■ Defense
Subs on the way?
Taiwan is expected to push through a defense budget of nearly NT$300 billion (US$8.93 billion) to procure eight conventional submarines from the US, a news report said yesterday. The Cabinet Friday approved the budget for the deal under the condition that the nation would build some of the submarines on its own, a Chinese-language newspaper said. Taiwan hopes the state-run China Shipbuilding will be partly involved in building four of the diesel-electric submarines and will build two on its own, the paper said. But the arms budget still requires parliamentary approval. Jane's Defence Weekly recently cited sources saying Taiwan's plan to build some of the vessels by itself "is very likely going to kill the whole deal," adding that the nation lacks the construction and testing infrastructure. Government officials declined to comment on the report. The deal has progressed slowly, as the US has not built conventional submarines for more than 40 years. Taiwan is also slated to buy a dozen submarine-hunting P3C Orion aircraft and three Patriot anti-missile systems from the US.
■ Trade
Deals reached in India
A trade mission specializing in medical equipment and instruments visiting India has obtained orders worth US$250,000 and is following up on trade opportunities, worth US$2.17 million, that were discussed in New Delhi, the first stop on its current trip, officials said yesterday. The mission, organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and composed of representatives of seven Taiwan companies, went on to Mumbai after leaving New Delhi. During its stay in Mumbai, the officials said, the mission members will hold individual business talks with their Indian counterparts, visit local business groups and attend seminars on the development of the medical industry.
■ Agriculture
Irrigation may be postponed
Irrigation for a second crop on Taiwan's largest grain-growing area, the Chianan Plain, may be postponed because reservoirs are facing a water shortage, officials of the Chianan Irrigation Association said yesterday. Although storms that approached the nation recently brought rain to the south, the Chiayi and Tainan areas received little rainfall. The water levels of the Wushantou Reservoir (烏山頭水庫) and the Tsengwen Reservoir (曾文水庫) in Tainan County are extremely low because rain has been scarce since last November.
■ Politics
Lien: Get ready
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) has instructed his party's officials to prepare for the presidential election anew, a KMT spokeswoman said yesterday. Kuo Shu-chun (郭素春) said that Lien is confident of winning the lawsuit he filed with the Taiwan High Court to nullify the results of the March 20 presidential election, which the spokeswoman said was rife with irregularities. She said that a recount of votes initiated by the KMT and its political ally, the People First Party, has uncovered many electoral irregularities which she said cannot simply be considered mistakes committed by election officials. Lien will start a tour of the nation early next month in which he will thank his supporters and canvass for support for KMT candidates in December's legislative elections, Kuo said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
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