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總統府副秘書長何志偉(左四) 11日到桃園龍潭普南宮祝賀胥遠芳(左三)前主委回任領航。《宮慶盛典》新屆管委會元旦就任 胥遠芳回任主委承擔重任

新年伊始，桃園龍潭普南宮喜迎新氣象！第四屆管理委員會於元旦隆重舉行團拜宣誓就任，全體委員一致推舉深孚眾望的胥遠芳前主委回任領航，繼續帶領宮廟推動各項聖業，展現宗教傳承的溫暖力量。

《福宴傳情》72桌歡慶宮廟情誼 馬祖跨海相挺見證神威

雖籌備時間緊迫，但普南宮歲末平安宴卻格外溫馨熱鬧！大桃園地區與全國各地交陪境友宮不辭路途遙遠，以實際行動表達支持，現場席開72桌，場面盛大感人。特別值得一提的是，馬祖五靈公廟跨海相赴，寫下『海峽兩岸神緣一線牽』的佳話。管委會感動表示，這是普南宮首次匯聚全國各地友宮共襄盛舉，彰顯了普南宮觀音菩薩的神威顯赫，更展現了普南宮的高人氣及胥主委勤訪友宮的德孚眾望。

大桃園地區與全國各地交陪境友宮不辭路途遙遠，以實際行動表達對龍潭普南宮的支持，席開72桌，場面盛大感人。

《貴賓雲集》政學界齊聚祈福 見證宗教文化盛事

當日福宴貴賓雲集，包括總統府副秘書長何志偉、台灣省道教會、政治大學宗教研究所李玉珍所長、桃園市客家文化基金會副執行長林昭賢、桃園市議員張肇良、宏仁集團副總裁方業緯、全國最大宮廟平台『台灣美廟故事』主編陳建學等貴賓出席，貴蓋雲集，共同見證了這場宗教和諧的盛會。

《菩薩聖境》北台灣最高室內觀音 現代化廟宇建築創新局

普南宮正殿供奉高達8.8公尺的南海觀世音菩薩聖像，堪稱北台灣最高室內觀音神像，莊嚴法相令人肅然起敬。有別傳統廟宇，建築採四面採光設計，宛如『會呼吸的宮殿』。正殿觀音慈眼垂視眾生，兩側六殿供奉從文昌帝君到註生娘娘，滿足信眾各類祈願，階前武財神鎮守更成攝影熱點，更是台灣廟宇少見的特殊配置，體現『佛道合一』的包容精神。

有別傳統廟宇，建築採四面採光設計，宛如『會呼吸的宮殿』。階前武財神鎮守更成攝影熱點，更是台灣廟宇少見的特殊配置，體現『佛道合一』的包容精神。

《六殿護佑》卅年慈悲路 普渡眾生願無窮

除了主殿觀音菩薩，兩旁側殿分別供奉天上聖母、文昌帝君、地藏王菩薩、三太子與濟公禪師以及註生娘娘六座神殿，形成『眾神護佑·萬民蒙福』的祥和的境。無論是求智慧、盼功名、祈平安或望子嗣，信眾都能在此找到心靈寄託。

《友宮共榮》全台宮廟相挺 展現宗教大愛精神

此次福宴獲得全台各地友宮熱情相挺，不僅有龍潭龍元宮、中壢仁海宮、中壢慈惠堂…等九間在地宮廟熱情參與，及台灣寺廟金蘭會諸多友宮，內門紫竹寺、台中樂成宮、艋舺青山宮，集合北中南代表性的老廟。交情深厚的林口竹林山觀音寺、新莊地藏庵大眾廟皆前來參與盛會。馬祖五靈公廟跨海飛來、創下普南宮史上首度『全台友宮大會師』紀錄！普南宮乙巳蛇年宮慶在溫馨祥和的氣氛中圓滿落幕，胥主委表示將繼續以『菩薩心·人間情』的理念服務信眾。(照片：龍潭普南宮提供)

這是普南宮首次匯聚全國各地友宮共襄盛舉，彰顯了普南宮觀音菩薩的神威顯赫，更展現了普南宮的高人氣及胥主委勤訪友宮的德孚眾望。〈龍潭普南宮乙巳蛇年宮慶圓滿 北台灣最高觀音庇佑眾生平安〉這篇文章最早發佈於《世界觀新聞網》。

taiwan-subdivisions: 龍潭 觀音 新莊 林口 中壢 內門 桃園

people: 莊嚴 何志偉 張肇良

title: 龍潭普南宮乙巳蛇年宮慶圓滿 北台灣最高觀音庇佑眾生平安


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這項突破解決了遺傳醫學歷史悠久的挑戰，目標是開發新一代治療細胞和基因療法。本技術由 NVIDIA 協同開發，透過在全球範圍內收集的新數據集訓練最大型的演化人工智能模型，並由 NVIDIA BioNeMo 提供加速支援。同一款多功能模型亦協助設計出新型抗菌肽分子，實驗室驗證成功率高達 97%，其中包含對多重抗藥性「超級細菌」展現高度活性的候選分子。在深入合作開發 EDEN 模型後，Basecamp Research 更於 C 輪融資前引入 NVentures 作為投資者。

倫敦和馬薩諸塞州劍橋,/美通社/ — 前線人工智能 (AI) 實驗室 Basecamp Research 今日宣佈，成功開發出首款具備可編程基因插入功能的人工智能 (AI) 模型。這項技術為替換缺陷基因、重編程細胞以實現治療應用開創了全新途徑。該實驗室專注於運用演化原理設計新型藥物。這些與 NVIDIA 合作訓練的模型，正推動癌症與遺傳性疾病治療領域的新一代療法研發。與此同時，Basecamp Research 在歷經多年緊密技術合作後，於其 C 輪前融資階段成功獲得 NVIDIA 旗下創投部門 NVentures 的投資，此筆資金將有助於加速該公司的研發進程。

Basecamp Research 科學總監 John Finn 表示：「我們相信，癌症與遺傳性疾病患者的治療前景正迎來重大突破的開端。透過運用 AI 設計治療性酵素，我們期望加速開發數千種無法治癒疾病的療法，有望為數百萬人的生命帶來轉變。」

可編程基因插入

可編程基因插入——將大型治療性 DNA 序列精確置入人類基因組特定位置——數十年來始終是基因醫學的核心目標。現有的基於 CRISPR 的技術僅能進行微小編輯，且必須破壞 DNA 方能實現，這限制了其應用範圍與方式。Basecamp Research 率先證明 AI 能設計出可在人類基因組特定位置執行大規模基因插入的酵素，為可編程療法開闢了長期尋求的途徑。

Basecamp Research 的 AI 可編程基因插入技術 (aiPGI™) 平台由 EDEN 驅動，此為與 NVIDIA 共同開發的新型進化式 AI 模型家族，其訓練基礎為BaseData™——該公司專有的基因組學數據集，此為同類數據集中規模最大者。這些模型學習了 DNA 的語言與演化模式，使演算法得以設計出治療癌症與遺傳疾病的新型可程式化療法。

在今天在 NVIDIA、Microsoft 和領先學者共同撰寫的一篇論文中發表的實驗室結果中 [link] ，EDEN 模型針對人類基因組中 100% 的疾病相關靶點設計出多種活性插入蛋白，僅需基因組靶點作為提示即可完成，標誌著 AI 模型能力取得重大突破。

Basecamp Research 已成功在人類基因組中超過 10,000 個疾病相關位點實現基因插入，包括將抗癌 DNA 整合至原代人類 T 細胞的新型安全港位點，此技術在治療層面具有重要意義。此過程產生的 CAR-T 細胞展現出強大的抗癌細胞殺傷力，在實驗室檢測中呈現超過 90% 的腫瘤細胞清除率。

人工智能設計分子對抗「超級細菌」

在另一項針對全球抗藥性危機的關鍵前沿治療設計任務中，同一模型展現其多功能性，成功設計出聚焦型新型抗菌肽 (AMPs) 化合物庫——這些小型蛋白質具備殺滅有害細菌的潛力——其中9 7% 的候選化合物在實驗室測試中證實具有活性。與 César de la Fuente 教授領導的美國賓夕法尼亞大學 (University of Pennsylvania) 科學家合作，最高效能的 AMP 顯示了對重要優先、多抗藥性病原體的高效力，為了對抗危險的「超級蟲」提供強大新工具。

突破性進展，源自獨特數據與前線人工智能模型

驅動 aiPGI™ 的 EDEN 模型，是透過超過一百萬個新發現物種所產生的逾十兆個進化 DNA 符號進行訓練而成。此數據是透過該公司開創性的數據收集策略所取得，歷時五年，橫跨五大洲 28 個國家，共計 150 多個地點進行採集，並於 2025 年 6 月發表。

規模最大的 EDEN 模型，以 1.95×10²⁴ 次浮點運算的計算量完成訓練，在由 1,008 張 NVIDIA Hopper GPU 組成的叢集上透過 NVIDIA BioNeMo 的函式庫加速，其規模可與 GPT-4 級別模型相媲美，成為迄今報導過運算需求最為龐大的生物模型之一。

開發中的治療資產

這些功能支持 Basecamp Research 新興的細胞和基因療法渠道的基礎，開啟了比當今可用的治療更精確、可預測和個人化的治療途徑。此公司的目標是透過持續改進 BaseData™、EDEN 模型及 aiPGI™ 技術，開發適用於多種癌症與遺傳性疾病的潛在根治性療法。

Basecamp Research 簡介 Basecamp Research 致力於探索「已知生物學之外」Beyond Known Biology™ 的領域，以解決生命科學領域中的重大挑戰。該公司使用 BaseData（全球最大的道德來源和全球代表性生物數據集）構建前線 AI 模型。Basecamp Research 透過與 28 個國家/地區的 152 多間機構合作，收集和策劃自己的生物數據， 使其 AI 能夠接觸到公共數據庫來源所訓練的模型所不具備的基因多樣性。這使 Basecamp Research 能夠設計新型蛋白質序列與生物系統，從而加速治療性研究與開發進程。

Basecamp Research 與全球生物製藥公司和學術機構合作，其工作獲得榮譽，包括 Fast Company 生物科技領域十大最創新公司 (Top 10 Most Innovative Companies) 以及 FT 支持的 Sifted AI100 歐洲領先 AI 初創企業名單。了解更多，請瀏覽 basecamp-research.com。

BaseData™、Beyond Known Biology™、EDEN-GLM™ 以及 aiPGI™ 均為 Basecamp Research 的品牌名稱與技術。

taiwan-subdivisions: 新興 成功

title: Basecamp Research 推出全球首創可編程基因插入人工智能模型


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MIXED SOURCING: While Taiwan is expanding domestic production, it also sources munitions overseas, as some, like M855 rounds, are cheaper than locally made ones

Taiwan and the US plan to jointly produce 155mm artillery shells, as the munition is in high demand due to the Ukraine-Russia war and should be useful in Taiwan’s self-defense, Armaments Bureau Director-General Lieutenant General Lin Wen-hsiang (林文祥) told lawmakers in Taipei yesterday.

