title: China ignores peace calls, resorts to threats: MAC

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Beijing is ignoring international appeals for peace in the Taiwan Strait, and is threatening countries that express pro-Taiwan sentiments, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) said yesterday.

Shen made the comment as a diplomatic spat between Japan and China escalated over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments regarding Taiwan.

China yesterday demanded that Takaichi retract her remark about a possible conflict over Taiwan, while a state-run newspaper called it Tokyo’s “first threat of force” against Beijing in 80 years.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, center, attends a session of the House of Councilors Budget Committee at the National Diet in Tokyo yesterday. Photo: AFP

Takaichi last week said if military force were to be used in a Taiwan conflict, it could be considered a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan.

That specific wording matters, as it would provide Japan with a legal justification to deploy its military to help defend friendly nations.

Her comments drew an angry response from Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian (薛劍), who posted on social media: “If you go sticking that filthy neck where it doesn’t belong, it’s gonna get sliced right off. You ready for that?”

The post was later deleted.

Meanwhile, Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong (孫衛東) on Thursday summoned the Japanese ambassador over Takaichi’s statement.

Takaichi should disavow her comments, “otherwise all consequences must be borne by Japan,” Sun said. “If anyone dares to interfere with China’s reunification cause in any form, China will surely strike back hard.”

Hours later, a commentary in the Chinese state-run People’s Daily called Takaichi’s comments “extremely sinister.”

It is unclear whether Sun’s summoning of the Japanese ambassador simply marked Beijing’s desire to make its displeasure formally known or if the episode would have any impact on business or trade ties.

At a forum in Taipei, Shen said Taiwan has always been committed to maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, while China has attempted to disrupt that peace.

Beijing is ignoring international appeals regarding cross-strait issues, and intimidates other countries over their pro-Taiwan statements and actions, he said.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara yesterday said Tokyo complained to Beijing over Xue’s remarks.

“We reiterated our position on the matter and explained the intention behind Prime Minister Takaichi’s comments,” Kihara said.

Tokyo also said it summoned Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao (吳江浩) “and strongly protested against the extremely inappropriate statements” made by Xue.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Wu to ensure “the Chinese side takes appropriate measures,” it added.

Kanasugi at the Caixin Summit in Beijing on Thursday said China and Japan should deepen their relationship.

Asked how bilateral ties would evolve under Takaichi, Kanasugi said: “As neighbors, we have all sorts of difficulties, problems occur, a lot of ups and downs.”

“We should manage these difficulties, and at the same time, we have to enhance and deepen our cooperation on what I call common agenda items,” he added.

Additional reporting by AFP and Chung Li-hua


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MORE TALKS NEEDED: The solar energy industry called on the government not to rush legislation and ensure that green energy would not be hindered

The legislature yesterday passed a suite of amendments that would require more stringent environmental impact assessments (EIA) to build solar facilities, as environmental groups and the photovoltaic industry warned against overcorrection.

The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday said it aimed to elevate the legal status of solar panel EIA statutes through amendments, after regulations used by the Ministry of Environment failed to block environmentally harmful construction projects, such as the one covering 51 hectares along a hillside in Kaohsiung’s Dashu District (大樹).

The bills seek to tighten solar facility regulations by amending Article 5 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (環境影響評估法), Article 11 of the Act for the Development of Tourism (發展觀光條例) and Article 5 of the Geology Act (地質法).

Solar panels are pictured on a lake at the Agricultural Technology Park in Pingtung County’s Changjhih Township on Wednesday last week. Photo: Yeh Yung-chien, Taipei Times

The solar energy industry yesterday in a statement called for sufficient communication, instead of rushing legislation, to ensure that green energy developments would not be hindered.

Environmental groups called for delaying the legislation, saying the application scope of proposed solar panel EIA criteria requires more nuanced discussions.

Proposed amendments to Article 5 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act state that EIA must be conducted for proposed solar panel projects on hillsides or floating solar panel projects if the projects have an installed capacity of 10,000 kilowatts (KW) or more, or a cumulative area of 5 hectares or more.

An EIA is required for proposed solar panel projects with an installed capacity of 40 megawatts or more, or with a cumulative area of 40 hectares or more, excluding rooftop solar panels, the amendment states.

The proposed amendment to the Act for the Development of Tourism states that ground-mounted and floating solar panels cannot be installed in national scenic areas, unless they occupy less than 1 hectare and have passed an EIA.

The proposed amendment to the Geology Act states that ground-mounted and floating solar panels cannot be installed in geologically sensitive areas, unless they occupy less than 1 hectare and have passed an EIA.

Citing another bill proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏) in November last year, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said revising the Environmental Impact Assessment Act to stipulate that the five major types of floating solar panel projects — wetlands, ponds, fish farms, flood detention basins and reservoirs — must undergo an EIA would be more appropriate.

Chung criticized the TPP bill for being an improper mix, saying development behaviors and EIA issues should not be dealt with through the Act for the Development of Tourism — which governs recreational behaviors — and the Geology Act, which governs geological assessments.

Such legislation is “keyword index legislation” that might have many holes, Chung said.

Wang said solar panel EIA issues should be regulated at a higher legal status, as the ministry “could not properly handle the issues at all,” adding that the DPP should “move with the times” and support the TPP’s proposal.

TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said the bill was proposed, because “people can no longer trust the DPP government’s supervision of solar facility developments."

title: Legislature passes suite of solar-related changes

people: 鍾佳濱 黃國昌 王育敏


title: Russian attack on Ukraine kills six, more injured

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Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage on Kyiv yesterday, reportedly killing six people as of press time last night, starting fires and scattering debris across the city, Ukrainian authorities said.

Emergency crews responded to multiple strikes during the night, Kyiv military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said.

Russia used at least 430 drones and 18 missiles in the attack that left gaping holes in some city buildings, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

People hide in a metro station, being used as a bomb shelter, during a Russian attack in Kyiv yesterday. Photo: AP

Friday’s assault, which also targeted Odesa in the south and Kharkiv in the northeast, was mostly aimed at Kyiv, where drones and missiles smashed into high-rise apartment blocks, Zelenskiy said.

It was “a specially calculated attack to cause as much harm as possible to people and civilians,” he wrote on Telegram.

Moscow denies targeting civilian areas, with the Russian Ministry of Defense saying it carried out an overnight strike on Ukraine’s “military-industrial and energy facilities.”

Ukrainian officials scoffed at those claims, showing repeated damage to homes and public buildings.

The attack was the biggest on Kyiv in almost three weeks. Most recent Russian aerial attacks have aimed at electricity infrastructure around the country ahead of the bitter winter months.

Ukraine used its US-made Patriot air defense systems to repel the attack and shot down 14 missiles, Zelenskiy said.

In the Odesa region, Russian drones struck a busy street in Chornomorsk, killing two people and injuring seven others, regional military administration chief Oleh Kiper said.

City authorities warned that power and water outages are possible.

Eight of the capital’s 10 districts reported damage. Emergency crews fought fires in apartment blocks, debris from explosions was strewn across yards and cars parked in the streets were set ablaze.

In the wider Kyiv region, Russian strikes damaged critical infrastructure and private homes, injuring at least one civilian, regional military administration head Mykola Kalashnyk said.

The Russian Ministry of Defense yesterday said its air defense forces shot down 216 Ukrainian drones overnight over a number of Russian regions, including the annexed Crimea.

It did not mention missiles.

The Russian defense ministry accused Ukraine of hitting civilian facilities and claimed the overnight strike on Kyiv came in response to that.

More than 60 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over the southern Krasnodar region, 45 drones were destroyed over the Saratov region while another 19 were shot down over Crimea, it said.


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The US designated certain foreign affiliates of the left-wing Antifa movement as global terrorists in a move that expanded a crackdown on the loose collective of anti-fascist organizations the administration of US President Donald Trump has accused of spreading violence.

The US Department of State on Thursday said it listed several groups affiliated with Antifa in Germany, Italy and Greece as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, accusing them of using “political violence and terroristic acts” to achieve their goals.

The most prominent of the European groups targeted is the International Revolutionary Front, also known as the Informal Anarchist Federation. It first made itself known in 2003, when it sent explosive packages to then-European Commission president Romano Prodi. The group has also claimed responsibility for letter bombs sent in 2011 to former Deutsche Bank chief Josef Ackermann at his Frankfurt offices, and to Italian newspaper offices and foreign embassies.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pictured ahead of a meeting at the US Department of State in Washington on Thursday. Photo: EPA

Armed Proletarian Justice is the name of the group that took responsibility for planting a bomb, which failed to explode, outside the Athens riot police building in December 2023.

Two months later, a network calling itself the Revolutionary Class Self-Defense claimed credit for a bomb that was detonated at Greece’s Department of Labor. It also took credit for an explosion earlier this year outside the offices of the country’s main train company.

The last network is known as Antifa Ost, whose members were convicted of being involved in hammer attacks on neo-Nazis or suspected neo-Nazis in eastern Germany. Prosecutors also filed new charges against members of the network for allegedly attacking people they claimed were neo-Nazis in Budapest.

The move followed earlier actions that similarly targeted US-based groups associated with Antifa, which is short for “antifascist,” and references a movement that lacked a centralized leadership or defined organizational structure.

