title: 港灣新聞網 /  內門野森動物學校試營運　陳其邁：打造東高雄觀光新亮點

content_text:
圖 / 高雄市政府

港灣新聞網 / 高雄報導

歷經十年規劃與建設，高雄市政府攜手民間專業團隊，以公私協力模式打造的「內門觀光休閒園區」，正式以「野森動物學校」為品牌，於 1 月 17 日舉行試營運記者會。陳其邁市長親自出席啟動儀式，宣告東高雄再添兼具生命教育、動物保育與觀光休閒價值的重要新地標。

陳其邁致詞時表示，內門觀光休閒園區的誕生，是公私協力與在地共好的具體成果。他特別感謝 紫竹寺 以象徵性租金方式提供園區土地，讓市府得以節省高額土地徵收經費，也展現宗教團體支持公共建設、回饋地方的典範精神。

陳其邁並肯定民間經營團隊勇於投入資源，打造兼具品質與教育價值的動物互動體驗，讓內門地區擁有不亞於大都會區的觀光休閒環境。他強調，園區不只是觀光景點，更肩負生命教育、生態保育與地方創生的重要使命。

陳其邁指出，未來園區將結合內門既有的宗教文化與觀光能量，包括宋江陣頭、總鋪師文化、火鶴花產業等在地特色，同時規劃合法旅宿與親子休憩空間，帶動周邊產業發展，讓更多國內外遊客看見東高雄的多元魅力。

活動結束後，陳其邁實地參觀園區設施，走進「綿綿牧場」與笑笑羊互動，並在「狐狸山谷」與小狐狸及現場孩童親切交流，現場氣氛溫馨熱絡，充分體現園區「動物是老師、森林是教室」的核心理念。

「野森動物學校」園區目前引進狐狸、水豚、哈里斯鷹、笑笑羊等 20 種動物，並將內門宋江藝陣「雙斧」意象融入空間設計，打造結合文化與自然的特色場域。園區規劃沉浸式互動體驗與動物主題課程，引導孩子在與動物近距離接觸中，學習尊重生命與認識動物習性。

園區同時設有多處特色打卡景點與餐飲服務，包括「樹懶食光屋」、「森林爐語披薩」、「森點行動餐車」，以及深受親子喜愛的「森育冒險村」，提供寓教於樂的完整生態體驗。

高雄市政府觀光局表示，「野森動物學校」試營運期間採全預約制，票價優惠方案為全票 399 元、高雄市民票 299 元、半票 149 元；設籍內門區居民及 2 歲以下兒童可免費入園。寒假期間亦安排扯鈴、雜技與魔術表演，提供親子族群全新的假期去處。

觀光局提醒，園區周邊停車空間有限，建議遊客可搭乘大眾運輸工具，於旗山轉運站轉乘 8035 公車，假日並將加開接駁專車。更多園區與預約資訊，可至「野森動物學校」官方網站及臉書粉絲專頁查詢。

taiwan-subdivisions: 內門 高雄 旗山 高雄市 內門區


content_text:
圖/ 高雄市政府

港灣新聞網/ 高雄報導

針對近期媒體報導營建剩餘土石方去化問題，甚至引發外界對「全台停工潮」的疑慮，高雄市政府工務局表示，高雄市已率全國之先，建立具體且可行的營建剩餘土石方去化機制，透過制度精進與配套措施，讓營建工地可將符合條件的土石方，直接由工地送往高雄港區整地土地去化，有效提升清運效率，獲得不動產及營建業界高度肯定。

工務局說明，近期土石方管理制度的強化，係配合中央政策方向，重點在於源頭查驗、運輸監控及最終去化查核，全面導入電子聯單與 GPS 追蹤制度，目的在於杜絕非法棄置行為，建立正常管理秩序，而非限制工程推動。市府強調，新制是為了讓合法工程更順暢，而不是增加產業負擔。

針對業界反映清運流程繁複、效率受影響等實務問題，高雄市政府已多次邀集相關局處、不動產業者及營建剩餘土石方資源處理業者進行研商，並於 高雄市議會 辦理公開說明會，針對制度設計與實際執行面進行充分溝通，同時建請中央就清運流程、管制方式與去化場所再行精進。

在中央政策方面，內政部國土管理署已於 1 月 14 日宣布營建剩餘土石方清運制度精進措施，原本需經「出土工地—土資場—最終去化地」的三段式流程，已可依土石方性質，調整為「營建工地（A）直送最終去化地（C）」的直送機制。凡未混雜營建廢棄物，且具再利用或整地需求的單純土石方，經查驗合格後，即可免進土資場，直接送往高雄港區整地土地進行去化。

工務局指出，高雄市公共及民間工程自 114 年 11 月 7 日 起，已依「高雄市港區整地收受土石方實施計畫」，將營建剩餘土石方送往港區整地土地；民間工程亦自 115 年 1 月 5 日 起陸續進場，目前公共與民間工程均已有實際案例，整體運作順暢，顯示高雄市已具備正常運作中的土石方去化體系，並非外界所稱「無處可去」，市府特此澄清。

在配套措施上，市府已於出土端由工務局派員進行實地查驗，確認土石方來源與性質；在收受端，則於港區整地土地加強管控與稽查，確保土石方自出土、運輸至最終去化，全程可追蹤、可查核，落實 A 到 C 的全流程管理。

工務局也強調，高雄市目前共有 13 處合法土石方資源堆置處理場，整體處理量能充足。透過新制要求確實分類後再分流回收、再利用或最終處置，可有效降低需進行最終去化的土方總量，有助於長期穩定供需秩序。

另針對小型或分段施工的公共工程，工務局已修正最低進場量限制，讓學校、道路改善及零星公共工程案件，可依實際產出量彈性進場去化，避免因量體不足而影響工程進度。

工務局重申，市府將持續扮演中央與地方、制度與產業之間的溝通平台角色，滾動檢討相關措施，協助營建工程在合法、透明、可追蹤的前提下順利推進，兼顧城市建設發展與環境保護。

title: 港灣新聞網 /  高雄率先解方！營建剩餘土石直送港區　不動產業界高度肯定

taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 高雄市


taiwan-subdivisions: 中山 高雄 鼓山

content_text:
圖/ 國立中山大學 (圖說: 考生查看試場資訊，於考前抓緊時間複習，並魚貫前往考場，在考場外等候考試。)

港灣新聞網/ 高雄報導

115 學年度大學學科能力測驗於 1 月 17 日正式登場，考期為 17、18、19 日三天。本次由國立中山大學負責統籌之高雄（二）考區，共設置三個分區考場，分別位於道明高中（第一分區）、高雄高中（第二分區）及高雄女中（第三分區），考區總報考人數達 5,220 人。

學測首日應試科目為數學 A與自然科。中山大學統計指出，數學 A 缺考人數為 88 人，自然科缺考 91 人，整體試務運作順暢，考場秩序良好。

數學 A 偏難 考生直言題目鑑別度高

首場登場的數學 A 考科，多數考生普遍認為難度「中間偏難」，計算量大且時間壓力明顯。高雄高中考生黃暐哲表示，與去年大考相比題目明顯較難，函數題型比重提高，尤其一題選填題結合三點共線、等差數列與指對數及線性方程式，思考層次高、耗時較長，讓人印象深刻；單選題亦出現排列組合結合藥草、食物與藥水的情境題，整體計算量偏多，時間稍嫌不足，但鑑別度佳。

高雄女中考生葉家歆指出，開考初期略感壓力，但冷靜後仍可逐步作答；題目在簡短敘述中隱藏關鍵線索，需仔細閱讀才能掌握考點。她特別提到向量外積題若未注意右手定則，方向容易判斷錯誤，陷阱不少。與模擬考相比，本次較重視理解題意後再進行計算。

鼓山高中考生洪崧華則認為整體難度尚可，矩陣、向量與座標題型出題比例高，其中結合網路遊戲情境、計算虛擬寶物數量的題目相當有趣。同校考生辜聖凱、趙彥鈞及陳泊源也指出，多選題後段難度提升，填充題最後兩題結合圖形、函數與向量，需要較多時間思考，整體難度略高於去年，但仍可在時限內完成。

自然科難度高 考生直呼「好難」

下午進行的自然科測驗，考生普遍反映難度偏高，考場外「好難」的討論聲此起彼落。高雄高中考生許博恩表示，此次自然科比歷屆題目都難，包含硫化鋅量子點的計算題型相當新穎，難題比例高、時間明顯不足，鑑別度相當高。

高雄女中黃姓考生指出，自然科整體難度與過往相近，但最後一題組結合潮汐、物理發電與電磁感應的跨領域情境較少見，需要花時間判斷。試題圖表多、敘述長，若未快速抓出關鍵句，容易影響作答節奏。

高雄高中何姓考生則認為今年自然科整體複雜度提高，閱讀量大，試卷頁數達 19 頁，必須細讀題意。題組中出現蜂鳥吸食花蜜與尼古丁的生物情境題，若具備良好閱讀理解與選修基礎，較能順利作答。洪姓考生也補充，題目納入 2021 年諾貝爾化學獎量子點相關概念，單選題與作圖題耗時，須具備數據轉換圖表的能力。

試務順利 僅零星違規

中山大學表示，學測首日考場僅出現少數違規情形，其中 1 名考生佩戴智慧手錶入座應試，依規定扣減該節成績 2 級分。整體試務秩序良好，未影響考試進行。

中山大學也提醒，1 月 18 日將舉行英文、國語文綜合能力測驗及國語文寫作能力測驗，考生務必攜帶合格證件，考試期間不得攜帶手機入座，且須完全關機，以免影響自身考試權益。

title: 港灣新聞網 /  數A偏難、自然哀號　中山大學公布高雄（二）考區學測首日狀況


taiwan-subdivisions: 內埔 屏東縣 成功

title: 港灣新聞網 /  諜對諜攻防！詐團頻換面交點　內埔分局埋伏一舉查獲550萬

content_text:
圖/ 屏東縣政府警察局內埔分局

港灣新聞網/ 屏東報導

面對詐騙集團手法不斷翻新，警方持續強化反詐騙作為。屏東縣內埔警分局於本月 16 日晚間 9 時許，成功破獲一起「假投資詐騙」面交案件，當場查獲 3 名涉嫌擔任車手與監控手的不法成員，並攔阻高達 新臺幣 550 萬元現金，展現警方與民眾攜手打擊詐騙犯罪的具體成果。

