ECONOMY
FTA talks to start ‘soon’
Taiwan will officially begin free-trade talks with New Zealand “in the near future,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, following the recent completion of a joint feasibility study into a bilateral economic cooperation agreement. However, a specific timetable for the talks was not mentioned in the press statement released by the ministry. “The ministry hopes that negotiations will be smooth and bring concrete results,” it said, adding that the pact is bound to benefit and further expand Taiwan-New Zealand economic relations. In an interview earlier this month, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) said the highly anticipated talks could be launched “by the end of May.”
HORTICULTURE
Orchids go to Chelsea
Taiwan will present locally produced orchids with a dragon theme at the Chelsea Flower Show in London to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the upcoming London Olympic Games, according to a Taiwanese orchid association. Some orchid petals will look like the golden scales of a dragon, said Tseng Chun-pi (曾俊弼), secretary of the Taiwan Orchid Growers Association and head of Taiwan’s delegation to the show. Small sky lanterns wrapped in traditional Hakka flower cloth will accompany the dragon orchids as symbols of the country, Tseng said. “The beautiful orchids are blessings we have brought from Taiwan,” he said, adding that 20,000 orchids of 50 varieties will be presented this year. The 99th annual Chelsea Flower Show, recognized as the Oscars of the horticultural world, will run from Tuesday until May 26. The show has been a success in showcasing Taiwan’s orchid industry: Moth orchid exports to the UK increased from US$980,000 in 2009 to US$2.53 million in 2010, with the figure rising to US$3.52 million last year.
CRIME
Taiwanese cleared of fraud
Philippine prosecutors yesterday dismissed a case against 72 Taiwanese allegedly involved in a fraud ring. Davao City prosecutors said there was “insufficient evidence” to prove that the suspects used electronic equipment seized in a police raid on illegal telecommunications operations. Prosecutors also threw out charges leveled by police such as breaching the Philippines’ Electronic Commerce Act and illegal possession of firearms. Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau and Philippine police authorities apprehended the 72 Taiwanese suspects, along with six Chinese suspects, in an April 18 raid on three phone fraud operation sites in Davao City. The six Chinese suspects have since been released. Immigration authorities in the Philippines said they would seek to have the Taiwanese nationals deported.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS