Latest | Focus Taiwan - CNA English News

U.S. dollar down in Taipei trading

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 02:14:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) The U.S. dollar was traded at NT$32.210 at 10 a.m. Thursday on the Taipei Foreign Exchange, down NT$0.105 from the previous close.

(By Y.F. Low)

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Taiwan headline news

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 02:11:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) The lead stories in major Taiwan dailies on Thursday are as follows:

@United Daily News: KMT slams health minister for 'lying openly'

@China Times: Food Safety Office confirms Central Union representative present until end of expert meeting

@Liberty Times: 18 Chinese firms caught for illegally poaching high-tech talent in Taiwan in single month

@Economic Daily News: Hon Hai revenue expected to hit NT$1 trillion in August

@Commercial Times: Strait of Hormuz expected to reopen

@Taipei Times: Han Kuang military exercises begin

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Taiwan shares open lower

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 01:07:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) The Taiwan Stock Exchange's main index opened down 123.66 points at 44,487.94 Thursday on turnover of NT$14.30 billion (US$443.95 million).

(By Y.F. Low)

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DPP, KMT take top meetings on road to boost local election campaigns

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 12:22:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) held their weekly Central Standing Committee meetings in Taichung and Hsinchu County, respectively, on Wednesday as they sought to rally support for their candidates ahead of November's local elections.

With the elections less than four months away, the DPP on Wednesday held its traveling Central Standing Committee meeting in Taichung, a special municipality governed by two-term KMT Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), who has held the post since 2018.

Legislator Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純), the DPP's Taichung mayoral candidate, presented her campaign platform at the meeting, focusing on an integrated public transit network, subsidies for childcare and seniors, and the development of the unmanned vehicle industry.

Speaking at the meeting, President and DPP Chairman Lai Ching-te (賴清德) criticized Lu's tenure at city hall over delays to the Taichung MRT Blue Line project.

Lai said that the central government approved the project before Lu succeeded Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), then Taichung mayor and now foreign minister, but that her administration's "repeated route changes" had driven up the project's budget while construction had yet to begin.

President and DPP Chairman Lai Ching-te addresses the Democratic Progressive Party's traveling Central Standing Committee meeting in Taichung on Wednesday as DPP Taichung mayoral candidate Ho Hsin-chun (front row, second left) looks on. CNA photo Aug. 5, 2026

Lai also cited an African swine fever incident in Taichung in October last year as another example of what he described as shortcomings in the Lu administration's governance.

Speaking to reporters at the opening ceremony of the Shuinan transit center, Lu responded by urging the president to pay greater attention to food safety amid continuing concerns over cooking oil contaminated with the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene.

Lu said that Lai had not publicly addressed food safety since July 6, making him appear "indifferent to people's livelihoods."

Separately, KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) led the party's senior leadership at its Central Standing Committee meeting in Hsinchu County. The meeting was followed by a campaign rally attended by local party figures and around 400 supporters.

The absence of incumbent Deputy Magistrate Chen Chien-hsien (陳見賢) heightened concerns within the party over lingering tensions from its March primary, in which KMT lawmaker Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) defeated Chen to secure the party's nomination for county magistrate.

Hsu said that as long as the party remained united, the KMT would retain control of the county government, which it has held since 2001.

(By Su Mu-chun, Hao Hsueh-ching, Liu Kuan-ting and Shih Hsiu-chuan)

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Reservists conduct rifle and mortar drills in Taipei

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:32:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Reservists from the Taipei City Reserve Brigade on Wednesday carried out rifle and mortar drills at a Taipei high school on the first day of Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises as part of a full-brigade mobilization exercise.

The armed forces on Wednesday conducted drills at numerous locations across Taiwan, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

In Taipei, dozens of recalled reservists from the brigade gathered at Taipei Municipal Zhong Zheng Senior High School, where they underwent rifle and simulated mortar training.

CNA video

Armed with U.S.-made M4A1 rifles, reservists practiced firing while advancing and from stationary positions -- standing, kneeling and prone -- using barricades for cover.

Past rifle training focused on firing from stationary positions. Shooting while advancing and the use of barricades, modeled after battlefield shelters, are more recent additions intended to better reflect real combat conditions, according to the 3rd Combat Theater Command.

Meanwhile, other reservists worked in teams to assemble mortars and carried out a simulated firing sequence.

The command said the biggest challenges in a full-brigade mobilization are ensuring sufficient equipment is available and successfully assembling units with recalled reservists.

Regardless of whether they use U.S.-made rifles or other weapons, reservists follow a standard training progression that includes dry-fire drills, refresher training in their military specialties and live-fire exercises, the command said.

Taipei City Reserve Brigade reservists assemble a 120 mm mortar under an instructor's guidance at Taipei Municipal Zhong Zheng Senior High School during Han Kuang 42 military exercises on Wednesday. CNA photo Aug. 5, 2026

Wednesday's training focused on mobilization preparations and refresher courses, with subsequent phases to include wartime deployment, force protection and force preservation tasks, according to the command.

The command said the reserve brigade's mortar battalion serves as its fire support unit. Its 120 mm mortars have a maximum range of about 6,100 meters and are operated by five-person teams.

The Taipei City Reserve Brigade, along with the Army's 137th Infantry Brigade, was selected by the MND to validate full-brigade mobilization exercises.

The two brigades account for about 5,000 of the 20,000 reservists called up for the Han Kuang exercises, according to the MND.

(By Sean Lin and Wu Su-wei)

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Taiwan seeks to block China-run youth platform

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:59:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's government will work with relevant agencies to seek the removal or blocking of a Chinese platform targeting Taiwanese youths over alleged violations of the Cross-Strait Act, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said Wednesday.

Speaking after a legislative session, Chiu said the "Taiwan Youth e-Home" (台青e家) platform purported to help Taiwanese youths find educational and employment opportunities in China, activities he said violated Articles 23 and 34 of the act.

Article 23 requires individuals and organizations to obtain prior government approval before recruiting students in Taiwan on behalf of Chinese educational institutions.

Meanwhile, Article 34 permits advertisements or promotional activities in Taiwan for Chinese goods, services or other matters only if authorized under the act.

Chiu also warned that users could face significant risks by submitting personal information through the platform.

He accused Beijing of using the platform to "govern Taiwan before unification" and conduct public opinion and psychological warfare against Taiwan.

The platform's direct outreach to Taiwanese students was "a very serious matter," Chiu said, adding that the MAC would coordinate with other agencies to have it removed or blocked.

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, CNA was still able to access the platform from Taiwan.

Screenshot taken from the Taiwan Youth e-Home website

"Taiwan Youth e-Home" was launched on July 15 with the stated aim of "better supporting the integrated development of young people across the Taiwan Strait," according to an introduction published July 22 by China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO).

The platform is divided into four main sections covering internships, employment, exchanges and education. It also provides information on Chinese provinces and cities, government policies and the experiences of Taiwanese youths in China.

Its internship and employment sections allow users to search for vacancies and submit applications online, while the education section compiles admissions policies, application procedures and academic programs offered by Chinese universities, the TAO said.

Responding to an earlier MAC warning that the platform could be used to collect personal information from Taiwanese youths and later exploit it to pressure them, TAO spokesperson Chen Binhua (陳斌華) dismissed the concerns as "deliberate smears" at a July 29 news briefing.

"Are there any online job-search platforms in the Taiwan region that do not require users to provide their names or submit résumés?" Chen asked, directing the question at Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Chen said nearly 2,000 companies had joined the platform and posted almost 6,000 vacancies.

He said the platform adheres to a "minimum necessary" principle when collecting information and strictly protects job seekers' personal data in accordance with the law.

(By Li Ya-wen and Sunny Lai)

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Hon Hai posts record July revenue

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:21:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. posted record unaudited consolidated revenue of NT$946.512 billion (US$29.27 billion) in July, marking the first time the company's monthly revenue has exceeded NT$900 billion and representing a 54.19 percent increase from a year earlier, the company announced Wednesday.

All four of its major product segments -- cloud and networking products, computing products, components and other products, and smart consumer electronics -- recorded strong year-on-year growth, the firm, better known as Foxconn, said in a news release.

The strong performance reflected robust demand for and growing shipments of server-related products, it added.

Compared with June, July revenue rose 15.18 percent, driven particularly by strong growth in cloud and networking products and computing products.

For the first seven months of 2026, cumulative revenue reached NT$5.589 trillion, up 37.89 percent from the same period last year. Cloud and networking products, along with components and other products, posted particularly strong growth, the company said.

Looking ahead, Hon Hai said it expects shipments of artificial intelligence (AI) server racks to continue growing in the third quarter. With information and communications technology products entering the traditional peak season in the second half of the year, the company forecast both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year growth in overall operations.

However, Hon Hai also noted that it would continue to monitor volatile global political and economic conditions and their potential impact on its business.

(By Chung Jung-feng and Wu Kuan-hsien)

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EVA Air to launch Taipei-Delhi flights in December

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:44:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) EVA Air will launch nonstop flights between Taipei and Delhi on Dec. 1, with bookings now available through its website and travel agencies, the airline said Wednesday.

The airline will operate five round-trip flights per week using Airbus A330-300 aircraft, making it the only Taiwan-based airline to offer nonstop passenger service to India.

EVA Air President Clay Sun (孫嘉明) said the new route is being launched as Taiwan-India ties continue to deepen in manufacturing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and other technology sectors, increasing demand for more efficient travel between the two countries.

Taiwanese companies including Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., MediaTek Inc., Delta Electronics Inc. and Wistron Corp. already have operations in India, he noted.

Through EVA Air's partnership with Star Alliance member Air India, passengers will also be able to connect from Delhi to major cities across India, providing more convenient onward travel options.

The route is also expected to benefit Indian business travelers, students and researchers by offering easier connections through Taipei to North America.

Eligible Indian nationals traveling to North America may also use Taiwan's conditional visa-waiver transit program, allowing them to make short stopovers in Taiwan and potentially helping boost inbound tourism, the airline said.

EVA Air said it also hopes to attract North American travelers by offering convenient connections through Taiwan to destinations across Asia via its extensive regional network.

(By Chiang Ming-yen and Lee Chieh-yu)

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Defense officials target 2027 for integrated counter-drone network

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:15:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Defense officials said Wednesday they expect to launch critical systems by the end of 2027 to integrate counter-drone capabilities across the armed forces and complete an interface to coordinate military and non-military counter-drone operations.

