Wed, Apr 21, 2021
ADVERSE EVENTS: The center said that one man in his 60s experienced respiratory symptoms 16 days after vaccination, and is being treated in an intensive care unit Two Taiwanese pilots have tested positive for COVID-19, while 3,802 people have made appointments for out-of-pocket vaccinations this week, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. The two men, in their 50s and 60s, who fly cargo planes for a local airline, tested positive on Monday evening, said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman. The first man — case No. 1,078 — had flown a short-haul flight, departing and returning to Taiwan on Monday last week, and developed an itchy throat on Sunday, he said. The other man — case No. 1,079 — had flown long-haul flights to India and Luxembourg between April 10 and Monday last week, he added. On Wednesday last week, the two pilots and another crew member had flown on the same plane to the US, quarantined at a hotel during a layover and returned to Taiwan on Friday, Chuang said. The CECC had eased the quarantine rules for flight crew members on Wednesday last week, so they needed to quarantine at home for only three days after their return and took a mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the third day, he said. The PCR test results returned positive for the two pilots, but negative for the crew member, who is now isolating at home, he said. Authorities are investigating the source of infection to determine whether they were infected abroad or on the plane, he added. Reporting on the progress of vaccination in the nation, Chuang said that as of Monday, 33,404 people had received their first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Four adverse vaccine events were reported on Monday. One involved a man in his 60s who experienced respiratory symptoms 16 days after vaccination, and was diagnosed with vasculitis and interstitial pneumonia. The man is being treated in an intensive care
DRAM chipmaker Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技) yesterday said it plans to invest about NT$300 billion (US$10.66 billion) to build a 12-inch fab to produce 10-nanometer chips, as demand for memory chips for 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and consumer electronics applications soars. It is the chipmaker’s first major capacity expansion in four years. Nanya Technology last invested about NT$200 billion for its process technology migration from 30 nanometers to 20 nanometers and 10 nanometers. “We have little room [for further expansion] at existing factories. Nanya Technology needs to continue investing on developing new process technologies and new products, and expand capacity to ensure sustainable growth,” Nanya Technology president Lee Pei-ing (李培瑛) told reporters on the sidelines of a news conference in New Taipei City. On the demand side, the DRAM market is expected to grow at an annual pace of 15 to 25 percent, fueled by a variety of applications from 5G, AI, automotive, industrial and Internet of Things devices, Lee said. The world’s major DRAM suppliers are expanding capacity to match an anticipated growth in demand, he added. Nanya Technology expects its output for this year to be flat or to increase slightly from last year, after an annual expansion of 35 percent last year. The new 12-inch fab, to be built in New Taipei City’s Taishan District (泰山), would add 45,000 12-inch wafers to the firm’s monthly capacity of 70,000 equivalent- wafers, helping it to capture new growth opportunities, Lee said. The chipmaker expects the fab to start commercial shipments in 2024, with a monthly capacity of 15,000 wafers in the first phase. With the introduction of more advanced technologies, the new fab would help Nanya Technology broaden its product portfolio and expand its customer base from about 800, Lee said. The company plans to deploy 10-nanometer process technology, developed entirely by the chipmaker,
Climate-changing carbon emissions are forecast to surge by the second-biggest amount in history this year, as the global economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said yesterday, days before a major climate summit. The IEA estimated in its annual Global Energy Review that carbon-dioxide emissions would increase by almost 5 percent this year to 33 billion tonnes, largely reversing the decline registered last year as the pandemic idled swathes of the global economy. While carbon emissions are forecast to remain below their 2019 level, the IEA expects global energy demand to surpass its 2019 level, with both gas and coal rising above pre-pandemic levels. “Global carbon emissions are set to jump by 1.5 billion tonnes this year — driven by the resurgence of coal use in the power sector,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol was quoted as saying in a statement. “This is a dire warning that the economic recovery from the COVID crisis is currently anything but sustainable for our climate,” he said. He called the Leaders Summit on Climate to be hosted by US President Joe Biden tomorrow and on Friday a critical moment for nations to pledge immediate actions before the UN Climate Change Conference set for November in Glasgow, Scotland. “Unless governments around the world move rapidly to start cutting emissions, we are likely to face an even worse situation in 2022,” Birol said. The IEA expects a 4.5 percent jump in coal demand, surpassing the 2019 level and approaching its all-time peak in 2014, as the biggest reason behind the rise in carbon emissions. The electricity sector accounts for three-quarters of this increase. More than four-fifths of the rise in coal demand is to come from Asia, led by China, although the US and Europe are also set to see increases. While the increase in coal use would dwarf that of
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday called for greater global economic integration and warned against decoupling, while calling on the US and its allies to avoid “bossing others around.” “International affairs should be conducted by way of negotiations and discussions, and the future destiny of the world should be decided by all countries,” Xi said at the Boao Forum on Asia, without naming the US specifically. “One or a few countries shouldn’t impose their rules on others, and the world shouldn’t be led on by the unilateralism of a few countries.” In a veiled critique of US efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains and withhold exports of goods like advanced computer chips, Xi said: “Any effort to build barriers and decouple works against economic and market principles, and would only harm others without benefiting oneself.” “What we need in today’s world is justice, not hegemony,” Xi said, adding that China would never engage in an arms race. “Bossing others around or meddling in others’ internal affairs will not get one any support.” Xi spoke by video to more than 2,000 officials and business executives attending the conference in person in Hainan. Global leaders and the heads of the IMF and the UN attended the opening ceremony via video link, state media said. After canceling the forum last year because of the COVID-19 outbreak, China is signaling it is open for business with the resumption of the conference, billed as an Asian version of the World Economic Forum in Davos. A slew of US executives are participating in the forum, including Apple Inc’s Tim Cook, Tesla Inc’s Elon Musk, Blackstone Group Inc’s Stephen Schwarzman and Bridgewater Associates’ Ray Dalio. A key focus was on any new climate goals from Beijing, following promises from the US and China to work together to tackle climate change after
REGAINING PUBLIC TRUST: Lin Chia-lung, on his last day as transport minister, enjoined the TRA to focus on rebuilding its safety record after the April 2 crash A section of railway in eastern Taiwan that was damaged in a deadly train crash on April 2 reopened yesterday, with the first train on the route departing at 5:27am. Train services were able to resume after the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) on Friday completed its repairs and safety inspections on the track in the area of the Cingshuei Tunnel (清水隧道) in Hualien County, where the accident occurred, killing 49 people and injuring at least 200. A local train carrying Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), TRA Acting Director-General Chi Wen-chung (祁文中) and other passengers made the first scheduled run on the repaired track, departing from Yilan County at 5:27am and passing through the Cingshuei Tunnel. “The ride was smooth,” Lin said, upon arrival at Hualien Railway Station at 7:08am. Now that the section of railway between Chongde and Heren stations has reopened, Lin said he hoped that the TRA would work on rebuilding its safety record by carrying out essential reforms. The reopening of the railway section marks the completion of a major phase of the work that needed to be done after the accident, Lin said, adding that it was his last day on the job, as he had tendered his resignation to take responsibility for the crash. The fatal accident occurred at 9:28am on April 2, when Taroko Express No. 408 crashed inside the Cingshuei Tunnel after colliding with a crane truck on the track near the tunnel’s entrance. The collision caused part of the eight-carriage train, which was traveling at more than 100kph, to derail and pile up inside the tunnel, footage showed. Lin offered to resign one day after the derailment and later tendered his written resignation to Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), who approved it on Thursday last week. Lin returned to Taipei later yesterday on a Puyuma
