Fri, Oct 30, 2020
PLEA DEAL: A US attorney said that a guilty plea by the Taiwanese firm points the case toward a trial next year of alleged trade-secret theft by China’s Fujian Jinhua United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) pledged “substantial assistance” to the US in a high-profile trade-secrets prosecution of Chinese chipmaker Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co (福建晉華). UMC on Wednesday pleaded guilty in a San Francisco federal court in a deal with US prosecutors, who agreed to drop charges of economic espionage and conspiracy for the alleged theft of proprietary information from Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc. UMC instead admitted to trade-secret theft and agreed to pay a US$60 million fine, the second-largest ever in a criminal trade secrets prosecution in the US. The case was the first filed under the “China Initiative” of US President Donald Trump’s administration, a US Department of Justice program aimed at prioritizing trade-theft cases and litigating them as quickly as possible. With UMC removed as a defendant, China becomes the target as tension with the West is aggravated by issues that include Beijing’s hacking and control of key technologies, its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, tightening grip over Hong Kong and treatment of Muslim Uighurs. “UMC’s guilty plea points this case toward trial against Fujian Jinhua in 2021,” US Attorney David Anderson said. “Criminal trade secrets cases protect freedom and innovation. These cases have global significance when a foreign defendant is charged with stealing intellectual property protected by US law.” Prosecutors have not publicly detailed the cooperation that they are seeking from UMC against Fujian Jinhua. UMC declined to answer questions. Investigations into three UMC employees who are allegedly involved in the case would continue, the justice department said. According to the evidence admitted in connection with the guilty plea, the three employees — Steven Chen (陳正坤), Ho Chien-ting (何建廷) and Wang Yung-ming (王永銘) — all worked at Micron Taiwan before joining UMC. Chen, who had been president at Micron Taiwan and was made senior vice president at UMC, brokered a deal with Fujian Jinhua to
Only 13 nations are allowed to export pork to Taiwan, so it is not correct to say that pork containing ractopamine from around the world would be allowed to enter the local market after the government sets residual allowance levels for the feed additive in imported pork, Executive Yuan spokesman Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) said yesterday. Ting made the remarks a day after Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Facebook asked the government to explain whether it would allow imports of pork containing ractopamine from the US only, or if pork containing the leanness-enhancing additive would be allowed from anywhere in the world. While the Standards for Veterinary Drug Residue Limits in Foods (動物用藥殘留標準), which were published on Sept. 17, set limits for ractopamine residue in imported pork, the executive order did not specify that the rules apply only to the US, Ko said. Ko’s question shows that he lacks sufficient understanding of Taiwan’s international trade relations, Ting said. Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said that the government does not allow pork imports from countries affected by African swine or foot-and-mouth disease, as well as those that do not have trade ties with Taiwan. Among the 13 that can export pork to Taiwan, nine are in the EU, where the use of the additive is prohibited, with the other four being Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US, Chen said. New Zealand has no record of exporting pork to Taiwan, Canada bans ractopamine in exported pork and Australia barely uses the feed additive in domestic pork production, Chen said, adding that records from last year showed that Australia contributed only 0.02 percent to Taiwan’s total pork imports. The US is the only nation that would possibly export pork containing ractopamine to Taiwan from Jan. 1, when President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) order is to take effect, he
A teenage Hong Kong democracy activist was charged yesterday with secession, the first public political figure to be prosecuted under a new National Security Law that Beijing imposed on the territory. Tony Chung (鍾翰林), 19, appeared in court two days after he was arrested by plainclothes police in a Hong Kong coffee shop opposite the US consulate, charged with secession, money laundering and conspiring to publish seditious content. He was remanded into custody until his next court hearing on Jan. 7 and faces 10 years to life in prison if convicted under the new legislation. Chung is a former member of Studentlocalism, a small group that advocates Hong Kong’s independence from China. The group said it disbanded its Hong Kong network shortly before Beijing blanketed the territory in its new security law in late June, but kept its international chapters going. Chung and three other members of Studentlocalism were first arrested by a newly created national security police unit in July on suspicion of inciting secession via social media posts. Amnesty International yesterday said the charges showed that authorities were wielding the law to criminalize peaceful political expression. “The intensifying attack on human rights in Hong Kong has been ramped up another notch with this politically motivated arrest in which a peaceful student activist has been charged and detained solely because the authorities disagree with his views,” said Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty’s China team.
The chief executive officers of Twitter, Facebook and Google on Wednesday denied accusations of anti-conservative bias at a hearing at the US Senate and promised to aggressively defend their platforms from being used to sow chaos amid US elections. Senators on the Commerce Committee extracted promises from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai that their companies would be on guard against meddling by foreign actors or the incitement of violence around the election results. Testifying via video, the executives said that they are taking several steps, including partnerships with news organizations, to distribute accurate information about voting in the elections on Tuesday next week. Dorsey said that Twitter was working with election officials. “We want to give people using the service as much information as possible,” he said. The social media platforms have been accused of deliberately suppressing conservative, religious and anti-abortion views, with the behavior reaching new heights in the contest between US President Donald Trump and former US vice president Joe Biden. US Senator Roger Wicker, the committee’s chairman, said at the start of the hearing that the laws governing online speech must be updated because “the openness and freedom of the Internet are under attack.” Wicker cited the move this month by Facebook and Twitter to limit dissemination of reports by the New York Post linking Biden to alleged improper business dealings involving his son, Hunter Biden, who joined the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma in 2014 while his father was vice president and helping conduct foreign policy with Kiev. The reports cited e-mails apparently from Hunter Biden. “Twitter’s conduct has by far been the most egregious,” US Senator Ted Cruz told Dorsey. Cruz cited Twitter’s limitations on the newspaper reports as part of “a pattern of censorship and silencing Americans with whom Twitter disagrees.” “Who the hell elected you?
