墨新聞｜編輯中心

美國國防部長赫格塞斯於11月7日宣布，將對國防採購與對外軍售體系進行重大改革，目的在於「加速武器生產」與「強化盟友防衛供應鏈」。在官方語言中，這項改革旨在應對「全球威脅日增」的局勢，但更深層的動機，或許反映出美國當前在內政壓力與國際權力競逐間的雙重焦慮。

美國國旗（照片來源：亞洲電視新聞）內部困局：社會撕裂與政治不確定性

美國近年面臨的內部挑戰已不僅是經濟層面。從通膨陰影、債務危機，到社會分化與政治對立，種種結構性問題正逐步侵蝕這個超級強權的穩定基礎。

近期多地爆發的「NO KING」示威浪潮，被視為對政治集中化的不滿表現；而在地方選舉中，川普陣營候選人於紐約等主要城市接連失利，更凸顯美國政治版圖的撕裂。這些內部不確定性，使華府不得不透過對外戰略議題凝聚社會共識。

赫格塞斯的改革計畫，正是在這樣的國內政治氣氛下提出。加速軍售與生產，表面上是防務調整，實際上也有提振軍工產業、穩定內需與轉移輿論焦點的意涵。

示意圖（照片來源：亞洲電視新聞）外部壓力：多線衝突下的戰略焦慮

從歐洲到中東，再到印太，美國所面對的國際挑戰，幾乎遍布全球。首先是俄烏戰爭。 這場持續近三年的衝突，仍是北約與俄羅斯之間的戰略角力。戰事久拖不決，讓西方國家軍火庫壓力驟增，也迫使美國思考如何透過制度性改革，維持軍備與供應鏈穩定。

其次是中東局勢。 以哈衝突雖時有停火，但根本的領土與安全問題並未解決。以色列與伊朗之間的緊張關係仍是潛在引爆點，一旦局勢失控，美國勢必面臨是否再次介入的戰略抉擇。

第三是南美與非洲的地緣經濟競爭。委內瑞拉與奈及利亞分別擁有全球重要的能源資源，美國、俄羅斯與中國皆在當地布局。華府對這些地區的關注，除了政治考量外，也與其能源安全與全球市場穩定密切相關。

亞洲局勢：從稀土到台海，美中角力的新焦點

在亞洲，美中關係持續處於高張緊繃狀態。中國限制軍工稀土出口的政策，使全球供應鏈承受壓力，也使美國的科技與軍事產業感受到前所未有的挑戰。

在此背景下，華府強化與亞太盟友合作、推動軍售與聯合軍演，已成為維持地區均勢的重要手段。

台海局勢則被視為檢驗中美戰略耐心的試金石。中國的軍事動態與美方的政治表態，彼此牽制、互為算計。儘管雙方尚無直接衝突，但任何誤判都可能引發難以收拾的連鎖效應。

軍售改革的意涵：防務經濟的雙重賭注

赫格塞斯推動的軍售與採購改革，意在縮短流程、簡化審核，以提升「武器生產速度」與「對盟友交付效率」。然而，這不僅是防務策略的調整，也是一場「軍事經濟再分配」。

對內，美國希望藉由擴大軍工訂單刺激就業與產能；對外，則透過加快軍售穩固盟友依賴。換言之，這場改革既是國防體制的現代化，也是美國以軍事為核心的國際秩序重塑行動。

超級強權的自我修復與戰略焦慮

美國此刻所展現的軍事行動與制度改革，並非單純的防禦性反應，而是一種戰略性自我修復。在全球多重危機交織下，華府既想維持領導地位，又須避免被內外矛盾拖垮。赫格塞斯的軍售改革，或許正是美國試圖在不確定時代中「自我加速」的象徵。

只是，當國際秩序的壓力越來越集中於軍備與對抗，美國能否真正以改革換得穩定，而非進一步推動世界走向對立，仍有待時間驗證。（前民眾日報資深記者 屈文峰）

※以上言論不代表本報立場※

此篇文章最開始出處為: 超級強權的戰略焦慮 美國以軍售重塑世界秩序

美國 中國 委內瑞拉 伊朗 俄羅斯 以色列 奈及利亞

超級強權的戰略焦慮　美國以軍售重塑世界秩序


Segway Powersports在2025年米蘭國際摩托車展推出AT10 W MUD

AT10 W MUD搭載97馬力高性能動力系統，提供強勁即時的動力輸出，並通過寬輪距設計提升穩定性，320毫米離地間隙可輕鬆跨越樹根與巖脊障礙。標配4500磅電動絞盤，在遇到超出預期的深坑或水窪時，可提供可靠的自救能力。整車具備最高1米涉水深度，並採用優化的進氣路徑、電氣防護與排水系統設計，可在多次深泥或積水浸泡後仍保持穩定運行。

其多項組件與配件可靈活定制，適用於全年不同季節的多樣化用途。專為泥地設計的輪胎與堅固的底盤結構保證了卓越的抓地力與車身穩定性，從而提升騎行體驗。用戶可根據需要加裝除雪鏟以適應冬季作業，並可選配底盤防護、後保險槓與貨物儲物裝置，以增強整車的耐用性與載重靈活度，滿足高頻與重載使用場景。優化的冷卻系統布局可有效減少長時間騎行過程中傳遞至駕駛者的熱量，從而顯著提升長時工作或休閒騎行的舒適性。

智能化是AT10 W MUD體驗以及所有Segway Powersports產品的核心特徵之一。騎行者可連接Smart Moving App智能騎行應用，啟用導航與通訊功能，通過越野地圖引導實時可視化路線，並可連接藍牙耳機或頭盔通訊系統，保持全程互聯。

AT10 W MUD擁有多種功能，可滿足不同類型用戶的多樣化需求。對於土地管理者與林業作業團隊而言，其可靠的動力輸出與卓越的路線適應性是極具吸引力的優勢。對於周末越野愛好者，車輛能夠在深泥與複雜狹窄地形中保持出色的操控性與穩定性，讓騎行既刺激又安心。對於競技級騎手，AT10 W MUD經過精細調校，可在抓地力與視野最具挑戰的賽段中持續保持強勁動能與穩定表現。

除AT10 W MUD外，Segway Powersports還在本屆EICMA展會上展示了豐富的產品陣容，涵蓋全地形車、多用途與運動型並排越野車以及公路系列產品。這一產品陣容充分體現了該公司對高強度車架、精密動力系統、電子助力轉向及以騎手為核心的軟件技術的持續投入，彰顯了其在戶外運動車輛領域的核心技術實力與獨特且尖端的產品。

關於Segway Powersports

Segway自1999年推出革命性的個人代步車以來，徹底改變了微出行領域，激發了全球對未來個人交通方式的無限想象。秉承「Simply Moving（讓出行更簡單）」的使命，Segway致力於簡化人和物的移動方式，提升效率並改善日常生活體驗。數十年來，Segway不斷在短途交通與消費級機器人領域樹立行業新標桿，持續推動技術創新的邊界。如今，Segway以突破性技術引領未來出行趨勢，推出創新產品，重新定義人們的出行方式。

請訪問：https://powersports.segway.com。


日本賽車皇后竟是大胃王！名取久留美全靠這招hold住火辣身材

墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

亞洲男性娛樂第一品牌JKF 11月號雜誌為讀者打造「心動玩物」，請到日本賽車皇后名取久留美擔任封面人物。她先前首次參戰「TSE：學服祭」就獲得大批亞洲粉絲關注，這次為了JKF化身性感焦點，揭露自己私下不為人知的一面。

圖：JKF2018年正式出道的名取久留美，因為擁有玲瓏有致的完美體態，獲得「寫真偶像界的最強黃金比例」的封號。但在她性感的身材背後，卻是個不折不扣的「美食大胃王」，甚至能一口氣吃掉朝過一公斤的食物。

「雖然我沒有真正挑戰過自己的極限，但因為在拍攝『食用總計一公斤的生牛肉&生牡蠣』企劃時，算是很輕鬆地就吃光，所以我的肚子應該可以裝下比一公斤還要多的東西（笑）。」名取久留美拍了不少享用美食的ASMR影片，在個人的YouTube頻道上令粉絲瞠目結舌。她也解答如何維持完美體態，除了在拍攝前會飲食控制外，因為平時不愛運動，所以多靠「延長睡眠時間」來保持身材。

說到JKF雜誌本月主題「心動玩物」，名取久留美大方分享自己的多元興趣，她從小就對汽機車有研究，平時則熱愛點心烘焙。而她也有鮮為人知的嗜好，最近迷上「採耳」，「我很熱衷幫別人採耳，清乾淨後就有種莫名的舒壓感！所以我最近都很期待回家，因為能好好地幫我父親掏耳朵」。

圖：JKF回想起在「2022 日本賽車皇后大獎賽」中奪下冠軍，名取久留美仍難掩興奮，只是在光鮮亮麗的工作背後，還是潛藏著職業風險。名取久留美提到，不管天氣如何，都要風雨無阻上陣工作，「去年的天氣不是很好，所以很常遇到下雨或是延賽的情況。然後印象深刻的可怕事件，是有次在深山舉行的比賽裡頭，儘管下著大雨，但我們還是前往賽道上進行工作，只是沒有想到風強雨大的天氣，差點就把我手上的雨傘給吹走！好在最後還是牢牢地抓在手中，要不然一被吹走，可能就會影響到後續的比賽及活動」。

圖：JKF如今她透過 2024年底的「TSE：學服祭」在台灣大放異彩，名取久留美開心稱讚台灣是個非常友善的地方，不少粉絲都特地學習日文來和她溝通，讓她第一次感受到超越語言的溫柔情意。名取久留美也特別感謝人氣活動品牌「Onederfour萬德佛」力邀她出席TRE 2025以及舉辦「Color Party」個人首場見面會，她最後向台灣粉絲告白：「因為粉絲們的溫暖，真的讓我很想經常地來台灣！像是透過見面會，讓我能好好地與大家互動外，在『Color Party』活動上，我也特別準備了藍色手帕作為禮物，除了是代表著我把“幸運”分享給大家，也希望粉絲們在未來看到這個禮物後，能回想起與我們一起度過的美好時光！」

此篇文章最開始出處為: 日本賽車皇后竟是大胃王！名取久留美全靠這招hold住火辣身材


民歌史上龐大幕後製作揭密！民歌大團圓動員2500人打造7小時音樂不間斷民歌盛典 大巨蛋超狂「服務密碼」全面公開

2025-11-13   墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

華語樂壇最強女子二重唱夢幻集結唱響11/22「民歌大巨蛋」女力號角！由民歌創作天后邰肇玫領軍，一舉號召南方二重唱、唱紅〈秋蟬〉的楊芳儀＋徐曉菁、及「大學城」重唱組合-林佳蓉＋許淑絹三組跨世代經典二重唱組合攜手同台，在重現華語女聲最動人和聲記憶的同時，更邀來闊別民歌舞台30年的芝麻（陳艾玲）驚喜加入，八人共組期間限定超強女力戰隊「八仙合韻」，將以天籟合聲及滿滿的民歌大團圓情誼，掀起全場最動人的經典共鳴！

左起：許淑絹、林佳蓉、徐曉菁、楊芳儀 、吳楚楚(中)、邰肇玫、芝麻陳艾玲、大小南方民歌年度壓軸音樂盛典─2025【臺北大巨蛋·民歌大團圓】11/22重磅登場未演先轟動！趁著開演倒數之際，主辦單位中華音樂人交流協會搶先讓「八仙合韻」齊聚一堂練團，大展美聲共鳴魅力，意外讓精彩節目內容提前曝光；其中好久不見的芝麻（陳艾玲）與南方二重唱驚喜合體，組成「三重唱」重新詮釋經典名曲〈動不動就說愛我〉，完美和聲一開口便讓全場驚艷，彷彿一秒回到民歌黃金年代。隨後邰肇玫、楊芳儀＋徐曉菁、林佳蓉＋許淑絹加入共同演唱〈小小貝殼〉，八人首度同框的超豪華組合以二重唱、三重唱、輪唱等多層次方式交織出震撼人心的美聲天堂，堪稱為華語樂壇合聲藝術再創典範！而趁著總彩提前團圓時刻，2025【臺北大巨蛋·民歌大團圓】的音樂統籌陳秀男老師特別代表主辦單位，送給八位女歌手由贊助商「雀巢」所提供的養生禮盒（雀巢諾沛＋雀巢佳能＋雀巢均康＋纖維佳），感謝她們在繁忙行程中仍全力投入排練，並祝福每位歌手都能以最佳狀態登上大巨蛋舞台。收到禮盒的八仙合韻成員們又驚又喜，紛紛笑稱：「這是最貼心的鼓勵禮！」