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday said it might consider releasing more COVID-19 vaccines for self-pay inoculations, as well as expanding eligibility to more priority groups for the government-funded vaccine program. Several hospitals yesterday reported that they were fully booked for self-pay COVID-19 vaccines — the first day they started accepting appointments for the jabs. The center last week announced that starting tomorrow, 10,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine would be offered to people who are traveling abroad for business, work, study or medical treatment at 31 designated hospitals. Recipients do not have to pay for the cost of the vaccine, but will have to pay for the registration, examination, injection and other administrative fees. National Taiwan University Hospital reported that its vaccine quota for the next two weeks was fully booked within hours of opening. Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei said that more than 1,300 people booked appointments for this month, and several other hospitals said they were fully booked for tomorrow. The 10,000 doses for self-pay vaccinations are for 5,000 people to receive two doses each, but if public demand quickly exceeds 5,000, the CECC would consider releasing more for self-pay inoculations, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC spokesman. The CECC will pay close attention to the rollout of self-pay vaccines when it starts tomorrow, he said. The CECC is also monitoring the government-funded vaccination program and might consider expanding eligibility to more priority groups, he added. Only 28 people were vaccinated on Saturday, raising the total number of vaccinated people in Taiwan to 32,450, he said. An additional 24 reports of adverse reactions after vaccination were reported in the past few days, he said. That includes one case of a suspected serious adverse event — a woman in her 20s who reported fatigue, muscle soreness, chills,
RESTRUCTURING: The All-out Defense Mobilization Office and the Armed Forces Reserve Command are to be folded into a ‘defense reserve mobilization agency’ The military is to form a new reserve mobilization agency while expanding the scope of civilian forces that can be mobilized as part of its efforts to bolster the nation’s reserve forces amid increasing threats from China, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The ministry made the announcement in a report it sent to lawmakers for review. The ministry would integrate two existing military agencies — the All-out Defense Mobilization Office and the Armed Forces Reserve Command — into a “defense reserve mobilization agency” by January next year, the report said. The structural change is part of a military reform to make Taiwan’s reserve forces a more reliable backup for regular soldiers in defending the nation, it said. Chu Sen-tsuen (朱森村) of the All-out Defense Mobilization Office said the military is also working with the Ministry of the Interior in the hope of amending the Civilian Defense Act (民防法) to expand the scope of civilian forces and volunteers the military can call upon during peacetime and war. The act forms the legal basis for the defense ministry to mobilize civilian forces. It defines volunteers the defense ministry can mobilize in case of need as volunteer police officers and volunteer firefighters. The defense ministry hopes the scope can be expanded to include volunteer workers at Buddhist and Taoist temples, as well as churches, to give the military access to extra personnel, Chu said. Temple and church volunteers have for decades played an important role in offering post-disaster relief, including preparing food and shelter after major natural disasters or emergencies, Chu added. The defense ministry in February said that starting next year, it would introduce new rules governing the call-up of reservists to improve their combat readiness. Under the new policy, reservists would undergo two weeks of training rather than the current
More than 300 kindergarten classrooms nationwide have been teaching Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) through immersion under a plan launched by the Ministry of Education, it said yesterday. Since the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year, the K-12 Education Administration has asked a team from National Taichung University of Education’s Department of Early Childhood Education to encourage preschools to teach Hoklo in an immersive setting, the agency said in a statement. Under the initiative, the team arranges for teachers at participating preschools to receive training, and attend workshops and other professional events, it said. The schools publish their results, share their experiences and provide other information to help organizers evaluate the program’s effectiveness, it added. Each school year, preschools can apply to join the program and receive funding from the agency based on the number of classes that would be participating, it said. While 37 classrooms across 10 kindergartens took part in the program in the 2016-2017 academic year, that number has since risen, the agency said. In the 2020-2021 school year, 313 classrooms across 91 kindergartens are involved in the initiative, it said. At Tainan Municipal Madou Preschool, which has participated in the program since 2017, one method used by teachers is to have students sing nursery rhymes in Hoklo, the agency said. Incorporating Hoklo into routine, schoolwide or classroom activities, and adopting an interactive and participatory teaching method enables children to demonstrate their Hoklo listening and speaking skills in a natural environment, the agency said, citing the results of the program. Hopefully, by increasing kindergarten personnel’s knowledge of immersive Hoklo education, students would develop an interest in and a habit of using the language, it said. The goal of the initiative is to raise children who are willing to use Hoklo in their daily lives, it said. The Hakka Affairs Council and the Council of Indigenous Peoples promote
Greenpeace Taiwan on Monday launched Green Future Academy, an online educational platform aimed at raising awareness of climate issues among young people. In an online survey it conducted late last year among 1,035 high-school teachers, the environmental group found that most students in Taiwan are aware of climate change, but remain largely ambivalent and do not participate in climate action. Further interviews with teachers revealed that students prioritize schoolwork and interpersonal relationships, but do not have strong feelings about the environment, the group said. Even if they do care, they often give up on the idea of doing something because of their age, it added. Surveys show that Taiwanese are among the most aware of the severity and urgency of climate change, but fall behind their East Asian neighbors when it comes to climate policy, Taiwan Environment and Planning Association chairman Chao Chia-wei (趙家緯) said. Even though teachers are eager to teach about the environment, they have limited time to collect information and prepare lessons, Greenpeace added. According to its survey, nearly 70 percent of high-school teachers want to provide more complete and useful lessons on climate change, but do not know where to start, it said. Annie Huang (黃尚卿), project manager for environmental education at Greenpeace Taiwan, said that the project began with trying to solve these issues. The result was Green Future Academy, an online “climate and environment learning platform,” Huang said. Hopefully, the resource would show students and teachers how to participate in climate action to help Taiwan do away with the pervasive theory that “carbon reduction can wait,” she added. The platform provides free, complete and accurate material for teachers to use in lesson planning or for reference, Greenpeace said. Each lesson is marked with a difficulty level from one to three and includes multimedia such as videos, games and quizzes to accommodate student needs and
