讓幸福在山城落地！南投縣推「好孕卡」與銀髮就業 打造有溫度的人本家園

記者 劉芳岑/南投報導

衛生福利部辦理113至114年度社會福利績效實地考核，30日由保護服務司司長郭彩榕擔任領隊，率領中央考核委員蒞臨南投縣政府進行實地評估。考核團隊透過嚴謹的資料審閱與綜合座談，全面了解南投縣各項社會福利政策的推動成果與執行情形。委員們在座談中高度肯定，南投縣面對幅員遼闊、人口分散及人口高齡化等重重地理與人口結構挑戰，仍能展現韌性，發展出極具在地特色的福利服務。

副縣長王瑞德主持座談時指出，南投縣政府始終秉持「全齡宜居、幸福南投」的施政理念，積極透過跨局處合作、公私協力及社區參與模式，逐步建構出有溫度的在地化服務網絡。這套照護網從最基礎的民生支持出發，不僅規劃了老人全民健康保險費自付額補助以減輕家庭負擔，更精進「福利服務行政」，全面推動社福津貼主動資格審查機制，主動替弱勢把關，免去民眾往返奔波之苦。

▲南投縣政府社會及勞動處團隊出席衛生福利部社會福利績效實地考核綜合座談，由第一線幹部針對各項全齡照護與便民社福政策進行簡報與成果說明。（圖／南投縣政府提供）為了讓長者與身心障礙朋友勇敢走出家門，南投縣持續擴大「敬老愛心卡」的服務量能，目前全縣已有超過5,000輛計程車提供刷卡搭乘服務，每月使用高達3萬人次以上，成效斐然；同時，縣府也積極布建銀髮人才服務據點，媒合二度就業，活化高齡人力。在青年與家庭支持上，則貼心推出「好孕卡」政策及定點臨時托育中心服務，由政府做後盾，減輕家長的育兒負擔。

安全環境的構築也是本次考核的亮點。南投縣近年持續深化家庭暴力、性侵害、性騷擾及兒少保護工作，透過緊密的跨網絡合作提升救援與輔導品質。光是在113年至114年間，縣府針對性騷擾防治措施所進行的書面及實地查核就累計高達662家，積極為縣民打造安全友善的職場與生活環境。

這股社福能量更進一步深耕至基層細胞，展現在亮眼的社區培力成果上。南投縣在113年度衛生福利部「金卓越社區選拔」中大放異彩，榮獲金質卓越獎等多項最高殊榮；此外，縣府大力推動紫絲帶社區認證，目前已有3個社區成功獲得「一朵紫絲帶社區」初級預防認證，將暴力防治與在地守護的網絡扎根於鄰里之間。王副縣長強調，社福工作仰賴中央與地方攜手，縣府未來將持續深化跨界合作，讓每位縣民都能獲得最有感、最有品質的尊嚴照顧。


[回顧報導]786客委會舉辦[客家事務諮詢委員會&客語薪傳師]座談會台東場次(2016/12/21) 圓滿大成功

※(客家山歌：只有曲名無歌名 隨興歌唱)係世界唯一的歌曲唱法：分為(老山歌 山歌子 平板 小調等四種),[客家山歌]可例入[護客家神山]之一。※不同(國家 族群 地方),有不同[(語音 語言)&(文字 文義)],同時愛注意[(語&文)介(闊度,深度,正確度)]。白話語文(就係本土語文)愛有(聯音)用法,客語電台適用。◆情境理論(Situational Theory)：只以當時[時間(情形)與空間(環境)]作討論對錯。例；回顧全國推行[倡導校内請講國語運動],對台灣[四大族群(客 河洛 原住民 外省人)得以(語&文)相通],確實有相當大又好的策施,也使台灣(文化,教育,社會,政治)等等得以[安定 發展 繁榮]！


6連勝不敗神話！埔里南光國小女籃捧回EBL首冠 許淑華大讚「五族共和」山城之霸

埔里 新北市 南投縣 成功 南投

記者 劉芳岑/南投報導

南投縣籃壇寫下歷史新頁！埔里鎮南光國小女子籃球隊在「114學年度國民小學籃球聯賽（EBL）」中，以壓倒性的實力一路過關斬將。決賽上面對傳統強權新北市安坑國小，南光小將毫無懼色，最終以48比34擊退強敵，以「6連勝」的不敗神話強勢登頂，勇奪校史10年來首座全國聯賽冠軍盃。這不僅是南光國小的最高榮耀，更是南投偏鄉基層女籃挑戰全國舞台、奪金成功的重要里程碑。

為了嘉勉這群寫下奇蹟的「山城之霸」，南投縣長許淑華於30日上午在縣長室親自接見並表揚這支傑出隊伍，除頒發獎狀及2萬元營養金外，更打趣加碼允諾，擇日一定要請全體隊職員大吃一頓。表揚大會上，許淑華與全體小選手親切地圍成一圈，彼此攬肩高呼南光隊專屬的出戰口號。細心的許淑華更現場聽出，口號中融合了國語以及泰雅族、阿美族、布農族、賽德克族等原住民族語，深刻印證了這群來自五大族群的小選手，因團結而激發出的驚人凝聚力。

▲南投縣長許淑華（右）親自接見埔里鎮南光國小女籃隊，與林取德校長（左）共同展示114學年度國民小學籃球聯賽（EBL）全國總冠軍獎牌，力讚球員為「山城之霸」。（圖／南投縣政府提供）南光國小女籃隊以「貓頭鷹」作為精神象徵，代表著部落的守護與智慧。在全國高達99支參賽勁旅中，這群貓頭鷹女籃的身材並非特別突出，但她們憑藉著驚人的運動天賦、堅韌鬥志與絕佳默契，在今年交出了一張不可思議的輝煌成績單。從3月在「第58屆全國少年籃球錦標賽」首次角逐U12女子組即抱回全國冠軍，到同月在「EBC全國小學籃球錦標賽」兩邊趕場的極限體力考驗下奮奪全國亞軍，隨後更在5月的EBL全國聯賽中以不敗之姿強勢奪冠，甚至在6月的「TARO CUP U12 國際少年籃球邀請賽」中再度斬獲女子三對三冠軍，頻頻創下高光時刻。

許淑華高度肯定教練團葉明倫、劉珮荏、蔣鎮中長期以來的辛勤指導，以及學校與家長會的全力支持。正如南光家長會長黃國裕對孩子們溫情告白「你們在那裡，我就會在那裡」，許縣長也重申，南投縣政府永遠會是基層體育最堅實的後盾。縣府未來將持續挹注經費改善體育設施、提高獎助學金，並致力媒合優秀選手銜接至在地國中，避免人才外流，讓南投的體育新星能勇敢在運動舞台上追逐夢想。

▲南光國小女籃隊全體隊職員、家長會及陪同家長於縣長室大合照。縣長許淑華頒發2萬元營養金，與高舉冠軍獎牌、冠軍旗幟的親師生共同見證校史首座全國聯賽冠軍的榮耀時刻。（圖／南投縣政府提供）南光國小校長林取德表示，感謝縣府與社會各界的長期支持，球隊將持續秉持「勝不驕、敗不餒」的態度為南投爭取更多榮耀。本次寫下輝煌歷史的14位優秀小將，包含隊長古絜曦，以及洪妤妶、谷菲比、古予樂、鄭硯佳、何芮妮、吳恩妮、游晨欣、洪薇媗、陳偌芯、黃願臻、方靜萱、幸潔、石沁卉，她們用汗水與淚水證明了實力，也讓全台灣看見南投原鄉與偏鄉孩子的無限可能。


記者張辰卿/台北報導

由双美生物科技舉辦的“SUNMAX G4 Gold Standard Summit”集結全台12位核心G4種子醫師，以及來自新加坡、菲律賓等海外醫師，共同探討長效型膠原蛋白的臨床應用、結構美學與未來發展方向，並攜手建立全球第一套G4臨床共識。

双美生物科技學習長林齊國表示，這場為期兩天一夜的高峰會，集結台灣醫師透過大量臨床案例與跨院所經驗分享，共同建立一套可持續累積、持續驗證、並具備國際參考價值，讓台灣從技術輸出，進一步邁向臨床標準輸出。

台灣技術吸引海外醫師來台交流 第一批G4種子專家成為國際關注焦點

值得關注的是，此次高峰會除了集結全台核心種子醫師，也吸引海外醫美專家專程來台交流。對許多海外醫師而言，真正吸引他們的，不只是G4產品本身，而是第一批使用G4長效型膠原蛋白的台灣醫師已累積全球最完整、最成熟的臨床經驗。

▲双美學習長林齊國讓世界看見台灣在膠原蛋白與結構美學領域的創新能力。(圖／双美生物科技提供)

林齊國學習長表示，台灣在醫美臨床技術與美學思維上，長期於亞洲市場扮演重要角色，而双美希望透過双美學苑平台，讓來自台灣的臨床經驗與結構美學思維，逐步成為亞洲乃至國際的重要參考。

上午首先由双美學苑總監分享G4產品安全性與臨床實驗結果，並邀集北、中、南多位種子醫師分享不同的臨床案例，透過跨院所經驗交流，逐步建立G4於不同臨床情境下的治療思維。

下午則聚焦結構美學核心應用，首度探討高端男性醫美市場發展趨勢，分享男性輪廓設計、結構支撐與診所經營觀察，反映醫美市場正由過去追求標準化臉型，逐步轉向更重視個人特色、自然感與整體比例的新時代。

Gold Standard Summit 打造可輸出國際的臨床知識體系

林齊國學習長指出，這場高峰會真正留下的，不只是精彩的案例，而是一套由台灣第一批G4種子醫師共同建立、未來可持續優化並輸出國際的G4 Clinical Consensus。

▲双美SUNMAX G4高峰會集結海內外專家，打造全球長效型膠原蛋白臨床共識。 (圖／双美生物科技提供)

「我們希望輸出的，不只是產品，而是來自台灣的臨床智慧與治療標準。」他表示，當臨床經驗逐步形成共識，就能成為國際醫美的重要參考，這也是双美持續推動Gold Standard Summit最重要的意義。

生技界台積電 讓世界看見台灣膠原美學

成立於2001年的双美生物科技，至今持續投入膠原蛋白醫材研發已滿25週年，建立自主專利純化平台，並成為亞洲率先量產醫療級膠原蛋白溶液的QMS醫材製造廠之一。

林齊國表示，台積電讓世界看見台灣科技，而双美希望讓世界看見台灣在膠原蛋白與結構美學領域的創新能力。

展望未來，双美將持續深化國際學術交流、培育G4種子專家、建立臨床教育平台，透過科技、醫學與美學的結合，讓來自台灣的膠原蛋白技術與結構美學思維持續走向世界，逐步建立屬於亞洲的膠原美學新標準。

双美SUNMAX G4高峰會集結海內外專家來台取經


新北市稅捐處舉辦稅務e申辦減紙享好康活動完成線上申辦可獲數位禮券

記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

新北市政府稅捐稽徵處於115年7月1日至9月22日舉辦「稅務e申辦 減紙享好康」宣導活動，完成指定項目線上申辦，即有機會獲得7-11數位商品禮券100元，快來參加哦!

該處表示，民眾透過官網線上申辦管道「稅務ｅ平台(免憑證)」完成下列項目者，每月前150名，可獲得7-11數位商品禮券100元(活動期間同一身分證字號限獲獎1次)：

一、地價稅自用住宅用地稅率

二、地價稅工業(廠)用地稅率

三、變更房屋使用情形

四、房屋拆除、焚毀、坍塌

五、更正地價稅、房屋稅或使用牌照稅繳款書投遞地址

六、約定直撥退稅帳戶(預為申請)

七、申請、變更或終止委託轉帳代繳(領)稅款

得獎名單預計於115年10月底前公布於該處官網及FB「稅不著-呼叫暗光鳥」粉絲專頁，詳細活動資訊請參考該處官網活動訊息(https://www.tax.ntpc.gov.tw/cp-63-18156-0b715-1.html)。


2026新北街頭學校即日起開跑 透過創作實境秀與週末限定課程展現街頭文化

記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

「新北街頭學校」第3學年開課！今年以「創作接力中」為主題，即日起至8月30日限時登場。結合展覽、課程與派對活動，打造沉浸式主題展區，除了展示街頭文化，更首度開播「創作實境秀」，讓創作現場真實發生！此外更推出週末限定街頭課程，8月8日、9日攜手知名街頭賽事、當紅音樂人及DJ，在府中後站廣場熱烈舉行街頭派對，邀你來一場從聲音、圖像到身體的街頭創作接力！

▲「2026新北街頭學校」邀集新聲代創作者、饒舌歌手、Beatmaker、塗鴉藝術家與街舞老師，共同打造創作實境秀。(圖/新北市文化局 提供)

新北市文化局表示，「2026新北街頭學校」打破靜態陳列的框架，聚焦於創作從零開始的過程，邀集新聲代創作者、饒舌歌手、Beatmaker、塗鴉藝術家與街舞老師，共同打造創作實境秀。府中15 3樓展區「從城市到聲音的誕生」展示了創作現場的選擇、試錯、卡住、重來、互相回應的精采過程，由蛋頭、比杰、Forty、Quanzo 四位饒舌導師與人四、書愷、PUZZLEMAN、ChrisFlow 四位 Beatmaker導師，以及海選中脫穎而出的新聲代一起走進創作最前線，打造出四首從新北誕生的特色歌曲。

