content_text:
記者施欣妤／綜合報導

義大利政府16日發布新北極政策文件，重申北極日益增長的地緣政治與經濟重要性，強調歐盟與北約應將其視為「優先事項」，攜手面對俄羅斯與中共在北極地區的擴張與競爭。

俄中加強合作 北極恐軍事化

義大利副總理兼外長塔加尼與防長克羅塞托等官員，16日發表全名《義大利與北極：快速變動區域的合作價值》的北極政策文件，正在日本訪問的總理梅洛尼也發表書面聲明支持。內容揭示北極對全球安全、經濟與航道等領域的重要性，並提到烏俄戰爭後，北極面臨軍事化風險，尤其俄「中」加強在該區域的合作，引發全球警覺。

克羅塞托在記者會上強調，氣候變遷導致北極新航道出現，可能影響蘇伊士運河運量的40%至50%，因此義大利必須在北極保持影響力，確保經濟、商業、科學研究甚至軍事存在。此外，還必須致力防止北極區域局勢升溫，並支持多邊對話與合作機制。

梅洛尼聲明指出，義大利長期為「北極理事會」觀察員，致力確保北極「和平、合作與繁榮」，而北極應成為歐盟與北約的「優先事項」，呼籲大西洋兩岸軍事盟友加強合作，確立協調一致的行動，以應對「其他參與者的干預」。

不跟進格陵蘭聯演 呼籲團結

此外，由於美國對丹麥自治領土格陵蘭的企圖日增，包括英國、芬蘭、法國、德國、荷蘭、挪威及瑞典等歐洲國家皆派遣軍事人員參與格陵蘭的「北極耐力行動」演訓，對此，克羅塞托表示無意跟進，強調義大利長期以來關注北極議題，呼籲應由北約主導相關演習，認為西方世界團結符合各國利益，應從歐盟與北約框架思考解方。

journalist: 本網站由〔uGear 優吉兒網頁設計〕設計與製作

countries: 歐盟 挪威 美國 俄羅斯 義大利 格陵蘭 芬蘭 英國 法國 荷蘭 日本 德國 瑞典 丹麥

taiwan-subdivisions: 和平 新北

title: 義揭北極政策 籲歐盟、北約優先關注


content_text:
記者李佩玲／臺北報導

臺北市政府工務局公園處昨日指出，隨著冬季氣溫轉涼，臺北市南港公園內的梅花已陸續綻放，部分植株進入開花期，梅花潔白的花朵點綴湖畔與林間景觀，為城市冬日增添清雅氣息，喜愛賞花的民眾，不妨把握梅花花期，於1月中下旬走訪南港公園，感受冬季限定的自然美景。

南港公園管理所主任莊國境表示，南港公園梅花為民國99年種植，共有11株，目前園內梅花已隨著冬季條件成熟而逐步進入開花階段，預期花況將於1月中下旬持續展開，園區內水域與林地交織的環境，也讓梅花在冬日中更顯清幽雅致，歡迎民眾把握花期，於冬日暖陽下走進南港公園，欣賞梅花迎寒綻放的冬日風采。

journalist: 本網站由〔uGear 優吉兒網頁設計〕設計與製作

taiwan-subdivisions: 南港 臺北 臺北市

title: 冬季限定美景 南港公園梅花綻放


content_text:
新华社贝鲁特1月17日电（记者申峰 曹昌浩）黎巴嫩真主党领导人纳伊姆·卡西姆17日发表讲话，表达对伊朗的坚定支持，指责美国干涉他国内政。

据黎巴嫩真主党旗下灯塔电视台报道，卡西姆当天在讲话中就伊朗近期局势发表评论称，美国政府试图在全球范围内阻挠民主、独立的政治体制发展，通过攫取金融、石油等资源，对其他国家实施控制。

卡西姆指责美国和以色列利用伊朗国内因经济问题引发的和平抗议活动制造动荡和混乱。他称，有与美国和以色列情报机构有关联的“代理人”参与其中，企图煽动制造不稳定局势，但相关图谋不会得逞。

在谈及委内瑞拉问题时，卡西姆表示，美国的行动源于对委内瑞拉自然资源，尤其是石油资源的觊觎。他说，美国的扩张野心不仅针对委内瑞拉，还延伸至格陵兰岛、古巴、加拿大以及欧盟。

在谈到黎巴嫩国内局势时，卡西姆说，黎巴嫩政府应对国家安全承担责任，但由于美国和以色列持续实施侵略行为，以及黎一些内部势力配合外国利益集团，黎巴嫩的稳定仍未实现。

卡西姆重申，有关联合国安理会第1701号决议的执行、武器“专属管控权”以及国家防务战略等问题，均属于黎巴嫩内政。

countries: 伊朗 以色列 加拿大 黎巴嫩 古巴

title: 黎真主党领导人表示支持伊朗 指责美国干涉他国内政-新华网


content_text: 新华社快讯：美国总统特朗普17日在社交媒体上发文，宣布2月1日起对丹麦、挪威、瑞典、法国、德国、英国、荷兰和芬兰等反对美国得到格陵兰岛的欧洲国家加征10%的关税。

countries: 瑞典 挪威

title: 新华社快讯：特朗普宣布对反对美国得到格陵兰岛的欧洲国家加征关税-新华网


content_text:
最近足歹運，欲食菜頭湯，去買著蓬心的菜頭；欲去剃頭，剃頭店無開門，有影是「人若衰，種匏仔生菜瓜」。

Tsuè-kīn tsiok pháinn-ūn, beh tsia̍h tshài-thâu-thng, khì bé-tio̍h pōng-sim ê tshài-thâu; beh khì thì-thâu, thì-thâu-tiàm bô khui-mn̂g, ū-iánn sī “lâng nā sue, tsìng pû-á senn tshài-kue”.

(最近運氣很糟，想喝蘿蔔湯，竟買到空心的蘿蔔；想去理髮，理髮店沒開門，真的是「人一倒楣，種匏瓜也會長出絲瓜」。)

title: 人若衰，種匏仔生菜瓜。 - 每日一台語 - 自由電子報 專區


content_text:
中天知名主播「馬德」林宸佑涉犯國安法、貪污治罪條例等罪遭，橋頭地院17日聲押禁見獲准，民眾黨立委張啓楷、民眾黨黨團主任陳智菡等人發聲為護航。對此，民進黨新北市議員卓冠廷發文說，「現在是一個非常好辨認哪些人可能是中共在台協力者的時間點」。

卓冠廷在臉書發文寫道，在台灣你365天照三餐罵政府罵執政黨都不會有事，很多立委或名嘴都是如此，「但是，當共諜跟單純批評有很大不同」。

卓冠廷認為，現在是台灣確實出現國安風險的時候，涉及高達9名現役退役軍人提供國家軍事情報。去年綠營幕僚涉案，一樣辦，中天記者涉案，一樣也要辦。不管你誰，都要辦，這是國安問題，不是政治評論。

他說，「第一時間就急著喊政府抓人，第一時間就質疑辦案無理，第一時間就出來講白色恐怖綠色恐怖，絲毫沒有一丁點擔心國家被滲透的危機，心態跟動機真的非常可議」。「現在是一個非常好辨認哪些人可能是中共在台協力者的時間點」。

taiwan-subdivisions: 新北市 橋頭

title: 林宸佑收押藍白竟護航 卓冠廷：現在是辨認中共在台協力者時間點 - 政治


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companies: 台積電 Google

countries: 伊朗 烏干達 印尼 柬埔寨 歐盟 美國 印度 格陵蘭 中國 捷克 阿聯 丹麥 敘利亞

people: 卓榮泰 川普

taiwan-subdivisions: 嘉義 銅鑼 東沙 中壢 新興

title: 陳奕 | 關鍵字新聞


content_text: 美國內布拉斯加州近日傳出一則溫馨又意外的拍賣故事。91歲的老婦人尤爾根斯（Lois Jurgens），近日將一只在自家前廊擺放超過40年的老舊陶罐送上拍賣場，最終以3萬2000美元（約新台幣102萬元）高價成交，成為最驚喜的生日禮物。《紐約郵報》（New York Post）報導，尤爾根斯表示，這只30加侖容量的「紅翼陶器」（Red Wing Stoneware）陶罐多年來風吹日曬，外觀看來平凡無奇，她原本打算在車庫拍賣中出售，估計只能換得約50美元（約新台幣1581元）。巧合的是，當她動念出售之際，布雷默拍賣與房地產公司宣布將舉辦一場專門拍賣古董陶罐的活動。拍賣公司負責人起初因拍賣時間逼近，對是否納入這只體積龐大的陶罐感到猶豫，但仍親自前往尤爾根斯家中查看。當時陶罐仍放在前廊，周圍堆滿積雪與落葉，所幸自製的蓋子防止雜物落入。布雷默將陶罐轉過來後，發現背面罕見的藍色蝴蝶圖樣，立刻判斷是收藏級珍品，加上陶罐上帶有兩種少見印記，使其身價大幅提升。尤爾根斯原本只期待能賣到100美元（約新台幣3162元），布雷默則笑稱結果會讓她驚喜。拍賣當天恰逢尤爾根斯91歲生日，她因到教堂擔任志工未能到場。最終，來自德州、堪薩斯州及愛荷華州的收藏家激烈競標，價格一路飆升，最終以3萬2000美元成交。得知拍賣結果後，尤爾根斯激動到雙腿發軟，需要他人攙扶上台。她受訪時表示，在91年的人生中，這次拍賣無疑是最令人興奮、也最難忘的時刻。