左起：大南方閻宗玉、芝麻陳艾玲、小南方林明樺而「八仙合韻」能各司其職達到如此細膩的完美合聲，要歸功於南方二重唱的林明樺（小南方）為每個歌手、每個聲部量身打造「合聲譜」，還專程為各聲部製作分軌錄音方便大家練習，徐曉菁表示：「很感謝她(明樺)獨自一人寫出如此完美的合聲譜，雖然她在我們團體中年紀最小，但卻非常了解我們的音色特質及擅長，還開放大家認領想唱的聲部；也因為她的體貼與圓融，讓大家更有凝聚力，一定要把這場難得的重唱做到最好。」芝麻（陳艾玲）則透露八人特別為此開群組「越洋討論」，「因為大家平常行程都很滿，還有幾位住在國外，雖然我們身在不同地方，但透過這樣的合作方式，依然能感受到熟悉的默契與溫馨。」從線上群組到現場練團，八位實力女聲不僅完美融合音色，更在笑聲與音符間凝聚深厚情誼，讓「八仙合韻」成為今年民歌大團圓舞台最令人期待的「黃金女聲奇蹟時刻」！

左起：許淑絹、林佳蓉、徐曉菁、楊芳儀 、邰肇玫、芝麻陳艾玲、大小南方民歌45的「七小福」此次前進大巨蛋合體演出全面進化，因邰肇玫一句邀請，讓闊別民歌舞台30年的「芝麻」陳艾玲應聲回歸，不僅組成升級版「八仙合韻」成就民歌女力大團圓的佳話，八人更共寫民歌歷史新篇章！繼五年前邰肇玫、南方二重唱、楊芳儀、徐曉菁、林佳蓉、許淑絹在民歌45舞台上以「七小福」美聲組合讓全場歌迷回味再三，此次為了呼應「大團圓」精神，特別力邀芝麻(陳艾玲)回歸團圓，讓「大南方」閻宗玉開心表示：「雖然彼此都不是第一次見面，但像是芝麻(陳艾玲)、楊芳儀，徐曉菁真的是好久不見！正因為二重唱在樂壇是少數也是珍貴，因此這次民歌大巨蛋真的圓了我們二重唱大團圓的心願！」而曾在30年前登上「民歌20」舞台的陳艾玲則坦言一接到「徵召令」時內心「猶豫忐忑」，她透露當時剛好收到邰肇玫捎來一封暖心訊息：『芝麻，竭誠歡迎你與南方二重唱一起唱〈動不動就說愛我〉，這將是一個感人的畫面，一個的經典傳說！也讓我們8人的二重唱在民歌大巨蛋寫下歷史性的一頁，見證我們走過的歲月！』陳艾玲表示：「小玫姐的話讓我深受感動，也給我很大的勇氣，因為有這麼多優秀的重唱組合民歌手並肩演出，我知道我不是一個人站在台上，而是和大家用音樂串起那段屬於我們的珍貴青春記憶。」

左起：大南方閻宗玉、芝麻陳艾玲、小南方林明樺面對11/22將首次站上臺北大巨蛋演出，「芝麻」陳艾玲直言「既興奮又緊張」，她表示：「雖然平常都有參與教會的演唱活動，但如此正式大型演出，應該是從『民歌20』演唱會後就沒有再登台了！這次能和數萬多位熱愛民歌的朋友們在大巨蛋相會重溫那段充滿青春與美好回憶的時光，是一件多麼幸福的事！」期許自己「能站得穩、唱得好」的陳艾玲特別展開為期兩周的密集練唱訓練，從發聲、練嗓到狀態調整一刻不鬆懈，並搭配每週固定游泳兩到三次的習慣來增強肺活量。她透露：「我每天都提醒自己要早睡、多喝水、多運動、保持規律作息，因為我相信好的生活狀態，就是最自然的保養方式。」提及這次總彩合體，曾在《民歌45》時到後台探班的她難掩興奮表示：「這次終於不只是『後台打氣』，而是能真正並肩站上舞台合唱，能和這麼多優秀的女子二重唱再度聚在一起，對我來說不只是重逢，更像是一場溫暖又充滿音樂能量的大聚會。雖然五年聽起來好像很久，但民歌之間的情感真的沒有時間的距離，每次一見面，那份熟悉感和默契就立刻回來，好像昨天才一起唱過歌一樣。」

左起：大南方閻宗玉、芝麻陳艾玲、小南方林明樺除了「八仙合韻」的夢幻組合令人引頸期盼，主辦單位中華音樂人交流協會在開唱倒數10天之際，正式公布2025【臺北大巨蛋·民歌大團圓】的「服務密碼」！這場號稱民歌史上規模最龐大的年度壓軸盛典，不僅歷時8個月籌備、集結74位重量級歌手輪番登場獻唱122首民歌經典，總演出時間長達7小時不間斷，更動員超過2500位台前幕後工作人員、 80人影像攝影團隊以及19間美食品牌提供餐飲服務，以超高規格打造「民歌史上最大製作」與「大巨蛋工作證數量新紀錄」，堪稱開唱前就先締造奇蹟。此外，為了讓每一位觀眾都能安心、舒適地沉浸在民歌旋律裡，主辦單位從歌手邀請、音樂製作、舞台設計到場館動線、美食攤位、安全維護都以最高標準規劃，甚至連大巨蛋內1126間廁所、逾2500張工作證都精準納入動線管理，展現民歌人一絲不苟的製作精神。值得一提的是，觀眾入場後還能在周邊攤位體驗多項趣味活動，包括在「MUST攤位」玩拍貼樂、於「資策會攤位」嘗試最新AI互動技術「與民歌對話」，並可獲贈一本百頁《民歌50》紀念冊與一份節目導覽手冊。手冊內不僅詳細揭露7小時節目的各階段亮點與歌手名單，還附上全場美食地圖、散場路線指引與周邊活動資訊，讓數萬名民歌迷不只聽得過癮，更玩得盡興。

【臺北大巨蛋·民歌大團圓】將於11月22日盛大登場，這場集結民歌靈魂與現代製作能量的巨蛋盛典，將帶領數萬名歌迷一同走進臺北大巨蛋，共享50年一次的經典重聚，見證華語音樂世代傳承與創新精神的時代里程碑。

照片資料提供：中華音樂人交流協會

此篇文章最開始出處為: 民歌史上龐大幕後製作揭密！民歌大團圓動員2500人打造7小時音樂不間斷民歌盛典 大巨蛋超狂「服務密碼」全面公開


IBM 發表全新量子處理器、軟體與演算法

全力推進量子優勢與大規模量子容錯量子電腦

新的 IBM Quantum Nighthawk (代號：夜鷹) 量子處理器，專為實現量子優勢而設計，可執行複雜度增加30%的電路。IBM 偕同合作夥伴貢獻三項實驗成果給一個由開放社群主導的量子優勢機制，挑戰現行主導的傳統模擬方法。全新 IBM Qiskit展示動態電路的準確度提高 24%，並透過由高效能運算 (HPC) 驅動的誤差緩解技術，使取得準確結果的成本降低100 倍以上。IBM Quantum Loon (代號：潛鳥) 展示了容錯型量子運算所需要的所有硬體元件高效能量子糾錯的解碼速度提升 10 倍，比原計畫時程提前一年完成。IBM將在其 300mm晶圓製造工廠加速開發與製造其量子晶圓。同時將量子晶片複雜度提升 10 倍，以支援發展量子容錯糾錯能力。

台北2025年11月12日 /美通社/ — IBM今日在  IBM 發表全新 IBM Quantum Nighthawk 量子處理器，專為量子優勢設計，可處理複雜度更高的電路

IBM 將於2026年實現量子優勢

IBM 推出迄今最先進的量子處理器 IBM Quantum Nighthawk （代號：夜鷹），以搭配高效能量子軟體，將於2026年實現量子優勢。（量子優勢：量子電腦能以優於所有單純使用傳統運算技術的方式解決問題）

IBM Quantum Nighthawk 將於 2025 年底問世，具備下列能力：

120 個量子位元（qubits），以 218 個新一代可調耦合器連接四個最近的量子位元，形成正方形晶格；耦合器數量比 IBM Quantum Heron 增加20% 以上。量子位元連接性增加，讓使用者在保持低錯誤率之餘，可執行複雜度增加 30% 的電路。此架構支持多達 5,000 個雙量子位元閘（two-qubit gates），它是量子運算裡關鍵的糾纏運行，適用於對於運算力需求高的議題。

預計下一個版本的 Nighthawk 在2026 年底可支援 7,500 個雙量子位元閘，2027 年達10,000 個；以 Nighthawk為基礎的系統預計在2028 年可支持15,000 個雙量子位元閘，藉由2024年首次在實驗型量子晶片上首次展示的長距離耦合器，連接1,000或更多的量子位元。

IBM 預期第一批經過社群驗證的量子優勢案例將於 2026 年底公布。為了促進嚴謹驗證並推動最佳量子與傳統運算方法，IBM 與 Algorithmiq、Flatiron Institute 及 BlueQubit 正在將最新創新成果貢獻給一個由開放社群主導的量子優勢機制，供全球有系統地檢視與驗證。

上述量子優勢的追蹤機制目前支持三個實驗專案，目的是探索量子優勢在可觀測估計、變分問題、和具有高效經典驗證的問題方面的應用。IBM 鼓勵全球量子社群將創新成果貢獻給這個機制，雙向交流以找出最佳方法取得量子優勢。

為了在全新的量子硬體上取得經過驗證的量子優勢，開發人員需要能夠高度控制電路，並使用高性能運算 (HPC) 以減少運算中出現的錯誤。

IBM Qiskit 是 全球效能最高、由IBM 開發的量子軟體堆棧。透過強化動態電路功能，Qiskit提供開發人員前所未有的控制能力：在超過 100 個量子位元的規模下，準確度提高了 24%。Qiskit 並增加了新的運行模型，能夠實現細粒度控制和 C-API，提升由HPC 驅動的錯誤消除功能，將取得準確結果的成本降低 100 倍以上。

隨著量子電腦日趨成熟，全球量子社群的研究方向正在拓展到高效能運算和科學領域。IBM 為 Qiskit 提供一個由 C-API 支援的 C++ 接口，使用者可以在現有的高效能運算環境中，進行量子運算的原生編程。IBM 繼續在先進的電路運作能力領域保持領先，包括動態電路和增加對電路運作的控制以減少錯誤。

IBM 計畫在2027 年透過機器學習與優化等領域的運算庫來擴展 Qiskit，更有效地研究與解決微分方程式和哈密頓模擬等基礎物理和化學難題。

IBM 展示研發容錯量子運算所需的基礎硬體元件

此外，IBM目標在 2029 年推出世界上第一台大規模的容錯量子電腦。

IBM 今天同時推出 IBM Quantum Loon （代號：潛鳥）實驗型處理器，首次展示 IBM 已經具備發展容錯量子運算所需的一切關鍵處理器元件。IBM Loon 將驗證一項新的架構，以開發和擴展實用級、高效能量子糾錯所需要的元件。IBM 展示了預備納入 Loon 的創新能力，包括引入多個高品質、低損耗的路由層，為更長距離的片上連接（或「c 耦合器」）提供路徑，超越最近鄰耦合器，將同一晶片上的遠距離量子位元以物理型態連接起來，以及在運算之間重置量子位元的技術。

IBM 亦提升了研發容錯型量子運算的另一項關鍵能力，即使用傳統運算硬體，以 qLDPC 碼準確地實時（少於 480 奈秒）解碼錯誤。這項工程成就比原計劃提前一年完成。搭配 Loon，這展示了在高速、高保真度的超導量子位元上擴展 qLDPC 程式碼所需要的基礎；這些超導量子位元正是 IBM 量子電腦的核心。

IBM加速開發與製造量子晶圓

除了不斷提升其量子電腦的能力，IBM 也宣布其位於紐約州阿爾巴尼奈米科技園區、生產300mm晶圓的工廠，將成為製造其量子晶圓的主力。園區內先進的半導體製造系統與全天候運作機制，已經加速 IBM 學習、改善與延伸其量子處理器功能，使 IBM 不斷提升其量子位元的連接能力、精密度與效能。時至今日，IBM 已經能夠：

提升研發速度一倍；推出每個新處理器的時程減半；提升量子晶片的物理複雜度達十倍；同時探索與進行多重研發項目

新聞聯絡IBM 公司公關部 Kate Liu [email protected]


玲瓏輪胎董事長王鋒在COP30發表演講

巴西貝倫2025年11月12日 /美通社/ — 11月10日，在巴西貝倫舉行的《聯合國氣候變化框架公約》第三十次締約方大會(COP30)中國角「生態文明與美麗中國實踐」邊會上，中國向國際社會生動展示了生態文明建設成就。作為中國工業綠色轉型代表，玲瓏輪胎董事長王鋒應邀發表主題演講，向世界分享玲瓏的生態文明實踐和綠色速度，承諾2030年實現碳達峰，2050年達成碳中和。這一時間表比《巴黎協定》要求的全球碳中和目標提前了整整十年。

玲瓏輪胎已制定了清晰的碳中和實施路徑，從能源利用、可持續輪胎研發創新、供應商管理等方面不斷推進公司雙碳目標的實現，立志到2035年減排52.07%，到2050年實現淨零排放。公司通過「新材料、新技術、新工藝、新裝備、新能源」五大維度整體推進綠色轉型。例如，公司推出全球首條可持續材料佔比達79%輪胎，性能達到歐盟標籤最高等級，並計劃於2028年提升至85%，2040年實現100%可持續材料應用。通過創新使用稻殼灰白炭黑、玉米基衣康酸酯橡膠等生物基材料，替代傳統石油基原料，部分應用可實現35%的碳減排。

