TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of Finance said Monday that tax collections totaled NT$1.17 trillion (US$36.46 billion) in June, up NT$761.8 billion from a year earlier.

The ministry said the large year-on-year increase was also partly due to last year's extended income tax filing and payment deadlines, which delayed some payments until July, per UDN. From January to June, tax revenue totaled NT$2.56 trillion, up NT$1.16 trillion, or 81.5%, from the same period last year, per CNA.

First-half tax collections exceeded the budget target for the period, reaching 124.9% of the allocated amount and 65.6% of the full-year target. Personal income tax revenue totaled NT$405 billion in June, up NT$346.8 billion, or six times, from a year earlier, as delayed payments and higher self-paid tax payments boosted collections.

Corporate income tax revenue reached NT$588.3 billion in June, up NT$340.4 billion, or 1.4 times, from a year earlier. The ministry said the increase was mainly due to deferred payments from last year's extended filing deadline and higher self-paid tax payments from this year's corporate tax filings.

Securities transaction tax revenue totaled NT$84.9 billion in June, up NT$62.4 billion, or 2.8 times, from a year earlier, marking the 11th consecutive month of growth. The increase reflected strong stock market activity, with average daily trading value for listed and over-the-counter stocks reaching NT$1.54 trillion in June, up 2.6 times year-on-year.

For the first six months of the year, securities transaction tax revenue totaled NT$333.6 billion, up NT$218.1 billion, or 1.9 times, from a year earlier. The ministry said the increase was supported by higher stock trading activity, which remained a key driver of tax revenue growth.

That legal gap leaves two strategic flanks exposed: the flashpoint around Taiwan-administered Taiping Island in the Spratlys and the vital corridor east of Taiwan toward Japan's Ryukyu archipelago.

To narrow that gap without provoking a crisis with Beijing, policymakers can draw on a proven model of creative diplomacy: the 2013 Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Agreement, negotiated under former President Ma Ying-jeou (   ) and former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. The pact, finalized shortly after Chinese leader Xi Jinping assumed power, demonstrated how functional cooperation can proceed despite unresolved sovereignty disputes.

The agreement operationalized a core principle of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It states with overlapping claims that countries should pursue provisional, practical arrangements.

Its success rested on a clear design. A "without prejudice" clause preserved each side's legal positions. Nominally private entities signed the accord, allowing both governments to sidestep diplomatic constraints.

A joint committee enabled routine coordination among maritime authorities. Instead of fixing a boundary, the sides defined a shared fishing zone governed by predictable rules, including flag-state enforcement to reduce the risk of confrontation.

Contested maritime zones


This framework offers a viable template for Taiping Island, Taiwan's largest holding in the South China Sea   and a growing liability. The feature lies within contested maritime zones discussed by the Philippines and Vietnam, while Beijing has probed its status through incursions that test Taiwan's control.

The 2016 arbitral ruling, which classified Spratly features as legally "rocks," further complicated overlapping claims and hardened positions.

A starting point already exists. The 2015 Philippines-Taiwan law enforcement agreement, reached after a fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in 2013, established protocols on notification and the treatment of detained crews. Building on that mechanism, Manila and Taipei could negotiate a broader, non-governmental maritime cooperation pact.

Such an arrangement would embed "without prejudice" language, expand notification rules, and formalize rapid crew release procedures. It could designate a joint fishery and conservation zone around Taiping, with shared data systems and a prohibition on the use of force against civilian vessels. The goal is not to resolve sovereignty, but to manage risk and stabilize daily operations.

Securing Taiping alone, however, is insufficient. The effort must extend north to the Bashi Channel, where the interests of Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines converge.

Recent coordination between Tokyo and Manila has been met by intensified Chinese gray-zone activity, including large-scale maritime patrols and pressure on commercial shipping east of Taiwan.

Deadly mistakes


These actions underscore the risk of miscalculation in a corridor critical to regional trade and security. Taiwan's Coast Guard has already rejected Beijing's jurisdictional claims and warned local vessels against complying with unlawful boarding orders. The margin for error is narrowing.

Criticism in Taiwan that such arrangements compromise sovereignty is likely to surface. But the precedent is clear.

Former President Ma's East China Sea Peace Initiative advanced the same logic more than a decade ago by shelving disputes to enable cooperation. The 2013 and 2015 agreements show that pragmatic, non-sovereign frameworks can deliver stability where formal diplomacy cannot.

Expanding that approach would not settle competing claims. It would, however, impose order on contested waters and help secure a critical stretch of the First Island Chain.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   DPP Spokesperson Lee Kun-cheng (   ) warned Monday that if opposition lawmakers fail to complete their review of the government's 2026 budget by the end of August, the legislature could be forced to review the 2026 and 2027 budgets at the same time.

Lee said only two of the legislature's eight committees had completed their budget reviews as of Monday, per NOWNews. He added that the Cabinet submitted the budget proposal to the Legislative Yuan on Aug. 29, 2025, and accused the opposition of delaying the review for 319 days.

Lee also accused opposition lawmakers of seeking sweeping cuts to government agencies, citing a proposal by KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (   ) to eliminate advertising budgets for the culture ministry and 12 other government agencies, per UDN.

The DPP further criticized the opposition for not proposing comparable cuts to the Legislative Yuan's own budget, saying the only proposed reductions came from DPP lawmakers, per SETN. DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (   ) said it was a "double standard" for the legislature to make only limited cuts to its own budget while pursuing much deeper reductions to the Cabinet's spending plans.

Responding to similar criticism from the media on Sunday, KMT Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Lin Pei-hsiang (   ) said reviewing the budget is not a competition to determine which party can cut the most spending, per Liberty Times. He said the KMT caucus's guiding principle is to ensure that "every Taiwan dollar is spent on the people, not on the pillows of bureaucrats."

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Ministry of National Defense officials on Thursday warned that changes to its proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.5 billion) special defense budget would severely delay force buildup plans.

Speaking in a CNEWS interview, Lieutenant General Huang Wen-chi (   ), head of the MND's strategic planning department, said a defense budget that only includes weapons systems and cuts logistics would become disconnected from the military's overall acquisition plan.

On Monday, the Taiwan People's Party caucus proposed its own NT$400 billion defense budget that only included big-ticket items, such as M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, and anti-armor missiles and drones. The budget did not allocate funds for logistics or training and would be distributed in phases.

Huang said every arms procurement item must be budgeted according to an acquisition plan, which covers primary systems, related construction works, logistics and maintenance, comprehensive training, and administrative costs. The MND's version includes all of these aspects, he said.

He added that under current regulations, if items in a procurement plan exceeding NT$1 billion need to be changed, the entire plan must be withdrawn, re-reviewed, and resubmitted to the Cabinet for approval. Having to redo administrative procedures could seriously affect force-building schedules, he said.

MND Spokesperson Lieutenant General Sun Li-fang (   ) said the special defense budget was compiled based on the nation's threat environment and joint operational capability requirements and cannot be arbitrarily broken apart. If it is unilaterally cut, he said, it would be impossible to generate effective combat power.

Defense planning must account for both "defense and counterstrike," he added.

The KMT and TPP legislators have blocked a review of the special defense budget bill eight times so far.

Originally Posted By CarmelBytheSea:
China state news today

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202607/1365897.shtml

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/459941/IMG_5998-3794904.jpg

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Mainland Affairs Council said Tuesday that China's new ethnic unity law could increase political risks for cross-strait exchanges by requiring activities involving Taiwan to align with Beijing's agenda.

MAC Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (   ) made the remarks at a seminar on the impact of China's Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity, hosted by Tunghai University in Taichung, per CNA.

Shen said the law reflects the CCP's efforts to legalize and normalize what he described as cross-border repression targeting Taiwan. He said such actions could undermine the status quo and pose challenges to Taiwan's national security and social stability.

Shen said the law contains vague provisions that could allow Beijing's ideological control to extend overseas, per UDN. He added that the legislation has drawn concerns from the international community, including Japan, the US, and the European Parliament, over its potential impact on human rights and democratic freedoms.

Shen said the law also reinforces Chinese leader Xi Jinping's centralized leadership domestically. He added that, in cross-strait relations, the legislation could constrain exchanges and expand cross-border repression.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan launched a five-day joint defense exercise on Monday, simulating scenarios including enemy incursions into territorial waters and attacks on major population centers.

The drill focuses on integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force while testing decentralized command-and-control systems. The Ministry of National Defense said the exercise follows similar drills held in June and uses a "live-fire, on-site, real-time, live-equipment, and live-action" approach, per a MND press release

The military said the exercise emphasizes situational awareness, operational guidance, and the integration of resources across all levels to ensure commanders and troops maintain maximum combat readiness. The ministry said the drills did not interfere with disaster recovery operations following Typhoon Bavi.

Before the start of the exercise, each operational command area contacted county and city governments to assess post-disaster recovery conditions and properly coordinate the deployment of disaster relief forces and the sequence of military training activities. Troops were also instructed to quickly transition from disaster relief missions to combat readiness training.

In Taipei, one focus of the exercise was the Marine Corps' mobile reinforcement capabilities. Dozens of military vehicles, including ambulances, communications vehicles, and Humvees, moved into position to establish temporary command posts and conduct on-site reconnaissance missions.

In Kaohsiung, the Army 333rd Combined Arms Brigade deployed to protect key targets, with convoys of Humvees and armored vehicles moving into tactical positions, according to  LTN.

Meanwhile, in Hualien, units from the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion rapidly deployed 105mm towed artillery, M60A3 tanks, and CM22 mortar carriers to designated tactical positions within their areas of responsibility, according to a Military News Agency report.

The military said the drills allow commanders and troops at all levels to strengthen battlefield response procedures, refine command-and-control capabilities, and improve tactical execution, ensuring forces can rapidly deploy and conduct joint territorial defense operations under various scenarios.Attached File

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The US has become the leading source of helium for Taiwan, Japan and South Korea as geopolitical tensions disrupt global supplies of the critical semiconductor gas, Nikkei Asia reported Monday.

The three Asian technology hubs have traditionally relied on Qatar and China for helium and other noble gases used in advanced manufacturing. However, the Iran conflict has disrupted Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations, reducing helium production, while China recently imposed temporary export restrictions on helium without providing a reason.

A TSMC executive said Qatar has some of the world's most cost-effective helium production because the gas is extracted as a byproduct of the country's LNG industry, per Nikkei Asia. However, disruptions to Qatar's LNG exports have pushed chipmakers to seek alternative sources.

Taiwan has sharply increased helium imports from the US as supplies shift. US shipments accounted for nearly 60% of Taiwan's helium and other noble gas imports in the first six months of this year, up from less than 4% in 2025, while Qatar's share fell from nearly 88% to about 30% during the same period, per Nikkei Asia.

South Korea has also turned to the US. Imports from the US accounted for nearly 56% of the country's helium supply in the first five months of this year, up from about 28% in 2025, while Qatar's share declined to about 34% from 55%. Imports from China, which once accounted for more than half of South Korea's noble gas imports in 2022, fell to 3.3%.

Japan's story is similar. More than 83% of Japan's rare gas imports, including helium, came from the US in the first five months of this year, compared with about 28% in 2022, while China's share dropped to 3.6% from nearly 28%.

Industry executives said China's export restrictions could indicate tighter domestic supplies and an effort to reserve helium for local use, per Nikkei Asia. The move reflects Beijing's broader use of control over critical materials, including rare earths and strategic minerals, as a tool in trade and geopolitical disputes.

The disruption has raised concerns among semiconductor manufacturers about supply security. Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry Association, led by TSMC, has urged the government to establish strategic stockpiles of helium and LNG.

Originally Posted By Sierradyne:
India is not much better. Then again China and India should duke it out.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   A Taiwanese woman said a minor traffic dispute in Beijing turned political after two Chinese individuals repeatedly told her to say Taiwan is part of China, Liberty Times reported Wednesday.

The woman, surnamed Wang ( ), said the dispute began when a woman riding an electric scooter approached her family on a street. After learning they were Taiwanese, the rider stopped discussed the traffic issue and started asking whether they considered Taiwan part of China.

Wang said she was Taiwanese and pointed out that people from Taiwan and China carry different passports. A man later arrived and shouted insults at Wang and her family.

Wang said the man moved close to her 90-year-old grandfather and also insulted her mother. She said she recorded the confrontation while trying to protect her family and prevent the argument from becoming physical.

Police later took both sides to a local station, where a deputy station chief carried out what Wang called political persuasion, using the Chinese term "thought work." She said officers warned that her family could receive a police record because she had used an insulting term for the man during the argument.

Wang said her family apologized and signed a settlement because they feared for their safety, but they still felt unfairly treated. She later said that she and her family were safe.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Four Chinese coast guard vessels entered restricted waters near Kinmen on Tuesday, prompting Taiwan's Coast Guard to deploy patrol boats and issue warnings.

The Coast Guard said the Chinese vessels entered the waters in the afternoon and its patrol boats shadowed them. It said warnings were broadcast until all four vessels departed two hours later.

The agency said the operation took place while sea conditions remained unstable after Typhoon Bavi. It accused China's coast guard of disregarding maritime navigation and operational safety to conduct gray-zone harassment operations.

It said the actions not only undermined peace and stability but also reflected a willingness to use any means necessary to achieve political objectives. It urged China to restrain its provocative actions, focus on typhoon recovery efforts, and fulfill its responsibilities to promote people's welfare.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Directorate-General of Personnel Administration told lawmakers Wednesday that 99.8% of government employees had signed a statement confirming they they do not hold Chinese identity or residency documents, per UDN.

Of the more than 620,000 employees, 95 civil servants have not yet signed the statement. At the same time, the directorate-general also denied allegations that those who have not signed were punished excessively.

Even so, KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (   ) proposed to cut NT$30 million (US$932,000) and freeze 20% from the directorate-general's budget. She said she wanted the department to make clear there would be no disciplinary action for those who did not sign.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   President Lai Ching-te (   ) on Wednesday urged Taiwanese to unite and defend democracy as the country marked the 39th anniversary of the end of martial law, CNA reported.

Speaking at a DPP meeting, Lai said Taiwan's freedoms were won through decades of sacrifice. He said the former KMT government restricted basic rights such as freedom of assembly, association, speech, and publication during 38 years and 56 days of martial law, which ended in 1987.

He said the KMT government also used emergency laws and a large intelligence network to monitor society and suppress political opposition. Many academics, democracy activists, and ordinary people were arrested, imprisoned, or persecuted without normal legal procedures, he added.

Lai said their families also faced surveillance, discrimination, and social stigma. These abuses became part of the "White Terror," a period of political repression in Taiwan.

The president said remembering this history was necessary because democracy could be weakened when people forgot how it was achieved. He also said freedom would face greater danger if the public lost its determination to protect it.

Taiwanese ended authoritarian rule through courage 39 years ago, Lai said. They must now prevent authoritarian rule from returning in any form.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Keelung District Prosecutors Office questioned 17 suspects and seven witnesses Wednesday over alleged bid-rigging and bribery involving city construction projects.

CNA reported that the office searched 31 locations, including government offices, company offices, private homes, and the office of KMT Keelung Councilor Tseng Chi-yen (   ). The investigation centers on claims that a company winning city construction contracts since 2022 worked with other businesses to decide in advance which company would win the bids.

Prosecutors also suspect the company bribed city employees and submitted inflated project costs to the government. Tseng may have used funds that city councilors can recommend for local public works projects to direct contracts to the company, EBC News reported.

