Sat, May 16, 2026
US President Donald Trump said he had made “fantastic trade deals” and settled “a lot of different problems” in his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) this week, but hours after the summit ended yesterday, details on exact agreements remained scarce.Trump had arrived in Beijing seeking
A bipartisan group of 26 US lawmakers on Thursday sent a letter to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressing “serious concern” over Taiwan’s exclusion from a ministerial conference in Cameroon in March.The letter — signed by US representatives including Ted Lieu, Judy Chu, Ami Bera and Raj
The legislative caucuses yesterday agreed to invite Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to present a special report on Tuesday on preparations for the first tranche of procurement authorized by a special defense budget act, Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday.The legislature on May
‘SEISMIC SHIFT’: Matthew Wale is likely to be ‘more moderate’ on China ties and focused on national interests, education and health, an academic said Solomon Islands yesterday elected as its new prime minister Matthew Wale, who has been a critic of the South Pacific nation’s closeness to China and pledged to bring change.The Solomons has been seen as one of Beijing’s closest Pacific islands partners in the past few years, and any change of leader
TAIWAN ISSUE: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on the first day of meetings that ‘it wouldn’t be a US-China summit without the Taiwan issue coming up’ There were no surprises on the first day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, as the government reiterated that cross-strait stability is crucial to the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the world.As
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday said in Beijing that US policy on Taiwan has not changed, following the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).“US policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today and as of the meeting that we had here today,
ABNORMAL: The three options that the Cabinet is considering to support further defense spending are not ‘normal’ ways to fund weapons, an official said The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) clashed yesterday over how to fund weapons systems excluded from a supplementary budget bill, after the Cabinet said it was considering three options to pay for the equipment.The legislature last we
ALL CLEAR: Remarks by Rubio after the summit reaffirming US policy on Taiwan and the omission of Taiwan in the White House summary are reassuring, an analyst said The White House’s decision not to mention Taiwan in its official summary of talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) suggests the US does not see the issue as up for negotiation, analysts said on Thursday.Trump and Xi held more than two hours of talks in Beijing
Taiwan yesterday launched the 12th and final 600-tonne Anping-class patrol vessel built for the Coast Guard Administration (CGA), marking the completion of the fleet under the government’s indigenous shipbuilding program.The vessel, designated CG-615 and named the “Donggang (東港),” was officiall
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) is leading a cross-party delegation to the UK for exchanges with parliamentarians, policy experts and overseas Taiwanese groups following a visit to France.In an address on Thursday at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based security think tank, Han s
Taiwanese model and actress Lin Chi-ling’s (林志玲) appointment as a new Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TCCA) board member is not a paid position, and she would not be involved in how the National Development Fund operates, Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) said yesterday.Li made the remarks in respons
A survey released by the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation suggests social workers are increasingly concerned about wartime risks, with more than 80 percent saying they support emergency training.The survey garnered 1,051 valid responses from current and prospective social workers, nearly 80 percent
CRACKDOWN: Eight aesthetic clinics — five Airlees, two Saint Eirs and one Dr Shine — have been ordered to suspend services for alleged hidden camera offenses Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday proposed a “hidden camera control” law, pushing for real-name purchases and stricter inspections, after hidden cameras were found at several aesthetic clinics.The rising in digital gender-based violence cases involving miniature or disguised hidden
The Ministry of Environment’s Resource Circulation Administration yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Taoyuan International Airport Corp on plastic circulation cooperation.Deputy Minister of Environment Shen Chih-hsiu (沈志修) said recycling at households could be traced back to 1
RECURRING ISSUES: One former worker said he also passed out performing the same role as the woman who died, and that it had happened more than once A woman employed at a horror-themed escape room in Taipei who lost consciousness and was rushed to hospital has died, her family said yesterday, urging the city government and the operator to review regulations and practices to prevent similar tragedies. The woman’s brother and cousin, together with
FOUR POTENTIAL SHIFTS: One possible change to Fed policy stems from the new chairman’s criticism of its ‘dot plot’ system, which provides interest rate projections A change in leadership at the US Federal Reserve could usher in significant shifts in monetary policy and communication strategy, underscoring mounting market scrutiny over how new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh might redefine the role of the world’s most influential central bank, Taiwan’s central bank sa
SMART PRODUCTS: The company’s chairman said that growth this quarter is expected to be strongest in its intelligent software and solutions business Industrial computer maker Ennoconn Corp (樺漢科技) yesterday said revenue this quarter is expected to grow sequentially, driven by rising demand for its smart retail products, particularly in the North American market.The growth momentum is expected to come from the commercialization of its physical art