All cattle in the nation are to be vaccinated against lumpy skin disease by next week, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said on Monday. Eight beef cattle infected with the disease were discovered on a farm in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口) on Thursday — a first for Taiwan proper. Council minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) at the time said that the disease likely spread from Kinmen County or China. To prevent further transmission, the council began vaccinating all cattle in Taiwan, and as of Sunday, all cattle raised in areas north of Miaoli County had been inoculated, council Deputy Minister Huang Chin-cheng (黃金城) said on Monday. Vaccinations in Taichung and Changhua County were to begin yesterday, he said. About 180,000 vaccine doses are to arrive tomorrow, which would allow all cattle in the nation, including those on the outlying islands, to be vaccinated against the disease by next week, Huang said, expressing confidence that the outbreak can be contained. An inspection conducted in the past few days of 160,815 cattle at 1,623 farms showed them to be in good health, the council said in a statement on Sunday. The annual output value of the nation’s beef and dairy cattle industry is about NT$14 billion (US$497.5 million), the council said. Lumpy skin disease is a viral disease that affects cattle and buffalo. It is spread by flies and mosquitoes, and infected animals develop a fever and nodules on their skin. It can be fatal. It was detected for the first time in Taiwan in the island county of Kinmen in July last year, which led to the vaccination of all of the roughly 6,200 cattle there.
BUSINESS PLAN: The NCC asked the network how the variety channel would be different from a news channel if news programs were part of its broadcast CTiTV has submitted a new business plan to broadcast news programs on its CTi Variety channel, National Communications Commission (NCC) officials have said. The network’s application came after the operating license for its CTi News channel expired in December last year following a unanimous decision by NCC commissioners on Nov. 18 not to renew the license. NCC officials said they received the business plan for CTi Variety before the Lunar New Year holiday in February, to add morning, midday and evening news hours to the channel’s programming. The variety channel should feature entertainment programs, variety shows and television series, they said. The business plan should indicate how a variety channel would be different from a news channel or an entertainment channel if news were to be part of its programming, they said, adding that the NCC would review the channel’s business plan before making a final decision. CTi News was found to have contravened the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法) 28 times from 2008 to 2014. Despite securing a conditional license renewal in 2014, the channel contravened the act 25 times from 2014 to last year, with most of the contraventions involving a failure to verify news information before airing it. From 2008 to last year, CTi News accumulated fines of NT$23.36 million (US$830,194 at the current exchange rate) for contravening the act, NCC data showed. Its repeated contraventions of media regulations were a sign that its self-discipline mechanism had failed, the NCC said when rejecting the news channel’s license renewal application. Instead of dismantling its news department and laying off employees, the network has been broadcasting news through its YouTube channel, whose number of subscribers has been steadily increasing. Content aired on the network’s YouTube channel is not subject to any broadcast regulations.
FINANCIAL WOES: Wang Kwo-tsai said the top Executive Yuan and budget officials had agreed on a plan that would benefit passengers, the rail agency and its workers Reform of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is his No. 1 priority, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday as he laid out eight key items that he aims to accomplish in the role. Wang was appointed minister following the resignation of Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) after the Taroko Express No. 408 derailment on April 2 killed 49 people and injured 244. “The Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the TRA will share the responsibility of reforming the agency to ensure the safety of the railway system,” Wang said, adding that the work would involve a lot of communication with union members. Aside from restructuring some TRA departments, Wang said that he would tackle the agency’s financial issues, as it has accumulated NT$430 billion (US$15.28 billion) in debt. “Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) and I met with Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Minister Chu Tzer-ming (朱澤民) on Monday. We have reached a consensus on the direction to take to address the financial problems,” Wang said. Reform would benefit passengers, the TRA and its employees, he said. “Employees will not lose one iota of their benefits, nor will their salaries shrink,” he said, adding that reform is necessary, as railway safety is the agency’s promise. Wang also pledged to make the transportation network more convenient, including smooth connections between highways and freeways. The ministry’s policy of using the high-speed rail system in the nation’s west and the TRA’s rapid services in the east as the basis of the national rail system would remain, but it would ensure that the TRA’s services on the east coast are safe, he said. The government should only subsidize mass rapid transit projects that are deemed feasible following a careful and thorough evaluation, Wang said. Under his leadership, he would make sure that the third terminal and third runway at Taiwan Taoyuan
‘TSMC-PLUS’: Filip Grzegorzewski said that the nation plays a key role in global supply chains and has more to offer in terms of manufacturing than TSMC alone Taiwan plays a key part in global supply chains, but it has many things to offer in addition to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan Head of Office Filip Grzegorzewski told a news briefing yesterday. Grzegorzewski made the remarks after the European Council on Monday released the EU’s Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The EU “has a big stake in the Indo-Pacific region, and has every interest that the regional architecture remains open and rules-based,” the EU said in a news release. “However, current dynamics in the Indo-Pacific have given rise to intense geopolitical competition, adding to increasing pressure on trade and supply chains, as well as in tensions in technological, political and security areas,” it said. “The EU will strengthen cooperation with certain partners on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security and crisis management,” it said. Many countries have unveiled policy programs targeting the Indo-Pacific region, including France in 2018, and Germany and the Netherlands last year, Grzegorzewski said in Taipei. The EU looks forward to working with like-minded partners in the region, including Taiwan, which shares values with the EU on democracy, human rights and the rule of law, he said when asked about Taiwan’s role in the strategy. While the strategy did not mention Taiwan directly, Grzegorzewski said he sees Taiwan all over the document, adding that the office would continue to work with President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration to promote offshore wind farm projects, among other issues. Asked if the EU encourages TSMC to produce chips in Europe amid a global shortage, Grzegorzewski said that Taiwan plays a key role in global supply chains and “has more than TSMC to offer.” Asked if the Taiwan Strait is part of the EU’s vision to defend maritime security, he said that it is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region. Grzegorzewski