“Groups affiliated with this movement ascribe to revolutionary anarchist or Marxist ideologies, including anti-Americanism, ‘anti-capitalism’ and anti-Christianity, using these to incite and justify violent assaults domestically and overseas,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “The United States will continue using all available tools to protect our national security and public safety, and will deny funding and resources to terrorists, including targeting other Antifa groups across the globe.”

title: The US labels four Antifa networks in Europe as terrorists


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UNFAIRNESS UNPUNISHED: Airlines should get more than a meaningless fine for contravening already lopsided labor practices, flight attendant unions said   By Wu Liang-yi and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Regulators should punish airlines that contravene labor standards by penalties up to the loss of flying rights, flight attendant unions said in a protest at the Civil Aeronautics Bureau in Taipei yesterday.

More than 100 union members participated in the event organized by the Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union and the EVA Air Union, following the death of an EVA Airways flight attendant last month who was made to continue working despite falling gravely ill.

Union officials urged the bureau to amend regulations governing flight operations and flying rights, saying that airlines would not respect workers’ health and safety unless they face more stringent penalties for violating labor standards.

Airlines have repeatedly stymied efforts to update the rules governing flight operations to reflect changes made more than 10 years ago to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), resulting in meager protections for workers, they said.

Citing an example, union officials said most Taiwanese employers are required to give employees 11 hours of rest between shifts, compared with nine hours for large swathes of flight attendants.

Regulations governing flying rights should also be revised to punish airlines that repeatedly fail to abide by labor laws, as paltry fines have proven ineffective in curbing employer labor violations, they said.

EVA Airways has been cited for multiple labor standard violations, for which it paid just NT$2 million (US$64,205), union officials said.

The Civil Aeronautics Administration has repeatedly turned a blind eye to labor rights abuses by companies, despite being fully authorized and empowered to regulate these companies, they said.

The lack of provisions to penalize airlines that ignore labor standards has fostered a vicious cycle in which companies cut employee medical leave to retain their competitive edge, union officials said.

In response, bureau representatives said that the government held eight public hearings on the matter, but decided to table the issue after union and business representatives failed to come to an understanding.

Currently, labor standards governing the working conditions of flight attendants are determined by negotiated agreements between business and labor representatives in each company, they said.

The bureau is considering alternatives to improve conditions in the industry, they added.

On Oct. 8, a flight attendant, surnamed Sun (孫), died of undisclosed causes shortly after returning from a work assignment in Milan, Italy.

The death triggered a backlash from the nation’s labor groups, including the EVA Air Union, leading to threats of a boycott against the corporation’s marathon, which was eventually held on Oct. 26.

The airline’s handling of Sun’s death sparked public furor following revelations that the company had asked Sun to turn in a leave request.

Sun’s family slammed the airline’s handling of her death, particularly over a human resources manager’s demand for her to turn in paperwork for being absent at work, according to communications later leaked to the press.

Working conditions at the airline have been at the center of several high-profile labor disputes over the years, including a flight attendants’ strike in 2019 and a pilots’ strike last year.

title: Enforce penalties for labor violations: unions


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HEART HEALTH: Cardiovascular disease deaths dropped slightly, but a public health agency said that regular blood pressure checks at home can improve those numbers

Domestic mortality due to high blood pressure went down for the first time last year after a years-long upward trend, data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare showed yesterday.

Although the mortality rate dropped to 16 percent last year from 16.5 percent in 2023, there were still about 45,000 people dying of hypertensive cardiovascular diseases every year, it showed.

Data from the Health Promotion Administration also showed that one in every four Taiwanese adults has high blood pressure.

Health Promotion Administration officials and doctors yesterday pose at a news conference in Taipei to promote efforts to reduce the “three highs” of blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipids. Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times

With the goal of reducing mortality rates of “three highs” — high levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipids — by 30 percent by 2030, the agency yesterday held an event along with medical professional groups to raise public awareness of blood pressure management via preventive checkups, daily blood pressure self-monitoring and community-based blood pressure measurement stations.

Attending organizations included the Taiwan Medical Association, the Taiwan Stroke Society, the Taiwan Nurses Association and the Taiwan Association of Occupational Health Nurses.

Agency Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) said the “three highs” are highly intertwined and blood pressure control lies at the core of chronic disease prevention.

Whether blood pressure is measured at home or community-based stations would help monitor changes and aid doctors’ diagnosis, she said.

Blood pressure management is the key to achieving the goal of reducing mortality due to “three highs” by one-third by 2030, she added.

To help people manage their blood pressure in daily life, the agency has lowered the age threshold for free health checks to 30 years old, with the risk evaluation of “three highs” and health counseling services incorporated from this year to help younger people monitor their health and improve living habits.

The agency also promotes the “7-2-2 principle,” which encourages people to take their blood pressure twice at an interval of one minute both in the morning and in the night every day for seven consecutive days to get a more precise average reading.

The method can also help people build a habit of monitoring blood pressure by themselves and notice abnormalities as soon as possible, the agency said.

More than 3,000 blood pressure measurement stations have been set up around the nation, 700 of which were inspected and approved by the agency for providing reliable and convenient services across 22 administrative areas, it said, adding that people can bring their records to a doctor if they have abnormal blood pressure.

title: High blood pressure deaths improve slightly


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Ceramic artists from far and wide have come to Miaoli City to take part in the Third Taiwan International Chawan Festival, which highlights the production, use and aesthetics of handmade earthenware for use in Taiwanese tea ceremonies.

The theme of this year’s festival is “The Universe in the Chawan” — chawan (茶碗) means “tea bowl” — with events scheduled through tomorrow at the Miaoli Craft Park (苗栗工藝園區).

Tea bowls from Taiwan and elsewhere are displayed, while visitors can meet foreign ceramic artists hosted by the festival, including Martina Dielen of the Netherlands, Maryse Thibaud Boulesteix and Ariane Coissieux of France, and Alvin Ng of Singapore, organizers said.

Ceramic artists take part in the International Chawan Festival in Miaoli City in an undated photograph. Photo: Hakka Affairs Council

“It is especially touching for Taiwanese participants and festival organizers to have Volodymyr Kozhukalo, the ceramic artist from Ukraine, attending in person this year, as his country still suffers from war conflict and devastation by foreign invasion,” said Oscar Chen, artist liaison for the festival.

Chen said foreign artists attending the festival had the chance to tour mountain tea farms, use ceramic kilns and have exchanges with Taiwanese artists.

The visiting artists enjoyed the opportunity to try the many specialty teas in Taiwan, he said.

The first Chawan Festival took place in 2019, anchored around the chawan tea ceremony and a theme of “One is All,” followed by its second iteration in 2023, themed “The Circulation of Goodness,” festival curator Teng Shu-hui (鄧淑慧) said.

“When you cradle a bowl of tea in your hands and take a sip, the tea initiates a resonance between the senses of smell and taste that permeates through every inch of skin,” she said.

More than 400 tea bowls, made by 75 artists from 20 countries, are on display this year, Teng said.

“We want the audience to pause and appreciate each production,” Teng said.

Festival visitors have many activities they can participate in, according to the festival’s official Web site: Visitors can observe a tea ceremony hosted by masters of the art, learn about the history of tea growing in Taiwan, and watch traditional Hakka and Hoklo music performances.

Visitors can go to workshops for making chawan and tea pots, tea brewing demonstations or bamboo weaving classes, the Web site said.

title: Miaoli experiences totality in a teacup


title: Frigid fangs of winter beckon with cold temps

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Temperatures could dip to 14°C early on Wednesday next week in areas north of central Taiwan, as well as in Yilan and Hualien counties in the east, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday.

“Noticeable cooling” was expected across Taiwan on Wednesday, with lows of between 16°C and 17°C in southern Taiwan and Taitung County in the southeast, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said.

However, warmer conditions are expected over this weekend, Huang said, with daytime highs of 26°C to 27°C in northern Taiwan and Yilan and Hualien counties, and 28°C to 30°C in central and southern Taiwan and Taitung.

A woman bundles up against the cold in Taipei’s Neihu District on Jan. 13. Photo: CNA

Today, brief showers are expected in eastern Taiwan, while other parts of Taiwan proper would see mostly cloudy and slightly warm conditions, Huang said.

Moisture would increase slightly tomorrow, bringing scattered rain to greater Taipei, the north coast in Keelung, eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) in the south, he added.

Temperatures should start dropping Monday next week when a cold front moves south, Huang said, adding that the cooler weather would be most noticeable on Tuesday and Wednesday.


title: Bill aims to broaden  unmarried women’s reproductive rights

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By Chiu Chih-jou and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Amendments to a reproductive rights law focusing on women’s autonomy, and supporting single and queer women who want to have children have been submitted to the Executive Yuan, Health Promotion Administration Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) said yesterday.

Shen spoke to reporters before a news conference about blood pressure, saying that proposed amendments to the Assisted Reproduction Act (人工生殖法) supporting women’s reproductive autonomy are being reviewed by the Executive Yuan.

If a woman with viable eggs and a uterus wishes to get pregnant and give birth, the government should support her in realizing this dream, Shen said, adding that the scope of the amendment is limited to single and queer women.

HPA Director-General Shen Ching-fen speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times

Since Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, more queer couples have begun raising children, but surrogacy is still prohibited domestically and seeking it abroad is in a legal gray area.

