◎胡敏遠

中東產油大國阿拉伯聯合大公國（阿聯）於4月28日宣布，自5月1日起退出石油輸出國家組織（OPEC），此一「退群」舉動恐對全球能源供需秩序造成劇烈衝擊，動盪自然引發沙烏地阿拉伯、美國、俄羅斯等產油大國的高度關注與不滿，由於OPEC成立的宗旨在於調控全球石油供需平衡，以確保石油價格合理性，若阿聯退出引發骨牌效應，能源價格勢必劇烈波動，全球經濟也將大受影響。

阿聯於1967年加入OPEC（最初以阿布達比名義），其石油儲量占全球8%，每日生產約350至400萬桶油，占全球約4%生產額度。阿聯退出的主要原因，在於其與OPEC在產能配額限制上的核心矛盾，加上美以伊戰爭爆發以來的催化作用，其境內遭到伊朗飛彈與無人機攻擊達2800多次，導致境內的美軍基地，以及杜拜國際機場、阿布達比金融中心、煉油廠、油田等基礎設施皆遭到嚴重破壞。阿聯花費數十年苦心經營，成為中東地區經濟與金融中心的榮景，一夕間因戰火受創。阿聯為在戰後獲得更多經濟與軍事安全保障，以及增加國庫收入，作出退出OPEC驚人之舉，其中的因素實值得深入探討。

地緣風暴 能源版圖動盪

全球國家每日消費的石油量約需要1億桶，為平均分配各產油國家生產量，防止各產油國為自利任意生產，造成價格崩跌，確保價格能滿足產油國最大收益，1960年，中東產油國家成立OPEC，作為產油量與全球所需量間的平衡機制。依據分配比率，美國及沙國每天可生產約10至11%，科威特、阿聯大約為4至5%；伊朗因暗自發展核子武器，遭石油禁運並取消其額度，其5至6%的配額則改由其他國家增產。阿聯對此一制度甚感不滿且隱忍多年，尤其此次戰爭，沙國遭伊朗攻擊的頻率較低，除在地的美軍蘇丹親王空軍基地遭攻擊外，伊朗並未對沙國基礎設施大肆破壞。阿聯甚至懷疑其遭伊朗攻擊，主因是其為美國在波斯灣地區最重要的盟邦。

尤值注意的是，伊朗無端封鎖荷莫茲海峽，造成阿聯石油無法順利裝船出貨，對經濟更是雪上加霜。阿聯曾於3月底擬與美國及波斯灣國家組成聯合海空兵力，共同出擊打通海峽，但曲高和寡，主張未獲多數國家支持。尤其，沙國意圖與伊朗達成和解的疑慮，讓阿聯無法接受沙國作為遜尼派之首的妥協態度。沙國在波斯灣的能源雖因海峽封鎖而無法出貨，但其有一條從東向西的輸油管道，仍能將半數以上的石油從紅海向外輸運。為此，阿聯決定退出OPEC，目的是報復沙國親伊朗的立場，未能為其他產油國家出聲，再則可自由銷售石油產量，利用當前石油價格飛漲之際，彌補其財政不足。

阿聯在此次戰爭中，由於美軍在阿聯達夫拉空軍基地部署的先進戰機、防空飛彈陣地、雷達設施，遭伊朗運用「超限戰」手段襲擊，連帶首都阿布達比及杜拜皆遭受戰火波及，這讓阿聯意識到伊朗的不對稱武力未來仍會造成不可預期的破壞。因而其國家安全戰略出現兩種選擇，一是堅持與美軍合作，聯合波斯灣地區國家，共同與伊朗進行軍事對抗；二是設法與伊朗進行和談，並向伊朗妥協，承認其控制荷莫茲海峽的現況。前者，阿聯在3月底已試圖與波斯灣國家聯合協商實施，但受到的支持寥寥無幾，加上美國總統川普對外用兵的動武權限僅有60天，也於5月1日期滿，華府無法再對伊朗發動空中或海上作戰，阿聯的安全選擇被迫陷入兩難之境。

政策轉向 維護利益安全

為獲更多安全，阿聯採取若干措施：首先，退出OPEC以落實自行決定石油出口配額的戰略構想，並在目前國際油價飆漲之際，賺取豐厚利益；其次，修復富查伊拉港石油裝運設施，可避開荷莫茲海峽受控困境，因該港位於阿曼灣，可直接裝船出貨；第三，設法尋找中間人與伊朗接觸，尋求相互諒解，且不以武力相向的約定；最後，外交上改以多元方式與世界大國往來，以確保在軍事與經濟的獨立自主權。無庸置疑，阿聯的戰略構想過於理想化，忽略國際政治現實性，也無法掌握伊朗、俄羅斯及中共的狡詐與對中東地區的野心，未來其外交實踐仍充滿極大風險與不確定性。

美以伊戰爭起因於反制伊朗發展濃縮鈾的計畫，由美國與以色列採取先發制人的懲罰性嚇阻措施，伊朗卻憑其特有的高山、丘陵地形實施持久作戰策略，又抓住美國《戰爭權力法》規定總統未獲國會授權對外用兵僅60天的法定限制，讓美軍遲遲不願投入地面作戰，使戰爭進入「不戰、不和」狀態。期間，伊朗又作出與沙國可能達成停戰的協定，故意破壞海灣阿拉伯國家合作委員會團結，這些事實讓阿聯對沙國的不信任感達到頂點。

中共牟利 包藏擴張野心

沙國為求自保，已與巴基斯坦簽訂《沙巴共同防禦協定》；且可能在戰後主動與伊朗重新修好，以確保其能源對外輸出能獲得伊朗同意。與此同時，阿聯卻因對沙國的不信任，且無法得到伊朗完全諒解，只好另闢能源輸出方式，以及尋求外交合作對象。沙阿的對峙及相互間的矛盾，讓作壁上觀的中共可從中獲取漁翁之利。因中共是除美國外的域外大國，其與巴基斯坦有著緊密軍事合作，沙國與阿聯都在戰後積極與中共接觸，希從「中」方獲得先進防空武器，同時希望中共能扮演調停戰火的和事佬，主因為北京長期向伊朗購買石油而建立起良好關係。

基於上述條件，中共遊走於沙國、阿聯及伊朗等三方，從中撈取不少經濟與軍火等交易訂單。例如巴基斯坦在沙國與卡達的財政支持下，擬向中共購買價值120億美元（約新臺幣3779億元）軍火，中共也乘機向巴基斯坦推銷最新款的殲-35匿蹤戰機，並計畫進一步進軍中東地區國家。可見，中共雖不斷推說其秉持「不結盟國家」、「不干涉他國內政」等外交原則，實為掩蓋其和平主張假象，背地裡仍大力與中東重要國家建立軍事合作關係，並藉由巴基斯坦擔任其代理人，與沙國、卡達建立軍事協防。未來，戰火一旦重啟，巴基斯坦若無法抵擋住伊朗或其他外部勢力入侵，中共外交主張恐將被戳破，波斯灣地區的動盪更將永無寧日。

阿聯因不滿沙國主導OPEC石油配額制度，其石油輸出量始終無法平衡財政缺口，加上沙國私底下與伊朗密謀修好，讓波斯灣國家團結遭破壞。為求自保，阿聯主動退出OPEC，以求其能源輸出及外交能得到獨立自主空間。阿聯短時間雖能獲取經濟利益，但區域軍事安全仍與美軍無法脫鉤，若過於自信或意圖利用其他域外勢力（暗指中共），恐在未來遭到反噬。畢竟，由美國長期所建立的國際規則，較能維護中東地區的長治久安。

（作者為國防大學戰略研究所副教授）

本網站由〔uGear 優吉兒網頁設計〕設計與製作

阿聯 以色列 沙烏地阿拉伯 俄羅斯 卡達 科威特 巴基斯坦 美國 阿曼 伊朗 蘇丹

【國際瞭望】阿聯退群OPEC 衝擊全球經濟


AmCham lauds ties, urges better policy reform

EXECUTION GAP: Taiwan’s reform agenda continues to advance, but is inconsistent across agencies and policy domains, the chamber’s annual white paper said

US-Taiwan economic ties are deepening even as uneven policy execution continues to weigh on reform momentum, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham) said yesterday in its annual white paper on Taiwan.

Bilateral trade reached US$256 billion last year, making Taiwan the US’ fourth-largest trading partner, underscoring what AmCham described as increasingly interdependent supply-chain and technology linkages between the two economies.

AmCham president Carl Wegner said the relationship is entering a “golden age,” while downplaying concerns over a US Section 301 investigation into allegations that multiple economies, including Taiwan, have failed to effectively prohibit imports linked to forced labor.

American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan chairperson Anita Chen, right, and president Carl Wegner pose for pictures at a news conference to release the group’s 2026 Taiwan White Paper in Taipei yesterday.  Photo: CNA

The probe covers about 60 economies and is not specifically targeted at Taiwan, Wegner said, adding that the situation might become clearer as the investigation progresses.

Despite strong macroeconomic ties, the white paper pointed to persistent gaps in policy execution, saying that Taiwan’s reform agenda continues to advance, but remains inconsistent across agencies and policy domains.

The chamber tracked 237 policy issues over the past year, of which seven have been fully resolved, 49 show concrete progress, and about 70 percent remain classified as “under observation” or “on hold.”

AmCham said it refined its methodology this year by breaking long-standing policy recommendations into more granular sub-issues, aiming to provide a clearer picture of where reforms are advancing and where implementation is stalling.

“This revised framework is intended to improve visibility rather than signal deterioration,” AmCham chairperson Anita Chen (陳幼臻) said, adding that it is designed to better identify areas where government-industry dialogue can be strengthened.

Taiwan remains a “critical and trusted supply-chain partner,” she said, citing ongoing regulatory progress as evidence of sustained engagement between policymakers and industry.

The white paper sets out four priority areas for the coming year: strengthening economic security and trade and investment frameworks; improving energy and infrastructure resilience; deepening strategic technology cooperation; and enhancing governance and talent policies.

On trade and investment, AmCham called for more predictable regulatory processes and greater policy consistency, saying that clearer rules are needed to support foreign investment and Taiwan’s role in global supply chains.

Energy and infrastructure were identified as structural constraints, with the chamber urging continued efforts to build stable and sustainable systems capable of supporting long-term industrial expansion.

In technology, the report emphasized cooperation in artificial intelligence and advanced industries, positioning Taiwan as a critical node in resilient global supply chains amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.

On governance and talent, AmCham highlighted the need for greater regulatory transparency and more forward-looking workforce policies to address demographic pressures and support long-term competitiveness.

AmCham said Taiwan remains on a broadly positive reform trajectory, but said that sustained progress would depend on more consistent and coordinated implementation across agencies and policy areas.


G7 allies scramble to put Ukraine back atop agenda

US allies at the G7 summit of major industrialized democracies yesterday worked to push the war in Ukraine back up the agenda of US President Donald Trump after more than four years of fighting sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The Iran conflict has in recent weeks overshadowed Ukraine, but following his announcement of an agreement to end the three-and-a-half-month-old conflict in the Gulf, Trump said he now wants to focus on Ukraine.

Trump said Iran would soon be “back in the rearview mirror.”

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President Donald Trump, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, European Council President Antonio Costa, French President Emmanuel Macron, Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attend a working lunch during the G7 summit in Evian, France, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy joined G7 leaders for a morning working session. Talks wrapped quickly, as leaders gathered for just 75 minutes. A French diplomat familiar with the talks, G7 leaders, including Trump, agreed to increase pressure on Russia, notably through sanctions targeting its oil and natural gas sectors.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity on ongoing talks in Evian, France, said G7 leaders held a “very fruitful” conversation on Ukraine.

Leaders also agreed on a common position to support Ukraine by providing additional air defense capabilities and other means of protection, the diplomat said.

As the US under Trump has cut back aid to Ukraine, France and its European allies are now the biggest providers of military and financial support to Kyiv.

Trump downplayed the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the US, but lamented the death toll.

“The whole thing is ridiculous,” he said. “So, yeah, I’m going to do whatever I can.”

Hours before the summit began, Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a barrage that killed 11 people and set fire to a religious landmark.

The attacks on Ukraine’s biggest cities came after Zelenskiy and Putin spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday, the US leader’s 80th birthday.

Ukraine on Monday officially started EU membership negotiations, launching a process that would require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it fights the Russian invasion.

Ukraine sees EU membership as a security guarantee for a stable future once the war ends. Its best guarantee would be membership in the NATO military alliance, but the Trump administration insists that cannot happen, and others are wary of Ukraine joining while the war continues.

The US-Iran ceasefire deal got plenty of attention at yesterday’s sessions. Trump held one-on-one talks with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and was to meet with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan later. The Gulf nations are not part of the G7, but French President Emmanuel Macron extended invitations to their leaders to take part in the summit at a fraught moment for the region.

Trump expressed frustration over Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, telling reporters he’s “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah.”

“They should have been able to deal with them faster,” Trump said about Israeli operations to target Hezbollah. “It just goes on forever. And when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal. And that’s the deal with Iran.”

G7 leaders also convened a working lunch to discuss the situation in the Middle East, with conversation expected to focus on the path ahead after the US-Iran ceasefire agreement.

In the past few months, Trump has had sharp disagreements with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over his failure to consult them before the decision to go to war in Iran. Trump has threatened reprisals, including drawing down US troops in all four countries, all NATO members, for their lack of support.

Despite those disagreements, US allies seek rapid progress that could ease the economic impact of rising oil prices caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron said France and other Western partners are “ready to take action very quickly” to help reopen the strait peacefully. France and the UK have championed a mission to restore maritime security in the strait as soon as conditions allow.


