Most US companies in Taiwan are optimistic about revenue growth this year and beyond, but a sizeable number said Taiwan’s regulatory environment has grown increasingly unfriendly, a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) released yesterday showed. Nearly three-quarters, or 73 percent, are positive about revenue pickup in the coming year, but satisfaction with the regulatory environment declined, the foreign trade group said. About 43 percent of respondents said that Taiwanese laws and regulations have not been updated in response to changing societal and economic needs, and their implementation is inconsistent, it said, adding that 34 percent identified regulations and policies as the most important area for improvement. The survey, conducted from Nov. 15 to Dec. 16 last year, also showed that 56 percent support net zero emissions or 100 percent renewable energy usage, but 67 percent expressed concern over the availability of green energy. Energy sufficiency should be a top priority for the government in the next one to three years, 42 percent of respondents said. Failure to secure sufficient green energy supply would constrain inbound foreign investment at a time when risk assessments have already added a premium for foreign investors, AmCham said. Regardless, a big majority of respondents remain committed to Taiwan, with 88 percent indicating plans to maintain or boost their investment, the survey showed. As high as 85 percent expressed confidence over Taiwan’s economic showing in the next three years, although expectations have been adjusted due to global economic headwinds, it showed. Human capital remains a focus among member companies, with 60 percent seeking to invest in staff expansion and development this year and many calling on the government to prioritize this issue in the coming years, it said. In addition, 73 percent support the government pursuing a bilateral trade agreement with the US, Taiwan’s second-largest trading partner, it said. Since sound regulatory
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday said it is working with the private sector to develop uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military use with the aim of building a drone fleet next year. Chi Li-pin (齊立平), head of the institute’s Aeronautical Systems Research Division, said the goal is to build prototypes of five kinds of commercial drones customized for military purposes: carrier-launched drones, land-based surveillance drones, other surveillance drones, miniature drones and drones with target-acquisition capabilities. The reason for using commercial platforms is to have them available for basic non-combat surveillance more quickly, Chi said. Developing military-grade UAVs is a lengthy process that can take four to five years due to the military’s requirements, but commercial-grade drones can pass tests and be ready for military surveillance missions in about a year, he said. The prototypes are expected to be delivered to the institute by July 31, as scheduled, he added. The institute would be responsible for testing the drones and helping private manufacturers navigate the process, Chi said. Mass production could begin as soon as next year, once the drones pass the required tests, he said. To ensure national security, the institute has required the partner companies to prove that they are not funded by firms based in China and that they do not have shares in China-based enterprises, Chi said. They also pledged not to use products or components manufactured in China or by Chinese firms, he said. Separately, a senior official familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the institute is ramping up efforts to produce missiles with the goal of reaching maximum production volume no later than the end of next year. This year’s production target of 1,000 missiles of all types represents a substantial increase over the 800 missiles produced last year, they said, adding that the institute’s 16
A second Taiwanese emergency team departed last night to help with disaster relief operations after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning. The group is composed of 90 personnel and two search-and-rescue dogs. The first team of 40 personnel and three dogs left on Monday night. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it was increasing its donation to Turkey to US$2 million, from the US$200,000 it announced on Monday. Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) confirmed that a Taiwanese family of three trapped in a collapsed building in Turkey had been rescued and were safe. Local media reports said they were being housed at the Taiwan-Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens in Turkey. The center, built in 2020 with funding from the Taiwanese government, serves Syrian refugees and Turkish nationals, and is being used to temporarily house victims of the quake. The Tourism Bureau said that all 414 tourists from 17 Taiwanese tour groups were safe. Turkey’s trade office in Taiwan called for donations of winter clothing and other necessities to help quake victims. The office said donations of winter clothing for adults and children, such as overcoats, pants, sweaters, gloves, scarves, socks, underwear, hats, boots and raincoats were urgently needed to assist those affected by the earthquake. Beds, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, mattresses, blankets, thermoses, flashlights, diapers, sanitary pads, and cleaning and hygiene items are also welcome, it said. The office advised people wishing to send in-kind assistance to people in need in Turkey to contact the office at tr-office.taipei@mfa.gov.tr with information on what they will send, and the weight and quantity of the items. Search teams and emergency aid from other parts of the world yesterday continued to pour into Turkey and Syria as rescuers working in freezing temperatures dug through the remains of buildings flattened by