Lin was responding to questions about Taiwan’s partnership with allies in producing munitions at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Given the intense demand for 155mm artillery shells in Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion, and in light of Taiwan’s own defensive needs, Taipei and Washington plan to jointly produce 155mm shells, said Lin, head of the bureau responsible for arms procurement and weapons development.

155mm artillery shells are pictured during the manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 16, 2023. Photo: Reuters

If the cooperation is successful, it could be expanded to other types of munitions, he said, adding that he could not provide further details due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Taiwan and its closest arms provider, the US, have been in talks to coproduce munitions and weapons systems for several years.

During a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing last year, then-nominee for US deputy undersecretary of defense for policy Alexander Velez-Green told senators that joint weapons production should focus on projects that are less complex and within Taiwan’s existing capabilities.

“Appropriate coproduction or similar opportunities should focus on less technically complex capabilities for which Taiwan has existing workforce and production infrastructure,” he said during the meeting on Nov. 6.

At the same legislative meeting, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) defended the ministry’s decision to purchase munitions overseas, saying that domestically made ammunition is not necessarily cheaper than those purchased internationally.

Lin added that in the case of M855 rounds procured by Taiwan — a NATO standard 5.56x45mm round used by Taiwan’s infantry rifles and light machine guns — the domestic production cost is NT$16.18 (US$0.51) per round (with a budgeted amount of NT$18.86), while the winning bid price for foreign procurement is NT$15.53.

The bid price is lower than the NT$16.18 approved by the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Logistics, Lin added.

Koo said the defense ministry purchases shells and munitions — including, most recently, US-made M855 rounds — because demand has increased after Taiwan extended compulsory military service to one year from the previous four months, and stepped up the frequency of reservist training and live-fire exercises.

The military fired 23.4 million rounds of ammunition in 2021, while by last year the figure had more than doubled to 58.81 million rounds, Koo said.

title: Taiwan, US set to coproduce 155mm shells


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CHINA THREAT:  Of the 127 people indicted since the act’s passage in 2020, only five have been convicted, with the sentences averaging three to six months, MAC said

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday urged lawmakers to approve proposed amendments to the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) given the light punishments meted out to offenders under current regulations.

Speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee reviewing the changes proposed by several Democratic Progressive Party legislators, MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh said it was urgent and necessary to pass the amendments to deter China’s intensifying intervention in politics in Taiwan and “gray zone” harassment.

Government data show that prosecutors have indicted 127 people since the act was implemented in 2020, but only five people have been convicted, with the sentences averaging between three and six months.

Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh, front, speaks while Deputy Minister of the Interior Wu Tang-an looks on at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee in Taipei yesterday.  Photo: CNA

The draft amendments to the act would address several issues, including disseminating disinformation, regulating potential candidates, managing Internet service providers that set up databases in Taiwan, establishing national security courts, stipulating harsher penalties for people contravening anti-infiltration laws and regulating “gray zone” actors.

DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said that the act stipulates a maximum sentence, but sets no minimum.

“Prosecutors have encountered great difficulties in investigating national security cases that could cause tremendous damage to the country. Without a minimum sentence, judges can close cases by holding summary trials, granting defendants probation and asking them to pay damages,” he said.

“There should be a minimum criminal sentence in the act for those who help hostile nations infiltrate Taiwan. This would raise infiltration costs for regimes that threaten our national security,” he said.

DPP legislators Lee Po-yi (李柏毅) and Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) proposed adding those who participate in primaries for public offices to the list of people who must abide by the act.

“China’s intervention in elections in Taiwan — whether it is the presidential election or local elections — has intensified. It even funds China-friendly candidates to destroy democracy,” Wang Mei-hui said.

“The problem is that some of them start campaigning long before officially registering as candidates. There should be laws in place to regulate this kind of situation,” she said.

If it were not for the Anti-Infiltration Act, former MAC deputy chairman Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) would not have been investigated and indicted on allegations of following Beijing’s instructions to attempt to persuade Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) to accept a peace agreement and publishing a fake opinion poll where Gou led then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜), Liang said.

“Without the act, Chang would have been considered to be merely having a discussion with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office about who was fit to be president,” Liang said.

“The act is necessary, because there needs to be a law in Taiwan to hold those who work with China to meddle in Taiwanese elections accountable. A court would decide if they should be convicted,” he added.

While the Judicial Yuan has said the court system already has jurisdiction over national security issues, given the light punishments rendered to offenders, lawmakers should deliberate on whether there needs to be changes to the “status quo,” he said.

The Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Justice said the act must have a clear definition of prospective candidates for elections if they are to be regulated as proposed.

The interior ministry said that the government can reference the definition of prospective candidates in the Political Donations Act (政治獻金法), which refers to people who have already been registered in accordance with the law during a specific period or who intend to run for office.

people: 侯友宜 王定宇 張顯耀 王美惠

title: Revision of Anti-infiltration Act urgent, MAC says


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Taipei to launch ‘smoke-free city’ plan, mayor says

The Taipei City Government is looking at options to limit smoking in public places, with one version of the policy likely to be implemented this year, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday.

A “Taipei smoke-free city” plan is expected to be launched by the end of this year, Chiang said.

City officials would study the “very successful” establishment of designated smoking areas in Tokyo, which has cut down secondhand smoke and cigarette litter in the Japanese capital, he said.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

“I hope we can change people’s thinking — that is, to prohibit [public smoking] in principle, but allow for some exceptions,” Chiang said.

“It’s very possible that we’ll refer to examples abroad, such as using designated smoking areas or booths,” thereby separating smokers and non-smokers to improve the quality of public spaces, he said.

Taiwan’s approach has been to designate non-smoking areas, allowing smoking everywhere else outside those zones, Chiang said.

However, that has not only led to cigarette butt pollution, but also caused inconvenience to the public, he said.

Chiang said that since taking office, he has promoted smoke-free public housing and smoke-free Lunar New Year market streets, and implemented comprehensive smoking bans around large event venues.

At the same time, in accordance with the Taipei City Emerging Tobacco Products Management Self-Governance Ordinance (台北市新興菸品管理自治條例), the sale of heated tobacco products is prohibited within 50m of schools at the senior-high level and below, including bans on displaying and advertising such items, he said.

He added that artificial intelligence systems would be used for identification to discourage people from smoking in non-smoking areas.


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Trump says Iran wants to talk, as death toll hits 544

US President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, as activists yesterday said the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no direct reaction to Trump’s comments, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran over the weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi, speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, insisted that “the situation has come under total control,” blaming Israel and the US for the violence, without offering evidence.

Mourners react next to coffins during a funeral procession for members of security forces and civilians said to be killed in protests on Sunday, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran in a screengrab from a video released on Sunday. Photo: Handout from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting via Reuters

“That’s why the demonstrations turned violent and bloody to give an excuse to the American president to intervene,” Araghchi said, in comments carried by the al-Jazeera satellite news network.

Al-Jazeera has been allowed to report from inside the country live, despite the Internet being shut off.

However, Araghchi said Iran was “open to diplomacy.”

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmail Baghaei said a channel to the US remained open, but talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”

Meanwhile, Iran drew tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

Others cried out: “Death to the enemies of God!”

Iran’s attorney general has said prosecutors would levy such charges against protesters, which carry the death penalty.

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel, said two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.

Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he might have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” he added.

Iran, through the country’s parliamentary speaker, on Sunday warned that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the Internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

At 2pm yesterday, Iranian state TV showed images of demonstrators thronging Tehran toward Enghelab Square, or “Islamic Revolution” Square in the capital. It had been airing statements all morning from Iranian government, security and religious leaders to attend the demonstration.

It called the rally an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism,” without addressing the underlying anger in the country over the nation’s ailing economy. State TV aired images of such demonstrations around the country, trying to signal it had overcome the protests.


title: Future account plan could deplete resources: minister

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LIMITATIONS: T aiwan in 2017 launched an education account program, and the legislature should discuss how to improve that policy, Shih Chung-liang said

The opposition parties’ suggestion of setting up a government-funded “Taiwan Future Account” for all children could deplete resources available for underprivileged groups, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on Dec. 25 announced their draft future account plan, which suggests that the government set up a universal special investment account for children aged 12 or younger that can only be claimed after they turn 18 years old.

The account would have an initial deposit of NT$50,000 (US$1,581) for each child with a valid household registration, with NT$10,000 added every year up to the age of 12, and its savings would be invested in index funds on Taiwan’s stock market, the two parties said.