British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday said that “justice has been done” after two men were convicted of arson attacks on his property, ordered online by a Russian-speaking handler.

The British media have linked the attacks to Russia, with the BBC reporting it had uncovered evidence suggesting that the mastermind was a young Russian, the son of a senior official.

A jury on Monday found Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian builder living in London, and Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Romanian, guilty of conspiring to damage property by fire.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to journalists on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France, yesterday. Photo: AFP

The men carried out overnight attacks in May last year targeting London houses linked to Starmer — including his former residence where his sister-in-law and her family were living — and a car he formerly owned.

While attending the G7 summit in Evian, France, the prime minister said that “justice has been done, so I’m pleased in that respect, particularly for my family who were affected by it.”

The men are due to be sentenced on Friday.

Starmer said the attack had “to be seen in its broader context,” pointing to Ukraine “doing better” in the war and Western sanctions having a “real impact on Russia.”

The court heard the attacks were organized via messages on Telegram, following orders from an unidentified Russian-speaking mastermind known as “El Money” who promised payment.

The Financial Times reported the person behind this account posted on Telegram groups for Russian and Ukrainian speakers seeking work in London. It said this person was located in Russia and linked to a prominent hacker group called NoName.

The BBC said it found evidence, using open-source tools, that EL stood for Evgeny Lyukshin, the 23-year-old son of a senior Russian diplomat, although it could not be sure. Lyukshin did not respond to the BBC.

The broadcaster found the EL account ordered people in Britain to vandalize a mosque and also to spray-paint Arabic graffiti.

Starmer yesterday also announced a raft of new sanctions against Russia, including on tankers that transport liquefied natural gas, in a bid to pressure Moscow into halting the war against Ukraine.

Seventy new sanctions actions “will choke Russia’s war effort across multiple fronts” by targeting Russia’s illicit “shadow fleet,” military procurement supply chain and finance networks used to circumvent sanctions, Starmer’s office said.

The actions against the so-called “shadow fleet” — used by Russia to transport energy and other assets under a different flag — target more than 20 oil tankers.

Starmer’s office said the UK is the first G7 country to sanction several LNG vessels recently acquired by Russia to service an already sanctioned Arctic LNG project.

Starmer is to tell leaders at the session that “the G7 should collectively go further to ensure Ukraine secures the just and lasting peace it deserves,” it said.

Justice done over Russia-linked arsons: British PM


MOFA blasts Kenya’s detention of scholars under Chinese pressure

NEPAL WARNED: Separately, the foreign ministry told the incoming administration in Kathmandu that aligning with the ‘one China’ policy would prove detrimental

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday accused China of acting like a “gangster” by “pressuring Kenya” to prevent Taiwanese experts from attending the 11th Our Ocean Conference on Monday.

Taiwanese academics, invited by the Kenyan government, departed Taiwan for the conference in Mombasa and attended a pre-conference exchange function, where they presented their reports, the ministry said.

However, they were denied entry to the conference itself because Kenyan officials chose not recognize their Republic of China passports, it said.

A chair, a mattress and a bag are pictured in a barred room in a photograph that a Taiwanese marine expert attending the Our Ocean Conference took while she was detained in Kenya. Photo courtesy of the expert

Despite intervention by government offices in the region, the experts had their passports and cellphones confiscated for 20 hours before they were allowed to leave, it said.

The ministry urged China to end actions that undermine global maritime collaborations.

The ministry said it issued a strong protest against Kenya for going against the principles of collaboration and inclusivity, key objectives of the conference.

It called on allies and partners to acknowledge China’s thuggish behavior and to push back against Beijing’s diplomatic bullying tactics.

The Oceans Affairs Council had considered attending the event alongside the academics, but decided not to, as the presence of its personnel would have antagonized the Kenyan government, the ministry said.

Taiwan has attended the conference since 2015 and it is unfortunate that the Kenyan government, bowing to Chinese pressure, overlooked Taiwan’s contributions and excluded it from the conference, the ministry said, adding that the decision to detain the experts for more than 20 hours highlighted the domineering attitudes of Chinese officials.

Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) yesterday said on social media criticized the Kenyan government.

Taiwan’s contributions to the conference have been lauded by the international community, Kuan wrote.

If longtime participants of the event could be excluded and detained without reason, Taiwan would not be the only one to suffer; the credibility of the conference would suffer as well, she added.

The council protested the Kenyan government’s actions and said Taiwan’s exclusion would weaken the international community’s capacity to face maritime challenges.

The government later yesterday said it was withdrawing from the conference.

Separately, the ministry notified Nepal’s incoming administration that neither side of the Taiwan Strait belongs to the other and urged Nepal to recognize that aligning with Beijing’s “one China” policy would prove detrimental.

Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) on Monday met with Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal.

Wang praised Nepal for adhering to the “one China” principle, while Khanal said the Taiwan issue was a domestic matter for China, a Chinese statement said.

MOFA said that the Republic of China, Taiwan is a sovereign independent country and does not belong to the People’s Republic of China, adding that false statements attempting to undermine Taiwanese sovereignty would not change the facts.

Taiwan is willing to continue collaborating with all countries that support freedom, democracy and human rights, it added.


Ministry hails formation of Diet group

‘JUNETEENTH’: US lawmakers Lucy McBath and Valerie Foushee arrived in Taiwan, with the foreign ministry hailing their group’s dedication to human rights issues

Taiwan will continue work with Japan to maintain peace, and promote democracy, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, as it also welcomed members of the Washington-based Congressional Black Caucus to Taiwan.

Japan’s Sankei Shimbun yesterday reported that a group of cross-party Japanese lawmakers on Monday established a Diet members’ association focused on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, with the group holding a meeting in Tokyo.

Japanese Councilor Hei Seki of the Japan Innovation Party was elected secretary-general of the group, which plans to hold hearings with experts, deepen discussions on the roles and policy responses Japan should undertake, and compile policy recommendations, the newspaper reported.

The group also includes Japanese Councilor Haruo Kitamura of the Conservative Party of Japan, Japanese Representative Kaoru Nishida of the Japan Innovation Party, and Japanese Councilor Yoshihiko Yamada of the Democratic Party for the People, it reported.

In Taipei yesterday, deputy ministry spokeswoman Chen Yi-chun (陳怡君) said that with Japanese lawmakers across the political spectrum continuing to show concern for the situation in the Taiwan Strait through concrete actions, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has expressed his appreciation for the efforts.

“Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are crucial to the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region,” Lin said, citing Chen.

Taiwan will uphold the concepts of “integrated diplomacy” and continue to deepen cooperation across fields in Japan, as well as other with other like-minded countries, she said.

Taiwan will also work with them to safeguard the rules-based international order and jointly promote democracy, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, she said.

Meanwhile, the ministry said it welcomed US Representative Lucy McBath, who is second vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and US Representative Valerie Foushee, a member of the group, on a visit to Taiwan.

Lin expressed his sincere welcome to the delegation and also to all friends in the US Congress for continuing to deepen exchanges with Taiwan, the ministry said.

The group was founded in 1971 and has long been dedicated to issues including civil and voting rights, economic development, social welfare and judicial reform for the African-American community, it said.

McBath and Foushee have shown keen interest in key areas of ongoing discussion and deepening cooperation between Taiwan and the US, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, high-tech talent cultivation and human rights, it said.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US and the 30th anniversary of direct presidential elections in Taiwan, while Friday also marks “Juneteenth” — a day that highlights the American spirit of pursuing equality and human rights, the ministry said.

The delegation’s visit demonstrates that freedom and human rights are important shared values of both sides, it said.

The two representatives are scheduled to depart Taiwan on Saturday.


Officials call for rules to protect asylum seekers

Legislation must be passed to ensure transparency and fairness in the asylum-seeking process, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, Control Yuan members and human rights groups told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday ahead of World Refugee Day on Saturday.

The Control Yuan in an investigative report on May 19 reprimanded the National Immigration Agency (NIA) over mishandled asylum cases.

Some of the cases were being processed when the report was published without the NIA ruling on whether asylum would be granted, it said.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yueh-chin, second left, speaks at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday as Control Yuan member Chi Hui-jung, right, and others look on. Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

In the absence of an asylum law, the NIA has allowed cases to languish for up to two years, Control Yuan members Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容) and Kao Yung-cheng (高涌誠) wrote.

The members issued the NIA with a corrective measure, saying it must rectify the “opacity and inconsistency surrounding its standards and procedures for granting temporary residency.”

At the news conference, DPP Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said that the Ministry of the Interior has a backlog of 60 asylum cases, leaving refugees without a legal means to support themselves.

Refugees risk being deported for working in Taiwan, which is a denial of their fundamental right to a livelihood and employment, Lin said.

The Cabinet should initiate an effort to craft a transparent process and consistent standards for granting asylum, and protect the employment, educational and healthcare rights of refugees, she said.

The NIA should establish a procedure for asylum seekers and standards for its decisions to grant or withhold the status, while the Ministry of Labor should issue nationwide guidelines for refugees to find work, she said.

The interior ministry should oversee a multi-ministerial effort to ensure that refugees who are legally residing in Taiwan receive basic legal protections for employment, education and healthcare access, Lin said.

The best solution to the issue is to draft and pass a refugee and asylum law aligned with global human rights standards, DPP Legislator Wang Cheng-hsu (王正旭) said.

Taiwan’s refugee policy needs to be open, transparent and governed by law, Wang said.

Chi said that 2023 amendments to the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法) were passed with a resolution demanding that the interior ministry establish basic protections for refugees’ livelihoods.

Its failure to do so imposed an onerous burden on society to help provide refugees with healthcare and other needs that had been the government’s responsibility, she said.

A government-commissioned independent review by international experts of Taiwan’s implementation of the two UN human rights conventions identified flaws in refugee and asylum rights, Amnesty International Taiwan executive director Chiu E-ling (邱伊翎) said.

Taiwan in 2009 ratified the two conventions — the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Taiwan’s self-portrayal as a nation whose identity revolves around a respect for human rights cannot be sustained if nothing is done about its failure to protect basic rights, Chiu said.

While Taiwan does not have an asylum and refugee law in line with global standards, it is out of compliance with the international human rights conventions, she said.


The Presidential Office has updated its lists of senior advisers and national policy advisers to President William Lai (賴清德), adding six new names to the former and 12 to the latter.

The newly appointed senior advisers are: Tom Su (蘇春槐), chairman of the New York Taiwan Center and father of AMD chairwoman and chief executive officer Lisa Su (蘇姿丰); Lin Hong-dow (林鴻道), who recently announced he would step down as chairman of the Taiwan Sports Training Center; Wu Yung-tung (吳運東), a former ambassador-at-large; and Wu Shu-min (吳樹民), chairman of the Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan; as well as Fan Chen-hsiu (范振修) and writer Huang Yue-sui (黃越綏), who were both national policy advisers to the president.

Among the 12 newly appointed national policy advisers are forensic expert Kao Ta-cheng (高大成), Lih Pao Group chairman Wu Pao-tien (吳寶田), Republic of China Sports Federation president Yeh Cheng-yen (葉政彥) and World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce president Kenneth Wu (吳光宜).

Tom Su , chairman of the New York Taiwan Center, speaks to reporters in an undated photograph. Photo: Chen Yun, Taipei Times

According to the Presidential Office Web site, the updated lists comprise 29 senior advisers and 71 national policy advisers.

According to the ROC Office of the President Organization Act (中華民國總統府組織法), up to 30 senior advisers and 90 national policy advisers may be appointed. The positions are unpaid and their terms may not exceed that of the president.

The previous advisers’ terms expired on May 19.

President’s list of advisers updated


The annual international short film competition Finding Taiwan is to open for submissions by the end of this month, with a new special prize to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a government-funded magazine.

This year’s competition has the theme “Where We Connect,” Chang Hsiu-chen (張秀禎), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of International Information Services, said yesterday.

The competition is aimed at promoting Taiwanese culture, beauty and local stories to a global audience, Chang said.

Chang Hsiu-chen, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of International Information Services, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Huang Ching-hsuan, Taipei Times

The ministry hopes creators will explore such areas as democracy, innovation, culture and technology to highlight how interconnected Taiwan is with the world, she said.

A special prize has been established this year to mark the 50th anniversary of Taiwan Panorama (台灣光華雜誌), Chang said, without saying what the prize would be.

The magazine, launched in 1976 and published monthly by the ministry in Chinese-English and Chinese-Japanese biligual formats, has showcased Taiwan’s culture, society and development for half a century, she said.

The special prize will encourage creators to draw on the magazine’s extensive online archive as a “source of inspiration for reinterpretation and recreation, allowing precious historical images and reports to be seen again in new forms,” she said.

More details about the annual competition will be unveiled later this month, Chang said.

The competition, which is open to Taiwanese and foreign nationals, was launched in 2015 under the name Trending Taiwan before being renamed Finding Taiwan last year.

Last year, the competition garnered 283 submissions from participants in more than 20 countries and territories, the ministry said.

Carl Ivan Baleros of the Philippines won the grand prize of NT$200,000 last year for his work Finding the Beauty of Life in Taiwan.

‘Finding Taiwan’ film competition opens for entries


Cross-party support to abolish Control Yuan grows as nominee withdraws

Taipei, June 16 (CNA) Parties from across Taiwan’s political spectrum signaled support for abolishing the Control Yuan yesterday after one of President William Lai (賴清德) nominees to the government watchdog body declined the appointment.

Hsieh Cheng-ta (謝政達), a senior attorney and former New Taipei deputy mayor from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), said in a statement that he was rejecting his nomination to the Control Yuan because he supports amending the Constitution to abolish the body.

