▼享譽全國最美山林燈節的「龍崎光節空山祭」，將於2025年12月25日聖誕節盛大登場。（圖/臺南市政府文化局）

【亞太新聞網/記者吳玉惠/臺南報導】 由臺南市政府文化局主辦享譽全國最美山林燈節的「龍崎光節空山祭」，將於2025年12月25日聖誕節盛大登場。今年以全新策展主題「山林呼喚 Call of the Wild Woods – The Mountain Awaits」亮相，邀請國內外藝術家共同打造十四組融合地景、聲光與互動的裝置藝術，呼應龍崎獨特的堊地紋理與山林生態，引領觀眾踏上一段感知與詩意交織的大地旅程。

總策展人董宇茜與策展人潘奕丞帶領藝術團隊，由樂遠國際有限公司來執行，以「感知大地、回應自然」為核心理念，延續空山祭一貫強調的「人與環境共生」精神。龍崎擁有全臺最具代表性的堊地地貌與竹林文化，藝術團隊以山林為畫布、以光與聲為語彙，創作多件結合科技與自然的沉浸式作品。策展團隊也指出：「山林呼喚不只是自然的召喚，更是一場向內的回聲，希望能在科技與自然之間再次找到共生的節奏。」

策展以「序曲：山林喚醒‧大地而行」、「進行曲：山林共鳴‧萬物而生」、「奏鳴曲：山林禮讚‧繁花綻現」三大篇章鋪陳，將虎形山公園的高低地形轉化成光影舞臺，邀請人們在自然與科技共構的氛圍中重新聆聽土地的呼吸。展期更安排18場限定節目，包括10場藝術導覽、3場主題工作坊、4場表演與1場情人節限定企劃，在聖誕至春節期間點亮龍崎，開啟南臺灣冬季最具代表性的光影盛典。

參與藝術家陣容橫跨臺灣原住民、在地創作者與國際藝術家，包括蘇奕榮、陳普、潘奕丞、吳修銘、郭一勤、林秀惠、顏子斌、哈拿·葛琉、朱威龍、彭冠銘、董宇茜、日本藝術家町田隼人 Hayato Machida、印尼藝術家 Aji Prasetyo 等，形成多元文化與山林對話的共融場景。

臺南市政府文化局表示，「空山祭」自創辦以來已成為臺灣最具代表性的山林藝術節之一，第七屆以更宏觀的視角與更深層的在地連結，再次讓藝術在自然中萌芽。龍崎的山林、竹林、堊地、風景與星夜交織成共振場域，夜幕降臨時光在山谷流動、聲景於竹林迴盪，彷彿一場大地交響曲，為大南方譜下屬於冬季的光影樂章。

展覽資訊

展期｜2025年12月25日（四）－2026年3月1日（日）休展時間｜除夕、每週一至週三休開放時間｜17:30-22:00 ，最後入場 21:00地點｜臺南市龍崎區虎形山公園及周邊展區主辦單位｜臺南市政府文化局執行單位｜樂遠國際有限公司策展人｜董宇茜 、潘奕丞協辦單位｜龍崎區公所、龍崎文衡殿、中華安全救護促進協會協力單位｜青藝力YAP、無花菓世代股份有限公司購票｜OPENTIX兩廳院文化生活活動網址｜https://www.facebook.com/longcilightfestival/

2025龍崎光節空山祭　「山林呼喚」　領航冬季最美山林燈節


台南有土浦街土浦有台南通　友好堅定永續情

【記者吳玉惠/臺南報導】 台南有「土浦街」、土浦也有「台南通」；兩市友好關係堅定永續！

台南市跟日本茨城縣土浦市在112年4月締盟，雙方維持緊密交流互動，今年初土浦市長安藤真理子來訪台南時，獲知黃偉哲市長將歸仁區的一條新設道路命名為土浦街時，大表驚喜與感動。為響應台南市的友誼之舉、彰顯兩市友好情誼，該市日前也宣布將該市重要景點霞浦總合公園週邊一條長達兩公里的道路命名為「台南通」，並在22日舉辦命名儀式，我國駐日代表處蔡明耀副代表獲邀出席，代表接受象徵兩市友好的道路命名證書與路標複製品。

▲位在歸仁區的土浦街就在台南高鐵站附近。▲土浦市安藤市長(左)頒發台南通命名證書給蔡副代表。▲蔡副代表(右)接受土浦「台南通」的複製路標。台南市長黃偉哲對土浦市命名台南通一事表達深厚感謝，台南近期陸續以國際締盟城市之名進行市區道路的命名，不僅是為了紀念跟這些城市間跨越國界的深厚情誼，更期盼希望透過道路本身具象、永久的特性，來象徵雙方關係的堅定永續。此外，路牌、地圖、GPS導航上所顯示的締盟城市路名，也能提升市民跟旅客對於台南締盟城市的認識，增進跨文化的認同與理解，讓台南成為一個更加開放與國際化的城市，很高興自己的理念也獲得土浦市長的認同與響應。

黃偉哲進一步提到，台南跟土浦都具有豐富的觀光資源，未來也將鼓勵台南市民多造訪土浦，到當地的台南通看看，與此同時，也歡迎土浦市民踴躍來到台南觀光，土浦街就在台南高鐵站附近，更能在台南吃美食、賞美景。

土浦市長安藤真理子在命名儀式上提到，兩市112年締盟之後，曾到多次台南現地視察，期盼能推動兩市在農業與觀光上的合作，而為了呼應台南市將新設道路命名為「土浦街」，土浦市也選擇將當地道路命名為「台南通」，希望藉此深化跟台南的友好關係。

土浦市位於茨城縣南部，鄰近日本第二大湖霞浦湖，自古即為水陸交通要道，保存江戶時代觀光文化資產。該市為日本國家級自行車道「筑波霞浦林林自行車道」據點、日本第一蓮藕產地，此外「土浦煙火大會」亦是日本三大煙火大會。


‘BEST RESULT’: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu said that Donald Trump’s silence on the issue signaled that Taiwan was not being treated as a bargaining chip

“Reunification” with China is “not an option” for Taiwan, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, after Chinese state media reported that the issue was brought up in a telephone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump.

“We have noted this significant international exchange, but we must reiterate that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a fully sovereign and independent country,” Cho said at the legislature when reporters asked him about the issue.

“The 23 million people of Taiwan do not have a ‘reunification’ option. This is very clear. Taiwan is the world’s Taiwan,” Cho said.

A visitor stands in front of an exhibit of a stage set featuring Chinese warriors fighting on a map of China and Taiwan in Kinmen on Sept. 10, 2004. Photo: Richard Chung, Reuters

Trump and Xi spoke over the telephone on Monday to discuss various issues.

In a social media post, Trump made no mention of Taiwan, saying instead that he and Xi discussed Ukraine, fentanyl, a deal on agricultural products, and forthcoming bilateral visits by himself and Xi.

However, Xinhua reported that Xi told Trump that “Taiwan’s reunification with China” is an important component to the post-World War II international order, and Trump replied that the US acknowledged Taiwan’s importance to China.

Cho said Taiwan is critically important to the international community in terms of regional security, and technological and economic development, and that maintaining the “status quo” is therefore something on which the world is collectively focused.

“China cannot undermine this ‘status quo’ in any way,” he said, adding that this is why Taiwan has been strengthening its defense capabilities and standing with like-minded democratic nations.

Separately, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said that Trump’s silence on the issue signaled that Taiwan was not being treated as a bargaining chip in broader US-China talks.

“It is the best result, that we are not mentioned, meaning we are not part of the deal,” he said by telephone.

“We understand that Taiwan is China’s core interest, but it is also a core interest for Japan, the US and Europe,” Wu said, adding that Taipei maintains “frequent and intensive communication with the US.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that China is deliberately misinterpreting World War II documents in an attempt to coerce Taiwan.

Taiwan is a sovereign and independent state that is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China, the ministry said.

Communication channels between the US and Taiwan remain smooth, although relevant details would not be made public, ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) told a news conference in Taipei.

The American Institute in Taiwan has publicly reaffirmed the US’ position on Taiwan and said that Beijing is willfully misinterpreting wartime documents, he said.

Beijing’s narrative is entirely false, and aims to isolate Taiwan internationally and limit other nations’ sovereign choice to interact with Taiwan, he added.

China is driven by authoritarian expansionism and has repeatedly sought to intimidate Taiwan, Japan and other neighboring nations in violation of the UN Charter’s prohibition of threats or use of force in international relations, the ministry said.

None of the World War II documents — including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Declaration and the San Francisco Peace Treaty — nor subsequent UN resolutions determine Taiwan’s political status, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said.

As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan would continue working with like-minded partners to maintain the cross-strait “status quo,” and safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity, she said.

Additional reporting by Hollie Younger

‘Reunification’ not an option: premier


US President Donald Trump on Monday held back-to-back telephone calls with the leaders of China and Japan, signaling his desire to balance ties with Asia’s top economies as tensions rise over a Taiwan feud.

Trump’s hour-long conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) marked their first direct contact since reaching a trade truce in South Korea, after both men skipped the weekend’s G20 summit.

Xi pressed his US counterpart on the issue of Taiwan, which did not arise in last month’s encounter, Chinese state media reported.

This combination of pictures created on November 24, 2025 shows, L/R, China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing on November 12, 2025 and US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on November 22, 2025. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump discussed bilateral cooperation and the issue of Taiwan in a phone call on November 24, 2025, Beijing’s state news agency Xinhua reported. Photo: AFP

Xi framed his view of Taiwan’s status in stark historical terms, telling Trump the nation’s “return” to China represented an essential element of the post-World War II international order.

The Chinese leader invoked their countries’ wartime alliance against fascism, urging joint efforts to “safeguard the victory of WWII.”