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang, left, listens to an official at a joint committee meeting at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

A joint committee meeting took place at the legislature in Taipei yesterday to discuss the special act draft.

Prior to the meeting, Shih told reporters that children are the future masters of the country, and the government would do its best to take care of them, and is open to discussing any suggestions.

“However, every policy is a choice, and [government] resources are limited, so policies can have a crowding-out effect on each other,” he said.

The ministry in 2017 initiated the Children and Adolescent Future Education and Development Account program to help children from low-income and mid-low-income households, as well as children under long-term placement, to save their “first bucket of gold” when they turn 18 years old, he said.

The government provides a 1:1 matching contribution (with an upper limit of NT$15,000 per year) to the savings that the children deposit into the account, and the funds would be limited for “higher education, employment or entrepreneurship” usage, and only be withdrawn upon approval after they are 18 years old, the ministry’s Web site says about the 2017 program.

In the more than eight years since it was launched, as of last month, 39,127 people had opened an account, 65 percent of the eligible users, and the total savings in the accounts add up to more than NT$3.2 billion, the ministry said.

“Of course, we can discuss how to improve the [current] policy,” Shih said. “But regarding the universal future account, we are concerned that it would crowd out funding and resources for other policies.”

As Taiwan has become a super-aged society, the National Health Insurance system, the long-term care program and the expansion of services for the underprivileged stipulated by the Public Assistance Act (社會救助法) need resources, he said.

The ministry hopes the policy would be more carefully and comprehensively discussed, he added.


title: Education minister not afraid of China’s threats

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Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) yesterday said he is an “elegant Taiwanese,” adding that he is not afraid of being labeled by China as a “diehard Taiwan independence advocate,” after Beijing targeted him last week.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday last week said it had designated Cheng, along with Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) and High Prosecutors’ Office prosecutor Chen Shu-yi (陳舒怡), as “diehard Taiwan independence advocates,” and would pursue punitive measures against them.

Asked for a response in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times), Chen said the label by Taiwan’s “bad neighbor” would not affect his commitment to educational professionalism or not shake his stance on governing according to the law.

Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao poses for a photograph in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times

Cheng said he would continue to fulfill the responsibilities stipulated by the Fundamental Act of Education (教育基本法) to cultivate “a new generation with a strong sense of national identity, love for Taiwan and appreciation for the Republic of China [ROC], while also being deeply rooted locally and globally minded.”

“The ROC is a sovereign and independent country, different from the ROC that retreated to Taiwan under [former president] Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) regime in 1949, and it has absolutely no relation to China,” he said.

If elementary and junior-high school students were still taught of the “begonia-shaped” territorial map of the ROC — which includes China and Mongolia — it would cause confusion among students, he said.

He said that when today’s elementary and junior-high school students are asked: “Where are you from?” They answer: “I am Taiwanese.”

He added that when they are asked: “Where do you live?” They say: “I live in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung or Hualien.”

This reflects their everyday experience and represents the most natural form of identity, he said.

While some people’s ancestors came from China, they are ROC citizens, Cheng said.

“In daily life and in the international community, we are usually referred to as Taiwanese. These distinctions should be clearly explained to children through historical and international perspectives, rather than being conflated,” he said. “What we aim for is a democratic and law-governed society, and education should help children develop a clear, stable and noncontradictory understanding.”


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The military has been detecting intermittent signals from the flight data recorder of an F-16V jet that disappeared last week, but the search teams have not yet pinned down the location of the recorder, also known as the black box, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said yesterday.

Koo gave the update on the sidelines of a legislative session, when asked about the ongoing search-and-rescue operations following the disappearance of the F-16V aircraft and its sole pilot, air force Captain Hsin Po-yi (辛柏毅), on Tuesday last week.

Hsin took off in the single-seat fighter jet, tail number 6700, from Hualien Air Base in eastern Taiwan at 6:17pm on a training mission, but he soon reported that the aircraft was losing altitude, the air force said.

Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo, center, speaks to reporters at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

At 7:28pm, he reported that he was about to eject from the aircraft, and eight seconds later, the jet’s signal disappeared from radar, the air force said, adding that there might have been some malfunction of the aircraft’s main onboard computer.

The air force subsequently set up an emergency response center, and launched a search-and-rescue operation, but has not yet been able to find Hsin or the aircraft.

The search and rescue operation to date involved 62 sorties of navy vessels, 62 sorties of coast guard boats and 16 sorties of drones, Koo said.

In total, about 1,000 people have been involved in the search-and-rescue efforts off the east coast, he said.

The military has detected some intermittent signals believed to be from the jet’s black box, but has not yet pinned down the location, he added.

Due to the rough seas yesterday, the search vessels could not leave port in eastern Taiwan, but would go out again when the conditions improve and try to locate the black box, Koo said.

Meanwhile, the air force’s F-16 fleet fully resumed combat readiness and training yesterday after suspension over the past week for inspections of the aircraft type as a precaution.

The Hualien Air Base was bustling yesterday morning. Ground crews were busy inspecting and preparing F-16V jets for their return to flight operations. After conducting engine performance tests, the aircraft were taken one by one to the runway for taxi tests. Once all checks confirmed no issues, at exactly 2pm, the wing commander, Colonel Hu Chung-hua (胡中華), led the resumption of flight operations.

This was followed by a total of four batches, with 12 F-16V aircraft conducting return-to-flight test missions.

Additional reporting by Yu Tai-lang

title: Signals detected from missing jet’s black box


title: Taipei city councilor sentenced to more than seven years

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The Shilin District Court yesterday sentenced Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun (陳怡君) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to seven years and 10 months in prison for embezzling assistant fees and accepting bribes.

Chang Hui-lin (張惠霖), the head of Chen’s office, was also sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison.

Chen’s civil rights have been suspended for five years, while Chang’s were suspended for four years.

Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun speaks at a council session in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times

The two defendants in July last year pleaded guilty to charges that they improperly claimed NT$3.84 million (US$121,404) in subsidies since the city councilor took office in late 2018.

The Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office said that they listed three family members or friends as Chen’s assistants, even though they did not actually work for her.

The two were also accused of taking bribes of more than NT$700,000 from two developers to expedite permits for construction or development projects from August 2023 to February last year.

The sentences can be appealed.

Chen yesterday did not appear in court to hear the verdict.

In response to media queries, she said she respects the judiciary and would discuss the matter with her lawyer after receiving the ruling.

DPP anti-corruption committee head Chiou Jiunn-yann (邱駿彥) yesterday said that the committee is to handle the case on Feb. 4.

The lightest penalty would be a suspension of rights, and the most severe would be expulsion from the party, he said, adding that even if Chen is absent, the decision would not be postponed.

Additional reporting by Ho Yu-hua and Chen Yun


title: KMT’s budget review plan is unconstitutional: DPP

people: 陳培瑜 鍾佳濱

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‘DESPOT EMPERORS’:  The KMT is treating budget items as a ‘self-serve cafeteria,’ approving only some items as it pleases, Chung Chia-pin said

The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) move to divide this year’s fiscal budget into multiple packages for review and block the military spending items is unconstitutional, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators said yesterday.

The KMT plans to approve funds earmarked for the T-Pass frequent rider program, flood management-related construction projects, newborn assistance programs and other plans affecting people’s daily lives, while stalling large portions of the budget, DPP caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said.

The KMT is blocking NT$78 billion (US$2.47 billion) earmarked for the Ministry of National Defense’s arms procurement and projects to enhance national security, as the party is treating budget items as a “self-serve cafeteria,” Chung said.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin, right, speaks as DPP caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu holds a placard at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

“Funds for the general budget come from taxpayers as their obligation to the state, but the opposition parties are treating the budget as if they are paying for it,” he said.

“They are acting like despot emperors and treating people like beggars,” he said. “They would only review the budget when people make noise, demanding the use of state funds to improve their livelihood.”

“The KMT’s plan is unconstitutional. It also contravenes the Budget Act [預算法], which stipulates that the Cabinet compiles the year’s general fiscal budget and presents it to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation and review. The legislature may not propose to increase government spending,” Chung said.

DPP caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) criticized the opposition parties’ plan to approve only parts of the budget saying that “when a car brakes down, you cannot just go to a repair shop and only change the tires.”

“You should fix or replace all the broken parts,” she said.


title: Phase 2 of Chiayi science park advances

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CHIP WRAPPED: The phase is expected to add about NT$210bn to the park’s economic value, and expand facilities for advanced semiconductor packaging, an official said   By Wu Po-hsuan and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Ministry of Environment yesterday approved the initial environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed Phase 2 development plan for the Southern Taiwan Science Park’s (南部科學園區) Chiayi County campus, with construction expected to begin in the second of half this year and completed by 2031.

The Phase 2 plan is expected to meet the expansion needs of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), which is growing its advanced packaging production facilities to meet expanding demand driven by demand for artificial intelligence (AI) products. As land use at the Chiayi campus is already at capacity, the Phase 2 plan seeks to add approximately 89 hectares of land and introduce three more factories.

At the EIA review meeting, committee members discussed concerns including water use, air pollution, ecological impact, transportation, economic output and health risk assessments. The environmental subcommittee approved the initial review and forwarded the plan to the full committee for further assessment.

Building out a southern technology corridor and expanding advanced processes such as chip-on-wafer-on-substrate and system-on-integrated-chips packaging technologies — key bottlenecks in AI chip production — would be essential to implement the government’s plan of turning Taiwan into an “AI island,” Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau Director-General Cheng Hsiu-jung (鄭秀絨) said.

“Chip packaging must remain rooted in Taiwan, and this is being facilitated by TSMC’s expansion in Chiayi,” she said.

The Phase 2 site is located in the county’s Taibao City (太保), mainly on land owned by Taiwan Sugar Corp, Cheng said.

