KMT to appoint six Central Advisory Committee members, including Jaw
KMT to appoint six Central Advisory Committee members, including JawBy Chen Yun and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday announced plans to appoint six new members, including Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), to its Central Advisory Committee. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei TimesMeanwhile, Jaw said that he has not chosen a running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Jaw, whose KMT membership application was recently accepted, has also said that he intends to run for party chairperson in this year’s election. Asked if he would partner with Han, Jaw said that he had not talked with him about the issue, nor had he given it much thought. Should Han wish to arrange a meeting between himself, Jaw and Chiang, Jaw said that he would gladly attend.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
PLA’s uncrewed vehicles threaten region: analysts
PLA’s uncrewed vehicles threaten region: analystsStaff writer, with CNAChina’s aggressive development of uncrewed air, ground and underwater vehicles is an increasing threat to Taiwan and the region, analysts at a government-funded think tank said. Sheu Jyh-shyang (許智翔), a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that in the past few years, uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) and drones have been used increasingly by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Photo: Tu Chu-min, Taipei TimesOn Jan. 6, state-controlled China Central Television reported a PLA military exercise that included a number of drones and UGVs, Sheu said. Meanwhile, Ou Si-fu (歐錫富), another research fellow at the institute, said that China might be using uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) for spying in regional waters. The appearance of the research vessel and the UUV led to speculations that China was conducting underwater mapping in the area.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
TAIEX advances 560 points after break
The TAIEX ended 559.89 points, or 3.54 percent, higher at 16,362.29 on turnover of NT$413.177 billion (US$14.56 billion). Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei TimesYesterday’s increase was the second-highest single-day rise in the market’s history, trailing only the 590.19 points jump on Nov. 29, 1989. Huang was referring specifically to the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, which rose more than 7 percent during the break in Taiwan. Non-tech stocks also narrowed their gap with their foreign counterparts, especially the petrochemical sector, Huang said. “In addition, the gains helped the TAIEX overcome stiff technical resistance ahead of 16,239 points, the intraday high on Jan. 21, so I expect the uptrend to continue.”
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Bank of Taiwan looks to housing loans for growth
“Bank of Taiwan will continue to focus on mortgage operations to support the government’s efforts to help young people buy a home by offering preferential interest rates,” Lyu said. Bank of Taiwan chairman Joseph Lyu, left, and president Hsu Chih-wen are pictured at a branch in Taipei on Feb. 3. Photo: Chen Mei-ying, Taipei TimesIn addition, the lender would seek to increase housing loans to government employees, military personnel and public school teachers, as these groups have relatively stable income to meet debt payments, he said. The state-owned lender commands a market share of 26.26 percent for housing loans to young people, translating into 85,000 houses, he said. The continued transfer of electronics orders to Taiwan and supply chain realignment would continue to bolster private investment and fuel loan demand, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Lite-On, Delta Electronics report annual growth in consolidated sales last month
Lite-On, Delta Electronics report annual growth in consolidated sales last monthBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterElectronic components supplier Lite-On Technology Corp (光寶科技) yesterday reported consolidated revenue of NT$14.08 billion (US$496.12 million) for last month, up 4.74 percent month-on-month and 24.42 percent year-on-year. Lite-On’s optoelectronics unit — which contributed 20 percent to sales last month and includes LED components, lighting products, camera modules and automotive electronics — reported a 20 percent annual increase in revenue, the company said. Separately, Delta Electronics Co (台達電), the nation’s leading power and thermal solutions provider, yesterday reported consolidated revenue of NT$25.12 billion for last month, down 6.7 percent month-on-month, but up 29.92 percent year-on-year. The company attributed the annual growth in sales to robust demand for power electronics used in notebook computers and gaming devices. In addition, electronic components, such as passive components that are applied in portable devices and cloud computing equipment, as well as products used in industrial automation, contributed to the sales increase from a year earlier, Delta said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Elan net profit grows 30%