Hours after that conversation, Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who said the US leader reached out to reaffirm ties with Tokyo and update her on the situation with China, adding that she could call him any time.

Trump’s decision to speak with both leaders underscores his determination to avoid getting sucked into a spat between a key US ally and his nation’s top supplier of rare earths.

China has been pressuring nations to pick sides, writing a letter to the UN accusing Japan of contravening international law by suggesting its armed forces could be drawn into a conflict over Taiwan.

The flurry of diplomacy comes as the US’ and China’s trade teams hash out the final details of their truce.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent earlier this month said that a rare earths deal between the nations would “hopefully” be completed by tomorrow, although talks on key implementation details continue.

Trump characterized the call with Xi as “very good,” and said they spoke about purchases of soybeans and other agricultural products, as well as curbing shipments of illegal fentanyl.

The US president said he agreed to visit Beijing in April, and had invited Xi for a state visit to the US next year.

Beijing deliberately avoided raising Taiwan in South Korea to focus on trade and steadying ties, said Rorry Daniels, managing director at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Takaichi’s subsequent comments about potential military intervention in a Taiwan crisis “have now prompted the full court press,” Daniels said.

“China often wants Washington to handle its friction with US allies,” Daniels said, adding that Beijing views allies as “subordinate to US direction.”

Any flare-up between the US and China could imperil a trade truce that saw Washington lower fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing agree to suspend certain restrictions on the export of rare earths.

Trump’s public statement on the Monday call with Xi sidestepped Taiwan, focusing on agricultural purchases and fentanyl cooperation.

Trump acknowledged China’s World War II contributions during the call and said the US “understands how important the Taiwan question is to China,” a Chinese readout said.

Trump’s conversation with Xi also touched on Ukraine, with China’s leader expressing support for peace efforts, and hoping parties would reach a “fair, lasting and binding” agreement.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the discussion as focused primarily on trade relations moving “in a positive direction.”

Trump calls Chinese and Japanese leaders


Delegation from Panama arrives

EUROPEAN VISITORS: A delegation from the Danish parliament is also visiting Taiwan, looking to discuss regional security and promote closer bilateral ties   By Huang Ching-hsuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

A delegation of Panamanian lawmakers arrived in Taiwan yesterday, the first time Panamanian National Assembly members have visited Taiwan since the nation switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2017.

The nine-member group led by Manuel Cohen Salerno and Roland Ameth de Gracia, cochairs for Panama on the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), are to meet with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and attend a banquet hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Cohen and De Gracia would also be visiting Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the International Trade Administration, the International Cooperation and Development Fund, Hsinchu Science Park, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute’s Tainan branch, Shalun Smart Renewable Energy Science Park and Chimei Museum, it said.

Members of a parliamentary delegation from Panama are received at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport by Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The delegation, which is to stay until Saturday, hopes to develop a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s politics, economy and society, as well as high-tech development, the ministry said.

Panama is an important shipping, logistics, service-industry and financial hub, the ministry said, adding that Taiwan is not only a big user of the Panama Canal, but also the second-largest export market for Panamanian goods.

There is great potential for Taiwan-Panama collaboration in smart logistics, semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and Taiwan hopes to establish a mutually beneficial partnership, the ministry added.

The trip comes amid reports that China had sought to block it.

A report by The Associated Press on Thursday last week, citing the Panamanian daily La Prensa, said that Chinese embassy staff in Panama asked a total of 10 lawmakers to “immediately cancel” plans to visit Taiwan.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said before the trip that it did not have his administration’s approval.

In comments cited by AP, several lawmakers defended the visit, saying it would give them exposure to “models and experiences” relevant to Panama’s modernization, while others pointed to “investment and cooperation” opportunities.

Panama’s Metro Libre reported that the lawmakers said the visit was arranged at Taiwan’s invitation, with lodging, meals and transportation to be covered by the Taiwanese government.

Previously commenting on China’s interference with the lawmakers’ planned trip, the ministry condemned Beijing for once again trying to intervene in Taiwan’s “normal exchanges with other countries.”

It said that Taiwan has always taken an open-minded and friendly stance to equally conduct exchanges with friends from around the world that hold the same ideals of democracy, freedom, respect for human rights and rule of law.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Danish parliament is visiting Taiwan for a second consecutive year, looking to discuss regional security and promote closer bilateral ties, the ministry said.

Led by Kasper Roug, vice chairman of the Parliamentary Taiwan Friendship Group, the four-member delegation also includes Thomas Jensen, Alex Ahrendtsen and Morten Klessen, all members of the Folketing, Denmark’s national legislature, the ministry said in a statement.

The visit, which is to last until Friday, is meant to gain a firsthand understanding of Taiwan’s political and economic developments, the cross-strait situation and regional security, it said.

During their five-day visit, the group is to meet with Hsiao and attend a banquet hosted by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中).

The last time a group of Danish parliamentarians visited Taiwan was in November last year.


Russia hammers Kyiv as peace plan talks continue

Russia rained missiles and drones on Kyiv yesterday, killing seven people, as frantic diplomatic efforts over a draft US plan to end the war intensified.

Negotiators from the US, Ukraine and Russia were all due in Abu Dhabi, US and British media reported, days after US President Donald Trump tabled a 28-point plan that would enshrine most of Russia’s hardline demands.

People crowded into Kyiv’s deep metro stations overnight amid the attack, setting up sleeping bags, tents and camping chairs.

Communal workers clean debris outside a damaged residential building following Russian missile and drone strikes in Kyiv yesterday. Photo: AFP

Powerful explosions rocked the city beginning at about 1am yesterday, while thick smoke, illuminated red and orange by the fire from Ukrainian air defense, covered parts of Kyiv, as Russian missiles and drones flew toward the capital.

Fires raged in multistory apartment blocks hit in the strikes. Elderly locals scooped up their belongings, and draped themselves in blankets and coats after being evacuated in the middle of the night.

Ukrainian officials slammed the Russian attack as a sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unwillingness to end the war, launched by his February 2022 invasion.

“Putin gave his terrorist response to the United States’ and President Trump’s peace proposals. With a barrage of missiles and drones against Ukraine,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiga said on social media.

Russia fired 464 drones and 22 missiles at Ukraine in the overnight barrage, Kyiv’s air force said.

Ukraine also fired almost 250 drones at Russia overnight, Moscow said, killing three people in the southern border region of Rostov in what the governor of nearby Krasnodar called one of the “most sustained and massive attacks” of the war.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov yesterday said that Kyiv was pushing for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Trump “at the earliest possible date in November to finalize the remaining stages and reach an agreement.”


Afghanistan vows an ‘appropriate’ response to strikes

Afghanistan’s Taliban government yesterday vowed to “respond appropriately” to overnight border strikes that killed 10 people it blamed on Pakistan, as tensions soar following a suicide bombing in Peshawar a day earlier.

“The Pakistani invading forces bombed the house of a local civilian resident,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on social media. “As a result, nine children [five boys and four girls] and one woman were martyred” in Khost Province.

Airstrikes targeting the border regions of Kunar and Paktika wounded another four civilians, he added.

Men search through the rubble at the site of an overnight airstrike on a home in Khost Province’s Gurbaz District, Afghanistan, yesterday. Photo: AP

The raids were carried out by drones and other aircraft, said Mustaghfir Gurbuz, a spokesman for the governor of Khost.

In Jige Mughalgai, near the Pakistan frontier, a correspondent saw residents searching through the rubble of a collapsed house and preparing graves for victims.

“The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this violation and reiterates that defending its airspace, territory and people is its legitimate right, and it will respond appropriately at the right time,” Mujahid said in a separate statement.

The Pakistani military did not comment on the strikes when contacted.

The bombardment follows a suicide attack on Monday that targeted the headquarters of Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary force in Peshawar, killing three officers and wounding 11 others.

No group has claimed responsibility, but state broadcaster PTV reported the attackers were Afghan nationals and Pakistani President Asif Zardari blamed the “foreign-backed Fitna al-Khawarij” — Islamabad’s term for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants it accuses of operating from Afghan soil.

Another suicide blast outside a court in the Pakistan capital, Islamabad, this month killed 12 people and was claimed by a faction of the TTP, which shares the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.

Islamabad blamed a militant cell which was “guided at every step by the ... high command based in Afghanistan” for the capital attack.

Pakistani Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar held a news conference yesterday focused on the Islamabad attack.

He broadcast a video confession from one of the four suspects in custody, and said: “There is clear-cut evidence that TTA [Afghan Taliban] and TTP did it together, and the suicide bomber was a resident of Afghanistan.”

“Afghanistan is fully involved ... and their soil is also involved. The people being sheltered there are also involved,” he added on live television, without mentioning the strikes in the neighboring nation.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been fraught since the Taliban swept back to power in 2021, and worsened after deadly border clashes last month that killed about 70 people on both sides.

The fighting ended with a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but several rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul failed to produce a lasting deal, with security issues, especially Pakistan’s demand that Kabul curb TTP fighters, proving a sticking point.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks, including the TTP, which has waged a bloody campaign against Pakistan for years. Kabul denies the charge.


PEACE ELSEWHERE?  Bonnie Glaser said that Donald Trump might have called Xi Jinping to seek his help with a Russia-Ukraine peace plan proposed by Washington   By Huang Ching-hsuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

US President Donald Trump appears to be downplaying the Taiwan issue, given his omission of the topic from public discussions of talks with China, experts said yesterday.

Only China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) highlighted “China’s principled position on the Taiwan question, underscoring that Taiwan’s return to China is an integral part of the post-[World] war [II] international order” during a telephone call between the two leaders on Monday.

A social media post Trump wrote about the call did not mention Taiwan.