In addition to semiconductor packaging, the plan envisions attracting firms in high-speed broadband, AI, cybersecurity technologies, heterogeneous integration packaging, net zero industries and quantum technologies, she added.

Once Phase 2 is completed, its output is expected to add about NT$210 billion (US$6.64 billion) to the park’s economic value on top of the about NT$100 billion from the first phase, bringing total output at the campus to about NT$310 billion and creating an estimated 3,500 new jobs, Cheng said.

With both phases combined, total employment at the Chiayi campus could exceed 9,200 people, she said.

Chiayi County Deputy Commissioner Liu Pei-tung (劉培東) said the campus is just one of numerous development projects in the county, citing as an example a Gloria Outlets branch, which began construction on Thursday last week.

The Phase 2 development plan would be complemented by the Chiayi High Speed Rail Station redevelopment plan, which is to cover about 360 hectares of land rezoned for commercial, retail and industrial development, he said.

“Looking ahead, the county plans to fully review transport impacts, bicycle path planning and strategies to reduce air pollution in coordination with the science park’s development,” Liu said.


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ADVANTAGES:  Compared with the conventional radiotherapy treatment, proton therapy could lower side effects and reduce the risk of secondary cancers

Proton therapy for childhood cancers has been included in National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage from the beginning of this year. The policy is expected to benefit about 100 children annually, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said yesterday.

With the addition of proton therapy for treating cancers in children, the NHI payment points for medical providers are tiered into three levels according to absorbed doses, NHIA Director-General Chen Lian-yu (陳亮妤) said.

They are set at 676,000 points for low-dose, 1.03 million points for medium-dose and 1.26 million points for high-dose treatments, she said.

Clinical evidence shows that precise and concentrated high-energy proton beams can target and destroy cancer cells, while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs, Taiwan Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology chairman Chao Hsing-lung (趙興隆) said.

Compared with conventional radiotherapy, proton therapy not only has the advantages of lowering side effects, but also reduces the risk of secondary cancers, and is considered safer, while offering better long-term prognosis for children with cancer, he said.

While NHI fully covers proton therapy for treating children with cancer, it is limited to treatment indications that are empirically proven to be safe and effective, so not all childhood cancers are eligible, NHIA Medical Affairs Division head Huang Pei-shan (黃珮珊) said.

The agency estimated that about 100 children with cancer would benefit from the policy each year, supported by about NT$105 million (US$3.32 million) NHI funding per year, Huang said.

Two other NHI payment policies also took effect this month, including increased payment for emergency major trauma surgery or treatment, and a hyperlipidemia medical payment improvement program, the NHIA said.

To enhance hospitals’ emergency major trauma treatment capacity and resilience, the agency is offering increased NHI payment points as incentives for prompt treatment, Chen said.

Payment points are increased by 100 percent for medical services — including certain radiation examinations, procedures, surgeries and anesthesia — performed within two hours of a patient’s arrival at an emergency room, and increased by 60 percent if performed between two and four hours after their arrival, she said.

The incentive payment would first be distributed to frontline medical workers, to reward their emergency and critical care efforts, Formosa Association for the Surgery of Trauma secretary-general Kuo Ling-wei (郭令偉) said.

The hyperlipidemia medical payment improvement program was developed with nine local medical associations, and is a part of the NHIA’s “pay for performance” initiative for improving treatment quality, Chen said.

Based on the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk levels and the “consensus on clinical pathway of blood cholesterol management,” the agency is encouraging healthcare centers to provide medical services to people with hyperlipidemia who are at “extremely high” and “very high” risk, she said.

The program offers case enrollment fees between 500 and 2,000 NHI payment points and a referral fee of 1,000 points for receiving treatment and follow-up treatment, she added.

title: Proton therapy now covered for children: NHIA


content_text:
By Tsai Yun-jun and Shelley Shan / Staff Reporters, with CNA

EVA Airways (長榮航空) yesterday announced that it plans to launch a new flight service to Washington in July, making it the first Taiwanese carrier to provide direct flights to the US capital.

The airline plans to provide four flights to Washington in the initial stage using Boeing 787-9s, EVA Airways president Clay Sun (孫嘉明) told reporters in Taipei.

The airline aims to attract more passengers to North America with the new service, and provide a transit option to Washington for travelers from around the region, Sun said.

EVA Airways Corp aircraft are pictured at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times

Currently, they must transit in Japan, South Korea or China, he said.

Washington is the center of politics and the military in the US, and home to many tourist attractions, including the White House, the US Capitol Building, museums and cherry blossoms, he said.

Sixty percent of the travelers on the airline’s North America flights are transit passengers, Sun said.

The Washington area is home to about 14,000 Taiwanese and 320,000 residents of Southeast Asian descent, he added.

The new service is not being added due to political pressure, Sun said.

“When launching a new flight service, the company considers factors such as fleet size and effectiveness. We are using Boeing 787s for flights to Washington before we receive Airbus 350-1000s,” he said.

When asked whether the airline is considering offering flights to Boston or other cities on the US east coast, Sun said that might be difficult.

Once flights to Washington are launched, the airline would have passenger services to 10 destinations in North America, with 98 weekly flights to the region, he said.

He also outlined plans to increase the frequency of other routes.

Services to Milan, Italy, are expected to be increased to daily flights starting on Friday, while flights to Aomori, Japan, are to increase to five to seven flights per week from March 29, and services to Busan would be raised to 10 weekly flights between Feb. 23 and March 28, Sun said.

To meet demand during the Lunar New Year holiday and the spring travel season, flights to Da Nang, Vietnam, would be increased to 12 per week through March 8. Services to Matsuyama in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture would rise to five flights per week from March 17 to April 12, while 14 to 16 flights per week would be offered to Fukuoka, Japan, through March 28. Services to Incheon, South Korea, would be expanded from 14 to 18 weekly flights through April 12.

The airline has no plans to launch any other new routes at this time, although it is evaluating adding services to Spain, Helsinki and India, Sun said.

title: EVA Airways to launch new flights to US capital


content_text:
By Yu Chao-fu, Rachel Lin and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters, with staff writer

The underwater structures of offshore wind farms along the Taiwan Strait have become “marine ranches,” creating highly diversified reef ecosystems, a research team from National Taiwan Ocean University’s Institute of Marine Biology found.

Although offshore wind power construction used to be considered harmful to marine ecosystems, the team yesterday said it found that the submerged parts of wind turbines attract fish dwelling in different ocean layers.

Led by institute honorary chair professor Shao Kwang-tsao (邵廣昭) and professor Shao Yi-ta (邵奕達), the team studied the underwater structures of wind farms off Miaoli and Changhua counties through scuba diving and pole-and-line surveys.

Young snappers and pennant coralfish swim around an offshore wind power structure in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Lee Chun-ming via National Taiwan Ocean University

Vertical structures of turbine foundations extend from the surface to the bottom of the ocean, providing hard substrate surfaces, while also functioning as upright artificial reefs that can attract fish of the surface, middle and bottom layers of the ocean, the team found.

The fish species observed around the vertical structures significantly outnumbered those inhabiting traditional reefs, the study showed.

More than 80 reef-associated fishes were identified around the wind farms, none of which had been recorded in the surrounding sandy areas of the waters, it showed.

The reef ecosystems created by the turbines also harmoniously coexisted with the existing soft bottom ecosystems and did not affect the number or proportions of bottom-dwelling fish, it showed.

Within a few months following the completion of turbine construction, invertebrates such as barnacles, sponges or corals attach themselves to the surface of a turbine’s underwater structure, creating habitats for shrimp, crabs, bristle worms, isopods or gastropods, the research showed.

Such habitats also attracted high-value species such as groupers, snappers, chicken grunts or lobsters to search for food or lay eggs, achieving sustained cultivation of resources, it showed.

Although offshore wind farms were not built for conservation, they maintain biodiversity, the research team said, adding that more comprehensive fishery management rules should be established to promote offshore wind farms’ role in energy transition and marine conservation.

In other news, a National Central University (NCU) research team yesterday said it developed a muon detector and used muon radiography to identify the internal density structure of a volcano in Taipei’s Yangmingshan National Park, marking the beginning of the technique’s applications in Taiwan.

Led by NCU physics professor Kuo Chia-ming (郭家銘) and Earth sciences professor Chen Chien-chih (陳建志) in collaboration with Academia Sinica’s Institute of Physics, the research project was the first systemic development of muon radiography in Taiwan, with the goal of collecting data on underground structures.

Muons are fundamental particles produced from the interaction of cosmic rays and the atmosphere, which are highly penetrative and can travel through rocks as thick as hundreds of meters, Kuo said.

The research team developed a small, energy-efficient and highly stable muon sensor system that is suitable for extended use in the field, he said.

It markedly reduced the barriers for setting up and maintaining equipment, which is the key to applying the technique in Taiwan, he said.

The newly developed muon detector was used to explore the geological structure from above a desilting tunnel of Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) in Taoyuan last year, which was the first field experiment of muon exploration in Taiwan, Kuo said.

The research team also set up a station on Yangmingshan (陽明山) later last year, seeking to construct the image of a volcano’s internal density structure using muon radiography to deepen understanding of the volcanic hydrothermal system and its potential activities, he said.

The project would be expanded to include four sets of muon detector arrays to observe volcanic structures and activities from diverse directions, with the goal of shifting to real-time monitoring, he added.

Taiwan, with complex geological structures and steep terrain, faces a multitude of challenges from volcanos, earthquakes and landslides, as well as geothermal and underground construction, making it an ideal field for testing muon radiography, Chen said.

The technique is expected to be applied to other geothermal developments, underground carbon dioxide storage and the management of highly radioactive nuclear waste, which could bolster Taiwan’s net zero transition, he said.

title: Wind farms create ‘marine ranches’: research team


title: Pay for migrant workers increased last year: survey

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Pay for migrant workers and caregivers increased last year, while language barriers remained a top challenge facing employers, the results of a survey released yesterday by the Ministry of Labor showed.

