■DIPLOMACY
US optimistic on visa waiver
An official of the US Department of Homeland Security on Thursday expressed optimism about Taiwan being included on the US visa-waiver country list. Robert Perez, US Customs and Border Protection New York operations director, also praised Taiwan’s issuing of electronic passports since late 2008. Airports in the greater New York area report several cases of suspects using forged Republic of China passports every year, Perez said, and the new passport could mitigate the problem. The e-passport, or chip passport, is the same as a regular passport, but includes a small integrated circuit (computer chip) embedded in the back cover. Perez made the remarks during a meeting with Kao Jen-chuan (高振群), director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, to exchange views on a range of issues including assisting Taiwanese in clearing customs, airport security, prevention of human trafficking, and sea and air cargo safety.
■SOCIETY
Firecracker rules approved
The Cabinet on Thursday approved an amendment to the Firework and Firecracker Management Act (爆竹煙火管理條例) that would increase penalties for those responsible for illegal firecracker production. The current Act states that persons responsible for producing firecrackers without permission face a three-year sentence or a maximum fine of NT$3 million (US$94,489). If the amendment passes the legislature, producers of illegal firecrackers will face a prison term of three to 10 years or a fine of between NT$2 million and NT$10 million if there is an incident involving casualties in connection with the firecrackers.
■ECONOMY
Task force to fix prices
The Executive Yuan’s task force on price stabilization will resume operations next week because of food and commodity price increases in the run-up to the Lunar New Year, Executive Yuan Spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) said yesterday. This year’s Lunar New Year falls on Feb. 14. Su said Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) had instructed Vice Premier Eric Chu (朱立倫), leader of the task force, to monitor unusual fluctuations in everyday goods and make sure there was sufficient supply during the holiday period. Wu gave the instructions in the wake of reported hikes in the price of dried goods, delicacies, candies and other commodities.
■POLITICS
Two KMT members expelled
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday expelled Jhongli Deputy Mayor Lin Hsiang-mei (林香美) and Taoyuan County Councilor Wu Yu-tung (吳餘東) for violating party regulations by deciding to run in the Feb. 27 legislative by-election in Taoyuan County. The KMT nominated former KMT legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖) as its nominee for the election even though he placed third in a KMT opinion poll, following Jhongli Mayor Ye Bu-liang (葉步樑) and Lin. Wu placed fourth. Both Lin and Wu accused the KMT of failing to follow its nomination process and refused to drop out of the race. Juan Kang-meng (阮剛猛), director of the KMT Disciplinary Committee, said the party’s Taoyuan branch had revoked their party memberships and the headquarters approved the local branch’s decision. KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) said the party would take disciplinary action against any member who violates party regulations.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
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