journalist: 陳頡

title: 平凡陶罐丟門口40年！專家一看「是珍品」拍出天價　91歲嬤嚇到腿軟 | 國際 | CTWANT


content_text: 台北市政府與株式會社東京巨蛋及台灣三井不動產股份有限公司共同主辦之「2026 ArcDR³臺北論壇」於1月16日及17日舉行，本次研討會以「探討大型室內活動空間城市防災功能」為主軸，從學術、產業與政府三大面向，深入探討大型室內活動空間在都市防災體系中所扮演的關鍵角色，特別邀請國內防災、建築、都市設計及醫療等領域專家學者，以及ArcDR³成員大學、日本建築學會與東京都消防廳官員等國外貴賓與會，期透過國內外災害防救經驗交流與知識共享，強化城市整體防災能力與韌性。活動首日於臺北市立大學博愛校區舉行，由臺北市蔣萬安市長代表市府出席開幕並致詞，活動規劃多場主題演講與專題座談，從產、官、學三大面向設定四大核心議題，包括「從學術界角度看防災現況」、「大型室內活動空間在都市防災中的角色」、「從消防觀點看防災準備的重要性」及「從醫療政策看都市防災的現狀與課題」，透過專家學者的經驗分享，全方位剖析都市防災課題，成功串聯學術、醫療與消防實務的防災網絡，為臺北市的城市韌性注入創新思維。活動第二日於市府大樓劉銘傳廳舉行防災整備平臺(Disaster Preparedness Platform, DPP)會議，將首日研討會各位專家學者發表之內容，以FEMA所提出之五大任務領域「預防、防護、減災、應變、復原」為架構進行統整，探討大型室內活動空間應具備之核心能力，提升城市整體防災韌性，並邀請東京巨蛋、臺北大巨蛋及臺北小巨蛋等分享防災經驗，促進理論與實務之深度對話，並簽署合作備忘錄及共同宣言。下午則帶領國外的貴賓至本市災害應變中心、119防災宣導活動及119救災救護指揮中心進行參訪，展現臺北市在減災、整備、應變及復原跨機關整合上的具體成果，彰顯城市防災治理的實務能量。臺北市政府消防局表示，城市防災必須即早準備、持續精進。面對大型室內活動空間與高密度都市並存的城市型態，應持續強化大型場館防災整備與應變能力，並透過跨部門合作與國際經驗交流，提升城市韌性。消防局也強調防災不僅是政府責任，更需要場館、產業及市民共同參與，唯有大家多一分準備，城市在面對各類災害時，才能多一分保障。

journalist: 林冠吟

countries: 台灣 日本

taiwan-subdivisions: 臺北 成功 臺北市

title: 學術×產業×政府－共創城市防災新典範　2026 ArcDR³台北論壇國際研討會登場 | 社會 | CTWANT


content_text: 大陸湖南省一名9歲女童近日因父母離婚後的探視問題情緒崩潰，在街頭痛哭後心源性休克身亡。事件曝光後，女童姑姑發布影片指責母親冷漠，引發輿論撻伐。其後舅舅出面澄清，表示母親長期固定探視並安撫女童，網傳影片遭剪輯誤導。對話紀錄也顯示，父親在孩子過世後迅速討論保險金申領事宜，引發爭議。綜合陸媒報導，女童過世後，姑姑在網路上發布影片，指責女童母親過於絕情，認為她離開的行為直接導致孩子死亡。影片畫面顯示，母親身穿粉色衣服、提著物品快步離開，並疑似躲在車後；女童隨後衝出街頭哭喊「媽媽」，情緒極度激動後倒地不起。相關畫面被多家媒體轉載，女童母親一度成為輿論箭靶。不過，事件近日出現不同說法。女童的舅舅站出來還原經過，指女童父母離婚後，孩子與父親同住，但母親每週都會固定接女兒外出相聚。事發當天，母女外出遊玩後，母親依往例將女童送回父親母親經營的麻將館附近，並耐心安撫孩子一個多小時，承諾週末再見面後才離開。舅舅強調，網路流傳的影片存在惡意剪輯，母親並未刻意躲藏，而是沿著車後道路離開，且期間多次撥打電話聯繫女童未果，隨即通知孩子父親與奶奶留意。對話紀錄顯示，父親曾回覆孩子已回家，讓母親暫時放下心來，未料孩子實際上並未返家，而是倒臥街頭離世。更引發爭議的是，女童過世後，父親迅速討論學校保險金申領事宜，相關對話內容曝光後，令網友震驚與不捨。舅舅表示，母親目前承受喪女之痛與網路輿論雙重壓力，希望外界能更理性看待事件。女童姑姑目前已刪除相關影片並將帳號設為私密，但相關討論仍持續延燒。

title: 9歲妹追趕離婚母「哭到去世」！姑姑控媽絕情害命　親舅舅發聲了 | 國際 | CTWANT


content_text: 重慶市公安局出入境管理局上周五（16日）提醒，不法分子近期利用申請人急於出國心理，謊稱可提供虛假公司證明資料或內部渠道幫助加急辦理出入境證件，藉此收取高額費用，廣大市民切勿輕信。通報強調，申辦出入境證件所有收費項目均嚴格執行國家統一規定，費用公開透明，不存在任何形式「加急費」、「加急代辦費」或「內部渠道費」，任何機構或個人以出入境證件加急名義向申請人收取費用行為均屬違法違規，應堅決拒絕。對於符合探望危重病人、奔喪、參加緊急商務活動等特殊緊急情形，申請人在提供相應證明資料後，重慶全市出入境辦證大廳均依法依規提供免費證件加急服務，市民切勿輕信網絡平台或不明渠道發布「代辦加急」及「內部操作」等虛假資訊。

title: 警囑出國市民 勿信收費加急辦證服務


taiwan-subdivisions: 獅子 前鎮 高雄

content_text:
▲「丫哩哩」徐記醬鴨，沒有顯眼招牌，卻以一道道工序繁複、滋味深厚的海派料理，吸引熟門熟路的饕客上門。（圖／記者陳立驌攝）

記者陳立驌/高雄報導

在連鎖餐飲林立的城市裡，高雄前鎮一條不甚起眼的巷弄，卻藏著一段跨越海峽、延續超過一甲子的道地上海菜。瑞和街上的「丫哩哩」徐記醬鴨，沒有顯眼招牌，卻以一道道工序繁複、滋味深厚的海派料理，吸引熟門熟路的饕客上門。這裡不只是賣滷味的小店，更是一段上海弄堂飲食文化，在南台灣落地生根的縮影。

店主人徐莉出生於上海，成長於弄堂文化濃厚的家庭，外祖父留下的家傳醬滷手藝，是她記憶中最深的家鄉味。成年後嫁來台灣，成為全台第一位取得定居證的上海新住民。初到高雄時，人生地不熟，語言、生活節奏皆需重新適應。懷孕期間嚴重害喜，幾乎吃不下東西，母親特地渡海來台，以一桌道地上海菜為她調養身體，也撫平濃重的鄉愁。

▲徐記醬鴨不只賣醬鴨，更陸續推出多樣上海本幫菜與醬滷料理，連來台旅遊的上海旅客也常整袋打包帶走。（圖／記者陳立驌攝）往後每逢年節，母親來台團聚，總會親手製作冰糖醬鴨分送親友，沒想到一試成主顧，親友口耳相傳、詢問不斷，讓徐莉萌生將家族味道化為事業的念頭。她與同樣嫁來台灣的三妹徐敏，從零開始向母親學藝，反覆練習火候與比例，20多年前在高雄開設「徐記醬鴨」，正式把外祖父的手藝帶進台灣市場。

隨著口碑累積，徐莉不只賣醬鴨，更陸續推出多樣上海本幫菜與醬滷料理，吸引外地饕客專程前來，連來台旅遊的上海旅客也常整袋打包帶走。2015年，她重新打造品牌「丫哩哩」，讓這份海派滋味跨出高雄，透過真空包裝與網購平台，走進更多家庭餐桌。

▲今年年菜湯品用黑蒜全雞湯，以迎合大眾口味。（圖／記者陳立驌攝）今年主打的無骨冰糖醬鴨肉，完整展現百年家傳功法。製作過程中不加一滴水，僅以傳統冰糖、醬油、蔥、薑、酒及八角、桂皮等天然香料，與鴨肉本身的水氣慢火熬製，直至醬汁收乾、油亮包覆。成品肉質Q彈入味，甜而不膩，香氣層層堆疊。徐莉笑說，這樣的醬鴨，就算慢慢嚼著不吞下，香味仍會留在唇齒之間。

相較坊間滷味多以糖色快速上色，「丫哩哩」的醬滷工序更為費時，透過浸泡、醃製與長時間熬煮，讓味道自然由外而內滲透。除了功夫菜，家常小菜同樣講究。上海燻魚以當季台灣鱸魚、黃魚或烏魚取代傳統草魚，炸後立刻浸入特調醬汁，外酥內嫩、甜鹹平衡；烤麩則遵循正宗本幫作法，炸、滷分段處理，吸飽醬香卻依舊保有彈性。

▲徐敏(左)、徐媽媽、徐莉(右)推出應景真空年菜組合，新增剁椒魚、鮮蝦粉絲與黑蒜全雞湯等招牌菜色，讓消費者只需簡單加熱，就能在家享用道地海派滋味。（圖／記者陳立驌攝）紅燒獅子頭選用豬後腿肉手工剁製，加入荸薺、糯米與多種調味，先定型再蒸煮，最後與高麗菜慢火燉滷，口感柔嫩卻不鬆散，層次分明。店內同時提供四川風味的椒麻香雞及多款鴨類滷味，皆以真空包裝販售。

隨著年節將近，「丫哩哩」也推出應景真空年菜組合，新增剁椒魚、鮮蝦粉絲與黑蒜全雞湯等招牌菜色，讓消費者只需簡單加熱，就能在家享用道地海派滋味。對徐莉而言，這不只是生意，更是一份文化的延續，讓來自上海弄堂的味道，在台灣巷弄裡持續飄香。

title: 「徐記醬鴨」端上弄堂年菜   以家傳醬滷重現正統上海美食


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‘SALAMI-SLICING’: Beijing’s ‘gray zone’ tactics around the Pratas Islands have been slowly intensifying, with the PLA testing Taiwan’s responses and limits, an expert said

The Ministry of National Defense yesterday condemned an intrusion by a Chinese drone into the airspace of the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) as a serious disruption of regional peace.

The ministry said it detected the Chinese surveillance and reconnaissance drone entering the southwestern parts of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone early yesterday, and it approached the Pratas Islands at 5:41am.

