MAC says it is monitoring Chinese recruitment driveBy Chung Li-hua, Lin Chia-nan and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with Staff WriterThe Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it was keeping a close watch on China’s latest recruitment initiative targeting young Taiwanese scientists. The council’s remarks follow the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology’s announcement on Thursday that it was seeking to recruit Taiwanese scientists in certain prioritized areas with an offer of a monthly subsidy of 15,000 yuan (US$2,167). The title and logo of the Mainland Affairs Council are pictured on a podium at the council’s offices in Taipei in an undated photograph. It added that the program was prioritizing research in health sciences, ecological agriculture and information science. Full-time teachers at public or private schools are also banned from taking up a teaching position in China, the ministry said at that time.

Building collapse defendants ordered to payStaff writer, with CNAThe Tainan District Court on Thursday ordered six defendants to pay NT$450 million (US$15.25 million) to 128 victims and family members after 115 residents of their shoddily constructed building died in a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Feb. 6, 2016. The lawsuit was brought by 128 victims and relatives of those who died when the Weiguan Jinlong housing complex collapsed, seeking compensation of nearly NT$5 billion. A person walks past the Tainan District Court on April 13. On Jan. 16, the Tainan District Court handed down its ruling in that case, requiring the defendants to pay more than NT$700 million to compensate victims and family members of those who died in the building collapse. The Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office also filed a suit against the five individuals and the district court on Jan. 17 ruled that they should pay NT$75.36 million and interest to victims and family members of the victims.

MOFA rejects anti-China Web campaign accusationsBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said that China was lying when Beijing claimed that Taiwan had paid social media users to post negative comments on China-Kiribati relations. The logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured at the ministry in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei TimesTang is Beijing’s first ambassador to the Pacific Island nation after China and Kiribati resumed diplomatic relations in September last year. “When the then-Australian high commissioner to Kiribati visited the island in 1998, local people welcomed him with the same ceremony,” Zhao said. MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) yesterday said that Taiwan did not know of the matter or have any contact with social media users who were singled out by Beijing for “pursuing an anti-China agenda.”China is “despicable for blatantly lying and trying to smear Taiwan,” she said.

KMT pushes for judicial mental facilityOUTRAGE: Amid an uproar over the acquittals of two men on murder charges due to impaired judgement, the KMT called for concrete plans to build such hospitalsBy Shih Hsiao-kuang / Staff reporterThe government must put forward a timetable for establishing “judicial mental hospitals,” the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday. More than three months have passed since a man diagnosed with schizophrenia was acquitted for killing Railway Police Bureau officer Lee Cheng-han (李承翰), prompting public calls for the government to establish judicial mental hospitals for criminals with mental illnesses, the KMT said. The High Court’s acquittal of Liang showed that there is a long road ahead for judicial reform, and Tsai should accelerate efforts to improve the judicial system, so that it can properly serve its purpose of serving justice and regain people’s trust, the KMT said. The DPP should back the proposed amendments, which are feasible and in line with public expectations, the KMT said. Executive Yuan spokesman Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) said the establishment of judicial mental hospitals would involve intergovernmental discussions on treatment, prevention and staffing.

Changhua health chief defends rapid test campaignBy Chang Tsung-chiu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerChanghua County Public Health Bureau Director Yeh Yen-po (葉彥伯) yesterday defended the county’s testing of people under home quarantine who have no symptoms of COVID-19, saying that if he could turn back the clock, he would have made the same decision. Yeh had instructed the county to conduct a pathology investigation for COVID-19 and since April has been conducting rapid diagnostic tests of people under home quarantine who have no symptoms. He was a Taiwanese teen living in the US who arrived on Aug. 5 for a family visit. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, on Tuesday instructed the health ministry’s Department of Civil Service Ethics to launch an investigation into the bureau to clarify the matter. Chen on Thursday said he understood Yeh’s position that studies support testing asymptomatic people for COVID-19, but the bureau should have informed the CECC first.

