taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 高雄市

content_text:
圖 /高雄港務分公司人事處

港灣新聞網/高雄報導

為讓港口文化以更貼近孩子的方式走進生活，臺灣港務公司高雄港務分公司攜手社團法人臺灣港埠協會、社團法人高雄市社區教育協會及臺灣港務公司高雄港職場互助教保服務中心，共同策劃並出版以高雄港旅運中心為主題的兒童繪本《灣灣的神奇旅行》，並於高雄港旅運中心舉行溫馨熱鬧的新書發表會，邀集親子家庭、教育團體及港區夥伴一同見證港口故事化身為閱讀風景的重要時刻。

用童話認識港口 海洋教育從小扎根

《灣灣的神奇旅行》以溫暖童趣的視角，帶領孩子走進高雄港的日常風景。故事以可愛的大郵輪「灣灣」與熱心的「雄鯨」為主角，透過冒險旅程認識高雄港旅運中心、郵輪靠泊、碼頭作業、拖船引導、起重機運作及修船廠分工等港口場景，讓幼童在閱讀中自然理解港口如何連結城市與世界。

書中亦融入高雄港具代表性的港區建築、貨櫃作業景象與海域守護元素，描繪出一座充滿秩序、活力與海洋精神的港口城市，實踐「海洋教育向下扎根」的理念。

發表會充滿童趣與「船承」寓意

新書發表會由高雄港職場互助教保服務中心幼童帶來「海底世界妙妙妙」表演揭開序幕，活潑可愛的演出為港口注入童真與歡笑。現場並安排親子共作的小帆船活動，並透過象徵「傳（船）承」意涵的儀式，將承載祝福的小帆船張貼於高雄港旅運中心主視覺牆面，祝福高雄港航運順利、郵輪觀光持續發展。

高雄港郵輪成長 繪本串起城市與世界

臺灣港務公司指出，高雄港不僅是重要的產業節點，更承載著城市的歷史記憶與文化脈絡。隨著郵輪觀光持續升溫，114年高雄港國際郵輪到港艘次達95艘，創下歷年次高紀錄，高雄港旅運中心已逐步成為國際級郵輪門戶。透過繪本閱讀，孩子能在潛移默化中理解港口如何連結高雄與世界，培養對海洋與城市的認同感。

港埠協會推閱讀 打造下一代港口視野

社團法人臺灣港埠協會表示，長期投入港埠人才培育與港口文化推廣，期盼透過繪本、閱讀與教育，讓《灣灣的神奇旅行》成為孩子認識高雄港、理解海洋文明的第一扇窗。

一艘小郵輪 一段大世界

在溫馨熱鬧的氣氛中，《灣灣的神奇旅行》新書發表會圓滿落幕。與會家長與教育界人士一致認為，這本繪本不只是故事書，更是一份城市記憶與海洋精神的傳承，讓高雄港從港口出發，在孩子心中航向世界。

title: 港灣新聞網／高雄港旅運中心出繪本《灣灣的神奇旅行》陪孩子認識港口世界


title: 港灣新聞網／國畫竹藝結合音樂茶道　高雄榮總迎來《竹意人生》

taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 牡丹 朴子 嘉義 安定

content_text:
圖 /主辦單位

港灣新聞網/高雄報導

以「竹」為一生創作信仰的水墨藝術家 張上緯（春富）老師，2026年開春攜其巡迴創作個展《竹意人生》，正式進駐 高雄榮民總醫院健康藝文展示廳與榮民藝廊，以「國畫竹系列」為主題，為醫療場域注入一股靜謐而深遠的東方藝術能量。

《竹意人生》不只是藝術展覽，更是一場關於 生命韌性、心靈修行與人生哲學 的視覺書寫。張上緯老師以水墨描繪竹之「虛心、有節、清雅與堅韌」，將竹的形象化為人生態度，映照現代人在動盪世界中尋找內在安定的精神力量。

以竹為道 從鄉村到水墨藝術之路

張上緯老師成長於 嘉義朴子 竹林環繞的鄉村，自幼愛竹、畫竹、賞竹，竹不僅是景物，更是其生命記憶與情感依歸。其學養橫跨 藝術、人文與管理領域，並歷經 二十餘年軍旅生涯，以憲兵中校退役，使其藝術風格同時具備紀律與柔韌，剛中帶靜。

其水墨竹藝先後師承 鄧雪峰老師、熊碧梧老師，並拜入「一代竹痴」陳清貴老師門下，長年專注墨竹創作，逐步形塑出沉靜內斂、清雅深遠的個人藝術語言。

全台巡迴 《竹意人生》走入醫療空間

自2024年起，《竹意人生》已於全台多處文化與公共空間巡迴展出，累積展出數百件水墨竹作品，深獲藝文界與觀眾肯定。

2026年開春，此展特別進駐 高雄榮民總醫院，讓藝術成為醫療環境中的一種療癒力量，使病患、家屬與醫護人員皆能在墨竹之間獲得心靈安定。

絲竹與墨竹共鳴 開幕藝術饗宴

開幕茶會特邀 《竹意箏情》古箏團隊——

呂明珠老師、劉靜如老師、謝秀如老師 聯袂演出，演奏曲目包含〈彈箏〉、〈白牡丹〉、〈虞美人〉、〈望春風〉、〈小城故事〉、〈江上月影〉、〈如夢令〉與〈滿山春色〉，讓古箏音律與水墨竹韻相互輝映。

古箏的悠揚絲音與張上緯老師的水墨筆意自然融合，讓觀眾同時沉浸於視覺與聽覺的雙重藝術層次。

茶藝與竹藝交融 開啟心靈療癒對話

開幕活動亦邀請 儲翠霞茶藝老師 與 葉雅詅茶藝老師 進行茶藝展演與品茗分享，將「茶、禪、竹、藝」融合為一體，讓藝術欣賞不只是觀看，而是全然的身心體驗。

竹意人生 為快節奏社會帶來靜心力量

張上緯老師表示，竹不只是畫的對象，而是一種 面對人生的方式。

如竹虛心向上，一節一節生長，在紛亂世道中保持清澈與穩定，《竹意人生》正是這樣一種安定心靈、回歸本真的藝術實踐。

展出地點：高雄榮民總醫院 健康藝文展示廳、榮民藝廊

展覽主題：張上緯（春富）《竹意人生》國畫水墨竹系列


title: 港灣新聞網／漁光島傳偷拍疑雲　安平港中隊主動調查並加強巡邏

taiwan-subdivisions: 安平 高雄

content_text:
圖說:受訪人高雄港務警察總隊 安平港中隊副中隊長陳振雄 (圖/ 高雄港務警察總隊)

港灣新聞網/台南報導

近日有民眾在社群平台 Threads 發文指出，於115年1月11日（星期日）下午，在台南市漁光島一帶疑似遭不明人士不當拍攝，相關內容在網路上引發廣泛關注。對此，海洋委員會海巡署安平港中隊已主動介入了解，並對外說明相關處置情形。

安平港中隊表示，目前尚未接獲當事人正式報案，但已就網路流傳的影片內容進行初步檢視與研判。警方指出，漁光島屬於公共活動空間，但仍高度重視民眾在公共場所的人身安全與隱私權，將依據後續具體事證，主動通知相關人員到案說明，確保事件釐清。

漁光島安全升級 警方加強巡邏守望

為防範類似事件再度發生，安平港中隊已針對漁光島周邊強化巡邏與守望勤務，提升見警率，以確保遊客與居民的活動安全。警方也提醒，若民眾在公共場所發現疑似遭到偷拍、尾隨或其他不當行為，應立即撥打 110 報案專線，警方將即刻派員前往處理。

警方提醒：公共空間也須尊重他人隱私

安平港中隊強調，即使在公共場所，民眾仍應尊重他人隱私權與人身自由。任何涉及不當拍攝、持續跟隨或監控他人，並造成他人感到恐懼或生活受到影響的行為，經查證屬實，將依法處理。

警方也再次呼籲，民眾外出休憩或旅遊時，若察覺可疑情況，請即時求助警方，共同維護漁光島安全與公共環境秩序，打造更安心的觀光與休憩空間。


title: 港灣新聞網／中安路與高鳳路口事故　小港警方13分鐘恢復通車

taiwan-subdivisions: 小港 小港區 高雄市

content_text:
圖/ 高雄市政府警察局小港分局

港灣新聞網/高雄報導

為確保小港交通安全與道路順暢通行，高雄市政府警察局小港分局持續加強事故即時處理機制。115年1月13日13時05分，小港分局桂林派出所與小港交通分隊接獲通報，指稱小港區中安路與高鳳路口發生交通事故，警方隨即派遣警力趕赴現場處理。

警方到場後立即實施交通管制與車流疏導，並進行交通事故現場測繪，確保後續肇事責任研判的完整性，也同步排除道路障礙，避免影響中安路與高鳳路口交通動線。

曳引車轉彎未保持安全距離 擦撞公車車頭

經警方初步調查，事故發生時，黃男（50歲）駕駛營業曳引車沿小港區中安路由西向東行駛於中間快車道，準備右轉進入高鳳路；同時，陳男（49歲）駕駛營業大客車（公車），於外側快車道同向右轉高鳳路。

曳引車在轉彎過程中疑似未保持安全間距，導致車輛右側板台與公車左前車頭發生擦撞，造成交通意外事故。

所幸事發時公車車內無乘客，兩名駕駛均未受傷，雙方經警方實施酒測，結果均為0，排除酒後駕車可能。

警方13時53分排除事故 中安路交通迅速恢復

事故發生後，小港分局員警在現場全程指揮車流與維持秩序，並迅速安排事故車輛移置。警方於13時53分完成道路障礙排除，使小港區中安路與高鳳路口交通恢復正常通行，展現高效率交通事故處理能力。

後續肇事責任將由高雄市政府警察局交通警察大隊進行進一步分析研判，以釐清事故確切原因。

小港警分局呼籲：遠離大型車內輪差 確保行車安全

高雄市政府警察局小港分局提醒，大型車輛轉彎時具有內輪差與視線死角風險，駕駛與用路人應保持安全距離，特別是在路口與轉彎區域，避免進入大型車左右兩側，以降低事故發生機率。