Recently, controversy has erupted online concerning overseas surrogacy cases.

One surrogacy case in Mexico resulted in quadruplets that led to claims of “buying children,” while another person who used a US surrogate was criticized for posting an unedited birth video and dismissing the need for prenatal checkups.

Shen said that every person has their own preferences and did not comment on any specific case.

She said that the privacy, rights and autonomy of surrogates are of the utmost importance, and that the interests of the child should be at the core of any birth plan.

The provisions in this amendment require assessing both parties’ circumstances before proceeding with assisted reproduction to ensure that the arrangement can serve the best interests of the future child, Shen said.


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FRAUDULENT SCHEME: The entertainers allegedly paid someone to falsify their medical records, deliberately evading service and violating society’s expectations

Prosecutors yesterday requested that five entertainers be sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for evading mandatory military service, among the 12 indictments issued for similar offenses.

The five entertainers prosecutors requested prison sentences for are actors Hsiu Chieh-kai (修杰楷) and Chen Bo-lin (陳柏霖), boyband Energy members Chang Shu-wei (張書偉) and Hsieh Kunda (謝坤達), and former boyband Lollipop member Leow Jun-jie (廖俊傑).

As public figures, the entertainers get a lot of media attention and have considerable influence over public opinion, especially the younger generations, prosecutors said.

However, they still deliberately evaded military service, contrary to society’s expectations and shirking their responsibilities, they said.

Considering that their mandatory service period was one year and 10 months, prosecutors recommended that the court impose a prison sentence of two years and eight months.

The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday also indicted a suspect named Chen Chih-ming (陳志明) for contravening the Punishment Act for Violation to Military Service System (妨害兵役治罪條例) and document forgery.

Prosecutors said that all five entertainers paid Chen Chih-ming between NT$100,000 and NT$300,000 for falsified medical reports exempting them from military service in 2010 and 2011.

Chen Chih-ming allegedly directed them to request service status re-examinations and falsified 24-hour blood pressure readings to show hypertension, which exempted them from service, the indictment said.

From 2011 to 2014, Chen Chih-ming and an associate surnamed Lee (李) helped five other men, including one surnamed Ku (古), to obtain similar service exemptions, collecting fees ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$220,000, prosecutors said.

Chen Chih-ming exploited loopholes in the system, instructing men to hold their breath to affect blood-pressure readings or arranging stand-ins to take the tests, prosecutors said.

As he recruited accomplices, enabling many men to evade military service, prosecutors asked the court to impose a heavy sentence of six years in prison.

For others indicted in this case for evading service, prosecutors recommended a one-year prison sentence for those whose mandatory service period was four months, and two years and two months prison sentences for those whose service period was one year.

“We deeply regret our actions and will fully cooperate,” Hsieh Kunda’s agent said.

title: Prison urged for stars evading service


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NEW THREAT: As the new ship is capable of carrying fixed-wing aircraft and drones, it could launch attacks from the air as well as attempting to land by sea, a source said   By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer and AP

China yesterday began sea trials of its most advanced amphibious assault ship, a type of vessel that a Taiwanese military official said might pose a greater threat than traditional aircraft carriers.

The Sichuan Type 076 vessel, which set sail from Shanghai’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard, combines some of the attributes of an aircraft carrier and earlier amphibious assault ships, with the ability to launch aircraft and landing craft loaded with troops.

It is about half the size of the Fujian, the latest aircraft carrier commissioned by China on Friday last week, with a displacement of about 50,000 tonnes.

Both ships were indigenously designed and built.

Exact technical specifications have not been released, but amphibious assault ships could be faster than carriers, which gives them more operational flexibility, but they are more lightly protected against attack and cannot carry as many or as broad a range of aircraft.

Amphibious assault ships would be critical for an invasion of Taiwan, although Taiwan is also bristling with missile defense systems that could make any attempt costly.

The Sichuan is roughly similar to the US Navy’s America-class and Wasp-class amphibious assault ships.

However, it is equipped with the same modern electromagnetic catapult system that has been successfully tested on the Fujian carrier, while the US ships lack such launch systems and instead can only operate helicopters, and short or vertical take-off and landing planes.

Official Chinese media reported that the catapult system would allow the Sichuan to launch fixed-wing aircraft, but it was not yet clear whether it would be limited to drones or whether it could launch crewed fixed-wing aircraft like fighter jets.

That would likely become known during the later stages of the sea trials as the Sichuan’s capabilities are tested.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Taiwanese military source yesterday said that the Type 076 ships were more of a threat to Taiwan than traditional aircraft carriers.

As the new ship is capable of carrying fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, as well as drone hives, it could launch attacks from the air while attempting to land troops, they said.

To counter such threats, Taiwan should continue to develop and strengthen its asymmetrical combat capabilities while developing and deploying anti-ship missiles of increased range, the source said, citing the extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng III (雄風三) missiles as an example.

Taiwanese drones should have strike and reconnaissance capabilities built in, and should be able to work in conjunction with the air force and the navy, the source said.

Land-based mobile long-range strike capabilities must be developed and drilled so that such units can carry out joint force operations to deter enemy landings, the source said.

The military should mass-produce Chin Feng (勁蜂) drones developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology to conduct strikes against enemy surface ships and create opportunities for anti-surface missiles to penetrate enemy defenses, they added.

Institute for National Defense and Security Research assistant research fellow Jiang Hsin-biao (江炘杓) said that the Type 076, despite being the core element of China’s “new quality fighting force,” has its weaknesses.

As long as the Taiwanese military can target such weaknesses, it should not be any more challenging to handle than other ships, he said, adding that the flight and landing efficiency of the Type 076 was very low, and its landing support systems were hard-pressed to guarantee safe landings.

China has not said how long the Sichuan sea trials are to last.

title: China begins sea trials of new assault ship


content_text:
By Chen Cheng-yu, Liu Wan-lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday urged the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to back an increase in the national defense budget, after the KMT presented a poll showing that more than half of the public supports it.

According to the TVBS poll, 57 percent of respondents supported increasing the national defense budget, while 35 percent opposed it.

About 71 percent in the 20-to-29 age bracket supported the policy, topping all other age brackets, with 54 percent of respondents who identified themselves as politically neutral supporting the policy.

From left, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Huang Chien-hao, spokesperson Niu Hsu-ting and Legislator Yu Hao present the results of a poll in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times

Fifty-six percent of respondents said they were not worried that China would invade Taiwan, while 38 percent said they were.

Respondents who were KMT supporters comprised 41 percent of those who were worried, while 57 percent of KMT supporters were not concerned.

The poll saw 48 percent of respondents agree that China’s disinformation campaign against Taiwan was severe, compared with 32 percent who felt otherwise.

Sixty percent of respondents in the 20-to-29 age bracket believed that the Chinese disinformation campaign against Taiwan was severe.

DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) yesterday said that the KMT commissioned TVBS to conduct the poll, which might put the results at risk of being skewed by the “house effect.”

Nonetheless, the poll showed the majority supported strengthening national defense, she said.

As the KMT commissioned the poll, it should heed the public’s opinion and refrain from boycotting the national defense budget, she said.

Citing the same poll, the KMT said that 47 percent were dissatisfied with DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) performance, 29 percent were satisfied and 24 percent had no opinion.

KMT spokesperson Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) told a news conference that the results show that Shen’s support has not expanded beyond DPP supporters.

The poll also asked the public about their opinions on the Kuma Academy — which was founded by Shen — and the government’s general defense mobilization policies, with 33 percent supporting the academy and the policy, 32 percent opposing and 35 percent without an opinion, Niu said.

Asked separately about the poll, Shen said that it was meaningless.

He said he had no intention to run in an election, and that the general public was not familiar with him, further questioning the rationale for a poll about him.

The poll should have been about himself and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to contrast the victim and the aggressor, Shen said.

Shen denied that he had considered contesting the DPP primary for its Taipei mayoral candidate against Enoch Wu (吳怡農), who on Nov. 1 expressed his intent to seek the nomination.

TVBS conducted the poll on behalf of the KMT, with telephone interviews commencing on Oct. 31 and completed on Monday. The poll garnered 1,074 valid responses, and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points and a confidence level of 95 percent.

Additional reporting by Lee Wen-hsin

title: Poll shows most people back defense spending

people: 吳思瑤 習近平 牛煦庭


people: 林佳龍 賴清德

title: Saint Kitts and Nevis PM pledges to support Taiwan

content_text:
Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew yesterday pledged to continue advocating for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations during a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) in Taipei.

At the Presidential Office, Drew said that Taiwan and his country share values such as democracy, dignity and perseverance.

Drew added that he would continue advocating for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, including the WHO.

President William Lai, center, shakes hands with Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, left, as Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, right, looks on, at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office

Taiwan’s leadership strengthens the world, and the world deserves access to solutions proposed by Taiwan, he said.

Lai thanked Drew for his remarks at the UN General Assembly this year, including urging the international community to support Taiwan’s engagement and underscoring the importance of stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Noting that this is Drew’s third visit to Taiwan since taking office in 2022, he congratulated the prime minister on being awarded a Most Influential People of African Descent Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

Yesterday’s meeting came one day after the arrival of the Saint Kitts and Nevis delegation led by Drew, which includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Denzil Douglas, Ambassador-at-large Leon Natta-Nelson and Ambassador to Taiwan Donya L. Francis.