The ministry said it immediately notified the garrison stationed in the area to enhance aerial surveillance and alert levels, and the drone was detected in the islands’ territorial airspace at 5:44am, maintaining an altitude outside the effective range of air-defense weaponry.

Following warnings issued by the military through international radio channels, the drone left the area at 5:48am, it said.

The actions of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were highly provocative and irresponsible, the ministry said, adding that it severely undermined regional peace and stability, as well as contravened international norms, which would inevitably draw condemnation.

The armed forces would continue to maintain close surveillance and remain on high alert, and respond according to the Regulations on Handling Contingencies During the Regular Combat Readiness Period of the Republic of China Armed Forces (國軍經常戰備時期突發狀況處置規定), it said.

China’s harassment tactics towards the Pratas Islands have gradually shifted, evolving from simple “gray zone” harassment into “all-domain pressure,” with the clear intent of carrying out a functional blockade, analysts said.

Beijing tested the limits of Taiwan’s administrative resupply operations during a 2020 incident, during which a Uni Air charter flight was blocked from entering the airspace; China has since employed “salami-slicing” tactics, they said.

The tactics include integrating Chinese coast guard vessels, maritime militias and research ships in “civil-military fusion” incursions, aimed at incrementally invalidating Taiwan’s restricted and prohibited waters.

The situation has escalated in the past few years, as Beijing deployed semi-permanent facilities, such as the Nanhai No. 2 drilling platform around the Pratas Islands, with the intent of turning the surrounding waters into its “internal waters” and a “military stronghold.”

Beijing has also frequently dispatched drones along with research vessels to jointly conduct high-intensity hydrological reconnaissance and battlefield environment preparations.

The latest drone incursion highlights Beijing’s expansionist ambitions in carrying out its anti-access/area denial strategy, an expert said.

The strategy aims to compress Taiwan’s depth of defense through routine deterrence, they said, adding that it also secures its underwater and aerial advantage on the western side of the Bashi Channel to block potential military support from Taiwan’s allies.

These actions pose a severe challenge to Indo-Pacific regional security, they added.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the PLA was employing “edge-ball tactics” by entering the airspace above the 12-nautical-mile (22.2km) territorial sea baseline of the Pratas Islands, rather than flying directly over the military camps stationed in the area, to test Taiwan’s rules of engagement and strategic bottom lines.

Asked if the armed forces’ use of radio warnings to drive away the aircraft was overly cautious, he said that due to historical international political considerations, the Pratas Islands are only lightly equipped for air defense.

The Stinger missiles stationed in the area have a range of about 4km, and the Dual Mount Stinger system requires a line-of-sight lock-on, so large to medium drones operating at high altitudes at the edge of territorial airspace are beyond the effective range of the islands’ anti-aircraft weaponry, he said.

To counter Beijing’s increasingly frequent aerial harassment, Su urged the armed forces to consider upgrading the air defense systems on outlying islands, such as deploying the Tien Chien 2N (Land-based Sky Sword II, 天劍) air defense missile system, which has a range of up to 20km.

It could also be paired with high-power jamming systems to sever the satellite links that large-to-medium size PLA drones rely on for long-range operations away from their home bases, he added.

title: Chinese drone enters Pratas airspace


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RAPID EXPANSION: TSMC plans capital expenditure of at least US$52 billion this year, up more than 27 percent from last year, company chairman and CEO C.C. Wei said

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday remained tight-lipped over a media report that the contract chipmaker plans to build an additional four advanced integrated circuit (IC) assembly plants in Taiwan.

The world’s largest contract chipmaker declined to comment, saying that any information on new facility construction would primarily come from public announcements.

A report published by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday indicated that while TSMC is expanding its high-end chip production capacity, the chipmaker is also investing in the construction of advanced IC assembly plants.

The TSMC logo is displayed on a building in Hsinchu on April 15 last year. Photo: Ann Wang, REUTERS

Citing unnamed sources from TSMC’s supply chain, the report said the chipmaker would build two IC assembly plants in the Chiayi Science Park (嘉義科學園區) and another two in the Southern Taiwan Science Park (南部科學園區) this year.

The report said that Cliff Hou (侯永清), TSMC’s senior vice president, deputy cochief operating officer and chief information security officer, is to announce the new investment next week.

TSMC is investing in high-end chip production technologies in Hsinchu, Kaohsiung and the Southern Taiwan Science Park, while using Chiayi as a base for sophisticated IC assembly services.

In the fourth quarter of last year, TSMC started mass production of the 2-nanometer process in Hsinchu and Kaohsiung.

At an investor conference held on Thursday, TSMC chairman and CEO C.C. Wei (魏哲家) said the firm plans to build several new 2-nanometer process fabs in Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, and would continue to invest more in advanced chip technologies and IC packaging services over the next few years.

TSMC has planned for capital expenditure of US$52 billion to US$56 billion this year, up 27 to 37 percent from last year.

According to TSMC, 60 to 80 percent of this year’s capex would go toward advanced process development, 10 percent to specialty processes, and 10 to 20 percent to high-end IC assembly, testing, photomasking and other items.

title: TSMC to build four new fabs in Taiwan: report


title: CTi News reporter detained for alleged military espionage

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By Tsai Ching-hua and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

CTi News reporter Lin Chen-you (林宸佑) was yesterday detained incommunicado by the Ciaotou Prosecutors’ Office for allegedly funneling money from China as bribes to lure active-duty and retired military personnel for military information.

Along with Lin, five active and retired military personnel were also held incommunicado for alleged contraventions of the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).

Lin was detained for his alleged involvement with an ongoing case against a Marine Corps officer surnamed Chen (陳), who was indicted for allegedly receiving NT$210,000 to film a pledge of allegiance to China, prosecutors said.

During the investigation, prosecutors discovered that several other military officers were also allegedly involved, and further inquiry suggested that Lin was involved, they said.

Lin allegedly contacted nine active-duty or retired military personnel who were short on money, prosecutors said.

Lin allegedly transferred funds to them from his personal account in exchange for military intelligence or classified information to be handed to Chinese contacts, prosecutors said, alleging that Lin’s funding came from China.

In a statement issued yesterday, CTi said the company was unaware of the case and has no comment.

It hopes for “a fair judicial process that neither lets anyone off nor punishes wrongly,” the company said.

The Ministry of National Defense said the case has entered judicial proceedings, and no comments would be made on the details.

In the face of Beijing’s infiltration efforts, the ministry would continue to educate military personnel on recognizing infiltration tactics, and encourages reporting of illegal or abnormal activities, it said.

It is establishing standards on security clearance levels and improving the management of sensitive information, it added.

Additional reporting by Lin Hsin-ying and Fang Wei-li


title: Trump threatens tariffs if Greenland control rejected

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US President Donald Trump on Friday suggested that he might punish countries with tariffs if they do not back US control of Greenland, a message that came as a bipartisan US Congress delegation sought to lower tensions in the Danish capital.

Trump for months has insisted that the US should control Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and said earlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in US hands would be “unacceptable.”

During an unrelated event at the White House about rural health care on Friday, he recounted how he had threatened European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals.

People gather for a pro-Greenland demonstration in Copenhagen yesterday. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix via AP

“I may do that for Greenland too,” Trump said. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that.”

He had not previously mentioned using tariffs to try to force the issue.

Earlier this week, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington with US Vice President J.D. Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

That encounter did not resolve the deep differences, but did produce an agreement to set up a working group — on whose purpose Denmark and the White House then offered sharply diverging views.

European leaders have insisted that it is only for Denmark and Greenland to decide on matters concerning the territory, and Denmark said that it was increasing its military presence in Greenland in cooperation with allies.

In Copenhagen, a group of US senators and members of the US House of Representatives met with Danish and Greenlandic lawmakers, and with leaders including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Delegation leader US Senator Chris Coons thanked the group’s hosts for “225 years of being a good and trusted ally and partner,” and said that “we had a strong and robust dialogue about how we extend that into the future.”

US Senator Lisa Murkowski said after meeting lawmakers that the visit reflected a strong relationship over decades and “it is one that we need to nurture.”

She told reporters that “Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset, and I think that’s what you’re hearing with this delegation.”

The tone contrasted with that emanating from the White House. Trump has sought to justify his calls for a US takeover by repeatedly claiming that China and Russia have their own designs on Greenland. The White House has not ruled out taking the territory by force.

“We have heard so many lies, to be honest and so much exaggeration on the threats towards Greenland,” said Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament who took part in Friday’s meetings. “And mostly, I would say the threats that we’re seeing right now is from the US side.”

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Tuesday said that “if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”

The chair of the Nuuk, Greenland-based Inuit Circumpolar Council, which represents about 180,000 Inuit from Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia’s Chukotka region on international issues, said persistent statements from the White House that the US must own Greenland offer “a clear picture of how the US administration views the people of Greenland, how the US administration views Indigenous peoples, and peoples that are few in numbers.”

Sara Olsvig told reporters in Nuuk that the issue is “how one of the biggest powers in the world views other peoples that are less powerful than them. And that really is concerning.”

Indigenous Inuit in Greenland do not want to be colonized again, she said.


title: More than 3,000 dead as Iran crackdown quietens

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More than 3,000 people have died in Iran’s nationwide protests, rights activists said yesterday, while a “very slight rise” in Internet activity was reported in the country after an eight-day blackout.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency group said it had verified 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters, after residents said the crackdown appeared to have broadly quelled protests for now and state media reported more arrests.

Tehran has been comparatively quiet for four days, several residents reached by Reuters said.

A man walks next to the wreckage of a firefighter vehicle that burned during anti-government protests in a street in Tehran on Friday. Photo: EPA

Drones were flying over the city, but there were no signs of major protests on Thursday or Friday, said the residents, who asked not to be identified for their safety.

A resident of a northern city on the Caspian Sea said the streets there also appeared calm.

The protests erupted on Dec. 28 last year over economic hardship and swelled into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule in the Islamic republic, culminating in mass violence late last week.

According to opposition groups and an Iranian official, more than 2,000 people were killed in the worst domestic unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“Metrics show a very slight rise in internet connectivity in #Iran this morning” after 200 hours of shutdown, the Internet monitoring group NetBlocks wrote on social media.

