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圖：2025第三屆海峽兩岸青春影展暨看見集美青春電影展13日舉行頒獎典禮。（圖/台北影音公會提供）

(記者張耀元報導)

2025第三屆海峽兩岸青春影展暨看見集美青春電影展13日於廈門市集美區舉行頒獎典禮，今年台灣青年影視創作者成績亮眼，多部短片獲得評審青睞，成為本屆影展的亮點焦點。台北市影音節目製作商業同業公會理事長陳仲祺從徵件到頒獎一路參與，而公會名譽理事長張榮恭更受邀以嘉賓身份出席典禮，表達為台灣青年團隊的鼓舞與支持。

台灣影視創作青年的作品在來自6個國家，918部參賽作品中奪獎連連，包括吳姵吟《梅花梅花幾月開》獲評委會最佳短片、張家維《病房裡跳華爾茲》奪評委會榮譽短片；郭彥廷《消失的清明節》與林虹妘《伊始之尋》獲選評委會潛力短片，而吳岱芸《飛越情海》、蔡敏莉《在圍牆里，我聽見你》以及《我真的畢業了》也獲得評委會推薦短片。作品類型多元，充分展現台灣青年在劇情構思、影像敘事與創意發揮上的豐沛能量。

圖：2025第三屆海峽兩岸青春影展頒獎，青年導演吳姵吟（右）的《梅花梅花幾月開》獲評委會最佳短片。（圖/台北影音公會提供）

影展源於2019年創立的「看見集美青春電影展」，2023年升格為「海峽兩岸青春影展暨看見集美青春電影展」，目前已成為集美區推動影視文化交流的重點活動之一。今年以「青春映兩岸 影韻共潮生」為主題，吸引兩岸大批青年創作者參與。來自台灣的創作團隊亦深入集美外景基地進行採風，將地方文化與個人視角結合，轉化為具跨文化特質的影像作品。

台北影音公會理事長陳仲祺表示，今年台灣參賽作品逾百部，從劇情片到紀錄片、從真實書寫到創意實驗，都能看到青年用鏡頭表達理想與觀點。他指出，公會持續協助青年投稿、參展與國際交流，希望讓更多台灣新銳創作者被世界看見。

值得關注的是，台北影音公會名譽理事長張榮恭此次以特邀嘉賓身分出席頒獎典禮，受到主辦單位高度重視。

圖：中國電影家協會副主席霍廷霄（左）與台北影音公會理事長陳仲祺（右）共同揭曉評委會最佳短片獎獲獎名單。（圖/台北影音公會提供）

張榮恭表示，許多台灣青年短片無論題材深度、情感鋪陳或影像敘事皆展現高度成熟度。他認為這些作品呈現了青年對生活、文化與社會的敏銳觀察，也顯示台灣新一代影人的創作能量正高速成長。他並感謝影展對台灣青年影像交流的支持，期待更多青年能藉由此平台走向更寬廣的影視舞台。

主辦單位表示，此屆參賽作品題材與形式呈現多元化，不少紀錄片兼具人文關懷與國際視野，也有學生作品反映社會變遷中的青年感受。影展透過影像串起創作對話，為青年提供自由表達與交流的舞台，同時也為兩岸影像創作帶來更多可能性。

title: 2025第三屆海峽兩岸青春影展頒獎  《梅花梅花幾月開》獲評委會最佳短片

countries: 中國 台灣


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記者陳木隆∕宜蘭報導

鳳凰颱風過了，太平山國家森林遊樂區經現場勘查及各項設施巡視整備後，11月14日上午8時起恢復開園，蹦蹦車第一班次9時30分行駛，原太平山俱樂部第一場導覽9時50分。龜山島因東北季風影響，臺灣東北部沿海仍有2米以上大浪，基於臨時碼頭靠泊及船舶航行海域等安全考量，14日持續封島1天。

林業保育署宜蘭分署提醒遊客，太平山遊樂區各場域管制開放情形如下：

1.宜專一線7K維持單線雙向通行(紅綠燈管制)。

2.見晴懷古步道局部開放至750M。

3.茂興懷舊步道局部開放(主線封閉、開放上下環線)。

4.翠峰湖環山步道局部開放(步道西口→1.1K景觀平臺、步道東口→3.6K觀湖平臺)。

5.鳩之澤家庭湯屋、餐廳暫停營業。

6.鳩之澤自然步道、鎮安宮及太平詩路東側步道暫停開放。

太平山相關訊息可上官網(http://tps.forest.gov.tw)、

台灣山林悠遊網(http://recreation.forest.gov.tw/)、

FB粉專(http://www.facebook.com/tps100.forest/)查詢。

title: 鳳凰颱風過了 太平山遊樂區11/14恢復開園 龜山島再封島1天

taiwan-subdivisions: 太平 龜山 宜蘭

countries: 臺灣 台灣


title: LanzaJet 創造歷史：全球首個商業規模工廠成功從乙醇生產航空燃料 為航空業帶來新一代燃料方案

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LanzaJet 的 Freedom Pines Fuels 工廠成功生產符合 ASTM 規格的航空燃料並全面投產；此項突破為創新者、農民、燃料生產商及航空業帶來曙光

芝加哥及佐治亞州索珀頓2025年11月13日 /美通社/ — 領先的新一代燃料技術公司兼燃料生產商 LanzaJet, Inc. 今日宣佈，其位於美國佐治亞州索珀頓的 LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels 工廠已全面投入營運並成功生產燃料。這不僅標誌著全球首次在商業規模的工廠使用乙醇作為原料生產航空燃料，亦是首個能兼容現今飛機、非石油基的再生能源解決方案。

這項成就匯集了長達 15 年的研發、合作、投資和規模擴展的成果，是航空業的一大關鍵突破，證明乙醇可在商業規模上轉化為航空燃料。隨著生物油 HEFA 途徑在可用及合資格原料方面預計將近飽和，LanzaJet 專有的「酒精轉化為航空燃料」(ATJ) 技術現已開啟了新一波可持續航空燃料 (SAF) 技術浪潮。該技術適用於全球幾乎所有地區，亦是航空業迫切所需。

「今天的成就證明了，當我們匯聚創新、韌性、智慧和團隊合作，高瞻遠矚地發展新產業、克服挑戰並推動全球增長時，一切皆有可能。」LanzaJet 行政總裁 Jimmy Samartzis 表示，「這對 LanzaJet 和我們的投資者而言是一個重要里程碑，更是全球航空業的重大勝利——或許亦是未來的希望燈塔。LanzaJet 的故事關乎影響力——建立新產業、創造價值，並不畏艱險地兌現承諾。憑藉技術和營運專業知識，我們現正處於獨特位置，將在未來十年塑造這個全球產業。」

LanzaJet 的 ATJ 技術是近十年來最具潛力達至商業應用的技術之一，它提供了一個可擴展的解決方案以助航空業脫碳。該技術利用全球廣泛可得的乙醇原料，以及可從廢棄物和回收碳中大量額外生產的乙醇。這為各國提供了進入此新市場的機會，以鞏固和擴展其農業領域，促進經濟發展，並加強本土能源安全。憑藉 LanzaJet 的突破性技術，各國現可利用並掌控其燃料的供應鏈和本土生產。

LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels 工廠為未來的 SAF 生產提供了藍圖，為公司 ATJ 技術的全球部署和商業化開闢了新路徑。LanzaJet 成功排除了疑難，並將一個全面整合的「同類首創」(FOAK) 工廠和技術解決方案投入營運。LanzaJet 的工廠亦包含了多項 FOAK 技術——包括 Technip Energies 的 Hummingbird® 技術（一種乙醇轉乙烯解決方案），以及由美國能源部和 LanzaTech 共同開發的寡聚技術。LanzaJet 投資、策劃、建造、整合並全面營運這些技術及整體綜合解決方案，使其成為首個商業規模的燃料設施並高效運作。

LanzaJet 的 ATJ 技術設計用於處理多種可持續原料——包括農業殘餘物、能源作物、都市固體廢物和捕獲的碳——與傳統航空燃料相比，能顯著減少全生命週期的溫室氣體排放。一旦與 Jet A-1 燃料混合，便成為完全兼容現有飛機和基礎設施的認證解決方案。LanzaJet 正在全球各地推廣這項技術，包括美國、澳洲、日本、印度、英國、哥倫比亞、歐盟、中東和哈薩克。

LanzaJet 投資超過 3 億美元發展此設施，該設施位於佐治亞州索珀頓的特魯特倫縣，距離薩凡納不到 100 英里。設施在施工期間僱用了 300 多人，並在持續營運期間創造了超過 65 個直接和間接就業職位。

LanzaJet 的成立是 SAF 行業一系列創舉的結晶。其歷史可追溯至 2012 年，當時作為 LanzaTech 的一部分，與太平洋西北國家實驗室合作開發了首個乙醇轉 SAF 技術。早期的工作促成了實驗室、試點和示範規模工廠的建立，生產出符合規格的燃料，並推動乙醇轉 SAF 途徑於 2016 年獲得 ASTM 批准，更分別於 2018 年和 2019 年與 Virgin Atlantic 和 All Nippon Airways 完成了首次商業飛行。

關於 LANZAJET

LanzaJet 是領先替代燃料技術供應商，擁有專利乙醇基醇轉噴射燃料 (ATJ) 技術。LanzaJet 正透過加速生產和部署可持續航空燃料 (SAF) 及其他替代燃料，為經濟發展、能源安全、脫碳和國家安全帶來正面影響。LanzaJet 獲得眾多投資者和資助者的支持，包括 Airbus、All Nippon Airways、Breakthrough Energy、British Airways、Groupe ADP、LanzaTech、Microsoft 氣候創新基金、Mitsui & Co.、MUFG、Shell、Southwest Airlines、美國能源部及英國運輸部。LanzaJet 的影響力已獲得《時代》雜誌、《財富》雜誌、麻省理工學院 (MIT)、Reuters、S&P Global 等眾多機構的認可。如欲查看更多資料，請瀏覽：https://www.lanzajet.com/.

countries: 澳洲 哈薩克 英國 美國 哥倫比亞 日本 印度 歐盟

taiwan-subdivisions: 成功 太平 新市


title: Puma Shen addresses German hearing

content_text:
DISINFORMATION TALK:  The lawmaker said that he was at the Bundestag despite China’s long history of coercive actions that are designed to silence Taiwanese

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), whom China has listed as “wanted” for promoting Taiwanese independence, on Wednesday addressed a hearing of a German parliamentary committee, speaking about his efforts to combat disinformation.

