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CORE INTEREST:  It is the sixth consecutive year since 2021 that the G7 summit has underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait

The Presidential Office yesterday expressed its gratitude to the leaders of the G7 for issuing a joint statement reiterating their opposition to attempts to unilaterally and forcibly change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait.

“We highlight the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law,” said the G7 statement released on the same day.

“We reaffirm our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion, in the East and South China seas and across the Taiwan Strait, which should only be resolved peacefully through dialogue,” it said.

That marked the sixth consecutive year since 2021 that the G7 summit has underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. A comparison of past language shows that Taiwan Strait security has increasingly been framed as part of the broader Indo-Pacific security architecture.

The Taiwan Strait issue was first included in a G7 leaders’ summit communique at the 2021 meeting in the UK. The statement at the time emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, but did not mention China or include language opposing unilateral attempts to change the “status quo.”

At the 2022 G7 summit in Germany, leaders reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and, for the first time, added language opposing any unilateral attempts to change the “status quo.”

The 2023 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, marked the most significant step-up in the past few years. In addition to reiterating the importance of peace and stability and calling for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, the G7 explicitly opposed “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.”

Summits in 2024 and last year largely maintained the same position.

Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement that peace in the Taiwan Strait has widespread support in the international community, and is in the core interest of the world.

Taiwan plays a crucial role in the democratic alliance and global supply chains, and will continue to bolster its defense capabilities as a responsible regional partner and member of the international community, in the interest of regional peace and global prosperity, Kuo said.

The G7 Summit was held from Monday to yesterday in Evian-les-Bains, France.

title: Taiwan hails G7 leaders’ statement


title: Wave of arms purchases to arrive by year’s end

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‘HARVEST YEAR’: The US reported a significant breakthrough in the production of Stinger air defense missiles and plans to deliver 500 of the weapons before year’s end   By Lo Tien-pin, Aaron Tu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer

Taiwan is set to see a surge in arms deliveries in the second half of this year as up to eight major weapons systems are expected to be delivered or commissioned.

Officials call it the most significant recent “harvest year” for the military’s upgrade programs.

US and Taiwanese manufacturers have resolved issues that caused delays in the delivery schedule of many arms sales and the indigenous defense submarine program, the latest Ministry of National Defense force structure plan said.

High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems launchers fire during an exercise conducted by the army’s 10th Corps in Taichung on Wednesday last week. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA

The armed forces are expected to receive the largest hardware infusion over the past few years, it said.

The new equipment should be a major boon for the armed forces, with drastic capability enhancement in areas such as deep strikes, counter-amphibious assault and submarine warfare, the document said.

Some of the long-awaited weapon platforms would begin their journey to Taiwan, while others would be delivered between next month and December, the document said.

F-16V jets, complete with trained crews and conformal fuel tanks, would be delivered in batches over the coming months, it said.

Taiwan’s first indigenously developed submarine, the Hai Kun (Narwhal, 海鯤), should conduct its final deep-sea diving tests between next month and September before being delivered to the navy for commissioning, the document said.

The full order of 14 M136 Volcano Vehicle-Launched Scatterable Mine Systems should be shipped from the US to Taiwan soon, not in separate groups as originally planned, it said.

The US reported a major breakthrough in the production of Stinger air defense missiles and plans to deliver 500 of the weapons the end of the year, the document said.

The first MQ-9B high-altitude drones and their ground control equipment would be shipped between next month and September, it said.

The force structure plan said 18 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and a large number of Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems would arrive soon, following the earlier delivery of support equipment.

MS-110 Multispectral Airborne Reconnaissance Systems, a surveillance and targeting pod slated for the air force’s F-16 jets, would be delivered through the end of the year, it said.

The army is integrating the M136 Volcano minelaying system and M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks into its forces and doctrine, the document said.

The ministry plans to organize the M136 Volcano minelaying systems in “mobile interdiction teams” established under combined-arms and infantry brigades of army regional commands, it said.

The M1A2T Abrams, which the US delivered in full earlier this year, are being plugged into combined-arms brigades and conducting live-fire drills, the document said.

In related developments, the armed forces issued a request for proposal for a multi-caliber sniper rifle to augment T112 sniper rifles already in service.

The system should feature a quick-change barrel capable of chambering 7.62x51mm NATO, .300 Norma Magnum, and .338 Norma Magnum rounds, the request said.

When firing the 7.62x51mm, .300 Norma Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum rounds, the weapon system should have an effective range of at least 800m, 1,200m and 1,500m respectively, it said.

The rifle should be a bolt-action weapon with a 10 round magazine capacity when chambered for 7.62mm, the document said.

The military’s recently acquired T-112 is chambered for .50 BMG with anti-materiel capability ranging out to 2,000m, weighing 12.5kg and with a 5-round magazine capacity.

They are primarily issued to the Marine Corps’ Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, the army’s Airborne Special Service Company and the Military Police Special Service Company.


title: Israel hits Lebanon as G7 leaders back Trump’s Iran plan

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Leaders at the G7 summit yesterday threw their support behind US President Donald Trump’s tentative agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and further extend a shaky ceasefire — even though he has offered scant detail about how that would be implemented.

In a declaration issued overnight, the leaders called the deal a “historic opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring any nuclear weapon and tackling the threats related to its regional and ballistic activities.”

The leaders said that they were “ready to contribute to its implementation,” although neither the White House nor Iran has released the text of the agreement.

A displaced girl looks at buildings damaged by Israeli strikes in Tyre, Lebanon, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

According to leaked copies of an interim agreement, Iran would immediately take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the deal is signed and would be allowed to sell its oil without restrictions.

Officials say the leaked text broadly matches the document.

The accord, due to be formally signed in a ceremony in Switzerland tomorrow, lays out that the US would work to end all US and UN sanctions imposed on Tehran if a final agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program is reached.

However, Trump said the deal is still under wraps. He was speaking at a one-to-one meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

“Nobody knows what it is, but it’s very strong,” he told reporters. “It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs.”

The final day of summit talks started late with Trump, the last to arrive, saying: “I’m the boss” as he entered the room and sat next to host French President Emmanuel Macron.

The assembled leaders laughed, and Trump grinned.

In related news, Israeli forces yesterday carried out airstrikes on several areas in south Lebanon, state media reported, despite a peace deal in the Middle East war that includes Lebanon.

Lebanese National News Agency said Israeli warplanes launched raids targeting the Nabatieh al-Fawqa area and the eastern outskirts of neighboring town Kfar Tebnit.

The Israelis also launched a drone strike on the town of Ansariyeh in the Zahrani area, it reported.

While violence has declined in Lebanon since a US-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war was announced on Monday, Israeli strikes on the south have still killed at least five people since the deal, the news agency reported.

The reduction in violence has allowed some south Lebanon residents to return and inspect their towns and villages, but the Lebanese army has urged locals to delay their return, citing “the risk of Israeli violations and attacks.”

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that an end to the conflict would be incomplete “without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories it occupied in this war.”

“Any military attack by the Zionist regime on Lebanon from now on and the continued occupation of Lebanese territories from now on will be considered a violation of the memorandum of understanding in our view,” he said.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that his country’s forces would remain in Lebanon “for as long as necessary.”


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A floating structure in a contested shoal in the South China Sea has been removed, the Philippines said, after Manila lodged a diplomatic protest over what it called an “illegal” move by Beijing.

Patrols conducted by Philippine authorities yesterday morning confirmed the removal of the floating platform previously monitored within the lagoon of the Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島), a Philippine task force said in a statement.

Taiwan also lays claim to the Scarborough Shoal.

Ships identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as Chinese research vessels, right and center, and Chinese maritime militia, back, left, cruise near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday. Photo: AFP

“The Philippines has indivisible, incontrovertible and longstanding sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc,” Manila said, referring to the Scarborough Shoal. “Only the Philippines has the right to place or construct structures and conduct activities, including marine scientific research, in Bajo de Masinloc and its territorial sea.”

China said the floating structure was a temporary scientific research facility established by its South China Sea Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“The relevant scientific research mission has now been successfully completed,” the Chinese embassy in Manila said in a social media post on Tuesday.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s administration has been pushing back against China’s expansive claims in the resource-rich waterway, often leading to clashes between ships of the two nations in disputed waters.

China took effective control of Scarborough Shoal after a standoff with the Philippines in 2012 and has reclaimed reefs in contested waters to assert its sweeping claims over the South China Sea.

Last week, China imposed sanctions on Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, accusing him of making remarks that damaged bilateral ties and raising tensions in a relationship already strained by territorial disputes.

title: China removes structure in disputed shoal: Manila


title: HPA gives out holiday and heat reminders

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With the Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow and the season transitioning into summer, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) yesterday reminded people, especially those with chronic diseases, to be mindful of heat-related illnesses and cautioned against overeating during the holidays.

As the weather is expected to get hotter, people should be mindful of health risks posed by high temperatures, especially those with chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular or kidney diseases, as they are more susceptible to heat injuries, the HPA said.

It also provided three tips to help people prevent heat injuries: stay cool and dress according to the environment, drink water frequently and according to a doctor’s suggestion, and remain vigilant of signs of heat-related illness.

People make zongzi in New Taipei City on Sunday, ahead of the annual Dragon Boat Festival. Photo: I-Hwa Cheng, AFP

People should avoid hot and humid environments; wear light-colored, loose and breathable clothing; put on a wide-brimmed hat, wear sunglasses or use an umbrella when participating in outdoor activities; and turn on electric fans or air-conditioning when needed, it said.

People should also drink water in moderate amounts routinely, not just when thirsty, which is a sign of dehydration, it added.

Those who have kidney disease or other chronic conditions should consult a doctor about their daily maximum water intake to avoid causing strain on certain organs, the HPA said, adding that alcohol or sugary beverages should be avoided to replenish water in the body.

The HPA also urged the public to pay attention to heat warnings issued by the Central Weather Administration and avoid going outdoors during high temperatures.

People should stay in shaded, cool areas and apply sun protection if they must go out, it added.

Those who have chronic conditions and are taking medication must also ensure their medicines are not left in hot temperatures, such in car trunks, to avoid deterioration, the HPA said.

It also reminded the public to move to cool, ventilated areas, loosen their clothing and use cool water on their skin if they experience early signs of heat injury, such as high body temperature, red or dry skin, or increased heartbeat.

People should drink cool water with salt or electrolyte drinks if they have heat injury symptoms, it said, adding that if their condition does not improve, they should seek medical attention immediately.

The agency also urged people not to stay up late and avoid overeating during the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend to reduce health risks.

Zongzi (粽子, glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves), which are often eaten during the festival, are typically high in calories, fat and sodium, and a single zongzi could contain up to 600 calories, the HPA cited agency Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) as saying.

Eating two zongzi a day — especially if paired with sugary drinks, snacks or party food — could cause blood sugar fluctuations and weight gain, Shen said.

The HPA urged the public to choose healthy ingredients when making zongzi, eat a maximum of one zongzi a day and with fresh vegetables, avoid sugary drinks and sweets, and reduce sauces.

Prolonged sitting, which could slow metabolism and lead to fat accumulation, combined with overeating or missed medication, significantly raises the risk of cardiovascular events, it said.

It recommends at least 30 minutes of daily exercise, saying that light post-meal walks could help stabilize blood sugar, boost metabolism and manage weight.


title: Taijiang Park to impose crab-related traffic rules

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Taijiang National Park in Tainan yesterday announced that traffic controls are to implemented between next month and September to protect mangrove land crabs during their peak breeding and migration seasons.

The controls would be in effect from 6:30pm to 9:30pm from July 1 to July 5, July 30 to Aug. 3, and Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 between Lane 1105, Section 3 of Chengsi Street and the Cingcaolun Coast Guard Post (青草崙海巡哨所), the park said.

During those periods, vehicles would be prohibited from entering the area except for official business, disaster prevention or rescue operations, the park added.

A sign alerting motorists to slow down and watch out for land crabs is pictured near the Yanshuei River in Tainan in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of a reader

It also advised people to avoid nearby areas, as land crabs could be migrating there as well.

Controlled zones would be established for pedestrians at key migration hotspots, the park said, adding that visitors entering those areas would be asked to follow local regulations and minimize disturbances to the crabs.

Officers from the 7th Special Police Corps would be stationed in the area, while volunteers would conduct surveys and patrols during the migration period.

The mangrove land crab, also known as the chestnut crab, is Taiwan’s largest terrestrial crab species. The nocturnal omnivore is primarily found around river mouths, and in coastal forests, mangrove areas and marshlands.

The Chengsi Village (城西) area and the surrounding coastal forests are the species’ most important habitat and support Taiwan’s largest known chesnut crab population.