內埔警分局指出，日前接獲被害人報案，指稱遭詐騙集團以「高獲利、穩賺不賠」為話術，誘騙投入所謂投資標的，經查證後確認為典型假投資詐騙模式。警方進一步掌握詐騙集團仍計畫再次與被害人相約面交鉅額現金，內埔警分局分局長獲報後高度重視，立即指示 偵查隊 會同各派出所成立專案小組，全力部署查緝行動。

專案小組執行過程中發現，詐騙集團為規避警方查緝，不僅多次臨時更改面交地點，還刻意派遣監控手於現場周邊觀察動態，試圖即時掌握警方行蹤，形成一場諜對諜的攻防戰。面對詐團反偵查手法，專案人員仍保持高度警覺，耐心埋伏並即時調整行動策略，最終成功掌握犯嫌動向。

警方於行動時機成熟後果斷出擊，當場查獲 3 名涉嫌詐騙的車手及監控手，並成功查扣、攔阻現金 550 萬元，有效防止被害人財產損失進一步擴大。本案不僅展現警方專業偵查與即時應變能力，也凸顯被害人勇於報案、警民合作在反詐騙工作中的關鍵角色。

內埔警分局再次提醒，詐騙集團常透過社群平台、通訊軟體或不明投資管道，包裝「穩賺不賠」、「短期高報酬」等話術，並要求以面交方式交付大量現金，甚至安排車手、監控手分工犯案，企圖降低被查緝風險。民眾務必提高警覺，切勿輕信來路不明的投資訊息。

警方呼籲，若接獲可疑投資邀約或疑似詐騙情形，應立即撥打 110 報案專線 或 165 反詐騙專線 查證，共同防制詐騙犯罪，守護自身財產安全。

發言人：內埔警分局偵查隊分隊長 巴煒亮


taiwan-subdivisions: 苓雅區 高雄市 安定 高雄

things: 長照 春聯 經濟

title: 港灣新聞網 /  公私協力寒冬送暖　苓雅區公所攜手宮廟企業關懷弱勢

content_text:
圖 / 山達基教會高雄機構 圖說: 多位書法家現場揮毫春聯供民眾索取

港灣新聞網 / 高雄報導

為照顧低收入戶及經濟弱勢家庭，苓雅區公所於日前（17日）結合地方宗教與企業力量，在苓雅寮萬應公廟舉辦「高雄市115年度苓雅區公所寒冬送暖關懷活動」，攜手高雄關帝廟、臺灣電力公司等單位，共同透過物資發放與多元公益服務，為地方弱勢家庭注入溫暖與支持。

鄭美華區長表示，特別感謝萬應公廟長期以來與區公所攜手投入社會關懷，也感謝高雄關帝廟、台電及眾多志工夥伴的熱心付出，使寒冬送暖活動得以持續推展。她指出，透過公私協力的方式，能更有效率地將資源送到真正需要的家庭手中，期盼讓這份善的循環在苓雅社區中持續擴散，形成穩定而溫暖的社會支持網絡。

活動現場年味十足，特別邀請多位書法家現場揮毫書寫春聯，免費提供民眾索取，傳遞新春祝福；同時安排歌舞表演，吸引不少鄉親扶老攜幼到場參與，氣氛溫馨熱鬧。現場也同步設置多項公益服務攤位，包括義診、義剪、醫療與長照諮詢、身心舒壓服務、發票換好禮等，提供貼近民眾生活需求的實用資源。

圖說: 來自各界單位共同響應寒冬送暖活動

此外，主辦單位也貼心準備暖心點心，讓參與活動的民眾在寒冬中感受到實質關懷與溫度。透過互動式服務與陪伴，讓弱勢家庭不僅獲得物資支持，更感受到社區的溫暖連結。

值得一提的是，山達基教會志願牧師團隊亦受邀到場，提供「援助法」服務，協助民眾紓解身心壓力、提升正向能量。志願牧師代表沈志隆表示，志願牧師秉持創始人L. 羅恩・賀伯特的理念，希望在歲末年終之際，為更多民眾帶來心靈支持與安定力量，陪伴大家迎接新的一年。

圖說: 區公所與民間團體合作將資源提供給真正需要的民眾

苓雅區公所強調，未來將持續結合宗教團體、企業與民間資源，推動更多關懷弱勢的公益行動，讓社會安全網更加綿密，實踐「寒冬送暖、關懷不間斷」的核心精神。


title: Military police add air-defense group

content_text:
REINFORCEMENTS: Although designated as a no-fly area, Taipei’s administrative core lacks sufficient defensive deployments during peacetime, an expert said

Military police have strengthened garrison defense capabilities in Taipei as part of a force-structure adjustment to address enemy threats, the 202nd Military Police Command said yesterday.

The command said it has added a new air-defense company under the 228th Battalion stationed in Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) for the purpose.

The unit — its only artillery unit — has been equipped with Stinger anti-air missiles and anti-tank Javelin systems, it added.

Military personnel take part in an exercise at a metro station in Taipei on July 14 last year.

Photo: MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE via AFP

Beijing has increasingly waged cognitive warfare and military intimidation against Taiwan — including frequent incursions by aircraft and vessels into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, and repeated crossings of the median line of the Taiwan Strait — severely undermining regional peace and stability, it said.

The command has responded to these threats in the past few years by bolstering counter-decapitation capabilities and protection of critical infrastructure, it said.

It increased the number of active duty officers from 5,000 to 10,000 in 2024, coordinating with one-year mandatory military service units to guard key infrastructure, it said.

The command oversees seven battalions, which guard facilities across Taipei, it said.

Those battalions are the 211th Battalion, responsible for Presidential Office security; the 332nd Battalion, which handles security for the president’s and vice president’s residences; the 229th Battalion, which guards the Ministry of National Defense; the 239th Battalion, the military police’s only armored unit; the 228th Artillery Battalion in Shilin; the 261st Battalion, which is dispersed across multiple locations including Songnan Camp at Songshan Airport and Zhongzhen Camp at the Military Police Command; and the 262nd Battalion, which has yet to be fully formed.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that artillery units have historically had air-defense artillery, so providing the Taipei garrison with surface-to-air missiles is not without precedent.

“Deploying short-range, man-portable Stinger missiles enhances mobile air defense, while Javelin missiles can counter Chinese Communist Party landing craft attempting surprise assaults at the Tamsui River estuary,” he said. “Together, the two systems serve to strengthen both counter-surprise and counter-decapitation capabilities.”

Taiwan could draw lessons from other countries’ air-defense deployments in capital no-fly zones, he said.

For example, Washington has the National Capital Region Air Defense, with rotating deployments of air defense artillery regiments, he said.

Sentinel A4 radars, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, Avenger systems and Stinger missiles are routinely deployed on surrounding buildings to protect the White House, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building — which houses the vice president and the US National Security Council — and the Pentagon, he added.

South Korea’s 1st Air Defense Brigade is responsible for Seoul’s P-73 zone, covering a radius of 3.7km that includes the city’s Seocho, Dongjak and Jung districts, Su said, adding that short-range Mistral missiles and domestically produced KM167A3 air defense guns are routinely deployed on nearby high-rise buildings.

Su suggested that the government also consider permanent deployments in Taipei’s Boai Special Zone (博愛特區) surrounding the Presidential Office.

Although designated a no-fly area, it lacks sufficient physical deployments during peacetime, he said.

Permanent deployments could strengthen resilience against surprise attacks, he added.


title: Passport ring sentenced

content_text:
PAPERS, PLEASE:  The gang exploited the high value of the passports, selling them at inflated prices to Chinese buyers, who would treat them as ‘invisibility cloaks’   By Chiang Chih-hsiung and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Yilan District Court has handed four members of a syndicate prison terms ranging from one year and two months to two years and two months for their involvement in a scheme to purchase Taiwanese passports and resell them abroad at a massive markup.

A Chinese human smuggling syndicate purchased Taiwanese passports through local criminal networks, exploiting the passports’ visa-free travel privileges to turn a profit of more than 20 times the original price, the court said.

Such criminal organizations enable people to impersonate Taiwanese when entering and exiting Taiwan and other countries, undermining social order and the credibility of the nation’s travel documents, and posing a significant threat to border security, the presiding judge said.

It could facilitate illegal activities by international human smuggling rings or terrorist organizations, the judge said.

Investigators believe that gangs exploit the visa-free access Taiwanese passports provide to 139 countries and territories, selling them at premium prices to clients who treat the documents as “invisibility cloaks” for unrestricted international travel.

Cheng Tzu-chuan (鄭子娟), 47, who obtained Taiwanese citizenship through marriage, left Taiwan after divorce and remarried her former Chinese husband, Ho Tsai-lung (何財龍), in China, where the couple was recruited by a gang in China’s Fujian Province, police said.

The couple set up a passport-buying criminal organization with a Taiwanese man surnamed Lai (賴), 32, who recruited two others, surnamed Shen (沈) and Lin (林), in August 2023, police said.

Ho and another man allegedly directed the operation from abroad, instructing Cheng and her accomplices to buy passports in Yilan County for between NT$6,000 and NT$10,000 each, police said.

Ho would pay NT$17,000 per passport upon receiving them, while the human-smuggling ring resold each document to Chinese buyers for about 10,000 euros (US$11,597).

The Criminal Investigation Bureau referred the case to the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office after receiving intelligence on the case.

The suspects were arrested in March and prosecuted in April last year, while six suspects involved in selling passports were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to six months in July.

The Yilan District Court in its ruling said that Cheng and Lai, under the instruction of Ho and his accomplice, purchased passports in Taiwan by paying cash or using them to offset debts.