Shen was one of six experts invited to speak at a hearing of the Bundestag’s Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid on the topic “Disinformation by Autocratic States Aiming to Undermine Democracy and Threaten Human Rights,” information posted online by the lower house of the German federal parliament showed.

After the hearing, Shen told reporters that he was invited to address the committee in his role as a lawmaker and an expert on combating disinformation.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen, right, speaks at a German parliamentary hearing in Berlin on Wednesday. Photo: Screen grab from the online stream of a Bundestag hearing

He told the hearing about how China’s disinformation campaign has affected Taiwan and Europe, and how Russia and Hungary have been spreading disinformation across Europe.

Shen said that he was pleased to see that Europe has been raising awareness about the spread of disinformation and cognitive warfare, and expressed frustration that some people in Taiwan do not share the same concerns.

Shen is a former associate professor at National Taipei University and obtained a doctorate in law from the University of California, Irvine, specializing in white-collar and financial crime, as well as disinformation campaigns.

He has been listed as “wanted” by China and is being investigated by the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau on allegations of “secession-related criminal activities” in Taiwan, including the launch of a civil defense organization called the Kuma Academy, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported last month.

The investigation is being carried out under the terms of China’s criminal law and its judicial guidelines, introduced last year, on how to penalize “Taiwan independence separatists,” Xinhua reported.

On Sunday, a legal expert on state-run China Central Television (CCTV) said that Shen should be pursued through Interpol and other international mutual judicial assistance bodies.

The statement on CCTV raised public concern in Taiwan about whether Shen could be arrested and extradited to China if he traveled outside Taiwan.

On Tuesday, Shen said in a video clip on Facebook that he was not afraid of China’s threat “to hunt him down worldwide.”

“For a very long time, China has been deploying coercive actions to try to silence Taiwanese, but I am here in front of the Bundestag and will soon be speaking at a hearing as a Taiwanese lawmaker,” he said in the video recorded in front of the building in Berlin.

“As a brave Taiwanese, I will never draw back in fear,” he said. “I am here today to safeguard not only Taiwan’s democracy, but also global democracy and freedom.”

Separately, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday said that it was safe for Shen to visit Germany, as all Taiwanese lawmakers are protected by the ministry and its overseas offices during overseas trips.

Taiwan and Germany are both democratic countries guided by the rule of law, Lin said in a radio interview.

It is not as easy as Beijing claims to extradite someone from a foreign country to China, as such a move would require judicial cooperation and an extradition treaty with the host country, he said.

Furthermore, the host country would have to examine the extradition request to ensure that it is in line with its country’s legal requirements, Lin said.

The government thinks that China’s threat against Shen was meant to project an illusion of “long-arm jurisdiction” over Taiwan, in a bid to sow division and fear among Taiwanese, he added.


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Cabinet updates on US tariff talks involving Taiwan model investments

‘NO COMPARISON’: The proposed Taiwan model would see the tech sector controlling the pace and mode of investments, an Executive Yuan spokeswoman said

Taiwan is negotiating with the US for reduced tariffs and a Taiwan model of investing in the US economy, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said yesterday.

Lee made the comment at a post-Cabinet meeting news conference hours after Politico reported that US President Donald Trump is accelerating tariff talks with Taiwan, eyeing an investment figure that would fall between South Korea’s US$350 billion and Japan’s US$550 billion.

Tariff exemptions or reductions for semiconductors and chip-related products are necessary for Taiwanese companies to invest in the US, she added.

The Taiwan model would be driven by companies’ international branching strategies, prompting them to plan investments in the United States, to be closer to their clients and boost competitiveness, while the government provides financial and credit guarantee support.

“This means that investment schemes would not be comparable to Japan or South Korea’s deals,” Lee said.

Lee also confirmed that Taipei is seeking to have the 20 percent tariff currently imposed by the U.S. reduced, and ensure that the tariff rate will not be added on top of existing most-favored-nation tariffs.

Taiwan is also working to secure most- favorable-nation treatment under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act as Washington conducts a national security investigation into semiconductor imports, she said.

Taipei and Washington are engaged in talks to prepare the groundwork for negotiating over the details an agreement, she said.

Central bank Deputy Governor Yen Tzung-ta (嚴宗大) told lawmakers at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee that the bank had not decided if it would dip into the nation’s foreign currency reserves to facilitate the investments being discussed.

The negotiations are in their early stages and the impact of a potential deal is not yet known to the central bank, Yen said, adding that US dollars account for close to 80 percent of Taiwan’s currency reserves.

There are no plans to alter the structure of the nation’s reserves, or increase the share of cryptocurrency or gold, he said.


content_text:
By Lin Chih-yi, Chen Yun and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, and staff writer

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) yesterday said he would support measures to petition the president to pardon an 81-year-old woman convicted of killing her son.

The woman, surnamed Liu (劉), was sentenced to two years and six months for killing her 52-year-old son.

Liu lived with her son, surnamed Lin (林), and cared for him, as he had severe intellectual disabilities and was confined to bed due to cerebral palsy, court documents from the 2023 trial showed.

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang speaks to reporters before attending a meeting at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

Liu grew increasingly concerned for Lin due to her age and declining health after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized in 2023, the indictment said.

In May of that year, she suffocated Lin to death, the court said.

Liu slipped into Lin’s room when a care worker was in the restroom, it said.

The Taipei District Court on May 27 found Liu guilty and sentenced her to two years and six months, but recommended that a presidential pardon be sought.

The ruling can be appealed.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yue-chin (林月琴) yesterday told a Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee meeting that the case highlighted the need for alternative care and support for family members.

She asked whether the Ministry of Health and Welfare had plans to facilitate visits and reviews of families in need of long-term healthcare.

She also asked whether local governments or healthcare organizations could assess the well-being of families requiring long-term care.

Shih said that the ministry has provided respite services for people who care for family members, including migrant care workers.

It has provided mental consultation, instructions and other measures to caregiver support facilities, he said.

The ministry would assess the possibility of providing family healthcare leave and, if possible, forward proposals to the Ministry of Labor, he said, adding that he supports a presidential pardon.

Separately, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅惠) said that the office respects the independence of the judiciary and would not intervene while the case is ongoing, but will only deal with the matter after the judicial process is completed.

The government is looking into the burden shouldered by disadvantaged families resulting from the need for long-term care, and would continue to improve and expand the support network, Kuo said.

The Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers on Wednesday called for new judicial guidelines for cases involving people who kill others under their care, saying that courts should weigh factors such as mental exhaustion and efforts to seek help before the crime.

Shiu Wen-wei (須文蔚), dean of National Taiwan Normal University’s College of Liberal Arts, on Wednesday urged the president to pardon Liu, calling the case a tragedy resulting from the strain of long-term care work.

The incident was not simply a “murder,” but the collapse of a family under the weight of 50 years of a “caregiving burden.”

Liu’s despair was more than any one person could bear and reflects a broader social issue that must be addressed, Shiu said, urging the government to establish a better safety net to support caregivers.

Additional reporting by CNA

title: Health minister backs pardon petition


title: G7 ministers affirm importance of peace in Strait

content_text:
The G7 foreign ministers today reiterated their “strong opposition” to any unilateral attempts to change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, particularly by force or coercion, following the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting earlier this week in Canada.

In a section on “regional security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific,” the G7 leaders in a statement “emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

They encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues through constructive dialogue, while also expressing support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.”

The G7 foreign ministers meet in the Niagara region of Canada yesterday. Photo: Reuters

The statement was issued today after the ministers’ meeting from Tuesday to yesterday in the Niagara region of Canada.

This is the fourth time this year that the G7 foreign ministers have reiterated this sentiment, showing that maintaining the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait is an international consensus, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today

Taiwan would continue to cooperate with its democratic partners to safeguard regional peace, he added.

The G7 ministers also said they remain concerned about China’s increasing military build-up and activities, including the use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons and restriction of movement in the South China Sea, and Beijing’s “rapid increase of nuclear weapons arsenal.”

The statement also called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and said it welcomed the ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza conflict.

Additional reporting by Kayleigh Madjar and CNA


title: US ‘strike force’ to target scam centers in Southeast Asia

content_text:
The US Department of Justice on Wednesday announced the creation of a new Scam Center Strike Force to combat a surge in cryptocurrency investment fraud by transnational criminal organizations operating out of Southeast Asia.

The interagency task force is designed to investigate, disrupt and prosecute the most egregious schemes, estimated to be defrauding Americans of nearly US$10 billion annually, the department said in a statement.

Criminal networks are running the schemes from compounds in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, where fraudulent revenue can account for nearly half of local GDP in some areas.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro speaks at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP

People affected are often tricked into transferring funds to fake cryptocurrency Web sites and applications, only to have the money laundered abroad.

The US and China have pressured Southeast Asian nations to crack down on the operations, as people from the two countries have been targeted.

Earlier this week, Thailand extradited at Beijing’s request a Chinese-born Cambodian accused of involvement in the scam operations.

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro leaned into the involvement of ethnic Chinese or citizens in the operations, many of whom were pushed out of China amid Beijing’s own pressure on gambling and scams.