During the breeding season, female crabs migrate to the coast to release their eggs into the sea. The eggs hatch into zoea larvae, which develop through several molting stages before becoming megalopa larvae — a post-larval stage of crabs — and eventually returning to land habitats.

Because the migration route crosses roads near the coast, the crabs are vulnerable vehicular accidents, prompting the annual traffic restrictions.


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FINANCIAL PROBLEMS:  The suspect reportedly said he intended to get arrested, so he could get ‘free meals,’ as he could not afford rent nor food

A man was arrested for allegedly robbing the Taishin International Bank Bannan branch in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) with a pair of scissors yesterday, the police said.

The robbery was reported at about 10:15am, the police said.

The 50-year-old suspect, a man surnamed Wang (王), allegedly threatened a customer with a pair of scissors, ordering them to tell a clerk to hand over NT$404,200 in cash, they said.

Police arrest an alleged bank robber at the Taishin Bank’s Bannan Branch in New Taipei City’s Banciao District yesterday. Photo: Hsu Sheng-lun, Taipei Times

At about 10:19am, police arrived at the scene and found Wang in the bank’s customer area counting money, police said.

Wang reportedly told the police that he was unable to pay rent nor afford food, and faced with that financial strain ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, he decided to rob a bank, as he knew it would likely lead to his arrest.

He intended to get himself jailed to receive “free meals,” Wang allegedly said.

After Wang was questioned, he was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of robbery and theft, the police said.

According to local media reports, Wang allegedly first went to a nearby pan-fried bun stand and asked for a knife before entering the bank.

After the stall owner ignored him, Wang allegedly took a pair of scissors and headed into the bank.

Taishin Bank in a statement said it routinely conducts robbery drills, adding that bank personnel yesterday immediately activated emergency response procedures in line with standard operating procedures and alerted police, and that officers quickly arrived at the scene and subdued the suspect.

There were no financial losses and no injuries to customers or staff, it added.

Additional reporting by Wang Meng-lun

title: Police arrest man who robbed a bank with pair of scissors


people: 陳水扁 柯文哲

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Meta promises fixes as nearly 90 percent of suspended accounts restored, MODA says

The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) said yesterday that Meta promised to "proactively identify and restore" social media accounts it recently wrongly suspended, adding that nearly 90 percent of the accounts had been restored as of 4 pm.

The ministry also instructed Meta to restore a list of nearly 100 accounts, mostly belonging to media organizations and public figures, before 6 pm yesterday.

In a press release, MODA said that on Monday it asked Meta’s Taiwan office to restore accounts that were wrongly suspended late Sunday due to a technical issue that caused Meta’s system to mistakenly identify users as being under 13 years old.

Facebook’s new rebrand logo Meta is seen on smartpone in front of displayed logo of Facebook, Messenger, Intagram, Whatsapp and Oculus in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. Photo: Reuters

Between 3,000 and 4,000 accounts were suspended, including about 200 belonging to media organizations and public figures, as well as thousands of individual users, MODA said.

Meta later promised to proactively identify and restore all affected accounts across its platforms, including Facebook, Threads and Instagram.

Meanwhile, Meta said its existing appeal mechanisms remain available for users whose accounts are still suspended.

MODA said the suspended accounts often attract significant attention and tend to receive reports from other users, making them more likely to be flagged by Meta’s system.

The ministry said accounts are currently being restored, including those belonging to media organizations such as the Central News Agency, Public Television Service and Formosa Television.

Restored accounts of public figures include former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) New Taipei City mayoral candidate Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), and former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).

In May, Meta rolled out new international online safety measures for young users, including an age-verification mechanism designed to identify users under 13.

However, due to a technical issue, the system mistakenly suspended accounts worldwide regardless of region or demographic group, MODA said.

The ministry said it would continue monitoring the situation and urge Meta to safeguard the rights of Taiwanese users and prevent similar errors from occurring in the future.

TPP Legislator Hung Yu-shiang (洪毓祥) said at a press event yesterday that the Consumer Protection Committee, the Fair Trade Commission and MODA should establish a task force under the Executive Yuan to intervene, protect consumer rights and ensure fair trade.

Hung added that the TPP will propose a digital platform users’ rights protection bill that would introduce the right to refuse automated replies, require human review and protect users’ right to retrieve information after accounts are suspended.

The bill will also introduce a third-party dispute resolution mechanism, require annual reports and impose additional fines for repeated violations, Hung said.


title: Espionage suspect gets 12 years so far

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MORE TO COME:  The former diabolo instructor also has a further 10-year, 6-month sentence hanging over his head depending on a Supreme Court appeal outcome

A former diabolo instructor facing a 10.5-year prison sentence for recruiting spies for China was sentenced in two separate cases to a total of 12 years and eight months for leaking sensitive information to China.

The Taipei District Court sentenced Lu Chi-hsien (魯紀賢) to six years in prison for providing military training plans and six years and eight months for leaking then-president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2023 overseas itineraries to China through accomplices he recruited.

The court also stripped Lu of his civil rights for four years. The rulings can be appealed.

The main entrance to the Taipei District Court is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Wang Meng-lun, Taipei Times

Lu was found to have obtained classified military materials in November 2022 from Chen Min-chi (陳旻琪), then an air force sergeant, who was paid NT$215,000 (US$6,809) to use an on-base computer to log into an internal military network to download information.

The military files included a training schedule from the Songshan Air Force Command, which Lu forwarded to Chinese intelligence agents, according to an indictment filed by prosecutors in December last year.

Chen was recruited by former military officer Lin Chu-han, whom Lu had recruited earlier that year, according to prosecutors.

In the second case, Lu directed Ke Tsang-hao (葛倉豪), an aircraft dispatcher at China Airlines, which operated Tsai’s trips to Guatemala and Belize in March and April 2023, to obtain her travel itineraries for those trips and paid Chen NT$45,000.

The information Ke provided to Lu included the aircraft’s departure and arrival times, which he obtained by logging into the company’s internal network and taking screenshots, prosecutors said.

The Taipei District Court sentenced Lu under the National Security Act (國家安全法) and Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Lin received five years and six months in prison and was deprived of civil rights for three years for violating the National Security Act.

Chen was sentenced to six years and two months for offenses under the Anti-Corruption Act, while Ke received five years and four months for violating the National Security Act.

In March, the High Court upheld a ruling by the district court last year sentencing Lu to 10 years and six months in prison for developing a China-funded espionage network in Taiwan and receiving more than NT$5.7 million for his activities.

The ruling has been appealed to the Supreme Court.

Lu was recruited by Chinese intelligence agents during a trip to China in 2020 to explore diabolo performance opportunities, prosecutors said.


title: MAC defends intelligence tip-line Web site

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The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday defended the new Web page for Chinese nationals to report intelligence tips after Beijing’s criticism of alleged infiltration claims.

Taiwan and China have long spied on each other, and Taiwan in particular has reported an increased number of Chinese espionage cases.

The National Security Bureau (NSB) unveiled the new Web site on Sunday, saying that it was offering a secure channel to what it said was an increasing number of people who are fed up with China’s system and want change.

A person’s face is obscured by a Chinese flag in Beijing in an undated photograph. Photo: Bloomberg

China said yesterday that it would take countermeasures in response, saying the site showed Taipei’s “confrontational mindset.”

Speaking at a regular news conference in Beijing, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesperson Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said Taiwan was engaging in “intelligence theft, infiltration and sabotage activities, escalating cross-strait confrontation and undermining cross-strait relations.”

“This fully exposes their pro-Taiwan independence stance, their stubbornness, confrontational mindset and refusal to change course,” he said.

“We strongly condemn this and will resolutely take countermeasures,” Chen added, without giving details.

Chinese citizens, organizations, companies and other groups all have a responsibility and obligation to safeguard security, he said.

“For those who provide intelligence to Taiwan’s intelligence agencies in a way that constitutes a crime, the relevant departments will pursue legal responsibility in accordance with the law,” he said.

In Taipei, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) yesterday said that China is a highly centralized authoritarian state with tight internal controls, which makes it difficult for information and technology to flow freely to the outside world.

As a result, agencies such as the CIA have at times encouraged Chinese citizens to share any relevant information with the US government, he said, adding that in dealing with authoritarian systems, it is common to establish direct contact channels of this kind, and the NSB is adopting a similar approach.

“This is a long-established mechanism used in many countries,” he said.

The TAO should not make a fuss over this, nor should it use it as a pretext to intimidate people who provide information to Taiwan, he added.


people: 習近平 鄭麗文 韓國瑜

title: KMT denies any snubs during Cheng’s US trip

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Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday denied rumors that her US visit had been “downgraded,” saying that the importance of the officials they met with was not announced as a matter of custom.

Cheng arrived in the US on June 1 and returned to Taiwan early on Tuesday.

Local media cited US political figures saying that Cheng’s visit ran into difficulties because she did not directly request meetings, but instead tried to secure them through misleading means.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun speaks at a press conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times

Referring to the media reports, the Democratic Progressive Party caucus yesterday said that integrity is essential for political figures.

The KMT and Cheng should not resort to self-congratulatory interpretations, it said, adding that the KMT’s foreign policy approach should be guided by honesty and integrity.

At a press conference yesterday held to brief the public on her US visit, Cheng, in response to media queries for comments on media reports of her meetings with US officials being canceled and reception arrangements being downgraded, said that every US official she had met with respected Taiwan very much, and per custom, nothing was announced about the meetings.

Everything about her visit went according to procedure, she added.

Cross-strait relations need an important breakthrough as Taiwan does not wish to become the next Ukraine, she said, adding that the majority of Taiwanese do not wish for a military conflict.

To ensure this, Taiwan must have unreserved and frank communications with its most important ally, the US, Cheng said.

The trip was a chance for the US to learn who Cheng is, she said.

On the issue of arms purchases from the US, Cheng said that the contents of the second wave of arms purchases warranted observation, adding that while she could not speak for the US, the KMT would carefully follow the issue.

Regarding the issue of upgrading domestic national defense industries, particularly for drones, Cheng said US think tank members had made several suggestions, and she had given the matter serious consideration, adding that the KMT would make its own proposals.

Asked about the upcoming visit to the US by Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and if she were worried there would be a difference in treatment, Cheng said the reception really is not a big deal.

Cheng said she hoped Han would be well-received and that his visit would prove fruitful.

Cheng’s press conference was briefly interrupted when Taiwan Republic Office director Chilly Chen (陳峻涵) entered the venue with a placard reading, “Cheng Li-wun, don’t be a lapdog of [Chinese President] Xi Jinping (習近平)” before being removed by security.

Additional reporting by Liu Wan-lin and Lin Che-yuan


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Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) parroted too much of Beijing’s narrative on Taiwan during her US visit, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday, expressing regret that her visit to the US did not reflect the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan.

Cheng drew heavily on Beijing’s framing of Taiwan during her US visit, Chiu said.

For instance, in describing cross-strait relations, she said the so-called “1992 consensus” meant both sides belong to “one China,” Chiu said, adding that in the past, KMT figures would not typically put it that way, as Beijing defines “one China” as the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng, center, speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times

From that perspective, accepting the “1992 consensus” and opposing Taiwan independence is viewed as aligning with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) position, Chiu said.

The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.

The Democratic Progressive Party has never acknowledged the “1992 consensus,” saying that Beijing does not recognize the Republic of China (ROC) and acceptance of the understanding would imply agreement with China’s claim over Taiwan.

Chiu said that Xi in 2019 redefined the “1992 consensus” as meaning that “both sides of the Strait belong to one China and should work toward national reunification, with unification to be based on the ‘one country, two systems’ model for Taiwan.”

Under that framework, there is no space for the continued existence of the ROC, Chiu said, asking: “How, then, can you [Cheng] accept a ‘1992 consensus’ that leaves no room for the ROC to exist?”

Cheng’s description of “one China” could easily be used by Beijing in its international messaging to support its claim that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, Chiu said.

title: Cheng parroted CCP line while in US: MAC

people: 習近平 鄭麗文


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Increases in six types of social welfare benefits that are scheduled to be implemented next month might be delayed, affecting up to 890,000 people, if the Legislative Yuan does not approve the general budget soon, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday.

Shih made the comments before attending a meeting of the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee to review the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s proposed budget for this year.

The Executive Yuan has announced adjustments to eight types of social welfare benefits, including six that need supplementary budgets to increase them by 23.5 percent.

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang is pictured in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times

Shih said the eight social welfare benefits adjustments include the national pension, monthly elderly farmer welfare allowance and six types of subsidies for disadvantaged groups.

“We hope to implement them from July 1, but a supplementary budget is needed, and we estimate that about 890,000 people would benefit from the six types of social welfare subsidies,” he said.

The increase in national pension and elderly farmer welfare allowance would require legislative amendments, making it more difficult to predict when they can be enacted, he said.

