NGOs share efforts to preserve rule of law

Representatives from three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that last week received the Tang Prize for their contributions to the rule of law shared in a lecture series their experiences speaking up for marginalized people and pursuing environmental, social and courtroom justice through public interest litigation. The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) opened the Tang Prize Laureate Lecture series with a discussion on the impact of public interest litigation, which was followed by a talk by Lebanon-based The Legal Agenda and a presentation by Colombia-based Dejusticia. BELA chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that the vast majority of people in Bangladesh depend on unpolluted fisheries, agriculture and forests to survive, but these resources are also part of the country’s dominant economic sectors. Through public interest litigation, the group extended the interpretation of the Bangladeshi constitution’s “right to life” to include the “right to environment,” Hasan said. As a result, the courts have instructed the government to protect wetlands, restore canals and stop allocating forestland for development, to safeguard people’s rights and interests, and strike a balance between economic development and environmental justice, she said. “We have challenged unregulated urbanization. This has created tension between us and the mighty realtors,” she said. “We have got landmark judgements that have directed realtors to move sand dumped on wetland and fertile agriculture land.” The Legal Agenda cofounder Samer Ghamroun said that the spirit of the rule of law is sometimes twisted to fit the narrative of a rule-of-law system, which is why public interest litigation became an effective means to create public debate and social change, as well as promote political engagement. The Legal Agenda seeks to generate political and cultural momentum to build a sound political system and create the conditions needed for reform, Ghamroun said. “The litigation that can be created through these conditions that I talked about is a strong

Students gloomy about higher learning

AREAS OF CONCERN: A poll found that students believe the job market for degree holders is shrinking, while one-quarter are not studying in a field they are interested in

A poll released yesterday said that 40.4 percent of Taiwanese students are doubtful about the value of their higher education, and that 39.5 percent are pessimistic about their economic future after graduation. The survey was conducted by the Professor Huang Kun-huei Education Foundation and announced at a news conference in Taipei. The poll showed that 74.1 percent of the students interviewed are studying in an academic department that matches their interests, and 75.7 percent believed their department to be a good fit for their abilities. As for their plans after graduation, 46.2 percent of the students said that they want to enter the workforce immediately, 18.3 percent said they would like to obtain an advanced degree in Taiwan and 13.3 percent wanted to pursue post-graduate education in other countries. Asked about what they would look for in a job offer, 71.7 percent said they would prioritize fair wages and treatment, 46.4 percent wanted job security, 34.5 percent wanted a job that matches their education and 26.7 percent said they would look for a job that offers career advancement. Regarding the respondents’ top life priorities, 72 percent said they wanted a fulfilling job, 67.2 percent wanted spiritual fulfillment and 62.8 percent wanted a happy family life, it said. In addition, 36.9 percent said they wanted to be wealthy after graduation, 29.5 percent valued making a contribution to society and 9.7 percent said they desired power. Foundation president Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) said that Taiwan formed its higher education model to foster upward social mobility and improve the livelihood of families, but universities are struggling to carry out those aims or develop competitiveness. The survey showed that education officials should be concerned that students perceive there to be a declining job market for degree holders, he added. That one-quarter of students in tertiary education are not studying in a field that they

By Rachel Lin and Jonathan Chin

Speedier tests better at heart attack diagnosis: study

MATTER OF TIME: People taking the less accurate three-hour test would have to wait longer in hospital, putting them at risk of contracting diseases, a study led by NTUH said