The searches included the Keelung City Government procurement center, Zhongzheng District Office, Tseng's service center, and his city council office. Investigators also searched properties linked to the company's manager and others involved in the case.

Prosecutors are investigating possible violations of Taiwan's Anti-Corruption Act and Government Procurement Act. No charges have been announced so far as questioning continues.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   DPP Legislator Puma Shen (   ) on Wednesday dismissed speculation that the party could replace him as its candidate in next year's Taipei mayoral election after a recent poll showed him trailing incumbent Mayor Chiang Wan-an (   ).

A poll released by Z.Media on June 24 found Shen with 27.5% support, compared with 55.2% for Chiang. The results fueled speculation that the DPP could field another candidate, per Storm Media.

Media commentator Chen Hui-wen (   ) argued in June the poll suggested Shen would struggle in the race and proposed former DPP lawmaker Kao Chia-yu (   ) as an alternative candidate, per NOWNews. Media commentator Lo Wang-che (   ) questioned Shen's standing within the party, suggesting the lack of engagement from DPP Taipei City councilors on Shen's social media posts indicated he lacked support from the party's city council caucus.

Formosa Chair Wu Tzu-chia (   ), however, rejected that interpretation, per Newtalk. Wu said Shen's 27.5% support exceeded the roughly 21% some observers had predicted but warned that media attention alone would not necessarily translate into votes without stronger grassroots support.

Responding to speculation that he could be replaced, Shen dismissed the reports as the product of "imagination," per ETtoday.

The Z.Media poll found Chiang leading Shen across nearly every demographic group, with the exception of DPP supporters, who overwhelmingly backed Shen. The survey was conducted June 21-22 among 1,074 respondents. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.99 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan's first indigenous submarine should be ready for commissioning by the Navy in late August or early September, with work on a second submarine starting by the end of the year, reports said Wednesday.

The Narwhal had returned to a pier in Kaohsiung to prepare for trials during the night, the Liberty Times reported. According to military sources, the submarine will complete testing and certification in late August.

The handover from shipbuilder CSBC Corporation Taiwan to the Navy was likely to take place in late August or early September. The original date had been set for last November, but the various phases of testing took longer than expected.

Once the 256th Submarine Squadron takes delivery of the Narwhal, the Ministry of National Defense will request that the Legislative Yuan unfreeze the budget for a second submarine, allowing work to start before the end of 2026, per the Liberty Times.

The government plan was to build seven submarines for a budget of NT$284.08 billion (US$8.82 billion) stretching over 15 years from 2025 to 2039. The price tag also covered MK-48 torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Army is reportedly moving to terminate a NT$984.8 million (US$30.5 million) contract with technology company Tron Future Tech after its drone countermeasure systems repeatedly failed acceptance tests.

Tron Future Tech won the Army's 2025 procurement contract to provide 26 fixed-site drone countermeasure systems, per UP Media. The equipment reportedly failed to prevent commercially available drones from breaching designated perimeters during testing, leading the Army to consider ending the contract.

Before issuing the procurement contract, the national defense ministry contracted with domestic companies to research drone countermeasures while excluding the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology from participation.

The Control Yuan criticized the research contract, saying the ministry proceeded despite knowing that participating companies, including Tron Future Tech, could not carry out the research contract.

KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (   ) on Wednesday called on the defense ministry to cancel the contract and criticized the procurement process, per Liberty Times. She cited the Control Yuan's findings, saying the ministry had proceeded with a contract involving companies it knew were unable to fulfill the research requirements.

Wang questioned who should be held responsible for delays in establishing drone countermeasure capabilities on Taiwan's outlying islands.

Citing the Control Yuan report, Wang also pointed out that the economic affairs ministry under former minister Wang Mei-hua (   ) recommended Tron Future Tech to the defense ministry. She added that the company won five of the ministry's 12 contracts for reservoir drone countermeasure systems, totaling NT$24.7 million, or about 68% of the combined value of those projects.

KMT Legislator Ma Wen-chun (   ) said the equipment's failure to meet Army requirements three times showed the need to review both the procurement process and acceptance testing procedures, per UDN. She argued that the case reflected a broader issue in Taiwan's military procurement system, which she said prioritizes securing budgets and purchasing equipment before conducting sufficient testing, per China Times.

Ma said when purchased equipment fails acceptance tests, the military must request improvements, delaying delivery to troops and wasting resources. She added that her decision to freeze NT$400 million in defense funding allocated to the contract was justified following the latest failed trial.

Military experts said the significance of the failed tests remains unclear, noting that counter-drone system performance can vary depending on terrain, weather conditions, drone models and other testing conditions, per CMedia. They added that a system would not necessarily be considered unsuccessful simply because it failed to intercept every drone during a trial, saying US testing standards consider an 80% interception rate sufficient for a successful evaluation.

The experts said the failed tests could indicate either that the equipment does not meet requirements or that the government is considering shifting toward ready-made foreign systems rather than relying on domestic production. They noted that because Tron Future Tech's contract was approved under former President Tsai Ing-wen's (   ) administration, any change in procurement approach could be viewed as President Lai Ching-te (   ) revising an existing policy.

Separately, National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology was accused of favoring the agent of an Israeli defense company in a Coast Guard Administration contract for ship-mounted drone countermeasure systems, per CMedia. Reports alleged that after the favored company's equipment failed testing, a senior institute official requested replacing failed components with third-party parts.

The institute denied the allegations, saying it did not sign the procurement contract or favor specific brands.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan and the US have agreed to co- produce the domestically developed Jingfeng I loitering munition system for export.

Liberty Times cited a senior government official on Wednesday as saying the two sides have compiled a list of hardware and weapon systems eligible for co-production. US representatives will handle international marketing and sales.

The first project is the Jingfeng I loitering munition system, developed by National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. The official said Jingfeng I was selected after undergoing multiple operational tests and entering service with Taiwan's Marine Corps.

According to the report, the project must still undergo national security reviews and receive funding approval from the legislature before production can begin. Initial exports could include 10 to 50 complete systems, comprising about 500 to 1,000 drones.

Unlike Taiwan's previous overseas military sales, which consisted primarily of individual weapons, ammunition, or artillery shells, the Jingfeng I would be exported as a complete weapon system, Liberty Times reported. Each system includes a folding-wing loitering munition, a gas-powered launch tube, a ground control tablet, and a modular tactical backpack.

The report said the system can be launched from Marine Corps speedboats, unmanned surface vessels, ground vehicles, and unmanned ground vehicles, or carried by the Albatross II drone, providing operational flexibility across multiple platforms.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Navy and the Air Force will conduct joint anti-submarine drills simulating a response to the presence of Chinese submarines southwest of Taiwan, reports said Thursday.

The exercises will take place July 27-28, Aug. 18-23, and Aug. 31 to Sept. 5, the Liberty Times reported. Most of the drills are scheduled to run from 2 p.m. until 7:59 a.m. of the following day.

The large-scale maneuvers will include anti-submarine aircraft and helicopters, drones, patrol ships, and submarines. Tracking down submarines, countering the vessels, and capturing them are all features of the program, per the Liberty Times.

Chinese submarines have conducted research southwest of Taiwan to establish safe routes where they could evade US, Japanese, and Taiwanese attempts to track them, the military said. The Chinese submarines passed through the Bashi Channel separating Taiwan from the Philippines to move past the First Island Chain into the West Pacific.

The Navy informed the Maritime and Port Bureau, the Civil Aviation Administration, the Coast Guard Administration, and the Ministry of Agriculture earlier this week that it planned to conduct the drills in an area south of Penghu and west of Kaohsiung and Tainan during day and night.

The exercises follow on from news that Taiwan's first indigenous submarine, the Narwhal, should be ready for commissioning by the Navy in late August or early September.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan should not be blamed for cross-strait tensions because its people reject Chinese Communist Party rule, President Lai Ching-te (   ) said Thursday.

Speaking at the launch of a Veterans Affairs Council digital care program, Lai said Taiwanese want to protect their democracy, freedom, and human rights. He said their refusal to accept Chinese Communist Party rule should not be portrayed as a threat to peace, CNA reported.

Lai pledged that the government would continue supporting veterans. He also called on people from all professions and backgrounds to help protect the rights Taiwan has secured over the past several decades.

Turning to healthcare, Lai said the council's digital platform mainly serves retired military personnel. He called for the service to include other patients at veterans hospitals and asked the Ministry of Health and Welfare to expand it to hospitals across Taiwan, UDN reported.

The president also discussed the government's "Long-Term Care 3.0" program, which aims to better connect care recipients with service providers. These include social service agencies, healthcare providers, families, local governments, and community leaders.

Lai said the program offers respite care so family caregivers can take breaks. The government also plans to build more public residential care centers and increase subsidies while the facilities are under construction.

Taiwan had 720 long-term care service locations and an annual budget of NT$4.95 billion (US$168 million) when former President Tsai Ing-wen (   ) took office in 2016, Lai said. By the end of her presidency, the number of locations had grown to more than 15,000, while annual funding had reached NT$96.4 billion.

The government proposed NT$115.3 billion for long-term care in 2026, but the funding is awaiting legislative approval, Lai said. He urged the legislature to approve it so the government could improve care services and maintain access to resources during emergencies.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday denied reports that 10 Taiwanese travelers have gone missing in China since late June, accusing Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council of fabricating the claims to discourage cross-strait exchanges.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, TAO Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian claimed the reports were "completely unfounded" after an ETToday reporter asked about Taiwanese going missing while traveling in China in recent weeks, including four members of a tour group, one person visiting relatives, one seeking employment, and four others whose circumstances remain unclear.

Zhu accused the DPP government of deliberately spreading false information to create panic among the Taiwanese and damage cross-strait exchanges. She claimed Taiwanese "enjoy a safe, comfortable, and pleasant environment when traveling, visiting relatives, and conducting business in China."

"The DPP authorities are deliberately smearing China, attempting to create panic, obstruct cross-strait exchanges and escalate confrontation," Zhu said.

During the briefing, the reporter also asked whether any of the missing Taiwanese were involved in telecommunications fraud or other criminal activity and mentioned a separate incident involving a Taiwanese judge who was reportedly questioned by police after checking into a hotel in northern China. Zhu did not directly address either of the follow-up questions.

Instead, Zhu called for a full restoration of normal cross-strait direct flights, saying passenger demand remains strong. She said direct passenger flights carried 3.14 million travelers during the first half of the year, a 15% increase from a year earlier.

Zhu urged Taiwan to remove what she described as "unreasonable restrictions" on cross-strait aviation and allow airlines on both sides to schedule flights according to market demand, per the press briefing.

Her comments came after Taiwan General Chamber of Commerce Chair Hsu Shu-po (   ) announced on Monday that applications have been submitted for Mid-Autumn Festival charter flights between Taiwan and the Chinese cities of Kunming and Xian, with service tentatively scheduled to begin in September, per China Times.

National Cheng Kung University Political Science Professor Wang Hung-jen (   ) said it would be unlikely for MAC to fabricate such information, noting that Taiwan's government is subject to legislative oversight and would be expected to verify reports before issuing a public warning, per LTN.

Wang said the government has a responsibility to alert citizens to potential risks associated with travel to China, particularly given the lack of official communication channels between Taipei and Beijing. He added that if authorities failed to warn the public after receiving credible information, they could later face scrutiny over their inaction.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   DPP Taoyuan City Council candidate Li Po-se (   ) on Wednesday accused KMT Legislator Wan Mei-ling (   ) of intervening in a school bullying case to protect the alleged perpetrator.

Li said a student contacted her claiming Wan intervened after a teacher attempted to discipline a student accused of repeatedly bullying classmates, per ETtoday. According to Li, the student alleged the bully regularly used verbal abuse and physical intimidation against other students.

Li said the student claimed the bully's parent sought Wan's assistance after the teacher enforced school rules. Wan allegedly called the school principal, and the student claimed the intervention emboldened the parent, ultimately leading to the teacher's departure despite a petition from students and parents urging the school to retain the teacher.

Li said the alleged bully was eventually disciplined but argued the case sent the message that political influence could override school rules. She called on Wan to publicly respond to the allegations.

The allegation adds to mounting pressure on Wan, whose son, Taoyuan City Council candidate Ssu Kuang-yang (   ), has remained in the race after relinquishing the KMT's nomination over allegations of bullying and gambling, per CNA. Ssu apologized after the allegations surfaced but decided to continue his campaign, per UDN.

Wan has also faced criticism over her purchase of land that was subject to a 40-year restriction on resale and development, per ETtoday. Opponents questioned the transaction after Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng (   ) later approved rezoning that lifted the restrictions.

Ssu's candidacy has remained the more immediate political challenge for Wan. After the bullying allegations emerged, KMT Legislative Caucus Convener Fu Kun-chi (   ) reportedly stepped in to help contain the fallout, per SETN.

However, Wan drew further criticism after going back on her promise that Ssu would not run for the city council seat. She also faced backlash after reportedly scolding a borough chief over a traffic jam.

KMT Taoyuan City Councilor Chan Chiang-tsun (   ) warned the controversies had already damaged the party's electoral prospects, per Mirror Media. Local political observers said Ssu's best option would be to withdraw, arguing that a victory could alienate fellow councilors while a defeat would further weaken Wan politically, per NOWNews.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The government suspended the sale of Kinmen pork and pork products to Taiwan and other outlying islands on Thursday after a dead pig found on a Kinmen beach tested positive for African swine fever.

Premier Cho Jung-tai (   ) announced the measure on Facebook, per CNA. He said the government had instructed the Coast Guard Administration to strengthen efforts against illegal smuggling and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Kaohsiung Branch to tighten quarantine measures in Kinmen.

Cho said Kinmen County Government had inspected all pig farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the carcass found on a beach in Jinhu Township and found no signs of infection. He emphasized that the government would continue to release updated information as analysis of the virus progresses.

President Lai Ching-te (   ) also called on the public to remain vigilant to help Taiwan maintain its African swine fever-free status under the World Animal Health Information System, per UP Media.

The Coast Guard Administration said all refrigerated containers and mailed packages departing from Liaoluo Port, which handles commercial traffic between Kinmen and Taiwan, would be inspected, per Storm Media. It also warned travelers returning to Taiwan or other outlying islands not to bring pork products, as doing so could result in fines.

The Central Emergency Operations Center said the dead pig may have drifted to Kinmen due to strong currents and winds associated with the outer bands of Typhoon Bavi in China, per CNA. The center said the case was the first African swine fever incident in 2026 and the 21st since 2018.

The agriculture ministry said pork and pork products would remain banned from export to Taiwan and other outlying islands until Kinmen remains free of African swine fever for one week, per UDN.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rejected Papua New Guinea's announcement that it had ordered the immediate closure of Taiwan's representative office.

Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced the closure on Facebook on Wednesday, saying the government was shutting the office under a Cabinet decision reaffirming the country's One China policy, per SET News. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei (   ) said the move was made without prior consultation with Taipei, prompting Taiwan to lodge a strong protest and continue engaging with Papua New Guinea through diplomatic channels.

Hsiao said Taiwan does not accept Papua New Guinea's unilateral decision. He said the representative office would remain open, safeguard Taiwan's rights and interests, and provide necessary services to Taiwanese.