If the supplementary budget of about NT$6.59 billion (US$208.7 million) is approved, the total budget for the six types of subsidies would be about NT$24.4 billion for this year, Shih said.

“If they are to take effect in the second half of this year, the general budget proposal must be reviewed and passed before a supplementary budget can be processed,” he said.

If the legislature is unable to complete the budget review in time, the six major social welfare subsidies would not be raised next month as scheduled, but if passed later, increased benefits would be backpaid, dated to July 1, he said.

The Executive Yuan announced in March that it has approved an increase in six types of subsidies for six disadvantaged groups proposed by the ministry, to reflect changes in commodity prices and the cost of living, and to ensure the livelihood of disadvantaged groups.

They include living subsidies for low-income families, living subsidies for children in low-income families, education subsidies for students in low-income families, living subsidies for people who are physically or mentally challenged, living subsidies for older people on low-to-medium incomes and life assistance subsidies for disadvantaged children and young people.

The ministry in March said the planned adjustments would strengthen support for disadvantaged families with children, uniformly raising the child and youth living subsidy to at least NT$5,000 per month, in an effort to narrow the disparity in local government subsidies.

To ensure that subsidies reflect changes in commodity prices and the cost of living more efficiently, a mid-term review of consumer price index increases would be added every two years, in addition to the regular adjustments made every four years, the ministry said, adding that subsidies would be adjusted if the growth rate reaches 3 percent.

Additional reporting by Lin Chih-yi

title: Welfare benefits could be held up if budget not passed


content_text: A visitor looks at a display during a preview yesterday in Taipei for the National Museum of History’s international special exhibition titled “Journey into Immortality: Egyptian Mummies.” The exhibition, featuring more than 100 treasures from ancient Egypt from the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, runs from today through Sept. 28.

title: Peek into the past


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STRONG EXPORTS: Orders have grown across industries from a year earlier, with the Taiwan Research Institute forecasting GDP growth of 9.64 percent for this year

Taiwan’s GDP growth could exceed 10 percent this year on the back of robust demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-related products and stronger-than-expected exports, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday.

In addition, outbound shipments have improved across industries from a year earlier, with machinery orders posting double-digit percentage growth in the first five months of this year, Kung said at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei.

The Taiwan Research Institute on Tuesday adjusted its GDP growth forecast upward to 9.33 percent for this year, while the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics last month revised its forecast to 9.64 percent — the highest in 16 years.

Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin speaks at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

National Development Council (NDC) Minister Yeh Chun-hsien (葉俊顯) echoed Kung’s positive view later yesterday, saying that demand for AI is stronger than expected this year and consumption became another driving force, coupled with improvements in some traditional industries, the Central News Agency reported yesterday.

Based on those reasons, Yeh said he believes GDP growth this year has a chance to exceed 10 percent, along with easing inflation amid cooling geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Foreign media reported that the US and Iran had reached a preliminary agreement and are expected to sign a peace deal today, which could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is crucial to global shipments of oil, natural gas and related products such as fertilizer.

Regarding Taiwan’s strategic oil reserves, Kung said energy supplies would remain secure throughout the year.

The nation has also secured sufficient liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies through September and is working on supply scheduling for the fourth quarter, he said.

Taiwan’s LNG procurement agreement with the US, signed last year, has already taken effect, with import volume expected to increase gradually, he added.

Asked about a Reuters report that state-run utility Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) would receive a NT$300 billion syndicated loan from eight state-owned banks to ease financial pressure caused by frozen electricity rates, Kung confirmed the report, saying the three-year loan would carry an interest rate of about 1.85 percent and is aimed at strengthening Taipower’s working capital and helping it ensure a stable power supply.

Taipower has accumulated losses and requires significant funding for energy procurement, with its financing needs mainly related to short-term liquidity, he said.

The government would continue to seek additional capital injections or budget allocations for Taipower, while respecting differing views in the legislature, he added.

title: GDP could grow over 10% this year: minister


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Cathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控) sharply raised its GDP growth forecast for Taiwan this year to 10.1 percent yesterday, nearly doubling its previous estimate of 5.8 percent made in March, as a stronger-than-expected surge in exports and investment has pushed the economy into a powerful expansion phase.

Taiwan’s economy is now "almost entirely driven” by artificial intelligence (AI) demand, as capital expenditure by global cloud service providers continues to climb, National Chengchi University economics professor Hsu Shih-hsun (徐士勛), speaking for Cathay Financial’s research team, said at a news conference in Taipei.

Hsu said the March forecast had factored in headwinds from global trade tensions, tariff risks and geopolitical shocks, but that subsequent developments had far exceeded expectations.

National Chengchi University economics professor Hsu Shih-hsun, center, Cathay Financial Holding Co economic research department assistant manager Achilles Chen, second right, and other research team members pose for a photograph at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

AI-related spending has continued to accelerate, supporting Taiwan’s exports of semiconductors, advanced chip packaging and other electronic components, he said. This has shaped a growth profile that differs markedly from previous technology-led cyclical recoveries, he added.

Taiwan last recorded growth above 10 percent in 2010 during the post-global financial crisis rebound, while the post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery peaked at around 6 percent, Hsu said. As a result, the current outlook is potentially the strongest in more than 16 years, he said.

The AI boom is also spilling into financial markets, with the TAIEX hitting fresh highs to surpass the 45,000-point level, which has generated a wealth effect and helps support private consumption, Cathay Financial economic research department assistant manager Achilles Chen (陳欽奇) said.

The research team now expects consumer spending to grow 3.8 percent this year, above the government’s 3.6 percent forecast, Chen said.

Still, the research team warned that the strength of growth is becoming increasingly uneven. Hsu pointed to a widening K-shaped divergence, with AI-linked technology sectors continuing to thrive, while non-tech industries lag.

He cautioned that Taiwan’s heavy concentration in technology investment and rapid capital inflows into AI-related sectors could risk overheating and structural imbalance, even as headline growth gains speed.

title: Cathay raises GDP growth forecast to 10.1 percent


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SHIFTING FOCUS: The company is aiming to grow revenue to US$800 million by 2030, with automobile-related chips contributing 15 to 20 percent, an executive said

ASMedia Technology Inc (祥碩) is developing high-speed data transmission chips for artificial intelligence (AI) servers, edge AI devices, robots and automobiles to fuel revenue growth in the next five years to counter a slowing PC market, company president Lin Che-wei (林哲偉) said after the company’s annual general meeting in Taipei.

The company aims to expand revenue to US$800 million by 2030, from US$400 million last year, with automobile-related chips contributing about 15 to 20 percent, Lin said.

Last year, ASMedia acquired Techpoint Inc to strengthen the development of high-definition image chips for security surveillance and automotive devices.

ASMedia Technology Inc president Lin Che-wei attends the company’s annual general meeting in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Vanessa Cho, Taipei Times

“Our revenue this year will not be as stunning as last year, but that is mostly due to short-term imbalanced supply of DRAM, rather than anything wrong with our products,” Lin said.

Global PC shipments are projected to sink 15 to 20 percent this year, as surges in DRAM prices and shortages of central processing units lifted PC prices higher and dampened consumer demand, ASMedia said.

PC motherboard suppliers were hit particularly hard, the company said, citing revenue declines at its major customers this quarter.

ASMedia has a long-term partnership with Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) designing the motherboard southbridges, called the input/output (I/O) controller hub, and expects to secure a major portion of orders from AMD next year after ramping up production later this year, Lin said.

AMD accounted for 60 percent of chipset revenue last quarter.

The company has clinched a new deal with a second customer in designing the I/O controller hub, used in Windows-on-ARM laptops, Lin said.

Qualcomm Inc is believed to be this customer.

In addition, ASMedia is accelerating development of new-generation high-speed products such as PCIe Gen 6 and Gen 7 products, USB 4, embedded USB and package switches, targeting AI PC and AI server markets, he said.

Meanwhile, ASMedia set up a new team of 20 to 30 engineers at its new Hsinchu office in March, focusing on developing high-speed DSP-based SerDes technology to meet demand for higher data transfer speed, Lin said.

The company also plans to adopt Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (台積電) 12-nanometer technology to address the thermal issue facing PCIe packet switches, an upgrade from 28-nanometer technology, he said.

Shareholders yesterday approved the company’s record cash dividend distribution of NT$45 per share, representing a payout ratio of 62 percent based on last year’s earnings per share of NT$72.7.

title: ASMedia to develop high-speed chips for AI


title: EDITORIAL: Cheng Li-wun’s vision for Taiwan

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Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) on Tuesday returned from her visit to the US, where she had met with several US senators and representatives, think tanks, and overseas Taiwanese and Chinese communities, espousing her vision of promoting cross-strait dialogue as a way to evade war.

On Monday last week, she sat down with US academic Orville Schell and Asia Society Policy Institute distinguished fellow Daniel Russel. Russel is a seasoned diplomat who has served in positions related to East Asian and Indo-Pacific affairs.

At the conclusion of the discussion, Russel employed his considerable diplomatic experience and knowledge of the region in carefully formulating his final response to Cheng.

He told the chairwoman that her emphasis on the value of dialogue is something that “most of us would agree with.”

“You put emphasis on peace... we all want peace, but is peace going to look like a region in which Taiwan remains a self-governing democracy or is peace going to be achieved through subjugation?” he asked.

Russel then complimented her on her goals, energy and enthusiasm.

That, in a diplomatically blanketed nutshell, is the crux of the concerns with Cheng’s vision, if we are to take her at face value. Russel was discreetly signaling to Cheng that her message might not be universally persuasive to US academics and policymakers.

An article published on Saturday in Singapore’s the Straits Times suggested that Cheng’s “aspirational role as a cross-strait peacemaker” was probed by analysts at US think tanks and was “mostly declared unconvincing.”

The first part of the headline, “Charismatic, but naive,” says it all.

The cuts to Taiwan’s defense budget and the implications of her naive and insufficiently articulated vision of transforming the First Island Chain “from a front line of geopolitical contestation into a chain of peace and prosperity” also raised eyebrows, because it essentially explodes the US’ longstanding defense strategy in the region and could have been dictated by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) himself. It has been suggested that these concerns were behind the abrupt cancelation of her meeting with US National Security Council officials in Washington.

In Taiwan, pro-China media were mostly positive about what Cheng had achieved during her trip. For many commentators, she had managed to take her message of peace to the US and convey the KMT’s position on security matters, and mainstream Taiwanese opinion on the threat of war and the desirability of cross-strait dialogue. This reading of the situation is distorted, as it implies that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) refuses to negotiate with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has never been the case.

For those pro-China commentators, even if Cheng had not met higher level US officials, the important thing had been giving a voice to an alternative account of cross-strait relations that they said has been monopolized by the DPP.

However, even then, pro-China media said Cheng had brought important issues to the fore without providing practical strategies on how to move forward, such as how the KMT can gain the US’ trust, what she means exactly by resuming cross-strait dialogue and how she envisions a future “peace dividend” with improved relations with Beijing.

The media’s responses to Cheng’s visit have to be deciphered as carefully as Russel’s concluding remarks were formulated, with competing accounts either explicitly or implicitly deriving from the writer’s agenda. It is all too easy to say that peace is desirable, and that reducing tensions and promoting peace is therefore necessarily good. However, it becomes problematic if the agenda is skewed toward the interests of one party — whether that is Washington, Beijing or specific political parties in Taiwan — or born of naivety.

Cheng’s trip to the US was important, not just because US academics and policymakers had an opportunity to meet with her, but as it also allowed Taiwanese voters to see how her ideas were portrayed in the international arena. Just like the academics and policymakers in the US, Taiwanese voters now have time to scrutinize the vision she has laid out, and to decide whether they believe it to be devoid of ulterior motives or hidden agendas, and — if they take her on face value — whether they can trust her to have the political wisdom and skill to negotiate her dealings with Beijing.


title: Raising awareness about dementia

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Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has accused two former executives of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation of violating financial discipline.

After a month-long investigation by a team of three foundation board members, they said no violation was found. However, Ma immediately rejected the findings and asked former National Security Council secretary-general King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) to hold a news conference on his behalf to “reveal the truth.”

The development was anticipated given Ma’s insistence that former foundation CEO Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), who is now a Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) vice chair, and former deputy CEO Wang Kuang-tzu (王光慈) — who had been loyal aides to Ma — had engaged in corruption.

Over the past few months, news reports have speculated that 76-year-old Ma might have dementia. To rebut the rumor, Ma recorded a video of himself writing a statement to prove that he is in perfect health. In the video, he wrote a short passage and responded to others. However, he needed reminders, his handwriting seemed less precise than before, and the text was frequently revised and repetitive. These signs showed a noticeable decline in his linguistic ability compared with the president that we knew.

