Sat, Jul 10, 2021
Tainan is the only city that will conditionally allow dining at restaurants, while other local governments yesterday said that dine-in restrictions would remain in place, despite a relaxation of a nationwide ban announced by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Thursday. Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Keelung, Hsinchu City, and Yilan, Hsinchu and Miaoli counties are not to repeal dine-in bans. Starting on Tuesday, some measures imposed through a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert would be eased, including dine-in restrictions at restaurants, the CECC said, as it extended the alert until at least July 26. However, local governments would be allowed to keep measures in place if needed, the center added. The Taipei City Government yesterday said it would continue to allow only takeouts at restaurants as long as the city is under the level 3 alert. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that all regulation rollbacks must be accompanied by tangible measures and policies. The city’s disease prevention measures also aim to protect the economy and society, Ko said, adding that lifting the ban on dining at restaurants and mask mandates are at the bottom of his priority list. School and campus exercising grounds, Taipei Zoo, the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park and the Taipei Astronomical Museum would remain closed, he said. Public libraries, while remaining closed, would adopt measures to allow people to borrow and return books, for example through cooperation with convenience stores that can serve as drop-off locations for borrowed books, he said. Movie theaters would be allowed to operate at reduced capacity and implement social distancing, he said, adding that moviegoers would have to wear masks at all times, and eating or drinking would not be allowed. Kindergartens are allowed to resume operations only if all employees have been vaccinated, he said, adding that daycare facilities for people with special needs would operate at reduced capacity. Separately,
UNUSUAL GAMES: Spectators were barred from the arrival of the flame, as they will be from competitions held at the Games’ 43 venues in areas deemed high-risk The Olympic flame arrived in Tokyo yesterday with just two weeks until the Olympic Games open, as athletes and fans mourned a “heartbreaking” decision to bar spectators from almost all venues due to COVID-19 concerns. In a taste of what is to come for thousands of athletes who will compete at the pandemic-postponed Games, the public was kept away from the arrival of the flame and a welcoming ceremony was attended only by media and officials. Tokyo is to be under a COVID-19 state of emergency from tomorrow until Aug. 22, putting a further dampener on an already unusual Olympics. The measures, which mostly limit alcohol sales, restaurant opening hours and crowd sizes, come as infections rise in the capital and with authorities concerned about the spread of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. Given the decision, organizers on Thursday said that they would bar spectators from venues in Tokyo and three surrounding areas, where most competition would be held. It is a reversal from a decision last month to limit the number of spectators at either 10,000 or 50 percent of venue capacity, whichever is smaller. Arrangements on how to deal with the already sold tickets would be decided later, the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee said. The organizers “decided to take a stricter approach than other sporting events because the popularity of the Olympics would mean there will be more flow of people,” Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee chief executive Toshiro Muto said at a news briefing. More than half of the Games’ 43 venues, including the National Stadium with a capacity of 68,000, which is set to host the opening ceremony on July 23, are in Tokyo. Organizers had over the past month said that a no-spectator scenario was possible, following an announcement in March that fans from overseas would not be allowed to attend the
It is likely that the military’s Hsiung Feng III (“Brave Wind,” HF-3) missile would be upgraded with military-grade GPS technology, which would greatly increase its precision strike capabilities, military source said yesterday on condition of anonymity. The HF-3 supersonic anti-surface missile is the main missile used by Taiwanese military ships and coastal batteries, they said. The missile’s effective range is about 150km, while an augmented version of the HF-3 with an effective range of 250km to 400km is rumored to have passed combat trials, the source said. The deployed missiles use commercial GPS technology, which is less accurate than military-grade GPS, they said. The military has neither confirmed nor denied rumors that the augmented HF-3 is being produced in small numbers, they added. The US government is to sell Taiwan General Atomics MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones and coastal Harpoon missile batteries, which both have military-grade GPS, and it is likely that the HF-3 would also be upgraded with the technology, they said. The sale includes 4 MQ-9B drones with two mobile and two stationary ground control stations, and 14 Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigations System receivers with Selective Availability Anti-spoofing Modules, 12 of which would be installed on the drones. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) last year asked then-defense minister Yen De-fa (嚴得發) whether the MQ-9Bs and the Harpoon systems would be equipped with military-grade GPS, and whether the equipment would be compatible with the US military’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) system. Yen affirmed the questions and said that Taiwan was seeking to integrate with the C4ISR system.
