Tue, Nov 25, 2025
MISINTERPRETATION: The legislature also condemned China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758, which it has used as the basis for its sovereignty claims over Taiwan The legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee yesterday passed motions condemning China’s “long-arm jurisdiction” over Taiwanese and refuting its misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758.The motion, put forth by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, said that actions by C
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted two employees and an outside contractor of Radio Taiwan International (RTI) for allegedly launching a cyberattack against the radio station’s Web site in September.Prosecutors denounced that Wu and Yue’s actions, such as replacing the websit
Germany yesterday said that Russia has to be present at talks on ending the Ukraine war as Europe and Kyiv pressed for more work on a US proposal seen as heavily favoring Moscow.Ukrainian, US and European officials met in Switzerland on Sunday to draft an “updated” plan after a 28-point proposal tab
Hezbollah yesterday was to hold a funeral for its top military chief and other members of the militant group, a day after Israel killed them with a strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.Haytham Ali Tabatabai is the most senior Hezbollah commander to be killed by Israel since a November 2024 ceasefire
RECOGNITION: It was important that the resolution said ‘Taiwanese nationals,’ rather than ‘residents’ or ‘people,’ as it asserted Taiwan’s subjectivity, Shen said The Liberal International, a global alliance of liberal and progressive democratic political parties, yesterday unanimously passed a resolution proposed by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) to condemn China’s transnational repression against Taiwanese.The motion was passed o
NO CHANGES: A Japanese spokesperson said that Tokyo remains consistent and open for dialogue, while Beijing has canceled diplomatic engagements A Japanese official blasted China’s claims that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has altered Japan’s position on a Taiwan crisis as “entirely baseless,” calling for more dialogue to stop ties between Asia’s top economies from spiraling.China vowed to take resolute self-defense against Japan if
GEARS AND WRENCHES : Taiwan’s application to join a Pacific-focused trade agreement is sitting in limbo, while other countries are selected for accession Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has been hindered by China, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said yesterday.The ninth CPTPP Commission meeting was held in Melbourne on Friday, as Australia serves as the chair
About 90 percent of Taiwanese have an unfavorable impression of China and do not want unification with China, a poll publicized by the World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI) showed yesterday.WUFI chairman Richard Chen (陳南天) cited the polling results, saying that only 11.9 percent of responde
FANGS OUT: Options in the case of a Strait conflict range from hands-off support to wading in and engaging directly, depending on circumstances and commitment There are four scenarios for how Japan could become involved in the event that China were to attack Taiwan, said Tang Ming-hua (唐明華), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research.For Japan, the possibility of avoiding war entirely while still preserving alliance credibili
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) representatives would not be allowed to enter Taiwan except in special cases, an official said yesterday, citing China’s measures targeting “Taiwanese independence separatists” and cross-border repression as examples of its continued hostility and lack of goodwill
Taiwan has seen a significant increase in engagement from US state governments, with more representative offices opening in Taiwan and a growing number of trade missions visiting the country, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.During a reception hosted by the American
PUBLIC SAFEGUARDS: Proposed mandatory accreditation and tighter qualifications for doctors have medical groups arguing about jobs, transparency and better healthcare Opinions on the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s proposal to tighten requirements for doctors to perform cosmetic surgeries differ, with medical groups issuing joint statements in support or against the policy change.The ministry earlier this month announced its draft amendments to the Regulations f
COLLATERAL BLOOD RELATIVES: Proponents of easing the law cite Germany and Japan as examples, while opponents are concerned over potential congenital effects The legislature’s Legislative Research Bureau has suggested relaxing restrictions on marriages between collateral blood relatives to within the fourth degree of kinship following a ruling annulling a marriage between sixth-degree relatives.The Kaohsiung Juvenile and Family Court has declared the mar
The Ministry of Sports yesterday rebutted claims by Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) of negligence and a cover-up of alleged financial fraud involving the Republic of China Mini Soccer Association. Huang accused the association of defrauding the public by forging receipts,
The Taipei City Government has completed a deal to terminate a land use contract with Shin Kong Life Insurance, clearing the way for artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp to build its Taiwan headquarters in the city, Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday.“Today, I want to formall