POLITICAL SPLIT: Malaita premier Daniel Suidani has harshly criticized the national government for breaking off ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing
The premier of one of Solomon Islands’ most populous provinces and one of the most vocal critics of the country’s relationship with China was yesterday ousted in a vote of no confidence. The ouster of Daniel Suidani as premier of Malaita Province led to protests in the provincial capital, Auki. Police confirmed to the Guardian that they had used tear gas to disperse protesters and said one police officer had been injured, but that the situation was under control. Suidani has been one of the most outspoken critics of the country’s relationship with China. He objected to the national government signing a controversial security pact with China last year, as well as the decision to break ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing in 2019. A motion filed in the provincial assembly early yesterday accused him of illegally soliciting money from a Chinese-owned mining company, inappropriately using government finances to pay the wages of his personal security guards and financial mismanagement. The vote passed unanimously after the premier and his executive walked off the floor of the provincial assembly meeting, boycotting the motion. Solomon Islands Minister for Provincial Government Rollen Seleso said that Suidani’s government had tried unsuccessfully to object to the legality of the motion of no confidence, but that the high court had ruled in favor of the provincial speaker and declared the vote could go ahead. “They proceeded with the motion, which now led to the defeat of the incumbent Suidani,” Seleso said. “Following the defeat, nominations of the candidates should go on for 48 hours, and the provincial assembly speaker should convene a full assembly meeting to elect the new premier on Friday this week.” Suidani has not spoken to the press following the vote and could not immediately be reached for comment. However, earlier this week he issued a statement calling the vote
PARTNERS IN DEMOCRACY: President Tsai Ing-wen thanked the visiting lawmakers for submitting motions and letters to the Swiss parliament in support of Taiwan
A visiting Swiss cross-party delegation yesterday urged the Swiss government to sign an economic partnership agreement with Taiwan and support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. The delegation made the remarks during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in Taipei. The delegation comprises Swiss national councilors Fabian Molina and Mustafa Atici of the Social Democratic Party, Nicolas Walder and Leonore Porchet of the Green Party, and Yves Nidegger of the Swiss People’s Party. Russia’s war in Ukraine has shown “how fragile our rules-based multilateral world order is and how thin the thread is on which peace hangs,” Molina said. “Authoritarianism and war must not prevail,” he added. He thanked Taiwan for the invitation and hospitality, saying that the visit and the dialogue between the two sides are “more important today than ever.” The Swiss National Council in 2021 instructed the government on how the nation could deepen its relations with Taiwan “in the interest of business, politics, science and culture,” with the delegation visiting to see whether this has borne fruit, he said. Taiwan and China should resolve their differences and tensions “peacefully and through dialogue,” he said. Walder, copresident of the Swiss-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, said that the group, with more than 15 percent of all parliamentarians participating, is one of the most successful and shows “how important Taiwan is to us.” The Swiss parliament will continue to urge the government to take concrete actions to deepen ties with Taiwan, such as establishing a bilateral economic partnership agreement, he said. Switzerland can also use its influence in the international community to promote the inclusion of Taiwan in international organizations such as the WHO, he said. He promised that the friendship group “will use all opportunities” to cement strong ties between Taiwan and Switzerland. Tsai said the relations between Taiwan and Switzerland have become closer in recent years