Hsieh thanked Lai for the nomination but said that, after careful consideration, he had decided to decline it as a concrete show of support for constitutional amendment proposals currently before the Legislative Yuan.

Former New Taipei deputy mayor Hsieh Cheng-ta speaks in this undated photograph. Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei Times

Hsieh was among 27 nominees for the Control Yuan announced by the Presidential Office on June 11. The current members’ six-year terms expire on July 31, with the new appointees scheduled to take office on Aug. 1.

Hsieh said he had originally accepted the nomination because he believed his years of administrative experience, along with his work in human rights and labor affairs, would help rebuild public trust in the Control Yuan.

However, he said that since the nomination list was released, debate over the body’s future had revealed growing cross-party support for abolishing the Control Yuan, a position he said he shares.

Meanwhile, the legislative caucus of the opposition Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) said Tuesday it would push ahead with a constitutional amendment to abolish the watchdog body, and seek to eliminate all of its discretionary budget before any constitutional changes take effect.

TPP caucus whip Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍) said the party would press the Legislature’s Constitutional Amendment Committee to begin deliberations on abolishing the Control Yuan and would seek to reduce the body’s budget to zero except for legally required expenditures.

The party will also vote against all of Lai’s nominees, Chen said.

Responding to the TPP’s proposal, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus chief Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said abolishing the Control Yuan has long been the DPP’s position.

Chuang said the Constitutional Amendment Committee has already been established and urged all parties to begin deliberations.

He added that Lai, as president and guardian of the Constitution, is nevertheless required to nominate Control Yuan members until any constitutional amendment takes effect.


A Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA)-organized pavilion will return to the Seoul International Book Fair from June 24-28, featuring 160 titles from 55 publishers.

The pavilion aims to build on the record book sales and rights deals generated when Taiwan served as the fair’s guest of honor last year, TAICCA said in a statement Tuesday.

TAICCA Chairperson Sue Wang (王時思) said the recent International Booker Prize win for “Taiwan Travelogue” (臺灣漫遊錄) showed that Taiwan’s publishing sector has gained growing international recognition.

Taiwanese writers Chen Hsueh, left, and Kevin Chen, center, pose for a photograph on the stage during the Seoul International Book Fair last year. Photo: CNA

Wang said that South Korea remains a priority overseas market for the government-supported TAICCA, which promotes the international expansion of Taiwan’s cultural and creative industries.

“Taiwan Travelogue” author Yang Shuang-zi (楊?子) and English translator Lin King (金翎) became the first Taiwanese writer-translator team to win the International Booker Prize when the English edition of the novel received the award in May.

Among the featured writers are Li Ang (李昂), whose novel “The Butcher’s Wife” (殺夫) was first published in Korean in 1991 and was republished this year by South Korean publisher Marco Polo, and Hu Mu-ching (胡慕情), whose “A Sketch of a Female Serial Killer” (一位女性殺人 犯的素描) was released in Korean in May.

The lineup also includes Liglav A-wu (利格拉樂·阿??), Ma Yi-hang (馬翊航), Chan Wai (陳慧) and Lai Ma (賴 馬), all of whom will participate in events at the fair.

Meanwhile, the Taipei Book Fair Foundation will operate a separate pavilion that seeks to deepen cultural exchanges between Taiwan and South Korea around the theme of “women’s emotions.”

According to TAICCA, this focus reflects the fair’s visitor profile.

Women in their 20s to 40s made up the largest share of attendees at the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair, with all 150,000 tickets sold out during the presale period, the agency said.

Taiwan’s appearance as guest of honor at the 2025 fair generated record results for rights and book sales, TAICCA added. A total of 26 rights deals were concluded, while 1,100 Taiwanese books were sold.

Several Taiwanese authors also secured Korean-language publishing deals last year, including Kevin Chen (陳思宏), author of “Ghost Town” (鬼地方).

Taiwan pavilion returns to Seoul International Book Fair


Kaohsiung hospital dengue cluster linked to imported case: CDC

Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday that a dengue fever cluster at Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital has been confirmed as linked to an imported case from Vietnam.

A localized dengue cluster emerged at Min-Sheng Hospital after five inpatients tested positive for dengue fever on June 12.

At a weekly briefing, the CDC said genetic sequencing showed all infections in the cluster matched an imported case reported earlier this month. As of Monday, the cluster totaled six cases, with no new infections reported.

Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General and spokeswoman Tseng Hsu-hui and physician Lin Yung-ching speak in a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Hou Chia-yu, Taipei Times

CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said the imported case was an individual who returned from Vietnam on June 1 after visiting relatives and was detected through airport fever screening before later testing positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

The patient was hospitalized at Min-Sheng hospital from June 1-11 and stayed in a room directly opposite the ward of the later local cases, leading authorities to identify the imported case as the likely source of the cluster.

Tseng said the Kaohsiung health department has since expanded testing to more than 1,400 people at the hospital, including staff, inpatients and those who were recently discharged.

There is currently no evidence of broader community transmission, and monitoring will continue until July 12, she said, stressing that as dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease and is not transmitted from person to person, mosquito prevention remains the most important measure.

According to CDC data, Taiwan has recorded 75 confirmed dengue cases so far this year, including seven locally acquired infections, all in Kaohsiung. The remaining 68 cases were imported, primarily from Southeast and South Asia.

The CDC urged the public to regularly inspect their surroundings and eliminate standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, saying that removing breeding sites is key to reducing the risk of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.


The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday detailed a NT$6.25 billion (US$198 million) initiative to expand social welfare programs for older people living alone.

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) spoke at a news conference in Taipei about the initiative previously announced by the Social and Family Affairs Administration.

The initiative would provide home visits, meal deliveries and functional assessments, he said.

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang poses for a photograph at an event in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times

It would target older people who live alone or with others unable to provide care, those whose direct descendants live in a different administrative region, and households where all members are 65 or older, Shih said.

The initiative would establish four tiers of service according to recipients’ needs as determined by a nationwide assessment, being conducted this year and next year, he said.

The policy is drafted in response to Taiwan’s aging population, which includes 700,000 older people who live alone, or with a partner who is also 65 or older, Shih said.

The ministry would supervise local governments in enacting the proposed policy, as mandated by the Special Statute on Strengthening the Resilience of the Economy, Society, and National Security in Response to International Developments (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例), he said.

Under current regulations, only older people without caretakers and classified as belonging to medium-low income households or below are eligible for home visits and meals, he said.

The proposed policy would broaden eligibility for these benefits to all older people who are tier two or above in the need-based assessment, Shih said.

Meanwhile, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) yesterday said the opposition parties’ continued resistance to passing governmental funding is jeopardizing the safety and welfare of Taiwanese.

Yesterday marked the 229th day of the legislature’s stalling on reviewing this year’s annual government budget, she said.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party have combined majority at the legislature.

Flood prevention, economic investments and social welfare benefit programs are time-sensitive matters that cannot suffer further delays, she said.

The flood season is almost upon Taiwan, and the Cabinet-approved social welfare expansions are scheduled to take effect next month, she said.

Failure to approve the funds would undermine the government’s ability to confront the challenges posed by geopolitical instability, extreme climate and national contingencies, causing real harm to Taiwanese, she said.

Social welfare should not be sacrificed to political gains, she said.

Additional reporting by Fion Khan

Welfare program aimed at supporting older people


BAD FAITH LITIGATION?  The two companies, owned by a California-based private equity firm, could be seeking licensing fees or a settlement payout with the suit

Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) Director-General Liao Cheng-wei (廖承威) said yesterday he suspected that two firms suing contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) for patent infringement are “patent trolls.”

A patent troll refers to a company that buys patents not for manufacturing products, but to sue other companies for compensation, accusing them of using its patents.

Patent trolls, formally called Non-Practicing Entities or Patent Assertion Entities, were responsible for more than 50 percent of lawsuits in the US last year, costing targeted businesses tens of billions of US dollars a year, according to the US-based LegalCharity Web site.

Taiwan Intellectual Property Office Director-General Liao Cheng-wei, right, attends a news conference in Taipei yesterday.  Photo: CNA

Asked whether TIPO has knowledge of the details of the case filed with the US International Trade Commission (USITC), Liao told reporters that based on information the office has secured, the two Irish companies are patent trolls, seeking licensing fees or settlement money.

Axios reported on June 14 that Longitude Licensing and Marlin Semiconductor, the two Irish companies, have filed a complaint with the USITC, accusing TSMC of using their patented technology to produce chips. TSMC faces an investigation launched by the USITC based on the complaint.

The two Irish companies are subsidiaries of IPValue Management, owned by Vector Capital, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, according to Axios, which reported Marlin Semiconductor, in particular, acquired a portion of the patents from United Microelectronics Corp (聯電), a smaller contract chipmaker in Taiwan, in 2021.

TSMC has filed a petition with the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board to challenge the firms’ allegations, saying the patents in question are invalid, Liao said.

TSMC could argue that the patents questioned by the Irish firms have been published so they lacked novelty or inventiveness, invalidating them.

If the argument is accepted, the firms would have to withdraw their petition against the chipmaker, he said.

TSMC has a dominant lead in research and development and a strong IP team, so TIPO has faith in the chipmaker’s technology and patent strength, Liao said.

Meanwhile, four Republican lawmakers have urged the USITC to block imports of foreign-made chips found to infringe US patents in the case involving TSMC, Axios reported, citing a May 22 letter from the US lawmakers to ITC Chair Amy Karpel.

An administrative law judge is expected to issue a preliminary ruling this month, with the USITC possibly making a final decision in October, the report said.

TSMC suit may be patent trolls


SELF-FUELING REACTION:  The amendments would allow investment in AI, helping some of the money from insurers to remain in Taiwan instead of going overseas

Taiwan is easing regulations to give life insurers flexibility to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) projects, part of an ongoing move by authorities to redirect a larger slice of the industry’s US$1 trillion asset pool back home.

The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is proposing amendments to the Regulations Governing Use of Insurers’ Funds in Special Projects, Public Utilities and Social Welfare Enterprises (保險業資金辦理專案運用公共及社會福利事業投資管理辦法) to allow life insurance companies to deploy capital directly into AI-linked investment projects, the FSC said in a statement yesterday.

The move is designed to support government efforts to accelerate technology infrastructure and advance Taiwan’s vision of becoming a “smart technology island,” the statement said.

A photo taken in 2025 shows the letters AI for Artificial Intelligence on a laptop screen next to the logo of the Chat AI application on a smartphone screen. Photo: AFP

“The change is intended to encourage insurers to support AI-related industries and advance Taiwan’s vision of becoming a smart technology island, while expanding the scope of insurers’ investment activities,” it said.

In tandem with the AI push, the FSC is lifting the investment ceiling for insurers looking to back certified domestic private equity funds. Life companies would be permitted to hold up to 25 percent of a fund’s issued shares or paid-in capital, up from its 20 percent limit, the statement said.

Together, the regulatory revisions aim to achieve policy goals of utilizing the insurance sector’s massive capital base for local development and retaining local wealth rather than seeing it flow to international markets, it said.

Taiwanese life insurers hold more than US$700 billion in overseas assets. For decades, firms have reliably loaded up on foreign fixed-income assets in search of higher yields, in part due to a persistent shortage of attractive investment vehicles at home.

The reforms are part of a broader push to transform Taiwan into a regional wealth management hub. Regulators are steadily pushing through overhauls to elevate the nation’s financial sector to the same global stature enjoyed by its semiconductor industry.

As part of this strategy, the FSC is extending its high-net-worth wealth zone pilot in Kaohsiung into a third year. The zone tests out premium private banking and family office operations.

It would consider opening up new initiatives to be tried out in the wealth management zone such as expanding banks’ cross-border financial services to include domestic high-net-worth clients, lifting investor limits on private equity and credit funds, and allowing insurance products to establish dedicated prepaid premium accounts.

The FSC said the details and supporting measures for these proposals would be finalized following discussions with officials and would be announced publicly as soon as possible.

FSC to ease rules on insurer investing in AI


Tesla seeks approval for full self-driving in Taiwan

Tesla Motors Taiwan Ltd (台灣特斯拉) said yesterday that it has submitted an application for its supervised full self-driving (FSD) system to the Vehicle Safety Certification Center, taking a first step toward making the feature available in Taiwan.

The system requires drivers to remain attentive and ready to take immediate control at all times, and does not make a vehicle fully autonomous, the company said.

It has been trained using anonymous driving data collected from 8.5 million Tesla vehicles worldwide, it said.

A Tesla in-car touchscreen display is pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo courtesy of Tesla Motors Taiwan Ltd

Each newly delivered vehicle can access a “lifetime” of driving scenarios through the system, it added.

Tesla said FSD (Supervised) is available or approved in 13 countries and regions: the US, Canada, China, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark and Belgium.

The company said that the system is undergoing road testing in Japan, including in major metroplexes such as Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka.

Tesla announced that it would discontinue its one-time purchase option for FSD at 11:59pm on June 30.

The change would not affect customers who have already purchased the plan, while Tesla owners and new buyers can still purchase it before the deadline, the company said.

Tesla said owners of vehicles equipped with Hardware 3.0, which is not compatible with FSD (Supervised), would be eligible to transfer their FSD entitlement to a newly purchased Tesla free of charge if they take delivery by Sept. 30 and have purchased the plan for their current vehicle by June 30.

Taiwan’s regulations on driver assistance systems require drivers to remain in control of their vehicles and keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times.