At a meeting of the Legislative Yuan, ruling Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said this year's Han Kuang military exercises, which began Wednesday, will include drone warfare and counter-drone drills.

However, he highlighted a lack of integration among counter-drone systems across military branches and between the non-kinetic, or "soft-kill" systems used by the armed forces, the coast guard and government-funded companies that operate critical infrastructure.

Asked by Wang to clarify the issue, Army Chief of Staff Chen Chien-yi (陳建義) said hard-kill and soft-kill capabilities are assigned to different units, although their operational plans are developed by the same combat training unit.

Huang Wen-chi (黃文啟), head of the Ministry of National Defense's Department of Strategic Planning, said the armed forces' existing counter-drone systems have yet to be integrated with a counter-drone command-and-control (C2) system that is currently under development.

Former commander of the United States Army Pacific Charles A. Flynn also highlighted shortcomings in Taiwan's counter-drone integration when he attended the Taiwan-U.S. Defense Industry Forum in May, Wang said.

The MND's counter-drone systems should also be linked with those being acquired by government-owned companies such as Taiwan Power Co., CPC Corp., Taiwan Railway Corp., as well as the National Police Agency and the Coast Guard Administration, all of which are seeking to procure soft-kill counter-drone systems, he added.

Wang asked whether those systems would eventually be integrated, warning that without coordination they could interfere with one another and even bring down Taiwan's own drones.

Calling the lack of integration concerning, Wang asked when the MND expected to integrate its existing counter-drone capabilities into a C2 system and make it operational.

"We are on the front line, not in a rear area where we can take our time," he said.

In response, Huang said several systems capable of integrating the military's counter-drone capabilities are expected to become operational next year, "if the projects proceed as planned."

Wang also recommended that the MND establish an interagency task force to oversee counter-drone operations, including decisions on what types of systems to deploy, similar to how the United States has assigned the role to the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401).

Li Shih-chiang (李世強), president of the government-funded National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, said the institute is working to integrate counter-drone systems protecting non-military critical infrastructure and expects to complete the project by the end of 2027.

Li said that once the project is complete, the National Fire Agency will serve as the "Big C2" authority, while the MND will decide when to connect its systems.

"We will have the interface ready, but when [the systems] will be connected will depend on the overall combat preparedness level," Li said.

(By Sean Lin)

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U.S. dollar closes sharply lower on Taipei forex market

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:11:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) The U.S. dollar fell against the Taiwan dollar Wednesday, shedding NT$0.132 to close at NT$32.315.

Turnover totaled US$2.069 billion during the trading session.

The greenback opened at the day's high of NT$32.420, and moved to a low of NT$32.274 before rebounding.

(By Y.F. Low)

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Flights between Okinawa, Taiwan disrupted by Typhoon Dolphin

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:06:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Taiwan-based carriers China Airlines and Starlux Airlines on Wednesday announced flight disruptions between Taiwan and Okinawa from Thursday through Saturday as Typhoon Dolphin approaches the region.

China Airlines said it will cancel night flights CI122/123 between Taoyuan International Airport and Naha International Airport in Okinawa on Thursday and morning and night flights CI120/121/122/123 between Taoyuan and Okinawa on Friday.

It will also cancel morning and afternoon flights CI310/311 between Taichung and Okinawa and afternoon and night flights CI132/133 between Kaohsiung and Okinawa on Friday, and flights CI310/311 between Taichung and Okinawa on Saturday.

The airline will also move up the departure times of its CI310/311 flights (flight CI310 normally leaves Taichung at 10 a.m.) between Taichung and Okinawa on Thursday and deploy a larger aircraft on its CI120/121 flights between Taoyuan and Okinawa the same day.

Its CI120/121 flights (flight CI120 normally departs Taoyuan at 8 a.m.) between Taoyuan and Okinawa on Saturday will be delayed.

Meanwhile, Starlux Airlines will cancel its JX312/313 flights between Taichung and Okinawa on Thursday afternoon and evening, as well as all flights between Taiwan and Okinawa on Friday.

The carrier will also move up the departure times of its Thursday flights, including JX870/871 between Taoyuan and Okinawa and JX302/303 between Taichung and Okinawa.

According to the Central Weather Administration, Typhoon Dolphin was located about 1,680 kilometers east of Taipei as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, moving west at 20 kilometers per hour.

The eye of the storm is tracking directly toward Okinawa and could make landfall there on Friday, according to current projections.

(By Huang Chiao-wen and Wu Kuan-hsien)

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Sea warning for Typhoon Dolphin possible Friday: CWA

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:50:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) A sea warning for Typhoon Dolphin could be issued as early as Friday afternoon as the storm moves closer to Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Wednesday.

As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, the center of the typhoon was located about 1,680 kilometers east of Taipei and moving west at 20 kph, the CWA said.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Kujia formed west of Luzon at 2 a.m. Wednesday and is forecast to move east of the island before weakening and being absorbed by Typhoon Dolphin, according to the agency.

Steered by the Pacific high-pressure system, Dolphin is forecast to pass near the Ryukyu Islands on Friday and Saturday before gradually weakening and turning northward.

The typhoon is expected to make its closest approach to Taiwan between Saturday and Monday, when its outer rainbands are likely to affect the island, said the CWA.

In the event a sea warning is issued Friday, a land warning may follow if the storm's circulation moves close enough to affect outlying Matsu Islands or Taiwan's northern coast, the agency added.

Moisture associated with the storm will begin increasing on Thursday, bringing intermittent showers to northern Taiwan and Yilan, while southern and central Taiwan can expect brief afternoon thunderstorms.

As Dolphin approaches, foehn winds may affect Yilan on Thursday and Friday. Similar conditions could occur in Hualien, Taitung and Kinmen over the weekend.

Northern Taiwan is expected to see brief showers Friday, while central and southern Taiwan could experience scattered rain.

The heaviest rainfall is forecast for Saturday and Sunday, with torrential rain possible in mountainous areas of northern Taiwan and heavy rain forecast across northern and central Taiwan and Matsu.

Southern Taiwan and Yilan are forecast to experience intermittent showers.

The CWA also warned of long-period waves along the Keelung coast and eastern Taiwan from Wednesday, with the affected area potentially expanding to the central and northern coasts and waters around Penghu as the typhoon approaches.

Waves exceeding 5 meters are possible in waters near the typhoon's path, the agency said.

(By Chang Hsiung-feng and Lee Chieh-yu)

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China's new entry-exit rules could raise risks for Taiwanese: MAC

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:28:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Wednesday that China's newly announced entry-exit regulations contain vaguely defined national security provisions and give authorities broad discretion to restrict people's movement, potentially increasing the risks faced by Taiwanese traveling there.

Speaking before a legislative session in Taipei, MAC head Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said Beijing had long imposed "very strict" controls on both Chinese citizens and foreign nationals in China, adding that the new regulations largely placed those existing practices under a formal legal framework.

"They have merely codified these stringent control measures, as if to underscore that they are governing according to law," Chiu said.

However, the conditions governing such restrictions remained "vague and broad" and could be applied arbitrarily by the authorities, he said, adding that the lack of clearly defined legal requirements was the fundamental reason the regulations had caused public concern in Taiwan.

The regulations, promulgated by China's State Council on July 31, are scheduled to take effect on Sept. 15.

Article 4 of the regulations allows the authorities to bar Chinese citizens who have engaged in illegal or criminal activities overseas deemed harmful to China's "national security and interests" from leaving China for six months to three years following their return.

The same article also allows authorities to bar Chinese citizens from leaving over export-control or technology import-export violations that could endanger China's industrial or technological security, without specifying the duration of such restrictions.

Under Article 5, authorities can deny entry to foreign nationals for reasons including false application materials, immigration violations, or inclusion on Chinese sanctions lists.

The regulations do not explicitly state how the new exit-ban provisions will apply to Taiwanese visiting China, nor do they classify Taiwanese as Chinese citizens or foreigners.

However, Beijing's long-standing position is that Taiwanese are "Chinese citizens residing in the Taiwan region," rather than foreign nationals.

During the legislative session, Chiu was asked whether the risks associated with entering and leaving China had increased for both Chinese and foreign nationals.

"I think that is very clear," Chiu replied, urging Taiwanese to carefully assess the situation before traveling to China and fully understand the potential risks involved.

In an Aug. 1 report, China's state-run People's Daily said the regulations were introduced to address new challenges that had emerged in recent years, including threats to the safety of Chinese citizens overseas and fraudulent entry applications by foreign nationals.

The newspaper also said exit and entry administration concerned the "safety and lawful rights and interests" of people leaving China, as well as the country's "sovereignty, security and development interests."

(By Li Ya-wen and Sunny Lai)

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Taiwan shares close up 2.88%

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:45:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Taiwan shares ended up 1,250.94 points, or 2.88 percent, at 44,611.60 Wednesday on turnover of NT$1.14 trillion (US$35.36 billion).

(By Y.F. Low)

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Boosting Taiwan's domestic defense capacity critical: Ex-U.S. official

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:36:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Taiwan should urgently strengthen its domestic defense manufacturing capabilities to become more self-reliant in a crisis and give potential allies more time to respond, a visiting former United States defense official has said.

Jedidiah Royal, former principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, told CNA in Taipei on Tuesday that developing Taiwan's indigenous defense industry is a time-sensitive priority.

Royal said many in Washington were disappointed after Taiwan's opposition-controlled Legislature passed a special defense budget in May that removed funding for domestic defense production originally proposed by the Cabinet.

The opposition's decision suggested some in Taiwan were not feeling "the same urgency that I feel right now of the importance of developing Taiwan's domestic defense manufacturing capacity," he said.

"But hopefully, we can see that rectified in the coming months," Royal said.

Following passage of the special budget approving NT$780 billion (US$24.2 billion) in funding to buy U.S.-made weapons, Taiwan's Cabinet proposed a separate six-year special budget totaling NT$210 billion to procure domestically produced drones.

The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) countered by proposing a NT$240 billion budget for drones made in Taiwan, but they want the funding to come out of the general budget rather than from a separate special budget funded by issuing debt.

Royal said that in the event of a crisis or conflict along the First Island Chain -- which stretches from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines and Malaysia -- U.S. forces would likely first deploy to Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Australia before determining their next steps.

"We have to rely on the defense industrial capacity that exists in the region. We can't create that on the spot," he said.

"That's the forward defense industrial base that I think needs to continue to push the way that we communicate with allies and partners about our own national security requirements and what we're looking for out of this," according to Royal.