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday sent her sympathies to the people affected by a powerful earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, with the government pledging to donate US$200,00 to rescue efforts and providing disaster relief assistance. The president also hopes for a quick recovery and a return to normal life there, Presidential Office spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka quoted Tsai as saying. A team of 40 personnel and three search-and-rescue dogs, equipped with 4 to 5 tonnes of gear and devices, was scheduled to depart last night on board a Turkish Airlines flight, the National Fire Agency said in a press statement. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey and Syria early yesterday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,500 people. Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area. Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Anthony Ho (賀忠義) has also, on behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), conveyed his condolences to Turkish Representative in Taiwan Muhammed Berdibek, the ministry said. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Mission in Ankara said that there had been no reports of Taiwanese casualties, but that it would continue to monitor the situation, it said. For emergency assistance, Taiwanese in Turkey can call the mission’s emergecy hotline at +90-532-322-7162, while their relatives in Taiwan can contact the ministry’s toll-free all-hours hotline in Taiwan at 0800-085-095. On both sides of the Turkish and Syrian border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy night. Buildings were reduced to piles of pancaked floors, and major aftershocks continued to rattle the region. Rescue workers and residents in multiple cities searched for survivors, working through tangles of metal
‘DREAMS COME TRUE’: It was Xiao Qing-yang’s seventh nomination since 2005 and the second straight year that Taiwanese designers won for best recording package
A Taiwanese father and daughter on Sunday won the Best Recording Package design award at the 65th Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Xiao Qing-yang (蕭青陽) and his daughter Hsiao Chun-tien (蕭君恬) won the honor for their work on Beginningless Beginning, the soundtrack produced by the Tamsui-Kavalan Chinese Orchestra (淡蘭古道國樂團) for the short film Tamsui-Kavalan Trails Trilogy (淡蘭古道三部曲). Xiao, 56, gave his acceptance speech in Mandarin, expressing gratitude to his parents, ancestors, wife and all the people who walk the Tamsui-Kavalan trails. It was Xiao’s seventh Grammy Awards nomination since 2005, and the first with his daughter. Sunday’s win meant “dreams come true” after Xiao waited 18 years to win after his first nomination, Hsiao said in her acceptance speech in English. This is the second consecutive year that Taiwanese designers have won the prize for Best Recording Package at the Grammy Awards. Last year, Li Jheng-han (李政瀚) and Yu Wei (于薇) won the award for their cover for the album Pakelang (八歌浪) at the 64th Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. It was the first Grammy ever won by Taiwanese nominees. The package design for Beginningless Beginning is based on an abstract concept that conveys Taiwan’s ancient trails and operas, Xiao said. He said that when he was first nominated for a grammy, his daughter was still a young child. Going to the Grammys this time was different, as it symbolized the passing of an art form from one generation to another, he said. Hsiao, who studies at an arts school in London, said that unlike the six previous times she accompanied her father to the ceremony, she was there as a designer this time. The experience of working with her father was enjoyable, and they worked together like friends, she said. The pair were competing against four other nominees, including Taiwanese illustrator Ming Liu, whose full name is
Any politicians visiting China must reflect the will of Taiwanese to maintain democracy and peace, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) announced a trip by party officials this week that is to include a meeting with Beijing’s top official on Taiwan. The KMT said that a delegation led by Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (夏立言) is to fly to China tomorrow, where they would meet with Taiwanese in Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing and other cities in central China before returning on Feb. 17. They would also stop in Beijing, where Hsia, KMT Mainland Affairs Department head Lin Chu-chia (林祖嘉) and other party officials are to meet with China’s new Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao (宋濤), the KMT said. Media reports said they might also meet with Wang Huning (王滬寧), a member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo who has reportedly been tasked with redefining the party’s vision for cross-strait relations away from “one country, two systems.” The MAC said it received notice of the trip from the KMT yesterday morning. The government has always upheld that any cross-strait exchange must be based on the principles of reciprocity and dignity, it said. Visiting politicians must also promote mutual understanding and cannot unilaterally put forth political prerequisites or desired outcomes, it added. They should reflect the will of Taiwanese to maintain democracy and peace, as well as their opposition to the use of force to resolve cross-strait issues, it said. The MAC also called on the authorities in Beijing to recognize the reality that neither side is subordinate to each other and to promote pragmatic communication. Hsia’s last visit to China in August last year drew controversy because of the timing — days after Beijing held large-scale military drills around Taiwan in response to then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei. The