TSU urges Trump re-election supportSTRONG SUPPORT: Amid US-China tensions, TSU acting chairwoman Chen Nia-an expects Trump to further side with Taiwan during a potential second presidential termBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday called on Taiwanese and Taiwanese-Americans to support US President Donald Trump’s re-election bid, saying Trump has pursued policies to consolidate political and economic ties with Taiwan, and has proven to be a strong leader, standing up against China’s hegemonic ambitions and military provocations in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan Solidarity Union acting chairwoman Chou Ni-an, second left, holds a picture of US President Donald Trump at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Chou said that the TSU had received a phone call from the Presidential Office yesterday, after the office found out about the TSU’s plan to endorse Trump. She said that the call came from a government official of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who expressed their “concern” about the TSU’s support for Trump’s re-election bid. Stanton added that Biden’s support for Taiwan could be stronger than that of past Democratic administrations.

One-month project aims to reduce traffic accidentsPEDESTRIANS’ RIGHTS: The program includes fines for vehicles or scooters failing to yield to pedestrians, with the number of incidents rising fast over the yearsBy Cheng Wei-chi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerA collaborative one-month project by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the National Police Agency (NPA) is to commence next month in hopes of reducing traffic accident rates. Vehicles illegally turning right on a red light are to be fined between NT$600 and NT$1,800, while pedestrians failing to observe pedestrian crossings or jaywalking are to be fined NT$300, it said. A police officer holds signs urging drivers to give way to pedestrians on a crosswalk in Nantou County on Thursday. Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu,Taipei TimesIf a vehicle proceeds over a crossing within 3m, or one lane, of a pedestrian, it would be considered not yielding, NPA Traffic Division chief Wang Feng-hui (王鳳輝) said. The safety of pedestrians must be guaranteed as they comprise the largest group of those using the roads, which is the impetus for the project, Hsieh said.

China Steel to raise local steel prices 3.36%A SIX-YEAR HIGH: The steelmaker said that China has returned to business, boosting demand, while Brazil, the prime iron ore producer, remains hard-hit by the virusBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterChina Steel Corp (中鋼), Taiwan’s largest steelmaker, yesterday said that it would raise steel prices by an average of 3.36 percent for domestic delivery in response to an uptrend in global steel and iron ore prices — the biggest price hikes in about two years. Domestic steel prices in China have increased by US$40 per tonne, domestic and exported steel prices in Vietnam are to increase by US$45 per tonne and the export price for October delivery in Japan is to become US$550 per tonne, China Steel said in a statement. The logo and name of China Steel Corp are pictured at its Kaohsiung headquarters yesterday. In the fourth quarter, prices for steel plates would increase NT$800 per tonne, while electro-galvanized steel coils would increase NT$1,000 per tonne and steel rods would increase NT$750 per tonne, the company said. China Steel said that it would also increase prices for most steel categories, with hot-rolled steel plates increasing NT$500 per tonne, cold-rolled coils NT700 per tonne and electrical steel NT$1,000 per tonne.

Misusing freedom to back ChinaBy Chen Kuan-fu 陳冠甫Veteran entertainer Lisa Cheng (鄭惠中) was once more thrust into the public eye on Friday last week when she threw red paint on a portrait of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) at the memorial set up for him at the Taipei Guest House. Last year, Cheng caused a scene when she slapped Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) in the face. There have been many examples of individuals defacing or beheading statues as a way to express their opinion. One could interpret this kind of action as “symbolic speech,” conforming to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution. Following three transitions of political power, Taiwan’s independence from China has become a majority position and the dangwai group has long become a party of government.