TRI raises forecast of Taiwan’s GDP growth to 9.33%

The Taiwan Research Institute (TRI, 台綜院) yesterday raised its forecast of Taiwan’s GDP growth to 9.33 percent for this year, citing robust global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

The new forecast represented a significant upgrade from the institute’s previous estimate of 3.46 percent made at the end of last year. It came closer to a similar upbeat forecast by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), which last month raised its prediction to 9.64 percent, from February’s 7.71 percent.

Despite conflicts in the Middle East that have pushed up crude prices and inflationary pressure, strong demand for AI applications, high-performance computing and cloud-based data centers has offset the geopolitical impact, the institute said.

People walk across the street under the Taipei 101 building on March 24. Photo: EPA

The institute forecast that merchandise and service exports would grow 19.62 percent year-on-year this year, thanks to strong demand for AI-related applications. In comparison, imports of merchandise and services would increase 16.34 percent, it said.

With global demand for tech gadgets prompting semiconductor firms, AI server makers and related manufacturers to expand production, Taiwan’s private investment is expected to grow 6.16 percent this year, and fixed capital formation -- which includes public and private investment -- is projected to grow 5.53 percent, the institute said.

As robust exports are expected to drive up investments and income, which would in turn lift consumption, the institute predicted Taiwan’s private consumption to grow 3.51 percent this year.

However, since Taiwan’s economy has been highly concentrated in the semiconductor and information technology industries, if the high-tech sector faces headwinds, the negative impact on the local economy could be bigger than expected, the institute warned.

Against this backdrop, Taiwan should prepare measures to lead its industrial sector to grow in a balanced manner and enhance domestic demand, paving the way for an improvement in competitive edge and long-term growth, it said.

Commenting on the high-flying stock market, TRI founder Liu Tai-ying (劉泰英) said he had faith in Taiwan’s economic fundamentals and was optimistic about share prices.

Liu said a peace agreement announced by the US and Iran this week has helped to stabilize international crude oil prices and reduce inflationary pressure.

If concerns over inflation ease further, the US Federal Reserve is likely to cut interest rates, which could lend support to global markets, including Taiwan’s, he said.


Poland pursues Taiwan investments to end role as assembly hub

Poland is betting on a flood of investments and technology transfers from Taiwanese companies to reengineer its US$1 trillion economy.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said yesterday that Poland will no longer be “just an assembly hub” as it pursues further investments from the likes of Foxconn Technology Group (富士康). The firm, whose full name is Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), last month agreed to build electric vehicles (EVs) in the European Union nation and now could be a partner in a semiconductor venture, he said.

The government’s aim is to boost manufacturing and the country’s high-tech chops in an era of volatile global politics and strained supply lines. Asian partners would invest in the relatively low cost, fast-growing country and expand their foothold in the EU’s 450 million person market.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks during the 16th European Financial Congress in Sopot, Poland, on June 2. Photo: EPA

“The changing geopolitical situation shows that Europe needs to rebuild its own production capacities in key technologies,” Polish Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technology Michal Jaros told Bloomberg News. “The pandemic, the war in Ukraine and trade tensions have highlighted the risks linked to excessive dependence on distant markets.”

Foxconn, a key supplier for Apple Inc, is set to invest more than US$1 billion in the Polish EV project, Jaros said in an interview. The planned factory will produce cars under a new local brand and will become Foxconn’s center for the Taiwanese firm’s European expansion.

Tusk’s government withdrew from talks with Chinese automakers amid concern that Poland would not be able to gain access to the technology.

The next step is to build a technology park where members of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association, headed by Hon Hai chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉), could invest several billion dollars, Jaros said.

The decision on what will be produced there is due later this year, with proposals including automotive electronics, artificial intelligence server components, industrial robots, circuit boards and semiconductors, Jaros said.

The park may be located in Miekinia, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the German border, the town where Intel Corp planned to build a semiconductor factory before abandoning the idea, Tusk said.

“A large American company pulled out and we have begun talks with partners who were interested, including in the location where we have already invested money,” the prime minister said at an event hosted at the Warsaw Stock Exchange. “We will have a semiconductor factory there in cooperation with the same Taiwanese partner.”

After an immigration visa scandal under the previous government, Tusk tightened regulations on hiring employees from abroad, including sought-after specialists. Now, the government wants to speed up procedures for foreign investors from places like Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Such firms will be able to fast track hiring of high skilled workers and will arrange formalities in a one-stop-shop, Jaros said. They will also have wider access to grants and tax relief programs.

The investments by the Taiwanese companies could jointly amount to the “biggest foreign venture in Poland’s history,” Jaros said.

“We’re talking about building the whole ecosystem, which includes production, R&D, logistics, education and corresponding services,” Jaros said. “This is the way to build a strong economy.”


Keeping lights on under pressure

The government-run Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology on June 6 held an energy security forum, at which leaders from Ukraine, the US, Japan and Taiwan called on Taipei to enhance energy resilience by decentralizing Taiwan’s power system to enable survival in the event of a blockade or strikes by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Anton Antonenko, vice president and cofounder of the Kyiv-based DiXi Group think tank, highlighted how Russian attacks against Ukraine during the past two months had revealed serious weaknesses in centralized electric utility systems and offered a variety of examples for Taiwan to consider as it anticipates possible conflict scenarios.

In the most recent incident, on June 1 and 2, Russian missile attacks on Kyiv’s electrical utility infrastructure left about 140,000 residents without electricity, demonstrating that resiliency within society requires more than simply having adequate stockpiles of food, it also requires having reliable electrical services.

Taiwan’s electrical grid is vulnerable. The way Taiwan generates electricity is not evenly spread. Much of the electricity generation is centered in southern and central areas, with heavy use concentrated in the heavily populated north.

As part of its plan for an invasion of Taiwan, the PLA’s strategy includes jointly coordinated strike campaigns using precisely targeted bombardment to destroy command and control structures at the military and civilian level. If the Chinese government decides to attack key transmission structures such as high-voltage transmission towers, it could likely cause a widespread blackout, disrupting Taiwanese defenses.

In addition to physical threats to the electrical grid, there is a constant barrage of “gray zone” cyberattacks. On Aug. 3, 2022, Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) faced 4.9 million cyberattacks in a single day as then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. That represented more than the entire number of cyberattacks the Taipower experienced the entire month leading up to her visit.

Additionally, Taiwan is dependent upon maritime imports for more than 90 percent of its energy, with approximately 50 percent from liquefied natural gas (LNG). If China were to impose a blockade or maritime quarantine on LNG cargo shipments, reserves would drop to zero in approximately two weeks (using current regulation reserve levels).

President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration is coordinating the Urban Resilience Exercises throughout Taiwan from April to August while preparing to conduct regional air-raid drills during the first week of August. The drills are meant to help Taiwan prepare for potential conflict. However, if the critical infrastructures required to support the drills collapses, they would be hollow.

Without electricity, Taiwan will not be able to respond to an attack from the People’s Republic of China.

To address that issue, urgent action is required to establish community-level, localized microgrids.

Fortunately, Taipower has already begun taking steps to facilitate this transition. It has publicly announced that it is going to install disaster-recovery microgrids throughout Taiwan, using successful demonstration projects in remote mountainous areas and outlying areas such as Penghu County’s Cimei Township (七美) as a foundation to develop new microgrid systems.

Microgrids combine on-site renewable energy generation (solar or biomass), battery-residential storage systems and advanced energy management systems into localized networks capable of decoupling from the centrally controlled high-voltage transmission grid by operating independently during national emergencies. As such, microgrids can reliably provide electricity to critical infrastructure such as hospitals and food distribution centers, as well as provide power to shelter facilities, water systems, and local emergency management and command centers.

Taiwan’s energy security should transcend political lines. Although the legislative branch blocked the Lai administration’s Special Budget for Asymmetric Warfare on four occasions between late December last year and early January, there remains broad support for enhancing municipal and community energy resilience. Municipalities can act independently of the passage of national defense legislation. For instance, Taoyuan has begun using locally produced green energy through its use of 1,695 rooftop solar installations (306 megawatts in total) on its government buildings. Elsewhere, Taipower is installing microgrids in Sinwu District’s (新屋) Bengang Village (笨港).

The government must prioritize physical decentralization of the energy grid as part of its new Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee mandate. By expanding on the microgrid initiative and including private-sector technical innovations into new municipal infrastructure projects, Taiwan could create the deep community resilience that is necessary to deal with long-term pressures.

True deterrence will not be based solely on the number of high-tech missiles, but also upon each neighborhood, village and town developing its capacity to survive, operate, and provide power for its population in the face of military power.

Akankshya Ray is a graduate student in conflict analysis and peacebuilding studying Mandarin in Taiwan and preparing for a doctorate at National Chengchi University.


Learning a mother tongue ties us to home

If a language remains confined only to textbooks, it is bound to soon become knowledge that is remembered, but seldom utilized.

A truly living language is one that is used in people’s everyday lives — when family members greet each other using Taiwanese (also known as Hoklo) at home, when the calls of vendors ring out in the market, when students use it to greet each other in the school hallways, and even when city governments, libraries, household registration offices and social welfare centers use it to communicate — that is true language equality.

The Ministry of Education’s promotion of mother-tongue education deserves recognition. Article 9 of the Development of National Languages Act (國家語言發展法) stipulates that national languages must be included in the national curriculum. Elementary and junior high-school students can choose to study Taiwanese, Hakka or indigenous languages, while such courses are also designated as part of the compulsory curriculum at high-school level. That means mother-tongue education is no longer merely an extracurricular activity, but has become formally incorporated into Taiwan’s education system.

The ministry’s initiatives to promote mother-tongue education — including immersive instruction, Taiwanese language proficiency certification, International Mother Tongue Day activities and the creation of language-rich campus environments — are all important steps in the right direction.

However, mother-tongue education should not be limited to a single class each week. Otherwise, students might come to view Taiwanese, Hakka and indigenous languages as subjects that end when class is over, rather than as living languages.

The third annual National Languages Development Convention on Saturday last week under the theme “Co-creating a Multilingual Society with Linguistic Equality,” pointed out that surveys conducted from 2020 to last year highlighted a significant shift in mother-tongue identity among younger generations. Taiwanese, while still the most common self-identified mother tongue, saw a decline in the percentage of speakers from 55.94 percent to 51.42 percent, signaling growing challenges in its intergenerational transmission. Identification with Hakka also fell slightly, from 7.17 percent to 6.1 percent, reflecting similar challenges to language continuity.

In contrast, identification with indigenous languages increased from 0.5 percent to 1.38 percent, demonstrating the success of language revitalization efforts and a greater sense of indigenous identity.

Mother-tongue identity stems not only from ancestry or ethnicity, but also from the natural use of language. Only when mother tongues are heard, spoken and respected can linguistic equality become more than a policy slogan and evolve into a tangible expression of Taiwan’s deepening democracy and cultural self-confidence.

By promoting mother-tongue education through Taiwanese, Taiwan can make the language a starting point for multilingual prosperity. Taiwanese, Hakka, indigenous languages and other national languages should be integrated into everyday life and public services. Deepening democracy involves more than just policy — it also requires the realization of cultural and linguistic equality.

The Executive Yuan has already laid the foundation; the next step is to ensure that mother tongues are truly used and passed down within families, schools, communities and digital life.

By allowing languages and culture to take root, Taiwan can move forward with confidence.

Pan Wei-yiu is a policymaker at the Taiwan Nation Alliance and president of the Union of Taiwanese Teachers.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


Poll results show Switzerland’s pragmatism holds

Immigration remains a durable political fault line in Switzerland, which has low unemployment and high living standards

Swiss voters on Sunday opted to play it safe, rejecting an unprecedented proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million people as economic risks overcame elevated concerns about immigration.

The result of a national ballot on the initiative came down to pragmatism as the majority — 55 percent — accepted warnings from companies and the government that it would have a long-term negative impact on growth. Businesses have repeatedly said that they need easy access to foreign labor to fill roles in Switzerland.

The idea was seen by some as Switzerland’s “Brexit” vote, as the proposal’s immigration curbs would have severely damaged the country’s relations with the EU.

Maintaining strong ties with Brussels is vital for Switzerland given that the bloc buys half its exports and goods trade amounts to more than 315 billion Swiss francs (US$396.3 billion) a year.

“The Swiss have voted with their heads not their guts,” said Michael Strobaek, chief investment manager at Lombard Odier, a wealth manager.

They “have understood that migration is a key pillar of their collective wealth,” Strobaek said.

Over the past few weeks, executives including Nestle SA chief executive officer Philipp Navratil and UBS Group AG chief executive officer Sergio Ermotti had said that the cap was not a solution to perceived problems in the country. On Sunday, Swiss manufacturer ABB Ltd welcomed the outcome, saying that approval “would have created significant uncertainty.”

“Especially in times of geopolitical uncertainty, stability is of paramount importance for Switzerland as a business location,” it said.

The proposal would have capped the population with tighter restrictions on immigration. Switzerland is home to about 9.1 million people, and the first measures would have kicked in at 9.5 million people, which could be reached as soon as 2030.

The Swiss vote reflects an anti-immigrant feeling that has come to dominate politics in many countries around the world. It has led to the rise of far-right parties, tougher border controls and an increased focus on national identity. It played a part in huge political moments over the past few years, such as Brexit and US President Donald Trump’s election wins.

While the cap was blocked, the 45 percent support it secured is still a concern for the Swiss government. That share would encourage the key campaigner, the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), to keep pushing for tougher immigration policies.

Its message resonated with large swathes of the country by connecting everyday domestic concerns with longstanding identity worries.