▲「街頭派對」將於8月8日、8月9日在府中後站廣場登場。(圖/新北市文化局 提供)

另外，府中15 4樓展區「成為作品之後」再次延伸了歌曲的邊界，將創作完成的音樂作品透過塗鴉、街舞再次轉譯，打造成可以直接走進去體驗的立體空間。不只觀看，民眾更能走進錄音艙裡親自配唱，或透過5樓「現場就是答案」展區的跳舞機將歌曲的律動跳進身體裡，親身體會耳朵、眼睛到肢體的感官接力。

▲「新北街頭學校」暑期限定班，邀請街舞、饒舌、DJ、塗鴉等領域創作者，傳授入門技巧與獨家秘訣。(圖/新北市文化局 提供)

除了精彩展覽，「新北街頭學校」大受好評的暑期限定班也同步展開，邀請街舞、饒舌、DJ、塗鴉等領域創作者，傳授入門技巧與獨家秘訣，讓大小朋友都能輕鬆體驗街頭風格。還有回顧街頭創作的Podcast周末聊天室直播、DJ live 演出、來自華江橋下的HI!POP Freestyle party，邀請朋友們一起來Chill一下！

眾所矚目的街頭派對將於8月8日、9日登場，攜手「MADSTREET狂熱街頭」饒舌大賽、「INK NOMAD」墨路行者國際塗鴉大賽、當紅嘻哈歌手與DJ，在府中後站廣場掀起音浪與節奏交織的街頭派對，歡迎所有市民從白天玩到夜晚，一起感受街頭文化與城市碰撞出的強大火花！詳細活動與課程資訊請至新北街頭學校官方IG帳號（https://www.instagram.com/sos.ntpc）查詢。


今夏最解渴的知識涼補！中市圖推「閱讀補給包」 繪本、AI新書到金馬導演講座陪你過暑假

記者 劉芳岑/台中報導

暑假來臨，你準備好替自己補充滿滿的能量了嗎？炎炎夏日中，不妨先走進圖書館，領取一份專屬的「閱讀補給包」。台中市立圖書館今年精心整合紙本書、電子書與多元的實體閱讀活動，邀請大小朋友在假期中慢下腳步，透過閱讀為知識力、想像力與成長力充電，一起在圖書館「涼補一夏」，收藏屬於夏天最美好的記憶。

台中市政府文化局表示，暑假不只是放鬆的時光，更是孩子累積生活經驗與培養未來能力的重要階段。由於許多孩子在假期結束後，將迎來新的年級、新的同學與新的挑戰，中市圖今年特別以「閱讀陪伴新生活」為主題規劃推薦書單，內容橫跨歷史、科學、理財，更延伸至情緒管理、人際互動與自我探索，讓閱讀不只停留在知識學習，更內化為面對世界與理解自我的能力養成，陪伴孩子一步步建立成長的勇氣與韌性。

▲暑假是親子一起共讀的好時光-中市圖推薦多本暖心繪本-歡迎來閱讀。（圖／台中市政府提供）對親子家庭而言，暑假更是共享時光的珍貴季節。中市圖特別挑選多本暖心繪本，如引導孩子學會勇氣與規則的《菲莉帕要過馬路》，以及透過故事討論謊言背後真實性的《我不小心說了一個小謊》。一本本繪本如同成長路上的小燈塔，化為親子間最柔軟的對話語言，讓睡前的十分鐘共讀，累積成童年最溫暖的記憶。

▲暑假到圖書館涼補一夏-讓閱讀能量滿格。（圖／台中市政府提供）隨著年齡增長，閱讀則進一步成為探索世界的鑰匙。今年精選的跨域書籍緊扣當代趨勢，包括引導孩子辨識螢幕真偽、建立數位素養的《網路安全》；教導下一代學會運用而不依賴人工智慧的《10歲開始學AI》；以及鼓勵年輕人打破迷思、透過優化學習技巧內化知識的《我不是天才，只是改變了學習方法》，全方位協助學子建構出屬於自己的超高效率學習法。

除了實體書本的墨香，中市圖也同步推薦便利的「雲端涼補」數位資源。讀者透過電子書平台即可隨時打破時空限制借閱多部作品，其中包含楊双子勇奪國際布克獎肯定的《台灣漫遊錄》，以及《花開時節》、《四維街一號》等經典文學，讀者不妨跟著書中細膩的筆觸，來場舌尖與文化的輕旅行，感受寶島的城市風景與人情味。

實體活動方面，中市圖各分館在暑假期間化身為多元體驗的冒險樂園。備受矚目的綠美圖總館推出「小大人驚奇的成長冒險之旅」，以知名繪本作家Oliver Jeffers的作品為主題，結合情緒教育、永續發展與STEAM創客實作，讓孩子在故事與動手做中學習探索世界；專精建築與設計的溪西分館則開辦mBot2智慧機器人研習班，鼓勵孩子在科技浪潮中學習程式開發能力。

▲中市圖推薦便利的數位閱讀資源-歡迎民眾隨時隨地享受閱讀時光。（圖／台中市政府提供）此外，以電影為特色館藏的沙鹿深波分館，更邀請到《超人再起》導演曲全立，帶領民眾走進鏡頭後那些生命勇者的故事，並規劃《我家的事》電影放映，邀請榮獲金馬獎最佳改編劇本的導演潘客印進行深度座談。從靜態閱讀到動態體驗，中市圖打造了全方位的夏日知性之旅，更多總館及各分館的精彩活動資訊，歡迎至台中市立圖書館官方網站查詢，一起讓這個暑假能量滿格。


新北「深澳鐵道自行車」燦爛夏夜山海騎　7月1日啟程打造9大星光燈區

記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

青春山海線「深澳鐵道自行車」暑假夜間限定「燦爛夏夜山海騎」於7月1日至8月31日浪漫登場！今年以「星臨騎境」為主軸，每日自17時30分加開夜間營運班次至20時30分，讓遊客在盛夏微風中沉浸於璀璨星光，展開如置身星際般的夢幻夜騎旅程。

▲浪漫指數破表！深澳鐵道自行車隱藏版「鯨魚車」駛入夢幻的璀璨愛心光廊，為暑假限定的夜間騎行營造出滿滿的幸福氛圍。(圖/新北市觀旅局 提供)

今年沿線燈光藝術全面升級，打造9大主題燈區。從八斗子站出發，行經浪漫愛心的「星心之海」、水母造景的「星海棲境」及流光溢彩的光隧道。深澳站旁空地更特別設置熊熊相框與今年驚喜登場的「水豚桑」造型燈飾，是不可錯過的拍照打卡新亮點。活動期間，最受歡迎的光隧道也將同步換上七夕限定的情人節主題光動畫。

▲深澳鐵道自行車暑假夜間限定「燦爛夏夜山海騎」於7月1日浪漫登場，今年以主題「星臨騎境」打造夢幻星光燈區。(圖/新北市觀旅局 提供)

活動期間驚喜好禮不斷，平日搭乘並與熊熊相框或水豚桑燈飾拍照、追蹤並發布限時動態標註深澳鐵道自行車官方IG帳號，即可獲得限量「星海夥伴積木組」。七夕檔期8月15日至22日推出「今年七夕，把喜歡抱緊一點」活動，雙人同行搭乘19時後班次，每天限量抽出1份超療癒「抱抱花束羊」，為夏日情意加溫。

▲2026深澳鐵道自行車「燦爛夏夜山海騎」班次表。(圖/新北市觀旅局 提供)

造訪深澳，非常適合規劃新北盛夏山海一日遊。白天可先前往名聞遐邇的「水金九」漫步黃金山城，午後至臨近的「深澳漁港」品嚐新鮮小卷米粉與在地海鮮，並步行至超人氣景點「水豚岩」欣賞大自然鬼斧神工的獨特地質。夜幕低垂時，再前來體驗「星臨騎境」夜間騎行，串聯完美夏日旅程。

深澳鐵道自行車票價單趟150元、來回優惠價250元，即日起可至官網或ibon預約。因夜間熱門班次多集中於週六、日 ，建議欲前往的民眾及早規劃並提前預購票券。更多詳細活動資訊請持續關注新北市觀光旅遊網及「新北旅客」臉書粉絲專頁、深澳鐵道自行車官方網站、臉書粉絲專頁。


記者 劉芳岑/台中報導

熱浪來襲，比太陽更燙的是台中的鍋烤魂！暑假全台最受矚目的美食經濟盛典「2026台中鍋烤節」，昨（30）日邁入第四屆火熱起跑。台中市長盧秀燕親自宣布活動開跑，並強調美食是台中城市經濟的重要力量，鍋烤節不只是推廣特色美食，更要在夏季餐飲淡季協助業者拚經濟、帶動消費。今年活動規模再度升級，首度與中視人氣綜藝《飢餓遊戲》超強聯名，要讓台中「鍋烤之都」的美味香氣，從29個行政區直接飄向全台灣與國際舞台。

記者會現場星光熠熠，除了立法委員楊瓊瓔、市議員劉士州、林霈涵等政要，以及多位學界、商圈代表齊聚力挺外，更邀請到《飢餓遊戲》主持人孫協志、製作人廖述穎神秘現身。他們與盧市長驚喜互動，大玩「烤肉疊疊樂」小遊戲，隨著肉片越疊越高，現場熱情瞬間沸騰。層層堆高的肉片不僅象徵台中鍋烤節人氣與聲量一年比一年高，挑戰成功瞬間的雷動掌聲，也正式為這場夏日美食盛宴揭開精彩序幕。

▲盧秀燕市長與多家餐廳一同推廣推廣台中特色美食。（圖／台中市政府提供）盧秀燕表示，全台灣都知道「來台中就是要吃火鍋、吃燒烤」，市府投入資源在夏季行銷，成功讓這項活動成為穩定的內需引擎。回顧首屆總投票數達442萬票，去年更創下566萬票新高，反映出「三步一鍋，五步一烤」已是台中人的生活日常。過去四年來，不少業者業績成長三成以上，得獎店家甚至翻倍成長。今年鍋烤節更邁向國際化，重磅邀請享有「台灣廚神」美譽的梁幼祥博士擔任評審團總召集人，領軍來自日本、美國、西班牙及香港等地的國際級專業評審團，將與東海大學林育正教授等多位學術評審共同把關，遴選出代表最高榮耀的「金鍋獎」、「金烤獎」及「金蔬獎」，讓「專業評選」與「全民票選」雙軌並行，打造最具公信力的鍋烤盛事。

面對今年的全新賽制，台中餐飲業界展現高度期待。常勝軍屋馬餐飲集團副總經理謝柏翔指出，今年透過熱門綜藝節目實地開箱宣傳，預估整體業績可望再成長2至3成；去年榮獲燒烤品牌店家組第一名的老井餐飲集團執行長巷舜鴻也表示，業者已從食材、服務到供應鏈全面升級，期待透過政府領軍的節慶經濟，再度放大活動效益。

▲盧秀燕與-飢餓遊戲-主持人孫協志一起玩互動遊戲-鍋烤疊疊樂。（圖／台中市政府提供）最受民眾期待的「人氣火鍋、燒烤及蔬食店家票選活動」，將於7月14日至8月14日在「台中通TCPASS」APP正式展開。今年延續火鍋與燒烤的品牌店家、巷弄美食，以及蔬食組等五大組別，民眾只要天天投票，就有機會抽中300組萬元鍋烤抵用券、汽車大賞，今年更首度加碼50組入圍店家體驗券，帶領大眾深度品嚐職人級美味。目前合作店家與專業評選競賽正熱烈招募中，報名至7月13日中午12點截止，市府誠摯邀請全國民眾在暑假期間走進台中，親自體驗29區有鍋烤的獨特魅力。

香港 西班牙 美國 日本 台灣

五百萬票的對決！2026台中鍋烤節火熱點火　聯手《飢餓遊戲》、國際廚神引爆夏日商機


新北環保局攜手警監單位執行「麥噪專案」　防堵噪音車擾民

記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

隨著暑假到來，為維護市民居住環境安寧並保障交通安全，新北市環保局、警察局及監理單位攜手合作執行「麥噪專案」，針對暑假期間改裝車與高噪音車輛展開強力取締，同時以「科技執法」與「實地攔查」雙管齊下，跨局處共同防堵噪音車。

▲透過噪音科技執法設備進行全天候監控。(圖/新北市環保局 提供)

環保局表示，暑假期間常有青少年或改裝車族群於深夜、清晨時段聚集夜遊，汽機車刻意拉高轉速產生噪音，嚴重衝擊住宅區的睡眠品質，為加強防堵噪音車，新北市目前已將噪音科技執法設備增設至220處，並靈活搭配移動式聲音照相設備，針對噪音車熱區與民眾陳情熱點進行重點查緝。此外，暑假期間將啟動至少54場次麥噪專案聯合攔查，以保障民眾生活品質。

