No need to ‘pick a side’ between US and China: KMT chairStaff writer, with CNAThere is no need for Taiwan to “pick a side” between the US and China, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said yesterday, adding that while the former is a friend, the latter is "family." Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun speaks at a meeting of the party's Central Standing Committee in Taipei yesterday. "We don't need to pick a side between the United States and China," Cheng said. Asked about the possibility of the KMT chair meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) this year, Cheng said there is no need for speculation. Before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday arrived in Beijing for a state visit, he said that "there is no need [for the UK] to choose between the US and China," Cheng said.

China purge could disrupt chain of command: sourceMORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “seriousBy Su Yong-yao, Lo Tien-pin and Esme Yeh

Drugmakers take hit from the US’ anti-vax changesSweeping policy changes under US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr are having a chilling effect on vaccine makers as anti-vaccine rhetoric has turned into concrete changes in inoculation schedules and recommendations, investors and executives said. The administration of US President Donald Trump has in the past year upended vaccine recommendations, with the country last month ending its longstanding guidance that all children receive inoculations against flu, hepatitis A and other diseases. The unprecedented changes have led to diminished vaccine usage, hurt the investment case for some biotechs, and created a drag that would likely dent revenues andBy Bhanvi Satija

MOEA approves Nvidia investment on eve of Jensen Huang visitStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has approved an application filed by artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp to remit NT$3.3 billion (US$105 million) into Taiwan for an investment in a new Taipei office,. The approval came just a day ahead of the scheduled arrival by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳), who is expected to attend a "Weiya" banquet slated for tomorrow. The Nvidia logo is pictured at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California, on Nov. 19 last year. Other than attending Nvidia’s Weiya in Taipei, Huang is also expected to meet with Taiwanese tech heavyweights at a second dinner banquet on Saturday including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. The Taipei City Government is hoping to sign an agreement with Nvidia witnessed by Huang during his stay in Taipei.

Approachable robots for humansNot ready for robots in homes? Forged by stealth startup Fauna Robotics over two years of secret research and development, Sprout’s public debut on Tuesday aims to jump-start a whole new industry of building “approachable” robots for homes, schools and social spaces. While being operated remotely, Fauna Robotics’ new robot named Sprout on Jan. 14 shows off its dexterity in New York. Photo: APThe usual hypothesis for the commercialization of humanoid robots is that they will get their first jobs in warehouses or factories long before they are ready for homes. The science journal Nature published his study on an AI-powered virtual rat, co-authored with another of Fauna’s research scientists, Diego Aldarondo.

Doctor warns about signs of dementiaBy Wu Chun-feng and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writerElderly people who experience hallucinations of deceased friends or family members could be showing signs of dementia with acute delirium, a psychiatrist said, urging relatives to help them seek prompt medical evaluations. National Cheng Kung Hospital Dementia Center director Pai Ming-chyi, left, poses for a photograph in Kaohsiung on Jan. 12. Lin was diagnosed with mild dementia with acute delirium, he said. Early-stage dementia is not readily apparent, as signs such as mild forgetfulness, slowed responses or decreased concentration are usually confused by family as signs of normal aging, Shen said. People with dementia are prone to acute delirium particularly when physical illnesses occur, such as infection, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, medication effects or other acute conditions, Shen said.

South Korea court jails former first lady for briberyReuters, SEOULA South Korean court yesterday sentenced former first lady Kim Keon-hee to 20 months in jail for accepting Chanel bags and a diamond pendant from Unification Church officials in return for providing political favors. The wife of former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, who was ousted from office last year, was cleared on other charges of stock manipulation and violating the political funds act. People watch a news report of the sentencing of former South Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee on a TV in Seoul yesterday. The court fined her 12.8 million won (US$8,959) and ordered the confiscation of the necklace. Prosecutors had demanded 15 years in jail and fines of 2.9 billion won if she was found guilty on all charges.

Ministry plans to merge state-backed finance firmsBloombergTaiwan plans to merge its four state-backed asset managers into a local fund giant with about US$12 billion of assets, as the government seeks consolidation in the country’s financial industry to boost its competitiveness. “We will move toward the goal of merging the four asset managers into one,” Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun (莊翠雲) said in response to lawmakers’ questions at a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday. The firms involved include First Securities Investment Trust Co (第一金投信), Mega International Investment Trust Co (兆豐投信), Taiwan Cooperative Securities Investment Trust Co (合作金庫投信) and Hua Nan Investment Trust Co (華南永昌投信), Chuang said, adding that the deal would be led by First Securities, the largest of the four. Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun speaks at a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee in Taipei yesterday. Officials have also pledged to turn the country into a wealth hub by expanding the local asset management sector, establishing a trial asset management zone in Kaohsiung and launching the Asian asset management center promotion office.