Rents have risen, trains and roads are crowded at rush hour, cities have become denser, and high-earning foreign workers and executives have become more visible in parts of the country. The campaign brought those issues together with traditional Swiss fears about sovereignty and being overwhelmed by outsiders.

The result leaves immigration as a durable political fault line in a country with low unemployment and high living standards.

Michael Hermann, a researcher who oversees public opinion polls for Swiss public television, described the numbers as “contradictory.”

“The regions with the strongest ‘yes’ vote are the least affected by immigration,” he said. “This shows it’s much more about identity than about real problems. It’s about an image of Switzerland that people want to preserve.“

Exit polls for 20 Minuten/Tamedia showed that the cap had a slim majority among poorer voters. It also revealed that in addition overwhelming backing of SVP supporters, more than 40 percent of those in the business-friendly Free Democratic Party of Switzerland camp also opted for ‘yes.’

The SVP’s next big target is a referendum on a set of agreements intended to put Switzerland’s relations with the EU on a firmer footing, which could take place next year. Core to the agreement is the principle of free movement, which has been a big contributor to rapid Swiss population growth. About 1.5 million EU citizens live in Switzerland, accounting for 16 percent of the population.

That means the issues of immigration and the EU are inextricably linked, allowing the SVP to tap frustration about the topic again to scupper the deal.

“The SVP will continue to fight the shortcomings of the current immigration policy,” SVP president Marcel Dettling said in a statement. “We want to preserve Switzerland just as we love it.”

The party is focusing on the positives of Sunday’s decision given it reached many people beyond its traditional base. Almost 1.5 million voted in favor of the cap, twice as many as chose it in the last general election.

Meanwhile, the Swiss government said the result is an “important signal” on EU relations.

Voters “are prioritizing stability and reliability in these times of geopolitical and economic uncertainty,” Swiss Minister of Justice Beat Jans said on Sunday.

Manufacturing lobby group Swissmem said the Swiss government cannot be complacent, highlighting the level of frustration among the public.

Strobaek struck a similar note.

“There is still a big minority that is not happy with the status quo of immigration to Switzerland,” he said. “Politicians shouldn’t ignore this discontent, but you cannot fix that with a cap.”


Malaysia’s comeback is built on stability, not spectacleFew thought Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s team would run its full five-year term after he became prime minister in 2022

Malaysia is enjoying a comeback that is enhanced by the hard times visited upon neighbors. The economy, which once epitomized Southeast Asia’s breakneck growth and towering ambitions, is skipping the flashy patter. Prosperity now comes in the form of something more modest — and in short supply today. The contemporary pitch is all about steadfastness.

The currency is holding up, growth is solid, and inflation is still low. The Malaysian central bank has barely touched interest rates in the past few years. Closer ties with Singapore are boosting investment in data centers and factories. These attributes stand the country in good stead; although times might get tougher from here.

The resilience is striking, because Malaysia’s performance has not always been great. Several years ago, it appeared the nation’s best days were behind it. The ringgit was weak, growth was subpar, and a series of fragile coalition governments came and went. That was in sharp contrast to the long rule of the formerly dominant ethnic Malay nationalist party, United Malays National Organization, which under former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was synonymous with rapid development and for a while, the world’s tallest buildings. In a region that, prior to the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, enjoyed a meteoric rise in living standards, Mahathir did not mind talking bluntly and with a touch of condescension to visiting Western officials and business executives. Just be more like Malaysia, he intoned.

Those days passed. Malaysia is now back — in modified form — and once high-flying peers are in trouble. Indonesia is suffering capital flight: The rupiah has recorded the biggest slide against the US dollar this year among emerging markets, and demand for bonds has cratered. That has forced the Indonesian central bank to not only intervene daily in markets, but announce an unscheduled rate hike last week. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto would strain to keep spending within legally prescribed limits. “Sell Indonesia” has been the catch cry in trading rooms.

The Philippines, one of the strongest economies coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, has also fallen on hard times. A graft scandal over public-works contracting has slowed state spending to a trickle, while inflation has tripled since the Iran war began. Borrowing costs have already climbed, and a jumbo rate hike is on the cards this month. Inflation is surging in Vietnam, which adopted the approach of a previous generation of Asian Tigers in throwing its doors open to foreign manufacturers and supply chains.

Malaysia is not immune from these forces. Inflation is projected to pick up, but from the low level of 1.9 percent recorded in April — comfortably below the average of the past five years. Interest rates would probably be nudged higher from 2.75 percent. Again, context is important. The Malaysian central bank has been remarkably steady in its settings.

Stability has been the guiding principle in the political realm, too. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has shown finesse in keeping his alliance of liberal, ethnic Malay and Chinese, and provincial parties together. Few thought his team would run its full five-year term after he became prime minister in 2022. Yet it is still in place, despite periodic threats that one or more coalition members would bolt. One partner is contesting local elections in the states of Johor and Negeri Sembilan under its own banner in the next two months. Anwar might be tempted to call a snap national ballot to get ahead of a poor result.

Kuala Lumpur’s relative sweet spot cannot be taken for granted. The coming months would bring their challenges. As a key exporter, the global slowdown induced by the energy shock would cool growth from the 5.4 percent pace notched in the first quarter. However, I would rather be in Malaysia’s shoes than enduring the travails of Indonesia or the Philippines. Or the deflation that is likely to return in Thailand after the oil spike recedes.

Anwar likes to quip that it only took him a quarter century to secure the job that was almost his in the 1990s — before a schism with Mahathir saw him ejected as deputy prime minister and finance minister, and twice imprisoned. It was worth the wait. The economy stands out, in no small part due to the tribulations of others. A small deficit of ambition is fine, as long as you exceed expectations.

Daniel Moss is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian economies. Previously, he was executive editor for economics at Bloomberg News. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.


Taiwan’s Fan Chun-chia breaks bench press world record in 74-kg class

Taiwanese powerlifter Fan Chun- chia (范峻嘉) won the gold medal in the men’s 74-kilogram class bench press at the 2026 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Open Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania on Monday (local time), with a world record breaking 216-kilogram lift.

The 27-year-old Fan was one of 23 competitors in the men’s 74-kilogram class, in which competitors’ final results are calculated from the combined amount lifted in three separate categories -- bench press, squat lift and deadlift.

Fan opened the event by lifting 262.5 kilograms in the squat, placing him in fifth place overall.

Fan Chun-chia holds up gold medal and congratulatory message from Presiden Lai Ching-te on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Ministry of Sports

In the bench press, Fan started with 205-kilogram, then successfully lifted 216 kilograms to break his own world record of 215 kilograms set in 2025 at the World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Germany.

He then attempted 218 kilograms but was unsuccessful.

In the deadlift section, Fan lifted 302.5 kilograms to finish in seventh place.

After combining the amounts lifted, Fan placed third in the men’s 74-kilogram class with a combined weight of 781 kilograms, more than 10 times his body weight of 73.65 kilograms.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) sent a congratulatory message on learning of the result, praising Fan’s performance and encouraging national athletes to continue striving for top honors for themselves and Taiwan.

The Ministry of Sports said in a statement Tuesday that Taiwan’s powerlifters have performed outstandingly in recent years, including at the 2025 Chengdu World Games, where they won two gold medals and one silver.

The ministry said it will continue to provide comprehensive training and logistical support to help athletes perform on the international stage.


TRAGEDY: The B-52 crashed shortly after takeoff at an air base where the US Air Force conducts aircraft tests and development, with an expert saying it likely malfunctioned

A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at a US Air Force base in southern California’s Mojave Desert and burst into flames on Monday, killing all eight people aboard, military officials said.

Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft that went down at about 11:20am during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, which is north of Los Angeles. Black smoke rose from a large swath of charred desert near the runway on the base, with emergency vehicles nearby.

Those on the B-52 included government contractors and uniformed military. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing confirmed on Monday evening that two of its employees were on board.

An image taken from video provided by KABC shows law enforcement responding to the scene of an aircraft crash on near Edwards Air Force Base in California. Photo: AP

After reviewing footage of the crash, it was determined that no one could have survived, Colonel James Hayes, deputy commander for the 412 test wing at Edwards, said at a news conference.

“We lost eight great Americans,” Hayes said, adding that officials were working to notify their families.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, and it could take up to six months to complete an investigation, Hayes said, but shared that the B-52 was supporting the “radar modernization program.”

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in conflicts involving the US military from Vietnam to Iran.

Last year, Boeing sent a B-52 to Edwards with a new, modernized radar system. A test team planned to conduct ground and flight test activities on the aircraft throughout this year to feed a production decision, the air force said in a news release last year. The modern Active Electronically Scanned Array, or AESA, radar system replaced the aircraft’s antiquated radar for efficacy. It was unclear if that was the same aircraft involved in Monday’s crash.

Edwards Air Force Base is home to a large portion of the US Air Force’s aircraft test and development efforts and is about 100 miles (161km) north of Los Angeles.

The 412th Test Wing, which runs the base, also conducts developmental testing of all air force aircraft, weapons systems, software and components before purchase by the service as well as throughout their lifespan.

The vast desert base is where US Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager reached a speed of Mach 1.05 and broke the sound barrier in 1947.

The airfield was closed most of Monday and all inbound aircraft were being diverted, but it reopened to people coming onto the base by late afternoon.

Non-commercial visitor passes for the base were suspended as emergency crews doused the flames.

It is too soon to say what might have happened.

US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said he is deeply saddened by the lives lost.

“We mourn this loss and honor the service of our Airmen, civilians, and contractors who work every day to advance our mission,” he said in a post on X.

The way the B-52 crashed so quickly after takeoff without getting very high or going far makes aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti suspect some kind of flight control malfunction.

It is possible the controls were rigged wrong after maintenance, he said, or a catastrophic engine problem or a failure of a piece of equipment that was being tested.

“I think it was definitely a controllability issue. Now, whether that was tied to an engine failure, a flight control failure, or some new testing device failure, I’m not sure,” said Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Although the air force has been flying B-52 bombers for more than 70 years, testing out new equipment on a plane can create new challenges.

“A flight test is always riskier than normal operations, so that’s why you have specially trained test pilots, and you should have other safety protocols,” Guzzetti said.

In recent years, fatal air force training accidents in the US have included an instructor pilot who was killed in 2024 when the ejection seat activated while the aircraft was still on the ground in Texas and an air force ROTC cadet’s death in a 2022 accident involving a Humvee during a training exercise in Idaho. Two air force pilots were killed when a trainer jet crashed near an Alabama airport in 2021.

B-52 bomber crash kills all 8 on board


Vast areas of climate-resistant coral reefs found: study

In the crystalline waters off Kenya’s coast, coral reefs are thriving — evidence of a rare good news story in the battle to protect oceans from the ravages of climate change.

A new study presented at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa yesterday found that 166,000km2 of the world’s coral reefs — about one-third of the total — are particularly “climate-resilient,” meaning they have the potential to survive through major ocean warming events.

The study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Macquarie University in Australia challenges the findings of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has said that 70 to 90 percent of coral reefs could die with global warming of 1.5<>C above pre-industrial levels, and 99 percent at 2<>C.

Fish swim at a coral reef inside a restricted area in Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia, on Aug. 4, 2024. Photo: Reuters

“Our models are showing a much more hopeful future for corals reefs. We predict that there are many climate resilient reefs around the world that will persist over time,” WCS executive director for marine conservation Stacy Jupiter said.

Action is still needed since only 28 percent of those resilient reefs are being actively protected. Down the coast from Mombasa, on Kenya’s paradisical Wasini-Mkwiro island, villagers are showing the way. As local fishermen bring in their catch from the beach, it is weighed, measured and logged by local data collectors in the village. Other members of the “beach management unit” patrol the waters to make sure no one is overfishing or using destructive equipment. Others plant seaweed and mangroves, and scoop out rubbish.

“We want to keep this ecosystem as pristine as possible because we know the benefits,” said Edward Karanja, Kenya Wildlife Service warden for the nearby Kisite marine park, citing the importance of tourism and fishing to locals.

Fish swim near recovering coral reefs after bleaching in late December 2023 due to extreme weather in Bondalem Village in Bali, Indonesia, on June 20, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Thanks to their efforts, the park became the first in Kenya to earn a Gold-Level Blue Park Award from the US-based Marine Conservation Institute in 2021.

Coral “bleaching” occurs when water temperatures rise by a degree or two, stressing the coral’s animal tissues and making them expel algae, turning them white. However, the new study finds many reefs are resilient, either because they exist in cool spots, or because they have evolved to withstand heat or recover more quickly than most.

“The way we see coral responding to heat events is more nuanced than we previously thought,” Jupiter said.

An official of the local Beach Management Unit, a community-led conservation initiative, collects data from a catch delivered by a local fisherman as part of their work to monitor and protect the reef around the Wasini-Mkwiro Island in Kenya on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Kenya is fortunate to have a significant stretch of naturally resilient coral. Divers off traditional wooden dhows at Wasini-Mkwiro find coral species like the boulder-like Porites and staghorn-shaped Acropora supporting a dazzling ecosystem that includes moray eels, angelfish, crabs, turtles and dolphins.

The last major bleaching event in 2024 led to coral cover in the zone falling from 44 to 27 percent, WCS data showed. However, within a year, it had recovered to 40 percent. The new research, funded by Bloomberg Ocean Initiative and currently under peer review, builds on a pioneering study from 2018 that identified 50 resilient reefs around the world. New technology makes its map 10,000 times more detailed than any previous version, enabling the discovery of three times more resilient coral than previously known.

More than half are concentrated in Australia, the Bahamas, Cuba, Indonesia and the Philippines.