LOOMING POLICY: The deputy health minister said that from Jan. 1, any local laws contradicting the central government over ractopamine in pork would be invalidated If local government regulations on the maximum residue limits of ractopamine in US pork still contradict central government regulation next year, they would become invalid, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) said yesterday. Hsueh made the remark at a meeting of legislative committees yesterday morning to review a policy allowing imports of US pork containing ractopamine from Jan. 1. Several local governments have regulations for zero tolerance of ractopamine in pork. Asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) about a document issued to local governments on the issue, Hsueh said that the Ministry of Health and Welfare had sent official documents to local governments asking them to review their regulations. According to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), the maximum residue limits of veterinary drugs in meat are stipulated by the central government, so if local regulations contradict the central government’s rules, local governments would be instructed to review their regulations, he said. “As of Jan. 1, any such local regulations would become invalid, as they contradict the central government,” Hsueh said, adding that the ministry would not revoke the local regulations, but they would automatically be superseded. If the regulations of the central and local governments contradict one another, people — especially pork vendors — would be confused about which law to follow, he said. Local regulations with zero tolerance for ractopamine in pork would result in fines for pork vendors selling products containing ractopamine, but the vendors would file lawsuits if they followed the central government’s maximum residue limits, he said. At the Central Epidemic Command Center’s weekly news conference yesterday afternoon, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) was asked to comment on Hsueh’s remarks. The draft amendment to the act is being reviewed by the Legislative Yuan, so whether local regulations contradict the act remains unclear, Chen
INCREASED PRESENCE: Coast guard and Chinese law enforcement vessels drove away 400 to 500 Chinese boats allegedly dredging sand near Matsu The Executive Yuan today is to discuss amendments that would increase penalties for illegal dredging, after hundreds of Chinese vessels were found allegedly looting sand near Matsu. Ocean Affairs Council Minister Lee Chung-wei (李仲威) yesterday said that 400 to 500 Chinese vessels were spotted on Sunday dredging for sand and gravel in waters between Nangan (南竿) and Juguang (莒光) townships. After determining whether they were engaged in military activity, the Coast Guard Administration on Tuesday worked with Chinese law enforcement to drive the vessels away, Lee told the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee. If there had been any military intent, the Chinese side would not have participated in their removal, he said. The area within 6km of Matsu is restricted territory, Lee said, adding that the coast guard would chase away vessels that enter the zone illegally. However, as the waters outside the area are in Chinese jurisdiction and Beijing also condemns the practice, the coast guard works with Chinese law enforcement to drive away dredgers, he said. Separately, Executive Yuan spokesman Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) said that officials are to discuss increasing penalties for illegal dredging to one to seven years in prison and a fine of up to NT$80 million (US$2.77 million). The proposal would amend the penal provisions of the Act on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the Republic of China (中華民國專屬經濟海域及大陸礁層法) and the Sand and Gravel Excavation Act (土石採取法), Ting said. It would also require that confiscated ships or other machinery be promptly and properly auctioned, sold or otherwise disposed of, he said. Article 18 of the exclusive economic zone act stipulates a prison term of up to five years and a fine of up to NT$50 million for those found guilty of intentionally harming natural resources or ecosystems. Article 36 of the excavation act authorizes a fine of NT$1 million to NT$5
NO DOMESTIC SPREAD: On the 200th day without community infections, the center said that three have tested positive upon arrival or while quarantined Yesterday marked 200 consecutive days with no domestic COVID-19 cases in Taiwan, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said, as it reported three new imported cases. The latest domestic case recorded in the nation was on April 12. Speaking at a news conference in Taipei, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman, attributed the achievement to people’s cooperation with the center’s disease prevention measures, such as quarantine requirements and contact tracing, as well as the nation’s quick response. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate in other countries, the risk of domestic infection remains, he said, urging people to wash their hands frequently and wear masks. The center reported three new imported cases of COVID-19, arrivals from the Philippines, the US and Indonesia. Case No. 552 is a Taiwanese man in his 30s who in December last year traveled to the Philippines for work, and on Oct. 14 began experiencing symptoms, including a cough, nasal congestion, a sore throat, diarrhea, limb pain and fatigue, the center said, adding that his symptoms improved after taking over-the-counter medication. Upon arriving in Taiwan on Sunday, the man reported the symptoms and tested negative at the airport, it said. On Monday, he again began experiencing a cough, and chest and limb pain, the center said, adding that he later developed pneumonia and tested positive for COVID-19. Case No. 553 is a Taiwanese woman in her 60s who resides in the US and arrived in Taiwan on Monday, the center said. Before leaving the US, the woman on Tuesday last week tested negative in a nucleic acid test, after on Oct. 15 dining with two friends who later tested positive. She showed no symptoms before boarding the flight, but began experiencing a mild cough and a runny nose while on the plane, it said. Upon arrival, she told authorities
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications on Wednesday proposed a fourth relief package for travel service operators who are still face difficulties as the nation’s borders remain closed to tourists to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry made the announcement after travel operators urged the government to continue subsidizing the industry from this month through December, as subsidies of the third relief package ended last month. “We thank the government for subsidizing the travel industry, but previous subsidies for travel agency employees were capped at NT$20,000 per person for agencies that promised to keep salaries at 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The operators still need to pay the workers’ labor and health insurance fees, which remains a huge burden to the operators,” Travel Agents’ Association chairman Hsiao Po-jen (蕭博仁) said. “We hope that the percentage of employees’ salaries covered by subsidies could raise from 40 percent to 80 percent. If the government does not have a big enough budget to extend the funding until December, subsidies between NT$10,000 and NT$30,000 would be acceptable,” he said. The government should also subsidize domestic tour groups as this would save many jobs, he said. Hsiao expressed the hope that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Palau’s tourism office in Taiwan would restart negotiations on a potential travel bubble. “We spoke with the office director on Tuesday, and he said that Palau would be open to tourists from overseas, as long as both sides agree that travelers who provide negative COVID-19 test results would not have to quarantine,” he said. Palau is Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Micronesia, and if the two countries cannot reach a travel bubble agreement, no other countries could presume to make such a deal with Taiwan, he said. The nation should also form a travel bubble with Hawaii, he added. Deputy
UNKNOWN CASES: After watching ‘Silent Forrest,’ which deals with unreported sexual assault, the deputy minister called for concerted action and heightened awareness The Ministry of Education is to improve the report mechanism for sexual harassment at schools, the ministry said, adding that it encourages students to come forward and report incidents. Deputy Minister of Education Tsai Ching-hwa (蔡清華) made the remarks on Wednesday after watching the movie The Silent Forest (無聲), which is based on the true story of sexual assault cases against hearing-impaired students at the National Tainan Special School. In the movie, faculty at the school attempt to cover up incidents instead of reporting it to the police. Tsai said that the Criminal Code mandates that faculty must report an incident within 24 hours of finding out about alleged harassment, adding that those who fail to report an incident would be fined NT$30,000 to NT$150,000. Schools should also step up measures against sexual harassment and raise students’ and parents’ awareness of the matter, and how they can contribute, he added. “Together, we can prevent more incidents of sexual assault and harassment,” Tsai said. The movie highlighted the naivete of students regarding sexual assault, Tsai said, citing a scene in which a character in the movie says: “It was just for fun.” School curricula should include information on sexual and physical autonomy, Tsai said. Movie director Ko Chen-nian (柯貞年) expressed the hope that the movie would provide “food for thought” regarding the issue, instead of provoke criticism of its topic as being too sensitive. Ko said she was touched when movie-goers came to her to share their reflections on the issue or even their own experiences with sexual harassment. Actor Liu Kuan-ting (劉冠廷), playing the character in the movie who reports the incidents, said he hoped that more people would act as the character and come forward if they have knowledge of incidents of sexual harassment. Actor Liu Tzu-chuan (劉子銓) said that the title of the movie should entice people