Shen and Lin bought passports from others and handed them over to Lai, earning between NT$2,000 and NT$4,000 per passport, while Cheng and Lai mailed the documents via international courier to Greece and Indonesia, the court said.

Cheng, Shen and Lin admitted to the crimes, while Lai denied recruiting others into the organization, a claim rejected by the court.

Cheng and Lai were sentenced to two years, and two years and two months respectively for participating in a criminal organization, trading passports and using passports to offset debts.

Both have appealed.

Shen was sentenced to one year and four months for trading passports.

Lin, who had no prior convictions and confessed, received a sentence of one year and two months, suspended for three years, and was ordered to pay NT$200,000.

Ho, a Chinese national, remains at large and would be tried separately, the court said.


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Europeans were reeling yesterday from US President Donald Trump’s announcement that eight countries would face 10 percent tariffs for opposing US control of Greenland.

The responses to Trump’s decision on Saturday ranged from saying it risked “a dangerous downward spiral” to predicting that “China and Russia must be having a field day.”

Trump’s threat sets up a potentially dangerous test of US partnerships in Europe. Several European countries have sent troops to Greenland in the past few days, saying they are there for arctic security training. Trump’s announcement came as thousands of Greenlanders were wrapping up a protest outside the US Consulate in the capital, Nuuk.

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen speaks during a protest in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on Saturday. Photo: AP

The Republican president appeared to indicate that he was using the tariffs as leverage to force talks with Denmark and other European countries over the status of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark that he regards as critical to US national security. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff.

There are immediate questions about how the White House could try to implement the tariffs because the EU is a single economic zone in terms of trading, according to a European diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It was also unclear how Trump could act under US law, although he could cite emergency economic powers that are currently subject to a US Supreme Court challenge.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said China and Russia would benefit from the divisions between the US and the EU.

“If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity,” she wrote on social media.

Trump’s move also was panned domestically.

US Senator Mark Kelly said that Trump’s threatened tariffs on US allies would make Americans “pay more to try to get territory we don’t need.”

“Troops from European countries are arriving in Greenland to defend the territory from us. Let that sink in,” he wrote on social media. “The damage this President is doing to our reputation and our relationships is growing, making us less safe. If something doesn’t change we will be on our own with adversaries and enemies in every direction.”

Norway and the UK are not part of the 27-member EU. It was not immediately clear if Trump’s tariffs would impact the entire bloc. EU envoys scheduled emergency talks for yesterday evening to determine a potential response.

European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged to continue their full solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.

“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” they wrote in a joint statement late on Saturday.

title: EU expresses shock at Greenland tariffs


content_text:
Iran admits ‘several thousand’ deaths, blaming US, Israel

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said “several thousand people” died in this month’s anti-government demonstrations, his first acknowledgment of the deadly scale of the unrest.

Some of those were killed “brutally and inhumanely,” Khamenei said without offering detail in a public meeting broadcast on state TV.

He accused the US and Israel of aiding the killings and said the Islamic republic has evidence to support the claim.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran on Saturday. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader / West Asia News Agency via REUTERS

Iran does not intend to push the country toward war, but would not allow domestic or international criminals to go unpunished, Khamenei said.

He said US President Donald Trump was culpable for “deaths, damage and accusations he has inflicted on the Iranian people,” and that Washington’s broader policy goal was to place Iran under military, political and economic domination.

The toll suggested by Khamenei was in line with estimates from human rights groups and others that about 3,500 people had perished. The groups estimate that more than 22,000 people have been detained.

Trump told Politico that Iran needs new leadership, and said Khamenei is guilty of “the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before.”

The protests have taken place during a record-long Internet blackout for Iran’s population of about 92 million people.

Earlier, local media reported that Internet connectivity had been partially restored, even as most residents appeared to remain largely cut off from the outside world.

Iran’s government shut down Internet and mobile phone services on Jan. 8 to quell rising unrest sparked by a currency crisis late last month.

“Internet access has now been restored for some subscribers,” the semiofficial Mehr news agency said, without specifying which restrictions had been lifted or whether users had regained access to international platforms and services.

The semiofficial Fars news agency also reported that mobile text messages had been reactivated after being blocked earlier.

The Internet traffic monitoring group NetBlocks said there had been a “very slight rise” in connectivity on Saturday, adding that overall access remained at about 2 percent of normal levels, with “no indication of a significant return.”

Users in Iran appeared largely offline as of early Saturday afternoon, with few signs of activity evident on platforms such as Telegram, Instagram and X — services they previously accessed via virtual private networks.

Near-total communications blackouts have become a familiar tool for Iranian authorities during critical situations, from this month’s nationwide protests to the June conflict with Israel. That has cut off much of the population from the global Internet and diverted users onto a government-controlled domestic network that operates independently of the wider web.

Earlier on Saturday, Fars cited authorities, who were not identified, as saying that Internet and other communications services were being gradually restored, but that some restrictions would remain in place “as long as security conditions require.”


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A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). It added that the coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C.

Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said.

However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said.

A Central Weather Administration chart shows the weather forecast for this week. The blue line indicates eastern Taiwan, the green line indicates central Taiwan, the orange line indicates southern Taiwan, while the white line indicates northern Taiwan and Yilan County. Photo provided by the Central Weather Administration

Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently east of the Philippines, is forecast to remain over the waters east of the country and poses no direct threat to Taiwan, the CWA said.

Starting today, conditions are expected to become more unsettled as the northeasterly system strengthens and moisture increases, raising the chance of rain along the northern coast and mountainous areas of Taipei and New Taipei City, it said, adding that areas north of Taoyuan and eastern Taiwan might also see brief showers.

The coldest temperatures are expected on Thursday morning, it said, adding that from Thursday to Saturday, there is a chance of snowfall possible on mountains above 3,000m, such as Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hsuehshan (雪山), while areas at about 2,000m might see sleet or rime ice.

From Wednesday through Friday, the cold air mass is likely to linger and reach the level of a “strong continental cold air mass,” defined as Taipei temperatures dropping below 12°C, independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said.

Temperatures in low-lying areas could fall to as low as 8°C, he said.

The cold air mass is expected to weaken from Saturday, with daytime temperatures rebounding, but mornings and evenings remaining cool, Wu said.

Additional reporting by Tsai Yun-jung

title: Temperatures to drop as cold air mass approaches


title: China using oil rigs near Pratas to boost kill chain

content_text:
‘GRAY ZONE’:  Oil rigs can advance a country’s territorial claim and help it establish a presence in contested spaces under the guise of commercial activity, an academic said

There are likely tactical implications when comparing the recent incursion of a Chinese military drone into the airspace of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands (Dongsha, 東沙群島) and a report last year on China building oil rigs within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around that island.

The Ministry of National Defense on Saturday said a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) surveillance and reconnaissance drone was detected entering the territorial airspace of the Pratas Islands at 5:44am, and then left a few minutes later, after the military broadcast a warning through an international channel.

The Jamestown Foundation think tank in a report published in September last year said that oil rigs could serve as relay stations for drone communications, and that China’s oil rigs around the Pratas Islands are boosting its “kill chain,” as well as its command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (C5ISRT) capabilities.

China has 12 oil rigs around Pratas Islands, owned by the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), including seven rig structures, three floating production storage and offloading vessels, and two semi-submersible oil platforms, it said.

These state-owned structures have dual-use potential and “may be more valuable for constraining Taiwan’s space than for their nominal commercial purpose of extracting oil,” the report said.

These structures could be integrated into the state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corp’s “Blue Ocean Information Network,” functioning as relay stations for drone communications, and “facilitate a full range of coercion, blockade, bombardment and/or invasion scenarios against Pratas or Taiwan more generally,” it said.

Then-CNOOC chairman Wang Yilin (王宜林) in 2012 said “large-scale deep-water rigs are our mobile national territory and a strategic weapon,” the report said, warning that oil rigs “advance territorial claims, establish creeping jurisdictional presence in contested spaces and shape the operational environment in Beijing’s favor without open conflict — often under the guise of commercial activity.”

Although these actions are nominally commercial, they are a classic example of China’s “gray zone” threats, Institute for National Defense and Security Research assistant research fellow Alice Yang (楊長蓉) said.

On the surface, they are tools for developing resources, but they could also be used to gather intelligence and deploy the military, Yang said.

Establishing offshore platforms inside Taiwan’s EEZ without permission infringes on UN law, but Taiwan cannot dispute this, as it is not a UN member, she added.

In addition to diplomatic protests, Taiwan should respond to China’s drone and platform incursions by clarifying domestic laws, coordinating with agencies and bolstering international legal arguments to better protect key maritime resources, Yang said.


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The US’ Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer the USS John Finn and Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears on Friday and Saturday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said.

“USS John Finn and Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Mary Sears conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit Jan. 16 to 17 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law. The ships transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” a US Naval Institute report quoted the statement as saying.

“The transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle. The international community’s navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited. The US rejects any assertion of sovereignty or jurisdiction that is inconsistent with freedoms of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea and air,” it added.

The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Finn is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Screen grab from USS Finn’s Facebook page

This is the fourth time during US President Donald Trump’s second term that a US warship has sailed through the Taiwan Strait.

The Ministry of National Defense said it had monitored and controlled the maritime and air dynamics around Taiwan using joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance methods.

The Chinese military on its official WeChat account said it also monitored the transit.

China’s People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command spokesman Xu Chenghua (徐承華) said that the command’s troops would “remain on high alert at all times, resolutely defend national sovereignty and security, and maintain regional peace and stability.”

Additional reporting by Reuters

title: Two US ships transit through Taiwan Strait


content_text:
US, Taiwan to shift focus to security, former official says

After a tariff agreement was reached this week addressing key economic issues, Taiwan and the US can now focus more on security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, a former White House official said on Friday.

Alexander Gray, who served as deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff of the US National Security Council during US President Donald Trump’s first term, made the comments in an interview with the Central News Agency.

Gray called the trade deal a “very positive development in the US-Taiwan relationship,” as Washington has had several disagreements with Taiwan on trade matters over the years, going back to the first Trump administration.