“These reefs could act as living seed banks for wider ecosystem recovery,” lead author Kyle Zawada of Macquarie University said.

Mass bleaching events are becoming almost annual occurrences. The arrival of a potentially powerful El Nino weather system this year could be particularly devastating.

Local communities have little scope to control global warming, but “there are urgent and immediate things that we can control directl,, such as preventing destructive fishing or water pollution,” said Jesse Kosgei, a WCS marine researcher in Mombasa.

“We have good news about coral reefs, and it’s for us now... to make sure that we start conserving these places that are resilient,” he added.

Clint Oakley, a coral scientist at Victoria University in Wellington, said the study was “heartening.”

However, it still sees climate change-induced warming as the “greatest threat” and “reducing carbon emissions is still the most important thing if we want to have coral reefs a century from now,” he said.


‘Re: Battle City’ imagines a Taiwan suffocating under a regime of billionaire power and technological control, offering a rare artistic challenge to the triumphalist story of the nation’s economic success

In a projection room, visitors at the Re: Battle City exhibition at Kaohsiung’s Neiwei Arts Center are invited to sit and watch a 20-minute animated movie.

Artist Chang Li-ren (張立人) created the movie with dolls he made by molding paper into crude, painted figurines. The dolls interact in a detailed and realistic Taiwanese cityscape. Outside the projection room, visitors can wander around a massive model of the city.

A sizeable crowd happily takes pictures of what looks like the best dollhouse in Taiwan: the same props that were used to tell the story of the country’s descent into techno-dictatorship in the movie.

The dark side of Taiwan’s tech miracle


2女KTV喝完酒衝黃金海岸！　她提議「去散心」竟釀1死原因曝

▲台南黃金海岸船屋前方海域深夜發生2名女子落海意外，消防人員到場救援送醫。（民眾提供，下同）

記者董美琪／綜合報導

台南市南區黃金海岸日前發生一起令人遺憾的溺水事件，造成1死1傷。警方與檢方經過進一步調查後，發現非輕生案件，而是在酒後判斷力受影響，加上天候惡劣等因素交互作用下，引發的意外悲劇。

據了解，邱姓女子與張姓女子為朋友，事發前因各自情緒低落，相約前往KTV唱歌喝酒抒發心情，酒後兩人搭乘計程車前往黃金海岸一帶。當時現場風雨持續、視線昏暗，張女提議前往海邊散步，邱女則陪同前往。

計程車司機報案時表示，兩人下車後便朝海堤與海岸方向走去，由於當時天候不佳，加上她們移動路線異常，讓他察覺情況有異，於是立刻報警。

消防局接獲通報後，立即調派救援人力及車艇趕赴現場搜救。然而當時海面風浪不小，又逢深夜降雨，增加搜索困難度。搜救人員在岸邊搜尋期間，突然聽見海面傳來微弱呼喊聲，隨即展開救援行動。

救難人員首先將邱女救上岸，但她已失去生命徵象，現場緊急施以心肺復甦術後送醫搶救，仍因吸入大量海水，最終宣告不治。稍後，張女也被順利救起，送醫時仍保有意識，目前已脫離生命危險。

邱姓女子家屬不知為何女兒凌晨會在海邊，接獲消息後趕赴醫院處理後續事宜。檢察官相驗後，家屬對死因並無疑義，相關文件已依法開立並將遺體發還家屬辦理後事。

警方後續前往醫院製作筆錄，張女表示，兩人當晚因心情欠佳而飲酒解悶，隨後一時興起想到海邊透氣。由於酒精影響判斷能力，加上現場光線不足及天候不穩，兩人在未察覺危險的情況下逐漸走入較深海域，最終溺水。

警方調查結果顯示，本案並無輕生或感情因素介入，初步認定屬於酒後失去警覺所導致的意外事件。消防單位也再次提醒，近期天氣變化劇烈，夜間海岸環境風險較高，民眾應避免在酒後或視線不佳時接近海邊活動，以免發生憾事。


〔中央社〕荷莫茲海峽（Strait of Hormuz）獲承諾將恢復開放，國際油價應聲跌破每桶80美元，全球經濟的通貨膨脹壓力可望得到緩和，歐洲主要股市今天在樂觀氣氛下收高。

倫敦FTSE 100指數上漲63.59點或0.61%，收10494.21點。

法蘭克福DAX指數小漲16.40點或0.07%，收24910.41點。

巴黎CAC 40指數上揚63.26點或0.75%，收8447.27點。（編譯：張正芊）1150617

一手掌握經濟脈動 點我訂閱自由財經Youtube頻道

油價跌破80美元　歐股收高


今晚大樂透頭獎連11摃，台彩預估下期頭獎上看3.2億元，（記者鄭琪芳攝）

〔記者鄭琪芳／台北報導〕今晚（16日）開獎的大樂透，頭獎連11摃，台灣彩券公司預估下期（19日）頭獎累積獎金上看3.2億元，為今年最高頭獎總獎金。大樂透加碼100萬獎項則開出11組，總中獎注數為12注，其中10組為單注中獎、各得獎金100萬元，1組為2注均分、各得50萬元，尚有40組100萬獎項未開出，將於下期繼續加開。

本期大樂透中獎號碼「01、02、09、11、28、36」，特別號「41」；49樂合彩中獎號碼「01、02、09、11、28、36」。本期今彩539中獎號碼「05、17、23、25、29」；39樂合彩中獎號碼「05、17、23、25、29」。本期3星彩中獎號碼「826」；4星彩中獎號碼「3017」。

台彩端午加碼8億元，大樂透加碼100組100萬元，6月5日至7月17日共13期提供億元頭獎和百萬加碼獎雙重中獎機會；「BINGO BINGO賓果賓果」首次4種玩法都加碼，6月5日至7月5日「超級獎號」、「猜大小」、「猜單雙」獎金加碼31天破紀錄，「基本玩法」端午連假3天（6月19日至21日）快閃加碼；39樂合彩6月22日起連續18期「二合」玩法單注獎金提高至1500元。

一手掌握經濟脈動 點我訂閱自由財經Youtube頻道

大樂透頭獎連11摃  加碼100萬獎開出11組


金管會兩大鬆綁，包括：放寬保險業投資「AI新十大建設」及「國內私募股權基金」等。圖為保險局局長王麗惠。（記者王孟倫攝）

〔記者王孟倫／台北報導〕為鼓勵保險業投資國內公共建設及實體產業等，金管會今天宣布，首先是開放保險業投資「AI新十大建設推動方案」之策略性產業，擴大保險業資金運用範圍；其次是鬆綁保險業投資國內私募股權基金之投資限額，由被投資對象實收出資額之20%調整為25%，以提升保險業資金運用效率及資金配置彈性。

首先，配合政府扶植「五加二」、「六大核心戰略產業」及「五大信賴產業」等政策方向，金管會前已陸續發布「保險業資金辦理專案運用公共及社會福利事業投資管理辦法；其中，為鼓勵保險業投入AI新十大建設之相關產業，協助政府加速AI發展，落實臺灣成為智慧科技島之願景，因此，修正解釋令規定，明定保險業得投資或放款予「AI新十大建設推動方案」之策略性產業。

保險局局長王麗惠表示，為配合行政院推行重要政策，相關產業如為配合「AI新十大建設推動方案」及其他行政院核定之推動方案，且經目的事業主管機關認定屬於推動方案鼓勵投資之產業，保險業即得據以辦理投資或放款。

王麗惠指出，保險業若「直接投資」AI產業的風險係數，會從37.5％降低到30％，而若透過「創投事業」間接投資的話，風險係數會從33.75％降低到17.25％；若透過「私募股權基金」投資的話，風險係數是17.25％。

其次，為配合國內私募股權基金市場發展，王麗惠表示，專案運用辦法第2條第2款已明定，保險業得投資符合主管機關所定條件、且投資範圍為配合政府政策項目之私募股權基金（PE），並應符合相關規範。

王麗惠表示，本次為推動「兆元投資國家發展方案」策略二、優化投入公共建設之投融資條件－鼓勵保險業投資公共建設型PE之措施，經參酌相關業者於「兆元投資國家發展方案」法規調適平台所提建言，修正解釋令規定，將保險業投資依「國發會促進私募股權基金投資產業輔導管理要點」取得資格函之國內私募股權基金所適用之投資限額，由被投資對象已發行股份總數或實收出資額之20%，調整為與創業投資事業相同之25%，如此一來，以提升保險業資金運用效率彈性。

金管會表示，本次法令修正期待引導及鼓勵保險業發揮長期資金優勢，持續配合「AI新十大建設推動方案」等行政院核定推動方案之政策方向，協助國家建設及國內產業發展，並達成留財引資之政策目標。

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金管會兩大鬆綁  放寬投資「AI新十大建設」及「國內私募股權基金」


為加強打詐，公股銀行ATM陸續導入臉部遮蔽示警功能。（記者鄭琪芳攝）

〔記者鄭琪芳／台北報導〕財政部今天邀集公股銀行董總召開例會，於會中提示3大重點，除勉勵公股行庫維持獲利佳績，踴躍參與投資美國融資保證機制，也提醒杜絕性騷擾及職場霸凌等爭議。另，財政部也邀請高檢署以「打詐綱領2.0跨機關合作及公私協力之成效及策進作為」為題進行演講，與會人士表示，截至4月底，公股銀行導入防詐ATM占比約2%，預計今年底占比提升至30%。

為加強打詐，防範詐騙車手提領及轉帳詐騙，財政部去年底邀集公股銀行董總召開例會時，要求8大公股銀行建置防詐ATM，即ATM導入「AI臉部辨識防詐模組」，若民眾配戴帽子、口罩、墨鏡等前往ATM提款，ATM會跳出警示並要求露臉才可操作，邊通話邊轉帳系統也會跳出提醒。

財政部今天舉行公股金融事業例行業務會議，與會人士表示，公股銀行今年以來獲利表現亮眼，已上市4金2銀稅後淨利達397.75億元、年增26.4%，財政部特別勉勵與會董事長及總經理，請公股銀行繼續維持。其次，針對國發會規劃「支持企業投資美國融資保證機制」，協助企業赴美投資、落實台美供應鏈合作，財政部也指示公股銀行踴躍參與並積極協助。

對此，台灣銀行已宣布出資7500萬美元，為最大出資銀行之一；兆豐銀行、第一銀行、華南銀行、合作金庫銀行擬各出資5000萬美元；土地銀行、彰化銀行、台企銀規劃出資2500萬美元，合計共出資3.5億美元。

另外，近期金融業不法侵害爭議頻傳，雖然不一定都與公股銀行有關，財政部仍提醒與會者注意職場倫理、人際分際，分界線要清楚，並建立優質的職場環境，杜絕性騷擾及職場霸凌。

至於公股投信四合一（第一金投信、兆豐投信、合作金庫投信、華南永昌投信）進度，與會人士表示，目前照既定方向及時程處理內部業務整合問題，財政部也提醒應積極提升經營效率、適時研議擴大營運規模的可行性，也希望由內部整合來進行市場布局。

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公股銀行導入防詐ATM  拚年底占比3成


彭金隆：新增三大試辦項目 將發布「金融大回饋指引」

金管會主委彭金隆宣布延長「亞資中心高雄專區」試辦，並推動三大新項目，七月將發布金融大回饋指引。（記者王孟倫攝）

〔記者王孟倫／台北報導〕金管會今天（16日）舉行端午記者會，並公布「亞資中心」成績單。金管會主委彭金隆表示，「亞資中心高雄專區」從去年7月啟動至今快滿一年，試辦將會延長一年，除了初步規劃「家族辦公室顧問業務」及「特定壽險商品」全台適用，並且，另新增「跨境服務」、「99人限制鬆綁」及「預繳保費帳戶」等三大試辦項目；此外，他強調，7月將發布「金融大回饋指引」，將台灣金融業成長分享給社會大眾，並持續滾動檢討。

金管會今日發布「亞洲資產管理中心成果報告」，自2024年9月推動相關政策以來，在法規鬆綁與制度創新帶動下，截至2026年4月底，已累計完成52項法規調適，整體金融業資產管理規模較2024年6月增加達10.62兆元，高資產財富管理業務亦呈現倍數成長，已達成資產管理規模兩年預期增加4兆元的目標，顯示政策成效已逐步展現。

彭金隆表示，去年是用AI寫詩分享給大家，今年則是跟大家分享粽葉的小常識，因為他小時候就對為何用桂竹掉下來的筍殼，來包粽子感到好奇；古人是把竹筍筍殼拿來包粽子、做斗笠，取其像竹子能「節節高升」的意思，也希望金融業能節節高升。

「過去兩年，推動亞洲資產管理中心已逐步展現成果」！彭金隆指出，金融三業發展穩健，資本市場、銀行、保險及投信投顧產業皆有不錯表現，因此，希望金融業成長的果實與全民分享，下個月將發布「金融大回饋指引」，共同攜手產業回饋社會，朝亞洲資產管理中心目標邁進。

其中，高雄專區自去年7月啟動試辦後運作情況良好，金管會將延長示範期間，持續滾動檢討，並評估將成熟業務推廣至全台。

彭金隆強調，亞資中心是金管會近年推動的重要金融政策，目前規劃包含16項推動計畫，核心目標在於提升台灣資產管理產業競爭力，吸引國內外資金留台，並打造更完整的資產管理生態系。未來，金融政策將持續朝創新與穩健並進方向推動，透過制度改革與市場開放，提升台灣金融競爭力，落實「信任金融」的發展方向。