技術方面，玲瓏新能源輪胎SPORT MASTER e，通過BPT穩態壓力等獲獎的核心技術，顯著優化接地壓力。

玲瓏輪胎還致力於構建全產業鏈綠色生態系統。公司是中國大陸首家加入全球可持續天然橡膠平台(GPSNR)的輪胎企業，積極推動供應鏈的合規性與透明化。通過開展FSC認證的可持續天然橡膠項目，玲瓏將環保責任延伸至原料端，保障了從森林到輪胎的全鏈條可持續管理。在資源循環利用方面，公司建設再生膠車間，推廣使用液體再生膠、熱裂解炭黑等，有效化解廢舊輪胎帶來的環境壓力，形成了資源-產品-再生資源的良性循環。

王鋒董事長強調，玲瓏的「雙碳」路線圖，既是對生態環境的鄭重承諾，更是一場關乎效率的價值革命。公司將持續推動創新，為全球用戶提供綠色環保的「玲瓏方案」。玲瓏願與各方一道，以實際行動共建清潔美麗世界。


強化工業網路安全韌性

針對 OT 設計的平台和安全服務，使工業組織能夠降低風險、最大化運作時間

並簡化整個網路資安生命週期的合規

威斯康辛州密爾瓦基市2025年11月12日 /美通社/ —  Rockwell Automation 推出 SecureOT 解決方案套件

隨著工業營運的聯網程度越來越高，組織正面臨著針對營運技術 (OT) 系統的網路威脅急劇增加的局面。許多舊有系統從未以網路資安為考量進行設計，而傳統的 IT 工具通常無法保護複雜且老化的工業環境。SecureOT 旨在縮小差距，幫助組織使用為現代工業營運現實所打造的技術與專業知識來保護其 OT 基礎架構。

SecureOT 將 Rockwell Automation 的專用 SecureOT 平台、專業服務和管理式安全服務整合到統一的解決方案中，為複雜、老化和高度監管的工業系統提供端到端的保護。

Rockwell Automation 生命週期服務資深副總裁 Matthew Fordenwalt 表示：「工業營運面臨的網路威脅正以前所未有的速度演變，傳統的防禦措施根本無法跟上。」 「SecureOT 不只是一個品牌，而是工業組織如何處理網路資安的策略轉變。我們將深厚的工業專業知識與 OT 特定的技術與服務相結合，幫助客戶在威脅中保持領先地位，並保持安全運行。」

專為工業複雜度而生

SecureOT 專為 OT 環境的特定挑戰而設計，提供涵蓋所有網路資安成熟度層級的全面保護。SecureOT 平台提供跨不同供應商生態系統的即時資產透明度、風險優先順序和弱點管理。

透過其專業服務，SecureOT 提供策略諮詢、評估和實作支援，以幫助組織加強其安全態勢。其管理式安全服務提供 Rockwell 專屬的 OT 安全營運中心 (SOC) 和網路營運中心 (NOC) 全天候的持續監控和事故應變。

SecureOT 符合全球公認的架構，包括 NIST CSF、NIS2 和 IEC 62443，並採取供應商中立的方法保護工業控制系統和技術堆疊。

Omdia OT/IoT 網路資安首席分析師 Hollie Hennessy 表示：「工業組織需要根據 OT 的實際情況制定網路安全策略。」 「Rockwell Automation 的 SecureOT 位址採用分層方法，將資產透明度、弱點管理和管理式偵測服務整合到一個架構中。這是工業網路安全成熟度的重要一步。」

實際成果

SecureOT 正在幫助工業領導者改變其網路安全態勢：

一家領先的石油與天然氣生產商在短短六個月內就實現了完整的 OT 資產透明度，並修復了遠端營運的關鍵風險。 一家大型飲料製造商將其老舊的工業網路和計算安裝基地遷移到全球超過 150 個據點的全面管理和支援基礎架構。一家能源公司將其 NIST CSF 成熟度分數加倍，同時為高階主管提供可衡量的投資回報。一家電力公司獲得對遠端變電站的安全、即時透明度 – 透過無代理程式監控實現 NERC CIP 合規並降低成本。

有了 SecureOT，工業組織便能自信地降低風險、協助維持運作時間並執行更安全的營運，無論他們處於網路資安旅程的哪個階段。若要進一步瞭解 SecureOT，請造訪 https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/capabilities/industrial-cybersecurity.html。

關於 Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc.（NYSE：ROK）為工業自動化和數位轉型的全球領導品牌。我們結合人們的想像力與技術潛力，開創人類的無限可能性，讓這個世界變得更有效率且更符合永續發展。Rockwell Automation 總部位於威斯康辛州密爾瓦基，截至 2024 會計年度末，約有 27,000 名員工，為 100 多個國家/地區的客戶提供服務。如需進一步瞭解我們如何將 The Connected Enterprise® 導入工業領域的每個發展階段，請參考 www.rockwellautomation.com。

Rockwell Automation 推出 SecureOT 解決方案套件


▼深入萬丹鄉社區推動交通安全宣導作業，成功降低當地高齡者重大交通事故發生率，展現警察局主動作為與民眾有感的防制決心。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局）

【記者何勁陞／屏東報導】 為強化高齡者交通安全意識，屏東縣政府警察局積極落實「情境管理」與「溫度宣導」理念，結合跨域合作模式，深入萬丹鄉社區推動交通安全宣導作業，成功降低當地高齡者重大交通事故發生率，展現警察局主動作為與民眾有感的防制決心。

根據統計，萬丹鄉於114年1月至5月期間共發生11件A1類交通事故，造成11人死亡，為屏東縣交通事故熱區，其中高齡者佔比偏高，且常伴隨嚴重死傷。面對此一現況，警察局於114年6月啟動「萬丹鄉A1類交通事故防制專案宣導執行計畫」，特別針對高齡者族群擬定對應策略，攜手交通部公路局高雄區監理所、屏東監理站、在地「路老師」宣講團及地方社區關懷據點等單位，共同舉辦多場實地宣導活動。

宣導內容聚焦高齡者常見高風險用路行為與事故樣態，並透過互動問答、情境模擬等體驗式教學方式，強化民眾對交通風險的理解與自我保護能力，讓交通安全觀念更貼近生活、深入人心。

在跨域合作與在地深耕努力下，成果亦顯著顯現。依據統計，計畫執行後的114年8月至10月間，萬丹鄉A1類交通事故死亡人數自8人降至0人，高齡者死亡亦由3人歸零；同期A2類事故數亦由280件降至247件，顯示事故防制與宣導策略發揮明顯成效，實踐以「教育前行、預防為先」的道安工作目標。

警察局長甘炎民表示，面對高齡化社會趨勢，提升長者交通風險意識與安全行為養成刻不容緩。警察局未來將持續主動結合監理機關、社福單位與在地社團，擴大深入社區的交通宣導行動，讓正確的交通觀念從家庭、社區向外延伸，建構更友善、更安全的用路環境。「我們期待透過一次次有溫度、有策略的宣導，讓每一位長者都能安心出門、平安回家，這是警察對社會的承諾，更是我們最堅定的信念。」

防詐保財安 運動保體康 屏警跨局處攜手推動「安康運動」

▼縣長周春米率警察局長甘炎民等各單位主管，結合體育發展中心在屏東田徑場舉辦「第74屆屏東縣運暨公教聯合運動會」活動。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局）

屏東縣政府為強化全民防詐觀念、提倡健康生活新風氣，於11月7日由縣長周春米率警察局長甘炎民等各單位主管，結合體育發展中心在屏東田徑場舉辦「第74屆屏東縣運暨公教聯合運動會」活動中，以「防詐保財安、運動保體康」為主題，推動「安康運動」，號召所有與會選手與親友團一邊動健康、一邊學防詐，現場氣氛熱絡，本次「安康運動」活動象徵跨局處合作新典範，透過「防詐＋運動」的創意結合，將警政宣導融入生活，期望在笑聲與汗水中讓防詐意識更深入人心，打造「全民防詐、全民安康」的幸福城市。

活動以民和國小學生的獨輪車舞龍表演與運動選手進場揭開序幕，警察局反詐宣導團由甘局長親自領軍用簡潔有力的宣導方式，讓各單位選手了解目前「普發一萬」的詐騙手段與時下常見的詐騙手法，如假投資、假檢警、網購退款等常見陷阱。警方強調：「詐騙集團手法再變，冷靜查證最安全！」提醒大家牢記「一聽二掛三查證」防詐3部曲，也呼籲全民加入「吹哨超人」行列，一起來舉報車手，可拿1萬元獎金，如在詐騙犯罪未被發覺前，勇敢站出來檢舉，經警方偵辦移送後，初步由法院判決3年以上有期徒刑時，就可以領獎金，最高可得1,000萬元。

縣長周春米也呼籲，防詐宣導不分年齡、不分場所，尤其是現值政府「普發一萬」登記期間，特別強調「政府部門不會主動傳簡訊或電子郵件，要求點網路連結填寫個資或信用卡資料，如有接到電話通知說個資被盜用申辦金融帳戶或電話門號發送詐騙簡訊」就是詐騙，絕不能照著操作，有任何疑問都可以打165或110電話或直接到警察分駐（派出）所洽詢，請警方協助，才不會被騙。大家ㄧ定要把自己的錢「顧乎好」、「甲伊攬牢牢」。

萬丹A1事故防制見效　屏警攜手社區打造高齡友善交通環境

萬丹 高雄 屏東縣 成功


記者蕭麗鳳/彰化報導

海巡署中部分署第三岸巡隊王功安檢所11日上午接獲彰化縣消防局第四大隊漢寶消防分隊通報，指稱漢寶蚵道有民眾身體不適暈厥，亟需救助，隨即派遣安檢所同仁攜帶救生救難裝備趕赴現場處置。

上午海巡人員抵達漢寶蚵道，與漢寶消防隊隊員徒步於距岸約1公里處發現該民眾，經初步評估，民眾尚有意識且無明顯外傷，救援人員立即以搬運毯協力將其抬運上岸，並由消防單位後送醫院治療。

▲救援人員立即以搬運毯協力將其抬運上岸，並由消防單位後送醫院治療。（圖/第三岸巡隊提供)

第三岸巡隊呼籲：颱風來襲時請遵循政府發布之防災指引，並可透過「Go Ocean 海洋遊憩風險資訊平台」查詢即時海象與風險熱區，避免進入危險海域，保障自身與救援人員安全；另民眾於岸際及港區發現有危難、救生或救難等案件，請立即撥打「118」免費服務專線請求協助，海巡人員將於第一時間投入教援。

海巡獲報即刻救援暈厥民眾   呼籲颱風期間慎防水域危險


記者蕭麗鳳/彰化報導

彰化縣埤頭鄉「文雅畜牧場」雞蛋檢出含超量禁用農藥「芬普尼代謝物」，遭全面預防性下架15萬顆雞蛋並停止出貨。為追查汙染源，近日再抽驗該案場雞蛋、蛋雞羽毛、飲用水等，結果顯示雞蛋與羽毛檢體再度檢出芬普尼及其代謝物。彰化縣府即刻對該案場實施全面移動管制，並封存所有禽蛋、再加重開罰12萬元。農業部表示，已可確認排除飼料、鄰田汙染，全案將移送檢調偵辦。

為調查汙染源的肇因，食藥署在11月10日指示，全面停止該場雞蛋出貨，並要求每日檢驗。彰化縣政府動防所與農業處畜產科於10日再次前往採集場內雞蛋共9件45顆(包含11/7至11/10逐日生產之雞蛋共4件及畜舍內第1、2、4、5、6列雞籠雞蛋共5件)、雞隻飲水2瓶、飼料2件、土壤檢體1件及羽毛檢體1件送中央畜產會檢驗。11月11日再次赴該場採集雞隻內臟（肝、腎）、肌肉、脂肪及蛋品樣品，送中央畜產會檢驗11月10日所送檢體結果於11日晚間完成，結果顯示1件雞蛋檢體檢出芬普尼代謝物0.03ppm，羽毛檢體檢出芬普尼0.27ppm及其代謝物0.13ppm，其餘檢體均為零檢出。

▲縣府於11月11日傍晚接獲檢驗結果後，立即採取下列緊急管制措施。（圖/彰縣府提供)

縣府於11月11日傍晚接獲檢驗結果後，立即採取下列緊急管制措施，以確保本縣禽品食用安全：一、該蛋雞場持續進行移動管制，並開立禁止移動管制通知書，禁止該場蛋品及雞隻移出場外，管制期間每日派員清點雞蛋數量並持續封存。二、該蛋場持續出現芬普尼汙染，縣動防所將依違反動物用藥品管理法加重裁罰新臺幣12萬元之罰鍰。三、案例場管制期間，縣動防所將持續採樣檢測雞隻與蛋品，直至檢驗結果確認安全，通報中央，並依中央指示始得解除移動管制。四，縣府持續與中央衛生及農政單位密切聯繫，遵循各項指引，落實後續監管及防範措施。

彰化縣政府再次提醒，芬普尼禁止使用於蛋雞，若違反規定，依《動物用藥品管理法》第40條之1第1項，將處新臺幣6萬至30萬元罰鍰。業者應嚴格遵守動物用藥規範，勿使用來路不明之動物用藥，以確保禽蛋品質與民眾食用安全。

芬普尼蛋雞複檢樣本再次檢出  縣府立即啟動全面禁止移動管制與監測


GLOBAL LAWMAKERS:  Members voted to support commitments to human rights obligations made by their governments and to prosecute repression, Fan Yun said   By Chen Cheng-hu, Chen Yu-fu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer

A coalition of lawmakers from around the world would support bills and measures to counter China-backed transnational repression in their nations, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said yesterday.