Military personnel participate in a training exercise at a military base in Taoyuan in an undated photograph. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA

The deal is a step toward resolving US concerns about semiconductor imports, which have long been a major source of friction between the two sides, he said.

However, with the issue taken off the table for the time being, “there’s a huge opportunity for the US and Taiwan to focus on strengthening our partnership and security, strengthening our regional collaboration and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

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

Meanwhile, Taiwanese semiconductor, electronics manufacturing services, artificial intelligence and energy companies would invest US$250 billion in the US based on their own plans.

Additionally, the government has pledged to provide up to US$250 billion in credit guarantees for financial institutions to support investments the semiconductor, and information and communications technology sectors would make in the US.

Gray, CEO of American Global Strategies, an international strategic advisory firm, said the arms deal that was approved and sent to Taiwan late last year sends a “great signal” to Beijing that the US remains steadfast in following the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.

The US government last month announced the potential sale of eight arms packages to Taiwan, including M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, anti-tank missiles and drones, at an estimated total cost of US$11.1 billion.

Gray said he hoped the deal leads to more arms sales over the coming year, but acknowledged that the US has a significant delivery backlog in arms deliveries to Taiwan.

As the US works to expand its defense industrial base, the country needs to make sure that it is “not just doing new sales, but actually delivering on the weapons Taiwan has already purchased,” he added.


content_text:
Reporter spy case highlights Taiwan’s Chinese infiltration problem: academic

‘DIFFICULT TO DEFEND’: From China’s point of view, the value of media workers is in their ability to shape public opinion in favor of China while appearing professional, the expert said

The detention of a reporter who allegedly bribed military officers to provide information to China suggests that Beijing’s infiltration is a long-term, structural presence in Taiwan, an academic said yesterday.

Tunghai University Cross-Strait Research Center deputy executive director Hung Pu-chao (洪浦釗) made the comment after the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday said a district court approved its request to detain a reporter, and five current and retired military officers for allegedly contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).

It is not surprising, as the issue of Chinese collaborators in Taiwan is not something new and has been a long-standing problem, Hung said.

They are often hidden in institutional gaps and disguised in professional roles, making it difficult for the people to notice, he said.

However, this incident has shown the public that Chinese infiltration is no longer limited to political figures or grassroots organizations, but has deeply penetrated into the information production chain, Hung said.

From China’s point of view, the value of media workers lies not in directly spreading fake information, but in their ability to influence agenda-setting and narrative framing, Hung said, adding that such people could shape public opinion to be more favorable to China while appearing professional.

This type of infiltration is highly covert and is the most difficult part of cognitive warfare to defend against, he said.

The case is significant, as it serves as a reminder to Taiwanese that they are facing a long-term, patiently laid out, covert operation, Hung said, adding that it is important that the public enhance their media literacy.

Only when the national security system, the media and civil society operate in tandem, and institutional safeguards and information literacy advance together, can Taiwan truly preserve the foundation of being able to trust information, he said.

That is essential for the functioning of a democratic society, he added.

While Taiwan regularly pursues espionage cases within the government and military, allegations against journalists are unusual.

The office’s statement only identified the journalist as someone surnamed Lin (林).

CTi News said one of its reporters, Lin Chen-you (林宸佑), has been detained, but that it was not aware of the case details.

Prosecutors said that Lin paid military officers bribes ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars in exchange for providing information to Chinese people.

Additional reporting by AP


people: 陳琬惠 黃國昌

content_text:
The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday unveiled its policy platform for the local elections.

The TPP’s 80-page policy white paper is more substantive and practical than typical reports submitted by central ministries to the legislature, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said.

The party’s platform has on four core goals: stabilizing society, supporting families, safeguarding health and safety, and bolstering industries, he said.

Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, front row, second left, holds a placard along with the party’s Chiayi mayoral candidate, Chang Chi-kai, front row, left, and the party’s Yilan county commissioner candidate, Chen Wan-hui, front row, second right, at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times

It includes housing justice, people-oriented transportation, family support, age-friendly communities, education, physical and mental health, low-carbon development, industrial upgrading and social inclusion, he added.

The amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) would give local governments adequate funding through a more transparent fiscal system, Huang said.

The TPP intends to monitor spending closely to ensure public funds are used effectively, he said, adding that mayors and county heads would no longer need political connections to secure budgets for infrastructure projects.

Several TPP candidates also outlined their local priorities.

Chiayi mayoral candidate Chang Chi-kai (張啟楷) said his platform includes building a light rail system and urging full central funding for an elevated railway project.

Chang said he also intends to push for National Health Insurance premiums for seniors aged 65 and older, and providing free lunches for elementary and junior-high school students.

Yilan chapter head Chen Wan-hui (陳琬惠), who is running for Yilan county commissioner, said economic development, transportation and healthcare are the county’s most pressing needs.

She proposed a model similar to Taipei’s Nangang Software Park to create jobs in creative, research and software industries, allowing residents to work closer to home as well as potentially attracting talent from across Taiwan.

The local elections is to take place on Nov. 28.

Meanwhile, Huang said a joint agenda with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been largely drafted and is awaiting ratification.

The KMT still needs to carry out internal candidate nomination procedures, which the TPP respects, he said.

title: TPP announces its policy agenda for local elections


title: Forecasters using AI to model typhoons

content_text:
ACCURACY BY VOLUME AI tools will help the Central Weather Administration to more accurately predict the path and intensity of typhoons during the storm season

With artificial intelligence (AI) models improving typhoon path forecasts, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) would continue cooperating with Nvidia and National Taiwan University (NTU) to use AI to more accurately predict wind and rain levels, the agency said yesterday.

Errors in tracking typhoon paths have gone down by an average of 2.7 percent annually from 2000 to last year, the CWA said.

These forecasts noticeably improved last year, with errors in 24-hour forecasts for typhoon paths 12 percent lower than in 2024, it said.

A satellite photograph shows Tropical Storm Nokaen in east of the Philippines yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration

The errors were 68km in 2023, 65km in 2024 and fell to 57km last year, it said.

The CWA has invested NT$1.5 billion (US$47.5 million) to develop a cutting-edge sixth-generation computer using chips from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

The computers have 200,000 times the processing power of the third generation and seven times the processing power of the fifth, supporting the CWA’s need for high-speed computing power, it said.

Introducing smart programs and AI models has significantly reduced errors in typhoon forecasts, the CWA said.

About 20 typhoons form every year in the northwestern Pacific, and the CWA begins forecasting their paths when they are tropical depressions, Weather Forecast Center Director Huang Chuang-hsi (黃樁喜) said.

The weather service issues about four forecasts per day for five to seven days, totaling hundreds each year, from which the annual average forecast error is calculated, Huang said.

Improvements in last year’s forecasts are related to the introduction of AI technology, Huang said.

The agency integrated large-scale AI weather models into its computer in 2023 and applied them to Typhoon Gaemi in 2024, using the 12 to 15 tracks generated by the model as references, which showed strong potential for improving forecasts, he said.

The CWA frequently used AI models last year as forecasters became more familiar with them, improving typhoon forecast accuracy, Huang said.

Taiwan’s three-day forecast of typhoon paths outperformed models from the US and Japan, he added.

The CWA now uses six AI models developed with Nvidia, Google and Microsoft, combined with data from the US, Taiwan and Japan, he said.

Forecasters can analyze a total of 18 possible typhoon tracks, and the agency plans to keep improving its forecasts to match the standards of international typhoon centers, he added.

Considering Taiwan’s complex terrain, any slight difference in a typhoon’s path can significantly change the wind and rain levels in different areas.

With success in more accurately predicting typhoon paths, the CWA would next turn to applying AI models to model wind and rain levels, Huang said.

The agency’s traditional physical models have reached resolution of 1 to 3km, while large AI models only have a resolution of 25 to 28km, he said.

The CWA would continue to collaborate with Nvidia, NTU and other organizations to develop AI models to improve wind and rain forecasts, and better assess the impact of typhoons across Taiwan, he added.


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KINDNESS TO CRITTERS: The draft amendments aims to curtail free-roaming feral animals, interdict illegal breeding operations and treat strays humanely

The government will continue to promote amendments to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) as well as encourage “adopt, don’t shop” and “zero pet abandonment” policies, President William Lai (賴清德) said at a pet gathering yesterday.

In his address at the Dogs and Cats Carnival, Lai said that the number of cats and dogs owned by people in Taiwan was more than 3.4 million last year, surpassing the number of children aged 14 or younger.

While highlighting the issue of Taiwan’s declining birthrate, Lai added that the government would nevertheless support people’s love for animals, as valuing life and protecting animals is a hallmark of a civilized society.

The Department of Animal Welfare, which was established under the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) two years ago, is dedicated to collaboration with civic groups on animal welfare promotion.

The government has also launched a scheme offering non-practice allowance to veterinarians who choose to work in the public sector, marking a milestone in the government’s efforts to retain veterinary talent.

In the draft amendments, Lai outlined the prioritization of managing free-roaming animals, clampdowns on illegal breeding, and humane capture of stray cats and dogs and their sterilization before being released for adoption.

Lai recalled the story of his own adopted dog, Ban-ban (斑斑), from the Pingtung County-based Taiwan Dogs Lover Association, which had a stall at the carnival.

Despite Ban-ban’s missing front left leg, which was amputated after being caught in an animal trap, Ban-ban remains a happy and energetic dog, he said.

Other measures promoted in the bill include strengthening animal registration, conducting regular performance evaluations of animal shelters, banning feeding animals around natural reserves and stiffer penalties for those charged with abusing animals, he added.

Lai said that his background as a doctor continues to drive his sense of responsibility for people’s health, and the MOA is also working with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to enhance prevention of zoonotic diseases, ensuring the health of animals and people.

title: Lai outlines draft animal protections


content_text:
RT-Mart employee sentenced for 2022 assault of intern at Kaohsiung store

ASSAULT OF A MINOR The former security employee received a prison sentence of more than 13 years for assaulting and blackmailing the victim while at work

A Kaohsiung RT-Mart security employee was sentenced to more than 13 years imprisonment for sexual assault, while the court required the parent company to financially compensate the victim.