Taiwan should continue strengthening its ability to counter a potential joint amphibious landing campaign by China, slowing any invading force before it can advance farther inland, he said.

In addition, Taiwan needs to ensure it can maintain sea and air lines of communication and protect critical infrastructure, he said.

"So to me, Taiwan being able to create time with its military strategy is absolutely critical. And so long as Taiwan is focused on that, then I do think that you've given the rest of the world every opportunity to come and cooperate alongside you in that most challenging scenario," Royal said.

Royal is visiting Taiwan for the first time to speak at the 10th Ketagalan Forum, a one-day conference on Indo-Pacific security jointly organized Tuesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research.

(By Joseph Yeh)

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Taiwan finishes runner-up in Pony Palomino World Series

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:25:00 GMT

Washington, Aug. 4 (CNA) Taiwan's Pony League team in the under-18 Palomino division fell just short of the Pony Palomino World Series title on Monday, losing 7-1 to host Laredo in the championship game after having gone undefeated in the tournament.

Taiwan's team, made up of 19 high school players from Taoyuan, earned the right to compete in the tournament after winning this year's Wang Chen-chih Cup, a tournament named after the Chinese name (王貞治) of Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh.

The tournament, played in Laredo, Texas, ran from July 31 to Aug. 4. Taiwan opened its campaign on Saturday with a 4-3 victory over Puerto Rico, followed by an 11-4 win against Harlingen later that day.

On Sunday, Taiwan secured a place in the championship game with a 2-0 victory over Mexico before losing to host Laredo in the final.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston said in a statement Tuesday that it conveyed congratulatory messages from President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) to the team online after the award ceremony.

Yvonne Hsiao (蕭伊芳), director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, praised the players for their fighting spirit, saying they "not only showcased the strength of Taiwanese baseball to the world but also helped build a strong bridge of friendship through sports exchanges between Taiwan and the United States."

Last year, Taiwan won the Pony Palomino World Series title when it was represented by New Taipei's Ku Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School.

Oh was born in Tokyo to a Chinese father and Japanese mother and has lived his entire life in Japan, but he was given a Chinese name and retained Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship after being registered as an ROC citizen by his father.

(By Elaine Hou and Lee Chieh-yu)

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Taiwan headline news

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 02:14:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) The lead stories in major Taiwan dailies on Wednesday are as follows:

@United Daily News: 2027 government budget hits record NT$3.6 trillion

@China Times: Cabinet knew of decision to keep products with under 20% tainted oil on shelves

@Liberty Times: Trump to send US$14 billion Taiwan arms package to Congress soon, McCaul says

@Economic Daily News: Prices of chips made using mature processes expected to rise more sharply next year

@Commercial Times: 2027 government budget takes shape

@Taipei Times: Military aid should pass: U.S. lawmaker

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U.S. dollar down in Taipei trading

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 02:07:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) The U.S. dollar was traded at NT$32.328 at 10 a.m. Wednesday on the Taipei Foreign Exchange, down NT$0.119 from the previous close.

(By Y.F. Low)

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Boost defense budgets to counter Russian threats: Slovak politician

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 01:54:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) Former Slovak Foreign Minister and runner-up in Slovakia's 2024 presidential election Ivan Korčok said Tuesday that increasing defense spending is a "responsible approach" to protecting national sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression, arguing that national security must take precedence over concerns about competing budget priorities.

Korčok, now vice chair of Slovakia's opposition Progressive Slovakia party, also told CNA that his party hopes to deepen ties with Taiwan and cooperate on Ukraine's postwar reconstruction if it returns to power.

In an interview with CNA, Korčok was asked about an argument frequently made by Taiwan's opposition lawmakers against significantly increasing defense spending -- that doing so would reduce funding for economic development and social welfare.

He said the geopolitical landscape has fundamentally changed since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and that "security matters most now."

"There is nothing without security," he said.

Korčok also rejected the notion that governments must choose between defense spending and domestic priorities.

"I believe a responsible approach is to show leadership," he said. "By increasing defense at this moment, you are in fact protecting the very essence of your state, which is its sovereignty."

His fellow Progressive Slovakia lawmaker Štefan Kišš, an economist by training, said his government should focus on growing the economy rather than worrying about limited fiscal resources.

"When there is more income, there is more money to distribute to everybody," Kišš said, adding that his party would pursue stronger pro-growth economic policies if it comes to power.

He said that was also one of the reasons he and Korčok were visiting Taiwan.

"We want to leave this message that we want to improve our relations in terms of economic cooperation," Kišš said.

Korčok served as Slovakia's foreign minister from 2020 to 2022.

He announced his candidacy for the 2024 Slovak presidential election in August 2023 and advanced to the runoff against Peter Pellegrini, ultimately losing with 46.87 percent of the vote on April 6, 2024.

He joined the Progressive Slovakia party in November 2024.

Korčok is making his first visit to Taiwan primarily to attend the Ketagalan Forum, a one-day event held Tuesday and jointly organized by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research to discuss Indo-Pacific security.

Asked about his impressions of Taiwan, Korčok said the visit had given him a firsthand understanding of the Taiwanese people's determination "to protect your right and your people's freedom to decide how the country will be run."

He also said that if his party returns to power, it would reverse Slovakia's current pro-Russian policy direction and step up support for Ukraine.

Once peace returns to Ukraine, Slovakia -- which shares a border with the country -- hopes to work closely with Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific partners on Ukraine's reconstruction, he added.

(By Joseph Yeh)

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Taiwan shares open higher

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 01:08:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 5 (CNA) The Taiwan Stock Exchange's main index opened up 449.17 points at 43,809.83 Wednesday on turnover of NT$25.52 billion (US$788.75 million).

(By Y.F. Low)

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'One China' policy may complicate int'l response to Taiwan: Ex-Finnish PM

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:07:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Tuesday that the international community could find it "much more complicated" to respond to Chinese coercion against Taiwan than to Russia's invasion of Ukraine because of the "one China" policy.

During a Q&A session after her keynote speech at the 10th Ketagalan Forum in Taipei, Marin said Europe had responded with unity to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the situation across the Taiwan Strait poses additional complications for governments.

Marin, who led the Nordic country from December 2019 to June 2023, said the "one China" policy could affect how the international community responds to developments involving Taiwan.

"I think this might be -- I hope it won't -- but it might be much more complicated for different countries internationally to respond," she said.

"I don't think it should be like this, but I'm speaking from a realistic perspective," she added.

The "one China" policy broadly refers to the diplomatic position adopted by the vast majority of countries, including Finland, under which they recognize the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legal government of China.

Many countries shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing after the PRC took over China's seat at the United Nations in 1971, and do not maintain formal diplomatic ties with the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name.

Marin also said the challenges facing Taiwan do not necessarily have to take the form of "tanks, missiles or drones," pointing instead to gray-zone actions that are more difficult for the international community to confront.

On how to respond to such actions, she said the international community should remain strong and defend its "values and principles," warning that democracies should not make themselves appear "weaker" in the eyes of aggressors or authoritarian regimes.

In her keynote speech, Marin said Russia's aggression against Ukraine was "only the tip of the iceberg" in a much wider battle of values linking the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the rest of the world.

"We need to understand that the matter of Ukraine, just like the matter of Taiwan, isn't an issue of a single country," she said.

"If we let countries like Russia attack an independent sovereign nation without serious and long-lasting consequences, it will set an example for others to use aggression to get what they want," she added.

Finland's defense lessons

Drawing on Finland's experience, Marin said the country -- which borders Russia and has fought multiple wars with its larger neighbor -- took a different approach when many European countries cut military spending following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Finland retained mandatory military service and continued investing in its defense capabilities because memories of past wars remained deeply embedded in the public consciousness, she said.

Marin said almost 80 percent of Finns in a survey conducted last year indicated that they were "willing to defend" the country and believed Finland should defend itself with arms if attacked.

In Taiwan, 58.7 percent of respondents to an Academia Sinica survey conducted in January said they would "resist" a Chinese invasion even without U.S. military support.

Backing Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim's (蕭美琴) earlier remarks, Marin said, "To build lasting peace, we need strength and deterrence of our own."

Hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, this year's Ketagalan Forum also featured international political figures including U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul and former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

(By Sunny Lai)

Enditem/AW

Autonomous platforms, electronic warfare key to unmanned systems: Experts

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:33:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Autonomous platforms and electronic warfare capabilities will be crucial to the development of effective unmanned systems, Taiwanese technology executives said Tuesday.

At a seminar organized by the Taipei Computer Association, Lin Hong-pei (林宏沛), general manager of YUAN High-Tech Development Co., said unmanned vehicles are complex systems requiring the integration of sensors, artificial intelligence, navigation, communications and control technologies.

While aircraft and other hardware remain important, the industry should devote greater attention to platforms that enable unmanned systems to perceive and interpret their surroundings, make decisions, carry out tasks, manage operations and continue evolving, Lin said.

"Real strength lies in the autonomous system platform," he said.

Such platforms must integrate data from cameras, radar, lidar and audio sensors while enabling different types of unmanned vehicles to coordinate their routes and tasks, Lin said.

AI agents could increasingly manage those functions and reduce the need for human intervention as unmanned systems become more complex, he added.

Meanwhile, K-Best Technology Inc. CEO Tung Yu-wei (童玉瑋) emphasized another challenge facing unmanned systems: electronic warfare.

Electronic warfare primarily involves jamming and counter-jamming of communications, positioning and navigation, and radar systems.

"Any technology or product that has not been tested by war may already be outdated by the time it is deployed on the battlefield," he said.

Taiwan needed both long-range jamming capabilities and systems able to maintain communications and positioning under interference, according to Tung.

No single approach can counter every form of jamming, he said, adding that resilient communications should employ multiple frequencies, bandwidths and time slots, as well as techniques such as frequency hopping and spread spectrum.

Thunder Tiger Group General Manager Gene Su (蘇聖傑) presented the company's work with U.S. drone software company Auterion as an example of platform integration.

The two companies have jointly developed technology integrating flight-control modules with software and hardware to improve autonomous capabilities and flight stability, according to Su's presentation.

Thunder Tiger has completed swarm flight testing and real-world aircraft verification using the technology, he said.

Su also stressed the need to scale up production of low-cost unmanned vehicles, arguing that recent conflicts have shown they can overwhelm expensive air defense systems through sheer force of numbers.

In addition, the company is developing fiber-optic drones that are less vulnerable to radio-frequency interference, with a current range of 20 km and a target range of 50 km, he said.

