Counterterrorism center underutilized: audit officeSPECIAL SERVICE: The National Police Agency should hold more counterterrorism drills to make better use of the costly facility, the National Audit Office saidBy Hsieh Chun-lin and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerIn the nearly four years since its creation, the National Police Agency’s (NPA) Counterterrorism Center has only been used for 38 days for counterterrorism training exercises, the National Audit Office said in a budget report on Thursday last week, calling on the agency to increase usage of the costly facility. The National Police Agency’s Counterterrorism Center in Taoyuan’s Sinwu District prepares for its opening ceremony on March 21, 2017. During this period the center was only used 38 days for counterterrorism drills, or 3.96 percent of the time, the report said. The center has mostly been used for general police training rather than specialized counterterrorism response, it said. The NPA said it would continue conducting counterterrorism trainings at the center, including joint drills with security and police forces.

COA tests ‘no shots’ plan for classical swine feverBy Yang Yuan-ting / Staff reporterTaiwan’s pork products could be sold to more countries if vaccinations against classical swine fever were no longer needed, Council of Agriculture (COA) Deputy Minister Huang Chin-cheng (黃金城) said on Saturday. However, countries such as Japan still ban imports of pork products from areas with classical swine fever, including Taiwan. The first 3,000 “sentinel” pigs from 150 farms would soon be slaughtered, and no classical swine fever has so far been detected among them, Huang said. It is very difficult to eliminate classical swine fever, especially when it can spread to wild boars, he added. Once the nation is free of classical swine fever, its pork products could be sold worldwide, he said, expressing optimism over the prospect.

Rights commission not fulfilling its duty: NPPBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterAlthough the National Human Rights Commission has been in existence for one year, it has not used even half of its budget, and laws governing the enforcement of its authority are not completely in place, the New Power Party (NPP) said yesterday. Article 2 of the Organic Act of the National Human Rights Commission (監察院國家人權委員會組織法) lists the functions and powers of the commission, including “investigating incidents involving torture, human rights violations or various forms of discrimination in accordance with its authority or in response to petition from the general public, and provide a remedy according to the law.”The main entrance to the Control Yuan’s National Human Rights Commission in Taipei is pictured on Aug. 1 last year. Control Yuan President Chen Chu (陳菊) has said that the commission’s two core tasks are to safeguard human rights in Taiwan and promote human rights education, but so far it had mainly focused on education, she said. “While we do not belittle the importance of reinforcing human rights education in the country, we want to remind the commission that it should perform all the tasks it is authorized to do,” Wang said. The NPP has proposed establishing a human rights committee at the Legislative Yuan to ensure that the National Human Rights Commission is consulted during the legislative process, he added.

Taiya unveils two offshore wind farm projectsBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterTaiya Renewable Energy Co (台亞風能) has thrown its hat into the ring for the third phase of Taiwan’s offshore wind farm development with two projects totaling 2.1 gigawatts (GW) in capacity, the company said yesterday as it applied for an environmental impact assessment (EIA). The Formosa 1 wind farm is pictured off Miaoli County on Oct. 15, 2019. It would be the first floating offshore wind farm proposal in Taiwan, it said. The company’s team comprises talent from other companies that participated in Taiwan’s previous phases of offshore wind farm development, including CSBC-DEME Wind Engineering Co (CDWE, 台船環海), Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA, Swancor Renewable Energy Co (上緯新能源) and Germany’s Wpd AG. The second phase of the nation’s offshore wind farm development was dominated by European players.

These traits were brought into sharper focus thanks to a dinner chat with the kind people of the American Chamber of Commerce of Southern Taiwan. Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung City GovernmentFUTURE PLANSBrian Aiello, President of Southern Taiwan AmCham, spoke to me at length about AmCham’s programs and plans, as well as the problems Kaohsiung faces. This is sometimes inhibiting.”Businesses in southern Taiwan often create products and then focus narrowly on one market, when there might be a number of other applications for them. Another issue Southern Taiwan AmCham is working on is supply chain security. Southern Taiwan AmCham covers the counties of Penghu, Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung and Taitung, and the municipalities of Tainan and Kaohsiung.