Conducted in July and August last year, the annual survey collected 8,545 responses, including from 4,523 businesses in the manufacturing, construction, agriculture and fishery sectors that hire workers and 4,022 household employers of caregivers, the ministry said.

As in previous editions over the past decade, the survey focused on conditions in June, rather than the full year.

A woman pushes a person in a wheelchair in a park in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times

For migrant workers employed by Taiwanese businesses, regular monthly pay averaged NT$29,800 in June last year, with overtime pay averaging NT$5,100, bringing total pay to NT$34,900, up 4.7 percent from NT$33,300 in June 2024, the survey showed.

The rise in regular monthly pay was driven by adjustments following Taiwan’s minimum monthly wage hikes, which raised the floor to NT$28,590 on Jan. 1 last year, and NT$29,500 from Jan. 1 this year, the ministry said.

Migrant workers employed by businesses are covered by the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) and are therefore entitled to at least the minimum wage, while caregivers hired by households are not covered by the act and are subject instead to a separate minimum monthly salary of NT$20,000.

The report showed caregivers’ regular pay averaged NT$21,300 in June last year, with overtime pay averaging NT$2,800, for a total of about NT$24,200, up 1.8 percent from NT$23,800 a year earlier.

About 34 percent of businesses and household employers said they encountered difficulties when managing migrant workers, with the language barrier being the most common issue for businesses at 23.2 percent and for household employers at 24.5 percent, mirroring the results from the previous year.

The second most common issue reported by businesses was low cooperation (12.6 percent) and spending too much time on phones or chatting for household employers (10.1 percent).

Migrant caregivers averaged 10.1 hours per day in June last year, little changed from 10.3 hours in June 2024, the report showed.

For migrant workers employed by businesses, total working hours averaged 196.5 hours in June last year, up nearly 10 percent from 179.1 hours a year earlier, as regular hours rose to 168.2 and overtime increased to 28.3 hours, the ministry said.

It attributed the rise mainly to increased overtime at some manufacturers, driven by artificial intelligence-related business opportunities.


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More than 26,000 green iguanas were captured in Tainan last year, with more than 300 being caught on some days, the city’s Agriculture Bureau said.

Last year’s haul of the invasive species was more than double the number culled in 2024, bureau data showed.

Tainan City Councilor Tseng Pei-ya (曾培雅) said she received reports from residents about green iguanas in Barclay Memorial Park in East District (東區).

A green iguana is pictured in Tainan in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Hsieh Chi-liang

Although green iguanas, native to Central and South America, typically do not attack humans, they damage crops and upset the local ecology. Their importation was banned in 2015 and they were declared an invasive species in 2020.

Tseng said that she asked the agriculture bureau to help remove them from the park.

Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) on Sunday said that the division immediately sent personnel to capture the iguanas upon receiving the report, but the lizards had gone into hiding due to cold weather.

A total of 26,820 green iguanas were removed from the city last year, an increase of about 14,000 from 2024, Chu said, adding that among the city’s 37 districts, the highest densities of green iguanas were in the South (南區) and Rende (仁德) districts, where more than half were captured.

Their population is most dense around South District’s Nanshan Public Cemetery and its surrounding green spaces, he added.

As the cemetery is fairly close to the city center, contracted iguana-capturing teams worked intensively to cull the lizards, often deploying seven to eight people each day, conducting patrols in the morning and carrying out capture operations at night, Chu said.

Sometimes, they can catch up to 200 to 300 iguanas in a single day, and now their population is considered under control, he said.

The city’s capture plans prioritize the iguanas that affect agriculture or public safety, particularly along riverbanks and in parks and green spaces, he said.

Riverbanks are usually less developed, making them ideal breeding grounds for iguanas, he added.

Meanwhile, regarding complaints that the city has not dealt with an unusually large “yellow” iguana seen near Airport Road in South District, Chu said the bureau deployed personnel to capture the iguana, but due to safety concerns, put off the operation.

Sexually mature male green iguanas can develop yellow or orange coloration, he said.

The iguana was found near the Tainan Airport where civilian and military aircraft frequently takeoff and land, making it dangerous to use firearms to kill the lizard, and ropes were ruled out due to the forest environment, he said.

The hunters were worried a stray bullet could hit a plane, so due to safety concerns, the bureau would temporarily monitor the iguana, and wait for a better opportunity to remove it, he added.

People can report iguana sightings to the city’s hotlines at (09) 8910-0919 or (09) 1235-4463.

taiwan-subdivisions: 東區 南區 仁德

title: Tainan captured more than 26,000 iguanas last year


content_text:
MOHW looks to allow direct hire of foreign care helpers at hospitals

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) is working on revising regulations to allow hospitals to directly hire foreign care workers who will help patients hospitalized for acute conditions with daily care needs and ease the workload of nursing staff.

Shih said that previously, patients or families had to hire their own caregivers, sometimes causing conflicts with hospital management. This problem became especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for a unified management system for all hospital caregivers.

Shih explained that the “Inpatient Integrated Care” trial program was launched three years ago to let hospitals assign trained care assistants to work alongside nurses, with the cost shared between patients and the National Health Insurance (NHI) system.

A plaque bearing the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s name is pictured at its headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: CNA

The program has been well received by the public, he said, as it helps reduce the work and financial burden on families. However, hospitals are facing a shortage of care workers, which is why the health ministry is considering introducing intermediate skilled foreign care workers.

Previously, they could only be employed by long-term care institutions, chronic care wards and respiratory care units, and not general hospitals. However, demand for daily care has grown from patients hospitalized for acute conditions, he said.

The ministry has been communicating with nursing groups to address misunderstandings that foreign care workers will replace domestic nurses, he added.

Shih stressed that the policy is intended to ease their workload, allowing them to focus on professional duties while daily care is handled by foreign care workers.

Shih said the proposal is a positive step but noted that the revisions could take some time, as the Ministry of Labor wants to ensure there is no controversy before officially announcing the changes.

The ministry hopes to complete the regulation changes are hoped by the second quarter of this year, he added.


content_text:
Taiwanese singer Jay Chou (周杰倫) is set to grace the courts of the Australian Open for the first time as a competitor in the high-stakes 1 Point Slam.

The Australian Open announced the news on its official Instagram account yesterday afternoon, welcoming Chou -- who will celebrate his 47th birthday this Sunday -- to the star-studded lineup of the tournament’s signature warm-up event.

“From being the King of Mandarin Pop filling stadiums with his music to being ‘Kato’ from The Green Hornet and now shifting focus to being a dedicated tennis player -- welcome @jaychou to the 1 Point Slam and #AusOpen,” the post read.

A poster featuring Taiwanese singer Jay Chou is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Screengrab from the Australian Open’s Instagram

Chou shared the announcement on his own Instagram story, saying: “I’m going to compete in the Australian Open. I will donate it all if I win the championship and the AUD$1 million (US$670,970) prize money.”

“Remember to watch the Australian Open on Jan. 14. It’s just a one-point game, so I may get knocked out without even touching the ball,” he wrote in a subsequent story, adding that he would prefer to serve the point so that “at least I can touch the ball.”

The official Australian Open post also drew a comment from Chou’s close friend, retired basketball star Jeremy Lin (林書豪).

“You can beat them because you beat me. You should thank me for providing training as an opponent who is stronger than the ones you’ll face in the competition,” Lin joked.

Inaugurated by Tennis Australia in 2025, the 1 Point Slam is a cornerstone of the Grand Slam’s “Opening Week” entertainment festival. Australian professional Omar Jasika won the inaugural edition, taking home AUD$60,000.

For the 2026 edition, the prize pool has been massively increased. The 48-player “flash” draw features 24 professionals -- including world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, defending champion Jannik Sinner, and Naomi Osaka -- competing alongside celebrities and amateur qualifiers.

To add to the unpredictability, players use a game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who serves the single, deciding point.

Chou took up tennis in recent years to support his son’s interest in the sport and has since earned a reputation among his celebrity peers for his skill.

title: Jay Chou to make Australian Open debut in ‘1 Point Slam’


content_text: People shop at a store selling Lunar New Year decorations in Taipei yesterday. The Lunar New Year begins on Feb. 17.

title: Lunar New Year countdown


title: Coming up for clean air

content_text: Air Clean Taiwan and other civil groups hold a media conference in Taipei yesterday to announce which prospective mayoral candidates in this year’s local elections across Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Chiayi and Pingtung counties have signed a pledge supporting the phase-out of the coal-powered Hsinta Power Plant in Kaohsiung. A total of five candidates have signed the pledge from the Democratic Progressive Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party, they said.


content_text: Yunlin County Commissioner Chang Li-shan, third right, and others hold signs at a news conference in Yunlin County yesterday to promote an upcoming concert celebrating late singer Teresa Teng. The concert, “Singing an Era into Teresa Teng,” is to be held at the Yunlin Performance Hall on Saturday next week to pay tribute to the Yunlin-born cultural icon, Chang said.

title: The patriotic entertainer


content_text:
STABLE AND STEADY: Despite easing labor demand, income continued to grow across sectors and age groups, said a government agency tasked with measuring it

Taiwan’s wage growth remained resilient in November last year, supported by bonuses and rising pay in industries tied to the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom, even as overtime hours and labor turnover softened toward year-end.

The average regular monthly wage rose 3.08 percent from a year earlier to NT$48,139, while total compensation — including bonuses and overtime pay — climbed a faster 4.69 percent to NT$58,103, highlighting steady income growth despite moderating labor demand, data released yesterday by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) showed.

The median regular wage, a closer gauge of what typical workers earn, increased 3.21 percent to NT$38,714, though it slipped 0.16 percent from October, as workloads and hiring eased, DGBAS’ data showed.