At least 17 suspects have been detained in connection with the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise on Wednesday, including two who are believed to have dual US-Haitian citizenship and at least six former Colombian military members, authorities said on Thursday. Haitian National Police Director Leon Charles said that 15 of the detainees were Colombians. Eight more suspects were being sought and three others were killed by police, Charles said. “We are going to bring them to justice,” he told a news conference with the 17 handcuffed suspects sitting on the floor. Seperately in Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Haitian police on Thursday detained 11 armed suspects apparently connected with the case while they were trying to breach the Taiwanese embassy in Port-au-Prince. Police were alerted by the embassy’s security guards, it said, adding that some doors and windows at the embassy were broken during the arrest. The Colombian government said it had been asked about six of the suspects, including two of those killed, and had determined that they were retired members of its military. Bogota did not release their identities. Colombian National Police Director Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia said that Colombian President Ivan Duque had ordered the high command of the country’s military and police to cooperate in the investigation. “A team was formed with the best investigators... They are going to send dates, flight times, financial information that is already being collected to be sent to Port-au-Prince,” Vargas said. The US Department of State said it was aware of reports that Haitian-Americans were in custody, but could not confirm or comment. They were identified by Haitian officials as James Solages and Joseph Vincent. Solages, 35, is the youngest of the suspects, while the oldest is 55, according to a document shared by Mathias Pierre, the
SANCTIONED ACTIVITIES: Officials said libraries would open, some exercise activities would be allowed at schools and film crews could work, with some provisos The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday extended a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert to July 26, although some measures are to be relaxed on Tuesday next week. The alert was first issued on May 15 in Taipei and New Taipei City, before being expanded nationwide four days later. It was to expire on Monday next week, but was extended for a fourth time yesterday. The nation is “very close” to having indicators fall below the criteria for a level 3 alert, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, told a daily news briefing in Taipei. According to CECC guidelines, a level 3 COVID-19 alert is activated when there have been more than three community clusters in a single week, or more than 10 domestic cases with unknown sources of infection in a single day. “We think we should still be cautious,” Chen said. Although the alert would remain in effect, restrictions are to be eased moderately and on a conditional basis, he said. Local governments are to be allowed to make adjustments, he said. Prohibitions on wedding banquets and public funerals would remain, said Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), the CECC’s deputy head. Religious sites can apply with local authorities to reopen, as long as they cap attendance at 99 people and follow ministry guidelines, Chen Tsung-yen said. Other religious activities, including Ghost Festival celebrations, remain suspended, he said. National parks would enforce crowd controls and operate at 40 percent capacity, calculated based on the number of parking spaces, he said. Mountain lodges and protected areas in national parks, as well as beaches within the jurisdiction of Kenting National Park, would remain closed to the public, he said. Public libraries are to be allowed to lend books at a single counter, although members of the public would generally not be permitted inside, Deputy
DINING IN: Restaurants can provide dine-in services for individuals if panels or other measures are used for social distancing, the Food and Drug Administration said In line with the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) partial easing of COVID-19 curbs yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) released guidelines for restaurants, the tourism sector and national scenic areas. A level 3 COVID-19 alert, which was applied nationwide on May 19, has been extended until July 26, but some disease control measures can be eased, the center said yesterday. From Tuesday next week, restaurants can provide dine-in services for individual customers if panels or other measures are used for social distancing, the FDA said, adding that tables should be 1.5m apart and customers given a maximum of one hour to eat. As service is to be limited to individuals, group meals should be divided into individual portions before serving, it said. Restaurants offering alcoholic drinks would have restricted hours, it added. Bar seating should be cordoned off and dividers must be in place at all tables, the FDA said, adding that restaurant staff must ensure that customers are not seated directly next to each other. If an establishment has been frequented by individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, it must close down for at least three days, disinfecting the premises twice daily, the FDA said. The restaurant cannot provide dine-in services until 11 days after reopening, it added. Traditional and night markets should increases measures to limit the flow of people entering and leaving, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-chyi (陳正祺) said, adding that stalls should promote contactless payment methods to decrease the risk of spreading infection. Dining areas at night markets would also need to separate tables by 1.5m and use dividers, he added. Eating while walking is prohibited under the level 3 pandemic alert, and all foodstuffs should be prepared and handled by stall owners, he said. Chen called on local governments to use these policy points
FINANCIAL SUPPORT: With companies recalling workers while schools remain closed, paid leave can help parents who need to take care of their children, the NPP said The New Power Party (NPP) yesterday proposed mandating paid childcare leave to help people take care of their families as the government announced an extension of a nationwide COVID-19 level 3 alert. The Central Epidemic Command Center on Thursday announced that the level 3 alert would be extended to July 26, but that regulations would be eased for some activities and venues, including restaurants, cinemas, museums and exhibition halls. Given Taiwan’s low vaccination coverage, the government must be more cautious and issue clearer guidelines on the relaxation of disease prevention measures to prevent community spread, NPP Chairwoman Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) told an online news conference. Many companies have asked their workers to go back to work as the local outbreak eased, and this trend would only increase with the relaxation of COVID-19 curbs next week, NPP spokesman Chang Wei-hang said. However, as schools remain closed, parents are faced with the problem of who would take care of their children when they return to work, Chang said. Keeping schools and childcare centers closed while movie theaters and other entertainment venues reopen is confusing and illogical, he said. The government must find a way to safely reopen childcare centers and schools, or give workers paid “disease prevention childcare leave” and subsidies until the outbreak is under control, he said. “Parents should not be forced to choose between taking care of their children while going without pay or exposing them to risks of community spread,” he said. The NPP also proposed creating a standard system that proves a person has been vaccinated or has tested negative for COVID-19. Such proof is required for people taking part in indoor events with more than 5,000 attendees in the US or dining in a restaurant in Germany, while France uses a QR-code-based health passport, NPP think tank executive director Lee Chao-li
People with different levels of disabilities are at a high risk of being infected with COVID-19, but they have been left out of the priority list for vaccination, advocates said yesterday, urging health authorities to do something about it. Taiwan has more than 1.2 million people with physical or mental disabilities, but most of them are not eligible for a COVID-19 jab under groups 5 and 9 of the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) vaccine priority list, Lin Chin-hsing (林進興), chairman of the Taoyuan-based Spinal Cord Injury Development Center, told an online news conference organized by Taiwan People’s Party legislators Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) and Ann Kao (高虹安). Group 5 refers to residents and caregivers at long-term care facilities or disability service centers, while Group 9 covers people aged 19 to 64 who are seriously injured, have a rare disease or at high risk of contracting a serious illness. “Right now most people with physical or mental disabilities are not included in these [two groups], and they have to wait for their age group to get inoculated. They are at a high risk of infection, but many still have to go out to work, so they are tormented by the current situation,” Lin said. Spinal Cord Injury Federation chairman Chen Shan-hsiu (陳善修) said he had sent the Ministry of Health and Welfare a letter on June 22 asking for people with serious disabilities who need home care, as well as their primary caregiver and family members, to be included in the priority list. “However, we have yet to receive a response,” he said. “We are in dire need of protection, but we are being ignored by the central authorities.” Questioning the criteria for inclusion on the priority list, the League for Persons with Disabilities, ROC-Taiwan, chairman Liu Ching-chung (劉金鐘) asked if fundamental human rights and the International
