Taiwan plans to stop local sales for Chinese Internet television streaming services operated by the likes of iQiyi and Tencent Holdings, according to regulations released this week, but does not plan on blocking the services.
Democratic Taiwan, claimed by China as its sovereign territory, has long been suspicious of Chinese attempts to sway its population, including by use of fake news spread online and efforts to influence Taiwanese media.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs said late Tuesday that the rules barring Taiwanese companies from selling or operating as sales agents for Chinese Internet streaming services will take effect Sept. 3. The service iQiyi applied in 2016 to set up a Taiwanese subsidiary, but was rejected because Chinese companies cannot operate online streaming services there, the ministry said.
Screen grab from Michelle Lin ‘s Facebook page 擷取自林楚茵臉書
However, Taiwan is not blocking or banning them, the National Communications Commission said. “People can still watch and pay for overseas subscriptions,” commission deputy chief Wong Po-Tsung told Reuters, adding that officials would ensure that subscribers’ rights are not affected.
The commission ruled in May, after months of debate, that Chinese online television service providers would not advertise their services in Taiwan.
Baidu-backed, Netflix-like iQiyi said in a statement issued by unit iQiyi International that it was paying close attention to the situation and that it believed it should “not become the specific target of legislation.” “We wish to see the Taiwanese government departments involved recognize the benefits of an open market economy,” it added. Tencent, which runs Tencent Video, declined to comment.
Photo: CNA 照片：中央社
Taiwan has a free Internet, unlike China, which blocks sites such as Google, Facebook and Twitter. Taiwan also does not ban access to popular Chinese apps like WeChat or sites like Baidu.
China does not permit Taiwanese firms to offer Internet television streaming services.
Chinese Internet giants have come under pressure internationally, led by the US, where President Donald Trump ordered ByteDance last week to divest video-sharing app TikTok’s US operations within 90 days, the latest effort to ramp up pressure on the Chinese company over concerns about data security.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating iQiyi after a short seller accused it of inflating user numbers and prices, it said last week.
(Reuters)
根據本週發布的規範，台灣將禁止中國的網路電視串流服務在境內進行銷售活動，受到限制的對象包括愛奇藝與騰訊控股等業者，但是串流服務並不會遭到封鎖。
被中國聲稱為其主權領土的民主台灣，長久以來相當懷疑中國潛移默化台灣人民的企圖，包括利用網路上散布的假新聞，以及各種影響台灣媒體的手法。
經濟部於週二晚間宣布，台灣公司禁止經銷或代理中國網路串流服務的規定，將於九月三日正式上路。經濟部表示，愛奇藝曾於二○一六年申請成立台灣子公司，但是遭到拒絕，因為中國公司不得在台灣從事網路串流服務等業務活動。
不過，國家通訊傳播委員會表示，台灣並不會封鎖或是禁止這些平台。通傳會副主委翁柏宗向路透表示：「觀眾仍然可以收看，並且付費海外訂閱。」他補充說，政府官員會確保訂閱者的權益不受影響。
經過數個月的爭論後，通傳會在五月做出決定，中國的網路電視服務提供業者不得在台灣廣告和促銷其服務。
由百度持有股份、類似Netflix的串流平台愛奇藝，在一份由愛奇藝國際發布的聲明中表示，該公司正在密切注意情況，並且認為公司「不應該成為立法的特定對象。」該公告補充表示：「我們希望看到台灣政府的相關部門認知到開放市場經濟的益處。」經營「騰訊視頻」（在台灣以「WeTV」上架）的騰訊則是拒絕發表評論。
台灣擁有自由的網路，不像中國封鎖包括Google、Facebook、Twitter等網站。台灣也沒有禁止使用WeChat等受歡迎的中國手機應用程式，或是封鎖百度等網站。
中國則是不允許台灣公司在當地提供網路電視串流服務。
近來，中國的網路巨頭在國際間受到不少壓力，首先是美國總統川普簽署行政命令，要求「字節跳動」必須在九十天內出售或分拆旗下影音分享手機應用程式「抖音」的美國業務。這是川普政府因為資訊安全顧慮，而對該中國公司增加壓力採取的最新動作。
上星期，愛奇藝則表示美國證券交易委員會正在調查該公司，原因是受到一間美國放空機構指控造假，誇大訂閱戶數量和營收。
（台北時報章厚明譯）
Rehearsal time is over. The world’s best and most ambitious young pianists have descended on Warsaw for the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition — for some, a gateway to classical music glory. Fans from around the globe snapped up tickets as much as a year ago. The lucky ones attended the opening night concert on Oct. 3 and will follow along as the contest builds to a thrilling climax on Oct. 20. Winning the Chopin International — held every five years in the 19th-century composer’s homeland — can raise the curtain to playing at venues across the globe and signing contracts
A: K-pop supergroup Blackpink is finally touring Taiwan again. B: I can’t believe we’re going to Blackpink’s concert at the Kaohsiung National Stadium over this weekend. A: The group has caused a global sensation since it went international in 2020. B: And the four members — Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa — have achieved success as solo artists. A: Seeing them live will be like a dream come true. A: 韓流天團Blackpink終於又來台巡演啦。 B: 真不敢相信我們這週末要去她們在高雄國家體育場的演唱會。 A: 該團自2020年進軍國際，便持續造成全球轟動。 B: 而4位團員––Jisoo、Jennie、Rose、Lisa––單飛也很成功。 A: 這次能去她們的演唱會真是美夢成真！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Many popular English expressions originate from the world of sports. While their roots lie in athletics, their meanings extend far beyond the playing field. Here are three examples. Hat Trick This expression comes from cricket. When a bowler dismisses a batter, it’s called “taking a wicket.” Taking three wickets in a row is a great achievement, so in the past, a bowler who achieved this was rewarded with a hat. Later, sports like hockey and soccer adopted it to mean scoring three goals in a game. Nowadays, this phrase means to achieve any three successes consecutively, not just in sports. For example,
A: Is K-pop still popular now? B: Sure! The 110,000 tickets for supergroup Blackpink’s two shows to be held this weekend were all snatched up within three minutes. A: Apart from Blackpink, what other K-pop stars are visiting? B: I-dle’s Taiwanese member Yeh Shu-hua, King of K-pop G-Dragon, and Super Junior are all coming soon next month. A: Super Junior’s 2009 hit “Sorry, Sorry” boosted this Korean “Hallyu” to a peak. Let’s go experience SJ’s magic again. A: 韓國流行音樂還是很受歡迎嗎？ B: 當然啦，光是天團Blackpink本週末兩場演唱會，11萬張門票3分鐘內就被秒殺！ A: 除了Blackpink，還有哪些韓國歌手最近會來台？ B: I-dle的台灣成員葉舒華、韓流天王G-Dragon權志龍、Super Junior下月也都將來台。 A: Super Junior 2009年金曲《Sorry, Sorry》曾將「韓流」推上高峰，我們再去重溫一下SJ的魔力吧。
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