環保局指出，《噪音管制法》之高噪音檢測超過標準罰鍰上限已從3,600元提高至3萬6,000元，並對1年內屢次違規情節重大者，可移請公路監理機關吊扣牌照至改善完畢後發還。自修法後，環保局已列管288輛黑名單車輛，並掌握10輛潛在累犯對象，若再違規將直接移請監理機關扣牌。

此外，交通部自去(114)年1月1日起修訂《道路交通安全規則》，將機車排氣管納入登記變更事項，若改裝排氣管不符合噪音規範將不予認證登記，違規者依《道路交通管理處罰條例》第16條規定，處900至1,800元罰鍰，期盼從源頭杜絕噪音污染。

▲環保局與學校合作辦理噪音改裝防制宣導活動，強化年輕學子對於機車噪音危害認知，從源頭建立守法與自主管理意識。(圖/新北市環保局 提供)

除了硬核執法，環保局也輔以軟性宣導，深入校園宣導噪音車及機車排氣定檢議題。自111年起，已進入86所高中職及大專院校，辦理28場高強度宣導會，與超過7,000名學生面對面灌輸法治觀念。目前已有23所學校熱烈響應，推行「校園環保公約」：凡師生機車若未完成年度定檢，直接拒發校園停車證！這項公約目前已成功促使6,000輛機車完成定檢。根據大數據分析，新北市噪音車違規者中，22歲以下的青少年比例已從原本的五成降至四成，顯見「硬性管制」與「軟性宣導」並行的策略已有成效。

環保局呼籲，請車主定期檢查與保養愛車，並確實遵守交通規則，切勿為了追求引擎聲浪或速度快感而刻意改裝排氣管「炸街」，此舉不僅嚴重擾民，更將面臨多張高額罰單!民眾如發現有噪音車擾人情事，可將完整違規影像與車牌資訊，上傳至環境部「噪音車檢舉網站」（網址：https://noisecar.moenv.gov.tw/public/home），環保局將依規定要求車輛到檢及改善，新北市將持續強力執法，呼籲車主切勿心存僥倖。


記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

新北市糕餅業職業工會長期深耕在地公益，不僅每年與區公所合辦弱勢關懷物資捐贈，中秋前夕更會辦理「捐血送月餅」活動，甚至將會所擴充為社區關懷據點，提供電話關懷、營養共餐，行善不落人後。為了提升內部技藝，糕餅工會日前首度組隊遠赴馬來西亞參加第五屆「世界廚藝大賽」(World Chefs Championship,WCC)，憑藉精湛手藝，斬獲29面獎牌，其中特金牌3面、金牌12面，在國際舞台充分展現新北糕餅工會豐沛的競爭力。

糕餅工會理事長王麗雅分享，這是工會第1次到馬來西亞柔佛參加世界廚藝大賽，競賽項目包括糕點、藝術擺盤、現代美食及傳統烹飪等，多元類別其實非常考驗師傅的功力。還好8名隊員來自不同背景與專業領域，都是工會培訓的菁英學員，大家都很珍惜透過國際賽事，展現課程上學到的技藝成成果，同時和不同國家選手進行交流切磋。

▲WCC獲獎作品-保齡球蛋黃酥。(圖/新北市勞工局 提供)

為了提振士氣，王麗雅理事長也身先士卒下場參賽，作品「下午茶堅果塔」和「小丑造型湯圓」，分別獲得金牌和銀牌，穩定隊員信心。隊員也秀出創新風味與精緻工藝實力，其中「保齡球造型蛋黃酥」、「精緻薑餅屋」、「街邊美食韭菜盒子」，更是包攬3面特金牌，最後總計斬獲特金、金牌、銀牌共29面獎牌。王雅麗也滿心期待地說，「希望這些隊員能夠把比賽經驗當作養分，將來都能獨當一面、順利開業！」。

勞工局長陳瑞嘉表示，新北市有許多工會積極辦理TTQS精進本業，更難得的是運用本業投入工會行善。這次糕餅工會遠赴海外，為國爭光，勞工局與有榮焉，更難得是工會自己培訓的學員能夠出國獲獎，代表著相關職業訓練已經開花結果，能夠投身就業市場，勞工局期許這樣的例子能愈來愈多，讓新北的工會活動更多元、更燦爛。

深耕公益同時精進技藝！新北糕餅工會出征國際賽事獲29獎牌肯定


新北市敬老愛心卡點數調升至600點  社會局提醒無需急於7月1日靠卡

記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

新北市因應超高齡社會來臨，為了鼓勵長者及身心障礙者外出，並增進健康促進及社會參與，敬老愛心卡從7月1日起，由原來的480點擴增為600點，同時新增 YouBike 2.0E電輔車前30分鐘免費，以鼓勵長輩走出家門，增加運動機會，估計有82萬長者及18萬身障者，合計百萬人受惠。至於使用方式，完全不變，不需要趕在7月1日靠卡，只要當月有使用扣點，600點數即會自動匯入。

新北市社會局長李美珍表示，敬老愛心卡除原先可搭乘北北基市區公車、雙北捷運外，陸續擴大使用於臺鐵、桃園機場捷運、計程車、YouBike等多元交通服務。115年元月起進一步開放國民運動中心、國道客運、市立聯合醫院及29區衛生所等項目；2月再提高計程車與臺鐵單趟額度、臺鐵並擴大起訖站範圍；7月起更將 480 點加碼至 600 點，並開放YouBike2.0E電輔車前30分鐘免費，以鼓勵長輩走出家門、增加社會參與及運動機會。

社會局老人福利科長張艾寧補充，由於近日網路流傳許多誇大或AI變造敬老卡梗圖和留言，強調在7月1日一定要去搭公車或捷運，重新刷卡才會有600點進來，各公所或老福科也屢接獲長輩電話詢問，市府澄清並非事實。新北市的敬老愛心卡目前樣式維持不變，使用方式也不變，7月起凡當月第一次使用扣點時，600點數即會自動匯入，不用趕在7月1日當天出門。


記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

新北捷運三鶯線首航出發！「便捷三鶯 新北暢行」捷運三鶯線通車典禮於(30)日上午9點半在LB08鶯歌車站舉行，由新北市長侯友宜及中央部會長官、新北捷運局、新北捷運公司及地方民意代表共同參與見證下，正式點亮沿線12座車站，宣告新北市首條自辦中運量捷運系統正式啟航、投入營運！三鶯線串聯土城、三峽與鶯歌地區，翻轉地方交通，大幅縮短市民往返雙北市區的通勤時間。

侯友宜表示，捷運三鶯線是本府捷運局自辦的第一條中運量捷運系統，自上任第一年就前往視察夜間吊梁作業，同年也前往臺北大學旁跨越國道施工現場了解工程進度，幾乎每年都親赴工地關心施工情形，連同今天，已是第20次來到三鶯線，見證三鶯線每一個重要階段。三鶯線施工極具挑戰性，在建設施工期間，團隊成功克服地形限制，順利跨越 2 次國道、2次臺鐵及大漢溪等 4 條河川，總共有8 次艱辛的跨越障礙，十分不容易；施工過程中，還歷經百年難得一見的世界疫情衝擊，疫情後的缺工缺料，烏俄戰爭造成的原物料上漲，捷運局始終秉持「使命必達」的精神，都一一克服，一步一腳印，將每一道難關化為建設成果。

侯友宜說明，近兩年更是機電系統建置與整合測試的關鍵階段，五度前往工地了解機電設備安裝及測試進度，為第一線工程團隊加油打氣。捷運工程之所以複雜，就在於土木、建築及機電工程必須高度整合；一般重大公共工程完成土木建築後即可啟用，但捷運工程不同，土木完成只是打造出車站與軌道的「載體」，真正的考驗在於機電系統安裝、系統整合，以及電聯車反覆行駛完成各項穩定性測試，才能確保通車安全、如期營運。今天三鶯線順利開通，背後凝聚的是所有工程團隊日以繼夜的努力與堅持，在此要向所有參與的施工團隊，表達最誠摯的感謝與最高的敬意。

▲捷運三鶯線(30)日通車。(圖/新北市捷運工程局 提供)

侯友宜進一步說明，為了回饋市民，從(30)日下午2點起至8月31日止，展開暑假二個月的免費試乘，旅客持電子票證進出三鶯線車站即享有免費優惠，歡迎市民朋友搶先體驗。三鶯線從頂埔到鶯桃福德共12座車站，跨越土城三峽鶯歌三大行政區，全長14.29公里，連結新北市美術館、鶯歌陶瓷老街及三峽老街等觀光地標，有效帶動在地觀光，像是捷運鶯歌車站出站即達新北市美術館，陶瓷老街站出站2分鐘就到老街；在轉乘動線上也下足功夫，頂埔站透過直通電扶梯，免2分鐘無縫轉乘板南線，三鶯線正式啟航將帶領市民邁入便捷新生活，也為新北捷運建設寫下歷史新頁。

8年4線通車！侯友宜表示，上任8年來，新北環狀線、淡海線、安坑線，再到如今的三鶯線陸續完工通車，新北市境內捷運總里程數正式突破「百公里」大關，達到108公里、90座車站，高居全國第一。

新北捷運工程局長李政安補充說明，三鶯線通車之後，新北捷運還有七條路線正在興建，也包括了明年即將完工通車的萬大中和線，以及三鶯延伸八德線將與桃園綠線銜接；汐東線、基隆捷運等重大建設，逐步達成「南接桃園、中接台北，北接基隆」的串聯，打造北臺灣軌道路網。這些路線完工後，新北市每10萬人口享有超過3座車站，將邁向東京首爾比肩的國際大都市，七線齊發象徵新北捷運建設再邁向新的里程碑。

歡慶三鶯線通車!新北市府特別於7月4日、5日周末兩天，在新北市美術館戶外園區推出「藝向新北城市共榮-三鶯線通車系列活動」有音樂節與特色市集，無人機及慶祝通車煙火，點亮三鶯夜空！歡迎大家白天暢遊三鶯，晚上到美術館逛市集看煙火。

新北捷運總里程突破百公里大關  三鶯線通車寫下軌道建設新頁

新北 新北市 中和 臺北 八德 桃園 鶯歌 成功 土城 三峽 基隆


記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

為支持基層環境清潔工作，落實回饋地方與關懷社會的理念，三重區農會捐贈新北市環保局1輛6立方公尺密封壓縮式垃圾車，提供清潔隊執行垃圾收運及環境維護業務使用。新北市副市長劉和然（30）日代表市府出席捐贈儀式，感謝三重區農會長期深耕地方、熱心公益，更創下全國農會捐贈垃圾車予環保機關的首例，展現農會善盡社會責任、支持環境永續的具體行動。

本次捐贈儀式由劉和然代表市府受贈，並特別回贈1座「按原車比例縮小32倍」的模型感謝座，環保局長程大維及三重區王坤南區長等貴賓共同見證，感謝三重區農會長期投入地方公益事務，積極回饋社會。

劉和然指出，三重區農會前身為日據昭和時期的「三重埔信用購買販賣利用組合」，至今已經超過90年的歷史，長期陪伴地方發展。除了辦理農業推廣、金融服務及照顧農民權益外，更積極投入社區關懷、急難救助、長者照顧及各項公益活動，是地方重要的公益夥伴。此次捐贈垃圾車不僅是全國農會支持環保工作的首舉，更將服務地方的理念延伸至環境保護領域，為環境永續工作注入新的力量。

▲三重區農會捐贈新北市環保局1輛6立方公尺密封壓縮式垃圾車。(圖/新北市環保局 提供)

三重區農會理事長李志源表示，清潔隊同仁長年默默守護市容環境，維持城市整潔與市民生活品質，是城市運作不可或缺的重要力量。希望透過此次捐贈，為第一線同仁提供更完善的作業設備，提升收運效率與工作安全，也期盼藉由此次捐贈拋磚引玉，號召更多團體共同投入公益服務與環境保護行列。

環保局指出，目前新北市共有872輛垃圾車及1,265輛資源回收車投入日常清運服務，隨著人口成長與都市發展，清潔隊作業量與服務範圍持續增加。市府115年度共編列約4.7億元經費（含中央補助），購置143輛清潔車輛及機具，並持續辦理老舊設備汰換作業，惟目前仍有近16.51％車輛已達汰換年限，更新需求仍相當迫切；本次三重區農會捐贈垃圾車，將有助於充實基層設備量能，提升整體清運效率與服務品質。

此外，市府已規劃自115年起分年增加清潔隊人力，並持續推動清潔車輛及機具更新作業，以減輕第一線同仁工作負荷。環保局強調，未來將妥善運用及維護本次捐贈車輛，發揮最大效益，持續提升市容環境品質與為民服務水準。

環保局表示，市府已訂有「新北市政府環境保護局接受民間單位捐贈清潔車輛原則」，持續以公開透明機制受理各界捐贈。本次三重區農會捐贈垃圾車創下全國首例，不僅展現農會回饋地方、服務社會的公益精神，也為農業團體參與環境保護工作樹立新的典範。未來歡迎企業、農會、基金會、社團、宮廟及各界團體共同響應，透過公私協力模式，攜手打造乾淨、宜居且永續的新北市。

三重區農會捐贈垃圾車　力挺新北環保創下全國農會捐贈首例

新北 三重區 南區 新北市


記者黃俊育 / 新北報導

為使消保教育向下扎根，協助青年培養正確的消費觀念，新北市政府訂於115年7月22日(星期三)舉辦青年消保官一日體驗營，歡迎設籍、居住新北市或就讀新北市大專院校及高中職的青年報名參加!