金管會表示，透過五大推動計畫及16項策略，並依第一階段，「二年有感、四年有變、六年有成」之推動目標，逐步打造具臺灣特色之資產管理生態系。

根據統計，國內資產管理能量持續擴大，管理資產規模突破兆元之投信公司已由3家增加至8家，主動式ETF市場亦快速成長，去年5月首檔掛牌，截至今年5月底已有30檔上市，規模逾8,700億元，顯示產品多元化已逐步發酵。同時，已有8家外資投信來臺設立區域中心，顯示國際機構對臺灣市場發展潛力的肯定。

此外，金管會強調，高雄資產管理專區自去年7月啟動以來，已有57家金融機構進駐，並推動授信融資、境外基金銷售及保險創新商品等38項試辦業務。

其中，銀行業授信融資業務累計動撥達2720件，貸款餘額近494億元；財富管理業務方面，客戶數達371人，投資餘額約43億元。

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台達電深耕電源、工業自動化與資料中心市場，也持續切入半導體設備軟體領域。（資料照）

〔記者方韋傑／台北報導〕台達電（2308）深耕電源、工業自動化與資料中心市場，也持續切入半導體設備軟體領域，管理層今日指出，旗下半導體設備標準通訊及控制應用軟體成功導入德國光學與量測大廠蔡司（ZEISS）台灣據點，協助建立符合國際標準的設備通訊架構，加速設備開發與驗證流程，搶攻先進封裝帶動的設備升級商機。

根據台達電旗下機電事業群觀察，由於半導體產業朝向先進封裝與智慧製造發展，晶圓廠製程由單一設備加工逐步轉向多站點協同作業，設備間須即時交換製程參數、生產資訊與設備狀態，設備商也必須符合SECS與GEM國際標準，才能順利與晶圓廠控制系統完成整合。

台達電指出，蔡司長期聚焦光學與量測技術，產品廣泛應用於光罩驗證、缺陷檢測及失效分析等半導體製程環節。隨著設備需與全球晶圓廠系統進行即時資料交換，蔡司台灣面臨跨國團隊協作、客戶規範差異及系統整合等挑戰，因此導入台達解決方案，藉由標準化架構與顧問服務，加速設備通訊功能開發與驗證。

台達電提到，旗下 半導體設備標準通訊及控制應用軟體整合SECS與GEM國際標準，有利於協助設備商快速建立可複製的設備通訊架構，降低客製化與重複開發成本，同時支援每秒300筆訊息交易，滿足先進封裝產線高頻率資料交換需求。此外，系統搭配圖形化設定工具與模擬驗證平台，可提前完成通訊邏輯測試，減少實機驗證時間，提升設備導入效率。

法人指出，AI晶片與先進封裝需求快速成長，帶動全球半導體設備投資升溫，設備通訊標準化與智慧化管理的重要性也同步提高。台達電此次斬獲蔡司專案，有助於擴大半導體設備市場能見度，也為工業自動化事業增添新的成長動能，顯示台達電正由傳統硬體供應商進一步跨足軟體與顧問服務市場，藉由軟硬整合能力助攻設備商與晶圓廠提升生產效率。

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台達電斬獲半導體新單 軟體方案導入蔡司


TikTok湧現大量冒用政府名義的補助詐騙廣告，民眾可透過紅框處箭頭圖案的「分享」功能，即可取得並複製該廣告連結。（翻攝自TIKTOK）

〔記者邱巧貞／台北報導〕短影音平台TikTok近期出現大量冒用政府名義的補助詐騙廣告，不少民眾為了檢舉詐騙內容或提醒親友提高警覺，嘗試複製影片連結轉傳，卻發現對方點開後無法看到影片，引發疑惑。

對此，數發部數位產業署表示，TikTok影片右側的箭頭按鈕可用於｢複製連結」並分享給他人，不過，即使成功取得連結並傳送給其他人，對方也不一定能夠看到該影片。

這種情況發生原因在於TikTok廣告採用受眾定向投放機制，廣告主可依據性別、年齡、地區、興趣、瀏覽軌跡等條件設定目標受眾，將廣告投遞給最符合條件的潛在客戶，以提高廣告投放精準度，希望以極大化轉換率來降低廣告預算的浪費。

舉例來說，若某則內衣廣告設定僅投放給20至30歲女性族群，符合條件的使用者可能會看到該廣告，但其他不在目標受眾範圍內的使用者，即使取得相同的連結，也可能無法看到影片內容。不過，這並不影響使用者「複製連結」的功能，只要影片右側仍顯示分享箭頭，即可複製連結作為檢舉或分享用途。

數產署表示，TikTok沒有開發「無法複製廣告連結」的功能，亦即無禁止複製廣告網址。使用者只要點選廣告右下角的箭頭圖案的「分享」功能，即可取得並複製該廣告連結。

民眾若發現疑似詐騙廣告，將相關影音連結複製後，輸入「網路詐騙通報查詢網」（https://moda.gov.tw/ADI/antifraud/af-toolbox/1633#qaH16212）進行通報，數位發展部將立即依程序通報平臺業者下架。

最後，數產署也再次提醒民眾，凡涉及政府補助、津貼或現金發放等資訊，應以各政府機關官方網站公布內容為準，切勿輕信社群平台或通訊軟體流傳的不明訊息，更不要任意點擊來路不明連結或提供個人資料，以免落入詐騙陷阱。

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TikTok詐騙廣告大量出沒！連結能複製、為何別人卻看不到影片？


光林智能積極布局實體AI應用，攜手圓剛合攻AI智慧交通解決方案。（光林智能提供）

〔記者方韋傑／台北報導〕光寶科（2301）旗下光林智能（LEOTEK）積極布局實體AI（Physical AI）應用，攜手圓剛（2417）合攻智慧交通解決方案，透過邊緣運算、AI視覺辨識及多模態感知技術，打造具備即時感知、分析與決策能力的AI感知路口（AI Sensing Node），瞄準北美智慧城市及交通基礎建設升級商機。

隨著AI產業發展從資料中心逐步走向真實世界應用，Physical AI已成為全球科技業關注焦點。光林智能指出，未來交通基礎設施不再只是被動執行控制指令的設備，而是能即時感知周遭環境、理解道路情境並支援決策的智慧系統，可望進一步提升道路安全、交通效率及城市治理能力。

光林智能聚焦AI交通號誌系統整合雷達感測、AI視覺辨識、邊緣運算及多模態感知技術，有利於同步掌握車輛、行人、自行車及道路環境等資訊，支援弱勢用路人保護、緊急車輛優先通行、自適應號誌控制、交通事件偵測及路口安全管理等智慧交通應用。

值得注意的是，光林智能此次也攜手圓剛強化Edge AI布局，雙方透過高效能邊緣運算平台，加速交通資料處理及AI模型部署，提升智慧路口即時分析與決策能力，並可支援更多元的智慧交通應用情境。

光林智能指出，旗下解決方案採用邊緣運算架構，將感知、分析與決策能力直接部署於路口端，可即時處理交通數據並縮短反應時間，同時能與既有交通控制系統整合，降低智慧化升級門檻。系統亦支援V2X（車聯網）通訊架構，可望成為未來車路協同及智慧交通管理的重要節點。

光林智能為光寶科子公司，目前智慧交通及智慧能源基礎建設方案已導入全球超過30個國家、300座城市。未來目標持續透過AI感知路口、邊緣運算及智慧交通解決方案推動實體AI落地，加速智慧城市基礎建設升級。

一手掌握經濟脈動 點我訂閱自由財經Youtube頻道

光寶集團攜手圓剛 合攻實體AI佈局智慧交通


台灣經濟呈「熱絡擴張」格局 台綜院：上修2026年成長率至9.33％

台綜院上修2026全年經濟成長率至9.33%。（資料照）

〔記者廖家寧／台北報導〕台灣綜合研究院（台綜院）今（16）日舉辦下半年台灣經濟展望研討會，台綜院表示，AI相關供應鏈的強勢表現有效挹注國內產業成長與出口動能，使經濟維持「穩定擴張」格局，預估5月經濟成長率11.6%，台灣在AI浪潮推升下憑藉完整的半導體與資通訊產業鏈優勢，成為全球科技供應鏈的重要受惠者，使今年經濟成長率高於去年，整體經濟環境優於去年底預測，因此上修2026全年經濟成長率至9.33%。

台綜院表示，整體而言，2026年呈現出地緣政治衝突與科技創新浪潮同時主導的發展格局，2026年台灣經濟表現優於預期，在全球AI應用快速擴張、HPC及雲端資料中心建設需求強勁帶動下，出口、投資及工業生產同步成長，是支撐經濟擴張的主要動力，尤其半導體、AI 伺服器、電子零組件及資通訊產品出口大幅增加，不僅推升外銷訂單與出口創下歷史新高，也帶動企業積極擴產與增加資本支出，使民間投資維持強勁成長。

需求結構方面，台綜院指出，民間消費受惠於AI產業獲利成長、企業調薪、股利發放增加及股市上漲帶來的財富效果，較2025年有明顯改善，但受少子化、高齡化、高房價及所得分配差距等結構性因素影響，成長力道相對溫和，預估2026年實質民間消費成長率3.51%。

民間投資方面，全球AI、高效能運算及雲端資料中心需求持續擴張，帶動半導體先進製程、先進封裝、AI 伺服器及相關供應鏈積極擴產，企業資本支出與資本設備進口大幅增加，使民間投資成為經濟成長的第二大引擎，但受基期因素影響，2026 年投資成長將較2025年稍緩，預估今年實質民間投資成長率6.16%。

一手掌握經濟脈動 點我訂閱自由財經Youtube頻道


靜待Fed決策！新台幣狹幅震盪收31.559元。（記者陳梅英攝）

〔記者陳梅英／台北報導〕台股今日延續昨日漲勢，新台幣兌美元匯率則在31.55元附近狹幅震盪，盤中上下波動不到5分，最後收在31.559元、微升0.5分，匯價連4紅，總成交量23.725億美元。

美伊達成協議，持續激勵台股走高，大盤指數最終上漲412.2點，收在45809.19點，三大法人同步買超，合計買超582.73億元。其中，外資續買超407.98億元。

新台幣今日以31.569元開盤後，最高升抵31.545元、最低觸及31.59元，整體維持區間整理格局。交易員指出，美伊雙方於週日就停戰架構達成共識後，市場正等待19日簽署初步協議，以及後續荷莫茲海峽航運通道重新開放的進展，同時將焦點轉向本週登場的「超級央行週」，使匯市追價意願相對有限。

日本銀行稍早如市場預期宣布升息1碼，並進一步縮減購債規模，但對日圓匯價激勵效果相當有限。日圓兌美元匯率盤中一度升至160.03日圓，隨後回落至160.32日圓附近。

綜合市場看法，日銀此次升息與縮表措施大致已被市場提前消化，加上日本與美國之間的利差仍處於高檔，即使日本持續推動貨幣政策正常化，短期內仍難以改變資金流向美元資產的趨勢。此外，市場普遍認為日銀後續升息步調將維持漸進式，政策立場仍偏審慎，導致日圓缺乏進一步升值動能，也使亞洲貨幣未能獲得一致性的升值支撐。

緊接著，美國聯邦公開市場委員會（FOMC）將展開為期兩天的利率會議，並於台灣時間18日凌晨公布最新決策結果。由於這是新任聯準會主席華許首次主持會議，市場除關注利率動向外，也高度聚焦其對通膨、就業及未來政策路徑的最新看法。

根據中央銀行統計，截至下午4時，美元指數上漲0.12%；主要亞洲貨幣走勢分歧，其中韓元升值0.39%、新台幣升值0.02%；日圓貶值0.07%、新加坡幣貶值0.05%、人民幣貶值0.02%，顯示在超級央行週登場前，市場觀望氣氛濃厚，亞幣走勢未見明顯同步。

一手掌握經濟脈動 點我訂閱自由財經Youtube頻道

日本 台灣 新加坡 美國

靜待Fed決策！新台幣狹幅震盪收31.559元


中國駐英國大使館發言人表示，中方堅決反對英方實施沒有國際法依據的單邊制裁、損害中國企業權益，已向英方嚴正交涉。（法新社資料圖片）英國政府日前以向俄羅斯提供關鍵軍事裝備為由，宣布制裁一些實體及個人，包括4間中國實體。

中國駐英國大使館發言人回應有關提問時表示，中方堅決反對英方實施沒有國際法依據的單邊制裁、損害中國企業權益，已向英方嚴正交涉。

發言人重申，中方在烏克蘭危機問題上，一直致力勸和促談，嚴格管控軍民兩用物項出口，強調中俄正常交往合作不應該受到干擾和影響。中方敦促英方立即糾正錯誤，撤銷對有關中國實體的制裁，並將採取必要措施，堅決維護中國企業合法權益。

編輯：盧曉珊

英國 俄羅斯 中國 烏克蘭

中方堅決反對英方實施沒有國際法依據單邊制裁　已向英方嚴正交涉


中方堅決反對英方實施沒有國際法依據單邊制裁　已向英方嚴正交涉

中國 烏克蘭 英國 俄羅斯


報道指，儀式舉行的地點是由美國、伊朗、以及調解方巴基斯坦、卡塔爾共同提出，瑞士方面正在作出相關安排。（路透社資料圖片）瑞士傳媒引述瑞士外交部消息報道，美國和伊朗的框架協議簽署儀式，今個星期五於瑞士中部比爾根山一處度假村舉行。報道指，儀式舉行的地點是由美國、伊朗、以及調解方巴基斯坦、卡塔爾共同提出，瑞士方面正在作出相關安排。