Hsiao said the ministry has contacted like-minded countries to seek international attention and support, SET News reported. It also convened an emergency response meeting with relevant agencies to review bilateral cooperation and trade ties with Papua New Guinea and consider measures to protect Taiwan's interests.

The two countries established reciprocal representative offices in 1990, with Taiwan initially operating the Trade Mission of the Republic of China in Papua New Guinea, per Tai Sounds. Port Moresby renamed the office the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Papua New Guinea in 2018 amid pressure from Beijing, and closed its own trade mission in Taiwan in 2023.

President criticizes opposition drone proposals

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   President Lai Ching-te (   ) inspected drones during a tour of the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology in Taichung on Friday.

The weapons maker showed off anti-radiation attack drones used to track and destroy enemy radar systems, per UDN. During the visit, he slammed the opposition's move to cut drones from a special defense budget.

The KMT-TPP majority at the Legislative Yuan voted for a defense budget in May that did not include drones. As a result, the government submitted a separate six-year NT$210 billion (US$6.54 billion) budget to procure Taiwan-made uncrewed vehicle systems.

The legislature is currently considering the Cabinet proposal, but also separate KMT and TPP versions. The KMT wants to spend NT$240 billion spread over six years, but with NT$40 billion sourced from each year's general budget. The TPP version also relies on the general budget, but without specifying a maximum amount.

Lai said Friday the government will list between NT$200 billion and NT$300 billion in additional budgets and in next year's defense budget to make up for the NT$470 billion cut by the opposition, UDN reported.

The president also condemned opposition plans to put the Ministry of Economic Affairs in charge of drone procurement instead of the Ministry of National Defense. The opposition proposals did not meet the country's defense needs, Lai said.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan's military police on Thursday conducted a drill on the Taipei MRT system that simulated a hostile infiltration attempt targeting key government facilities.

The 202nd Military Police Command's 211th and 332nd battalions carried out a mobilization drill, practicing responses to a simulated intrusion in Taipei's Boai Special Zone, per Liberty Times. The units are responsible for security at the Presidential Office and the official residences of the president and vice president.

Troops moved through the Taipei MRT network to simulate how to avoid disruptions to surface transportation while responding to a security threat. Personnel carried T112 rifles, T74 machine guns, M240 machine guns, and Kestrel anti-armor rockets.

The drill also simulated hostile agents targeting key infrastructure in Taipei's Nangang District, with military police boarding trains at Longshan Temple Station, traveling to Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station, and then moving to the exercise site, Liberty Times reported. After leaving the station, personnel carried out tactical response procedures against simulated infiltrators.

The exercise also included preparations for PLA cognitive warfare scenarios, with military police placing posters inside MRT carriages to simulate wartime psychological operations. The 211th Battalion also worked with the Army's Third Logistics Command to conduct food and ammunition resupply exercises around MRT stations and underground platforms.

The 202nd Military Police Command said the MRT network enabled troops to rapidly reach tactical positions and support frontline operations, per the Military News Agency. Command said the drill strengthened the ability of military police units to operate in urban environments.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   A Coast Guard Administration officer stationed in Kinmen passed confidential data to a smuggler who provided it to China, prosecutors said Friday.

Both men have been charged with breaking the National Security Act, the Liberty Times reported. The information they shared with China concerned radar records and details about people moving illegally from China to Taiwan.

The Coast Guard officer, named as Sergeant Chen ( ), was in charge of tracking smugglers, stowaways, and illegal migrants. From 2017 to 2021, he provided confidential data to a former elementary school classmate involved in smuggling who wanted information about his competitors, the report said.

The alleged smuggler ran a shrimp farm in China's Fujian Province along with a local who also worked as an informant for the Chinese coast guard, according to prosecutors. They requested the court to sentence Chen to five years in prison, considering he had not been paid for his information and admitted his actions, per the Liberty Times.

The alleged smuggler should receive a four-year prison term, prosecutors said. Even though he had cooperated with the investigation and was not a civil servant, he had nevertheless still functioned as a go-between to pass on secrets from the Coast Guard sergeant to Chinese security officials, according to prosecutors.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Preferential visa measures for visitors from Cambodia will end on Aug. 1, but visa waivers for citizens of the Philippines, Thailand, and Brunei will be extended for one year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

The decision for Cambodian nationals referred to the "Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists from Southeast Asian Countries," also known as the Guanhong Project, and to the online Travel Authorization Certificate, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the decision was motivated by the need to maintain respect for the country and safeguard border security. The visa benefits had been in place since 2018, but the Cambodian government never reciprocated and followed China's denigration of Taiwan's sovereignty, the ministry said.

The statement also mentioned Cambodia's reputation as a haven for large international fraud rings. From Aug. 1, Cambodian citizens will have to apply for the appropriate visa from Taiwan offices overseas. If and when the visa benefits are restored, depended on the policies of the Cambodian government, the ministry said.

In contrast, citizens of the Southeast Asian nations of Thailand, the Philippines, and Brunei will see visa waivers extended for a year until July 31, 2027. The Guanhong Project for visitors from Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, and Laos will be extended by a year to Dec. 31, 2027.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The National Cultural Association of Taiwan displayed a sign reading "I am a bookstore worker" outside its office on Thursday, echoing a T-shirt worn by a Hong Kong bookseller taken away by police.

The New York Times reported that Hong Kong national security police searched Have a Nice Stay Bookstore and Garden Bookstore in Mong Kok on Wednesday. Officers arrested five owners and employees on suspicion of displaying or selling publications that police described as "seditious intent."

Images of the arrests quickly spread online. Social media users repeated the T-shirt message to support the detained workers and defend freedom of expression, CNA reported.

Association Secretary-General Lee Hou-ching (   ) said the image of the bookseller wearing the T-shirt made it difficult to remain silent. He also noted that the raids took place as Taiwan marked the 39th anniversary of the end of martial law on Wednesday.

HK01 reported that three owners and employees from Have a Nice Stay Bookstore were released on bail. The status of the other two people arrested was not immediately clear.

The bookstore had announced that it would close on Aug. 30. It was not immediately clear whether the planned closure was related to the police raid.

TVB reported that Hong Kong police said the raids targeted books sent from overseas that allegedly promoted hatred of the government, courts, and law enforcement agencies.

Officers seized "Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping's China." The book was written by former National Public Radio correspondent Emily Feng (   ) and published in Taiwan, Mingpao reported.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   TSMC on Thursday announced plans to invest about another NT$3.16 trillion (US$100 billion) in the US amid rising demand for advanced chips, Nikkei Asia reported.

The expansion will include at least four factories and advanced chip-packaging facilities in Arizona. The new factories will produce chips using 2-nanometer or more advanced technology.

TSMC's planned investment in Arizona now totals around NT$8.37 trillion, but the company did not provide a completion date. It said construction would proceed according to customer demand while boosting US chip production and creating jobs.

TSMC also raised its 2026 spending budget by more than 10%. The company now plans to spend up to around NT$2.02 trillion, compared with its previous limit of around NT$1.77 trillion.

TSMC expects its full-year revenue to increase by about 40%, up from its earlier forecast of 30%. TSMC Chair C.C. Wei (   ) said major cloud service providers continued to show strong demand for artificial intelligence computing.

TSMC posted a net profit of around NT$706.26 billion for the April June quarter, an increase of 77.4% from a year earlier. Quarterly revenue climbed 36% to a record of NT$1.27 trillion.

The company's gross profit margin reached a record 67.7%, up from 66.2% in the previous quarter. TSMC produces advanced chips for global technology companies including Nvidia, Apple, Google, and Amazon.

Some investors remain concerned about whether technology companies can maintain their current levels of AI investment. However, chip equipment suppliers ASML and Applied Materials expect strong demand to support continued factory construction in the coming years.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Cabinet said Thursday it will support TSMC's expanded US investment while ensuring the lion's share of its manufacturing capacity and most advanced technology remain in Taiwan.

TSMC Chair C.C. Wei (   ) announced earlier Thursday that the company will invest an additional NT$3.16 trillion (US$100 billion) in Arizona to build several wafer fabs for 2 nm and below, as well as advanced packaging, per TrendForce. Despite TSMC's increased investment in Arizona, Wei stressed that the company will continue to expand its Taiwan operations.

Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Lee (   ) said the government respects TSMC's decision to expand overseas in response to global market demand, rapid AI growth, and supply chain regionalization, per Rti. She said the investment would strengthen Taiwan's strategic position in the global semiconductor industry while reflecting the company's international expansion plans.

Lee said that while TSMC is expanding its global footprint, it is also increasing its investment in Taiwan. She said TSMC is currently building 13 advanced-process and advanced-packaging facilities in the country and plans to make further investments.

She said the government will fully support the expansion of Taiwan's semiconductor industry by helping secure land, water, electricity, energy supplies, and other infrastructure, Rti reported. Lee said Taiwan will also pursue three policy priorities.

They include ensuring that the largest share of manufacturing capacity remains in the country, keeping the most advanced technology in Taiwan, and maintaining the most complete technology industry ecosystem.

Lee also said international companies, including Nvidia, AMD, and Micron, have expanded investments in Taiwan this year, demonstrating continued confidence in the country's semiconductor industry, per UDN. She added that Taiwan and the US have established a two-way investment cooperation mechanism under a bilateral investment memorandum of understanding.

The memorandum stipulates that Taiwanese companies plan to make US$250 billion in voluntary investments in the US, while Taiwan's government will support up to US$250 billion in financing through credit guarantees, Lee said. She added that Taiwan has secured preferential tariff treatment, including most-favored-nation status for future US Section 232 semiconductor tariffs and exemptions from certain import duties.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Intel is expected to manufacture most of the computing components for its upcoming Nova Lake-S desktop processors internally, reducing its reliance on TSMC, according to a report by investment bank KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Nova Lake-S is the code name for Intel's next-generation desktop processors, which are designed for personal computers and are expected to launch later this year or next year. The company had originally planned to split production of the chips' compute tiles between TSMC's 2-nanometer process and its own 18A technology, according to CTEE and Wccftech.

Under the initial plan, TSMC was expected to produce about 60-70% of the compute tiles, the key processing components of the chips, while Intel would handle the remaining 30-40%. However, supply chain information cited in the KeyBanc report indicates Intel has decided to shift most compute tile production back to its own manufacturing facilities.

TSMC's share of Nova Lake production using its 2 nm process is now expected to decline to 10-20%. Intel's 18A process, a next-generation manufacturing technology roughly equivalent to the 1.8-nm class, is set to become the primary manufacturing technology for the chips, according to Yahoo Finance.

Nova Lake had previously been viewed as a major future customer win for TSMC's 2 nm production. While Intel's decision could reduce the number of orders available to TSMC, institutional investors believe the impact on the Taiwanese chipmaker will be limited.

TSMC continues to face strong demand for its 2 nm capacity from major customers including Apple, Nvidia, and Advanced Micro Devices. Counterpoint Research said TSMC accounted for 73% of the global foundry market in the first quarter, maintaining its dominant position.

Intel's potential move also suggests progress in improving the production maturity and yield rate of its 18A process. The process is considered a key milestone in Intel's effort to rebuild its competitiveness in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

ASML recently announced that Intel had successfully introduced its High NA EUV (high numerical aperture extreme ultraviolet) lithography systems into volume production for the 18A process. The advanced lithography equipment has already been used to manufacture some Panther Lake processors, making Intel the first chipmaker to apply the technology in mass production.

Intel currently has a monthly production capacity of about 30,000 wafers for the 18A process. It plans to expand capacity further to support demand for Nova Lake processors and AI PCs.

When China denounced a recent joint statement by 14 countries reaffirming the recent South China Sea arbitral award as a piece of "waste paper," the dispute appeared straightforward.

Beijing rejected the ruling, while others described it as legally binding. The implication was that one side must be right and the other wrong. That framing is misleading.

The South China Sea is not a single legal question but a cluster of distinct issues that are often conflated in public debate. The first concerns sovereignty over islands, a matter no international tribunal has resolved.

The second involves the legal classification of maritime features under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)   whether they qualify as islands, rocks or low-tide elevations. The third addresses the maritime entitlements those features generate, which depend on their classification rather than ownership.

Separating these questions clarifies why many apparently contradictory arguments are not, in fact, addressing the same issue.

Yet public discourse, particularly on social media, rewards certainty over precision. Simplified claims travel faster than legal nuance, encouraging audiences to adopt positions without understanding the underlying disputes.

State narratives



This dynamic extends beyond the South China Sea, shaping debates on cross-strait relations, trade and climate policy. Complex issues are routinely reduced to binary contests between right and wrong.  

That gap is reinforced by state narratives. An editorial in China's Global Times dismissing the joint statement and reiterating that the UNCLOS ruling is "a piece of waste paper" illustrates how complexity is replaced with slogans. Stripped of its rhetoric, the argument rests on three core claims.

First, the editorial characterizes the arbitration as illegitimate because UNCLOS does not cover territorial sovereignty. The tribunal acknowledged this limitation and did not attempt to determine ownership.

Instead, it addressed maritime entitlements, concluding that no feature in the Spratly Islands qualifies as a full island capable of generating a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. The ruling clarified legal boundaries without adjudicating sovereignty.

Second, the composition of the tribunal is portrayed as biased. This overlooks procedural realities.

Maritime law manipulation



China's decision to boycott the proceedings forfeited its right to appoint arbitrators under UNCLOS Annex VII. The remaining appointments followed standard treaty mechanisms. The tribunal's composition was a consequence of those rules, not evidence of manipulation.

Third, the editorial argues the ruling lacks relevance because other signatories are not direct claimants and ASEAN has not issued a unified endorsement. This misrepresents the nature of maritime law.

The arbitration clarified provisions of a global treaty governing shared seas. States beyond the region have a direct interest in upholding those rules, which underpin international trade and navigation. ASEAN's caution reflects political and economic constraints, not legal rejection.

Dismissing a binding ruling as irrelevant carries broader consequences. If major powers can disregard treaty obligations when outcomes prove inconvenient, the credibility of international law erodes. Legal frameworks risk becoming instruments of convenience rather than constraints on power.

For meaningful progress in the South China Sea, the ruling cannot be treated as optional. It provides a common legal framework for managing competing claims and clarifies the scope of maritime rights. Without such a baseline, negotiations risk devolving into assertions of power rather than applications of law.

The Global Times claims that today's China "does not believe in fallacy." Yet the greatest fallacy of all is believing that a lasting regional peace can be built by shredding the very rules that keep the global order intact.

For democracies navigating these turbulent waters, the path forward requires us to reject the simple comfort of nationalist slogans, look past the hot air of state editorials, and hold fast to the discipline of international law.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The US State Department has expressed deep concern after Papua New Guinea ordered the immediate closure of Taiwan's representative office in Port Moresby, CNA reported Friday.

A State Department spokesperson described the decision as "another example" of Beijing intimidating Taiwan and countries that support its international participation. The spokesperson said such pressure undermined countries' right to decide whether to cooperate with Taiwan.

The spokesperson said Beijing's actions also threatened international peace and prosperity. Taiwan is a reliable, democratic, and like-minded partner whose international ties brought significant benefits to people in countries including Papua New Guinea, the spokesperson added.

Liberty Times reported that Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced Thursday that the Taipei Economic Office would immediately stop operating. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Papua New Guinea had not discussed the decision with Taiwan beforehand.

