Phase 3 of wind farm plan to add 5GW for total of 15By Angelica Oung / Staff reporterIn the third phase of Taiwan’s offshore wind farm development plan, capacity is to be increased by 5 gigawatts (GW) from 2026 to 2035 to a total of 15GW, the Bureau of Energy (BOE) announced yesterday. Bureau of Energy officials present draft regulations for the third phase of Taiwan’s offshore wind farm development plan at a meeting in Taipei yesterday. “Having been through the first two rounds of offshore wind farm development, we trust that our local suppliers have amassed a significant amount of experience,” Yu said. “We have seen credible plans to manufacturer offshore wind substations, so they have been added to the mandatory list,” Lin added. Developers said that they were eager to pin down the “rules,” because the application process for phase three projects opens in June next year and the environmental impact assessment for an offshore wind farm project takes at least one year.

ChipMOS upbeat as chip demand hikes sales pricesBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterChipMOS Technologies Inc (南茂科技), a display driver IC and memorychip tester and packager, yesterday forecast significant revenue growth for this year as it plans to raise its prices again to reflect the higher cost of copper and other raw materials following strong semiconductor demand. Strong demand for ChipMOS’ services is continuing from last quarter, leading the company to expect revenue this year to increase 15 to 20 percent from NT$23.01 billion (US$823.2 million) last year. The logo of ChipMOS Technologies Inc is pictured outside the company’s headquarters in the Hsinchu Science Park on Nov. 13, 2014. ChipMOS attributed the gap between supply and demand to the global digital transformation. “The firm has increased its inventory to three months of stock to handle rising demand,” Cheng said.

Taipei in contact with student groups after assault in NYBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe government would maintain contact with Taiwanese student associations abroad, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said yesterday, following reports last week of an attack against a Taiwanese woman in New York. Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung answers questions from legislators yesterday during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee. Pan said he regretted the violent incident and that the government’s overseas offices have always been, and would continue to be, in contact with Taiwanese student associations abroad. Although New York police, citing privacy concerns, said they could not provide the victim’s identity or contact information, the office has given her a way to contact the office for assistance at any time, it said. There has been a recent surge in anti-Asian crimes in the New York area, the office said, adding that it would remind Taiwanese abroad to be alert.

Photo courtesy of Xian Lao ManNo China Airlines crew would be permitted to visit public locations until after they complete quarantine and test negative for COVID-19, it said. As opposed to a containable outbreak at an airport hotel, the China Airlines outbreak poses a tougher challenge, as flight crew risk being infected from multiple sources, Chen said. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan, left, speaks to a colleague at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. China Airlines said in a statement that its flight crew would take turns to undergo the 14-day home quarantine in compliance with the plan. Taiwanese in India would have to return to Taiwan via Tokyo on Japan Airlines flights, he said.

Former KMT aides sentenced for espionageCONNECTIONS: The trio, one of whom has died, allegedly stole classified materials from lawmakers, and used a computer technician and reporters to collect informationBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe Taipei District Court yesterday sentenced two former aides of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers to prison for espionage and contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法). Chen Wei-jen, a former aide to former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Chen Shu-huey, is pictured in Taipei on Aug. 13 last year. The court sentenced Lin to five months in prison for trying to develop a spy network and related charges. It sentenced Chen to 10 months in prison, which Chen must serve. Lee was an aide to former KMT legislator Chang Li-shan (張麗善), who is now Yunlin County commissioner, while Chen and Lin worked for former KMT legislator Chen Shu-huey (陳淑慧), who is now Chiayi deputy mayor.

The pay increase came after some sectors recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, while others remain affected, the agency said. Employees promote Mothers’ Day deals to customers at the Far Eastern Big City shopping mall in Hsinchu City on Sunday. “While economic activity is largely unaffected by the pandemic, some sectors have not recovered due to lingering travel restrictions,” Chen said. By amount, airlines offered the highest monthly take-home pay at NT$74,292, followed by electricity and gas suppliers at NT$65,164, and insurance and financial institutions at NT$64,040, it said. Transportation companies had the lowest monthly wages at NT$28,352, lower than educational facilities excluding public and private schools at NT$28,393, it said.

