someone else’s agenda. It is a European interest, measured in factory shifts, delivery schedules and the credibility of its values. A clearer Taiwan policy does not exclude dialogue with Beijing; it strengthens Europe’s position in it. Ambiguity may feel safe. In a crisis, it rarely is.

In Portugal, two resolutions are up for a vote next month. One proposes transferring consular and administrative matters currently handled in Macau, under Beijing’s jurisdiction, to the Portuguese embassy in Tokyo or another neutral jurisdiction. The second urges the government to open a Portuguese representation in Taipei through either the national trade agency or a cultural institute. These steps would bring Lisbon in line with other European partners while maintaining a balanced diplomatic stance. If approved, they would correct longstanding anomalies and signal that Portugal understands what is at stake.

Europe often waits for consensus before acting. Taiwan is not an issue that rewards delay. It is not asking Europe to fight its battles, only not to be treated as an inconvenience. Its voters continue to choose open society under pressure; its institutions function; its industry supplies the world. That example is worth defending, not only for what it says about Asia, but for what it says about Europe as well.

History is not going to judge Europe on whether it found the perfect phrasing to avoid offense. It is going to judge whether Europe acted with the clarity the moment demands. Silence is no longer prudence. If Europe wants to be taken seriously as a geopolitical actor, it must prove it when it matters most. Taiwan today is one of those moments.

Joao Pedro Gomes is a foreign affairs specialist and senior political advisor at the Portuguese Parliament.

title: Europe cannot be silent on Taiwan