“This pandemic is certainly a generational wealth transfer from main street USA into the hands of Chinese organized crime, making it both a national security problem and a homeland security problem,” Pirro said.

The strike force would target US-based infrastructure that facilitates the scams, including Internet service providers and social media accounts used by scammers, and would collaborate with US companies to sever access to the offshore scam centers.

The effort involves the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the justice department’s Criminal Division, along with the FBI and the Secret Service.


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Classes and transportation in Bangladesh were seriously disrupted yesterday as ousted former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former ruling Awami League party called for a nationwide “lockdown” in protest against her trial over last year’s protests that left hundreds dead.

Hasina faces charges of crimes against humanity involving a crackdown on the student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule in August last year. She has been in exile in India since then and has not been seen in public or online.

A special tribunal in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, is expected to announce a verdict against Hasina on Monday, chief prosecutor Tajul Islam said at a news conference yesterday.

Hasina’s now-banned Awami League urged its supporters and others to protest, while the government and opposition to Hasina vowed to stop them.

Schools in Dhaka and major cities across Bangladesh switched to online classes and examinations, while public transportation was severely disrupted yesterday as the government increased its security measures across the country.

Dhaka has had incidents of vandalism this week as usually clogged streets remained mostly empty yesterday.

A fire bomb was thrown at a government office in Gopalganj District, which is Hasina’s ancestral home and a stronghold for her party.

An office of Grameen Bank, a small loan institution founded by Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, was torched on Wednesday in eastern Bangladesh, local media reported.

Yunus in a televised address yesterday said that his administration would hold a referendum on a national charter, which was signed last month by political parties, on the day of the next election in February.

The date has not yet been announced.

Yunus said that the referendum would propose a bicameral parliament in line with the “July National Charter” adopted by the interim government that he took over three days after Hasina’s fall on Aug. 5 last year.

Yunus also repeated his pledge to punish Hasina.

title: Bangladesh faces disruptions amid ‘lockdown’ calls


title: China issues bounties for influencers

content_text:
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said   By Chen Yu-fu, Chung Li-hua and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer

China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression.

The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源).

Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of Taiwanese nationals, the bureau said.

The two celebrities are “hitmen and accomplices of Taiwanese independence who exercise a malign influence,” it added.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) later that day called the two “malcontents... who must be severely punished to achieve the nation’s unification and rejuvenation.”

Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a post-Cabinet meeting news conference that no democratic nation would suffer the affront of China’s barbarism, which pose a direct threat to Taiwanese freedom and human rights.

The government is able and willing to protect the safety of all Taiwanese, she said, adding that Taiwan works closely with other nations to head off Beijing’s illegitimate efforts to undermine the rules-based international order.

The legislature and opposition parties are urged to defend the dignity of the Legislative Yuan from Chinese meddling, Lee said, referring to Beijing’s threatened legal action against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋).

A majority of the 60 nations that have extradition treaties with China do not extradite people accused of political crimes, Mainland Affairs Council Legal Affairs Department Deputy Head Tung Yu-yun (董玉芸) told reporters.

The UN’s “double criminality” principle stipulates that a nation may not extradite anyone unless they committed an act that is deemed a crime in both jurisdictions, she said.

This means the risk of a democratic nation extraditing Taiwanese to China is minimal, Tung said.

Taiwanese who volunteer information or otherwise aid China in its attempts to deprive the rights and freedoms of their fellow Taiwanese could face criminal prosecution in Taiwan, she said.

Tunghai University professor of China studies Hung Pu-chao (洪浦釗) said Beijing has no legal or actual jurisdiction in Taiwan and that the notices are little more than tools of psychological and legal warfare.

“By making a show of issuing wanted notices, Beijing is testing the resolve of the Taiwanese government and society to see if fear can be utilized to manipulate the nation’s civil discourse,” he said.

The government should make it clear that Taiwan does not recognize Chinese law or wanted notices, Chinese police have no ability to hand out rewards in Taiwan and free speech will be protected against foreign meddling, he added.


content_text:
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved draft legal amendments to impose harsher penalties on scammers, and require fraud suspects to quickly reach a settlement with their victims if they want to be considered for a reduced sentence.

The Cabinet approved the draft revisions to the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act, which only came into force last year. The proposed changes must now be reviewed by the Legislature in order to become law.

Under the version approved Thursday, the threshold for defining “large scale” fraud -- and thus incurring 3-10 years in prison and a fine of up to NT$30 million (US$964,797) -- would be lowered from NT$5 million to NT$1 million in fraudulent gains.

Bank passbooks confiscated by police from suspects in a fraud case are pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

The draft bill would also add new penalty tiers, mandating 5-12 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of NT$300 million for people convicted of making over NT $10 million via fraud.

People who made at least NT$100 million via fraud, meanwhile, would face a minimum sentence of 7 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of NT$500 million, according to the draft amendments.

The bill also includes a provision aimed at helping fraud victims quickly receive compensation.

In order to be considered for a reduced sentence or no sentence, a fraudster would have to turn themselves into the authorities, reach a financial settlement with their victims, and fully pay the settlement within 6 months of being taken into custody.

Meanwhile, the draft bill also stated that if a fraud suspect was living a “lavish” or “wasteful” lifestyle (compared to an average person) prior to compensating or reaching a settlement with their victims, that behavior could be considered as a factor in their sentencing.

During the Cabinet meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮 泰) told ministers that the government has made combating fraud a top priority.

Every month, financial losses to fraud in Taiwan exceed NT$1 billion, though the overall number of cases has been coming down, Cho said, according to Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝).

title: Cabinet approves bill setting harsher penalties for fraud


content_text:
Taiwan ranked seventh in terms of Internet freedom, and first in Asia, with a score of 79, Freedom House’s Freedom of the Net report found.

The report, issued yesterday by the Washington-based think tank, found that Internet freedom scores dropped for the US and Germany, showing that even in democratic countries in the West, the Internet is facing more restrictions, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

Freedom of the Net report coauthor Kian Vesteinsson said autocratic countries and those leaning toward authoritarianism are seeing more severe repression against Internet freedom, as such restrictions are a common method authoritarian governments use to maintain power.

A supporter of Net Neutrality, Lance Brown Eyes, protests the US Federal Communications Commission’s decision to repeal the program in Los Angeles on Nov. 28, 2017. Photo: Reuters

Conditions in democratic countries have also deteriorated this year, he said.

“In North America and Western Europe, we are seeing a shrinking of civic space,” Vesteinsson added. “Some countries are tightening restrictions on what they consider hateful or controversial speech.”

Freedom House said despite global declines, Taiwan continues to maintain strong protections for online expression and access to information, supported by its democratic institutions and active civil society.

German authorities have pursued criminal prosecutions against those criticizing politicians, while threats from the far-right actors in Germany are resulting in online self-censorship, the report said.

The US received a record low score of 73 due to the detention of foreign nationals for nonviolent online expression, a restriction of civic space that is stifling digital activism, it said.

AFP said the administration of US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Germany’s free speech record, saying its Nazi past makes it critical to impose safeguards.

Global Internet freedom is trending down for the 15th consecutive year, with many nations that are still considered “free” seeing a regression in scores, the Freedom of the Net report showed.

Countries seeing the most severe regression in Internet freedom include Kenya, Venezuela and Georgia, the report said.

Kenya saw the most severe decline, with its authorities initiating a seven-hour Internet shutdown in response to nationwide protests in June last year.

In Georgia, the ruling Georgian Dream party has enacted repressive measures aimed at civil society.

The student-led uprising in Bangladesh, which ousted the country’s repressive leadership in August last year, has led to positive reforms and earned the country the year’s most substantial improvement, according to the report.

“China and Myanmar remained the world’s worst environments for Internet freedom, while Iceland held its place as the freest online environment,” the report added.

Iceland (94), Estonia (91), Chile (87), Costa Rica (86) and Canada (85) led the global rankings.

title: Taiwan has freest Internet in Asia: Freedom House


people: 賴清德 林佳龍

content_text:
Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew yesterday said he has a deep appreciation for Taiwan’s “remarkable achievements” in multiple areas, adding that it serves as a model for his country.

Drew, who is in Taiwan for his third visit since taking office in 2022, is scheduled to meet with President William Lai (賴清德) and witness the forging of sister city relationships between Basseterre and two Taiwanese cities — Taipei and Tainan — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The previous visits “left me with a deep appreciation for Taiwan’s remarkable achievements in technology, innovation, science, and education, and this visit is no different,” he told reporters upon arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where he was welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍).

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, center left, shakes hands with Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, center right, at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

“Each engagement provides us, as a young and ambitious nation, with an opportunity to learn, grow, and explore new ways to advance our own development,” Drew said.

“As we continue this longstanding friendship, Saint Kitts and Nevis remains steadfast in its support for Taiwan, especially in ensuring that your invaluable contributions to global peace, development, and innovation receive the recognition and inclusion they deserve in the international community,” he added.

The visiting delegation from Saint Kitts and Nevis includes Drew’s wife, Diani Prince-Drew, Kittian Minister of Foreign Affairs Denzil Douglas, Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Naeemah Hazelle and Ambassador Leon Natta-Nelson.

Their five-day stay includes a formal meeting with Lin and Lai.

title: Saint Kitts and Nevis PM praises Taiwan as model


content_text:
Education ministry rejects petition to delay school start times

The Ministry of Education (MOE) formally responded on Thursday to a petition that called for junior and senior high schools to start two hours later, saying the change would hinder learning.

The proposal, submitted in September on the National Development Council’s public policy participation website and endorsed by more than 12,000 people, argued that a later start time could improve students’ sleep and learning efficiency.

In its written response, the MOE explained that delaying the start of the school day from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. would cut 10 periods per week, leaving students without enough time to learn the curriculum and develop basic competencies.