“Both regular and total pay have posted solid gains in recent months, with easing inflation helping to underpin overall wage performance,” DGBAS deputy census director Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) said at a news conference in Taipei, adding that overtime played a very limited role in the uptrend.

Overtime hours, often viewed as a proxy for manufacturing momentum, averaged 8.9 hours in November, down 0.4 hours from the previous month and unchanged from a year earlier, signaling that factory activity has leveled off after a strong expansion earlier in the year, the agency said.

Pay gaps across industries remained pronounced. From January through November, average regular wage in accommodation and food services were NT$34,969, while other personal services such as beauty and repair averaged NT$36,680, underscoring persistent wage constraints in domestically focused sectors, DGBAS’ data showed.

Manufacturing workers earned NT$45,807 per month on average, though compensation rose, particularly in higher-tech segments. Employees in electronic components manufacturing — a key beneficiary of the AI boom — earned NT$57,070 a month, the data indicated.

At the upper end of the wage scale, professional, scientific and technical services averaged NT$58,334 per month, while workers in publishing, audiovisual and information and communications services earned NT$69,579, reflecting strong demand for digital and data-related skills.

Financial and insurance sector employees received the highest average pay at NT$70,840, reinforcing the wage premium in knowledge and capital-intensive industries.

Demographic gaps persisted. Over the first 11 months of last year, the median regular wage for women was NT$36,402, compared with NT$40,026 for men, though women posted faster annual growth of 3.33 percent, versus 2.93 percent for men. Younger workers under 30 earned a median NT$31,779, with wages rising to NT$43,176 for those aged 50 to 64 before easing to NT$38,196 for workers aged 65 and older, reflecting increasingly prevalent post-retirement re-employment, the data showed.

Education continued to deliver the strongest payoff. Median regular wage reached NT$40,547 for employees with junior college or university degrees, while postgraduate degree holders averaged NT$66,609, according to DGBAS.

Labor turnover eased further, with entry and exit rates falling to 2.03 percent and 1.93 percent respectively, pointing to a more stable — if less dynamic — labor market heading into year-end, the directorate said.

title: Wage growth remained stable last year


content_text:
Stabilization fund wraps up operations, its job done

CRISIS AVERTED:  Launched during a stormy time of tariffs and uncertainty, the fund has terminated its operations as investor confidence and trading stabilize

The National Stabilization Fund (NSF) has decided to end its market-support operations, bringing to a close the longest intervention in history, as investor confidence and trading conditions have normalized.

The move took effect immediately, leaving the fund with a 52.56 percent return rate after deploying a cumulative NT$12.25 billion (US$387.29 million) since April 9 last year and securing an unrealized profit of NT$6.44 billion as of last month, the fund’s executive committee said in a statement yesterday.

The 279-day intervention was meant to shield markets from turbulence amid global market volatility and heavy cross-border capital flows, the committee said.

During the period, the benchmark TAIEX surged more than 70 percent, closing yesterday at a record NT$30,567.29 — up 0.92 percent from the previous session — compared with 17,391.76 on the first day of intervention, when concerns over US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs rattled investors.

Government officials said the NSF’s actions successfully stabilized local equity markets and restored confidence, contributing to “active and orderly” trading.

For the entire last year, the TAIEX soared 25.73 percent.

Daily turnover on the local main board has exceeded NT$600 billion this year, with the state treasury poised to benefit from a securities transaction tax, the committee said.

“With market mechanisms functioning normally, there is no longer a need for the stabilization mission,” it said.

The committee said it would continue monitoring domestic and international economic and political developments, and could reconvene to intervene if risks re-emerge.

The NT$500 billion stabilization fund was established in 2000 to cushion the local equity market against unexpected external factors that might disrupt the local bourse.

The committee’s announcement yesterday underscored policymakers’ growing confidence that Taiwan’s markets could sustain momentum without support.

Market watchers said the NSF’s intervention, which helped maintain stability and reassure investors during a turbulent period, could now shift focus to broader market-driven growth, as major tech firms are set to post strong earnings this year, building on stellar performances last year amid strong global demand for artificial intelligence hardware, it added.


title: PC vendors’ revenues rise

content_text:
Micro-Star International Co (MSI, 微星科技) reported that revenue last quarter rose 11.9 percent year-on-year to NT$57.6 billion (US$1.8 billion), a record for the period in the company’s history, buoying its full-year revenue last year to increase 16.34 percent to NT$230.2 billion, also a record.

Last quarter’s strong performance was driven by a replacement demand for notebook computers, sparked by Nvidia Corp’s new RTX 50-series graphics cards and consumer desire for high-end gaming PCs, an industry source said in an interview yesterday on condition of anonymity.

However, as rising memory component prices are expected to pressure profits, MSI is likely to respond by either raising product prices by about 10 percent starting this quarter, or lowering memory specifications from next quarter to avoid increasing pressure on end-market users, the source said.

People look at laptops displayed during a computer fair at the Taipei World Trade Center in Taipei on July 4 last year. Photo: AFP

The company is also expected to continue increasing the proportion of high-end gaming PCs and artificial intelligence (AI) PCs in its product portfolio this year in a bid to raise average selling prices and support profit margins, the source said.

The company’s PC shipments this quarter are expected to remain flat from last quarter, held down by rising memory prices and the traditional off-season, the source added.

PC vendor Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) reported that revenue last quarter rose 33 percent year-on-year to NT$202.9 billion, the second-highest for the period in the company’s history, and full-year revenue increased 26 percent to NT$738.9 billion.

The strong performance was driven by revenue growth from its server, gaming and commercial PC segments, the company said on Friday.

Acer Inc’s (宏碁) revenue last quarter rose 12.7 percent year-on-year to NT$74.37 billion, the highest level for a single quarter since the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing full-year revenue to NT$275.6 billion, up 4.1 percent, the company said.

Asustek and Acer last month said they would raise prices for certain products starting this quarter to address the surge in memory prices.

Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) last week forecast global PC shipments would fall 3.1 percent and notebook shipments would drop 2.4 percent this year, as PC vendors’ potential price hikes could dampen consumer appetite.


content_text:
Households comprised of people aged 65 or older have been more impacted by inflation than the rest of the population, largely due to the high weighting of their healthcare expenses and living costs, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said.

The consumer price index (CPI) last year for elderly households rose 1.74 percent from 2024, higher than the average 1.66 percent increase, data compiled by the DGBAS showed.

The DGBAS said it was the seventh consecutive year inflation recorded by elderly households beat the average CPI growth in Taiwan.

A man pushes an elderly in a wheelchair across a street in Kaohsiung on June 18, 2024. Photo: CNA

Like the US, Japan and Singapore, Taiwan started compiling inflation for its elderly households in 2018, DGBAS Senior Executive Officer Tsao Chih-hung (曹志弘) said last week.

What is common in the inflation faced by elderly families in these economies is that they saw higher impact from healthcare and living costs, Tsao added.

Last year, healthcare expenses accounted for 8.33 percent of the total CPI for elderly households, compared with 5.41 percent for an average family in Taiwan, while healthcare expenses rose 2.02 percent, versus the national average of 1.90 percent, the DGBAS said.

Living costs, including rent, for elderly households made up about 32 percent of the total last year and about 23 percent for the entire population’s inflation, it said.

Meanwhile, living costs rose 2.04 percent from a year for elderly families, compared with a 1.93 percent increase for the entire population, it added.

Food prices was also a critical factor for elderly households, as unstable weather boosted food prices last year, Tsao said.

Higher dining out expenses also contributed to the higher food costs of these families, the DGBAS said.

However, the CPI growth for elderly households has shown signs of moderating, it said, citing as an example last month, when inflation for elderly families was 1.27 percent, compared with 1.31 percent for the entire population.

Taiwan’s CPI growth last year fell below the 2 percent alert set by the central bank last year, the first time in four years.

title: Elderly households feel more inflation impact


title: Formosa Plastics shows losses for 2025

content_text:
The four major units of Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, 台塑集團), the nation’s largest industrial conglomerate, yesterday reported a combined net loss of NT$1.087 billion (US$34.4 million) for last year, due to a decrease in product prices amid China’s overcapacity and smaller sales volumes given the US tariff hikes.

The four units — Formosa Plastics Corp (台灣塑膠), Nan Ya Plastics Corp (南亞塑膠), Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corp (台灣化學纖維) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) — had posted a combined net profit of NT$8.458 billion the year before.

The group’s poor performance was primarily driven by Formosa Plastics, as the group’s flagship company saw its net loss expand by NT$8.82 billion from the previous year to NT$10.05 billion, or NT$1.58 in losses per share, owing to sinking average product prices and sales volumes, the company’s regulatory filing showed.

Facilities at the Formosa Plastics Group naphtha cracker complex in Yunlin County are pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times File Photo

Annual revenue fell 12.3 percent to NT$175.4 billion, it showed.

In addition, Formosa Chemicals and Fibre, a producer of aromatics and styrenics, had a net loss of NT$5.488 billion last year, or NT$0.94 in losses per share — its first-ever annual losses — amid falling crude oil prices and poor market conditions, its regulatory filing showed. Annual revenue dropped 17.7 percent to NT$287.034 billion, the filing showed.

However, Formosa Petrochemical, the nation’s only listed oil refiner, reported that its net profit rose 65 percent to NT$9.941 billion, or earnings per share of NT$1.04, even though annual revenue was down 5.7 percent to NT$626.149 billion.

Nan Ya Plastics, the nation’s largest plastics maker, saw its net profit rise 35 percent to NT$4.51 billion, or earnings per share of NT$0.57, as income from electronic material products increased amid the artificial intelligence boom. Annual revenue rose slightly by 0.11 percent to NT$259.903 billion.

By taking into account last year’s performance and conservative prospects for this year, the group said it would issue year-end bonuses equivalent to three months of wages, the same as the past two years, for its employees later this month.