(By Chao Yen-hsiang)

Enditem/AW

Trump to send US$14 billion Taiwan arms package to Congress: McCaul

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:56:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to submit a US$14 billion arms package for Taiwan to Congress soon, senior Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul said Tuesday, stressing that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan would not be affected by Washington's ties with Beijing.

McCaul, chairman emeritus of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the remarks after President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) awarded him the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon during a ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei.

"Last December, Congress signed off on the largest foreign military sales package in history at US$11 billion -- and we aren't stopping there," McCaul said.

That US$11.1 billion package for Taiwan included weapons such as HIMARS rocket systems, Javelin anti-tank missiles and loitering munitions.

"I am confident the president will forward soon another package to Congress with an additional $14 billion in critical military defense articles," he added.

The package McCaul referred to remains under review by the Trump administration, which has yet to formally notify Congress of the proposed sale. In an interview aired shortly after his May meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Trump described it as a "very good negotiating chip" in dealings with Beijing.

McCaul said he wanted to "make it very clear" that U.S. policy does not allow diplomatic relations with China to "tie up arms sales to Taiwan."

The Texas congressman also cited former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who said after the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act that "the United States does not consult with the PRC (People's Republic of China) on arms sales to Taiwan."

McCaul said deterrence remained the "ultimate goal" and highlighted the importance of drone technology and production capacity based on what he observed during a recent visit to the battlefield in Ukraine.

He urged Taiwan to cooperate with democratic countries that have developed innovations in modern warfare and to continue strengthening its defense capabilities, resilience and cybersecurity.

In his remarks, Lai thanked McCaul for "always supporting Taiwan's efforts to strengthen its national defense capabilities," noting that the congressman had urged the U.S. administration to "accelerate the delivery of arms to Taiwan."

"Taiwan will continue to implement national defense reforms, strengthen asymmetric capabilities, establish drone combat and defense systems, and bolster whole-of-society defense resilience," Lai said.

He added that Taiwan looked forward to further strengthening cooperation with the U.S. and expanding it beyond arms procurement to joint development and co-production so the two sides could work together to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

McCaul last visited Taiwan in May 2024, shortly after Lai took office. Earlier Tuesday, he also attended the 10th Ketagalan Forum in Taipei.

(By Sophia Yeh and Sunny Lai)

Enditem/sfj

Foundation, 7-Eleven launch health rewards program for food redemptions

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:30:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) The Taiwan Millennium Health Foundation and 7‑Eleven launched a rewards program Tuesday to encourage healthy habits such as walking, balanced diets and health monitoring, allowing participants to redeem points for food and drinks.

At a press conference emphasizing early disease prevention, Taiwan Millennium Health Foundation Chairman Wayne Sheu (許惠恒) said the program aims to help people at high risk of metabolic syndrome improve their lifestyle habits.

Sheu, who also serves as vice president of the National Health Research Institutes, said the foundation's initiatives helped about 600 high-risk individuals receive better care last year, while 153 participants improved their diets, lost weight, and normalized their blood pressure through an earlier rewards program.

Building on last year's collaboration with 7-Eleven, the foundation decided to expand the initiative into a larger rewards program running from Wednesday through Dec. 31 to encourage healthier lifestyles, according to the foundation.

Participants can earn points in the "Health ACE" section of the 7-Eleven-affiliated uniopen app by recording healthy activities, such as walking, checking their blood pressure, and uploading photos of their meals. These points can then be redeemed for food and drinks at 7-Eleven or used to enter prize draws, the foundation said in a news release.

Rewards available in August include tea eggs, coffee, salads, soy milk, tea and apples. Participants can also enter prize draws to win a blood pressure monitor or gold worth NT$10,000 (US$308), with prizes for subsequent months to be announced later, the foundation said.

Anyone who registers as a member through the uniopen app can participate in the program regardless of nationality, the foundation added.

"To reduce the medical burden caused by chronic diseases, we have actively promoted the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome in recent years," Health Promotion Administration Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) said at the event.

Shen said that healthy lifestyle habits are more effective than medication in reducing the risk of chronic diseases and managing metabolic syndrome.

Citing a study published in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews in January, Taiwan Association of Lifestyle Medicine Chairperson Lin Hung-jung (林宏榮) said adults who increase their daily steps from 3,000 to 5,000 can lower their risk of death by 37 percent. Increasing the daily step count to 7,000 lowers the risk by 51 percent, he said.

(By Chen Chieh-ling and Shih Hsiu-chuan)

Enditem/sfj

Austria pumpkin seed oil rejected over benzo[a]pyrene

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:07:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) A small shipment of pumpkin seed oil imported from Austria has been rejected at Taiwan's border after testing found excessive levels of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday.

The 4.5-kilogram shipment, imported by Taichung-based HealthTake Corp., contained 2.5 parts per billion (ppb) of benzo[a]pyrene, exceeding Taiwan's maximum limit of 2.0 ppb for edible oils and fats, the TFDA said.

The shipment was ordered to be returned to its country of origin or destroyed and did not enter the domestic market, the agency said.

The finding comes as Taiwanese authorities continue investigating domestically produced soybean-based oil and camellia oil over suspected benzo[a]pyrene contamination.

Liu Fang-ming (劉芳銘), director of the TFDA's Northern Taiwan Management Center, said imported edible oils are routinely tested for benzo[a]pyrene at the border.

The case marks the first time in nearly two years that an imported oil product has failed a border inspection for the compound. The previous violation was detected in October 2024, when gac fruit oil imported from Vietnam exceeded the limit, Liu said.

According to TFDA statistics, 169 shipments of pumpkin seed oil have been declared for import over the past three years, with 38 selected for inspection. The Austrian shipment was the first to fail.

Liu said the Austrian manufacturer, All Organic Treasures GmbH, has exported only two shipments to Taiwan. The other shipment, imported in 2023, is no longer on the market.

He added that HealthTake previously had a pumpkin seed oil product fail border inspection for excessive heavy metals in 2016. As a result of the latest violation, all future pumpkin seed oil shipments imported by the company will be subject to inspection.

The pumpkin seed oil was one of 15 products listed in the TFDA's latest border inspection report released Tuesday.

Other non-compliant products included black sesame seeds from Cambodia and Cassia occidentalis extract from China, which is commonly used in traditional medicines. They failed their inspections due to excessive pesticide residues or other violations.

Also rejected was a 1.3-kg shipment of largehead hairtail (beltfish) imported from Japan by Les Terroirs de Chailease Co. after it was found to contain 0.7 ppb of malachite green, a veterinary drug prohibited in fish products under Taiwan's regulations.

The TFDA has raised the inspection rate for future shipments imported by the company to between 20 percent and 50 percent, Liu said.

(By Shen Pei-yao and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/ls

Taiwan shares ended flat after a big swing

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 08:41:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Shares in Taiwan closed little changed after a big swing of more than 1,000 points Tuesday as selling emerged to erode initial gains with investors shrugging off a rally in the United States overnight, dealers said.

The Taiex, the Taiwan Stock Exchange's benchmark index, ended down 25.75 points, or 0.06 percent, at 43,360.66 after moving between 42,895.81 and 43,912.77. Turnover totaled NT$1.036 trillion (US$34.5 billion).

Despite a 2.13 percent increase on the tech-heavy Nasdaq index overnight, "the Taiex still failed to sustain its earlier upturn as large-cap semiconductor stocks, in particular TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.), traded in negative territory," Concord Securities analyst Kerry Huang said.

"TSMC remained in consolidation so the entire main board just followed," Huang said. "Judging from today's movement, I suspect the Taiex faced stiff technical resistance around the 20-day moving average of 43,785 points."

Contract chipmaker TSMC, which accounts for over 40 percent of total market value, closed down 2.11 percent at NT$2,320.00 and its losses led the semiconductor subindex to fall by 1.37 percent.

Smartphone IC designer MediaTek Inc. lost 1.15 percent to end at NT$3,865.00, and IC packaging and testing firm ASE Technology Holding Co. shed 4.10 percent to close at NT$585.00.

Bucking the downturn, shares in memory chip suppliers Nanya Technology Corp. and Winbond Electronics Corp. soared 10 percent, the maximum daily increase, to end at NT$436.00 and NT$157.00, respectively, on a global supply shortage.

"Funds rotated out of TSMC but flowed to non-chip AI-related stocks. That means rotational buying remained active," Huang said.

Among them, power management solutions provider Delta Electronics Inc. rose 2.53 percent to close at NT$1,620.00, and Yageo Corp., the world's third-largest multi-layer ceramic capacitor maker, added 2.54 percent to end at NT$566.00.

However, iPhone assembler and AI server maker Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. lost 1.19 percent to close at NT$250.00, while Quanta Computer Inc., another AI server supplier, rose 1.35 percent to end at NT$300.50.

Buying also rotated to select old-economy stocks with Formosa Plastics Corp. up 2.79 percent to close at NT$55.30, and Nan Ya Plastics Corp. up 3.33 percent to end at NT$170.50.

Meanwhile, Tung Ho Steel Corp. added 2.61 percent to close at NT$82.50, while China Steel Corp., Taiwan's largest steel maker, ended unchanged at NT$18.85.

In the financial sector, which fell 0.54 percent, Cathay Financial Holding Co. lost 1.29 percent to close at NT$99.20, and Fubon Financial Holding Co. ended down 0.77 percent at NT$128.50.

After the joint efforts of the U.S. and Japan to bolster the Japanese yen, "investors should watch closely how the Taiwan dollar moves against the U.S. dollar for clues about whether foreign institutional investors will keep their funds here or shift funds overseas, which will serve as a barometer for the Taiex's movement," Huang said.

According to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, foreign institutional investors sold a net NT$5.73 billion of shares on the main board Tuesday.

(By Frances Huang)

Enditem/AW

U.S. congressman backs Taiwan drone partnership to deter China

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 08:17:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul said Tuesday he hopes the U.S. and Taiwan will establish a partnership on drone production and technology that would create a "hornet's nest" capable of deterring Chinese aggression.

McCaul, chairman emeritus of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the remarks in a keynote speech at the Ketagalan Forum, hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research.

The Texas Republican said that after a recent visit to Ukraine, where drones have played a significant role in the war against Russia, he became convinced Taiwan and the United States should cooperate on drone production and technology.