Also present at the meeting were Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Ambassador to Saint Kitts and Nevis Edward Tao (陶令文).

Drew during the visit is also overseeing the signing of sister-city partnership agreements between Taipei and Tainan, and Saint Kitts and Nevis’ capital, Basseterre.

The visit is to conclude on Monday.


title: DPP proposes resolution against Beijing intimidation

content_text:
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday proposed a resolution to condemn China amid reports that Beijing seeks to arrest DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏楊) for plotting “secession” from China.

Writing in the motion, the DPP caucus said that Beijing’s escalating campaign of intimidation poses an intolerable threat to national security, public safety and the rules-based international order.

Lawmakers from across the political divide are urged to unite in issuing the strongest possible condemnation for China’s attempt to criminalize Shen’s representation of his constituents and spread fear among Taiwanese, it said.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen walks in the main chamber at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

The resolution must emphasize that China has no jurisdiction in Taiwan and cannot prevent Taiwanese from engaging in activities by legal sanctions, it said.

Taiwanese enjoy inalienable rights and freedoms under the Constitution, which is not subject to China’s whims, it said.

Under the resolution, lawmakers would pledge to facilitate the government’s efforts to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, cooperation with global partners and measures to safeguard national sovereignty.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency last month reported that Shen is being probed by the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau on allegations of “secession-related” criminal activities, including launching the civil defense organization Kuma Academy.

On Thursday, Chinese police issued a wanted notice for YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝), also known as Pa Chiung (八炯), and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) for committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing.

DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said the DPP proposed the motion after Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) refused to issue a non-partisan condemnation of Beijing’s tactics.

The resolution has a slew of procedural hurdles to overcome and the DPP does not rule out that it could be killed before entering the legislature’s agenda, she said.

Lawmakers cannot afford to turn a blind eye to China’s attempt to silence political opponents outside of its sovereign territories when the UN has already condemned the practice as a form of human rights abuse, Wu said.

Lawmakers have a responsibility to speak up for the rights of Taiwanese before the global community, she said.

people: 吳思瑤 韓國瑜


title: Group visits Poland for Ukraine aid exhibition

content_text:
A delegation of more than 100 representatives of Taiwanese companies visited Poland with the aim of seeking business opportunities in the reconstruction of war-torn Ukraine.

The delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Cynthia Kiang (江文若), attended the “Rebuild Ukraine Exhibition” in Warsaw on Thursday and yesterday.

Kiang said the delegation was sent to Warsaw by the Ministry of Economic Affairs with the main goal of exploring opportunities to participate in the rebuilding of Ukraine, which shares a border with Poland.

Ministry of Economic Affairs officials and Taiwanese business representatives pose at Taiwan’s booth at the Rebuild Ukraine Exhibition in Warsaw on Thursday. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs

Taiwan would take advantage of Poland’s geographic proximity to Ukraine, Kiang told the Central News Agency, adding that Warsaw is a gateway to the Ukrainian and EU markets.

Many of the delegation’s more than 100 representatives from Taiwanese companies are very interested in participating in reconstruction work in Ukraine, while others are seeking business opportunities elsewhere in Europe, she said.

To that end, Taiwan set up a pavilion at the Rebuild Ukraine Exhibition this year for the first time since the trade fair was launched five years ago, according to the ministry.

The Taiwan Pavilion, the only Asian one at the exhibition, highlights Taiwan’s strengths in areas such as machinery and machine tool manufacturing, and its advancements in the fields of energy storage, smart manufacturing and smart city development, the ministry said.

Taiwan’s participation in the exhibition is one of the best ways to show the country’s commitment to participating in Ukraine’s reconstruction, in addition to displaying its technologies and products on the world stage, Kiang said.

Speaking at the opening of the Taiwan Pavilion, Kiang said Taiwan has built a comprehensive information and communications technology (ICT) cluster and supply chain.

Taiwan’s flexibility and ability to tailor its products to the needs of customers are recognized in the global market, which proves its capabilities to provide reliable and timely assistance to Ukraine in the fields of technology and equipment, she said.

On Wednesday, the ministry hosted a “Taiwan Night” event at the exhibition, with government officials, lawmakers, and about 200 representatives from enterprises in Taiwan, Poland and Ukraine discussing business opportunities.

In addition to attending the exhibition, the Taiwanese delegation also visited Poland’s three primary hubs for its ICT sector — Lodz, Katowice and Wroclaw, together known as the Poland ICT triangle — to gain insights into the country’s latest industrial developments and potential.

Kiang said the presence of her delegation, the largest Taiwanese business group ever sent to Poland, was an indication of Taiwan’s interest in cooperation with the European country, which would hopefully lead to a reciprocal and virtuous cycle for the two economies.

Taiwan has set its sights on working closely with like-minded democratic countries to build a non-China supply chain and become a trusted partner, she said.

Taiwanese renewable energy companies are hoping to forge close cooperation with their Polish counterparts, while Taiwan’s machinery industry, which has adopted artificial intelligence technologies, is interested in participating in Poland’s smart manufacturing development, Kiang said.


content_text:
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) adopted a declaration at its annual summit in Brussels last week, reaffirming that maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait is vital to preserving peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

During the summit, IPAC members also said that actions perceived as undermining the cross-strait “status quo” are not limited to military aggression.

The members agreed on three other scenarios that would be deemed violations of the “status quo” — obstructing Taiwan’s self-governance or its ability to secure its borders, economy and society; preventing Taiwan or other states from engaging in substantive international relations; and imposing a political settlement not agreed to by Taiwan’s citizens or elected representatives.

From left, then-British MP Tim Loughton, MP Conservative Iain Duncan Smith and then-British MP Stewart McDonald hold a press conference in London on March 25 last year.  Photo: AFP

“Activity from Beijing contravening these principles should be seen as a violation of the Status Quo, and trigger a proportionate international response,” the declaration said.

Democracies should urgently agree on a common strategy to recognize, clarify and defend the “status quo,” deterring escalation in the Taiwan Strait, while signaling to Beijing that any escalation would carry significant political and economic costs, IPAC said in the declaration, which also called for unhindered maritime traffic through the Taiwan Strait.

The respective governments in IPAC member states should “continue to resist Beijing’s distortion of international law regarding Taiwan, especially UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, and clarify that the prohibition of the use of force as set out in the UN Charter applies to Taiwan,” the declaration said.

The declaration was adopted at the fifth annual IPAC summit, which was held on Friday and Saturday last week at the European Parliament in Brussels and attended by cross-party lawmakers from 28 countries.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) also attended the summit and delivered an address, marking the first time that a sitting Taiwanese vice president had visited a non-allied country and spoken in the European Parliament.

IPAC is a global alliance of lawmakers from various countries and political parties, seeking to reform their governments’ policies on China.

title: Cross-strait ‘status quo’ vital to peace: IPAC


title: Big iron

content_text: Taiwanese powerlifter Chiang Kai-chieh competes in the men’s 83kg event at the International Powerlifting Federation World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships in Romania on Wednesday. He won gold with a deadlift of 332.5kg.


content_text: A performer raises a fist in the air during the opening of this year’s Christmasland in New Taipei City’s Banciao District yesterday. The event, themed “Circus Carnival” and featuring Line Friends, is to end on Dec. 28.

title: Celebrations begin


content_text:
RE100 INITIATIVE: Exporters need sufficient supplies of renewable energy to meet their global commitments and remain competitive, the economics ministry said

Local export-oriented manufacturers, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), require sufficient supplies of green energy to maintain their competitiveness and regulations already ensure that renewable energy development adheres to environmental protection principles, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday, as the legislature imposed further restrictions on solar panel installations.

The opposition-led Legislative Yuan yesterday passed third readings to proposed amendments to three acts — the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (環境影響評估法), the Act for the Development of Tourism (發展觀光條例) and the Geology Act (地質法) — which would largely prohibit the construction of solar panels in some areas.

The amendments stipulate that ground-mounted solar panels should not be installed in national scenic areas or geologically sensitive zones without environmental impact assessment approval.

Ground-mounted solar panels are pictured at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Jan. 8. Photo on courtesy of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

The amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment Act must not impede green energy development or undermine industry competitiveness, as local enterprises require green energy to secure customer orders, the ministry said.

Export-oriented enterprises, such as contract chipmakers TMSC and United Microelectronics Corp (聯電), and iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) have joined the RE100 initiative to reach carbon neutrality, matching the promises of customers to use green energy entirely within a specific period, the ministry said.

As of Wednesday, the combined market value of companies that had joined the RE100 initiative totaled NT$52 trillion (US$1.67 trillion), and “dealing a blow to green energy [development] would be equal to dealing a blow to Taiwan’s competitiveness,” it said.

The companies rely on stable and sufficient supply of green energy to meet international requirements and maintain their global standing, it said.

Earlier yesterday, prior to the passage of the amendments, the Taiwan Photovoltaic Industry Association and six other renewable energy industry associations issued a joint statement calling for public and transparent hearings before new restrictions are imposed.

As renewable energy policies are tied to the nation’s competitiveness, energy security and long-term development, transparent and comprehensive discussions should be held first, the associations said in the statement.

As the amendments would affect land use rules, as well the ecology, green energy supply and electricity deployment for semiconductor and artificial intelligence companies, it is a significant issue that requires careful examination, they said.