Many Taiwanese, even those with medical backgrounds, mistakenly believe that Ma’s speech was still logical and showed no sign of dementia. This exposes the public’s limited awareness of the symptoms. Unless the disease is in the middle to late stages or when language function deteriorates rapidly, many people with dementia appear to be behaving normally. Some who are good at playing cards or chess can still outperform their caregivers after developing dementia, because such functions are stored deep in their brains.

Early-stage dementia mainly affects short-term memory, as well as one’s ability to handle complex tasks. Some believe that the question of whether Ma has dementia is unrelated to whether he is able to file corruption charges. If he can hold a news conference to personally explain the reasons for his suspicions — such as irregularities in the accounts, shortages of funds and why he suspected certain people — and answer journalists’ questions by himself, it would clearly show the public that his cognitive function and embezzlement accusations are credible. However, if he needs others to give him prompts or answer questions for him, suspicions regarding his declining mental state would not be so easily dismissed.

Ma’s wife, Chou Mei-ching (周美青), deserves the most sympathy. Surprisingly, some people even criticized the former first lady for requesting the “commencement of assistance” for Ma from the court without consulting him, or so Ma has said. More than anyone else, Chou has Ma’s best interests at heart, and she knows him best through their lifetime companionship. Had she had any other options, why would she resort to the final legal option?

Family members caring for people with dementia are often judged and criticized by distant relatives. Only when those people become caregivers themselves do they realize that there is a huge gap between paying lip service and providing actual care day and night.

In the mild to moderate stages of the disease, nearly half of people with dementia experience delusions, and the most common is imagining that their money or belongings have been stolen. This is due to memory loss. When confronted with information that contradicts their memory, their instinct is to assume someone close has stolen it.

Providing care is difficult, but the most frustrating part is to be accused of stealing. Perhaps Hsiao and Wang are having a similar experience over Ma’s accusations. Even so, they did not speak ill of him over the past few months.

At the moment, King is undoubtedly the one Ma trusts the most. After the investigation results were released, he should have advised Ma to step down as foundation chairman and return to his family, rather than helping him file a lawsuit. King might enjoy the feeling of being trusted now, but the problem is that once he does not fully comply with all of Ma’s wishes, the next one to be suspected might be himself.

While Ma’s case is under the spotlight, the government and organizations should seize this as an opportunity to promote health education and awareness. As the ruling and opposition camps draft a dementia basic law, they should take this as a reference to build a more complete framework for dementia medical care, support and legal affairs.

Shen Cheng-nan is a psychiatrist.

Translated by Eddy Chang


title: Regulating digital campaigning

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The rise of social media has outpaced the regulatory framework governing Japanese elections. The Sanseito party surged from one seat to 14 during last year’s upper house election by mobilizing voters through YouTube, X and other online platforms using the “Japanese First” message, but the administration of then-Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba raised concerns that foreign bots had amplified anti-immigrant misinformation during the campaign.

The lower house election in February highlighted the growing influence of digital campaigning. About 90,000 YouTube videos were viewed 2.8 billion times during the campaign, a 10-fold increase compared with the 2024 election, underscoring how dramatically the scale of digital campaigning has grown.

Just one day before the official campaigning period began, a video featuring Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was posted on the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) YouTube channel and gained more than 100 million views within 10 days. That was more than double the 48 million views of Sanseito’s most popular video during last year’s upper house election.

The surge in Takaichi-related content is widely believed to have contributed to her popularity and the LDP’s landslide supermajority victory.

Japan’s Public Offices Election Act permits parties and candidates to use social media during the official campaign period. The greater challenge lies in the time before the campaign formally begins, when election campaigning is restricted, but general political activity remains permissible.

A party video featuring its leader, released immediately before the campaign period, and allegedly boosted through paid impressions, might not clearly qualify as election campaigning, even if it reaches a vast audience.

The rapid growth of party-funded digital campaigning has raised questions regarding transparency and political finance. Japan permits corporate donations to political parties, which could fund digital campaigns. Under its laws, political finance and campaign finance are governed by separate sets of rules, creating gray zones around how political parties’ funds spent on digital content are tracked and disclosed.

As party-funded online campaigns grow in reach and sophistication, questions about the source and scale of the money behind them are becoming harder to ignore.

Allegations reported in a Japanese tabloid have highlighted these challenges. People associated with Takaichi’s campaign have been accused of coordinating the production and dissemination of artificial intelligence (AI) generated smear videos targeting political rivals during last year’s LDP presidential election and this year’s lower house election.

These controversies have drawn attention to her extensive use of social media to cultivate public support and to the question of whether Japan’s election laws are equipped to address emerging forms of digital campaigning.

Japan’s response has been incremental. A law that took effect in April last year shortened the period during which content creators must respond to defamatory election content from seven days to two days. Last month, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to introduce legislation that would require AI-generated campaign content to be labeled and require large platforms to take measures against misinformation. Whether penalties would be imposed on offenders remains unclear.

Surveys indicate these concerns are not unfounded. A national survey conducted by Toyo University after this year’s lower house election found that more than half of respondents had encountered false election-related information, and almost 90 percent of those people believed it to be true.

Japan is hardly alone. South Korea, Taiwan and European democracies have also grappled with similar challenges. A delegation of Japanese lawmakers who visited the UK, Germany and the EU’s headquarters last year concluded that strong regulation of online political content is difficult due to concerns about free speech.

Planned legislation on AI-generated content is a step forward, but how such content would be effectively monitored in practice, and whether penalties would be imposed on offenders, remain open questions. Harder issues — including who funds digital campaigns, how that money is disclosed, and how to regulate political content shaped by algorithmic amplification, influencer networks and generative AI — remain unresolved. As digital campaigning becomes increasingly sophisticated, Japan’s election laws risk falling behind the technologies they are meant to regulate.

Peter Chai is a research associate in the Faculty of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University. His research areas are political sociology, comparative politics and public opinion. His research method is survey analysis and his regional focus is East Asia. His articles about Japanese politics and society have been published by Nikkei Asia, the Japan Times, The Diplomat and the East Asia Forum, among other platforms.


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Notes from Central Taiwan: Peace, propaganda and a failed Washington tripCheng Li-wun went to the US selling “stability,” but what officials heard was an old Beijing-friendly script: weaken Taiwan’s defenses, blame Taipei for tensions and dress surrender up as pragmatism

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) recent trip to the US highlighted her party’s anti-Taiwan defense policies. Disapproval of their policies was strong among those who met with her. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, said that the KMT was “playing with fire.” Democratic Representative Tom Suozzi reportedly said that Cheng’s party was “weakening deterrence.” Foreign policy maven David Sacks observed in Asia Nikkei that “many Americans struggle to see the logic behind the KMT’s refusal to fund the portion of the special defense budget pertaining to indigenous defense production.”

The logic of the KMT’s decision to purchase only US defense systems and to remove domestic drone production from the supplemental defense budget is quite simple. First, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) fears drones, especially given their performance in Ukraine and in the US-Iran war. Eliminating them benefits not only the PRC in invading Taiwan, but removes a potential competitor in the market for military and civilian drones. Second, as I have noted before, by only purchasing US weapons, the KMT offers the US government a cynical bribe, in effect saying that the US will ignore the problems with the KMT defense budget if it is showered with cash (it was quite reassuring to see this bribe rejected by US leaders).

Finally, by increasing the already large backlog for US weapons, the KMT can add more weight to its domestic propaganda campaign claiming that the US is an unreliable ally that hasn’t even delivered weapons already paid for.

A man on Sunday holds up a doll depicting and signed by former president Tsai Ing-wen at an event in Taichung. A new poll showed Tsai is the most trusted politician to lead cross-strait political negotiations. Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times

Cheng’s “peace” trip also highlighted the way KMT propaganda about peace and stability dovetail with the claims of US-based academics and commentators who push the line that the PRC, like Germany of the film Remains of the Day, “needs peace and desires only peace.” This is typically presented as the PRC yearning for “stability.” Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Chair Ling Chen argued this week that because the PRC faces many domestic problems, “there’s no incentive for it to take big, huge actions against any country.”

CHINA, THE VICTIM

The packaging of this propaganda juxtaposes two elements, one that emphasizes the PRC’s economic woes, the other that then concludes it needs “stability.” Since the PRC economy really is a mess, like all good propaganda, it mixes truth and lies. Note that if the PRC economy ever improves, this will immediately morph into “the PRC desires stability because the economy is good and so won’t do anything rash.”

How does this call for stability work as propaganda? It has an implied corollary: if the PRC desires only stability, surely anything against it is the source of destabilization. This claim aligns itself with the idea that the disturbances in the stable order are caused by actions of Taiwan and the US, never the PRC, placing the onus squarely on them to preserve stability (no action by the PRC ever threatens stability) by sacrificing their interests. It presents China as the victim desperately struggling for some domestic goal that other nations keep interfering with. Poor China! Forced into expansionist provocations by the nefarious behavior of the US and its friends and allies. Or, as Cheng herself would put it, by the “Cold War mentality” of the US.

It is easy to see how that functions. For example, Responsible Statecraft, infamous for its pro-PRC perspectives, has a long-running series of pieces by different authors attacking Taiwan lobbying in Washington, implying that it is evil and worse, destabilizing.

“Over the past decade, the Taiwan Lobby has helped generate congressional momentum behind a series of increasingly ambitious initiatives that threaten to destabilize an already increasingly tenuous status quo,” says an introduction on X to one of those essays this week.

Note that it attributes Taiwan’s outsize importance to the “Taiwan lobby” and not to the decades-old recognition among US thinkers of Taiwan’s strategic importance, dating back at least to George Kennan’s writings on it in the late 1940s, and perhaps as early as the Perry Expedition of 1854, which recommended that the US establish a presence on Taiwan.

TAIWAN A THREAT TO PRC?

Fallout from the PRC’s need for stability means that Taiwan must make itself appear small and inoffensive to the great stability-seeker across the strait. That is indeed how Katherine Wilhelm, executive director of the US-Asia Law Institute, read KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun’s strategy: “in essence, Cheng says Taiwan must persuade China that it does not need to attack because Taiwan is not a threat.”

The implication of that is that Taiwan’s defense spending is a threat to the PRC, when in reality it is only a threat to the PRC’s desire to annex Taiwan.

But does the PRC really desire stability? Was the economy doing especially well when PRC troops attacked Indian soldiers in the Himal in 2020-2021? Was the PRC economy glorious when it occupied the South China Sea? Do nations desiring stability engage in widespread cyberattacks, salami slicing of territory and gray-zoning against neighboring countries? Does the PRC crave stability so much it has ceased putting up structures on features in other nation’s sea zones? If the PRC craves stability, why are its military and business leaders constantly being purged and urgent economic reforms, recommended even by its own economists, ignored?

Is there any connection at all between the PRC’s actions against its neighbors, and the ever-changing state of the economy at any particular moment? Which nation is really destabilizing Asia with its military build-up, gray-zoning, territorial expansion and threats against its neighbors?

UNITED FRONT OPERATIONS

Cheng’s trip also exposed another KMT-PRC connection: links to United Front Operatives in the US. The Taipei Times reported that Cheng held public engagements with people reportedly under scrutiny by US security agencies over alleged links to China and its surveillance activities. At a meeting in Los Angeles pro-democracy attendees were attacked and dragged out.

Withal, the results of Cheng’s trip were largely a relief for those of us who care about Taiwan. Cheng’s connections with alleged United Front operatives in the US were widely publicized and she permitted herself to be photographed with them. High-level US officials did not meet with her, a meeting with the National Security Council was apparently canceled, President Donald Trump ignored her and she met largely low-level government officials. Moreover, the remarks of the lawmakers and officials who met with her showed that US officialdom has a good understanding of her nonsensical views on cross-strait peace and the KMT’s obstruction of important defense programs in Taiwan.

What are people saying at home? A major poll on cross-strait relations published this week by the National Development Education Foundation shows the epic failure of her trip and herself as a politician. Only 61.6 percent of respondents said they supported cross-strait political negotiations, a decline from 2018’s peak of 78 percent. Who would be the politician most trusted to lead such negotiations? Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was first with 21.8 percent, followed by President William Lai (賴清德, 13.3 percent) and Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜, 11.6 percent). Cheng Li-wun was trusted by only 8.5 percent, a mere notch above the 7.8 percent who said they did not trust anyone.

Nevertheless, she did perform one important function for the KMT: being a magnificent distraction from its continuing campaign of subversion of Taiwan’s finances and governance. The latest iteration of that is a KMT lawmaker’s proposal to reinstate the practice of double dipping under which retired military personnel, civil servants and teachers, long favored constituencies of the KMT, would be able to re-enter public service and receive both their pensions and active government salaries.

The volume of KMT noise rises and falls, but the beat goes on.