The Kaohsiung District Court convicted the RT-Mart employee, surnamed Chang (張), of sexual assault of a minor for actions at his workplace in January 2022.

Chang, 36, was harassing a 17-year-old female intern, both in person and over messaging apps, expressing romantic interest in her, before she blocked him, the court said.

After being blocked on social media apps, Chang threatened her with a knife at the RT-Mart, dragged her into a storage area and forced her to disrobe, before physically and sexually assaulting her, using cleaning supplies to attempt to destroy biological evidence of the assault, and taking sexually explicit photos of her to blackmail her into not reporting the assault to law enforcement, it said.

Chang was convicted of sexual assault as well as breach of the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act (兒童及少年性剝削防制條例), wherein any “persons who films, produces, or reproduces with justification, any sexual image or video of a child or a youth...” may be sentenced to maximum of seven years, and is subject to a fine.

Chang was sentenced to 13 years, 6 months imprisonment.

The court mandated reparations of NT$3 million (US$95,021) which Chang was unable to pay, lacking the finances or assets. The victim and her family filed a civil suit demanding compensation for physical and mental trauma.

Their filed litigation said RT-Mart Co had failed in its duty to supervise and monitor its employees, and was responsible for financial compensation to the victim.

The court ruled in the victim’s favor, saying that RT-Mart was negligent in its duty.

As RT-Mart was bought from Ruentex Group, which operated the store in a joint venture with French retail outfit Auchan Group by Taiwan’s PX Mart Group between the assault and the court conviction, PX Mart was deemed by the court to have the responsibility for the compensation.

PX Mart said in a release that they would comply with the court’s decision and pay out financial compensation to the victim.


content_text:
By Yang Hsin-hui and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer

A Taipei third-grader brandished a pair of scissors in class, a parent said, adding that the incident has raised concerns about campus safety and the handling of students with behavioral issues.

The parent, speaking anonymously, said that when the student became upset in the classroom and began waving scissors, teachers and staff intervened, preventing serious injuries.

According to the parent, the student had repeatedly exhibited aggressive behavior, including stabbing others with pens, attacking classmates, attempting to strike a teacher’s eyes and smashing a teacher’s cellphone, adding that in one instance, a teacher reportedly grabbed the student’s arm to stop an outburst, only for the child’s parent to accuse the teacher of injuring the student and threatening legal action.

The student’s mother, who occasionally accompanies the child at school, has accused other students of misbehavior, saying they triggered her child’s outbursts and alleging bullying, the parent said.

Parents of other students rejected that claim, saying other students are afraid of the outburst-prone classmate.

The school’s director of student affairs said it has offered counseling and proactive support for the student.

The Taipei City Department of Education said the school has established standard operating procedures for emergency incidents and strengthened classroom safety management.

Measures include controlling access to sharp school property, switching to safety scissors when necessary and placing them under centralized teacher supervision as well as implementing emergency classroom support mechanisms, it said.

When reached for comment on the case, Wang Po-chi (王伯頎), a professor in Ming Chuan University’s criminal justice department, said that teachers are legally permitted to take necessary physical measures to block or restrain a student to protect others.

Referring to guidelines on teachers’ counseling and discipline measures, he said that teachers can employ defensive measures to stop attacks, damage or loss of control without facing punishment.

Given that elementary-Aschool students have limited offensive and defensive capabilities, schools should take the lead in risk management, he said.

Possible measures include adjusting seating arrangements, providing close supervision and placing high-risk students where homeroom teachers can easily monitor them, he said.

When necessary, guardians could be asked to accompany the student during classes to reduce the risk of sudden incidents, he said.

On-site responses should prioritize de-escalation and avoid accusatory or provocative language, he said, adding that teachers should maintain a neutral tone, keep appropriate distance and ensure the child feels safe.

In case of a conflict, teachers should prioritize evacuating other students, remove dangerous items such as scissors, prevent escalation in anger, avoid crowds gathering and activate cross-unit support, he said.

Campus violence should not be treated merely as “behavioral deviation,” he said, adding that schools should first determine whether a student might have special needs through professional assessment and institutional intervention.

Family dynamics should also be examined, he said, adding that social safety nets and external resources should be referred to high-risk or vulnerable households.

A veteran juvenile and family court judge, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that children under the age of 12 who stab others with pencils or wave scissors are considered to have “violated the law” rather than “committed a crime,” as criminal liability applies only to those aged 14 or older.

Relying solely on judicial coercion can only suppress behavior in the short term and fails to address underlying emotional, cognitive and family issues, often leading to relapse once pressure is eased, the judge said.

The key issue is not whether punishment can be imposed, but whether schools and authorities promptly report, assess and refer cases to prevent issues from growing and leading to irreversible consequences, the judge said.

title: Parents express concern over students’ safety


content_text:
Cold weather not only increases the risk of cardiovascular incidents but also the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), also known as sudden deafness or ear stroke, a doctor warned.

Wu Chen-Chi (吳振吉), attending physician in University Hospital’s Otolaryngology Department, described a case where a 48-year-old office worker one day woke up with the sudden sensation that their right ear “was turned off” and could not hear, and it was accompanied with tinnitus — the perception of a ringing or buzzing sound.

Wu said the person at first thought it was caused by a common cold or water in the ear after a bath, but the condition persisted, so they sought treatment and were diagnosed with severe SSNHL. Their hearing has improved with treatment and with hearing aids.

The most common clinical causes fall into two categories. The first is “reactivation of viruses that previously remained dormant in the body,” which could be triggered by respiratory tract infections, weakened immunity, or staying up late, he said.

The second is “sudden blockage of the small blood vessels in the inner ears,” which is a larger risk for elderly people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, vascular constriction caused by winter’s low temperatures and viral factors, which can trigger SSNHL, Wu said.

Treatment involves steroid injection, administered orally first, Wu said, adding that if the results are not ideal, further evaluations are made for intratympanic injection or hyperbaric therapy.

Recovery rates follow a “rule of thirds” — one-third of patients recover completely, one-third recover partially and one-third see almost no improvement, Wu said, adding that as it involves inner ear damage, so if no recovery occurs, hearing loss might be permanent.

The earlier the patients get treatment, the better the outcome, with the first seven days generally considered the critical window for better medical outcome. “The sooner, the better,” Wu said.

Taiwan Audiologists Association secretary-general Tsai Chih-hsin (蔡鋕鑫) said blood supply to the inner ear relies on the tiny labyrinthine artery, which has almost no backup vessels, so cold-induced vessel constriction or increased blood viscosity can quickly lead to acute ischemia and hearing loss.

It is common for patients to have sudden hearing loss, tinnitus, a feeling of ear fullness or pressure or even vertigo following a sharp decline in temperature during the night or early morning, he said.

Tsai said the incidence of SSNHL among younger populations in the past few years has risen, with cases among highly stressed office workers aged between 35 and 55 becoming more common.

Cold weather naturally causes blood vessels to constrict, so if combined with factors such as staying up late, high stress levels, smoking or excessive caffeine intake, damage to the inner ear capillaries can more easily occur, Tsai said

As hearing loss is not always obvious, people should seek professional testing for a diagnosis, and if a doctor determines that hearing aids are needed, patients should choose certified providers and pay attention to whether the provider is professionally qualified and provides follow-up services, he said.

title: Cold can threaten hearing


content_text: Teachers cheer on test takers outside the Affiliated High School of National Taiwan Normal University yesterday, the second day of the College Entrance Subject Tests. About 121,500 students nationwide signed up to take the university entrance exam this year, which was split into three days from Saturday to today, and covers math, natural sciences, English, Chinese and social studies.

title: Add oil


content_text: Democratic Progressive Party New Taipei City mayoral candidate and Legislator Su Chiao-hui, third left, poses for a photograph as she distributes spring couplets at her Yingge service office yesterday, ahead of the Lunar New Year, which begins on Feb. 17.

title: New Year wishes


content_text:
KEEPING UP: The acquisition of a cleanroom in Taiwan would enable Micron to increase production in a market where demand continues to outpace supply, a Micron official said

Micron Technology Inc has signed a letter of intent to buy a fabrication site in Taiwan from Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (力積電) for US$1.8 billion to expand its production of memory chips.

Micron would take control of the P5 site in Miaoli County’s Tongluo Township (銅鑼) and plans to ramp up DRAM production in phases after the transaction closes in the second quarter, the company said in a statement on Saturday.

The acquisition includes an existing 12 inch fab cleanroom of 27,871m2 and would further position Micron to address growing global demand for memory solutions, the company said.

The logo for Micron Technology Inc is pictured at its headquarters in San Jose, California, on June 25 last year Photo: AFP

Micron expects the transaction to contribute to meaningful DRAM wafer output in the second half of next year, it said.

The companies would also partner on Micron’s post-wafer assembly processing and to support Powerchip in its legacy DRAM portfolio, it added.

“This strategic acquisition of an existing cleanroom complements our current Taiwan operations and will enable Micron to increase production and better serve our customers in a market where demand continues to outpace supply,” Micron executive vice president for global operations Manish Bhatia said in the statement. “The Tongluo fab’s close proximity to Micron’s Taichung site will enable synergies across our Taiwan operations.”

The deal would see the two companies establish a long-term foundry relationship for advanced DRAM packaging, Powerchip said in a separate statement.

Micron would also assist Powerchip in enhancing its existing specialty DRAM process technologies at the P3 site in Hsinchu County, it said.

Through the deal, Powerchip aims to strengthen its financial structure, it added.

“Amid the global recovery of the memory market, the company plans to integrate advanced packaging technologies and materials — such as 3D wafer-on-wafer and interposers — to pivot into a key player within the AI supply chain,” Powerchip said.

The investment is part of Micron’s global expansion as it seeks to meet continued demand for memory chips. The Boise, Idaho-based company, which makes most of its chips at facilities in Asia, on Friday held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new plant outside Syracuse, New York, having promised last year to invest as much as US$200 billion in the US.