US President Donald Trump arrives at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30. Photo: AP

From Monday’s omission as well as Trump’s speeches over the past few months, it is evident that he wants to downplay the Taiwan issue in terms of US-China relations and Japan-China relations, Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies professor Ding Shuh-fan (丁樹範) said.

The two also did not discuss Taiwan during their meeting the sidelines of this year’s APEC summit in South Korea, Ding said.

It is interesting that Trump wants to downplay the Taiwan issue, perhaps due to its sensitivity or perhaps because of leverage he can derive from it, Ding said, adding that the silence is a good thing for Taiwan on some level.

The US and China highlighting different parts of a conversation, while neither denying nor affirming what the other side said, is an established routine for US-China talks, said Yen Chen-shen (嚴震生), a professor in National Chengchi University’s Department of Political Science.

Trump was not in a position to support or criticize Japan’s position, and Washington and Beijing could only continue their discussions by refraining from commenting on the issue or refuting China’s comments, Yen said, referring to a spat between China and Japan over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on a potential invasion of Taiwan.

Once either the US or China have stated that it does not agree with the other on the Taiwan issue, it would likely be a moot point in future meetings, he added.

Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the Washington-based German Marshall Fund, said that the telephone call might have been initiated by Trump, as he might have wanted to “solicit Xi’s help” given the attention on a Russia-Ukraine peace plan proposed by Trump.

“It is likely that Xi opted to use the opportunity to make a statement about Taiwan,” Glaser said in an e-mail.

Trump understands that Taiwan “is a third-rail issue in US-China relations” and has been “very cautious when talking about Taiwan, including when he has been asked whether the US would defend Taiwan if attacked,” she said.

Neil Thomas, a fellow for Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, said that China does not expect the US to abandon Taiwan.

However, “Xi’s growing confidence in his relationship with Trump — and the warm afterglow of the APEC summit — has him sensing an opportunity to use Washington to gain diplomatic leverage against Tokyo,” he said.

Trump’s call was a chance for Beijing to gauge his administration’s stance on the issue, send the message that Washington should not support Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan and remind Trump of the highly sensitive nature of cross-strait issues, said Wu Xinbo (吳心伯), an adviser to the Chinese government and director at Fudan University’s Center for American Studies.

“The US should handle the Taiwan issue very carefully,” Wu said, adding that he expects the issue to feature more prominently between now and Trump’s expected visit to Beijing in April.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg and CNA

US downplaying Taiwan issue: experts


China ramps up pressure over Taiwan at UN

In the roughly three weeks since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi commented on a possible Taiwan contingency in the Japanese Diet, China has unleashed economic reprisals, nationalist barbs and a diplomatic offensive to show its displeasure.

Now, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government is escalating the dispute with an appeal to the UN, a move aimed at pressuring countries to side with China’s stance on a potential conflict over Taiwan — or stay out of its way.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday last week, Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Fu Cong (傅聰) accused Takaichi of contravening international law with her comments, which publicly linked a Taiwan Strait crisis with the possible deployment of Japanese troops.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang addresses the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26. Photo: AP

“If Japan dared to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait, it would be an act of aggression,” Fu wrote.

The letter accused Japan of undermining the “post-[World] war [II] international order,” citing documents that back China’s assertion that it has sovereignty over Taiwan.

Xi reinforced that message in a telephone call on Monday with US President Donald Trump, saying that “Taiwan’s return to China is an integral part” of the order after the war.

In its own letter to the UN, Japan criticized an earlier missive from China as misrepresenting the nature Takaichi’s remarks, saying Beijing’s letter was “inconsistent with the facts and unsubstantiated.”

“China’s assertion that Japan would exercise the right of self-defense even in the absence of an armed attack is erroneous,” Japanese Ambassador to the UN Kazuyuki Yamazaki wrote in a letter to Guterres dated Monday.

“Japan’s fundamental defense policy is the posture of passive defense strategy, which is exclusively defense-oriented, contrary to the Chinese side’s claims,” Yamazaki wrote.

A Japanese government spokesman echoed those views yesterday.

“Factually incorrect claims by the Chinese side cannot be accepted, and I believe it is necessary for the Japanese government to firmly rebut and communicate this,” Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara told a news conference.

China’s moves seek to further its claims to Taiwan and widen the dispute beyond Japan in an international body where Beijing enjoys wide support.

In invoking the right to self-defense and equating a Japanese intervention as an act of aggression, Beijing is effectively asserting that no country should come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of an invasion.

The letter “could be the first step of China’s new efforts to establish the legal ground and narrative” for a potential military move, including firing at Japanese assets, said William Yang, senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group.

While former US president Joe Biden repeatedly stated that the US would defend Taiwan in an attack from China, Beijing carefully calibrated its responses as it knew Washington could “inflict real pain” on Beijing, Yang said.

Japan’s economic reliance on China, by contrast, makes it an easier target.

China “wants to see how much would the Trump administration be willing to offer Japan concrete support,” Yang said.

The UN letter is the latest step in China’s effort to rally international support in its spat with Japan.

While it is not a formal resolution requiring member states to vote, it forces every country to consider where it stands on the issue — and that might be good enough for China.

“It only needs silence, because silence for China means acquiescence, acceptance,” said Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis SA, who has researched China’s influence at the UN. “And nobody’s saying this is outrageous. So this is why for China this is already a big win.”

In their broadsides against Takaichi, Chinese officials and state media commentaries have frequently evoked Japan’s wartime aggression against China and other Asian nations, accusing her government of returning to a dangerous path of “militarism.”

Fu has also seized on Japan’s alleged transgression in arguing against its bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.

On Friday, the Chinese embassy in Japan posted on X that China would have the right to carry out “direct military action” without needing authorization from the UN Security Council if Japan took any step toward renewed aggression.

That post cited UN Charter clauses regarding “enemy states” during World War II, without further elaboration.

Japan refused to let that one slide, saying that the UN “enemy state” clauses are now considered obsolete.

“We’re hoping China will act and speak responsibly as a major power and permanent security council member of the UN,” senior Japanese government spokeswoman Maki Kobayashi said in a statement.

China’s narrative relies heavily on a legal distinction Beijing has aggressively promoted since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Chinese officials have repeatedly rejected parallels between the two, arguing that while Ukraine is a sovereign state, Taiwan is a “territory of China” and the dispute is “internal.”

From this perspective, Beijing has accused the US and its allies of “double standards,” upholding Ukraine’s borders while violating China’s sovereignty over Taiwan.

Now by baking this logic into formal UN communications, China is attempting to establish that any foreign military assistance to Taiwan is not a defense of democracy, but an illegal violation of Chinese territory.

Russia has been one of the few countries joining Beijing to reprimand Takaichi. US allies have largely kept quiet so far.

For China, the relentless focus on Takaichi also serves a domestic political purpose: Making Xi look strong by not ceding ground to a historical enemy on one of its most sensitive domestic political issues.

The spat allows China to boost domestic nationalism while also serving to deter any other countries from speaking out regarding Taiwan, said Sung Wen-ti (宋文笛), a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council‘s Global China Hub.

“By getting other states to vocalize support for China’s position at the UN, China is trying to project legitimacy of its position via strength by numbers,” Sung said. “When two major economic giants are fighting, the path of least resistance is simply to keep one’s head down.”


Premier vows more effort to restore Taroko park

EAST COAST WOES:  A lawmaker told a legislative hearing that the government should offer more assistance to tourism operators in Hualien and Taitung counties

The government is to step up efforts to restore Taroko Gorge National Park after infrastructure there was severely damaged by an earthquake in April last year, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, adding that plans were under way to restore tourism access across the east coast after numerous disruptions due to natural disasters.

Taroko Gorge, a popular tourist attraction on the east coast, attracted about 4 million visitors per year before the region was affected by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on April 3 last year, Taroko Gorge National Park Administration data showed.

Visitor numbers to the park have plummeted to about 210,000 since the quake, the data showed.

Park officials have estimated that it would take at least seven years to fully restore some of the area’s popular scenic spots.

Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Lin Yi-chun (林憶君) told a hearing at the legislature in Taipei that the government should offer more concrete assistance to tourism operators in Hualien and Taitung counties, as their businesses are often disrupted by natural disasters.

Cho said that the government has offered subsidies to boost tourism on the east coast since the earthquake, particularly the tourism industry in Hualien, adding that the most important task is to ensure unobstructed access.

He cited the separate incident of a breached barrier lake that flooded Hualien’s Guangfu Township (光復) and destroyed the Mataian River Bridge (馬太鞍溪橋) during Super Typhoon Ragasa in September.

“Unfortunately, disasters brought by typhoons and barrier lakes have impeded access in Hualien. For example, a makeshift crossing of the Mataian River was washed out when the nation was hit by torrential rain brought by Typhoon Fung-wong earlier this month, with repairs not expected to be completed until Friday,” Cho said.

In Taroko, while some parts of the park have been reopened to the public following the quake, some of its iconic scenic spots, such as the Changchun Shrine (長春祠), remain closed, he said.

“My hope is that access to the shrine can be restored as soon as possible, and that the world can see its beauty and that of Taroko Gorge again,” he said.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said that the ministry is mainly in charge of repairing roads in the region.

“So far, road access is only available at five periods during the day because of slope instability,” Chen said.

The slopes near roads should be more stable in 2027, he added.

Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) said that facilities at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport should be “smarter” to match Taiwan’s reputation as technology powerhouse.

“Taiwan is known for producing semiconductors and developing artificial intelligence, but facilities at Taoyuan airport are far behind those at Narita Airport in Japan, Incheon Airport in South Korea and Singapore’s Changi Airport,” Chiu said.

Smart systems, including smart immigration clearance, traffic-flow forecasting and automated baggage check-in equipment should be implemented, he added.