The foreign ministry rejected the decision and said it would continue communicating with the Papua New Guinea government. The ministry said its priority was to protect Taiwan's rights and interests.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (   ) said Taiwan faced a difficult diplomatic environment because China continued trying to restrict its international space. She described the closure as a setback but said Taiwan would continue expanding cooperation with other countries.

Papua New Guinea is a Pacific island country north of Australia that recognizes Beijing but maintains unofficial economic ties with Taiwan. China has expanded its influence there, while the country continues close economic and security cooperation with Australia and other regional partners, SETN News reported.

The foreign ministry said it would closely monitor developments and consider possible responses.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan is looking at its imports of liquefied natural gas from Papua New Guinea following the country's decision to close down the Taiwanese representative office, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (   ) said Saturday.

Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko announced Thursday that the Taipei Economic Office would stop operating immediately. Taiwan received the support of the US State Department after rejecting the unilateral decision.

Commenting to reporters Saturday, Lin said Taiwan will look at the procurement of LNG from Papua New Guinea before taking necessary measures, the Liberty Times reported.

Even though officials claim there are no economic links between the two countries, Taiwan imported one third of Papua New Guinea's LNG, Lin said. The total amounted to 1.2 million metric tons per year, representing a significant part of the country's income, according to the foreign minister.

Lin said that opinions inside Papua New Guinea about the decision were divided, per the Liberty Times. The country started a review of its ties with Taipei last year, but the process had not been completed yet, he added.

Chinese political pressure and economic intimidation were responsible for the measure, but Taiwan would continue to seek contacts with Papua New Guinea, according to Lin.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   A serving and a retired police officer from Taiwan faced six hours of questioning during a trip to China, the Mainland Affairs Council said Saturday.

After the pair arrived at their B&B in the town of Quanzhou around 11 a.m. on June 24, six or seven national security agents took them to an office, the MAC said in a statement. Questioning of the officers lasted six hours until after 5 p.m.

MAC rejected a report by Taiwan's China Times that speculated the two officers must have behaved in an inappropriate way to have attracted the attention of the Chinese agents.

The report seemed to be echoing remarks by the Chinese government claiming Taiwan was scaring the public to stay away from China, MAC said. The information about civil servants being questioned by Chinese agents came from the government employees themselves after returning to Taiwan as they wanted to warn their colleagues, according to the MAC statement.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan plans to buy 25 unmanned surface vessels and two underwater drones to counter China's operations in its waters, Nikkei Asia reported Wednesday.

National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology will develop the drones with US defense technology company Maritime Tactical Systems. They plan to produce at least one prototype for testing in the first half of 2027.

An official familiar with the project said it remains at an early stage.  

President Lai Ching-te (   ) has made stronger maritime security a major government priority. His defense policy supports smaller, mobile, and lower-cost systems that could counter China's much larger military.

Defense officials have also studied Ukraine's use of sea drones against Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Unmanned maritime vehicles can carry out surveillance, reconnaissance, and other dangerous missions without putting crews at direct risk.

The Ocean Affairs Council, which oversees the Coast Guard, is leading the maritime security upgrades. Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (   ) said Taiwan plans to invest up to NT$64 billion (US$2 billion) in early warning and surveillance systems.

Kuan said recent conflicts have shown the importance of protecting the Taiwan Strait and nearby waters. She said the nation seeks peace but must be prepared to stop hostile forces from threatening its security.

State-owned shipbuilder CSBC Corp. is separately calling for greater investment in underwater drones and submarines. The company has launched the Endeavor Manta, Taiwan's first military sea drone, and said it could produce up to 40 vessels a year.

Former National Security Council official Enoch Wu (   ) said Taiwan needs hundreds of sea drones rather than dozens. He said China's recent actions show the threat has moved beyond military exercises and planning scenarios.

Wu cited an incident near Kinmen in which the China coast guard stopped, boarded, and inspected a Taiwanese passenger ferry. He said similar efforts to assert Chinese control have since spread to waters east of Taiwan.

Wu called for greater funding for the Coast Guard and modern unmanned systems. He said such equipment would provide a practical response to China's growing maritime pressure.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Air raid drills in northern and central Taiwan next month will include the shutting down of mobile internet during half an hour, reports said Saturday.

The simulation between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. will leave phone users with only the ability to make and receive voice calls and text messages, the Liberty Times reported. The plan for the disruption of telecom services was drawn up by the National Communications Commission.

The 2026 Urban Resilience Exercises will take place on Aug. 10 in Taichung, Changhua, Miaoli, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi City, and Chiayi County. Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, Hsinchu City, and Yilan will follow on Aug. 13.

Police advised the public to download relevant information, such as the location of air raid shelters near their home or place of work, ahead of time, the Liberty Times reported. They should also familiarize themselves with the basic principles of seeking shelter and follow the instructions of police or civil defense staff.

The European Union has escalated its strategic confrontation with Beijing, formally accusing the Chinese military of training Russian soldiers later deployed to Ukraine.

This represents the gravest allegation regarding China's involvement, shattering Beijing's narrative of geopolitical neutrality.

Leaked Russian defense documents expose deep, high-level coordination between Moscow and Beijing that solidified well before public disclosure. The framework for this cooperation began on July 2, 2025, when military officials signed a covert, dual-language training agreement in Beijing.

Following this pact, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov personally issued a classified internal decree in August 2025 that authorized a military delegation to travel to China.

Under this authorization, approximately 200 Russian servicemen entered secure People's Liberation Army (PLA) installations in November 2025. Elite Chinese instructors taught these troops advanced drone operations and electronic warfare, alongside radiological, chemical, and biological defense tactics.

By mid-2026, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas announced that Western intelligence verified that these Chinese-trained Russian personnel returned to fight in Ukraine.

Interoperability foundation


This training was built upon operational foundations established just six months before Russia's 2022 invasion during the "Sibu/Interaction-2021" exercises in western China, which brought together over 10,000 Russian and Chinese troops.

Crucially, Sibu-2021 served as the testing ground for the integrated dual-language command and control structures utilized today. The two militaries deployed a unified, bilingual information system that merged battlefield telemetry.

This framework allowed theater commanders to sit side-by-side, achieving a level of seamless integration and operational interoperability designed to mirror NATO's collaborative architecture. The covert training in 2025 directly leveraged these pre-existing networks.

The geopolitical fallout solidified on July 13, when the EU's 27 foreign ministers quietly adopted a sweeping strategic position paper. The EU text formally brands Beijing as a "key enabler" and "crucial enabler" of Russia's war effort.

The document states that at the center of this transformation lies the determination of Russia and China to establish regional dominance and reshape the global order in line with their interests, fostering a return to a sphere-of-influence logic.

Breakdown of deterrence  


From a strategic standpoint, China's military training of Russian forces highlights a breakdown of Western deterrence theory. For over two years, the West relied on deterrence by punishment   warning Beijing of severe economic isolation if it provided military aid to Moscow.

By covertly opening its military academies to Russian forces, Beijing calculated that the strategic benefits of securing a Russian victory outweighed the West's threatened economic punishments.

Concurrently, Western assurance theory failed to constrain Chinese behavior. Effective deterrence requires credible assurances: Beijing needed to believe that if it refrained from backing Russia, the West would not pursue aggressive economic decoupling.

However, amid ongoing US-led technology restrictions and expanding EU anti-subsidy tariffs, Beijing concluded that Western economic hostility was inevitable regardless of its stance on Ukraine. Consequently, China abandoned its restraint, viewing the survival of its primary strategic partner as paramount.

PLA tactical feedback loop


The training program also serves a critical, pragmatic function for the Chinese military. The PLA has not fought a major high-intensity war since 1979.

By embedding Russian troops within its academies, Chinese military scientists gain access to a vital tactical feedback loop. Through these elite Russian forces, Chinese instructors receive unvarnished, real-time data on how Western air defenses, NATO armor, and US electronic jamming perform on a modern battlefield.

This allows Beijing to treat the war in Ukraine as a collaborative laboratory to refine PLA tactics and doctrine for potential future conflicts, such as a contingency in the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing has fiercely pushed back against the claims. China's Foreign Ministry Spokespersons Lin Jian and Mao Ning dismissed the EU's statements as "pure slander and smearing," maintaining that the allegations are entirely "unfounded." The Kremlin similarly dismissed the reports.

Despite these denials, Brussels has initiated tangible punitive actions, though internal fissures remain. A deep rift has emerged between member states.

The hawkish Baltic states and Poland are demanding tough action against China, viewing the PLA-Russia alliance as an existential threat. Conversely, Germany and France favor a more cautious approach, desperate to protect their domestic manufacturing industries from a retaliatory trade war with Beijing.

Nevertheless, EU High Representative Kallas confirmed that the EU pushed forward with fresh sanctions targeting specific Chinese logistics, satellite, and electronic entities linked to the Kremlin's defense supply chain.

UN reaction


Responding to the findings, UN Secretary-General Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric issued a cautious statement, noting that while the UN was "not able to confirm or deny" the specific claims, the global body viewed the development with deep alarm. Dujarric underscored the urgent need to halt external interference, stating that the last thing the war needs is more soldiers or external involvement.

Inside the UN Security Council, the co-belligerency argument led to fierce diplomatic exchanges. Western delegations used the training evidence to argue that Beijing is actively violating the spirit of the UN Charter.

In response, China's Deputy Permanent Representative Sun Lei deflected the accusations at the UNSC, demanding that the West stop shifting blame and shirking responsibility while reaffirming Beijing's commitment to a political settlement.

Due to China and Russia wielding permanent veto power, any formal UN resolution declaring Beijing a co-belligerent remains a legal impossibility, paralyzing the Security Council.

Enabled


China's actions have crossed the line from passive diplomatic backing into active, direct operational support.

While Brussels and Washington grapple with calibrating responses, the verification of PLA-led training camps signals a threshold shift that goes far beyond mere economic "enabling." Under international legal frameworks, a state forfeits its neutral status if it systematically provides direct military services, tactical intelligence, or operational training to a combatant.

This deep institutional coordination effectively elevates China to a co-belligerent in Europe's largest land conflict since World War II. Beijing is no longer just funding a revisionist global order, it is actively training for and fighting the war to build it.

Consequently, democratic allies must treat Beijing not as an economic competitor, but as a systemic adversary. To dismantle China's strategy of deterrence by economic entanglement, these nations must aggressively decouple their critical supply chains from Beijing   starting immediately with pharmaceuticals and rare earth metals.

True security now demands an uncomfortable choice: disentangle from key sectors of China's economy today or be held hostage by its aggression tomorrow.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   President Lai Ching-te (   ), who also serves as DPP chair, opened the party's national congress Sunday at the Taipei International Convention Center with a speech marking the party's 40th anniversary, per CTI.

Lai praised the DPP for completing 10 consecutive years in power, saying the party's governance has noticeably improved Taiwan. "With the DPP in power, Taiwan is safer and more progressive; it has a better and more competitive economy, and Taiwanese receive better care," Lai said.

He said the DPP's founding generation courageously resisted authoritarian rule, sacrificing their freedom and lives to help establish democracy in Taiwan. He called on citizens to remember and honor their contributions.

Over its four-decade history, the DPP has experienced both victories and setbacks, Lai said, adding that the party has received both praise and criticism.

However, he said the party's most valuable achievement is not any single election result but its continued belief that "the people of Taiwan have the right to decide their own future" and that Taiwan deserves lifelong protection for future generations.

Lai recalled that 30 years ago, Taiwan held its first direct presidential election. He said the election shaped the DPP's understanding of Taiwan's national identity and contributed to the passage of the party's Resolution on Taiwan's Future in 1999 and Resolution on Ethnic Diversity and National Unity in 2004.

Lai said the resolutions affirmed Taiwan's sovereignty and democratic system, stating that Taiwan is not subordinate to China regardless of ethnic background. He said uniting Taiwanese, defending sovereignty, and protecting democracy and freedom are responsibilities passed down from previous generations of democracy advocates and remain the DPP's commitment to the public.

Lai highlighted Taiwan's economic performance, citing the International Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness Ranking  2026, which ranked Taiwan fourth globally. He said Taiwan ranked 14th when the DPP returned to power in 2016 and has since achieved its highest-ever ranking.

Lai said the past decade has demonstrated to the world that democracy is not a weakness but a strength, adding that Taiwan has become more resilient and confident when facing challenges. He also outlined the government's defense policies, saying the administration has promoted defense reforms, strengthened asymmetric warfare capabilities, expanded defense autonomy, and improved overall societal resilience.

Lai thanked members of his administration, including Premier Cho Jung-tai (   ) and Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (   ), along with the DPP's legislative caucus, local government leaders, and party officials for their cooperation in advancing government policies and improving public welfare, per CTI.

He also expressed appreciation to four outgoing local government leaders: Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (   ), Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (   ), Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang (   ), and Penghu County Magistrate Chen Kuang-fu (   ), who is not seeking re-election due to a medical emergency with his wife, Wu Shu-chin (   ).

Lai emphasized that national governance goes beyond divisions between central and local governments, saying that when local governments take the right steps, Taiwan as a whole can continue moving forward.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger warned that a Chinese blockade cutting off Taiwan's energy imports could halt chip production and damage the global economy, Benzinga reported Friday.

Speaking during an interview with "All-In Podcast" co-host Jason Calacanis, Gelsinger said global dependence on Taiwan's chip industry poses a major economic risk. Taiwan produces many advanced chips used in everyday technology, and a prolonged disruption could affect industries worldwide.

"When you turn off a fab, it does not come back on for 90 days," Gelsinger said, referring to a semiconductor factory. He said the economic impact of even a partial disruption to Taiwan's power supply could be greater than that of the Great Depression.

Semiconductor factories need a stable electricity supply to operate complex equipment and maintain tightly controlled production conditions. An unexpected shutdown can damage unfinished chips and delay production long after power is restored, CNA reported.

Turning to Intel's competitive position, Gelsinger discussed the company's loss of ground to rivals such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung Electronics. He said years of leadership without enough technical experience contributed to the decline.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   President Lai Ching-te (   ) on Sunday presented a posthumous presidential commendation to Air Force Major Hsin Po-yi (   ), a pilot killed when his F-16V fighter jet crashed off the east coast during a training mission in January.

The commendation recognized Hsin's loyalty, courage, and dedication to defending the nation. His father, Hsin Chin-yu (   ), accepted the honor on his behalf, per a press release.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lai said losing Hsin deeply saddened him. "Your mission is complete. Rest assured, we will continue to protect the country and family you loved so dearly. Thank you, mission accomplished," said Lai.

Lai said Hsin carried out every assignment with professionalism and distinction, describing him as an outstanding pilot and a steadfast guardian of Taiwan's airspace and peace across the Taiwan Strait. He extended condolences to the pilot's family, noting that Hsin's wife also serves in the armed forces. Lai instructed the ministry to provide the family with full support.

Hsin died while flying an F-16V during a nighttime training exercise. According to the military, rapidly deteriorating weather and sea conditions reduced visibility, contributing to the fatal accident. The aircraft's flight data recorder was recovered and sent to the US for analysis.

Following his death, Hsin was posthumously promoted to the rank of major and awarded the Order of Loyalty and Valour in recognition of his dedication, integrity, and sacrifice in the line of duty.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   US Senator Tammy Duckworth on Thursday warned that China could impose an economic blockade on Taiwan as early as 2028, while Defense Minister Wellington Koo (   ) said the military has prepared responses for possible maritime blockade scenarios.

