Defense autonomy key, ministry says
Defense autonomy key, ministry saysDETERRENCE: Only by increasing its capabilities can Taiwan’s military show China that it should not act rashly and that such actions would come at a costBy Fang Wei-li and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Ministry of National Defense yesterday stressed the importance of building a self-sufficient, non-China-reliant national defense industry, adding that this focus is a critical part of the ministry’s efforts to develop drone production supply chains. made the remarks in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) yesterday, stating that, as an island, Taiwan is at high risk of being blockaded and cut off from external supplies. Fostering a self-reliant national defense industry would mitigate the threats of such blockades, he said. Department of Strategic Planning Director Lieutenant General Huang Wen-chi speaks to the Chinese-language Liberty Times during an interview yesterday. Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang speaks to the Chinese-language Liberty Times during an interview yesterday.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:17 UTC
Formosan black bear burgles hut in Chiayi County
Formosan black bear burgles hut in Chiayi CountyStaff writer, with CNAA Formosan black bear broke into a hut in Chiayi County‘s Dabang Village (達邦), eating canned goods and food from the resident’s refrigerator, the first officially recorded incident of its kind in the area, local authorities said on Thursday. A Formosan black bear is pictured at a low altitude in Taichung in June last year. Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation AgencySpecialists found tracks near the hut and, based on the damaged canned food, concluded that a Formosan black bear was responsible, the agency said. Alishan is an area where Formosan black bears are occasionally sighted, but Wednesday’s incident was the first officially recorded case of a bear entering a resident’s hut, according to the agency, which is part of the Ministry of Agriculture. The recent sightings of Formosan black bears captured on camera are due to increased monitoring and do not represent unusual behavior, Hwang said during a Taiwan Public Television Service interview on Dec. 12.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:17 UTC
Legislators approve, block two Executive Yuan bills
Legislators approve, block two Executive Yuan billsBy Chung Li-hua / Staff reporterThe Legislative Yuan yesterday approved the Executive Yuan’s proposal for stricter China travel rules for officials for committee review, but blocked its proposed amendments on public speech on the Internet. Under the Executive Yuan’s proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), civil servants ranked below “grade 10” who are not involved in classified work would be required to obtain approval from their agencies before traveling to China. Police officers guard an entrance to the Legislative Yuan in Taipei in an undated photograph. The opposition yesterday blocked the Executive Yuan’s proposed amendments to the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) that would have seen offenders face maximum fines of up to NT$30,000 for spreading hate speech in public places. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus said the proposed amendment is akin to Internet martial law.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:17 UTC
Flight disruption was deliberate ploy, experts say
Flight disruption was deliberate ploy, experts sayStaff writer, with CNAThe disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. First, it simulated a “quasi-blockade” by shutting down some of Taiwan’s international air routes, Su wrote in an article published on the institute’s Web site on Wednesday. Such integration is intended to secure the sea lines of communication and air routes necessary for logistics and military sustainment during an eventual amphibious landing, he said. While blocking most of Taiwan’s air routes, China deliberately left open three — M750, G587 and R583, Su said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:17 UTC
Former president Chen to host show
Former president Chen to host showStaff writer, with CNAFormer president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) announced yesterday that he will host a show on a local cable TV news provider’s YouTube channel, in a move that is likely to stir debate over the conditions of his medical parole. Chen was granted medical parole on Jan. 5, 2015, after serving over six years of a 20-year sentence, a consolidated term stemming from multiple corruption-related convictions involving actions during his two terms as president from 2000-2008. Former president Chen Shui-bian is pictured in an undated photograph. The Taichung Prison said yesterday that it has issued an official letter warning Chen to strictly abide by the regulations governing medical parole, one of which involves not being engaging in political activities. Prior to being granted parole, Chen received treatment at a hospital affiliated with the prison.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:17 UTC
Pension protesters
Flights and shipping affected by Chinese drillsTrips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes andBy Shelley Shan
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:17 UTC
Missile mass production to commence in Q2: official
Missile mass production to commence in Q2: officialBy Lo Tien-pin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. A model of the Tien Kung IV missile is pictured in an undated photograph. The Tien Kung IV and V systems respectively have maximum interception altitudes of 70km and 100km, the official said. The Tien Kung V missile is being prepared to enter initial operational assessment after completing live-fire tests in the fourth quarter last year, they said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:16 UTC
Chen Chien-jen to serve as Academia Sinica head
Chen Chien-jen to serve as Academia Sinica headStaff writer, with CNAThe Presidential Office yesterday announced the appointment of former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as the next Academia Sinica president, serving a five-year term from June 21, 2026 to June 20, 2031. Former vice president Chen Chien-jen is pictured in an undated photograph. He also served as the vice president from 2016 to 2020 and as premier from 2023 to 2024. Founded in 1928, Academia Sinica has earned a reputation for being Taiwan’s top national academic institution. It currently has 24 institutes and nine research centers located in three research sections: the Mathematics and Physical Sciences Division, Life Sciences Division, and Division of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:16 UTC