Notes from Central Taiwan is a column written by long-term resident Michael Turton, who provides incisive commentary informed by three decades of living in and writing about his adoptive country. The views expressed here are his own.

people: 蔡英文 賴清德 鄭麗文 韓國瑜


people: 賴清德 馬英九 韓國瑜 蔣萬安 盧秀燕 蔡英文 鄭麗文 習近平

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Donovan’s Deep Dives: Poor reception, strong performanceCheng Li-wun’s US trip was not a diplomatic success, but within the limits of the forums available to her, she proved more polished, agile and politically dangerous than many expected

All four of the presumed frontrunners to be the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate in 2028 are burnishing their international credentials.

Recently, speculation about a possible run by Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) has been spiking. He is in Singapore. Legislative speaker and 2020 KMT presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) recently led a cross-party legislative visit to Europe and will lead another to the US next week.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) was in Japan in February, the US in March and just concluded a trip to central Europe, which she framed as an effort to “find a way out” for Taiwan amid its difficult international position.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, left, in March speaks with former American Institute in Taiwan chairman Raymond Burghardt, right, in Washington. Lu received a more positive reception than Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chair Cheng Li-wun. Photo courtesy of the Taichung City

Grabbing the most headlines is KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) just concluded US trip. On June 12, she was asked about running for president, and she replied that she had not considered it, which is universal politician-speak for “I am thinking about it, but it is too early to discuss publicly.”

Unlike the other politicians, Cheng’s trip was about more than just her personal political ambitions for office; it was also about gaining support for her hopes of establishing a “peace framework” between Taiwan and China. Of course she has thought about running for president. Who better to implement such a framework than the architect herself?

Gaining American support would help her make her case to the Taiwanese people. She did not get it from official circles or from American lawmakers.

POOR RECEPTION

She gained one supporter in Lyle Goldstein, the director of Asia Engagement at Defense Priorities, who previously posted on X that she is “deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.”

His attitude on Taiwan’s sovereignty was summed up in the same post, in which he wrote: “I was at an event yesterday at Brown with a senior US Senator who described Taiwan as a country no less than 3X — ugh. DC leaders really need to get educated.”

The pan-green, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-friendly press derided her trip as “embarrassing” and “humiliating.” There is some truth to that, but her reception was considerably better than President William Lai’s (賴清德), who last autumn was reportedly denied transit rights in the US to visit diplomatic partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Lu Shiow-yen got a far better reception in Washington and met with higher-caliber people. That is not surprising in the run-up to the vote on the special military budget, which the American government strongly supported. Lu advocated for cuts, but far more modest ones than Cheng was supporting. Lu was also more supportive of domestic military spending, which would have benefited her Taichung constituents. Lu is one of the KMT’s most powerful figures, and US officials were hoping to have her on their side in this debate.

The US was disappointed with the cuts to the budget, uncomfortable with Cheng’s friendliness to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and skeptical of her peace plans. Many chose not to meet with her to show their displeasure.

Still, she met with a handful of lawmakers, some low-level officials and think tanks. A planned meeting between Cheng and US National Security Council officials was reportedly canceled without a public explanation. The KMT issued a statement firmly rejecting the reports, saying “The KMT emphasizes that all of Chair Cheng’s meetings with officials from the US executive branch in Washington, DC were conducted under strict confidentiality, and no information regarding such engagements was disclosed publicly.”

Washington today is not a KMT-friendly town, but they loved the KMT until around the mid-to-late 2010s. In the run-up to the 2012 election, then-DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited Washington. Then an article appeared in the Financial Times quoting an anonymous senior US official, who attended a meeting with Tsai, as saying that “she left us with distinct doubts about whether she is both willing and able to continue the stability in cross-strait relations the region has enjoyed in recent years.”

This was clearly intended to signal displeasure with Tsai and undermine her campaign and to boost Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) chances of re-election, which he won. After winning the presidency in 2016, Tsai became Washington’s darling. In 2012, the US was still bedazzled by the Chinese economy and hoped the “Taiwan problem” would go away, but by later in the decade, awareness grew of the dangers the CCP posed and respect for Taiwan rose.

SAY WHAT YOU WANNA SAY

Cheng said she met with the people she wanted to meet with and said what she wanted to say. Privately, she must have been disappointed at her official reception. The presence of people linked with groups associated with China’s United Front and protesters drew press, but should have surprised no one.

On saying what she wanted to say, she was more successful. Cheng appeared at the Asia Society’s Manhattan headquarters for a public event where she took questions from former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel R. Russel and Orville Schell, former dean of the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Both are currently with the Asia Society.

They asked her polite, but firm and probing questions. I do not agree with Goldstein on many things, but his assessment of her after meeting her, “she is poised and confident, but also curious and intellectually agile,” describes her Asia Society appearance well.

She was charismatic, quick on her feet and very well prepared. She clearly anticipated many of the lines of questioning, and she had well-thought-out responses.

She is learning impressively fast on the job. When she was elected, she would still say things like defending Vladimir Putin as democratically elected and other talking points favored by the CCP. There was no sign of that on this trip.

“I know perfectly well that cross-strait peace is extremely difficult and that there are very many challenges to overcome,” she said. “But in Taiwan, we have no choice. We must exhaust every effort to ensure that peace happens.” She expressed fears of Taiwan becoming a battlefield, adding, “Time is not on Taiwan’s side. I am very clear about that.”

She likened her plans to the decades of incremental institution-building in post-war Europe — from the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Common Market and eventually the European Union. She argued that cross-strait arrangements would require comparable patience, gradualism and a tolerance for temporary reversals.

In recent columns by myself and Michael Turton, we have explored the problems with her Chinese ethnonationalistic worldview and the inherent problems with her “peace framework” idea.

As impressive as she was, she still could not escape those inherent problems.

Schell pressed her on China’s broken promises in Hong Kong. She said the city was handed back to China in 1997, and Taiwan to the Republic of China in 1945, so therefore the situations were totally different: “No one can hand Taiwan back to mainland China.”

During questions, a man asked about Cheng’s visit to China. He stated: “Xi [Jinping (習近平)]wants to take over Taiwan because Taiwan is a democratic society, while China is an authoritarian society. Authoritarian societies do not allow democratic societies to exist.”

He continued in that vein and was shuffled out. Cheng answered his question about her visit to China and said that she visited a company in Shanghai working on drone deliveries of bubble tea. “At the time, I said I hope drones are not used as weapons. Drones should be used to deliver milk tea.”

The fundamental issues of the CCP’s inherent authoritarianism, obsession with annexing Taiwan and broken promises in Tibet and Hong Kong remained unaddressed.

Her trip was not a success, but she made the most of the opportunities she had.

She just might be more formidable than people had expected.

Donovan’s Deep Dives is a regular column by Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) who writes in-depth analysis on everything about Taiwan’s political scene and geopolitics. Donovan is also the central Taiwan correspondent at ICRT FM100 Radio News, co-publisher of Compass Magazine, co-founder Taiwan Report (report.tw) and former chair of the Taichung American Chamber of Commerce. Follow him on X: @donovan_smith.


title: Book review: The many lives of ‘Taipei People’

content_text:
Once hailed as an elegy for homesick mainlanders in Taipei, Pai Hsien-yung’s modern classic now also stands as a foundational queer text and a key work in Taiwan’s literary history

Not long after Pai Hsien-yung (白先勇) first published in 1971 his collection of 14 short stories, Taipei People, the literary critic CT Hsia (夏志清) ranked the author “among the finest Chinese writers today.” The book has gone on to become regarded as a modern classic of Chinese-language literature, and last month was published for the first time in a digital edition and by a major international publisher, Vintage Books, as well as in a new hardback edition.

In an essay from 1975, Hsia described Taipei People as an elegy for mainlanders in Taipei who pine for a lost motherland, and he lauded Pai for pioneering a new Chinese literature that’s “consciously indebted to modern Western literature.”

But in the more than half century since, the book and its author have taken on a slew of new meanings, roles and interpretations.

Several of the stories in Taipei People are now considered pioneering works of Chinese-language LGBTQ+ fiction, and Pai himself has been elevated to the status of a Taiwanese queer icon — even though the book on its surface does not read as queer literature.

At the same time, and in a very different vein, stories here contain the beginnings of Pai’s quest to vindicate the life and career of his father, the high-ranking Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Muslim general Pai Chung-hsi (白崇禧). A hero of the Northern Expedition and the war against the Japanese, many considered Pai Chung-hsi as a potential successor to Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) during the 1930s. But following the 1949 retreat to Taiwan, Pai was rendered powerless, and his legacy was suppressed by the jealous dictator. Between 2012 and 2020, Pai Hsien-yung published three lengthy volumes in an attempt to restore his father’s historical record.

Pai Hsien-yung was born in Guilin, China in 1937 just two months before the start of the Sino-Japanese War and the eighth of 10 children. As the son of an important military leader, he spent childhood amid the elites of China’s early republican era, living between Chongqing, Nanking and Shanghai.

His childhood was largely insulated from the fighting that then raged through China, and in 1948 at age 11 he was sent off to school in Hong Kong. He would eventually finish high school in Taipei in 1956 before going on to study English literature at National Taiwan University.

In the final story in Taipei People, “A State Funeral,” Pai offers a glimpse into what must have been a complicated father-son relationship. In one scene from early life, the “Young Master” dons “a child-sized army uniform, complete with a pair of jodhpurs and small riding boots” to ride with his father around a parade ground — the father on a black charger, the son on a white pony. But then a few years later “when the Young Master had shammed ill health and dropped out of the military academy to go off to America, the General was so enraged that his face turned an iron black. Pointing at Young Master, he roared, ‘After this, don’t ever bother to come back and see me!’”

One can easily imagine such discord between a military father and his gay, artist son. But what’s remarkable in Pai Hsien-yung’s writing is not only the filial veneration he accords to his father’s monumental figure, but also the deep sense of empathy.

The last time Pai saw his father was in 1962. His mother had just died, and the dilettante son was heading off to study at the famed creative writing graduate program at the University of Iowa. He wouldn’t return until his father’s passing four years later, which he describes in “State Funeral.”

The story is told from the point of view of a former aide de camp, who, now an aged relic himself, despairs that the new generation in Taiwan will never truly understand the magnitude of the heroism and loss of the great battles once fought to save China — battles which eventually came to nothing.

The aide is, like most of the characters in Taipei People, one of the common folk — noodle stall proprietors, professors, businessmen, film actors, schoolteachers, nightclub hostesses — though Pai’s studies also include generals, aristocrats and society ladies. Aside from the collective shock of these mainland emigres over the loss of their homeland, what they all have in common, as Hsia presciently observed, is their obsessions with the past more often bring them embarrassment and shame rather than joy.

One of the most empathetic stories, “A Winter Night,” describes a meeting between two old professors who in their youth stood arm in arm as student leaders in the May 4th Movement of 1919 — a ground zero in China’s modern intellectual history.

Now old and powerless, one is a respected professor of Chinese history at a prestigious California university, while the other is a threadbare and sickly instructor of Byron in Taipei. Hsia described them as representing “the dashed hopes… of a generation of scholar-patriots who had failed to remake China according to their dreams.” As the two trade stories, the reader comes to see that while their memories rest in China, their hopes point towards America. Hsia called this “the psychological desertion of Taiwan” by Taiwan’s mainlanders of the late 1960s.

Pai himself chose exile at the time, becoming a professor of Chinese literature at the University of Santa Barbara in California. This freed him from the KMT’s regime of strict government censorship, and one doubts he could have published many of these stories otherwise.

This is especially true of “A Sky Full of Bright, Twinkling Stars,” which depicts the underground gay culture which emerged during the 1960s in Taipei’s New Park (now renamed the 228 Memorial Park) and is a precursor to his groundbreaking 1983 novel Crystal Boys, which is regarded as the first openly gay novel in modern Chinese literature. This sketch describes a gathering of “fancy boys” and “little fairies” in the New Park’s “murky darkness.” There, they listen to the stories of their white-haired doyen, “the Guru,” a Shanghai cinema heartthrob of the 1930s now denigrated to a faded patriarch and dirty old queen.

Two other stories about the world of nightclub hostesses and taxi dancers have also been held up as groundbreaking portrayals of non-normative sexuality: “Love’s Lone Flower” and “The Last Night of Taipan Chin.” On the surface, these tales of nighclub sex workers mix bawdy comedy with genuine tragedy, including stark instances of sexual abuse. Chi Ta-wei (紀大偉), author of the 2017 volume, A Queer Invention in Taiwan: A History of Tongzhi Literature, has argued that when given a “queer reading,” these stories can be seen to contain lesbian love and “camouflaged” gay sexuality.

