Red Lions survive Inter playoffBy Jason Pan / Staff reporter, in TAOYUANThe Red Lions on Sunday avoided slipping into the second division when they won Taiwan’s first relegation playoff match against Inter Taoyuan on penalties. Lau had to be sharp with the Red Lions threatening from corners and set-pieces, although Inter also created several good chances, only to be denied by Red Lions goalkeeper Lee Kuan-pei. Red Lions and Inter Taoyuan players vie for the ball in their relegation playoff match at National Taiwan Sport University in Taoyuan on Sunday. Lee was the hero for the Red Lions after he saved one penalty and another was blazed over the bar, while his teammates put all four of their penalties past Burak for a 4-2 victory. This playoff for promotion and relegation is a first for Taiwan,” CTFA secretary-general Fang Ching-jen told reporters.

Partial operations resume on landslide-hit rail trackBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterTwo-way operations on a single Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) track between Rueifang (瑞芳) and Houtong (猴硐) stations in New Taipei City partially resumed yesterday for the first time since a massive landslide on Nov. 4. The agency managed to clear the debris on the east mainline of the track by 9pm on Sunday. A Taiwan Railways Administration train yesterday passes along a section of track between Rueifang and Houtong stations in New Taipei City. Trains operating through the damaged section of the line must observe a 40kph speed limit, and the TRA has installed monitoring instruments along the line to ensure the safety of train operations, Lin said. The TRA yesterday canceled five train services that had been scheduled to travel through the section, but all services are expected to resume today, he said.

Created by the Singapore-based Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), the Women’s Livelihood Bond Series is a series of debt securities to empower women in Southeast Asia by creating sustainable livelihoods, officials said at the event. From left, International Cooperation and Development Fund Secretary-General Timothy Hsiang, Minister Without Portfolio John Deng, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu and American Institute in Taiwan Director Brent Christensen attend a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday announcing the Women’s Livelihood Bond initiative. “We often describe our relationship with Taiwan with the phrase: ‘Real friends, real progress — zhen pengyou, zhen jinzhan (真朋友，真進展). “We are proud to stand with Taiwan and other like-minded partners to promote, support and foster women’s economic empowerment around the world,” he said. WLB1 raised US$8.5 million, while WLB2 raised US$12 million, they said, adding that the US International Development Finance Corp were among the investors, while Australia provided technical support.

Virtual expo shows schools’ duty to actTRANSFORMATION: Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung said that when universities connect with communities, people see what they add to the environment and cultureBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Education yesterday launched a two-week online exhibition showcasing local universities’ efforts to practice social responsibility. The “USR Online Expo,” which runs until Dec. 27, presents the work of university students and academics in promoting social responsibility and humanitarian projects across the nation, the ministry said. A total of 217 university social responsibility (USR) projects completed by 97 universities and colleges are featured in this year’s event, the minitry added. To realize university social responsibility is to transform higher education, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) said. People can visit 2020usrexpo.org to see the online exhibition.

KMT’s Shen starts sit-in, hunger strikeOVER PORK IMPORTS: The former lawmaker said she would hold out in front of the Legislative Yuan ‘until I faint,’ while Premier Su urged her to take care of her healthBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterFormer Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker Shen Chih-hwei (沈智慧) yesterday announced that she is to begin a sit-in and hunger strike in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to protest the government’s decision to allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine residue. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei TimesThe policy is to take effect from Jan. 1. Shen at a news conference in Taipei urged members of the public to join her protest against the government’s decision. Su also urged Shen to take care of her health. Separately, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) reiterated his call for a televised debate on the issue between him and Tsai.

Asset managers detained in labor fund bribery caseEXPANDED INVESTIGATION: The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office has conducted raids on the residences of two suspects; five suspects have been detained in the caseStaff writer, with CNAThe Taipei District Court on Friday ordered that PJ Asset Management CEO Daniel Tarng (唐楚烈) and three others be detained with restricted communication as part of a growing investigation into the alleged bribery of a Ministry of Labor funds manager in a stock manipulation scheme. Fuh Hwa Securities Investment Trust Co financial analyst Marco Liu covers his face as police escort him to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday for questioning regarding a stock speculation case involving the government’s labor funds. In a July meeting with PJ Asset Management and Fuh Hwa executives at a restaurant in Taipei, Yu agreed to purchase the stocks at artificially high prices using money from the labor fund, the prosecutors said. Yu, who was allegedly paid bribes to purchase more than 400,000 shares through the scheme, came under suspicion during a routine audit of the fund, they said. Prosecutors have expanded the scope of the investigation, raiding the residences of Tarng and John Chiu, and summoning all four suspects for questioning on Thursday.

Homegrown boat, missile corvette join coast guardNO LENIENCY: The coast guard’s new vessels show the nation’s determination in defending its territorial waters, including from sand dredging, President Tsai saidStaff Writer, with CNAPresident Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday lauded the nation’s indigenous shipbuilding program as the Coast Guard Administration took delivery of a new missile corvette and a new patrol vessel at a ceremony in Kaohsiung. President Tsai Ing-wen, fifth left, waving, inspects the coast guard’s Anping corvette at a ceremony in Kaohsiung yesterday. President Tsai Ing-wen, front row, center, and other officials gather in front of the coast guard’s Anping corvette at a ceremony in Kaohsiung yesterday. The coast guard is coordinating with the navy on a plan to train personnel on the two missile systems, Hsieh said. The armaments could be used in times of conflict, the coast guard said, adding that they would not be deployed during regular maritime patrols.