Connectivity remained around 2 percent of ordinary levels, it said.

A few Iranians overseas said on social media that they had been able to message users living inside Iran early yesterday.

US President Donald Trump, who had threatened “very strong action” if Iran executed protesters, said Tehran’s leaders had called off mass hangings.

“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!” he wrote on social media.

Iran had not announced plans for such executions or said it had canceled them.

Indian students and pilgrims returning from Iran said they were largely confined to their accommodations while in the country, unable to communicate with their families back home.

“We only heard stories of violent protests, and one man jumped in front of our car holding a burning baton, shouting something in the local language, with anger visible in his eyes,” said Z. Syeda, a third-year medical student at a university in Tehran.


title: Ministry seeks to boost mountain guide licenses

content_text:
UNREGULATED INDUSTRY:  Mountain tour guides are not required by law to be certified, leading to dangerous situations for tourists on Taiwan’s peaks   By Tsai Yun-jung, Wu Liang-yi and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer

The Ministry of Sports said it would work with other ministries to highlight its mountain guide certification and encourage people to hire certified guides, following the death of a guest on a hiking tour.

The government has been encouraging the public and foreign tourists to explore Taiwan’s forests and mountains. However, the death of a retired school principal during a hiking tour two months ago has sparked debate over inadequate oversight of commercial mountaineering groups.

A 62-year-old retired school principal surnamed Kuo (郭) died on Nov. 27 last year while hiking on the back four peaks of Jade Mountain (Yushan, 玉山) — Taiwan’s highest peak — with a tour group. During the ascent, Kuo fell behind the group after stopping to rest and was not found until two hours later when the tour leader turned back to search for him, missing a critical window for medical intervention.

The incident prompted public discussion over whether the

tragedy could have been avoided had the group been led by a properly licensed guide.

“Guides play a crucial role in mountaineering groups, as they are responsible for route navigation and participant safety,” the ministry said.

“While the ministry has established a certification system for mountain guides, there is no legal requirement for hiking groups — including fee-charging commercial tours — to employ licensed guides,” it said.

The ministry issues the Mountain Area Guide Certificate (山域嚮導證書), which is divided into four categories: mountaineering, river tracing, rock climbing and snow climbing. Applicants must complete 48 hours of training at recognized institutions, undergo basic life support training or hold certifications such as emergency medical technician or wilderness first aid credentials and pass written and practical exams. They must complete at least three consecutive days of mountain-area field training before qualifying for certification.

Certified guides are responsible for tasks including trip planning, risk assessment, route identification and environmental interpretation, it said.

The certificate is valid for four years and can be renewed for an additional four years upon completion of a 24-hour refresher course and 12 hours of safety courses during the validity period, it said.

“However, obtaining the certification is time-consuming and costly, while offering little practical advantage, and only 209 people nationwide currently hold mountain guide certificates,” it said.

The ministry last year proposed legislation that would require guides to be present at all times during commercial mountaineering activities, but does not mandate specific guide qualifications or certifications.

Department of Sports for All

Director-General Fang Jui-wen (房瑞文) said that specifics about guide qualifications and whether hiring certified guides should be mandatory would be included in further discussions on the proposed bill.

Huang Jih-hung (黃日虹), chief executive officer of Thomas International Travel Service, who holds a guide certificate herself, acknowledged the certification process is costly and time-consuming, offering limited tangible benefits and insufficient incentives.

Huang said that Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia attracts climbers from across the world, and local regulations there require visitors to hire licensed local guides.

“Since Taiwan’s Jade Mountain and Hsuehshan (雪山) also draw many foreign climbers, similar requirements in Taiwan could improve safety while encouraging more people to obtain certification,” she said.

Lee Chun-ching (李俊慶), guide division head at the Linkou Mountaineering Association, echoed Huang’s sentiment, saying that commercial hiking tours should be required to employ certified guides.

“Mountaineering carries inherent risks. Hypothermia can cause loss of consciousness within three hours, with even brief delays posing life-threatening dangers,” he said, citing a fatal hypothermia incident that occurred on Hsuehshan last month.

As Taiwan’s national parks are considering entrance fees to fund ecological conservation and trail maintenance, part of the revenue could be used to hire certified guides to assist visitors from across the world, he said.

Additional reporting by Lin Yueh-fu and Liu Li-jen


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The Alishan Express is getting a makeover, with its four cars decorated in Ikawa Line livery to mark the 40th anniversary of the partnership between the Alishan Forest Railway and Japan’s Oigawa Railway, the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office said on Friday.

The Oigawa Railway became the railway’s first international sister railway when then-Forestry Bureau director-general Hsu Chi-yu (許啟祐) and former Oigawa Railway Co president Taizo Goto signed the agreement in Chiayi County on Jan. 24, 1986.

Both railways are renowned for spectacular mountain scenery, century-old history and cultural heritage, the office said.

Four cars of the Alishan Express train painted in the style of the Oigawa Railway are picured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office via CNA

The international friendship deepened over the following decades, with both sides continuing exchanges in train maintenance, railway operations, tourism promotion and cultural legacy preservation, it said.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the friendship, the four cars of the Alishan Express would be colored red in the livery of Japanese trains running on the Ikawa Line of the Oigawa Railway, the office said.

The repainted Alishan Express train begins running on Friday and runs between Chiayi and Alishan stations, it said.

A person stamps a limited-edition postcard issued to mark the 40th anniversary of the partnership between the Alishan Forest Railway and Japan’s Oigawa Railway. Photo courtesy of the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office via CNA

Passengers boarding the train can travel through Alishan’s misty highland forest, which is expected to evoke an air of the Oigawa Railway charm, it added.

Trains running on the Oigawa Railway in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture feature Showa vintage passenger cars pulled by a steam locomotive, as well as wooden seats, vintage ceiling fans and onboard novelty items, which would all be recreated for passengers on the Alishan Express, the office said, adding that various excursion packages such as a dinner trip, a nighttime voyage, or a booze cruise would also be offered.

Office director Wang Chao-pao (王昭堡) said this is the first time that the railway’s trains would imitate the livery of a foreign train, honoring the 40-year friendship between the railways.

The railway would continue to engage in technical and cultural exchanges with the Oigawa

Railway and jointly promote railway tourism, he said.

The railway is Taiwan’s first national cultural landscape area.

It connects 20 train stations that are characterized by their natural, ecological, industrial or cultural significance, extending for more than 70km from the

Chiayi Station at an altitude of 30m to Jhushan Station (祝山) at an altitude of 2,451m.

It was listed as one of the world’s 200 most significant railway journeys in Epic Train Trips of the World published by Lonely Planet last year.

title: Alishan Express to wear Japanese livery


title: Employers seek work experience in new college hires

content_text:
BACK ON TOP:  NTU took back the top spot with the most sought-after graduates as employers seek hires with a history of part-time work and problem solving

A survey released on Friday by job bank 1111 showed that National Taiwan University (NTU) students are the most sought-after by employers this year.

Following NTU, the next nine universities are National Cheng Kung University, National Taipei University of Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Tsing Hua University, National Chengchi University, Tamkang University (TKU), National Central University and Fu Jen Catholic University.

The job bank said NTU returned to the top of the rankings this year because of its well-rounded academic system and graduates’ strong professional knowledge and critical thinking, especially their ability to analyze and solve problems, which employers see as key strengths.

Students and their parents crowd outside classrooms at Taipei Municipal Neihu Senior High School yesterday, the first day of the College Entrance Subject Tests. Yesterday was the first day of the exams. Photo: CNA

Although ranked fourth, 1111 praised NYCU for its strong science and engineering programs and the high number of alumni who are top executives at major tech companies, including Acer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, MediaTek and Asustek Computer.

TKU was the highest-performing private institution, with the job bank highlighting its focus on artificial intelligence and sustainability, interdisciplinary teaching, and social engagement, as well as its graduates’ strong presence across many industries.

The latest survey also found that as many as 53 percent of companies prefer to hire fresh graduates with part-time experience, reflecting employers’ growing emphasis on new hires’ workplace readiness and emotional maturity.

1111 spokeswoman Huang Jo-wei (黃若薇) said companies believe students who work while in school tend to have strong self-management skills and a proactive learning attitude, making them better able to quickly understand workplace rules, grasp job requirements and integrate into teams.

Conducted from Aug. 28 to Oct. 15 last year, the survey collected 2,153 responses from employers, with a margin of error of 2.97 percentage points.


title: Kaohsiung hotels investigated for price gouging

content_text:
By Ge You-hao and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year.

The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing.

These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated.

The bureau said the Tourism Development Act (發展觀光條例) authorizes regulators to fine hotels engaged in gouging for each room they overcharged.

It is committed to ensuring visitors would be treated fairly in their dealings with the hospitality industry and protecting Kaohsiung’s image, the bureau said.

Consumers are urged to verify the legal certifications of hotels where they wish to make reservations on the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Taiwanstay.net.tw, and request assistance from the Consumer Protection Commission should disputes arise, it added.

Officials can be reached to deal with allegations of consumer right abuses in Kaohsiung by dialing 1950 or (07) 740-9802, it said.


content_text:
By Chen Tsai-ling and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The High Court has sentenced a former corrections officer at Tainan Prison surnamed Yeh (葉) to 10 months imprisonment, deferred for two years, and fined NT$50,000 for physically abusing a prisoner, surnamed Liang (梁), in May 2023.

According to the ruling, Liang submitted a request to the prison around 10pm requesting a bento box, but was instead brought to Yeh’s office at about 8:37am the next morning, during which Yeh punched Liang twice before cutting his fingers with scissors before allowing Liang to leave.

Liang later complained to the warden. According to the hospital’s injury report, Liang suffered contusions on his scalp and both sides of his face, as well as abrasions on seven fingers.

Yeh denied the accusations in court during the first trial, saying that what appeared to be him punching Liang was actually him teaching Liang how to salute an officer, adding that the footage of him shaking his foot was because he had a stone in his shoe.

The judge, upon reviewing the footage, said the court would not take the defendant’s word on the issue, as the footage showed that Liang was in very real danger for his life.