Taipei exhibition features Aboriginal culture, artistsBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterA special exhibition aimed at highlighting the diversity of Aboriginal cultures yesterday opened at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei to mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day. ), is curated by Masao Aki and organized by the Ministry of Culture, it said. A statue, titled Wings of the Aborigines, is pictured in the “Ita/kita” exhibition at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chuang Shih-hsien, Taipei TimesAruwai Kaumakan, Alik Studio, Siki Sufin, Eval Malinjinnan, Tafong Kati and Ruby Swana are among the participating artists, the ministry said. Everyone should cherish and recognize Aboriginal culture as an indispensable part of what defines Taiwan, Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (李永得) said at the exhibition’s opening reception on Saturday.

Heavy rain triggers floods, landslidesSOAKED: Although rain in central and southern Taiwan is to ease today, chances of heavy or extremely heavy rain would be high in the morning, a CWB forecaster saidBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterExtreme torrential rain brought by a southwesterly jet stream yesterday wreaked havoc in central and southern Taiwan, causing flash floods and triggering mudflows and landslides in mountainous areas. Although the rains in central and southern Taiwan would gradually ease, as the southwest jet stream turned south last night, chances of heavy or extremely heavy rain remain high this morning, Liu said. Southwesterly winds would remain strong and continue to affect the nation this week, he said, adding that people should beware of disasters caused by heavy or extremely heavy rain. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall has been forecast in mountainous areas today and tomorrow. The warm and humid air rises after encountering the Central Mountain Range and dumps rain in central and southern Taiwan.

In April, the Mingde (明德), Baihe (白河), Jingmian (鏡面), Chengcing Lake (澄清湖) and Fengshan (鳳山) reservoirs were the five category-one reservoirs with the most eutrophication, the report said. The Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫), which provides water for the Taipei metropolitan area, has the best water quality, and is also considered oligotrophic, the report said. Mesotrophic water contains a moderate amount of nutrients, encouraging the growth of submerged aquatic plants, while oligotrophic water is clear and of higher quality. Speaking about the report on Friday, Hou Chia-hung (侯嘉洪), a professor at National Taiwan University’s (NTU) Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, said that precipitation levels can affect the water quality of reservoirs. Hou said that changing how the land around the reservoirs is used is key to stabilizing reservoir water supply.

Council celebrates Aboriginal athletes‘HARD-WON ACHIEVEMENTS’: In addition to the medals Aboriginal athletes won at the Olympics, Aborigines have contributed greatly to Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen saidBy Lo Chi and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Council of Indigenous Peoples yesterday celebrated Aboriginal Olympic athletes at an event to mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day. “These accomplishments should all be recognized and valued.”Council of Indigenous Peoples Minister Icyang Parod speaks about the history of Aboriginal rights in Taiwan at a forum marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times“The recognition put an end to 400 years of discriminatory terms used to refer to Taiwan’s indigenous peoples,” Council of Indigenous Peoples Minister Icyang Parod said. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said in a statement that Aboriginal athletes’ Olympic wins have made Taiwan’s Aboriginal communities proud, and have brought a shared sense of glory and honor to all Taiwanese. The governments of former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) sent bills on Aboriginal rights to the legislature during their terms, Chiang said.

While some TSMC production lines in Tainan’s Southern Taiwan Science Park received gas supplies that were found to be substandard, the chipmaker continued production using gas from other sources, the company said. The logo of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is pictured at its facility at the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan on Thursday last week. Stringent follow-up measures have been implemented to monitor and trace the contamination, TSMC said, adding that this would not significantly affect operations at the site. Moreover, torrential rains that yesterday caused flooding in Shanhua District (善化) did not affect operation at the nearby Fab 18 or at other facilities at the Southern Taiwan Science Park, the park operator said. TSMC is developing 2- and 3-nanometer processes, with the latter to start production in the second half of next year.