For this quarter, Formosa Plastics expects revenue to be lower than last quarter’s NT$41.1 billion, as the Lunar New Year holiday next month cuts the number of working days and eight plants enter regular maintenance cycles by the end of March, the company said.

Nan Ya Plastics expects this quarter’s revenue to stay flat from last quarter’s NT$64.46 billion, as the continued strong momentum in the electronic materials business offsets the impact of the Lunar New Year holiday, it said.

Formosa Petrochemicals and Formosa Chemicals are also conservative about this quarter, citing the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday’s effect, with Formosa Petrochemicals pointing out the oversupply of global crude oil as a lingering issue from last year to add pressure to oil prices in the first half of this year, the companies said.


title: Itching for bargains

content_text: People look at secondhand goods displayed at a stand at the Neiwei Flea Market in Kaohsiung’s Gushan District yesterday.


content_text:
Despite rising geopolitical risks, intensifying trade protectionism and heightened volatility, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) in November last year raised its 2025 economic growth forecast for Taiwan to 7.37 percent, the best since 2010. The IMF, in its World Economic Outlook released in October last year, projected Taiwan’s nominal GDP per capita would reach US$37,827, surpassing those of Japan and South Korea. Meanwhile, total market capitalization of listed companies was NT$94.36 trillion (US$2.98 trillion) as of the end of last year, putting Taiwan in eighth place globally by market value.

The stellar performance of Taiwan’s economy and stock market reflected the nation’s sound economic fundamentals and steady growth in exports, which soared 34.9 percent year-on-year to a record US$640.75 billion last year, data released on Friday by the Ministry of Finance showed. Overall, Taiwan recorded an unprecedented trade surplus of US$157.14 billion last year.

Last year’s export growth was driven by the nation’s world-leading chips and electronics products, as demand for artificial intelligence (AI) hardware and advanced computing remained strong, with no signs of easing. That partially offset the impact of a 4.27 percent rise in the New Taiwan dollar against its US counterpart, compared with rises of 4.38 percent and 1.8 percent for the yuan and the won respectively, as well as a 0.22 percent drop for the yen.

However, academics and experts said the fruits of the progress have not been equally distributed among businesses and workers in the seemingly affluent society. Some have blamed government policies, while others point to the nation’s industrial structure and the NT dollar’s exchange rate. No matter the perspective, they warned that the situation would worsen if the issue is not addressed.

While Taiwan’s GDP per capita was forecast to outpace Japan’s and South Korea’s last year, the nation’s average wage of US$1,900 per month lagged far behind Japan’s US$2,299 and South Korea’s US$2,992 in 2024, Ministry of Labor data showed. As about 80 percent of Taiwan’s workforce relies on salaries and their average wages are significantly lower than those of neighboring countries, the growth in the nation’s GDP per capita is not a major cause for celebration.

Moreover, from an income distribution perspective, the proportion of labor compensation in the nation’s GDP has declined steadily since 2012, while the ratios of corporate profits and fixed-capital consumption to GDP have been on a gradual rise over the same period. Taiwan’s labor share of GDP peaked at about 50 percent in the 1990s, but fell to a new low of 43.1 percent in 2024, compared with 47 percent for South Korea, 50 percent for Japan and more than 50 percent for the US, Germany and France, DGBAS data showed.

The declining labor share in GDP versus the rising shares in corporate profits and fixed-capital consumption certainly underscores the effect of the government’s tax, financial, industrial and foreign exchange policies, as they helped nurture Taiwan’s chip and electronics industries during the early years, which allowed them to seize opportunities in the AI boom.

However, traditional industries have continued to face macroeconomic headwinds. Such an industrial imbalance helps explain why many feel their daily lives are disconnected from the rosy headline GDP figures.

Further study is needed on whether the declining labor share in GDP signals a worsening income disparity. Thinking of this phenomenon as simply unequal wealth distribution would be an oversimplification, whereas the share of labor compensation cannot be equated with the level of wages. The large-scale return of technology and capital-intensive manufacturing industries to Taiwan over the past few years, along with the relatively high proportion of self-employed workers, are also important factors influencing the labor share in GDP.

However, what is clear is that changes in industrial structures, production models and employment dynamics have helped lift corporate profits’ share in GDP over the past 10 years or so, and a consensus has formed in Taiwanese society that workers outside the chip and electronics industries have been mostly left out of the nation’s economic prosperity. Therefore, removing the sense of relative deprivation is more important than being complacent about the seemingly satisfying GDP figures.

title: EDITORIAL: Disproportional growth in Taiwan


content_text:
The Constitutional Court on Jan. 2 issued its first interpretation of the year — which is also its first to follow last year’s Dec. 19 judgement that struck down amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) that had effectively paralyzed the court for nearly a year.

What is troubling about the latest ruling is not the judgement itself, but the maneuvering of individual justices in an attempt to continue to hold back the court’s operations.

The case was about the ability of defense attorneys to appeal a client’s detention when they are unable to file in person. Three out of the eight sitting justices chose not to vote — they had also refused to participate in last month’s proceedings, which saw the court’s operations resume. The issue is that under the Constitutional Court Procedure Act’s voting thresholds, a person only needs to create a dispute over headcounts to halt the entire court.

It is an example of a legislative overstep that attempts to contain and control the authority that the Constitution confers upon the justices.

The arguments that said the justices who refuse to deliberate should nonetheless be counted toward the total number of voting judges are troubling. That interpretation would ensure that, as long as three judges abstain, the two-thirds adjudicatory threshold — currently six out of eight sitting justices — is never reached. It would grant the minority constitutional veto power and the ability to paralyze the court through non-deliberation without judicial reasoning.

Consequently, the public would be forced to wait indefinitely for resolutions to any major constitutional dispute. Constitutional judgements are meant to offer a way out of deadlock, but this would sever that lifeline and reduce the Constitution to little more than a symbolic ornament.

Under the current circumstances, the continued operation of the Constitutional Court by five justices is not ultra vires, but the most basic form of fidelity to the Constitution. They are not just upholding procedural form, but ensuring that the public’s basic rights to litigation and constitutional relief are not compromised by a legislative black hole.

Yeh Yu-cheng is a secretary at the Pingtung County Public Health Bureau.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader

title: The Constitutional Court problem


title: Overcoming the gender barrier

content_text:
China Airlines recently flew its first-ever flight of all-male flight attendants. Elsewhere, Taiwan’s armed forces have all-female tank crews. Although these appear to be isolated anomalies, they reveal a loosening of long-held social assumptions about gender-defined occupations.

Such a shift should symbolize progress, allowing people to pursue careers based on their interests and abilities. However, the wave of sarcasm and mockery that followed online suggested that there is still a long way to go before true workplace equality is achieved.

Although there was no shortage of supportive voices on social media, there was still excessive scrutiny aimed specifically at gender.

Some questioned whether an all-male cabin crew could deliver sufficiently attentive service, while others doubted the ability of female thankers.

It seems that those who pursue careers that run counter to societal gender expectations must first overcome the “gender” barrier to prove their competence.

When the public’s first instinct is to look at someone’s gender rather than performance, it becomes clear how deeply gender stereotypes are embedded in workplace culture — and how they build a high wall that separates and confines people.

When discussing gender equality in the workplace, an invisible barrier is often overlooked: occupational sex segregation. Why is it that, when certain professions are mentioned, a particular gender immediately comes to mind? It is not simply a matter of innate talent, but the result of long-term social construction.

Such segregation occurs in two ways.

First is horizontal segregation, where a specific gender is steered toward certain industries or positions. For example, there is an assumption that men should serve as tankers, while women should be flight attendants.

Second is vertical segregation, where senior positions are disproportionately occupied by one gender within the same industry, or the “glass ceiling.”

If we are to pursue true workplace equality, we must stop presuming a person’s competence based on their gender. These barriers must be dismantled from education to recruitment, allowing talent to circulate on the basis of professionalism rather than gender.

Whether it is women serving as tankers to defend the nation or male flight attendants providing warm-hearted services, those who push through traditional boundaries remind us of a simple truth: What limits development has never been gender, but rather the lack of imagination.

I look forward to a day when society no longer filters talent through the lens of gender, but focuses purely on people’s passion and expertise. When that day arrives, we would naturally embrace the most attentive flight attendants in the cabin and the most competent tankers — regardless of their gender.

Su Yi-hua is a graduate student in Tunghai University’s Department of Social Work.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


title: Power acts, Taiwan watches closely

content_text:
The US operation in Venezuela did not feel so far away for Taiwan. As video footage and headlines showed US forces moving swiftly into Caracas — seizing now-deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and flying him out of the country to the US on charges of narcoterrorism — the shock was immediate in Taiwan. Not because Taiwanese follow Venezuelan politics closely, but because the scene felt uncomfortably familiar.

It stirred an old anxiety: What happens when great powers decide that the law would not impede their actions?

In several Western capitals, political leaders and commentators reached for familiar phrases, such as the importance of state sovereignty, UN principles and the rules-based international order. Protests appeared, banners were raised and objections were voiced.

Elsewhere, particularly in Latin America and parts of the global south, the mood was more conflicted. Many were uneasy, but some were quietly relieved that a criminal regime had finally been confronted and humbled.

Across much of Asia, the response was cooler still. Less outrage. More watching, more waiting.

What mattered was not who objected, but who could impose consequences — and almost no one could.

When it comes to understanding the application of international law, debates on the issue often omits one part. The Venezuela operation was not controversial because Washington misunderstood international law. It was controversial because the US chose not to let laws decide the outcome. For US President Donald Trump, international law is at best conditional, invoked when it produces results, discarded when it does not.

In Trump’s worldview, rules that fail to stop narco-states, terrorism or strategic decay carry little moral weight. They are tools, not guardrails. That is a blunt reality that unsettles many in Taiwan, because it strips away comforting assumptions about how the world is supposed to work.

