The National Communications Commission (NCC) has halted the sale of three smartphone models produced by China’s Huawei Technologies Co, saying a software upgrade had renamed Taiwan as “Taiwan, China.”
The temporary ban, which affects five telecom companies that sell the P30, P30 Pro and Nova 5T phones, might become permanent if the issue is not resolved, the NCC said on Thursday.
Following an upgrade of the software on the three models, the time zone and contact apps now list Taiwan as “Taiwan, China,” the commission said.
Photo: AFP
The designation has sparked controversy among consumers in Taiwan, as China continues its efforts to convince global businesses and foreign governments to refer to Taiwan as “Taiwan, China,” the NCC said.
The commission said that Chunghwa Telecom Co, Taiwan Mobile Co, Far EasTone Telecommunications Co, Taiwan Star Telecom Co and Asia Pacific Telecom Co have been asked to remove the phones from their stores until the designation is corrected.
The ban also applies to Huawei’s sales agent in Taiwan, Xunwei Technology Co, the NCC said, citing a need to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty and integrity.
In response, Xunwei said that it has notified Huawei, which has promised to make the correction as soon as possible.
The five telecom operators said that the ban would not affect their sales significantly, as they had already reduced inventories amid the sanctions imposed on the company by the US.
Huawei unveiled its latest flagship phone — the Mate 30 — in Taiwan on Thursday, stating there were no issues regarding Taiwan’s designation with that model.
Meanwhile, the commission has asked all smartphone and tablet computer brands in the country to make sure that the designation of Taiwan is correct on their products.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday said that private-sector refiners are willing to stop buying Russian naphtha should the EU ask them to, after a group of non-governmental organizations, including the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), criticized the nation’s continued business with the country. While Taiwan joined the US and its Western allies in putting broad sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, it did not explicitly ban imports of naphtha, a major hard-currency earner for Russia. While state-owned firms stopped importing Russian oil in 2023, there is no restriction on private companies to
President William Lai (賴清德) is expected to announce a new advanced “all-domain” air defense system to better defend against China when he gives his keynote national day speech today, four sources familiar with the matter said. Taiwan is ramping up defense spending and modernizing its armed forces, but faces a China that has a far larger military and is adding its own advanced new weapons such as stealth fighter jets, aircraft carriers and a huge array of missiles. Lai is expected to announce the air defense system dubbed “Taiwan Dome” in his speech this morning, one of the sources said. The system
RSS