較早時美國總統特朗普表示，美伊協議的談判已進入第二階段，相信會比第一階段容易，重申最重要是德黑蘭永遠不會擁有核武。他又說，將於星期五前實現霍爾木茲海峽全面重開。

伊朗外長阿拉格齊說，伊美新一輪談判可能在簽署諒解備忘錄的當日就會展開，重點討論核問題及解除制裁等內容，據報美方已開始解除針對伊朗的海上封鎖。

編輯：盧曉珊

瑞士 巴基斯坦 美國 伊朗

瑞士公布美伊框架協議簽署儀式　周五於中部比爾根山度假村舉行


图为2025年3月18日，SpaceX的“龙”飞船在美国佛州附近海域成功溅落后，滞留国际太空站9个多月的美国太空人威廉姆斯（Suni Williams）在支持团队成员的协助下离开太空舱。(Keegan Barber/NASA/AFP)【大纪元2026年06月16日讯】美东时间6月16日上午11:45，NASA SpaceX龙飞船脱离对接太空船，将离开国际太空站。这艘龙飞船作为SpaceX第34次商业补给服务（CRS-34）任务的一部分抵达国际太空站，为太空站上的太空人运送了科学实验设备和补给品。它将携带货物和科学实验返回地球——从改进未来太空任务的燃料储存到开发地球上的癌症治疗方法。新唐人、大纪元进行网络直播，即时翻译字幕。

飞船计划于美国东部时间6月16日（星期二）中午12:05（协调世界时17:05）脱离太空站，并于美国太平洋时间6月17日（星期三）上午5:08（协调世界时12:08）溅落在加州海岸附近。

【直播】SpaceX龙飞船脱离对接 离开国际太空站


【大纪元2026年06月16日讯】（大纪元记者夏松报导）中国经济陷入深层次结构性危机。房地产市场长期低迷，失业率特别是青年失业率高企。6月16日，中共官方公布城镇失业率后，标签为“真的想知道现在失业的人有多少”的话题冲上微博热搜。

（微博热搜截图）6月16日，中共国家统计局发布数据显示，1—5月份，全国城镇调查失业率平均值为5.2%。5月份，全国城镇调查失业率为5.1%，比上月下降0.1个百分点。本地户籍劳动力调查失业率为5.2%；外来户籍劳动力调查失业率为4.9%。

由于民众体感与官方数据存在巨大落差，当天稍晚，标签为“真的想知道现在失业的人有多少”的话题冲上微博热搜。

网友质疑：“官方统计，失业人口下降了很多，每次统计这个数据都是下降的。”“绝对不止报导的数据。”“这数据太假。”“感觉今年失业的人特别多，年轻人毕业难就业，中年人被优化，各有各的难。真的想知道现在还有多少人还在失业中。”

“从宏观角度而言，各研究机构对于失业率的统计数据因口径不同而存在差异，建议参考官方公布的全国城镇调查失业率。然而，此类数据具有很强的宏观性与结构性，难以完全反映个体在微观层面所感知到的生活与就业压力。探究其深层原因，需要结合产业结构调整与技术变革的时代背景进行全面分析。”

“（我）2024年6月没上班的。”“失业好久了已崩溃。”“失业大半年了。”“没班上，还负债的我，雪上加霜，重点还生病吃药。”“网贷负债3万，失业2个月了，出租屋躺平了，天天打游戏，爱咋咋滴吧。”“算我一个吧，上周刚失业岗位取消，申请转岗的岗位没等过去又取消了，坐标杭州。”“我们全家都没工作两年以上了，还好没啥负债。”

“身边的表弟表妹弟弟妹妹全都是失业的。”“这两个月我去了不少城市，见了很多人。情况普遍不好。”“不知道别人，反正我们公司裁了好多。”“我们不配‘失业’，我们是灵活就业人员。”

也有网友调侃，“这么敏感的话题竟然能上热搜榜？我说个啥都被删。”“这是能上热搜的吗？”“微博越来越勇了。”“这个热搜很快就会没的。”

责任编辑：李琳#

“真的想知道现在失业人有多少”上微博热搜 | 青年失业率 | 官方 | 数据


揉眼、狂点凉感眼药水？小心角膜变形散光破千度！一招神奇止痒法、护眼通气血、预防眼睛一路坏下去。

很多人眼睛一痒，第一个动作就是揉！但你知道吗？有人因为从小习惯揉眼，闪光飙破1000度，严重到仪器几乎测不出来！小心，眼睛都是被自己提前用坏的，包括把眼药水当保养品……这些每天都在做的小习惯，正在偷偷伤害眼睛。一起来学会能为眼睛通气血的按摩方法和止痒小妙招。别让视力，成为未来最后悔的事。

99%不知道的护眼 气血一次通


【大纪元2026年06月16日讯】美东时间6月16日，法国埃维昂，美国总统川普（特朗普）与卡达尔埃米尔举行双边会晤。新唐人、大纪元进行网络重播，即时翻译字幕。

【重播】川普与卡达尔埃米尔举行双边会晤


【大纪元2026年06月16日讯】从文革走过来的很多老人，回想起那些荒诞的岁月、荒诞的事情，依旧心有余悸。在那个年代，任何人都可能被扣上奇葩的罪名，被抓被判刑。本文继续介绍已故中国社科院研究员王学泰所著的《监狱琐记》一书中，描述的几个与他1976年前后在北京第一监狱认识的几名难友的故事。

因给毛写信提意见被判20年

这其中有一个人王学泰没有提及他的姓名，可能因为他是高干子弟，我们姑且称他为X。X是北京大学五十年代历史系毕业生，他的父亲是中共北京市委主管财政的高官，因此他能看到一些关于国家经济方面的内部材料，材料中有关于文革期间生产下降、经济濒临崩溃的描述，这让忧国忧民的他很是担心，于是就直接给毛泽东写了二十多封信，指责中共中央犯了左倾错误，并表达了自己的担忧和建议。

这个案子在当时算是大案，由于其父是北京市高官，曾经是原北京市市长彭真的手下，彭真被打倒后，他也被牵连，挨过批斗。文革后期又作为领导进入了北京市委。不知道哪股政治力量想通过整他，扳倒其父亲，因此审讯的阵杖很大。有一次X悄悄跟王学泰说：“真他妈的吓人，将近一百个预审员，黑压压一片，跟听我讲课一样。我就咬住了一点。我给毛XX写信，怎么到了你们这里。是毛XX转给你们的？有毛XX转信的指示吗？没有！那你们就是剥夺毛XX他老人家的收信自由。你们才是犯罪。后来他们打我……。”

大约中共公安们还没遇到这样较真并和他们针锋相对的人，自然火冒三丈，对他不断加码。当时审讯除了疲劳战术，即不让睡觉，还有人海战术，即增加预审员人数，给被审讯者增加心理压力。显然，一百个预审员也够夸张的，看来，公安们对他还真是没什么办法。

倔强的X也因此遭了不少皮肉之苦，他的腰还被打坏了，一转动就响。他成为“从严”的样板，被判有期徒刑二十年。他的父亲也受到儿子的牵连。

林辉：文革罪名多荒唐 给毛给台湾写信都是罪


图为一艘比亚迪汽车运输船“BYD Explorer NO.1”停在中国山东省烟台港。(STR/AFP)【大纪元2026年06月16日讯】（大纪元记者程木兰、骆亚采访报导）中国电动车产业过去在庞大的政策补贴与资本挹注下，曾迎来惊人的扩张期，如今却因产能过剩与内需疲软，深陷恶性降价的“内卷”泥沼。为求生存，车企将过剩产能向海外倾销，虽带动出口暴增，却引发欧美的贸易壁垒，并触发民主阵营对中国“联网车辆”的国安警报。

内需疲软与产能过剩 引爆白热化“内卷”价格战中国汽车市场的竞争已进入白热化的存量厮杀。据《华夏时报》与乘联会数据显示，2025年中国汽车市场共有177款车型实施降价；到了2026年1至5月，电动车降价车型平均降幅约12.5%，常规燃油车降幅更达14.6%，低价竞争已成行业常态。

然而，即使大打折扣，市场依旧萎靡不振。路透社引述中汽协数据指出，5月份中国国内汽车销量同比大跌20.4%。彭博社数据更披露了问题严峻：中国汽车业去年总产能高达5,550万辆，但国内销量仅约2,300万辆，巨大的供需失衡成为一切市场乱象的导火线。

中国贸易促进会汽车行业商会会长王侠也揭露，今年1月至5月虽有上百款新车扎堆上市，但第一季汽车业利润率却跌至3.2%的历史新低，出现了罕见的销量、营收与利润率“三重滑落”现象。

针对中国车市的极端竞争现象，美国经济学者黄大卫在接受大纪元采访时直指，价格战只是表象，背后真实反映的是严重的产能过剩、内需市场严重疲软，以及整体行业已进入淘汰期。

他强调，“外界所看到的价格战，实质上是中国汽车产业深层结构性危机的外在表现。”

台湾南华大学国际事务与企业学系专任教授孙国祥亦向大纪元指出，大陆车企的价格战表面上是抢占市占率、拼销量，深层则反映出产能过剩、需求疲弱与产品同质化的三重压力。

孙国祥剖析：“过去的逻辑是先扩大规模，再追求利润；现在则变成销量未必带来利润，甚至卖得越多、亏得越多。”

他警告，价格战一旦长期化，不仅会压缩研发、售后与供应链的利益，更会加速弱势车企出局，形成残酷的产业洗牌。

政策红利退坡致成本飙涨 车企面临残酷淘汰赛除了供需结构失衡，中共官方长期推行的补贴政策逐步退场，也使高度依赖政策红利生存的车企面临严苛考验。

孙国祥教授点出，中国新能源车过去的高成长，很大程度建立在补贴、购置税优惠与地方政府扶持之上。但如今政策正在退坡，2026年至2027年的新能源车购置税已从全额免征转变为减半征收，单车减税上限降至约1.5万元人民币。

他表示，这意味着“补贴驱动时代的结束，是产业淘汰赛的开始”。

对此，中国问题时评专家王赫预测，未来“90%的电动车厂都会消失，只有少数几家能存活下来”。

在政策保护伞收拢的同时，供应链成本却急遽攀升。赛力斯集团创办人张兴海6月13日在重庆汽车论坛上分析，存储芯片价格涨幅近5倍，叠加碳酸锂等部件价格暴涨，单辆车成本就增加了1.5万至2万元人民币，企业经营压力剧增。

蔚来汽车董事长李斌也在论坛上发出严厉警告，呼吁整个行业要做好今年国内零售量跌幅达15%至20%的心理准备，宣告中国汽车产业已进入“决赛最残酷的阶段”。

内部危机外溢 出口暴增背后的风险与虚假繁荣国内无解的“内卷”困局，迫使中国车企将目光转向国际市场。广汽集团执行委员会委员吴坚直言，当前中国汽车业已经到了“不往外走不行”的地步，必须“在国内走量、国外获取利润”。

数据显示，尽管5月国内销量大跌20.4%，但同期出口却暴增了68.7%。然而，这波出口荣景背后潜藏着巨大的结构性风险。

黄大卫剖析，所谓的出口暴增，其中相当一部分是特斯拉、大众（Volkswagen）等外资车企利用中国工厂生产后再出口的结果。对于依赖官方补助的中国自主品牌而言，大规模出口长期将带来不小的风险：首先是贸易摩擦升级，其次是一旦出口市场逆转将加剧国内产能过剩，第三是企业利润持续恶化与债务累积。

黄大卫更直批中共的产业政策核心：“新能源车是假命题。中国是用大量燃煤发电站来发电……过去靠着补助、神话、画大饼、政策支持，以及对外宣传，共同制造出了一个虚拟的繁荣与虚拟的估值。”

孙国祥教授同样认为，出口暴增透露的真实讯号，是车企正将国内消化不良的产能快速转向海外市场释放。

他警告，短期内车企或许能靠出口续命，但中期却可能把中国国内的产能过剩问题，转化为全球贸易与产业安全问题。

全球贸易壁垒筑起 “联网车辆”触发西方国安警报中共官方默许甚至鼓励将内部产能压力向外溢出的策略，已触动国际社会的敏感神经。

中国低价倾销与依赖补贴的出口模式，引发了强烈的产业安全疑虑。作为防堵与反制，美国已将中国电动车的关税大幅提高至100%，欧盟也对中国制电动车课征了7.8%到35%的反补贴税。

除了经济贸易层面的摩擦，国家安全更成为西方民主阵营抵制中国汽车的关键防线。根据大西洋理事会（Atlantic Council）资深研究员韦伯斯特（Joseph Webster）的报告，现代电动车已成为巨大的“移动式数据收集平台”，各民主国家对于进口中国制造、存在潜在网络安全威胁的“联网车辆”（connected vehicles）感到高度警戒。

报告指出，这类风险并非纯粹的理论推演，挪威和丹麦近期就曾发现，中国巴士制造商宇通（Yutong）的车辆内置了可远端停用车辆的后门程序码。

对此，王赫分析指出，西方各国目前与中共关系紧张，战略上强调整体的“去风险化”。因此，民主国家不太可能允许具有资讯安全疑虑、能持续搜集各种数据的中国产品在本国大量运行。

综上专家们所述，中国汽车产业正处于从“高速扩张”向“残酷淘汰”转型的剧烈阵痛期。在内需枯竭、官方补贴退坡与制造成本攀升的多重夹击下，企业的生存空间遭大幅压缩。而试图透过向全球倾销过剩产能来缓解内部压力的作法，不仅未能根除产业的结构性病灶，反而激化了与自由民主国家间的贸易摩擦与国家安全矛盾。

责任编辑：孙芸#

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