Sat, Jan 17, 2026
Taipei aims to become a close strategic partner of Washington in artificial intelligence (AI) after striking a deal to cut tariffs and boost investment in the US, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said yesterday.The administration of US President Donald Trump has pushed Taiwan, a major producer of s
INSIGHTS: The approval showed supporting Taiwan was a bipartisan consensus and the funding for the Philippines highlights first island chain security concerns, experts said The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill to provide Taiwan with US$300 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF), and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees to bolster deterrence in the Taiwan Strait.The measures are part of the National Security, Department of State, an
Tokyo and Washington yesterday agreed to boost joint production of defense equipment, including missiles, and expand their military presence in waters southwest of Japan, as China ramps up pressure on its Asian neighbor.The agreement came after Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi met US Se
A South Korean court yesterday sentenced former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol to five years in prison in the first verdict from eight criminal trials over the martial law debacle that forced him out of office and other allegations.Yoon was impeached, arrested and dismissed as president after
The US has agreed to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods from 20 percent to 15 percent, without stacking them on existing most-favored-nation (MFN) rates, the Executive Yuan said in a statement today.The agreement, reached in trade negotiations that concluded yesterday in Washington, also grants semico
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill to provide Taiwan with US$300 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees to strengthen deterrence in the Taiwan Strait.The measures are part of the National Security, Department of State a
GREEN CORRIDOR: The ministry is also jointly initiating an environmental improvement project for the Douzihpu River with the Hsinchu County Government The Ministry of Environment yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Miaoli County Government to promote resource circulation developments via collaborations between the local and central governments.The MOU was signed by Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) and Miaoli Co
LUNAR NEW YEAR: Extra precautions would be taken to prevent transmission of the flu, which could be exacerbated by holiday travel, the Centers for Disease Control said The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has announced new measures to ease emergency room overcrowding during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday after Taiwan faced a serious overcrowding strain last year that was called “unprecedented.”Emergency room visits during the Lunar New Year holiday typic
This year’s edition of the Taipei Lantern Festival is to showcase robots from the toy and media franchise Transformers in the city’s first-ever attempt to have a double-featured theme for the event.The festival this year, which is to cost the city NT$60 million (US$1.9 million), has reached a deal w
The Taipei International Comics and Animation Festival this year has banned realistic replica guns, gas masks and other face coverings following the Taipei MRT mass stabbing last month, official guidelines showed.This year’s festival is slated to take place from Feb. 5 to Feb. 9 at the Taipei Nangan
Prosecutors on Thursday said that a Taiwanese woman would not be indicted over the death of her British husband due to insufficient evidence of foul play, but they are seeking a sentence of no less than eight years in a separate case for the attempted rat poison murder of an Australian student.The w
‘WEAPONIZATION’: Japan realized the coercive power of economic dependence when China in 2010 used rare earths as leverage for territorial claims, an academic said Economic security is the ability to counter foreign coercion via economic means, an academic said yesterday, calling for cooperation among like-minded countries within the Asian region to achieve a geo-economic power balance.The “Asia Visions and Voices: Geopolitical Implications of Trump 2.0” inter
‘LEVELING THE FIELD’: The tariff would be dropped to 15 percent, down from the previous 20 percent, matching rates imposed on Japan, South Korea and the EU An agreement reached on Thursday between Taiwan and the US to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods would benefit local non-tech industries by “leveling the playing field” with major trade competitors, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.“Japan and South Korea had free trade agreements or quasi-fr
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday demanded that the government submit signed agreements with the US from its tariff negotiations to the legislature for review.Taiwan and the US earlier yesterday announced an agreement to a long-sought trade pact that would lower tariffs on goods from Tai
Opposition lawmakers yesterday fast-tracked a motion to the second reading that would authorize the disbursement of the central government’s NT$71.8 billion (US$2.2 billion) budget for 38 projects, including subsidies to address the low birthrate and funding for the TPass program.During a plenary se
EQUAL FOOTING: The 15% tariff is on par with that imposed on Japan and South Korea, and removes uncertainty over the US probe into Taiwan’s ICT industry, the minister said Local manufacturers, particularly traditional industries and small and medium-sized enterprises, should benefit from the lower US tariffs, as Taiwan gains an equal footing with competitors in Japan and South Korea, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) told reporters yesterday.After conc
Taiwanese business groups yesterday welcomed the outcome of the trade talks with the US, saying the agreement injects much-needed certainty into corporate planning even as risks persist from Washington’s evolving tariff and technology policies.The Taipei-based Chinese National Association of Industr