Line Bank report on crash not satisfactory: regulatorBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterA report by Web-only Line Bank Taiwan Ltd (連線商業銀行) explaining why its information system crashed on the first day of operation was not satisfactory and the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) would demand that the bank improve its operations, commission Chairman Thomas Huang (黃天牧) said yesterday. “However, we cannot completely accept the report,” Huang said. Signage for Line Bank Taiwan Ltd is displayed at the company’s headquarters in Taipei yesterday. Line Bank attributed the crash to a system overload on April 22, the first day of its formal operations. “Web-only banks should offer a more convenient service than conventional banks, but it [Line Bank] does not,” Chang said.

COVID-19: China Airlines to reduce cargo flightsOUTBREAK: About 200 of the airline’s 1,200 pilots are not able to work. Most of them have been quarantined to prevent further infection, but 12 have COVID-19 China Airlines Ltd (CAL,中華航空) yesterday confirmed that it would temporarily reduce its cargo flight services to cope with a pilot shortage, as one-sixth of its pilots have been sidelined by a COVID-19 outbreak. “We are working out a new schedule,” the airline said in a statement after local news media reports on Saturday said that it would be reducing its cargo services from Wednesday, primarily affecting US destinations. CAL declined to give details about its new operating plan, but the reports said that it would be suspending its cargo flights to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport andStaff writer, with CNA

Lawmakers urge government to include blue-collar workers in talent programBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterHighly skilled blue-collar workers are being excluded from government attempts to attract foreign talent, lawmakers yesterday told a joint meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee, Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, and Education and Culture Committee. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesBy limiting the employment period of foreign blue-collar workers, Taiwan risks becoming a “training center,” leaving those workers, who could have otherwise made Taiwan their home, with no choice but to move to another country, Kao said. Unlike blue-collar workers, “foreign special professionals” can stay in Taiwan indefinitely and have a pathway to permanent resident status, the council has said. The draft includes extending short-term tax breaks offered to foreign special professionals to attract more talent, Kung said. I hope that by giving highly skilled foreign talent an extra incentive to try living in Taiwan, they will like [Taiwan] so much that they will stay,” he said.

COVID-19: China Airlines to reduce cargo flightsOUTBREAK: About 200 of the airline’s 1,200 pilots are not able to work. Most of them have been quarantined to prevent further infection, but 12 have COVID-19 China Airlines Ltd (CAL,中華航空) yesterday confirmed that it would temporarily reduce its cargo flight services to cope with a pilot shortage, as one-sixth of its pilots have been sidelined by a COVID-19 outbreak. “We are working out a new schedule,” the airline said in a statement after local news media reports on Saturday said that it would be reducing its cargo services from Wednesday, primarily affecting US destinations. CAL declined to give details about its new operating plan, but the reports said that it would be suspending its cargo flights to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport andStaff writer, with CNA

COVID-19: Confirmed case visited cafe in Taoyuan: CECCSHOPPING MALL: People who have been to places visited by the confirmed cases at about the same time should pay attention to their health condition and report symptomsBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday revealed several locations in Taoyuan and Taipei visited by two people confirmed to have COVID-19 when they were likely contagious. Workers disinfect the food court at the Gloria Outlets shopping mall in Taoyuan yesterday. The woman visited a branch of Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank (台北富邦銀行) in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) between 10am and 11am on Tuesday, rather than the previously reported 11am on Wednesday, Chen said. The CECC yesterday reported one imported case of COVID-19 — a traveler from the Philippines. The traveler is a woman in her 20s who arrived in Taiwan on Thursday to visit a critically ill relative, Chen said.