本次活動將以多元專題講座揭開序幕，包括由新北市消費者保護官分享青年常見消費爭議案例，新北市青年局介紹青年資源及權益，並邀請請專家說明網路連線遊戲常見糾紛、學生常見金融消費爭議。下午則前往淡水漁人碼頭，搭乘娛樂漁船進行實地體驗並介紹娛樂漁船消費安全及相關法規，讓學員透過實際搭船與現場解說，瞭解休閒遊憩消費應注意事項及消費者權益保障重點。最後由新北市衛生局宣導電子菸危害與菸品防制。讓參加本活動的青年學子成為聰明的消費者及種子教師，共同營造新北市的安全消費環境，更有難得的機會從不同視角領略新北市新地標建設淡江大橋。

115年青年消保官一日體驗營預計錄取40名學員，歡迎有興趣且符合條件之青年，自即日起至115年7月7日前填寫活動報名表單:https://forms.gle/MqqWjnQrjskJcJ8D9以完成報名，主辦單位將依填寫內容擇優錄取，錄取名單將於報名截止後2日內以電子郵件通知，報名從速!

新北市政府舉辦青年消保官一日體驗營  即日起開放報名


洪灝加盟百融智能董事會：看好AI佈局，助力戰略與資本市場能力提升

北京2026年6月30日 /美通社/ — 近日，公司董事會正式委任國內頂尖宏觀策略專家、蓮華資產管理有限公司管理合夥人兼首席投資官洪灝先生擔任公司非執行董事。

洪灝先生依據其長期對宏觀經濟、產業週期、資本市場的深耕及研判，對公司人工智慧（AI）業務佈局與長期成長價值表示認可，他的加入將為公司在AI領域的長期戰略規劃、資本市場戰略研判能力、資本市場資源佈局方面提供關鍵助力。

洪灝先生擁有近30年全球宏觀研究與跨境市場實踐經驗，是國內資本市場公認的權威策略研究者。他先後任職於摩根士丹利、花旗集團、中金公司、交銀國際等國內外頭部金融機構，建立了獨樹一幟的週期分析與資產配置體系，曾多次精准預判國內資本市場重大拐點，相關研究成果在行業內擁有廣泛影響力。其長期沉澱的週期研判體系與產業觀察視角，將補足公司對全球流動性趨勢、二級市場運行邏輯的專業研判能力，推動公司整體戰略佈局更貼合資本市場長期運行規律。

同時，洪灝先生也將憑藉其資深市場經驗為公司在資本市場價值管理領域提供支持，助力公司在複雜的市場環境中把握市場發展節奏，為公司優化資本市場價值傳遞體系提供指導。

公司全體董事及管理團隊對洪灝先生的正式加入致以最誠摯的歡迎，期待雙方攜手，以專業共識為基石，共同推動公司在AI產業成長與資本市場價值建設的道路上穩步前行，為公司注入全新的專業動能。


ONGOING PROBE: Prosecutors on Monday raided the offices and residences of six people suspected to be involved in the smuggling of high-end AI chips to China   By Lin Chia-tung, Yang Ya-min and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer

Keelung prosecutors yesterday detained three executives from technology firms over the alleged smuggling of NT$700 million (US$21.99 million) of advanced Nvidia Corp chips to China, Hong Kong and Macau.

The Keelung District Court late last night approved the prosecutors’ request to detain an Albatron Technology Co (青雲) vice president surnamed Lu (呂), and managers from Super Micro Computer Inc’s Taiwan branch surnamed Wang (王) and Lin (林).

Investigators on Monday raided 12 sites as part of the investigation, including the homes of six people and the offices of the companies they worked for — Albatron, Chief Telecom Inc (是方電訊) and Super Micro, the Keelung Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement.

High-end artificial intelligence servers made by Super Micro Computer Inc are pictured at a warehouse in Keelung on May 20. Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration

The prosecutors’ office on May 20 searched the residences, warehouses and workplaces of three technology industry workers — surnamed You (游), Wang (王) and Chen (陳) — and found 50 sets of artificial intelligence (AI) servers made with Nvidia’s high-end GB300 chips, as well as NT$9 million in cash.

Prosecutors said it suspected the three suspects had exported the servers to Japan using falsified documents, before moving them to Hong Kong, from where they might have been sent to China.

You, Wang and Chen have been in detention since May.

In Monday’s raids, the prosecutors questioned Lu, and Super Micro managers Wang and Lin, and a Chief Telecom manager and employee surnamed Wang (王) and Chu (朱) respectively, in connection with the case.

Chief Telecom’s Wang and Chu were released on bail of NT$100,000 and NT$50,000 respectively, the prosecutors’ office said.

A US indictment unsealed on March 19 said that the US Department of Justice had charged Super Micro cofounder “Wally” Liaw Yih-Shyan (廖益賢), Super Micro Taiwan sales manager Chang Ruei-tsang (張瑞滄) and Sun Ting-wei (孫廷瑋), a contractor, with attempting to divert more than US$2.5 billion of cutting-edge Nvidia AI technology to China.

The US restricts the export of its most cutting-edge AI chips to China, partly over concerns the technology could be used by Beijing’s military.

Chief Telecom said in a statement that it would fully comply with prosecutors during the investigation.

The company said that it would notify the authorities if it becomes aware of its customer’s engaging in illegal activity.

It also said it reserved the right to sue media companies for false and malicious reporting of the incident.

Chris McGuire, an expert on China and AI at the US-based Council on Foreign Relations, said that chip smuggling was a “really significant problem” in Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

“It’s really, really important that allies align with the United States on all of these policies and also legal authorities,” McGuire said at a forum in Taipei this month.

Additional reporting by AFP and Reuters

Tech execs held in China chip smuggling case


GENERATION GAP:  On nearly every issue, younger respondents were 20 to 30 percentage points less likely than older one to express concern about China

Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe Taiwan’s security is important for US security and prosperity, the results of the 2026 Reagan Institute Summer Survey released on Monday showed.

Sixty-six percent of respondents said they agreed that Taiwan’s security matters to the US, including 72 percent of Republicans and 62 percent of Democrats, according to the survey conducted by the California-based Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

The survey found that bipartisan consensus around China-related issues is one of the strongest areas of agreement among Americans on foreign policy challenges.

Taiwanese and US flags flutter outside the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Taoyuan on March 30. Photo: Cheng I-hwa, AFP

Seventy-four percent of respondents said they were concerned that China could attempt to take Taiwan by force, 75 percent were concerned over China’s military buildup and 74 percent were concerned over its human rights abuses, the survey showed.

The concerns extended to foreign policy preferences, with 59 percent of respondents saying that the US should publicly pressure China to release political prisoners such as media mogul Jimmy Lai (黎智英), founder of the now-shuttered Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily (蘋果日報), even if doing so increased bilateral tensions, the report said.

US domestic issues linked to China drew even higher levels of concern.

More than four in five respondents (82 percent) said they were concerned about China’s role in the flow of fentanyl into the US, including 85 percent of Democrats and 82 percent of Republicans.

Other top concerns included Chinese purchases of US land (80 percent), Beijing’s ability to spy on Americans (81 percent), and technology theft and unfair trade practices (79 percent).

Views were more divided over US President Donald Trump’s approach to China, the survey showed.

Following Trump’s May summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), 44 percent of respondents said the administration’s policy was “about right,” including 59 percent of Republicans.

Democrats were more divided, with 37 percent saying the administration was not tough enough on China and 32 percent saying the White House’s approach was about right.

Only 12 percent of respondents overall said the administration had been too tough on Beijing, the report showed.

The survey also found a clear generational divide, with concern over China increasing with age. On nearly every issue measured, the youngest respondents were 20 to 30 percentage points less likely than their oldest counterparts to express concern.

However, human rights issues showed a smaller age gap. Concern over China’s censorship, surveillance and restrictions on free expression was shared by 73 percent of the youngest respondents and 75 percent of the oldest.

On human rights abuses in Hong Kong and against Uighurs, 64 percent of younger adults and 77 percent of older respondents said they were concerned.

One question the survey did not address was how Americans felt about intervening militarily if China were to attack Taiwan.

The nationwide survey was conducted with a total sample of 1,555 respondents, who were interviewed by cellphone or landlines, or who completed online questionnaires. It has an estimated margin of error of 2.5 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is a nonprofit organization established by former US president Ronald Reagan. It describes itself as a nonpartisan organization that operates a policy institute in Washington.

Many Americans say Taiwan vital to US security


The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed a law establishing a regulatory framework for Taiwanese cryptocurrency businesses, including licensing requirements for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and stablecoin issuers, as well as penalties for fraud and market manipulation.

Under the Virtual Asset Service Act (虛擬資產服務法), VASPs must obtain approval from the Financial Supervisory Commission before operating and comply with internal controls, cybersecurity and business continuity requirements.

VASPs that have completed anti-money laundering registration before the law takes effect would have 12 months to apply for licenses and 21 months to obtain regulatory approval.

Representations of cryptocurrencies are pictured in an illustration photograph taken on Nov. 28, 2021. Photo: Reuters

The act, which was proposed by the Executive Yuan on April 2, also establishes Taiwan’s first legal framework for stablecoins, which are virtual assets pegged to one or more fiat currencies.

Stablecoin issuers would be required to maintain full reserve backing, with segregated reserve assets held in trust by domestic financial institutions. The reserve assets are protected from claims by other creditors if the issuer enters bankruptcy proceedings.

Issuers must also undergo regular audits and are prohibited from paying interest or other returns to holders.

The act also states that unauthorized operations of a VASP or issuance of stablecoins is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to NT$100 million (US$3.14 million).

Fraud involving virtual assets — or manipulation of prices, supply or demand — is punishable by three to 10 years in prison and fines from NT$10 million to NT$200 million.

Lawmakers also adopted a nonbinding resolution requesting that the Financial Supervisory Commission submit a plan within one year to allow virtual asset firms to offer cryptocurrency derivatives.

Legislature passes cryptocurrency regulations


Up to five storms or typhoons expected by year-end

Three to five tropical storms or typhoons are expected to pass near Taiwan during the second half of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.

That range is within the historical average, while the total number of tropical storms forming over the northwestern Pacific is forecast to be normal to slightly below normal, the agency said.

Eight tropical storms had formed in the northwestern Pacific between January and last month, well above the historical average of 4.3 for the period, it said.

Central Weather Administration Weather Forecast Center Director Huang Treng-shi speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Hunag Yi-ching, Taipei Times

This year is only the third year in which a tropical storm has formed in every month from January through June, following 1965 and 2015.

Warming sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific indicate that El Nino is developing and is likely to persist into next spring, CWA Weather Forecast Center Director Huang Treng-shi (黃椿喜) told a news conference about this year’s typhoon season.

During El Nino years, tropical storms tend to form farther east over the Pacific, allowing more time to intensify over warm ocean waters and increasing the likelihood of stronger storms, he said.

The CWA expects typhoon activity to be relatively strong this month before weakening next month and September.

Beginning today, the first day of Taiwan’s typhoon season, the CWA is to introduce new coastal wave warning protocols, under which cell broadcast alerts to be issued when waves of 6m or higher are forecast along coastal areas.

In related news, Taiwan this year recorded its wettest plum rain season since 2012, with rainfall at the Taipei weather station setting a record for June, the agency said.

This year’s plum rain season, which ran from May to last month, was marked by below-average rainfall in May, but significantly heavier rain last month, Huang said.

He attributed last month’s rainfall to stationary fronts, southwesterly airflows and the outer circulation of a tropical storm, factors that brought widespread rain to western Taiwan.

Rain fell for more than 10 days during the first half of last month, with southern Taiwan receiving 40cm to 80cm of accumulated rainfall, Huang said.

Late last month, hourly rainfall reached 8cm to 13cm in western Taiwan, while parts of Pingtung County in the south recorded nearly 1m of rainfall over three days.

The CWA said nationwide rainfall during this year’s plum rain season averaged 60.99cm, well above the historical average of 44.07cm, making it the highest since 2012, when there was 90.2cm of rainfall.

The Taipei weather station recorded 87.05cm of rainfall last month, making it the wettest June since records began in 1897, surpassing the previous highs of 75.77cm in 1991 and 71.16cm in 1947.

The CWA forecast normal to above-normal temperatures and near-normal rainfall in Taiwan from this month through September.


More than 14,000 people from an influential religious group yesterday staged surprise protests in the Philippine capital, crippling the main thoroughfare and further fueling political tensions.

Crowds grew larger throughout the day after members of Iglesia ni Cristo occupied parts of Manila’s central highway at dawn, using vans and buses to block lanes and snarling traffic across the metro for hours. About 6,500 security personnel were deployed to protest areas.

The demonstration was largely in support of Philippine Senator Rodante Marcoleta after the Philippine Office of the Ombudsman said it was planning to file a plunder case against him regarding campaign donations he received during last year’s elections.