Tesla seeks approval for sensor that could detect child left in hot vehiclesReuters, WASHINGTONTesla Inc asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to market a short-range interactive motion-sensing device that could help prevent children from being left behind in hot vehicles and boost theft-prevention systems. A worker parks a Tesla Inc vehicle at the company’s assembly plant in Fremont, California, on Thursday last week. Photo: BloombergMillimeter wave radar technology has advantages over other sensing systems, such as camera-based or in-seat occupant detection systems, Tesla said. The radar-based system “provides depth perception and can ‘see’ through soft materials, such as a blanket covering a child in a child restraint,” it said. Each stockholder of record by the close of business yesterday received four additional shares of common stock for each one that they owned.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, right, gestures during a radio interview in Taipei yesterday. The teen had not shown any virus symptoms since his arrival, but on Saturday last week was tested by local health authorities, it said. Changhua County Public Health Bureau Director Yeh Yen-po is pictured in the county yesterday. Chen said that the Changhua bureau had conducted virus tests for hundreds of people under quarantine over the past six months without informing the CECC. However, Yeh’s comments sparked debate over whether local testing procedures might differ from the CECC’s policies and create loopholes in disease prevention measures.

KMT to push for Pratas Islands visitBy Aaron Tu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said that it would continue to push for its plan to inspect the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) after the Ministry of National Defense canceled a planned visit citing insufficient review time. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Yu-jen, center, holds a document at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. KMT Legislator Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) said there have been six visits, four to the Pratas Islands and two to Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) in as many years, indicating that such visits are commonplace. The KMT is willing to wait for the ministry to complete its “due procedures” and will continue to apply to visit the Pratas Islands, Lin said. While the council has jurisdiction over the islands, the ministry has control over visits, as the Pratas, like the Spratley Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), are restricted areas.

Tropical depression might affect weekend’s weatherBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterA tropical disturbance east of the Philippines is likely to turn into a tropical storm or a typhoon, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday, adding that it could affect the weather across the nation this weekend. If a tropical storm or a typhoon is to form, it would be named “Bavi,” after a mountain in Vietnam, the bureau said. A weather map, with Taiwan in the center, showing a low pressure system to the east of the Philippines. Chances of heavy rainfall are high in the mountainous areas, he said, adding that if the system moves closer to Taiwan, heavy rainfall could occur across the nation. Between Monday and Wednesday, residents in central and southern Taiwan should be prepare for extreme weather, Wu said.

COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials approvedANTIBODIES: Adimmune became the first in the nation to gain FDA approval to start phase 1 human tests, which it plans to commence by the end of this monthBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday approved Adimmune Corp’s (國光生技) application to conduct phase I clinical trials of its COVID-19 candidate vaccine, making it the first in the nation to get the green light, the company said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange yesterday. The FDA on Monday granted Adimmune conditional approval for its clinical trial application, asking it to submit additional technical data. After complying with the request, the company received full approval yesterday, it said in a press release. Adimmune plans to enroll 60 to 70 healthy adult participants, who would be divided into three groups that would receive low, medium and high doses of the drug, Pan said. To speed up development of the vaccine, Adimmune intends to combine the phase II and phase III trials into a phase II/III design and run the final phase in November, subject to FDA approval, he said.

Premier presents awards over results of criminal casesBy Sean Lin / Staff reporterPremier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday presented awards to civil servants who were instrumental in investigations that he said helped maintain social stability and safeguard the economy. Premier Su Tseng-chang, second right, smiles at an awards ceremony in Taipei yesterday after presenting awards to civil servants who helped foil an operation making counterfeit Triple Stimulus Vouchers. The Yunlin District Prosecutors’ Office, the Yunlin County Police Bureau and the Ocean Affairs Council joined forces to investigate a factory in Yunlin County that was making counterfeit Triple Stimulus Vouchers, Su said. Equipment was seized and five suspects were arrested, ending an operation that had a potential cost to the public of NT$370 million (US$12.53 million), he said. The Customs Administration, as well as Taichung and Hsinchu County police department personnel intercepted 277,000 Chinese-made masks labeled as “Made in Taiwan,” Su said.