Taoyuan airport has been in use for more than four decades, Cho said, adding that its operating terminals leave little room for large-scale renovations.

However, the north concourse of the third terminal would open for use at the end of this year and the ministry has plans to revamp the two operating terminals, he said.

“Once the third terminal is opened, there would be more scope to upgrade terminals One and Two,” Chen said.

The third terminal main building and southern concourse would begin operations by 2027, he added, citing Taoyuan International Airport Corp’s plans.


FACTBOX-Taiwan, China, World War Two and its aftermath

Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday that Taiwan’s “return to China” at the end of World War Two was a key part of Beijing’s vision for the world order.

Here is a timeline about Taiwan, China, World War Two and its aftermath.

1895 - After being defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War, China’s Qing dynasty signs the Treaty of Shimonoseki ceding sovereignty over Taiwan to Japan.

A vendor displays newspapers with front pages displaying reports of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea at a newspaper stand in Beijing on Oct. 31. Photo: AFP

1911 - The Qing dynasty is overthrown in a revolution and the following year the Republic of China is declared.

1927 - Chinese Communist Party stages an uprising against the government, viewed as the start of China’s civil war.

1931 - Japan invades northeast China’s Manchuria.

1936 - Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek is kidnapped by two of his own generals to force him into an alliance with Mao Zedong’s communists to fight the Japanese and suspend China’s civil war.

1937 - Japan invades the rest of China.

1943 - Chiang, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sign the Cairo Declaration which states Taiwan will be “restored” to the Republic of China.

1945 - The Potsdam Declaration calls for Japan’s unconditional surrender and reaffirms the Cairo Declaration. Following Japan’s defeat, Taiwan is handed over to the Republic of China.

1946 - Truce between republican and communist forces collapses and the Chinese civil war resumes.

1947 - An uprising in Taiwan against the ruling Republican Chinese government follows tensions over social, cultural and political issues, and is bloodily put down.

1949 - Chiang retreats to Taiwan after Mao wins the civil war and establishes the People’s Republic of China. Mao vows to “liberate” the island.

1951 - Japan signs the San Francisco Peace Treaty renouncing its claims to Taiwan, but the island’s sovereignty is left unresolved in the document. Beijing says the treaty is “illegal and invalid” given it was not a party to it.

1952 - Treaty of Peace between the Republic of China and Japan signed reaffirming Japan’s renunciation of its claims to Taiwan, which the government in Taiwan says is confirmation of the previous transfer of sovereignty to the Republic of China.

To this day, the governments in Taipei and Beijing do not officially recognise each other.

Republic of China remains Taiwan’s formal name.

Sources - Taiwanese, Chinese governments.


Hopefully, Taiwan can help ease the tensions between Japan and China, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said yesterday as he set out on a four-day trip to Japan.

Taiwan and Japan maintain close ties in a very friendly relationship, Huang told reporters ahead of his departure at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) with a group of young TPP members.

Japan’s reliance on energy imports through the Taiwan Strait means it monitors events affecting the area carefully, while China has historical grievances and territorial disputes that are intensified by Taiwan-related issues, he said.

Taiwan People’s Party lawmakers and others hold a banner at Taipei International Airport before departing for Japan yesterday. Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

Japan and China should tone down their rhetoric to avoid tensions escalating, and hopefully Taiwan could play a role in fostering harmony and balance rather than being a flashpoint, he said without elaborating.

Regional security is key to Taiwan’s own security, Huang said.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Nov. 7 said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival” that could potentially trigger a military response.

The comment angered China, which has taken a series of measures aimed at hurting Japan’s economy, including issuing advisories against travel and study in Japan, and suspending a resumption of Japanese seafood imports.

Asked whether former TPP chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) had offered any advice for the Japan trip, Huang said that he and Ko discuss everything openly.

Ko believes regional stability is vital for Taiwan’s security and that all parties should engage in rational dialogue rather than inflaming tensions when conflicts arise between China and Japan, Huang added.

TPP’s Huang hopes Taiwan can play peacemaking role


The Nationality Act (國籍法) applies to all countries other than Taiwan and any proposal to exempt people from a particular country or region would in effect single them out as a special category, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said yesterday.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Monday accused Liu of “arbitrarily” expanding the definition of “foreign nationals” to include citizens of China.

The Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Chinese have special legal status as people of the “mainland area,” which Liu completely ignored, the KMT said.

In Taipei yesterday, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang arrives at an international forum on disaster response. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times

“Liu should resign, as she also disregarded amendments to the Republic of China Constitution — an act of political manipulation that exploits a sensitive issue to provoke China. This would put Taiwan under greater risk,” it said.

On Monday, Liu said that it would be tacit acknowledgement that Taiwan is part of China if Taiwan did not treat the “mainland area” as a separate country.

The cross-strait act guarantees the right of Chinese to live and work in Taiwan, as well as access to welfare, as long as they obtain legal permission to do so, Liu told reporters yesterday ahead of an international forum in Taipei.

“However, the only difference is that Article 20 of the Nationality Act requires elected officials to pledge loyalty to one country and does not allow dual allegiances,” she said.

Proposed amendments to the Nationality Act might result in labeling Chinese as a special category of people — an approach that could create uncertainty about the participation of Chinese spouses in public activities or in the public sector in Taiwan, she said.

Article 20 stipulates that Taiwanese with dual nationality cannot hold elected office in Taiwan, with those who are elected to public office or other public positions are required to renounce their foreign nationality, completing the process within one year of taking office.

Nationality Act applies to all countries: minister


By Hsieh Chun-lin, Liu Wan-lin and Sam Garcia / Staff reporters, with staff writer and CNA

Opposition parties yesterday used their numerical advantage to postpone placing the Executive Yuan’s draft of the fiscal planning act on Friday’s agenda, preventing it from receiving a first reading or being sent to a committee.

As the Procedure Committee was scheduling Friday’s and next Tuesday’s legislative schedules, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) proposed postponing inclusion of the Executive Yuan’s draft amendment to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法).

Although Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators opposed the move, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) sided with the TPP, using the combined numerical advantage of the two opposition parties in the committee to pass the motion by nine votes to seven.

Lawmakers vote on a proposal at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

The vote also blocked draft amendments regulating lawmakers’ travel to China for national security purposes.

TPP Legislator Liu Shu-pin (劉書彬), who proposed the blocking measure, said that not placing items on the agenda was effectively the same as sending them back to the Executive Yuan.

It would not be handled in this session, but could be proposed again next time, Liu said.

The TPP discussed the move with the KMT beforehand, she said, adding that there has been no follow-up discussion about when it might be placed on the agenda.

DPP Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) asked Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) if he would reconsider or refuse to sign amendments to the act proposed by opposition parties.

Cho said that he hopes that the version of the act from the National Audit Office would halt discussions about the wording of the legislation, making the Executive Yuan’s version the only viable option.

The Executive Yuan’s version has undergone more than six consultations with local governments, making it the most likely to achieve consensus and be brought before the Legislative Yuan for discussion, Cho said.

The version passed on Nov. 14 would increase government borrowing to NT$560 billion (US$17.81 billion), which exceeds the ceiling set by the Public Debt Act (公共債務法), he said.

The Executive Yuan cannot prepare a budget based on that version, as the budget would be illegal, he added.

Next year’s general budget has already been compiled based on the new version of the fiscal planning act and changes would undermine government administration, he said.

The Executive Yuan passed its version of the act on Thursday last week, with provisions that increased the central government’s allocation to local governments to more than NT$1.2 trillion, exceeding the NT$1.683 trillion approved by the opposition in December last year.

DPP caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said that the version of the act passed on Nov. 14 is NT$264.6 billion more than last year’s version, exceeding the government’s borrowing limit and making it difficult to implement.

Opposition delays fiscal talks at the legislature


Lai thanks visiting Eswatini officials for support at U.N. General Assembly

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday thanked visiting Eswatini House of Assembly Speaker Jabulani Mabuza for his country’s vocal support for Taiwan at this year’s U.N. General Assembly.

During a meeting at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Lai noted that Eswatini’s King Mswati III had used his address at the 80th U.N. General Assembly General Debate in September to underline that U.N. Resolution 2758 of 1971 “did not address the issue of Taiwan’s representation in the United Nations, and it does not preclude their participation in the U.N. system.”

Resolution 2758 recognized the People’s Republic of China as the “only lawful representative of China to the U.N.” Beijing, however, has used it to justify its claim over Taiwan.

President Lai Ching-te ,right, shakes hands with Eswatini House of Assembly Speaker Jabulani Mabuza at the Office of the President in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: CNA

Lai said that the king’s speech reflected the long-term support Eswatini has given Taiwan in the international arena.

He noted that this was Mabuza’s second time leading a delegation to Taiwan, having previously done so as Eswatini’s minister of commerce, industry and trade in 2018.

The president said the current visit demonstrated Eswatini’s firm support for Taiwan and deepening bilateral ties, adding that the two countries had achieved much together in the fields of agriculture, public health, education, women’s empowerment and renewable energy.

The Taiwanese government will continue encouraging Taiwanese businesses to branch out globally, using Eswatini as their launchpad into the African market, thus creating opportunities for cooperation, Lai said.

In his remarks, Mabuza said Lai’s emphasis on innovation and education aligned with Eswatini’s own development priorities.

Eswatini cherishes the long-standing bond between the two countries, which is built upon the shared values of sovereignty and mutual respect, and is committed to deepening it, Mabuza said.

He expressed confidence that bilateral economic and cultural exchanges, as well as cooperation in health care, public sanitation and technology will continue to flourish.

Others in the delegation include Eswatini House of Assembly members Lindiwe Mamba, Joseph Souza, Jabulane M. Simelane and Allen Vilane.