If there is one thing to fault in this new edition of Taipei People, it’s that the English translations are unchanged from earlier editions and mostly date to the 1970s. Though Pai has self-translated or edited most of these English renderings himself, they are full of outdated and hokey 1950s slang and fail to capture the grace of his original Chinese.

There is also no new introduction or update on Pai’s biography, his increasingly important legacy and Taiwan’s changed sense of identity. While it’s great to see a major publisher bring Taipei People to a wide international audience, it’s a pity that new readers will have little guidance as to what here is out of date and what remains relevant.


content_text:
SPEAK UP: Rock your Dragon Boat with ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ & ‘Ride the Wind’ (1/2) 《萬世巨星》、《乘風》慶端午（上）

A: The classic musical “Jesus Christ Superstar,” co-produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, is making its Taiwan debut at the National Theater during the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend.

B: Isn’t the rock musical, based on the “Passion” of Jesus, hailed as one of Webber’s “four major musicals?”

A: Yup, the others are “Evita,” “Cats” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”

B: What other shows are there during the holiday weekend?

A: A symphony concert for Disney’s “Frozen” is also set for Saturday. It will feature live performance by the National Symphony Orchestra and even top-tier Disney and Broadway singers.

A: 安德魯洛伊韋柏和提姆萊斯的音樂劇《萬世巨星》，於端午連假期間首次來台，正在國家戲劇院演出。

B: 這部關於耶穌受難記的搖滾音樂劇，不是還常被譽為韋柏的「四大名劇」嗎？

A: 對啊另三部則是《艾薇塔》、《貓》、《歌劇魅影》！

B: 連假期間還有什麼好節目嗎？

A: 迪士尼《冰雪奇緣》交響音樂會週末也將登場，由NSO國家交響樂團現場演奏，還有頂尖迪士尼、百老匯歌手獻唱唷。

（By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）

For your information LANGUAGE TIP 語文小提示 Passion（耶穌）受難：指耶穌在生命最後階段經歷的苦難與死亡1: the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death 2: an “oratorio” (神劇) based on a gospel narrative of the Passion


countries: 英國 法國

title: 嬌蘭車用擴香美到像精品配件！3大品牌把高級香氛搬進車內

content_text:
記者曾怡嘉／台北報導

精品香氛品牌也紛紛將經典香氣延伸至移動場域，從嬌蘭、Jo Malone London到法國歐瓏，皆以品牌代表香調打造車用擴香新品，讓日常通勤與長途旅程都能沉浸在專屬香氣之中。

#嬌蘭經典香氣化身車用擴香

▲法國嬌蘭藝術沙龍居家藝術車用擴香（盒＋蕊），5,200元；車用擴香盒售價，3,530元 ；補充蕊售價1,870元，共推出六款香氣選擇。

嬌蘭推出全新居家藝術系列車用擴香，將品牌香氛核心「Guerlinade嬌蘭香」中的六大經典原料化為香氛選擇，包括佛手柑、玫瑰、茉莉、鳶尾、香草與零陵香豆。

外型設計延續藝術沙龍系列美學，採用品牌代表性的八角輪廓與格紋鏤空細節，透過透光結構展現香氛珠色彩變化。擴香器可固定於車內出風口，並可隨時更換不同香氛補充芯，不易殘留前一款香氣。

#Jo Malone London打造英倫風格移動香氛

▲可替換陶瓷香氛蕊心相當便利。

Jo Malone London全新車用擴香以霧面黑色金屬外殼打造簡約外型，搭配可替換式陶瓷香氛蕊心，兼具設計感與實用性。透過特殊工藝將香氛分子壓製於陶瓷蕊心內，隨空氣流動緩慢釋放香氣，香氣可維持約4至6周。

此次同步推出三款經典香氣，包括清新果香調「黑莓子與月桂葉」、溫潤木質調「英國橡樹」，以及芳醇系列代表作「絲柏與葡萄藤」，其中「絲柏與葡萄藤」以清新的絲柏結合葡萄藤與苔蘚氣息，呈現層次豐富的木質馥奇調，為車內空間增添沉穩而具故事感的香氛氛圍。

#法國歐瓏以明星香氣延伸車內儀式感

▲以香檸檬為設計靈感。

法國歐瓏（Atelier Cologne）則以品牌標誌性香檸檬為設計靈感，打造全新車用擴香。外殼採用拉絲黃銅工藝，並融入品牌縮寫ACP標誌，呼應香水瓶蓋的經典設計。

▲歐瓏 車用擴香香氛套組，5g，3,000元

考量車內密閉空間特性，品牌特別強調清新且具層次感的香氣表現，同步推出四款明星香氣，包括品牌熱賣代表作「無極烏龍」、充滿果香活力的「赤霞橘光」、結合花香與皮革調的「茶花香頌」，以及以柑橘與雪松打造森林氛圍的「雪松之戀」，提供不同風格選擇。


title: 玄濟宮「尬電禪師」自稱可對話外星人！信徒整排下跪朝拜

references: 臉書 網友

content_text:
▲玄濟宮鄔馨茹自稱「濟顛禪師」，近日因外星人說法與遶境畫面引發熱議。（圖／翻攝自臉書／霸告）

記者楊庭蒝／綜合報導

台東縣一間名為「玄濟宮」的宮廟近日引發熱議，宮廟靈魂人物鄔馨茹自稱「濟顛禪師」，長期透過直播開示、問事，近日又宣稱自己已「突破三維限制」，能與外星文明溝通，並預言未來將有外星使節降臨台東，相關言論與遶境畫面在網路上瘋傳。

據悉，鄔馨茹自稱擁有多重身分，包括「濟顛禪師」、「東方紫微聖人」、「霄凌天尊」等，經常透過直播公開展示起乩與問事過程，吸引不少信眾關注。她近期更將外星文明說法帶入宮廟宣傳，聲稱自己能與外星人對接、溝通，宮廟也設計印有外星人圖案與口頭禪「尬電」字樣的團服，讓宗教儀式結合科幻元素，再度引發外界討論。

事實上，鄔馨茹過去就曾因「加持雞蛋」爭議受到關注。她曾宣稱信眾購買後可讓生意、人緣變好，並稱「師父都有幫你們做照顧、做加持」，但相關說法遭部分信眾質疑，甚至被控涉及詐欺騙錢。她也曾因稱「生病不要看醫生，西醫很可怕」等言論，引起不少批評。

玄濟宮16日前往屏東參與年度遶境活動，直播畫面可見，鄔馨茹身穿紫色「外星人尬電」團服現身舞台，兩側有秩序人員手持類似維安規格的壓克力盾牌貼身防護。現場多名信徒也穿上相同團服，並在宮廟前向她下跪朝拜，畫面曝光後迅速在社群平台流傳。

不少網友看完後留言質疑，「哇，那麼多人，難怪台灣詐騙那麼多」、「會尬電還自稱玉皇上帝，還需要去進香喔」、「唬爛神最大」、「這世界需要一個陳桂林」。也有人不解，為何傳統宮廟會同意這類團體進入參與活動，認為相關行為已經偏離一般民俗信仰認知。


content_text:
▲張善政宣布，桃園將啟動科學教育館規劃。（圖／市府提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

桃園市長張善政17日於市政會議，聽取副秘書長賴淑華日前帶團赴捷克拜會姊妹市布爾諾市政府期間，雙方就智慧城市發展、可負擔住宅及城市治理經驗交換意見指出，科學教育館如同市立美術館等重要公共建設，雖需投入資源，但對提升市民科學素養、培育未來科技人才具有長遠效益。

市府已責成教育局，啟動科學教育館規劃作業，預計先以一年時間辦理前期規劃研究，針對館舍定位、土地選址、營運模式及後續經費需求進行整體評估，作為未來推動科學教育館的重要基礎。

張善政表示，桃園市與布爾諾市締結姊妹市以來，雙方持續在城市治理、科技應用及教育文化等面向深化交流。日前市府由副秘書長賴淑華率團赴捷克姊妹市布爾諾市（Brno）訪問，除出席「2026全球卓越建設獎」頒獎典禮外，也拜會布爾諾市政府、消防局及VIDA!科學中心等單位，針對智慧城市、住宅政策、消防救護及科學教育等議題深入交流，進一步深化雙方姊妹市合作關係。

▲副秘書長賴淑華（右）分享率團赴捷克姊妹市布爾諾市（Brno）交流。（圖／市府提供）

副秘書長賴淑華分享指出，布爾諾市政府對桃園推動智慧城市，以及「救護一路通」救護車優先通行系統等措施深感興趣，並針對相關應用提出交流建議，展現雙方在城市治理及科技應用上的合作潛力。

參訪團也拜訪布爾諾消防局及VIDA!科學中心，了解當地消防救護運作及科學教育推廣模式。其中，VIDA!科學中心強調「從做中學、從玩中學」，透過高度互動的展示設計，引導兒童主動探索科學知識，並結合無人機、人工智慧等新興科技規劃展覽內容，相關經驗相當值得桃園未來推動科學教育館借鏡。

taiwan-subdivisions: 桃園 新興

title: 桃園啟動科學教育館規劃　打造科普學習新據點


title: 田天明夫婦捐贈復康巴士　提供行動不便桃園市民溫暖服務

content_text:
▲田天明夫婦捐贈復康巴士給桃園市政府。（圖／市府提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

熱心市民田天明先生及謝美珍女士賢伉儷，17日捐贈一輛復康巴士給市政府，由市長張善政代表接受。張善政表示，截至目前民間捐贈已累計達48輛，對提升桃園市無障礙交通服務及車輛調度量能助益良多。市府將妥善運用相關資源，持續為行動不便市民提供更便利、更有溫度的出行服務。

▲田天明夫婦捐贈復康巴士給桃園市政府。（圖／市府提供）

田天明先生表示，自己一生承蒙社會各界諸多照顧與幫助，因此秉持「取之社會、用之社會」的精神，期盼藉由捐贈復康巴士回饋社會，同時拋磚引玉，鼓勵更多人共同投入公益行列。

社會局表示，復康巴士搭乘需求逐年成長，去（114）年服務成長率達百分之四點三六。此次捐贈之復康巴士預計投入北桃園區營運車隊，為行動不便市民提供更舒適、便利的交通服務。


content_text:
▲桃園市新任地稅局長倪永祖宣誓就職。（圖／市府提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

桃園市長張善政17日於市政會議，主持「新任地方稅務局倪永祖局長宣誓典禮」表示，前地方稅務局長姚世昌申請退休，感謝姚前局長過去對桃園地方稅務工作的付出與貢獻；新任局長倪永祖曾任臺北市稅捐稽徵處處長，其深厚的財稅專業與豐富行政歷練，將持續帶領地方稅務局精進各項稅務政策。

張市長指出，桃園正處於快速發展的重要階段，隨著重大公共建設陸續推動、產業投資不斷增加，市政建設所需財政資源及稅務服務的重要性也日益增長。期許倪局長發揮專業長才，帶領地方稅務局持續提升稅務行政效能，秉持智慧創新理念，為桃園市民打造更便捷、安全的稅務環境。

▲桃園市新任地稅局長倪永祖（左）就職。（圖／市府提供）

市府人事處說明，倪局長曾任財政部科長、專門委員、副組長等重要職務，隨後調任臺北市稅捐稽徵處處長，具備完成的稅務經歷及數位整合能力，在疫情期間曾首推「線上e櫃檯」視訊服務，兼顧防疫與民眾辦稅便利性。去年首創的「稅籍異動即時通」，也讓民眾即時掌握自身不動產的轉移訊息，有效防範不動產詐騙案件。

title: 桃園市新任地稅局長倪永祖宣誓就職　推動便捷安全稅務環境

taiwan-subdivisions: 桃園 臺北市


title: 首都客運進駐桃園　南環線9月上路持市民卡免費搭乘

taiwan-subdivisions: 桃園 新北市 平鎮 中壢

content_text:
▲首都客運進駐桃園，南環線9月上路持市民卡免費搭乘。（圖／市府提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

桃園市長張善政17日於市政會議時表示，市府持續推動公共運輸服務升級，除改善既有公車服務外，也積極規劃桃園新幹線路網，並引進優質客運業者投入營運。其中，桃園新幹線「南環線」已完成公開評選，由首都客運取得營運資格，預計今年9月正式上路，提供市民更便捷的公共運輸服務。

張市長指出，公車服務長期為市民高度關注的議題，市府近年透過駕駛培訓與就業媒合、廣推桃小巴路線，以及推動桃園新幹線公車計畫等多項措施，逐步提升公共運輸服務品質，相關成果也反映於運量成長。今年4月桃園市區公車總運量達352.4萬人次，較去年同期成長7.6%；桃園新幹線五大幹線運量達122.4萬人次，較去年同期增加8.3%，顯示市民使用公共運輸意願持續提升。