Taiwan is willing to provide its diplomatic allies with domestically produced COVID-19 vaccines after the products obtain emergency use authorization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, while reaffirming ties with Paraguay. Asked about media reports that Paraguay might switch ties from Taiwan to China to obtain vaccines, Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Director-General Alexander Yui (俞大㵢) said that Paraguay did have some difficulty obtaining vaccines, which has led to political turbulence in the country. However, with the help of several countries, Asuncion has continued to receive vaccines, Yui told a news briefing in Taipei. Paraguay is one of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies and the only one in South America. “Euclides Acevedo, Paraguay’s foreign minister, said recently that Beijing had made it clear that it is interested in establishing ties with Paraguay,” the New York Times reported on Friday last week. “He has dangled that prospect of making the diplomatic switch as he has sought to pressure Taiwan and its ally, the United States, to get vaccines to Paraguay quickly.” While many people have been concerned about Taiwan-Paraguay ties recently, the situation reported by foreign media was some time ago, Yui said, without naming a media firm. Statements that assert Taiwan-Paraguay ties are in danger are not true, he said. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) on Monday said that domestically developed vaccines have completed phase 1 clinical tests and might obtain emergency use authorization by July at the earliest. Asked if Taiwan might supply diplomatic allies with locally developed vaccines, Yui said that some allies have demand for vaccines, while Taiwan is helping them meet that demand “by engaging other friends.” If locally produced vaccines could obtain emergency use authorization, using them for foreign aid would indeed be one of the government’s options after domestic demand is met, he said. Taiwan since last year has
Taipei’s street names should reflect a “Taiwanese spirit,” Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said in an online video released yesterday, in which he asked why many of them are named after locations in China. In a three-minute video uploaded to a Facebook page called “Taiwanese Uncle Ko Wen-je” (台灣阿北柯文哲), the mayor suggested changing the names of Taipei streets. The page’s banner was a photograph of Ko on Jade Mountain’s (玉山) main peak. The page was closed at about noon, about four hours after it was made public. Ko said that street names in the capital named “Ningxia,” “Tibet,” “Beiping” — an old name for Beijing — “Tianjin” and “Changan” make walking them a disconcerting experience, as they are names of provinces or cities in China. “For Taiwanese who grew up on this piece of land, it is really confusing that the street names refer to Chinese cities,” he said. “They are a trace of history, not names from Taiwan,” he said. “I think it is strange that the headquarters of a political party that claims to be the ‘most local’ is on Beiping E Road,” he said, an apparent reference to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). “You must agree that it is strange,” he said. Changing street names is important, so perhaps a “street name rectification” platform would allow people from across political lines to discuss the issue and propose names that represent the “Taiwanese spirit,” he said. Then Taipei residents would have street names that represent them better, Ko said. When asked about the page, Ko said that “it was established by a friend.” Taipei City Government deputy spokesperson Wei Yu-jen (魏佑任) said that the page was not set up by the city government, nor by the Taiwan People’s Party, of which Ko is the chairman. It might have been established by a supporter, Wei said, adding that he did not know
FIFTH STRAIGHT MONTH: Department of Statistics Director Huang Yu-ling said that countries’ vaccination programs and expectations of recovery are lifting export orders Export orders grew year-on-year for the 13th consecutive month last month totaling US$53.66 billion, up 26 percent monthly and 33.3 percent annually, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) reported yesterday. In addition, export orders last month increased for a fifth straight month of double-digit percentage growth to set a record for the month of March, ministry data showed. With vaccination programs in countries such as the US having a positive effect on economies and the expectation that Europe and other countries will catch up, global demand is accelerating and lifting Taiwan’s export orders, Department of Statistics Director Huang Yu-ling (黃于玲) told a news conference in Taipei. Months when export orders surpass US$50 billion — which happened for the first time in September last year — might become the “new normal,” Huang said. “I’m not saying that it is going to happen every single month, but we can expect more and more months when export orders do break US$50 million,” she said. The “red hot” information communications and technology (ICT) sector has not slowed down, with orders totaling US$14.02 billion, up 21 percent year-on-year and a new high for the month of March, while orders in the optical equipment sector reached US$2.64 billion, up 45.2 percent year-on-year — the 10th consecutive month of growth, the ministry said. The growth is expected to continue this month, with orders forecast to increase by 29.8 to 33.7 percent annually, it added. Huang attributed the high figures to local competitiveness in “high-end semiconductors” and other tech areas, saying that she expects orders in traditional industries to surge in the second half of this year, as more countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. One headwind for exporters could come in the form of a stronger local currency. The New Taiwan dollar posted its biggest two-day advance of the year, appreciating 0.8 percent against the US
NO MONEY LAUNDERING: Banking Bureau Deputy Director-General Lin Chih-chi said transactions of more than NT$500,000 conducted in cash would need to be reported The Financial Supervisory Commission is to set up new money laundering regulations for the nation’s cryptocurrency exchanges from July 1, requiring them to report transactions valued at more than NT$500,000 (US$17,770), the commission said yesterday. The move came after the Executive Yuan earlier this month demanded that the commission establish regulations to prevent money laundering in the cryptocurrency industry. The cryptocurrency industry includes local trading platforms for cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrency wallet providers and firms that conduct security token offerings, the Executive Yuan said. The commission plans to require cryptocurrency exchanges to report any transaction of more than NT$500,000 conducted in cash, or an equivalent amount denominated in a foreign currency, Banking Bureau Deputy Director-General Lin Chih-chi (林志吉) told a news conference in New Taipei City. That is in line with the commission’s money laundering requirements for conventional banks, Lin said. However, investors are unlikely to buy bitcoin with more than NT$500,000 in cash, as most exchanges require clients to link their bank accounts to their trading services, a commission official surnamed Yen (顏) said. The BitoPro (幣託) exchange does allow clients to pay with cash at local convenience stores, but the amounts are limited to NT$20,000 at a single store, the official said. For trades between different types of cryptocurrency — such as investors exchanging ether for bitcoin — the commission is to require exchanges to report large transactions and to ensure they fulfill the “know your customer” requirements, Lin said. The commission is to hold a public hearing next month with eight local exchanges, including Maicoin Ltd (現代財富科技), Ace Digital Innovations Co Ltd (王牌數位創新) and BitoPro, he said. While some exchanges have reportedly required their clients to reopen their accounts to fulfill the “know your customer” requirements, the commission had not issued such an order, Lin said. The commission’s regulation of the industry is to focus on customer identity authentication
Capacity at the Zengwen Reservoir (曾文水庫), Taiwan’s largest reservoir, had as of yesterday fallen to 10.71 percent, its lowest level of the current shortage. There was some rain in the reservoir’s catchment area on Sunday and Monday, but water levels only increased 10mm, despite artificial cloud-seeding operations, Southern Region Water Resources Office deputy head Tsou Han-kuei (鄒漢貴) said. Later on Monday, capacity fell to about 11 percent after water was released to the Wushantou Reservoir (烏山頭水庫), Tsou said. The two reservoirs are connected, and the Zengwen Reservoir normally releases water to the Wushantou Reservoir to produce electricity, he said, adding that the water is then distributed to the greater Tainan area and the Chianan Plain (嘉南平原). Due to the water shortage and the suspension of irrigation on the plains, water has not been released as often as usual, and Monday’s release was the first in a month, he added. Tsou said that his office decided to release some water to the Wushantou Reservoir as water levels there have also been low. Capacity at the reservoir had fallen from 51 percent on April 1 to 34 percent on Monday, the Water Resources Agency said. The latest agency data showed that of the major reservoirs serving the greater Tainan area, the Zengwen Reservoir has the lowest capacity, while the Nanhua Reservoir (南化水庫) is at 25.11 percent and the Wushantou Reservoir is at 36.42 percent. It was relatively dry last year and no typhoons hit the country for the first time since 1964. The shortage has resulted in water supply restrictions in some areas in central Taiwan.