"The development of the U.S.-Taiwan drone sector will create, truly, a hornet's nest in defense of Taiwan," McCaul said. "Our ultimate goal must be deterrence, which leads to peace."

Taiwan's government and defense industry have been pushing to obtain U.S. drone cybersecurity and supply chain certifications. The Cabinet has also proposed a NT$210 billion (US$6.5 billion) budget to procure domestically developed drones. It has made establishing "non-red" supply chains - those that do not rely on Chinese components - a top priority.

McCaul also highlighted what he described as China's intimidation tactics around Taiwan and its "unchecked" aggression against the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Recalling his first visit to Taiwan in 2023, McCaul said his delegation was met with an "armada" of Chinese warships and dozens of military aircraft operating around Taiwan. China acted similarly when he returned after President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) election in 2024, he added.

"I will never forget when my colleagues and I were flying over the South China Sea, and China accused us by radio transmitter on the airplane that we were violating their sovereign territories, even though we were in international waters," he said.

"Make no mistake, the CCP is testing its capabilities and Taiwan's vulnerabilities in preparation for a potential invasion," he warned.

He said the Chinese Communist Party's actions were not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy to expand its influence in the region, undermine international norms and threaten the sovereignty of neighboring countries.

"But I believe their malign agenda has backfired," McCaul said.

He referenced the live-fire phase of Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises, which are scheduled to run from Wednesday through Aug. 14.

"I'm proud to say that Taiwan has the highest level of defense readiness and capabilities that I have seen in my 22 years in Congress," McCaul said.

China's aggression against Japan, the Philippines and other countries has "awakened the free world" and driven a more coordinated international response, he said.

"Now these countries are coming together to support one another like never before," he added.

Later Tuesday, McCaul met Lai at the Presidential Office, where the president presented him with the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Taiwan-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

(By Sean Lin)

Enditem/sfj

Amendment adds to offenses disqualifying a run for president

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 07:12:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) The Legislative Yuan passed an amendment Tuesday that adds convictions under the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act to the list of offenses that disqualify individuals from running for president or vice president in Taiwan.

The amendment, introduced by opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲), revised Article 26 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act.

Weng said presidential candidates should be held to a higher standard of integrity than ordinary citizens, given that the president is entrusted with leading the country.

If an individual was convicted of more serious fraud charges that the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act is supposed to address but could still run for the presidency, that would be inconsistent with the standard of integrity democratic societies expect of public officials, she said.

It was not clear, however, how much adding provisions in the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act, which is based on Article 339-4 of the Criminal Code, to the list in the election law will change candidate eligibility in practice.

During the committee review of the bill, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) suggested that the amendment might not have a significant impact on potential candidates because fraud violations disqualifying candidates were already part of the election law.

The ministry said amendments to the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act and the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act enacted in June 2023 had already barred individuals convicted of aggravated fraud under Article 339-4 of the Criminal Code from running for public office.

It said, however, that it would respect the Legislature's decision if it were to reach a consensus on the amendment.

The Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act, which took effect in July 2024, increased penalties for offenses under Article 339-4.

The amendment passed Tuesday will take effect upon promulgation by the president.

(By Chen Chun-hua and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/ls

Ex-Canada deputy PM urges democracies to oppose China's law

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 06:55:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday urged democratic countries to publicly oppose China's "Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law," warning that it mirrors tactics Russia used before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Freeland, who served as Canada's 10th deputy prime minister from 2019 to 2024, told a security forum in Taipei that parts of the law targeting individuals and organizations outside China's borders for undermining ethnic unity were "particularly sinister."

These bore a "dark kinship with Russia's malign use of linguistic, cultural, and ethnic ties to justify illegal encroachment on the sovereignty of its neighbors," Freeland said.

Freeland noted that in July 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin published his essay, "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians," arguing that Russians and Ukrainians shared a common ethnic and historical heritage. "Seven months later, he sent in the tanks. The lesson of history is clear."

Following the implementation of China's new law on July 1, Freeland said democracies needed to "state plainly and in one voice that a foreign law which assigns political loyalty on the basis of ethnicity has no force on our territories."

"[It] has no application to our citizens -- whatever their ancestry, whatever their passport, wherever they or their parents were born," she added.

Freeland praised the Taiwanese people for their courage and determination in defending freedom and democracy, noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's first direct presidential election in 1996.

She said preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was important, as was supporting Taiwan's inclusion in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a regional trade bloc of which Canada is a member.

Freeland was speaking at the 10th Ketagalan Forum, a one-day event jointly hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research focusing on Indo-Pacific security issues.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ASG

Taiwan shares close down 0.06%

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 06:05:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Taiwan shares ended down 25.75 points, or 0.06 percent, at 43,360.66 Tuesday on turnover of NT$1.036 trillion (US$34.5 billion).

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)

Enditem/

Lai calls on int'l community to unite against China ethnic unity law

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 05:02:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday called on the international community to take a unified stance against China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, promulgated last month.

"Last month, China implemented the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, ignoring international opposition," Lai said at the opening of the 10th Ketagalan Forum. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, focuses on security issues in the Indo-Pacific region.

"I want to emphasize that China's ethnic unity law infringes upon Taiwan's sovereignty, and persecutes religions and minority groups," Lai said.

The law, passed by China's National People's Congress in March, requires all Chinese citizens to uphold national unification and aims to strengthen the identification of Taiwan's people as members of the Chinese nation.

It also states that individuals or organizations, whether inside or outside China, that undermine ethnic unity or promote ethnic division can be held legally liable, without clearly defining what kinds of groups or conduct fall under those categories.

The law uses "transnational repression" to impose political censorship "in all parts of the world," creating a "chilling effect," Lai said, calling for coordinated international resistance to the measure.

"The entire international community should come together and staunchly oppose this malicious law," he said.

Gen Nakatani, the co-chair of the IPAC, speaks during the opening ceremony in Taipei on Tuesday. CNA photo Aug. 4, 2026

Speaking at the forum, Gen Nakatani, the co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) for Japan, said transnational repression had grown in recent years despite international efforts to curb it.

Nakatani, a former Japanese defense minister, said IPAC members have worked to devise countermeasures to transnational repression since the forum directed public attention to the issue two years ago.

"And yet the threat has not receded. It has been given the form of law by the Chinese government," Nakatani noted.

The law has raised grave concerns about "forced assimilation" and perceived attempts to conduct "intensified" persecution of ethnic minorities, he said.

"I am deeply troubled, above all, by the violation of sovereignty that its extraterritorial application entails," Nakatani added.

He referenced an assault on Japanese journalist Akio Yaita, a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party, who was punched in the face by a Chinese man from Hong Kong on July 6, less than a week after the law took effect.

"I served as Japan's Minister of Defense. When our airspace is violated, radar detects it and our fighters scramble at once," Nakatani said. "But when a citizen standing on our own soil can no longer speak, for fear of a foreign power, no alarm sounds anywhere."

He called on all societies under the threat of transnational repression to treat it not only as a matter of public order, but one of national security, and take concrete action to deter it.

(By Sean Lin)

Enditem/ASG

TSMC's Kumamoto fab back to normal after earthquake

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 04:25:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) The operations of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC's) fab in Kumamoto, Japan, have fully returned to normal after an earthquake hit the area, TSMC said while also pledging to donate 250 million Japanese yen in disaster relief.

In a statement, the world's largest contract chipmaker said the restoration of the facility's operations was due to the joint efforts of TSMC's employees in Kumamoto and TSMC suppliers.

The earthquake struck the Kumamoto area at 4:27 p.m. local time on July 28 and registered seismic intensities of up to 7, the highest reading on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

Soon after the earthquake hit, the fab, which is run by the TSMC-led joint venture Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc. (JASM), evacuated its employees based on its evacuation criteria, according to TSMC.

TSMC said Kumamoto is one of the company's important production bases worldwide, and it thanked the Japanese government, prefecture authorities and its partners in the supply chain for their assistance.

Because Kumamoto still needs help in recovering from the disaster, TSMC said it would donate 250 million yen to relief efforts and that the TSMC Charity Foundation had launched a campaign to raise funds from TSMC employees to provide additional support.

TSMC's first fab in Kumamoto started commercial operations at the end of 2024, using specialty processes. Construction of a second fab began last year with mass production slated for 2028, using the advanced 3-nanometer process.

The second fab did not suffer any setbacks in the earthquake, according to TSMC.

(By Chung Jung-feng and Frances Huang)

Enditem/ls

Taiwan wins 2 silver, 4 bronze at International Linguistics Olympiad

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 04:10:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Taiwan's eight-member team won two silver medals, four bronze medals and four honorable mentions at the 23rd International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) in Bucharest, Romania, with every contestant receiving at least one award.

The competition, held from July 26 to Aug. 2, brought together high school students from 46 countries and regions to compete in linguistic analysis and problem-solving.

Taiwan's delegation was led by Janice Fon (馮怡蓁) and Hsieh Shu-kai (謝舒凱), professors at the Graduate Institute of Linguistics at National Taiwan University.

In the individual contest, Teng Zi-yang (鄧子洋) from Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo Senior High School and Wu Bo-ting (吳柏霆) from Tung Der High School in Nantou won silver medals.

Bronze medals went to Hsu Shao-yang (徐紹崵) of Taipei Private Dongshan High School, Chang Yu-an (張佑安) of Hong Wen International School in Taichung, and Yu Ang-hsuan (于昂軒) from Ci-Xin Waldorf High School in Yilan County.

Tsai Shang-en (蔡尚恩), Shih Bing-chen (施秉辰) and Chou Yu-hsuan (周佑宣), all from Chien Kuo Senior High School, received honorable mentions.

Hsu also received the competition's "best solution" award for his outstanding performance in the individual competition.

Taiwan fielded two entries in the team competition. The "Black Bear" team, comprising Teng, Wu, Yu and Tsai, earned a bronze medal, while the "Blue Magpie" team of Hsu, Chang, Shih and Chou received an honorable mention.

Following the award ceremony, Taiwan's representative office in Slovakia, which also represents Taiwan's interests in Romania, conveyed a congratulatory message to the delegation from Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴).

The IOL tests participants' linguistic analysis, logical reasoning and problem-solving skills by challenging them to identify patterns and decipher unfamiliar languages, which demands not only linguistic knowledge but also patience and judgment, according to organizers.

(By Liu Yu-ting and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/ls

Rules on cooling period for disposition stocks eased

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) has eased the rules governing the cooling period for "disposition stocks," effective from Aug. 10.