Workers who lost at least one-fifth of their income due to the COVID-19 outbreak can apply for a one-time subsidy of NT$10,000, the Ministry of Labor said on Thursday. The program, which launches on Monday, allows people with insured monthly salaries of NT$24,000 to NT$34,800 (US$855 to US$1,168) to apply for the subsidy if their income dropped by at least 20 percent either in May or last month, said Huang Wei-chen (黃維琛), director of the ministry’s Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment. The upper range is roughly in line with the nation’s average insured monthly salary of NT$34,385 as of April, he said. People whose income dropped because they took “disease prevention childcare leave” or because they were in quarantine would also be eligible to apply, he said. Workers in sectors hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, such as the restaurant and hotel industries, who earn about NT$30,000 per month would have seen their pay drop below the NT$24,000 minimum wage, Huang added. The ministry has set up a Web site for people to apply for the subsidies. The site will begin accepting applications on Monday for those whose income was affected in May, and on July 23 for those whose income was affected last month. Applicants will be asked to upload documents — such as paychecks, bank transfer records or proof from their employer — showing the decrease in their income, and if there are no issues, they will receive the payment within three days, Huang said. The ministry estimates that about 800,000 people would qualify for the benefits, and has allocated an initial sum of NT$8 billion to pay for the program, he added. In related news, data released on Thursday by the ministry showed the number of workers on unpaid leave rose over the past week to 21,133, the highest
From Thursday next week, the government is to pay the families of people who died of COVID-19 a NT$100,000 “funeral and condolence subsidy,” the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday. As of yesterday, 730 people had died of COVID-19 in Taiwan, official data showed. The spouse of the deceased would have priority in receiving the subsidy, followed by any children, grandchildren, parents, siblings and grandparents, ministry official Su Chao-ju (蘇昭如) said. Foreign nationals are also eligible for the subsidy, the ministry said. People who are eligible for the payment would receive a notice from the ministry, but would still have to apply for the funds, Su said. After an application is approved, the money would be wired to the applicant’s designated bank account or a NT$100,000 bill of exchange would be mailed to the applicant, Su added. People who have received a similar benefit from a local government can still claim the state subsidy, which would be drawn from the Cabinet’s COVID-19 relief package, Su said. A person can claim more than one subsidy if there are two or more people in their family who died of COVID-19, Su said. The funds are intended to show that “the government is with them during this difficult period,” Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said last month.
VULNERABLE: Four Asian nations want their citizens protected while working in Taiwan, as local vaccine developers get ready for emergency authorization Four Southeast Asian countries have made a joint appeal for migrant workers in Taiwan to be added to the priority list for vaccinations against COVID-19, a statement obtained by Central News Agency (CNA) on Thursday showed. The statement, signed by the representative offices of Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, said their countries account for 99.8 percent of the migrant workforce in Taiwan. “We have been facing the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year now and recent events have brought our concern on the vulnerability of our migrant workforce,” the four representative offices in Taipei said in the statement, which CNA learned was submitted last month to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The offices said that cooperation in addressing the health and safety of migrant workers from the four Southeast Asian countries is important, as the vulnerability of those workers could affect the health and social welfare of the wider Taiwan population. “We jointly urge the relevant authorities to consider prioritizing migrant workers in its vaccination program, while also recognizing that vaccines given must meet international standards and [be] administered on a voluntary basis,” the statement said. The offices added that they hoped Taiwanese authorities would give priority to improving the living conditions of migrant workers, with particular attention to cramped spaces. “At the very least,” meaningful discussions should take place among all parties concerned to counter the impact of COVID-19, the statement said. Migrant blue-collar workers are not included on the Central Epidemic Command Center’s 10-category priority list for COVID-19 vaccination, which gives precedence to elderly people, frontline healthcare workers and people in other high-risk jobs. Last month, media reports said the Industrial Development Bureau had asked companies in the industrial parks to provide lists of workers who wished to receive locally developed COVID-19 vaccines. Amid accusations from the
‘UNPRECEDENTED POLITICAL VIOLENCE’: Nearly every aspect of Hong Kong has been affected by the security law, from media to the arts and academia, the report said Hong Kong’s National Security Law has had a “chilling effect” on the territory in the year since its passage, with more than 60 percent of Hong Kongers expressing doubts about their future, the Mainland Affairs Council said on Tuesday. The broad rules have left few segments of Hong Kong society untouched since becoming law in June last year, the council said in a report marking the 24th anniversary of the territory’s handover to China. The US-based Freedom House in March gave Hong Kong the worst rating in the history of its Freedom in the World report at 52 points, ranking “partly free,” due mainly to the security legislation, the report said. Germany’s Global Public Policy Institute and Reporters Without Borders similarly downgraded the territory in their respective reports on academic and press freedom, it added. Although relatively few people have been arrested under the security legislation, the scope of those prosecuted for speech from prior to the law’s passage — from politicians to academics and journalists — has produced a “chilling effect,” the council’s report said. The press especially is facing “unprecedented political violence,” including with the redefinition of “media representative” to only recognize workers of media outlets registered with the government, it said. Next Digital has emerged as a victim of the security legislation, as police have used it to prosecute owner Jimmy Lai (黎智英) and Apple Daily executives, it said. The closure of the Apple Daily on June 25, shortly after the government froze its assets, has “sounded a death knell for press freedom in Hong Kong,” it said. Many news firms have chosen to stay silent, leading to the closure or removal of content from online publications such as Stand News, Winandmac Media and Post 852, the council said in the report. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of academics critical of Beijing have been dismissed or forced out