On Friday last week, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Mark Ho (何志偉) criticized the justice system for a lack of progress in investigating several paid-membership pornography Web sites that provide videos of people secretly filmed in a variety of compromising situations, including nude photographs, women using the bathroom and sex acts. People have been filmed in private and public places, including restrooms at train stations, gyms, schools and office buildings. Some were allegedly tricked into sending videos to the Web sites run by Yu Chi-hao (余啟豪), while others might have been victims of extortion. Many are underage. There are more than 1,000 alleged victims, with their names, personal details and other private information — including their habits and places they frequent — being used as “currency” among the more than 40,000 members of the Web sites. While several victims last year filed charges against Yu and he was briefly detained, he was later released due to a lack of evidence. In contrast to South Korea’s Nth Room, the case did not gain widespread domestic attention until several professional basketball players also allegedly fell prey to Yu and his online network. Unfortunately, there is little the judiciary can do, because the Web site is hosted on servers overseas, according to an article in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times). Although Yu has been indicted, he remains free and has announced that he might emigrate to the UK, as he is not barred from leaving the nation. Users are still requesting and trading videos through the Web sites, Ho says, and there have allegedly been cases of users contacting some of the higher-profile victims and blackmailing them. This has undoubtedly caused great psychological harm to those who have been filmed, many of whom have considered suicide. While Yu runs the Web sites, there are likely countless collaborators, given
Like a pack of bloodthirsty wolves, China’s military is launching marauding incursions against Taiwan in an increasingly reckless manner. In the past few months, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fighters, heavy bombers and reconnaissance aircraft have been harassing Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone on a near daily basis, often in packs of 10 or more. Earlier this month, the PLA Navy dispatched the Liaoning aircraft carrier group to conduct a simulated blockade of Taiwan in the waters off the nation’s east coast. On Monday last week, the PLA Navy issued a statement confirming the carrier group’s presence and rubbed Taiwanese noses further in the dirt by asserting that the drills were “routine” and that “similar exercises will be conducted regularly.” In other words, Beijing intends to normalize these kinds of intrusive and aggressive exercises. That China, under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), has rapacious designs on Taiwan should, at this juncture, be obvious. Lined up on the opposing hilltop, Washington has characterized its support for Taiwan as “rock solid” and signaled its determination to push back against Chinese aggression. To this end, US military aircraft and navy vessels continue to conduct frequent transits through the Taiwan Strait, and to hold naval exercises in nearby waters. The US Senate has proposed a number of bills aimed at curtailing Chinese expansionism, the latest being the strategic competition act of 2021, approved by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday last week. The proposed legislation aims to bolster the US’ ability to increase pressure on Beijing over areas of concern, including breaches of intellectual property rights, and human rights violations relating to Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang region. The bill’s wording also reiterates the US’ strong support for Taiwan and calls for a strengthening of Taiwan’s defenses. A Taiwan-US-China battlefront that stretches the length of the
The Japanese government has said that in several years, the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant is to begin releasing wastewater containing traces of the radioactive hydrogen isotope tritium into the ocean. Opponents of the plan are concerned that this would pollute the ocean. Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) has said that the radioactive water would first have been run through a complex chain of filters that would remove 62 types of radionuclide, but not tritium. Prior to its release, the radioactive water would be diluted to bring the concentration level to one-40th of the Japanese national standard and one-seventh of the WHO standard for drinking water. These assurances have not prevented neighboring nations from expressing their concerns and objections. The Great Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, inflicted serious damage on the power plant and cold water is still being pumped into the reactors to cool them down. That water is treated, and a portion is recycled and used to continue cooling the reactor, while the rest is kept in more than 1,000 huge storage tanks on the site. As the volume of wastewater increases and fills the tanks, it is increasingly difficult to find the space for new tanks. Japan needed to come up with a solution. No one solution to the problem of the radioactive wastewater will satisfy everyone. Tokyo has had to choose between releasing the water into the atmosphere, pumping it into the soil or releasing it into the ocean. It is a difficult decision to make. In addition to censuring Japan over this situation, Taiwanese must reflect on the safety of their own nuclear power plants. The narrative surrounding nuclear safety says that the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident could not happen in Taiwan. However, the world said that it had learned its lesson after the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania, and that such an
