Constitution has little to do with Taiwan: professorTHE CHINA CONNECTION: As Beijing’s aggression increases, so does Taiwanese consciousness, making a new constitution imperative, Hsu Wei-chun saidBy Hsieh Chun-lin and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerIf the nation is to ratify a new constitution, it must first end any illusions about the current document’s relevance to Taiwan, an academic told a forum in Taipei yesterday. The Constitution exists under the “one China” framework and has little relevance to Taiwan, Hsu said, adding that there have been calls to rewrite it for more than 40 years, but such social movements take time. Chung Yuan Christian University associate professor Hsu Wei-chun speaks during the “Imagining a New Constitution for a New Era” forum in Taipei yesterday. Considering Taiwan’s precarious status, the “one China” framework is intertwined with Chinese aggression, yet has little to do with Taiwan itself, he said, adding that drafting a new Constitution could help the nation diagnose its political challenges and implement reform. However, most important is how Taiwanese view their relationship with China, Hsu said.

Apologizing for the overdue gathering, You said that he was happy to see the 49 “old comrades in arms” who showed up, but also sad that more than 44 late founding members could not be there. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei TimesFounded on Sept. 28, 1986, outside the Grand Hotel, the DPP was the first democratic party in the Chinese-speaking world, playing an essential role in forming Taiwan’s unique democratic process, You said. It was the founding members who really gave birth to the party, as they showed no fear and were willing to take the risk in signing the petition to form the party, despite the then-KMT regime, he said. Although the original petition has been lost and some of the founding members remain unidentified, they should not be forgotten, You said, adding that he and his colleagues had spent months collecting materials and reviewing old footage to identify all of the signatories. Once completed, the list would become part of the DPP’s archives documenting the history of Taiwan’s democratic development, he added.

Cathay United prepares to compete with virtual banksBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterCathay United Bank (國泰世華銀行) plans to use artificial intelligence and big data analysis to learn what customers need and maintain their loyalty, as emerging virtual banks are likely to poach existing establishments’ clients with fancy marketing and rewards, Cathay United Bank president Alan Lee (李偉正) said. Photo: Kao Shih-ching, Taipei TimesAmong the 5 million clients who use Cathay United Bank’s credit cards, about 60 percent have applied for its other financial products, such as mortgages, wealth management products or small loans, Lee said. Cathay United Bank does not invest in any of the nation’s three virtual banks. The lender had 680,330 digital savings accounts as of the end of June, the second-highest after Taishin International Bank’s (台新銀行) Richart service, Financial Supervisory Commission data showed. The bank might allow Line Bank’s clients to withdraw cash or conduct other transactions at its automated teller machines, with Line Bank paying the handling fees, he added.

The organization was inaugurated in Brussels in 2016 as a global coalition of mayors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Six Taiwanese cities at the time joined the coalition as cities in “Taiwan,” the ministry said. The logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured at the ministry in Taipei in an undated photograph. The nation’s other member cities — Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan and Taichung — were also listed as cities in China, it added. When China faces such crises, it looks for scapegoats to help consolidate the legitimacy of its one-party rule, it says.

Taiwan in Time: Resting in stonePrehistoric slate coffins found in countless archaeological sites across Taiwan were often tailor-made to fit the size of the deceased, including miniature ones for miscarried fetusesBy Han Cheung / Staff reporterSept. 28 to Oct . Nenozo Utsurikawa, front row in kimono, former head of Taihoku Imperial University’s Institute of Ethnology, was the first anthropologist to discover slate coffins in Taiwan in 1930. The best-known mass stone coffin site is the Beinan site (卑南遺址) in Taitung County, which was revealed in 1980 during a railroad rerouting project. Photo: Huang Ming-tang, Taipei TimesLong before the stone coffins were unearthed at the Beinan site, the location was already known to Japanese scholars, who had examined two large stone pillars in 1896. The stone coffins found at this site were all positioned along a north-south axis, which was also how the inhabitants arranged their dwellings.

New stamps feature mosques in Taipei and TaichungBy Cheng Wei-chi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerChunghwa Post on Tuesday is to release a set of stamps featuring two Taiwanse mosques to highlight cultural diversity in the nation, it said. The two-stamp set features the Taipei Grand Mosque and the Taichung Mosque, with denominations of NT$15 and NT$28 respectively. The Taipei Grand Mosque in the city’s Daan District (大安) is a municipal heritage site, Chunghwa Post said. “We considered that the zodiac system is unique and should be celebrated with more than themed stamps,” Kuo said. There are two versions of the silver disc, based on the NT$6 and the NT$13 denomination stamps, Kuo said.

Virus Outbreak: KMT caucus urges testing all outbound travelersBy Chen Yun / Staff reporterThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday urged the government to change the nation’s COVID-19 testing methods and test all people under home quarantine as well as all travelers leaving Taiwan. KMT caucus whip Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) said the COVID-19 situation in Taiwan might worsen as temperatures begin to drop, and that the surge in exported cases might be a warning sign. As other countries have different COVID-19 screening mechanisms at their borders, testing travelers before they depart Taiwan would not only protect Taiwanese, but also the nation’s reputation, he said. Taiwan has shunned wide-scale testing, but people in home quarantine might be asymptomatic carriers who might pose high risks, he said. The government should implement wide-scale testing on people in home quarantine and on travelers departing Taiwan, Wang said.