Police stand in front of members of religious group Iglesia ni Cristo as they stage a rally in Quezon City, Philippines, yesterday. Photo: EPA

The rally, which was held without a permit and blindsided local authorities, is the most disruptive yet during the term of embattled Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It also takes place just days before the start of an impeachment trial against his rival Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte.

The government slammed the protests and warned it would hurt the economy, while Duterte said in a statement that the leadership has “fostered an increasingly oppressive political environment” that weaponizes the justice system.

Philippine Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro told a briefing that the Marcos administration is merely implementing the law and holding the ones responsible to account.

With Duterte’s own impeachment trial set to start on Monday next week, the Philippines’ long-running political drama risks distracting a government that is already grappling with slowing economic growth and high inflation.

In a video message on Facebook, Marcoleta said the plunder case is meant to silence him because he is investigating a multibillion peso corruption scandal on flood infrastructure projects.

His political opponents are also hoping to prevent him from participating in Duterte’s impeachment trial, he added.

“We are calling for transparency, accountability, justice and peace,” the church said in a statement read by spokesman Edwil Zabala on Net25 television network, which the group owns. “Even if they jail Senator Marcoleta, we will not stop calling for justice for our countrymen who were robbed.”

Iglesia ni Cristo, widely known for voting as a bloc during elections, supported the tandem of Marcos and Duterte in 2022 before their alliance collapsed over policy differences.

In November last year, hundreds of thousands of members of the religious group organized a two-day anti-graft rally, calling for transparency and accountability in government following the corruption scandal.

Marcos yesterday canceled his public engagements, including a forum organized by a foreign correspondents association to monitor the protests, his office said.

He is to proceed with a state visit to Canada, from today to Saturday.

If the president bows down to the pressure, he will “torpedo his anti-corruption legacy down the toilet,” Ateneo Policy Center senior researcher Michael Henry Yusingco said.

He urged the president to “get in front of the public” and “condemn the rally for disrupting the lives of millions of Filipinos.”

Political tensions swell as rally paralyzes Manila


COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF: President William Lai urged the graduates to oppose communism, guard against infiltration, and firmly uphold democracy and freedom

President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday urged military graduates to beware of China’s spying activities and clearly distinguish friend from foe.

Lai made the remark in his address to a graduation ceremony at the Fu Hsing Kang College on the outskirts of Taipei, saying that a soldier’s honor stems from loyalty.

“In the face of various threats and challenges, as well as China’s infiltration, division, sabotage and espionage activities targeting our armed forces, I ask all of you to establish a clear awareness of friend and foe,” he said.

President William Lai, front row, center, poses for a photograph with military cadets during the Taiwan Military Academy graduation ceremony in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA

“Only by resisting all forms of threat and temptation can we defend our nation’s sovereignty and security,” he said.

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

China has not renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and its military operates daily around the nation.

Lai urged the graduates to oppose communism, guard against infiltration, firmly uphold democracy and freedom, and insist that Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other.

Facing China’s continued military activity and “gray zone” pressure in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, Taiwan will keep bolstering its self-defense capabilities, he said.

The nation would also work closely with democratic partners to improve collective deterrence, with the aim of achieving “peace through strength,” he added.

The president told the graduates that graduation from a military academy marked not the end of learning, but the start of a new stage of service in which graduates would put their training into practice.

He urged them to keep learning, particularly as artificial intelligence and digital transformation reshape the security landscape, and to cultivate innovative thinking and cross-disciplinary expertise.

He also called on them to embrace challenges, broaden their global outlook and sharpen their leadership skills to lead the armed forces into a new era.

The government would remain the military’s staunchest backer and continue boosting defense spending, he said.

Through overseas arms purchases, international cooperation and the development of Taiwan’s indigenous defense industry, the government aims to build a “T-Dome,” equip the armed forces with cutting-edge weapons and gradually develop a smart, sustainable defense force, Lai said.

The college, now part of the National Defense University, was founded in 1951, just two years after the defeated Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government fled to Taiwan, after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong’s (毛澤東) communists. Initially its task was to train officers in political warfare and instill a deep feeling of anti-communism in the military. During the Cold War, the college also trained officers from elsewhere in the anti-communist world, and it still has foreign students.

Attending yesterday’s ceremony were the ambassadors of Belize, Guatemala and Paraguay, all countries that retain formal ties with Taiwan, as well as the de facto ambassador from Jordan, which does not recognize Taiwan, despite close Cold War military ties.

Lai warns cadets against China’s grasp


Opposition parties yesterday presented their own plans for defense drone procurement and budgeting, with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) drafting NT$240 billion (US$7.54 billion) over six years and shifting to a regular budget mechanism, while the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) proposed returning spending to the annual budget process with no overall cap.

Unlike the Cabinet’s proposal, which would provide upfront authorization for NT$210 billion for drone procurement in special budget over years, the KMT’s and the TPP’s drafts would fund the program through the annual budget process.

KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) said key provisions of her caucus’ proposed bill called for dispersing production bases across three administrative regions to strengthen defense resilience.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers attend a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times

The KMT draft sets targets to raise the local content of uncrewed systems to 50 percent within two years and 80 percent within four years, with support for start-ups through a defense fund, she added.

Other key provisions include a proposed ban on high-risk supply chains for five core components, establishing a security certification procedure, and the allocation of NT$240 billion over six years to the annual central government budget.

Any procurement above NT$100 million would require a written report to the Legislative Yuan, with annual disclosures on procurement progress, localization rates and implementation results, the draft bill says.

It also includes anti-corruption measures requiring the recovery of improper subsidies and imposing heavy penalties, with offenses involving theft of classified information or cyberattacks carrying prison terms of up to 10 years.

KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said the proposed bill also embeds anti-corruption safeguards into law, banning the use of high-risk supply chains for critical components such as flight control systems, navigation chips and communications modules, and setting up a supply chain security certification regime.

Companies seeking government subsidies or contracts would be required to pass cybersecurity and supply chain security checks, the draft bill says.

Those found submitting false information or using uncertified components would face revocation of eligibility, repayment of subsidies and heavy fines, it said, adding that criminal charges could be brought in serious cases.

Following warnings from the Executive Yuan and the Democratic Progressive Party saying that including the defense drone funds to annual budgeting would hurt industrial investment, Lin said that on-off special budgets are merely a “quick fix” and not a sound approach for the industry’s long-term development or quality.

Only stable, year-by-year funding under legislative oversight would give companies the confidence to invest in the long term, he said.

Separately yesterday, TPP caucus whip Jacky Chen (陳清龍) said his caucus’ draft proposal would return procurement to the annual budget process, remove overall funding caps, and establish a special committee to develop policy guidelines and speed up industrial transformation.

As the drone policy concerns multiple government agencies, the TPP’s bill seeks to clarify the competent authority and responsibilities, while integrating command structures to avoid coordination issues, he said.

The proposed bill also introduces legal penalties to improve oversight, he said.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

KMT and TPP introduce their own defense drone bills


The Taiwan Unmanned Vehicle Alliance yesterday voiced its support for the Cabinet-proposed special budget bill for drone procurement.

The opposition parties on Friday last week voted to delay the review of the Cabinet’s proposed special budget bill for drone procurement totaling NT$210 billion (US$6.6 billion), saying that they would draft their own versions.

The division centers on the Executive Yuan’s proposal to fund the program through a special budget. The opposition parties said that it should instead be financed through the annual budget process.

Representatives from the Taiwan Unmanned Vehicle Alliance pose with a banner during an event in Kaohsiung yesterday. Photo copied by Ge You-hao, Taipei Times

The alliance yesterday held a forum titled: “From ISO Revisions to Supply Chain Upgrades: Key Transformation for the Unmanned Systems Industry” at the Asia New Bay Area Startup Terrace in Kaohsiung, where industry representatives showcased newly developed products.

The event also featured the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Hiwin Technologies, the alliance and the Taiwan Sustainable Value Co-Creation Association. Under the agreement, alliance member companies would be connected with start-ups at the base in Kaohsiung to promote innovation in uncrewed systems and expand opportunities for international collaboration.

Asked whether the industry favored the Cabinet’s or the opposition’s plan, alliance head Lin Shih-Hsien (林世賢) said the latter would inevitably compete with other government spending and face funding constraints.

“A special act and special budget are the only way to provide meaningful support for the long-term development of Taiwan’s uncrewed systems and drone industry,” he said.

Relying on the regular annual budget would result in only modest funding each year, slowing the industry’s growth and technological advancement, he said.

“That pace is simply too slow,” he said, adding that with global competition in the sector intensifying, Taiwan cannot afford to fall behind.

The drone industry is vital to the country’s broader industrial development and its defense capabilities, making a special act backed by a special budget essential, he added.

Drone industry expresses support for Cabinet’s bill


Coast guard warns of Beijing’s new plan to normalize territory incursions

MARITIME STRATEGY: Chinese vessels on multiple occasions intruded into Taiwan’s restricted waters and harassed passing international cargo ships, the CGA said

Beijing has launched a new “gray zone” campaign aimed at normalizing Chinese incursions into the waters around Taiwan proper and its outlying islands, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a report.

The CGA submitted the report ahead of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee’s meeting today on sorties of Chinese vessels in the nation’s waters.

The recent surge in China Coast Guard (CCG) patrol vessels, official boats and research craft’s incursions along Taiwan’s maritime perimeter reflects Beijing’s strategy of normalization, the CGA said.

Chinese research vessels Tongji (同濟號), Xiang Yang Hong 22 (向陽紅22) and Hai Si Lu 6 (海絲路6號) have been spotted illegally deploying scientific instruments and taking water samples in the seas southeast and east of Taiwan proper, and near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), it said.

CCG patrol vessels and other government ships on multiple occasions intruded into Taiwan’s restricted waters and harassed passing international cargo ships under the pretext of so-called “patrols and maritime law enforcement,” it said.

Those activities were conducted to create the illusion that Taiwan and China share joint control of the waters, the CGA said.

CCG patrol vessels Sansha Zhifa 301 (三沙執法301) and Sansha 2 (三沙2號) for the first time entered into the restricted waters off Taiwan-controlled Itu Aba (Taiping Island, 太平島) in the contested Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), marking an escalation, the CGA said.

The incursions were accompanied by cognitive warfare operations with the goal of changing the international perceptions about Taiwan’s claims in the region, it said.

The CGA said it uses radar, the automatic identification system and other intelligence sources to track ships and deploy patrol vessels to expel them.

It said it is responding to China’s so-called maritime traffic law enforcement operations by broadcasting warnings and communicating to foreign vessels that China has no jurisdiction.

The CGA said it has created mechanisms enabling close coordination and horizontal integration with the Ministry of National Defense, Maritime and Port Bureau, and National Security Bureau to handle Chinese “gray zone” operations.

Taiwan is communicating its stance to Japan and the Philippines regarding the two countries’ planned negotiations to delimit overlapping exclusive economic zones, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a report submitted to the legislature for the same meeting.

The government’s communications are carried out to ensure that Taiwan, as an interested party in the waters, would be duly informed of details related to the planned talks between Tokyo and Manila, it said.

Taiwan further urged the two countries to be wary of China’s attempt to use the deconfliction talks to disrupt the strategic partnership of First Island Chain nations, the foreign ministry said.

It said it urged Tokyo and Manila to reject Beijing’s false claims of having the authority to represent Taiwan in matters concerning the contested waters.


Taiwan’s foreign ties not China’s concern: MOFA

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said Beijing has “no right to comment” on Taipei’s exchanges with other countries and reiterated it is open to restoring ties with Honduras, which cut relations with Taipei in favor of Beijing in 2023.

Ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said that Taiwan, as a sovereign state, has every right to engage in friendly exchanges with other countries and that China has no business commenting on such interactions.

Hsiao also reiterated that Taipei maintains an open attitude toward friendly exchanges with democratic allies around the world, including Honduras.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei attends a news conference at the ministry in Taipei yesterday. Photo: screen grab from a Ministry of Foreign Affairs livestream

“Regarding the future development of relations between Taiwan and Honduras, our country will continue to advance ties based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, maintaining an open stance without preconditions,” he said during a weekly briefing.

Hsiao made the comments a week after Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) told several Honduran news outlets while in Paraguay that Taiwan is ready to “welcome back old friends” and rebuild relations with Tegucigalpa.

He also said China was pressuring Honduras.

In response to Chen’s interviews, the Honduran Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday last week that Honduras is not engaged in any official talks or contacts with Taiwanese authorities aimed at “restoring diplomatic relations.”

The Central American country’s foreign policy is conducted in accordance with its existing diplomatic commitments, it said.

On Thursday last week, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised Honduras for upholding Beijing’s “one China” principle, under which Taiwan is considered part of Chinese territory.

Honduran President Nasry Asfura, who took office in January, pledged during his election campaign to restore ties with Taipei. Diplomatic relations were severed in 2023 under then-Honduran president Xiomara Castro in favor of Beijing, ending an 82-year alliance.

However, neither Taipei nor Tegucigalpa have made public any formal talks between the two on restoring ties.

Separately, the MOFA yesterday said it is taking steps to reinforce the security of its official document management system, after being accused of negligence over several suspected official document leaks in 2024 and last year.

MOFA has been reviewing its electronic document management protocols and working to improve system security after discovering suspected leaks of official documents over the past two years, Hsiao said.