警方也將持續透過巡邏與交通宣導，強化小港交通安全與道路行車秩序，確保市民用路安心。


title: 港灣新聞網／臺灣港群逆風創高峰　港務公司以「強港航、興觀光」挺進國際

taiwan-subdivisions: 新興 基隆 蘇澳 安平 高雄 臺中 成功

countries: 臺灣 台灣

content_text:
圖/ 臺灣港務股份有限公司

港灣新聞網/高雄報導

在全球經濟放緩、供應鏈重組與地緣政治風險升溫的多重挑戰下，臺灣港務股份有限公司（簡稱港務公司）於114年交出亮眼成績單，不僅成功穩住台灣港口的國際航運地位，更以智慧化與永續化雙軸轉型，為115年台灣港群發展奠定堅實基礎。

港務公司指出，114年全年營收達新臺幣235.3億元，創歷史新高；全港群貨物裝卸量約6.9億計費噸，貨櫃裝卸量約1,351萬TEU，顯示即便在全球航運市場震盪中，台灣港群仍持續扮演國家物流與產業命脈的重要角色。

港埠投資動能強勁 89億元民間資金挹注港口建設

在港埠建設與產業招商方面，港務公司114年完成18件重大招商案，成功引進民間投資約89.03億元，投資範圍涵蓋貨櫃航運、離岸風電、綠能產業與倉儲物流等重點領域，為港口注入新一波成長動能。

港務公司同時依據五年整體規劃，持續推進港埠建設、碼頭配置與航道能量升級，提前因應大型船舶靠泊、新興產業進駐與國家能源轉型需求，讓港口不僅是運輸節點，更成為產業發展的重要基地。

郵輪全面復甦 港口帶動城市觀光經濟

港務公司指出，國際郵輪與旅運市場在114年強勢復甦，透過郵輪獎勵、海外行銷與航商合作，全年國際郵輪預報達567艘次、旅客人次約115.67萬，已超越疫情前水準。

基隆港成功吸引國際郵輪以台灣作為母港，而高雄港旅運中心則以世界級建築與優質服務成為城市新地標，郵輪經濟進一步串聯水岸觀光、商圈發展與地方創生，促進港市共榮。

AI戰情平台上線 港口進入智慧中樞時代

在數位轉型方面，港務公司以「臺灣港群 Trans-SMART 2.0⁺升級計畫」為核心，114年完成多項智慧港口部署，包括：

港灣安全即時監測

棧埠作業管理系統

港群營運整合平台

AI船舶影像辨識

橋梁結構監測系統

全新上線的「營運總部戰情平台」整合船舶、貨櫃、氣象與營運數據，如同港口的「數位神經中樞」，大幅提升調度效率與風險應變能力，確保台灣民生物流與供應鏈穩定運作。

七大商港通過國際生態港認證 港務公司連續奪下永續金獎

在永續發展方面，港務公司所屬七大國際商港全數通過歐洲生態港（EcoPorts）認證，其中基隆港、蘇澳港、臺中港與安平港於114年順利完成複評。

高雄港洲際商港區更完成太陽能、儲能設施與智慧微電網建置，搭配節能設備、碳盤查與工程減碳作為，打造綠色低碳港口。

港務公司並連續三年榮獲TCSA永續報告金獎，並首度拿下「永續單項績效－透明誠信領袖獎」，在公司治理、資訊透明與ESG永續經營方面獲高度肯定。

周永暉董事長定調：港群一體化，打造台灣新海運競爭力

臺灣港務公司董事長周永暉指出，港務公司已確立「強港航、興觀光、智管理、達永續」四大主軸，並推動「港群一體、均衡發展」的治理模式，讓港口從單純運輸設施，升級為產業、觀光、能源與城市發展的關鍵平台。

展望115年 打造「一港一特色」的世界級港群

展望115年，港務公司將持續：

強化港區交通與基礎設施

提升郵輪與港灣觀光服務

擴大AI智慧港口應用

深化能源轉型與減碳策略

推動「一港一特色」港市共榮計畫

港務公司將以更前瞻的策略，全面強化台灣港群在亞太與全球航運體系的關鍵地位。


title: Taiwan, US reach consensus on tariffs

content_text:
BROAD AGREEMENT: The two are nearing a trade deal to reduce Taiwan’s tariff to 15% and a commitment for TSMC to build five more fabs, a ‘New York Times’ report said

Taiwan and the US have reached a broad consensus on a trade deal, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations said yesterday, after a report said that Washington is set to reduce Taiwan’s tariff rate to 15 percent.

The New York Times on Monday reported that the two nations are nearing a trade deal to reduce Taiwan’s tariff rate to 15 percent and commit Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to building at least five more facilities in the US.

“The agreement, which has been under negotiation for months, is being legally scrubbed and could be announced this month,” the paper said, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The reduced tariff rate is in line with those applied to Japan and South Korea, which struck trade deals last year, it said.

The timeline for TSMC’s further investment in the US remains unclear, it added.

TSMC did not comment on the report, but would likely address the issue at its investors’ conference tomorrow.

The objective of trade negotiations with the US has always been to reduce reciprocal tariffs without stacking them and secure preferential treatment for semiconductors under a legal provision known as Section 232, the office said in a statement.

After the fifth round of in-person Taiwan-US talks, Taipei continued to discuss supply chain cooperation with the US Department of Commerce through video meetings and written exchanges, it said.

Taiwan asked the US to create a more favorable investment environment for Taiwanese companies by offering support such as access to land, water, electricity and visas, as well as simpler administrative procedures, it said.

Taiwan also continued to exchange documents with the Office of the US Trade Representative to confirm the details of a bilateral trade agreement, and the two sides have reached a certain degree of consensus, it added.

Taiwan and the US are scheduling a final wrap-up meeting, after which they would publicly announce the details of the deal, the office said.

The government would brief the Legislative Yuan and the public on the agreement and submit it in full, along with an impact assessment, to the legislature for review, it said.

In the first phase of Taiwan-US trade talks from April to the end of July last year, both sides negotiated tariffs, trade barriers, economic security, procurement and supply chain issues, the office said in previous statements.

Talks then shifted to a second phase focused on supply chain cooperation under the “Taiwan model,” while Taipei continued to seek reduced, non-stacked reciprocal tariffs and preferential treatment under Section 232 for semiconductors and related products, it said.

Taiwan earlier concluded trade discussions with the Office of the US Trade Representative, then continued to discuss Section 232 tariffs and TSMC’s investment plans with the US Department of Commerce, the New York Times said.

Officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration have said companies that invest in the US would not be subject to Section 232 tariffs, but it is unclear exactly how the arrangement would work, it said.

TSMC has three fabs at various stages of development in Arizona under a previous US$65 billion investment commitment.

The first began volume production in the final quarter of 2024.

The structure for the second fab was completed last year, with mass production targeted for 2028.

The company broke ground on a third fab in April last year, with commercial production targeted by the end of the decade, TSMC Arizona said.

Early last year, TSMC pledged an additional US$100 billion in investment that would include another three fabs, but according to the New York Times, the company has pledged as part of the trade talks to build at least five more fabs, instead of the four currently pledged, including the fab on which it broke ground last year.


title: President Lai  thanks Canada for its support

content_text:
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Canada for its support during recent Chinese military drills and praised the deepening of ties between the two sides, shortly ahead of a visit to China by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Two lawmakers from Carney’s Liberal Party this week ended a visit to Taiwan early, citing advice from the Canadian government and to “avoid confusion with Canada’s foreign policy” before Carney visits Beijing starting today.

Meeting the three remaining members of the delegation, from the opposition Conservative Party, Lai said that over the past three years, Taiwan and Canada have made substantive progress in areas such as trade and technology, including the signing of a landmark investment agreement in 2023.

President William Lai, center, meets with members of a parliamentary delegation from Canada at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.  Photo: CNA

“Bilateral relations continue to deepen and yield fruitful results,” Lai said at the Presidential Office in Taipei.

He also expressed appreciation for the Canadian government’s public concern over last month’s Chinese war games around Taiwan.

“I would like to thank the Canadian government for soon releasing a statement expressing its concern and opposing any unilateral attempt to change the ‘status quo,’” he added.

“This once again demonstrated that maintaining the peaceful and stable ‘status quo’ across the Taiwan Strait is not only in the interest of all parties, but also the international consensus,” he said.

Canadian warships on occasion sail through the Taiwan Strait, most recently in September last year.

Lai made no mention of Carney’s visit to China.

Melissa Lantsman, deputy coleader of Canada’s Conservatives, told Lai that Taiwan is a trusted partner.

“We are here with a clear and sincere purpose to say to Taiwan and the people of Taiwan that you have friends in Canada’s parliament,” she said.

In a statement on Monday, the two Liberal Party members — Helena Jaczek and Marie-France Lalonde — said they would end their trip to Taiwan early.

“As this portion of the visit concludes, informed by advice from the government, we are returning home,” their statement said. “It’s important that we avoid confusion with Canada’s foreign policy, given the overlap with the prime minister’s engagement in Beijing, which was only confirmed last week.”

They said Canada’s position on Taiwan has not changed.

Asked about the departure of two ruling party lawmakers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said some members of the delegation had to leave early “for some reason.”

“The foreign ministry continues to welcome friends from all walks of life to visit Taiwan, and we will continue working with Canada to further deepen exchanges and cooperation across all fields,” Hsiao said.

Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said that Canada is a democratic country with lawmakers who are able to make autonomous decisions.

The world is watching Beijing’s diplomatic coercion, he added.

Carney is to discuss trade and international security while in China, at a time when Canada faces uncertain relations with the US due to a trade war and annexation threats from US President Donald Trump.

Additional reporting by Chen Yu-fu


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APEC Shenzen visit was smooth, safe: ministry official

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official yesterday said that a delegation that visited China for an APEC meeting did not receive any kind of treatment that downgraded Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Department of International Organizations Director-General Jonathan Sun (孫儉元) said that he and a group of ministry officials visited Shenzhen, China, to attend the APEC Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting last month.

The trip went “smoothly and safely” for all Taiwanese delegates, as the Chinese side arranged the trip in accordance with long-standing practices, Sun said at the ministry’s weekly briefing.

Department of International Organizations Director-General Jonathan Sun speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday.  Photo: Huang Ching-hsuan, Taipei Times

The Taiwanese group did not encounter any political suppression, he said.

Sun made the remarks when asked about Taiwan’s participation at the APEC meeting this year, after the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it would fulfill its obligations as the host, as long as Taiwan complies with the “one China principle.”