Foreign students drawn to ICT courses: reportSTRATEGY: Amid the AI wave, universities can take advantage of Taiwan’s position in the industry by linking school names with related keywords, an educator saidStaff writer, with CNAForeign nationals looking to study abroad are increasingly drawn to courses related to information and communications technology (ICT), the Association of International Cultural and Educational Exchange Taiwan said in a report released yesterday. Results of an online survey conducted by the Association of International Cultural and Educational Exchange Taiwan last year. Photo: Screengrab from the Web site of the Association of International Cultural and Educational Exchange TaiwanThe report on international recruitment trends examines how the global wave of AI is shaping international students’ preferences. Many students said they were confused by a lack of detailed information, including scholarship amounts, the report said. Past surveys found that more than 80 percent of international students did not understand Taiwan’s higher-education strengths, Hung said.

Transport minister defends high-speed rail planBy Jonathan Chin / Staff writerMinister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) yesterday doubled down on the Yilan and Pingtung counties high-speed rail extension plan amid increasing public criticism of the program’s practicality. Chen told ETToday on the sidelines of an unrelated event in Kaohsiung that ministry officials had not “massaged the data” as his predecessor alleged. Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai, left, installs a bolt in a beam in a ceremony marking the beginning of the construction of a new high-speed rail depot in Kaohsiung yesterday. Spurring growth of the transportation grid should be an objective of Taiwan’s high-speed rail system, which has been in operation for close to 20 years, he said. A ministry principle is to establish high-speed rail lines where it is affordable and technologically feasible to bring economic development across the nation, he said.

Air force holds F-16V jets drillREADINESS EXERCISE: The scrambling of aircraft to see off China’s air force gives real-life experience to fighter pilots in terms of observing Chinese tactics up closeBy Yi-Chin Lee and Ann Wang / Reuters, CHIAYI COUNTYThe air force showcased its ability to rapidly replenish and get back into the air its most advanced F-16 jets in a readiness drill yesterday, designed to demonstrate combat-oriented training. The air force scrambles on an almost daily basis to monitor and warn off Chinese aircraft that routinely fly around the nation. Pilot Shih Shun-de (施順德) said it was important to let people know just how fast the air force can react. “The scramble drill lets the public see the results of the air force’s realistic, combat-oriented training,” Shih said. The repeated scrambling of aircraft to see off China’s air force also gives real-life experience to fighter pilots in terms of observing China’s air force and tactics up close.

Venezuelan opposition figure seen in public for first time in 17 monthsAFP, CARACASVenezuelan opposition figure Delsa Solorzano on Tuesday appeared in public for the first time in 17 months, hailing a new phase in the country’s history after the ouster of deposed president Nicolas Maduro. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, left, gestures next to opposition Encuentro Ciudadano party leader Delsa Solorzano, center, during a protest in Caracas on Aug. 17, 2024. Under pressure from the US, Rodriguez’s government claims to have released about 800 prisoners — a figure activists question. Solorzano expressed concern about the cooperation between Rodriguez and Trump, who have announced agreements on US access to Venezuelan oil and the unblocking of Venezuelan funds frozen under sanctions. “They declare every day that they talk to each other,” the opposition figure said.

Avian influenza reported at egg farm in TaichungHEALTH HAZARD: The virus has killed 1,700 of the 7,000 hens at the farm, local authorities said, adding that a mass culling is scheduled for todayBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAAn outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has been reported at an egg farm in Taichung, Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said yesterday. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen speaks to reporters in Taichung yesterday. Photo: CNAThe virus has killed 1,700 of the 7,000 hens at the farm in Fongyuan District (豐原), it said. It said it sent personnel to the facility yesterday to collect samples to test for bird flu and disinfect a 3km radius around the farm. Taichung also reported an outbreak of African swine fever at a hog farm in Wuci District (梧棲) in October last year.

Legislators quiz CEC chair nomineeBy Lee Wen-hsin and Jason Pan / Staff reportersCentral Election Commission (CEC) chair nominee Michael You (游盈隆) yesterday told lawmakers that he would support holding referendums at the same time as national elections. If confirmed by legislators to serve as CEC chair, You said that he would resign from his job as head of the public polling firm the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (台灣民意基金會) so as to maintain a neutral stance and to uphold high standards for himself. “To head the CEC, I know some sacrifices have to be made, such as losing the freedom to openly discuss politics. Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation chairman Michael You speaks at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. He lost to KMT candidates on both occasions and later cofounded the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, leaving the DPP in 2019.

Control Yuan President Chen Chu resignsStaff Writer, with CNAThe Presidential Office said yesterday that Chen Chu (陳菊) will be relieved of her posts as Control Yuan president, Control Yuan member and chairperson of Taiwan’s National Human Rights Commission after submitting her resignation. Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has appointed Control Yuan Vice President Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) as acting president. Former Control Yuan President Chen Chu speaks in an unidentified event in this undated photograph. Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei TimesChen sought medical treatment for a cold late 2024 at Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, during which doctors discovered a tumor on her right kidney. In September, the Control Yuan said Chen’s leave of absence was taken in accordance with relevant regulations.