Eswatini and Russia name top envoys to TaiwanDIPLOMACY: Former vice president Chen Chien-jen is to attend a democracy forum this week in Lithuania and speak about Taiwan’s democratization and COVID-19 responseStaff writer, with CNAThe Kingdom of Eswatini and Russia have named their top envoys to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. Eswatini’s King Mswati III is pictured in a photograph taken from the Eswatini government’s official Twitter account. Former vice president Chen Chien-jen gives a thumbs-up sign in Taipei in an undated photograph. The former vice president is also to talk about Taiwan’s COVID-19 prevention experience and its response to disinformation in his speech titled “Taiwan as a Litmus Case for Democracy,” it said. Chen, who was the nation’s vice president from 2016 to last year, is now an academician at Academia Sinica.

Russia rejects accusations of endangering astronautsAP, MOSCOWRussian officials yesterday rejected accusations that they endangered astronauts aboard the International Space Station by conducting a weapons test that created more than 1,500 pieces of space junk. US officials on Monday accused Russia of destroying an old satellite with a missile in what they called a reckless and irresponsible strike. The debris could do major damage to the space station as it is orbiting at 28,000kph. The International Space Station is photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking on Oct. 4, 2018. Once the situation became clear early on Monday morning, the four Americans, one German and two Russians on board the International Space Station were ordered to immediately seek shelter in their docked capsules.

Yulon Motor to launch electric car using Foxtron designBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterYulon Motor Co (裕隆) yesterday said that it plans to introduce a new own-brand electric vehicle in 2023, designed by Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co (鴻華先進) on the MIH Open Platform backed by iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密). Yulon Motor would become Foxtron’s first customer. Foxtron, a venture of Yulon Motors and Hon Hai, was set up with initial capital of NT$15.58 billion (US$560.63 million at the current exchange rate) in November last year. “In Taiwan, Luxgen will be the first to introduce electric vehicles designed by Foxtron. “All automakers are facing stiff pressure amid surges in raw material and transportation costs,” Yulon Nissan vice president Chung Wen-chuan (鐘文川) said.

US should pledge to defend TaiwanBy Joseph BoscoUS President Joe Biden has just become the third president in 20 years to declare or strongly imply that the US would defend Taiwan against an attack from China. In April 2001, then-US president George W. Bush answered affirmatively when asked whether the US would protect Taiwan. Two weeks before,Biden had reported on his 90-minute telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and made this curious statement: “I’ve spoken with Xi about Taiwan. The obvious follow-up question is this: Did Washington decide secretly at some point that it would defend Taiwan if China attacks — and even made that clear privately to Beijing, as Trump’s tone implied? Biden needs to proceed with the Taiwan Representative Office name change, and to invite Taiwan to the Summit for Democracy, the RIMPAC naval exercises next year, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief joint exercises.

Jazz performance by Vincent Hsu focuses on changeBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNAA performance video featuring jazz bassist Vincent Hsu (徐崇育) and his ensemble, Soy La Ley Afro-Cuban Jazz Band, premiered on Facebook on Friday. The performance was the result of a collaboration between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in New York and the Rhode Island-based organizer FirstWorks. Jazz bassist Vincent Hsu holds an award trophy and jumps to celebrate winning at the Golden Bell Awards in Taipei on Sept. 19 last year. Photo: CNAThe performance, titled “Jazz Changed, Jazz Changes, Jazz Changin’,” aims to show that jazz is alive and well beyond its birthplace, and as suggested by the title, shows how the genre is always evolving, the organizer said. Hsu has been heavily influenced by New York’s Spanish Harlem, where he launched his music career, and his music brings together elements of New York jazz, Latin music, African polyrhythms and Taiwanese composition.

Honduran president says goodbye amid uncertaintyStaff writer, with CNAOutgoing Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez left Taiwan on Sunday, ending a three-day visit that marked the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between his Central American country and Taiwan. On Saturday, Hernandez met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to celebrate the 80 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Presidential Office Secretary-General David Lee, second left, accompanies Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, left, and his delegation at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. His previous visits were in 2015 and 2016 as Honduran president, and in 2010 as speaker of the Honduran Parliament. The latest visit came only months before the end of Hernandez’s second and final term as president, and amid uncertainty over Honduran foreign policy after the country’s presidential election on Nov. 28.

The debate over ractopamine has ceased to be a scientific discussion, but has become complicated by politics and international trade concerns, National Taiwan University Hospital toxicology professor Chiang Chih-kang (姜至剛) said. “For Taiwan, we have an even tougher standard for ractopamine. “The ractopamine issue is not an issue about food safety, because no pork containing ractopamine residue has been imported, so people have not eaten such pork,” TMA deputy secretary-general Lo Chun-hsuan (羅浚晅) said. The Dec. 18 referendums also touch on the issue of nuclear power versus other sources of energy, Wu said. “The government has implemented policies to protect the health and safety of our citizens, while keeping in mind the nation’s future development.