In response, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Nov. 5 said that the government would launch “countermeasures” against China should Beijing insist on asking Taiwan to attend APEC under the “one China principle.”

Taiwan will not accept any political maneuvers aimed at undermining or excluding its participation and would work with like-minded partners to oppose such moves, he added.

Sun yesterday confirmed that Taiwan’s plan to attend the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Shenzhen from Feb. 1 to 10 has not changed.

Over the past year, Taiwan has been in talks with China to make sure the APEC host guarantees Taiwan’s “equal, dignified and safe involvement” in APEC meetings and activities in Shenzhen.

Asked whether Taiwan’s delegates would need to apply for “Taiwan compatriot permits,” Sun said both sides of the Taiwan Strait have agreed to follow a mutually agreed model to facilitate the delegation’s visit.

He declined to provide further details, citing confidentiality.

Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan


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UNREST:  The US president moved to further isolate Tehran, announcing a 25 percent tariff on goods from nations doing business with the Islamic republic

Iranian protests appeared to persist in localized pockets overnight as an activist group warned of imminent executions by the state and said the civilian death toll from the unrest could be in the thousands.

The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group said at least 648 people had died in the protests by Monday, while estimating the toll could be as high as 6,000.

It said the “risk of mass and extrajudicial executions of protesters is extremely serious.”

People drive past a billboard reading “Iran is our homeland” at Enghelab Square in Tehran yesterday.  Photo: EPA

In one video that has been verified by the BBC as coming from a mortuary on the outskirts of Tehran, at least 180 bodies can be seen.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that more than 10,700 people had been detained in connection with protests by Monday, and put the death toll at 646.

Concern about the scale of fatalities is mounting, as US President Donald Trump moved to further isolate the Islamic republic over the violence, saying on Monday that he was imposing a 25 percent tariff on goods from countries “doing business” with Iran.

Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Iran with military intervention, said in a social media post on Monday that the new levies would “immediately” hit the Islamic republic’s trading partners who also do business with the US.

“This order is final and conclusive,” he wrote, without specifying who it would affect.

Iran’s main trading partners are China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, economic database Trading Economics said.

The move followed reports that Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi reached out to US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff about a potential meeting in the coming days.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was on a two-day visit to India, yesterday predicted that the Islamic republic is in its “final days” and “effectively finished” after the two weeks of nationwide upheaval against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime.

The Iranian government has not given any figures for civilian deaths and the state broadcaster, which has an effective monopoly on domestic news services, has repeated official claims that “terrorists and rioters” killed scores of security forces amid a continued Internet blackout.

The NetBlocks group, which monitors global Internet connectivity, yesterday said that a nationwide Internet shutdown had entered its fifth day.

Reports said some citizens were able to make international calls as of yesterday morning.

Trump has called on Starlink — which some Iranians already use, despite it being banned in the country — to help restore communication.

Connecting Iran to the Internet via Elon Musk’s service would not be easy. Owning a Starlink terminal is illegal, so equipment would have to be smuggled in.

The military is also working to jam Starlink and is hunting down any users, said Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at Internet human rights group Miaan Group.

title: Protests in Iran persist as concern over deaths rises


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G7, allies discuss cutting reliance on China for rare earths

Finance ministers from the G7 and other major economies on Monday met in Washington to discuss ways to reduce dependence on rare earths from China, including setting a price floor and new partnerships to build up alternative supplies, ministers said.

The meeting, convened by US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, included finance ministers from G7 members Japan, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and the US, as well as officials from Australia, Mexico, South Korea and India.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and representatives from the US Export-Import Bank and JPMorgan also attended, but no joint statement was issued by the meeting’s participants.

A sample of monazite, a mineral used in the rare earth industry to extract elements such as cerium, lanthanum and neodymium, is displayed next to a magnification glass at the Geological Museum of China in Beijing on Oct. 14. Photo: Reuters

The Treasury said in a statement that Bessent sought “to discuss solutions to secure and diversify supply chains for critical minerals, especially rare earth elements,” and expressed optimism that countries would pursue “prudent de-risking over decoupling” from China.

A US official on Sunday said that Bessent was going to urge participants to step up efforts to reduce reliance on critical minerals from China, which has imposed strict export controls on rare earths, most recently on supplies to Japan.

Japanese Minister of Finance Satsuki Katayama told reporters on Monday evening that there was “broad agreement on the need to swiftly reduce reliance on China for rare earths.”

She said she outlined short, medium and long-term policy approaches for G7 and like-minded countries to bolster non-Chinese rare earth supplies.

“These include creating markets based on standards such as respect for labor conditions and human rights, as well as deploying a range of policy tools — support from public financial institutions, tax and financial incentives, trade and tariff measures, quarantine measures and minimum price setting,” Katayama said. “I stressed the importance of committing to these measures.”

A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington could not be immediately reached for comment.

The participating countries and the EU account for 60 percent of global demand for critical minerals. However, China dominates the supply chain, refining between 47 and 87 percent of copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earths, the International Energy Agency said.

The minerals are essential for defense technologies, semiconductors, renewable energy components, batteries and refining processes.

Last week, China banned exports of items destined for Japan’s military that have civilian and military uses, including some critical minerals.

German Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil said discussions at the meeting included a potential rare-earths price floor and partnerships to boost supplies, but added the talks had just begun with many unresolved issues.

He said rare earths and critical mineral supplies would be a central topic under the French presidency of the G7 this year.

However, he warned against an anti-China coalition, saying that Europe needs to move faster on its own to develop supplies of important raw materials.

“What is very important to me is that we in Europe do not sit back,” Klingbeil said. “Neither complaining nor self-pity helps us, we have to become active.”

He added that the EU needed more financing at the bloc level, pointing to a new German raw materials fund.

The EU must also move forward urgently on recycling, Klingbeil said, citing its “big potential” for reducing dependencies and broadening supply.

South Korean Minister of Finance Koo Yun-cheol said at the meeting that global value chains should be strengthened based on comparative advantage, emphasizing the importance of recycling critical minerals for resilient supply chains, its ministry said in a statement.

Koo also urged countries to pursue corporate projects-oriented cooperation, while Canada and Australia asked South Korea for technology collaboration, the ministry added.


title: Hospital visits for flu rose about 10% last week: FDA

content_text:
EPIDEMIC THRESHOLD:  Among hospital visits for flu-like illnesses, 9.7 percent sought treatment at emergency rooms, almost at the level defining an epidemic, it said

Hospital visits for flu-like illnesses increased by about 10 percent last week from a week earlier, with local flu activity expected to peak next month, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

Flu viruses were the most common pathogen spreading in the past few weeks, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said, citing respiratory pathogen monitoring data.

There were 91,842 hospital visits for flu-like illnesses at outpatient departments and emergency rooms last week, up 9.6 percent from the previous week, Guo said.

Centers for Disease Control Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Among the hospital visits last week, 9.7 percent sought treatment at emergency rooms, almost at the epidemic threshold of 11 percent, he said, adding that influenza A(H3N2) was the dominant strain over the past few weeks.

Twenty-three cases of severe flu complications and three flu-related deaths were reported from Tuesday last week to Monday, he said, adding that since the start of the flu season on Oct. 1 last year, there have been 441 severe cases and 86 deaths.

CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said that among those who died last week was a man in his 60s who had chronic hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and hepatitis B.

The man did not get vaccinated this season, Lin said.

Among the severe cases is a man in his 30s who has hypertension and has a body mass index greater than 35, and also did not get vaccinated this season, Lin said, adding that the man is being treated in an intensive care unit.

Irrespective of age, people with underlying health conditions, chronic diseases and obesity are at higher risk of developing severe complications from flu infection, so they are eligible for the government-funded vaccine and are encouraged to get vaccinated for better protection, Lin said.

CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) said that flu activity is rising and is expected enter an epidemic period in about two weeks, with a peak at about the time of the Lunar New Year holidays in the middle of next month.

With low temperatures, and year-end gatherings and travel, the risk of respiratory infections is high, he said, adding that there are still about 179,000 doses of government-funded flu vaccine available.

The CDC encourages elderly people and those with higher risk of severe illness to get vaccinated, he said.

Meanwhile, cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) last year rose to 347, the highest in five years, Gou said, adding that 36 people died of the disease.

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital deputy superintendent Chiu Cheng-hsun (邱政洵), an infectious diseases specialist, said that global IPD cases fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they are beginning to increase again.

Pneumonia is the third leading cause of death in Taiwan and pneumococcus is one of the most common pathogens, Chiu said, adding that pneumococcal infection can lead to severe illness such as pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis, or even death.

The fatality rate of IPD can be up to 20 percent, he said.

Studies show that getting vaccinated can provide about 75 percent protection against IPD, he said.

A new government-funded single-dose 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for adults would be available to eligible recipients from tomorrow, Lin Min-cheng said.


title: Kids’ seaweed products recalled

content_text:
HEAVY METALS ISSUE:  Six seaweed products had lead levels up to 4 times the maximum allowable and cadmium levels up to 50 times the limit, the FDA said

Tests of six seaweed products marketed toward young children and infants showed that they contained lead and cadmium in excess of legal limits, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday, advising parents to not give them to their children.

Chinese-language Mirror Media magazine last week reported that it had received a tip-off that seaweed products imported from South Korea or made in Taiwan with ingredients imported from South Korea allegedly had excessive amounts of the heavy metals, but were still on the shelves.

The magazine said it purchased seven of the products and submitted them to SGS SA, an inspection, verification, testing and certification company, which reported that all of them contained heavy metals exceeding legal limits.

An MB BABY seaweed product is pictured in a photograph released by the Food and Drug Administration yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration

The products had lead levels 1.4 to 4.4 times the limit and cadmium levels 22 to 53 times the limit, the magazine reported.

The FDA yesterday said that it and local health departments conducted random inspections on six of the seven products reported by the magazine, with one product sold out.

All six products failed to meet the maximum allowable limits for lead and cadmium as stipulated in Annex Table 1 of the Sanitation Standards for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods (食品中污染物質及毒素衛生標準), the FDA said.

The annex says the maximum level for cadmium in supplementary baby food is 0.04 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), while the general standard for seaweed is 1mg/kg on a wet weight basis.

The standards for lead are 0.05mg/kg and 1mg/kg respectively.