‘PIONEERING SEEDS’: Taiwanese students at a school in China’s Fujian Province must swear an oath to the CCP and study Xi’s teachings, an NCKU professor said Beijing is training Taiwanese at Minnan Normal University to assist its “united front” efforts in Taiwan, a China researcher said on Tuesday. The school in Zhangzhou, in China’s Fujian Province, had already trained nearly 300 Taiwanese as of last month, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) professor Hung Ching-fu (洪敬富) said. Taiwanese graduating from the program would be expected to return to Taiwan as “pioneering seeds of China’s united front” efforts, he said, adding that the government should be on guard. From September last year to last month, China held six semesters of the training program, he said, adding that it ramped up enrollment efforts this year to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Students in the program are required to pledge an oath of allegiance to the CCP, and must study Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) teachings on “socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era,” he said. “They are also taught about the CCP’s policies toward Taiwan and told they are to shoulder the responsibility of helping ‘the motherland unify peacefully,’” Hung said. “They are told this should be the greatest ambition of their lifetime.” The CCP has also been trying to appeal to Taiwanese by offering educational programs in Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese), and by telling them that “people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family” and that “blood is thicker than water,” he said. “The program emphasizes the similarities of Taiwan’s Hoklo culture with that of China’s Fujian Province, and teaches students that China’s economy can benefit Taiwan,” he said. “It also covers plans for implementing China’s ‘one country, two systems’ framework in Taiwan.” The CCP hopes that if any of the graduates obtain influential roles in Taiwan, they can use that influence to advance China-friendly policies, he said. “Basically the CCP is trying
Eleven suspects were arrested after a group of armed attackers broke into Taiwan’s embassy in Haiti, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, adding that it was unclear if the suspects were also involved in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Interim Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph on Wednesday confirmed that Moise, 53, had been assassinated at his residence that morning, while his wife, Martine Moise, was wounded. MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said yesterday that the embassy, about 2km from Moise’s residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, was closed “for safety reasons” after the murder. Embassy staff have been working from home since Wednesday and the office has suspended public services, Ou said. Early on Thursday morning, embassy security personnel discovered an armed group of people breaking through the embassy’s security perimeter and entering the courtyard, she said, adding that security immediately notified embassy staff and the Haitian police. The embassy agreed to let police enter the embassy to conduct a search, which started at about 4pm on Thursday, with the police arresting the suspects, she said. “As for whether the suspects were involved in the assassination of the president of Haiti, that will need to be investigated by the Haitian police,” Ou said. Some doors and windows had been broken at the embassy, but no other property had been stolen or damaged, she said. The ministry has asked the embassy to bolster security, Ou said. Haiti is one of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies. The government reiterated its support for Joseph in leading Haiti to overcome this crisis and restore order, Ou said, adding that Taiwan strongly condemns the “cruel and barbaric” assassination. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday said that the nation stands together with its ally in this difficult time. Additional reporting by AFP and AP
Outgoing American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Brent Christensen bade farewell to Taiwan yesterday in an open letter, saying he will never forget the ways Taiwan has touched him personally. “I will remember all the ways big and small that you, the people of Taiwan, touched my life and the lives of my family, and for that, I thank you,” he wrote in the letter published on the AIT Web site. “I may be leaving Taiwan, but Taiwan will never leave me.” Christensen took up the post in August 2018 and is to leave Taiwan this month, although the AIT has not said specifically when he will depart. Christensen said he is leaving the AIT with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that the Taiwan-US partnership is deeper and stronger than ever, and is immensely proud of his “small role in getting us there.” Among the high points during Christensen’s tenure were the US donation of 2.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, the relaxation of restrictions for US government officials’ interaction with their Taiwanese counterparts, the regularization of arms sales to Taiwan, the signing of a coast guard cooperation deal and the resumption of high-level trade talks. He lauded Taiwan’s dynamism, consistency, progress, innovation and tradition. For the US, Taiwan exemplifies the intersection of shared interests and shared values, which include freedom, diversity, equality and transparency, he said. In the letter, Christensen also looked back, saying Taiwan was the first foreign destination he visited when he left his hometown at age 19. “Taiwan represented both disorienting foreignness and unexpected opportunity, as I tried new food and learned to navigate my way through streets crowded with bicycles and scooters,” he said. The de facto US ambassador to Taiwan has served in the nation three times, the first as a consular officer in 1989. His second assignment was as the AIT’s deputy director
Q3 CONTINUATION? The memorychip maker’s president said prices might keep rising in the third quarter, although increases might be pared back from last quarter DRAM chipmaker Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技) yesterday posted its highest quarterly net profit in about two-and-a-half years as strong demand and an improved product lineup boosted prices by 30 percent. Net profit swelled to NT$6.16 billion (US$219.33 million) in the three-month period to last month from NT$2.7 billion in the first quarter, the highest since the fourth quarter of 2018. On an annual basis, net profit soared 91.3 percent from NT$3.22 billion. Earnings per share rose to NT$2 from NT$0.88 a quarter earlier and NT$1.05 in the second quarter last year. The growth momentum gave Nanya Technology an optimistic view of the second half of this year. “There is a good chance to see a further price upticks in the third quarter,” Nanya Technology president Lee Pei-ing (李培瑛) told a media briefing, although he added that the price increases might be less drastic than last quarter. Last quarter’s price hikes were driven by strong demand for less-advanced DDR3 DRAM chips due to short supply, Lee said. DDR3 made up about half of Nanya Technology’s overall shipments last quarter, higher than the 30 to 40 percent it estimated in April. This quarter, price hikes for DDR4 chips are expected to catch up to DDR3, he said. Gross margin is likely to surpass last quarter’s 42.3 percent, Lee said. Last quarter’s gross margin was the highest in 11 quarters, up from 29.1 percent in the first quarter and 30.6 percent from the second quarter last year. Shipments this quarter might be flat or slide slightly from last quarter, as Nanya Technology is utilizing all of its capacity, Lee said. The memorychip maker’s forecast is based on expected improvements in the global economy as the COVID-19 pandemic eases. Nanya Technology expects DRAM demand to keep pace with global economic growth, Lee said. Demand for servers, computers for enterprises, consumer electronics such as TVs, wearable devices and high-end
‘REACHING OUT’: The firm’s CEO said that Acer’s strong laptop business had not kept it from chasing other business engines, including listings and acquisitions Supply of laptops has outstripped demand since March last year, with no end in sight, PC vendor Acer Inc (宏碁) said yesterday, adding that it is creating a more diverse businesses portfolio to boost revenue. “E-learning and work-from-home trends have created demand for our laptops, but that has not stopped us from pursuing multiple business engines,” Acer chief executive officer Jason Chen (陳俊聖) said. “We have moved beyond our core product portfolio of personal computers and monitors into services and data security,” Chen said. “We have brought four subsidiaries to the stock market and purchased two companies.” “A well-managed company is constantly reaching out to new markets,” he said. Acer shareholders yesterday approved a cash dividend distribution of NT$1.5 per common share, representing a payout ratio of 75 percent based on the company’s earnings per share of NT$2 last year. Acer reported revenue of NT$30.02 billion (US$1.07 billion) last month, the highest in seven years, up 16.9 percent year-on-year and 21 percent month-on-month. For the first half of the year, consolidated revenue was NT$151.33 billion, up 32.2 percent year-on-year. Revenue highlights last month included its gaming products, which grew 35.7 percent year-on-year, and Chromebooks, which rose 41.8 percent year-on-year, company data showed. All of Acer’s listed subsidiaries have reported year-on-year revenue growth for the second quarter, the company said. Revenue at Highpoint Service Network (海伯特) grew 9.1 percent year-on-year, Altos computing (安圖斯科技) grew 24.9 percent, Acer ITS, which makes smart parking meters and e-transaction solutions, rose 32.2 percent and Acer Gadget Inc (倚天酷碁) increased 21.4 percent, Acer Inc said.