桃園新幹線南環線將以環狀路線串聯中壢火車站、機場捷運、台一幹線與中豐幹線等重要交通節點，服務中壢、內壢及平鎮地區通勤需求。該路線預計9月正式營運，服務時間為每日早上6時至晚間10時，尖峰時段班距15分鐘、離峰時段30分鐘，民眾持市民卡即可免費搭乘。

張善政說明，首都客運為雙北地區具規模與營運經驗的客運業者，過去首都客運雖曾經營部分往返桃園與雙北地區的新北市路線，此次則是首度投入桃園市區公車營運，將為桃園公共運輸注入新能量。


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▲大園區客家歌謠成果發表。（圖／大園區公所提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

為推廣客家語言文化，提升民眾接觸客語及認識客家文化的機會，桃園市大園區公所17日舉辦「115年度大園區客家歌謠研習及節能減碳宣導成果發表會」，邀集參與客家歌謠研習課程學員齊聚一堂，以悠揚歌聲展現學習成果。

▲大園區客家歌謠成果發表。（圖／大園區公所提供）

大園區長余誌松肯定文化傳承與環境永續結合，將此理念扎根於地方社區，並勉勵所有學員一同來學習客家「硬頸」精神，突破人生種種難關。成果發表會由學員輪番演唱《行過》、《月光光》、《人生一場戲》、《排八字》等多首客家經典歌謠，在陳寀玲老師的鋼琴伴奏的帶領下，學員們以真摯動人的歌聲，展現數月來勤奮學習的成果，現場掌聲不斷，氣氛溫馨熱絡。

大園區公所表示，未來將持續規劃多元客家文化活動，鼓勵更多民眾參與客語學習與文化體驗，透過寓教於樂的方式，讓客家文化融入日常生活。

taiwan-subdivisions: 大園 桃園

title: 大園區客家歌謠成果發表　傳承客家「硬頸」精神


taiwan-subdivisions: 中寮 永和 南投 清水

title: 前年曾慘遭祝融...石龍宮宣導防災　贈中寮鄉各單位偵煙型滅火設備

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▲石龍宮推動地方防災意識，贈送偵煙型滅火設備予中寮鄉各單位。（圖／翻攝「中寮石龍宮 - 泡麵土地公」臉書粉專，下同）

記者高堂堯／南投報導

中寮鄉石龍宮因「泡麵土地公」而香火鼎盛、更長期關心地方大小事，由於前年曾發生火災，廟方因此在今年「丙午火馬年」規劃贈送石龍宮周邊公家單位與友好學校「偵測煙霧滅火器」，希望藉此提升地方消防安全意識。

石龍宮於16日舉辦捐贈儀式，贈送對象包含中寮鄉公所、消防單位、警察單位及村里辦公室，包括長期與地方互動密切的永和國小、清水國小、爽文國小、爽文國中等學校。

石龍宮主委吳國棟表示，該廟過去曾經歷火災，更能理解「預防勝於搶救」的意義，火災往往發生在一瞬間，真正重要的是平時就要有防災意識，而公家單位與學校都是地方日常生活中重要的公共場域，偵煙型滅火設備則具備煙霧偵測與初期滅火輔助功能，可作為公共空間防火安全的一環，更希望透過贈送偵煙型滅火設備，提醒各單位，開始檢視自身空間的消防配置，包括滅火器位置、逃生動線、電線用電安全，以及師生、民眾是否具備基本防災知識，並建立初期火災應變觀念。

石龍宮強調，火災防範不能只靠消防單位，更需要每個場所、每個人平時多一分注意，未來也將持續關心社區公共安全、地方教育與公益活動，善盡陪伴、回饋地方的力量。


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▲台北市議員許淑華 。（圖／記者徐文彬攝）

記者陳家祥／台北報導

日前有連鎖醫美診所發生偷拍案件，粗估受害者超過200人，掀起社會對隱私安全的關注。台北市議員許淑華日前在警政衛生委員會中，強力要求將現行「防針孔管理辦法」升級為自治條例，甚至還因為不滿局處推托的態度而哽咽落淚。最終，在許淑華不斷堅持下，衛生局、警察局、法務局承諾，7月下個會期時，會優先將自治條例部分草案送至議會，目標明年第一個會期完整送議會。

「你們到底要推到什麼時候？我覺得不要審了，太惡劣了！這件事情這麼嚴重，你們還用這麼輕佻的態度！」許淑華氣憤表示，「反針孔偷拍」的提案已獲跨黨派議員認同，也在質詢蔣萬安市長時獲得公開承諾支持，但底下的局處卻還在推卸責任、堅持既有的局限。

許淑華說，這件事情這麼嚴重，還用這麼輕挑的態度？連市長都同意要用自治條例，為什麼每次市長同意的事情，衛生局、警察局為什麼要推卸責任？

許淑華指出，自治條例裡面規定，如果涉及到違法的部分就送刑事，並非僅有行政罰鍰。許表示，受害者不知道自己有沒有被拍、影像有沒有外流，能不能主動積極去偵辦？

許淑華甚至為此在委員會中哽咽落淚，她表示，當她提到無數女性在這波醫美偷拍案爆發後，天天生活在隱私洩漏的恐懼當中，局處卻回答我都有依規定偵辦、都有罰錢，「我只要一想到受害者們的心情，想到他們的安全沒有被好好守護，就覺得非常傷心」。

許淑華強調，「反針孔偷拍管理辦法」升級為自治條例的訴求，是要建立起示範效果，去開創一個法治上的宣示，告訴大家台北市為了守護女性，願意不斷完善制度，因為每個人的隱私與安全就是如此值得。

而在許淑華不斷堅持下，以及議會同仁不斷監督下，衛生局、警察局、法務局才終於向議會承諾，7月下個會期時，會優先將自治條例部分草案送至議會。並且目標明年第一個會期完整送議會。

許淑華說，要再次呼籲市府，既然蔣萬安市長已承諾支持，那局處就應該用最積極的態度來面對。不要每次都讓市長表面風光，承諾進步，結果繞了一圈，還是什麼實際成果都沒有留下。

people: 許淑華 蔣萬安 徐文彬

title: 不捨200位受害者　許淑華為反偷拍自治條例哽咽痛批局處互推


title: 桃園啟動科學教育館規劃　打造科普學習新據點


title: 桃園市新任地稅局長倪永祖宣誓就職　推動便捷安全稅務環境


title: 嬌蘭車用擴香美到像精品配件！3大品牌把高級香氛搬進車內


title: 不捨200位受害者　許淑華為反偷拍自治條例哽咽痛批局處互推

people: 許淑華 徐文彬 蔣萬安


countries: 阿根廷 阿爾及利亞

title: 梅西世足首戰落淚另有隱情？媒體爆料：老父重病惡化

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▲ 梅西世足首戰大演帽子戲法領軍奪勝。（圖／CFP）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

2026世界盃足球賽J組首輪賽事，奪冠大熱門阿根廷10號王牌球王梅西（Lionel Messi）再度展現宰制力，全場狂轟「帽子戲法」演出，率領藍白軍團以3比0完封阿爾及利亞。然而梅西在進球後卻被捕捉到眼眶泛淚、神情凝重，引發全球球迷熱議。賽後梅西落淚的真正原因終於曝光，據傳與其父親豪爾赫（Jorge Messi）健康狀況嚴重惡化有關，梅西是在承受巨大心理煎熬下，踢出這場「神級」表現。

身為阿根廷的靈魂核心，梅西在此戰首度破網後，並未展現過往狂放的慶祝動作，反而被轉播鏡頭捕捉到真情流露、眼眶泛淚的瞬間。賽後受訪時，梅西坦言這與場上的比賽完全無關，「我度過了一些非常困難且複雜的日子，我非常感謝代表團與隊友們，他們始終陪在我身邊，給予我支持與力量。」

Eduardo Feinmann @edufeiok , sobre la salud del padre de Lionel Messi: "Tiene un problema bastante grave, no está bien".

???? Mirá Radio Mitre las 24 horas en https://t.co/O0LrK1A0Os pic.twitter.com/METiOukpTD

— Radio Mitre (@radiomitre) June 17, 2026 雖然梅西本人並未明說，但阿根廷名記者費曼（Eduardo Feinmann）在《Radio Mitre》節目中揭露了令人揪心的真相。費曼指出，梅西的淚水是為了父親豪爾赫而流，「這跟他父親的健康有關，豪爾赫的身體狀況非常不好，這情況從去年開始已經持續好幾個月，且相當嚴重。」

費曼更進一步透露，就在本週，豪爾赫的病情出現了惡化跡象，這讓人在賽場拚搏的梅西內心承受了極大的煎熬，「即便心理受到如此大的打擊，梅西依然在場上踢得像神一樣，展現了超凡的職業意志。」

豪爾赫在梅西的足球生涯中扮演極其關鍵的角色，從羅薩里奧時期的一路相隨，到遠赴巴塞隆納發展，豪爾赫不僅是父親，更是梅西長年的經紀人與心靈支柱。

儘管梅西家族至今尚未對外發布正式聲明，但這位30多歲的球王在世界盃殿堂上，一邊掛念病榻上的老父，一邊扛起國家隊勝敗重任的堅毅身影，已讓無數球迷動容。阿根廷首戰告捷後，全隊也將成為梅西最強大的後盾，陪他度過這段職業生涯中最艱難的私人時刻。


title: 男星炫「雜誌女星都X過」　她揭潛規則內幕：我是來到什麼世界？

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記者王靖淳／綜合報導

大陸演員金澤（本名：張家瑋）6月4日在杭州家中猝死，享年33歲，而他生前聊天記錄近日被前女友曝光，包含曾抱怨工時太長，身體逐漸吃不下，甚至還被高層潛規則，語音對話提及前東家名字「華誼兄弟」，消息曝光後，掀起關注。為此，曾在「華誼兄弟」任職過的台灣作家櫻桃陽子今（17）日也在社群發文談論此事。

▲金澤。圖／翻攝自微博）

櫻桃陽子在文中透露，自己過去在和一位大明星開會時，到了中場休息時間，對方竟隨手拿起旁邊架子上的明星畫報，並一頁一頁翻過去，隨後突然抬起頭對著她吐出一句：「這本雜誌裡的每個女明星我都上過。」櫻桃陽子形容，對方在陳述這段發言時的表情相當平靜，就像是在和她說剛吃飽飯一樣自然，害得她趕緊收起自己的驚訝情緒，「天曉得我那時都快嚇哭了，我是來到了什麼樣的世界？」

更讓櫻桃陽子感到意外的是，當她和導演一同離開現場後，沒想到身旁的導演竟得意洋洋地和她炫耀，自己早就搶在該名大明星之前先上過了，只是對方不知道，讓她聽完後更加震驚。不僅如此，櫻桃陽子透露，自己後來還會收到轉發影片。面對這種尷尬情況，讓她無奈地表示：「這是最尷尬的，你們期待我回什麼？好能幹？」

▲櫻桃陽子PO文談潛規則內幕。（圖／翻攝自Threads／cherryyokolove）

隨著近日爆出潛規則傳聞，櫻桃陽子也在文末替于朦朧、金澤等受害者發聲，並嚴肅表示「憑那些大佬的德性，一定有一堆的證據」，更痛批當大眾在伸張正義時，那些加害者說不定還在回味，「現在知道我為什麼會走向靈修的路了吧？這十幾年來我真的給噁心壞了。」


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圖文／7Car 小七車觀點

Mercedes-AMG 近日針對旗下兩款高性能豪華休旅 GLE 63 S 4MATIC+ 與 GLS 63 4MATIC+ 發表大幅度改款車型，兩款旗艦車型在保留經典 V8 動力架構的基礎上，透過內在機械技術的全面翻新與電氣化輔助系統的導入，進一步強化了整體性能表現與日常實用性，同時也為這具經典動力單元在日益嚴苛的全球環保法規下，確立了更長遠的產品生命週期。

外觀改款重點集中於車頭區域，GLE 63 S 與 GLS 63 皆採用全新設計的 AMG 專屬水箱護罩，搭配加大面積的進氣壩，以強化 V8 引擎的散熱效率，同時導入專屬 LED 頭燈光源辨識特徵，使車頭視覺更顯寬闊且具侵略性。車尾部分則保留 AMG Performance 排氣系統的雙邊雙出尾管，並透過後保桿擴散器的重新雕塑，進一步強化運動化氛圍。輪圈方面，GLE 63 S 提供最大 22 吋的選擇，GLS 63 則可選配至 23 吋，讓車主能依照自身喜好，從低調優雅到極具張力的性能風格之間自由搭配。整體而言，此次外觀更動雖未大幅更動車身輪廓，但透過車頭細節的重新雕琢，確實讓兩款大型休旅在視覺上更具辨識度與性能威壓感。