The companies supplying the six products — BEBE Kids’ Crispy Seaweed (BEBE 貝兒純淨海苔), LUSOL Unsalted and Unflavored Baked Seaweed (LUSOL 無鹽無調味烘烤海苔), YummyBaby 100% Pure Olive Oil Seaweed (芽米寶貝100%純橄欖油海苔), MB BABY Seaweed (MB BABY 萌寶寶海苔), HanAbbaDiary Kids’ Seaweed (韓爸田園日記嚴選初收孩苔) and Ibobomi Unflavored Kids’ Crispy Seaweed (Ibobomi 無調味海苔片) — have been ordered to recall them and remove them from the shelves, with 25,047 items removed as of Monday, the FDA said.

People who have purchased any of the six products should not eat them and can contact the retailer for a refund, it said.

The sold-out product tested in the magazine report, but not by the FDA, was Naeiae Organic Roasted Seaweed (Naeiae 韓國幼兒紫菜).

Testing showed that the six products had lead levels ranging from 0.14mg/kg to 0.206mg/kg and cadmium levels from 0.912mg/kg to 2.013mg/kg, said Liu Fang-ming (劉芳銘), director of the FDA’s Northern Taiwan Management Center.

MB BABY Seaweed had lead levels of 0.206mg/kg, about four times the allowable limit, while HanAbbaDiary Kids’ Seaweed had chromium levels of 2.013mg/kg, or about 50 times the allowable limit, Liu said.

Starting last week, the FDA listed imported seaweed products for young children and infants under “monitoring inspection” until Feb. 6, meaning they would be subject to batch-by-batch testing for heavy metals, he said, adding that adjustments to the inspection regime would be made according to the results of the testing.

Meanwhile, the FDA would reference regulations in other countries as it considers requiring food companies to label products as “infant food” if they are marketed as for children up to three years old so consumers could easily identify products that are subject to stricter food standards, Liu said.


title: Kaohsiung makes top-10 container port list

content_text:
The Port of Kaohsiung was rated as one of the world’s top 10 container ports last year, despite a decrease in the number of containers it handled, Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) said yesterday.

The rating was conducted by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an international accredited registrar and classification society based in Hovik, Norway.

The Port of Kaohsiung was ranked ninth by the Norwegian agency.

The Norwegian Sun cruise ship is docked at the Port of Kaohsiung on Dec. 2. Photo courtesy of Taiwan International Ports Corp

The nation’s largest international seaport last year handled 8.886 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), down 3.17 percent from 2024, ranking 20th in terms of the container volume handled.

The port operator attributed the decline in container throughput at the port to disruptions in the global supply chain caused by US tariffs.

DNV ranked international seaports around the world based on five key indicators: productivity, sustainability, connectivity and customer value, overall impact and enablers.

Combined container throughput at TIPC’s ports in Kaohsiung, Keelung, Taichung, Tainan, Hualien and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County fell to 13.51 million TEUs last year from 13.92 million TEUs in 2024.

Despite the decrease, the company reported record-high revenue of NT$23.53 billion (US$743.3 million) last year, a 3.2 percent increase from 2024, TIPC chairman Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said.

The year-end bonuses that TIPC employees would receive is expected to be the equivalent of 4.4 months of their salaries, pending a final decision by the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the company said.

TIPC also reported a significant rise in the number of cruise ships and cruise ship travelers arriving in the nation last year.

It said that 567 cruise ships made port calls, bringing in 1.15 million travelers, surpassing 1.05 million travelers in 2019.

Forty-one percent of the travelers last year were foreigners, up from 35 percent in 2024, company data showed.

The international travelers were primarily from Japan (27.16 percent), the US (17.37 percent), Hong Kong (10.76 percent), South Korea (9.28 percent) and Germany (6.21 percent), the data showed.

About 60,000 foreign travelers arrived through the “fly-cruise” model, where they fly to a port city to embark on a cruise, the data showed.

Most of the travelers who arrived through the fly-cruise model were from the US, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Canada, the data showed.

Cruise ships making port calls last year were more diverse compared with those arriving before the COVID-19 pandemic, TIPC said.

Before the pandemic, 90 percent of the cruise ships docking at the Port of Keelung were “contemporary” cruise ships, while “premium,” “luxury” and “expedition” cruise ships accounted for only 2.7 percent, 5.7 percent and 1 percent respectively, it said.

However, contemporary cruise ships making port calls fell to 78.08 percent last year, while premium, luxury and expedition cruise ships rose to 7.76 percent, 12.79 percent and 1.37 percent respectively, it said.

The company has established a cruise ship marketing division in light of the increases, while its branch office in Keelung is to launch a cruise ship business development department on July 1, Chou said.

“Aside from consolidating the number of cruise ship arrivals at the Port of Keelung from Japan and South Korea, we want to expand the numbers arriving at the Port of Kaohsiung from the Philippines and Vietnam this year,” he said. “We would also work closely with the Tourism Administration, and the Maritime and Port Bureau to boost domestic island-hopping tours.”

Separately, AirlineRatings.com yesterday released its list of the world’s safest flight carriers, with EVA Airways and Starlux Airlines included.

EVA Air, ranked eighth overall, made the list for the 13th consecutive year and was the only Taiwanese airline in the global top 10 for safety, while Starlux was 11th overall.


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Taiwan eases work, residency restrictions for foreign professionals

New measures aimed at making Taiwan more attractive to foreign professionals came into effect this month, according to the National Development Council (NDC) on Tuesday.

Among the changes, international students at Taiwanese universities will be able to work in Taiwan without a work permit in the two years after they graduate, explainer materials provided by the NDC said.

In addition, foreign nationals who graduated from one of the world’s top 200 universities within the past five years can also apply for a two-year open work permit.

National Development Council Deputy Minister Jan Fang-guan speaks at a media event in Taipei on Tuesday on amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals. Photo: CNA

Previously, those graduates would have needed to apply for a work permit using point-based criteria or have a Taiwanese company sponsor their work permit in order to work legally in Taiwan.

Also, in a measure intended to help "fast track" permanent residency, foreign nationals who obtained an undergraduate, masters or postgraduate degree in Taiwan can deduct one, two or three years, respectively, from the five-year working residency requirement.

Moreover, "foreign specialist professionals" -- referring to non-Taiwanese who meet certain income-level or work experience criteria -- can choose to apply for permanent residence after just one year in Taiwan in some cases.

Spouses of foreign specialist professionals can now also apply to work freely in Taiwan, instead of having to apply for an employer-backed work permit.

Other changes include improving access for foreign professionals to Taiwan’s pension and employment insurance systems.

Foreign professionals who do not possess permanent residence in Taiwan will be able to join the country’s new labor pension system, while foreign permanent residents will be able to enroll in Taiwan’s employment insurance system.

Access for foreign professionals to disability and long- term care services for the first time is also due to be implemented on June 30, though they will only be available to foreign permanent residents who have been resident in the country for 10 years.

The new measures, enshrined in amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals that were passed last year, were explained by officials from the NDC and other agencies at a media event in Taipei on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, NDC Deputy Minister Jan Fang- guan (詹方冠) said Taiwan has "provided foreign nationals with more convenient options" in visas, residency, work and tax breaks since the act was first implemented in February 2018.

As a result, the number of foreign professionals in Taiwan has "increased significantly" from around 30,000 to "nearly 80,000," he said.

"Basically covering a foreign professional’s career development, family life, and retirement in Taiwan," the amendments seek to ensure "foreign professional talent in Taiwan have a pleasant work environment and happy life," Jan said.


title: Study shows traits in cancer cells help tumors resist drugs

content_text:
Researchers have identified adaptive traits in cancer cells that help tumors resist immunotherapy drugs after extended targeted treatment, revealing new hurdles to effective cancer treatment.

A research team at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University discovered that immunotherapy’s success rate for head-and-neck tumors drops following prolonged exposure to cetuximab, a key drug in targeted therapies, the university said in a statement.

The team found that “therapeutic stress” might prompt cancer cells to produce an inflammatory mediator to block the immune system’s neural pathways, the statement said.

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University professor of clinical medicine Yang Muh-hwa, front, and other researchers pose for a photograph at a lab in Taipei’s Beitou District in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

The study, “Therapeutic stress triggers tumor STAT1 acetylation to disarm immunotherapy,” was published in Cell Reports Medicine journal on Nov. 18, the university said.

After being subjected to extended immunotherapy, cancer cells release tumor necrosis factor-alpha, triggering a previously unknown process named STAT1 lysine 637 acetylation, which disrupts the function of interferon gamma, the statement said.

The interferon is crucial to the immune system’s functioning and declining responsiveness to it results in “interferon fatigue,” a mechanism that reduces the effectiveness of targeted therapy, it said.

Fatigued immune cells lose their aggression toward the tumor, it said.

In a related study conducted in collaboration with Academia Sinica, the team also observed that cancer cells produced the ribonuclease 1 enzyme, a substance that suppresses T lymphocytes, or T-cells, which fight cancer and other diseases, the university said.

The mechanism is seen in liver, breast and head-and-neck cancers, suggesting a common explanation for tumors capable of escaping detection and response by the immune system, it said.

The research conducted with Academia Sinica, “Ribonuclease 1 induces T-cell dysfunction and impairs CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity to benefit tumor growth through hijacking STAT1,” was published in the Advanced Science journal on April 3 last year, the university said.

The National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University study shows that cancer cells are surprisingly adaptable to medical strategies and can develop countermeasures that defeat attempts at treatment, the statement said, quoting Yang Muh-hwa (楊慕華), a professor of clinical medicine who headed the university’s research team and was a corresponding author of the Academia Sinica study.

Understanding the mechanisms tumors employ to defeat immunotherapy — which is hailed as a milestone in cancer treatment — would help doctors use biomarker-guided sequences and combinations to improve outcomes, Yang said.


content_text:
NATIONAL INTERESTS:  The US hopes that the TPP can set aside partisan differences and demonstrate a unified stance on defense issues, a source told the ‘Liberty Times’

Staff reporters,

with staff writers and CNA

The purpose of Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang’s (黃國昌) whirlwind visit to Washington this week was to reiterate that improving Taiwan’s national defense capabilities is an “urgent and non-deferrable” priority, a Washington-based source familiar with the matter said.

Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang walks out of the building that houses the American Institute in Taiwan’s Washington headquarters on Monday. Photo: CNA

The four-person TPP delegation, which also comprises TPP caucus director Vicky Chen (陳智菡), former TPP International Department head Lin Tzu-yu (林子宇) and party member Wang An-hsiang (王安祥), left Taiwan on Sunday.