Intel to reward employees who bring female talentStaff writer, with CNAIntel Taiwan is to reward employees who recommend female semiconductor talent as part of a global effort by the US-based company to diversify its workforce. Intel Taiwan’s “Rise 2030” project aims to double the number of female workers and those coming from multicultural backgrounds in ranking managerial positions, Wang said. Photo: Vanessa Cho, Taipei TimesThe company also aims to raise the percentage of female professionals to 40 percent during the 10-year project, she said. Worldwide, the percentage of female workers at Intel Corp rose by 0.4 percentage points over the past year to 27.8 percent, while that of ranking female managers grew by 0.8 percentage points to 21.1 percent, she said, adding that female technicians would account for 26 percent by the end of this year, up from 25.2 percent a year ago. Intel Taiwan has also been seeking to hire talent on university campuses across the nation, she said.

Slovenia’s Slokar wins first parallel slalom titleAP, LECH-ZURS, AustriaSlovenian skier Andreja Slokar on Saturday won the only women’s World Cup parallel slalom of the season, edging Thea Louise Stjernesund of Norway in the final of the floodlit event. It was the first career win for Slokar, whose previous best result was eighth in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, in March — the final slalom of last year. Slovenia’s Andreja Slokar competes in the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup women’s parallel slalom in Lech, Austria, on Saturday. Photo: AFP“For sure, it’s not the same as winning slalom or giant slalom, but I enjoyed it. The race had a knockout format as two competitors raced side by side on identical, shortened giant slalom courses.

The findings detailed on Wednesday document a shared genetic ancestry for the hundreds of millions of people who speak what the researchers call Transeurasian languages across an area stretching more than 8,000km. The findings illustrate how humankind’s embrace of agriculture following the Ice Age powered the dispersal of some of the world’s major language families. Photo: ReutersThere are 98 Transeurasian languages. This language family’s beginnings were traced to Neolithic millet farmers in the Liao River valley, an area encompassing parts of the Chinese provinces of Liaoning and Jilin and the region of Inner Mongolia. “It is surprising to see that ancient Koreans reflect Jomon ancestry, which so far had only been detected in Japan,” Robbeets said.

India said to take forward-looking steps on cryptoBloombergIndia is planning progressive and forward-looking measures on issues related to cryptocurrencies, a move that could be a departure from its earlier attempts to restrict the use of virtual coins, people familiar with the matter have said. India has had a hot-and-cold relationship with digital currencies in the past few years. The Reserve Bank of India remains a critic, but is now working on a digital currency. It was highlighted that India should seek global partnerships and collective strategies on the issue, they said. India’s parliamentary panel on finance is scheduled to meet industry experts and associations on challenges and opportunities in cryptofinance today.

For the first time in its history, the working age population between 15 and 64 fell from census to census, declining 169,000 to 16.54 million. The number of people over 65 in Taiwan is now at 3.67 million, nearly 16 percent of the population. AGING IN TAIWANArticles on aging tend to focus on its effects on the health care system, but our growing elderly are going to transform every aspect of society. In Taiwan a decade ago, the proportion of children living with elderly parents was higher than in China, South Korea or Japan. In addition to the medical and social costs, the growing population of the elderly will affect defense arrangements.

Taiwan’s first nuclear power plant. The First Nuclear Power Plant under construction. Then-president Chiang Kai-shek in 1970 visits the construction site of the First Nuclear Power Plant. When the Chernobyl accident happened in 1986, fears over the dangers of nuclear power reached a fever pitch. As for the First Nuclear Power Plant, both of its reactors were shut down after their 40-year operating license expired in 2018 and 2019.

Asian shares advance as inflation shock tapers offReutersAsian share prices advanced on Friday as a shock from a surprisingly strong US inflation reading ebbed, with investors hopeful that the worst price hikes could be soon over. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.3 percent to 25,327.97, while the China Enterprises Index gained 0.7 percent to 9,114.37. The Hang Seng Tech Index climbed 1.6 percent, with tech giants Meituan (美團) and Tencent Holdings Ltd (騰訊) up 2.6 percent and 1.6 percent respectively. Index heavyweights Meituan and Tencent shored up the Hang Seng Index, while Alibaba Group finished down 0.5 percent. The US consumer price index rose 6.2 percent year-on-year last month, the strongest advance since November 1990.

The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday said that it would not indict the couple, citing a lack of evidence. Prosecutors said that the records did not show sufficient evidence of collaboration with Chinese intelligence, and that requests made to Chinese authorities for more information went unanswered. Lo said that prosecutors demonstrated a lack of professional judgement in requesting information from China on a case related to Chinese intelligence activity. “I would like to see the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Yuan improve the way national security cases are handled,” Wang said. The judiciary should improve investigation processes for cases involving national security, science and technology, he added.