Members of the Interparliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) have pledged to support efforts to combat Beijing’s surveillance and abduction campaigns on foreign soil, DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, summarizing the outcomes of a summit.

Fan’s comments came weeks after China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau was investigating DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) over alleged “secession-related criminal activities.”

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Fan Yun, right, speaks, as DPP caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin looks on at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of Fan Yun’s office

Nearly 60 lawmakers from more than 29 nations attended this year’s summit on Friday and Saturday last week, IPAC said.

Members voted to support their governments’ commitments to human rights obligations and target people complicit in transnational repression through criminal prosecutions, visa suspensions and economic sanctions, Fan said.

They pledged to help establish mechanisms for people targeted by transnational repression to seek justice and intergovernmental communication channels for the international community to mount coordinated responses to such incidents, she said.

The alliance’s declaration called on its members to pressure their governments to combat China’s repressive actions abroad as a global attack on human rights, she said.

The IPAC especially condemned China’s repression in Tibet, forced organ harvesting, takeover of global rare earths supply chains and attempts to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, Fan said.

The resolution defined unilateral alterations to the “status quo” as efforts to interfere with Taiwan’s autonomous governance, its conduct of diplomacy and using coercion to change the political arrangement in Taiwan, she said.

The IPAC declaration called on members to advocate meaningful governmental action to punish Beijing for attempting to change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, she added.

Separately yesterday, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said that China’s menacing comments about Shen were not directed at one person, but were to sow fear and division among all Taiwanese.

The opposition parties should stand in solidarity to defend the rights of fellow Taiwanese regardless of political alignment and take steps to bolster national resilience to deter China from acting on its territorial ambitions to annex Taiwan, Chiu said.

China has no jurisdiction in Taiwan and no democracy would collaborate with Beijing to extradite people wanted on political charges, but Taiwanese should avoid unnecessary travel to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, he said.

Asked about Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers saying that the DPP policy of characterizing China as a hostile foreign power is to blame for increased risks to lawmakers, DPP Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) said that the KMT’s comments used a rhetorical cliche to deflect responsibility when it should be condemning Beijing.

Words cannot change that China’s efforts to construct “long-armed jurisdiction” over Taiwan are the real problem and that the opposition’s cuts to crucial defense bills have jeopardized national security, Chen said.

Condemnation of Beijing’s misdeeds is necessary for Taiwan to establish a baseline before the government can authorize the diplomatic and national security resources to protect Taiwanese abroad, she said.

The KMT should stop using the maintenance of its vaunted communication channels with China as an excuse to disarm Taiwan, she added.

Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said that China has no right to arbitrarily arrest or issue warrants for any Taiwanese.

When such incidents occur, the government should take action, Huang said.

President William Lai’s only concrete response to Shen’s situation was to ask Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to lead legislators from across party lines to support Shen, Huang said, adding that Lai took no active measures.

It is the government’s unshirkable responsibility to protect every Taiwanese, but the DPP has been “sloganeering and finding enemies in Taiwan” instead of finding a substantive solution to the problem, Huang said.

Additional reporting by Yang Hsin-hui

陳培瑜 黃國昌 范雲 韓國瑜

IPAC vows to combat China’s moves


Military numbers rise to nearly 230,000, report says

RECRUITMENT PLANS:  The defense ministry said the military this year to date is 20.8 percent understrength, with the figure tipped to drop to 20 percent by the year-end

The number of active military personnel in Taiwan has increased to nearly 230,000, up by about 10,000 from 2021, the first increase since the military underwent downsizing under the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the Ministry of National Defense said in a report.

The military, which peaked at about 700,000 active personnel, dropped to 600,000 in the 1980s, 400,000 between 1997 and 2001, 265,000 in 2002 and 215,000 after 2014, said the report, which is to be presented to the legislature today.

The Ma administration intended to implement another downsizing project that would have reduced the number of active military personnel to between 170,000 and 190,000, but the proposal failed due to opposition from lawmakers.

The number of active-duty personnel has increased by 3,000 since 2023, while volunteer numbers have increased by 2,000 since last year, the ministry said.

As of the start of this month, 651 non-commissioned officers, 3,820 officers and 10,407 regular soldiers had been added this year, or 102.2 percent of the target, it said.

Its standard for retention is 76 percent, but retention rates from 2022 onward have exceeded that, averaging 86.5 percent so far this year, up 4.5 percentage points from last year, it said.

Moreover, the number of unsuitable officers and soldiers is on the decline, dropping to 2,900 as of this month from 5,509 in 2022, it said.

Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) is expected to brief the legislature today on plans to ensure that military units are up to strength, with the report sent to lawmakers yesterday.

The report focuses on measures to consolidate basic combat capabilities among general troops, as well as reduce personnel outflow, increase willingness to continue service and step up recruitment, the ministry said.

Relaxed regulations over young people serving are also being considered, it said.

The military this year to date is 20.8 percent understrength, with volunteers comprising 76.9 percent of active-duty personnel and those serving their one-year mandatory service accounting for 2.3 percent, the report said.

The ministry expects the figure to drop to 20 percent by the end of the year, it said.

Ministry of the Interior data showed that 9,127 people were expected to serve their mandatory military service last year, but only 6,956 began it, or 2.5 percent of active military personnel, the report said.

The data showed that 15,205 people were to commence their one-year service this year, but only 8,291 — 2.9 percent of active military personnel — did, it said.

However, the number of active-duty personnel across next year and 2027 is expected to increase, meaning the personnel shortage would ease, it said.

The defense ministry said that the interior ministry’s estimates of the number of eligible males scheduled to serve their mandatory time in the military have declined since 2021, with the 2027 prediction for fewer than 80,000, highlighting the danger of declining birthrates to national defense.


Storm brings flooding as it brushes southern Taiwan

Torrential rains brought by Tropical Storm Fung-wong caused severe flooding in Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳) before it brushed the southern part of Taiwan last night.

Fung-wong had super typhoon strength when it battered the Philippines on Sunday, causing flooding, landslides, power outages and at least 27 deaths.

Holding tropical storm strength yesterday morning, it continued to lose wind speed and size, with its storm circle shrinking as it moved toward waters southwest of Taiwan.

An aerial photograph shows flooding in Hualien County’s Wanrong Township yesterday. Photo courtesy of a member of the public

It passed over the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at 7:40pm before being downgraded to a tropical depression yesterday evening, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

Heavy rain poured down in Suao starting on Tuesday night, with some streets flooding up to one-story high.

The maximum rainfall in Suao reached 13.05cm per hour, with a total accumulated rainfall of 65.2cm over 24 hours, the Water Resources Agency said.

The torrential rain caused severe flooding, affecting an area of 76 hectares, it said.

The Suao Township Office estimated that 3,200 households were affected by flooding.

As of yesterday morning, heavy rains and flooding injured at least 51 people, the Central Emergency Operation Center said.

Yilan accounted for 12 of the 51 injuries, while the remaining cases were scattered across other regions, center data showed.

As of yesterday morning, the center had reported 349 disaster incidents nationwide, including 99 flooding events, 76 of which were in Yilan.

Mountainous areas in Yilan, Hualien County, Taitung County, Taipei and New Taipei City faced a high risk of secondary disasters, including landslides and debris flows, authorities warned.

Authorities evacuated 8,326 people, the majority from Hualien.

As of 8:30pm, the center of Fung-wong was on land about 12km north of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, and moving northeast at 31kph, slowly increasing to 41kph, CWA data showed.

It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of 54kph and gusts of 83kph, compared with 72kph and 101kph respectively at about 10am.

Fung-wong had weakened, with its storm circle contracting and having already extended over parts of southern Taiwan, the CWA said.

The system still posed a threat to areas south of Tainan and Taitung, it added.

CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin (朱美霖) said the storm was likely to continue moving along southwestern coastal waters.

Due to the combined influence of Fung-wong’s outer rim and strengthening northeasterly winds, waves of 3m to 4m were expected along the coast, and up to 4m to 5m in the Taiwan Strait from yesterday through today, Chu said.

As Fung-wong moved north, rainfall would increase in central and southern Taiwan, while northern Taiwan would see stronger northerly winds and heavier rain, particularly along the Keelung coast and in mountainous areas of Yilan, Chu said.


Hackers working for the Chinese government and military had probed Australia’s telecommunications network and critical infrastructure, Australia’s spy chief said yesterday, warning of the potential for disruption to the economy if a sabotage were carried out.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director-General of Security Mike Burgess told a business conference in Melbourne that espionage was estimated to have cost Australia A$12.5 billion (US$8.17 billion) last year, including the loss of A$2 billion in trade secrets and intellectual property.

Burgess highlighted the threat of cybersabotage, describing the activities of the Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon Chinese hacking groups, which he said were “hackers working for Chinese government intelligence and their military.”

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director-General Mike Burgess speaks at a summit in Melbourne yesterday. Photo: Bloomberg

China’s embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Australian officials to “stop making irresponsible remarks.”

Salt Typhoon had not only penetrated US telecommunications systems in a strategic spying operation, but also “have been probing our telecommunication networks here in Australia too,” Burgess said.

Volt Typhoon had intention to disrupt, compromising US critical infrastructure to pre-position for potential sabotage, he said.

“We have seen Chinese hackers probing our critical infrastructure as well,” he added.

Burgess warned of the potential impact on the community of widespread telecommunications disruption, including to banks and transport, and through cut off water supplies and power.

“I assure you; these are not hypotheticals — foreign governments have elite teams investigating these possibilities right now,” he said.

Australian spy chief accuses China of hacking


Protesters confront security at climate meeting in Brazil

A group skirmished with security on Tuesday at the UN climate talks in Belem, Brazil, briefly trying to force their way into the main venue before they were pushed back.

Two security workers sustained minor injuries, the UN said.

The confrontation came late in the day as people were filtering out of the venue for COP30, as the talks are known.

Protesters and security personnel grapple with each other at a UN COP30 venue in Belem, Brazil, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

“Earlier this evening, a group of protesters breached security barriers at the main entrance to the COP, causing minor injuries to two security staff and minor damage to the venue,” UN Climate Change said in a statement. “Brazilian and UN security personnel took protective actions to secure the venue, following all established security protocols. Brazilian and UN authorities are investigating the incident. The venue is fully secured and COP negotiations continue.”

Agustin Ocana, mobilization coordinator for youth with the Global Youth Coalition, told reporters that he was outside when he saw two groups of people, some with yellow shirts and some in the garb of indigenous communities, walking toward the venue.

Ocana said that at first they were mostly just dancing and chanting, and he followed them because he has some friends in the indigenous group.

He did not see which group first broke through security, but said things escalated when security guards closed the doors and called for more guards.

Ocana said some of the people entering were chanting: “They cannot decide for us without us,” referring to tensions over participation of indigenous people at the conference.

As security and marchers clashed, he said he saw members of both sides hitting each other with small plastic bins used to hold items near secure entrances.


TABLE TALK: Instead of responding to a call for action, Han criticized the DPP, saying it had broken three of the legs that support Taiwan’s security, the DPP said

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday used a Chinese idiom to suggest that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should deal with its own problems, after President William Lai (賴清德) urged Han to lead lawmakers across party lines in supporting DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), whom China is investigating for promoting “Taiwanese independence.”

“Untying the bell requires the person who fastened it” (解鈴還須繫鈴人), Han said, using an idiom meaning that only the person who started a problem can fix it.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency late last month reported that Shen is being probed by the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau on allegations of “secession-related” criminal activities, including launching the civil defense organization Kuma Academy.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, right, speaks, as Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang looks on at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times

The investigation is being carried out under China’s criminal law and Beijing’s 22 guidelines on how to penalize “Taiwanese independence separatists,” the report said.

Lai on Tuesday expressed hope that Han would uphold the dignity of the legislature and protect freedom of speech by supporting Shen.

Han said that as legislative speaker, it is his responsibility to ensure the freedom of speech, personal safety and protection from intimidation or threats for all lawmakers during legislative inquiries.

“This is part of the speaker’s duty, and we will do everything in our power to protect the rights and interests of every legislator,” he said.

However, as to speaking up for Shen, Han said: “When someone is sick, they make others take the medicine.”

The speaker added that much like a table, Taiwan’s security is supported by four legs.

“The first leg of Taiwan’s security is maintaining the Republic of China (ROC); the second leg is safeguarding our democracy and freedom; the third leg is maintaining strong Taiwan-US relations; the fourth leg is ensuring cross-strait peace,” he said.

