Sat, Jun 13, 2026
‘UNWELCOME’: China does not like the development of Taiwan-Eswatini diplomatic ties and cooperation, so it is trying to undermine Taipei’s partnerships, Francois Wu said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said Taiwan-Eswatini relations remain firm, after Eswatini’s prime minister reportedly advocated for switching sides to China.The ministry issued the remarks after Swaziland News reported that Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Dlamini was pushing for diplomati
The “pearl chain” water project is nearing completion, President William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, adding that the initiative linking reservoirs would help secure water supplies for agriculture and semiconductor development.The “pearl chain” project, spearheaded by the
Foreign spies are fitting turtles and fish with sensors to create underwater maps of China’s coastline, Beijing warned yesterday, in apparent reference to its Western competitors.In a social media post titled “Under the deep blue, undercurrents are surging,” the Chinese Ministry of State Security sa
A South Korean court yesterday handed former president Yoon Suk-yeol a 30-year prison sentence for sending drones into North Korea to “manufacture” a crisis ahead of his disastrous martial law bid.The military drone flights two months before Yoon suspended civilian rule in 2024 had sparked anger in
DIVERSITY HAILED: President William Lai’s pick for president of the Control Yuan was described as a key advocate for democracy, social justice and human rights in Taiwan President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday nominated former Taiwan Association for Human Rights chairman Chen Yung-hsing (陳永興) as president of the Control Yuan and Control Yuan member Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋) as the body’s vice president.Lai also named 27 others, including former legislator Liao Wan-ju (廖婉汝
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Half of the proposed funding would be for areas such as medical support, training and the joint development of uncrewed systems The US House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday released its Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal 2027, with the proposed legislation outlaying US$2 billion for Taiwan’s defense.Up to US$1 billion would be earmarked for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative through Se
‘PEARL CHAIN’: A nationwide program to enhance cross-regional water supply resilience is almost complete and would resolve water supply concerns, the president said The semiconductor industry’s need for water, electricity, land and talent would be fully met, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at a groundbreaking ceremony for the semiconductor supply chain zone in the Pingtung section of the Southern Taiwan Science Park.Lai said the ceremony held signifi
Lawmakers yesterday launched the Legislative Yuan Association for the Promotion of International Investment to strengthen Taiwan’s cooperation with allies in technology and trade.The group was announced at a news conference in the legislature, where members said Taiwan could leverage its technologic
Candidates with a deferred prison sentence or who are eligible to commute their term to community service would be able to participate in elections under amendments passed by the legislature yesterday.The amendment jointly proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TP
CLOSED-DOOR MEETING: Attendees were intrigued by Cheng’s China trip and her views on how to build lasting peace across the Strait, Victor Chin said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) discussed Taiwan’s security, defense policy and cross-strait relations with US lawmakers and policy experts during a series of meetings in Washington on Thursday, KMT Representative to the US Victor Chin (秦日新) said.Cheng met with Republic
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday called for the abolition of the Control Yuan, suggesting the opposition caucuses in the Legislative Yuan first reject all nominees to effectively freeze the body’s operations and then seek cross-party consensus to pursue a constitutional amendment to abolis
Somaliland has a right to choose its own relationships, and pressure tactics from Beijing and Mogadishu have not succeeded in altering its friendship with Taipei, its top diplomat in Taiwan said yesterday at the opening of a new office.Strategically situated on the Horn of Africa, Somaliland has enj
Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁) has been placed in detention over his failure to pay NT$170 million (US$5.38 million) in damages to a state-owned company in a land scandal case, a court said yesterday.Wu, 78, reported to Taichung District Court on Thursday vo
REFRESH: The upgrades would fund 34 projects at international ports and 73 projects at domestic ports to increase Taiwan’s competitiveness in trade and tourism, the ministry said The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday unveiled a NT$57.2 billion (US$1.81 billion) plan to upgrade 11 Taiwanese sea ports to boost trade and tourism over the next five years.The international and domestic port commercial management strategy and development plan would invest NT$
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday announced draft regulations requiring olive oil products to be labeled according to their production methods and quality standards, following a series of olive oil adulteration cases.Under the proposal, olive oil products would be categorized into six
PATENT PROBE: US lawmakers called for a ban on imports of chips made by TSMC if they are found to infringe on US patents, with a preliminary ruling expected soon Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday expressed confidence in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) compliance with patent regulations after reports linked the company to a patent infringement lawsuit in the US.US Representative Ryan Zinke, and US senators Tim She