Younghwaru: Korean-style Chinese food in Taiwan
Younghwaru: Korean-style Chinese food in TaiwanServing diaspora upon diaspora here in Taipei, this gritty student spot features jammy noodles, spicy soups and some seriously good Korean fried chickenBy Hollie Younger / Staff reporterDown in Taipei’s student hub surrounding National Taiwan University (NTU), cheap and filling eats are a dime a dozen. Photo: Hollie YoungerServing Korean-style Chinese food, the original restaurant opened in Seoul in the 1970s, and the owner’s daughter brought a branch to Taipei just a few years ago. The Korean fried chicken. That said, we’ve already opted for a heaping pile of their Chinese-style Korean Fried Chicken (NT$460), or kkanpunggi. But sometimes an outrageously sized and outrageously well-priced plate of Korean fried chicken is just the thing on a chilly December evening.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:15 UTC
Premier League begins year with goal-shy draws
Premier League begins year with goal-shy drawsAFP, LONDONManchester City FC trail Arsenal FC by four points at the top of the Premier League after failing to end Sunderland AFC’s unbeaten home record in a 0-0 draw on Thursday, while Liverpool FC were also held by Leeds United FC. City had won eight consecutive games to end last year and cut the gap on the Gunners to just two points. Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol, center, leaps for the ball against Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida, right, in Sunderland, England, on Thursday. “It’s a mystery,” City manager Pep Guardiola said on his side’s inability to score. Crystal Palace FC manager Oliver Glasner said his depleted side are in “survival mode” after a 1-1 draw against Fulham FC extended their winless run to six games.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:13 UTC
Taiwan secure Premier12 2027 spot
Taiwan secure Premier12 2027 spotEXPANSION: Next year’s tournament is to grow from 12 participants to 16 for the first time, with the four additional slots to be filled in two qualification tournamentsStaff writer, with CNATaiwan, the defending champions of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12, have secured a spot in next year’s Premier12 tournament following the release of the latest official world rankings. Taiwan ranked second in the standings updated by the WBSC on Wednesday. Taiwan had 5,112 points, second only to Japan (6,676 points), and followed by the US, South Korea and Venezuela. Team Taiwan celebrate with the trophy after winning the WBSC Premier12 baseball tournament in Tokyo on Nov. 24, 2024. The WBSC said it would announce details regarding the second qualification tournament at a later date.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:13 UTC
Kim Ju-ae’s mausoleum visit fuels succession talk
Kim Ju-ae’s mausoleum visit fuels succession talkAFP, SEOULNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, has made her first public visit to a mausoleum housing her grandfather and great-grandfather, state media images showed yesterday, further solidifying her place as likely next in line to run the nuclear-armed dictatorship. Kim Jong-un is the third in line to rule in the world’s only communist monarchy, following his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front, third right, and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, center, visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the new year in Pyongyang in a picture released by state media yesterday. It could be “interpreted as reporting to the ‘eternal leaders’ Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il that she is being presented as his successor,” he said. On Thursday, footage showed Ju-ae accompanying her parents at New Year celebrations in Pyongyang.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 17:11 UTC
EDITORIAL: Migrant labor rules reform urgent
EDITORIAL: Migrant labor rules reform urgentA labor broker last week was fined more than NT$10 million (US$318,279) for illegally charging migrant workers job-placement fees. Reports by labor rights groups and international organizations have found migrant workers paying US$5,000 to US$6,600 to secure jobs in Taiwan, often before they even arrive. When migrant workers are already deeply indebted upon their arrival, their ability to refuse unreasonable demands or seek help is severely constrained. As birthrates remain low, migrant labor has become essential across sectors ranging from manufacturing to hospitality and port operations. The nation’s growing dependence on migrant labor makes reform increasingly urgent.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 16:57 UTC
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of civilian strikes
Over 200 attack drones were launched onto Ukraine in the night,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram, saying energy infrastructure in seven regions across Ukraine had been targeted. Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of killing at least 24 people, including a child, in a drone strike on a hotel and cafe in a Russian-controlled part of southern Ukraine. Firefighters stand near a residential building on fire following a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, yesterday. Moscow on Monday accused Kyiv of trying to strike a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A senior Russian military chief handed to a US military attache what he said was part of a Ukrainian drone containing data that proved that the Ukrainian military had targeted the residence.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 16:57 UTC
BYD surges, but Chinese EV market faces pressure
BYD surges, but Chinese EV market faces pressureBloombergBYD Co (比亞迪) last year met its full-year sales target and likely surpassed Tesla Inc to become the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles (EVs) — a milestone overshadowed by a challenging outlook for the Chinese auto market in the year ahead. The Chinese EV giant’s Hong Kong-listed shares rose on the first day of trading for the new year, gaining as much as 2.3 percent yesterday. The Shenzhen-based automaker delivered 4.6 million vehicles last year, up 7.7 percent from 2024. BYD and its rivals face growing pressure in the coming year as China scales back some incentives supporting EV purchases. The company’s total sales could grow to 5.3 million units next year, analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg showed.
Source:Taipei Times
January 02, 2026 16:33 UTC