The delegation on Monday held meetings in Washington with officials from the US National Security Council and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).

They arrived at the council’s headquarters in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at 10am, accompanied by AIT Managing Director Ingrid Larson, and remained there for about an hour.

At 1pm, the group held a second meeting at the AIT’s Washington headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, which was also attended by Jessica Drun, a China and Taiwan analyst at the US Department of State.

The US hopes that Huang and the TPP can set aside partisan differences and demonstrate a unified stance on defense and security issues, a Washington-based source responsible for Taiwan-US policy told the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper).

Unity would be a win-win outcome for the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan and the TPP, the source added.

Huang had previously told US counterparts in Taiwan that his party would support major defense investments, including a special defense budget, although he had hoped to first gain on-the-ground understanding in the US to better inform subsequent decisions, the source said.

The government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.49 billion) special defense budget bill has been repeatedly blocked in the legislature by the TPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

The US assisted in planning the delegation’s itinerary, including arranging meetings with key officials from the US National Security Council, the department and other defense-related agencies, the source said.

Washington arranged meetings with officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative upon request, they said.

US officials hoped to provide Huang with a comprehensive and accurate understanding of Taiwan-US economic and trade relations, as well as strategic security considerations, the source said.

As the US and its Indo-Pacific allies are closely monitoring political developments in Taiwan, Washington hopes that Huang and the TPP would not allow domestic partisan disagreements to result in Taiwan being swayed by those who lean more closely to Beijing, particularly on critical national security issues, they said.

While countries in the first island chain are stepping up national defense efforts, there would be severe consequences if Taiwan lagged behind, the source said.

The US hopes that Huang would lead his party to stand on the same side as all democratic allies on defense, security and foreign affairs, and to make choices that best serve Taiwan’s national interests, they added.

In response to the Liberty Times report, Huang said that the “Democratic Progressive Party’s [DPP] mouthpiece” was citing unnamed Washington sources to fabricate conversations that never took place, calling it an attempt to manipulate public opinion.

Before boarding his return flight to Taiwan on Monday, Huang said in a video that he had met intensively with senior officials from major US federal agencies for more than 10 hours to discuss tariffs and arms purchases, and to reflect public concerns in Taiwan.

The TPP consistently puts national interests above party interests, he said, adding that the DPP chooses inaction even though Taiwan is under pressure domestically and internationally.

The opposition has a duty to shoulder responsibility for the nation, and the TPP would continue to uphold these beliefs and values, and work with the public, he added.

title: Defense is priority, US tells TPP: source


title: Taiwan issues wanted notice for Chinese CEO

content_text:
The Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted two Taiwanese and issued a wanted notice for Pete Liu (劉作虎), founder of Shenzhen-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus Technology Co (萬普拉斯科技), for allegedly contravening the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) by poaching 70 engineers in Taiwan.

Liu allegedly traveled to Taiwan at the end of 2014 and met with a Taiwanese man surnamed Lin (林) to discuss establishing a mobile software research and development (R&D) team in Taiwan, prosecutors said.

Without approval from the government, Lin, following Liu’s instructions, recruited more than 70 software engineers in Taiwan to develop mobile phone software, and conduct verification and testing for OnePlus, they said.

The Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Chen Tsai-ling, Taipei Times

Liu, Lin and a woman surnamed Cheng (鄭) in March 2014 established Hong Kong OnePlus Co (香港一加公司) in Hong Kong, prosecutors said.

They set up Hong Kong OnePlus’ Taiwan branch the following year, with Cheng in charge, they said.

In May 2019, the company was renamed Hong Kong Soundna Consulting Co (聲赫公司), they said.

From August 2015 to January 2021, OnePlus wired about US$72.93 million through several Hong Kong companies to the company’s Taiwan branch under the pretext of “revenue from commissioned R&D, and the sale of R&D outputs/assets,” prosecutors said.

The money was used to recruit employees in Taiwan, pay salaries and purchase equipment for operations, they said.

Cheng in her questioning said she was only the nominal head of the company’s Taiwan branch and was solely responsible for tax planning, having no knowledge of the company’s operations and receiving no salary, prosecutors said.

She said the Taiwan branch was in charge of R&D for OnePlus, they added.

Lin said that he was assigned by Liu to serve as R&D supervisor, conducting interviews and leading the team in Taiwan, adding that the branch did not establish its own client network, and all operational directions were decided by Liu.

Witnesses testified that the software developed by the branch was used exclusively for OnePlus and Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp (歐珀) smartphones.

Managers were required to regularly report employee attendance and financial status to the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China, they said.

countries: 臺灣 香港


title: Minister warns Taiwanese about Chinese passports

content_text:
By Chen Yu-fu, Wang Kuan-jen and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer

Taiwanese can file complaints with the Tourism Administration to report travel agencies if their activities caused termination of a person’s citizenship, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday, after a podcaster highlighted a case in which a person’s citizenship was canceled for receiving a single-use Chinese passport to enter Russia.

The council is aware of incidents in which people who signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of Russia were told they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, Chiu told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Taipei.

However, the travel agencies actually applied for single-use Chinese passports on their behalf, he said.

Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng, center, speaks to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Paragraph 4 of the Regulations on the Annulment of Citizenship and Residency of People Within the Taiwan Area (廢止臺灣地區人民身分及戶籍作業要點) stipulates that the National Immigration Agency (NIA) should, upon learning that a person has applied for or acquired a Chinese passport or citizenship, immediately notify the person’s household registration office and cancel their Taiwanese citizenship.

The office should also notify the person to return their national identification card and, if they are single, their household registration.

Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they can lose their resident status under Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).

If a person was unaware and unwittingly contravened the regulations because a travel agency submitted the application on their behalf, the person can report the agency to the Tourism Administration, Chiu said.

Restoration of citizenship would require those involved in the incident to submit a report to the NIA and file for restoration of citizenship under applicable laws, he said.

Travel and tourism podcaster Hua Yeh (花爺) on Friday last week said that some Chinese travel agencies say they could provide visas that guaranteed “quick passage” through Russian customs, but what they call visas are “one-time” Chinese passports.

Such incidents are rare.

The NIA said that according to the Regulations on Restoration of Taiwanese Citizenship to Chinese Citizens (在台原有戶籍大陸地區人民申請回復台灣地區人民身分許可辦法), one must have made significant contributions to Taiwan’s national defense, bolster the nation’s international image or have performed actions to help uphold the stability of Taiwanese society for their application to be considered.


content_text:
The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed draft amendments to the customs import tariff that would make malt and hops duty-free to lower costs and boost the competitiveness of the domestic beer industry.

Under the revisions, the 7.5 percent tariff on roasted and unroasted malt would be eliminated. Tariffs on hops — whether ground, unground or pelletized, as well as hop extracts — would also be cut to zero from 7.5 to 15 percent.

The legislature’s Finance Committee jointly reviewed the amendments last month after they were proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Szu-ming (林思銘) and several lawmakers from across party lines.

A person points at cans of beer imported from China at a news conference in Taipei on June 27 last year. Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health Photo: CNA

The changes were intended to support local brewers by reducing tariffs on key imported raw materials used in beer production, the bill’s sponsors said.

Domestic beer brands have long faced pressure from foreign competitors benefiting from lower prices and tariff advantages, they said.

The amendments were designed to provide tariff relief on malt and hops to help brewers survive and develop over the long term, they added.

The Ministry of Finance said in a report that the tariff cuts are expected to result in a loss of NT$74.35 million (US$2.35 million) in customs revenue.

However, the measures could enhance the competitiveness of domestically produced beer and boost demand, generating an estimated NT$169.74 million in additional tax revenue, the ministry said.

After accounting for the tariff revenue loss, the net fiscal benefit is projected at NT$95.39 million, it added.

The Ministry of Agriculture said that barley and hops used in brewing are primarily imported, as domestic cultivation lacks economic scale, adding that it respected the views of authorities regarding tariff cuts on beer-related raw materials.

The bill, which did not require cross-party negotiations, passed initial review during committee deliberations last month, during which some Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers urged authorities to strengthen enforcement against illicit transshipment and origin laundering involving Chinese products.

title: Legislature passes bill aiming to boost the beer industry


title: Beijing demands the EU ban Taiwanese politicians

content_text:
Chinese officials have been pushing “legal advice” on European countries, saying the EU’s border laws require them to ban entry to Taiwanese politicians, more than half a dozen diplomats and officials familiar with the matter said.

The officials made demarches to European embassies in Beijing, or through local embassies directly to European governments in their capital cities, warning the European countries not to “trample on China’s red lines,” the European diplomats and ministries said.

The manner of the approaches varied, some to individual countries and some as groups, some by written note verbale (a semiformal diplomatic communication) and others in person.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim addresses the European Parliament in Brussels on Nov. 7 last year. Photo: AP

They occurred in November and last month, and were at least partly in response to Taiwanese officials’ recent trips to Europe.

Beijing said it “respects the sovereignty of the European side in introducing and implementing visa policy,” but an “institutional loophole” had allowed frequent visits by Taiwanese politicians, according to one note verbale seen by the Guardian.

The Chinese cited multiple EU laws and regulations, including one known as the Schengen Borders Code, which says a condition for entry by non-EU nationals is that they “are not considered to be a threat to the ... international relations of any of the member states.”

The suggestion appeared to be that allowing Taiwanese officials to enter a European country would threaten that country’s international relations with China.

In some cases, they also referred to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, or suggested the European countries follow the UN’s example and bar all Taiwanese from government buildings.

“Beijing’s application and interpretation of this regulation is bold,” National Dong Hwa University assistant professor Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy said. “It is Beijing’s interpretation that EU-Taiwan ties threaten EU-China ties. This is not at all the perception or reality in Europe.”

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions, but the note said European countries should reject any “so-called diplomatic passports” issued by Taiwan, and “prohibit Taiwanese personnel from entering Europe to seek official contact and exchanges and trample on China’s red line.”

“China hopes the EU institutions and European countries will, out of the larger interests of China-EU relations and bilateral relations, make the political decision of refusing the entry of Taiwan’s so-called president or vice president (former ones included),” it said.

The foreign ministries of Norway and Finland confirmed they were among the nations to receive the advice. They said visa regulations with Taiwan were determined by Schengen bodies.