Traumatic experiences can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that is often not taken seriously enough, a Hsinchu-based doctor said on Monday. Chou Po-han (周伯翰), a psychiatrist at China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, earlier this year treated a 60-year-old woman after she experienced strong stress due to the demands of her parents-in-law with whom she had been living for several years while her husband was working in China. The woman’s symptoms emerged after her parents-in-law passed away and her children had grown up, Chou said. The woman in the past few years increasingly experienced depression, and began having mood swings and suicidal thoughts, he said. “The majority of PTSD cases occur after traumatic experiences that cause intense feelings of fear and helplessness,” he said. People with PTSD experience symptoms including “flashbacks” of the traumatic event, heightened alertness, long-term anxiety and negative moods, Chen said, adding that they also tend to avoid people or things that they associate with the traumatic event. “People with PTSD most of the time appear emotionally stable, but if something triggers memories of the traumatic event, they might experience depression or other negative feelings, that might last for several weeks,” he said. Citing a study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, Chou said that people with PTSD often have suicidal thoughts or even become violent toward others. In cases such as that of the woman who experienced traumatic stress when living with her parents-in-law, the greatest challenge is that the source of PTSD is often years in the past, and the disorder goes unnoticed by other members of their family and friends, Chou said. “PTSD mainly causes an imbalance in the brain’s amygdala, which stores memories of frightening experiences. The amygdala of a person with PTSD becomes overactive,” he said. Chou advised people whose partners have experienced violent or
REPLACEMENTS ON THE WAY: Washington last year agreed to sell Taiwan 66 F-16Vs, with the first two fighters scheduled to be delivered in 2023, military sources said The nation’s F-5 fighters would all be decommissioned by 2026, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) wrote on Facebook yesterday, after an F-5E crashed into the sea north of Taitung County’s Chihhang Air Base yesterday morning, killing its pilot. The military has 46 F-5s in service — 14 F-5Es, 27 F-5Fs and five RF-5Es — and as most have been in use for a long time, plans to decommission them had been made earlier, and they would gradually replace by newer fighters, including F-16Vs and Yung Yings (勇鷹, Brave Eagle), Taiwan’s first indigenous advanced jet trainer (AJT) between 2023 and 2026, he wrote. Over the past four years, the military has gained an array of new weaponry for land, marine and air operations as part of the government’s efforts to increase the nation’s combat capabilities, he said. An F-5E fighter with the tail number 5261 crashed less than two minutes after taking off at 7:29am and while its pilot, 29-year-old Chu Kuan-meng (朱冠甍), was able to eject from the plane, he died of his injuries at 9:27am, the Ministry of National Defense said. In related news, military sources said that Taiwan secured Washington’s consent last year to procure 66 F-16Vs to replace the old F-5s, with the US expected to deliver two of them in 2023, one single-seat and the other twin-seat. The air force would conduct initial test runs of the two planes, and then the US would deliver the remaining F-16Vs in batches over the next few years, with all of the fighters expected to be delivered by 2026, the sources said. The government plans to give the air force 66 Yung Yings to replace its AT-3 trainers and F-5s by 2026, as part of efforts to help pilots’ better transition into more sophisticated warplanes, such as F-16Vs, they said. The first Yung
The Cabinet yesterday approved draft amendments to two laws aimed at deterring illegal marine dredging in Taiwanese waters by Chinese ships by increasing the penalties to a maximum of seven years in jail, a fine of up to NT$80 million (US$2.77 million) and confiscation of the vessels. Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told yesterday’s Cabinet meeting that illegal dredging by Chinese ships has damaged marine ecology in the region, citing the discovery on Sunday that 400 to 500 such vessels were dredging sand off the coast of Matsu between Nangan (南竿) and Juguang (莒光) townships. Such activities are unacceptable, he said, ordering that Chinese ships found dredging illegally in Taiwanese waters be confiscated, their crew members face trial and the ships, as well as their machinery, be put up for auction, sold or otherwise disposed of promptly. The Cabinet approved proposed amendments to the Act on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the Republic of China (中華民國專屬經濟海域及大陸礁層法) and the Sand and Gravel Excavation Act (土石採取法). Su urged Executive Yuan ministries and agencies to work with legislative committees to expedite passage of the amendments, and called on the Ministry of Justice, the Ocean Affairs Council and the Ministry of National Defense to step up patrols of dredging hotspots. The proposed amendment to Item 3, Article 18 of the economic zone act states that vessels found illegally dredging could be taken over for governmental use or subject to other measures within a suitable range of time, Ministry of the Interior Department of Land Administration Director Wang Cheng-chi (王成機) said. Increasing the length of a prison sentence from the current maximum of five years to seven would be a deterrent, he said. At present the maximum fine is NT$50 million under that law. Ministry of Economic Affairs Bureau of Mines Director-General Hsu Jing-wen (徐景文) said that amendments
The National Security Bureau’s (NSB) work has become more important as cross-strait information warfare has intensified, bureau Director-General Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) told lawmakers on the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee yesterday as he refuted claims by a US academic that the bureau has been infiltrated by China. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator (DPP) Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) asked Chiu about the People’s Daily’s “Letter to Taiwan’s Intelligence Agencies,” which called on Taiwanese intelligence agents to “cooperate with the motherland” and not be “hijacked” by pro-independence factions. The letter in the Chinese Communist Party’s newspaper followed China Central Television (CCTV) reports earlier this month about “several hundred cases” of Taiwan’s espionage activities uncovered through Beijing’s “Thunder 2020” operation. Chiu told lawmakers that the bureau would not respond publicly to the letter, which was the usual Chinese mix of civil and military intimidation tactics. Asked about former US diplomat and China expert Charles Freeman’s statement that the bureau had been infiltrated from top to bottom by China, Chiu said the claim was completely false. “No matter who it is, they must not underestimate the NSB,” he said. The bureau has instructed its staff about appropriate conduct, and Taiwan does not need to dance to China’s tune on matters that do not concern it, Chiu later told reporters. Asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator William Tseng (曾銘宗) about the possibility of cross-strait war in the near future, Chiu said that it was higher than normal and the bureau was considering all scenarios. Pressed by Tseng about China applying economic or trade pressure rather than military force against Taiwan, Chiu said that it was a possibility, as China would use any means to harm Taiwan. He would not make a prediction, he said. As for former Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister Chao Chien-min’s (趙建民) claim that the Taiwan Strait is already in a state
Two Washington-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI), are to establish offices in Taiwan after they were sanctioned by Beijing last year. The two institutes, along with the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Freedom House and Human Rights Watch were sanctioned last year after speaking in support of Hong Kong democracy activists and as well as being part of China’s tit-for-tat reaction against US President Donald Trump signing the US’ Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) extended a welcome to the NGOs, saying in a tweet that their Taipei offices would “further connect our civil societies and be a significant voice for advancing democracy in the region.” Both institutes, which focus on helping developing countries increase the efficacy of their democratic systems, receive funding from the NED, the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development. “Taiwan’s democracy is a model for the Asia-Pacific region and the world,” NDI regional director for the Asia-Pacific Manpreet Singh Anand said on Wednesday. “Through our new office, NDI will strengthen and expand partnerships with Taiwan’s civic tech community, legislature and government officials. We will support Taiwan’s efforts to share its democratic experiences to promote governance that is citizen-responsive, transparent, accountable and inclusive of all,” he said. In a separate news release, IRI president Daniel Twining said: “From our Taipei base, we will work with our partners to highlight Taiwan’s hard-won democratic lessons, strengthen networks of Asia’s democratic actors and build resilience against malign authoritarian influence in the region... As the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] becomes more aggressive in violating the global rules-based order, now is the time for all democracies ... to invest in strengthening ties with Taiwan.”