The court sentenced Yeh to one year in prison for offering absurd excuses, demonstrating haughty and unrepentant behavior throughout the trial, and abusing his station as a civil servant.

Yeh subsequently filed an appeal of the ruling, stating that he was an exemplary employee. He later pleaded guilty and reached a settlement with Liang, who agreed to defer the sentence.

title: Prison guard sentenced for attacking prisoner


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OVERSEAS CITIZENS: There is a growing Taiwanese community in Arizona, who have hoped for direct flights to Taiwan and a representative office, the foreign minister said

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is planning to establish a representative office in Phoenix, Arizona, with the goal of opening within this year, a source familiar with the issue said yesterday.

The government is preparing to set up a representative office in Phoenix, where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and several other Taiwanese investments are located, the source said.

The ministry is negotiating it with the US government, which has given its initial consent, and efforts are under way to open the office within this year, they added.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, third left, and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, third right, gesture along with other event guests at Starlux Airlines’ inaugural ceremony in Taipei on Thursday for the direct flight route to Phoenix, Arizona. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The government believes that as the US is trying to consolidate its global leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), Taiwan, with its critical role in semiconductor and AI supply chains, the two countries can further deepen their partnership by opening more direct flights or establishing new representative offices, they said.

Such efforts would help Taiwan and the US collaborate and build a “joint fleet,” the source said.

Taiwan has representative offices in Washington, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Guam, Honolulu, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Seattle.

The Phoenix office would be the first new office established in the US in nearly 40 years.

US states are also establishing representative offices in Taiwan.

Oklahoma, Tennessee and Iowa last year announced they would open offices in Taiwan. To date, 22 state governments and Guam have set up representative offices in Taiwan.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) revealed the government’s strategic direction during the inaugural flight ceremony for Starlux Airlines’ direct route to Phoenix on Thursday last week.

The ceremony was also attended by American Institute in Taiwan Deputy Director Sandra Oudkirk.

They saw off Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego as she boarded the first direct flight back to Phoenix.

Lin said he often heard that Taiwanese or TSMC employees in Arizona have two primary wishes: to have direct flights to Taiwan, which has now been fulfilled, and for the ministry to set up a representative office there.

After TSMC set up a manufacturing campus in Phoenix, about 300 babies have been born to TSMC-related employees in Arizona over the past five years, and there is a growing Taiwanese community there, he added.

The ministry would enhance local service capacity to ensure that Taiwanese abroad receive care and support from the government, Lin said, adding that he looked forward to taking the direct flight to visit the Phoenix himself.

Phoenix is one of the TSMC’s most-crucial overseas investment hubs, and demand for business travel, family visits and tourism is expected to continue growing, he said.

Lin said he hoped opening direct commercial flights would encourage Taiwan and the US to come together in building a “joint fleet” to create mutual prosperity while bolstering the overall resilience of the “non-red supply chain.”

title: MOFA planning Arizona office: source


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Shifting 40 percent of Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain to the US within the term of US President Donald Trump is “not physically possible,” an expert said on Friday.

The current momentum is showing a gradual shift toward more manufacturing in the US, but the logistics and complexity of the industry mean reaching such a goal could take years, if not decades, tech industry analyst Bob O’Donnell said.

“Most people don’t really understand how complicated the supply chains in semiconductors are, and so they make unrealistic estimates as to how quickly they can be moved and changed,” O’Donnell said.

Silicon wafer are pictured on display during SEMICON Taiwan in Taipei on Sept. 11 last year. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA

He described Washington’s claims as “exaggerations” aimed at boosting firms’ confidence in the US government’s capability to sustain the long-term momentum of the ongoing shift of production to the US.

“A lot of times it’s about momentum. And so the momentum right now is toward more of this [semiconductor manufacturing] being done in the US. And that helps, because then other companies get encouraged,” O’Donnell said.

The Executive Yuan on Friday said the US has agreed to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods from 20 percent to 15 percent, without stacking them on existing most-favored-nation rates.

The deal includes a pledge that Taiwanese semiconductor and technology companies would invest at least US$250 billion in the US, and a US$250 billion credit guarantee from the government for other investments.

On the same day, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that 40 percent of Taiwan’s supply chain could be reshored to the US before Trump’s term ends in 2029.

Some people in Taiwan have expressed concern that heavy investment in the US could hollow out domestic production and weaken the nation’s globally important semiconductor industry, which they see as a key factor deterring a potential Chinese attack.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said Taiwan has paid a heavy price just to achieve the same outcome as other countries, as the new 15 percent tariff matches levies set on goods from major US trade partners such as Japan and South Korea.

Washington’s aim to move 40 percent of the nation’s semiconductor supply chain and production to the US could effectively hollow out the country, the KMT added.

The Taiwan People’s Party said the government’s pledge to provide up to US$250 billion in credit guarantees to support investments in the US amounts to “using taxpayers’ money to subsidize US industrial policy.”

title: US’ 40% chip chain goal unrealistic, expert says


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US tariffs on agricultural exports could be leveraged as an edge if they are lower than the levies on other countries’ exports, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said yesterday, adding that the government would continue to negotiate for more tariff exemptions.

The Executive Yuan on Friday said it had reached an agreement with the US to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods from 20 percent to 15 percent, without stacking them on existing most-favored-nation rates.

Chen said the pressure on exporters have largely decreased after the tariff rate dropped to 15 percent from the initial 32 percent in April last year.

Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih, sixth right, holds placards along with other guests at an event promoting Taiwanese pork in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

The agreement is expected to restore the competitiveness of Taiwanese tea and moth orchids, he said, adding that the exports to the US could increase if other competitors’ tariff rates are higher.

For example, the total quantity and revenue of Taiwan’s mahi-mahi exports to the US last year were higher than the previous year, Chen said.

The government would continue to negotiate with Washington for tariff exemptions on other agricultural exports, he added.

Regarding US exports to Taiwan, Chen said the government would prioritize food security, domestic industry stability and farmers’ needs during negotiations.

“We never based negotiations on a ‘zero tariff’ principle, as tariff rates for different goods must be discussed thoroughly and separately,” he said.

Chen made the remarks on the sidelines of an event promoting domestic pork at Taipei’s Hope Plaza.

A section for pork brands was set up at the farmers’ market over the weekend.

Family activities such as making sausages, dumplings or pork balls, as well as food and agricultural education-related challenges would also continue to be held today.

Chan I Shan Foods Co chairman Chen Kuo-hsun (陳國訓) said Taiwanese pork had a “golden” time before the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 1997, during which about 13.5 million pigs were slaughtered in Taiwan annually and frozen pork exports amounted to 270,000 tonnes.

Taiwan’s warm weather is good for farming pigs in well-ventilated environments instead of enclosed facilities, he said, adding that that is the key to the fresh flavor of Taiwanese pork.

More than 400 tonnes of pork were exported to the Philippines in 2024 and about 300 tonnes to Singapore last year, he added.

The agriculture minister said that the farmers’ market at the plaza usually focused on crops and fishery products.

Pork products were included for the first time and they attracted many customers, he said

title: Agriculture minister discusses leveraging US tariffs


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Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶), in collaboration with the Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association and civic group Watchout, on Friday presented the animal edition of the National Public Safety Guide, which aims to help the public prepare for evacuating animals during disasters.

As the number of households with animals continues to grow, ensuring that people and animals can evacuate safely together in the face of sudden disasters, such as earthquakes and typhoons, has become an indispensable part of disaster preparedness, Wu said.

The Legislative Yuan’s All-Out Defense Network is publishing the Animal Companion Disaster Preparedness and Evacuation Handbook to provide the public with knowledge about how to prepare for animal evacuations, she said.

Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers and civic group representatives hold copies of the Animal Companion Disaster Preparedness and Evacuation Handbook at a press conference in Taipei on Friday. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

The handbook is available for free online, and is also being distributed to veterinary hospitals and clinics through veterinarians’ associations, she added.

DPP Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) said that pets are considered part of the family.

The handbook provides practical principles and methods for animal disaster preparedness and evacuation, she said, adding that it would also be educational for people without pets, as they could teach them how to interact with animals during disasters, collectively enhancing Taiwan’s resilience.

Association chairman David Tan (譚大倫) said the handbook covers what to do before a disaster occurs, what items to prepare and how to respond once a disaster happens.

It also includes topics such as animal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, how to stop an animal’s bleeding, how to care for animals during an evacuation and how to help animals recover after a disaster, he added.

Department of Animal Welfare Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said plans to publish a pet disaster preparedness handbook and a disaster response manual for livestock farms are also underway.

The publication of the Animal Companion Disaster Preparedness and Evacuation Handbook is welcome, as it would help everyone be prepared and know how to respond when incidents occur, Chiang said.

title: Legislature to publish an animal evacuation guide


title: Taiwan office move lacks transparency: S African lawmaker

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ISSUE:  South Africa in 2024 announced it would categorize the office as a ‘trade office’ and relocate it from administrative capital, Pretoria, to Johannesburg

South Africa’s decision to ask Taiwan to relocate and rename its representative office in Pretoria lacked transparency and was not properly reviewed, a South African lawmaker from the country’s second-largest political party said.

“There has been no full debate, no serious committee engagement and no attempt by the executive to explain itself in a transparent way,” said Janho Engelbrecht, a South African National Assembly member representing the Democratic Alliance party.

“For a decision with clear diplomatic and economic consequences, this approach is completely inadequate,” he said, adding that the governing African National Congress (ANC) party was behaving “as if foreign policy is its sole responsibility,” despite being part of a national unity government.

If the ANC believes it could continue to make major foreign policy decisions “behind closed doors,” it would weaken parliamentary oversight, Engelbrecht said.

Engelbrecht has been critical of South Africa’s approach on the issue, but also cautioned Taiwan in an interview last year against using economic sanctions, saying oversight was a better way to proceed.

He called on South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), which initially announced the country’s decision in 2024, to make a “clear, written position” on the Taiwan office issue before parliament for “proper committee scrutiny.”

Relations with the Taiwanese community “should not be sacrificed for short-term geopolitical considerations,” especially given the investment, manufacturing and job creation contributions Taiwanese businesses have made, Engelbrecht said.