Elan net profit grows 30%By Lisa Wang / Staff reporterElan Microelectronics Corp (義隆電子), a supplier of touchpad controllers and fingerprint sensors, yesterday reported that net profit last year rose 30 percent to a record NT$3.25 billion (US$114.52 million), thanks to increased demand for laptops amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hsinchu-based company said that the work-from-home and distance-learning trends increased demand for notebook computers, which boosted shipments of its touchpad controllers. Earnings per share last year reached NT$11.14, up from NT$8.57 in 2019, it said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Elan Microelectronics Corp’s logo is pictured at the company’s headquarters in the Hsinchu Science Park on Aug. 11, 2017. Elan Microelectronics is to release more financial details and this year’s business outlook at an investors’ conference on Tuesday next week.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taipower urges Taichung to back LNG generators
Taipower urges Taichung to back LNG generatorsBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterTaiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) yesterday continued to urge the Taichung City Government to approve new liquefied natural gas (LNG) generators to further the utility’s emissions-cutting plan of phasing out its coal-fired generators. Taipower’s remarks came as the city government demanded that Taipower decommission four coal-fired plants before constructing the LNG generators, a timetable that the utility has rejected. “It is unreasonable for Taichung to ask for the old generators to be decommissioned before the new generators are built,” Chang said. Construction would take “at least three years” for the generators, and “longer” for the terminal, which would ensure a steady supply of LNG to the generators. “With LNG generators, we can more easily compensate for that volatility.”Asked if Taipower intends to decommission the coal plants once the LNG generators are built, Chang said that they planned to keep the plants “on standby.”“It is an insurance policy to ensure the stability of the system,” Chang said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taisugar land set to be developed for industry
Taisugar land set to be developed for industryBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) aims to develop 423 hectares of land currently held by Taiwan Sugar Corp (Taisugar, 台糖) for industrial use by the end of the year, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB, 工業局) said yesterday. The land will be rented to businesses seeking to establish or re-establish manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, Yang said. While many have chosen to set up shop in Southeast Asia on larger land parcels with cheaper labor, the ministry has made a coordinated attempt to provide suitable land to attract manufacturers in Taiwan. The Ministry of Economic Affairs’ InvesTaiwan Service Center provides “matchmaking” services for businesses looking for manufacturing sites, interim spokeswoman Nicole Chen (陳明珠) said. “Whether or not you are a returning Taiwanese business or a foreign business wanting to set up Taiwanese manufacturing, we will help you find a suitable site,” Chen said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 15, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: Taoyuan General to resume operations
COVID-19: Taoyuan General to resume operationsRETURN TO NORMAL: The Taoyuan City Government is working on an initiative to restore confidence in the city and revive tourism, Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan saidStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Taoyuan General Hospital is expected to resume normal operations on Friday, following the successful containment of a COVID-19 cluster infection at the facility, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung speaks at a news conference at the Central Epidemic Command Center in Taipei yesterday. Chen said the hospital would report to the ministry after the Lunar New Year holiday and is likely to resume normal operations on Friday, barring any unforeseen issues. The nation also reported no new COVID-19 infections for a third consecutive day yesterday. Of the total, 859 patients have recovered, nine have died and 69 are in hospital, CECC data showed.