NEWS CONFERENCE: The administration is ignoring local governments’ right to autonomy as well as blocking legislative action, Alicia Wang said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday criticized what it said was the government’s “domineering” stance on the importation of pork products containing traces of the animal feed additive ractopamine. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Aug. 28 announced that the government would ease restrictions on imports of US pork containing the leanness-enhancing drug, as well as beef from cattle aged 30 months or older. The policy is expected to take effect on Jan. 1. “To ensure that US pork with leanness-enhancing agents can successfully come to Taiwan on Jan. 1, the entire Tsai administration is now blocking everything,” KMT Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang (王育敏) told a news conference at the party’s headquarters in Taipei. Tsai’s administration has blocked legislative proposals on food safety raised by opposition parties, as well as those put forward by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, Wang said. “What is even worse is that it is even blocking local governments’ right of autonomy,” she said. While several local governments have revised their food-safety ordinances to set a “zero detection” policy on ractopamine, as well as penalties, the central government sent a letter requesting that they amend those regulations, the KMT said in a statement. The DPP administration is disregarding local autonomy and abusing its authority by “blocking the democratic value of a balance of power between the central and local [governments], and blocking the last line of defense in protecting public health,” it said. Wang called the request “dictatorial.” Tsai once said that she was “best at communicating,” but on the US pork import issue, the president “does not want to do any communicating,” Wang said. The KMT would urge members of the public to join street protests against the administration’s “domineering” and “deceptive” ways, she said. KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) on Wednesday announced that party members would join with representatives of other
PANIC SELLOFFS: The local markets are susceptible to additional corrections in the near term, unless US and European bourses stabilize first, a securities analyst said The TAIEX yesterday shed 130.84 points, or 1.02 percent, to close at 12,662.91, taking cues from global bourses overnight as France and Germany announced four-week lockdowns to contain rising COVID-19 cases. The benchmark fell 198.88 points by the middle of the session, after coronavirus woes plunged US stocks by 943.24 points — the worst since late July. Panic selloffs prompted Minister of Finance Su Jain-rong (蘇建榮) to call for calm, saying that the government is closely monitoring the market and the state-run National Stabilization Fund would step in to shore up local shares if necessary. “The fund can be activated any time the overseeing committee sees fit,” Su told lawmakers at a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee. The minister attributed the stock retreat to surging virus infections in Europe and the US. The National Stabilization Fund Committee on Oct. 12 pulled the NT$500 billion (US$17.29 billion) fund from the TAIEX, saying that it had achieved its goal of stabilizing the TAIEX, which had rebounded from March lows. Virus infections remain few in Taiwan — all since April 12 being imported from foreign countries — which explains why the nation’s economy has still grown this year, Su said, seeking to calm public unease. Turnover on the main board yesterday amounted to NT$186.599 billion, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed, which was relatively low compared with recent sessions, as investors turned cautious ahead of the US presidential election on Tuesday next week. Foreign institutional players slashed net positions by NT$16.1 billion, while proprietary traders cut net holdings by NT$1.04 billion and mutual funds by NT$764 million, data showed. Heavyweight technology was hit hard, as the share price of chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) fell 1.58 percent to NT$437, smartphone camera lens maker Largan Precision Co (大立光) declined 2.1 percent to NT$3,035 and printed circuit board maker Unimicron Technology Corp (欣興電子)
OVERFLOW EXPECTED: The LCD panel maker said it expects the uptrend to extend into this quarter and even into next year, as the stay-at-home economy continues LCD panel maker AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電) returned a profit in the third quarter — the first quarter in eight — as demand boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic drove shipments of large TVs and notebook computers. The stay-at-home, work-from-home and distance-learning trends helped the Hsinchu-based company make NT$2.89 billion (US$99.95 million) in net profit last quarter, reversing a loss of NT$2.96 billion in the second quarter and a loss of NT$3.99 billion in the third quarter last year. That translated into earnings per share of NT$0.3, versus minus-NT$0.31 a quarter earlier and minus-NT$0.41 a year earlier. The firm expects the uptrend to extend into this quarter and even to “overflow” into the first half of next year, as a resurgence of the pandemic hits many countries, further supporting the stay-at-home economy. The prices of TV and PC panels this quarter are expected to increase by 8 to 9 percent quarterly, following an uptick of 8.82 percent in the blended average selling price to US$333 per unit last quarter, it said. While unit shipments are expected to slide, factory utilization should remain high, similar to last quarter’s 95 percent, it added. “The industry’s seasonal cycles this year have been upended by the pandemic,” AUO chairman Paul Peng (彭雙浪) told investors yesterday. “We think the first quarter will be a trough, as we expected. Operations will improve quarter by quarter in the remainder of this year.” On the demand front, the company sees the stay-at-home economy continuing to drive robust demand in the fourth quarter, Peng said. Remote schooling has prompted strong demand for Chromebooks, he said, adding that the company has accumulated a large backlog of orders for Chromebook panels. Global sales of TV sets last quarter rose about 11 percent from a year earlier, beating the market’s expectation of 3 percent growth, AUO said. Notebook computer shipments