The entrance to the Ministry of Education in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times

According to the MOE, a survey of local governments conducted in 2023 found unanimous support for maintaining the current schedule, in which most junior and senior high school students begin classes around 8 a.m.


content_text:
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours

Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea.

The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said.

Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; Miami; and Philadelphia, the airline said.

Holiday Tours and Travel general manager Iris Lee holds a model aircraft of Air Canada and stands next to a big blow-up soccer ball in a restaurant in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Shelley Shan, Taipei Times

Taiwanese travelers can book Air Canada flights departing from Taipei International Airport (Songshan), Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport, Air Canada said.

They can enjoy preclearance services when entering the US through Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, it added.

The promotion, which runs until Nov. 23, would give Taiwanese travelers a 15 percent or greater discount if they book flights to Canada and other North American cities via the airline’s transit points in Asia, provided that their departure is before July 18 next year, the airline said.

The lowest ticket price is NT$17,144 before tax.

While travelers can book their flights on the airline’s official Web site, those who wish to have a free stopover in Japan and South Korea have to book their flight with the airline’s designated travel agents in Taiwan, including Holiday Tours, Lion Travel, Cola Tour, Southeast Travel, Richmond Tours, ezFly, ezTravel, Star Travel, Friendship Tours, Life Tours and Dragon Tours, Air Canada said.

Tickets with free stopovers would allow passengers to travel to as many as four countries at a time, the airline said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, or from 2017 to 2020, the airline offered direct flights to Vancouver, with as many as 14 flights per week.

“Air Canada has not given up on the Taiwan market, but due to delays in aircraft delivery schedules and factors such as crew training, the resumption of direct flights is still under evaluation,” Holiday Tours general manager Iris Lee told a news conference in Taipei.

title: Air Canada offers free stopovers on North America trips


content_text:
Seven fraud cases linked to the distribution of NT$10,000 (US$322) cash handouts have been discovered over the past few weeks, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said on Wednesday.

As of Monday, 56 advertisements and 50 social media accounts related to cash handout fraud had been removed or suspended, it said.

One case involved a phishing e-mail that led people to a fake version of the government’s cash handout Web site, which resulted in more than NT$50,000 unauthorized credit card transactions, the ministry said.

A woman holds two big envelopes for universal cash handouts in a post office in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Four cases involved scammers posing as prosecutors and the police, involving losses of NT$510,000, NT$840,000, NT$3.2 million and NT$3.67 million, it said.

In two other cases, scammers attempted to seize victims’ bank accounts, but that did not lead to financial losses, it added.

The Ministry of Finance said people who completed registration or are qualified for direct deposit began receiving their cash handouts on Wednesday.

The Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee yesterday held a hearing with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) to report on interagency efforts to combat fraud related to the handout program.

The interior ministry said that on Sept. 11, the National Police Agency instructed precincts to form task forces to monitor and report fraudulent advertisements, text messages, social media accounts and Web sites linked to the handouts.

Police have been working to block sources of fraudulent information and have been investigating such cases, it added.

Between Sept. 12 and Monday, police have removed 56 scam advertisements, suspended 50 accounts and disabled three fake finance ministry Web sites, the interior ministry said.

The digital affairs ministry said it coordinated with other ministries and Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC) to create a rapid blocking system for fraudulent Web sites.

The FSC monitors suspicious Web sites daily and reports them to the National Treasury Administration for verification, it said, adding that if a Web site is confirmed to be fake, the treasury administration instructs the TWNIC to suspend the domain to prevent the public from accessing the Web site.

To prevent scammers from using domains similar to the official cash handout Web site, the center scans URLs daily to detect high-risk domains with names similar to “10000.gov.tw” and 109 domains that could potentially be used for fraud have been pre-emptively registered for one year, the digital affairs ministry said.

title: MOI warns of fraud related to NT$10,000 handouts


content_text:
Sacks of rice with the label “Love From Taiwan” have been shipped to 17 countries this year as part of much-needed aid for regions around the world that have been hit by famines and disasters, Agriculture and Food Agency officials said.

The government in cooperation with international charity organizations has shipped 21,200 tonnes of rice this year, all from domestic production, as part of an international humanitarian aid program, agency deputy director Huang Chao-hsing (黃昭興) said on Wednesday.

“Our traditional main crop is rice, and we have two rice harvests each year. However, due to the change in people’s dietary habits, Taiwan has had a surplus of rice over the past few decades,” Huang said.

Bags of rice labeled “Love from Taiwan” are pictured on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of the Agriculture and Food Agency

The Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2002 started international humanitarian aid programs, and have since then shipped 468,000 tonnes of rice to 45 countries hit by war, floods and drought, he said.

“We have provided rice as food relief, while ensuring it would not impact Taiwan’s food security nor affect international grain trade,” Huang said, adding that the nation does not ask for payment for aid.

The agency this year collaborated with the foreign affairs ministry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) — such as the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, World Vision Taiwan and Good Neighbors Taiwan — and other charities to ship rice labeled “Love From Taiwan” to 17 countries, he said.

“Our agency mainly provides food relief through rice, and we monitor the shipping overseas to ensure it reaches people in need through the assistance of NGOs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officers,” Huang said. “Many of them risk their own lives to go to these places and hand out rice from Taiwan.”

Depending on local conditions, Taiwanese relief workers would either hand out rice, food rations and other necessities directly, or cook the food and then provide meals, he said.

Rice has been handed out to elderly people, orphans, school kids, people with disabilities and those who need long-term care to help alleviate hunger in struggling countries, he added.

“Aside from supplying rice as humanitarian relief, Taiwan is also making waves in rice exports,” Huang said, adding that the nation would expand rice exports to other countries if it does not impact domestic food security.

“Taiwan this year achieved good sales in exports to Japan, so we will continue to consolidate the Japanese market next year,” he said.

title: Taiwan shipped more than 21,00 tonnes of rice in aid


title: Tokyo-bound

content_text: At Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday, Minister of Sports Lee Yang, front right, takes a selfie with athletes ahead of their departure to participate in the Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo. The Games are to open tomorrow and run through Nov. 26.


content_text: Students of the Tainan Indonesian Student Union perform during last year’s Indonesian Culture Day. This year’s festival, titled “Red Soil, Rising Flame,” is to take place tomorrow at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan.

title: Fighting spirit


title: Ministry eyes subsidies for local tourism, travel

content_text:
LOCAL VISITS: As international tourist numbers climb back toward pre-COVID-19 levels, the government is working to stimulate mid-week tourism in the country

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to launch five subsidy programs next year to encourage weekday domestic tourism.

The programs are to include a birthday accommodation grant and a weekday accommodation scheme, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) told reporters yesterday.

The subsidy programs aim to encourage weekday travel and birthday trips, with incentives extending to employee tours organized by domestic and foreign companies, he said.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai points graphs while speaking to reporters in a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tsai Yun-rong, Taipei Times

The weekday accommodation scheme would issue vouchers for Sunday to Thursday stays, allowing up to two nights per person at NT$2,000 (US$64.35) with NT$800 deducted for the first night and NT$1,200 for a consecutive second night.

The birthday accommodation scheme would randomly select 1,000 citizens monthly for NT$1,200 in subsidies.

The theme park staycation program would offer free entry the following day to any of the 26 major amusement parks nationwide for those submitting a valid accommodation invoice from Monday to Thursday, excluding national holidays.

The corporate employee domestic tour incentive would allow travel agencies to organize groups of 30 or more employees for at least a two-day, one-night itinerary, with no more than one day on a weekend or holiday.

Each agency can apply for marketing grants of NT$10,000 per tour for up to 10 groups, while companies can apply for a NT$20,000 subsidy per tour group.

The Taiwan Pass weekday domestic travel discount program would provide a 40 percent discount from Sunday to Thursday, with prices set at NT$1,000, a 60 percent reduction from the original price, or a NT$1,500 accommodation voucher per room per night, both limited to 20,000 vouchers.

Chen expressed hopes that the programs could be launched early next year, pending approval of the budget by the Legislative Yuan.

The disparity in traveler numbers between peak and off-peak periods is significant, with weekday room rates being affordable, but visitor numbers remaining low, he said.

Responding to public complaints that domestic travel is expensive and “collapsing,” he said that trip volumes have grown significantly over the past few years.

The nation saw 220 million domestic trips last year, up from 206 million in 2023, he said, adding that he expects a new high this year.

New hotels are opening one after another in Taipei, including five-star brands, signaling market demand, he added.

The subsidy program, with a total budget of more than NT$2 billion, aims to strengthen the tourism sector and help the industry advance toward a trillion-dollar industry goal, he said.

He also announced plans to attract flagship events to Taiwan to draw foreign visitors, with a goal of reaching 10 million annual international arrivals.

International arrivals, excluding Chinese visitors, stood at 9.15 million in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The nation saw 7.85 million inbound tourists last year, up from 6.48 million in 2023. A full-year increase of several hundred thousand is expected this year, with 6.8 million visitors during the first 10 months.

Noting the massive economic benefits of international concerts, Chen said the first-year target is to host two to three groups of top-tier artists, award ceremonies or exhibitions.

The ministry plans to roll out subsidies or promote cooperation with travel agencies.


title: Soccer chairman’s resignation confirmed

content_text:
PROBLEMS ABOUND: The embattled soccer league’s head announced his resignation, but uncertainty swirled about how it would happen until a deputy minister confirmed it

Turmoil with Taiwan’s National Soccer association [CTFA] continues after the resignation of chairman Wang Lin-hsiang (王麟祥) was confirmed on Wednesday and officials began the search to fill the post.

Soccer insiders and officials at the Ministry of Sports said yesterday that public pressure, with fans and politicians condemning the situation, played a role in driving Wang to quit. Critics demanded improved efforts to obtain better results at international qualifiers, and called for reform at the CTFA.