LOCAL SITES: Many tourist attractions across the nation offer free admission, discounts and promotions to encourage people to visit and revitalize local industries   By Chen Yu-fu, Sam Garcia and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writers and CNA

The government is to provide subsidies for weekday accommodation starting in March next year to promote domestic tourism, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday.

As domestic tourism is concentrated on weekends and holidays, rooms are hard to find and expensive on holidays, Cho said.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is therefore introducing weekday accommodation subsidies to encourage people to travel during the week, he said.

Tainan’s fish head mascot Sababoy fishes at a campsite in the Shuangchun Seaside Recreational Area in Beimen District in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Tainan Bureau of Tourism

The ministry is planning to offer weekday accommodation discounts, birthday accommodation specials, deals on overnight stays near amusement parks, and domestic travel incentives for corporate employees starting in March, he said.

For the birthday special, 1,000 citizens would be randomly chosen each month to receive NT$1,200 off on accommodations for their birthday, the ministry said.

The weekday credit would be available for stays between Sunday and Thursday, with each person eligible for up to NT$2,000 — NT$800 for the first night and NT$1,200 for the second, it said.

The amusement park deal would grant travelers free admission to one of the nation’s 26 theme parks if they present proof of accommodation at a hotel any night between Sunday and Thursday.

In line with the Ministry of Labor’s protection of workers’ rights, employees who have paid leave are encouraged to take days off during the week, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said.

Regarding President William Lai’s (賴清德) call for Taiwanese to travel to Japan amid a diplomatic spat between Tokyo and Beijing, Cho said that the president’s intention was to urge those already planning to travel abroad to choose Japan, adding that the government is also promoting tourism in Taiwan.

Many tourist attractions across the nation offer free admission, discounts and promotions to encourage people to visit local attractions and revitalize local industries, the Tourism Administration said in a news release.

The National Museum of Natural Science said that starting next year, it would offer free admission every Friday from 2pm to 5pm.

The Yilan campus of the National Center for Traditional Arts announced that next month, Yilan County residents could enter for free on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.

The Alishan Forest Railway is running a raffle, offering visitors who spend a certain amount at any of the six surrounding townships a chance to win a NT$16,000 tour package, the agency said.

The Jinzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields is holding a stamp-collecting tour in cooperation with the Beimen Wangye Art Festival, offering participants prizes from gold to an iPhone 17, it said.

Cimei Island (七美) in Penghu County is offering NT$500 vouchers and scratch cards, as well as free admission to the county’s top 10 cultural venues and free rides on Penghu hop-on hop-off tourist buses.

In Kimmen County, the Chen Jinglan Mansion is offering coffee discounts, the Jingwu Winery Cellar is offering complimentary draft beer, and the Jinhu Leisure Agricultural Area is offering discounts on food and shrimping.

Many attractions are offering shopping discounts and accommodation packages, hoping to boost domestic tourism, the agency said.

Lodging subsidy to boost tourism to start in March


CDC purchases 150,000 more flu vaccines

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION: Current supply is expected to run out before the end of the year, and people at high risk of infection are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible

The government has purchased 150,000 additional doses of free flu vaccines, as more than 90 percent of the supply has been used up, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

Supply of the remaining government-funded vaccines is expected to run out by the end of the year, but the new ones would be available starting next month, the CDC said.

There were 85,425 hospital visits for flu-like illnesses last week, covering the period from Nov. 16 to Saturday, which is 10.1 percent lower than the previous week, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said.

“However, 25 severe flu cases and 12 flu-related deaths were confirmed last week,” Tseng said, advising the public to remain vigilant as flu cases in neighboring countries, including Japan, South Korea and China, have seen a rapid rise, and are also climbing in Europe, the US and Canada.

The youngest severe case last week was a man in his 20s in central Taiwan, who has a history of hypertension, heart failure and kidney failure, and is on dialysis treatment, CDC physician Huang Po-han (黃柏翰) said, adding that the man had not been vaccinated against the flu.

His symptoms began with coughing and a runny nose, but worsened to include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and fatigue. He sought treatment at an emergency room, where he was diagnosed with pulmonary infiltrates in both lungs, and tested positive for influenza A infection, Huang said.

After being hospitalized in an intensive care unit for four days, the man has been moved to a normal ward and is in stable condition, he said, urging people at a higher risk of severe complications from infection to get vaccinated.

CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said that 6.68 million doses of government-funded flu vaccines were purchased for this flu season, and more than 6.12 million doses, or 91.7 percent, have been administered, while the remainder is expected to run out before the end of the year.

The vaccine coverage rate among elderly people is only 47.6 percent, still lower than the CDC’s goal of at least 55 percent, he said.

To protect more people against another wave of flu infections estimated between January and February, the CDC has purchased 150,000 extra doses, he said.

The vaccines are expected to arrive and be distributed to local health departments around the middle of next month, he said.

“People who are still thinking about it should get vaccinated as soon as possible, as it is likely the last batch of vaccines purchased this season, while self-paid vaccines are also likely to run out soon,” Lo said.

Adding in the newly purchased doses, total vaccine purchases this season would be 6.829 million doses, marking a record high, he said.

Meanwhile, as families have become more diversified, the CDC has modified the eligibility requirements for government-funded flu and COVID-19 vaccines, Lo said.

The modification is a change in the wording “fathers and mothers of newborns under six months old” to “parents of newborns under six months old,” and that the definition of “parents” has been expanded to include various conditions, such as documents to prove “living together” before adoption has been finalized, he said.

In other news, the CDC said there were 11,893 hospital visits for enterovirus infection last week, which is above the epidemic threshold.

As weekly cases have been rising, parents of newborns and young children should pay close attention to signs of severe illness if their child is infected, it said.


Police, teachers among offenders in child abuse forum

Police officers and teachers were among the more than 5,000 members of an online forum that former TV host and convicted pedophile Mickey Huang (黃子佼) used to buy images of child sexual abuse, authorities said yesterday.

The High Court yesterday handed Huang a suspended sentence of one year and six months for possessing sexually explicit images of 37 minors between the ages of 10 and 17 purchased on the now-shuttered “Chuangyi Sifang” (“Creative Private House,” 創意私房) forum.

The paid-access forum, launched in 2012 by an operator known as “Lao Ma” (老馬), sold voyeuristic recordings, prostitution footage and child sexual exploitation videos. It also allowed select members to upload such material and earn money from it, investigators said.

Reporters take a video of entertainer Mickey Huang, left, after he appeared at a hearing at the Taipei District Court on July 15 last year. Photo: CNA

Following the shutdown, prosecutors nationwide traced thousands of files distributed through encrypted platforms and cryptocurrency payments.

Taichung prosecutors, who are leading the investigation, have indicted 13 suspects and granted deferred prosecution to 247 others, uncovering more than 200,000 illicit videos involving more than 4,000 victims.

High-profile members include former elementary-school teacher Lin Ching-an (林清安), who later handled the forum’s finances and was given a final sentence of six years and three months. Lin did not contest the ruling.

Another suspect, Chen Tsung-chun (陳宗駿), filmed women and underage girls he lured online and sold the footage to the site. He received a sentence of 12 years before the Supreme Court ordered a retrial in April.

Several police officers and educators were also implicated.

Former Taipei officers surnamed Kuo (郭) and Huang (黃) were identified as members, with Kuo given a combined sentence of 13 years and two months for covertly filming women.

A former Pingtung officer surnamed Liu (劉) was sentenced to one year and 10 months for exploiting underage victims, while a cram-school instructor surnamed Chen (陳) received a 12-year sentence for molesting and filming teenage girls.

In March, claims that 80 “premium members” could request specific illegal content prompted Taipei and Taichung prosecutors to open new cases.

The identity of “Lao Ma” remains unknown and is under investigation.

Criminal Investigation Bureau Director-General Chou Yu-wei (周幼偉) said the case illustrates global challenges in tackling online child exploitation, including encrypted communications, anonymous networks and crypto-based money laundering.


By Wu Po-hsuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Women’s and medical rights advocates yesterday complained of a lack of transparency in cases involving sexual harassment by medical personnel.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare in August set up a Web site to provide information on cases of sexual harassment by medical personnel, but the site only lists final rulings on sexual harassment charges after 2023, the advocates told a news conference yesterday.

No cases before 2023 have been made public, and some doctors have not been included on the site because they have refused to have their information made public, Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation chief executive Lin Ya-hui (林雅惠) said.

Members of women’s rights and medical organizations hold placards at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times

Legislators and civic groups said the level of transparency was insufficient to address public concerns about the issue.

The Modern Women’s Foundation, the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation and the Taipei Doctors’ Union jointly urged full transparency on whether medical personnel have a record of sexual harassment or molestation, a continuous update of punitive regulations, and for hospitals to inform the government if personnel need to be further monitored.

Department of Medical Affairs Deputy Director-General Liu Yu-ching (劉玉菁) said that the Web site only publishes final rulings, because the administrative branch has reservations about publishing information if it has not been thoroughly investigated.

Standing regulations state that an investigation should immediately follow any report of sexual harassment, and the ministry has asked that local social welfare departments to alert local health departments the moment they are notified about a sexual harassment case.

This would reduce the time needed for investigation and discussion on whether punitive measures are required, Liu said.

Taipei Doctors’ Union Gender Equality Committee director-general Yu Cheng-min (于政民) said that the ministry should make statistics on doctors committing sexual harassment or molestation transparent, and that the government should include a hospital’s gender equality and harassment prevention efforts as part of its performance assessment indicators.

Modern Women’s Foundation president Wang Ju-hsuan (王如玄) said that enforcement of punitive measures against doctors is slow, sometimes taking up to three to four years, and they were often just a slap on the wrist.