Lai and the DPP have broken three of them, said Han, a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator.

“The DPP’s pro-independence party platform is right there; how can they protect the ROC? Lai has spent the past year launching large-scale recall campaigns; how can they safeguard Taiwan’s democracy and freedom? Lai has declared China an external hostile force; how can they maintain cross-strait peace? Now, only one leg remains: maintaining strong Taiwan-US relations,” he said.

If Lai truly wants to help Shen, he should consider how to repair the legs, Han said.

Lai, as DPP chairman, should abolish the party’s Taiwanese independence platform, restore positive interactions between the executive and legislative branches, and retract the designation of China as a hostile external force, he said.

The DPP said it was regrettable that Han remains silent as a legislator is subjected to cross-border suppression by an authoritarian regime, and that after Lai’s call for action, he resorted to criticism, demonstrating a misunderstanding of Taiwan’s democracy and freedom.

There is no trace of the dignity and responsibility that the speaker should embody, it added.

DPP caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) accused Han of standing with the perpetrators.

It is the KMT’s submissive attitude that is undermining cross-strait and regional peace, she added.

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) responded to Han with an analogy.

“There are two dishes on the table: one is the KMT head participating in a ceremony honoring communist spies, and the other is China launching a global manhunt for an ROC lawmaker. As the speaker of the Legislative Yuan, why has Han remained silent?” Cho said, adding that Han should give the public a clear answer.

Additional reporting by Lee Wen-hsin

卓榮泰 陳培瑜 韓國瑜 賴清德

DPP must repair ties to help Shen: Han Kuo-yu


Taiwan welcomes UK to GCTF

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed the UK in joining Taiwan, the US, Japan, Australia and Canada as the newest full partner of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF).

The ministry’s statement was released after British Representative to Taiwan Ruth Bradley-Jones earlier yesterday announced the UK’s decision to join the GCTF.

The framework was launched in 2015 by Taiwan and the US as a platform to enable Taiwan to share its expertise on global issues and contribute alongside global partners, as Taipei has been sidelined at major international organizations due to pressure from Beijing.

The name and logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured at the ministry in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: CNA

The representative of the British Office Taipei, the UK’s de facto embassy in Taiwan in the absence of official ties, announced the decision during a GCTF workshop on enhancing energy resilience.

“After participating in many workshops over recent years, the British Office Taipei is pleased to take the natural next step and join the Global Training and Cooperation Framework as a full partner,” she said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) welcomed the UK into the framework 10 years after it was launched.

The UK becoming a full partner in the GCTF symbolizes the continuing deepening of ties between Taiwan and the UK, and the UK’s recognition of Taiwan’s contributions to global issues, Lin said in the statement.

Japan, Australia and Canada joined the GCTF as full partners in 2019, 2021 and last year respectively.

Since its launch, the framework has held 90 international workshops on topics such as public health, law enforcement cooperation, women’s empowerment, energy efficiency, e-commerce, cybersecurity, high availability disaster recovery and media literacy.

More than 10,000 government officials, experts and civil society representatives from 133 countries have participated in the events, which have been held locally and in 17 countries worldwide, the ministry said.


Closer ties with Israel align with Taiwan’s interests: Lin

Taiwan wants to deepen its ties with Israel despite criticism over its war in Gaza because Israel has shown support for Taiwan unmatched by other countries in the Middle East, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.

Taiwan will be “friendly to countries that are friendly to us," Lin said.

He said that a declaration signed earlier this year by 72 members of the Israeli parliament in support of Taiwan’s inclusion in key international organizations is an example of Israel’s support.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Johnson Lai, AP

Lin added that “Palestine is very bad to Taiwan” because it aligns with Beijing’s “one-China" principle, which states that there is only one China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.

Human rights and national interests must be aligned, Lin told journalists during a meeting organized by the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club.

Taiwan’s government came under criticism earlier this year for planning a donation to a medical center in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The International Court of Justice ruled last year that Israeli presence in occupied Palestinian territories including the West Bank is illegal.

Asked to confirm whether Taipei has abandoned its plan for the West Bank donation, Lin did not give a conclusive answer. Instead, he said Taiwan prioritizes humanitarian support in the Israel-Hamas war, and that Taiwanese diplomats are instructed not to become involved in the conflict.

“In fact, we provide a lot of humanitarian aid to both sides, including the Gaza Strip and Palestine,” Lin said.

He added that other countries can learn from Taiwan about how to deal with China including on gray-zone tactics, telecommunications and data transfers.

Meanwhile, Lin expressed confidence that future talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would not "sacrifice" the democratic island’s interests.

Late last month, Trump and Xi held talks in South Korea, which the US leader later said did not touch on Taiwan.

Ahead of that meeting, aimed at calming a trade war between the two major powers, there were concerns in Taipei that Taiwan could be used as a bargaining chip to strike a deal.

Asked about reported plans for talks between the two leaders in Beijing next year, Lin said that "some people are worried that the Trump-Xi meeting might sacrifice Taiwan’s interests."

"Of course, we need to pay close attention. I mean we should be concerned, but not overly worried, because harming Taiwan could also harm US interests," he said.

Lin said Taiwan’s communications with the US have been "very smooth", but he added that "some decisions are ultimately made by President Trump."

Trump has previously accused Taiwan of stealing the US chip industry and his administration had made clear it wants more of the critical technology made on American soil.

The concentration of chip production in Taiwan has long been seen as a protection against an attack by China and an incentive for the United States to defend it.

"Some say Trump is a good deal maker, but while he certainly wants to make a good deal, I believe that sacrificing Taiwan’s interests will not bring long-term benefits to the US," Lin said.

"This is something we can be relatively confident about," he said.


‘NORMALIZING’: A slew of statements and a new holiday are not an escalation for China, but a lifting of self-imposed restraints on how it talks about Taiwan, an academic said

In the past few weeks China has released a series of statements, articles and photographs that analysts say signal an escalation in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) approach to Taiwan.

Beijing has vowed to annex Taiwan under what it terms “unification.” China’s military is not believed to be capable of a full invasion yet, but senior officials have started using sharper language.

A series of “explainer” articles in China’s state media last month outlined how Taiwan would be governed under Chinese rule: by vetted pro-China “patriots” in a “one country two systems” regime similar to that instituted in Hong Kong and Macau. Such a proposal has long been rejected by Taiwan, particularly after Beijing’s crushing of the “high degree of autonomy” it promised Hong Kong.

Chess pieces are displayed in front of the flags of China and Taiwan in an illustration photograph taken on April 11, 2023. Photo: Reuters

“The aim is to belittle Taiwan’s international standing, and Hong Kong-ify and Macau-ify Taiwan, to achieve the political objective of eliminating Taiwan’s sovereignty,” National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said.

The articles promised peace and economic prosperity, but also warned that “after reunification, risks of war, caused by ‘Taiwanese independence’ secessionists, will be removed and external interference will be prevented.”

Beijing has also added to its historical revisions, designed to bolster its claim over Taiwan, with the designation of a new national holiday in China.

Retrocession Day on Oct. 25 is celebrated in Taiwan to mark the end of Japanese colonial rule, but Beijing has recast it as the day Taiwan was “returned” to China — specifically the China ruled by the CCP.

Beijing has also become stricter in how it allows other countries to talk about Taiwan.

After Germany’s foreign minister said his country’s long-standing position opposed “violent change” in the “status quo” that keeps the tenuous peace in the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs essentially accused Berlin of supporting separatism.

“Those who only call for no change of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and do not oppose ‘Taiwanese independence’ are actually aiding and abetting ‘Taiwanese independence’ separatist activities,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) said.

Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program at the US-based German Marshall Fund, said she had never heard that language from Chinese officials before, and it marked a significant shift.

“All these moves, including the activities around the ‘Taiwan retrocession’ Day, suggest that Beijing is more aggressively pressing for progress toward reunification,” she said.

Chinese state and social media late last month released a series of photos taken by China’s Jilin-2 satellite of some of Taiwan’s most famous tourist spots — the Alishan (阿里山) mountain range, Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) — and economic centers such as Taipei and the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區).

The ultra high-definition images were captioned “across the Strait, under one sky.” The Chinese embassy in the US posted them online with the words: “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.”

“Every inch of Taiwan Province, China, is vibrant under the ‘Jilin-1’ space satellite’s perspective,” it said.

Analysts said the message was obvious: Beijing could see “every inch” of Taiwan whenever it wanted.

In Taiwan, people and officials called the photos voyeuristic.

“If the point that China is trying to make with these satellite pictures is that it owns everything it took pictures of, then that’s just plain immature,” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) told local media.

Chinese officials sought to brush off the characterization.

“It is normal for Chinese satellites to look at the magnificent mountains and rivers of China’s Taiwan. There is nothing surprising about it,” Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesman Zhang Xiaogang (張曉剛) said.

Raymond Kuo (郭泓均), director of the RAND Corp’s Taiwan Policy Initiative, said the escalated activity was perhaps more noticeable, after a period in which China had been presenting itself as a stable global neighbor to counter the volatility introduced by the US and others.

There was potentially also strategy behind it.

US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in April, and these moves could help “prepare ground” for Xi seeking US concessions on its protection of Taiwan, Kuo said.

“Enforcing Taiwan’s isolation could make it easier for Xi to say: ‘Already no one deals with Taiwan,’” he said.

Song Bo, a fellow at Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy, said it was all part of a two-to-three year “longer-term adjustment” of China’s Taiwan policy, and the lifting of self-imposed limits on how it manages and communicates about Taiwan.

“This isn’t about sudden escalation; it’s about China normalizing actions it once restrained itself from taking,” Song said.

Additional research by Lillian Yang

FEATURE: Beijing sharpens its language on Taiwan


Taiwan believes in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) first European fab, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said on Tuesday, during a visit to the plant’s construction site in Dresden, Germany.

It is a project “Taiwan believes in as much as it believes in TSMC itself,” Tsai said during the visit after being welcomed by European Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (ESMC) president Christian Koitzsch at the construction site in “Silicon Saxony.”

Koitzsch and TSMC Europe general counsel Gunnar Thomas briefed Tsai before she met with Taiwanese engineers to learn about their progress on the fab’s construction and their daily lives in Germany.

Former President Tsai Ing-wen, left, and European Semiconductor Manufacturing Co president Christian Koitzsch visit a company facility in Dresden, Germany, yesterday. Photo: Screen grab fromformer president Tsai Ing-wen’s Facebook page

Tsai also presented Taiwan-shaped pins to the engineers, encouraging them to “work hard overseas, but never forget Taiwan.”

ESMC is a joint venture between TSMC, Bosch, Infineon and NXP. The groundbreaking ceremony took place in August last year, and the plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2027.

The Dresden plant is TSMC’s first major investment in Europe and the largest semiconductor investment in the city’s history, Dresden Mayor Dirk Hilbert said.

The city government’s top priority is to ensure that administrative issues are handled smoothly and to prepare infrastructure — including power, water and transportation — for the plant’s launch, Hilbert said.

The plant is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs in the city, he said.

“We want every professional coming to Dresden from around the world to feel at home,” he added.

The city is cooperating closely with TSMC and ESMC to plan housing, schools and public transportation for incoming employees, to “make them feel the city’s hospitality and warmth from day one,” he said.

Dresden is also building Germany’s largest and most modern vocational school to train more than 2,000 electrical and electronic specialists, Hilbert said.

As the Silicon Saxony cluster — home to more than 500 companies and research institutes, such as Infineon, GlobalFoundries and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft — continues to expand, the demand for skilled workers is growing rapidly, he said.

Taiwan confident in Dresden fab, Tsai Ing-wen says


Two men probed over false claims on Hsiao’s IPAC speech

The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said yesterday it will refer two men to a summary court under the Taipei District Court for allegedly spreading false claims that Taiwan paid for Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) recent speech in Brussels.

Hsiao spoke at the European Parliament in Brussels on Friday while the annual Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) summit was being held there, and returned to Taiwan early Sunday.

The CIB said in a statement that it identified a 53-year- old Taiwanese man, surnamed Lu (盧), as the creator of a meme containing false information about Hsiao’s speech, which the bureau was notified about on Sunday.

Vice President Bi-Khim Hsiao speaks at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) summit held at the European Parliament in Brussels on Friday. Photo: AP

The image falsely claimed that Hsiao had rented the venue and sponsored the IPAC meeting using public funds.

A 41-year-old Taiwanese man, surnamed Chen (陳), allegedly shared the meme on social media and wrote "France’s BBC reported Taiwan donated 8 billion euros (US $8.97 billion) in exchange for a speech," the bureau said.

Chen told reporters at Taoyuan International Airport upon returning from Japan yesterday that he had shared the post because he found it "funny" and considered it "satire," adding he did not think it was illegal.

The Presidential Office said Sunday it had asked law enforcement authorities to investigate the "fabricated content" circulating online.

Asked to comment on the rumors, IPAC founder and executive director Luke de Pulford said on Sunday that the claim was "fake news" and "completely fabricated," adding that the invitation for Hsiao to attend the summit was "freely" extended.