It also suggested that the government respond prudently to Chinese attempts to harm the nation’s diplomatic relations through the distribution of vaccines. Once Taiwan’s vaccine needs are met, it should consider donating domestically produced vaccines to friendly nations in a demonstration of Taiwan’s “spirit of humane diplomacy,” it said. It must additionally offer needed support to overseas officials who are continuing the nation’s diplomatic work, even while facing the threat of the pandemic, the committee added. The report came shortly after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday last week confirmed plans to donate doses of Medigen Vaccine Biologics’ COVID-19 vaccine to help allies that have struggled to procure vaccines. The ministry at the time cited Chinese “diplomatic extortion” and said it would only consider making donations once domestic demand has been met.

Justices nix tests for street performersBy Wu Cheng-feng and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerOrdinances that require performers to pass tests before they can receive permits are unconstitutional, the Council of Grand Justices said yesterday in Constitutional Interpretation No. A street performer surnamed Chen (陳) in 2014 was issued five demerit points and banned from reapplying for a performers’ permit for a year after the Taipei City Government ruled that the number of people watching a performance of his had exceeded the maximum for the area he had applied to use, a breach of the now-defunct Regulations for Taipei Street Performers’ Performances. Photo: Wu Cheng-feng, Taipei TimesPeople are at liberty to choose their own profession and express themselves artistically, which has been infringed upon by city and county government demands that street performers pass a test before they obtain performance permits, Constitutional Interpretation No. While local governments should not be allowed to review the content of a street performer’s act, they can review the time, location, methods and other aspects apart from the performance, the council said. A local government must tender a draft ordinance that is approved by its council if it wishes to regulate performance times and locations, the Council of Grand Justices said.

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Taiwanese flyweight Huang winsStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese boxer Huang Hsiao-wen yesterday won her opening bout in the women’s 48-51kg flyweight category at the Tokyo Olympics, earning a spot in the quarter-finals. Taiwan’s Huang Hsiao-wen, right, and Italy’s Giordana Sorrentino trade blows in their women’s flyweight round-of-16 bout at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday. Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju, left, and Fan Zhendong of China compete in their men’s singles table tennis semi-final at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday. Taiwan’s Lin Chia-en looses an arrow during the individual eliminations at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday. Huang Yi-ting of Taiwan rows in her women’s single sculls semi-final at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday.

CECC says 30.97% of Taiwan’s population vaccinatedGAINING SPEED: On 1922.gov.tw, 5.52% have opted to get the AstraZeneca shot, 39.11% Moderna and 1.3% Medigen, the Central Epidemic Command Center saidBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 16 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and no deaths, while saying that 30.97 percent of the population has been vaccinated. As of Wednesday, 7,588,692 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in the nation — 7,273,091 first doses and 315,601 second doses, CECC data showed. Of the population, 30.97 percent have been vaccinated, or 32.31 doses administered per 100 people, Chen said. Another 39.11 percent had opted to receive the Moderna vaccine, while 1.3 percent had opted to receive the Medigen vaccine, the center said. On Tuesday, the Medigen COVID-19 vaccine was added on the site as an option for people aged 20 or older.

Next stimulus round should be digital: DPPBy Chien Hui-ju and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Executive Yuan should prepare digital stimulus vouchers and earmark funding for a stimulus program that should start once the COVID-19 situation has eased, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators told an online news conference yesterday. DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said that issuing vouchers would be an effective means for the government to stimulate a post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chung Chia-pin, left, participates with fellow DPP legislators in an online news conference yesterday urging the government to use digital vouchers for its proposed stimulus program. Digital vouchers would also push the development of a “green” financial system and the local fintech industry, she said. Hsu said he believed that more people would opt for digital vouchers this time, compared with just 13 percent when the Triple Stimulus Vouchers were issued.