A ban on Chinese-made electronics for government use took effect yesterday, with central and local government agencies reporting a near-total replacement of such devices, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said that only in a few cases did the Executive Yuan grant approval to certain agencies to retain electronic products made in China for training or evaluation purposes.
The source declined to elaborate on brands, models and the quantity of Chinese-made equipment still in use, citing the sensitivity of the information.
Photo: Reuters
Products by Huawei Technologies Co (華為) are under particular scrutiny due to the company’s links to the Chinese military, the source said.
Another priority is the prohibition of personal devices used in government agency networks, they said.
The administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has been reticent about the prevalence of Chinese electronics in government agencies prior to the ban.
In a document dated May last year, the Executive Yuan said that 19,256 electronic devices — including 4,556 Chinese-made drones and security cameras — were utilized in 2,596 agencies, including schools.
The most prevalent Chinese manufacturers of drones and cameras in use were SZ DJI Technology Co (大疆創新), TP-Link Technologies Co (普聯技術) and Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co (海康威視), it said.
The Executive Yuan announced the ban in December 2020, citing information security concerns. It prohibits Chinese electronics from government use, personal software on work devices and personal electronics in government networks.
The Executive Yuan also said that all local and central government agencies must account for Chinese electronics used by contractors and subcontractors, urging them to replace the equipment before this year.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
IMPORTANT BACKER: China seeks to expel US influence from the Indo-Pacific region and supplant Washington as the global leader, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security. In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu said Taiwan’s strategic importance is “closely tied” to US interests. Geopolitically, Taiwan sits in a “core position” in the first island chain — an arc stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, which is shared by
RSS