Micron competes with South Korea-based Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc in the market for high-bandwidth memory chips — a crucial component in the data center processors powering the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Demand for the components has skyrocketed due to AI data center needs, and the three companies have warned in the past few months of limited supply.

Additional reporting by staff writer

title: Micron to pay US$1.8bn for fab site


content_text:
A BOOST:  The mechanism could help smaller companies obtain lower borrowing costs, making it easier for big firms like TSMC to expand overseas, an economist said

A US$250 billion credit guarantee the government has agreed to in a tariff deal with the US is expected to help enterprises raise funds to facilitate their investments in the US, experts said.

Cathay United Bank Co (國泰世華銀行) chief economist Lin Chi-chao (林啟超) said that big companies such as chipmaking giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), which has previously pledged US$165 billion investments in the US, might not need any credit guarantee.

However, smaller-sized companies might need such government support to boost banks’ willingness to extend loans, Lin said.

From left, Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun and Representative to the US Alexander Yui hold a news conference in Washington on Thursday last week. Photo: CNA

On Friday, the Executive Yuan announced that Taipei and Washington had reached an agreement to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods from 20 percent to 15 percent, without stacking them on existing most-favored-nation rates.

As part of the deal, Taiwanese semiconductor, electronics manufacturing service, artificial intelligence and energy companies would invest US$250 billion directly in the US.

The government has pledged to provide up to US$250 billion in credit guarantees to financial institutions to support US-bound investments by companies in the semiconductor and information and communication technology sectors.

Through a credit guarantee mechanism, it is possible that smaller companies would enjoy lower borrowing costs, making it easier for TSMC and other Taiwanese tech firms, including server makers, to build overseas industrial clusters, Fubon Financial Holding Co’s (富邦金控) chief economist Lo Wei (羅瑋) said.

The government’s credit guarantee is feasible, as Taiwan already operates similar mechanisms to support domestic small and medium-sized enterprises, Lo said.

To illustrate how the system works, Lin said that if a company borrows from a bank and the government agrees to guarantee 70 percent of the loan, the government would cover that portion if the borrower defaults, while the bank would absorb the remaining 30 percent.

Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) on Friday wrote on social media that the credit guarantee aims to help enterprises extend their reach globally and does not mean the government would carelessly throw the money around.

title: US$250bn credit to help firms raise funds: experts


content_text:
South Korea would seek favorable terms for US tariffs on imports of memory chips, a presidential office spokesperson told a news conference yesterday.

The country last year released a joint fact sheet on its trade deal with the US that included terms ensuring South Korea would not receive unfavorable treatment from US tariffs on imported chips compared to key competitors, the official said, when asked about US President Donald Trump administration’s proclamation on imposing tariffs on artificial intelligence chips.

South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Kim Jung-kwan on Saturday said US tariffs on some advanced computing chips would have a limited impact on South Korean companies.

SK Hynix Inc’s memory chips are displayed alongside Nvidia Corp’s Blackwell Ultra graphics processing units at the SK AI Summit in Seoul on Nov. 3 last year. Photo: Bloomberg

South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc are among the world’s biggest producers of memory chips.

Under an accord with South Korea announced in July last year, the US would charge a 15 percent tariff on most goods from the country, while sparing, for now, imports of chips.

The agreement between Washington and Seoul includes a US$350 billion South Korean fund for US investments, yet those plans are still taking shape and it is unclear how much more Samsung and SK Hynix would agree to spend in the US beyond their earlier commitments.

Samsung in 2024 unveiled plans to invest more than US$40 billion in the US, including US$17 billion for an advanced packaging facility in Texas for high-bandwidth memory chips.

Meanwhile, SK Hynix has said it intends to spend nearly US$4 billion on advanced packaging in Indiana, part of US$15 billion for production and research in the US.

South Korean memory makers and Taiwanese companies that are not investing in the US could face up to 100 percent tariffs unless they commit to increased production on US soil, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said.

Following a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Micron Technology Inc plant outside Syracuse, New York, Lutnick said that potential levies spelled out under a trade accord with Taiwan could also affect chipmakers from South Korea.

“Everyone who wants to build memory has two choices: They can pay a 100 percent tariff, or they can build in America,” Lutnick said on Friday in response to a reporter’s question, without naming any particular companies. “That’s industrial policy.”

Lutnick’s comments echoed a warning on Thursday following the signing of the Taiwan trade deal, which grants quota-based tariff relief to companies committing to investing in US-based manufacturing.

“If they don’t build in America, the tariff is likely to be 100 percent,” Lutnick told CNBC.

title: S Korea seeks favorable chip terms with US: official


title: Gasoline, diesel prices at pumps to rise this week

content_text:
The nation’s two refiners yesterday said they would raise gasoline prices by NT$0.8 per liter and diesel prices by NT$0.9 a liter this week, after lowering prices for both by NT$0.2 per liter each the previous week.

The price adjustments came as international crude oil prices rose last week due to political turmoil in Iran, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said in separate statements.

Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to increase to NT$27.2, NT$28.7 and NT$30.7 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said.

The price of premium diesel is to rise to NT$25.7 per liter at CPC stations and NT$25.5 at Formosa pumps, they said.

While developments in Iran remain the main drivers of prices on the oil market, concerns over imminent US military action against Iran have subsided, the companies said.

Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — last week rose 1.25 percent to settle at US$64.13 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures — the US oil benchmark — gained 0.54 percent to US$59.44 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.


content_text:
Yuanta forecasts nation’s GDP to grow 5.3 percent, following Taiwan-US deal

Taiwan’s GDP is forecast to grow 5.3 percent year-on-year this year, as the nation’s non-electronics industries are expected to benefit from the latest Taiwan-US trade deal, which lowers US tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent from 20 percent, Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) said in a report.

Other factors — such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) better-than-expected financial results and outlook, as well as the US applying a zero percent Section 232 tariff on Taiwanese semiconductors used in the US data centers and US-made products — also allowed Yuanta to raise GDP growth forecast from its previous estimate of 4.61 percent, the company said.

Yuanta’s forecast is higher than a market consensus of 3.8 percent growth forecast, the report issued on Friday said.

Standard Chartered PLC last week predicted 3.8 percent growth for Taiwan this year, while the central bank and Asian Development Bank last month projected expansions of 3.67 percent and 4 percent respectively.

The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics in November pitched its GDP growth forecast for this year at 3.54 percent, but the agency is widely expected to revise upward its estimate later this month after the latest government data showed Taiwan’s exports and trade surplus hit record highs for last year.

The latest trade deal aligns Taiwan’s tariff rates with those of its major trading partners such as Japan and South Korea, and is lower than the current US tariff rates on China, Yuanta said.

Furthermore, certain products, like semiconductors and related products, auto parts, and wood and related products, receive most-favored-nation status, which means that even if US trade policies change in the future, the competitiveness of Taiwanese goods would remain unchanged, indicating less uncertainty for businesses, it said.

As most Taiwanese electronics exports to the US are currently exempt from tariffs, the trade deal would help boost the export competitiveness of Taiwan’s non-electronics industries and boost this year’s economic growth by 0.08 percentage points, it added.

TSMC at its earnings conference last week forecast a compound annual growth rate of 40 percent for related artificial intelligence (AI) revenue from this year to 2029, which affirmed a sustained, structural AI demand, Yuanta said.

In addition, TSMC’s upward revision of this year’s AI shipment growth forecast from 33 percent to 43 percent is expected to add an additional 4 percentage points to Taiwan’s export growth this year, thereby boosting this year’s GDP growth by 0.64 percentage points, it said.

Meanwhile, the US’ semiconductor tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 pose no substantial negative impact on Taiwan’s economy, while reducing uncertainty about US future policies on semiconductor tariffs, Yuanta said.


content_text: People look at Tesla Inc’s Model 3 car at a showroom in Taipei’s Xinyi District yesterday. People are waiting to see if tariffs on imported US-made automobiles would be reduced after Taiwan and the US last week reached an agreement to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent.

title: Wheeling and dealing


people: 蔣萬安 黃偉哲

title: EDITORIAL: New school lunch policies create risk

content_text:
Following Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) Jan. 6 announcement that the city would provide free school lunches to elementary and junior-high schools from the next academic year, nine administrative regions in the past week launched their own programs, adding to the nine that already provide free lunches, while one last year announced it would start offering the meals from the spring semester. That leaves two of the nation’s 22 administrative regions not providing free lunches.

The Taipei City Government estimated the policy would save parents about NT$10,000 (US$316.74) per year. Initial concerns that school lunch programs would divert resources from other education and welfare initiatives were short-lived, as local governments quickly shifted their support toward the initiative.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said that fully funding school lunches was not ideal, but a necessary response to “an opened Pandora’s box.” He called it regrettable that the policy has become politicized, with local governments compelled to join a spending race, instead of rationally discussing where funding should go. Huang also asked if Chiang announced the policy, which was not in the city’s annual budget for this year, for political reasons, as it would go into effect from September, shortly before the local elections.

The National Federation of Teachers’ Unions also voiced concern that a “welfare arms race” would crowd out education funding and sacrifice education quality. Some parents’ groups have said the program could affect school lunch quality or deepen disparity among regions. They suggested that students should meet an income eligibility requirement to qualify for free lunches, to ensure the money goes to students who are most in need. Some have also expressed concern that with governments fully covering the lunches at fixed prices, parents would have less input into what is on the menu.

Their concerns are not unfounded, as local governments have different financial capacities and conditions, and the average cost of school lunches varies between regions. For example, in the same semester last year, the average cost of each lunch per student in Taipei was NT$76 to NT$86, compared with NT$53 to NT55 in Tainan.

Moreover, the amended Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法), passed by opposition lawmakers in late 2024, shifted a greater share of national revenue — more than NT$370 billion — to local governments, but led to further urban-rural inequality. The central government last year announced that due to less funding as a result of the amendment, it would be unable to subsidize the “three labels and one QR code” (3L1Q) reward program for school lunches, which means more uncertainties for free school lunch policies.

