Sun, Dec 14, 2025
SPECULATION: Some people said the minister might have attended a banquet on the eve of the Pax Silica summit, but officials have declined to comment on the issue Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) was spotted near the American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) headquarters in Virginia on Thursday, although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Department of State yesterday declined to comment.Several local news outlets yesterday reported that Lin
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday accused China of distorting the truth, after Beijing in a policy paper said “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory” and that it opposed “Taiwan independence in any form.” The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday held a news co
Cambodia yesterday shut its border crossings with Thailand, after Bangkok denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that a truce had been agreed to end days of deadly fighting.Violence between the two countries has displaced about half a million people on both sides.At least 25 people have died this
Chinese coast guard ships used powerful water cannons and blocking maneuvers against 20 Philippine fishing boats off a disputed South China Sea shoal, injuring three Filipinos and damaging two of their boats in a life-threatening assault, the Philippine Coast Guard said yesterday.Chinese coast guard
SUPER-POWERED: The first national cloud computing center would support the development of generative AI training models, and chip research and development Taiwan yesterday launched its first national cloud computing center, demonstrating the government’s determination to join the global race to build sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and marking its first step to push for “10 Major AI Infrastructure Projects” to enhance economic resi
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Thursday said he believed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) could boost its US investment to more than US$200 billion and create 30,000 jobs in the process.In a televised CNBC interview, Lutnick was asked about the CHIPS Act, which he heavil
AIR DEFENSE FOCUS: The ‘T-Dome’ would allow the military to strike at missiles, aircraft, drones and helicopters before they get close President William Lai’s (賴清德) “T-Dome” initiative to build a multilayered air defense network would cost an estimated NT$400 billion (US$12.8 billion), or about one-third of the proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget, according to a senior official.Commenting on condition of anonymity, the
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mi
NUMBERS GAME: Taiwan and the EU have a solid relationship built on trade, with a large trade balance and substantial EU investment in Taiwan over the years Taiwan and the EU on Friday held a Trade and Investment Dialogue in Brussels, with discussions focusing on economic security and the resilience of semiconductor supply chains.The dialogue was cohosted by Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) and Sabine Weyand, director-general for Trade
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called on Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to reconsider his invitation for a tea gathering tomorrow with heads of the Executive Yuan and the Examination Yuan to promote harmony between the government and opposition, and overall social solidarity.“We hope Sp
A senior military officer responsible for the defense of the front-line Matsu Islands has been effectively demoted after prosecutors found dozens of service members under his command had rented out their personal bank accounts to criminal syndicates, military sources said yesterday.Lieutenant G
ISSUE: Foreign residents urged the government to make driving tests more rigorous, enforce traffic laws more strictly and improve traffic education, the Control Yuan said The Control Yuan yesterday said insufficient driver training, weak law enforcement and lenient penalties are among the factors contributing to a rise in traffic-related incidents involving foreign residents in Taiwan. In May, a six-language survey was conducted to investigate the causes of the incre
Underage driving in remote areas is rampant due to insufficient transportation and part-time work, the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation said yesterday, adding that its survey suggested that more than half of parents knew about their children’s behavior. The foundation was commissioned by the Minis
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern T
DEMAND: The government should enact regulations in line with Austria and Germany to incorporate vegan nutrition into school meals, an advocate said More than 1,000 people yesterday marched in Taipei to promote veganism, calling for legislation to incorporate vegan diets into school lunches and the national net zero emissions program.Participants gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building for the march, which wa
It is challenging to build infrastructure in much of Europe. Constrained budgets and polarized politics tend to undermine long-term projects, forcing officials to react to emergencies rather than plan for the future.Not in Austria.Today, the country is to officially open its Koralmbahn tunnel, the 5