An international study led by National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) has found that one-hour tests for diagnosing a myocardial infarction are more accurate than more established algorithms that can take three hours or longer. Lee Chien-chang (李建璋), a professor at NTUH’s Department of Emergency Medicine who led the study, shared its findings at a news conference in Taipei on Friday, after it was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Tuesday. The 2020 European Society of Cardiology guidelines recommend using the 0/1-hour and 0/2-hour algorithms over the 0/3-hour algorithm, as the first and second choices for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-based strategies for triage of patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction, the study said. After analyzing 32 studies from 11 countries involving 30,066 patients, the study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the three algorithms. With the 0/3-hour algorithm, which is more widely used in hospitals, people suspected to have had a myocardial infarction have to receive two cardiac troponin tests, one at the beginning and one after three hours, Lee said. That means they have to wait longer in the emergency room, which not only makes the room more crowded, but exposes them to a higher risk of contracting diseases such as COVID-19, Lee said. The team’s study found that, compared with the 0/1-hour and 0/2-hour algorithms, the 0/3-hour algorithm has a lower precision rate for myocardial infarction, he said. While there is a popular notion in the medical field that the different algorithms only vary in their efficiency, the study found they are also pertinent to the safety of patients, he added. With the 0/3-hour algorithm, up to 15 out of 1,000 patients with acute myocardial infarction could be misidentified as healthy, while the number drops to three when using the newer 0/1 and 0/2-hour procedures, Lee said. New testing methods were launched a few years ago, and their

By Wu Liang-yi

Hakka commission commemorates authors

Kaohsiung’s Hakka Affairs Commission yesterday held a ceremony to honor late activist and author Chung Tie-min (鍾鐵民) and his father, celebrated Hakka writer Chung Li-ho (鍾理和). At the ceremony at the Meinong District (美濃) public library in Kaohsiung, the commission also unveiled a bronze bust of Chung Tie-min, who was known for documenting the changes that occurred in rural Taiwan. “Chung Li-ho was one of the most important Taiwanese writers in the post-war period. You can understand the changes Taiwan went through by reading his books,” commission chairman Yang Jui-hsia (楊瑞霞) said. Chung Li-ho was born in Pingtung in 1915, but moved to Kaohsiung in 1932 to help his father with the family farming and textile businesses. He met a girl while working on the farm, but the two were initially prohibited from marrying as they shared the same family name. In 1940, he and the girl relocated to Shenyang in China — then part of the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo — to marry and live together. He moved to Beijing in 1941 — then Beiping — where he began writing and where his wife gave birth to Chung Tie-min. In 1946, he returned to Taiwan because he had a lung disease, and exhausted the family fortune on treatment. He continued to write, and despite winning a literary award was unable to publish his works due to a lack of funds. He died in 1960 at the age of 46. Chung Tie-min also had health problems starting in the 1950s when he was diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis. He was forced to stay home until 1965 when he finally received treatment and overcame tuberculosis. He lived until 2011, when he died of cardiovascular disease at the age of 70. Throughout his life, Chung Tie-min was an avid writer who followed his father’s

By Su Fu-nan and William Hetherington

Nation’s first photography book in Hailu dialect chronicles the history of Jhudong

Lee Tseng-chang (李增昌), a 95-year-old photographer and chronicler of the history of Hsinchu County’s Jhudong Township (竹東), is soon to publish the country’s first photography book in the Hailu (海陸) dialect of the Hakka language. The book titled Child Laborer, Hsinchu Glass Co., Jhudong, and Lee Tseng-chang (少年工．新玻．竹東．李增昌), consists of 400 images taken by Lee, as well as essays on the history of the township’s Hakka community, Lee’s coauthor, Ku Shao-chi (古少騏), said on Friday. The book received funding under the Ministry of Culture’s program to promote books written in local languages spoken in Taiwan that are not Mandarin. Lee’s photography captures the history of Jhudong and the daily life of its residents, and some of his work has seen print thanks to the Hakka Affairs Council and the Hsinchu County Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ku said. The book covers Lee’s life, which is entwined with local history, including when he worked in a tea factory as a child laborer in Japanese-ruled Taiwan and was conscripted to work at a fighter aircraft factory in Japan during World War II, Ku said. Lee returned to Taiwan after the end of the war and was unemployed during the post-war slump until he was recruited to work in Hsinchu at the first-ever pane glass manufacturing facility in Taiwan, she said. The book contains Lee’s recollections and photographs of the glass factory — including clashes between management and the workers that occurred during the Martial Law period — the ravages of Typhoon Gloria, Hsinchu’s variance of the Hakka Lion Dance and the Taiwan Hakka Mountain Song Contest, she said. Born in 1927, Lee took up photography as a hobby in the 1950s, in addition to collecting and restoring antique cameras, Ku said, adding that he has worked on more than 1,000 cameras in his life. Ku said that she met Lee at a