United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電), the world’s No. 4 contract chipmaker, yesterday posted its strongest quarterly net profit in 14 years as work-from-home and remote-schooling trends continued to drive demand for power management chips used in smartphones and high-speed interface controllers. Net profit last quarter soared 36.37 percent to NT$9.11 billion (US$315.07 million) from NT$6.68 billion in the second quarter. That represented a 210 percent increase from NT$2.93 billion in the third quarter of last year. Earnings per share rose to NT$0.75, from NT$0.55 a quarter earlier and NT$0.25 a year earlier. “Demand from consumer and computer-related applications will lead to a slight increase in wafer shipments, propelled by ongoing work-from-home initiatives and home schooling,” UMC copresident Jason Wang (王石) said. “Furthermore, we have seen an uptick in semiconductor demand thanks to more silicon content in particular applications, such as newly launched 5G smartphones, Internet-of-Things devices and other consumer products,” he said. UMC expects this to significantly increase demand for 28-nanometer chips this quarter, he added. Overall, wafer shipments this quarter are expected to rise 1 to 2 percent from the third quarter, while the average sales price is expected to increase 1 percent and factory utilization to edge down from 97 percent in the third quarter to 95 percent, he said. Gross margin is likely to remain flat from the third quarter’s 21.8 percent, due to the appreciation of New Taiwan dollar against the US dollar, Wang said. Every 1 percent appreciation in the NT dollar reduces UMC’s gross margin by 0.5 percentage points, the chipmaker said. “We expect this business traction to continue into 2021. Our overall business outlook is healthy. Our utilization rate will remain very high,” Wang said. As the outlook for 8-inch wafers remains favorable for foundries, UMC plans to increase 8-inch wafer prices next year, while keeping prices for 12-inch wafers unchanged, he said. This quarter,
Hong Kong’s rapid slide into authoritarianism took another turn for the worse this week. On Tuesday afternoon, four Hong Kong pro-democracy activists made a dramatic bid for asylum at the US consulate in the territory. According to local media reports, the four activists, having made it past security and inside the consulate, re-emerged shortly after their asylum applications were denied. It appears to have been a desperate attempt to obtain protection after Beijing’s imposition of a National Security Law on Hong Kong, and occurred just hours after a reporter from Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post witnessed pro-independence activist Tony Chung (鍾翰林), 19, being led away from a coffee shop opposite the consulate by unidentified individuals. UK-based Hong Kong advocacy group Friends of Hong Kong later confirmed that Chung was intending to apply for political asylum, but messaged the group at about 8:10am to say he was being tailed. Minutes later, all contact with Chung was lost. Chung was the convener of the now disbanded pro-independence group Studentlocalism. The group suspended its operations in Hong Kong hours before Beijing enacted the draconian national security legislation on June 30. Despite the group’s disbandment, Chung and two other former members of Studentlocalism — William Chan (陳渭賢) and Yanni Ho (何忻諾) — were arrested in late July for allegedly “inciting secession,” but were released on bail. Yesterday, prosecutors formerly charged Chung with secession during a court hearing. Other prominent members of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement have also been arrested in the past few months, including Joshua Wong (黃之鋒), Agnes Chow (周庭) and Jimmy Lai (黎智英). The retroactive application of the national security legislation is shocking — but predictable. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) not only does not understand the concept of the rule of law, it despises it. Formed along Leninist lines, the assimilation and retention of
On July 23, in a speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized China, saying: “We opened our arms to Chinese citizens, only to see the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] exploit our free and open society. China sent propagandists into our press conferences, our research centers, our high schools, our colleges, and even into our PTA [parent-teacher association] meetings.” On Oct. 14, Pompeo and US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos sent a joint letter to state commissioners of education, saying that Confucius Classrooms — a subset of China’s Confucius Institutes — are a government influence operation masquerading as a cultural and language organization, and that they should not be allowed in the US’ educational system. Pompeo said that the goal of US President Donald Trump’s administration is that all Confucius Institutes should be closed by the end of the year. Criticism of Confucius and praise of the first Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇) are part and parcel of the CCP’s political theology. Confucius Institutes are not intended to promote Confucianism, but are a brainwashing program to promote the expansion of one-party dictatorship and tyranny in the West under the guise of promoting culture, to lure in Western academics and media outlets into unwittingly cooperating with Beijing to influence society and government decisionmaking in democratic states. The institutes are a typical example of how well the CCP deftly uses the freedom and openness of democratic societies to promote values that are hostile to those ideals. One example is the CCP’s strong support of the freedom of its associates in Taiwan to oppose independence and promote unification. However, there is no way it would allow democratic states to set up Democracy Institutes and similar organizations in China, or challenges to the party’s ultimate
China’s English-language propaganda newspaper the Global Times on Wednesday reported that the Taiwanese coast guard on Thursday last week “inhumanely and savagely” drove away Chinese fishing boats that were seeking shelter from the northeast monsoon close to Penghu County’s Siji Islet (西吉嶼). The report said that a 3,000-tonne Kaohsiung-class coast guard vessel was dispatched to the area to drive away the Chinese fishing boats from “restricted waters,” putting the vessels’ crew in grave danger. Chinese Internet users shared the report online and called Taiwan’s coast guard “demented,” while Ta Kung Pao, a Chinese state mouthpiece in Hong Kong, attacked Taiwanese for being “cold-hearted.” However, there is more to the affair than meets the eye. In the fall, the northeast monsoon gradually picks up strength. In addition to causing lower temperatures, the monsoon season brings large waves and strong winds to the waters surrounding Taiwan. This is common knowledge to Taiwanese — even more so for the fishers who rely on the sea for living. In today’s era of modern weather forecasting and advanced communications technology, fishers have access to real-time satellite-based information on wave heights and wind speed in almost every maritime environment on the planet, and can receive radio and Internet-based safety notifications. It is impossible that the Chinese fishing boats were not aware of the northeast monsoon. In seeking to portray the boats as having innocently sought refuge after chancing upon a storm, Chinese state media are clearly lying through their teeth. Some might ask: What motivation is there for China to hype up this situation? First, it is being used as an excuse to provide cover for the unscrupulous activities of Chinese dredging boats which, for the past two years, have been intruding into shallow coastal waters off Penghu and Kinmen counties to extract sand. The sand is being used for the construction