Duckworth made the remarks after a recent visit where she met with President Lai Ching-te (   ) and other government officials, per CNA. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, she said the trip was intended to demonstrate that US support for Taiwan's autonomy remains critical.

Duckworth, a member of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, said a bipartisan Senate wargame last year involving about 12 lawmakers found that a potential Taiwan Strait crisis would be more likely to take the form of an economic blockade than a military assault. She said China could restrict access to shipping by requiring vessels to report to the China coast guard before being escorted through the strait "safely."

"I think that may be something that could happen in 2028," Duckworth said, warning that Beijing could first attempt to impose a blockade under the "guise of safety and security," CNA reported. She said the measure would target maritime routes and called on the US and other Western nations to uphold international freedom of navigation.

Duckworth said closing the Taiwan Strait would have a greater global economic impact than disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran War. She warned that if Taiwan were to fall, the US would no longer be economically or militarily secure.

Koo said Monday that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are critical to the global economy and that the impact of any blockade would be incalculable, per Liberty Times. He said the military has prepared response plans for all potential scenarios.

Responding to a Telegraph report that Taiwan's defense lacks joint training and a combined command structure between Taipei and Washington, Koo said that existing military exchanges, professional training, and cooperation have continued to strengthen Taiwan-US joint operational capabilities. He said the defense ministry would not comment on individual opinions, and that Taiwan and the US would continue their professional cooperation to enhance operational capabilities.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Armaments Bureau Director Lin Wen-hsiang (   ) said Monday that the defense ministry has canceled its contract with Home-Max Furniture Trading Ltd. to import Royal Demolition Explosive (RDX) after the company failed to obtain an export license within the required 180-day deadline.

Lin said Home-Max failed to secure the export license after winning the ministry's NT$590 million (US$20 million) RDX procurement contract, per ETtoday. The ministry imposed a fine of NT$83.9 million on the company and will exclude it from future defense procurement bids.

RDX is a high explosive developed during World War II and widely used in military applications.

Home-Max won the RDX import contract in December 2025 despite having registered capital of about NT$10 million, prompting criticism from opposition lawmakers. Defense Minister Wellington Koo (   ) defended the decision at the time, saying Home-Max held the necessary licenses and that the ministry could easily verify whether the company fulfilled the contract requirements.

Questioned Monday by KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (   ) on whether he had changed his position following the controversy, Koo said the ministry's standards for similar imports had remained consistent for the past 20 years, per UDN. Wang then asked whether the ministry would review its procurement procedures after the cancellation of Home-Max's RDX contract and the cancellation of a contract with Tron Future Tech for a counter-drone system.

Koo said the ministry plans to strengthen domestic RDX production capacity. He said the project was initially included in the special defense budget but was later moved back into the regular budget process.

During the debate over the contract in December 2025, Home-Max was accused by opposition lawmakers of having ties to President Lai Ching-te (   ), per Liberty Times. The company rejected the allegations, saying China and India are the only international exporters of RDX, making procurement through civilian channels necessary.

KMT Legislator Ma Wen-chun (   ) alleged at the time that an intermediary had proposed sourcing RDX from India, claiming that the procurement requirements had been tailored to benefit Home-Max, per Storm Media.

In addition to the RDX contract, Home-Max also won a contract with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology to supply High Melting Explosive (HMX), an explosive with manufacturing processes similar to those used for RDX. Citing a Reuters report on India's HMX exports to Russia, Ma questioned whether Home-Max intended to use the same supplier for both explosives.

The institute said Home-Max won the HMX contract during the third round of bidding after submitting an offer that met the reserve price. It said consultations with the US State Department confirmed that Home-Max had obtained an export license for HMX, and the company had said deliveries could begin as early as March.

The institute said it had attempted to purchase HMX directly from US manufacturers, including BAE Systems and SAE Manufacturing Specialties Corp., but was unsuccessful, per CNA. It said SAE advised the institute to seek domestic agents; however, because the recommended agent did not hold exclusive distribution rights, the institute decided to open the procurement to competitive bidding.

Defense Strategy and Resources Division at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research Director Su Tzu-yun (   ) weighed in on the controversy in 2025, recommending stricter requirements for future defense procurement contracts, per Liberty Times. He said the government should assess whether contractors have sufficient storage facilities for specialized cargo and whether their personnel have the necessary training to handle such materials.

Su argued that additional requirements would improve safety and public confidence in defense procurement.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Air Force is assessing a possible procurement of the domestically developed Teng Yun 2 drone after it passed operational testing.

The aircraft was displayed alongside other indigenous unmanned systems during President Lai Ching-te's (   ) inspection of drone research and development projects at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology on Friday, per Liberty Times. Lai urged continued support for Taiwan's drone development policy during the visit.

The Teng Yun 2 is an upgraded version of the Teng Yun I designed for long-range, long-duration missions. A new propulsion system and other improvements addressed limitations in the early prototype's payload capacity, endurance, and flight performance.

After continued upgrades and testing, the Teng Yun 2 now better meets service requirements, prompting the Air Force to consider launching a procurement program, Liberty Times reported. If approved, it would conduct extended intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions around the Taiwan Strait alongside four US-made MQ-9B drones scheduled for delivery between this year and next year.

The number of Teng Yun 2 drones to be purchased, the budget, and the procurement timeline have not yet been finalized and remain under Air Force review. The NCSIST is also conducting research and development on an electronic warfare variant of the drone.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Premier Cho Jung-tai (   ) on Monday called on law enforcement agencies to step up efforts against disinformation and foreign interference ahead of Taiwan's local elections in November.

Speaking at a meeting on election security attended by prosecutors and police officials, Cho said elections should be determined through fair competition and public discussion rather than manipulation or outside interference, according to Formosa.

He instructed authorities to finalize election security plans and strengthen preventive measures against activities that could disrupt the electoral process. Vote-buying and election-related violence remain major concerns, he said, adding that the two issues are often closely linked.

Cho warned that emerging technologies, including digital payment services and cryptocurrencies, could be exploited to facilitate election-related crimes. He called for stronger investigative capabilities and updated enforcement tools to address such risks.

He added that advances in AI, particularly deepfake technology, have created new challenges for elections worldwide by making it easier to produce and spread false content. Taipei's Criminal Investigation Division said AI-generated technology has become increasingly sophisticated in recent years.

It said criminals can use the technology to manipulate audio and video content and distribute false information for fraud and other illegal activities. The division warned that deepfake videos and AI-generated materials are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic content, potentially affecting public trust and decision-making.

Alongside the risks posed by emerging technologies, Cho highlighted foreign interference as another major challenge facing election security. He said preventing such interference remains one of the government's top priorities given Taiwan's geopolitical environment.

Cho instructed authorities to trace the funding sources, organizations, and individuals behind attempts to influence Taiwan's elections. Concerns over potential foreign influence efforts have already emerged ahead of the vote.

In June, cybersecurity researchers warned of a possible early-stage overseas influence operation after identifying a network of coordinated Facebook pages that appeared to be involved in efforts to shape political discussions in Taiwan. Experts said such networks often use non-political content, such as parenting and lifestyle posts, to attract followers before introducing political messages during sensitive periods.

Taiwan's nine-in-one local elections are scheduled for Nov. 28. Voters will elect mayors, county magistrates, councilors, township representatives, village chiefs, and other local officials, according to Global Views Monthly.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   KMT Culture and Communications Committee Chair Chen I-hsin (   ) rejected a report Tuesday alleging the party had received instructions from Beijing on how to handle the Cabinet's military drone bill, calling on Liberty Times to verify its reporting.

Liberty Times reported Friday that Chinese officials contacted Taiwan's opposition in May to express dissatisfaction after opposition lawmakers approved the NT$780 billion (US$24 billion) special defense budget. The newspaper alleged that China's Taiwan Affairs Office urged Taiwan's opposition not to allow the DPP government to restore items cut from its original NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget proposal through other means, saying doing so would undermine China's strategic advantage in the Taiwan Strait.

Liberty Times also alleged that Chinese officials contacted Taiwan's opposition through a business representative in Taipei in June. According to the newspaper, Beijing asked the opposition to steer Taiwan's drone industry toward civilian applications, delay passage of the drone bill until after a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September or October, and allow Taiwanese businesspeople operating in China and related companies to participate in developing Taiwan's "non-red" drone supply chain.

Chen denied the allegations, saying the KMT's version of the bill strikes a balance between civilian and military drone development, per CNA. He said the legislation includes provisions for military drone procurement and is moving through the legislature at a rapid pace, with a public hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Chen also said the KMT bill prohibits the use of hardware and software supplied by companies on the Cabinet's list of high-risk vendors.

Former KMT Disciplinary Committee Chair and attorney Yeh Ching-yuan (   ) said news organizations should verify their reporting or risk legal liability, per UDN. He added that the KMT's lawsuit against the Liberty Times over an earlier report alleging the party received instructions from Beijing to block the special defense budget remains pending.

After the report was published Friday, Chen said the newspaper had not sought the KMT's response before publication and described the allegations as slander, per FTNN. KMT Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Lin Pei-hsiang (   ) said the caucus was prepared to pursue legal action, adding that the party has no direct communication channel with the CCP, per Liberty Times.

DPP lawmakers also commented on the allegations. DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (   ) said the three reported requests would all benefit Beijing, per Tai Sounds.

Chuang explained that limiting drone development to civilian applications and delaying the legislation would advance the CCP's interests, while allowing Taiwan businesses operating in China to participate in the non-red supply chain would reintroduce Chinese influence into the industry. He called on the opposition to explain its position if China had in fact made the reported requests.

DPP Legislator Chen Pei-yu (   ) commented on the KMT's threat to sue the Liberty Times, saying the party should publicly explain its drone policy instead of framing every question as a political dispute, per Liberty Times.

Membership in the Kuomintang (KMT)
Rear Admiral Shih Wu-chiao

   Status: Retired
   Position: Former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy
   Political Affiliation: Member of the Kuomintang (KMT)

Rear Admiral Shih Wu-chiao is indeed affiliated with the KMT, a major political party in Taiwan. His military background and subsequent political involvement reflect the party's historical ties to the military and national defense.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Prosecutors allege retired Navy Deputy Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Shih Wu-chiao (   ) made illegal profits from a solar energy contract, reports said Tuesday.

The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office has requested the detention of Shih and of two business people, the Liberty Times reported. The request followed raids at Shih's home and a solar power plant on Monday, followed by the questioning of a dozen suspects and witnesses.

Shih allegedly made an illegal profit of more than NT$1 million (US$30,900) from a contract to install NT$50 million worth of solar energy equipment at the Navy's Zuoying Logistics Command in Kaohsiung. The command is responsible for defense projects in the area, ship repair, and military supplies for southern Taiwan and outlying islands.

After prosecutors completed questioning at 5 a.m. Tuesday, they asked the Kaohsiung District Court to approve the detention of Shih and of two business people named Lin ( ) and Ouyang (  ) allegedly involved in the corruption case, per the Liberty Times.

In Taiwan, a significant corruption investigation is underway concerning the installation of rooftop solar panels at military facilities. This initiative was part of the National Army's efforts to align with the government's renewable energy policies, leading to the widespread addition of solar photovoltaic panels across various military camps.

At the center of the probe is     (Shih Wu-chiao), a former Major General and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy. He is accused of leveraging his position as commander of the Zuoying Logistics Support Command to allegedly favor specific solar power vendors in securing contracts, from which he is suspected of collecting kickbacks. Prosecutors and investigators in Kaohsiung recently conducted searches related to the case. Following these actions, a request for the detention of     (Shih Wu-chiao) and a solar power vendor surnamed Lin, along with one other individual, was filed. A detention hearing was anticipated to take place to determine their custody status.

   (Shih Wu-chiao) is a veteran of the Navy, having graduated in the 1979 class. His career primarily focused on naval logistics units, culminating in his promotion to Major General and Deputy Chief of Staff at the Navy Command Headquarters. He retired from service last year and has since been active in the private sector.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Chinese government vessel activity east of the Taiwan Strait median line rose 83% in June from the previous month, as Beijing stepped up gray-zone operations around the country, according to the Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard official said China has expanded its use of coast guard, research, maritime surveillance, rescue, and other government vessels to assert what Taiwan describes as false jurisdictional claims over waters off its east coast, per Liberty Times. The official said the activity intensified after Japan and the Philippines began exclusive economic zone boundary talks on May 28.

Taiwan tracked Chinese government vessels east of the median line 30 times in May and 55 times in June. The two-month total represents an 88.9% increase from the same period last year, driven mainly by coast guard and research ships.

Including waters around Kinmen, Matsu, Dongsha, and other offshore islands, Taiwan recorded Chinese government vessels 200 times in May and 263 in June, a 32% increase, Liberty Times reported. The two-month total was an increase of 45.6% over the same period last year, while officials said incursions near Kinmen occurred almost weekly and around Dongsha about once a month.

Officials cited several recent incidents, including the Chinese coast guard vessel Daishan leading a group of ships that conducted political broadcasts near Orchid Island on June 1, per Mirror Media. On June 6, Chinese maritime authorities also questioned three commercial cargo ships transiting waters claimed by Taiwan, while a China coast guard vessel entered restricted waters east of the Port of Hualien on July 10.

Officials also reported increased activity by Chinese research vessels. They said the research ship Tongji illegally deployed scientific instruments off Eluanbi and east of Hualien in May and broadcast the message, "Relying on external forces to seek independence is a dead end," toward Taiwan Coast Guard vessels.

Coast Guard officials said Chinese government vessels deliberately disable Automatic Identification System transponders as they approach Taiwan, effectively becoming "dark ships" that increase risks to maritime safety and strain Coast Guard operations, Mirror Media reported. They said Beijing is using gray-zone operations and cognitive warfare as part of a broader effort to isolate Taiwan and disrupt international shipping and supply lines.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Drones are essential to Taiwan's defense, and Chiayi County has become a major center for the industry, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (   ) said Tuesday.

Speaking during a visit to Chiayi, Hsiao said the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East showed that countries need sufficient strength to deter attacks, CNA reported. Taiwan must strengthen its defenses to protect its freedom and democracy, she said.

Hsiao said drones have become an important part of modern warfare. She added that Chiayi's growing drone industry therefore plays a key role in Taiwan's national security.

Hsiao also visited projects that repurposed an old granary and preserved a historic forestry railway station. She also made aiyu jelly and sampled locally produced coffee, avocado seaweed rolls, and other agricultural products.

Hsiao promoted the Lai administration's broader policy agenda during the visit. She said its three priorities are national security, economic development, and social care.

The government aims to strengthen Taiwan's economy while easing financial pressure on households, Hsiao said. She cited an International Institute for Management Development ranking that placed Taiwan fourth in global competitiveness.

Hsiao also said Taiwan's stock market had become one of the world's five largest by total value. She added that the economy had doubled in size over the past decade.

Citing government figures, Hsiao said the economy grew more than 14% in the first quarter of 2026. She said full-year growth was forecast at 9.64%.

The government is also supporting families through wage increases, tax cuts, and social welfare programs, Hsiao said. These measures include assistance for children and young people up to age 18 and an annual long-term care budget of about NT$110 billion (US$3.5 billion).

Hsiao called on the legislature to complete its review of the government's annual budget. She said passing the budget would allow the government to continue funding public programs and provide further support to households.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Shipbuilder CSBC Corp., Taiwan, on Tuesday handed over the fifth in a series of six 1,000-ton patrol cutters to the Coast Guard Administration.