Only when a consensus is reached would the nation avoid jeopardizing green energy development, and safeguard environmental protection and national competitiveness, they said.

The associations added that they were willing to continue discussions with the opposition Taiwan People’s Party to amend the law in a manner that best serves the environment, industry and the nation.

The proposed amendments could cause the nation to fall behind in green energy development and undermine Taiwan’s international competitiveness, they said.

If the restrictions are too severe, it could also affect Taiwan’s ability to participate effectively in the RE100 initiative, weaken power supply stability and disrupt semiconductor supply chain deployment, they said.

Insufficient renewable energy could also increase operational risks for enterprises and jeopardize investment willingness, creating long-term effects on Taiwan’s economy, they said.

The associations said they support improvements to environmental protection and are willing to work with environmental organizations, experts and the government to review and refine the management and review mechanisms for environmentally sensitive areas.

Only through open dialogue and consensus-building can Taiwan develop a governance framework that balances environmental sustainability, green energy supply and international competitiveness, they said.

title: Ministry warns after solar rules changed


content_text:
SHIPBUILDING COMPONENT: The deal has a schedule for implementation of projects selected by the US, with Seoul required to transfer funds within 45 days

The US and South Korea yesterday released details of a trade agreement that includes a US$150 billion South Korean investment in the shipbuilding sector in the US and an additional US$200 billion earmarked for industrial sectors, the two countries said.

The joint announcement followed a meeting last month between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and US President Donald Trump, during which they agreed to a deal that would cut US import duties on South Korea’s products to 15 percent from 25 percent.

“Finally, the South Korea-US trade, commerce and security negotiations, which were among the biggest variables affecting our economy and security, are ... concluded,” Lee said yesterday. “Good competition requires excellent partners and I believe President Trump’s rational decision played a significant role in achieving meaningful agreement.”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (C) speaks during a press conference as he announces the conclusion of a joint fact sheet on trade and security agreements with the US at the Presidential Office in Seoul on November 14, 2025 Photo: AFP

South Korean Minister of Trade and Industry Kim Jung-kwan and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick signed a memorandum of understanding, a 27-point non-binding document on strategic investments.

The document lays out a schedule for implementation of projects that would be selected by the US president after consultations with South Korea, and Seoul is required to transfer funds within 45 days of the decisions.

The announcement of the trade deal caps more than three months of wrangling over Trump’s tariffs that have targeted trading partners around the world. South Korea was alarmed by the prospect of crushing duties on key exports such as semiconductors and autos.

Under the agreement, Lee said that South Korea would form a new partnership with the US on shipbuilding, artificial intelligence and the nuclear industry, helping its ally “rebuild crucial industries, just as the US helped South Korea in the past.”

A fact sheet released by the White House said that the US gave approval for South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines and would work closely with Seoul to find “avenues to source fuel.”

Washington also accepted South Korea’s request that US$200 billion in cash investments would come in installments no larger than US$20 billion a year in an effort to keep the won stable.

The fact sheet said the countries agreed that South Korea’s investments should not “give rise to market instability.”

If signs of instability appeared, South Korea could seek an “adjustment in the amount and timing of the funding, and the United States will, in good faith, give due consideration to such request,” it said.

The US would cut tariffs on South Korean products including autos to 15 percent from 25 percent.

Semiconductors would be subject to tariff terms no less favorable than those for Taiwan, a presidential adviser said.

The agreement with Washington showed that Lee made inroads on major security and energy initiatives by paving the way to build nuclear-powered submarines and expanding its nuclear energy capabilities.

Lee’s national security adviser said that the countries had discussed the issue of nuclear-powered submarines on the “premise” that the vessels would be built in South Korea.

Trump previously said that the submarines would be built in a South Korean-owned shipyard in Philadelphia.

Under the deal, the US pledged to cooperate on finding a way for South Korea to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel.

Analysts said that it was too early to say whether South Korea got a better deal than Europe and Japan.

Kim Dong-yup, a former South Korean navy officer at Kyungnam University in Changwon-si, said that the agreement on nuclear energy and security meant Seoul had to pay much more for defense, but Lee was faced “with an inevitable choice.”

title: US, South Korea unveil details of trade agreement


content_text:
US Treasury, Taiwan reaffirm pledges against currency manipulation

The U.S. Treasury and Taiwan’s central bank on Friday said they agreed to continue close consultations on macroeconomic and foreign exchange rate matters and both pledged to avoid manipulating the value of their currencies to gain a competitive advantage.

In a joint statement issued by the U.S. Treasury, they said that there were cases where intervention in foreign exchange markets could be considered.

But this "should be reserved for combating excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates, with the expectation that this tool would be considered equally appropriate for addressing excessively volatile or disorderly depreciation or appreciation."

Central bank Governor Yang Chin-long speaks at the press conference in Taipei after the bank wrapped up a quarterly meeting on June 19. Photo: CNA

The Treasury had kept Taiwan on its "monitoring list" for extra foreign exchange rate scrutiny as part of its latest semi-annual currency report, which found in June that no major trading partner was manipulating its currency for a trade advantage.

Taiwan’s central bank issued a separate statement in which it reiterated that the U.S. Treasury did not ask for the Taiwan dollar to appreciate.

In May, a surge in the Taiwan dollar’s value to a two-year high against the greenback had

prompted speculation

that this was because of a demand by Washington for an appreciation, which Taiwan’s president denied.

"During the consultations, the U.S. Treasury Department never requested an appreciation of the Taiwan dollar," Taiwan’s central bank said in the statement on Friday. "Moving forward, the bank and the U.S. Treasury Department will continue to exchange views on macroeconomic and exchange rate policies based on our positive working relationship."

Taiwan’s central bank said it committed that starting in 2026, it would move to quarterly disclosures of its currency interventions from its current semi-annual disclosure rate.

The bank said that the statement was unrelated to joint Taiwan-US tariff negotiations as it is not a member of a cabinet-level Taiwan-U.S. Economic and Trade Working Group.


content_text:
Chip packaging service provider Powertech Technology Inc (力成科技) yesterday said it plans to acquire a facility from AUO Corp (友達) for NT$6.9 billion (US$221.51 million) in a bid to expand advanced packaging capacity as customer demand is outpacing its supply amid an artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

The deal would accelerate ramping up of Powertech’s first fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP) technology to satisfy fast-rising demand for the advanced technology used in AI, high-performance computing and vehicle chips, Powertech said in a statement.

Powertech has received positive customer feedback about its FOPLP technology, with orders greatly surpassing capacity, it said.

Powertech Technology Inc chairman D.K. Tsai attends an investors’ conference in Hsinchu County on Oct. 24, 2023. Photo: Grace Hung, Taipei Times

It can only commit to delivering half of the potential orders it has fielded, Powertech chairman Tsai Du-kung (蔡篤恭) told an earnings conference two weeks ago.

Powertech said in the statement that it expects its first FOPLP production line to enter volume production in 2027, following a decade of heavy investment.

The company plans to spend US$1 billion on the new packaging technologies next year, it said.

Advanced packaging technology has become a core strength for semiconductor companies to gain a competitive edge, as such technology can support increasing AI computing power demand, the statement said.

Powertech uses large rectangular panels that can offer at least three times greater production throughput than other advanced packaging technologies that use a circular, 12-inch wafer as a carrier, it said.

AUO expects to book a disposal gain of NT$3.85 billion from selling the less-advanced LCD manufacturing plant in Hsinchu, codenamed L3C, along with manufacturing equipment, the flat-panel maker said in a separate statement submitted to the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

The plant was originally used to produce flat-panel PC displays.

The transaction is the latest in efforts by AUO to dispose of less-advanced fabs as it seeks to improve its financial structure.

The latest deal is part of its “asset light” strategy and asset rejuvenation policy, AUO said.

title: Powertech to acquire a facility from AUO Corp


content_text:
Elevator manufacturer Golden Friends Corp (崇友實業) reported a 30 percent year-on-year increase in net profit for the third quarter to NT$322 million (US$10.34 million), driven by steady shipments of new elevators and resilient replacement demand.

Revenue from new installations accounted for 47.85 percent of overall sales in the quarter, while replacement projects contributed 11.33 percent, highlighting its balanced business model, the Taipei-based company said.

Smooth shipments and replacement demand supported consistent growth in operations and revenue, Golden Friends said.

Golden Friends Corp president Yu Pen-li poses for a photograph at Taipei 101 on Dec. 24 last year. Photo: CNA

Moreover, long-term investment in maintenance services has improved earnings quality, it said.

A comprehensive service framework, a well-trained technical team and a digitalized dispatch system enable the firm to respond promptly to customer needs, improve service efficiency and sustain high renewal rates, it said.

That explains why recurring income from maintenance and service has remained a key profitability driver, it said.

Gross margins improved to 31.32 percent, attributed to a diversified product mix across residential, healthcare and commercial segments, Golden Friends said.

The company also credited tighter procurement discipline, optimized component sourcing, more efficient inventory management and cost-structure adjustments for margin gains.

It expects demand from urban renewal projects, renovations at aging buildings and industrial zone development to continue to support growth in new installations and replacements, it said.

With a healthy backlog of new orders, Golden Friends plans to deepen supply-chain integration, streamline engineering processes and enhance labor flexibility to ensure smooth execution, it said.