Hong Kong’s largest national security trial opened yesterday with dozens of pro-democracy figures accused of trying to topple the government in a case critics say reflects the criminalization of dissent in the Chinese territory. The 47 defendants, who include some of the territory’s most prominent activists, face up to life in prison if convicted. Sixteen have pleaded not guilty to charges of “conspiracy to commit subversion” over an unofficial primary election. The other 31 have pleaded guilty and are to be sentenced after the trial. A small protest erupted before the court convened, despite the large police presence. One man was seen raising his fist in solidarity. The defendants maintain they are being persecuted for routine politics, while rights groups say the trial illustrates how the legal system is being used to crush what remains of the opposition. Most of the group have already spent nearly two years behind bars. They now face proceedings expected to last more than four months, overseen by judges handpicked by the government. The case is the largest to date under the National Security Law, which China imposed on Hong Kong after huge democracy protests in 2019. More than 100 people had lined up outside the court, some overnight, hoping to see the trial begin yesterday. Chan Po-ying (陳寶瑩), a veteran campaigner and wife of defendant “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung (梁國雄), joined supporters carrying a banner that read “Crackdown is shameless” and “Immediately release all political prisoners.” “This is political persecution,” she said outside the court. Inside, Leung repeated his not-guilty plea, adding: “Resisting tyranny is not a crime.” Those on trial represent a cross-section of Hong Kong’s opposition — including former student leader Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) and former district councilor Lester Shum (岑敖暉), professor Benny Tai 戴耀廷), and former lawmakers Claudia Mo (毛孟靜) and Au Nok-hin (區諾軒). Most — 34 out of 47 —
RISK FACTOR: ASEAN issued a statement saying the cross-strait situation ‘could lead to miscalculation,’ but it is willing to facilitate dialogue to ensure stability in the region
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed a joint statement by ASEAN leaders voicing concerns that the situation across the Taiwan Strait could affect regional stability. The statement was issued after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat ended on Saturday in Jakarta. It was the first major meeting since Indonesia assumed chairmanship of ASEAN this year. Attendees of the meeting reiterated their determination to promote “sustainable peace, security, stability, and prosperity within and beyond the region,” the statement said. They expressed concerns about developments across the Taiwan Strait and their “implications on regional stability,” the statement said. The cross-strait situation “could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts, and unpredictable consequences,” it said. ASEAN is ready to “play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue between all parties ... to de-escalate tension, to safeguard peace, security and development in the area adjacent to our region,” it said. The group voiced similar concerns after the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meetings in August last year, the ministry said in a news release yesterday. That meeting was held as the Chinese military was conducting live-fire drills around Taiwan after then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei. At the time, ASEAN called for “maximum restraint, refrain from provocative action.” The ministry called on ASEAN member states to continue to support democratic Taiwan and pay attention to cross-strait peace and stability. Taiwan is willing to deepen cooperation with ASEAN based on the solid foundation of the New Southbound Policy to protect the rules-based international order and facilitate peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Taiwan hopes that the summits and meetings held under the leadership of Indonesia are successful, it added. In other news, Japan, Nauru and the US have voiced support for Taiwan at the 152nd session of the WHO Executive Board, which began on Monday last week and ends tomorrow. “We urge
INTELLIGENCE VALUE: While the US was working on recovering the balloon’s remains, China said that it reserved ‘the right to make ... necessary responses’
US President Joe Biden’s administration lauded the Pentagon for shooting down an alleged Chinese spy balloon off the US Atlantic coast on Saturday, but China angrily voiced its “strong dissatisfaction” at the move, and said it might make “necessary responses.” The craft spent several days flying over North America before it was targeted off the coast of the southeastern state of South Carolina with a missile fired from an F-22 plane, Pentagon officials said. It fell into relatively shallow water just 14m deep. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called the operation a “deliberate and lawful action” that came in response to China’s “unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.” However, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs blasted the US action in a statement yesterday morning, saying the downing of the “civilian” craft was “clearly overreacting and seriously violating international practice.” Saturday afternoon was the military’s first chance to take down the balloon “in a way that would not pose a threat to the safety of Americans,” while still allowing authorities to collect the fallen debris from US territorial waters, a senior defense official told reporters. Video footage posted on social media showed the balloon appearing to disintegrate in a white puff before its remnants dropped vertically into the Atlantic Ocean. Biden, who earlier on Saturday had promised “to take care” of the balloon, congratulated the fighter pilots involved. “They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden told reporters in Maryland. The controversy erupted on Thursday, when US officials said they were tracking a large Chinese “surveillance balloon” in US skies. That led US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday to scrap a rare trip to Beijing designed to contain rising US-China tensions. After initial hesitation, Beijing admitted ownership of the “airship,” but said it was a civilian weather balloon that had