It seemed that Wang had intially won the fight to remain in the post, but at Saturday’s CTFA board meeting, he announced he would resign, citing health issues and conflict over issues.

Deputy Minister of Sports Cheng Shih-chung speaks at a legislative session on Tuesday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

CTFA board members said in a social media post on Saturday that they had decided to retain Wang, saying he had done well as chairman, including helping to pay part of the organization’s debt of NT$60 million (US$1.93 million).

“We need Wang in the chairman post to continue his leadership,” the board members said in the release.

In the following days, the situation hung in balance: Wang had tendered his resignation, but the board had said it would retain him.

Deputy Minister of Sports Cheng Shih-chung (鄭世忠) said during a legislative committee meeting on Wednesday that Wang’s resignation is official, and ministry officials are working with the CTFA to complete the changeover, while looking for interested “soccer figures” willing take on the top post.

“In its own charter, CTFA has 45 days to complete the process to elect a new chairperson, and our sports ministry officials are providing assistance to the CTFA for this effort,” Cheng said.

“We have received complaints of administrative negligence, alleged mismanagement at CTFA, lack of competency and supervision, so we have requested for regular checks and evaluation by other sports agencies,” Cheng said.

He added that with Wang’s contributions, the CTFA is still about NT$40 million in debt.

Sports writer Elton Chen (陳志祥) said publicly: “It is a serious financial situation, with mismanagement and a string of awful performances at high-profile international matches.”

“CTFA currently has a bad reputation, and no business organizations or soccer players are willing to take up the post. Board members wanted Wang to remain, to take responsibility, good or bad, until the end of his term next year,” Chen said.


title: Mataian River barrier lake reforms and floods again

content_text:
A new barrier lake that formed on the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in Hualien County overflowed and flooded Mingli Village (明利) in Wanrong Township (萬榮) again yesterday afternoon, the Hualien branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said.

Huang Chun-tse (黃群策), head of the Hualien Office, said the overflow happened at about 1pm, earlier than anticipated due to the natural dam’s instability.

A drone survey carried out early yesterday spotted a new barrier lake about 300m downstream from the original, the agency said.

An aerial view of a newly formed barrier lake is pictured yesterday. Photo: FANCA Hualien Office

The new barrier lake was formed after the right bank of the original collapsed, causing debris to flow downstream and dam the river, it said.

Based on drone imagery, the new barrier lake had a maximum capacity of 1 million cubic meters and covered an area of 7.6 hectares.

As foul weather conditions in the mountainous area have prevented more drone flights, the actual water volume that overflowed remains to be assessed, Huang said.

A red alert remains in effect due to the formation of the new lake, and local authorities have been advised to continue implementing safety measures, the agency said

As a precaution, offices and schools in Hualien’s Guangfu Township (光復) were ordered to close from 1pm, while residents there and in Wanrong and Fonglin (鳳林) townships were told to evacuate to local shelters.

Earlier in the day, the agency said operators of heavy machinery working to block an overflow from an unprotected stretch of the Mataian River had already withdrawn their equipment from the site as a safety precaution due to possible overflow from the newly formed barrier lake.

Water from the river’s open section inundated Mingli Village after overflowing on Tuesday amid heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm Fung-wong and the northeasterly monsoon.

taiwan-subdivisions: 萬榮 光復 鳳林


title: Temperatures to cool down next week

content_text:
Temperatures are expected to drop across Taiwan early next week as northeasterly winds strengthen, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.

Starting on Tuesday next week the thermometer is forecast to drop to lows of about 15°C to 17°C in northern and central Taiwan, and to 19°C to 20°C in the south, as well as in Taitung County in the southeast, the CWA said.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said that the winds would be the coldest so far this autumn, sending temperatures in low-lying areas north of Miaoli County to about 12°C between Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

Temperature forecast by the Central Weather Administration is pictured yesterday.

Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration

Winds are forecast to weaken from Wednesday next week, after which temperatures would gradually rise again, Wu said.

Meanwhile, the CWA said wet weather was expected to persist nationwide from yesterday onward due to the combined effects of a tropical depression and northeasterly winds.

An extremely heavy rain advisory was issued for parts of Keelung and New Taipei City, warning of 24-hour accumulated rainfall exceeding 200mm, or three-hour accumulated rainfall of more than 100mm.

Taipei was under a heavy rain alert, which projected at least 80mm of rain in 24 hours, or 40mm in one hour.

The rain advisories remained in effect through last night, the CWA said.


title: Former Keelung councilor sentenced for corruption

content_text:
Former Keelung City Councilor Han Liang-chi (韓良圻) was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison and stripped of civil rights for three years for corruption.

The verdict is final after the Supreme Court rejected Han’s appeal on Wednesday last week.

Han was found guilty by the High Court in December last year of fraudulently obtaining property under cover of legal authority between 2009 and 2018. He misappropriated more than NT$6.58 million (US$211,704) in public funds by claiming they were used to pay assistant fees, the verdict said.

Former Keelung City councilor Han Liang-chi is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Liu Yung-yun, Taipei Times

During the trial, Han denied all wrongdoing, and said he had no illegal intent.

He said he used the funds for recurring expenses at his service office, such as hiring assistants, as well as nonrecurring costs related to his role as a city councilor.

The court said that Han claimed assistant fees in the names of his friends without actually hiring them, demonstrating illegal intent from the outset.

How he used the funds is irrelevant, the verdict said.

Han served five terms as a Keelung city councilor from 1998 to 2018 for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the People First Party and as an independent candidate.


people: 賴士葆 林德福 羅廷瑋 林思銘

content_text:
BUST FEARS: While a KMT legislator asked if an AI bubble could affect Taiwan, the DGBAS minister said the sector appears on track to continue growing

The local property market has cooled down moderately following a series of credit control measures designed to contain speculation, the central bank said yesterday, while remaining tight-lipped about potential rule relaxations.

Lawmakers in a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee voiced concerns to central bank officials that the credit control measures have adversely affected the government’s tax income and small and medium-sized property developers, with limited positive effects.

Housing prices have been climbing since 2016, even when the central bank imposed its first set of control measures in 2020, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Ting-wei (羅廷瑋) said.

Central bank Deputy Governor Yen Tzung-ta speaks at a legislative session in Taipei on May 21. Photo: CNA

“Since the second half of last year, the property speculation situation has improved significantly,” central bank Deputy Governor Yen Tzung-ta (嚴宗大) said.

The central bank has no intention to crack down on the real-estate market, butit aims to lower the potential for speculation, which affects the nation’s financial stability, Yen said.

KMT Legislator Lin Tzu-ming (林思銘) urged the central bank to revisit its credit control policy, saying that most young people are still struggling to buy a home.

The central bank has eased credit controls slightly during the last monetary meeting in September, allowing second homebuyers to apply for new mortgages after selling their house within 18 months, longer than the previous 12-month requirement, Yen said.

In response to KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao’s (賴士葆) question about the possibility of further easing credit control measures, Yen said the central bank would adjust its policy at quarterly meetings based on internal reviews.

Lai said he feared that the central bank’s credit controls led to a significant reduction in tax revenue from house and land transactions.

Tax revenue fell 32.6 percent year-on-year last month to NT$4.35 billion (US$139.96 million), Ministry of Finance data showed.

During the first 10 months of this year, income from the property transaction tax contracted 2.9 percent annually to NT$83.25 billion, it showed.

Separately, Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DBGAS) Minister Chen Shu-tzu (陳淑姿) told the legislature that Taiwan’s economic growth this year would exceed 5.5 percent, and could approach 6 percent, as the country benefits from its position at the forefront of the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

KMT Legislator Lin Te-fu (林德福) asked the minister if the economy faced risks from a potential AI bubble.

AI development, which is being led by tech giants, is producing stable profits, Chen said.

The growing number of practical applications for AI, as well as the sustained demand for computing power, indicates that it would continue to be profitable, justifying an optimistic outlook, she said, adding that Taiwan has a leading role in the AI sector.

Additional reporting by CNA

title: Property market cooling: central bank


content_text:
REACHING OUT: In addition to new pacts with the UK and Canada, Taiwan is working on updating an agreement with Singapore and could renew another one with Indonesia

Taiwan has signed investment promotion and protection agreements with the UK and Canada to facilitate local manufacturers’ investments in the countries, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday.

President William Lai (賴清德) on Tuesday told a trade event that the government has been working to advance investment promotion and protection agreements, as well as double-tax relief pacts to help local industries expand their global deployment.

The UK ranked eighth in trade with Taiwan last year, with a trading volume of US$1.32 trillion, while Canada was 14th with US$1.14 trillion, ministry data showed.

Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin attends a news conference at the ministry in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Kung said he also met with the Singaporean trade representative in Taipei on Wednesday to discuss renewing the investment promotion and protection agreement between the two sides to upgrade a pact they signed 40 years ago.

The government expects to reach an agreement with Singapore soon, while Indonesia has also expressed willingness to renew its pact with Taiwan, he said.

The main purpose of an investment protection agreement is to provide government-backed safeguards for investors, reducing political risks in host countries — such as foreign-exchange controls, expropriation, nationalization, confiscation, or the effects of war, insurrection or civil unrest, the Department of Investment Promotion Web Site says.

The main elements of the agreement include its scope, investment promotion and protection measures; investment treatment; expropriation, war, rebellion and riot-related damage compensation; terms for repatriation of capital and proceeds; dispute settlement; subrogation; applicability of the agreement; validity period; and termination, the ministry said.

The agreement, which also includes regulatory details, is designed to facilitate and promote closer economic, trade and investment relations between the signatory states, it said.

While the US House of Representatives in January passed the US-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act, the bill is still waiting to be introduce in the US Senate, Kung said.