The CIB said the two men may have violated the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法), which states that "spreading rumors in a way that is sufficient to undermine public order and peace" is punishable by up to three days’ detention or a fine of up to NT$30,000 (US$957).


HUMAN RIGHTS:  DPP Secretary-General Hsu Kuo-yung criticized using Singapore as inspiration, saying that the country is ‘not a truly free and democratic country’

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) yesterday suggested that Taiwan follow Singapore in using caning as a punishment for online scammers, while the Ministry of Justice said it is evaluating the issue.

Hung at the Judiciary and Organic Laws Committee meeting yesterday proposed emulating Singapore by introducing caning as a punishment for convicted offenders of certain crimes, including for digital fraud, and last month asked the ministry to study its application and feasibility.

“All our citizens are outraged by online scams, and we see Singapore has taken proactive measures to deal with it, and we shall monitor the development there to see if caning could be effective. If it leads to a decline in online scam cases and reduce losses in Singapore, then we shall cite their use of caning as a punishment,” Hung said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai, right, and Deputy Minister of Justice Hsu Shi-shiang are pictured during a meeting at the Legislative Yuan’s Judiciary and Organic Laws Committee in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Screen grab from the Legislative Yuan’s live stream

Singapore’s parliament last month discussed the use of caning for online scammers, he said, adding that the country later approved the use of up to 24 strokes of the cane.

Deputy Minister of Justice Hsu Shi-shiang (徐錫洋) said the ministry is studying its feasibility, and is seeking the opinions and input of experts.

The ministry is evaluating the pros and cons of introducing caning in Taiwan, Hsu said, adding that it would have to be in line with the UN’s Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) last week said that Taiwan is Asia’s second-safest country behind Singapore.

“People have said that it is because Singapore has caning... But caning is an inhuman punishment, and Singapore is not a truly free and democratic country,” Hsu Kuo-yung said.

Citing the Freedom House, he said that “Singapore ranks far behind Taiwan in democracy and freedom indices. Taiwan is consistently rated as a ‘free country’ in ranking on freedom and rights, only behind Japan in Asia, while Singapore is rated as ‘partly free,’ and lags far behind Taiwan.”

In the Freedom House report this year, Taiwan is rated as “free,” with an overall score of 94 out of 100, the second-highest rank in Asia for the 25th consecutive year, only behind Japan’s 96.

In comparison, Singapore has a score of 48 and is rated as “partly free,” and is not considered a full democracy, due to low scores for political rights and civil liberties, which reflect the dominance of its ruling People’s Action Party since the country’s independence in 1959, according to the Freedom House report

KMT suggests caning for scams


INFLATION:  Cumulative CPI increased by 6.79 percent over the past year, which met the government’s adjustment trigger of 5 percent for monthly premiums

Starting on Jan. 1, people enrolled in the National Pension Program would have to pay an additional NT$43 to NT84 (US$1.38 to US$2.70) in monthly premiums according to a government plan to raise the monthly insured amount from NT$19,761 to NT$21,103, a Ministry of Health and Welfare official said yesterday.

The adjustments would result in an additional NT$3.75 billion in annual pension deposits, Family Affairs Administration Acting Director-General Chen Chen-hui (陳真慧) said.

According to the National Pension Act (國民年金法), when the consumer price index (CPI) grows more than 5 percent, the government should adjust the program’s monthly premiums and payouts, Chen said.

Cumulative CPI growth over the past year has risen by 6.79 percent, she said.

The government would provide subsidies ranging from 40 percent to full coverage of the insurance premium, depending on the pensioner’s identity, she said.

Starting on New Year’s Day, government payouts for various welfare programs would also increase, Chen said.

Payouts to encourage people to have children would increase to NT$42,206 from the current NT$39,522, Chen said.

Funeral subsidies would also be hiked up to NT$105,515 from NT$98,805, Chen said.

Citizens aged 65 and older who have been enrolled in the pension program for 15 years or more, and who are on the type A elderly pension plan under the Labor Insurance, would now receive a monthly pension of NT$6,107.

The ministry said that pension premium bills would be mailed out before the end of March next year, and that those enrolled in the program should pay the sum before the end of April.

The government would continue subsidizing the premiums for low-income families, or those that are severely physically or mentally challenged, the ministry said.

Those who are unable to pay the sum should go to their local household registration offices to apply for recognition as a low or mid-to-low-income family, or a person whose income falls below the standard to receive a higher insurance subsidy rate, it said.

Pension premiums, payouts to rise


By Lin Chih-yi and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

A recent study found that only 20 percent of students have used the government’s mental health support program, and that they tend to first ask artificial intelligence (AI) when they encounter emotional problems.

The Taiwan Counseling Psychologist Union (TCPU) from April to September conducted a survey on stress among university students, collecting 2,558 responses, 70 percent of which were from women.

The union announced the results at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

The words “artificial Intelligence” are seen in an illustration photographed on March 31, 2023. Photo: REUTERS

The survey found that 97.1 percent of students support the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s mental health support program for young adults, but only 20.3 percent have used it.

When they encounter mental health issues, some students first consult AI tools to help them regulate their emotions, said Chen Po-lin (陳柏霖), a professor at National Taipei University of Education’s Department of Psychology and Counseling.

This shows that emerging technologies are gradually being applied in the mental health field, and the industry is even developing related platforms, Chen said.

However, AI tools still have limitations and can make mistakes, especially when asked to name or diagnose a mental illness, he said.

There have been cases abroad where consulting AI has led to suicide, which is a big concern in the academic community, he said.

Talking to AI could provide support and comfort, helping people feel heard and better understand their emotions, TCPU deputy chair Wang Yu-ming (王郁茗) said.

The concern in the past few years has been that individuals might lose their self-awareness and only seek comfort through interactions with AI, thus avoiding real-life experiences and the diverse stimuli of the real world, she said.

As a result, when returning to regular social environments, they might face difficulties adjusting, which could negatively impact genuine human-to-human interactions, she added.

Wang gave an example of a student who previously took a screenshot of an unpleasant conversation with a classmate and sent it to an AI tool, asking it whether the friend was a “good friend or a bad friend,” or whether there was “malice or no malice.”

If the student used this as a way to gain direction for thinking, and was willing to check the situation against the real world and discuss it with others, AI could be a tool with positive benefits, she said, adding that, if not, humans would instead become the ones providing data to AI.

“The real world is not always comfortable, but that’s what is real,” she said.

The rapid development of new tools and technologies is an unstoppable trend, she said.

“We should focus on how to ensure these new technologies have a positive impact, and address related legal and ethical issues in order to use them properly,” she said, urging AI users to avoid excessive usage and to remain constantly aware of their own emotions.

As long as people also communicate with their friends and check in with reality, then AI could be a useful tool, she added.

Schools should teach students how to properly use AI, so they are not merely providing data to train it, she said.

The survey also assessed students’ social emotional learning (SEL), including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, interpersonal relationships and responsible decisionmaking, to evaluate students’ mental resilience.

The 40.5 percent of students who rated their performance as “slightly below their actual ability” had the highest SEL scores of 3.02 points, whereas the 4.9 percent who considered their performance “far below their actual ability” had the lowest SEL scores of 2.85 points.

Humility and self-reflection are key to increasing SEL, Chen said, adding that women performed better than men in terms of understanding others’ emotions, social interactions and making responsible decisions.

National Taiwan Normal University Students’ Union president Sean Huang (黃莨騰) said that universities could provide more resources, adding that students who seek counseling assistance often cannot make an appointment.

Students tend to ask AI for help: study


The government is planning to open government-funded Mandarin teaching centers in Japan, Australia and New Zealand next year before expanding the project to Latin America, a senior official in charge of the program said yesterday.

Fielding questions on the Overseas Community Affairs Council’s (OCAC) proposed budget for next year during a legislative session, OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) was asked by lawmakers about the council’s plans for the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) program.

Hsu said that 88 TCMLs are in operation around the world, with 68 in the US and 20 in 12 European countries, and the OCAC is planning to open centers in the Asia-Pacific region and in Latin America from next year to 2029 to expand the program’s global presence.

Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Hsu Chia-ching speaks at the Foreign and National Defense Committee meeting at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times

The council is planning to open two TCMLs in Japan, one in New Zealand and four in Australia next year alone, she said.

The TCML program was launched in June 2021 to create overseas bases for teaching Mandarin “with Taiwanese characteristics,” meaning using traditional Chinese characters instead of the simplified characters used in China, to people aged over 18, according to the OCAC.

To date, teaching materials have been prepared in English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Indonesia and Vietnamese.

Through Mandarin courses and cultural activities, the centers seek to foster cultural exchanges, popularize Mandarin learning, and deepen relations between Taiwan and people in the centers’ host countries, the OCAC said.

OCAC plans to open Mandarin centers in Asia-Pacific region


Man detained over second murder

A Taoyuan man who served 10 years in prison for strangling and killing his girlfriend was ordered detained and held incommunicado yesterday on suspicion of killing his ex-girlfriend, prosecutors said.

In a statement, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office said that on Monday it received notification of a murder case from the Taoyuan Police Department’s Pingjhen Precinct.

The suspect, a 49-year-old male surnamed Lee (李), admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend, surnamed Chou (周), near her residence in Pingjhen District (平鎮) early on Monday morning, a police investigation said.

The Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office building is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Yu Jui-jen, Taipei Times

Upon further questioning, Lee told prosecutors he had arranged to meet Chou to try to convince her to get back together.

Afraid of disturbing her relatives, Chou asked Lee to move their discussion to a nearby vacant lot, where Lee became angered by Chou’s “attitude” and strangled her to death, prosecutors said.

The Taoyuan District Court yesterday approved prosecutors’ request to detain and hold Lee incommunicado while he is investigated on charges of murder, the statement said.

Lee was in 2009 sentenced to 18-and-a-half years in prison for strangling to death his then-girlfriend in Taoyuan’s Yangmei District (楊梅) in 2008.

He was ultimately paroled for good behavior in 2019, after serving 10 years, and recently completed probation, sources with knowledge of the case said.

Under the Criminal Code, murder is punishable by death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment of at least 10 years, depending on the specific nature of the crime.

The Executive Yuan approved a draft bill late last month to strip the possibility of parole for criminals sentenced to 10 years or more for murder, attempted murder, and child abuse resulting in severe injury or death. The bill needs to be approved by the legislature to become law.


A man who placed a live crocodile at the main entrance of the Legislative Yuan last month to protest a proposed ban on exotic pets has been fined NT$10,000, the Taipei District Court said.

The protest, by a crocodile breeder surnamed Ruan (阮), came after the Ministry of Agriculture on Oct. 8 proposed prohibiting the purchase and private breeding of raccoons, saltwater crocodiles, vipers and cobras.

The rules were subject to a public notice period and did not require legislative approval.

People look at a live crocodile cordoned off by police outside the main entrance of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Oct. 17. Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Animal Protection Office

At about 5am on Oct. 17, Ruan, 52, drove a small crane truck with a nearly 3m crocodile in the bed to the Legislative Yuan, and used the crane and a bamboo pallet to place it in front of the closed gates of the legislature, Chinese-language media reported.

Ruan was quickly arrested by police and referred to the Taipei District Court for suspected contraventions of the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法).

In a summary decision issued yesterday, the court said that Ruan had contravened Article 70 of the act by allowing a dangerous animal to roam in public in the presence of other people.

The court fined him NT$10,000 — less than the maximum of NT$12,000 or three days imprisonment — and ordered the seizure of his crocodile.

The incident was not Ruan’s first offense of this kind: In 2018, he was arrested and fined NT$3,000 after bringing a crocodile to a protest at the Executive Yuan, the court said.

The ruling can be appealed.

Crocodile owner fined after protest stunt


Institute warns about URL shorteners

The National Institute of Cyber Security on Monday urged people not to click on shortened URLs, after discovering that some URL-shortening services had been abused by scammers.

Short URL services — commonly known as URL shorteners — are often valued for their readability, aesthetics and convenience, the institute said in a statement.

However, as users cannot easily identify the true destination of a shortened link, such services have become an effective vehicle for phishing attacks, it said.

A cellphone displays a fraud-reporting app by the Ministry of Digital Affairs in an undated photograph. Photo: CNA

From January to September this year, more than 15 million phishing-related threat indicators were collected worldwide, and more than half of the top 10 sources were popular URL shorteners, including bit.ly, tinyurl.com and t.co, the institute said.

The findings highlight how these platforms are widely used to conceal malicious Web sites, making it difficult for users to determine whether a link is safe before clicking, the institute said.

Recently, Taiwan’s ppt.cc shortening service was found to be exploited in a phishing campaign impersonating Cogeco, a Canadian telecommunications and Internet provider, the institute said.

The malicious links redirected users to fake login pages designed to steal account credentials, which could then be used for further online fraud, it said.

Security experts recommend that organizations and individuals employ Web filtering tools and URL expansion mechanisms to detect and block access to phishing sites.

While some social media platforms also provide link previews to help users verify a link’s authenticity, identifying threats hidden within legitimate services still relies heavily on user awareness, the institute said.