By Liao Hsu-ju and Jonathan Chin

Olympic committee re-elects president Lin for third term

Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) president Lin Hong-dow (林鴻道) was yesterday re-elected to lead the organization for another four years. As the sole candidate, Lin gained 71 out of the 72 valid votes, winning a third term. The CTOC also chose six vice presidents and more than a dozen board executives. After winning re-election, Lin said he would continue to lead the CTOC in helping Taiwanese athletes and making Taiwan a strong sporting nation. He thanked the organization’s members for re-electing him, saying that the CTOC has laid a good foundation thanks to the efforts of past presidents, enabling more Taiwanese athletes to gain global visibility. However, there is room for Taiwan to make progress at international sports events, Lin said. “I hope Taiwan will finish among the top 20 countries at future Olympics,” Lin said. “I also hope sports will become a critical part of daily life for people in Taiwan.” At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held this past summer after a one-year delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwanese athletes won two golds, four silvers and six bronze medals, the best-ever performance in the country’s history. Taiwan placed 34th, up from 50th place at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Taiwan’s progress at the Tokyo Games was exciting, providing a shot of adrenaline to local sporting circles, Lin said. Taiwan took their first medal in several sports, with Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and Lee Yang (李洋) taking gold in the badminton men’s doubles and Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) earning silver in the badminton women’s singles, he said. Judoka Yang Yung-wei (楊勇緯) and gymnast Lee Chih-kai (李智凱) each bagged a silver, while weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳), who dominated the women’s under-59kg weight class, won gold, he said. The CTOC would aim to improve Taiwan’s competitiveness in swimming, track and field, and gymnastics at Olympic events, Lin said. He said he had faith

Taoyuan to remove signs alluding to harassment

The Taoyuan City Government has removed controversial signs — suggestive of sexual harassment — from Lunping Culture Park in the municipality’s Guanyin District (觀音) and plans to replace them with mascots designed by its Department of Hakka Affairs. One of the signs indicating the way to the park’s restrooms depicted a man peeking over a wall and staring at a woman, while the other depicted a man lifting the hem of a woman’s skirt. The city government’s Department of Urban Development on Thursday said the signs had been designed in an attempt at humor. Temporary signs have been put up in their place. However, signs or acts of sexual harassment “are not funny,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) said, adding that the city government had failed to do its duty by allowing such signs, which were evidently against the law. Peeking and lifting others’ skirts are in contravention of the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法) and the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法), she said. It is a shame that Taiwan, one of the few countries in Asia upholding gender equality, could allow such signs to be displayed, she added. DPP Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) also said that the Taoyuan City Government had erred and should not attempt to treat such topics as an attempt at humor. The city government on Friday said that the signs would be replaced with a design of the city’s Hakka mascots, adding that the Department of Hakka Affairs is expected to complete the project by the end of the year.