The government hopes the act can be taken up by the Senate as soon as possible, but its timing depends on its schedule, as lawmakers have many bills to review, he said.

Senators appeared to have no major concerns about the act when he visited the US in May to discuss the issue, he added.

title: Taiwan signs fresh investment, promotion deals


title: Quanta eyes big growth next year from AI servers

content_text:
Quanta Computer Inc (廣達), which supplies artificial intelligence (AI) servers powered by Nvidia Corp technology, on Wednesday kept unchanged its AI-related business revenue growth forecast, adding that it expected it to grow significantly next year.

The company is on track to meet that goal, Quanta chief financial officer Elton Yang (楊俊烈) told an online conference.

AI server revenue already accounted for more than 70 percent of Quanta’s total server revenue in the first three quarters of this year, and is to account for more than 80 percent of its total server revenue next year, Yang said.

A person stands near a liquid-cooled server in an installation at the Global Switch data center in London on June 16. Photo: Bloomberg

Amid strong client demand, the company now has AI server order visibility through 2027, and expects its server production capacity to double, he said.

Shipments of its new-generation AI servers powered by Nvidia’s GB300 units are gradually entering the mass-production phase, and are expected to ramp up next year, he said.

Some major customers have shifted orders to new AI servers from the previous generation, Quanta said.

It has seen sequential growth in AI server revenue last quarter, thanks to the smooth transition.

Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin platform is scheduled to enter mass production in the second half of next year, which is expected to further boost Quanta’s shipping momentum, Yang said.

Quanta is also working with customers to assemble AI servers powered by application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), he said.

The company’s expects ASIC-based AI server shipments to double next year from this year, he added.

While shipments of general-purpose servers this quarter are expected to be lower than the previous quarter, AI server revenue is still expected to post double-digit percentage sequential growth on the back of strong demand, he said.

Shipments of general-purpose servers are expected to grow by a high double-digit percentage this year from last year, he said.

Server revenue accounted for about 70 percent of its total revenue last quarter.

Notebook computers are expected to account for less than 20 percent of revenue next year, with notebook shipment growth likely to align with overall industry trends, Quanta said.

Quanta expects a double-digit percentage sequential decline in notebook shipments this quarter.

Overall, net profit decreased 0.12 percent annually to NT$16.43 billion (US$528.62 million) from NT$16.63 billion, the company said.

On a quarterly basis, net profit also decreased 0.25 percent from NT$16.86 billion, it said.

Earnings per share shrank to NT$4.26 from NT$4.32 a year earlier and NT$4.37 in the second quarter.

Gross margin fell to 6.85 percent, down from 7.33 percent a year earlier and 7.05 percent in the previous quarter, attributable to sharp exchange rate fluctuations and geopolitical uncertainties.

With the rising share of AI server shipments, gross margin is expected to come under further pressure, Quanta said.


content_text:
France is urging the EU to increase customs duties on small packages two years earlier than planned, expanding its campaign against Chinese retailers as it tangles with e-commerce giant Shein (希音).

“I really hope that tomorrow we can make progress on this subject,” French Minister of Economics, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure said on Wednesday before a meeting with his EU peers, adding that he wanted the increase to go into effect “as soon as possible in 2026, I hope even at the start of 2026.”

France and other EU countries are concerned that an influx of small e-commerce packages from China might undermine local businesses and are discussing ways to raise shipping costs on the items.

A customs officer inspects a parcel purchased from abroad at a warehouse in Lesquin, France, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

EU finance ministers are aiming to approve a proposal that would end a customs duty exemption for all parcels under 150 euros (US$174.32), a change that would heavily affect Chinese retailers. France is rushing to inject a last-minute revision that would move up the timing on the repeal, currently slated for 2028.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, proposed erasing the exemption as part of a broader plan to modernize its custom system, but China has become an increasingly urgent concern during those discussions.

Between 2023 and last year, the number of e-commerce packages from China worth less than 150 euros more than doubled, from 1.9 billion to 4.2 billion, EU data showed.

That accounted for 91 percent of all such packages entering the EU last year.

In the past few days, France has also specifically targeted Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein after complaints the company was selling childlike sex dolls and weapons on its Web site.

France forced the company to halt some online sales in the country, and is pressing the EU to investigate.

Accelerating higher parcel duties should be EU finance ministers’ focus, a French finance ministry official said.

While technical issues might prevent the EU from fully shifting the timeline, officials are exploring temporary solutions that would allow them to quickly increase package duties while the full customs regime is being implemented, a draft statement seen by Bloomberg News said.

“This is the signal that we don’t want Chinese junk, that we protect our markets,” German Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil said ahead of the EU finance ministers’ meeting. “I want this as quickly as possible.”

title: France pushes to accelerate duties on Chinese parcels


content_text:
Baidu unveils new model and chips to keep up in China’s fast-paced AI race

Baidu Inc (百度) yesterday released the latest iteration of its flagship artificial intelligence (AI) models, trying to keep up in the highly competitive Chinese AI arena.

Its Ernie 5.0 model is a “natively omni-modal” model that can grasp user commands in various media formats, billionaire cofounder Robin Li (李彥宏) said during the company’s biggest annual tech showcase in Beijing.

“Intelligence itself is the greatest application, and the speed of technological iteration is the only moat,” Li said. “Baidu will continue to invest in and develop more cutting-edge models to push the ceiling of intelligence higher.”

Baidu Inc cofounder Robin Li is silhouetted as he attends the Baidu World conference in Beijing yesterday. Photo: AP

In benchmarks presented by Baidu on stage, Ernie 5.0 competed with rivals such as DeepSeek (深度求索), Alphabet Inc’s Google Gemini and OpenAI’s GPT-5 in tests for language, audio and visual understanding. While Baidu’s AI rarely had the highest score, the company sought to demonstrate it was keeping up with the leaders.

China’s Internet search pioneer is betting on AI to drive growth, but it faces mounting pressure from open-source models such as DeepSeek, as well as AI-native apps.

Plagued by weakening advertising, its revenue is expected to decline 8 percent — the biggest slide in almost a decade — during the September quarter.

Li touched on the ongoing debate around whether the industry is fomenting an AI bubble.

Without naming companies, he called out an “unhealthy, unsustainable” structure in which chipmakers reap the most benefits of AI, rather than app developers.

“No matter how much money chipmakers make, the models built on top of the chips should generate 10 times the value and the applications developed on top of the models should create 100 times the value — only then can we achieve a healthy industrial ecosystem,” Li said.

The announcement of the new model came at the end of a three-hour demonstration of Baidu’s other offerings.

It has developed two new chips for AI inference and training, which are to be available for sale next year and 2027, executives said, without revealing specs.

In AI software, the company launched an agentic tool for industrial uses such as traffic light control. It is also pushing some of its existing products to overseas markets, including a digital-avatar replacement for streamers and a code-free development tool.

Baidu had a head start in China’s AI race and looked at one point like the country’s most formidable rival to OpenAI, but it soon lost leadership to rivals including ByteDance Ltd (字節跳動) and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (阿里巴巴). The two lead in AI-native applications and open-source models respectively, while Baidu is struggling to catch up on both fronts.

Li had previously predicted that proprietary models would stand out in competition — before the emergence of DeepSeek, which prompted his company to reverse course and open-source its Ernie models.

The founder also initially skipped AI video generation, although Baidu is now chasing rivals such as Kuaishou Technology (快手科技), after they proved the monetization potential of that aspect.


title: Looking for a gem

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. Huang yesterday said


content_text:
The Chinese government recently threatened to issue an Interpol arrest warrant for Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) in a new wave of cognitive and psychological tactics to extend its transnational repression and in violation of international norms.

Along with a dozen Taiwanese officials, politicians and organizations, China last year named Shen a “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatist.” It also imposed sanctions barring Shen and his family from entering China, Macau and Hong Kong, and doing business in China or with Chinese firms.

The Chongqing security bureau last month launched a criminal probe into Shen on allegations of “secession-related” activities, such as his founding of the civil defense organization the Kuma Academy. The state-run Chinese Central Television last week aired a documentary threatening to issue a “global arrest” through Interpol’s cross-border judicial cooperation.

Compared with some renowned advocates dedicated to Taiwanese independence, Shen is not a major activist. It could be reasonably inferred that China is targeting Shen because his efforts to promote Taiwan’s defense capabilities and social mobilization have critically struck a nerve on China’s ambition to invade Taiwan. Shen’s legislative proposals to bolster Taiwan’s national security against China’s infiltration could also have irritated Beijing.

As China has no jurisdiction over Taiwan, all of its high-profile aggressive actions are meant to create a false illusion of its long-arm jurisdiction over Taiwan, aiming to sow division and instill fear among Taiwanese.

This transnational repression is not just about Shen personally, but an act of collective coercion against all Taiwanese. China’s moves also demonstrate its violation of democratic freedom and human rights, as well as its distortion and contempt for international norms.

Interpol’s core mission is to combat international criminal offenses such as terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering, and its operations are strictly bound by the principle of political neutrality. Article 3 of its charter explicitly prohibits the organization from engaging in activities of a political, military, religious or racial nature. This clause is the cornerstone of Interpol’s professionalism and credibility.

Although China has extradition treaties with more than 60 countries, most of them — especially democratic countries — would not extradite political prisoners or prisoners of conscience based on Beijing’s unilateral accusations.

On the other hand, China’s global targeting of people and groups perceived as threats to Beijing has already drawn international condemnation, and led to a number of anti-China countermeasures.

According to Freedom House, 1,219 incidents of transnational repression were reported from 2014 to last year, with China ranking as the top perpetrator.

G7 leaders in June issued a joint statement strongly condemning transnational repression, and called for cooperation to curb intimidation by authoritarian regimes worldwide.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, which brings together parliamentary members of 43 countries, recently issued the Brussels Declaration condemning China’s transnational repression, and pledged to take concrete action to stop cross-border repression, such as urging all members’ respective governments to reaffirm their commitment to human rights.