According to the TWSE, the cooling period for a stock placed in disposition will be shortened to five trading sessions from the current 10 trading sessions.

The matching interval will be cut to two minutes from five minutes for a stock which is designated as a disposition stock for the first time.

For stocks designated as disposition stocks for the second time, the matching interval will also be shortened to two minutes from 20 minutes, the TWSE said.

CNA file photo

Disposition stocks are those that have shown extreme volatility and are subject to trading restrictions to cool them down. Those restrictions can include using manual rather than automatic matching of buy and sell offers and increasing the matching interval.

In Taiwan, for example, a stock that rises or falls more than 25 percent in six trading sessions, whose accumulated turnaround rate tops 50 percent in six trading sessions, whose single session turnaround rate tops 5 percent, or whose single session turnover stands at over 5-fold the average in the previous 60 sessions is placed on a watch list.

A stock is designated as a disposition stock if those conditions persist for three consecutive trading sessions, for six trading sessions within the last 10 trading days, or for 12 trading days within the last 30 trading days.

TWSE Vice President Tu Hui-chuan speaks at a press event in Taipei on Monday. CNA photo Aug. 3, 2026

Speaking with reporters, TWSE Vice President Tu Hui-chuan (杜惠娟) said Monday that the disposition stock rules were put in place in 1995 to raise awareness of risks among investors in times of volatility.

The TWSE hopes the adjustments will not only continue to serve as a reminder of risks for investors but also maintain liquidity in the market, Tu said.

Critics of the previous rules have argued that they made it difficult for investors who wanted to trim their positions by taking advantage of any technical rebound at a time when the local stock market faced volatility.

Fubon Securities Investment Services Chairman Chen Yi-kuan (陳奕光) told local media that the easing of disposition rules could reduce panic-led selling in a down market and moderate losses suffered by investors holding stocks placed in disposition.

But the changes will cut both ways, Chen said, noting that risks will increase in a volatile market as investors will no longer be protected by a 10-day cooling period.

He also feared it will be easier for major market players to dictate the market by taking advantage of the adjustments.

The Taiex, the Taiwan Stock Exchange's benchmark index, plunged 4,917.51 points, or 10.96 percent, in just five sessions from July 24 to July 30 before staging a strong rebound on July 31, when the market posted a record single-session point gain of 3,186.45 points.

Tu said that after the adjustments to the disposition stock rules, the TWSE will set up a review mechanism in which the exchange will, in principle, review the rules every six months to allow the local stock market to adapt to fast-changing market conditions.

Chen Chun-hong (陳俊宏), chairman of the Taiwan Securities Association, praised the TWSE for promptly responding to investors' demands by adjusting the disposition stock rules. Chen said the rule changes are expected to help investors get through market volatility.

(By Tseng Jen-kai and Frances Huang)

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Palau appoints Taiwanese scholar as health minister's special adviser

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 03:17:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Palau has appointed Taiwanese scholar Chen Kai-siang (陳愷翔) as a special adviser to its health and human services minister, Taiwan's embassy in the Pacific island nation said Monday.

Palauan Vice President and Health and Human Services Minister Raynold B. Oilouch formally appointed Chen to the post in July, the embassy said in a statement.

Chen is the youngest person to have served as a special adviser in Palau, according to the embassy, which said the appointment reflected the Palauan government's recognition of his expertise and long-standing work in support of bilateral health cooperation.

Chen will help the ministry coordinate medical resources from Taiwan and advance public health policy, the training of health care personnel and international medical cooperation, the statement said.

Over the years, Chen has led Taiwanese medical teams on trips to Palau to provide free clinics and public health services.

He has also mobilized resources from Taiwanese hospitals, universities and nonprofit organizations to support chronic disease care, oral health promotion, cancer screening, health education and public health surveys in Palau, the embassy said.

Palau is one of 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name.

Medical cooperation has long been an important part of bilateral ties, with Taiwan providing health care services, professional training and other forms of assistance to the Pacific ally.

(By Charlotte Yang and Chao Yen-hsiang)

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U.S. dollar down in Taipei trading

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) The U.S. dollar was traded at NT$32.420 at 10 a.m. Tuesday on the Taipei Foreign Exchange, down NT$0.018 from the previous close.

(By Frances Huang)

Enditem

Taiwan headline news

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 02:26:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) The lead stories in major Taiwan dailies on Tuesday are as follows:

@United Daily News: Amid Taisugar controversy, High Prosecutors Office director says reporting of toxic oil is legal obligation

@China Times: Cooling-off period for disposition stocks shortened to 5 days

@Liberty Times: China's 'Taiwan Youth e-Home' platform to be blocked to keep personal data of Taiwanese youth from being sent directly to Taiwan Affairs Office, official says

@Economic Daily News: Taiwan stock cooling-off period regulations eased

@Commercial Times: With disposition stock rules eased, liquidity expected to increase 1.5-fold

@Taipei Times: MAC to train 'united front' awareness

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Taiwan shares open lower

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 01:07:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) The Taiwan Stock Exchange's main index opened down 293.92 points at 43,092.49 Tuesday on turnover of NT$17.54 billion (US$542.35 million).

(By Frances Huang)

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Tzu Chi emergency aid arrives in Japan to assist quake survivors

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) Humanitarian aid from Taiwan's Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation arrived in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Monday to assist people displaced by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the area last Tuesday.

As of Sunday, the temblor had killed 38 people, seriously injured 13 others, and displaced at least 8,556 people, the non-governmental humanitarian organization said in a statement released Monday.

The aid shipment, flown by China Airlines from Taoyuan to Fukuoka Airport on Saturday, includes 148 multifunctional folding beds and 40 partition tents from Tzu Chi's Jing Si product line.

To assess evolving needs on the ground, a 10-member group of volunteers from Taiwan and Japan assembled at Fukuoka Airport on Sunday. The group brought two portable water purification units to address potential drinking water shortages in affected areas.

Tzu Chi's partition tents. CNA file photo

The foundation said the beds and tents were designed for use in disaster relief operations. Used together, they can provide people displaced by the earthquake with greater privacy and comfort.

"Elevating beds off the ground helps protect elderly residents from cold drafts and floor dampness, while partition tents provide essential personal space in crowded public facilities," it said.

According to Tzu Chi, the supplies were scheduled to be delivered to Yatsushiro City on Monday, with members of the foundation's Japan branch overseeing local logistics.

Tzu Chi said the folding beds were developed at the request of its founder, Master Cheng Yen (證嚴), after she witnessed the suffering of survivors of the 2010 Pakistan floods.

The partition tents were created after Taiwan's 2018 Hualien earthquake, when Tzu Chi volunteers witnessed survivors and emergency responders staying in temporary shelters without privacy, the foundation said.

Graphic taken from the Tzu Chi Foundation official website

(By Chang Chi and James Lo)

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Domestic travel trips, spending hit record highs in 2025: Agency

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:19:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) Taiwanese people aged 12 and older took a record 247.61 million domestic trips in 2025, up 11.52 percent from the previous year, while spending on domestic travel reached a record NT$564.3 billion (US$17.38 billion), up 9.4 percent, according to survey results released Monday by the Tourism Administration.

On average, each person took 11.65 domestic trips during that year. The average trip lasted 1.32 days, with travelers spending NT$2,279 per trip, the survey showed.

About 79.1 percent of domestic trips were day trips, while 92 percent were taken independently rather than in groups.

Respondents cited transportation convenience and accessibility as the most important factors when choosing destinations.

The survey also found that 38.9 percent of Taiwanese aged 12 and over traveled overseas in 2025, up 4.3 percentage points from 2024. Japan remained the most popular destination, attracting 45.3 percent of outbound travelers, followed by China and South Korea.

The number of outbound trips rose 12.43 percent from 2024.

Spending on overseas travel exceeded NT$1 trillion for the first time, reaching NT$1.047 trillion. Travelers spent an average of NT$55,288 per trip, including airfare, while domestic spending before and after overseas trips averaged NT$2,657 per traveler, totaling NT$50.3 billion for the year.

Despite the increase in overseas travel, 68 percent of respondents said they did not reduce the number of domestic trips because of overseas travel, the survey showed.

The domestic travel survey was conducted through telephone interviews and has a sampling error of plus or minus 1.27 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

In a separate survey also released Monday, the Tourism Administration said Taiwan welcomed 8.57 million international visitors in 2025, up 9.12 percent from a year earlier.

Those visitors spent an average of US$185.14 per day, generating US$11.033 billion in tourism revenue, excluding airfare, up 10.02 percent from 2024.

Accommodation accounted for the largest share of spending at 41.82 percent, followed by food at 21.17 percent and shopping at 18.32 percent.

Visitors from the United States recorded the highest daily spending at US$242.84, followed by visitors from South Korea, Europe and Japan. Hong Kong visitors spent the most on shopping, followed by travelers from China and South Korea, the survey showed.

International visitors stayed an average of 6.95 nights in Taiwan, while 42.25 percent had visited the country within the previous three years. Overall visitor satisfaction reached 99 percent, according to the survey.

Although leisure remained the primary purpose of inbound travel, visitors traveling for business or to attend international conferences and exhibitions spent more than other international visitors on average, the Tourism Administration said.

The survey also found that while night markets remained the most popular attractions, visits to historic sites increased compared with 2019. Southern Taiwan also overtook central Taiwan as the second-most visited region after northern Taiwan.

The inbound tourism survey used quota sampling of international visitors to Taiwan in 2025. It collected 6,660 valid responses and has a sampling error of less than 1.2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

(By Yu Hsiao-han and Wu Kuan-hsien)

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Manufacturing activity in expansion mode for 10th straight month

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:56:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) On the back of robust global demand for AI applications, Taiwan's manufacturing activity stayed in expansion mode for the 10th consecutive month in July, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) said Monday.

CIER, one of the leading think tanks in Taiwan, cited data as showing the July purchasing managers' index (PMI) in the manufacturing sector rose 0.8 from a month earlier to 61.5, the highest level since August 2021, when the index stood at 62.1.

Bucking the uptrend, the non-manufacturing index (NMI) in the service sector fell 2.6 from a month earlier to 57.3 in July but stayed in expansion mode.

PMI and NMI readings above 50 indicate expansion, while those below 50 show contraction.

CIER said the current AI boom pushed up new orders and production -- two of the five major factors in the July PMI -- by 2.9 and 4.0, respectively, from a month earlier to 63.3 and 62.7 in July, driving up manufacturing activity as a whole.