The government in 2017 began promoting the 3L1Q system, subsidizing school lunches that use local ingredients with Good Agricultural Practices, Certified Agricultural Standards and Traceable Agricultural Product labels, and a Taiwan Agricultural Products Production Traceability QR Code, to encourage food safety and local sourcing. The coverage of the subsidy increased from 11 percent in 2017 to nearly 99 percent in 2024, while the number of farms meeting the standards significantly increased over the eight years. Now that local governments are fully funding school lunch programs, it is uncertain whether they would require catering companies to continue meeting the 3L1Q standard when sourcing ingredients.

Some specialists have said that, unlike Japan and South Korea, Taiwan does not have a dedicated law regulating school lunch standards, such as on nutrition, the proportion of locally sourced ingredients and a dietitian-to-student ratio. With no more 3L1Q subsidies and limited and fixed local government funding, companies might start using cheaper ingredients of poorer quality with less supervision, sacrificing student health and the livelihoods of local farmers who provide quality ingredients.

Opposition lawmakers were quick to arbitrarily shift tax revenue allocations from central to local governments, and their local government heads are eagerly engaging in a populist spending race — possibly as part of an electoral strategy. They must also consider the greater effects of their policies and bear the responsibility of providing stable funding to ensure that students receive quality school lunches, while not cutting out funds for other important academic programs.


title: Ryan Hass on Taiwan: Five Questions for 2026-

content_text:
As the new year dawns, Taiwan faces a range of external uncertainties that could impact the safety and prosperity of its people and reverberate in its politics. Here are a few key questions that could spill over into Taiwan in the year ahead.

WILL THE AI BUBBLE POP?

The global AI boom supported Taiwan’s significant economic expansion in 2025. Taiwan’s economy grew over 7 percent and set records for exports, imports, and trade surplus. There is a brewing debate among investors about whether the AI boom will carry forward into 2026. Skeptics warn that AI-led global equity markets are overvalued and overleveraged and predict that an AI bubble will soon burst.

Financial Times columnist Ruchir Sharma and others provide a counterpoint, though. Historically, bubbles do not pop under their own weight. They pop when central banks tighten monetary conditions and alter the risk/reward calculus for investors to speculate on continuing growth. The US Federal Reserve will transition to a new chair this May. If the new leader causes a crisis in the Federal Reserve’s credibility or if capital flows into the United States dry up, then this will be a space to watch. Otherwise, I expect the AI boom to continue through 2026.

WILL THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA EXTEND THEIR PERIOD OF STRATEGIC CALM?

President Trump and President Xi Jinping (習近平) agreed at their October 30, 2025, meeting in South Korea to call a truce on their trade war for one year. They announced that President Trump would visit China in April and there are expectations that President Xi will reciprocate by visiting the United States later in 2026, likely around the time of the G20 Summit. These planned summits will have a disciplining effect in both capitals against taking actions that could undermine presidential trips.

At the same time, expectations are low that either side will offer any significant concessions to the other in service of improving relations. Most likely, both sides will work to avoid escalation and keep tensions within manageable levels while they each use this period of relative calm to strengthen their capacity to compete against the other over the longer term. The risk of an accidental or unplanned event (a wayward spy satellite comes to mind) could upset the best-laid plans, though.

WILL THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM DRIFT FROM A “RULES-BASED INTERNATIONAL ORDER” TO “SPHERES OF INFLUENCE?”

Following America’s military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro and Trump’s subsequent declaration that “American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again,” there has been speculation that Trump may be laying the groundwork to establish spheres of influence whereby major powers assert control over their peripheries. According to this logic, Russia would dominate its periphery, America would dominate the western hemisphere, Israel would assert control over events in the Middle East, and China would establish hegemony over Asia.

This argument rests on several dubious assumptions. First, that Trump possesses a conceptual view of the world and would be guided by a coherence of logic in his approach to foreign affairs. Second, that Putin and Xi would accept Trump’s conception of spheres of influence and curb their ambitions to their regional periphery. And third, that other countries would tolerate becoming vassalized under the leading powers in their regions and would cede any independent foreign policy out of subservience to the hegemon.

The world certainly is becoming more Hobbesian. International rules and norms are crumbling. Disorder is rising. That said, China will not establish a sphere of influence over Asia in 2026. Instead, Trump will seek to assert American dominance in the western hemisphere while maintaining American leadership and influence in Asia. The more that China attempts to impose its will along its periphery, the more countries across Asia will push back.

WILL AMERICA SIGNIFICANTLY SHIFT ITS POLICY TOWARD TAIWAN IN 2026?

There has been speculation about whether Trump might modify America’s policy on Taiwan in exchange for Chinese concessions on his economic priorities. This speculation rests on the assumption that Trump is purely transactional and indifferent to Taiwan’s security. While it is a fool’s errand to try to predict everything Trump might do or say in the year ahead, there are several factors arguing against Trump making any enduring concessions to Xi on Taiwan.

First, Trump has said consistently that he does not expect China to take military action against Taiwan during his time as president. In his own way, Trump has signaled he wants to maintain the status quo. Second, the Trump administration recently approved an US$11 billion arms package to Taiwan. This demonstrates continuity with longstanding policy of providing arms and services to support Taiwan’s maintenance of a credible self-defense capability. All that said, there is a possibility that Trump could make a statement on Taiwan during his planned state visit to China to please his hosts. Even if he does so, China’s leaders will have to accept the fluidity of Trump’s rhetoric, his tendency to change his mind, and the American security establishment’s steadfast views on preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. At a conceptual level, Trump has taken on a lot of challenges simultaneously at home and around the world. He likely will prefer not to add to his problems with any volatility in the Taiwan Strait in the year ahead.

WILL CHINA’S ECONOMY WOBBLE IN 2026?

China’s economy is imbalanced. Overall growth is being sustained by exports and China’s stock market is being buoyed by its technology sector. Domestically, the economy is sputtering. The combination of deflation and a weak currency are good for export competitiveness, but bad for corporate earnings and quality of life for China’s citizens.

I do not see grounds for optimism that China’s economy will improve substantially in the year ahead, particularly given China’s leaders’ determination to promote self-reliance and direct capital to support national priorities in technology and advanced manufacturing. At the same time, I also do not see signs that China’s economy is at risk of falling off a cliff, absent some type of exogenous shock.

These five questions represent some of the major external issues that could impact Taiwan’s economy and security. Taiwan also faces its own internal questions, such as whether the competing political parties will be able to forge a compromise to pass the special defense budget, how Taiwan will meet its energy requirements, and the outcome of Taiwan’s local elections later this year. I will explore some of these internal questions in a future column.

Ryan Hass is a senior fellow, the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies, and the Director of the China Center at the Brookings Institution.


title: KMT policies keep birthrate low

content_text:
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) deputy secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said that Taiwan’s low birthrate is no longer a warning sign, but a fact of life. The declining birthrate has become a genuine national security crisis. More dire yet is that it is not merely low, but the lowest on Earth.

Why is this the case? Is it not because the KMT promoted an unfair and unjust pension system? Why is it that only military personnel, police and civil servants can receive continuous pay raises while in service and enjoy a preferential interest rate of 18 percent after retirement, while everyone else receives no such benefit? KMT legislators have also encouraged property developers to speculate in the real-estate market, leaving many Taiwanese with no hope of owning a home.

Lin said the Democratic Progressive Party repeatedly points to record highs in the stock market and impressive economic indicators in an attempt to create an atmosphere that Taiwan is doing well. If society truly felt secure and hopeful, why would young people choose not to have children?

A nation’s birthrate reflects the most honest portrait of society.

Why does the KMT continue to focus solely on workplace and retirement benefits for the military, police and civil servants while ignoring the welfare of all other groups? What is the purpose of opposing pension reform? Are they aware that the retirement funds of average workers are far lower than that of military personnel and civil servants?

Lin said that systems such as child development accounts and baby bonds have long existed internationally and are considered important policy tools for addressing intergenerational inequality and restoring confidence to start families. The national security crisis posed by low birthrates transcends party lines — it decides whether Taiwan’s next generation has a future.

If it were not for the massive national defense budget required to face the threat of a hostile neighbor, China — and for the extremely high pensions awarded to military personnel, police and civil servants — the money saved could certainly fulfill Lin’s wishes.

KMT legislators even questioned Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Minister Chen Shu-tzu (陳淑姿) about why the general budget has not yet been approved and why fighter jets have not yet been upgraded. Is the real issue not that the KMT has continuously blocked both the general budget and the special defense budget?

Teng Hon-yuan is a university professor.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


content_text:
A familiar refrain is often heard whenever cross-strait tensions rise: The more tense things get, the more exchanges are needed. Some say that communication should always replace confrontation. On the surface, that sounds self-evident and reasonable. The real issue is not whether to engage or communicate at all. It is a far more fundamental question: Exchange what, and communicate about what?

Beijing’s position on Taiwan is no mystery. Its tactics are diverse and flexible, but its objective is singular and explicit. Every strand of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Taiwan policy serves one end: “one country, two systems” — the incorporation of Taiwan into the People’s Republic of China, and with it, the erasure of the Republic of China (ROC).

Under that overarching goal, the CCP applies soft and hard measures. Those who help advance its objective are rewarded with access, exchanges and material benefits. Those who cannot — or who resist — are not merely excluded from dialogue, but punished.

Incentives, denial of communication and coercive pressure together form the three basic pillars of Beijing’s Taiwan strategy.

In plain terms, it is “united front” work.

Within Taiwan, three broad groups are evident: those driven by a “Greater China” nationalist sentiment, viewing unification as the ultimate value; the interest-oriented, lacking a firm national position and guided primarily by material considerations; and those who insist that the two sides of the Strait are not subordinate to each other, and that freedom and democracy are nonnegotiable.

Within the first group, some believe that unification matters more than the survival of the ROC itself. Others imagine that the ROC could somehow be used to “unify China.” The former need little discussion — the Taiwan Strait is not gated, and nothing prevents them from relocating to China and renouncing their ROC citizenship.

The latter might be idealistic, but also profoundly unrealistic.