The government is to spend NT$6 billion (US$200.69 million) on incentives to attract more than 6 million international tourists to Taiwan this year, including offers of free high-speed rail tickets with plane ticket purchases, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said. The budget would be funded by surplus national tax revenue from last year, according to a draft “special statute to bolster economic and social resilience and sharing economic achievement with all people in the post-pandemic era,” he said on Saturday. The discount programs include offering free high-speed rail tickets with purchases of plane tickets to Taiwan, vouchers for tourists to exchange for fresh fruit at convenience stores, half-day tours for transit passengers and a NT$500 electronic payment card — such as an EasyCard or iPass — for independent travelers, Wang said. As many hotels are short of hotel housekeeping staff, part of the budget would be used to subsidize the salaries of housekeeping employees, he said. The details would be announced later, Wang said, adding that the subsidies could be offered as soon as April, as long as the special statute and the proposed budget are passed. The special statute also includes a proposed three-year NT$20 billion budget to subsidize a monthly public transportation pass, and a NT$2.5 billion budget for improving tourist shuttle routes, and adding high-speed rail stations and key railway stations to them, as well as improving sightseeing routes suggested by local governments, he said. To promote the nation, more than 200 international travel agents have been invited to the Taiwan Lantern Festival, Wang said. They are also to visit many attractions across the nation, so that they can gain an understanding of Taiwan in the post-COVID-19 era and design tour packages appropriately, he said. The Taiwan Lantern Festival was officially launched in Taipei yesterday, and runs through Feb. 19.
National security authorities have uncovered a Chinese cyberoperation to flood the Facebook accounts of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) with derogatory comments. The government found 825 Facebook accounts run by China’s cyberarmy that posted large numbers of anti-government comments on Tsai’s and Su’s Facebook pages, a national security source said on Saturday, asking to remain anonymous. The accounts were found to be part of China’s cognitive warfare operations that aim to deride Taiwan’s government over its close ties with the US. One comment repeatedly made by the accounts was: “Taiwan wants to become ashes of war by acting like Ukraine to fight for the US.” Another commonly repeated comment said that the Tsai administration had bitten off more than it could chew by siding with Washington against Beijing. One of the Chinese accounts identified themselves as “Yanchun Song,” who appeared to run a media planning company in Liaoning Province in northeast China, the national security source said. Security authorities identified Song as the president of Dandong Bokai Advertisement Planning Co (丹東博凱廣告公司) in Liaoning, the source said. China has long used its cyberarmy to disseminate misinformation through a step-by-step process in an attempt to manipulate public opinion in Taiwan, they added. The first two steps are creating fake accounts to post misinformation and then using Facebook pages run by people overseas to share the misinformation, the source said. The third step is to use several dummy accounts to spread the false information, they added. The final step is to share those accounts on Facebook groups commonly used by Taiwanese in a bid to generate clicks, create controversy and draw attention to the misinformation, the source said. The model is aimed at “brainwashing” Taiwanese with the goal of defeating the enemy without having to use force, they said. The source accused China’s cyberarmy of using similar tactics
An Arctic blast that brought “frostquakes” to parts of the US saw the country record its lowest ever wind-chill temperature, meteorologists said on Saturday. Atop Mount Washington in the northeastern state of New Hampshire, the wind-chill factor reached minus-78°C overnight, the US National Weather Service (NWS) said. The service’s office in the town of Gray, Maine, wrote on Twitter that it set a new US record for the lowest wind-chill temperature in the US. CNN reported that it broke the previous record of minus-76°C set in Alaska. The previous low at Mount Washington was minus-74°C, recorded there in 2004, the Weather Channel said. At almost 1,920m, Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeastern US, and is known for having some of the world’s worst weather. Temperatures of minus-43°C and wind gusts of more than 177kph combined for the historic low. The NWS office in Caribou, Maine, said a wind chill of minus-51°C was recorded in the small town of Frenchville, just south of the border with Canada. The