It has put in place measures to counter hacking activities and would continue to enhance its cybersecurity protections and monitoring operations against new hacking techniques by working with other government agencies, he said.

Hsiao was responding to a Control Yuan investigative report released on Friday last week, which said that 13 suspected MOFA documents had been found leaked and offered for sale on the dark Web in 2024 and last year.

The Control Yuan report called into question some of the responses taken previously by the ministry, saying that even after learning about the alleged leaks that took place in 2024, it was still unable to prevent the leaks last year.

One of the alleged leaked documents concerned then-vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) customs declarations for alcoholic beverages when she returned to Taiwan from the US.

Another was an official document assessing Taiwan’s diplomatic ties with its remaining allies, the Control Yuan report said.

Although prosecutors are still investigating the alleged leaks, the report said portions of the suspected leaked documents found online resembled authentic documents obtained by the Control Yuan.


Beijing’s policy transforming HK, MAC says

By Chen Yu-fu and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Legislative and judicial checks and balances in Hong Kong have become dysfunctional under Beijing’s policy of “national security first and executive-led governance,” the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a report released yesterday, ahead of the 29th anniversary today of the territory’s handover to China.

The report, titled: Analysis Report: 29 Years After Hong Kong’s Handover, said that the Hong Kong government is replicating the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) stability maintenance model to exert political, educational, social, economic and judicial control.

Hong Kong authorities are aggressively promoting “patriotic,” pro-CCP education, expanding the national security legal framework and closely aligning the territory’s foreign policy positions with Beijing, prompting international concern over the erosion of its remaining autonomy under the “one country, two systems” framework, the report said.

People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong flags are strung up in Hong Kong on Oct. 1, 2023, China’s National Day. Photo: AP

Beijing’s white paper on the practice of safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, along with statements from high-ranking Chinese officials, underscore that “national security first and executive-led governance” remains the bedrock of Beijing’s policy toward the territory, it said.

During the election for the eighth Hong Kong Legislative Council, new lawmakers were explicitly told to support government administration rather than challenge it, it added.

The Hong Kong government has continually amended the implementation rules of Article 43 of Hong Kong’s National Security Law and enacted the safeguarding national security regulation through the “negative vetting” mechanism, allowing the law to be announced and take effect before legislative scrutiny, the report said.

The new regulation, which allows the Hong Kong chief executive to certify a criminal case as a national security offense, came into effect on June 9.

The regulation has sparked debate over executive overreach eclipsing legislative and judicial powers, while exacerbating public anxiety over expanding national security “red lines,” the report said.

Regarding social controls, national security restrictions and patriotic education continue to expand across Hong Kong, the report said.

Rallies and marches marking May Day, June 4 (the Tiananmen Square Massacre anniversary) and July 1 remain banned, while cases of censorship and suppression targeting press freedom and artistic creation continue to emerge, it said.

Authorities are reshaping history through textbook revisions and narratives at public exhibitions, prompting public concern that the social environment could hinder the ability of students to develop independent thinking, the report said.

The Hong Kong government’s plan to step up its public surveillance system every year has drawn criticism and fears that it is copying the CCP’s stability maintenance system, it said.

The territory’s legal system continues to operate under common law, and international standards for civil, commercial and criminal cases unrelated to national security, the report said.

However, the international community has expressed concern over the pressure faced by the judiciary in national security cases, it said.

The repeated postponement of national security trials prolongs detentions and severely contravenes human rights, it said.

Jimmy Lai (黎智英), founder of the now-shuttered newspaper Apple Daily, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being held in long-term detention, drawing strong condemnation from across the globe, it said.

The Hong Kong government’s harassment of the relatives of dissidents overseas and its transnational repression tactics are intended to create a chilling effect, the report said.

Beijing’s 15th five-year plan not only reiterates that Hong Kong must “integrate,” but also emphasizes that it must “serve” to the broader development of China, it said.

The Hong Kong government is this year set to formulate its first five-year plan to align with Beijing’s blueprint, sparking public concern over whether the territory’s policy autonomy and free economic system could be affected, it said.

Despite these developments, people-to-people exchanges and economic ties between Taiwan and Hong Kong remain frequent, the MAC said.

Last year, Hong Kong remained Taiwan’s fifth-largest export market, while Taiwan was Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner, the council said.

Travel between the two sides exceeded 1 million visits, making them each other’s second-largest source of tourists, it said.

The government continues to integrate resources from local authorities and civil groups to introduce friendly policies and diverse channels to help Hong Kong students and immigrants settle in Taiwan, it said.

The government would continue to follow President William Lai’s (賴清德) 17 strategic directives to counter national security and “united front” threats, refine risk management mechanisms, and safeguard Taiwan’s democracy, freedom, prosperity and security, it added.


Tougher rules to block online drug ads mooted

SOCIAL MEDIA:  Lawmakers proposed amendments that would require entities that own online spaces to remove content deemed to be for peddling narcotics

Tougher rules are needed to shield children from exposure online to drugs, Democratic Progressive Party legislators told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan yesterday.

Amending the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例) would help fight the digitization of the illegal drugs trade, the lawmakers said.

Use of narcotics has surged 28 percent from 2013 to 2023, when drug users numbered about 318 million globally, DPP Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said, citing last year’s UN World Drug Report.

From left, Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy director Alice Yang, Huang I-hua, an official at the Good Friend Mission, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Pei-yu, DPP Legislator Lin Yueh-chin and Bornanew Youth Caring Association secretary-general Chiang Yuan-kai hold placards at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

In Miaoli County, the number of drug arrests has been flat from 2020 to last year, but the amount of Category 1 narcotics — heroin, morphine, opium, cocaine and their derivatives — seized by police each year in the period increased to 18.944kg from 207g, Lin said.

Law enforcement reports showed that drug deals were increasingly being conducted online, with dealers and customers communicating by speaking in code on social media, messenger apps and in games, she said.

The proposed amendments would authorize the government to demand that entities that own online spaces remove content deemed to be aimed at peddling narcotics, she said.

DPP Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) said that she and Lin would jointly initiate the bill.

Bornanew Youth Caring Association secretary-general Chiang Yuan-kai (江元凱) said that the first-hand experience of case workers indicates that young people who use drugs are increasingly reporting first contact with the narcotics trade online.

Social media posts, advertisements and group chats on messenger apps or in multiplayer games are some of the most common ways for a young person to obtain narcotics online, Chiang said.

“Online drug dealing has become a new criminal ecosystem and can turn children into an unwitting link in the supply chain for narcotics,” he said.

Legislative amendments would only be a first step toward countering the online problem, as effective enforcement requires creating a multi-agency task force and obtaining cooperation from companies that own online spaces, he said.

Huang I-hua (黃億華), an official at the Good Friend Mission, said that young people often consume narcotics by using e-cigarettes they learned about or obtained from limited-time content on social media or private chat groups.

Many drug users were e-cigarette smokers who started on relatively harmless substances before inadvertently coming across dangerous psychoactive substances such as etomidate, Huang said.

Limited-time content on Instagram, Facebook and Line is extremely difficult for parents, educators and social workers to access in time to prevent harm, he said, adding that his organization supports the lawmakers’ proposal.

Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy director Alice Yang (楊姿潁) said that drug sellers sometimes mail drugs hidden in figurines and models to customers.

The illegal drug trade has moved from street corners to social media, Yang said.


WRONG LAW USED:  Some laws designed to protect adults are not suitable for protecting adolescent jobseekers, who are often disadvantaged, a lawmaker said

Inspections, increased fines and the expedited passage of a labor education promotion act should be implemented to reduce the risks students face when seeking part-time jobs during the summer vacation, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yue-chin (林月琴) and civic groups said yesterday.

A Ministry of Labor inspection task force reported a 24.89 percent violation rate in July last year among companies hiring students part-time, while the Minimum Wage Act (最低工資法) makes it difficult for local governments to enforce regulations, Lin said.

On Jan. 1, the minimum wage was increased to NT$196 (US$6.16) per hour or NT$29,500 per month.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yue-chin, center, hosts a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lo Kuo-chia, Taipei Times

Some of the laws designed to protect adults are not suitable for protecting adolescent jobseekers, who are often from disadvantaged families, Lin said, adding that they tend to take on high-risk, low-guarantee jobs, while they often lack skills, cannot comply with work hours or face other difficulties due to a lack of transportation and good jobs in rural areas.

The number of 15-year-olds working at construction sites far outstrips the number of 17 and 18-year-olds, which shows that younger teens are more easily pushed toward more dangerous jobs, she said.

A government policy covering adolescent workers cannot be drafted without knowing what children face at work and where they are hired, she said, adding that the government should conduct surveys of workers under the age of 18 to facilitate laws that would guarantee them a safer environment to find part-time work during the summer.

Since promulgation of the Minimum Wage Act at the start of 2024, local governments have been unable to reach a consensus on the Standards for Handling Minimum Wage Act Violations (處理違反最低工資法事件統一裁罰基準), Lin said.

Most local administrations still reference Article 21 of the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) to set fines, instead of using the minimum wage act, she said.

There were 193 contraventions of the minimum wage act reported in the investigation in July last year, resulting in NT$4 million in total fines, she said, citing ministry data.

Of the firms found to be breaking the rules 166 were fined NT$20,000 each, while 15 were fined NT$10,000 each, she added.

It will be difficult to achieve deterrence with fines that are effectively a slap on the wrist, Lin said.

Ma Ming-yi (馬明毅), director-general of the Taiwan Labor Front’s Education Promotion Division, said that the service sector, the sector that has the most adolescent workers, is notorious for rule breaches.

The lack of protection and a passive government often meant that adolescents are working in situations that deprive them financially and physically, Ma said.

Chang You-chia (張祐嘉), secretary-general of the Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare, said that summertime part-time jobs commonly carry the risk of contraventions of basic guarantees such as holiday pay, labor and health insurance coverage, and minimum wage guarantees.

The risks that adolescents face in part-time work are not isolated cases, Chang added.

Protections sought for student workers


Starting today, people can ride MRT services run by Taipei Metro using physical credit cards or digital wallets linked to cards, but the transactions would not qualify for the Frequent Rider reward program, the company said yesterday.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), who attended a news conference to announce the launch of the new multi-payment initiative for the MRT system, said that the change was to align the region with international trends.

The MRT system has six major lines and extends into New Taipei City, serving as the primary transit service for the greater Taipei area.

A woman pays with a digital wallet at a Taipei MRT station yesterday. Photo: CNA

The system would accept major international and domestic credit cards — including Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover and Diners Club — and digital wallets Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the operator said.

The initiative follows the rollout in January of QR code payments, which allows people to use major electronic payment platforms to board buses and MRT trains in Taipei and New Taipei City.

Over the past six months, the QR code payment system has facilitated more than 1 million rides, said Maggie Pao (包國儀), chief executive officer of Taishin International Bank’s Retail Banking Group, which has partnered with Taipei Metro on the initiative.

More than 80 percent of people who used the QR codes were aged 35 or younger, indicating that digital wallet payments have become mainstream among young people, Pao told the news conference.

Taipei Metro said in a statement that credit card payments are ineligible for the Frequent Rider reward program, as security rules prohibit the transit system from storing bank card numbers.

People with iPhones can enable “Express Transit” in their Apple Wallet, allowing them to tap their iPhone at gates to pass through without unlocking the device — a feature exclusive to Apple devices, Taipei Metro said.

Taipei Metro launches credit card payments


Four face fines for allegedly walking on Alishan railway

Four people face fines after allegedly walking on railway tracks of the Alishan Forest Railway in Chiayi County, the railway operator said yesterday.

The four were confronted by a patrol near Erwanping Station (二萬平) last month, the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office said in a statement, adding that they face fines of NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 each as stipulated in the Railway Act (鐵路法).

Despite the laws against it, walking on railway tracks is commonplace among people exploring areas in and near the Alishan Forest Recreation Area, the office said.

A train travels through the Alishan Forest Recreation Area in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Taiwan Railway Corp

People are emboldened to walk on the tracks as trains are infrequent on branch lines, while the main line between Chiayi City and Alishan had been closed for an extended period due to damage from typhoons, it said.

However, since the main line resumed services on July 6, 2024, the office has cracked down on people who ignore warnings against walking on the tracks.

The office and the Chiayi County Police Department’s Jhuci Precinct carried out 33 joint enforcement operations between December 2024 and May, penalizing 33 people for trespassing, it said.

While the increased enforcement efforts have led to a decline in violations and greater public awareness of railway safety, some people still disregard the rules, the office said.

During last month’s joint operation involving Alishan police and office personnel, four people were stopped on a section near Erwanping Station as they were walking toward Chiayi, it said.

Article 70 of the act stipulates that pedestrians and vehicles are strictly prohibited from entering railway lines, with contraventions subject to fines of NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 per person.

The cases would be transferred to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Railway Bureau to finalize the punishments, the office said.

People must strictly abide by safety regulations in the Alishan area, the office said.

People must stay off railway lines, including rail bridges and tunnels, as trespassing endangers personal safety and train operations, it added.


THSRC opens ‘secret passage’ at Taipei station to ease congestion

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) yesterday opened a long-sealed passageway at Taipei Main Station to help ease passenger congestion, with the company estimating it could be used by up to 10,000 passengers on peak travel days.