A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office said: “Permission to enter the UK is determined solely by our own laws and immigration rules, which apply equally to those traveling from Taiwan.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said officials’ visits to Europe were “entirely unrelated to China, and China has no right to interfere.”

“On the contrary, China’s use of various coercive measures against other countries, and its threats of force against Taiwan, which undermine global and Indo-Pacific peace and stability, and threaten the direct interests of the EU, is the real force damaging European international relations,” a spokesperson said.

China’s “highly specific” advice was not seen as legally sound by recipients, but the warning tone was taken particularly seriously by some smaller nations.

“I see this as another way to generate unease among member states that their relations with the [People’s Republic of China] might be at risk ... and Beijing knows well that some EU member states are very keen to attract Chinese investment at present,” Ferenczy said.

Claus Soong (宋高祖), an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies specializing in China’s global strategy, said the unusual move fitted with Beijing’s long-running strategy of using all possible means to deter closer cooperation with Taiwan.

“Beijing is trying as much as they can to say that you should really think a little bit before letting Taiwanese officials in. I wouldn’t say it’s a threat, it’s more a reminder, although not necessarily gentle,” Soong said.


title: Arizona fabs could meet US’ chip demand: economist

content_text:
If Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) increases its investment in Arizona, it would likely operate dual production hubs in Taiwan and the US, with US capacity nearly sufficient to meet that country’s local demand, an economist said yesterday.

Liu Pei-chen (劉佩真), a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, was responding to a New York Times report which said TSMC could build more chip facilities in Arizona as part of a tariff deal with the US.

TSMC would commit to building more factories in the US in exchange for a reduction in the standard duty on imported goods from Taiwan to 15 percent from 20 percent, the report said.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co signage is pictured at the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 2. Photo: Bloomberg

The chipmaker could build new advanced wafer fabs as well as IC packaging and testing facilities as part of the arrangement, Liu said.

The number of TSMC fabs in Arizona would likely rise to six to eight, with total monthly production capacity of at least 150,000 wafers, which would come close to meeting the demand for high-performance computing and artificial intelligence chips in the US, she said.

That would be considered a gamble for Taiwan, given that many in the country believe TSMC offers the country a “silicon shield,” as some countries such as the US need TSMC’s advanced chips.

Should those chips all be made and packaged in the US, Washington might be less likely to support Taiwan in deterring a potential attack by China.

TSMC could build more advanced IC assembly plants to provide advanced 3D chip-on-wafer-on-substrate and system-on-integrated-chips IC packaging services to its clients, establishing the US as a complete semiconductor hub, Liu said.

A one-stop comprehensive production model in which TSMC rolls out chips and provides assembly services would meet demand from its US clients such as Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to lower their risks at a time of geopolitical unease, she said.

“If TSMC builds new wafer fabs in Arizona, a dual-hub production model will take shape, gradually moving away from the current model of a single hub in Taiwan,” Liu said.

However, costs could become an issue for such a model, she said.

TSMC faces extremely high depreciation costs due to the high expense of building production capacity in the US, and it would also have to adjust the utilization rates of its fabs in Taiwan, which could affect the company’s bottom line, she added.

TSMC is investing US$65 billion to build three advanced wafer fabs in Arizona. The first fab started mass production in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The structure for the second fab was completed last year, with volume production targeted for 2028.

Ground was broken on a third fab in April last year.

In March last year, TSMC pledged to invest an additional US$100 billion to build three more fabs, two IC assembly plants and a research-and-development center.

The government did not comment on the New York Times report, while TSMC has been quiet before its latest investor conference tomorrow.


title: Former Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan named SEF chairman

people: 蘇嘉全 謝長廷 賴清德

content_text:
Former Legislative Speaker Su Jia- chyuan (蘇嘉全) has been appointed by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) as chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), according to the Presidential Office on Tuesday.

The appointment was made public in a news statement issued by the Presidential Office on Tuesday evening. Su had long been widely tipped for the post after his predecessor, Frank Wu (吳豊山), announced his resignation on Dec. 18.

The SEF is a semi-official organization tasked by Taiwan’s government with handling matters involving Taiwanese people visiting, living in, or doing business with China, as well as exchanges between the two sides.

Then-legislative speaker Su Jia-chyuan announces the launch of official legislative television channels at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Feb. 14, 2017. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in the statement that Lai invited Su to take the post, citing his "extensive political experience and successful track record in international exchanges."

Kuo said Lai also expressed hope that Su will strengthen SEF’s operations and help promote "positive and healthy" cross-strait exchanges.

Apart from serving as Legislative Speaker, Su, a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has previously served in posts including legislator, Pingtung County magistrate, interior minister, and secretary-general to the president, according to the statement.

Su most recently served for more than three years as chairman of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, which represents Taipei’s interests in Tokyo in the absence of diplomatic ties. He was succeeded in the role on Jan. 6 by Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), Taiwan’s former representative to Japan.

It was not immediately clear when Su will officially assume the post, as the statement did not specify the effective date of the appointment, and the SEF’s website had not yet listed the 69-year-old as chairman as of press time.

Wu served until Dec. 31, 2025, leaving the foundation without a chairman since then.


title: Endorsement

content_text: Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lai Jui-lung, second right, yesterday canvasses with Legislator Lin Chun-hsien, right, to support Lin’s bid to run as the party’s nominee for Tainan mayor, after Lai earlier in the day won the nod to run in Kaohsiung.


title: Chariots of ice

content_text: People run at the Banciao Sports Complex in New Taipei City yesterday. Sunny skies are forecast for the rest of the week, with temperatures rising into the weekend, before another continental cold air mass expected early next week brings wet and chilly weather.


content_text: Artist Hsu Mei-yu poses with a painting of a cat created by her collective in Penghu County’s Siyu Islet yesterday.

title: Touch me not


title: Prices of 8-inch wafers to rise 20 percent

content_text:
SIZE MATTERS: TSMC started phasing out 8-inch wafer production last year, while Samsung is more aggressively retiring 8-inch capacity, TrendForce said

Chipmakers are expected to raise prices of 8-inch wafers by up to 20 percent this year on concern over supply constraints as major contract chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and Samsung Electronics Co gradually retire less advanced wafer capacity, TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said yesterday.

It is the first significant across-the-board price hike since a global semiconductor correction in 2023, the Taipei-based market researcher said in a report.

Global 8-inch wafer capacity slid 0.3 percent year-on-year last year, although 8-inch wafer prices still hovered at relatively stable levels throughout the year, TrendForce said.

The downward trend is expected to continue this year, with global 8-inch wafer supply expected to drop 2.4 percent this year and 0.5 percent next year, as TSMC and Samsung gradually scale back production of 8-inch wafers, it said.

TSMC started phasing out 8-inch wafer production last year and plans to halt operations at some of its 8-inch wafer fabs next year, while Samsung is more aggressively retiring its 8-inch wafer capacity, the researcher said.

Against that backdrop, contract chipmakers are considering raising 8-inch wafer prices by 5 to 20 percent this year, a larger scale than last year when supply started showing signs of slowing down, TrendForce said.

Chinese contract chipmakers started the first wave of price hikes in the second half of last year, and worries about more price hikes and tight supply promoted PC makers to place orders earlier than before to secure more chips, it said.

Meanwhile, increasing demand for power chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) servers and front-loading demand for chips used in consumer electronics are boosting factory utilization of 8-inch fabs, TrendForce said.

The world’s major contract chipmakers are expected to increase utilization of their 8-inch wafer fabs to between 85 percent and 90 percent on average this year, from 75 percent to 80 percent last year, it forecast.

In view of rising demand for power management chips used in cloud-based AI servers and edge AI devices, PC makers launched a new chip inventory strategy on the belief that strong AI-related chip demand would reduce supply of power management chips used in PCs and notebook computers, in addition to supply of other types of chips, it added.


title: Chip demand fuels recovery in machine exports

content_text:
The nation’s machinery industry showed a strong recovery last year, with full-year exports rising 9.1 percent year-on-year to US$31.859 billion, the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry said in a report on Monday.

It came as machinery exports continued to grow significantly last month, increasing 14.3 percent year-on-year and marking the 11th consecutive month of growth since February last year, the association said.

Taiwan’s machinery exports comprise mainly inspection and testing equipment, electronic equipment and machine tools.

People stand near booths displaying robotic arms at the Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robot Show in Taipei on Aug. 20 last year.

Exports of inspection and testing equipment increased 15 percent to US$5.484 billion, and those of electronic equipment rose 10.2 percent to US$5.456 billion, while exports of machine tools fell 9.6 percent to US$2.004 billion last year, association data showed.

“Benefiting from robust demand for artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and cloud data services, along with the spectacular performance of the semiconductor industry, exports of electronic equipment and testing equipment showed strong performance last year,” the association said in the report.

“However, affected by weakening market demand and unfavorable exchange rates, machine tool exports last year reached only US$2 billion, marking a new low since the 2009 global financial crisis,” it said.

The machine tool industry continues to face external challenges.

Last month alone, exports reached only US$177 million, an annual decline of 17.7 percent, with shipments to China, including Hong Kong — the sector’s largest export destination — plummeting 21.4 percent and those to the US, the second-largest market, falling 19.8 percent, the association said.

In addition, a relatively strong New Taiwan dollar compared with regional rivals’ currencies made it hard for local machine toolmakers to secure orders, it said.

From 2021 to Friday last week, the NT dollar had depreciated 11.2 percent against the US dollar, much less than the yen’s 53.2 percent plunge and won’s 34.1 percent fall, it said.

“With the loss of price advantage due to the comparatively larger depreciation of the Japanese and South Korean currencies, coupled with competition from low-priced Chinese goods, exports of machine tools have decreased substantially” over the past few years, the association said.

However, it emphasized that the overall machinery industry recovered last year despite US tariffs and geopolitical conflicts, as annual growth in total machinery exports returned to positive territory following contractions of 0.6 percent in 2024 and 15.4 percent in 2023.

The report added that global economic uncertainty had gradually eased, with local machinery manufacturers posting growth in shipments to the US and China last year.

For the whole of last year, exports to the US increased 16 percent to US$8.34 billion and those to China rose 5 percent to US$7.18 billion, association data showed.