Rexon shares fall on recallBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterRexon Industrial Corp Ltd (力山工業), a maker of fitness equipment and power tools, saw its shares drop 15.63 percent in the past two sessions after a major client, Peloton Interactive Inc, last week announced recalls of its Tread+ and Tread treadmills. Since 2017, Rexon has gradually increased the contribution of fitness equipment to its overall revenue, becoming a major supplier for Peloton’s exercise bikes, and Trade+ and Tread treadmills. Photo: Chan Chao-yang, Taipei TimesRexon also manufactures fitness equipment for other global brands, such as Life, Precor, True and Freemotion. Last year, fitness equipment revenue accounted for 77.6 percent of Rexon’s revenue, with Peloton contributing about 71 percent, Jih Sun Securities Investment Consulting Co (日盛投顧) said. Rexon shares on Friday closed 6.34 percent lower at NT$78.3 in Taipei trading, while Jih Sun downgraded the stock to “neutral” from “buy.”

Banks’ combined pretax profits grow 76%By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterLocal banks’ combined profit grew in March, for the first time since May last year, thanks to an increase in investment gains and interest income, data released by the Financial Supervisory Commission on Thursday showed. The banks’ combined pretax profits grew 76 percent year-on-year to NT$32 billion (US$1.15 billion) in March, ending 10 consecutive months of annual declines, the data showed. The commission reported on Thursday that local banks’ combined pretax profits grew 76 percent year-on-year to NT$32 billion (US$1.15 billion) in March, ending 10 consecutive months of annual declines. Photo: Kelson Wang, Taipei TimesIn the first quarter, banks’ pretax profits rose 10.9 percent year-on-year to NT$89.76 billion, it showed. Domestic bank branches saw their combined pretax profits rise 25 percent year-on-year to NT$59.9 billion in the first quarter, accounting for 66.8 percent of all profits, while banks’ offshore banking units, overseas branches and operations in China reported annual declines of 3 percent, 23 percent and 55.5 percent in pretax profits respectively, the data showed.

Taipei schools do not have to remove statues, city saysBy Tsai Ya-hua and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, staff writer, with CNATaipei schools do not have to remove statues of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), the city’s Department of Education said last week, despite criticism from the Transitional Justice Commission. Taipei Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Chen Su-hui (陳素慧) on Tuesday last week said that the city’s policy is to let each school and community decide what to do with the schools’ 64 statues. Independent Taipei City Councilor Lin Ying-meng (林穎孟) on April 12 said the city was “going through the motions” of transitional justice by covering up slogans on the statues instead of removing them altogether. Photo courtesy of Taipei City Councilor Lin Ying-mengTransitional Justice Commission spokeswoman Yeh Hung-ling (葉虹靈) the following day said the city’s “total decontextualization” of the statues is inappropriate under the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice (促進轉型正義條例), which she said requires the city to “remove ... the permanency” of the statues. However, Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs Deputy Commissioner Tien Wei (田瑋) said that Chiang’s former residence is a national heritage site, which means any plan to store statues there must receive approval from the Ministry of Culture.

Aboriginal arts and culture hub opens in PingtungBy Lo Hsin-chen and Jason Pan / Staff reportersGovernment officials and Aboriginal community leaders yesterday celebrated the opening of a center in Pingtung City to showcase Aboriginal arts and culture. “The Pingtung Harvest will become a landmark for Aboriginal enterprises, and its themed buildings will enable visitors to learn about Aboriginal cultures,” Pan said. The Pingtung Harvest is housed in six historic buildings in a former military dependents’ village, with each house showcasing an aspect of Aboriginal culture, such as food, music, textiles, children, home and village communities, the officials said. The restoration of the buildings was funded with NT$7 million (US$250,824) from the Ministry of Culture, NT$5 million from the council and NT$1.5 million from the Pingtung County Government, the officials said. Exhibitions would also highlight hand-woven clothing and Aboriginal furniture-making, they said, adding that guided tours would be offered.