DPP says commission in line with previous decisionsBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe National Communications Commission’s (NCC) decision to reject CTi News’ broadcasting license renewal last month was consistent with earlier decisions, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday. National Communications Commission Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang speaks at a news conference in Taipei on Nov. 18. “The NCC has abided by the law and its regulations,” the DPP said. “Ma and KMT leaders have appealed to the international media, saying that the government is clamping down on freedom of speech. However, it is well-known that the real dictatorship in Taiwan was that of the KMT,” the party said in a statement.

FSC warns digital banks on price warsFAIR COMPETITION: Web-only banks should strive to offer innovative products and services instead of resorting to pricing competitions to attract clients, the FSC chair saidBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) would not tolerate a protracted price war by the three Web-only banks to undercut the competition, as it would disrupt the market, FSC Chairman Thomas Huang (黃天牧) said yesterday. Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Thomas Huang speaks at the Insurance and Economic Development Forum in Taipei yesterday. The commission hopes that the digital banks would offer innovative services or products instead of setting unreasonably low prices to attract customers to ensure solid and sustainable development, Huang said. As virtual banks are barred from installing automatic teller machines (ATM), Rakuten plans to cooperate with traditional banks so its clients can use their ATMs for withdrawals, the commission said. After obtaining an operating license, the bank still needs to connect its information-flow and fund-flow systems with the central bank, the Central Deposit Insurance Corp (中央存保) and other agencies, he said.

The logo of China Steel Corp is pictured at its Kaohsiung headquarters yesterday. The price adjustments match a pricing strategy adopted by Chinese peer Baoshan Iron & Steel Co (寶鋼), which raised its prices for hot-rolled steel for delivery next month by US$61 per tonne, China Steel said in the statement. Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp (河靜鋼) in Vietnam is also expected to raise its prices significantly, to reflect higher manufacturing costs and the market uptrend, China Steel said. There have been drastic increases globally in the price of hot-rolled steel — US$1,000 per tonne in the US, US$700 per tonne in Europe and US$650 per tonne in Asia — it said. China Steel has increased the price of hot-rolled steel sheets and hot-rolled steel coils for delivery next quarter by NT$1,500 per tonne.

CTi denied press freedom, KMT saysFOREIGN MEDIA: Johnny Chiang said that freedom of the press is a human right and denying it greatly harms Taiwan’s reputation for having freedom of speechBy Shih Hsiao-kuang and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerForeign media and the international community should be concerned about the possibility of press freedom and freedom of speech being oppressed in Taiwan, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday. The KMT made the call at an international news conference in Taipei ahead of the CTi News channel going off the air at 12am today. The Taipei High Administrative Court on Monday rejected a request by CTi TV for an injunction to prevent the shutdown of its CTi News channel, meaning that CTi News is to cease broadcasting on local TV networks from today. Freedom of the press is a basic human right and President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration denying it greatly harms Taiwan’s international image of having freedom of speech, he said. CTi News provided information for the public to form their own opinions and its removal was, essentially, divesting the public of differing opinions and commentary, Ma said, adding that unless one lives in an autocratic nation, shutting down a TV station harms press freedom.

Taipei to implement label rules for pork in its storesBy Yang Hsin-hui / Staff reporterRactopamine-free pork promotion sections are to be set up at convenience stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets in Taipei next month, the Taipei City Government said yesterday as it unveiled a series of measures ahead of a policy change on US pork imports. Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday in front of a poster describing the Taipei City Government’s regulations for pork imported from the US with traces of ractopamine and beef from cattle 30 months or older. Sellers and catering businesses should label pork products that contain residues of ractopamine, she said. Meanwhile, the New Taipei City Council on Wednesday approved amendments to its food safety regulations, which include clauses and penalties requiring local pork products to be ractopamine-free and labeled accordingly. With food safety its priority, the government would watch how local governments respond and announce consistent rules later, Su said.

EDITORIAL: China’s ‘super soldier’ researchThe early 1990s Hollywood science fiction blockbuster Universal Soldier featured part-cyborg, part-genetically enhanced “super soldiers.” Three decades later, China appears to be taking its first step toward making biologically enhanced troops a reality. US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe made the claim in an opinion piece, titled “China is national security threat No. He was subsequently fined and sentenced to three years in jail for breaching China’s ban on genetic experiments on humans. Like France, the US approach appears to be guided by ethical concerns, including the voluntary and reversible nature of human augmentation technologies. Taiwan’s military and intelligence community must closely monitor Chinese research into gene editing and other biologically enhanced capabilities, and consider developing a robust ethical framework to allow for comparable Taiwanese research.

KMT Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) proposed a freeze on NT$5 billion, citing failure to complete procedural requirements before starting a detailed design for the prototype. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Shih-ying, second left, and Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang, third left, participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for an indigenous vessel project at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s Keelung shipyard yesterday. Photo: Lin Hsin-han, Taipei TimesKMT Legislator Wen Yu-hsia (溫玉霞) proposed a freeze of NT$2 billion; Chiang (江啟臣) proposed NT$1 billion and KMT Legislator Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲) proposed NT$20 million. Details of the project have only been discussed at closed-door sessions at the Legislative Yuan, a policy at odds with a transparent budget, Chiang said. The committee did not reach a decision over the budget and has forwarded the issue to be debated by the legislative caucuses.

“Growth risk is now neutral as multiple vaccine successes increase recovery upside,” Hsu said. The logos of S&P Global and Taiwan Ratings are pictured at its office in Taipei on Sept. 4 last year. Downside risks, while retreating, remain, while ongoing virus containment measures and growing debt worldwide could derail the post-pandemic recovery, Taiwan Ratings said. The pandemic would continue to hamper air travel and container carriers have not yet come out of related risks, Hsu said. The banking sector might see moderate loan growth of 4.5 percent next year, supported by a projected 3 percent GDP growth, Taiwan Ratings financial analyst Andy Chang (張書評) said.