The US and China remained the two largest buyers of Taiwanese machinery products last year, accounting for 26.2 percent and 22.5 percent share of the nation’s total exports respectively, followed by Japan, with purchases totaling US$2.15 billion, or 7.7 percent, the data showed.


title: Delta Electronics posts record-high Q4 revenue

content_text:
POWERING UP:  PSUs for AI servers made up about 50% of Delta’s total server PSU revenue during the first three quarters of last year, the company said

Power supply and electronic components maker Delta Electronics Inc (台達電) reported record-high revenue of NT$161.61 billion (US$5.11 billion) for last quarter and said it remains positive about this quarter.

Last quarter’s figure was up 7.6 percent from the previous quarter and 41.51 percent higher than a year earlier, and largely in line with Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co’s (元大投顧) forecast of NT$160 billion.

Delta’s annual revenue last year rose 31.76 percent year-on-year to NT$554.89 billion, also a record high for the company.

The logo of Delta Electronics Inc is pictured outside the company’s headquarters in Taipei’s Neihu Technology Park on Sept. 13 last year. Photo: CNA

Its strong performance reflected continued demand for high-performance power solutions and advanced liquid-cooling products used in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, a Delta official said by telephone on Monday.

During the first three quarters of last year, AI-related power supply units (PSUs) accounted for 23 percent of the company’s total revenue, a sixfold increase from a year earlier.

PSUs used for AI servers made up about 50 percent of its total server PSU revenue during the period, company data showed.

This year, AI data center-related products are expected to remain a key revenue driver for Delta, especially advanced power solutions, high-voltage power products and advanced heat-dissipation products, the official said.

As power consumption in data centers continues to rise, centralized power supply solutions featuring power rack designs have become a major industry trend, and Delta has the capability to provide a complete product lineup to cloud service providers and data center operators, they said.

The company can also supply heat-dissipation products used in data centers, from liquid-to-air to liquid-to-liquid cooling systems, they added.

Delta is also developing power supply products for an 800 volt high-voltage direct-current structure and ±400 volt direct-current system for major cloud service providers, with mass production scheduled to start in the second half of this year, the company said earlier.

Delta’s facilities in Taiwan, Thailand and the US are operating at full capacity, and it plans to continue expanding capacity in Thailand this year after adding three plants at the end of last year, it said.


content_text:
ISS report recommends shareholders vote for E.Sun Mercuries acquisition

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), the world’s leading proxy advisory firm, on Thursday last week released a report recommending that all E.Sun Financial Holding Co (E.Sun FHC, 玉山金控) shareholders vote for the proposed acquisition of Mercuries Life Insurance Co (三商美邦人壽) at the extraordinary general meeting scheduled for Friday next week.

ISS is a globally recognized neutral research institution that institutional investors consult when voting on resolutions at shareholder meetings. Its research methodology and voting guidelines are highly regarded internationally; consequently, an ISS recommendation carries significant weight in shaping the voting decisions of institutional shareholders.

In its in-depth analysis of the transaction data and regulatory compliance, ISS said that the acquisition demonstrates exceptional professionalism across several international mergers and acquisitions benchmarks.

A sign displaying the E.Sun Financial Holding Co logo is pictured outside the company’s headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of E.Sun Financial Holding Co

ISS said that the transaction possesses deep strategic rationale, and is expected to effectively integrate the resources of both parties, expanding E.Sun FHC’s footprint and profit potential across diversified financial sectors, including banking and insurance.

The report also highlights that the exchange ratio — 0.2486 shares of E.Sun FHC common stock for every share of Mercuries Life Insurance common stock — was appraised by independent third-party institutions and falls within the recommended range, representing a fair and reasonable price.

For shareholders who dissent from the acquisition, the proposal provides a statutory right of dissent (share buyback request). That provides an exit mechanism that safeguards shareholder choice and investment interests.

Foreign institutional investors hold approximately 30 percent of E.Sun FHC, including major global entities such as Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock Inc, Norges Bank and GIC. The ISS report is viewed as a key indicator for global funds and is expected to build strong consensus among foreign shareholders.

Since the formal announcement of the acquisition on Nov. 5 last year, the market has responded favorably. As of Tuesday last week, the share prices of E.Sun FHC and Mercuries Life Insurance have risen by 11.2 percent and 11.6 percent respectively, outperforming the TAIEX’s gain of 8.7 percent over the same period.

E.Sun FHC’s management team emphasized that combining the company’s stable operational foundation with Mercuries Life Insurance’s business advantages would create a financial holding company with greater resilience and economies of scale.

E.Sun FHC said it invites all shareholders to participate in the upcoming extraordinary general meeting.

Chairman Joseph Huang (黃男州) and the management team traveled to London, Hong Kong and Singapore to meet with major foreign investors and secure their support.

“With the completion of the asset management and life insurance portfolio, E.Sun FHC will officially enter the ‘FHC 2.0’ era,” Huang said. “This is not just an expansion of E.Sun’s footprint, but a transformation of our management philosophy. With the enhancement of our scale, capital and profitability, E.Sun — which is ‘Taiwan’s E.Sun’ today — will become ‘the World’s E.Sun’ tomorrow.”


content_text:
Taiwan’s tax revenue last year fell short of the government’s full-year budget target for the first time in five years, as sluggish property and auto transactions dragged on collections despite record inflows from equity trading and income taxes, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday.

Total tax revenue reached NT$3.75 trillion (US$118.46 billion), down 0.3 percent from a year earlier and equivalent to 98.7 percent of the annual budget, leaving a shortfall of NT$50.5 billion.

It is the first instance of under-collection since 2020, statistics official Liu Shun-rong (劉訓蓉) told a news conference in Taipei.

The Ministry of Finance’s logo is pictured at its headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Clare Cheng, Taipei Times

The miss was largely driven by weak activity in the housing and auto markets, as well as the impact of deferred and installment-based tax payments, Liu said.

The property downturn took a particularly heavy toll.

Land value increment tax revenue plunged 23.5 percent to NT$68.3 billion, as transaction volumes fell and fewer large taxable cases were recorded, the official said.

The category achieved just 79 percent of its budget target, one of the weakest performances among major revenue items, Liu said.

Customs duties fell 3.5 percent from a year earlier to NT$155.2 billion, mainly due to lower tax receipts from imported passenger vehicles.

Commodity tax revenue declined 11.6 percent to NT$142.5 billion, with vehicle-related taxes accounting for the biggest drop amid uncertainty linked to potential US tariffs, she said.

Nevertheless, several major tax categories posted record-high revenue, highlighting resilience in household income and financial markets, ministry data showed.

Individual income tax revenue climbed to NT$867.8 billion, up 4.7 percent from 2024, supported by higher wage withholding and increased dividend distributions, the ministry said.

Securities transaction tax revenue surged to a record NT$292.8 billion, rising 1.6 percent from a year earlier, it said.

Liu attributed the strong performance of securities transaction tax revenue to a sustained global artificial intelligence investment boom, which boosted Taiwanese share prices and trading volume, as scores of local companies play key roles in the global artificial intelligence supply chain.

Average daily turnover on the Taiwan Stock Exchange reached a record NT$489.4 billion last year, while the securities transaction tax revenue achieved a budget execution rate of 109 percent, making it one of the largest contributors to revenue outperformance, Liu said.

The category could remain a bright spot this year, she said, adding that daily turnover has expanded to about NT$847 billion per session so far this year.

Inheritance and gift tax revenue also far exceeded expectations last year, with execution rates of 177 percent and 145 percent respectively, reflecting large-value cases and accelerated wealth transfers.

The overall figures underscore Taiwan’s growing reliance on capital market and income related taxes, even as traditional revenue sources tied to trade, vehicles and real estate continue to lose momentum.

title: Tax revenue falls short of target for 1st time in 5 years


content_text:
TWSE-listed firms report highest-ever sales as AI boosts tech sector

Companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) posted their highest-ever combined sales for last year, as the robust global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications boosted the tech sector, the exchange said yesterday.

The TWSE said 974 Taiwan-registered companies and an additional 89 that were incorporated overseas but launched a primary listing on the local main board, generated NT$47.63 trillion (US$1.50 trillion) in combined sales last year, up 13.82 percent from a year earlier.

Among the 1,063 listed companies, 555 reported an increase in sales with the remaining 508 suffering a decline last year, the exchange said in a statement.

Last year, the computer and peripheral industry benefited from robust demand for AI servers, reporting NT $10.68 trillion in aggregate revenue, up 35.76 percent from a year earlier, the TWSE said.

Also riding the AI boom, semiconductor/related equipment industry reported NT$6.596 trillion in combined sales, up 21.04 percent from 2024, the exchange said.

Bucking the uptrend, the plastics industry posted NT$941.6 billion in sales, down 11.80 percent from a year earlier as demand remained weak and competition escalated, while the shipping industry felt the pinch from a fall in global trade caused by US tariff polices and a decline in shipping fares so its combined sales dropped 9.88 percent to NT$1.43 trillion, the exchange added.

The sales results came as the 1,063 listed companies reported NT$4.64 trillion in combined sales last month, up 21 percent from a year earlier with 552 enjoying an increase in sales and 511 suffering a drop, the TWSE said.

Among major industries, the computer and peripheral industry reported the highest growth of 53.16 percent in combined revenue which totaled NT$1.12 trillion last month due to the AI boom, while the plastics industry reported the steepest decline of 13.57 percent in sales which reached NT$76.4 billion on weak demand, the exchange said.

On the over-the-counter (OTC) market, 527 firms reported an increase in aggregate sales last year, with 347 reporting a decline, according to the Taipei Exchange (TPEx).

The 874 OTC-listed firms generated NT$3.03 trillion in combined sales, up 8 percent from a year earlier, with the semiconductor industry leading the growth with a 10 percent increase in aggregate sales to NT$632.8 billion on AI support, the TPEx said.

However, the building materials industry reported the steepest decline of 11 percent in sales which totaled NT $88.4 billion last year, it added.


content_text:
China Airlines, Tigerair Taiwan smash sales records in 2025

China Airlines Ltd (CAL, 中華航空) and low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan Ltd (台灣虎航) saw sales hit a new high last year on the back of the booming global tourism market during the post-COVID-19 era.

CAL generated NT$209.09 billion (US$594 million) in consolidated sales last year, up 2.56 percent from a year earlier after its consolidated sales last month grew 1.82 percent year-on-year to NT$18.79 billion, the company said in a statement on Monday.

The company’s revenue generated by passenger flight operations rose 0.82 percent from a year earlier to NT$10.81 billion last month, as the load factor -- an industry metric that measures percentage of passenger capacity used -- for destinations such as Seoul, Tokyo, Hokkaido, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur hit almost 90 percent, CAL said.