APPEAL REJECTED: Hsieh had not shown sufficient commitment to competitions, the ITF said, citing her absence from the Fed Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games Taiwan’s chance to win a medal in tennis at the Tokyo Olympic Games suffered a major blow after women’s doubles world No. 1 Hsieh Su-wei was ruled ineligible for the Games by the sport’s governing body. The 34-year-old Hsieh announced in a Facebook post that the International Tennis Federation (ITF) had rejected her appeal to gain eligibility for next year’s COVID-19-delayed Olympics. Hsieh said that even though her ranking qualified her for the Games, she was deemed ineligible due to “a mistake involving the Fed Cup” held in March. Hsieh is ranked No. 66 in women’s singles and No. 1 in women’s doubles. Players ranked among the top 56 in singles and top 10 in doubles are eligible to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Although ranked outside the top 56 in singles, Hsieh’s ranking would have been enough to gain her entry into the singles draw, as no more than four players from the same country can qualify. However, a player must take part in at least two Fed Cup events during the Olympic cycle. Hsieh was to represent Taiwan in the Fed Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in early March, but she ended up leaving without playing a match. Defending her decision to leave, Hsieh wrote in her Facebook post that she had informed her coach before the competition that she would not be able to complete the tournament. That decision and her withdrawal from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after a blowup with a tennis official weighed heavily in the ITF’s decision. In a letter sent to the Chinese Taipei Tennis Association (CTTA) on Oct. 14 — made public by Hsieh on Facebook — the ITF said that it deemed Hsieh ineligible for the Tokyo Games because she did not demonstrate sufficient commitment to competitions. The letter specifically cited her absence from the Fed
Super sub Marcus Rashford on Wednesday scored a clinical hat-trick in the second-half as Manchester United ripped German league leaders RB Leipzig apart to seize control of their Champions League group with a 5-0 rout. Mason Greenwood looked like grabbing the headlines with his first-half strike, but Rashford came off the bench to remind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he is the main man at Old Trafford and Anthony Martial also got in on the act. Rashford, who scored three times in an 18-minute blitz, is only the second United player to score a hat-trick as a substitute, after Solskjaer himself performed the feat against Nottingham Forest in 1999. United, who endured a torrid start to their season, have taken control of Group H after building on their impressive opening win against Paris Saint-Germain. “Marcus Rashford came on and did well, but the groundwork was there from the team, that’s what you want from the subs,” Solskjaer told BT Sport. “What a shift they put in. Leipzig are a high press, the intensity, so we had to dig deep,” he said. “We had to rest a few because the season is relentless, so we used the squad. This group is coming together. The more quality and spirit you have, the more you get the performance.” Rashford, last week’s hero in the French capital, and Bruno Fernandes were surprisingly left on the bench as United went in search of their first home win of the season. Greenwood, who last month was sent home in disgrace by England for breaking COVID-19 protocols, started up front alongside Martial. Julian Nagelsmann’s team started brightly, pinning the home side back, but United soon settled, creating openings. They broke the deadlock in the 21st minute when Paul Pogba drove forward from midfield and fed Greenwood, who stroked the ball with his left foot across Peter Gulacsi
Vice President William Lai yesterday visited a Uni-President Lions practice at the Tainan Municipal Stadium, as the team prepare for tomorrow’s Taiwan Series opener against the CTBC Brothers in Taichung. The former Tainan mayor gave the Lions a pineapple, a symbol of prosperity and good fortune, to wish the team success in the best-of-seven series. “I have only one request... You must win the championship title,” Lai said. Lions closer Chen Yun-wen presented Lai with a jersey, featuring the words “Tainan” on the front, on behalf of the team, along with club chairman Tu Chung-cheng and general manager Su Tai-an. Although a native of what is now New Taipei City’s Wanli District, Lai has adopted Tainan as his hometown. In addition to attending National Cheng Kung University, he started his political career in the city in the 1990s and later served as its mayor until 2017. Well-known as a knowledgeable baseball fan, Lai is open about his avid support for the Tainan-based Lions, often attending their games. He also appeared as a commentator for a live broadcast of a Lions-Brothers game on Aug. 21. This year’s series features two rookie managers going head-to-head: Lin Yue-ping of the Lions and Chiu Chang-jung of the Brothers. Both are veteran players, with Lin wrapping up his 13-year career in 2017 as a relief pitcher with the Lions, with 129 saves, a CPBL record. Chiu spent about half of his 13 professional seasons with Taiwan Major League’s Taichung Agan, and later prominently as an infielder in the fearsome hitting lineup of the Macoto Cobras, when the team in 2002 joined the CPBL to compete in the league’s then-six-team format. The managers said that they plan to assign foreign pitchers to start the games, with the Lions using Americans Tim Melville, Teddy Stankiewicz and Brock Dykxhoorn, while the Brothers have put together a Latin-American
Novak Djokovic on Wednesday virtually ensured equaling Pete Sampras’ record of ending the year as world No. 1 for the sixth time when he reached the Erste Bank Open quarter-finals in Vienna, as Taiwan’s Jason Jung fell to Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic defeated Croatia’s Borna Coric 7-6 (13/11), 6-3 and would secure the year-end top spot as long as Rafael Nadal does not take an unlikely wild card into the Sofia event next month. If the 33-year-old Serb wins the Vienna title on Sunday, he would make sure of the landmark regardless of whether or not Nadal plays in Bulgaria. Djokovic, who now has 39 wins and just two defeats this year, has been the top-ranked player at the end of a season five times: in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018. He shares that mark with career rivals Roger Federer and Nadal. Sampras achieved the feat six years in succession between 1993 and 1998. Djokovic also has another target — beating Federer’s all-time best of 310 weeks spent on top of the rankings. He is enjoying his 292nd week in total as world No. 1. Should he stay in pole position, he would pass Federer in early March next year. Djokovic, a 17-time Grand Slam title winner, is playing his first tournament since his straight-sets loss to Nadal in the Roland Garros final more than two weeks ago. He is seeking a fifth title of the year and faces either Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz or Italian lucky loser Lorenzo Sonego. “It was very tiring and very challenging,” said Djokovic after his fourth win in four meetings with Coric, the world No. 24. “Borna is a great fighter. He’s a very good friend of mine. Off the court we’ve known each other for quite a long time,” Djokovic said. Djokovic came through having saved four set points in the opener. Elsewhere, Russian fourth seed Medvedev also