Source:Taipei Times
February 15, 2021 15:56 UTC
Legislators surprise with hidden talents and skills
Despite his wiry frame, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) is stronger than he looks, and has the credentials to prove it. Chinese Nationalist Party Legislator Lin Wei-chou, 59, lifts himself on a horizontal bar in Taipei on Feb. 6. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Kuo-shu practices calligraphy in an undated photograph. When not in the legislature, KMT Legislator Wu I-ding (吳怡玎) likes to spend her time in the kitchen preparing exquisite meals with knowledge obtained in part from the French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu. The piece is meant to emphasize Taiwan’s determination to participate in global movements and connect with the world, Huang said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 15, 2021 15:56 UTC
Sanitization program
Reminders on pets on public transitHOLIDAY TRAVEL: Only certain types of animals are allowed on trains and buses, and owners are required to place their pets in a sturdy carrier that does not leak With more people hitting the road during the Lunar New Year holiday, transportation authorities issued reminders for people traveling with pets on what types of animals are allowed on public transportation and how they can be transported. The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) allows cats, dogs, rabbits, small aquatic animals and birds, but they must be brought onboard in a sturdy carrier that does not leak and measures no more than 55x45x38cm, it said. The carrier must be kept under the passenger’s seat at all times during the trip, it said, adding that wheeled pet carriers for cats and dogs are allowed ifBy Kuo Hsuan-huan and William Hetherington
Source:Taipei Times
February 15, 2021 15:56 UTC
EU mulls TSMC, Samsung deal to establish foundry
People walk past the headquarters of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest semiconductor maker, in Hsinchu on Jan. 29. European Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton, wearing a protective face mask, talks during a presentation before a visit at the Thermo Fisher plant, formerly Novasep, producing COVID-19 vaccines for AstraZeneca in Seneffe, Belgium, on Wednesday. To reach those goals, the European Commission said it would launch a European alliance on microelectronics, which will likely include Europe’s major chipmakers and possibly also carmakers and telecom companies. “If governments are determined to do this, it will take years to break this up, and not months.”One of the biggest hurdles for the EU’s semiconductor plans could come down to financing. “One of the weak points is the access to risk capital in Europe and the implementation of the capital market in Europe,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 14, 2021 16:02 UTC
Taiwan always willing to help Japan, president says
Taiwan always willing to help Japan, president saysBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporter, with CNATaiwan is willing to help if Japan needs assistance, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday, after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off Fukushima on Saturday. In a message written in Japanese on her Twitter account, Tsai said she hoped that “our friends in Japan are safe” and that Taiwan is always willing to support and help Japan. “Taiwan will always be there if the Japanese people need us,” the president wrote. Meanwhile, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake shook Taiwan’s southeastern coast at 12:25pm yesterday, the Central Weather Bureau said. Early yesterday morning, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake struck Hualien, registering an intensity of 3 in Tongmen Village (銅門) and 2 in Taroko Gorge and Hualien City.
Source:Taipei Times
February 14, 2021 16:00 UTC
FEATURE: Legislative Yuan more than its main chamber
FEATURE: Legislative Yuan more than its main chamberBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterMost people associate the Legislative Yuan with its debating chamber — a room synonymous with political power, interparty strife and Taiwanese democracy. The Legislative Yuan compound is pictured in Taipei on April 30, 2010. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei TimesOne of the lesser-known parts of the Legislative Yuan is a bustling, makeshift market just a few steps from the debating chamber. The Legislative Yuan has seen it all in the past 60 years since it moved to its current location in the capital’s Zhongzheng District (中正). During that time, much attention has been paid to its main chamber, a place presented to the outside world in all its theatricality.
Source:Taipei Times
February 14, 2021 15:56 UTC
Sharp change in weather expected from Wednesday
Sharp change in weather expected from WednesdayBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterA strong cold air mass is expected to arrive in the nation tomorrow evening, sending temperatures plummeting on Wednesday, when most people return to work after the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday, National Central University adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said yesterday. Eastern Taiwan is expected to see periodic showers, while northern Taiwan is forecast to have mostly cloudy and partly sunny weather, and central and southern Taiwan would have mostly sunny and partly cloudy weather, said Wu, a former Central Weather Bureau Weather Forecast Center director. However, the leading edge of a “strong cold air mass” is forecast to arrive tomorrow night, bringing partial rain to northern and eastern Taiwan, he said. The weather is expected to remain dry and cold across the nation from Thursday to Saturday, he said. Due to the cold air mass and the radiative cooling effect in the evening, temperatures might drop below 10°C, so people should be alert to drastic changes in the temperature, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 14, 2021 15:56 UTC