Focus on zero cases ‘not useful’NEW ERA: Taiwan, which has controlled its virus outbreak, now faces the challenge of safely resuming economic exchanges with other nations, Chang Shan-chwen saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterPeople should not focus entirely on having zero new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan, but neglect overall control over the disease situation, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) specialist advisory panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said yesterday. That included amending regulations to set up a more efficient and centralized disease control command system, enhancing infection controls at healthcare facilities and setting up a mask rationing policy, he said. “However, the global COVID-19 situation is still severe, so the CECC is being very careful in easing border controls,” Chou said. They were prepared for possible local outbreaks, but the nation kept the disease situation under control much better than they had expected, he said. “If people always want to see zero new cases, then the government will not dare to ease [disease prevention] policies, but this might have a negative effect on the economy,” he said.

The TAIEX closed down 151.77 points, or 1.2 percent, at 12,513.03, on turnover of NT$231.43 billion (US$7.84 billion). Foreign institutional investors sold a net NT$30.4 billion worth of shares on the main board, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed. “The infection sources of the three cases remain unknown, which raises fears over the domestic situation, although the nation has not officially reported any domestic cases” since April 12, Huang said. “When investors sold TSMC, they shifted their buying to its smaller rival United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) today, giving some support to the broader market,” Huang said. However, concerns over the spread of the virus boosted the biotech sector, where shares in Chunghwa Chemical Synthesis & Biotech Co (中化合成生技) rose 5.2 percent and Adimmune Corp (國光生技) soared 10 percent.

NCC’s acting chair becomes chairman, outlines his goalsBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe National Communications Commission plans to amend three key media laws to address a series of challenges facing the cable television industry, newly installed Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) said yesterday. We would also stipulate supporting measures to be implemented when the nation enforces a tiered-pricing policy for cable services,” Chen said in a speech at the inauguration of the new commission members. National Communications Commission Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang speaks at the inauguration of new commission members at the Ministry of Transportion and Communications’ Convention Center in Taipei yesterday. “We would gather opinions and revise the draft act if necessary before submitting it to the Executive Yuan,” he said. The commission is also drafting a digital communications act (數位通訊傳播法) to promote the development of innovative applications under the principle of Internet governance, Chen said.

Sea warning issued for Tropical Storm HagupitBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe Central Weather Bureau yesterday issued a sea warning for Tropical Storm Hagupit and said that the storm would continue to affect the nation today. Hagupit was approaching northeastern Taiwan, threatening vessels operating near the northeast and north coasts, bureau forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Fishing boats are moored at a port in New Taipei City yesterday as Tropical Storm Hagupit approached. Thick clouds caused by the influence of Tropical Storm Hagupit are pictured over Taipei yesterday. Based on the bureau’s projected path, Hagupit would come close to Taiwan’s northeast coast today before moving toward China tomorrow.

Securities and Futures Bureau Director Sam Chang speaks at the 2020 Taiwan Capital Market Forum in Taipei on Friday. Some overseas pension funds even follow an investment strategy that sets a minimum exposure to social bonds, he added. “Given that social bonds and sustainability bonds are popular overseas, Taiwan’s bond market is likely to continue advancing after these instruments are included,” he said. It expects to see companies issue Taiwan’s first sustainability bonds or social bonds by the end of this year, Chang said. The commission should unveil a development roadmap for the local capital market so investors could clearly see what it envisions, he said.

Court hears request to detain lawmakersStaff writer, with CNAA detention hearing yesterday afternoon to review prosecutors’ request to detain five incumbent and former lawmakers accused of bribery was still ongoing as of press time last night. Prosecutors asked the Taipei District Court to detain them, citing the seriousness of the crimes and the possibility that they could collude to destroy evidence, or flee the nation. The entrance to the Taipei District Court is pictured on July 12. Prosecutors on Saturday asked the court to detain Lee. Lee has denied he paid bribes to lawmakers, describing the money as a loan to Su, without elaborating.

NPP suspends chairman over probe‘ZERO TOLERANCE’: Chiu Hsien-chih has taken over as the party’s acting chairman, and said he would work on the party’s ability to detect and address corruptionBy Wu Su-wei and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe New Power Party (NPP) on Saturday suspended party chairman Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) over his alleged involvement in a bribery case. The NPP said it has appointed caucus whip Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) as acting chairman until an intra-party election for chairperson is held early next year. New Power Party caucus whip Chiu Hsien-chih speaks in Taipei on July 13. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei TimesChiu was NPP chairman from March to August last year. As to whether Hsu would be stripped of his party membership, Chiu said that its disciplinary committee was following party regulations in suspending Hsu’s chairman position for the moment.

Nankang says blaze did not hurt tire operationsBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterThe cause of a fire late on Saturday at a Nankang Rubber Tire Corp (南港輪胎) plant in Hsinchu County’s Sinfeng Township (新豐) is under investigation, but the blaze is not expected to have a major effect on operations, the company said yesterday. There were no casualties and damage to the plant was limited, the nation’s second-largest tire maker said in a regulatory filing. A fire rages at Nankang Rubber Tire Corp’s plant in Hsinchu County’s Sinfeng Township late on Saturday night. Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei TimesA preliminary investigation indicated the fire broke out in a machinery room on the top floor of a building outside the production plant, Nankang said. Nankang has yet to release its financial results for last quarter.