By Cheng Shu-ting and Jake Chung

Team devises fertilizer that hugely boosts output

Researchers have developed a new type of microbial fertilizer capable of increasing crop output by up to 440 percent, the Council of Agriculture has announced. Microbial fertilizers have in the past few years swept the industry, generating hundreds of millions of New Taiwan dollars in value, Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station director Tai Shun-fa (戴順發) said on Tuesday, adding that this newest discovery provides farmers with yet another option amid a growing supply. Station researcher Chen Tai-yuan (陳泰元) said they collected microorganisms from productive organic farms across Kaohsiung and Pingtung County. From the more than 30 types collected, researchers identified one from a rice field in Pingtung County’s Wandan Township (萬丹) that showed promise in promoting crop growth, he said. The microbe, Bacillus velezensis KHH13, works by dissolving minerals such as phosphorus and potassium, making them more accessible to crops, he said. The microbes can also produce indole-3-acetic Acid, or IAA, a plant growth hormone, and enzymes important to plant growth, he added. In testing, KHH13 has proven capable of significantly increasing the net weight of a variety of leafy greens, Chen said. For example, the weight of Chinese white cabbage rose by 80 percent, oilseed rape and celery by 190 percent, and curled lettuce by 440 percent, he said. KHH13 can also produce compounds to compete with pathogenic organisms, improving soil health and protecting crops from damage, Chen said. The fertilizer has already been patented domestically and licensed for nonexclusive use by Green Mountain Co, Tai said. The agricultural supply firm in May began selling the fertilizer under the name Wandan Microbial Fertilizer (萬丹菌肥), he added. It is also included in a subsidy program for organic fertilizers by the Agriculture and Food Agency, which covers half the retail price up to NT$5,000 per hectare, Tai said.

By Kayleigh Madjar

Carried away by music

Soprano Huang Li-chin, accompanied by a string quartet, performs on a raft yesterday, which was the first day of the two-day annual Kinmen Tunnel Music Festival in Kinmen County.

Golden treat

Liu Kuan-ting holds his award for Best Supporting Actor — won for his role as Lao Yang in “Treat or Trick” — at the 58th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei yesterday.

‘China threatens order’

DESTABILIZING: Beijing’s efforts to choke Taiwan, pressure its friends and hamper its democracy are a threat to the world, AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk said

China’s provocative military activities near Taiwan are destabilizing and risk “miscalculation,” American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk said yesterday, reiterating the US’ objection to any unilateral changes to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait. Oudkirk made the remarks in a speech at the annual conference of the Association of International Relations in Taipei. “In the Indo-Pacific region, America’s effort to resolve and manage differences with the leadership of the People’s Republic of [PRC] faces distinct challenges,” she said, referencing a range of actions by China that she said run counter to the shared values and interests of the US and its allies and partners. “The PRC’s repressive actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, military adventurism in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, discriminatory economic policies and economic coercion of our allies, as well as cyberattacks on the United States and many others all threaten the rules-based order,” Oudkirk said. “The PRC’s increasingly aggressive behavior is nowhere more evident than in relation to Taiwan, where the PRC has continued to exert military, diplomatic and economic pressure,” she added. “Continued efforts by Beijing to choke Taiwan’s international space, pressure its friends and interfere in Taiwan’s democratic system represent a threat to all democracies,” she said. Oudkirk said that the three hallmarks of US President Joe Biden’s multilateral approach to Taiwan are US leadership, democracy and cooperation. “US support for Taiwan remains rock solid, principled and bipartisan, and is in line with America’s ‘one China’ policy and longstanding American commitments,” she said, reiterating that Washington’s policy toward Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques and the “six assurances.” “America will support Taiwan as it resists the PRC’s efforts to constrain its appropriate participation on the world stage,” she said. Describing Taiwan as the “Silicon Island” of Asia, Oudkirk said: “Taiwan is a

By Lin Chia-nan

Tariffs waived or lowered for allies

TRADE AGREEMENTS: A pact with Belize has opened possible gateways between Asia and the Caribbean, while Honduras and Paraguay also get large tariff breaks

A bill to lower import tariffs to zero on 234 items for three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — Belize, Honduras and Paraguay — was passed by the Legislative Yuan yesterday and is expected to expand economic and trade exchanges. The amendment to the Customs Import Tariff lowers the tariffs either immediately or incrementally, in line with economic cooperation and trade agreements signed by Taiwan and the three allied countries. Taiwan is to lower tariffs on 199 items imported from Belize, including fish, pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, juice, wood products and cocoa products, while cutting tariffs on 25 items imported from Honduras, such as diary products, fruit and vegetables. Additionally, 10 items imported from Paraguay, including sugar and rice products, will have tariff-free status. The Legislative Yuan yesterday also unanimously ratified an economic cooperation agreement that was signed with Belize in September last year. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui said that the agreement should create a win-win situation for Taiwan and Belize through reciprocal economic and trade exchange. Yui said the terms of the agreement have the Caribbean ally granting preferential tariff status to 33 Taiwanese exports, including starch-related products, bicycle tires, textiles, steel, hand tools, machine tools, auto and motorcycle components, and water sports equipment. Taiwanese companies are expected to use Belize as a springboard to enter the Caribbean’s trade bloc, while the country would use Taiwan as a gateway to the Asian market, Yui said. Additionally, Belize has signed trade agreements with the EU, Canada and Colombia, while the Caribbean country has been granted preferential trade status by the US, Canada and Japan, Yui said. As Taiwan and Belize quicken the boosting of their economies amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the agreement is expected to help the countries enhance friendship and economic ties, he said.