The ship, named Penghu, was handed over during a ceremony at the company's Keelung shipyard. At the same event, Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (   ) named the sixth and final ship in the series Keelung, per UDN.

The cutters have a top speed of 24 knots and a range of 11,112 kilometers. Penghu is also equipped with four high-pressure water cannons.

With the six-cutter program nearing completion, construction of three of six 5,000-ton high-latitude ocean patrol vessels has been transferred from Kaohsiung to Keelung, Kuan said.

Both types of vessel are part of a government plan to build 141 ships for the Coast Guard between 2018 and 2027. The budget for the plan totals NT$42.6 billion (US$1.31 billion).

Recently, the People's Republic of China (PRC) passed the "Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress." Article 21 of this law says: "The State promotes economic and cultural exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, deepens cross-strait integration and development in all fields, enhances Taiwan compatriots' sense of belonging to, identification with and pride in the Chinese nation, promotes the joint inheritance and advancement of Chinese culture by compatriots on both sides of the strait, and strengthens the understanding that we all belong to the Chinese nation and are all Chinese."

Under this provision, the relationship between Taiwan and China is defined as a domestic affair, seemingly affecting only the people of Taiwan.

However, under this law, the PRC not only becomes the sole spokesperson for "Chinese people," but effectively positions itself as the final and only authoritative interpreter of the "Chinese nation" or "Chinese culture." Anyone who holds an understanding or interpretation of "Chinese people," the "Chinese nation," or "Chinese culture" that differs from the PRC's can be labeled a criminal guilty of "undermining national unity."

The provision is a means of shackling and restricting people's imagination, ideology and thought regarding nationhood.

[color=#ef6c00] For the international community, the most noteworthy provision is Article 63, which states: "Organizations and individuals outside the territory of the [PRC] who carry out acts that undermine national unity and progress or create national division against the [PRC] shall be held legally accountable in accordance with the law."[/color]

Accordingly, regardless of nationality, regardless of borders, and regardless of the nature of the act, any person (including natural persons and legal entities), anywhere, engaging in any such conduct becomes subject to this law.

China is attempting to use the "ethnic unity law" to provide an extraterritorial legal foundation for its strategy of transnational repression   using all manner of harassment, inconvenience, or verbal or physical violence and even threats to personal safety, thereby instilling fear in the hearts of people around the world and suppressing their inner thoughts about the Chinese state, nation and culture.

International law permits a state, under the protective principle of jurisdiction, to extend its prescriptive jurisdiction beyond their territory to safeguard certain vital national interests, yet the scope of what may be claimed is strictly limited  covering only matters such as national security, the personal safety of government officials, violations of immigration or customs laws, counterfeiting of a state's currency or seal, or specific acts of terrorism, among similar matters.

Therefore, the protective principle can hardly serve as a jurisdictional basis for the PRC to regulate the political speech of foreign nationals, still less can it legitimize the PRC's attempt to oppress and threaten foreign nationals abroad who hold thoughts and ideologies different from its national policy.

In 1885, a US citizen, A.K. Cutting, was arrested in Mexico for libeling a Mexican citizen in a newspaper published in the US. In his message to the US Congress at the time, then-US president Grover Cleveland stated that the jurisdiction as claimed by Mexico was "novel in history," since "whereby any offense committed anywhere by a foreigner, penal in the place of its commission, and of which a Mexican is the object, may, if the offender be found in Mexico, be there tried and punished in conformity with Mexican laws."

Cleveland therefore rejected this claim and protested the exercise of such a law, on the grounds that it was "unwarranted by the principles of law and international usages."

Among the cases of abuse of the protective principle discussed in international law literature, the practice of Nazi Germany is worth serious reflection. German courts, invoking the preservation of the racial purity of the German nation, convicted a Jewish alien for having had sexual intercourse with a German girl in Czechoslovakia. Viewed in this light, the PRC's invocation of slogans about "national unity" and the "great Chinese nation" seems to cast the shadow of Nazi Germany's defense of racial purity. Just as Nazi Germany elevated the purity of the great Germanic nation to an absolute, unbounded principle, one must ask whether criticizing the "great Chinese nation" might likewise be treated as an act obstructing national unity and impeding the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

If so, then under Article 63, regardless of that person's nationality or location, they would still be held legally accountable.

China's ethnic unity law takes political ideology as defined by the PRC   such as the "revival of Chinese culture" and "national unity"   and casts them in the form of legal text, imposing this ideology on all people worldwide. Anyone whose interpretation of the "great Chinese nation" or the "rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" diverges from China's official view could potentially be deemed to have "undermined the unity and progress of the Chinese nation" or "created national division."

Such application has no basis in any principles concerning jurisdiction recognized under international law, possesses no legality or legitimacy whatsoever, and its application threatens to further infringe upon the sovereignty and jurisdiction of states around the world.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Supreme Court has rejected the final appeal of Chinese spouse Zhou Manzhi (   ), upholding her eight-year prison sentence for forming pro-China groups, reports said Wednesday.

Zhou, chair of the Taiwan New Immigrants' Association, accepted funding from China to set up groups that spread Chinese Communist Party propaganda, the Taiwan High Court in Kaohsiung ruled in January, overturning an earlier acquittal. The court found that she had violated the National Security Act.

Zhou appealed the eight-year sentence, but the Supreme Court rejected the appeal, Liberty Times reported Wednesday. The court reportedly asked prosecutors to take measures to prevent Zhou from fleeing the country.

Zhou joined the Shaanxi Province Patriotic Volunteers Association in China before moving to Taiwan in 2014 after marrying a Taiwanese national. She chaired groups for foreign spouses in Taiwan but also visited China to contact united front officials, per Liberty Times.

The Supreme Court concluded that Zhou had tried to abuse the freedoms offered by Taiwan's democracy to replace the constitutional order with a communist system. The court said she had also hidden the fact that she was following the instructions of a communist-controlled group in China.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday rejected a joint statement issued after Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met Chinese leader Xi Jinping, saying it endorsed Beijing's claim that Taiwan is part of China.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (   ) said Taiwan opposed China's use of international meetings to undermine its international status. He also expressed regret that Thailand had adopted Beijing's position.

Asked whether the statement could affect visa-free travel between Taiwan and Thailand, Lin said Taiwan sets visa policies based on reciprocity and equal treatment. He noted that the two countries maintain close economic ties and frequent people-to-people exchanges.

The joint statement also said Thailand supported Beijing's "one country, two systems" policy. Taiwan's foreign ministry rejected the wording as false and said it undermined Taiwan's sovereignty.

The ministry said Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country and that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other. It accused Beijing of using joint statements with other countries to spread false claims and alter the cross-strait status quo.

Taiwan urged Thailand to value the two countries' long-standing relationship and stop supporting Chinese pressure against Taiwan. The ministry warned that Beijing's expansionist actions threatened regional peace and could eventually affect countries that accommodated its demands.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   China's potential loan of giant pandas to Hawaii could become a new example of Beijing's soft power strategy, while Taiwan faces challenges managing a cultural landmark in Honolulu's Chinatown.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said Thursday that the city has received informal approval from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to host two pandas at the Honolulu Zoo and has moved ahead of San Francisco in the selection process, per Hawaii News Now. The city is now negotiating final agreements and logistical arrangements with Chinese officials.

While Honolulu officials view the pandas as a potential tourism draw, scholars say they also serve strategic purposes for Beijing. East-West Center Senior Fellow Denny Roy told TVBS that China uses soft power to promote a more favorable image of the country and shift attention away from geopolitical disputes.

Roy said Beijing is seeking to refocus US attention on "something cute" rather than issues such as South China Sea tensions, TVBS reported. "We have to recognize that the Chinese are using this as a diplomatic tool," Roy said.

The potential panda agreement comes as Taipei works to address problems at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza in Honolulu, a 1.6-hectare property owned by Taiwan's government. The site has faced criticism from Blangiardi, who in February called it a "blight on our city," for its deteriorating condition and rising crime, per the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

In May, Blangiardi announced that Taiwan officials had agreed to demolish the Chinatown Cultural Plaza by early next year, per Hawaii News Now. However, he announced on July 8 that he was meeting with a Taiwan delegation for two days to discuss redevelopment plans.

Before the meeting, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Songhe Co., which operates the plaza, recognizes the need for a comprehensive redevelopment plan and will consult with Honolulu officials on the site's future, Hawaii News Now reported. The ministry said the company will terminate existing leases according to contract terms to protect tenants' rights and interests.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   China is broadening efforts to isolate Taiwan internationally, with recent disputes involving a children's choir and a coffee competition, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

Taiwan said Beijing has continued using diplomatic and economic pressure to limit the country's international participation. This includes blocking officials from attending international meetings and restricting President Lai Ching-te's (   ) overseas travel.

One recent example involved the National Taiwan Hakka Children's Choir, which withdrew from a global choral symposium in Macau after organizers requested that it perform under a different name. Taiwan's Hakka Affairs Council said it spent two months negotiating before deciding to pull out to preserve Taiwan's identity.

Taiwan also protested after organizers of the World Latte Art Championship in San Diego changed the winner's listed affiliation from "Taiwan" to "Chinese Taipei." The decision prompted criticism from Taiwan's coffee community, with former champion Berg Wu (   ) calling Taiwan "an identity and a shared memory."

Analysts said Beijing has sought to challenge references to Taiwan at international forums, regardless of their size or political significance. Center for a New American Security senior fellow Jacob Stokes said China employs a wide range of non-military tools to advance its position on Taiwan, per The Wall Street Journal.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has long worked to reduce the country's international presence in line with its "one China principle." Only 12 countries have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

The pressure has also affected Taiwan's official diplomacy. In April, several African countries rescinded previously approved overflight permits for Lai's aircraft ahead of his visit to Eswatini, per the BBC. Kenya revoked visas for a Taiwanese delegation scheduled to attend the Our Ocean Conference in June, per Reuters.

Taiwan said delegates who reached the conference venue were denied entry and returned home. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused Beijing of using "gangster-like bullying" to shrink Taiwan's international space, while China's Taiwan Affairs Office has accused Taipei of escalating cross-strait tensions.

The issue has also drawn attention in Washington. A joint letter from the US Departments of State, Agriculture, and Commerce alleged that Chinese diplomats have pressured governments and businesses to discourage engagement with Taiwan, per Reuters.

Observers said Beijing's efforts have intensified under Lai, whose DPP advocates a distinct Taiwanese identity. National Chung Hsing University professor Tan Wei-en (   ) said competition over Taiwan's international space has become increasingly zero-sum, leaving little room for compromise.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   China's Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday did not explain what standards authorities use to question Taiwanese police and judicial officials visiting China, CNA reported.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said Saturday that a serving police officer and a retired officer were questioned for up to six hours during a June trip to Fujian. The council also said Chinese police questioned a Taiwanese judge about work duties and differences between the legal systems on each side of the Taiwan Strait during a visit to northern China.

In response, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhang Han accused Taiwan's government of spreading false information. She said the reports were intended to create fear and obstruct cross-strait exchanges, SETN News reported.

Asked whether Taiwanese police and judicial personnel could face questioning in China and what would trigger such checks, Zhang did not explain the standards. She said law-abiding visitors had no reason to worry and noted that similar personnel had traveled to China without problems.

Zhang said visitors who followed Chinese laws had entered and left China safely. She said Taiwanese travelers made 2.85 million visits to China from January through June, up 24.9% from a year earlier.

She said the total number of cross-strait trips in both directions reached about 3.12 million, up 22.1% from a year earlier.

The Mainland Affairs Council said it would publish regular updates on Taiwanese who go missing, are detained, or face restrictions in China, and urged travelers to consider the risks of visiting.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (   ) said Wednesday that Taiwan has procedures to help citizens facing suspected Chinese intimidation or coercion abroad, CNA reported.

Lin made the remarks after Chinese democracy activist Jie Li-jian was attacked in Flushing, New York. Reports said three Asian men followed Jie and beat him with sticks near Queens Botanical Garden, leaving him seriously injured.

Jie reportedly suffered a serious head injury and remained unconscious for two days. After waking in intensive care, he said he would not be intimidated and urged other potential targets to protect themselves, Liberty Times reported.

Lin said Taiwanese who face coercion overseas can contact Taiwan's representative offices for assistance. The foreign ministry also works with other governments to coordinate responses to such cases, he said.

Lin said China has extended its laws and enforcement activities into democratic countries. He cited overseas Chinese police stations, some of which have been investigated, declared illegal, or closed by local authorities.

FTV News described the attackers as suspected Chinese agents, but US authorities have not publicly confirmed any link to the Chinese government. Lin said the foreign ministry would continue working with other countries to address suspected cases of transnational repression.

Increased security cooperation between Taiwan's most important neighbors is generally welcomed in Taipei, but Taiwan's mixed response to Japan-Philippines maritime boundary talks could prove a missed opportunity.

Taiwan's voice is critical in such negotiations. It directly faces Chinese aggression and coercion, a common threat to all three countries, and sits between Japan and the Philippines.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae held a joint press conference at the end of May during Marcos' state visit to Tokyo, announcing the start of negotiations to delimit their countries' overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelves.

This is critical for Taipei because Japanese and Philippine maritime claims run close to waters claimed by Taiwan. The Bashi Channel, a key waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines, would also be central to allied support and reinforcement routes in a Taiwan contingency.

These discussions come as Japan and the Philippines have elevated their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, a level of cooperation aimed at addressing growing regional challenges stemming from Chinese geopolitical and economic coercion.

This is precisely why Taiwan cannot be left out. Taiwan not only shares the same challenges, but occupies the geostrategic location that binds Japan and the Philippines together.

Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are three key players in the first island chain, a line central to US and allied defense planning in maintaining peace and prosperity for democratic nations in the Indo-Pacific.

While Taiwanese officials have responded largely positively to the Japan-Philippines talks, much work remains on how Taiwan can be integrated into such discussions. Taiwan is a critical piece in creating a win-win situation for all members of the first island chain and achieving the crucial goal of keeping China's regional hegemonic ambitions at bay.

President Lai Ching-te (   ) has commended the talks on several occasions, most recently in June, when he addressed domestic concerns over how the bilateral EEZ discussions could affect Taiwan's sovereignty.

Lai said that under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, a third country's rights would not be affected by bilateral negotiations. He then shifted the focus to condemning China, saying Beijing's claims to those waters are invalid and stressing that countries in the region face China's gray-zone tactics.

Lai ended his comments by calling for "collective defense and burden-sharing." This is an area where all three countries can work together, as they face various forms of coercion and disinformation from the same actor.

However, it remains unclear how Taiwan will integrate itself into such discussions.

Other high-level Cabinet officials, including Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (   ) and Defense Minister Wellington Koo (   ), have echoed a similar response, praising the Japan-Philippines talks and condemning China while stopping short of explaining how Taiwan will take part in such negotiations.

Meanwhile, Beijing has already taken advantage of the talks. One of China's favorite tools is lawfare, which it uses to coerce neighbors and create new facts around disputed waters.

About a week after the announcement, the China Coast Guard sent a task group of cutters and patrol vessels into waters east of Taiwan under the banner of "law enforcement" patrols. Chinese government vessels have long crisscrossed the Taiwan Strait, but Beijing is now exploiting the talks as a pretext to create a new norm of patrolling Taiwan's eastern coast.