The TAIEX yesterday surged almost 2 percent and smashed closing records, as investors were pleasantly surprised by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) fourth-quarter results and strong growth prospects this year, analysts said.The weighted index closed up 598.12 points, or 1.94 perce
The Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation on Monday voiced strong opposition to surrogacy legalization, saying that the procedure treats wombs as “commodities for producing children for others.” The criticism came after the Executive Yuan last month proposed amendments to the Artificial Reproduction Act
Proponents of legalizing surrogacy often cloak the system in the language of reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, arguing that as long as all parties consent, a woman’s body might legitimately become subject to a contract. Such arguments deliberately overlook a harsh reality — within unequal eco
The significance of recent US moves in Venezuela is not limited to Latin America. After the initial uncertainty about what was about to come, things have stabilized in the South American country. Its former vice president Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president and has exp
‘BOWL CUT’: The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama needed a fresh start, so he had his head shaved by teammate Keldon Johnson, but Stephon Castle kept his dreadlocks German forward Franz Wagner on Thursday hit his stride late to help the Orlando Magic rally for a 118-111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the first NBA regular-season game ever played in Germany.The Grizzlies did their best to spoil the return of Orlando’s Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz, to
Isack Hadjar is dreaming big after landing the ultimate Formula One promotion to the Red Bull team, saying on Thursday that his goal for this year is to win at least one race after replacing Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen’s teammate.The 21-year-old Frenchman, who impressed with sister team Racing Bu
A new era in international soccer is to begin tomorrow when Vanuatu United meet Bula of Fiji in Auckland, New Zealand, in the first game of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Pro League.Eight teams from seven countries in the region — the others are New Zealand, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, the S
COACH’S BACKING: Liam Rosenior said after the game that when his players make mistakes, he is accountable, adding: ‘I’ll stay positive with him, as I will all the group’ Arsenal on Wednesday scored two goals off errors by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to set up a 3-2 win against Chelsea in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final.A corner sailed over Sanchez in the seventh minute, allowing Ben White to head into an unguarded net, before the Spanish goalkeeper let a low
‘NEW REALITY’: The Canadian prime minister called for a relationship that adapts to Trump’s ‘America first’ approach, and cooperation in agriculture, energy and finance Faced with new global challenges, the leaders of China and Canada yesterday pledged to improve relations between their two nations after years of acrimony.Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) told visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that he is willing to continue working to improve ties, noti
They call Moldova’s Rogojeni the “hobbit village,” and its little half-buried houses, built to resist Moldova’s cold winters and hot summers, do look like something from The Lord of the Rings.The traditional dugout houses have put the shrinking settlement on the tourist map and locals hope they migh
The Chinese Embassy in Manila yesterday said it has filed a diplomatic protest against a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman over a social media post that included cartoonish images of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela and an embassy official had been trad
The 2018 nine-in-one local elections were a wild ride that no one saw coming. Entering that year, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was demoralized and in disarray — and fearing an existential crisis. By the end of the year, the party was riding high and swept most of the country in a landslide, i
Inside an ordinary-looking townhouse on a narrow road in central Kaohsiung, Tsai A-li (蔡阿李) raised her three children alone for 15 years. As far as the children knew, their father was away working in the US. They were kept in the dark for as long as possible by their mother, for the truth was perhap
Growing up in a rural, religious community in western Canada, Kyle McCarthy loved hockey, but once he came out at 19, he quit, convinced being openly gay and an active player was untenable.So the 32-year-old says he is “very surprised” by the runaway success of Heated Rivalry, a Canadian-made series
Facing relentless flooding and rising expenses, Dumble Farm in England has stopped selling milk and started an unexpected but therapeutic venture: cow cuddles. In 2022, the owners sold most of their dairy cows and began letting visitors spend time brushing, petting, and even hugging specially traine
A: In its latest annual travel guide, Bloomberg recommended two restaurants in Taipei: Golden Pig barbeque from South Korea and two-Michelin-star restaurant A.B: Also, tourists should definitely try Taiwanese cuisine while they’re here. Mountain & Sea House, Shin Yeh Taiwanese Cuisine, and Fujin T
A: Bloomberg just released its annual travel guide, titled “25 Best Places to Travel in 2026.” What were the best Asian destinations?B: There were actually six Asian hotspots: Taiwan’s Taipei, Malaysia’s Penang, Kazakhstan’s Almaty, Indonesia’s Rote Island, India’s Tiger Reserves, and Oman.A: Wit
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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