It is unclear how widely Engelbrecht’s views are held in the 400-seat South African National Assembly, or even within his party, which holds 87 seats and is a key player in the governing coalition led by the ANC.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) last year said that DIRCO’s decision had been criticized by other South African political parties, including those in the coalition government, but that has not seemed to change the government’s position.

DIRCO announced the decision to categorize the Taiwan representative office as a “trade office” and move it from the political and executive capital of Pretoria to the commercial capital, Johannesburg, in October 2024.

Despite Taiwan’s accusations that the move was made due to Chinese pressure, the agency at the time said the move would be “a true reflection of the non-political and non-diplomatic nature of the relationship between the Republic of South Africa and Taiwan.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested the decision, citing a 1997 bilateral agreement that allowed the Taipei office to operate in Pretoria after diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed in 1998.

It also called for talks between the two sides to come up with a new agreement, but to date, no such discussions have been held.

DIRCO had asked Taiwan to move the office in 2024 and complete the move in six months, but did not announce it until the deadline was near.

The representative office in Pretoria and South Africa’s office in Taiwan are still operating normally, the ministry said.


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Proceed with caution regarding the ‘no parole’ change to Criminal Code: NHRC

Taiwan should proceed with caution regarding a proposal to deny the possibility of parole for people who commit major crimes and are sentenced to life imprisonment, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a paper released on Friday.

The Executive Yuan introduced the proposed amendment to the Criminal Code in October last year, which states that those convicted of violent, severe crimes, including intentional homicide and inflicting violence or abusing a child to death would not be eligible for parole if they receive a life or more than 10-year sentence, it said.

The proposed amendment has been forwarded to the Legislative Yuan for review.

The entrance of the National Human Rights Commission at the Control Yuan in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times

“This draft amendment is seen as more severe than the current law statutes, as it is meant as a follow up to the Constitutional Court’s Judgment 113 No. 8 on Death Penalty Case, which was in response to strong concerns about protecting public safety,” the commission said.

The commission said it respects the aim of the proposal, but added that the government must proceed with caution about using amendments to fix statutes.

“Permanently excluding any possibility of individualized review through legislation might exceed the limits permitted by the Constitution and international human rights standards, and therefore requires careful consideration,” it said.

The draft referenced the British justice system, where those who are given “whole life orders” — usually imposed on people who commit severe crimes such as aggravated murder — are never eligible for parole, the commission said.

However, most of the time, courts would grant a prisoner a “minimum term” to serve, after which an independent panel would assess their eligibility for parole and the need for continual incarceration, it added.

The Cabinet’s draft amendment did not include “minimum terms” to serve nor parole panel assessments, so it is different from the British justice system, it said.

Taiwan has already incorporated into law a number of international human rights covenants, which have been frequently cited and applied by the nation’s courts, the commission said.

The Executive Yuan and the legislature should reference other foreign judicial systems and the actual experiences of correctional institutions in other countries, it said, adding that it should rank and design appropriate punishments based on the type and severity of the crime.

“It is important to protect public safety while ensuring the criminal justice system does not contravene the core values of protecting human rights,” the commission said.


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Former KMT chair candidate who told legislator not to speak Hoklo slammed

A demand by Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) speak Mandarin during a public hearing at the Legislative Yuan has been condemned by linguists and pan-green camp politicians.

Experts, academics and politicians had been invited to take part in a hearing on Thursday regarding the opposition’s proposed motion to impeach President William Lai (賴清德), to present their viewpoints and deliberate on the issue

During Wang’s turn, he spoke Hoklo, commonly known as Taiwanese. Chang then interrupted him, saying: “Please speak Guoyu [國語, Mandarin].”

Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung is pictured at a hearing at the Legislative Yuan on Thursday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Surprised, Wang paused for a few seconds before asking the session’s chairman what that meant.

“I have the right to use the language of my choosing. If you cannot understand what I said, you can use a translator,” Wang told Chang in Hoklo.

Videos of the incident circulated on social media, sparking discussions.

Most people online castigated Chang, saying that he continues to live in the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) authoritarian era, when only Mandarin could be used in the government, media and public sectors.

Chang was discriminating against Hoklo speakers and does not know that under the law, it is now one of Taiwan’s national languages, some people said.

Chang ran an unsuccessful bid for the KMT chair election in October last year.

DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said that under the Development of National Languages Act (國家語言發展法), all of Taiwan’s national languages are equal and protected by the law, and “shall not be discriminated against or face restrictions.”

These include Mandarin, Hoklo, Hakka and languages spoken by indigenous people, he said.

Taiwanese Language Policy Promotion Alliance convener Hsu Hui-ying (許慧盈) said it is Wang’s legal right to use Hoklo, one of Taiwan’s national languages, inside the Legislative Yuan, adding that it was improper of Chang to stop someone from speaking their mother tongue.


content_text: Decorative desserts are pictured at the Tainan Dessert Festival, held near the Tainan Public Library’s New Main Library yesterday. The festival is a two-day event that brings together hundreds of select dessert vendors and artisanal coffee, as well as crafters dedicated to cultural and creative handmade goods.

title: Tasty display


title: Camellia crafts

content_text: People visit the Taipei Camellia Show at the Floriculture Experiment Center in Taipei yesterday. This year’s camellia exhibition features camellia bonsai cultivated by the Camellia Society and the Taipei Parks Department, as well as meticulously shaped works by camellia experts. The Taiwan Camellia Breeding Society is also presenting newly developed varieties, while the Taiwan 3E Art Association showcases works of art themed around camellias. The exhibition is to run until Sunday.


content_text: Flower bunches and balloons adorn the statue of late Hong Kong-American Mandarin-language pop singer Coco Lee at the Chinpaoshan Cemetery in New Taipei’s Jinshan District yesterday. Yesterday marked Lee’s 51st birthday. She passed away in 2023.

title: Pop icon


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Proposed billionaires’ tax in California rattles Silicon ValleyThe tax proposal has created a deep rift between California’s governor and members of his party’s progressive wing, including US Senator Bernie Sanders, who endorsed it and said it should be a template for other states

A proposed billionaires’ tax in California has ignited a political uproar in Silicon Valley, with tech titans threatening to leave the state while California Governor Gavin Newsom of the Democratic Party maneuvers to defeat a levy that he fears would lead to an exodus of wealth.

A technology mecca, California has more billionaires than any other US state — a few hundred, by some estimates. About half its personal income tax revenue, a financial backbone in the nearly US$350 billion budget, comes from the top 1 percent of earners.

A large healthcare union is attempting to place a proposal before voters in November that would impose a one-time 5 percent tax on the assets of billionaires — including stocks, art, businesses, collectibles and intellectual property — to backfill federal funding cuts to health services for lower-income people that were signed by US President Donald Trump last year.

A demonstrator wears t-shirt reading: “Tax the rich” at a protest demanding conditional reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles on Aug. 3, 2020. Photo: Reuters

In a state with a vast gap between rich and poor, the plan has resulted in a tangle of competing interests at a time when Democrats and Republicans are struggling to respond to economic anxiety driven by rising costs ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

An online war of words has tech leaders pondering a hollowing out of Silicon Valley, and millions of dollars are flowing to political committees engaged in the fight. That includes US$3 million from billionaire Peter Thiel, a founder of PayPal and a Trump acolyte, to a committee tied to a business group opposing the tax.

However, it is not clear if the proposal would make the ballot, with more than 870,000 petition signatures required for it to qualify.

Although the tax would affect only a minuscule slice of California’s about 39 million residents, it would siphon money from an immense pool of wealth. It would apply retroactively to billionaires living in the state as of Jan. 1.

At least 25 billionaires listed among Forbes magazine’s last year’s rankings of the world’s 500 wealthiest people either lived in California or had some significant ties to the state, based on a review by The Associated Press.

However, determining whether they were full-time residents or just frequent visitors could turn into a matter of dispute, since many of them own property elsewhere.

“You are really playing with fire with this one,” said Aaron Levie, chief executive officer of the publicly traded Silicon Valley company Box.

Levie said he fears that the proposed tax would drive entrepreneurs to look elsewhere to run their companies and launch start-ups.

Even liberal-leaning tech pioneers would “find it absurd just on pure economic and structural grounds, even if they might agree that the cause itself is very worthy,” said Levie, who is not a billionaire.

Newsom has long opposed state-level wealth taxes, believing such levies would be disadvantageous for the world’s fourth-largest economy. At a time when California is strapped for cash and he is considering a 2028 US presidential run, he is trying to block the proposal before it reaches the ballot.

Analysts say an exodus of billionaires could mean a loss of hundreds of millions of tax dollars.

“It’s one of the reasons why Newsom’s path to the Democratic nomination is not going to be an easy one,” Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney said. “He’s already facing a [budget] deficit the size of which is uncertain ... and in the years to come, a billionaires tax that could backfire badly.”

The proposal has created a deep rift between Newsom and prominent members of his party’s progressive wing, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who endorsed it and said it should be a template for other states.

“Our nation will not thrive when so few have so much while so many have so little,” Sanders said on social media.

Another supporter, and a potential 2028 Newsom rival, is Democratic US Representative Ro Khanna, who mocked billionaires for threatening to flee over a tax intended to provide healthcare for lower-income people.

The measure’s lead proponent, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), said it saw the threat of an exodus as exaggerated.

The tax is a “workable response to a crisis created by [US] Congress,” SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West chief of staff Suzanne Jimenez said in a statement.

Jimenez added that it would “keep emergency rooms open, hospitals staffed and healthcare systems functioning.”

Meanwhile, the California Business Roundtable is leading an effort to defeat the measure, saying it would “undermine our economy, decimate the state budget, drive investment out of the state, and ultimately make everyday life more expensive for working families.”

Fleeing California because of its high cost of living and reputation for stringent regulations started to gather momentum well before the proposed wealth tax began circulating last year.

Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man with a US$724 billion fortune, bought a home in Texas and moved his electric automaker Tesla Inc to Austin several years ago.

The financial threat posed by the proposed tax apparently is pushing even more of Silicon Valley’s renowned pioneers to curtail their exposure to California and its liberal policies, including Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who moved to the state during the mid-1990s for graduate study at Stanford University.