From the CCP’s perspective, the first and second groups are prime targets for “united front” engagement — beneficiaries of exchange and inducement designed to cultivate and consolidate a Chinese national identity.

The third group, by contrast, is not to be engaged, but suppressed and might even be targeted for attack.

The logic defines CCP’s current Taiwan policy: Use the first group, co-opt the second and strike the third. That, in essence, is “united front” work.

Given how clear the objectives and methods are, Taiwanese must approach calls for exchanges and communication with caution. If engagement is meant to compel Beijing to acknowledge the existence of the ROC and insist on dialogue conducted with equality and dignity, then it aligns with mainstream public opinion. If not, such exchanges risk becoming little more than auxiliaries to Beijing’s “united front” strategy.

Engagement and communication, then, are not inherently synonymous with safeguarding sovereignty or defending democracy. At times of danger, dialogue might indeed be necessary.

However, there are also moments when more exchanges simply mean deeper entanglement within the “united front” framework — and greater risk as a result. When that is the case, meeting is worse than not meeting at all.

Lu Hai-tung is a university professor.

Translated by Lin Lee-kai

title: Recognizing the CCP’s ‘dialogue’ deception


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


title: The world must stand with those speaking out in Iran

content_text:
In December last year, Iranians continued to push for basic freedoms and women’s rights in protests which have left an estimated 2,000 people dead

It has been more than 40 years since I was imprisoned in Iran for speaking out against human rights abuses and state executions, and for defending women’s rights. I spent eight years behind bars in Iran’s notorious Evin prison. I was tortured. I remember it as if it happened yesterday.

Every few years, uprisings erupt across Iran — and each wave of resistance is deeper and more widespread than the one before. In 2022, it was women who led the Woman, Life, Freedom movement after the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by the country’s “morality police,” and it revolutionized my country. Today, women wear what they want, go out in public with their boyfriends — even live with them — without fear of being arrested. Women earned these rights with their lives. In late December last year, the spark was once again lit — this time in an old bazaar in Tehran.

The demands are the same ones we raised in the 1980s: an end to poverty, corruption and unemployment, the right to organize, and freedom from repression. Despite the gains for women’s freedoms made since 2022, workers are still denied basic labor rights. Students are arrested and even executed for peaceful protest. Women are still fighting for fundamental rights. People are still risking their lives to stand up to torture and state violence.

The regime’s response has been brutal. Human rights organizations report security forces shooting into crowds of largely peaceful protesters. I have seen heartbreaking images of families desperately looking for their loved ones among hundreds of body bags. The true death toll remains unknown, but reports suggested more than 2,000 people have been killed. Given the scale of the protests and the footage of violent clashes, the real number is probably far higher.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency said that by the end of the 17th day of protests, 18,434 people had been arrested and so far, 97 forced confessions have been broadcast on state television. These scenes bring back painful memories of my own imprisonment, where many people were tortured until they “confessed.” For survivors like me, moments like this reopen old wounds. I still see the faces of friends who were executed.

The regime is terrorizing civilians, burning shops and destroying beautiful, historic bazaars. Doctors are reportedly prevented from treating the wounded. Injured protesters are taken away from their hospital beds. Despite the killings, people are still in the street. They say they have nothing to lose but their chains.

However, the situation is changing so quickly. As of Wednesday last week, military vehicles patrol the streets in Tehran day and night, stopping anyone who dares go out. Only bakeries remain open, and people are leaving their homes only to buy the bare necessities.

Iran has been plunged into an Internet blackout. The regime wants to hide its crackdown from the rest of the world and stop Iranians from organizing. For those of us in exile, we wait in agony for news. I have not been able to reach my family and friends for more than a week. Watching the few grainy videos that reach us, survivors like me relive our worst nightmares.

When I fled Iran, I left everything behind — my family, my friends and my home. I was lucky though — I survived. I rebuilt my life. Many others did not.

Freedom from Torture has supported Iranian survivors like me for years, and in 2024 they assisted more people from Iran than any other country. For those who have escaped, the harrowing reports of brutality the world has been hearing since last month are deeply triggering. We know exactly what the regime is capable of.

My heart aches for my country. Iran has gone through half a century of war against its own people. Our society is deeply wounded, but the status quo cannot continue, because Iranians will never give up fighting for their rights and freedoms. Iran’s rulers use torture to silence dissent and instill fear. They tried to take my voice away, because I dared to dream of equality and freedom. Today, I use that voice to speak out about the horrors that continue, and to ask the world to speak up for Iranians.

Since 2022, I have watched with dismay as global attention has drifted away from Iran. Silence only empowers those who torture and kill with impunity. The international community and the media must keep shining a light on what is happening.

We must raise the political cost of executions. We must demand the release of political prisoners. We must insist that the use of torture ends right now. We must stand shoulder-to-shoulder in solidarity with Iranians, in their struggle for what many of us take for granted every day: freedom, dignity and a life without fear.

Nasrin Parvaz is a women’s rights activist and torture survivor from Iran. Her books include A Prison Memoir: One Woman’s Struggle in Iran, and the novel The Secret Letters from X to A.


title: The US’ missing manufacturing renaissance

content_text:
US manufacturing ended last year with a thud, capping a rough year for the sector. To recap, manufacturers shed 63,000 jobs, according to the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was not just labor that was hurting. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index clocked in at 47.9 last month, marking the 10th consecutive month of contraction as new orders were especially weak and costs at historically elevated levels.

Then there is the US Federal Reserve’s Beige Book of regional economic conditions and surveys from the regional Fed banks, which have repeatedly documented cases of manufacturers delaying hiring and investment amid weak market conditions, rising costs, shrinking profit margins and persistent uncertainty. As for the “hard” data, manufacturing capacity and output, while incomplete, sagged through fall.

Overall, the evidence revealed a sector that is stagnant at best, and a long way from the manufacturing renaissance US President Donald Trump promised when he took office for a second time a year ago. No wonder administration officials have pivoted from predicting a factory boom last year to now saying it would happen this year and beyond.

Call me skeptical.

Better tax, regulatory and monetary policies should indeed provide a tailwind for manufacturing, but the sector would probably continue to struggle. If so, Trump’s tariffs would be a big reason.

The most basic problem is that modern US manufacturing depends on international trade. As documented by the National Association of Manufacturers, 91 percent of manufacturers use imports to make things in the US, and these inputs constituted about half of all US goods imported each year. Advanced industries such as semiconductors, aerospace and medical devices are particularly reliant on complex global supply chains and cutting-edge components from around the world.

Manufacturers in the US export more than US$1.6 trillion in goods each year, or about a quarter of their output, and are a major destination for billions of dollars in annual foreign direct investment. Producers involved in goods trade (imports and/or exports) are large and growing employers — home to about 80 percent of all US manufacturing workers.

In short, it is a sector that is still very large and increasingly very global — or at least it was.

Trump’s broad and indiscriminate tariffs confound domestic manufacturing operations in myriad ways. Most obviously, they increase production costs — even when firms buy from the US. Tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper drove prices in the US for these critical materials to significant premiums over global benchmarks. Tariffs on parts and equipment raise the same issues.

Buying local often is not an option. The National Association of Manufacturers estimated that firms running at full capacity could supply only 84 percent of domestic producers’ input needs, meaning at least 16 percent must be imported. The numbers are much higher for certain commodities such as aluminum that are primarily sourced from abroad.

The association’s calculation assumed that alternate inputs exist, but they routinely do not. Roughly half of US goods imports in 2024 were between related parties, with especially high concentrations in transportation equipment, chemicals, computer and electronic products, and machinery.

The prevalence of these intra-firm transactions means that multinational producers in the US are often stuck paying hefty new taxes on components and equipment shipped from their own facilities abroad for further processing there — an intricate and efficient global supply chain that cannot be rejiggered overnight (if at all).

Tariffs have ensured that domestic producers pay significantly more than their foreign competitors for the same inputs — a dynamic that makes US investments less attractive and US goods harder to sell locally and overseas (and ironically dampening tariff protection for downstream US manufacturers). Foreign retaliation against US exports, which was more muted than expected last year, but is still occurring, amplifies these headwinds.

The second problem stems not from the level of tariff rates, but how they have been implemented. Manufacturers might be able to adjust to a permanent, uniform and one-time increase in tariffs, but what they face instead is an ever-changing mishmash of opaque and complicated import taxes enacted by executive fiat.

Last year, the US tariff code was amended 50 times, a non-pandemic record and far above the pre-Trump standard. These changes, along with constant tariff threats, caused an unprecedented increase in trade policy uncertainty, which weighed on manufacturers’ hiring, capital expenditures, supply chain and sales plans even when tariffs were not actually implemented.

Complexity has imposed additional costs. By the end of last year, 20 different tariff measures applied to significant volumes of US imports, up from just three in 2017. These unilateral taxes vary by product and country, as well as by how they “stack” atop one another, with some imports facing multiple taxes and others only one. New rules also apply for certain metals content, trade deals, product exclusions and other special factors.

Calculating the correct tariff on a single product has therefore gone from a relatively stable and straightforward process to one that even certified customs brokers cannot grasp, with big penalties for errors and huge costs, regardless.

As Bloomberg News documented, tariff complexity has pushed US firms to scuttle major operational decisions until they have more clarity.

The tariffs’ variability also amplifies their macroeconomic costs, and Fed economists estimated that domestic manufacturers would pay US$39 billion to US$71 billion annually to comply with the new regime, representing time and money they cannot spend on their businesses.

The harms to manufacturers are consistent with research on past tariff episodes and help to explain why the sector struggled last year — and why things might not get much better this year.

Recent forecasts also suggested caution, with manufacturers and supply chain professionals predicting continued headwinds due to the costs, uncertainty and complexity of tariffs. And the US Supreme Court would not save them. If it invalidates Trump’s “emergency” tariffs in the coming days, administration officials have promised to invoke alternate authorities to recreate them.

Global supply chains took years to develop. They would take even longer to reorganize and would do so at great cost if, that is, they do not break altogether in the meantime.

Scott Lincicome is an economist with the Cato Institute. He specializes in domestic policy and international trade. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.