All Taiwanese should unite to resist Chinese coercion and be alert to cross-strait interactions. Any appeasement and concessions, such as the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) reluctance to condemn Beijing, only embolden the aggressor.

Shen’s case should be a lesson and an opportunity to augment Taiwan’s alliance with like-minded countries to collectively confront cross-border intimidation.

title: EDITORIAL: Confronting transnational repression


title: Taiwan and global climate goals

content_text:
Last month, the UN confirmed that the world has failed to contain global warming to the Paris Agreement’s threshold of 1.5°C, sounding a death knell for global climate governance. This is no longer a future warning, but an immediate reality.

Humankind is facing a crossroads of existential consequence, and yet US President Donald Trump is instead pushing to expand fossil fuel policy and refused to send an official delegation to this year’s COP30 climate summit. The world’s largest economy and historical emitter, it seems, is stepping back from the fight.

These climate and political shocks come as dual blows to Taiwan, which is on the front line of the climate crisis and highly reliant on international trade. Alarm bells are ringing not just for the environment, but over national security and economic survival.

The destructive consequences of the Trump administration’s decisions are not just about US carbon emissions, but about their political reverberations. Institutions of global governance do not come easy, and the US’ absence has served to seriously undermine the Paris Agreement.

Against a backdrop of warming set to exceed the 1.5°C threshold, world leaders gathered at COP30 to discuss emergency response measures to “loss and damage.” The lack of US presence sends a clear signal that “America first” and barefaced energy nationalism are prioritized above any principle of shared global responsibility.

There is a danger of major developing countries holding up US inaction as an excuse to delay their own decarbonization, and that the undercutting of global climate finance commitments would push vulnerable nations in need of adaptation funding into further precarity. The cooling effect of the US breaking ranks on international cooperation is unmistakable.

In Taiwan, we cannot afford to view the crisis as the business of other countries. A breach of 1.5°C of warming constitutes a direct and immediate threat to Taiwan’s survival. Powerful typhoons and floods are set to become a regular occurrence, while high temperatures and extreme dry periods threaten key sectors, including agriculture and the semiconductor industry, which require stable supplies of electricity and water.

The UN’s admission of failure means that it is time for Taiwan to take its plans for domestic adaptation and building resilience to a wartime level of urgency. There is no time for empty talk about net zero by 2050 — we must confront the imminent climate shocks now.

As our most important political ally, the US’ choice to step back and embrace fossil fuels would inevitably embolden domestic voices calling to slow down emission reductions to protect the economy. Going down this road would only further isolate Taiwan economically. The US might have abandoned the fight, but the EU stands ready and waiting as the world’s largest single market, armed with its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as an economic goad. Being an export-oriented country, Taiwan’s key industries of steel, petrochemicals and electronic components tie it to the EU’s green supply chain.

If Taiwan chooses to follow the US’ lead, it can expect to face high EU carbon taxes and exclusion from the supply chains of international brands like Apple and Microsoft, which are bound by environmental, social, and governance commitments. These economic ramifications are too great for Taiwan to ignore.

Facing climate breakdown and the crumbling of political leadership, Taiwan’s response must be focused and determined. We cannot allow for distractions or wishful thinking, and we must recognize that a net zero transition is no longer just an environmental issue, but one of economic survival and national security.

First, the government must resist internal pressure and accelerate its deployment of renewable energy, in particular in geothermal, biomass and energy storage systems to ensure a stable transition.

Second is to transform and upgrade industry — the government must shift from across-the-board subsidies to mandatory transitional guidance for carbon-intensive industries to adopt new technologies and comply with CBAM standards.

Finally, climate resilience must become a core principle of all public development projects. From the urban “sponge city” concept to disaster-warning systems in rural areas, public infrastructure and engineering projects must be reimagined to fully reflect the reality of a world having broken the 1.5°C threshold.

The US’ move is a gamble that Taiwan cannot afford to make. This moment of global disorder is exactly the point at which Taiwan must demonstrate its resilience and ability to turn the crisis into an opportunity for transformational change.

Chen Jie-an is a legal specialist for a technology corporation.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader


content_text:
Urologist and former Fu Jen Catholic University president Chiang Han-sun (江漢聲) was stabbed by a 30-year-old man at the university’s hospital in New Taipei City on Tuesday. The suspect, surnamed Tseng (曾), reportedly entered Chiang’s office and attacked him with a utility knife before being restrained by hospital security.

Since 2009, acts of violence against medical personnel have been on the rise, prompting the Legislative Yuan to pass amendments to the Medical Care Act (醫療法) in 2014, establishing new penalties for acts of violence committed in medical facilities to “ensure the safety of medical personnel when they practice medicine.”

However, the clumsy and outdated drafting techniques employed by legislators — in addition to their adherence to the traditional belief that medical professionals should be of noble moral character and not quarrel with patients — the amendments ended up creating more problems than they solved, with some provisions having become all but useless.

Article 106 of the act states that “persons who damage the life saving equipment in medical care institutions or other similar places and consequently endanger the life, body or health of others are subject to imprisonment for no more than three years, detention or a fine of no more than NT$300,000.”

However, Article 352 of the Criminal Code stipulates that same penalty for destroying or damaging another person’s document and causing injury to the public or another. Setting the same statutory penalty for damaging life-supporting medical equipment and merely damaging a document clearly contravenes the principle of proportionality.

Furthermore, Article 106 of the Medical Care Act also stipulates that “persons who hinder medical personnel or emergency medical services personnel from carrying out medical practices or emergency medical services by means of violence, coercion, intimidation or other illegal methods are subject to imprisonment for no more than three years, or in addition thereto, a fine of no more than NT$300,000.”

If the offense causes the death of medical personnel or emergency medical services personnel, then the offender is subject to “imprisonment for life or no less than seven years.” If it results in serious injury to medical personnel or emergency medical services personnel, then the punishment is imprisonment for no less than three years, but no more than 10 years.

However, this provision is identical to that outlined by Article 277 of the Criminal Code, which concerns the offense of causing injury to another — it does not impose any additional statutory penalties. If legal protections for medical personnel and emergency medical services personnel are not designed from the perspective of safeguarding their professional practice and occupational safety, they risk diminishing healthcare workers’ motivation to remain in the field.

More importantly, Taiwan has over the past few years faced a mass exodus of medical professionals. If the law fails to promptly respond, frontline healthcare workers would be pushed into even deeper hardship, which would ultimately undermine the public’s right to health.

The provisions in Article 106 of the Medical Care Act that allow for detention and fines in lieu of imprisonment for damaging life-saving equipment in medical care institutions should be removed to prevent excessively light penalties that would weaken the law’s deterrent effect. For the provision that addresses the use of violence, coercion, intimidation or other illegal methods to hinder medical personnel or emergency medical services personnel from carrying out medical practices or emergency medical services, the maximum statutory penalty should be raised from three years to either five or seven years of imprisonment.

This would create a clear distinction between Article 304 of the Criminal Code — which stipulates three years of imprisonment for ordinary violence or threats — and provide healthcare workers with special legal protections. Likewise, the penalties for the same offense resulting in death should also be increased.

Cultivating a positive medical environment depends not only on amending regulations, but also on establishing mutual respect and joint effort between medical personnel and their patients.

Chao Hsuey-wen is an assistant professor and holds a doctorate in law from Fu Jen Catholic University.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: Medical staff need better protection


title: Taiwan’s place in IPAC must be secured

content_text:
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China’s (IPAC) support for Taiwan has been steady and decisive.

Taiwan’s participation in IPAC was also the earliest instance of cross-party cooperation in this Legislative Yuan, demonstrating that although parties might differ sharply on domestic policy, when unified on international engagement, they can advance Taiwan’s national interest.

At IPAC’s invitation, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) made the first-ever speech in a European legislature by a sitting senior Taiwanese official, raising public awareness in Taiwan of what IPAC actually is. In fact, IPAC’s significance for Taiwan goes far beyond this.

From drafting and promoting the now-widely cited model resolution that UN Resolution 2758 does not settle Taiwan’s status, enabling parliaments to adopt formal resolutions, to issuing an immediate condemnation when it came to light that Chinese embassy staff had attempted to ram the car carrying Hsiao in the Czech Republic last year, IPAC has consistently taken action to support Taiwan against aggression by China.

Before these events, public discussion of IPAC in Taiwan was limited. One reason is structural: IPAC was established in 2020, but Taiwan could not obtain membership until last year.

For four years, despite being the country most directly targeted by Chinese coercion, Taiwan could not speak within the IPAC as an official member.

IPAC membership requires at least two lawmakers from different major parties. From 2020 to last year, independent legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐), New Power Party (NPP) Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) participated, while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) declined to join. As the NPP only had three seats, they did not meet the “major party” requirement, so Taiwan remained shut out.

The Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) participation solved the dilemma Taiwan had faced for four years, as no party holds a majority and the TPP became a pivotal party capable of determining the outcome of votes. TPP Legislator Chen Chao-chi (陳昭姿) joined IPAC alongside Fan, and Taiwan was formally admitted.

In recognition of the TPP’s contribution, following her speech in the European Parliament, Hsiao sent a handwritten letter to Chen to express her gratitude. Citizens across party lines publicly acknowledged and thanked Chen as well.

The TPP’s self-imposed two-year rule is coming into force soon. Within the incoming TPP caucus, there has yet to be clarity as to who would represent Taiwan in IPAC.

The participation of the new legislators would ensure that Taiwan retains IPAC membership, sending the right signal that Taiwan is committed to self-defense. It would also show the public that political parties stand firm on national sovereignty and can be trusted in their loyalty to the nation.