office said they had received reports of “frostquakes,” also called “cryoseisms,” in the region. “Just like earthquakes, [they] generate tremors, thundering sensations. These are caused by sudden cracks in frozen soil or underground water when it’s very cold,” the NWS office wrote on Twitter. Ahead of the blast, it had warned of an “epic, generational Arctic outbreak.” The NWS said the chills would be “something northern and eastern Maine has not seen since similar outbreaks in 1982 and 1988.” “Most stations are forecast to see their lowest wind chills in decades or, in some cases, the lowest ever recorded,” the service added. Extreme weather warnings covering several million people were in effect across much of New England, Quebec and eastern Canada. A wind chill factor of minus-41°C was measured at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. In Boston, the low temperature hit minus-23°C, shattering
‘UNACCEPTABLE’: The foreign ministry said that China’s behavior broke international law, while Johnny Chiang was worried such balloons could be used against Taiwan
A suspected Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the US was yesterday condemned by officials in Taipei and sparked calls for the government to plan countermeasures. The Pentagon on Thursday said it had detected a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the country. Beijing has said the balloon is a civilian meteorological device that drifted into US territory after being blown off course. The National Security Bureau and Ministry of National Defense should investigate whether surveillance balloons could be used against Taiwan and prepare to respond to such acts, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s postponement of his visit to China as a result of the incident was a foreseeable consequence arising from the competition for power between the two countries, he added. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned China in a statement, saying that Beijing’s behavior breached international laws and was “unacceptable to the community of civilized nations.” China should cease all activities that infringe on the sovereignty of other nations or cause instability in the region, it said. Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) urged China to respect the sovereign airspace of other countries, as that would facilitate peace, mutual aid and cooperation between nations. Lu Yeh-chung (盧業中), a professor in National Chengchi University’s Department of Diplomacy, said the balloon incident showed the “extreme lack of trust” between the US and China. The two countries are likely to remain locked in competition for some time, Lu added. That Blinken would delay a long-planned visit to Beijing over the incident hinted at other under-the-table disputes that might have occurred between the US and China while they were preparing for the visit, he said. The strong response the incident elicited from Washington was diplomatically appropriate, as national security is an issue of utmost importance to the US, Lu said, adding that failing to send a
A suspected Chinese surveillance balloon has been spotted over Latin America, the Pentagon said on Friday, a day after a similar craft was seen in US skies, prompting the scrapping of a rare trip to Beijing by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Pentagon said the first balloon was now heading eastward over the central US. Later, Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said: “We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America.” “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” he said, without specifying its exact location. Moments before Blinken’s decision to cancel his trip — aimed at easing tensions between the two countries — China issued a rare statement of regret over the first balloon, and blamed winds for pushing what it called a civilian airship into US airspace. However, US President Joe Biden’s administration described it as a maneuverable “surveillance balloon.” The balloon was spotted earlier over Montana, which is home to one of the US’ three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base, US defense officials said. Biden had declined to shoot the balloon down, following advice of defense officials who worried the debris could injure people below. With the Republican Party already on the offensive, Blinken postponed a two-day visit that was to have started today. In a telephone call with Wang Yi (王毅), director of China’s Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Blinken said he “made clear that the presence of this surveillance balloon in US airspace is a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law, that it’s an irresponsible act.” However, Blinken said that he told Wang “the United States is committed to diplomatic engagement with China and that I plan to visit Beijing when conditions allow.” “The first step is getting the surveillance asset out of our airspace. That’s what we’re focused
MILITARY ON ALERT: Chinese ships have been spotted near Taiwan’s maritime borders, and some have been identified as intelligence-gathering vessels, a source said
