Agency halts deportation of teens raised in TaiwanBy Liu Ching-hou, Wu Po-hsuan and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writerCiting humanitarian concerns, the National Immigration Agency yesterday halted the deportation of three teenagers who were born in Indonesia, but raised in Taiwan. After he was investigated for bank fraud, her father accepted a deal to be deported in exchange for deferred prosecution, Hsiao Chiao said. Immigration officials last month told her father that he must leave Taiwan by Feb. 8 and his family must leave a month later, she said. Hsiao Chiao added that she was eligible for permanent residency and would have applied for it, but did not due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deportation of the father for his involvement in criminal activity would continue, the official said, citing the Immigration Act (出國及移民法).

Investors net NT$558,300 during the Year of the OxStaff writer, with CNAEquity investors in Taiwan earned an average of NT$558,300 (US$20,063) in the Year of the Ox after the TAIEX soared 11.84 percent. The TAIEX closed at 17,674.40 on Wednesday, the last trading session of the Year of the Ox, up 1,872 points from Feb. 5 last year, the last trading session of the previous year — the Year of the Rat. During the Year of the Ox, the market capitalization of the main board rose by NT$6.7 trillion to NT$48.2 trillion, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed. Based on the 12 million investors who have a trading account, investors earned an average of NT$558,300 over the year, the data showed. The local equity market is closed until Feb. 6 to observe the Lunar New Year holiday before trading resumes on Feb. 7, the first trading session of the Year of the Tiger.

Unification song hits a sour noteBy Shih Chia-liang 施佳良The Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been enthusiastically promoting a song titled We Sing One Song Together (我們同唱一首歌) since its release early this year and first broadcast on China Central Television (CCTV), a mouthpiece of the CCP. The song concludes with the reunion of family members, a metaphor for political unity. The form and narrative of the lyrics are integrated, but the song is unsure who exactly the target audience is. Those who feel the nostalgia from this song would be Taiwanese living in China. Is the purpose of this song to encourage them to return to Taiwan as soon as possible?

MediaTek looking at 15% growth for three years5G PENETRATION: With a global rise in 5G tech and half the firm’s revenue coming from phone chips, MediaTek is looking at high growth for the foreseeable futureBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterMediaTek Inc (聯發科), the world’s largest 5G smartphone chip supplier, yesterday said it expects revenue to grow about 15 percent each year for the next three years, buoyed by its swift technology migrations and expansions in addressable markets. The Hsinchu-based chipmaker’s strong projection came after reporting 53.2 percent annual revenue growth last year to a record NT$493.4 billion (US$17.73 billion), a step closer to its target of US$20 billion revenue. MediaTek attributed the strong growth to its early sub-6 gigahertz 5G readiness, and its support of WiFi 6 technologies, helping it capture business opportunities as new products were introduced. To concentrate its research-and-development resources on promising products, MediaTek streamlined its businesses and separated each into three groups: mobile phones, smart edge platforms and power management chips. He said that 5G phones this year are expected to increase to 700 million units worldwide, comprising more than 50 percent of the world’s mobile phones, adding that the penetration rate of 5G phones was close to 40 percent last year.

WTO permits China a US$645m tariff weaponBloombergThe WTO granted Beijing a new tariff weapon against the US during a politically sensitive moment for US President Joe Biden, nearly one year into a tenuous truce in the trade dispute between the two largest economies. A WTO arbitrator in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday said that China can retaliate against US$645 million of annual US exports as part of a decade-old trade dispute over US anti-subsidy duties on Chinese goods. The amount was much less than the US$2.4 billion that China had initially requested legal authority to target. Beijing can now request formal WTO authorization to retaliate against US goods and services, which could be granted as soon as next month. The WTO repeatedly ruled against the US and found that Washington failed to withdraw the illegal duties in a timely manner.

The US’ policy shift toward TaiwanBy Huynh Tam Sang and Pham Do AnWashington’s words and deeds toward Taiwan have changed to a nuanced approach, especially since the administration of former US president Donald Trump. US President Joe Biden seems to be following in Trump’s footsteps on making weapons more accessible to Taiwan. In August last year, the US approved a US$750 million sale of 40 Paladin M109A6 self-propelled howitzers and accompanying equipment to Taiwan. Washington could promote to ASEAN member states the idea that Taiwan should be effectively integrated into Southeast Asia, which is the nucleus of Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy. By doing so, the US would further enhance Taiwan’s international standing, while forging a mutual understanding among the parties involved.

Ministry warns of employment scam in CambodiaBy Lu Yi-hsuan and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday urged people who are planning to work in Cambodia to exercise caution after Taiwanese were reportedly coerced into engaging in fraudulent activity in the country. They had been lured to take up work in Cambodia by criminal groups that promised them high salaries and favorable treatment, Ou said. However, when they arrived, their freedom of movement was restricted, Ou said, adding that those who resisted had been beaten. “If you are going to Cambodia for work, we urge you to be vigilant. Look into the company that is hiring you and make sure you understand the details of the work you will be asked to do,” she said.