車艙內部延續 AMG 一貫的性能豪華基調，標配新款 AMG Performance 方向盤，並提供 Nappa 皮革、MICROCUT 麂皮或碳纖維等多種材質選擇，握感與質感皆屬上乘。座椅則提供包含 Nappa Exclusive 與 MANUFAKTUR 頂級皮革在內的多種色系搭配，如黑色、馬奇亞托米色、山毛櫸棕、紅椒紅等，再加上碳纖維或鋁質飾板與 MICROCUT 麂皮車頂內襯，營造出兼具熱血駕駛氛圍與細膩質感的座艙空間。數位介面搭載最新 MB.OS 作業系統，提供高解析度儀錶與中央螢幕，並內建 AMG 專屬顯示模式，可即時呈現扭力分配、G 值與各項引擎參數，讓駕駛者一目瞭然車輛動態狀況。此外，MANUFAKTUR 客製化服務提供多款特殊漆色，如高科技銀消光、帕塔哥尼亞紅金屬漆、愛爾蘭中綠色金屬漆等，搭配暗色鍍鉻套件，進一步滿足車主對個性化外觀的講究。

本次改款的核心在於代號 M177 EVO 的全新 4.0 升 V8 雙渦輪增壓引擎，原廠透過內部機件的大幅翻新，包括平坦式曲軸、進氣凸輪軸修改、燃油噴射系統優化與排氣後處理裝置升級，使這具經典 V8 在運轉細膩度與油門反應上更進一步。在輸出數據方面，M177 EVO 引擎可產生 450 kW（612 hp）最大馬力與 850 Nm 峰值扭力，並整合 2.0 版整合式啟動馬達發電機（ISG）與 48V 輕度混合動力系統，可額外提供 17 kW（23 hp）與 205 Nm 的即時輔助扭力。受惠於此，GLE 63 S 4MATIC+ 的 0~100 km/h 加速成績為 3.9 秒，GLS 63 4MATIC+ 則為 4.2 秒，極速皆電子限制在 280 km/h。傳動系統採用 AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G 九速手自排變速箱，並搭配具備可變扭力分配能力的 AMG Performance 4MATIC+ 全時四輪驅動系統，確保在乾濕路面或輕度越野時均能提供穩定的抓地力。底盤部分將 AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL 主動防傾穩定系統列為標準配備，透過前後軸的電機式主動穩定器，每秒可偵測路況達 1,000 次，迅速補償車身側傾，使這兩款身形龐大的 SUV 在彎道中依然保有精準的轉向反應與支撐性。同時，電子限滑後差速器能依動態即時分配左右輪扭力，減少內側輪打滑造成的動力損失，並兼顧激烈操駕與日常市區行駛的舒適性。懸吊方面，AMG RIDE CONTROL+ 氣壓懸吊具備連續可變阻尼，駕駛可依需求切換舒適或運動化設定，並在 Trail 模式下將車身升高 55 mm 以應付輕度越野路面，展現從性能公路行駛到非鋪裝路面的寬廣適用範圍。

整體而言，此次改款並未刻意追求輸出數據上的激增，而是透過更精細的機械改良與電氣化輔助，在維持原有狂暴加速本質的同時，提升日常行駛的平順度與環保表現。對於同時追求豪華休旅空間、強悍動能與高度駕駛樂趣的層峰買家而言，GLE 63 S 與 GLS 63 4MATIC+ 依舊是同級市場中極具指標性的雙重選擇，也再次證明即使在電氣化浪潮席捲的今日，AMG 對於 V8 引擎的執著與精進，仍能為熱血車主帶來無可取代的感官體驗。

title: 賓士「63高性能休旅雙車型」大幅改款登場！V8引擎進化尬電更會跑


title: 玄濟宮「尬電禪師」自稱可對話外星人！信徒整排下跪朝拜


title: 首都客運進駐桃園　南環線9月上路持市民卡免費搭乘

taiwan-subdivisions: 桃園 中壢 新北市 平鎮


title: 大園區客家歌謠成果發表　傳承客家「硬頸」精神


title: 前年曾慘遭祝融...石龍宮宣導防災　贈中寮鄉各單位偵煙型滅火設備

taiwan-subdivisions: 中寮 清水 南投 永和


taiwan-subdivisions: 南港 南港區

title: 南港BMW毒駕「連撞4車」！保桿噴飛仍不停　唾液快篩陽性遭逮

content_text:
▲黑色BMW轎車於南港重陽路沿路追撞4車，警方到場確認駕駛涉及毒駕。（圖／民眾提供）

記者張君豪、閔文昱／台北報導

台北市南港區17日晚間發生一起毒駕事故，一名男子駕駛舊款BMW 740轎車行經重陽路時，突然失控沿路追撞停放路旁的車輛，造成至少4輛汽、機車受損，現場車體零件四散，連保桿及車牌都噴飛。警方獲報到場後，對肇事駕駛進行毒品唾液快篩，結果呈陽性反應，當場依法逮捕帶回偵辦。

警方表示，17日晚間接獲報案時，內容為一般交通事故，但員警到場後發現情況並不單純。肇事車輛為一輛黑色舊款BMW 740，沿路撞擊多輛停放路邊的車輛，現場一片狼藉。經對駕駛實施毒品唾液快篩後，確認呈現陽性反應，涉嫌毒後駕車。

調監視器還原過程 並非高速狂飆

事故發生在南港區重陽路498號前。警方調閱周邊監視器畫面發現，駕駛並非如部分目擊者所稱一路高速狂飆，而是在行駛過程中出現明顯偏移、蛇行狀況，車輛動線歪斜不穩，接連追撞路旁停放的車輛後才停下。

撞擊過程中，BMW 740前保桿及車牌脫落噴飛，部分遭撞車輛被撞得凹陷受損，甚至被推移出停車格，路面散落大量碎片。所幸事故未造成民眾傷亡，但多輛車輛受損，損失仍待進一步清查。

毒駕遭逮 警追查毒品來源

目擊民眾指出，肇事男子事後神情恍惚、精神狀況不佳。警方控制現場後，立即將人帶返派出所調查，後續將進一步採驗確認毒品種類及濃度。

警方表示，全案將依公共危險罪等相關罪嫌移送偵辦，並持續追查毒品來源及詳細肇事原因，以釐清案情。


title: 南港BMW毒駕「連撞4車」！保桿噴飛仍不停　唾液快篩陽性遭逮


title: 男星炫「雜誌女星都X過」　她揭潛規則內幕：我是來到什麼世界？


title: 高市里鄰調整7月上路  高鐵、美術館成搶手里名

taiwan-subdivisions: 左營 鼓山區 水里 高雄市 鳳山 左營區 大里

content_text:
高雄市里鄰調整7月上路，總計新增10里、裁併7里，高鐵、美術館成搶手里名，7區戶政事務所7月啟動下里服務，各里設置服務據點，民眾不必換身分證，採貼標籤標註里鄰，預計8月底修改完成，民眾若來不及處理，原有身分證仍舊有效，只要依照選委會公告戶籍地投開票所前往投票，照樣可以投票不用擔心。

高雄總人口數271萬餘人，全國前11大里包辦7里，民政局推動左營等5區7大里拆分17里、鳳山等4區14小里合併7里，拆併里後仍由原里長服務，新增里長要等今年選舉12月25日就職，民眾可於民政局及轄區戶政事務所網站查詢。

有趣的是，民眾愛用高鐵、美術館等重大建設為名，鼓山區龍水里1分為2，地方爭取以美術館為名，最終市府核定里名為南、北美術館里，才平息風波；左營區高鐵里內有左營高鐵站，地方期待里名為房價加值，更是生活品質保證。

民政局為避免民眾奔波，7月起函文監理、稅捐、地政、健保、台電、台水及金融機構等修改資料，並派員至各里設置服務據點，以社區大樓、學校、里長服務處、里辦公處及活動中心為主，提供身分證及戶口名簿黏貼標籤服務，協助民眾加註新里鄰資訊，將於辦理前7日以書面通知單，通知民眾相關服務地點、時間及應備文件。

民政局表示，每戶可由戶內任1成員代表，攜帶戶口名簿及戶內成員身分證到服務據點辦理，民眾若不便前往辦理，日後可隨時至高市任1戶所免費辦理，完全不影響身分辨別效力，也不影響機關線上查驗資料，仍可持原身分證依法行使投票權。


title: 高雄越域引水超猛！南化水庫蓄水率逼近9成

taiwan-subdivisions: 南化 高雄 甲仙 旗山

content_text:
高雄越域引水有多猛？水利署證實自6月4日梅雨鋒面降雨迄今，高雄越域引水挹注南化水庫2884萬立方公尺，南化水庫本流入流量只有3696立方公尺，今夜南化水庫蓄水率逼近9成，等於幾乎來自高雄越域引水，還反向送水烏山頭水庫，一次連灌2座水庫。

高雄與台南共用南化水庫，今年初降雨不如預期，蓄水率一度下探21%，最低蓄水量1710萬噸，在高雄越域引水連日來猛灌下，今夜蓄水率逼近9成，提升至87.67%，蓄水量續升至7172萬立方公尺。

高雄自6月4日以來接連受到梅雨鋒面、西南氣流、西南風、午後對流雲系發展旺盛等接力或交互影響，山區豪雨狂炸，甚至達大豪雨等級，帶動旗山溪流量大增突破200cms。

高雄昨天降雨趨緩，旗山溪流量下探每秒146立方公尺，目前高水位流量充足，水利署持續從甲仙堰滿載越域引水250萬立方公尺，挹注南化水庫蓄水量。

根據水利署統計，自6月4日梅雨鋒面挾帶雨勢迄今，高雄從旗山溪甲仙攔河堰越域引水量超過2884萬立方公尺；南化水庫自6月4日受梅雨鋒面影響降雨以來，因集水區僅104平方公里不大，本流入流量只有3696立方公尺，等於南化水庫蓄水量幾乎來自高雄越域引水。

此外，水利署看準旗山流量豐沛，昨啟動南化水庫反向送水至烏山頭水庫，連2日均挹注20萬立方公尺，希望增加烏山頭水庫蓄水量，減少曾文水庫出水量，儘量把水留在水庫裡，穩定南部用水。


title: 偷渡通緝犯到柬埔寨詐騙被攔截 人蛇集團主嫌重判8年2月

countries: 柬埔寨 台灣 中國

taiwan-subdivisions: 東港 屏東縣

content_text:
屏東縣東港籍「億錩號」漁船去年搭載成員多為通緝犯的10名偷渡犯前往柬埔寨，準備加入詐騙集團，海巡單位及時攔截查獲，揪出人蛇集團主嫌許巍耀等多名共犯送辦，案經檢方偵結起訴並求處重刑後，屏東地院依意圖營利使受禁止出國處分的國民出國罪，判處許巍耀等7人各8年2個月不等徒刑，可上訴。

海巡署去年3月間在東港外海查獲「億錩號」漁船搭載10名偷渡犯，其中一人是非法入境台灣的中國籍男子，進一步清查身分後，發現其他9名偷渡的台籍男子中，有8人分涉毒品、槍砲及詐欺等罪被通緝，海巡人員連同「億錩號」船長陳泰吉、輪機長蔡能偉及船員黃宗男等人一併送辦。

檢方往上溯源，揪出該起偷渡案主嫌許巍耀，向每名偷渡犯收取100萬至120萬元不等費用，再以250萬元價碼，委託男子吳俊延負責安排海上船隻接駁偷渡至柬埔寨，先以100萬元委由共犯陳志仁駕駛泡棉船載運偷渡犯從岸邊出海，待駛出12浬領海外，再轉乘「億錩號」漁船，以此規避港口安檢通報，另一共犯黃振亮則負責陸上車輛接送及住宿事宜，待「億錩號」返回東港後，再由吳俊延給付船長陳泰吉等3人各30萬元不等報酬。

屏檢指出，該案為有組織性跨境犯罪，嚴重侵害國家安全與邊境秩序，且多名偷渡者為毒品、槍砲、詐欺等重大案件通緝犯，欲前往柬埔寨從事詐騙，危害社會，檢察官建請法官從重量刑，除對主嫌許巍耀求刑8年，也對吳嫌等共犯求處6年6月不等徒刑。

屏東地院認為，許巍耀等7名被告以船隻偷渡，計畫縝密，偷渡犯中多為刑事通緝犯，嚴重危害國境安全，犯罪情節非輕，依意圖營利使受禁止出國處分的國民出國罪判處許巍耀8年2個月徒刑、吳俊延判刑5年、黃振亮判刑4年、陳志仁判刑4年、陳泰吉判刑4年、蔡能偉判刑3年6個月、黃宗男判刑3年4個月，並沒收不法所得，其餘偷渡被告另行審理。