Page and Brin stepped away from their executive roles years ago, but remain the largest shareholders in Google parent company Alphabet Inc, with stakes that account for most of their combined fortunes of US$530 billion, according to Forbes.

However, both men have begun moving more of their assets to Florida, multiple reports said.

Google, which has been based in Mountain View, California, for the past quarter century, did not respond to an Associated Press inquiry about their recent moves.


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US actor Matthew McConaughey has filed recordings of his image and voice with US patent authorities to protect them from unauthorized usage by artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, a representative said earlier this week.

Several video clips and audio recordings were registered by the commercial arm of the Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, a non-profit created by the Oscar-winning actor and his wife, Camila, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office database.

Many artists are increasingly concerned about the uncontrolled use of their image via generative AI since the rollout of ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools.

US actor Matthew McConaughey poses for photographs in the press room during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California, on March 10, 2024. Photo: AFP

Several US states have adopted legislation that serves as consumer protection against certain AI systems and deepfakes, but much of this applies to malicious use or commercial purposes.

Only a few, notably Tennessee’s ELVIS Act passed in 2024, offer more targeted protections for artists against AI-generated cloning or impersonation.

A few actors have taken legal action to assert their rights. Among the most notable is Scarlett Johansson, who sued the image-generating app Lisa AI in 2023 for creating an AI-generated avatar in her likeness for an advertisement without her consent.

US actress Scarlett Johansson looks on during a news conference for the film Asteroid City at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in France on May 24, 2023. Photo: Reuters

McConaughey’s approach is novel in that he is taking the lead in protecting his image and voice.

The star of Interstellar and Dallas Buyers Club is no opponent of generative AI. He has acquired a stake in ElevenLabs Inc, a start-up specializing in AI voice modeling, and the company has created an AI audio version of McConaughey — with his permission.

Attorney Kevin Yorn, who represents McConaughey, said the aim of filing with the patent office was “to make sure that our clients have the same kind of protections that their businesses have.”

“The second part is to make sure that our clients are able to capture some of the value that is being created with this new technology using their voice and likeness,” he added.

title: Actor McConaughey seeks to protect image from AI


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Vincent Wei led fellow Singaporean farmers around an empty Malaysian plot, laying out plans for a greenhouse and rows of leafy vegetables. What he pitched was not just space for crops, but a lifeline for growers struggling to make ends meet in a city-state with high prices and little vacant land.

The future agriculture hub is part of a joint special economic zone launched last year by the two neighbors, expected to cost US$123 million and produce 10,000 tonnes of fresh produce annually. It is attracting Singaporean farmers with promises of cheaper land, labor and energy just over the border.

Wei is confident of securing farmers for the 81-hectare site, promising they can “reduce their cost of setup and operations” there. Representing a joint venture between his agri-tech firm Archisen Pte Ltd and Southern Catalyst, backed by the Malaysian Ministry of Finance, he aims to get them going by the third quarter, offering 25-year land leases bundled with infrastructure and electricity.

Vehicles travel across the causeway link from Johor, Malaysia, to Singapore (not pictured) on Oct. 10 last year. Photo: AFP

“It’s an aggressive timeline,” Wei said as earth diggers roamed the plot clearing it of palm trees.

However, wait any longer, and some of those ventures might already be out of business, he added.

Singapore, a country smaller than New York City, has tried in the past few years to reinvigorate its farming industry, which over decades has been crowded out by skyscrapers and housing blocks. Just this month, it opened the world’s tallest vertical farm valued at S$80 million (US$62.1 million) and set to produce up to 2,000 tonnes of vegetables such as lettuce and spinach a year.

However, a string of farm and start-up closures has underlined how high-tech agriculture is far from being a definitive solution for the island-state’s food security.

The fledgling sector has been buffeted by “headwinds — supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures on energy and manpower costs, and a tougher financing environment,” Singaporean Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu (傅海燕) said in November last year.

That has forced the Singaporean government to scale back an ambitious plan to meet one-third of its population’s nutritional needs through local production by the end of this decade. Still keen to protect against disruptions such as those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war, the country’s new target is to meet 20 percent of fiber and 30 percent of protein needs locally by 2035.

While Singapore has poured more than S$300 million into agri-tech research and development, some farmers complain that does little to ease the cost pressures of actually running a farm.

Grace Lim, co-founder of vertical farm GroGrace, has been losing about S$25,000 a month since her electricity bill doubled from 2019 to last year. She called for the Singaporean government to subsidize the sector, like in the EU, which is expanding payments and simplifying financing for farmers.

“Why are they letting perfectly working commercial farms die, while they continue to pour money into research that doesn’t actually grow your real food?” she asked.

The mounting losses have also frightened off investors. Private funding for agriculture ventures in Singapore peaked at US$1.1 billion in 2021, but had dwindled to just one-tenth of that by last year, venture capital firm AgFunder said.

Wei said he believes the industry is in a “fundraising winter,” where start-ups are hard-pressed to find investors, because they are unable to turn a profit.

Wei, his clients, and other firms are starting to shift or expand their operations in the Johor-Singapore special economic zone (SEZ).

Singapore-based Vegeponics is expanding its container and vertical farms to the SEZ. By having facilities in both countries, the vegetable grower expects to cut operational costs — which can reach S$70,000 a month — by about one-third, Vegeponics marketing manager Jesper Fan said.

The move would also be welcome for retailers and customers seeking price and supply stability. Singapore is one of the world’s most expensive countries where essentials such as milk and eggs are flown in from as far away as Australia and Poland, resulting in eye-watering grocery bills.

However, what would be a boost to farmers’ bottom lines might end up deepening the island-nation’s dependence on food imports. Singaporean growers who dream of building out their local industry to bolster the country’s food security would have to get used to growing their produce on foreign soil.

Wei said the agriculture hub in the SEZ could nonetheless support closer cross-border cooperation and strengthen regional food resilience in Southeast Asia and further afield as Japanese, South Korean and Chinese farmers also show interest.

For Wei, what began as investor pitches and site walks around overgrown fields is gradually giving way to discussions on farm layouts and investment timelines.

“I think it is high time something like this is done,” he said. “If you don’t work with your neighbor, who do you work with?”

title: Singapore to try growing crops across border to cut costs


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When it became clear that the world was entering a new era with a radical change in the US’ global stance in US President Donald Trump’s second term, many in Taiwan were concerned about what this meant for the nation’s defense against China. Instability and disruption are dangerous. Chaos introduces unknowns. There was a sense that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) might have a point with its tendency not to trust the US.

The world order is certainly changing, but concerns about the implications for Taiwan of this disruption left many blind to how the same forces might also weaken China’s hand. Internationally, there has been a flashing warning light on authoritarian regime fragility following the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 while its weakened Russian ally was distracted in Ukraine, and now the ongoing protests against the theocratic regime in Iran, a government that Beijing supports. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is watching a government in Tehran whose handling of international relations led to the economic difficulties that have given its people cause to rise in anger. China’s own economic difficulties make it vulnerable to similar unrest.

Xi’s handling of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments in November last year about the possible need to take action in the event of Chinese military action in the Taiwan Strait betrayed his lack of confidence in the People’s Liberation Army to pull off a successful invasion of Taiwan. His weaponization of economic measures, tourist numbers, state propaganda and diplomatic activity was designed to weaken Takaichi’s position domestically, but had the opposite effect. There are now reports that she plans to call a snap election on Feb. 8. Calling an election is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of confidence in improving one’s hand.

Another example of the realignment of security alliances was the signing of a defense pact between Japan and the Philippines on Thursday, facilitating joint training to boost deterrence against China’s increasingly aggressive stance in the region.

Militarily, the Philippines is probably the weakest regional player. It is in a significantly better position with Japan having its back, and even more so with Takaichi at the helm. If the outcome of the anticipated election falls in her favor, in a way that reflects the polling, Takaichi would be stronger still. Much of her sudden increase in popularity stems from China’s overreaction.

With Japan to the north of Taiwan and the Philippines to the south, the first island chain is looking more intimidating to Xi, who would be loath to see Taiwan, too, improve its military posture. Taiwan’s opposition parties must be giving him a rare cause for celebration.

The KMT and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) say they support improving Taiwan’s national defense capabilities, but have derailed a review of the government’s defense budget eight times. They have contrived instead to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Lai (賴清德). They know that the impeachment has no chance of succeeding, but they are seeking their own distraction and chaos, using the impeachment proceedings to burn up legislative resources that would more usefully be spent on the defense budget review.

On Wednesday last week, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) returned from a whirlwind trip to Washington, where in one day he met officials from the White House US National Security Council, US State Department and defense agencies. Back in Taiwan, he announced that not only was his opposition to the package reinforced by the visit, and that he had plans for proposing a special defense budget of his own, but he also reported that US officials were having doubts about the Lai administration, which the American Institute in Taiwan immediately denied.

The KMT might distrust the US. Huang might be genuine in his stated desire to clarify the finer points of the proposed US$11.1 billion military weapons package before signing off on the government’s use of taxpayers’ money to purchase it. The US wants Taiwan to protect itself because this would protect US interests in the region. The KMT needs to get over this or admit that its legislative intransigence is less about democratic governance than it is about doing Beijing’s work for it. Huang, for his part, needs to stop playing political games, put aside his hatred of the governing party and do his job as an elected representative of the Taiwanese.

title: EDITORIAL: And then there was Taiwan

people: 黃國昌 賴清德 習近平


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Ten years ago, respected judge Chen Chin-Hsien (陳欽賢) delivered a keynote address at the first Asian Regional Congress on the Death Penalty in Kuala Lumpur. At the end of his speech, he said something that has stayed with me ever since: “Those judges who clearly and firmly oppose the death penalty are truly fortunate. Judges like us — who still believe in retribution deep down, yet struggle against capital punishment — are the ones who truly suffer.”

Ten years later, in August 2024, I took early retirement from the Supreme Court after more than 25 years on the bench, more than 19 of them in criminal courts.

