Eyeing better quality air
I am writing to express my concern about the new air pollution control zone criteria. It has prompted me to reflect deeply on this issue, and I believe it deserves our collective attention.
The Ministry of Environment’s decision to implement stricter air pollution control zone criteria represents a significant step toward improving public health and environmental sustainability.
The shift from averaging air quality monitoring results to ensuring compliance at every station is commendable. It reflects a more precise and transparent approach, ensuring that no pockets of poor air quality are overlooked. This approach, while placing some cities and counties into “non-compliant” status, does not imply that their air quality has worsened. Instead, it highlights the ministry’s resolve to push for higher standards and continuous improvement.
The announcement also underscores the need for robust support for local governments and industries to meet these enhanced criteria. The introduction of fees and stricter controls could indeed incentivize businesses to adopt cleaner technologies, but without adequate guidance and funding, smaller enterprises might struggle to comply. Equitable and targeted support mechanisms must accompany these measures to ensure effectiveness. Further investment in public awareness campaigns, green energy solutions, and urban planning would be critical to sustaining and amplifying these improvements.
This not only affects our environment and quality of life, but also has implications for the well-being of future generations.
Chen Jin-ci
Hsinchu City
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022
US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have each given their thoughts on Russia’s war with Ukraine. There are a few proponents of US skepticism in Taiwan taking advantage of developments to write articles claiming that the US would arbitrarily abandon Ukraine. The reality is that when one understands Trump’s negotiating habits, one sees that he brings up all variables of a situation prior to discussion, using broad negotiations to take charge. As for his ultimate goals and the aces up his sleeve, he wants to keep things vague for
RSS