As the front line against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) authoritarian expansionism, Taiwan’s continued participation in IPAC is important. IPAC began with eight member jurisdictions; as the world has recognized the CCP’s threat to global democracy, it has grown to 43 jurisdictions in addition to the European Parliament. This means that Taiwan’s circle of allies is growing.

We can therefore be optimistic that beyond the milestone event of the vice president speaking at a European legislature, more breakthrough diplomatic initiatives might be facilitated through IPAC’s alliance network. Those who care about our country’s best interests would naturally look to Taiwan’s continued and deeper participation in IPAC.

Wu Yi-syuan is a senior staff member in the office of a Democratic Progressive Party legislator.

people: 王婉諭 林昶佐 范雲 蕭美琴


content_text: Lockheed Martin on Tuesday responded to concerns over delayed shipments of F-16V Block 70 jets, saying it had added extra shifts on its production lines to accelerate progress.The Ministry of National Defense on Monday said that delivery of all 66 F-16V Block 70 jets — originally expected by the end of next year — would be pushed back due to production line relocations and global supply chain disruptions.Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said that Taiwan and the US are working to resolve the delays, adding that 50 of the aircraft are in production, with 10 scheduled for flight

title: EDITORIAL CARTOON


title: China is doing everything to stand on its own

content_text:
The US holds the upper hand for now, but that edge would fade if China builds an ecosystem it can genuinely rely on — and the world has already seen what happens when the CCP decides it wants to succeed in a specific industry

China is moving to the next phase of its rivalry with the US and signaling a renewed focus on self-reliance. Whether in innovation, industry or advanced technology, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is betting this approach would ensure Beijing’s resilience amid intensifying competition.

This is not just about the economy. It is also about security. Beijing and Washington last month agreed to a one-year pause in trade hostilities, but instability will define their relationship for years to come.

While this is not a new strategy, Xi is doubling down in the face of the trade war and a slowing domestic economy. Last month’s export figures showed an unexpected slump, highlighting the challenges Beijing faces. The party’s Fourth Plenum last month offered some clues about the president’s priorities. Held once every five years, the gathering is made up of the Chinese Communist Party’s inner circle and, together with Xi, they set the course for party affairs and ideology.

In the communique, officials elevated science and technology as the pillars of the next five-year plan, to be finalized in March. These are not empty slogans.

Beijing sees US President Donald Trump as an agent of chaos and is preparing for a more turbulent global economy, a new paper by Asia Society Policy Institute fellow Neil Thomas and institute senior research associate Lobsang Tsering said.

China is using US pressure as a catalyst to accelerate domestic innovation, by pumping money into its local firms. It is focusing on sectors such as aerospace, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. Beijing is not alone in pursuing a strategy of self-reliance. India has a similar, if less successful, policy to encourage domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on imports, as does the US.

The world’s second-largest economy has pushed ahead with military-civil fusion, gathering the most advanced civilian research from around the globe and using it to modernize its defense forces. This allows China to develop dual-use technologies, so that breakthroughs in AI, chips or supercomputing flow directly to the military. Under Xi, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has transformed into a sophisticated force capable of operating well beyond China’s borders.

Still, this plan faces challenges — and not just from Washington. Xi’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign and purges have hollowed out the ranks of the party’s inner circle and the military.

Only 168 of the CCP’s 205 Central Committee members showed up at the plenum, the lowest attendance for the session since the Cultural Revolution, Bloomberg’s tally showed.

There is no sign Xi’s power is slipping. The CCP reaffirmed its call to “unite more closely around the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core,” reflecting the leader’s continued dominance. However, his legitimacy lies in being able to deliver continued economic prosperity to his citizens, and Trump’s trade war is making that difficult.

Today, the US holds the upper hand, because it controls the advanced technology China needs. That edge would fade if Beijing builds an ecosystem it can genuinely rely on. The world has already seen what happens when the CCP decides it wants to succeed in a specific industry. Over the past decade, state-led heavy investment has made China a leader in green industries such as solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. It is looking to repeat that playbook in semiconductors, advanced machinery, biotechnology and quantum computing.

The implications are profound. The US’ technological leverage would wane and global supply chains could tilt further toward China’s orbit. To avoid that outcome, the US and its allies must act now by investing in alternative supply chains and networks of allies. Pushing ahead with the Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act, which passed the US Senate unanimously in June, but is now facing delays, would be wise. External pressure on Beijing is useful, but Washington must also shore up its own industrial base.

US companies that want to do business in China should also expect heavier state intervention, tighter trade and investment conditions, and a widening of export controls. Yet this moment also presents an opportunity. China’s system might look formidable, but it is not invincible. It is facing deep structural issues, from a property slump and local government debt to demographic decline.

Preparing for the worst-case scenario is the best way to outwit an opponent. Xi is building a China that relies on itself. The US needs to be ready for that.

Karishma Vaswani is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asia politics with a special focus on China. Previously, she was the BBC’s lead Asia presenter, and worked for the BBC across Asia and South Asia for two decades. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.


content_text:
By Kate Holton, Paul Sandle and Sam Tabahriti / Reuters

Top-level resignations from the BBC over the editing of a speech by US President Donald Trump have blown the lid off wider tensions at the British broadcaster over how it is run and whether it still commands public trust in its journalism.

BBC director-general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness quit on Sunday after an internal report by a former adviser that was leaked to the Daily Telegraph cited failings in its coverage of Trump, the Israel-Hamas war and transgender issues. Rather than contain the scandal, the resignations have plunged the British institution into its biggest crisis in decades, with the publicly owned broadcaster left without a leader just as it faces a review of the charter that determines its funding.

Even the BBC’s supporters acknowledge that the licence fee — paid by all television-owning households and a large part of its funding — is increasingly out of date when viewers are turning to the likes of Netflix, YouTube and social media for news and entertainment.

PUBLIC TRUST A MUST

“The most important asset the BBC has is trust, and its reputation is based on the fact that its news provision is impartial, it’s objective, it’s properly sourced and checked,” said John Whittingdale, a Conservative lawmaker and former British minister for media, tourism and creative industries. “And if viewers and listeners can no longer have confidence in that then that is hugely damaging to the BBC.”

Enders Analysis founder Claire Enders said a new leader should be appointed as soon as possible to “restore the trust there has to be in the BBC for it to survive the charter.”

Established in 1922, the BBC is one of the world’s oldest media organizations and has been respected worldwide for its journalism. The group broadcasts in 42 languages.

As well as airing TV and radio, the BBC, which is a client of Reuters, runs the biggest English-language news Web site in the world, industry magazine Press Gazette said.

‘INSTITUTIONAL BIAS’

The Telegraph last week published excerpts of the memo written earlier this year by former standards adviser Michael Prescott, who listed what he said were editorial failings that revealed institutionalized left-leaning bias among staff.

The most serious was the revelation that a Panorama documentary aired just before the US presidential election in November last year had spliced together two parts of a Trump speech, so he appeared to be encouraging the Capitol Hill riot of Jan. 6, 2021.

The documentary was made by an independent production company.

Trump has threatened legal action against the BBC: The president’s lawyers said it must retract its documentary by today or face a lawsuit for “no less” than US$1 billion, a letter sent on Sunday showed.

The BBC, which on Monday said the editing was an “error of judgement,” added that it was considering how to respond.

Prescott, a former Sunday Times political journalist, said he had compiled his memo, because he was in “despair” at a lack of action by BBC bosses when failings came to light.

After the memo was published, the corporation seemed paralyzed for days, saying only that it did not comment on leaked documents.

BBC media correspondent Katie Razzall and top political presenter Nick Robinson said they had been told there was a clash with the board, with news executives wanting to publish an apology and the board preventing it.

The two also pointed the finger at BBC board member Robbie Gibb, a spokesman for former British prime minister Theresa May, as a critic of the BBC’s news output.

Gibb did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

BBC chairman Samir Shah said the board had not blocked an apology, but had wanted time to respond.

Board members held different views and engaged in robust arguments, but the suggestion by some media commentators that a “coup” had taken place with the resignations of Davie and Turness was “fanciful,” he said.

Shah apologized for the Trump edit, but said “the BBC News’ DNA and culture” was impartiality.

Surveys showed Britons trusted BBC News more than any other news outlet, he added.

‘RIGHT-WING CAMPAIGN’

Supporters of the broadcaster, including journalists at the Guardian and the Financial Times, and some BBC staff, believe there was an orchestrated right-wing campaign to undermine the corporation, public statements showed.

“This is a crisis created by political and commercial opponents to public service broadcasting and the BBC,” said Diane Coyle, an economist and vice chair of a former BBC governing body.

Supporters said daily leaks of criticism from the memo ramped up pressure, while high-profile figures such as former British Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson fueled the controversy.

Alan Rusbridger, former editor of the Guardian who now heads Prospect magazine, said many on the BBC board came from a background of finance or business, or had not worked in journalism for a long time.

As well as a new director-general, the corporation needed stronger governance, he said.

“The board itself is not really well placed to make fine editorial judgements,” Rusbridger said. “Any director-general coming in would want to know who’s got their back and whether there are people who can make the judgements and defend the journalism when it needs to be defended, or reach sophisticated judgements on when it needs to be corrected or apologized for.”

LICENCE FEE MODEL

The scandal comes as the government prepares to review whether the BBC’s licence fee model is sustainable and whether other options should be considered as part of the charter renewal. The 10-year charter expires in 2027.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government supported the BBC and denied it was institutionally biased.

The BBC has long faced intense scrutiny from many national newspapers and critics on social media, who object to its funding model and perceived liberal stance.

The organization’s revenue rose 9 percent to ￡5.9 billion (US$7.75 billion) in 2024-2025, driven by the licence fee and commercial income, but the number of people canceling their licences has been increasing over the past few years.

The loss of 300,000 licences last year alone cost the BBC about ￡50 million in income.

title: BBC crisis exposes fractures at renowned institution