Aircraft operated by China Airlines Ltd, Eva Airways Corp and Starlux Airlines Co are pictured at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Aug. 25 last year. Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times

CAL also benefited from strong demand for cargo services which helped the carrier generate NT$6.398 billion last month, up 2.42 percent from a year earlier, due to the year-end shopping spree in the US and Europe as well as strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-related devices.

Tigerair Taiwan also this week posted NT$16.899 billion in consolidated sales last year, up 2.90 percent from 2024, marking the second consecutive year the carrier has broken its annual sales record.

Tigerair Taiwan said as the tourism market continued growing, the company raised the number of flights by 13.9 percent last month. In the fourth quarter of last year, the average load factor hit almost 90 percent, it said.

Meanwhile, Starlux Airlines Co (星宇航空) said its consolidated sales last year rose 24 percent from a year earlier to NT$44.05 billion.

It came as revenue last month from the airline’s passenger flight division rose 9 percent from a year earlier to NT$3.29 billion as the number of passengers hit a new high, while cargo services revenue rose 37 percent from a year earlier to NT$499 million as it shipped more electronic components and AI-related goods.

Last week, EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) reported its second highest consolidated annual sales of NT$220.33 billion for last year, down 0.31 percent from 2024.

The airline’s the load factor to destinations in North America, Europe, Southeast and Northeast Asia and China topped 90 percent last month, while air cargo services received a boost from strong demand during the Christmas season, it said.

In related news, EVA Airways was ranked No. 8 on the world’s safest full-service airlines by AirlineRatings.com, while Starlux Airlines was ranked 11th, the airline rating Web site announced yesterday.

EVA Airways president Clay Sun (孫嘉明) said the carrier has been ranked among the world’s safest airlines for the 13th consecutive year, adding that the recognition is an affirmation of its employees’ commitment to safety culture and adherence to standard operating procedures.

Commenting on its first inclusion in the rankings, Starlux said the recognition reflects its employees’ dedication to flight safety and their rigorous execution of every operational detail, especially during its relatively short five-year operating history.


title: Taiwan’s EVA Air ranked 8th in world’s safest airlines

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Taiwanese airline EVA Air was ranked No. 8 on the world’s safest full-service airlines for 2026 by AirlineRatings.com, while Starlux Airlines was ranked 11th, the airline rating website announced Tuesday.

EVA Air President Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) said the carrier has been ranked among the world’s safest airlines for the 13th consecutive year, adding that the recognition is an affirmation of its employees’ commitment to safety culture and adherence to standard operating procedures.

He said that the company will continue to improve its safety management systems and enhance risk prevention mechanisms.

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

Commenting on its first inclusion in the rankings, rival carrier Starlux said the recognition reflects its employees’ dedication to flight safety and their rigorous execution of every operational detail.

Noting its relatively short five-year operating history, the airline cited the ranking website’s assessment that its inclusion was exceptional for such a young carrier, praising Starlux for an approach to safety and transparency that it described as "exceptional."

The top 10 safest full-service airlines (as opposed to low- cost airlines) are Etihad of the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, Australia’s Qantas, Qatar Airways, Emirates of the UAE, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Virgin Australia and Korean Air, according to AirlineRatings.com.

Boasting as the world’s only airline safety and product rating website, the rankings consider incident rates adjusted for the total number of flights, fleet age, serious incidents, pilot training and international safety audits, according to the website, which added that airline transparency is also critical to the process.

It noted that it is placing greater emphasis on turbulence prevention this year, as it is the main cause of in-flight injuries.


title: Itching for some stitching

content_text: A woman looks at embroidery at the world’s largest embroidery and textile exhibition at the Los Pinos Cultural Complex in Mexico City on Monday. “Guinness World Records” recognized Mexico for organizing the largest display of embroidery, which features more than 3,100 pieces created by 200 artisans from the country’s 32 states.


people: 鄭麗文 習近平 黃國昌 吳思瑤 柯文哲

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On today’s page, Masahiro Matsumura, a professor of international politics and national security at St Andrew’s University in Osaka, questions the viability and advisability of the government’s proposed “T-Dome” missile defense system. Matsumura writes that Taiwan’s military budget would be better allocated elsewhere, and cautions against the temptation to allow politics to trump strategic sense. What he does not do is question whether Taiwan needs to increase its defense capabilities. “Given the accelerating pace of Beijing’s military buildup and political coercion ... [Taiwan] cannot afford inaction,” he writes.

A rational, robust debate over the specifics, not the scale or the necessity, of the government’s proposed national defense budget is precisely what should be happening in the legislature. Instead, through a series of obfuscations, distractions and delays, the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) are preventing any review of the national defense budget. Their “solution” to the stalemate that is also holding up the review of the general budget is to divide it up for individual review, to ensure the efficient running of programs impacting the daily lives of Taiwanese. That is more due to the political imperative of not angering constituents of opposition-governed localities.

The visible hands behind the obstructionist behavior are KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), KMT legislative caucus leader Fu Kun-chi (?) and TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌).

Beyond the presumed political machinations, there is also the suspicion that another, altogether more pernicious influence is at work: the invisible hand of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with its vested interest in obstructing any advancements in Taiwan’s ability to protect itself from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

The suspicions have been highlighted in a report saying that Cheng has been approached to ensure that three requisites to a potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) within the next few months are fulfilled, including the obstruction of Taiwan’s defensive capabilities.

In an op-ed on this page (“Huang Kuo-chang: from Sunflower to saboteur”), former Hong Kong resident John Cheng outlines his reasons for questioning Huang’s methods, motivation and trustworthiness. He stops short of suggesting that Huang’s actions might be guided by the CCP, as some believe to be the case with Cheng Li-wun and Fu.

Today, Huang is expected to return from a whirlwind visit to the US. His surprise announcement on Sunday that he would be making a brief trip to Washington to meet with US officials for “an exchange of ideas” was met with disbelief and derision in equal measure from many political commentators, pan-green camp supporters and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers.

Media personality Clara Chou (周玉蔻) asked why US officials would have time to meet with an opposition lawmaker with a pro-China stance who was about to vacate his seat in the legislature, when he would no longer be his party’s caucus leader. On Monday, lawyer Lin Chih-chun (林智群), a prominent figure in the pan-green camp, suggested that the highest-ranking US official Huang was likely to meet was an immigration officer at passport control. DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) mused that Huang simply wanted to attract attention to himself to create the perception of continued relevance following the return of TPP founder and former chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).

There is a certain amount of politicking going on with the reactions, too. Huang is a bit player whose power as TPP chairman derives entirely from his usefulness to the KMT and whose methods are deeply problematic, at times verging on illegal or unconstitutional. However, although he would no longer be a legislator or party caucus leader as of Feb. 1, he would still be TPP chairman, and the party would still hold a decisive vote on the budget review process that must be completed before the end of the month.

That Huang has decided to drop everything at such short notice, at such an important moment, to rush off to Washington, suggests that he has been summoned — that White House officials recognize him to be in a decisive position to allow Taiwan’s defense budget to pass, and that he is a uniquely manipulatable actor who has shed deeply held positions.

That is, we might be seeing the effect of another pair of invisible hands at work.

title: EDITORIAL: Invisible hands at work


people: 鄭麗文 習近平

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Early in the new year, then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro was deposed by US forces; the country is now on the path to normalization. On the other side of the globe, the anger of Iranians has spread through cities large and small, and the country’s authoritarian dictatorship is on the verge of collapse.

Several major authoritarian governments survive by relying on each other, and they often collapse one after another like dominoes.

In 2024, as Russia became caught up in the invasion of Ukraine and as Iran’s allies such as Palestinian militant group Hamas and Hezbollah were dealt heavy blows, the two countries were no longer able to tend to Syria. As a result, the regime of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad — whose family had ruled for 54 years — collapsed dramatically within just 12 days.

Cuba relies on Venezuela for support. Now that Caracas is undergoing a change of power, US President Donald Trump has said that he would no longer sacrifice the rights and interests of Venezuelans to aid Cuba. The Cuban regime could be the next domino to fall.

The protests in Iran are even more intense than those at the early stage of the Syrian uprising. The reason the al-Assad regime was able to hold on to power was due to the external support of Iran and Russia.

Now that Russia is in dire straits, who can Iran rely on for support?

If Iran’s totalitarian regime collapsed, Russia would inevitably have no choice but to end its war in Ukraine as soon as possible and cooperate with the US.

By the end of last year, Russia, Iran and Venezuela together accounted for more than 40 percent of China’s oil imports. Discounted crude oil from the three countries has acted like an intravenous drip sustaining China’s sluggish economy. What would the consequences be if it were removed?

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is putting on a strong face despite the country’s internal weakness.

Israel last month recognized Taiwan’s ally, Somaliland, which Beijing views as a breakaway region of Somalia. China loudly voiced opposition to what it called Hargeisa’s collusion with Taipei to seek independence. To show support for Somalia, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) had planned to visit the country on Friday, in what would have been the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister in more than 30 years.

However, China suddenly backed out of the trip and limited itself to a mere phone call.

Somaliland mocked the move, saying that Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Saar visited Somaliland safely, yet Wang is so concerned about security that he does not dare go to Somalia. Who, then, is the true sovereign nation?

Somalia’s northern Puntland region is semi-autonomous, while the rest of the country is plagued with internal chaos, failing to function as a proper state — a fundamental reason Hargeisa criticizes Mogadishu. Somalia is unable to maintain security within its own borders, and China is powerless to protect its own foreign minister abroad, having no choice but to retreat with its tail between its legs.

Even China’s ally North Korea has turned against it. Pyongyang, which originally depended on China for survival, deliberately spoiled a rare opportunity for Beijing to save face when South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, driven by a pro-China stance, visited China earlier this month.

North Korea launched ballistic missiles in a show of force that blatantly undermined China. Even Lee was aware that he could not rely entirely on China, as he sought a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi soon after.

It appears that only Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) remains blindly pro-China, as she pushes to restart the long-suspended Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum, better known as the “KMT-CCP Forum,” fantasizing about a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).

The KMT should wake up to the international situation: China no longer has a future, and it is time to return to the right path. If Cheng insists on going her own way, other KMT members must have the courage to correct the course and restore order.

Tommy Lin is chairman of the Formosa Republican Association and director of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: KMT must correct stance on China