The four major subsidiaries of Formosa Plastics Group (台塑集團), Taiwan’s largest industrial conglomerate, yesterday posted combined profit of NT$69.26 billion (US$2.47 billion) for last quarter, up 9.2 percent quarter-on-quarter in stark contrast to last year, when the group was NT$6.02 billion in the red. The growth was led by Formosa Plastics Corp (台塑), the group’s oil refining subsidiary, which reported net profit of NT$20.23 billion, or earnings per share (EPS) of NT$3.18. Revenue was NT$71.6 billion, up 18.2 percent quarter-on-quarter, a Formosa Plastics filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange showed. For the first half of this year, revenue was NT$132.2 billion, up 55.6 percent. Net profit was NT$35.19 billion, or EPS of NT$5.53. Revenue and profit were first-half records. The growth at Formosa Plastics was credited to a recovering world economy and climbing prices of petroleum products. Unlike last year, when petroleum demand was ravaged by lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, prices were high for the first half of this year due to strong demand, petrochemical plants in Texas temporarily shuttering amid snowstorms, other supply disruptions and rising prices for crude oil. Nan Ya Plastics Corp (南亞塑膠) also had a good quarter, with net profit of NT$23.04 billion, up 30.5 percent quarter-on-quarter, or EPS of NT$2.9. Cumulative first-half profit was NT$40.69 billion, or EPS of NT$5.13. Nan Ya Plastics said that demand for computer and other tech products, especially materials to make electronic components, was behind the leap in revenue. Formosa Chemical & Fibre Corp (台灣化纖), which makes integrated plastic and nylon products, posted profit of NT$12.39 billion, sliding 3.8 percent quarter-on-quarter, or EPS of NT$2.12. However, revenue was NT$95.88 billion, up 13.9 percent quarter-on-quarter. For the first half, profit was NT$25.26 billion, or EPS of NT$4.32. Revenue for the first half was NT$180.03 billion, up 49.5 percent from a year earlier. Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) booked second-quarter profit of 13.6 billion, down 24
A China researcher on Sunday called on the government to pursue joint rescue drills with Japan, citing increasing support for Taiwan among high-level Japanese officials. Japan this week engaged in joint rescue and humanitarian drills with the Philippine military in northern Luzon Island. Taiwan’s participation in such drills would be possible, as they are aimed at improving humanitarian missions, rather than offensive capabilities, the researcher said, adding that branches of the military could participate on a rotational basis. Such drills are more likely now than ever before, given support in Japan for Taiwan’s defense. Japanese Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi and Japanese State Minister of Defense Yasuhide Nakayama have spoken about the importance of defending Taiwan against military aggression. During a political fundraising event in Tokyo on Monday, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said that Japan and the US would need to defend Taiwan together in the event of a “major problem,” Bloomberg cited Kyodo News as saying. Japanese officials are rightly concerned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would present an existential threat to Japan. Tokyo and Beijing have clashed numerous times over the contested Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), which Japan administers as the Senkaku Islands. If China were to take Taiwan, there is no question that it would take the Diaoyutais next, and emboldened by success there, it would likely have ambitions for Okinawa — if for no other reason than to push the US out of its military base there. Control of Taiwan would also mean China would have control over the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) and Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島), effectively extending its control throughout the South China Sea. Such a scenario would give China control over passages through the important shipping lanes of the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. China would like the world to believe
The period from 2003 to 2007 marked an unprecedented change in the People’s Republic of China with the dawn of what came to be known as the rights protection movement. This shift was precipitated by the Sun Zhigang (孫志剛) incident, when a college graduate from Wuhan was arbitrarily arrested, detained and murdered for not having documents to prove his right to work in Guangzhou. This led to a public outcry and, surprisingly, resulted in the urban repatriation law being scrapped the following month. Yu Jiang (俞江) — one of three legal scholars, along with Teng Biao (滕彪) and Xu Zhiyong (許志永), who petitioned the National People’s Congress Standing Committee to revise this inhumane legislation — said in a 2013 interview that “an important legacy of the incident was the rise in ordinary people’s awareness of their rights over the past 10 years.” Despite the reformist hope for more substantive change, the tide began to shift when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) quashed the March 2008 Tibetan uprising in the lead-up to the Beijing Summer Olympics in August that year. Perhaps more significantly, several months after the Olympics, prominent writer Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波), together with more than 300 Chinese intellectuals and activists, published the historic Charter 08, which demanded an end to one-party rule, and the adoption of human rights protections and meaningful democratic reforms. Although not as high-profile or widely covered by international media, a number of Chinese intellectuals such as Li Shenzhi (李慎之), Mao Yushi (茅於軾) and even former Chinese president Mao Zedong’s (毛澤東) personal secretary Li Rui (李銳) had publicly called for democratic reforms a decade earlier in 1998. While former Chinese president Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) cracked down on Internet-based dissent in China after coming to power in 2002, a systematic purge of these reformist elements, with zero
Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 3.9 billion people around the world have been forced to stay at home, and this has had a clear side effect: an increase in domestic violence. In some countries, the number of abused women seeking help has doubled, and medical workers and police officers are having problems keeping up with the increase. Since the government raised the COVID-19 alert to level 3 in May, emotional and other daily pressures have surged, causing high stress at home. Ministry of Health and Welfare data show that reports of domestic violence rose by 15 percent compared with the same period last year. The repeated extension of the level 3 alert makes the situation even more difficult for people exposed to domestic violence. All schools and childcare centers have been closed, while community care centers have suspended services as well. Based on traditional labor distribution by gender, the task of taking care of children and families mostly falls on women, who are trapped between family duties and their jobs. Without support, it is difficult for many working women to catch their breath while they worry about losing their jobs, as various unfavorable factors interact to cause intense family conflicts. Also, abused women must often spend all day at home in small spaces with their partners, and are exposed to a high-risk, tightly controlled environment. That makes it more difficult for them to contact the outside world or use the phone to call social workers. Although local shelters for abused women have continued to operate, the number of beds have been reduced due to social distancing. In Taipei shelters, abused women must pay for a COVID-19 test, and can only check in if they present a negative test issued within the past three days. This can deter poor and underprivileged women
IN DREAMLAND: The Czech is confident that she can spring a surprise against the world No. 1 and show her potential has not gone unfulfilled Karolina Pliskova on Thursday said that she exceeded her own expectations by reaching her maiden Wimbledon final by beating Aryna Sabalenka, but anything could happen when she faces world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty today. The 29-year-old former top-ranked player battled back from a set down to second seed Sabalanka to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, the first time in 10 years a player has done so in the women’s semi-finals at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. It was a battle of tall big-hitters as the pair racked up 32 aces between them in a tight contest, smashing a Wimbledon record held by Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka from 2012 when they hit a combined 25 aces. In the end, Czech eighth seed Pliskova kept her cool to record her first win over the 23-year-old Belarusian and reach her first Grand Slam final since the 2016 US Open. “I think I’m still half like I can’t believe it, because somehow coming into this tournament the dream was to make the second week, of course, because I was not in the second week for a while,” Pliskova told a news conference. “Never I thought about maybe going into the final. [Coach] Sascha [Bajin] was super confident in me. He said: ‘I told you you were going to make the final,’” she said. “I knew it was going to be like super close because we both serve big, so I knew there were going to be many small chances, especially after losing the first set, I thought it was going to be super tough to win this match.” “Then to win two sets in a row with the way she was serving today, I think she was serving incredible, all my chances she just put amazing serves in,” she added. Standing in Pliskova’s way of achieving a first
Saqib Mahmood on Thursday reflected on an “out of the blue” England recall after a whirlwind 48 hours for the Lancashire fast bowler ended with him named Player of the Match following an emphatic victory over Pakistan in the first one-day international in Cardiff, Wales. Mahmood had not played international cricket since September last year, but a COVID-19 outbreak forced England into hastily naming an entirely new squad for the three-match series with Pakistan and he responded with 4-42 in a commanding nine-wicket win. The 24-year-old enjoyed a fairy-tale start, trapping Imam-ul-Haq leg before wicket with the first ball of the game and, two deliveries later, dismissing Pakistan captain and star batsman Babar Azam for another duck. Pakistan never recovered and were bowled out for just 141 with more than 14 overs to spare in their innings. England’s “C team” then cruised to victory on the back of unbeaten half-centuries from Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley — one of five players in the world champions’ makeshift team making a one-day international debut. “I got the call on Tuesday, it was completely out of the blue,” Mahmood told reporters. “I woke up with a missed call off Spoons [England head coach Chris Silverwood] and a message saying: ‘Text me when you see this.’ I started the morning in Manchester and ended up in Cardiff. I guess the fact it all happened so quickly and there was less time to train was better than obsessing over your skills a little bit.” Stand-in England captain Ben Stokes, himself rushed back from a finger operation to lead the side, had urged one of the more unlikely England teams to believe in their own abilities — a point that resonated strongly with Mahmood. “The message we’ve had was something Stokesy reiterated last night after training, that, yes, it is weird circumstances, but
Devin Booker on Thursday scored 31 points, while Chris Paul added 23 to spark Phoenix over Milwaukee 118-108 and give the Suns a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. Phoenix’s Mikal Bridges scored a playoff career-high 27 points for the Suns, who seized a 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Milwaukee tomorrow for Game 3. “It’s a 0-0 mindset for us,” Booker said. “It’s a Game 7 mentality for us. Every game is a Game 7 for us. It gets rowdy up there, but we’ll be ready for it.” Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points and added 12 rebounds, but the Bucks could not offer the 26-year-old Greek forward enough support as they went down 0-2, the same deficit they overcame to beat the Brooklyn Nets in the second round. “We’ve just got to keep staying aggressive,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve been here before. We know what the deal is. We’ve got to enjoy the game. It’s hard when we’re losing, but we’re going to figure it out.” The Suns are seeking their first NBA crown, while the Bucks are trying to capture their first title in 50 years. “We’ve got to just keep making it tough on them,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ve got to look at the film and keep working to get better against this group.” Booker delivered his eighth 30-point game of the playoffs, while Paul, in his first NBA Finals at 36, added eight assists. Deandre Ayton added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, while Jae Crowder had 11 points and 10 rebounds, but the surprise effort came from Bridges, who hit eight of 15 from the floor and eight of eight from the free-throw line. “We need that,” Booker said. “It takes a lot of pressure off everybody once we get it going on the offensive end.” Phoenix