Cerebras Systems Inc shares jumped 68 percent in its trading debut after raising US$5.5 billion in the year’s largest initial public offering (IPO), illustrating investors’ surging appetite for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the chips running them.Shares of the Sunnyvale, California-b
At an event to mark International Nurses Day on Tuesday, President William Lai (賴清德) touted amendments to the Medical Care Act (醫療法) that would mandate shift nurse-to-patient ratios which are to be implemented in phases starting from May 20 next year — about seven months earlier than initially agree
The Banciao District (板橋) branch of the well-known cosmetic chain Airlee Group Co Ltd (愛爾麗集團) was recently found to have installed a hidden pinhole camera inside a smoke detector, which has so far led to the discovery of other hidden cameras in at least four other cosmetic clinics. Airlee chairman C
The unauthorized hacking of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp’s (THSRC) radio communications system last month, which forced four trains to make emergency stops and caused delays of almost an hour, has raised serious alarm bells. On the surface, the incident could appear to be simply a misstep by the stud
DUCKS DEPART: Mitch Marner played a role in all three of Vegas’ first-period goals, with the win handing them a vastly greater challenge against the Avalanche Mitch Marner on Thursday scored a tremendous goal 62 seconds after the opening faceoff, while Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice in the third period as the Vegas Golden Knights cruised into the NHL Western Conference finals with a 5-1 victory over Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of their second round series.Brett
Will Smith on Thursday hit his first career leadoff home run, while pinch-hitter Alex Call had a tiebreaking two-run single in the sixth inning, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants night in their series finale.Smith was in the leadoff spot that usually belongs
The penultimate round of the Serie A campaign promises an intriguing fight for places in next season’s UEFA Champions League, but a fixture scheduling stand-off between the league and local authorities left clubs and supporters in limbo until an agreement was reached.Serie A rules require teams comp
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund on Thursday became an “official tournament supporter” of the FIFA World Cup and reaffirmed its commitment to invest heavily in sports, despite notable retreats from other ventures in the past few months.In announcing the partnership, the kingdom’s public investme
PRISONER EXCHANGE: The two countries exchanged 205 POWs each as part of a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap US President Donald Trump announced last week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy yesterday called for Moscow to be punished after laying red roses at the rubble of a Kyiv apartment building where a Russian missile strike killed 24 people, including three children.Rescue workers ended search operations at the devastated building, which was
‘DEATH TO ARABS’: Far-right Jewish marchers called for Palestinian villages to burn, while 400 volunteers showed up to protect Palestinian residents from political violence Israeli nationalists chanted “death to the Arabs,” “may your villages burn” and “Gaza is a graveyard” in a state-sponsored march through Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of the city’s capture and annexation.The annual assertion of Jewish control over Palestinian East Jerusalem has grown more extrem
A ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was seized and taken toward Iran and another — a cargo ship near Oman — sank after being attacked, authorities said on Thursday, as tensions escalated near the Strait of Hormuz.It was not immediately clear who was behind these incidents, but they ha
Nested in Taiwan’s historical Walled City, a new exhibition invites visitors into the worlds of architect Chan Yi-chung (詹益忠) and illustrator Lin Li (林俐).During his opening remarks, National Taiwan Museum (NTM) Director Chen Teng-chin (陳登欽) said that the exhibition, A Living Museum: Sketches of the
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), alongside their smaller allies the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), are often accused of acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Some go so far as to call them “traitors.”It is not hard to see why. They regularly pass legislation to stymie the normal f
A demanding North Second Section loop links four of Taiwan’s 100 Peaks, testing hikers with washed-out roads, scarce water and rope-assisted climbs through astonishing beautiful alpine terrain The Wuming Cliffs (無明) in Taroko National Park have such a bad reputation that many hikers opt to make two separate trips to summit all the nearby peaks, approaching from either side of the cliffs but never actually going through them. Before the open mountain policy was enacted in 2019, the Park ac
Since 2005, the third Monday in January has come to be known as “Blue Monday.” In other words, that day is believed to be the most depressing day of the year. This concept seems logical at first. After all, Monday marks the start of the school or workweek after two days of rest and fun. Also, blue i
A: Also in May, CTBC Brothers’ Channel B Music Festival will feature K-pop icon Psy, while K-Spark Concert will feature G-Dragon, Tae-yeon and FTIsland.B: In addition to multiple live concerts, Japan’s supergroup Arashi will put on a farewell concert on May 31, while offering a paid online livest
A: In early May, there were concerts by Icyball, Chyi Yu, Korea’s EXO and Japan’s Anisama, but I missed them all. What a shame.B: That’s OK. There are shows coming up by various artists, including Power Station, Accusefive, Japanese singer Mika Nakashima, Chinese-Icelandic jazzer Laufey, and even
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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