In the first three quarters of this year, net profit grew 19.74 percent to NT$895 million, or earnings per share (EPS) of NT$5.06, a record for the nine-month period.

In contrast, housing agency Hiyes International Co (海悅國際開發) faced significant headwinds, reporting a 70.8 percent decline in net profit in the first three quarters to NT$596 million, or EPS of NT$3.61.

Hiyes International said that the drop was due to a weak presale housing market, with few new project launches in the third quarter, and limited room to adjust prices on existing developments.

Despite mild easing in September, mortgage terms remain restrictive, which is keeping the real-estate brokerage sector in a seasonal lull, it said.

Hiyes International booked NT$200 million in non-operating losses due to tariff pressures, housing policy challenges and higher financing costs, it said.

Tax expenses further reduced income by NT$300 million, it said.

The company said that it would continue to leverage its nationwide brokerage network and targeted sales strategies to capture demand across Taiwan’s real-estate market, ensuring a steady flow of agency projects.

Revenue momentum is expected to be stable this quarter, underpinned by contributions from key property projects near high-speed rail stations in Miaoli County and Taichung, it said.

It would closely monitor the central bank’s credit policies and the availability of mortgage resources for buyers with real demand — key factors that could revive market activity, it added.

title: Golden Friends reports rise in profit


content_text:
China’s economic activity cooled more than expected at the start of the fourth quarter, with an unprecedented slump in investment and slower growth in industrial output adding to a drag from sluggish consumption.

Industrial production climbed 4.9 percent last month from a year earlier, according to data released by the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics yesterday, down from 6.5 percent in September.

The median forecast of economists in a Bloomberg survey was for an increase of 5.5 percent.

A worker checks carbon fibre in production line at a bicycle factory in Lianyungang, eastern China`s Jiangsu province on November 14, 2025. Photo: AFP

Fixed-asset investment shrank 1.7 percent in the first 10 months of the year, a record decline for the period.

Capital spending on infrastructure barely increased and growth in manufacturing outlays slowed, while property investment slid further.

Retail sales gained 2.9 percent, slowing for the fifth straight month in the longest such streak since 2021.

The surveyed urban unemployment rate dropped slightly to 5.1 percent.

“The economy is facing quite a few challenges given the multiple unstable and uncertain factors in the external environment and rather big pressure on economic restructuring within the country,” the bureau said in a statement accompanying the data release.

Officials would “actively facilitate the implementation” of existing policies, it said, likely suggesting that Beijing is not yet in a hurry to provide more help for the economy.

The market had a muted reaction to the disappointing data, with the yuan and Chinese government bonds trading little changed.

title: China’s economy falters amid investment slump


title: Power up

content_text: A man takes a photograph of a Son Goku figurine in front of a Dragon Ball store at a shopping mall near Tokyo Station yesterday.


title: EDITORIAL: Housing step one for birthrate issue

content_text:
The Ministry of the Interior on Sunday announced that new public housing is expected to reach nearly 100,000 units by 2029, with one-fifth designated as “family housing” for newlyweds and families with children. The plan is part of a national effort to raise Taiwan’s record-low birthrate. Ministry data show that fewer than 200,000 babies have been born each year for eight consecutive years, sinking to a low of just 134,800 last year.

The new housing policy is a welcome development. Housing insecurity is a major obstacle for many young couples, who often face a painful trade-off between having children and buying a home. Stabilizing housing prices and providing affordable rental options could help ease some of that pressure. While it is a step in the right direction, it is just one piece of a much larger and more complex puzzle. If the government truly hopes to reverse the demographic decline, it must start by understanding why people — particularly women — are not having children. That requires listening to women, and confronting the real economic and social barriers they face.

A Ministry of Health and Welfare survey conducted last year found that more than one in four female respondents aged 15 to 64 do not want to have children. In particular, those aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 34 who do not want children surged to 45.9 percent and 37.4 percent respectively. The top reasons they cited were “financial burdens” and “unwillingness to change lifestyles” — a consequence of the harsh reality that for Taiwanese women, the cost of motherhood is too high.

Having and raising children is expensive, from the medical costs of pregnancy and childbirth to food, childcare and education expenses. Moreover, wages are stagnant, while the cost of living continues to climb.

The lifestyle changes women refer to are very real opportunity costs. For many Taiwanese women, having a child means sacrificing professional ambitions, financial independence and personal freedom. Studies show that female workplace participation drops sharply after the age of 29, coinciding with marriage and motherhood. The rate never recovers — unlike in Japan and South Korea, where participation rebounds later in life. This highlights numerous systemic failings — the lack of affordable childcare, inflexible work arrangements and a deeply unequal division of household labor. It is no surprise that many young Taiwanese women see motherhood as a trap rather than a feasible option. In a labor system that rewards seniority, having a child means giving up years of career progress and financial security — so why do it?

Women’s underrepresentation in the workforce adds to Taiwan’s looming labor shortage. The government has proposed expanding access to foreign domestic helpers to address this, but it would still be costly for young families and fail to address the deeper issues. Parents should be able to care for their own children without sacrificing their careers. Expanding public housing is a good start to easing the financial burden of child rearing, but to truly tackle the birthrate crisis would require a more comprehensive package of family-friendly reforms.

In addition to public housing, the government should consider refundable child tax credits, expand state-subsidized childcare programs and tax breaks for child-related expenses, as well as urge employers to offer flexible or remote work options for parents of young children. However, even more urgent is the need for a major cultural shift — one that challenges the assumption that caregiving is solely a woman’s responsibility. Designated family housing is a step in the right direction, but it can not provide relief from the other social and economic pressures unique to women.

Parenthood can feel like an impossible choice. Taiwanese women need options and it is time that the government starts listening.


content_text:
The crises of climate change and public health require urgent, coordinated action. The collaboration between India and Taiwan is very promising. Both are resilient Indo-Pacific democracies facing rising temperatures, extreme weather and pollution. Together, they could build a model linking the sustainable development goals of climate action and promoting health and well-being.

Climate change has become a public health emergency. It brings heat exhaustion, air pollution and the spread of disease. India’s extreme heat waves cost lives and livelihoods. Taiwan, hit by stronger typhoons and hotter summers, faces a similar strain on its health system. India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change and Human Health links environmental changes with disease patterns. Taiwan’s monitoring systems connect weather, air quality and health data. Both recognize that effective adaptation requires strong institutions and reliable information.

The foundation already exists. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the trade council hosted the 2022 Taiwan-India SME Cooperation Forum on smart health and medical devices. That year also saw digital-health workshops and the Living Lab on Big Data Analytics. Since 2023, collaboration widened through new research links and regional health dialogues. During India’s COVID-19 crisis, Taiwan offered oxygen concentrators and medical supplies. These experiences could lead to structured cooperation on telemedicine, disease forecasting and healthcare resilience.

Taiwanese companies such as Delta Electronics, Foxlink and Advantech have invested in India’s smart-city and renewable-energy projects, providing low-carbon systems and electric-mobility solutions. Their work supports India’s energy transition and reduces air pollution. India’s affordable pharmaceuticals and vaccines could reinforce Taiwan’s health security. A partnership built on green technology and health innovation would connect national goals.

Indian and Taiwanese universities, including IIT Madras, IIT Bombay and National Taiwan University, collaborate on climate modeling, disaster risk reduction and biomedical engineering. Joint work on typhoon and monsoon forecasting and climate data analysis could improve early warnings.

Healthcare systems must also change. Extreme weather disrupts power, damages facilities and spreads waterborne diseases. Taiwan’s experience with energy-efficient, disaster-resilient hospitals complements India’s push to equip rural health centers with solar power and digital tools. A joint “climate-smart healthcare” initiative could merge clean energy and health preparedness into one cohesive framework.

Regarding finance, both governments have issued green and sustainability bonds, yet projects connecting health and climate often fall through policy gaps. A shared “climate-health finance” platform could attract investments for heat-resilient housing, clean air zones and pollution control.

Development banks and private investors see that protecting health is a form of climate action. The barriers are political, not practical. Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN limits its role in global forums, while India’s size complicates implementation. Quiet, evidence-based cooperation offers a way forward that avoids geopolitics while delivering results.

The Indo-Pacific region’s stability relies as much on resilience as on security. Rising temperatures, pollution and disease outbreaks threaten health and growth. Heat waves already cause more deaths than any other climate hazard. These pressures could reverse years of development gains. This partnership also helps bridge a long-standing policy gap: the tendency to treat climate and health as separate agendas. Air pollution, extreme heat and flooding link environmental change directly to public health.

For India, the task is to make health central to climate strategy, considering clean air, safe water and resilient healthcare as national adaptation goals. For Taiwan, the opportunity lies in sharing its technological and public health expertise.

In a region shaped by uncertainty, the India-Taiwan partnership offers a practical source of hope. When climate policy protects health and when health systems adapt to a hotter world, both societies gain security and dignity. By aligning sustainable development goals, the two nations could help lead Asia toward a future where resilience and well-being reinforce each other.

Sutandra Singha is an independent researcher with a doctorate in international studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, specializing in climate change.

title: Partnership on climate and health


content_text:
Families that hire foreign domestic caregivers are required to pay an employment stabilization fee of NT$2,000 (US$64) per month, or NT$24,000 per year, which is not tax deductible. Companies that hire migrant workers are exempt from paying such fees once they are reclassified as “intermediate-skilled foreign workers.” Even if they do pay the fees, the full amount is tax deductible. This policy is unfair to households.