Rarely in the spotlight, Nils Politt on Thursday struggled to believe victory was his when it finally came at the Tour de France. After dropping his last remaining rivals on the road leading to Nimes in southern France, the German rider hit his helmet several times and shook his head as if to say: “I can’t believe it.” After the strange feeling sank in, with the finish in sight, Politt made a big heart sign with his hands and crossed the line on his own to post only the second stage win of his professional career. Politt was part of a larger group that jumped out of the peloton in the early stages of the windy 159.4km stage 12 between Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux and Nimes. The German rider from the Bora-Hansgrohe team had attacked with three other rivals from the 13-man breakaway about 40km from the finish. He then went solo with 12km left with a sudden acceleration that was left unanswered. “There were quite a lot of sprinters in our group, so I had to make the race hard and attack quite early,” Politt said. “I made [the] first attack. I gave everything. To finish solo is unbelievable.” Imanol Erviti and Harry Sweeny finished second and third respectively, 31 seconds behind. A one-day classic specialist, 27-year-old Politt has posted many honorable results at prestigious events in the past, including a runner-up finish at Paris-Roubaix two years ago, but despite his combative skills, Politt had never tasted victory on the biggest stage. “Winning a Tour stage is a dream, it’s really the best moment of my career,” he said through a translator. “It’s my second win, but here it’s different.” Politt’s victory brought comfort to his team just hours after leader Peter Sagan withdrew from the race before the start of the stage due to a knee injury. Race leader Tadej Pogacar
STAYING IN: Ho Chi Minh City residents for the next two weeks are only to be allowed to leave home to buy food, medicine and in case of emergencies Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City yesterday began a two-week lockdown in the hope of containing the nation’s worst COVID-19 outbreak. The city of 9 million had previously been subjected to travel restrictions for one month, but infection rates were steadily rising — with more than 9,400 cases registered. Before the outbreak began in late April, Vietnam had recorded fewer than 3,000 cases nationwide. Vietnamese authorities are not using the term lockdown, but are calling the measures “social isolation orders.” Ho Chi Minh City residents are barred from gathering in groups larger than pairs in public, and people are only allowed to leave home to buy food, medicine and in case of emergencies. Police have set up checkpoints at city borders and only those with negative test results can get in. Airlines can carry a maximum of 1,700 passengers to the capital Hanoi per day, aviation authorities said, while trains between Vietnam’s two major destinations have been suspended. “Our busy city has become extremely quiet,” said Tran Phuong, a resident of the city. “I am anxious that these strict measures cannot help because the virus is now deep across the community.” Vietnam had once been hailed as a model for virus containment as a result of extensive contact tracing and strict quarantine regulations. All close contacts of virus patients have been put in state-controlled quarantine facilities. Ho Chi Minh City was the first to adjust the strict policy, allowing close contacts to home quarantine because state-run isolation centers are overrun. Earlier, state media reported more than 80 inmates and guards had tested positive for COVID-19 at the city’s Chi Hoa jail. Gunshots rang out from inside the prison on Tuesday, but it remains unclear what happened. Vietnam is juggling its desire to contain the virus with its economic growth goals. The nation has been among the best performing economies in Asia, reporting strong growth
Fiji has announced plans to make the COVID-19 vaccine compulsory for all workers as it battles a runaway outbreak of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, with Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama issuing a blunt message: “No jabs, no job.” Bainimarama said all public servants in the South Pacific nation of 930,000 must go on leave if they have not had their first vaccine dose by Aug. 15 and would be dismissed if they did not receive their second by Nov. 1. Private-sector employees must have their first jab by Aug. 1, with individuals facing hefty fines if they fail to comply and companies threatened with being shut down. “No jabs, no job — that is what the science tells us is safest, and that is now the policy of the government and enforced through law,” Bainimarama said in a national address late on Thursday. The hardline policy comes amid government frustration at the widespread flouting of disease prevention measures, such as social distancing and wearing masks, blamed in part for a huge spike in infections. Until April, Fiji had recorded no community cases for a year, but a quarantine breach saw the highly contagious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, first detected in India, rapidly gain a foothold, with the nation now recording 700-plus new cases a day. The health system has been stretched to breaking point, with the nation’s largest hospital in Suva this week saying that its mortuary was at capacity and urging the families of virus victims to collect their loved ones. Bainimarama has resisted calls to lock down the entire nation, citing the economic cost and the practicalities of enforcing such a move in densely populated squatter settlements. “A hard lockdown, as some are calling for, cannot be strictly enforced everywhere in Fiji and our experts tell us it would not kill off the virus, but
South Korea is raising social distancing in Seoul to its highest level, banning gatherings of three or more people after 6pm and ordering nighttime entertainment businesses to close, as the capital is at the center of a surge in COVID-19 cases. The nation is moving social distancing regulations to the level of 4 for Seoul, where the majority of new cases have emerged, with sporadic outbreaks at restaurants, bars and shopping malls. The latest surge is a setback for a nation that has been lauded as a model for containing the pandemic without imposing a lockdown. The measures to be imposed for Seoul would be the strictest since the South Korean government restricted businesses in Daegu after an outbreak at a mega church early last year, which led to the nation’s first major surge in cases. The measures are to take effect on Monday next week and last for two weeks, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said in a televised address. Seoul has posted record numbers of cases in the past two days after the nation eased social distancing regulations, which have since been rescinded. After a slow start amid a supply shortage, South Korea has stepped up vaccinations and has inoculated about 30 percent of the population with at least one dose. About 11 percent of the population have been fully vaccinated. South Korea yesterday reported 1,316 new cases, a record high.