Some doctors continue to practice even after a court ruling against them, and would not quit their jobs until the incident is exposed by the media, Wang said.

The Physicians’ Act (醫師法) and other ethics regulations should be revised to include sexual harassment incidents, she said.

The ministry said that it would instruct local health departments to provide information on punitive actions taken against medical personnel who have been litigated for sexual molestation as soon as January.

Additional reporting by CNA

Transparency in medical field lacking: groups


The Taipei District Court on Monday approved the release of former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) on bail of NT$5 million (US$159,033) after four months in detention as prosecutors continued their investigation into allegations of corruption.

Chen is required to wear an electronic monitoring device and restricted from leaving the country.

Chen, who served three terms as the legislative representative of Yilan County, is accused of accepting bribes from a Keelung-based logistics company and from a car rental firm.

Officers lead former legislator Chen Ou-po, second left, back into detention after appearing at the Taipei District Court on Sept. 30. Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times

Following an investigation by the Ministry of Justice Agency Against Corruption, Taipei prosecutors indicted Chen earlier this year, and a judge in June ruled to place him in pre-trial detention.

In August, the court approved prosecutors’ request that he be detained by another two months, citing the likelihood of collusion in testimony and deeming him a flight risk.

During his second detention extension hearing on Monday, the judge approved his release on bail.

Chen faces charges of receiving a total of NT$8.74 million in bribes and fradulent subsidy claims for legislative assistants.

He allegedly received NT$50,000 per month — or a total of NT$4.13 million — in “consulting fees” from United Logistics International Co (ULIC) owner Hung Cheng-ying (洪英正).

The money was to bribe Chen to use his office as legislator to propose amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) to benefit ULIC, including reducing port rental and operating fees, prosecutors said.

Chen also allegedly took NT$500,000 in bribes from a car rental company headed by a man surnamed Hsiao (蕭) to propose revisions to laws regulating taxis, Uber and the passenger transport business to restrict competition that could adversely affect Hsiao’s business, they said.

Furthermore, the former lawmaker is accused of fraudulently claiming more than NT$4.11 million in subsidies for legislative assistants during his tenure, and faces charges two counts of money laundering, the indictment said.

Taipei prosecutors have indicted him on three counts, seeking eight years, seven years and two months, and seven years and six months imprisonment, plus one year and six months each on two money laundering counts, for a total sentence of 24 years and two months.

Ex-lawmaker Chen Ou-po free on bail


Balancing act

Former Bayern Munich and Brazil rightback Rafinha, left, balances a ball as children look on during a youth soccer event in Taipei yesterday. The seven-time Bundesliga champion encouraged young players in Taiwan to balance their education with athletic ambitions.


‘No fighting’

Artist Tseng Chi-ming, left, yesterday performs in front of the Presidential Office Building on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei to express an anti-war sentiment. The performance was a part of a news conference for the Autumn Struggle protest march on Sunday, urging the government to focus on social reforms over military spending.


MARKET OBSERVATION: Based on customers’ strong demand for AI applications, the company sees no signs of a bubble, GPTC vice president Travis Liang said

Grand Process Technology Corp (GPTC, 弘塑科技), a supplier of advanced chip packaging equipment to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), yesterday said it can only supply half of customers’ demand through the first half of next year due to excessive demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

The company’s remarks echoed TSMC’s previous comments on robust demand for its advanced chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) chip packaging technology, which is primarily used to package AI chips for Nvidia Corp.

“We expect our factories to continue operating at 100 percent through the first half of next year,” GPTC vice president Travis Liang (梁勝銓) said on the sidelines of an investors’ conference in Taipei.

People visit a Grand Process Technology Corp booth at a semiconductor exhibition in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Grace Hung, Taipei Times

“Our supply lags far behind customers’ demand,” he added.

Based on customers’ solid demand, the company sees no clear signs of an AI bubble, Liang said.

As the growth momentum for CoWoS equipment is expected to carry into next year, GPTC holds an optimistic view about revenue growth, Liang said.

Revenue soared about 53 percent year-over-year to NT$4.9 billion (US$155.6 million) in the first 10 months of this year, company data showed.

GPTC supplies semiconductor wet processing equipment for CoWoS packaging technology, including wet benches, wet cleaning and single wafer set processing systems. The company counts ASE Technology Holding Co (日月光投控) and South Korean memory makers among its major customers.

“We believe the company’s operations would continue to thrive over the next three to five years, as reflected in the increases in equipment we delivered,” Liang said.

The company said it is partially bullish about the adoption of new panel-level packaging technology.

GPTC said it has shipped the first batch of equipment for panel-level packaging technology to a customer this year.

The company said it expects to ship more such equipment to customers in the coming months.

GPTC expects shipments to increase mildly next year due to capacity scarcity, Liang said.

The company’s installed capacity is expected to double next year after a new manufacturing facility starts operations in the second quarter of next year, he said.

More capacity expansion plans are under evaluation, he added.

GPTC is jointly developing equipment for new panel-level packaging technology called chip-on-panel-on-substrate (CoPoS), Liang said.

The CoPoS technology, developed by TSMC, is expected to enter volume production in 2028 at the earliest, he said.

The company’s net profit increased 39.8 percent annually, or 47.8 percent sequentially, to NT$303 million in the third quarter of this year. That translated into earnings per share of NT$10.4.

Gross margin improved slightly to 40.7 percent from 40.6 percent in the second quarter, a decline from 48.1 percent in the third quarter last year.

GPTC said it expects gross margin to start picking up gradually after hitting the bottom last quarter.

Grand Process faces excessive demand


ALLEGATION: When he retired from TSMC in Juiy, former executive vice president Lo Wei-jen did not reveal plans to join competitor Intel, TSMC said

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said it had filed a lawsuit against former executive vice president Lo Wei-jen (羅唯仁) claiming he contravened the terms of his employment, amid suspicion that Lo stole TSMC’s trade secrets and leaked them to its US competitor, Intel Corp.

In a statement, TSMC said it had filed a suit against Lo at the Intellectual Property and Commercial Court, citing contraventions of the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法), the terms of his employment, and confidentiality and noncompete agreements he had signed.

The company said it hired Lo as vice president in 2004, and he was promoted to senior vice president in 2014.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s logo is pictured at the company’s Fab 18 in the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan on Nov. 7. Photo: CNA

The 75-year-old retired from TSMC on July 27.

In March last year, Lo was appointed senior vice president for corporate strategy and development, a department that advises the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, but does not oversee or have management responsibility for research and development (R&D), TSMC said.

Despite taking his new corporate strategy role, Lo continued convening meetings and requesting reports from the R&D department to understand technologies being developed, the company said.

During his tenure, Lo signed confidentiality and noncompete agreements, and upon his retirement, he received a briefing from TSMC’s chief legal officer on the legal restrictions he would remain under.

Lo at the time said that he planned to enter academia, and did not reveal plans to take a position at Intel, TSMC said.

By subsequently taking an executive vice president position at Intel, Lo is “highly likely” to have used, disclosed, delivered or transferred TSMC’s trade secrets or confidential information to a competitor, it said.

Lo’s actions “necessitated” a legal response from TSMC, including seeking compensation for contraventions of contract, the company added.

TSMC’s lawsuit comes after the High Prosecutors’ Office announced last week that it had initiated a probe into the actions of Lo, who is suspected of stealing restricted information on TSMC’s 2-nanometer, A16 and A14 processes before his retirement.

Prosecutors have not filed criminal charges against Lo.

Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular office hours.

In an interview with Bloomberg News last week, Intel chief executive officer Lip-Bu Tan (陳立武) dismissed speculation about any wrongdoing and said his company respects intellectual property rights.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

TSMC sues Lo following trade secret probe


AI demand still bolstering business sentiment: TIER

Taiwan’s business sentiment improved last month as demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies continued to bolster manufacturing and services sectors, even as weakness in traditional industries persisted, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, 台經院) said yesterday.

The manufacturing confidence index edged up for a fourth straight month to 91.37, a modest 0.25-point increase from the previous month.

The soft gain suggests that, despite a mild uptick, producers’ expectations for the next six months are unchanged, the institute said.

From left, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) Economic Forecasting Center director Gordon Sun, TIER president Chang Chien-yi and TIER Taiwan Industry Economics Database director Arisa Liu hold a news conference in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Lee Ya-wen, Taipei Times

“The worst phase of US tariffs appears to be over for local manufacturers judging on the sentiment movements,” TIER Economic Forecasting Center director Gordon Sun (孫明德) said at a news conference in Taipei.

Electronics and machinery equipment suppliers remained key drivers of sentiment, supported by strong global demand for AI, high-performance computing and advanced semiconductor technologies, the institute said.

These trends helped keep utilization rates for leading-edge manufacturing processes and high-end memory capacity at elevated levels, Sun said, adding that orders for chip packaging and testing services also continued to gain traction.

In contrast, recovery in non-AI segments remained sluggish. Demand for automotive components and industrial control systems has yet to show meaningful recovery, the institute said.

Chemical producers faced a particularly challenging environment due to softening global crude prices, excess supply in Asia, intensifying peer competition and planned maintenance shutdowns among downstream clients, it said.

Ongoing price pressure and declining shipments left 40 percent of petrochemical firms pessimistic about their business, it added.

Meanwhile, sentiment among service providers strengthened visibly, pushing the sector’s climate index to 88.42 from 85.53 in the previous month, the TIER said.

Department-store anniversary events, and increased travel and dining activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ten National Day and Retrocession Day holidays boosted traffic and consumption, the institute said.

TIER said it expects the momentum to extend into this month on the back of Double 11 Singles’ Day and Black Friday shopping promotions.

On the other hand, the business confidence gauge for construction and related industries rose 1.69 points to 98.62 last month, marking a fifth consecutive monthly increase, the institute said.