KASHMIR: New Delhi said it was investigating non-profit groups and charitable trusts that were collecting funds and using them to carry out secessionist activities The Indian National Investigation Agency on Wednesday said that it raided 10 locations in Kashmir, including the offices and residences of a journalist and two prominent activists, triggering concerns of a crackdown on information and a free press in the disputed region. The nation’s premier investigating agency said in a statement that it searched the premises of Agence France-Presse’s Kashmir correspondent Parvaiz Bukhari, the offices of rights advocates Khurram Parvez and Parveena Ahanger, and the region’s leading daily Greater Kashmir, along with a non-profit group, and seized “several incriminating documents and electronic devices.” The agency said it was investigating “non-profit groups and charitable trusts” that were collecting funds and using them for “carrying out secessionist and separatist activities” in the disputed region. A police official privy to the raids said that the investigators confiscated telephones, laptops and storage devices from Bukhari and Parvez. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Parvez’s organization, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, has written scathing reports about brutality involving some of the hundreds of thousands of Indian troops in the region. It has highlighted the expansive powers granted to them, which it says led to a culture of impunity and widespread rights abuses in the region. Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti said that the raids on activist Parvez and the Greater Kashmir office were “another example of the government of India’s vicious crackdown on freedom of expression and dissent.” The raids came days after Indian authorities sealed the office of an English daily, Kashmir Times, causing outrage from journalists and condemnation from global media watchdogs. Authorities said that the office was sealed due to administrative reasons, but journalists said the move aimed to throttle the free press. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, and
A typhoon that officials said was the most powerful to hit Vietnam in 20 years yesterday blew away from the country after setting off landslides, sinking boats and knocking out power to at least 1.7 million people. At least 35 people were killed and more than 50 were missing, state media said. The immediate focus for rescuers was on three villages in the nation’s central region, where landslides killed at least 19 people and are suspected of burying more than 40 others in thick mud and debris. Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung traveled to the site of one landslide where soldiers were working to clear debris with bulldozers and he ordered officers to urgently send more troops to help with the efforts. “We must reach the landslide site the fastest way. First, send in more soldiers before we can get the big machine there. We have to reach the area by all means, including by using helicopters,” he said. Also among the dead were 12 fishers whose boats sank on Wednesday as Typhoon Molave approached with winds of up to 150kph. Another 14 fishers were still missing. Officials said that the death toll across the nation might rise as some regions have been unable to report details of damage and casualties. Rescuers yesterday morning dug up eight bodies in Tra Van village in Quang Nam Province, where a hillside collapsed on houses. The victims had taken shelter in the community as the typhoon approached, the Vietnam News Agency reported. In Tra Leng Village, about 45km from Tra Van, another landslide buried a community with several houses occupied by about 45 people. Four people escaped, while rescuers recovered eight bodies and later pulled out four villagers alive, including two children, who were trapped in a buried house, Vietnam News said. The survivors pulled from the
‘TARGETING WOMEN’: A US envoy urged the global agency to investigate reports of forced birth control, home visits and sexual violence in detention centers in the region The UN is not doing enough to investigate reported abuses in China’s Xinjiang region against members of Muslim minority groups, US Ambassador-at-Large on Women’s Issues Kelley Currie said yesterday. Citing reports of forced birth control, home visits and sexual violence in detention centers, Currie said that such practices show a “pervasive pattern of targeting women.” “It’s really remarkable to me as someone who used to work at the UN the complete lack of curiosity or concern we see from the UN on what are really grave allegations, and very widespread and quite disturbing human rights abuses,” said Currie, who is also the US Representative at the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The UN is “failing to speak out about the situation in Xinjiang, failing to demand access in a meaningful way and to investigate these very serious and credible allegations,” Currie told reporters on a media call. The Associated Press has previously reported that China has been carrying out a draconian campaign to cut the birthrate of its Uighur Muslim population by forced sterilization and compulsory family planning practices. US President Donald Trump’s administration withdrew the US from the UN Human Rights Council in 2018, citing what it said was a bias against Israel and the human rights track records of member countries. China was re-elected to the council earlier this month, in a move condemned by major democratic nations and human rights groups. Pointing to what it says are ongoing abuses, the US has in recent months issued a series of sanctions against actors in Xinjiang, including senior officials and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps that operates as a government-within-a government within the resource-rich region. On Tuesday, a group of US senators introduced a resolution to call what is happening in Xinjiang genocide. Beijing has maintained that there are no
Tomorrow will be the 133rd anniversary of the birth of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), Chinese Nationalist (KMT) leader and Taiwan’s dictatorial president from 1950 to his death in 1975. Most of the tourists who visit Chijin (旗津) in Kaohsiung stay close to the island’s northern tip, where there’s an old town called Cihou (旗後), a Qing-era fortress, and a lighthouse that was rebuilt by the Japanese in 1918. The last of these attractions recently reopened to the public after three years of renovation. On Cihou’s busy streets, visitors can find several seafood restaurants, as well as one of Taiwan’s oldest Matsu shrines, Cihou Tianhou Temple (旗後天后宮). Some stray as far south as the Rainbow Church (旗津彩虹教堂). This isn’t a Christian place of worship, but rather a set of multicolored public-art works designed to attract Instagrammers. Less than 200m away, on the corner of Cijin 3rd Road (旗津三路) and Lane 333, Jhongjhou 3rd Road (中洲三路), there’s a genuine and highly unusual religious institution. TEMPLE TO A DICTATOR The Lord Chiang Thanksgiving Hall (蔣公感恩堂) was founded so people could express their reverence for Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), who ruled Taiwan as unelected head of the Chinese Nationalist (KMT) regime for a quarter of a century. The first edition, shoddily built just months after the dictator’s death, had to be reconstructed just eight years later. The current building dates from 2006-2007. By Taiwan temple standards, it’s barely medium sized. Until 2007, a Chiang effigy occupied the central position behind the main altar. That year, the building’s managers decided to demote him and move him over to the right, where he is today. Guanyin (觀音), the Buddhist bodhisattva of mercy, was enshrined as the hall’s principal deity. The statue I saw on my recent visit isn’t the original. Claiming he’d had a powerful dream about Chiang, a “white-robed Taoist master” from