‘HUGE MISTAKE’: Boris Johnson pledged to support any effort to stop the breakaway league, while UEFA’s president said that the teams involved still had time to back out FIFA president Gianni Infantino yesterday said that breakaway European Super League clubs cannot be “half in, half out” of the established soccer system, while Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insisted he is trying to “save football” with the move. European soccer’s governing body UEFA has threatened to ban the 12 clubs, who include Manchester United and Real Madrid, from domestic and international competition, with Infantino adding his voice to the backlash. “We strongly disapprove ... if some go their own way then they must live with the consequences of their choice, either you are in, or you are out. You cannot be half in and half out,” Infantino told UEFA’s congress in Montreux, Switzerland. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has not held back on his views of the renegade clubs, who would be guaranteed places in the new competition in contrast to the UEFA Champions League, which requires teams to qualify via their domestic leagues. However, having labeled the competition a “spit in the face” of soccer fans, Ceferin insisted that there is still time for reconciliation. “I would like to address the owners of some English clubs. Gentlemen, you made a huge mistake,” he said at the UEFA congress. “Some will say it is greed, others disdain, arrogance or complete ignorance of England’s football culture, but actually it doesn’t matter.” “What matters is that there is still time to change your mind, everyone makes mistakes. English fans deserve to have you correct your mistake, they deserve respect,” Ceferin said. At the same congress, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that the existing structure of European sports is under threat by self-interest and pure commercialism. “It is challenged by a purely profit-driven approach that ignores the ... social values of sports and real needs in the post-coronavirus world,” IOC president Thomas Bach said. There have been few voices that have
Brazilian Gabriel Medina yesterday soared and spun his way to victory at the Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic in Sydney, unleashing an unmatched display of aerial surfing to send a message to his rivals three months out from the sport’s Olympic Games debut. Young Floridian sensation Caroline Marks earned a third victory in her short World Surf League Championship Tour career in the women’s division, getting the best of fellow Olympic representative, Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb, in yesterday’s final. Two-time world champ Medina, looking supremely relaxed and confident with his new wife and new coach in his corner, overcame Californian Connor Coffin to streak to the top of the tour rankings. “It feels good to perform well ... it’s been amazing,” Medina said after his 15th career event win. “Never let someone take away your happiness from you, that’s the most valuable thing in the world. I’m so happy right now, and when you’re happy, you can really be anything.” The clean, head-high conditions on Sydney’s Northern Beaches were an ideal canvas for Medina to showcase his array of powerful turns and high-risk aerials that will make him a hot favorite even in the less-than-stellar waves expected for the Tokyo Games in July. Marks was a late arrival for the four-stop, two-month Australian tour, missing the chartered flight from California after a false positive COVID-19 test, but the 19-year-old improved from her semi-final finish in Newcastle earlier this month to sit second behind four-times world champion and US Olympic teammate Carissa Moore in the tour rankings. All overseas-based surfers and officials last month spent two weeks in quarantine, but have been able to enjoy Australia largely free of the COVID-19 restrictions in place throughout much of the world. The tour now heads to the powerful waves of Western Australia, with surfers battling to rank in the top five to
Academy coach Ryan Mason is to lead Tottenham Hotspur into the EFL Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday as the youngest manager in the club’s history after being installed as the replacement for the fired Jose Mourinho until the end of the season, the team confirmed yesterday. The 29-year-old Mason retired from playing in 2018 on medical advice after failing to fully recover from a fractured skull following a clash of heads during an English Premier League game the previous year. Mourinho, 58, was sacked on Monday, just six days before the EFL Cup final as the Portuguese manager paid the price for a turbulent campaign. He was dismissed after only 17 months in charge, even though he could have led the club to their first silverware since 2008. Former England skipper Wayne Rooney, who played under Mourinho when he was in charge at Manchester United, said the Spurs should have waited to sack him. “I think it’s crazy doing it before a Cup final,” Derby County manager Rooney said. “It’s strange timing anyway. Surely they could have waited until after the Cup final if that’s the direction they wanted to go in. “Mourinho is a manager who loves winning trophies, that’s quite clear to see. He’s won a lot of trophies throughout his career... If there was one manager to set up a team to play against City in a Cup final it’s Mourinho. Tottenham haven’t had the best of seasons, so from that point of view it’s crazy and a massive risk,” he said. Tottenham have been struggling in their bid to qualify for the UEFA Champions League via a top-four finish in the English Premier League. Spurs are seventh, five points behind fourth-placed West Ham United, and suffered a shock Europa League last-16 exit against Dinamo Zagreb. “The club can today announce that
An 87th-minute header from defender Diego Llorente gave Leeds United a 1-1 home draw with Liverpool in the English Premier League on Monday after the home side staged a protest against the breakaway European Super League prior to the kickoff. Leeds players came out for their warm-up wearing shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Earn It” under the UEFA Champions League logo — a reference to the fact that the proposed 20-club Super League would have 15 permanent members with no relegation. A plane flew overhead trailing a banner proclaiming “say no to superleague,” while the Liverpool team coach was greeted with fans venting their anger. The result left Liverpool sixth on 53 points from 32 games, one behind fifth-placed Chelsea who have a game in hand and two adrift of West Ham United in fourth. Leeds stayed 10th on 46 points. Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa praised his team for digging deep to avoid defeat. “There were periods when one dominated the other,” he told the BBC. “Perhaps in the second half when we were losing we had more continuity when we were searching for the equalize.” “We kept on being dangerous even though the opponent was defending close to their goal,” he added. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp put on a brave face after his team let victory slip away from their grasp. “It is disappointing of course, but we cannot say it was not deserved for Leeds,” he said. “We had big chances in the first half but didn’t use those.” “We will fight for the Champions League with all we have. This a point more in the end. It is always best to win all the games, but if not, we have to shake a bit and go again, and that is what we will do,” he said.