Among other factors, the subindex on supplier deliveries also moved higher by 0.7 from a month earlier to 67.6 in July, while the subindexes on employment and inventories moved lower by 2.4 and 0.8, respectively, to 53.0 and 61.1.

In addition, the subindex on the business outlook over the next six months rose 0.3 from a month earlier to 64.5 in July, marking the seventh consecutive month the subindex has been above 60.

Among the six major industries, the food and textile industry, the chemical and biotech industry, and the transportation industry saw manufacturing activity improve in July, while the subindexes on the electronics and optoelectronics industry, the basic raw materials industry, and the electricity and machinery equipment industry fell, but remained in expansion mode.

Commenting on the July NMI, CIER said a July decline in equity prices from June highs spooked investor sentiment and weakened faith in wealth effects.

In July, the four major factors in the NMI -- business activity, new orders, employment and supplier deliveries -- all moved lower by 3.3, 1.7, 2.3 and 3.0, respectively, from a month earlier to 59.4, 58.5 56.4 and 55.0, CIER said.

Meanwhile, the subindex on the business outlook over the next six months in the July NMI also fell 4.6 from a month earlier to 58.9, according to CIER.

(By Frances Huang)

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KMT calls for accountability over delayed reporting in tainted oil case

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:43:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) on Monday called for accountability in a recent soybean oil case involving excessive benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) levels, saying those responsible for any delayed reporting, withholding information or supervisory failures should be held accountable.

At a press conference, KMT legislative caucus Secretary-General Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) called on the Cabinet to disclose how much soybean oil that failed safety inspections was stored at Central Union Oil Corp., as well as its full distribution trail, including whether it was sealed, recalled or destroyed.

Lin also questioned when the Cabinet and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) first became aware of the issue and why it was not fully disclosed at a food safety briefing.

He added that those responsible for delayed reporting, concealing information or supervisory failures should be held accountable.

The controversy arose after state-owned Taiwan Sugar Corp. (Taisugar) was accused of knowing as early as May that oil from Central Union was problematic but responded by returning it to the supplier without notifying the authorities.

However, in a statement issued Sunday, the company clarified that it never took delivery of or used the crude soybean oil in question because samples it tested before purchase failed safety inspections. It therefore had no obligation to report the matter.

Taiwan Sugar Corp. (Taisugar). CNA photo Aug. 3, 2026

Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄), KMT caucus deputy secretary-general, said the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) stated in a 2024 press release that food businesses must proactively report to local authorities if they discover raw materials or products that could pose a food safety risk, with violators facing fines of up to NT$3 million (US$92,507) under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.

Hsu called on the Ministry of Health and Welfare to clarify whether the TFDA's standard applies to Taisugar, saying that if it does, the case should be investigated in accordance with the law, while if it does not, authorities should provide a clear legal basis.

The contamination came to light in late June after soybean-based cooking oil produced by Central Union was found to contain excessive levels of BaP, a Group 1 carcinogen, a classification for substances with sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. More than 13,000 businesses across Taiwan were affected.

Separately on Monday, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said in an online interview that Taisugar, discovered problems with Central Union's oil products but the government failed to disclose the matter, calling the situation "highly questionable."

He also criticized Health Minister Shih Chung‑liang's (石崇良) earlier statement that there was no mandatory reporting requirement for raw materials," accusing the government of using the claim to shield Taisugar from responsibility.

MOEA defends Taisugar

On Monday, the MOEA defended Taisugar in a Facebook post, saying the company was also a victim in the case.

The ministry said Taisugar tests samples from suppliers before accepting deliveries and only takes possession of raw materials after confirming they meet safety standards.

It added that the company conducts inspections at every stage, from raw materials and its self-produced crude oil to finished products, exceeding food safety requirements.

Furthermore, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said Taisugar was only a buyer and that inspections and regulatory enforcement are the responsibility of local governments.

He said more frequent inspections could have put problematic businesses on notice and prevented the incident.

(By Liu Kuan-ting, Hsieh Yi-hsuan, Tseng Yi-ning, Tseng Chun-ting, Yang Sze-rui and Ko Lin)

Enditem/AW

U.S. dollar up sharply, tops NT$32.4 on fund outflows

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:06:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) The U.S. dollar rose sharply against the Taiwan dollar Monday to climb past NT$32.4 due to large fund outflows, dealers said.

The greenback rose NT$0.146 against the Taiwan dollar to close at NT$32.438 after reaching an intraday high of NT$32.490. Combined turnover on the Taiwan Foreign Exchange and the Cosmos Foreign Exchange totaled US$3.92 billion.

Dealers said the U.S. dollar initially weakened against the Taiwan dollar as the U.S. dollar index, which tracks the U.S. dollar against the currencies of six major trading partners, declined.

However, after the greenback dipped to the day's low, the currency rebounded as foreign institutional investors moved large sums of money out of Taiwan, dealers said.

Although the Taiex, the Taiwan Stock Exchange's benchmark index, extended gains from the previous session, rising 266.66 points to close at 43,386.41 Monday, foreign institutional investors remained net sellers, recording net sales of NT$19.19 billion in shares.

Dealers said many Taiwanese exporters took advantage of the weaker Taiwan dollar to sell U.S. dollars, helping limit the local currency's losses.

They added that Taiwan's central bank stepped in the late trading session to smooth volatility in the Taiwan dollar.

While the United States and Japan confirmed their joint efforts to boost the Japanese yen by weakening the U.S. dollar, the Taiwan dollar still remained weak Monday, dealers said.

They said it is possible for foreign institutional investors to keep moving funds out of Taiwan, including cash dividend payments, so the U.S. dollar could challenge the NT$32.6 level in the short term.

(By Chao Min-ya and Frances Huang)

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AI shifts semiconductor competition toward system integration: Experts

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:02:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) Artificial intelligence is reshaping competition in the semiconductor industry, shifting the focus beyond transistor scaling to advanced packaging, materials and system-level integration, experts said at a Taiwan-Japan semiconductor forum on Monday.

Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) Deputy Director General Tsai Hann-huei (蔡瀚輝) said advances in process-node technology were slowing while AI-driven demand for bandwidth continued to surge.

"Leadership will come from system-level co-optimization, not transistor scaling alone," Tsai said at the 2026 Taiwan-Japan Semiconductor Technology Forum.

Future semiconductor systems will increasingly need to combine computing, sensing, power management and connectivity for applications such as automobiles, humanoid robots, AI glasses and drones, according to his presentation.

Tsai said TSRI provides a die-level heterogeneous integration and verification platform to help designers develop next-generation chip systems.

However, progress in advanced packaging and silicon photonics faces challenges involving the interaction of heat, electricity, optics and mechanical stress, as well as large-scale testing and coordination across the semiconductor ecosystem, he said.

Overcoming those barriers will require partnerships among industry, academia and research institutions, Tsai added.

According to his presentation, TSRI is already collaborating with Japanese partners on three-dimensional heterogeneous integration, advanced packaging, quantum computing, power devices and materials analysis.

Meanwhile, Dinos Huang (黃敏龍), senior director of corporate research and development at ASE Technology Holding Co., said the rapid expansion of AI models and applications was shifting pressure onto the physical infrastructure needed to run them.

"Hardware is becoming the new bottleneck," Huang said.

AI and high-performance computing systems require greater bandwidth and computing power while posing growing challenges in power consumption, latency, cooling and structural stability, he said.

Meeting those demands will require advances in packaging equipment, low-loss and heat-resistant materials, heterogeneous integration, inspection, testing and smart manufacturing, Huang added.

ASE is expanding from wafer-level to panel-level packaging, which offers a larger usable area and can improve material utilization as AI processors grow in size and complexity, he said.

The industry is also moving toward optical interconnects to replace electrical transmission between systems and chips, enabling higher speeds while reducing energy consumption.

The forum, organized by the Taiwan-Japan Semiconductor Technology Association, focused on opportunities for bilateral semiconductor collaboration in the AI era.

(By Chao Yen-hsiang)

Enditem/sfj

Around 70% of Taiwanese use AI agents on weekly basis: Survey

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:49:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) Nearly 70 percent of people in Taiwan use artificial intelligence (AI) agents at least once a week, according to a survey released Monday by Mastercard Taiwan.

The "2026 Survey on Consumer AI Usage Habits in Taiwan" found that ChatGPT and Gemini were the AI tools most commonly used by respondents.

The survey found that 38 percent of respondents consulted AI when making shopping decisions, while 61 percent said they would be willing to use AI to help plan travel itineraries.

It also found that 57 percent would allow AI agents to automatically search for products based on their preferences and budgets, then complete purchases after receiving user confirmation, in the hope of improving shopping efficiency.

AI agents are software systems that use artificial intelligence to perform tasks on users' behalf with a degree of autonomy, allowing them to make decisions, learn and adapt, according to Google.

Among respondents who already use AI and are willing to authorize AI-assisted purchases, 65 percent said they would allow AI agents to compare prices and complete payments for everyday consumer goods. Meanwhile, 46 percent said they would authorize AI to book accommodation, and 42 percent would do so for airline tickets.

Eva Chen (陳懿文), general manager of Mastercard Taiwan, said the findings suggest that "agentic commerce" is "currently ongoing."

Younger adults aged 18-30 were the most frequent AI users, with more than 40 percent reporting daily use and 27 percent paying for AI subscriptions. Among respondents aged 31-40, 20 percent subscribed to paid AI services, while 42 percent said they had used AI to inform their shopping decisions.

Among respondents aged 51-65, only 6 percent paid for AI subscriptions, while 26 percent said they used AI to search for health and medical information.

Overall, 18 percent of respondents subscribed to at least one AI service. Of those, nearly half spent less than NT$600 (US$18.48) per month, while more than 40 percent paid between NT$601 and NT$1,200.

Chen added that more than half of respondents said they would authorize AI agents to make payment-related decisions only if robust security measures -- including biometric authentication, real-time transaction notifications and encryption to prevent credit card information from being exposed -- were in place.

The survey was conducted online from June 1 to June 10 among 1,000 adults aged 18-65. Respondents from northern, central and southern Taiwan were sampled in proportion to the population at a ratio of 5:2:3, with roughly equal numbers of men and women. Some questions excluded respondents who had never used AI.

(By Lu Yen-tzu and Wu Kuan-hsien)

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Academia Sinica study finds bacteria boost coral heat tolerance

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:41:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) An Academia Sinica research team has identified how a strain of symbiotic bacteria helps corals survive rising ocean temperatures, a finding that could help scientists protect and restore coral reefs threatened by climate change-induced bleaching.