DATA: Youth joblessness was higher than the national average, at 11.81 percent for people aged 20 to 24, while university graduates had the highest rate at 4.55 percent The unemployment rate last month edged down to 3.36 percent, slipping 0.02 percentage points from September and marking the lowest level in 25 years, as the impact of the graduation season faded, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.After seasonal adjus
Aspeed Technology Inc (信驊), which supplies baseboard management controls (BMCs) for servers powered by Nvidia Corp chips, yesterday said it expects revenue next quarter to grow between 25 percent to 30 percent year-on-year, thanks to strong demand for servers and higher selling prices.Revenue is to
SPRAWLING COVERAGE: Amazon balances ownership with flexibility, leveraging third-party options if they have additional capacity or reach, a spokesperson said Amazon.com Inc’s data center operation is much larger than commonly understood, totaling more than 900 facilities in more than 50 countries, documents reviewed by Bloomberg and investigative Web site SourceMaterial showed.Amazon Web Services (AWS) is best known for sprawling data center hubs in Virg
Since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year, the direction of the US’ national policy has shifted from a focus on globalization and energy transition to a comprehensive bolstering of national security, supply chain autonomy and technological resilience. The Trump ad
The recent confirmation hearing for Austin Dahmer, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for assistant secretary of war for strategy, plans and capabilities, was potentially groundbreaking. Asked how the US could help Taiwan deter or defeat a Chinese attack, Dahmer said: “The US strategy of denial com
On Tuesday last week at 7:30pm, Cloudflare, the world’s largest Internet infrastructure provider offering Web security and traffic acceleration services, had a major crash. The outage brought down critical online services worldwide, including several essential public and government Web sites in Taiw
SPURS’ ENEMY NO. 1: Eberechi Eze, who was at the center of a summer transfer battle between the two north London clubs, scored a hat-trick in his first derby Eberechi Eze on Sunday scored a majestic hat-trick for Arsenal as they trounced north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 to open up a commanding six-point lead at the top of the English Premier League. For 36 minutes the derby was a cagey contest with Tottenham frustrating Mikel Arteta’s side, but
Ukrainian sumo wrestler Danylo Yavhusishyn yesterday said that he had surprised even himself by becoming the first from his country to win a tournament in the ancient Japanese sport. The 21-year-old, who fled the war in Ukraine three years ago, is set to be promoted to sumo’s second-highest rank thi
Rising Taiwanese golfer Wu Chia-yen on Sunday won her first championship on the Japan Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association (JLPGA) tour after finishing first at the Daio Paper Elleair Ladies Open in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. The 21-year-old lifted the trophy at Elleair Golf Club, finishing 15
Jude Bellingham on Sunday struck late on to secure Real Madrid a 2-2 draw at Elche, taking his team top of Spanish La Liga by one point. Xabi Alonso’s side struggled against their mid-table opponents in an entertaining battle in which Madrid twice came from behind. Aleix Febas fired the hosts ahead
‘COWARDLY ACT’: The attack came less than two weeks after a suicide bomber struck outside an Islamabad court, detonating his explosives next to a police car and killing 12 Two suicide bombers yesterday attacked the headquarters of a security force in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least three officers and wounding 11 others, police and rescue officials said.The attack took place in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province bordering Afghanistan, when sec
Plans for a new UK digital ID are sparking widespread public concern, but some critics including far-right politicians are fueling fears with unproven claims that it would be used to boost government control over people’s lives.They warn that the digital ID would be used to store data on vaccination
Malaysia plans to ban social media for users younger than 16 starting from next year, joining a growing list of nations choosing to limit access to digital platforms due to concerns about child safety.Malaysian Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil on Sunday said that the government was reviewing
Barely a month goes by without more news of streaming sites overtaking traditional, terrestrial TV. Predominant among those sits YouTube, with more than 2.5 billion monthly viewers. For people my age — a sprightly 28 — and younger, YouTube is less of an app or Web site than our answer to radio: the
The Western media once again enthusiastically forwarded Beijing’s talking points on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment two weeks ago that an attack by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Taiwan was an existential threat to Japan and would trigger Japanese military intervention in d
NOV. 24 to NOV. 30It wasn’t famine, disaster or war that drove the people of Soansai to flee their homeland, but a blanket-stealing demon. At least that’s how Poan Yu-pie (潘有秘), a resident of the Indigenous settlement of Kipatauw in what is today Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), told it to Jap