URGENT ACTION: At least US$5.5bn is needed to avert famine, while millions more are needed to provide clean water, healthcare and other essential services, they said World leaders are facing a call to act immediately to stop multiple famines breaking out, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and caused by conflict, climate change and inequality. Hundreds of groups working to combat inequality yesterday appealed to governments to respond to increasing levels of hunger caused by “an acute food insecurity situation” around the world. In an open letter to support the UN Call for Action to Avert Famine in 2021, the groups said that millions of people face starvation, and billions of investment is urgently needed. “The combined impacts of conflict, climate change and inequality, coupled with the COVID-19 crisis, have led to an acute food-insecurity situation around the world. Needs already cannot be met, and we are increasingly likely to face multiple famines if we do not respond now,” organizations including the International Council of Voluntary Agencies and the World Food Programme (WFP) said. The WFP and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization at the beginning of this year said that up to 270 million people did not have enough food or were at high risk of going hungry. More than 34 million people were on the brink of starving and could fall into famine without immediate action, they said. Meanwhile, in Yemen, South Sudan and Burkina Faso, 155,000 people were already living in areas with famine or famine-likely conditions, they added. At least US$5.5 billion is needed in food and agricultural assistance to avert famine, while millions more are needed to provide healthcare, clean water and other essential services. However, that funding had dwindled and would not be enough by itself, the groups said. Governments should step in to end conflicts and ensure humanitarian access, they said. “The situation requires urgent action, at a scale we are simply not seeing,” the groups said. “If no action is taken, lives will be lost. The responsibility to address
Zimbabwe plans to sell the right to shoot as many as 500 elephants for as much as US$70,000 per animal to help fund the upkeep of its national parks. The hunting season, which takes place over the southern hemisphere winter, is to resume this year after the COVID-19 pandemic scuppered plans to have elephants shot by foreign tourists last year. Zimbabwe has the second-largest elephant population in the world, while neighboring Botswana has the largest. Both have been criticized by environmental groups for their plans to profit from elephant hunting. Botswana is resuming hunting after a five-year ban. Zambia and Namibia also have substantial elephant populations. “How do we fund our operations, how do we pay our men and women who spend 20 days in the bush looking after these animals?” said Tinashe Farawo, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, in an interview on Saturday last week. “Those who are opposed to our management mechanism should instead be giving us the funding to manage better these animals.” The right to shoot an elephant is to cost between US$10,000 and US$70,000 depending on its size, Farawo said. The parks authority is self-funding and its revenue has also been slashed by the plunge in the number of the tourists. The elephants are to be shot in hunting concessions rather than the parks frequented by photo-safari tourists. An excessive number of elephants, Zimbabwe has close to 100,000, has also increased the number of accidents when people encounter them, Farawo said. These include damage to crops and occasional fatalities when the elephants encounter people. So far this year 1,000 complaints have been made to the authority compared with 1,500 in all of last year. “The distress calls from the communities have been increasing due to human-wildlife conflict,” Farawo said. “So far 21 people have lost their lives and last
Amnesty International has a culture of white privilege, with incidents of overt racism including senior staff using the “N-word” and micro-aggressive behavior, such as the touching of black colleagues’ hair, according to an internal review into its secretariat. It came as eight current and former employees of Amnesty International UK (AIUK) described their own experiences of racial discrimination and issued a statement calling on senior figures to stand down. “We joined Amnesty hoping to campaign against human rights abuses, but were instead let down through realizing that the organization actually helped perpetuate them,” said Katherine Odukoya, one of the whistle-blowers. Representatives of both arms of the UK-based human rights organization apologized and pledged to make changes, with the director of AIUK citing “the uncomfortable fact that we have not been good enough.” The internal review at Amnesty’s international secretariat, commissioned following the Black Lives Matter movement, recorded multiple examples of workers reporting alleged racism including: senior staff using the “N-word,” with colleagues labeled “over-sensitive” if they complained; systemic bias, including the capability of black staff being questioned consistently and without justification, and minority ethnic staff feeling disempowered and sidelined; and a lack of awareness or sensitivity to religious practices resulting in problematic comments and behavior. A statement released alongside the report by the Amnesty International coalition leadership team said it was “sobered” by the findings. “It is a timely reminder that discrimination, racism and anti-Black racism exist in our organisation. It has highlighted both the extent and systematic nature of racism and indicates we must address white privilege wherever it exists,” the statement said. Separately, staff at AIUK, which is also based in London, made claims of racial discrimination, telling the Guardian there were similarities between their experiences and the culture at the international secretariat. They described feeling “dehumanized” over their race and ethnicity over a number of
The challenge came over a mug of coffee. If I was serious about reducing my environmental impact, a friend teased, I should be putting soy milk, not cow’s milk, in my drink. Back in February 2016, EcoWatch.com told its readers that cow’s milk represents “60 to 70 percent of the carbon footprint of a cup of coffee with a few tablespoons of milk.” For a latte, the article said, “it’s more like 80 or 90 percent.” My response to my friend ran to two words: “Food miles.” Most of the soy consumed in Taiwan is grown on the other side of the Pacific, I pointed out, whereas almost all of the cow’s milk sold in fluid form in Taiwan’s supermarkets comes from local dairy herds. “But what do those cows eat, and where does it come from?” he asked. We both knew the answer. Dairy cows don’t, as some people imagine, subsist on grass. Instead, the 20 to 25kg of food each animal consumes per day comprises roughly equal quantities of forage (grass, hay and silage) and grains (usually corn and soy). Food-processing by-products like cottonseeds, citrus pulp, almond hulls and soy hulls are often added, as are spent grains from breweries. TAIWAN’S DAIRY FOOTPRINT Just how much of the diet of Taiwanese cattle is imported may surprise you. According to the 2019 Taiwan Grain and Feed Annual, published by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, locally grown corn accounted for less 2 percent of all corn consumed in Taiwan the previous year. Nine-tenths of the corn shipped that year to Taiwan (the US and Brazil are the no. 1 and no. 2 suppliers) was fed to poultry and swine. For soy, Taiwan is even more dependent on imports. Notwithstanding the government’s efforts to boost local soy production (to help solve the problem of rice overproduction, rather
SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Arabia, home of the world’s biggest industrial polluter, the state-owned oil company Aramco, has long been regarded as a climate villain, accused of collaborating with other energy-producing states at international negotiations to water down ambitions and obstruct progress. Its 2015 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) set a target of reducing emissions by up to 130 MtCO2e (million tonnes of CO2 equivalent) by 2030 compared with a business-as-usual scenario, a target that many analysts have described as inadequate. Assessing progress towards this modest goal has also proved impossible — the kingdom has not published any official projections of its emissions nor even defined the business-as-usual baseline it is measuring against. Independent assessments have concluded that based on the scant information that is available, the country is not on track to meet its pledge. Yet under the influence of its young crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia aims to reduce its dependence on oil in the decades ahead in recognition its supplies are not infinite, demand is falling and the world is searching for less destructive alternatives. To that end, it has announced a slew of environmental initiatives, including plans to generate 50 percent of the kingdom’s energy from renewables by 2030 and to plant 10 billion trees, that have raised hopes it will take a more ambitious plan to Glasgow in November. In remarks to a state media agency, Prince Mohammed drew a direct link between the climate crisis and the health of Saudi citizens, signaling a potential shift in the Saudi attitude towards environmental issues. Analysts say achieving serious cuts in Saudi emissions would require significant changes that will be politically unpopular. Earlier grand announcements including plans to build massive solar farms have also failed to translate into meaningful action. But the Gulf state appears to be recognizing that weaning itself off fossil
Last week BBC updated its backgrounder on China and Taiwan, entitled “What’s behind the China-Taiwan Divide?” BBC’s backgrounders on Taiwan have been (cough, cough) very creative, and this latest iteration, while an improvement over the earlier versions, is a proud torch-bearer for that tradition. The BBC begins by observing that “Austronesian tribal people” were the first people in Taiwan. What does the use of the word “tribal” suggest about those people, compared to the Chinese? After that, the Aborigines disappear from the story. Because they have the earliest and strongest claim to Taiwan? To keep them in view would of course expose the deep racism of China’s claims to Taiwan. TELLING OMISSIONS BBC’s creative interpretations of Taiwan history then commence. It avers that the island first appears in Chinese records in 239 CE, and says “China” sent an expedition to explore the area, which BBC asserts is a “fact”. There was no “China” then — the men were sent out by the Kingdom of Wu. It is quite true that a third century text, the “Book of Wu” (吳書) in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (三國志) says that Emperor Sun Quan (孫權) of Wu commanded two generals to find Yizhou (夷洲) around 230 CE. The text contains a few lines lacking any details to identify where or what Yizhou is. In a Song Dynasty text, centuries later, there is a lengthy description of the habits of the Yizhou people, but again, there is nothing that specifically relates to Taiwan. It could well be discussing any number of peoples of the coastal islands off what is now China. Since the ancient Chinese were not deep-water sailors but coast huggers, it is highly unlikely that Sun’s subordinates ever made it to Taiwan (consider also that crossing the Taiwan Strait was dangerous and required
Are you a dog person or a cat person? (3/5) 你是擁狗派還是擁貓派？（三） A: I prefer dogs to cats. I think dogs are friendlier. B: Dogs are not friendly! When I was little, I was chased by a pack of dogs: the way they bared their fangs at me was terrifying! Even now, I still haven’t got over the psychological trauma. A: Cats can be scary, too! I have a friend who has a dog and a cat, and the dog is petrified of the cat. B: That’s not the same. You only hear about people being mauled to death by dogs, you never hear stories about cats mauling humans to death. A: That’s probably because some people are cruel to dogs, and make them think that all people are nasty, so when they see humans they bite them out of self-defense. A: 跟貓比起來，我比較喜歡狗，因為狗比較友善。 B: 狗才不友善咧！我小時候還被一群狗追過，牠們齜牙咧嘴的樣子好可怕！我到現在都還沒有擺脫這個陰影。 A: 貓也很兇啊！我朋友家裡養狗也養貓，那隻狗怕貓怕得要死！ B: 那不一樣吧，我們只聽過人被狗咬死，好像都沒聽過貓把人咬死的新聞。 A: 那一定是因為有人對狗殘忍，讓狗以為人都很壞，所以狗看到人才會出於自衛去咬人。 （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Adapted from 2014 South Korean blockbuster “Man in Love,” a Taiwanese black comedy of the same name, smashed the box office on April 11, overtaking “Gatao — The Last Stray” as this year’s best-selling Taiwanese film in just 11 days by grossing over NT$160 million (US$5.6 million). Starring actor Roy Chiu and actress Ann Hsu, “Man in Love” tells the bittersweet romance of a debt collector who falls in love with the person he has been sent to collect the debt from. It is the first feature film by music video director Yin Chen-hao, who has added a variety of grassroots elements and traditional food to the movie to stir the collective memories of the audience. Meanwhile, after being postponed for months by the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korean sci-fi film “Seo Bok” finally hit the screen in Taiwan last week, three days before its global release. Starring Korean superstars Gong Yoo and Park Bo-gum, the film revolves around Seo Bok, the first human clone, who holds the secret to eternal life. This highly-anticipated movie could yet shake the throne of “Man in Love.” (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 台灣的黑色喜劇《當男人戀愛時》，改編自南韓二○一四年熱門電影《不標準情人》，該片四月十一日打破票房紀錄，只花了十一天就大賣超過一億六千萬（五百多萬美元），取代《角頭－浪流連》成為今年最賣座國片。 《當男人戀愛時》由演員邱澤、許瑋甯主演，是關於討債者愛上負債人的苦樂參半的故事，亦是音樂錄影帶導演殷振豪的首部劇情長片，他在片中還加入各式的本土元素及傳統小吃，以喚起觀眾共同記憶。 受武漢肺炎（新冠病毒，COVID-19）影響，南韓科幻大片《永生戰》在延遲數月之後，上週終於提早全球三天搶先在台上檔。該片由南韓兩大男神孔劉、朴寶劍主演，劇情圍繞在世上首位複製人「徐福」身上，因為他掌握著人類永生的秘密，在上映前即備受期待，可望挑戰《當男人戀愛時》票房冠軍寶座。 （台北時報張聖恩）
Are you a dog person or a cat person? (2/5) 你是擁狗派還是擁貓派？（二） A: Does the cat belong to the temple? B: No. The temple acolyte says she goes there every day, but she’s afraid of strangers, and just hides in a corner. A: Doesn’t anyone feed her? B: Yes, but she doesn’t come out to eat. She eats the food I take, though! A: Wow, Her Majesty has trained you well! B: Ha, I think we have a special connection. A: 那隻貓是廟裡養的嗎？ B: 不是。廟祝說牠幾乎每天都會來，可是牠蠻怕生的，只是躲在角落。 A: 沒有人餵牠嗎？ B: 有啊，可是牠都不出來吃。不過我帶去的東西，牠都會吃耶！ A: 哇！貓皇欽點你了！ B: 哈哈，我覺得我跟那隻貓還蠻有緣份的。 （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
| New Taipei City | 23-27 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 23-28 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 23-28 | 0% | |
| Taipei City | 23-27 | 20% | |
| Miaoli County | 22-26 | 0% | |
| Taoyuan City | 23-27 | 20% | |
| Keelung City | 22-25 | 20% |  |
| Yunlin County | 22-27 | 0% | |
| Taichung City | 23-28 | 0% | |
| Nantou County | 23-29 | 0% | |
| Changhua County | 23-27 | 0% | |
| Chiayi County | 23-28 | 0% | |
| Chiayi City | 22-28 | 0% | |
| Tainan City | 24-27 | 0% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 25-28 | 0% |  |
| Pingtung County | 23-29 | 10% | |
| Yilan County | 21-24 | 70% |  |
| Hualien County | 21-24 | 60% | |
| Taitung County | 23-26 | 20% |  |
| Kinmen County | 21-24 | 0% | |
| Penghu County | 22-24 | 0% | |
| Lienchiang County | 18-19 | 20% | |
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