Deputy speaker threatens lawsuit

Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) yesterday said he would sue for defamation after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) by-election candidate Yen Kuan-heng’s (顏寬恒) campaign spokesman said that Tsai’s business interests were partly behind corruption allegations against Yen. Yen is the KMT’s candidate in Taichung’s second electoral district in a by-election scheduled for Jan. 9, facing Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), following the recall of Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party last month. In a controversy over the Taichung Harbor No. 105 wharf, local DPP city councilors and New Power Party lawmakers have demanded a judicial probe into Yen’s alleged conflict of interest, abuse of power, intimidation of government officials and illegal obtainment security contracts during his term as a KMT legislator from 2013 to 2016. They said that Yen pressured the Taichung Port Authority to issue private sector contracts for storage of imported coal from incoming freighters that supply the Taichung Power Plant operated under the state-owned Taiwan Power Co (Taipower). Taichung Port and transport ministry officials revised the plan to outsource the No. 105 wharf through a public tender under pressure from Yen, they said. The tender was won by Chengfeng Warehouse and Harbor Service last year. In response, Yen said that the tender was secured legally. Yen’s campaign spokesman Chang Yu-hsuan (張禹宣) said that Tsai had served in an executive role for a rival company, Chien Shing Harbour Service Co, which lost out on the tender bid. Chang said that Tsai owned 39,000 shares of Chien Shing stock, currently worth more than NT$1.5 billion (US$53.89 million). Tsai, a DPP member, said on Thursday that the accusation was false and would file a defamation suit against Yen, pledging to donate any funds awarded to charity.

By Jason Pan

Tsai mulls information and national security affairs at hacker conference

Taiwan is committed to being a trusted link in the global chain of information security and technology industries, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday. Tsai made the remark at an event that launched this year’s Hacks in Taiwan Conference, adding that the US, Japan, South Korea and others are also taking part to bolster collective cybersecurity for the alliance of democracies. Taiwan has been on the front line in the defense of democracy, and the country has many years of experience in dealing with cyberattacks, which gave rise to the government’s approach to information security being equal to national security, she said. The National Security Council has been asked to update its information security strategy by the end of December, Tsai said. The new strategy would involve public-private cooperation, developing an information security industry, cultivating expertise, establishing a department of digital development under the central government and implementing information security in the six core strategic industries, she said. Those industries are information technology, cybersecurity, precision health, renewable energy, national defense and strategic stockpiling, the Executive Yuan said. The government is to implement the policy in stages by requiring publicly traded corporations to disclose their exposure if they have been hacked, and for part of their revenue to be spent on information security, Tsai said. The government is mulling further measures that would require publicly traded companies above a certain size to create an internal cybersecurity unit, she said. “Taiwan’s goal is to forge a trusted link in the global information security system and industry chain,” she said. “This effort will protect the country’s information and communications security, and be part of the clean supply chains that the world demands,” Tsai said. The planned Cyber Security Center of Excellence would train a generation of information security experts to help execute the government’s vision, she said. The administration is confident that Taiwan