A Chinese gene company selling prenatal tests around the world developed them in collaboration with the country’s military and is using them to collect genetic data from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations, a review of scientific papers and company statements found. US government advisers warned in March that a vast bank of genomic data that the company, BGI Group, is amassing and analyzing with artificial intelligence could give China a path to economic and military advantage. As science pinpoints new links between genes and human traits, access to the biggest, most diverse set of human genomes is a strategic edge. The technology could propel China to dominate global pharmaceuticals, and also potentially lead to genetically enhanced soldiers, or engineered pathogens to target the US population or food supply, the advisers said. BGI’s prenatal test, one of the most popular in the world, is a source of genetic data for the company, which has worked with the Chinese military to improve “population quality” and on genetic research to combat hearing loss and altitude sickness in soldiers. BGI says it stores and re-analyses left-over blood samples and genetic data from the prenatal tests, sold in at least 52 countries to detect abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome in the fetus. The tests — branded NIFTY for “Non-Invasive Fetal TrisomY” — also capture genetic information about the mother, as well as personal details such as her country, height and weight, but not her name, BGI computer code shows. So far, more than 8 million women have taken BGI’s prenatal tests globally. BGI has not said how many of the women took the test abroad, and said it only stores location data on women in China. The tests are a private procedure for the women who take them, a component in their routine prenatal
When the Central Cross-Island Highway opened in 1960, it was the first cross-island highway completed under Republic of China rule and the pride of former president Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣介石). The road connected remote areas of Taichung County with Taichung City in the west, and Yilan and Hualien in the east. The mountain village at the heart of this new road network, Lishan (梨山), became a tourism hot spot and the site of two of Chiang’s famous guesthouses. Agriculture flourished and the cold-weather fruit of Lishan became renowned throughout the country. Disaster struck in 1999, when the 921 Earthquake destroyed parts of the road. After several years of costly repairs, the road was once again damaged by a 2004 typhoon before it had even reopened. The road then remained closed until 2011, when it was repaired and finally reopened, but only to residents of Lishan. Today, the road can still only be driven on by Lishan residents, and only at specific times each day. However, in 2018, public bus service to Lishan on this road was resumed, allowing outsiders the chance to see a part of Taiwan that had been inaccessible for nearly two decades. By combining this route with the bus between Lishan and Hualien, it is now possible to experience the original Central Cross-Island Highway entirely by public transit. The entire route can be done in a single day, but a more enjoyable itinerary would include hot springs in Kukuan (谷關) the night before, some time enjoying the scenery and cool climate of Lishan or a day in Taroko Gorge exploring the national park. UP TO LISHAN Bus 865 to Lishan may be boarded in Kukuan three times a day. One of these buses each day actually starts further west in Fengyuan (豐原), providing easier access for train travelers. After
For Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, the inspirations for art and philanthropy are inextricably linked. Miranda on Wednesday announced a series of donations to organizations that serve immigrants, whose experiences are central to the new film version of his hit Broadway musical In the Heights. “For me,” Miranda said, “philanthropy and artistic inspiration kind of come from the same place.” He is forever drawn to what he calls “the things that don’t leave you alone.” Immigration, he said, is both a passion and a foundational element of his work. In the Heights, he noted, centers on immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America living in New York City. And Hamilton, he said, “is sort of the proto-immigrant story.” “I think I am in awe of people who can make an impossible leap to leave everything they know behind and start a new life here,” he said. “And I think it’s one of the great things about our country.” GIVING BACK In honor of the Fourth of July, the Miranda Family Fund awarded a total of US$225,000 in grants to immigrant rights groups and policy reform advocates throughout the country. Luis Miranda Jr, Lin-Manuel’s father and co-founder of the MirRam Group, a political consulting firm that has worked on campaigns for Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, said all the recipients were recommended by friends of the family in the field of immigration. It was important to the Mirandas to make the grants unrestricted, so the money would go to “whatever the organization believes is important,” Luis said. “It’s going to make a difference.” “They know what they need,” Lin-Manuel added. Though the Miranda Family Fund has been active for years in donations to the arts community, especially arts education, the donations announced Wednesday mark an expansion in its giving for immigration, which previously included working with the Hispanic
What did you think about that story? (5/5) 你覺得那個故事怎麼樣？（五) B: The father was supposed to look for a job and he spent what little money he had drowning his sorrows. A: But in the end he did find a job… B: He went home late, didn’t give his son a meal, and went to bed without commiserating with his son about the bad exam results. A: His son obviously loved him, because he interpreted the father’s cold stare as an affectionate gaze. B: He read his son’s diary without asking him first. A: And he learned from it. He became a more positive person, and from that point on, he was successful. You could probably learn something from this. B: 那個爸爸應該要去找工作，可是他把那麼一點錢用來買醉。 A: 可是最後他找到工作了啊… B: 他很晚才回到家，沒給他兒子飯吃，就去睡覺了，沒有安慰他考壞的兒子。 A: 很明顯他兒子很愛他，因為他把他爸的冷眼注視詮釋成關愛的眼神。 B: 他沒經過兒子同意就偷看他日記。 A: 但是他也從中學習到了，他變得比較正向，而且從那一刻起，他就開始邁向成功。也許你也可以從這裡學到東西。 (Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱譯) Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
What did you think about that story? (4/5) 你覺得那個故事怎麼樣？（四） A: I admit that the father was not the perfect parent at that point in his life. B: That’s very charitable of you. A: But after comparing his diary entries with those of his son, he spent time reflecting and realized that he had to change his attitude. B: It took his son to teach him that lesson. A: And he had the humility to admit that. He changed his attitude, went out looking for a job, found one within the week and never looked back. B: We heard the same story, but came to different conclusions. A: 我承認他在那個時候不是個好爸爸。 B: 你還真是寬宏大量！ A: 不過他把自己的日記跟他兒子的對照一看，就好好地反省了一下，了解到他必須要改變自己的態度。 B: 他兒子讓他好好學習了一課。 A: 而且他夠謙卑，才能夠承認這件事。他改變了態度，出去找工作，然後在一個禮拜之內找到了，從此就一帆風順。 B: 我們聽的是同一個故事，但是得出的結論不同。 Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic. (Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱譯)
| New Taipei City | 28-35 | 40% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 27-33 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu City | 27-32 | 20% | |
| Taipei City | 27-35 | 50% | |
| Miaoli County | 27-32 | 20% | |
| Taoyuan City | 27-34 | 30% | |
| Keelung City | 27-33 | 20% | |
| Yunlin County | 27-33 | 50% |  |
| Taichung City | 28-33 | 20% | |
| Nantou County | 26-33 | 20% | |
| Changhua County | 27-34 | 20% | |
| Chiayi County | 26-33 | 30% | |
| Chiayi City | 25-33 | 60% | |
| Tainan City | 29-32 | 20% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 28-33 | 30% | |
| Pingtung County | 25-34 | 40% | |
| Yilan County | 26-33 | 20% | |
| Hualien County | 26-32 | 20% | |
| Taitung County | 26-32 | 20% | |
| Kinmen County | 27-34 | 10% | |
| Penghu County | 28-32 | 10% | |
| Lienchiang County | 27-32 | 10% |  |
RSS