Video link needed for lawmakers: TPPCONTINUED RISK: Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Ann Kao said that without a videoconferencing system, legislators in quarantine cannot review budgets or voteBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterTaiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators yesterday called on the Legislative Yuan to launch a videoconference system for legislators in isolation or quarantine, and urged the government to purchase more oral antiviral drugs for treating COVID-19. New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih, left, and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Ann Kao hold a joint news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAFive TPP legislators might have been placed in isolation, she said, adding that the TPP was to hold its year-end banquet at the Grand Hotel Taipei (圓山飯店) on the day after the chef tested positive for COVID-19. Without a videoconferencing system, legislators who are placed in isolation cannot review the government budgets or vote, Kao said. Separately yesterday, TPP legislators Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) and Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) held a news conference urging the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to work closely with local governments on announcing to the public as soon as possible disease prevention guidelines for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Credit Suisse Group warns of net loss in Q4 last yearReuters, ZURICH, SwitzerlandCredit Suisse Group AG yesterday said it was likely to make a net loss in the fourth quarter, as the scandal-hit lender flagged fresh legal costs and said business in its trading and wealth management divisions had slowed. Combined with other charges, it said this was expected to result in a reported pre-tax income or loss of “approximately breakeven” for the fourth quarter. The logo of Credit Suisse at a branch office in Zurich, Switzerland, is pictured on Nov. 3. It said at the time it expected to take an impairment of 1.6 billion Swiss francs in the fourth quarter on remaining investment banking-related goodwill on its books. Credit Suisse yesterday said that its investment bank would also be affected by a slowdown in transaction-based revenue.

Apart from the KMT’s losses, the result was little changed from last month, shifting only 1.5 percentage points at most, the foundation said. That represented a 1.3 percentage point slip for the DPP and a less than 1 percentage point difference for the rest. However, the largest number of respondents, 33.8 percent, said that they did not support any party, up 3.2 percentage points from last month. The number of people saying they were not worried also rose 14.8 percentage points to 30.1 percent, the foundation said. There were 1,083 valid samples with a margin of error of 2.98 percentage points.

Funny old world: Offbeat news from last weekAFP, PARISFrom the dangers of letting women sit up front, to Hong Kong’s fishy lobster meatballs, here is a weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world:BEWARE! Lobster meatballs are displayed for sale last week at a market in Hong Kong’s Wanchai area. This week Zhao Xiaoqing, a 28-year-old woman from northern China’s Shaanxi province, got engaged to her beau after they too were trapped on a date. Gourmets in the food-obsessed city are more than a little crabby at the results of DNA tests on one of its favorite foods, lobster meatballs. When the first Bundo book was released, British TV comedian John Oliver published a parody version to support gay charities.

NCC warns of stiff fines for helping Chinese OTT firmsIQIYI: The Chinese firm was forced to close in 2020 after Taiwan barred companies from selling Chinese OTT services or acting as their agentsBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterCompanies or individuals that help Chinese over-the-top (OTT) operator iQiyi solicit commercials from Taiwan could be fined up to NT$5 million (US$180,532) for contravening the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday. The Chinese operator was forced to close its office in Taiwan after the Ministry of Economic Affairs in 2020 amended the “List of the Prohibited Commercial Engagement Practices in the Taiwan Area,” which bars companies or people from selling services of Chinese OTT operators or acting as their agents in Taiwan. It also clearly states that OTT services are not open to funding from China. Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei TimesDespite the ban, several local advertising firms have reportedly continued to place commercials on iQiyi and other Chinese streaming platforms. The article also states that failure to terminate or rectify the situation by the expiration of the aforementioned time limit can be punished with consecutive fines, the NCC spokesman added.

Taiwan-India ties ready to take offBy Sumit KumarThe State Bank of India has raised US$300 million from the Taiwanese market through a maiden issue of Formosa bonds at a coupon rate of 2.49 percent. Now, India has taken several bold initiatives to openly acknowledge its ties with Taiwan. It is not a coincidence that India has inched toward enhancing ties with Taiwan. It is equally important that India not merely see ties with Taiwan through a bilateral lens, but from a broader perspective. Enhanced economic ties between the countries would prove to be crucial in building robust global supply chains outside of China.

PRC targets Taiwan with new disinformation ploy‘STIRRING CONFLICT’: Chinese content farms use hundreds of fake accounts to reach ‘every corner of society,’ an official at the Investigation Bureau saidBy Chien Li-chung / Staff reporterChina is conducting disinformation campaigns that involve more than 400 fake accounts targeting Taiwanese on social media, the Investigation Bureau said on Friday. Since it started tracing fake accounts and disinformation to Chinese content farms in April last year, the Information and Communication Security Division investigated 2,773 such cases, the bureau said. “These are clearly products of China’s content farms.”The bureau also uncovered that Chinese accounts had altered posts on the People’s Technology Temple (PTT) — Taiwan’s most popular online bulletin board system. The second level of the content farms’ operations involves targeting Taiwanese Facebook users with 400 fake accounts, the official said. Those accounts target Taiwanese by reposting fake news and disinformation, focusing on topics such as entertainment, daily issues and religion, they said.

The Liberty Times Editorial: End food ban to repair Japan tiesDuring the 45th session of the Taiwan-Japan Economic and Trade Conference on Jan. 11, Japan expressed concern over Taiwan’s ban on imports of Japanese food products from five prefectures following the March 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster. Ma’s pro-China, anti-Japan stance led to a “cross-strait synchronization” of the ban on Japanese food imports. The issue of Japanese food imports that the Tsai administration is dealing with should be addressed with the same mindset. Taiwan would be embarrassed if Beijing relaxes the ban on Japanese food imports before Taipei. Demonstrating its determination to lift the ban on Japanese food imports would not enhance Taiwan’s relations with Japan, but would increase its chances of joining the CPTPP.