Trump tends to sort the world into two groups: those who can impose real costs, and those who can merely express opinions. Speeches, protests and condemnations fall into the latter category. They do not ground aircraft or reverse military operations. If anything, they often feed Trump’s domestic narrative of foreign elites scolding the US while leaning on its power.

Asking whether international law has become a “fig leaf” misses the point. The real question is, when power moves, can the law stop it?

If the answer is no, then law becomes optional in the eyes of great powers. What matters is whether contraventions trigger real costs: sanctions that bite, alliances that fracture or military pushback. In the case of Venezuela, none followed.

That reality should matter to Taiwan far more than legal debates about Latin America.

Some voices in Taiwan say that Beijing would use Washington’s actions as a pretext to justify attacking Taiwan or blocking US intervention. China has never waited for legal precedents. International law did not restrain Beijing in Hong Kong, Xinjiang or Tibet.

China refrains from attacking Taiwan for one reason: It is not confident it could win quickly.

Yet, parts of Taiwan’s political discourse persist in pretending otherwise. By framing Taiwan as a legal problem rather than a strategic one, the arguments help Beijing far more than they help peace. By condemning US “lawlessness” while softening language about Chinese coercion, they create a false moral symmetry unique to Taiwan’s domestic politics.

A Taiwan defended without perfect legitimacy is better than a Taiwan abandoned with flawless legal arguments.

The Taiwan Relations Act, the foundation of Washington’s involvement with Taipei, is not international law. It is US domestic law, deliberately designed to preserve ambiguity, with room for intervention.

International politics is not a courtroom. It is a test of resolve.

If law alone were enough, Taiwan would not feel this uneasy. That it does says exactly what kind of world we are living in, and why watching power moves matters so much here.

Bonnie Yushih Liao is an assistant professor in Tamkang University’s Department of Diplomacy and International Relations.


content_text:
A female student, surnamed Lin (林), at a junior-high school in New Taipei City in 2023 asked a male student, surnamed Kuo (郭), to kill a male student, surnamed Yang (楊), who was stabbed to death with a switchblade.

After the court’s second ruling, Yang’s parents said one judge asked them if it was acceptable for the killers to show them “filial piety” as a form of atonement.

The court said that the presiding judge had been changed.

During the proceedings before the trial, the offenders’ lawyer applied to the previous judge for “restorative justice,” inquiring whether Yang’s family would accept any form of compensation, the court said, adding that the previous judge did not force the Yang’s parents to accept it.

The public’s doubts have continued to mount: Is it reasonable for a judge to propose that “the killers show filial piety toward the victim’s parents”? Under normal circumstances, the proposal would not be deemed reasonable or appropriate. However, the discussion of the case should not be confined to criticizing the judge’s remarks, as it also involves three dimensions: the moral, emotional and legal aspects.

From the legal aspect, the punishment imposed on the offender are typically criminal liability and civil compensation. The former refers to imprisonment and corrective measures, while the latter refers to paying for medical expenses, emotional damages and support losses. The law does not mandate the offender to build familial or caregiving relationships with the victim’s family, nor does it demand filial piety from the offender.

One reason for that is because forcing emotional obligation would likely cause additional harm. The victim’s family might be unwilling to accept it, and the offender might not be sincere, so it is just for show.

From the moral and mental aspects, the victim’s family can hardly trust the person who killed their loved one, let alone form an affection for them. Forced interaction might worsen their trauma, mourning and grief.

In this case, Yang’s family said the judge was overly idealistic. Not only did they not think that the offender would show filial piety toward them, but they were also in a panic, with Yang’s father saying: “It would already be a blessing if the offenders do not come and kill us.”

Offenders should atone through confession, punishment and compensation, so they could gain true awareness of their wrongdoing. As long as the offender has not sincerely remedied his crime and the victim’s family remains fearful, we should not invoke “restorative justice.” The victim’s family should not be asked whether it is acceptable for the offenders to atone by showing filial piety toward them, so that they would not be hurt again. Otherwise, it would inevitably raise doubts about whether restorative justice merely means reduced sentencing.

Is restorative justice really possible? Its main goal is to help the offender understand the harm they caused to the victim, and then to discuss together how to remedy the fault through dialogue. In Yang’s case, this step was absent or undisclosed.

The media reported that the offenders showed no regret and even threatened witnesses. Their actions were far from the principles of restorative justice.

Restorative justice involves dialogue, apologies and understanding each other’s emotions, and it must be conducted on the basis of willingness, respect and safety. The goal is to understand and heal the victim’s or their families’ trauma, not making the offender take the victim’s place.

Teng Hon-yuan is a university professor.

Translated by Eddy Chang

title: Restorative justice must not result in more harm


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

content_text:
Jan. 1 marks a decade since China repealed its one-child policy. Just 10 days before, Peng Peiyun (彭珮雲), who long oversaw the often-brutal enforcement of China’s family-planning rules, died at the age of 96, having never been held accountable for her actions. Obituaries praised Peng for being “reform-minded,” even though, in practice, she only perpetuated an utterly inhumane policy, whose consequences have barely begun to materialize.It was Vice Premier Chen Muhua (陳慕華) who first proposed the one-child policy in 1979, with the endorsement of China’s then-top leaders, Chen Yun (陳雲) and Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平), as a means of avoiding the

By Yi Fuxian


title: Japan can keep calm and carry on decoupling from China

content_text:
Tokyo must stop hoping that one day its neighbor would outgrow its tendency to weaponize trade and economic interdependence

Tokyo has displayed admirable restraint in the face of Beijing’s outbursts over the past two months.

When China signaled a 40 percent cut in tourists to Japan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi could have responded — perhaps by rolling back publicly unpopular relaxed visa requirements for Chinese travelers, agreed upon only in 2024. She demurred. When Chinese aircraft locked fire-control radar on Japanese jets, she did not reciprocate; instead, she sought to talk things over via a hotline established in 2023. Beijing did not pick up.

In the face of the last week’s implementation of export controls on so-called dual-use items that could include rare earths, it is tempting to say that Takaichi should respond in kind. China is demanding that she retract comments made in November last year on the potential for the country to be dragged into a theoretical Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Japan might be the junior trade partner, but it is not without options; it could impose like-for-like curbs of on semiconductor inputs or equipment.

However, there is no need to get emotional. Instead, Takaichi should keep on the path the country has been on for more than 15 years: Keep calm and carry on reducing dependency on Beijing.

My colleague David Fickling has already outlined that there are few countries better equipped to weather a crackdown on rare-earth exports than Japan. In 2010, similar curbs were introduced after the arrest of a trawler captain who crashed into a Japan Coast Guard vessel. They spooked Tokyo badly, and officials worked to reduce reliance on Chinese imports from 90 percent at the time to less than 60 percent today. That is still too high, but Japan has significant stockpiles built up during more cooperative times. It now also imports Australian minerals, processed in Malaysia.

It is not the only way Tokyo has sought to lessen its exposure over the years. Since at least 2005, when anti-Japanese riots erupted across China, it has sought to be less dependent on China as a manufacturing base. It developed the “China Plus One” strategy that encouraged companies to diversify and build factories in Southeast Asia, although it took time for them to come around.

The semiconductor shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, which particularly affected the auto industry, was the impetus behind Rapidus Corp, the ambitious attempt to rebuild Japan’s chip-manufacturing prowess. Billions of dollars have also been extended to the likes of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and Samsung Electronics Co to bring production to Japan’s shores. In the wake of the pandemic, the Japanese government allocated billions to firms to move production out of China, although the ultimate success of the program has been questioned.

The country is also avoiding becoming further reliant on Beijing. While risking the ire of environmentalists, one key reason Japan is reluctant to further increase its solar capacity is the control that China exerts. Instead of, as Takaichi put it last year, “covering our beautiful country with foreign-made solar panels,” she has called for developing perovskite cells, a technology that can use indigenous materials that Japan hopes to commercialize. Similar concerns hang over a reluctance to fully embrace electric vehicles; Chinese dominance of battery technology risks another pressure point.

The Taiwan dispute is a reminder that there is more to do. Japan must stop hoping that one day its neighbor would outgrow its tendency to weaponize trade and economic interdependence. Having endured these steps for over two decades, it is clear that this is a feature, not a bug of Chinese power projection. Expecting otherwise is as naive as the turn-of-the-millennium belief that China would inevitably transition to Western democracy once it got a taste of its wealth.

For manufacturing, that means doubling down on efforts to unplug companies from Chinese entanglement. For those that do not cooperate, in addition to the carrot of subsidies, officials in Tokyo might have to brandish a stick. The tourism sector is so far holding up, with overall visitor numbers higher than 2024, but it too must diversify. Chinese tourists might be the highest-spending on average, but their continued patronage is questionable.

Ultimately, what is needed is foresight. It should not have required the pandemic to understand the danger of depending on Beijing for masks and protective equipment. Nor should it take the latest export curbs to understand that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would play this card as he sees fit. One pressing need for Tokyo is to reduce the reliance on Chinese inputs for pharmaceuticals and antibiotics.

The goal is not to bring trade with Beijing down to zero — that is impossible. It is to dull Xi’s ability to weaponize it when he wants something — and to have alternatives ready to lessen vulnerability to any single country. Tokyo is not alone; there are an increasing number of neighbors that have been buffeted by similar maneuvers.

This is the third time this decade that Japanese firms have been forced to navigate the tides of unpredictable Chinese policy, after the pandemic-era lockdowns and complaints over the release of treated water from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. There is no reason to expect that pattern to change, even if relations might temporarily improve. Takaichi can continue to wait this moment out — and keep working to ensure the next one matters less.

Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas. He previously led the breaking news team in North Asia, and was the Tokyo deputy bureau chief. 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.