The newly opened passage, which includes two escalators that had been unused for about 20 years, began operating at noon and serves as a new east exit for passengers traveling in non-reserved seating cars.

THSRC unveiled the so-called “secret passage” in a video posted on Facebook.

A long-sealed passageway at Taipei Main Station is pictured yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp

THSRC said its chairman Shih Che (史哲) discovered the unused passage during an inspection after taking office and proposed reopening it to improve passenger flow at Taipei station, the busiest rail hub in Taiwan.

Because the passage is located within an area managed by Taiwan Railway Corp, the project required coordination between the two rail operators before it could be opened, THSRC said.

The passage is located near Car No. 10, allowing passengers from nonreserved seating cars to leave the station in 60 seconds through an expanded east exit, where an additional gate will be equipped with three turnstiles.

The company estimated that at least one-quarter of passengers on each train will use the new passage, reducing exit times and easing congestion during busy periods.

THSRC carried more than 80 million passengers for the first time in 2025. During the first five months of this year, ridership reached 35.37 million, up 5.95 percent from the same period a year earlier.

To meet growing demand, THSRC has ordered 12 next- generation N700ST trainsets from Japan. The first train is scheduled to be completed in late July, arrive in Taiwan in mid-August and enter commercial service in July next year.


ANT signs deal to supply US company

MADE IT TO THE BIGS:  The deal to supply wafer pod cleaning gear is its launch into the global market, a major step for companies looking to expand beyond Taiwan

Asia Neo Tech Industrial Co (ANT, 科嶠工業) said it has secured a licensing agreement with Brooks Automation Inc to supply wafer pod cleaning equipment and related technologies for a one-time licensing fee of US$16 million and subsequent royalties.

According to the agreement, ANT would supply front-opening unified pod (FOUP) cleaning equipment and license related technologies to Brooks Automation, headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

“Collaborating with Brooks Automation opens a door for ANT to expand to the global market,” ANT chairman Joe Wu (吳明致) said at a news conference in Taipei.

Asia Neo Tech Industrial Co chairman Joe Wu, left, and Brooks Automation US LLC chief executive officer Dave Jarzynka pose for a photograph in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Expanding beyond the domestic market presents a significant milestone for Taiwanese small or medium-sized businesses such as ANT, Wu said.

The collaboration would address customers’ requirement for localized sourcing amid global supply chain realignment, the company said.

ANT, which diversified into the semiconductor industry seven years ago, provides FOUP cleaning systems used in advanced chip-on-wafer-on-substrate packaging and other chip manufacturing process technologies. Cleaning systems used in printed circuit board (PCB) production still accounted for 70 percent of the company’s revenue.

Brooks Automation said securing localized sourcing is essential to help major customers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) boost supply chain resilience.

Local supply is particularly important as TSMC ramps up production of advanced chips such as 2-nanometer or 1.4-nanometer chips and contamination control protocols become stringent, it said.

“We always have to create more value for our customers. And to do that, we must realize the capabilities locally and globally,” Brooks Automation US LLC chief executive officer Dave Jarzynka said. “Brooks is in every fab on the planet today, and the challenges of an AI world are very complex. It requires new problems to solve across, front-end silicon, memory, advanced packaging.”

“These are very difficult challenges,” Jarzynka said. “I think the key is industry collaboration to create win- win collaboration so that we can create more value.”

The US company holds a dominant position in the world’s vacuum robotics used in semiconductor manufacturing fabs, commanding 80 percent of the market share.

It provides integrated automation systems and contamination control solutions for top-tier chipmakers such as Intel Corp and semiconductor equipment suppliers such as Applied Materials Inc and LAM Research Corp.

The cooperation between ANT and Brooks mostly concentrates on supplying FOUP cleaning systems used in the front-end chip manufacturing process in terms of shipment volume.

The two companies would work together to expand into next-generation “chip-on-panel-on-substrate” packaging technology, Brooks Automation Holding (Germany) GmbH general manager for contamination control solutions Fan Li said.

Localized sourcing has become imperative for semiconductor manufacturers to ensure supply chain resilience.

As part of the company’s efforts to build local supply, Brooks Automation yesterday announced a partnership with SynPower Co (聯策科技), a supplier of automated optical inspection equipment used in chip manufacturing processes and PCB production.

SynPower integrates wet process, inspection and machine vision equipment technologies to provide smart manufacturing solutions.


Turn Cloud eyes global market

Digital retail solutions provider Turn Cloud Technology Service Inc (騰雲科技) yesterday said that expanding artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and agentic AI are accelerating demand for its software-as-a-service offerings.

Turn Cloud’s digital operating platforms for commercial spaces help office buildings, shopping malls, retailers, hotels and other businesses integrate customer data and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to improve operational efficiency, the company said in an online earnings conference.

Demand is strong for AI software infrastructure, digital transformation and smart-space solutions, Turn Cloud executive vice president Ting Chang (張婷婷) said.

Turn Cloud Technology Service Inc chairman Vincent Liang, left, and executive vice president Tina Chang pose for a photograph in Taipei in 2023. Photo: CNA

The company’s Tomorrow Space (TSpace) platform — which integrates AI, IoT, cloud computing and data technologies to transform physical spaces into AI-powered smart environments — has gained interest from several property developers in Taiwan and abroad this year, Chang said.

Revenue in the first quarter grew 35.35 percent year-on-year to NT$210.03 million (US$6.6 million), driven by strong demand for the company’s AI-related services and large-scale deployment of its AI agents, Chang said.

Overseas revenue accounted for more than 40 percent of the company’s total revenue in the first quarter and the ratio is expected to rise to 50 percent within three years as Turn Cloud aims to accelerate overseas expansion through its TSpace platform, she said.

The company plans to tap high-growth Southeast Asian markets such as Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, where rising foreign investment and rapid economic growth are expected to drive demand, Chang said.

It would then target Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, expanding beyond large commercial spaces to applications such as content technology, she said.

The company plans to expand into more mature markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Europe and the US, while building a comprehensive ecosystem for application programming interface, she added.

Supported by growing contributions from overseas markets and its strong presence in Taiwan and China, the company expects revenue to grow at least 35 percent this year from NT$804.35 million last year, Chang said.

Turn Cloud has order visibility extending through the next three years and targets annual revenue growth of more than 50 percent over the next five years, she said.


Taiwan’s commercial property market remained buoyant in the second quarter as strong demand from semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI)-related companies drove factory acquisitions, with momentum expected to continue.

Large commercial real-estate deals exceeding NT$300 million (US$9.42 million) totaled NT$56.1 billion in the April-to-June period, bringing first-half volume to NT$159.1 billion — already matching last year’s full-year total, data released on Monday by Savills Taiwan Ltd (第一太平戴維斯) showed.

Market momentum was largely driven by technology firms expanding production capacity to meet rising AI-related demand with factory transactions accounting for about 80 percent of second-quarter commercial property deals, the company said.

Savills Taiwan Ltd managing director Ricky Huang speaks at a news conference in Taipei last year. Photo: Hsu Yi-ping, Taipei Times

“Concerns over Middle East tensions have significantly faded, helping restore business confidence,” Savills Taiwan managing director Ricky Huang (黃瑞楠) said.

Demand linked to AI development shows little sign of slowing, reinforcing Taiwan’s role as a global semiconductor manufacturing hub and supporting continued appetite for industrial properties ahead, Huang said.

The clustering of investment and talent near major chip supply-chain hubs could encourage further expansion into central and southern Taiwan, where land and factory supply remain more accessible.

In the first half of the year, factory transactions reached NT$130.3 billion, almost double the total for all of last year. More than 90 percent of factory purchases were made by semiconductor companies for owner-occupation, underscoring how Taiwan’s AI-driven growth is increasingly concentrated in the chip industry.

ASE Technology Holding Co (日月光投控), the world’s largest chip packaging and testing services provider, emerged as the most aggressive buyer in the second quarter, accounting for the four largest transactions. The group spent a combined NT$29 billion on factory properties.

Its subsidiary Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (日月光半導體) acquired Innolux Corp’s (群創) facility in Southern Taiwan Science Park (南部科學園區) for NT$14.85 billion. Another subsidiary, Siliconware Precision Industries Co (SPIL, 矽品精密), purchased factory assets from HannsTouch Holdings Co (精金科技) and Hannstar Display Corp (瀚宇彩晶) in Tainan for NT$6.48 billion and NT$4.32 billion respectively. SPIL acquired a factory property in Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區) for NT$2.8 billion.

Office and industrial office properties ranked second and third in transaction volume, with deals totaling NT$5.75 billion and NT$3.87 billion respectively during the quarter, Savills Taiwan said.

Savills Taiwan research manager Erin Ting (丁玟甄) said demand in these segments remained largely driven by owner-occupiers seeking newer buildings and pre-sale projects.

Nan Shan Life Insurance Co (南山人壽) acquired several floors of a pre-sale office project in Kaohsiung for NT$3.55 billion, the city’s largest office property deal on record.

Asrock Inc (華擎科技) and its affiliate ASRock Industrial Computer Corp (東擎科技) jointly purchased a pre-sale industrial complex near Taipei’s Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) for NT$3.53 billion.

Investment demand remained relatively subdued as tighter financing conditions and a strong equity market continued to draw capital away from real estate, Ting said.

Large real-estate sales booming


Taiwan’s 2025 domestic production of export orders hits record 52.9%

The domestic production share of export orders received by Taiwanese companies rose to a record 52.9 percent last year, while the combined share produced in China and Hong Kong fell below 30 percent for the first time, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said yesterday.

The decline was mainly attributed to US-China trade tensions, which have prompted Taiwanese businesses to gradually relocate production back to Taiwan or expand their manufacturing operations outside China, the ministry said in a report on its annual survey of the overseas production of export orders.

The survey showed that the domestic production ratio rose 1.6 percentage points from 2024, as strong artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing demand drove growth in semiconductor manufacturing and server orders, which are mostly produced in Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the share produced in China and Hong Kong fell 6.9 percentage points to 26.2 percent, while ASEAN’s share rose 2.1 percentage points to a record 11.3 percent, led by Vietnam at 4.5 percent.

Self-production, including output by subsidiaries and affiliated companies, remained the dominant category at 78.4 percent of export orders, though the share fell 4.2 percentage points from a year earlier, the survey indicated.

Outsourced production rose to 11.5 percent owing to higher reliance on contract manufacturers by smartphone and laptop makers, while purchases from other manufacturers rose to 10.1 percent amid higher order volumes at semiconductor distributors, the ministry said.

Of 2,779 companies surveyed, 802, or 28.9 percent, had overseas production, citing customer requirements (51.7 percent), lower costs (47.9 percent) and easier access to local materials (32.2 percent) as the main reasons, according to the survey.

Goods made overseas were mostly resold to third countries (71.5 percent), followed by local sales (22.1 percent) and shipments back to Taiwan (6.5 percent).

The share of China and Hong Kong-made goods exported to the US fell 4.7 percentage points to 14.8 percent, as US-bound production shifted to Taiwan and other locations.

ASEAN, led by Vietnam, remained the top destination for new and expanded production lines, while two-thirds of relocated lines moved out of China and Hong Kong, the ministry said.


Chugai Pharma Taiwan Wins Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards for Fifth Consecutive YearFirst-Ever Health Promotion Award Win; Low-Carbon Rice Adoption Program Earns International Recognition

Chugai Pharma Taiwan (CPT) has once again achieved a landmark milestone in sustainability, earning recognition at one of Asia’s most prestigious sustainability honors — the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA). This year’s awards ceremony was held on June 26, 2026, in Kuala Lumpur, where CPT claimed two prestigious honors — the Green Leadership Award and the Health Promotion Award. The double win marks CPT’s fifth consecutive year of recognition at AREA and its first-ever win in the Health Promotion category, underscoring the company’s outstanding achievements in both environmental sustainability and health promotion.

FIVE YEARS OF DEDICATION, CONTINUING TO SHINE ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

The AREA ceremony is organized by the Enterprise Asia, a non-governmental organization. This year’s competition attracted over 340 entries from across Asia, with 115 projects receiving awards — representing an acceptance rate of roughly 34% — making the competition exceptionally fierce. CPT’s ability to stand on this international sustainability stage for five consecutive years is a powerful testament to its long-term commitment across all three ESG pillars — Environmental (E), Social (S), and Governance (G) — earning high recognition not only across Asia but on the global stage.

Of particular note is this year’s first-ever Health Promotion Award, which reflects CPT’s broader and deeper interpretation of “health” — extending beyond protecting patients’ well-being to encompass the sustainable health of the land and ecosystem. This represents a pharmaceutical company’s all-encompassing dedication to the guardianship of life.

ANNUAL HIGHLIGHT: ADOPTING LOW-CARBON RICE CULTIVATION, PROTECTING HEALTH FROM THE SOURCE

This year, CPT took an innovative step forward in its sustainability journey. In February 2026, President of CPT, Mr. Yuji Habara led the team to Zhiben, Taitung, where it partnered with P.K. EverCovenant Biotech to hold the “Low-Carbon Rice Adoption Ceremony”, officially launching its core annual sustainability initiative.

