■ Energy
Wind-power plant opened
Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday presided over the opening of a commercial wind power plant in Shihmen Township,
Taipei County, calling its operations a display of the government's resolve to make the nation nuclear power-free. In addition to representing a stride toward the government's goal of making Taiwan a nuclear-free country, Yu said, the plant will also be a new landmark in the scenic northeastern coastal area. The Shihmen wind-power plant, the first of its kind
in Taiwan for purely commercial purposes, has six power-generating units with a combined capacity of nearly 100 million kilowatt-hours per year, which will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 8,600 tonnes and replace 3,820 tonnes of fuel coal each year. According to the premier, the government earmarks around
NT$3 billion (US$93.75
million) each year for the development of alternative energy sources in line with a worldwide drive to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.
■ Politics
TSU hopeful signs up
Su Chin-chiang (蘇進強), secretary-general of the National Cultural Association and former National Security Council advisor, plans to register his candidacy for chairman of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) today after asking for an application form from the TSU yesterday. Su, accompanied by TSU acting chairman Huang Chung-yuan (黃宗源) and acting secretary-general Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘), went to the Legislative Yuan to seek support from other TSU legislators for his campaign. Su said that it was former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) who talked him into running for the post and he believed that he would be an able chairman for the party.
■ Politics
KMT flies the flag
To celebrate the New Year, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) announced yesterday that it will hold
a flag-raising ceremony
early on New Year's Day. Reflecting a rift in the pan-blue camp, the People First Party (PFP) said yesterday that it would not attend. The public is also welcome to attend, the KMT said yesterday. When asked if
the party had extended an invitation to its coalition allies, the New Party and
the PFP, spokesman Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭) said that the New Party was planning to make an appearance. While the PFP is not staging any New Year celebrations, its members were allowed to attend "flag-raising ceremonies of the Republic of China," PFP spokesman Hsieh Kung-bin (謝公秉) said. The ceremony will be held at the Zhongshan Hall in Taipei at 5:30am tomorrow.
■ Diplomacy
Regulations to be eased
Restrictions on visiting family members in China using the "small three links" may be relaxed by Lunar New Year, Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said. Wu said that changes would have to be made to provisional policies overseeing travel between the offshore islands of Kinmen and Matsu, and China. Wu met with Lienchiang County Commissioner Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生), who asked that the council ease restrictions on travel for Chinese firms helping
with the preservation of traditional architecture in Matsu. Wu also said that the council would consider lifting duties imposed on fish products for consumption in Matsu.
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
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
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