This is an escalation and provocation by China. It directly challenges Taiwan's sovereignty, warns Japan and the Philippines to stay out of any potential conflict, and advances Beijing's false claims over other countries' waters.

Fortunately, China's lawfare campaign has been met with strong public backlash.

Beyond its unfounded claims over waters around Taiwan, China has also advanced claims involving the Batanes Islands. Weeks after Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan visited Batanes, Chinese scholars claimed the islands are a natural extension of Taiwan and therefore Chinese territory.

The Batanes Islands are the Philippines' northernmost province, about 160 km south of Taiwan along the strategically important Luzon Strait. They are also a strategic location for Philippine and US forces in any Taiwan contingency.

The Chinese claim triggered strong pushback from Philippine officials and the public. Online memes mocked Beijing's ethnic and historical arguments, with some reversing the logic by joking that parts of China could be claimed by the Philippines because Filipinos and Indigenous Taiwanese share Austronesian heritage.

Public opinion in the Philippines and Japan has grown increasingly wary of China and its encroachments on their countries' sovereignty. Voters in both countries have given Marcos and Takaichi a mandate to strengthen defense and push back against Chinese expansionism.

This presents an opportunity for Taiwan to make its case more forcefully. The essence of the EEZ talks between Tokyo and Manila is to counter Beijing's increasingly belligerent actions.

Taiwan is China's top target for expansion and coercion. It also shares maritime space with Japan, the Philippines, and China. Bypassing such a vital stakeholder could leave out critical countermeasures against the aggressor that all three countries could build together.

Although the Taiwanese government has largely lauded the Japan-Philippines talks, it should also actively advocate for trilateral talks and the establishment of a formal framework. If official diplomatic channels complicate the process, such engagement could be conducted through each country's representative offices.

Another countermeasure would be to elevate Taiwan's fisheries agreements with Japan and the Philippines into broader resource and maritime security arrangements. EEZ rights and cooperation could be expanded to cover critical minerals, oil and gas, subsea cables, and even military and coast guard coordination.

This would help collectively secure the waters critical to credible deterrence and allow Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines to jointly keep Chinese maritime ambitions at bay.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (   ) said Wednesday that Taiping Island is an island and that Taiwan has sovereignty over it, CNA reported.

Speaking at a legislative hearing, Lin faced questions from KMT legislators about whether the foreign ministry had defended Taiwan's South China Sea claims strongly enough.

KMT Legislator Lin Chien-chi (   ) said a recent ministry statement did not reject the 2016 arbitration ruling, identify Taiping Island as an island, or oppose the ruling's description of Taiwan as a Chinese authority.

Lin said Taiwan had a direct interest in the dispute. He added that Taiwan did not participate in the arbitration and would not accept any outcome that harmed its interests.

"Taiping Island is an island, and that is a fact," Lin said. He added that Taiwan's sovereignty over the territory was not in doubt.

Lin said Taiwan sought peaceful solutions through scientific research, humanitarian assistance, and other forms of cooperation. He added that Taiwan opposed negotiations held or agreements reached without its participation.

KMT Legislator Niu Hsu-ting (   ) asked how Taiwan would respond to China's growing activity in the South China Sea. Lin said Taiwan would use international forums to seek support, share information, and expand Coast Guard cooperation with other countries.

Taiwan has not been invited to negotiations on a South China Sea code of conduct because it is not a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Lin said the foreign ministry would continue participating through academic forums, expert exchanges, and bilateral relations.

Lin said Taiwan wanted countries to set aside disputes and pursue joint development. However, tensions between China and the Philippines made progress on the code of conduct unlikely for now.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Former KMT Spokesperson Ho Chih-yung (   ) said Wednesday that he intends to run in this year's Hsinchu mayoral election, despite KMT Chair Cheng Li-wen (   ) saying the party will support incumbent Mayor Kao Hung-an (   ).

Ho's comments came after Cheng said Tuesday that the KMT would honor its agreement with the TPP by backing Kao as the opposition's joint candidate, per Tai Sounds. Cheng said the party had communicated with Ho on multiple occasions, describing him as stubborn in his insistence on running.

Responding Wednesday, Ho said Kao is neither a TPP member nor, in his view, a strong candidate based on polling, per SETN. He said he is willing to meet directly with Cheng and other party leaders to convey what he described as the views of KMT supporters in Hsinchu.

Ho on Tuesday also unveiled members of his municipal advisory group, appointing former Transportation Minister Yeh Kuang-shih (   ) as its convener, per Liberty Times. He said Hsinchu residents pay some of the highest taxes in Taiwan but remain dissatisfied with the city government, arguing that the problem lies with the mayor's governing ability.

Responding to Ho's continued insistence on running, KMT Culture and Communications Committee Chair Chen I-hsin (   ) warned Wednesday that Ho would face party disciplinary action if he entered the race in violation of party rules, per ETtoday.

Military says future demand will be met through domestic production

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday it will expand domestic production of Royal Demolition Explosive, or RDX, and no longer seek imports to meet future demand after a major procurement contract was canceled.

The announcement followed the ministry's decision to terminate a NT$590 million (US$20 million) contract awarded to Home-Max Furniture Trading Ltd. after the company failed to obtain an export license within the required 180-day period, per NOWNews.

The ministry said it issued the tender because no domestic companies were capable of producing RDX, requiring it to procure the explosive from overseas, per CNA. To encourage broader participation, the bidding requirements were limited to proof of tax payments, international trade listed as part of the company's registered business scope, and proof of legal registration.

The ministry said it collected NT$83.9 million in forfeited bid deposits and penalties from Home-Max and barred the company from participating in future defense procurement. It added that all future RDX requirements will be met through expanded domestic production capacity.

The KMT blamed the failed procurement on inadequate oversight of the ministry's contracting process and said it would closely scrutinize the ministry's budget, per UDN.

The Control Yuan also released a report in June criticizing the ministry's procurement process. It said established defense contractors often face stricter scrutiny, while companies with no defense industry experience can qualify for contracts by meeting only the minimum requirements under the Government Procurement Act.

Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (   ) alleged that lobbyists may have influenced the procurement, claiming Home-Max had been in contact with a retired military officer, per China Times. Home-Max rejected the allegation, saying Indian authorities refused to issue an export license because of geopolitical considerations.

Home-Max confirmed that it employs a retired military officer but said neither the officer nor the company has any affiliation with the DPP. The company also argued that politicians unfamiliar with the procurement process had turned the contract into political theater.

A senior military procurement official said in an interview Wednesday that the deal collapsed after lawmakers publicly disclosed that Taiwan planned to source RDX from India, per ETtoday. The official said only India, the US, and China can produce RDX at scale and argued that lawmakers' disclosures enabled China to identify the supplier and pressure India.

The official said legislators should focus on whether contractors can fulfill procurement requirements and leave discussions of potential suppliers to closed-door meetings.

An insider told Liberty Times that the ministry had sought to hedge against the possibility of the import deal collapsing by including funding to expand domestic RDX production in the special defense budget. The source said opposition lawmakers later removed that item from the legislation and accused them of exposing the supplier, cutting the contingency funding, and then criticizing the ministry after the procurement failed.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan People's Party Chair Huang Kuo-chang (   ) said Wednesday that Food and Drug Administration Director-General Chiang Chih-kang (   ) may resign this week amid the ongoing tainted cooking oil controversy.

Speaking during a radio interview, Huang criticized the government's handling of the scandal, saying it initially refused to recall products made with the contaminated oil before later reversing course, per Liberty Times. He reiterated his party's call for Premier Cho Jung-tai (   ) to resign and urged the public to attend a KMT-organized protest Saturday.

Asked whether the size of Saturday's demonstration could determine the level of accountability within the government, Huang said the administration might "let go of a low-ranking official." When the host pressed him to identify the official, Huang said his sources indicated it could be Chiang.

Asked whether he planned to leave by the end of the week, Chiang said there was still much work to do, per UDN. Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (   ) said he had received no information suggesting Chiang would resign, NOWNews reported.

Shih said the ministry's priority is ensuring food safety. Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Lee (   ) dismissed Huang's comments as "baseless speculation," saying central and local governments should work together instead of engaging in what she described as political rhetoric and maneuvering, per ETtoday.

DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (   ) said he believed the Cabinet would seek accountability after addressing the food safety scandal. However, he said the health ministry and FDA needed to remain focused on handling the crisis for now, per ETtoday.

Chuang said the caucus would respect any future personnel decisions made by the Cabinet.

Tai Sounds reported that the Cabinet had considered replacing Chiang after the public began questioning the government's handling of the scandal. The report said that after Shih became aware of the rumors, he told Cho during a Cabinet meeting that he had not been included in any discussions about potential personnel changes.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Supreme Court has upheld a prison sentence of two years and eight months for a legislative candidate who accepted funding from China in return for sensitive information, reports said Thursday.

Ma Chih-wei (   ) received NT$1.05 million (US$32,500) from China to fund her run as an independent for a seat in the 2024 legislative elections in Taoyuan, per Liberty Times. She visited China several times during the year in the run-up to the elections, accepting payments in US dollars and cryptocurrencies from security officials.

In return, she supplied them with business cards, names, addresses, and telephone numbers of government officials including employees of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Security Bureau. She was detained on March 1, 2024, after losing the election.

Taoyuan District Court sentenced Ma to eight months in prison for breaking the Personal Data Protection Act, but the Taiwan High Court added two years to her jail term for breaking the Anti-Infiltration Act. The court reasoned Ma had clearly become an instrument of Chinese infiltration and would have provided significant amounts of confidential information to China if she had been elected to the Legislative Yuan.

The Supreme Court agreed Thursday, upholding the High Court verdict and rejecting Ma's final appeal. The court also notified prosecutors to take the necessary precautions to prevent her from fleeing the country, according to Liberty Times.

Ma, a former spokeswoman for the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Taoyuan chapter, was expelled by the party on Jan. 6 last year after she was investigated and detained for allegedly receiving campaign donations in the form of cryptocurrency from China.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   A Thai organizer of the Taiwan Documentary and Film Festival in Bangkok rejected demands from Chinese embassy officials to remove the Ministry of Culture logo from promotional materials.

Thida Philtpolkarnpim, director of the Documentary Club, said a Chinese embassy official contacted the festival's partner cinemas on Monday and requested the logo's removal after saying it made them "uncomfortable," per Khaosod English. She said the caller spoke Thai with a Mandarin accent and became threatening after organizers refused.

Thida said another Chinese embassy official visited one of the cinemas on Tuesday and repeated the request in person. Organizers responded that they could not remove the logo and told the embassy to use official channels if it had concerns.

The festival's eighth edition is being held from Wednesday to Sunday, with more than 12 Taiwanese films and documentaries scheduled to screen in Bangkok and Khon Kaen, per Tai-Thai Times. The event is organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute, Taiwan Docs, and New Taipei City Government, in cooperation with Thailand's Documentary Club and Movies Matter.

The organizer said the festival had been held for seven years without similar incidents until this year's edition. The opening event proceeded as scheduled on Wednesday without disruption.

The opening film was "Eat Drink Man Woman," directed by Ang Lee (  ), per CNA. The festival will mark the first time Ang Lee's "Father Knows Best" trilogy of "Pushing Hands", "The Wedding Banquet" and "Eat Drink Man Woman" will be screened in Thailand in their entirety.

More China!

Next story is about a meeting between Rubio, the good guy, and Wang, the bad guy:

Rubio says US opposes Chinese coast guard operations near Taiwan

That part in gold harkens back to when Biden was President, and Pelosi went to Taiwan. The Chinese military broke off contact.





It's funny, when the Democrats were President, they didn't make simple declarative statements like this. Obama rarely said a thing for the first 6 years he was President. Blinken got bitch-slapped live on TV. Pretty interesting history.


Here's another invocation of Nazi Germany:

Taiwan NSC secretary-general calls for stronger democratic deterrence measures

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Minister without Portfolio Chen Shih-chung (   ) defended the Health Ministry's decision Thursday to allow 19 batches of recalled salad oil produced by Central Union Oil Corp. back into circulation, saying the government's testing procedures are based on scientific standards.

[color=#ef6c00]The Health Ministry removed 30 batches of salad oil manufactured by Central Union Oil between April and June from circulation after concerns that they may contain levels of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) exceeding legal limits, per CNA.[/color]

After testing the 30 batches, the ministry said 22 met safety standards, seven broke regulations, and one export batch had no remaining samples available for testing. The ministry allowed 19 of the 22 compliant batches to return to circulation, while the remaining three batches that had not entered the market, the seven noncompliant batches, and the export batch without available samples remained unavailable for sale.

Chen said Thursday that while the public had called for more comprehensive testing, inspections must be conducted on a sound scientific basis, per NOWNews. He said the central government's food safety inspection program operates according to risk assessments, adding that ongoing evaluations will guide future inspection priorities.

Chen made the remarks after mayors and county officials from across the political spectrum criticized the decision to return 19 batches to the market. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (   ) urged the central government to delay the move until the investigation identifies the cause of the contaminated salad oil, per SETN.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (   ) agreed, saying it was too early to discuss returning the recalled products to the market. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (   ) said the recall was a precautionary measure, but his city would not allow the affected products back into circulation until the investigation into Central Union Oil is completed, per UP Media.

Chen Chi-mai said the issue was the company's failure to disclose information about the affected products. He called for expanded inspections of businesses further up the supply chain.

Nantou County Magistrate Hsu Shu-hua (   ) said returning the products to circulation would not ease public concerns and could instead create additional anxiety, per Liberty Times. Following the government's decision, Lu instructed catering businesses that receive city government subsidies, hold contracts with the city government, or provide services under city programs not to use the 19 recalled oil batches, per UDN.

Fwusow Industry, one of four companies that jointly founded Central Union Oil, said it would not return products from the 19 approved batches to the market and would end future cooperation with Central Union Oil, per KNews. The company also announced that it had ordered advanced BaP testing equipment from Japan to strengthen its food safety testing standards, per UDN.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan's first indigenous submarine resumed tests Thursday after a hiatus of a month and a half.

As the Narwhal set out from Kaohsiung later than on previous occasions, there was speculation that the submarine would spend the night at sea, UDN reported. Fans of the military positioned near the port said the submarine headed out into the Taiwan Strait at 11:20 a.m., compared to between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. during earlier tests.

The 16th round of sea trials and 10th dive test for the Narwhal took place on June 4, but no target date had been set for the completion of the process.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo (   ) on Monday denied earlier media reports that the submarine would be ready for commissioning by the Navy in late August or early September, per UDN. Safety and quality were the main principles in judging progress, the minister said, adding that there was no deadline for delivery.

Ships from the Navy and the Coast Guard Administration accompanied the Narwhal on its latest outing Thursday.

As the Central Weather Administration might issue sea warnings if a tropical depression east of the Philippines turns into Tropical Storm Noul during the night, there is still a possibility that the submarine might be called back to port before the end of the night.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Lee (   ) warned Wednesday that the KMT proposal to freeze funding for the Cabinet's drone industry development program in the 2026 budget could undermine Taiwan's participation in the "non-red" supply chain.