Taiwanese artisan wins ’world’s best gelato’ title in Italy

Taiwanese gelato maker Sylvia Chao (趙韻嵐) from Changhua County has won first prize at the Sherbeth International Artisan Gelato Festival in Italy, organizers announced on Facebook Tuesday.

Chao took the top honor with her creation "Luce d’Oolong" (Light of Oolong), a delicate blend inspired by Taiwan’s oolong tea, according to the annual festival held in Palermo, Sicily, from Nov. 7-10.

It marks the first time the award has gone to Taiwan, with Italian newspaper la Repubblica describing Chao’s gelato as "a balance of floral and mineral notes that impressed both the judges and the public."

A person holds a gelato created by Taiwanese gelato maker Sylvia Chao in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times

Currently in its 17th edition, the Sherbeth competition attracted 50 gelato artisans from around the world who showcased innovative flavors and high-quality artisanal techniques.

According to la Repubblica, which ran the headline "The world’s best gelato? It’s made by a Taiwanese artisan," Chao’s win is both a milestone for Taiwan and a reflection of the festival’s growing international reach.

Chao, who runs Mountain in Blue Gelato on Lukang’s historic old street in Changhua, is known for using local ingredients to create distinctive flavors. Her gelato was also featured at Taiwan’s 2023 National Day reception and served to foreign dignitaries.

Taiwanese gelato maker Sylvia Chao, center, reacts, after winning the first prize at the Sherbeth International Artisan Gelato Festival in Italy. Photo: Screen grab from Sherbeth International Artisan Gelato Festival’s Facebook page


At the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters in Taipei yesterday, KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, third right, KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi, second right, and KMT member Yeali Sun, a granddaughter of Sun Yat-sen, pay their respects to a statue of Sun Yat-sen at an event commemorating the 160th anniversary of his birth. Cheng said in a speech that the KMT would sway the hearts of young Taiwanese by pursuing the party’s principles and ideals.

Sun wreath


Rewarding sustainability

The Puzangalan Children’s Choir, made up of students from Lai Cuo Elementary School in Taichung, perform at the Corporate Maritime Sustainability Award ceremony in Taipei yesterday. Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, not pictured, attended the ceremony, hosted by the Ocean Affairs Council, to confer awards on 17 corporations that promoted measures in line with the government’s maritime sustainability policy.


Hon Hai reports record-high Q3 profit

AI BOOST:  Next year, the cloud and networking product business is expected to remain a key revenue pillar for the company, Hon Hai chairman Young Liu said

Manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday posted its best third-quarter profit in the company’s history, backed by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers.

Net profit expanded 17 percent annually to NT$57.67 billion (US$1.86 billion) from NT$44.36 billion, the company said.

On a quarterly basis, net profit soared 30 percent from NT$44.36 billion, it said.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Young Liu attends an earnings conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co

Hon Hai, which is Apple Inc’s primary iPhone assembler and makes servers powered by Nvidia Corp’s AI accelerators, said earnings per share expanded to NT$4.15 from NT$3.55 a year earlier and NT$3.19 in the second quarter.

Gross margin improved to 6.35 percent, up from 6.19 percent a year earlier and 6.33 percent in the previous quarter, which the company attributed to better vertical integration of its products and a larger operational scale.

The growth momentum in AI servers is expected to extend into next year and the following two to three years, as the “major five” cloud service providers have raised their capital expenditure to about US$600 billion for next year, Hon Hai chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) told investors yesterday.

“I am very optimistic about the development of the AI market next year. Our cooperation with clients and partners will be closer, and we expect to secure more orders by engaging in a wider range of AI projects,” Liu said. “Briefly, I am very positive about our outlook for 2026.”

Next year, the cloud and networking product business is expected to remain a key revenue pillar for the company, while its smartphone and PC businesses are also likely to benefit from an upgrade trend driven by the adoption of AI and edge computing in end devices, he said.

The company’s Model B electric vehicles (EVs) have entered mass production for overseas and domestic markets, and revenue from the segment is also expected to continue rising next year, Liu said.

Mass production for the EV models is slated for the first quarter of next year, he said.

Last quarter, the cloud and networking product business accounted for 42 percent of Hon Hai’s overall revenue of NT$2.06 trillion, up from 32 percent in the third quarter last year. Smartphones made up 37 percent, shrinking from 45 percent a year earlier.

This quarter, Hon Hai’s cloud and networking product business is expected to post strong quarterly and annual growth, as next-generation AI servers have entered mass production, Liu said.

During the first three quarters of this year, AI server revenue reached NT$1 trillion.

This quarter’s AI server revenue would improve from last quarter, with the growth momentum projected to persist until next year, Liu said.

Meanwhile, AI server rack shipments last quarter grew 300 percent and are expected to rise by a high double-digit percentage this quarter, Hon Hai said.

However, the computing business is to see a significant decline in revenue this quarter compared with the same period last year due to milder PC demand and exchange rate fluctuations, Liu said, adding that a mild decline from last quarter is also expected.

Revenue from the component and other products business — which includes connectors, camera modules and auto parts — is expected to show little change from the same period last year, but is expected to record significant growth from the previous quarter, he added.

Overall, Hon Hai expects to post significant revenue growth this year, driven by booming AI technology development, Liu said.


Pegatron Corp (和碩), one of Apple Inc’s iPhone assemblers, yesterday reported that net profit last quarter soared 1,483.6 percent from the previous quarter, as foreign-exchange gains helped cushion the impact of falling sales in communications devices, mainly handsets.

Net profit in the third quarter totaled NT$4.55 billion (US$146.4 million), compared with NT$287 million in the previous three months, the electronics manufacturer said in an earnings report released following the company’s conference call.

On an annual basis, net profit grew 5.8 percent from NT$4.296 billion.

The Pegatron Corp logo is pictured at the company’s research and development base in Kaohsiung’s Asia New Bay Area on Oct. 28. Photo: CNA

While operating income last quarter increased 118.8 percent sequentially to NT$3.22 billion, non-operating income surged 1,614.2 percent to NT$4.46 billion, the company said.

Pegatron said it booked NT$153 million in foreign-exchange gains, reversing losses of NT$1.09 billion in the second quarter.

As a result, the company’s earnings per share came in at NT$1.69, the highest in the past seven quarters and higher than the market consensus estimate of NT$1.54.

Apart from handsets, Pegatron manufactures notebook and desktop computers, wearable devices, game consoles, servers and automotive electronics. It has also made early investments in artificial intelligence and robot-related products.

Third-quarter revenue was NT$257.86 billion, down 3.5 percent from NT$267.34 billion in the second quarter and missed the market consensus of NT$273.28 billion.

The company said the figure was also 12.4 percent lower than the NT$294.23 billion it posted for the same period last year.

It attributed the revenue decline to falling sales in the computing segment due to an unfavorable product mix, as well as double-digit sales declines in the consumer and communications segments, due to weaker end demand.

Last quarter, communications devices accounted for 60 percent of the company’s revenue, followed by computing products at 14 percent and consumer electronics at 8 percent, it said.

Revenue contributions from automotive electronics and servers remained limited, despite their higher margins compared with the company’s average gross margin of 4.2 percent registered in the quarter.

In the first three quarters of this year, Pegatron’s net profit totaled NT$9.14 billion, down 30.5 percent year-on-year, or earnings per share of NT$3.42. Revenue in the first three quarters edged down 0.1 percent to NT$797.63 billion, and gross margin fell 0.6 percentage points to 3.7 percent, it said.

For this quarter, demand for desktop and related equipment is expected to remain solid, driving sequential revenue growth in computing products, even though the notebook business enters a slow season, the company said.

The company said it expects quarter-on-quarter revenue growth in consumer electronics, driven by increased demand for game consoles, and in communications products during the holiday season.

Pegatron said its automotive electronics business is expected to grow significantly from the second half of next year to 2027, after it commences mass production and shipments to new clients.

Regarding the server business, the company said it began shipping servers running on Nvidia Corp’s GB200 and GB300 chips in the second half of this year to certain customers, along with continued shipments of regular servers, mainly to tier-2 and tier-3 cloud service providers.

Pegatron said it holds a positive outlook for next year.

To meet the diverse needs of customers, the company has continued expanding production capacity in Mexico, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and the US, with non-China operations abroad accounting for 30 to 40 percent of its total capacity, up from 20 to 30 percent last year, Pegatron said.

Pegatron profit soars on foreign exchange gains


The nation’s three major container shippers reported falling revenue and profit in the third quarter of this year, as economic uncertainty, geopolitical risks and tariff-induced global trade distortions affected transportation demand and freight rates, the companies said.

Container shippers also face challenges in operations and cost controls as stricter environmental regulations, such as the EU Emissions Trading System and FuelEU Maritime, together with more decarbonization requirements, accelerate the need to phase out older vessels and renew fleet, the companies said.

An Evergreen container ship is pictured in an undated photograph.  Photo courtesy of Evergreen Marine Corp

Evergreen Marine Corp (長榮海運) posted earnings per share (EPS) of NT$10.04 in the September quarter, down from NT$28.75 a year earlier, the nation’s largest container shipping company in terms of fleet size said in a regulatory filing yesterday.

However, Evergreen's EPS exceeds the market consensus estimate of NT$8.22, and is better than its two domestic rivals’, whereas Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp (陽明海運) reported EPS of NT$1.73 and Wan Hai Lines Ltd (萬海航運) earned NT$4.15 a share.

Last quarter, Evergreen's revenue fell 36.57 percent year-on-year to NT$96.92 billion (US$3.12 billion) and net profit dropped 64.88 percent to NT$21.75 billion, the company said.

In the first three quarters of this year, the company's cumulative revenue fell 15.64 percent year-on-year to NT$293.38 billion, and total net profit decreased 44.77 percent to NT$60.06 billion, with EPS of NT$27.74.

Looking ahead, the company said it aims to adopt a diversified market strategy and accelerate fleet optimization and replacement plans to deliver stable and long-term value for all of its shareholders.

Yang Ming, the nation’s second-largest container shipping company, said last quarter's EPS of NT$1.73 was down from NT$8.12 a year earlier.

Third-quarter revenue dropped 42 percent to NT$42.09 billion, and net profit plunged 78.6 percent to NT$6.05 billion, the company said.

During the first three quarters, cumulative revenue fell 25 percent to NT$126.27 billion and total net profit dropped 71.32 percent to NT$14.81 billion, with cumulative EPS of NT$4.24, it said.

"Compared with the same period in 2024, weaker freight rates resulted in softer profitability," Yang Ming said in a press release.

For this quarter, Yang Ming said the temporary pause in US–China tariff tensions may help stimulate pre-Lunar New Year shipment demand on Trans-Pacific routes.

The Intra-Asia and Middle East markets are also expected to remain steady, supported by stable demand, the company said.

Nevertheless, ongoing Red Sea disruptions and Cape of Good Hope rerouting, along with port congestion in Europe, may continue to affect capacity deployment, Yang Ming said, adding that it would continue to closely monitor market developments and respond with agility through service-network optimization and operational adjustments.

Wan Hai's net profit in the third quarter fell 36.8 percent to NT$11.64 billion from a year earlier, while total net profit in the first three quarters declined 38.05 percent to NT$21.45 billion, which translated into EPS of NT$7.64 over the period, the company reported on Tuesday.

Third-quarter revenue dropped 35.72 percent to NT$35.03 billion and cumulative revenue in the first three quarters lost 11.06 percent to NT$106.97 billion, it said.

Wan Hai said the narrowing gap between supply and demand is expected to drive a gradual market recovery next year, providing a more supportive environment for the shipping industry.

Container shipping firms' profits drop on falling revenues


AI investors should focus on Asia, Saxo Markets says

Equity investors seeking exposure to the hot artificial intelligence (AI) theme should look for opportunities in Asia, as US tech companies face stretched valuations, Saxo Markets said.

“Asia offers a cheaper, more earnings-anchored route into the same megatrend,” Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo in Singapore, wrote in a note. “Roughly 70 percent of global chipmaking, 90 percent of AI memory, and almost all advanced packaging capacity sit in Taiwan, [South] Korea and Japan — making the region indispensable to the AI ecosystem.”

On the other hand, US tech valuations are elevated, and companies there are facing several risks such as concentration and circularity, she said.

The S&P 500 Information Technology Index is trading at almost 30 times its one-year forward earnings, versus a multiple of 17 for the MSCI Asia Pacific Information Technology Index, data compiled by Bloomberg showed.

Saxo’s comments come as investors have been getting increasingly concerned about overheated valuations for some of the biggest AI winners, particularly US-based innovation leaders such as Nvidia Corp. More recently, a wave of circular deals involving OpenAI, Nvidia and other AI-focused firms has sparked additional worries that the boom is being artificially propped up.

While Asian AI-linked firms also share the “global cycle risk,” they offer better earnings visibility as much of the capital expenditure to build AI infrastructure flows into Asian supply chains, Chanana said.

“The physical build-out of AI infrastructure — chips, servers, data centers — continues at full speed, and much of that is happening in Asia,” she added.

Separately, Goldman Sachs Group Inc strategist Peter Oppenheimer, who correctly predicted Wall Street’s underperformance this year, said he expected US equities to keep lagging for the next decade.