The purpose of the employment stabilization fee is to protect the rights of foreign domestic workers and ensure social stability. Prior to hiring a foreign caregiver, household employers must first post job openings for local workers — they can only hire a foreign worker if no one applies.

However, Ministry of Health and Welfare data show that there are more than 1 million people in Taiwan with registered disabilities. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of tens of thousands of long-term care workers. Taiwanese caregivers are either unable or unwilling to take on full-day jobs. Thus, foreign caregivers fill a genuine gap in the labor market; they are not taking jobs away from locals. Household employers should not be penalized with employment stabilization fees.

In contrast, employers who hire intermediate-skilled foreign workers might actually crowd out job opportunities for Taiwanese workers, yet they are exempt from paying such fees and even allowed to hire additional migrant workers. While this policy aims to help industries retain talent, it effectively imposes a “caregiving tax” on families with elderly or disabled individuals, robbing the poor to benefit the rich.

It also forces highly educated Taiwanese, especially women, to leave the workforce to care for elderly family members or children, exacerbating talent retention issues. Although employers collectively pay more than NT$10 billion into the employment stabilization fund each year, the fund’s committee lacks representation from households who employ caregivers, and its decisionmaking and fund allocation processes lack transparency.

This is the Ministry of Finance’s double standard: The employment stabilization fee is a business expense for companies, but a living expense for households. The same exact sum is interpreted entirely differently.

President William Lai (賴清德) has acknowledged Taiwan’s pressing demographic challenges — from record-low birthrates and an aging population, to labor shortages and talent outflow. He has instructed the Executive Yuan to consider allowing families with at least one child under the age of 12 to hire foreign domestic helpers, in addition to proposing that the employment stabilization fee be raised to NT$8,000 per month. If the government aims to increase tax revenue from foreign domestic workers, it should simultaneously reduce or waive the monthly NT$2,000 employment stabilization fee currently paid by families employing foreign domestic caregivers.

The ultimate goal should be to fully open up the employment of foreign domestic workers without placing restrictions on the scope of their job responsibilities — whether they are domestic helpers hired to assist with childcare, cleaning or managing household chores, or domestic caregivers tasked with caring for elderly or disabled family members.

For families without children or elderly members that hire foreign domestic helpers purely to assist with general household chores, the policy could follow the model applied to factory employers — a higher monthly employment stabilization fee of NT$8,000 to control demand. Conversely, families raising children under 12 years old or caring for people with severe disabilities should be fully exempt from paying employment stabilization fees, so that both caregiving and household work receive adequate support, thereby allowing more Taiwanese to re-enter the workforce.

Families that are willing to take on the responsibilities of raising children and caring for the elderly could hire foreign domestic workers, as doing so would enable dual-income parents to return to the workforce. This would not only increase household incomes, but would also assist Taiwan in addressing the challenges of low birthrates and an aging population by both strengthening the labor force and stabilizing the economy.

If citizens are able to care for their children and elders with peace of mind while remaining employed, they can help the nation prepare for its future. Families should not be punished or regarded as depriving locals of job opportunities simply because they hire migrant workers.

The Ministry of Labor should implement the following actions to cultivate a happier Taiwan:

First, the government should stop collecting employment stabilization fees from households hiring foreign workers to care for household members with severe disabilities.

Second, it should completely relax restrictions on the hiring of foreign domestic workers and use pricing to distinguish between their job responsibilities — a fee of NT$8,000 should be applied for general household help, while no fees should be charged for childcare and elderly care.

Next, households that employ foreign domestic caregivers should be allowed representation in the employment stabilization fund’s committee, while fund usage reports should be publicly disclosed and its annual budget subject to review by the Legislative Yuan. This would ensure that the fund’s tens of billions of NT dollars benefit families requiring caregiving assistance, rather than subsidizing industries.

Finally, households should be given the same tax treatment as businesses. Employment stabilization fees and other related hiring expenses should be listed as itemized deductions on individual income tax, thereby restoring tax fairness for families with caregiving needs.

Hiring foreign domestic caregivers is not about stealing jobs from local workers; it is an unavoidable choice made out of necessity. Foreign domestic workers are not a luxury; they enable small families to free up their time and participate in the workforce. Abolishing employment stabilization fees for families hiring foreign domestic caregivers and adopting differentiated rates for other foreign domestic workers are steps on the path toward restoring fairness for all Taiwanese families and achieving true equity.

Heidi Chang is an assistant professor at I-Shou University’s International College.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: Waiving fees for caregiving hires


people: 賴清德 習近平

title: Taiwanese will not be silenced  by fear

content_text:
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) is being investigated by the Chinese government for the crime of “separatism” and was smeared in a so-called “expose” by state-run China Central Television (CCTV). The Chinese campaign is more than intimidation of an individual; it is part of an ongoing program of psychological warfare against Taiwanese. Although China’s move is a weaponization of the law with state media as cheerleader, its ultimate goal is not a legal outcome, but to create a chilling effect that drives Taiwanese to self-censor.

Despite the barefaced nature of these political threats, there are domestic voices that have responded with mockery and deflection from the crux of the matter. By some perverse logic, opposition legislators have called on President William Lai (賴清德) to “self-reflect” rather than condemn China. If it were not for China’s sustained military threats, information infiltration and diplomatic suppression, Taiwan would have no need for legislation like the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法), which Shen advocated. What needs to be examined is not the government’s defense, but the reality of Chinese interference.

China’s decision to target Shen was not random and must be understood in its wider context. First, last month’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) failed to secure any US move against Taiwan, leading to Chinese frustration and renewed pressure on Taipei. Second, Beijing’s commemoration of the 80th anniversary of “Taiwan’s retrocession” and the “seven benefits of unification” proposed by China’s top Taiwan policy official Wang Huning (王滬寧) appear as gestures of goodwill, but in fact lay the rhetorical groundwork for a crackdown on supposed “Taiwanese independence forces.” Third is the resurgence of “wolf warrior”-style diplomacy and a willingness to defy international norms. Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian’s (薛劍) now-deleted threats against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and China’s warnings of diplomatic retaliation if the UK does not approve plans for its new embassy in central London are both prime examples.

It is clear that the CCP’s actions are an affront to Taiwan’s democracy. If China could get away with throwing around labels of “troublemaking separatists,” next could be anyone who dares to criticize it. Throughout history, this kind of labeling and persecution has always been one of the most destructive weapons in the arsenal of authoritarian regimes.

The government — in particular the Mainland Affairs Council, which is responsible for overseeing cross-strait relations — has made its position clear. It is working on cooperation across ministries and with like-minded allies on responses to Chinese threats. It could consider the following measures:

First, China’s cross-border intimidation of Taiwanese officials should be classified as a national security issue that is antagonistic to democratic governance. Second, Taiwan should work with diplomatic allies to establish mechanisms for resisting transnational repression and ensure that Taiwanese targeted by China would not face extradition or detention overseas. Third, it should investigate formal and informal channels of exchanges with China, and suspend contact with any individuals or organizations involved in propaganda, infiltration or judicial coercion.

Taiwan must not be constrained or silenced by fear. It must not retreat in the face of authoritarian bullying, but respond with conviction in its institutions, judiciary and democratic values. Only then can it gain the understanding and support of the global community.

Wang Hung-jen is a professor at National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Political Science.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader


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


content_text:
The world, including North Korea, has dramatically changed since 2019

Thank goodness that US President Donald Trump did not — despite speculation that he might — meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while the US president was visiting the Korean peninsula last month for an economic gathering.

That is because “we’re not ready for a summit” between these two, and “if there is another summit, it might end very badly,” said Joel Wit, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center.

Wit should know. He has been either participating in or observing the fraught relations between the US and North Korea since the 1990s, when he was at the US Department of State, and helped negotiate and implement the so-called Agreed Framework. It was supposed to freeze North Korea’s nuclear program in return for fuel oil and light-water reactors from the US. Instead, the North Koreans kept building their weapons in secret and the agreement collapsed. So did all other US attempts to denuclearize the Kim dynasty, a history of failure that Wit chronicles in his new book.

Today, North Korea is estimated to have between 50 and 90 nukes, and all manner of delivery vehicles, including ones that can reach the continental US — the resulting anxieties about nuclear Armageddon captivate even Hollywood. Uncomfortably for Trump, he, like at least four of his predecessors, bears part of the blame, not least for the three flashy but failed summits he held with Kim in his first term.

The problem is not just that Trump overestimates himself as a dealmaker and peacemaker, it is also that he would not listen to advisers because “he thinks, because he had three summits with Kim, that no one knows him better,” Wit said.

Worse yet, Trump thinks he is still “dealing with the North Korea of 2019,” he added.

Instead, the geopolitical and strategic situation has changed beyond recognition, and unambiguously to the detriment of the US side.

To understand those changes, I asked Robert Carlin, another veteran of the US’ attempts to denuclearize North Korea — he used to run the State Department’s in-house intelligence gathering about the Korean peninsula and is now, like Wit, at the Stimson Center.