TAIWAN CAPITAL MARKET FORUM: Effective use of liquidity key to development, Hsu saysBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterTaiwan’s abundant liquidity is the largest niche for the development of the local capital market, and effective use of the funds and directing them into investments would lead to the positive development of the market, Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) chairman Hsu Jan-yau (許璋瑤) said at a financial forum in Taipei on Friday. Hsu told the 2020 Taiwan Capital Market Forum that the nation has ample liquidity, with NT$45 trillion (US$1.53 trillion) held by banks, NT$30 trillion by insurance companies, NT$42 trillion in the capital market and a massive sum in the social insurance system. Taiwan Stock Exchange chairman Hsu Jan-yau speaks at the 2020 Taiwan Capital Market Forum in Taipei on Friday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei TimesForty percent of listed companies have reported rising revenues this year, and 385 of the listed companies have posted dividend yields higher than 4 percent, despite the challenging economic conditions worldwide, he said. Funds raised by all listed companies last year totaled NT$500 billion and their brand value totaled US$9.6 billion, Chien said.

Tom Soong is the son of Raymond Soong, while Chiu formerly served in the company’s optoelectronics branch. With more contributions from its cloud computing, PC and optoelectronics businesses, the company’s revenue for last quarter reached NT$41.796 billion, a quarterly increase of 28.3 percent, the statement said. By segment, the information technology unit remained Lite-On’s biggest business with a sales contribution of 68 percent last quarter. In the first half of the year, the company’s revenue dropped 13.16 percent annually to NT$74.37 billion. In the third quarter, Lite-On expects its optoelectronics, cloud computing, 5G, AIoT and gaming businesses to grow more than in the second quarter, with demand for products related to the PC sector likely to remain stable.

Taichung clinic shut in poison probeCHINESE MEDICINE PRESCRIPTIONS: Blood tests showed that Taichung City Councilor Chang Yen-tung and his father had dangerously high levels of lead in their bodiesBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Taichung Health Bureau yesterday suspended operations at a Chinese medicine clinic for a month and fined the owner, after a preliminary investigation into the lead poisoning of Taichung City Councilor Chang Yen-tung’s (張彥彤) family indicated the source was herbal medicine prescribed for them at the clinic. He, his sister and parents all reportedly suffered from lead poisoning, he said. A Chinese medicine clinic pharmacist in Taichung on Thursday pours out herbal powder. Hung Tung-jung (洪東榮), a doctor in China Medical University’s toxicology department, on Saturday said that the public should ensure that prescribed Chinese herbal medicine is from manufacturers awarded the good manufacturing practice (GMP) certificate and should not take products or herbal medicine from dubious sources. In the late stages of lead poisoning, a person could develop unsteadiness or other problems walking, muscle atrophy, or complete paralysis, Hung said.

Photo: Lin Cheng-kun, Taipei TimesThat resolution became the basis of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) “one China, with different interpretations” framework that formed the foundation of the “1992 consensus,” Ma said. “How could there possibly have been discussions on national sovereignty issues at that meeting?” Huang said. During a press conference following the meeting, Ma, who was also the MAC spokesman, even said the meeting was a failure, Huang said. “How can Ma now say there was a ‘1992 consensus’?” he added. Lee and former SEF chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) had both previously denied there was a “1992 consensus,” Huang said.

Remembering Lee Teng-hui: Lee held retirement dream: raise the best beef cattlePRIME CUT: After buying 19 heads of cattle in 2016, Lee set out to create a Taiwanese breed to rival Japan’s top beef cattle, using modern techniques and DNA analysisStaff Writer, with CNALate president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) fulfilled many political wishes during his lifetime, not least of which was securing democracy for Taiwan, but one remained — transforming the nation’s beef industry. They were transported to a dairy farm in Hualien County, with clean air and vast grassland, which Lee selected to fulfill his retirement “dream” of breeding Taiwanese prime beef cattle, the Lee Teng-hui Foundation said. Former president Lee Teng-hui, center, smiles during a visit to Harvest Ranch in Hualien County’s Fenglin Township on Nov. 6, 2017. Lee did not just want to breed Taiwan-exclusive prime beef cattle, he wanted to “thoroughly transform Taiwan’s beef industry,” Chen said. A cart drives down Lee Teng-hui Boulevard at Harvest Ranch in Hualien County’s Fenglin Township on Friday.

Remembering Lee Teng-hui: Groups urge renaming airport to honor LeeBy Lin Tsuei-yi and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan Taoyuan International Airport should be renamed “Lee Teng-hui Airport,” Taiwan-Japan cultural exchange organizations said yesterday in a joint statement. Japan-based Taiwan independence activist Lin Chien-liang (林建良), who initiated the statement, said the idea of renaming either the Taoyuan airport or Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) in honor of Lee has been raised by several Japanese friends who contacted him after Lee passed away. A departure board in Terminal 2 of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is pictured on March 21. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei TimesNaming international airports after political figures who have made significant contributions and achievements during their tenure is a common practice, the statement said, citing as examples New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The statement included comments by All Japan Taiwanese Union president Chao Chung-cheng (趙中正) and Taiwanese Association in Japan president Wang Shao-ying (王紹英).

Hunter certificates issued to 294 Aborigines in HualienBy Wang Chin-yi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerSioulin Township’s (秀林) Truku People’s Hunting Association yesterday awarded 294 hunter certificates to Aborigines of Hualien County, a first step toward self-managed hunting by local Aboriginal villages. The event might bolster Aborigines’ appeal to the central government to allow more villages to participate in non-commercial hunting, the association said. Truku hunters yesterday fire a salute at a ceremony organized by Hualien County’s Sioulin Township Office and the Truku People’s Hunting Association to award 294 hunter certificates. The association’s certificate entails a 20-hour course on topics such as hunting culture, hunter safety, and laws governing hunting and outdoor tracking. The Truku community continues to live by their ancestors’ teaching that the “land is our blood, and the mountains and woods our home,” Yudaw said.