By Jonathan Chin

Taipei to establish ‘angel investment’ fund for start-ups

The Taipei City Government is to establish an angel investment fund of NT$2 billion (US$71.85 million) to be used over five years to foster the growth of innovative industries, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said on Wednesday last week. Ko said that Taiwan’s industrial sector was mostly comprised of original equipment manufacturing, but such practices could not indefinitely support Taiwan’s gross national income. The Startup@Taipei office has assisted more than 30,000 start-up inquiries, provided NT$1.98 billion in start-up funding and helped negotiate more than NT$2.5 billion in start-up loans since 2015. To go beyond this success, the city government is to establish angel investment funds directly, Ko said. Start-up investments are to take the form of stock ownership, Ko said, adding this method demonstrates responsible politics. The Taipei City Ordinance for Receiving, Safekeeping, and Using Industry Development Funds (台北市產業發展基金收支保管及運用自治條例) was forwarded to the Taipei City Council for deliberation earlier this year, Ko said. Taipei Department of Economic Development Commissioner Lin Chung-chieh (林崇傑) said that current subsidies only provide a single person or organization a one-time maximum subsidy of NT$5 million. The ordinance would allow the government to collect some profit, which could then be invested in other start-ups, Lin said, adding that the funds would target technology and biotech companies. The funds would be directed mostly to companies in Taipei, he said, adding that the city government would sell its stock within seven to 10 years after the investment pays for itself.

By Jake Chung

CECC tightens rules for six countries

MUTANT STRAIN B.1.1.529: People arriving from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini must stay at government quarantine facilities for 14 days

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced plans to tighten quarantine rules following the identification of a new highly transmissible COVID-19 variant in parts of the world, requiring travelers from six countries to stay in government quarantine facilities for 14 days on arrival in Taiwan. The new rule takes effect on Monday, and would affect travelers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the CECC said, assuring the public that there has been no cases of the mutant strain “B.1.1.529” in Taiwan. People arriving from those countries, including transit passengers and airline crew, must stay at government quarantine facilities at public expense and undergo follow-up tests, the CECC said. They cannot take part in the Dec. 14 to Feb. 14 program, which has looser quarantine rules and is designated for Lunar New Year inbound travelers who are fully vaccinated, it said. The program comprises a “7+7 (+7)” plan for people who are fully vaccinated at least two weeks before their arrival and a “10+4 (+7)” plan for those who are not. The first option allows people to spend the first seven days of quarantine in a government facility or designated hotel and the remaining seven days of quarantine at home. Under the second option, people are to quarantine at a designated hotel for the first 10 days and spend the remaining four days at home, if other residents have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks. Currently, all arrivals in Taiwan have to quarantine for 14 days at either a government facility or a designated hotel to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. The CECC also announced that a new round of COVID-19 vaccinations would be available next week for people looking to get their second jab, including those who qualify for the vaccine mix-and-match option. Bookings for the 16th round of the vaccine

Police patrols increased after railway bomb threat

Police patrols and security measures were yesterday beefed up throughout the nation’s railway lines and stations after the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) received a bomb threat in the morning. Railway officials said they received a letter at 9:30am from an anonymous sender saying they had placed plastic explosives on a TRA local train’s No. 5 carriage and on a high-speed train’s No. 17 carriage departing from Taichung, and that the explosives would go off at noon. The letter demanded that officials call a telephone number and they would be instructed to wire a ransom to a bank account number. Both the TRA and the high-speed rail deployed more personnel at work and police patrols to monitor and check for any unusual situations. Throughout the searches, only one unattended rucksack was found on a local train, No. 2154, traveling from Chiayi City to Keelung, officials said. After it was removed from the train, a police bomb squad opened it and found only personal clothing, they said, adding that it might have been left behind by a passenger. The sender of the bomb threat was likely trying to create fear among the public, the TRA said, adding that it was cooperating with law enforcement agencies to track down the culprit. Police investigators said it was likely a hoax, as the person said the bomb would be placed on the No. 17 carriage of a high-speed train, which only has 12 carriages. Public safety is of utmost concern, officials said. Although the threat has seemingly passed, people should stay vigilant and look out for any unattended bags, as the investigation continues, they said.

By Jason Pan