Taiwan’s LGBT Pride Parade turns 18 this year. The movement has come a long way from just wanting to be noticed in 2003 to reaching the milestone of same-sex marriage legalization in 2018, but like humans, coming of age is a major point of departure in one’s life journey. Taiwan Rainbow Civil Action Association chairperson and parade spokesperson Shao Li-yi (邵立宜) says she is still asked whether a march is needed in this “post same-sex marriage era.” She suggests looking at the 12 co-organizing groups — each one is still working on important issues, from removing HIV stigmas to parents supporting LGBTQ education to assisted sexual relief for disabled people and promoting workplace equality. Even same-sex marriage is far from equal, as issues regarding transnational marriage and adoption are yet to be resolved. “Even though same-sex marriage has been legalized, these groups have not disappeared,” Shao says. “Neither have the radical anti-LGBTQ groups.” These issues are all important, but most of all, this year’s parade calls for acceptance and respect toward those who are different, so that everyone can feel encouraged and comfortable to present themselves however they feel fit. The theme of this year’s parade, which begins at 1pm tomorrow at Taipei’s City Hall Plaza, is “Beauty, My Own Way.” “We should be happy that we live in a diverse society — and that includes gender,” Shao says. “Besides feeling comfortable ourselves, we should help other people feel that way too.” This identity extends to physical beauty as well, which is a problem both inside and outside the LGTBQ community. While beauty standards — especially toward women — are become increasingly homogenized, Shao says there’s also pressure within the gay community, for example, to fit into certain body categories. Some ask why the LGBTQ community must encompass so many different identities,
Jaeden Soo (蘇傑登) identifies as queer, transgender, nonbinary and genderfluid — but these are terms they had never heard of growing up. “In junior high school, I already had classmates who weren’t straight. I knew about that,” they say. “But nobody talked about what transgender people were or what they go through. I never even knew it was an actual option to explore what my gender is.” There was the term transsexual — which refers to those who desire to change from one gender to another — but that didn’t really work for Soo either: ‘I wasn’t able to identify as anything because there wasn’t the language for it, at least for me at that time.” It was a long road of self-discovery. Soo told people for the first time they were “nonbinary” — not identifying as either exclusively male or female —- only in 2017, and changed their name and started using they/them pronouns in 2018. Soo is excited for tonight’s Taiwan Trans March, as it may help people who once struggled like them to feel that they’re not alone. “The core message is to show people still in the closet and those who are struggling to figure out who they are — or struggling to believe that they might be who they think they are — that they can come and be fully accepted and celebrated,” they say. The march was started by the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association last year to bring more attention to the issues transgender people face — especially when many simply don’t understand what the term even means. “Transgender is not just a personal identity, but it also means transcending gender stereotypes,” the event page states. “No matter what gender they identify with, or what type of gender roles and phsyical appearance they present, as long as they don’t
A: The selection of artworks in some of these galleries seems to be a bit haphazard or random. B: I think a nicer word might be “eclectic.” A: It’s just that I’m more used to art curated according to medium, such as sculpture, painting or ceramics, by artist, or by style, such as realist, modernist, Surrealist, Cubist or abstract. B: I think this exhibit is more about the art of a certain period in Europe. It gives you an idea of the diversity of artistic expression most prevalent at the time in that part of the world. A: Right, I need to take the weight off my feet. Lunch? A: 這些畫廊展出的作品好像有點雜，或是說天馬行空。 B: 我覺得「兼容並蓄」這個詞大概是比較好的形容。 A: 我只是比較習慣用媒材來分類的展覽，例如雕塑、繪畫，或陶瓷，用藝術家或是藝術風格來區分，例如現實主義、現代主義、超現實主義、立體派、抽象派等等。 B: 我想這展覽的主題比較是歐洲某一段時期的藝術。這樣你就會知道在此時此地所流行的藝術表現是很多元的。 A: 好吧，我需要坐下來休息一下了。來吃午餐吧？ （Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: Look! Here’s the official catalog for the special exhibition we just visited. B: That’s great. It’s got most of the works on display. We didn’t need to buy a ticket, we could just have looked through the catalog. A: I’m not so sure. The photos in the catalog are printed well, but they can’t compete with the quality of the framed prints we just saw. There’s nothing like seeing the actual originals in person. B: You’re right, actually. Look at this one. The darker tones are blocked up — I remember the tonal gradations in the original being far more nuanced. A: Still, I think I’ll buy one. It’ll be a good souvenir of the visit. A: 你看，那邊有剛剛那個特展的目錄！ B: 太好了！展出的作品大部分都收錄進來了。我們根本不需要買展覽的票，只要看這本目錄就可以了。 A: 不見得。目錄裡的照片是印得不錯，可是跟我們剛看到那些照片的品質不能比。親眼看到原作的經驗是無法取代的。 B: 的確，你說的對。你看這張，這比較深的色調都糊成一團，我記得照片上色調的變化要細緻得多。 A: 我想我還是會買一本，當做這次看展的紀念品。 （Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Taiwan’s Eddie Wang smashed the 200m short course butterfly world junior record at the International Swimming League’s (ISL) 2020 season in Budapest, Hungary on Oct. 17. He finished third with a time of 1:50.79 behind FINA World Swimming Championships gold medalist Tom Shields (1:50.43) and Olympics gold medalist Chad le Clos (1:50.48). Wang, 18, is a student at National Taiwan Normal University’s Department of Physical Education and also represents the “Cali Condors,” a San Francisco-based swimming club of the ISL. He broke the world junior record set in 2012 by Japan’s Daiya Seto, becoming the first Taiwanese swimmer to set a world junior record in history. Wang is the national record holder in the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly and the first Taiwanese to compete in the ISL. His coach Huang Chih-yung said that he was surprised by Wang’s impressive 1.59-second improvement, as they were just using the six-week event to prepare for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. Apart from Wang, top Taiwanese swimmer Wang Hsing-hao has also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 「台灣蝶王」王冠閎於十月十七日，在匈牙利布達佩斯的國際游泳聯盟（ISL）本季首站賽事中，打破短池兩百公尺蝶式世界青年紀錄！飆出一分五十秒七九佳績勇奪第三名，僅次於第一名的世錦賽金牌席爾茲（一分五十秒四三）、第二名的奧運金牌利克羅斯（一分五十秒四八）。 十八歲的王冠閎目前在師範大學體育系就讀，他是受邀代表舊金山的「加利神鷹隊」在ISL出賽。這次一舉刷新日本名將瀨戶大也二○一二年創下的世青紀錄，並成為歷史上首位打破世青紀錄的台灣泳將。 王冠閎是台灣男子五十、一百、兩百公尺蝶式紀錄保持人，更是首位在ISL參賽的台灣泳將。這次成績大幅進步一‧五九秒，教練黃智勇大感意外，因為原本只想利用這六週的賽事來為東京奧運作準備。除了王冠閎外，台灣泳將王星皓亦取得明年東奧的參賽資格。 (台北時報張聖恩)
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