At the heart of this collaboration is the proprietary technology introduced by P.K. EverCovenant Biotech — the Low-Carbon Farming Method (System of Probiotic and Rice Intensification) — which has breathed new life into farmland that had lain fallow for decades. This innovative agricultural approach delivers multiple breakthrough benefits:

● Exceptional Carbon Reduction: By leveraging probiotic farming techniques to enhance plant immunity, the method reduces carbon emissions by 62% compared to conventional farming practices.

● Energy and Water Efficiency: Through unique patented irrigation technology, irrigation water usage is reduced by 30%, while simultaneously boosting probiotic proliferation.

● Zero Chemical Contamination: The entire process is free of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides. Probiotic microorganisms are used to activate the soil microbiome, preserving the purity of the land.

● Ecological Harmony: Biodiversity in the farmland has been significantly restored, with the return of species including the Peacock Pansy butterfly, the Ring-necked Pheasant (endemic subspecies), and the Grey Heron.

At the ceremony, CPT’s leadership team personally planted rice seedlings and shared: “What we are adopting is not merely a rice paddy — it is a tangible investment in a low-carbon future. By supporting innovative and sustainable farming technologies, we hope to contribute to Taiwan’s low-carbon agriculture, starting from the very source of what we put on our tables.”

EXTENDING THE PHARMACEUTICAL MISSION: PROTECTING PATIENTS AND THE LAND

A key reason this initiative earned international recognition through the Health Promotion Award lies in the profound health-centered values embedded in the program. The “ShenMei Rice” developed by P.K. EverCovenant Biotech is a low-protein rice specially formulated for patients with kidney disease. Its protein content is 38.7% lower than that of regular white rice, effectively reducing the burden on the kidneys. This allows patients with kidney disease to enjoy delicious rice and maintain adequate caloric intake while adhering to strict protein restrictions — significantly improving their quality of life.

This innovative connection exemplifies CPT’s interpretation of “health” — spanning from pharmaceutical development to dietary origins, and from patient care to land ecology. By applying the expertise of a pharmaceutical company to pioneer new pathways for health promotion, this initiative stood out among hundreds of competing entries to claim the Health Promotion Award for the very first time.

ADVANCING TOP I 2030: DEEPENING THE ESG SUSTAINABILITY BLUEPRINT

CPT noted that the Low-Carbon Rice Adoption Program represents not only an active commitment to local agriculture and green industries, but also a concrete action in fulfilling the Chugai Group’s TOP I 2030 environmental sustainability goals. The initiative simultaneously creates more diverse employment opportunities for local farmers, realizing a triple-win outcome for the environment, society, and the economy.

Five consecutive years of AREA recognition stand as the finest testament to CPT’s enduring commitment to ESG principles. Looking ahead, CPT will continue to uphold its core commitment to “improving patients’ quality of life and helping them lead brighter lives” — by delivering innovative medicines, addressing unmet medical needs, and deepening its ESG strategy to generate greater positive impact for society and the environment, advancing toward a more sustainable future.


EDITORIAL: Power for chips problem

Taiwan should be more proactive about managing electricity supply to prevent power constraints from diminishing economic growth, given the rapidly growing consumption by semiconductor factories, artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and supercomputers.

In January, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家) warned that Taiwan needs sufficient electricity if chipmaking capacity is to keep expanding.

His remarks highlighted the semiconductor industry’s dependence on stable power, as well as the rising demand from AI data centers.

Taiwan’s power usage over the next decade is expected to grow at an average rate of 2.5 percent every year, twice the 1.24 percent average increase from 2016 to last year, a Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) forecast on June 18 showed.

Taipower attributed the expected surge primarily to the increase in cutting-edge chip fabrication plants, which are using electricity-intensive extreme ultraviolet lithography tools to produce 2-nanometer and 1.4-nanometer AI processors, in addition to new fabs making high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI servers.

Meanwhile, cloud service providers such as Microsoft Corp, Google and Amazon.com, as well as AI chip giant Nvidia Corp, are planning to build more AI data centers here. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co also announced plans to build a supercomputer center at Kaohsiung Software Park, while local telecoms Chunghwa Telecom Co and Taiwan Mobile Co plan to build new AI data centers or upgrade general-purpose data centers to address rising enterprise demand for AI capabilities such as inferencing and agentic functions. Chunghwa Telecom alone operates 20 data centers, which are to be revamped starting this year to give them greater AI capabilities and computing power.

However, Taipower’s long-term energy consumption forecasts might be underestimating the massive power footprint of the AI boom, which would make its baseline projections overly conservative.

Aside from green power, such as generated by solar panels and wind turbines, the state-owned utility said it plans to integrate nearly 26 gigawatts of new generating capacity by 2035 from natural gas generators. That strategic expansion is designed to bolster baseload and peak supply, ensuring uninterrupted power delivery during evening peak hours, Taipower said.

However, some corporate executives are skeptical about power grid stability amid the AI boom, given occasionally erratic power supply, or voltage instability.

Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) during his two-week visit to Taiwan last month repeatedly emphasized the importance of sufficient power supply to support AI development and economic growth.

Because of Taiwan’s robust manufacturing growth, and global demand for its chips and computers, the nation needs more energy, Huang said.

In addition, Taiwan needs to build AI data centers. “Without energy, there can be no economic growth,” he said.

His remarks fanned concerns that Taiwan might face power supply constraints. The ministry told the public that it and Taipower have studied approaches to increase power supply and grid resilience.

Semiconductor manufacturing and AI are the main growth engines for Taiwan’s economy. The manufacturing sector was the top user of electricity last year, accounting for 55.6 percent of total electricity output, while semiconductors and AI made up 40 percent of power consumption in the manufacturing sector, Taipower data showed. It is vital that the power supply be kept stable.

As the world ushers in the AI era, the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is straining energy grids. The gap between physical deployment and power delivery is widening. To sustain the nation’s economy, Taiwan must adopt proactive power forecasting models to anticipate AI-driven demand, upgrade transmission infrastructure and guarantee grid stability.


Targeted heat policy for workers

Despite high temperatures becoming increasingly frequent during Taiwan’s summers, the government should not create a blanket high-temperature day-off policy, as the risks posed by extreme heat are not the same for everyone. Instead, it should amend the occupational safety and health framework.

The heat hazards faced by people in offices, construction sites, roadwork sites, agriculture, food delivery and sanitation are entirely different.

Article 303-1 of the Regulations Governing the Installation of Occupational Safety and Health Facilities (職業安全衛生設施規則) stipulates that when outdoor work is conducted under heat hazard conditions reaching Level 4 or above, employers must provide shade, fans, misting systems or other cooling equipment, as well as access to cooled rest areas and an adequate supply of drinking water. Article 324-6 requires employers to implement heat illness prevention measures based on weather conditions, including reducing workplace temperatures; providing shaded rest areas, drinking water and electrolytes; adjusting work hours; increasing employee monitoring; conducting health management and heat acclimatization programs; providing education and training; and establishing emergency medical response procedures.

However, the regulations have clear shortcomings. The law does not clearly specify the temperatures at which working hours must be reduced, how long mandatory rest periods should be or whether strenuous outdoor work should be suspended during the hottest part of the day.

Moreover, the heat hazard levels are not explicitly linked to workers’ right to refuse dangerous work under Article 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法).

Taiwan does not need to implement politically motivated high-temperature days off. Instead it should establish an enforceable occupational safety system for excessive heat. Mandatory rest standards should be established based on the wet-bulb global temperature index — an internationally recognized measure of environmental heat as it affects humans — work intensity, sun exposure and protective equipment. Strenuous outdoor work should be restricted during high-risk periods.

When workers exhibit early symptoms of heat-related illness such as dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps or unsteadiness, it should be presumed that there is imminent danger. In such cases, they should be allowed to withdraw from work without being penalized or facing wage deductions.

High-temperature policies should not be to give everyone a day off on excessively hot days, but to provide clear, enforceable and verifiable safety measures for workers who are genuinely exposed to extreme heat.

Yang Hsiao-yu is a professor at National Taiwan University, College of Public Health.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


Answering for the mayor of Taipei

From describing Taipei as a “hot pot” filled with a wide range of ingredients and flavors, to his response concerning comments from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office and Taitung County Commissioner Yao Ching-ling’s (饒慶鈴) participation in the Straits Forum, many have noticed that Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) answers often adhere to scripts.

Chiang can be asked about almost anything and will stick to a rote response, raising doubts about his ability to think on his feet. There is nothing wrong with politicians preparing talking points, but when every public appearance consists of what feels like a recitation of scripted answers, it inevitably raises questions about whether they are demonstrating professionalism or simply avoiding real issues.

The Taipei City Government’s recent handling of media questioning has left an impression on the public — in particular, members of Chiang’s staff frequently step in to answer on his behalf. Among them, Taipei Department of Research, Development and Evaluation Director Yin Wei (殷瑋) has garnered attention for intervening on Chiang’s behalf. From council sessions to public events, many residents have jokingly remarked that they elected one mayor, but got a second one as a bonus.

Democratic politics is founded on political accountability. Staff members in local administrations can assist in policymaking and public communications, but the individual ultimately responsible for decisions and subject to public scrutiny should always be the mayor himself.

Taipei has faced a series of challenges in public governance, such as flooding and inadequate drainage, as well as traffic congestion. Most notably, the severe flooding in Neihu District (內湖) on Thursday last week exposed a host of underlying issues, and renewed debate over infrastructure and disaster resilience.

When such incidents occur, the city government is quick to offer explanations — yet what residents truly care about is not how polished the administration’s messaging is, but whether the issues are being solved. If even receding floodwaters after the rain can be packaged as a policy achievement, then any city could claim success in flood management. True accomplishments should be built upon preventative measures and long-term planning, not on damage control.

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing Taiwan’s democracy is the tendency for politicians to rely heavily on image management while neglecting actual governance. While emphasizing youth, charisma, academic credentials and family background during election campaigns might attract attention and win votes, the public ultimately needs a mayor who can lead independently and solve problems — not a political celebrity who needs his staff on standby to provide explanations in his stead.

Elliot Yao is a reviewer.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


Today, Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty. For years, debates about Hong Kong revolved around a single question: Was Beijing keeping its promises?

Supporters of the Chinese government argued that “one country, two systems” remained intact. Critics warned that the territory’s autonomy was being steadily eroded.

Hindsight allows us to ask more revealing questions: What if Hong Kong’s transformation was never a departure from Beijing’s vision? What if it was the vision?

The conventional narrative portrays Hong Kong’s post-2020 transformation as a reaction to the protests of 2019. According to this view, Hong Kong’s National Security Law was an extraordinary response to an extraordinary crisis. Had the protests never occurred, Hong Kong might have continued much as before.

Yet the events that followed suggest otherwise. By early 2020, the protests had largely subsided and after the National Security Law took effect in July that year, the unrest was effectively over. If restoring order had been the sole objective, one might have expected a gradual return to the political trajectory envisaged under the Hong Kong Basic Law.

Instead, the years that followed saw the systematic remaking of Hong Kong: Opposition figures were prosecuted, civil society groups were pressured or dismantled, independent media were silenced, the electoral system was rewritten and new national security legislation continued to expand state power.

Each of these measures was part of a broader process to align Hong Kong politically, institutionally and ideologically with the rest of China.

The question is: Why?

For many years, Beijing could explain Hong Kong’s freedoms as a legacy of colonial rule. Its independent courts, free press, open Internet, vibrant civil society and tradition of public protest were tolerated as historical peculiarities inherited from a different era.

Yet after 1997, a fundamental contradiction emerged. Hong Kong was no longer a British colony. It was Chinese sovereign territory. If Hong Kong was part of China, why could Hong Kong residents enjoy freedoms unavailable elsewhere in the country? Why could Hong Kong newspapers openly criticize political leaders? Why could Hong Kong host annual commemorations of June 4? Why could Hong Kong residents organize political parties, stage demonstrations and challenge authority in ways that would be impossible across the border?

That reality raised a question Beijing could never fully answer: If Hong Kong can have these freedoms, why not the rest of China? The longer Hong Kong remained distinct, the more difficult that question became.

The greatest threat Hong Kong posed to Beijing was not rebellion. It was comparison. Viewed through that lens, the swift closure of civic space over the past six years appears less surprising. The National Security Law went beyond preventing protests to redefining the boundaries of acceptable thought. The restructuring of elections ensured strict political conformity.

“Patriots governing Hong Kong” became the subordination of the entire governing apparatus to the will of the state, while the continuous expansion of national security legislation systematically eliminated the space in which alternative political values could survive.

This perspective also helps explain something that continues to puzzle many foreign observers. They often assume Beijing faces a trade-off between political control and economic success, but that assumes economic optimization is the highest priority. For Beijing, political integration matters more than maximizing Hong Kong’s economic potential.

For Taiwan, the deeper lesson is that fundamentally different political systems are difficult to sustain indefinitely within a state that ultimately demands political uniformity. The pressure toward convergence is structural.

Today, while officials celebrate Hong Kong’s return to China as a triumph of national reunification, many Hong Kongers lament a territory that was once promised a high degree of autonomy gradually transformed into the very system it was meant to remain distinct from. Hong Kong was never meant to stay the same.

John Cheng is a retired businessman from Hong Kong now living in Taiwan.

HK was never meant to be stable