France is developing domestic production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries with an eye on industrial independence, but Asian experts are proving key in launching operations.In the Verkor factory outside the northern city of Dunkirk, which was inaugurated on Thursday, foreign specialists, notably fr
Women who have fought their way to the top of the male-dominated wine sommelier world say that their profession is becoming less sexist and more open — even if men continue to win all of the prizes.Now an established figure as resident wine adviser at Chambers restaurant in New York, Pascaline Lepel
President William Lai (賴清德) attended a dinner held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) when representatives from the group visited Taiwan in October. In a speech at the event, Lai highlighted similarities in the geopolitical challenges faced by Israel and Taiwan, saying that the
News about expanding security cooperation between Israel and Taiwan, including the visits of Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) in September and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) this month, as well as growing ties in areas such as missile defense and cybersec
“Can you tell me where the time and motivation will come from to get students to improve their English proficiency in four years of university?” The teacher’s question — not accusatory, just slightly exasperated — was directed at the panelists at the end of a recent conference on English language le
CORDON SANITAIRE: The hosts greeted Leipzig with a customary 15-minute silence, protesting what many see as their abuse of German soccer’s club ownership rules Goals from Oliver Burke and Ilyas Ansah sealed a 3-1 home win for Union Berlin on Friday to deny RB Leipzig the chance to close the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.Second-placed Leipzig arrived in Berlin hoping to move five points behind Bayern, who host rock bottom Mainz today. However, the
Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons thumped the Atlanta Hawks 142-115 on Friday to extend their lead on top of the NBA Eastern Conference.Shrugging off disappointment at missing the ongoing NBA Cup’s knockout rounds, dominant Detroit racked up their biggest points total and winning margin of the
The NBA Cup, which took shape as an “outside the box” idea for league growth, has evolved into a success with players and supporters.The third edition of the NBA’s mid-season tournament continued with semi-final games in Las Vegas yesterday after press time as the San Antonio Spurs were to meet Okla
China’s “Snow Princess” Eileen Gu won the first halfpipe World Cup of the 2025-26 season at the Secret Garden venue yesterday, strengthening her prospects of defending her title at next year’s Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.Freestyle skier Gu, 22, bagged her 19th World Cup win in the same p
FALLEN: The nine soldiers who were killed while carrying out combat and engineering tasks in Russia were given the title of Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a welcoming ceremony for an army engineering unit that had returned home after carrying out duties in Russia, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Saturday.In a speech carried by KCNA, Kim praised officers and soldiers of the 528th Regiment of Engineers
China yesterday held a low-key memorial ceremony for the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) not attending, despite a diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan.Beijing has raged at Tokyo since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last month said that a hypo
An exhibition by the Franco-Chinese master printmaker Zao Wou-ki yesterday opened in Hong Kong, the first time his work has been on display in Asia.Hong Kong’s M+ museum is hosting a collection of more experimental prints by the artist, who is considered a master of the lyrical abstraction movement
Exceptions to the rule are sometimes revealing. For a brief few years, there was an emerging ideological split between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that appeared to be pushing the DPP in a direction that would be considered more liberal, and the KMT more
Specialty sandwiches loaded with the contents of an entire charcuterie board, overflowing with sauces, creams and all manner of creative add-ons, is perhaps one of the biggest global food trends of this year. From London to New York, lines form down the block for mortadella, burrata, pistachio and m
As I finally slid into the warm embrace of the hot, clifftop pool, it was a serene moment of reflection. The sound of the river reflected off the cave walls, the white of our camping lights reflected off the dark, shimmering surface of the water, and I reflected on how fortunate I was to be here.Aft
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日）https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/langThe loss of sea stars significantly impacts the ocean ecosystem. Sea stars are important __6__ that help control populations of mussels and sea urchins. Among them, the sunflower star is one of the largest and fastest sea stars and
Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) is a strange and serious illness affecting sea stars, or starfish. This disease causes sea stars to develop painful lesions, lose their arms, and eventually turn into a gooey, melted mess. Since it was first observed in 2013, millions of sea stars along the Pacific co
A: Apart from the world’s major dictionaries, the online Dictionary.com actually picked “67” as its word of the year. B: What does “67” even mean?A: Even the dictionary wasn’t exactly sure about its meaning. The slang term’s origin might be traced to US rapper Skrilla’s song Doot Doot (67). Aren’
Two moves show Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) is gunning for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) party chair and the 2028 presidential election. Technically, these are not yet “officially” official, but by the rules of Taiwan politics, she is now on the dance floor. Earlier this month Lu confirmed in an interview in Japan’s Nikkei that she was considering running for KMT chair. This is not new news, but according to reports from her camp she previously was still considering the case for and against running. By choosing a respected, international news outlet, she declared it to the world. While the outside world likely paid little attention, domestically the message was unmistakable: She is moving on to a larger stage. Part of the dance is to leave options open before formally committing, and with the chair race due in late September, she has time. If something goes wrong in the meantime, or if power brokers in the party offer her a deal that provides more benefits than taking on the role of chair, she can pivot accordingly. Earlier this year, I suggested that strategically, she would be better off concentrating on her job as Taichung mayor until she is term-limited out of office in December next year. Taichung mayor is obviously a full-time job, and concurrently running the Taipei-headquartered party runs the risk of doing one or both jobs poorly and making mistakes that could imperil her shot at the presidency in 2028. The situation has changed. Current KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), knowing he is likely to face challengers of a higher caliber than the three relative nobodies already declared, has gone all in on appealing to the base. The base is more likely to turn out to vote in the chair election, so this makes some strategic sense in the short term.
Among Thailand’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) villages, a certain rivalry exists between Arunothai, the largest of these villages, and Mae Salong, which is currently the most prosperous. Historically, the rivalry stems from a split in KMT military factions in the early 1960s, which divided command and opium territories after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) cut off open support in 1961 due to international pressure (see part two, “The KMT opium lords of the Golden Triangle,” on May 20). But today this rivalry manifests as a different kind of split, with Arunothai leading a pro-China faction and Mae Salong staunchly aligned to Taiwan. Last spring at Arunothai’s Jiaolian School, principal Wang Mingming (王明明) had forewarned me of the division between villages, saying, “We are not like the people in Mae Salong. They are rich. Because of the Taiwanese.” Arunothai has in recent years become split in its loyalties between Taiwan and China (see part one, “A tale of two schools,” on May 15), but in Mae Salong, links to Taiwan remain strong. Taiwan-funded monuments pay homage to the Lost Army, villagers wear T-shirts emblazoned with the Republic of China (ROC) flag and tea plantations grown Taiwan’s most famous tea varieties, including Dong Ding (“frozen peak”) Oolong, Oriental Beauty and Jin Xuan (Golden Daylily or Milk Oolong). Even the numerical classifications of the teas — Oolong No. 12 or No. 17, for example — are the same, and the shops resemble those found on Alishan. At the tomb of General Tuan Hsi-wen (段希文) — perched on a Mae Salong hilltop with a view of his ancestral homeland in China’s Yunnan province — a third generation villager wearing a vintage KMT army uniform, Yan Si-Chung (岩思中), greets visitors with sharp military salutes. “Both my father and my grandfather were soldiers in the KMT army,” the 44-year-old
| New Taipei City | 27-28 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 27-28 | 20% |  |
| Miaoli County | 24-26 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 27-28 | 20% | |
| Yunlin County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Taichung City | 26-28 | 10% | |
| Nantou County | 25-26 | 10% | |
| Changhua County | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Chiayi County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Chiayi City | 25-27 | 10% | |
| Tainan City | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Pingtung County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Yilan County | 25-26 | 30% |  |
| Hualien County | 25-26 | 30% | |
| Taitung County | 25-27 | 30% | |
| Kinmen County | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Penghu County | 27-27 | 20% | |
| Lienchiang County | 27-28 | 20% | |
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