The six-year program, with a budget of NT$44.2 billion (US$1.37 billion) from 2025 to 2030, aims to expand the domestic drone market through government procurement while strengthening Taiwan's international competitiveness, per Liberty Times. The plan includes partnerships with overseas research institutions, developing Chiayi County into Taiwan's drone industry hub, and establishing specialized drone laboratories in Tainan.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (   ) has urged the Cabinet to expand the program to include central Taiwan, citing the region's established drone supply chain, per Liberty Times. Taichung Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin (   ) also called for a dedicated development plan for the central Taiwan drone industry and the designation of drone testing zones in the region.

Lee said freezing the program's funding would jeopardize Taiwan's efforts to participate in the non-red supply chain, per CNA. She said search-and-rescue and law enforcement operations depend heavily on drone equipment and warned that freezing the funding could hinder those public services.

Lee said the Cabinet prepares and implements budgets in accordance with the law and urged lawmakers to expedite their review of the central government budget.

The KMT argued the program violated procedural requirements by allocating funding before completing legislative oversight, per Liberty Times. Citing its proposed drone industry development bill, the KMT called on the Cabinet to suspend its drone development programs and revise them to align with the bill, which is still under legislative review.

The KMT initially proposed cutting the program's budget before revising its proposal to freeze the funding instead, per Tai Sounds. Lee responded that the program includes projects carried over from the previous fiscal year that had already completed legislative review, per Liberty Times.

Lee also accused some opposition lawmakers of delaying review of the budget before criticizing the government for proceeding with the program. Citing recent media reports alleging the KMT was obstructing Taiwan's drone industry at the behest of the CCP, DPP Legislator Lin Chu-yin (   ) argued that the opposition's move to target civilian drone funding, after previously cutting military drone-related budgets, lent credibility to those allegations, per UDN.

Annvolt General Manager Li Tung-sheng (   ) said companies had already invested heavily in anticipation of the program, per UDN. He urged lawmakers not to freeze the budget or otherwise hinder the industry's development.

AVIX founder Chang Cheng-jung (   ) said the global drone market continues to expand and warned that delaying government investment could have long-term consequences for Taiwan's competitiveness, per Liberty Times. He said that while drone manufacturing capacity is becoming increasingly comparable worldwide, operational experience will be the decisive factor in securing overseas sales.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The Commerce Development Research Institute and Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to help Taiwan's drone industry expand into Central and Eastern Europe.

The agreement establishes an industrial cooperation platform, linking MDRI, Taiwanese businesses in the Czech Republic, and industrial organizations, per CNA.

MDRI Chair Hsu Tien-tsai (   ) said the partnership will strengthen ties between Taiwan and the Czech Republic, per UDN. He said MDRI will connect Taiwanese companies with local partners to promote industrial internationalization.

The cooperation will also involve research institutions, including Czech technical universities, to promote technology development and talent exchanges. Hsu said Taiwan's resilience has allowed it to contribute to the global economy, adding that the country needs more international markets and partners.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Taiwan exported about NT$3.73 billion (US$115.85 million) of drones in Q1, with about NT$3.22 billion shipped to the Czech Republic, making it the largest export destination.

Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic Chair Huang Hung-chang (   ) said the Czech Republic has 16 domestic drone companies, many of which rely on Taiwanese suppliers for components. He said both sides could expand cooperation in flight control systems, with drone exports expected to rise.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   The National Delivery Industrial Union on Friday urged the labor ministry to enforce Taiwan's newly implemented delivery driver pay regulations, arguing that delivery platforms have repeatedly broken the rules despite having six months to prepare.

Delivery drivers told Mnews that order volume has declined as platforms raised prices for customers. They said platforms appear to be using the legally required minimum payment of NT$45 (US$1.39) per order as the standard rate while reducing compensation for longer-distance and more complex deliveries, per Liberty Times.

Some drivers said payouts appear to be set at NT$45 regardless of delivery distance, per China Times. According to the labor ministry, the minimum payment per order must equal at least 1.25 times the hourly minimum wage. If the calculated amount falls below NT$45, platforms must instead pay the NT$45 minimum.

Ministry officials said they had invited driver representatives and platform operators to discuss pay calculations, order allocation, and other concerns. The ministry said it had instructed platforms to make immediate improvements and asked them to submit concrete plans to address the issues.

The union criticized the ministry's response, saying it had never asked platforms to postpone repeated cuts to driver pay, per ETtoday. It noted that although platforms were given six months to prepare for the new regulations, the ministry has yet to penalize companies for violations and has instead continued discussions with platform operators.

The union said drivers want the government to enforce the new regulations rather than continue consulting with the platforms.

The TPP also criticized the ministry, saying it had responded to apparent violations by asking drivers to remain patient while platforms resolved the issues, per Storm Media. The party said that platforms were able to implement membership fee increases quickly but had failed to adjust driver pay at the same pace.

The Digital Economy Association Taiwan previously suggested that platforms charge drivers matching fees to offset higher labor costs resulting from the wage increase, per SETN. The association said the delivery industry depends on maintaining a balance among consumers, restaurants, drivers, and platforms, and that increasing benefits for one group could disrupt that balance.

A delivery driver told SETN that such fees could effectively eliminate the wage increase required under the new regulations. The TPP also called on the labor ministry to establish a clear methodology for calculating platform operating costs to prevent companies from shifting additional costs onto drivers, per Liberty Times.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taiwan will have 12 Tuo Chiang-class warships in service by the end of this year, strengthening the defense of its surrounding waters, President Lai Ching-te (   ) said Friday.

Speaking at a commissioning ceremony for the Navy's Tan Chiang warship, Lai thanked the research, shipbuilding, and supply chain teams for overcoming technical challenges. He said the vessels showed Taiwan's growing ability to design and build its own warships.

CNA reported that the Tan Chiang is the first ship from the second production batch of the Tuo Chiang-class program. Earlier vessels included the original Tuo Chiang and the Ta Chiang, the first ship produced under the program's first batch.

Lai said the Tan Chiang showed that Taiwan could independently research, design, assemble, repair, and upgrade naval systems. This ability allowed the military to develop equipment suited to conditions in the Taiwan Strait, he said.

The warship also showed the Navy's determination to defend Taiwan's waters amid Chinese military pressure and other actions that stop short of war, Lai said. He added that stronger military capabilities could discourage attacks and help maintain peace.

Peace could not be secured through a written agreement alone, Lai said. Taiwan also could not depend on the goodwill of a country that repeatedly threatened to attack it, he added.

Lai said Taiwan would continue buying weapons from overseas and cooperating with international partners. However, locally built warships, military aircraft, and drones were also essential to national defense, he said.

Lai called on the legislature to support a special defense budget proposed by the defense ministry. He said the ministry should manage the program and receive stable, long-term funding to improve military readiness.

The ceremony took place as Taiwan marked 30 years since its first direct presidential election. Lai said the military protected voters during that election and had continued to defend Taiwan's democracy and security.

Lai encouraged Tan Chiang's crew to maintain strong training and combat readiness. He said Taiwan's armed forces remained the country's strongest support during times of need.

The Navy said Tan Chiang has speed, firepower, and a design that makes it difficult to detect. It is also equipped with long-range anti-ship missiles.

The fully loaded vessel weighs about 685 tonnes and can travel faster than 30 knots, or about 56 kph. It carries Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles.

The ship is also equipped with Sea Sword II missiles for air defense. The system protects the vessel against aircraft and other airborne threats.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Australia's governing party rejected a demand by Chinese diplomats to expel Taiwanese officials from its national conference, prompting the Chinese delegation to walk out.

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) opened its 50th national conference in Adelaide on Thursday, where two officials from Taiwan's representative office in Australia were in attendance, per ABC News. Three Chinese diplomats confronted ALP National Secretary Paul Erickson and demanded the Taiwanese representatives be removed from the venue.

Erickson refused the request, saying the representatives had the right to attend as observers. After the party rejected the demand, the Chinese diplomats left the conference.

An ALP spokesperson declined to comment on why the delegation departed, saying the question should be directed to the Chinese Embassy in Australia.

The two Taiwanese officials attended the conference as general observers rather than "international observers," who are typically foreign diplomats or representatives of overseas political parties, according to ABC.

Taiwan's representative office in Australia said Taiwan's overseas missions regularly engage with governments and civil society in their host countries on issues of mutual concern. It said Taiwan works with like-minded partners across the Indo-Pacific to counter disinformation, address hybrid threats, and respond to geopolitical challenges.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   A Taiwanese chef was stopped from displaying the national flag while posing for an award photo at the Global Culinary Challenge Malaysia, CNA reported Saturday.

The chef was preparing to pose with the flag after receiving an award when event staff removed the flag. Organizers did not explain why they prevented the chef from displaying it.

Teams from other countries were allowed to wave their national flags and take photos during the ceremony. The awards ceremony continued after the incident.

Taiwan Junior Chefs Association Chair Chang Ke-chin (   ) said he regretted the chef could not celebrate the award with Taiwan's flag. He said all competitors should be allowed to celebrate their achievements on the awards stage.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (   ) on Friday rejected a statement by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul that his government's endorsement of China's false claims over Taiwan would not impact relations.

At the end of an official visit to Beijing, a joint statement by Thailand and China approved the latter's "one country, two systems" policy. Anutin later told reporters the statement would not change relations between Thailand and Taiwan, according to the Bangkok Post.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei Friday, Lin said it would have an effect, per CNA. Thailand should value relations with Taiwan and take remedial action for its unreasonable pandering to China, the foreign minister said.

Otherwise, the joint statement by Thailand and China would influence Taiwanese investment in Thailand and contacts between the two countries, Lin added.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   DPP Legislator Lin Chu-yin (   ) criticized KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun (   ) on Thursday after Cheng claimed Ting Hsin International's tainted oil from the 2014 food safety scandal was safer than oil involved in the ongoing Central Union Oil Corp. contamination case.

Cheng said Thursday that Ting Hsin's oil, though made from illegally sourced ingredients, was safer than oil contaminated with the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), per Tai Sounds. She argued that former President Ma Ying-jeou's (   ) administration strengthened food safety regulations following the Ting Hsin scandal and suggested the current controversy reflects the DPP government's failure to enforce those laws.

KMT Culture and Communications Committee Chair Chen I-hsin (   ) defended Cheng's remarks, per Tai Sounds. Citing court rulings in the Ting Hsin case, Chen said Cheng's point was that if products made from tainted ingredients passed safety inspections but still could not be considered safe for consumption, then the current case involving BaP contamination was even more serious.

Chen also noted that the health minister resigned and the Food and Drug Administration director was reassigned under the Ma administration following the Ting Hsin scandal, while no comparable personnel changes have occurred under President Lai Ching-te's (   ) administration.

The Ting Hsin scandal involved the use of recycled oil to produce lard and imported recycled animal feed oil to manufacture cooking oil. Ting Hsin's lard products passed government safety inspections despite the use of tainted ingredients, per AgriJourney News.

Food safety experts at the time said manufacturers could tailor products to meet testing requirements because they understood the government's inspection methods. Subsequent testing found heavy metal concentrations in oil sampled directly from Ting Hsin's facilities exceeded Taiwan's legal limits, per AgriJourney News.

In response to the Ting Hsin scandal, Taiwan established a three-tier food safety inspection system to address limited government inspection capacity. The system combines government inspections with mandatory self-monitoring by manufacturers and third-party certification.

However, industry sources told Tai Sounds the Central Union Oil case may indicate that conflicts of interest that contributed to the Ting Hsin scandal remain unresolved. The sources said the government contracted the Taiwan Food Technologists Association to conduct third-party certification even though the association's chair also serves as Central Union Oil's food safety adviser.

The sources said Central Union Oil received official certification in March, while two of its three shareholders received certification in May and June, even though the company had already been notified of abnormalities in its salad oil testing and did not report them to authorities until late June. They argued that unless the roles of certification, consulting, and regulatory oversight are clearly separated, similar scandals could occur again.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (   ) responded to the report by saying the government bears ultimate responsibility for oversight but relies on outside experts to provide technical expertise, per Tai Sounds.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taichung City Chamber of Commerce Chair Hsieh Feng-hsiang (   ) criticized Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (   ) on Thursday over the city's handling of the ongoing Central Union Oil Corp. tainted oil scandal, accusing her of shifting responsibility to the central government.

In a statement released Thursday night, Hsieh said Taichung City Government had not contacted the chamber on how businesses should respond to the scandal, per ETtoday. He said Lu had been preoccupied with blaming the central government while local businesses were left uncertain whether they still had affected oil products in their inventories.

Hsieh also urged Lu to return to Taichung and address residents' concerns instead of promoting the KMT's protest scheduled for Saturday. The chamber later said Hsieh posted the statement in internal group chats without prior notice and had not responded to calls from chamber officials, per SETN.

Chamber Vice Chair Shih Chin-lang (   ) said Hsieh's remarks reflected his personal views and did not represent the organization, per UDN. He defended the city government's response, saying inspections, product tracing, and recalls were being carried out to protect public health.

Hsieh's criticism came amid broader scrutiny of Taichung City Government's oversight of the scandal. Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (   ) said Thursday that Taichung's inspections of edible oil production facilities had been less frequent than those conducted by the Tainan and Kaohsiung city governments, per CNA.

Shih Chung-liang said municipalities with edible oil production facilities, including Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, should focus inspections at the production stage, while other local governments concentrate on products already on the market. He said Taichung had inspected Central Union Oil's production plant only once in the past eight years and added that the city government should explain its handling of the case to the city council, per ETtoday.

Taichung Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin (   ) rejected Shih's characterization, saying that in addition to its 2024 inspection of the production facility, the city government had tested oil samples from Central Union Oil 17 times since 2022, per UDN. He said regulations require local governments to inspect products on the market, while manufacturers are responsible for self-monitoring, per UDN.

Cheng added that although the production plant had been inspected only once, Central Union Oil does not sell products directly to consumers. He said the company's customers, including Fwusow Industry and Formosa Oilseed Processing Co., had been inspected multiple times.

The Food and Drug Administration has said local governments are responsible for routine food safety inspections and oversight, per UDN. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (   ) echoed that view, saying local governments are responsible for supervising production facilities, per NOWNews.

Among the Cabinet's proposed amendments to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation is a change requiring local authorities to conduct inspections by replacing language stating they "may conduct inspections" with "shall conduct inspections," per SETN. The Cabinet said the amendment would clarify local governments' responsibility for food safety oversight.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)   Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (   ) said Taiwanese who skip Saturday's KMT protest would be accepting that their lives are "worth nothing."

Speaking on a political commentary program, Chiang accused the central government of failing to uncover the truth more than three weeks after the food safety scandal began. He urged people to wear white and attend the protest, adding that staying home would amount to accepting that Taiwanese lives had no value.

CNA reported the KMT will hold the rally outside the Presidential Office in Taipei on Saturday evening to protest the government's handling of the cooking oil safety scandal.

Chiang attended a press conference at the legislature on Friday with Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (   ), Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (   ), and KMT lawmakers. They demanded more information about the case and called on officials to prevent potentially unsafe products from reaching stores.

DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (   ) criticized Chiang's remarks and compared him to an "angry rooster." Chuang said central and local governments should work together to protect the public instead of blaming each other.

The KMT has proposed amendments to Taiwan's food safety law, including a faster warning system between government agencies. The proposal would also strengthen protections for whistleblowers, allow authorities to remove products as a precaution, and raise the maximum fine for serious violations to NT$1 billion.

Chuang said lawmakers should discuss what level of fines would effectively deter violations. He added that the DPP caucus was open to talks but said imposing extremely high fines without careful discussion would not constitute responsible lawmaking.