Government agencies accelerated work on public infrastructure projects scheduled for completion before year-end, while technology companies sped up factory constructions to meet rising customer demand, TIER’s Taiwan Industry Economics Database director Arisa Liu (劉佩真) said.

The central bank — which is to review selective credit controls next month — is likely to keep property loan restrictions unchanged until at least the first half of next year, as it aims to curb real-estate lending, Liu added.

Against that backdrop, housing transactions are expected to stay weak in the near term, Liu said.


Industrial production index rises 14.5% year-on-year

The industrial production index rose 14.5 percent year-on-year to 115.11 last month, as strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing technology continued to drive production momentum of information and electronic products, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.

The manufacturing production index, which comprises 94.63 percent of the industrial production index, increased 15.38 percent to 116.03 last month, recording the 20th consecutive month of annual growth and meeting the ministry’s forecast of 114.22 to 118.22, it said.

In the first 10 months of this year, the industrial and manufacturing production indices rose 16.27 percent and 17.43 percent, respectively, from the same period last year, it said.

People examine a force-sensitive teleoperation arm at the Hon Hai Tech Day conference in Taipei on Friday last week. Photo: An Rong Xu, Bloomberg

The manufacturing production index this month is expected to rise 10.6 to 14.5 percent year-on-year, supported by robust demand for computers and electronic goods, especially AI servers, Department of Statistics Deputy Director-General Chen Yu-fang (陳玉芳) told a news conference in Taipei.

While geopolitical uncertainties and the US’ “reciprocal tariffs” could make manufacturers cautious about investing, strong demand for computers, electronic goods and optical components is expected to support growth in the final two months of the year, Chen said.

The full-year manufacturing production index could hit a new high and grow by 10 percent this year — surpassing the level of 100 in 2021 — if the index averages 81.6 this month and next month, which is likely, she said.

Last month, production of electronic components rose 21.66 percent, supported by new smartphone launches, while output of semiconductors grew 21.69 percent and that of computers, electronic goods and optical components surged 45.39 percent, driven by AI demand, Chen said.

Production of flat panels and related components rose 10.3 percent to record the second consecutive month of annual growth, driven by output of small panels, Chen said.

Whether this momentum would extend through the end of the year depends on demand from China and holiday sales in the US and European markets, she added.

Traditional industries continued to face pressures of US tariffs and China’s oversupply, with base metal production — primarily steel — falling 2.89 percent, production of chemical materials and fertilizers declining 0.47 percent and vehicle output dropping 4.72 percent from a year earlier, Chen said.

However, machinery equipment production grew 3.44 percent on continued demand for chipmaking equipment, but machine tool makers remained affected by tariffs, she said.


Retail sales last month rose 1.9 percent year-on-year to NT$418.6 billion (US$13.31 billion), a record high for the month of October, driven by department store anniversary sales and some retail stores’ rapid business scale expansion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.

Increased travel and shopping opportunities during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ten National Day and Retrocession Day holidays also helped lift last month’s retail sales, the ministry said in a report.

Last month’s sales increase followed a 2.2 percent annual decrease in the previous month, and met the ministry’s forecast, which projected that retail sales would grow 1 to 4 percent from a year earlier.

People browse in a department store in Kaohsiung on Nov. 12. Photo: CNA

Excluding sales of motor vehicles and parts, which fell for the eighth consecutive month last month as prospective buyers of imported cars remained conservative, retail sales rose 3.2 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.

Spending increases were seen in sales at department stores at 4 percent, convenience stores at 4.7 percent, and e-commerce shopping and mail-order purchases at 3.7 percent, it said.

Sales also went up at electronic stores and home appliance outlets at 5.6 percent, it said.

However, sales tumbled at car and motorcycle dealers as well as jewelry stores, and furniture and home furnishing retailers from 5.1 percent to 6.3 percent due to economic uncertainty, the ministry said.

In the first 10 months of this year, retail sales decreased 0.5 percent year-on-year to NT$3.96 trillion, it said.

Meanwhile, sales of food services last month rose 9.2 percent annually to NT$89.5 billion, also a record high for the month of October, surpassing the ministry’s forecast of a 3 to 6 percent increase, the ministry said.

Last month, restaurants reported sales grew 8.2 percent due to higher demand for dining out and gatherings during holidays, and beverage stores saw sales rise 14.7 percent, as high temperatures drove consumption of cold drinks, while catering service providers gained 10 percent thanks to robust demand for in-flight meals amid a travel boom, it said.

Food services sales in the first 10 months increased 3.3 percent year-on-year to NT$883.6 billion, the highest for the same period, the ministry said.

The ministry said it expected sales momentum in the retail and food services sectors to remain steady this month, citing the Double 11 Singles’ Day online shopping festival, higher demand for warm food and beverages as temperatures drop, and the government’s universal cash handouts of NT$10,000.

Retail sales this month are projected to range from an annual decline of 1.3 percent to an annual increase of 1.7 percent, reaching NT$433.7 billion to NT$446.9 billion, while food services sales are expected to show an annual increase of 1.8 to 4.8 percent to a range between NT$87.5 billion and NT$90.1 billion, it said.

Retail, food sales past October records


2024 median annual salary up 4%, fastest growth in 12 years: DGBAS

Median annual pay for full-time employees in Taiwan rose to NT$546,000 (US$17,376) last year, an increase of 4.03 percent from a year earlier and the fastest growth in 12 years, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.

The sharp rise was supported by a relatively low base in 2023, when tech companies were still digesting inventory, and by strong demand related to artificial intelligence (AI) devices and high-performance computing (HPC) applications, which lifted corporate earnings and enabled higher bonuses, DGBAS Census Department Deputy Director Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) said.

Upward adjustments to the minimum wage also contributed to the increase in average salaries, Tan said.

Historically, the annual growth rate of the median salary has ranged between 0 percent and 2.5 percent, making this year’s increase particularly notable.

The median salary represents the midpoint in the distribution, with half of employees earning more and half earning less.

By sector, the financial and insurance industries recorded the highest median annual pay at NT$1.106 million, followed by the electricity and gas supply sector at NT$1.091 million and publishing, audiovisual, and information and communications services at NT$807,000.

Median annual pay for women reached NT$512,000, compared with NT$585,000 for men.

Regarding salary distribution, the bottom 10 percent of employees — a group that largely consists of migrant workers and part-time workers — earned less than NT$330,000 annually, the DGBAS said.

The agency also released figures for full-time employees by workplace location.

Hsinchu City ranked highest with a median annual salary of NT$902,000, followed by Hsinchu County at NT$736,000, Taipei at NT$735,000 and Taoyuan at NT$616,000.

However, the DGBAS noted that regional salary levels are shaped by local industries. Areas with higher concentrations of high-paying sectors such as finance, insurance, semiconductor manufacturing, information and communications technology, and healthcare tended to show higher median salaries.


IPass to keep working with Line after service split, firm says

Taiwan’s largest e-payment provider iPass Corp (一卡通票證) said yesterday it would continue working closely with Line Corp despite plans to shift its iPass Money functions away from the messaging service’s Line Pay at the end of the year.

IPass first announced in July that its e-wallet partnership with Line Pay would end at the end of this year, signaling a structural split between the two companies’ payment systems.

Under the plan, most iPass Money functions previously offered in the Line Pay wallet will be shifted to the standalone iPass Money app beginning in January next year, the company said.

The shift is intended to strengthen the independence of its e-payment operations and improve service quality, iPass said, but it still assured users that wallet functions inside the Line app will remain available by linking to the iPass Money app.

Once in the iPass Money app, there will still be an icon linking users back to Line Money if they feel more comfortable with the Line Pay user experience, the company said.

Though iPass characterized the move as enabling the continuation of the collaboration, Line has made it clear the two payment functions want to go their separate ways.

Line is also preparing to launch its own e-payment service, Line Pay Money, which will replace the current iPass Money-supported wallet functions inside the app.

Line has said the new service will debut on Dec. 3 and can be activated by updating the Line app to the latest version, giving users direct access to top-ups, transfers, payments, transit use and bill payments without relying on iPass Money.

Still, iPass said that while most iPass Money services in Line Pay will be adjusted starting on Dec. 3, all balances, settings and transaction records will remain secure and unchanged in users’ existing accounts.

To prevent any disruption, the company will keep the “friend transfer” and “withdrawal” functions available inside the Line Pay wallet until Dec. 31, it said.

Some 7.2 million iPass Money users will, however, need to download the iPass Money app in advance to continue using wallet linking, transfers and bill payments within Line.

The company said all wallet functions have already been incorporated into the new app.

Users can restore their original balance and full feature set-including transfers, bill payments, retail payments and the transit QR code simply by logging in with their mobile number, it said.


The Pingtung County Government lights up a Christmas merry-go-round at a park in Pingtung City yesterday ahead of the opening of the Pingtung Christmas Festival on Friday. The event, which is to run until Jan. 4, features 14 light shows and themed displays across the city.

Holiday season


EDITORIAL: Preparing for a burst bubble

Volatility continues to haunt the local stock market as, after a weak performance on Monday, the TAIEX yesterday bounced back 407.93 points, or 1.54 percent. That followed a rally of 846.24 points, or 3.18 percent, on Thursday last week and a plunge of 991.42 points, or 3.62 percent, on Friday.

The robust demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure deployment and the financial performance of companies in the AI supply chain are apparently not enough to convince investors that there is no near-term risk of a bubble bursting.

Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Nvidia Corp’s major chip supplier, yesterday surged 2.91 percent to NT$1,415, after plummeting 4.81 percent on Friday and another 0.7 percent on Monday. The movements of the chipmaker’s stock price have yet to match its strong revenue growth forecast of 35 percent for this year, driven by demand for AI and high-performance-computing chips.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, the world’s biggest server manufacturer and one of Nvidia’s major suppliers, yesterday saw its stock price sink for a third consecutive trading session, while Wistron Corp, another Nvidia server supplier, recouped some gains yesterday as its stock price inched up 0.36 percent.

In the US, Nvidia reported third-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street’s expectations, driven mostly by its data center business. CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) rejected the notion that an AI bubble is forming.

Investors fear that irrationality in the AI boom — an investment frenzy over data centers and computing power, as well as overvaluations of tech stocks — would trigger a similar stock market rout to 2002 when the dotcom bubble burst, leading to rapid sell-offs that scrapped 75 to 80 percent off the market value of the NASDAQ Composite.

The world’s four largest hyperscalers alone — Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Google’s Alphabet — are expected to spend a combined US$350 billion this year, and Goldman Sachs estimates that global AI-related infrastructure spending could reach US$4 trillion by 2030, Reuters reported. However, there are no guarantees of big returns.

The IMF last month warned that the risk of a sharp market correction has increased, as the stock valuations of AI-focused tech firms appear stretched. Its view aligned with other financial institutions, such as the Bank of England, which last month warned about a potential reversal of interest in AI stocks.

However, some industry experts argue that the AI boom is different from the dotcom bubble, given its profit-making models and electricity capacity growth constraints. Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has said that the risk is not imminent, as global power capacity grew about 3 or 4 percent per year in the past few years, below the alarm level of 5 percent, and it is time-consuming to expand power capacity.

No matter how small the risk, Taiwan should brace for potential stock market shocks if an AI bubble pops, as its export-oriented economy is heavily reliant on chips and related hardware. Last quarter, Taiwan’s economy expanded 7.64 percent, beating the government’s August forecast by 4.73 percentage points thanks to surging global demand for AI applications and next-generation tech products. Exports rose 36.5 percent year-on-year last quarter, surpassing estimates by 7.4 percentage points, led by shipments of advanced semiconductors, AI servers and next-generation smartphones. Semiconductor firms and AI-related hardware stood out, while most sectors faced muted growth amid US tariffs and escalating global competition.

Taiwan’s semiconductor and electronics industry showed its resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, but investor confidence might not be as strong and could be shaken easily due to changes in foreign investor interests. The government must make sure it has the capability to keep the local financial market in check if investors’ interest in AI stocks turns sour.


Kaohsiung’s cultural awakening

Urban prosperity does not always begin with industrial parks or investment briefings — sometimes, it begins overnight, when the heartbeats of 170,000 people land in a stadium, shaking the ground like an invisible wave of urban renewal.

During the two nights that K-pop group Twice performed in Kaohsiung last weekend, the city was not just a city. Instead, it felt like a massive body that had just woken up — the MRT’s blood flow sped up, the night markets’ sense of smell remained active until 4am and the shopping districts swelled as if injected with oxygen. This was not a random burst of revelry, but rather a prototype Kaohsiung is deliberately creating — the “City of Concerts” is beginning to take shape.

Riding the K-pop wave, Kaohsiung did not merely host a concert this time around — it turned the entire city into the stage, the set and even the chorus. The small blue tickets, the steam rising from night markets that stayed open until dawn, the custom cocktails specially crafted by restaurants and bars for Twice fans — every subtle gesture told a story. The city is learning how to converse with its visitors rather than simply treating them as fleeting consumers.

Kaohsiung’s strategy this time was not about generating NT$500 million (US$15.9 million) in economic output, nor about setting a new MRT ridership record of 350,000 people in a single day. Rather, it was about holding the concert carefully in the palm of its hand. In the past, when cities hosted major events, everything looked identical — crowd dispersal plans, traffic control and fully booked hotels. Kaohsiung’s approach this time was more akin to curating an exhibition — issuing cross-district discount vouchers, integrating shared transportation, extending night market hours and launching collaborative cocktails at restaurants and bars. The goal was to allow fans to leave the concert to enter a second layer of the story woven throughout the city, forming a learning experience for Kaohsiung itself.

Even more important is that Kaohsiung treated fan culture as a community to be understood, rather than a mere crowd to be controlled. The city government used smart transportation and data analysis to track fan movement, allowing public services to adjust accordingly instead of forcing concertgoers to fend for themselves when navigating the city. Kaohsiung recognizes that cultural activities are not just about singing onstage and listening offstage — the city itself must step onto the stage as well.

Many cities are jealous of others’ success, yet reluctant to bear the burden associated with hosting large events. Kaohsiung, on the other hand, is happy to have crowded streets and packed MRT cars, and more than willing to adjust its schedule to accommodate groups of visitors from out of town. Such flexibility is a sign of mature urban governance.

Could this just be a short-term effect? Kaohsiung is not relying on a single stroke of luck — it is gradually building a replicable model. Next month’s Asia Artist Awards, a major South Korean entertainment awards show, would also be held in the city, and the Kaohsiung National Stadium’s calendar is fully booked for next year. This is no coincidence — it is the result of the city’s determination to integrate cultural events into its economic structure.

The concert economy is captivating not only because it stimulates local businesses, but because it ignites a sense of community within the city. Fans roam through the streets, and the city extends its arms to welcome them. Such is a genuine moment of unity, showing visitors that southern Taiwan is a stage capable of attracting passion and enthusiasm from afar. The Twice event demonstrates that when a city is willing to treat cultural events as nourishment, it would move forward in the most gentle and graceful way.

Liu Che-ting is a writer.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


China driving Tokyo-Seoul wedge

A troubling pattern has emerged in Northeast Asia. With Japan-China relations at their lowest point since diplomatic ties were established in 1972, Beijing is seeking to unsettle the region’s democratic alignment as a countermeasure.

In response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese strike on Taiwan would endanger Japan’s survival, Beijing has intensified efforts to reopen old cracks between South Korea and Japan. The tactics are noticeably sharper, aimed at breaking the momentum behind the Seoul-Tokyo-Washington trilateral partnership, which is a vital force for safeguarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

At a news conference on Monday last week, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning (毛寧) voiced support for South Korea’s sovereignty over the Seoul-administered Dokdo Rocks — known as Takeshima in Japan.

“Many of Japan’s recent egregious moves and remarks have aroused vigilance, dissatisfaction and protest from neighboring countries,” Mao added.

For years, Beijing did not seem to care about such a dispute, but is now making noise about the issue between South Korea and Japan. The timing is no coincidence: Japan is deepening its security debate over Taiwan. This was not a diplomatic courtesy to South Korea. It was a cheap diplomatic shot designed to drive a wedge between two of East Asia’s democracies.

Japan-China relations are currently strained, and Beijing has its own territorial dispute with Tokyo over the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) in Taiwan. By injecting itself into the Dokdo issue, Beijing seeks to pull Seoul into its confrontation with Tokyo.

China knows that any flare-up over Dokdo would strain South Korea-Japan relations and weaken coordination between the two nations, thereby undermining their trilateral partnership with the US. When Seoul’s cooperation with Tokyo and Washington is constrained, Beijing gains more room to maneuver.

In other words, China is exploiting one of the most sensitive issues in South Korea-Japan relations to nudge Seoul closer to its side against Tokyo at a time of growing geopolitical tension.

And it appears that South Korea took the bait.

Beijing’s messaging has found allies among some South Koreans who remain sensitive to Japan’s colonial rule and cautious about Japan’s evolving security posture. These voices argue that Takaichi’s comments regarding Taiwan represent an effort to “rearm” Japan.

For instance, state-run Chinese media outlet CGTN released an interview on Tuesday last week with Oh Seung-hee, an assistant professor at South Korea’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, in which she said that she sees “Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks not as something that came out of nowhere, but as part of Japan’s broader push to strengthen its defense posture, something that has been unfolding since the [former Japanese prime minister Shinzo] Abe Cabinet in 2015.”

“Japan is essentially in the process of dismantling the various self-imposed security constraints it has maintained since 1945. Takaichi’s comments should be understood within this long-running effort to expand and reinforce Japan’s defense capabilities,” Oh said.

This framing draws on deep-seated skepticism in segments of the South Korean public toward Japan’s push toward military normalization, which in turn allows external actors to influence South Korean domestic politics and its relations with Japan.

Yet such joint South Korean-Chinese arguments fail to account for the wider strategic context. Japan’s reassessment of its defense posture is not directed at South Korea; it is aimed at deterring the very power that is now manipulating public sentiment to divide the two democracies.

What is even more concerning is the decision by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s administration to standardize the official sequence “Republic of Korea-China-Japan” when referring to the three countries, a shift away from the previous “Republic of Korea-Japan-China.” Placing China ahead of Japan in an official sequence — precisely when Beijing and Tokyo are locked in heightened tension — risks signaling unnecessary distance from Tokyo at a moment when regional unity is most needed.

Seoul appears to believe that softening its alignment with Tokyo would help stabilize relations with Beijing, but this view misreads what China is actually after. Beijing has no interest in maintaining an even-handed or mutually respectful relationship with Seoul; it wants influence and submission, as demonstrated by its draconian economic retaliation against South Korea during the 2016 controversy over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system — mirroring the pressure it is now applying to Japan. And whenever South Korea and Japan fall into another dispute, Beijing gets more room to maneuver. It is precisely for this reason that Seoul and Tokyo should avoid reverting to past habits of rivalry.

East Asia’s democracies — Taiwan included — are entering a more uncertain, realpolitik-driven period. In this climate, a free and open Indo-Pacific region and Taiwan’s future would depend on whether these democracies can truly work together. Beijing will keep looking for openings to push them apart, and to divide and rule, and it gains the most when democracies stumble into division on their own.

Alan Jeong is a student at Georgetown University in Washington.