Here is the contrast between Pyongyang’s position and mindset then — from the 1990s to roughly the Trump-Kim summits — and now:

Back then, North Korea was isolated. Even Russia and China were working with the US toward Pyongyang’s denuclearization — within the so-called Six-Party Talks and on the UN Security Council. As a result, then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and later his son, who wanted to modernize North Korea’s economy, craved a normalization of relations with Washington. US presidents could dangle this prospect as a big carrot.

Simultaneously, the US wielded a big stick, in the form of sanctions, which China and Russia, more or less, helped to enforce. In the background, US troops in South Korea and the US nuclear umbrella seemed effective deterrents against North Korean aggression.

All that has changed. Today, North Korea is no longer isolated. Instead, it has a mutual defense treaty with Russia and sent its troops to fight alongside Russian forces against Ukraine. It has also warmed up ties to its old ally China. Meeting in Beijing in September, Kim, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) beamed with confidence and comity and looked mightily like an emerging anti-US “axis.”

Far from collaborating with the US toward denuclearization on the peninsula, Moscow and Beijing nowadays protect Pyongyang on the UN Security Council.

So Kim no longer needs normalization with the US. Nor is he worried about US attempts to add sanctions, because China and Russia would help him evade those even more brazenly than they did in the past. Both the carrot and the stick are gone.

Worse, Kim, with his arsenal of nukes and his alignment with Moscow and Beijing, is no longer awestruck by the US military. Kim has concluded that the US and its commitment to its allies are weakening and “sees himself as a leading anti-imperialist,” Carlin said; “as one of the big guys” — with Putin and Xi — who will “push the Americans back, and off the peninsula.”

Carlin believes that Kim “thinks that he can now get away with things, even an attack on South Korea.”

It cannot even be ruled out that such an assault might be coordinated with simultaneous aggressions by Russia in eastern Europe or China in the Taiwan Strait. Deterrence does not work anymore, Carlin added.

Nobody in Washington seems to have any idea about how to get new sticks and carrots, but Carlin and Wit are clear about at least one way to stop making this bad situation worse: It is to affirm rather than undermine the US’ alliances, especially those with South Korea and Japan, to shore up whatever remains of deterrence as long as possible.

Instead, Trump sees allies, including South Korea, as free-riders that deserve tariffs. He is correct in demanding that South Korea — like the NATO allies — shoulder more of its own defense burden. However, as Washington and Seoul discuss “modernizing” the alliance, he also keeps resurfacing the option of gradually withdrawing US troops (or perhaps moving them to Guam).

Whether Trump would retaliate against Pyongyang in the event of a pre-emptive nuclear strike by the North on the South — and risk “trading San Francisco for Seoul” — is moot.

In the worst case, which seems increasingly likely, South Korea and maybe Japan would conclude that they need their own nuclear weapons and build them. While they are getting ready, Kim would be even more tempted to strike first.

At that point, if not already, “too many different hands are holding matches in a room full of gasoline fumes,” Wit said.

Columnists are supposed to offer solutions: “Don’t just push a button and throw out suggestions,” Carlin said. “The first step is coming to grips with the new reality.”

Nothing suggests that Trump or his national-security team have done that. In his eagerness to proclaim a “deal,” Trump might instead give Kim too much in return for nothing of substance, throwing Seoul under the bus. If Trump rushed into a summit with Kim now, he might get played as he did with Putin.

The quest to denuclearize the Korean peninsula has failed and can no longer be the objective of US policy. The goal must instead be to stabilize East Asia to reduce the risk of war, including the nuclear kind. To that end, the US must find answers to the composite threat of Russia, China and North Korea. For the sake of honesty, a good start might be to admit that so far it does not have any.

Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for The Economist. 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.

title: The US has no idea how  to deal with North Korea


title: Saudi Arabia doubles down on terms for Israel ties

content_text:
Trump wants Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel, but Riyadh says it depends on a roadmap for a Palestinian state

US President Donald Trump has been talking highly of the prospects of Saudi Arabia agreeing to normalize ties with Israel, but it is unlikely to happen when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits the White House next week.

The establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia after decades of enmity could shake up the political and security landscape in the Middle East, potentially strengthening US influence in the region.

Trump last month said he hoped Saudi Arabia would “very soon” join other Muslim countries that signed the 2020 Abraham Accords normalizing ties with Israel.

Riyadh has signaled to Washington through diplomatic channels that its position has not changed: it would sign up only if there is agreement on a roadmap to Palestinian statehood, two Gulf sources said.

The intention is to avoid diplomatic missteps and ensure alignment of the Saudi and US positions before any public statements are made, they said. One said the aim was to avoid any confusion at or after the White House talks on Tuesday next week.

CREDIBLE PATHWAY

The crown prince “is not likely to entertain any possible formalizing of ties in the near future without at least a credible pathway to a Palestinian state,” said Jonathan Panikoff, former deputy US national intelligence officer on the Middle East.

Bin Salman is likely to try to use his influence with Trump to seek “more explicit and vocal buy-in for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state,” said Panikoff, now an analyst for the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.

Next week’s visit is bin Salman’s first to Washington since the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of bin Salman whose murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul caused global outrage. Bin Salman denied direct involvement.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Morocco have already normalized ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, and Trump has said he expects an expansion of the accords soon.

“We have a lot of people joining now the Abraham Accords, and hopefully we’re going to get Saudi Arabia very soon,” he said on Wednesday last week, without offering a timeline.

In an interview on Oct. 17, Trump said: “I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in. I think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in.”

The agreement signed by the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco sidestepped the issue of Palestinian statehood.

The two Gulf sources said Riyadh had signalled to Washington that any move to recognize Israel must be part of a new framework, not just an extension of any deal.

For Saudi Arabia — the birthplace of Islam and custodian of its two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina — recognizing Israel would be more than just a diplomatic milestone. It is a deeply sensitive national security issue tied to resolving one of the region’s oldest and most intractable conflicts.

Such a step would be hard to take when public Arab mistrust of Israel remains high over the scale of its military offensive during the war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, despite a fragile ceasefire in the conflict that followed the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Manal Radwan has called for a clear, time-bound Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the deployment of an international protection force and the empowerment and return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.

These steps are essential to the establishment of a Palestinian state, she said — the prerequisite for regional integration and the implementation of the two-state solution.

CONCESSIONS

With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu staunchly opposed to Palestinian statehood, Saudi Arabia sees no immediate prospect to satisfy Trump’s demand that it normalize ties with Israel, the sources told Reuters.

Progress on that front depends on concessions neither Washington nor Israel is prepared to make, Saudi officials say.

Saudi officials are intent on steering the Trump-bin Salman meeting towards defense cooperation and investment, wary that the politically charged issue of normalization of ties with Israel could overshadow the agenda.

The meeting is expected to seal a pivotal defense pact defining the scope of US military protection for the de facto ruler of the world’s top oil exporter, and to cement the US’ military footprint in the Gulf.

However, the prospective deal has been scaled back.

Two other Gulf sources and three Western diplomats said the defense deal falls short of the full, US Congress-ratified treaty Riyadh once sought in exchange for the long-promised normalization of ties with Israel.

The agreement, loosely modeled on an arrangement with Qatar that was established through an executive order in September, expands cooperation to include cutting-edge technology and defense.

Riyadh pushed for provisions to allow future US administrations to elevate the pact to a full treaty — a safeguard to ensure continuity for a non-binding pact, vulnerable to reversal by future presidents, according to the two Gulf sources.

“It’s not the treaty they want, they might not see it as perfect but it’s a stepping stone [to a full treaty],” said David Makovsky, a fellow at the Washington Institute, where he directs a project on Arab-Israeli relations.

The linkage between the defense pact, normalization with Israel and Palestinian statehood has produced a complex negotiating equation, pushing Riyadh and Washington to settle for a limited defense deal in the absence of progress on the other two tracks, the Gulf sources and Western diplomats said.

That compromise, they say, could eventually evolve into a full treaty if normalization advances.

DASHED HOPES

“The Saudi-American negotiations have undergone a fundamental shift in environment and context following the developments in Gaza since Oct. 7,” said Abdulaziz Sager, head of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Institute think tank.

The direct linkage between normalization of ties with Israel and Palestinian statehood remained, but Riyadh wanted Saudi national security requirements addressed separately, he said.

“The Saudi position is clear: Meeting the Kingdom’s national security demands will help shape its broader stance on regional issues, including the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” he added.

A NATO-style defense pact appears a distant prospect, given the shifting regional calculus and the political hurdles in Washington.

Iran, the main threat once driving Riyadh’s pursuit of binding US guarantees, has been strategically weakened over the past year by Israeli strikes on its nuclear and military infrastructure.

Tehran’s proxies — the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen — have suffered heavy blows.

With pressure from Iran easing, the appetite for a treaty requiring two-thirds congressional approval has diminished, especially in the absence of normalization with Israel.

Such a pact would likely come with conditions, including curbs on Saudi Arabia’s expanding economic and technology ties with China, complicating Riyadh’s drive to balance strategic autonomy with US security guarantees, the two Gulf sources said.

The deal would expand joint military exercises, deepen cooperation between US and Saudi defense firms, and include safeguards to limit Riyadh’s military-industrial ties with China, the sources said.

It would also fast-track advanced US weapons sales to the kingdom, bypassing delays and political hurdles that have stalled previous deals.