OVERSEAS TARGETS: The National Development Fund and banks would contribute to an initial US$1.38 billion pool to help firms investing overseas, an official said Taiwan has launched a financing guarantee program with an initial US$1.38 billion pool to support companies expanding overseas — particularly into the US — as it seeks to improve supply chain ties amid global realignment and surging artificial intelligence (AI) demand.The National Development Counci
SpaceX was to begin trading on the NASDAQ yesterday after investors poured US$75 billion into the world’s biggest initial public offering (IPO) ever, betting that Elon Musk’s space, communications and artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions can justify a US$1.77 trillion valuation.The landmark listin
The Executive Yuan on Thursday approved draft amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法) that would increase prison sentences and fines for drug-impaired driving and allow courts to impose life sentences on repeat offenders whose actions result in death. The m
Every semester, universities ask students to evaluate their professors. Feedback is an important component of academic quality and accountability. Still, the growing emphasis on student evaluations reflects a broader shift within higher education: the increasing tendency to judge educational success
Controversy surrounding substations is nothing new in Taiwan. Examples range from the substation on Jianguo N Road in Taipei that was designed to look like a commercial office building from the outside, to the closure of a substation at National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU) 30 years ago, to the mo
PROTESTS OUTSIDE: While home fans were enjoying the opening ceremony and win in the Azteca, outside the stadium, protesters were clashing with police Mexico on Thursday beat South Africa 2-0 in a drama-filled opening match of the FIFA World Cup at the Estadio Azteca, launching the biggest-ever edition of the global soccer extravaganza.Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament after nine minutes and 35-year-old striker Raul Jimenez
About 100 people gathered at a bar in Taipei to watch the FIFA World Cup start in Mexico, despite the early hour of 3am yesterday.All seats had been reserved before the game started, said a clerk at the Brass Monkey, a bar in Taipei where customers can watch live sports broadcasts.The Group A clash
It was the tale of Beauty and the Beast that lit up the Estadio Guadalajara on Thursday, with South Korea’s prettier, stylish play triumphing over the Czech Republic’s rugged, route-one tactics in an adrenaline-fueled FIFA World Cup encounter.South Korea were more than worthy of the 2-1 win, showing
Japan captain Wataru Endo on Thursday was ruled out of the FIFA World Cup with injury and announced his international retirement, three days before his team’s opener against the Netherlands.The Liverpool midfielder pulled out of the tournament after failing to recover from a foot injury and was repl
‘UNFRIENDLY ACT’: The Philippines’ foreign affairs department said the sanctions fall within China’s prerogative, although the move further complicates bilateral relations China imposed sanctions on Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, accusing him of making remarks that damaged bilateral ties and raising tensions in a relationship already strained by territorial disputes.The secretary and his immediate family are banned from entering mainland Ch
DOUBLING DOWN: The US president said the deal was approved by Israel, the Gulf states and Iran, suggesting back-channel mediation by allies might have borne fruit Tehran yesterday said it had not reached a final decision on a deal to end the Middle East war, despite US President Donald Trump claiming an agreement could be signed in days and canceling threatened strikes on Iran.Talks with Iran had been “brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and ap
The two burly men stare straight ahead, hands intertwined on a pottery wheel, fingers buried in the clay. They sense each other’s presence through touch alone.One is a veteran who lost his sight in combat and now teaches other blind veterans. Slowly, a piece resembling a cup takes form.The instructo
With all the vitriol and hyperbolic attacks on President William Lai (賴清德), it might be tempting to assume he is a controversial and divisive president. Depending on the poll and the question asked, he is either slightly above water or slightly below, with roughly 45 percent backing him and 45 perce
If a leisurely afternoon of high-end dining and watching the scenery roll by from the comfort of a plush armchair sounds like a good time to you, consider a trip on the Sea Breeze (海風號). This culinary, cultural and scenic experience is the perfect setting for a date, a celebratory outing with a smal
Disclosure Day invites you into its world with a kick to the face. Or maybe it’s a stomp. Whatever it is, this opening sequence, in a garish professional wrestling ring, is bound to wake you up and make you wonder, first, if you’re in the right movie, and second, if Steven Spielberg has lost it.Don’
Nepal’s government announced late last year that it had ended the 11-year “waste deposit scheme” on Mount Everest, admitting it failed to curb the mountain’s growing trash problem. Under the scheme, climbers were required to pay a US$4,000 deposit, which was refundable only if they carried down 8kg
A: Is the Matchmaker God, “Yuexia Laoren” (“Yue Lao”), at the Taipei Xiahai City God Temple that effective? How do people pray for love? Should I tell him my preferred type first?B: Yes, you should. Then request a lucky red string, so he can help you find a match at the other end of the string. Wh
A: The Taipei Xiahai City God Temple’s cultural festival runs from Saturday to early July. Do you want to go?B: In addition to the City God and his wife, the temple worships dozens of deities — including the Matchmaker God,“Yuexia Laoren” (“Yue Lao.”), literally “old man under the moon.” So are yo
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% | |
RSS