Oppenheimer and his team recommended that investors increase diversification beyond the US as elevated stock valuations put a lid on gains.

They said they expect the S&P 500 to achieve annual returns of 6.5 percent in the coming 10 years, the weakest among all regions.

Emerging markets (EM) are projected to be strongest, at 10.9 percent a year, they said.

“Diversify beyond the US, with a tilt toward emerging markets,” Oppenheimer and his team wrote in a note. “We expect higher nominal GDP growth and structural reforms to favor EM, while AI’s long-term benefits should be broad-based rather than confined to US technology.”

The strategists said in the coming years they expect EM gains to be driven by strong earnings growth in China and India.

Asia excluding-Japan is seen as the second-best performer with a 10.3 percent annual return, they said, adding that Japan is set to achieve 8.2 percent, underpinned by earnings growth and policy-led improvements in investor payouts.

Europe is expected to hand investors a 7.1 percent annual return, they said.


AMD predicts accelerating sales growth on data center demand in next five years

GOLD RUSH:  ‘The rate and pace of change in AI is certainly beyond anything that I’ve seen,’ Lisa Su said, as data center owners see ‘real value in their business’

Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD), Nvidia Corp’s nearest rival in artificial intelligence (AI) chips, predicted accelerating sales growth over the next five years, driven by strong demand for its data center products.

Annual revenue growth would average more than 35 percent over the next three to five years, AMD chief executive officer Lisa Su (蘇姿丰) said on Tuesday at a company event in New York.

AMD’s AI data center revenue would increase by an average of 80 percent over the same period, she said.

AMD shares rallied in extended trading after executives also said adjusted profit would reach more than US$20 a share and operating margin would exceed 35 percent in that time frame.

AMD updated investors on its long-term outlook amid increasing concern that the massive spending on new computer systems for AI work cannot continue at the current elevated levels.

The chipmaker’s stock has almost doubled this year, helped by agreements signed with companies including OpenAI and Oracle Corp.

The biggest owners of data center are increasing their budgets for new gear as they see “real value in their business” for AI, Su told her audience.

“The rate and pace of change in AI is certainly beyond anything that I’ve seen,” Su said.

The biggest data center owners last year were predicting a slowing of the build-out, but Su said they are telling her they are going to accelerate the pace of investment.

“It’s not going to level off,” she said.

The total AI chip market, including accelerators, processors and networking products, would reach US$1 trillion by 2030, Su said.

The chipmaker’s recent agreements with OpenAI, Oracle and the US Department of Energy reflect increased interest in its MI series of AI accelerators. Those products, which go head-to-head with chips from Nvidia, are used in data centers to create and run AI services.

AMD’s leader was asked about concerns that OpenAI might not be able to fund the huge amount of spending that it has laid out.

She said that AMD’s deal with the ChatGPT developer is structured in a very disciplined way.

While the start-up is the most aggressive forecaster of future AI computing requirements, if projections for AI user growth and revenue pan out, there would be plenty of funding available, Su said.

“I wouldn’t bet against them,” she said.

For AMD’s long-range forecast, analysts, on average, estimated sales growth of 32 percent this year followed by expansions of 31 percent next year and 39 percent in 2027, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Analysts projected the company’s annual growth would slow later in the decade to 20 percent in 2028 and 12 percent in the following year.


Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has increased its cash dividend to NT$6 per share on its third quarter earnings, a move analysts described as an attempt to make its shares more attractive.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the world’s largest contract chipmaker said its board of directors approved a proposal to provide a cash dividend of NT$6 per share after posting a record high net profit of NT$452.3 billion (US$14.56 billion), or earnings per share of NT$17.4, in the July-to-September quarter.

The NT$6 payout is up from NT$5 for its second-quarter earnings.

People walk past Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co signage at the company’s Fab 18 in the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan on Friday last week. Photo: CNA

TSMC said the ex-dividend date is set for March 17 next year, with dividends to be paid on April 9.

TSMC shares yesterday rose 0.68 percent to close at NT$1,475, off a high of NT$1,485, in Taipei. The company is Asia’s only stock worth more than US$1 trillion in market capitalization.

In 2019, TSMC became the first Taiwanese company to issue cash dividends on a quarterly instead of annual basis. Analysts believe this change encourages investors to hold the stock longer.

TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) is expected to receive NT$43.3 million in dividends for the quarter from the 7.22 million shares he owns.

The National Development Fund, TSMC’s largest shareholder with a 6.38 percent stake, is set to receive NT$9.92 billion in cash dividends for the quarter.

Meanwhile, the company said its board on Tuesday also approved a capital appropriation plan of about US$14.98 billion.

TSMC said the funds would be used for installing advanced technology and packaging capacity, expanding mature and specialty technology, and constructing fabs with the necessary systems, it said.

The funds would also support investment in research and development, and sustain capital expenditure, the company said.

TSMC to pay out NT$6 in cash dividend in Q3


A sea of chrysanthemum morifolium, also known as florist’s daisies, is pictured at a farm in Miaoli County’s Tongluo Township yesterday. The flowers have started to blossom, with no significant damage by the wind and rain brought by Tropical Storm Fung-wong, the Tongluo Farmers’ Association said.

Safe and sound


Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian (薛劍) on Saturday last week shared a news article on social media about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, adding that “the dirty neck that sticks itself in must be cut off.” The previous day in the Japanese House of Representatives, Takaichi said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival,” a reference to a legal legal term introduced in 2015 that allows the prime minister to deploy the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

The violent nature of Xue’s comments is notable in that it came from a diplomat, especially one stationed in the country to which he was directing his ire. The Japanese government called it “extremely inappropriate,” while Beijing tried to distance itself by characterizing the post as “personal.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that Xue’s comments, and similar remarks from Chinese officials, risked stirring up anti-Japanese sentiment among Chinese, and that it “cannot be treated as an isolated incident or just a personal remark.” US Ambassador to Japan George Glass wrote on X: “The mask slips — again.”

All of those statements are true, to one extent or the other.

The imagery of necks being cut is too evocative of the shock-and-awe tactics of the Imperial Japanese Army in Nanjing in 1937-1938 to discount the idea that Xue’s remark was rooted in the persistent national historical trauma in China over the awful legacy of the Nanjing Massacre. The 20th century’s wars in Asia continue to cast a shadow over this region.

The comments are a reminder that the sentiment behind them, while “personal,” exists widely in China, and in the Chinese establishment, exacerbated by nationalist rhetoric commonly stirred up in Chinese state media. They say much about the sensitivity in China over Taiwan, and the lack of confidence that the situation can be resolved if other regional actors become involved. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) rhetoric of a peaceful rise is, as Glass said, a mask concealing pernicious intent.

The arrival of Takaichi, who has expressed goodwill toward Taiwan and an understanding of the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, as Japan’s new leader is to be welcomed. Unfortunately, there is a sense in which she has — to borrow from Xue’s ugly imagery — stuck out her neck, and left herself, if momentarily, vulnerable.

In an interview posted online by the US think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Ryo Sahashi, a professor at the University of Tokyo’s Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, talked about how much alarm Takaichi’s comments caused in Japan itself. Sahashi stressed that never before has any Japanese prime minister said out loud in the Diet that the Taiwan situation could be regarded as an existential threat to Japan, and in those conditions Japan has cause to exercise its right to collective self-defense. This was “completely new,” he said.

Sahashi also said that Takaichi should be careful about political enemies at home: Her Liberal Democratic Party is in a weak position after a poor showing in elections earlier this year for the upper and lower houses. At the same time, her Cabinet takes the Taiwan Strait situation seriously, with Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi and Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi calling stability in the region extremely important, he said.

Legislators of all parties should take note of the CCP’s true nature, from which Xue’s comments momentarily allowed the mask to slip.

EDITORIAL: The CCP’s mask slips again


Dirty necks, dangerous diplomacy

A Chinese diplomat’s violent threat against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following her remarks on defending Taiwan marks a dangerous escalation in East Asian tensions, revealing Beijing’s growing intolerance for dissent and the fragility of regional diplomacy.

Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian (薛劍) on Saturday posted a chilling message on X: “the dirty neck that sticks itself in must be cut off,” in reference to Takaichi’s remark to Japanese lawmakers that an attack on Taiwan could threaten Japan’s survival.

The post, which was later deleted, was not an isolated outburst. Xue has also amplified other incendiary messages, including one suggesting that Japan would provoke an immediate Chinese retaliation if it attacked Chinese forces.

At the heart of the diplomatic firestorm lies Taiwan, a democracy that China claims as its own and Japan increasingly sees as a strategic partner.

Takaichi’s comments reflect a growing consensus in Tokyo: A Chinese invasion or blockade of Taiwan would not be a distant regional issue, but a direct threat to Japan’s national security. Japan’s southwestern islands lie perilously close to Taiwan, and any conflict could disrupt sea lanes, endanger Japanese citizens and destabilize the region.

However, Beijing views such statements as provocations. The violent rhetoric from Xue signals a shift from diplomatic rebuttal to personal intimidation — a tactic that undermines norms of international conduct and reveals the depth of China’s sensitivity on Taiwan.

The episode exposes the erosion of civility in international relations, especially when authoritarian regimes feel cornered. Threatening a foreign leader with decapitation is not just grotesque — it is a symptom of a deeper malaise: The weaponization of language to silence dissent and intimidate democratic actors.

It also raises questions about the limits of diplomatic immunity and accountability. Should a diplomat who issues violent threats remain in their position? Should host countries tolerate such behavior under the guise of free speech or cultural misunderstanding?

Japan’s response has been measured, but firm. Yet the international community must go further. Violent threats against elected leaders cannot be normalized. As Taiwan’s future hangs in the balance, democracies must stand together — not just in defense of territory, but of dignity, dialogue and the rule of law.

Khedroob Thondup is a former member of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile.


Japan-US talks spark fresh support

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi late last month made ripples throughout Japan and the region with her charm offensive during US President Donald Trump’s Tokyo visit. Their camaraderie appeared as if it was a reunion of old friends, despite being their first in-person meeting. The leaders vowed to deepen economic and security cooperation and signed a framework agreement on the supply of critical minerals and rare earths. Noteworthy is not only how the supply of such minerals is vital to Taiwan’s economic resilience, but how Taiwan came up in the summit and Takaichi’s bold public support for its neighbor.

Taiwan’s semiconductor industry relies heavily on rare earths while the country works to bolster its artificial intelligence capabilities.

During the meeting, major Japanese and American suppliers to Taiwanese chipmakers — such as Hitachi, Murata, Mitsubishi, optical fiber maker Fujikura and MitraChem, cofounded by a Taiwanese American — came up as potential partners in the new framework agreement. Japan and the US would work with other international partners to ensure supply chain security.

That fits into President William Lai’s (賴清德) “non-red” supply chain initiative. Taiwan can make inroads here, especially with Takaichi’s emphasis on working with regional like-minded partners to build resilient supply chains. Clearly, the agreement is intended to counter the dominance of China in rare earths — it processes about 90 percent of the world’s supply.

Another key area discussed was energy security. Given that Taiwan imports more than 90 percent of its energy products, it is an area that direly needs addressing. The new US-Japan framework could provide an opportunity for Taiwan to contribute, while also diversifying its energy sources.

Trump and Takaichi reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait by opposing unilateral attempts to change the “status quo” by force or coercion. Takaichi also echoed the same message at the ASEAN and APEC summits last month. That proactive approach to Taiwan policy was welcomed in Taipei, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) issuing a statement of appreciation.

However, Takaichi’s departure from a more muted Taiwan approach taken by her immediate predecessor, former Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, did not stop during her “energetic” diplomacy — a term coined by Japan’s largest opposition party leader, Yoshihiko Noda, to praise her successful meeting with Trump.

During a Japanese House of Representatives budget committee meeting on Friday last week, Takaichi became the first sitting prime minister to directly link a Taiwan contingency with Japan’s self-defense. She explicitly said that “if warships are used and there is military action, it could clearly be seen as a crisis that threatens Japan’s existence.” She added that a Chinese blockade and the deployment of drones might also trigger Japanese military intervention.

Alongside Takaichi’s record public support — more than 80 percent of Japanese aged 18 to 39 support her Cabinet — the message fits well with Japanese public sentiment, with about 80 percent saying they are either wary of China or support minimizing interaction with Beijing, consistent with the widely referenced Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s 2025 Survey on Japanese views of China.

Beijing’s “wolf warrior” diplomats responded aggressively, with Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian (薛劍) going on social media to call Takaichi stupid and making a comment about chopping off her head if she stuck out her “dirty neck.” That drew wide criticism of China from all of Japan’s major political parties, while Tokyo lodged a strong rebuke to Beijing.

Chinese reactions are just another sign of why such security assurances and other forms of support for Taiwan and Takaichi’s pragmatism in holding firm against Chinese hegemonic ambitions are a game changer for Taipei.

Rath Wang is a senior policy fellow at Safe Spaces, a consulting firm based in Taipei and Washington focusing on Taiwan’s politics, media and civil society. He is a producer and host of political talk shows and podcasts and has worked on political campaigns and advocacies in Taiwan, Japan and the US.