The study, led by Academia Sinica Distinguished Research Fellow Tang Sen-lin (湯森林), was published in The ISME Journal in July, Academia Sinica, Taiwan's leading research institution, said in a statement Monday.

According to the academy, healthy corals depend on symbiotic algae, known as zooxanthellae, which provide most of their energy through photosynthesis.

When seawater temperatures rise, this relationship breaks down, causing corals to expel the algae and turn white in a process known as coral bleaching.

Although bleached corals do not die immediately, losing their main source of nutrients leaves them much weaker and more vulnerable to disease and death, the academy said.

To explore ways of helping corals survive warmer waters, researchers studied a strain of bacteria known as Endozoicomonas acroporae Acr-14, which naturally lives inside healthy coral tissue, Tang said.

While scientists had previously suspected the bacterium helped corals regulate nutrients and withstand environmental stress, the study provides direct evidence that the bacterium acts like a probiotic, protecting corals from extreme heat, Tang said.

The research began nearly a decade ago after Tang's research team and National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology professor Chen Wen-ming (陳文明) successfully isolated the bacterium from coral, Tang said.

Subsequent laboratory and ecological studies showed that Acr-14 has strong antioxidant properties and helps reduce the effects of heat stress, Tang added.

Tang's team later overcame a major technical challenge by culturing the fragile bacterium in the laboratory and successfully reintroducing it into corals to confirm its protective effects.

Using single-cell gene analysis, the team also found that Acr-14 helps maintain a stable microbial community within corals, reducing microbial imbalance caused by heat stress.

After developing improved methods for preparing high-quality samples, the team identified 31 coral cell types for analysis, Academia Sinica said.

The team also produced a chromosome-level reference genome for a Taiwanese population of cauliflower coral, which Academia Sinica said will support future research into coral adaptation, coral-microbe interactions and the effects of climate change.

The researchers said the findings provide an important foundation for developing coral probiotics to help protect and restore reefs increasingly threatened by global warming.

(By Wu Hsin-yun and Evelyn Kao)

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China's coast guard aggression poses new regional threat: Joseph Wu

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:33:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) has accused China of using its coast guard and other official vessels to threaten not only Taiwan but the broader Indo-Pacific.

"The threat posed by China is toward the whole region," Wu said in an English-language interview with Nikkei Asia published Monday.

The entire First Island Chain, stretching from Japan southward through Taiwan to the Philippines and Malaysia, is facing increasing maritime aggression, he said.

Wu added that Taiwan's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems have detected a significant increase in Chinese official vessel activity in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the western Pacific and the South China Sea.

Wu's comments came after China launched a series of "special maritime law enforcement operations" in waters east of Taiwan in June. Beijing said the operations were a response to Japan and the Philippines launching bilateral talks on maritime boundary delimitation in the area, which China claimed infringed on its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory. It also claims most of the South China Sea, despite a 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that its maritime claims have no legal basis under international law.

According to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA), Chinese coast guard and other official vessels have been operating in waters east of Taiwan and around Taiwan-controlled islands in the South China Sea in recent weeks.

The vessels have also broadcast radio warnings ordering passing merchant ships to leave the area.

In response, the CGA has routinely dispatched patrol vessels to monitor the Chinese ships and ordered them to leave whenever they enter Taiwan's restricted waters.

In the interview, Wu said Taiwan is taking steps to address the challenges posed by Chinese official vessels operating in surrounding waters.

He said the government has established a cross-agency mechanism to counter what he described as China's expansionism, with one objective being to share Taiwan's experience with other countries to help build a united front.

In recent months, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department have criticized China's deployment of coast guard vessels to waters near Taiwan, saying the operations undermine regional stability.

A social media post by the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan, showing U.S. and Taiwanese coast guard vessels sailing in formation late last month also demonstrated Washington's commitment to working with Taipei to promote regional peace and stability amid Chinese aggression, according to scholars interviewed by CNA.

The de facto embassies of the United Kingdom, Germany and France in Taiwan also issued a joint statement on June 24 expressing concern over China's "special maritime law enforcement operations" in waters east of Taiwan, saying the actions threatened regional stability.

(By Joseph Yeh)

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Taiwan shares end up as tech sector gains amid eased AI concerns

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:04:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) Shares in Taiwan extended momentum Monday from a session earlier as tech stocks continued to ride the wave of AI development amid eased concerns over massive spending in the field after Amazon's latest results, dealers said.

The Taiex, the Taiwan Stock Exchange's benchmark index, ended up 266.66 points, or 0.62 percent, at 43,386.41 after moving between 42,780.42 and 43,784.19. Turnover totaled NT$844.53 billion (US$26.16 billion).

Hua Nan Securities analyst Kevin Su said that after Friday's biggest single-session gain of 3,186.45 points, the local main board continued its uptrend Monday, reversing initial mild losses caused by profit taking.

"AI enthusiasm kept dictating local trading as Amazon reported its largest quarterly revenue growth in over four years, easing worries over overspending on AI," Su said. "Many AI-related stocks attracted buying, while contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) took a pause."

Smartphone IC designer MediaTek Inc. soared 10 percent, the maximum daily increase, to close at NT$3,910.00 amid optimism toward its efforts in application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) development.

IC packaging and testing services provider ASE Technology Holding Co. surged 10 percent to end at NT$610.00, while memory chip supplier Nanya Technology Corp. jumped 10 percent to close at NT$396.50 and rival Winbond Electronics Corp. also soared 10 percent to end at NT$143.00 on a spike in product prices.

Bucking the upturn, TSMC, which accounts for over 40 percent of total market value, lost 2.27 percent to close at NT$2,370.00 after it hit the 10 percent increase limit Friday.

"TSMC has moved into a period of consolidation but it was technical in nature as its fundamentals remain sound," Su said, expecting the stock to consolidate between NT$2,200 and NT$2,500 shortly.

Outside the semiconductor industry, iPhone assembler and AI server maker Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. rose 1.00 percent to end at NT$253.00. Wistron Corp., another AI server supplier, rose 5.68 percent to close at NT$186.00 and its cloud service solution subsidiary Wiwynn Corp. soared 10 percent to end at NT$5,925.00.

Nontech stocks appeared mixed. "But buying rotated to robotics-related stocks before the Automation Taipei exhibition (slated to open on Aug. 19)," Su said.

Machinery maker Hiwin Technologies Corp. rose 9.03 percent to close at NT$332.00, and its subsidiary Hiwin Microsystem Corp. also gained 9.14 percent to end at NT$197.00.

Formosa Plastics Corp. fell 2.18 percent to close at NT$53.80, while Nan Ya Plastics Corp. rose 3.45 percent to end at NT$165.00 with buying sparked by the gains posted by its subsidiary Nanya Technology.

In the financial sector, Cathay Financial Holding Co. lost 0.99 percent to close at NT$100.50 and Fubon Financial Holding Co. ended down 0.38 percent at NT$129.50.

"The earnings season at home and in the United States is still underway. So, keep a close eye on it," Su said.

According to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, foreign institutional investors sold a net NT$19.19 billion of shares on the main board Monday.

(By Frances Huang)

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U.S. dollar closes sharply higher on Taipei forex market

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:16:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) The U.S. dollar rose sharply against the Taiwan dollar Monday, gaining NT$0.146 to close at NT$32.438.

Turnover totaled US$3.055 billion during the trading session.

The greenback opened at NT$32.260, and moved between NT$32.210 and NT$32.490 before the close.

(By Frances Huang)

Enditem

Koo calls for Legislature to back Cabinet's unmanned systems bill

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 07:43:00 GMT

Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) has called on the Legislature to support the Executive Yuan's version of a special act on unmanned systems procurement, which would authorize up to NT$210 billion (US$6.49 billion) in funding over six years.

Koo made the comment in a media interview on Friday after the Cabinet submitted a bill to fund the procurement of domestically developed reconnaissance and attack drones, unmanned surface vessels and other unmanned systems.

The bill is currently under review by the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan alongside other competing proposals, including one by the Kuomintang that instead proposes allocating NT$240 billion over six years for unmanned systems through the government's annual budget, with NT$40 billion to be provided annually.

In actuality, the Cabinet's version covers the full range of unmanned systems, including those operating in the air, on the surface, on land and underwater, as well as testing facilities and programs supporting the development of the unmanned systems industry, Koo explained.

Koo said that if all of these items are included under the NT$40 billion annual cap, the funding would likely be insufficient, adding that such a limitation could affect programs such as MQ-9B drone procurement.

The defense minister reiterated that unmanned-system technologies are rapidly evolving and could take many forms, and as such, he expressed concern about setting a fixed funding amount while requiring the spending to come from annual budgets.

He said the Ministry of National Defense (MND) needs to continue communicating with the Legislature to win their support on the issue.

Counter-drone capabilities

In addition to the special act, Koo revealed that the MND also plans to equip various military units with portable counter-drone systems for self-defense, indicating that counter-drone measures are also part of the military's broader air defense strategy, as using Patriot missiles against drones is not practical.

Currently, more mature counter-drone options include systems such as 30mm chain guns, Koo said, while high-powered microwave and laser weapons remain in the research-and-development stage worldwide.

Even the United States, Koo explained, is still working to address the challenge of countering drones, adding that the military is seeking the most effective way to coordinate firepower against different types of threats.

Boosting air defense

Asked about the status of the Chiang Kung air defense missile system and the "T-Dome" initiative, Koo said the former has completed its evaluation and will be included in the relevant budget.

He said Taiwan's broader air defense system remains a work in progress and will adopt a layered defense concept, though he did not disclose further details. The system must be capable of countering ballistic missiles, aircraft, long-range rocket fire and drones, he said, requiring the integration of different sensors and intelligence to direct the most appropriate weapon system against each threat.

In recent years, U.S. personnel have often attended Taiwan's military drills as observers, earning them the nickname "English teachers" among the public. Koo said U.S. Indo-Pacific Command assists Taiwan in strengthening its defense capabilities at various levels, adding that the "English teachers" seen by the public represent only part of the cooperation, with much of it taking place out of public view.

Koo said Taiwan and the United States maintain long-standing and close military exchanges that are extensive and diverse, adding that the level of cooperation is even greater than many people imagine. Taiwan is also willing to maintain close exchanges with other countries that share similar democratic values, he added.

(By Wu Shu-wei and Ko Lin)

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