Missile tests the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) has scheduled for tomorrow and Tuesday at the missile base in Pingtung’s Jiupengwan (九鵬灣) could be a trial for the longer-range version of the Hsiung Feng II-E (雄風, “Brave Wind”) missile, which was developed under the project name Hsiung Sheng (雄昇), sources speculated. The CSIST on Thursday said that it has designated two peripheral alert zones for the tests. One covers a reverse L-shaped area that is 300km long from north to south, and 180km wide from east to west, extending out from Jiupengwan Base, reaching as far east as Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼), and stretching north into the ocean off Yilan County. It is to be used for lower-altitude tests, while another much smaller area within that is to be used for higher-altitude tests. The Hsiung Sheng has an estimated range of 1,000km to 1,200km and could reach targets well inside China, the military has said. It could be armed with high-explosive warheads to target military installations, or with cluster munitions to bombard enemy airfields and air bases, it has said. A limited number of prototypes have been produced, and multiple live-fire tests must be conducted so that the CSIST can gather sufficient data to ensure that the missile is up to standard, before it can sign off on mass production, sources said. Due to significant improvements in technology and many tests being conducted using computer simulations, on top of the increasing threat from China, the military is opting to produce missiles in limited batches for testing. A Ministry of National Defense report to the Legislative Yuan said that the Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Sheng missiles share a production line, and when the CSIST’s new plant begins production, the annual output of such missiles would increase from
Government subsidies for hog farmers have helped turn the waste from nearly half the industry into biogas for power generation, resulting in a reduction of nearly 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, the Council of Agriculture said yesterday. The council has budgeted NT$12.83 billion (US$429.1 million) for the project over four years starting in 2021, with the funds to be spent on establishing cold-chain transportation between slaughterhouses and retail markets. The funds would also go toward upgrading farming facilities and equipment to raise pigs, the council said. About 3,600, or 60 percent of Taiwan’s 6,000 pig farms, have photovoltaic cells installed on their roofs, which, together with the solar power generation systems on chicken coops, increases the power generated by the animal husbandry sector to 3 megawatts, the council said. The council has spent NT$4 billion on helping to refurbish 2,100 pig styes to ensure they are more environmentally friendly and geared toward turning animal waste into biogas, Department of Animal Husbandry Deputy Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said. Academics have estimated that the council’s investments have helped reduce 48,039 tonnes of annual carbon emissions, the equivalent of the emissions of 148,451 scooters, Chiang said. While Europe is the world leader in using animal waste as a source of green energy, Taiwan has made great strides and is the leading nation in Asia regarding such endeavors in the pig farming industry, he said. Such progress is partly due to a growing acceptance of using green energy and advancements in biogas storage equipment, which have made it more resistant to corrosion and acceptable to hog farmers, Chiang said. Efforts to make facilities more environmentally friendly are affecting market availability somewhat, as farms undergoing improvements house about 200,000 pigs, he said. The availability of pork at markets would only be affected this year, Chiang said, adding that
Southeast Asian foreign ministers yesterday vowed to finalize negotiations with China over a proposed pact aimed at preventing conflicts in the disputed South China Sea at their annual retreat in Indonesia’s capital. In the final session of their two-day meeting, the ASEAN ministers also agreed to unite in their approach to implement a five-step agreement made in 2021 between ASEAN leaders and Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, that seeks to end that country’s worsening crisis. China and the ASEAN member states, which include four rival claimants to territories in the South China Sea, have been holding sporadic talks for years on a “code of conduct,” a set of regional norms and rules aimed at preventing a clash over the disputed waters. Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said that Indonesia, this year’s ASEAN chair, is ready to host more rounds of negotiations over the proposed pact, the first of which would be held next month. She said that ASEAN members are committed to concluding the discussions “as soon as possible.” “Members are also committed to promote implementation of a declaration of conduct,” Marsudi added. Sidharto Suryodipuro, head of ASEAN Cooperation at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters in Jakarta that ASEAN member states would push negotiations this year and explore new approaches. “All of us agreed that it has to be an effective implementable in accordance with international law, and the code of conduct must fulfill this criteria,” Suryodipuro said, adding that Indonesia is going to involve more countries besides China in the negotiation process. “It’s an exploratory stage. We don’t know what shape it will take, but as you know, negotiation is a key process that is something we intend to intensify,” he said. China has come under intense criticism for its militarization of the strategic waterway, but says it has
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