I have been openly abolitionist for more than a decade. I have never hidden my opposition to the death penalty. I do not know whether that makes me one of the “fortunate judges” Chen spoke of. What I do know is this: Being openly against capital punishment within Taiwan’s judiciary is not an easy life. However, it is a deeply meaningful one.

Taiwan still has the death penalty. Whenever a judge refuses to impose it, media outrage often follows and public opinion quickly turns vicious. Judges are labeled “dinosaurs,” a mocking term for those said to be out of touch with reality — especially by anonymous voices behind keyboards and screens.

Our government, whether by misunderstanding or political design, often equates “low judicial credibility” with “judges unwilling to sentence people to death.”

I believe this misconception helped motivate the Citizen Judges Act (國民法官法) of 2023, which introduced public participation in homicide trials — an apparent attempt to dilute the association between professional judges and resistance to capital punishment. Yet the pressure does not come only from outside. Within the judiciary itself, the tension is just as real.

A colleague once proposed a “national referendum among judges” to decide whether those who refuse to impose the death penalty should even be allowed to remain on the bench. He openly said: “Judge Chien is unqualified to be one of us. He should be expelled from the judiciary.”

Whenever I heard such words, I reminded my peers of this: Under international law, the death penalty — if it exists at all — is supposed to be reserved for the “most serious crimes,” as stated in Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Yet after handling 40 or 50 homicide cases, I have never encountered one I could honestly call the “most serious” or the “most heinous.”

Albert Camus once wrote: “Times and manners change; a day comes along when the criminal who was executed too quickly no longer seems quite so guilty. By then it is too late.”

I have always loved criminal law and trial work. However, when I became senior enough to be promoted to an appellate criminal court, I made a different choice. For four years, I transferred to the administrative courts instead. Perhaps, deep down, I feared that one day I might be forced to impose a death sentence against my conscience. At that time, a death sentence in Taiwan could be imposed by a simple two-to-one vote — even if one judge dissented.

I used to tell my friends that if my name ever appeared on a judgement sentencing someone to death, I would rather resign than live with that.

Early in my career, I was almost a “homicide-designated judge,” handling five or six murder cases at once. In two of those cases, the presiding judge leaned toward capital punishment.

Quietly, privately, I persuaded another associate judge to vote with me. By a two-to-one majority, we blocked the death sentences. The presiding judge was furious and said he would write a dissent — but in the end, he did not.

Later, when I myself became presiding judge, perhaps my colleagues already knew my position, or perhaps the cases were simply not so “beyond forgiveness.” For a time, I was spared that moral quandary. However, I always knew the possibility would return.

In Taiwan’s ordinary courts, judges cannot publish dissenting opinions in panel cases. Dissents might only be recorded in confidential deliberation notes, never seen by the public.

For years, I dreamed that one day judges could publish dissents openly — so that I could publicly say that the death penalty is unconstitutional.

In 2016, that wish was partly fulfilled. I was invited to serve as an expert witness in a Mock Constitutional Court organized by former justice Hsu Yu-Hsiu (許玉秀) and civil society groups. I submitted a 40,000-word legal opinion arguing that the death penalty violates the Constitution. It was later published by the Taipei Bar Association, although never included in the judiciary’s recommended readings.

Still, I often asked myself: Even if I could write a powerful dissent in a real death penalty case, what good would it do? It would still come at the cost of a human life.

Perhaps that thought was the final straw. Perhaps that is why I eventually left the criminal courts and declined promotion.

Years later, I returned to the High Court, and then to the Supreme Court. During that period, I was fortunate to handle mostly corruption cases rather than homicides. It spared me the torment of choosing between conscience and law. Yet even then, I knew that under a majority-vote system, one person’s conscience can always be overruled.

During my three years on the Supreme Court, death sentences were rarely handed down. The atmosphere was cautious, even resistant. There were many reasons — political, social, legal — but I believe a crucial factor was that the President of the Judicial Yuan and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court were personally opposed to capital punishment. They never said so publicly, but their influence was unmistakable.

A judicial leader’s attitude toward the death penalty shapes the climate in which other judges decide. We all understand this, even if we do not say it aloud.

A younger colleague once confided in me that he too opposed the death penalty, but lacked the courage to speak out. “What can I do?” he asked. I told him: “If you are a first-instance judge, simply refuse to impose it. Higher courts rarely overturn such decisions out of respect for trial court discretion. Many death sentences become final precisely because the first trial imposed them. Never underestimate your power — and never use the death penalty as a tool to ‘scare’ defendants.”

I have long believed that abolition of the death penalty must ultimately be decided by leaders. Under the separation of powers, the judiciary is the most appropriate branch to do so, because capital punishment is fundamentally a human-rights and constitutional issue.

Having the Constitutional Court declare it unconstitutional is the least politically costly path to reform.

In 2017, the Constitutional Court made history by legalizing same-sex marriage. I had hoped that in 2024 it would do the same for the death penalty.

It did not. In September of the same year, the court ruled that capital punishment remains constitutional, cloaking its reasoning in phrases such as “the most stringent due process” and “extreme caution.” The substance was simple: the Constitution still allows the state to kill.

In the 21st century, it is astonishing that a democratic constitutional review would serve not to abolish the death penalty, but to preserve it.

The ruling party breathed a sigh of relief. The opposition began advocating mass executions or life imprisonment without parole (LWOP), even mocking the judgment as a “de facto abolition.” The irony is that LWOP is normally introduced after abolition, as an alternative. In Taiwan, neither major political camp truly seeks to abolish the death penalty, yet both embrace its replacement.

Judgement No. 8 is widely described as achieving “de facto abolition” without formal abolition. This logic is deeply flawed. LWOP can only be justified after formal and actual abolition are achieved.

Political leaders should understand that solving social problems and creating a sense of security for the public can never be achieved by relying on the death penalty or harsher punishments. The death penalty only leads society away from the right direction.

Protests advocating the death penalty for child-abuse crimes reflect a tragic misdirection. No one opposes protecting children. The existence of the death penalty fundamentally fails to achieve that goal. Capital punishment neither prevents abuse nor addresses its structural causes; it merely offers an illusion of justice at the cost of human dignity.

Domestic reforms are the foundation of social stability and the best diplomatic and defense strategy. Marriage equality showed the world that Taiwan is not China. Abolishing the death penalty would do the same — demonstrating that Taiwan chooses human rights over repression, dignity over fear and conscience over killing.

Chien Chien-jung is an attorney-

at-law, former judge of the Supreme Court, adjunct lecturer in the Department of Law at Soochow University and assistant professor at the Graduate Institute of Law at Feng Chia University.

title: Ending death penalty is a just path


people: 韓國瑜 陳其邁 陳菊 賴瑞隆

title: Challenges for the next mayor of Kaohsiung

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The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) primary for the next Kaohsiung mayoral election has ended with the victory of Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆), also known as Zeno Lai. It was an intense primary, and that is no surprise: Every serious internal poll suggested that any of the four DPP hopefuls would comfortably defeat their Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival.

Add to this the popularity of incumbent mayor, Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), and you have a prize that many politicians understandably see as an easy victory. Each time I attend a public event here, the arrival of officials on stage is greeted with the usual polite applause, but when Chen takes the floor, the crowd responds as if Blackpink just walked in.

It makes sense: Chen has presided over the golden age of Taiwan’s southern city.

However, Kaohsiung is not the “pan-green stronghold” that many people think it is. The city is only loyal to itself.

Under former Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) of the DPP, Kaohsiung initiated its transition from a rough industrial harbor into a city of culture, art and ambitious infrastructure. When progress stalled, voters punished the party, opting for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) in 2018. When Han canceled the light rail extension and it became clear he saw Kaohsiung as a mere stepping stone to the presidency, he was ousted by recall.

Chen Chi-mai got the message. Under his tenure, Kaohsiung’s metamorphosis has continued and accelerated. Beyond the harbor and the heavy industry, the city has seen growth in tourism, culture, arts, technology and services. Kaohsiung’s international policy has also been massively successful. It has become a place its residents are rightly proud of.

In this sense, Lai’s victory is perfectly logical. Although Chen Chi-mai did not openly endorse him during the primary, few people in Kaohsiung doubted Lai was his preferred successor and he is widely perceived as the continuity candidate.

That is precisely where the challenge lies.

Growth has become Kaohsiung’s opium. We are hooked on the idea that every year must be visibly “better” than the last, with more projects, more festivals, more infrastructure. Yet any jurisdiction — whether a city or a country — eventually stalls.

There is only so much physical space at the Pier-2 Art Center to build new shops and galleries. There are only so many light rail or MRT lines you could construct. At some point, Kaohsiung has to plateau, if only temporarily. The city needs a mayor who can maintain its quality of life without promising perpetual fireworks.

That is the paradox that Lai, or any other future mayor, would have to navigate. Kaohsiung’s residents have shown they are perfectly willing to swing from the DPP to the KMT and back again if they feel their expectations of growth and dignity are not met. This is not a city that forgives complacency just because a party wears the right color.

Lai’s victory and his current popularity reflect a deep satisfaction among Kaohsiung residents with the direction in which the city has been heading under Chen Chi-mai. The DPP primary result is less a partisan coronation than a public endorsement of a model: a Kaohsiung that grows, modernizes and asserts itself without losing its soul.

The next administration, whoever leads it, would have very large shoes to fill. At the very least, it would need to maintain what has been built and not take a single step back, lest it meet the same fate as Han. It would need to be careful in managing the thirst for novelty. Let us hope the next mayor understands that before the crowd stops clapping.

Julien Oeuillet hosts the weekly program Taiwan vs the World on Radio Taiwan International and is a coproducer of Taiwan

Talks on TaiwanPlus.


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

content_text:
In the US’ National Security Strategy (NSS) report released last month, US President Donald Trump offered his interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine. The “Trump Corollary,” presented on page 15, is a distinctly aggressive rebranding of the more than 200-year-old foreign policy position. Beyond reasserting the sovereignty of the western hemisphere against foreign intervention, the document centers on energy and strategic assets, and attempts to redraw the map of the geopolitical landscape more broadly. It is clear that Trump no longer sees the western hemisphere as a peaceful backyard, but rather as the frontier of a new Cold War. In particular,

By Liao Ming-hui 廖明輝