For technology adopters looking for the next big thing, “agentic AI” is the future. At least, that’s what the marketing pitches and tech industry T-shirts say.What makes an artificial intelligence product “agentic” depends on who’s selling it. But the promise is usually that it’s a step beyond today
對話 Dialogue清清：華華，最近芒草是不是已經開花了？Qīngqing: Huáhua, zuìjìn mángcǎo shì bú shì yǐjīng kāihuā le?華華：好像是欸，難怪我看到朋友的限時動態全是一片銀白色花海～Huáhua: Hǎoxiàng shì ei, nánguài wǒ kàndào péngyǒu de xiànshí dòngtài quán shì yí piàn yínbáisè huāhǎi~清清：我去年跟家人去爬草嶺古道，那整片芒草在陽光下閃閃發光，很美！Qīngqing: Wǒ qùnián gēn jiārén qù pá Cǎolǐn
1. 他離開倫敦很久了。ˇ He has been away from London for quite a long time.ˇ It is quite some time since he left London.χ He has left London for a long time.註︰to leave 和 die, graduate, get up, retire 等動詞一樣，是所謂的 point-of-time verb「瞬間動作」（或稱 terminative verb），動作是在一瞬間發生並無延續，因此不能像 period-of-time verb（或稱 durative v
Two moves show Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) is gunning for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) party chair and the 2028 presidential election. Technically, these are not yet “officially” official, but by the rules of Taiwan politics, she is now on the dance floor. Earlier this month Lu confirmed in an interview in Japan’s Nikkei that she was considering running for KMT chair. This is not new news, but according to reports from her camp she previously was still considering the case for and against running. By choosing a respected, international news outlet, she declared it to the world. While the outside world likely paid little attention, domestically the message was unmistakable: She is moving on to a larger stage. Part of the dance is to leave options open before formally committing, and with the chair race due in late September, she has time. If something goes wrong in the meantime, or if power brokers in the party offer her a deal that provides more benefits than taking on the role of chair, she can pivot accordingly. Earlier this year, I suggested that strategically, she would be better off concentrating on her job as Taichung mayor until she is term-limited out of office in December next year. Taichung mayor is obviously a full-time job, and concurrently running the Taipei-headquartered party runs the risk of doing one or both jobs poorly and making mistakes that could imperil her shot at the presidency in 2028. The situation has changed. Current KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), knowing he is likely to face challengers of a higher caliber than the three relative nobodies already declared, has gone all in on appealing to the base. The base is more likely to turn out to vote in the chair election, so this makes some strategic sense in the short term.
Among Thailand’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) villages, a certain rivalry exists between Arunothai, the largest of these villages, and Mae Salong, which is currently the most prosperous. Historically, the rivalry stems from a split in KMT military factions in the early 1960s, which divided command and opium territories after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) cut off open support in 1961 due to international pressure (see part two, “The KMT opium lords of the Golden Triangle,” on May 20). But today this rivalry manifests as a different kind of split, with Arunothai leading a pro-China faction and Mae Salong staunchly aligned to Taiwan. Last spring at Arunothai’s Jiaolian School, principal Wang Mingming (王明明) had forewarned me of the division between villages, saying, “We are not like the people in Mae Salong. They are rich. Because of the Taiwanese.” Arunothai has in recent years become split in its loyalties between Taiwan and China (see part one, “A tale of two schools,” on May 15), but in Mae Salong, links to Taiwan remain strong. Taiwan-funded monuments pay homage to the Lost Army, villagers wear T-shirts emblazoned with the Republic of China (ROC) flag and tea plantations grown Taiwan’s most famous tea varieties, including Dong Ding (“frozen peak”) Oolong, Oriental Beauty and Jin Xuan (Golden Daylily or Milk Oolong). Even the numerical classifications of the teas — Oolong No. 12 or No. 17, for example — are the same, and the shops resemble those found on Alishan. At the tomb of General Tuan Hsi-wen (段希文) — perched on a Mae Salong hilltop with a view of his ancestral homeland in China’s Yunnan province — a third generation villager wearing a vintage KMT army uniform, Yan Si-Chung (岩思中), greets visitors with sharp military salutes. “Both my father and my grandfather were soldiers in the KMT army,” the 44-year-old
| New Taipei City | 27-28 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 27-28 | 20% |  |
| Miaoli County | 24-26 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 27-28 | 20% | |
| Yunlin County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Taichung City | 26-28 | 10% | |
| Nantou County | 25-26 | 10% | |
| Changhua County | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Chiayi County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Chiayi City | 25-27 | 10% | |
| Tainan City | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Pingtung County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Yilan County | 25-26 | 30% |  |
| Hualien County | 25-26 | 30% | |
| Taitung County | 25-27 | 30% | |
| Kinmen County | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Penghu County | 27-27 | 20% | |
| Lienchiang County | 27-28 | 20% | |
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