The council released the minutes of a committee meeting on China’s “legal war” against Taiwan and possible response measures. The “legal war” aims to unilaterally define jurisdiction over Taiwan to legitimize annexing the nation based on Beijing’s so-called “democratic negotiations,” while preparing to negate Taiwanese legislation, the minutes said. The National Security Law imposed by Beijing in Hong Kong is a model for China to draw up Taiwan-related regulations, the minutes said. China’s legal war against Taiwan operates in tandem with other public opinion, psychological and diplomatic tactics, a committee member said. Another committee member said that China has never abided by the rule of law, but only uses laws to achieve its political aims.

Dementia therapy uses VR to reactivate memoriesBy Fang Chih-hsien and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Kaohsiung Medical University Neuroscience Research Center on Monday introduced a new dementia therapy that uses virtual reality (VR) to recreate patients’ living experiences and reactivate long-term memories, to help lower their aggression levels. In Taiwan, one in 12 people aged 65 or older suffers from dementia, the center said, adding that effective treatment requires pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies. A man on Monday last week demonstrates a dementia therapy that uses virtual reality created by the Kaohsiung Medical University Neuroscience Research Center. Explaining the new therapy, center director Yang Yuan-han (楊淵韓) said that many old men enjoy talking about their military experiences. For them, revisiting the past through immersion in VR environments has therapeutic effects, stabilizes their mood and reduces dementia-related aggression, Yang added.

US pork directives sent for legislative reviewCONSENSUS: Nine administrative directives on the contested import plan were handed to five legislative committees, after the DPP and KMT had agreed about how to proceedBy Chen Yun and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerNine administrative directives related to allowing US imports of pork containing ractopamine residue were submitted to a joint session composed of five committees at the Legislative Yuan for review amid a cross-party consensus yesterday. Nine proposed designs for Taiwanese pork products are shown in a composite image. A further nine proposed designs for Taiwanese pork products are shown in a composite image. Meanwhile, the Council of Agriculture is looking for the best logo for Taiwanese pork products, with winning logos from the preliminary round now in an online vote. A mock-up of a pig stands on an empty legislative floor at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.

Taiwan, US seek to counter BeijingBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterChina’s foreign influence campaigns have damaged democratic institutions, but Taiwan will continue to work with the US and like-minded partners to counter Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the statement in response to a speech by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison on Wednesday. The logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured at the ministry in Taipei in an undated photograph. CCP campaigns targeting state-level officials have been in full swing for years and are increasing in intensity, Pompeo said. He had helped arrange for Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) to appear on the show and discuss Taiwan’s response to COVID-19, he said.

It is the second increase of special funding for the Special Act on COVID-19 Prevention, Relief and Recovery (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例), with the first, valued at NT$150 billion, approved on May 9. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, right, speaks alongside Premier Su Tseng-chang during a question-and-answer session yesterday at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The Council of Agriculture is requesting NT$19.11 billion, while the Ministry of Labor is asking for NT$4.79 billion, Chu said. The National Communications Commission is asking for NT$271.4 million, while the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Education are requesting NT$638.55 million and NT$640 million respectively, he said. In related news, Taiwan can obtain vaccines through self-development, international purchases or international collaboration, Su said, adding that regardless of the method, Taiwan would prioritize domestic needs.

Gudeng bullish on fourth quarter after rebound in demandBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterGudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd (家登), the sole supplier of extreme ultraviolet light (EUV) pods to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), yesterday said that a rebound in demand from its major client would support sequential growth in revenue next quarter. “Demand is to pick up in the fourth quarter following a break in the third quarter,” Chiu said. The company expects its capacity to increase to 2,000 EUV pods per month after it completes a new plant in 2022. Gudeng also supplies EUV pods to Intel Corp and Samsung Electronics Co, sources said. The use of photomasks and EUV pods is expected to more than double when chipmakers advance to next-generation technologies.

Next Bank is the first among the nation’s three virtual banks to clearly announce its plans regarding competition with the nation’s existing banks. Next Bank general manager Liu I-cheng delivers a speech at a Taiwan Fintech Association forum in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Taipei Times, Kao Shih-chingLiu did not elaborate how many clients Next Bank aims to attract in the first year. Next Bank plans to offer deposit, debit card and small loan services by the end of this year. Next Bank would consider providing the service alone or partnering with other banks if the regulator approves, he said.

Kaohsiung mask firm fined NT$2 millionCRACKDOWN: The heavy penalty is seen as proof of the health department’s intention to curb illegal manufacturing and to serve as a warning to othersBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe Kaohsiung Department of Health yesterday fined Jingxin Technology Co NT$2 million (US$68,318) for setting up unlicensed mask production equipment, while the Ministry of Labor said that it would send teams to regularly inspect mask facilities after it received complaints of breaches of labor laws. A Kaohsiung Department of Health official attaches a seal on a machine unlicensed for producing medical masks at Jingxin Technology Co in Kaohsiung during an inspection on Thursday. Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei TimesKaohsiung health officials said that Jingxin Technology was fined for breaches of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法). The owners of Jingxin Technology are a father and son surnamed Hsu (許). Ministry of Labor officials have said that they have instructed inspectors to make regular rounds of all mask manufacturing facilities.