Taipei Times
Taiwan key to AI development: Lai
Taiwan has become indispensable to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) worldwide, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at the opening of Computex Taipei. Lai said global tech giants had gathered in Taiwan for this year’s Computex,...
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VP Hsiao to visit diplomatic ally Palau
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美 is to embark on a five-day visit to Palau later this week to bolster diplomatic relations with the Pacific ally, the Presidential Office said yesterday. Hsiao is to meet with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr and...
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China patrols near disputed South China Sea waters
China’s military and coast guard said they yesterday carried out patrols near disputed waters in the South China Sea, a day after the Philippines said it remained under threat from Beijing despite a recent easing in US-China tensions. Philippine and...
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Lai vows to bolster defense, resilience
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said Taiwan would bolster its defense capabilities and economic resilience in response to growing threats from China, emphasizing that the aim is to deter conflict through strength. Lai made the remarks during a...
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Legislature okays NT$8.8bn arms fund
The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a special defense procurement budget for this year of more than NT$8.811 billion (US$280.75 million) to fund purchases of five US weapons systems. Lawmakers also passed 35 accompanying resolutions, including a...
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US releases Section 232 tariff changes
The US has announced that preferential tariff treatment for Taiwan’s non-semiconductor Section 232 goods would take effect retroactively from May 1, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US government yesterday posted a notice on the Federal...
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OTTER PLAY
Two Eurasian otters from Kinmen County are pictured at Taipei Zoo on World Otter Day yesterday. There are estimated to be only about 100 of the critically endangered species in the outlying county due to habitat loss, the zoo said, adding that it has 10.
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Taiwan-Germany ties not subject to PRC: lawmaker
German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group chairman Till Steffen yesterday said that exchanges between democratic nations should not be subject to third-party interference, during a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) in Taipei. During a...
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HISTORIC VENUE
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, fourth right, along with former Industrial Technology Research Institute president Shih Chin-tay, third left, former Global Unichip Corp chairman Tseng Fan-cheng, second left, Fortune Consulting Group chairman James Chew,...
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Coast guards argue in South China Sea
The Taiwanese and Chinese coast guards had a standoff near the strategically located Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the north of the South China Sea, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. The two sides engaged in intense...
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People rally in protest of slashed defense spending
More than 8,000 people took part in a rally in Taipei yesterday to express support for more defense spending, after the opposition slashed the Cabinet’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.6 billion) special defense budget and capped it at NT$780...
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Education ministry launches AI Talent Ark
The Ministry of Education yesterday launched a four-year, NT$11.76 billion (US$372.53 million) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Talent Ark Project aimed at cultivating AI literacy among students and attaining a nationwide one-to-one student-totablet...
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US raises pressure with Castro indictment
US prosecutors on Wednesday announced criminal charges against former Cuban president Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles as the White House escalated pressure on the nation’s socialist government. The...
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Only Taiwan can decide its future: Lai
The future of Taiwan must not be decided by external forces nor can it be held hostage by fear, division or short-term gain, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday in an address marking the second anniversary of his inauguration. Speaking at the...
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LEST WE FORGET
Dancers dressed in black perform at an event held by the 519 Action Coalition along with more than 50 civic organizations at the Liberty Square in Taipei yesterday, urging the legislature to restore White Terror Remembrance Day. The performance was...
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LAST STOP
From left, National Railway Museum preparatory office head Cheng Ming-chang, Top-D Restr Corp president Dai Sheng-tang and Ministry of Culture Department of Cultural Resources Commissioner Chen Hsiu-cheng make the “point-and-confirm” gesture in front...
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ROC not subordinate to PRC, Lai says
The meaning of Taiwanese independence is that “Taiwan is not part of the People’s Republic of China [PRC]” and that “the Republic of China [ROC] and the PRC are not subordinate to each other,” President William Lai (賴清said yesterday. Lai made the...
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Taiwan vows to maintain ‘status quo’
Taiwan is committed to preserving the cross-strait “status quo” and contributing to regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said yesterday. “It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic...
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Trump weighs Taiwan arms package
US President Donald Trump yesterday said he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Trump’s comments on Taiwan came as he flew...
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No surprises at XiTrump talks: MAC
There were no surprises on the first day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, as the government reiterated that cross-strait stability is crucial to...
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Donald Trump vows to push Xi to ‘open up’ China US shrugs off potential breach of ‘assurances’
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he would ask Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “open up” China to US firms as he headed to Beijing for a summit. “I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’...
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Nursing ratio to be implemented next year: Lai
Amendments to the Medical Care Act (醫療法) stipulating a threeshift nurse-to-patient ratio are to be implemented in phases starting on May 20 next year, President William Lai (賴清德) said at an event observing International Nurses Day yesterday. Lai’s...
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US senators urge expedited arms sale
US senators have reportedly urged US President Donald Trump to move ahead with a Taiwan arms sale package that has been delayed ahead of his upcoming visit to China. Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing today for a summit with Chinese President Xi...
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HIMARS to be deployed to islands
A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) would be deployed to Penghu County and Dongyin Island (東引) in Lienchiang County (Matsu) to force the Chinese military to retreat at least 100km from the coastline, a military source said...
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Cuts to budget ‘concession’ to China: US
While welcoming the Legislative Yuan’s approval of a supplementary defense budget, the US Department of State said that further delays to Taiwan military spending are a “concession” to China. The remarks came after the legislature on Friday passed the...
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Taiwan to open to Paraguayan poultry, Lai says
Taiwan is to open its market to Paraguayan poultry imports as the two nations continue to deepen bilateral economic ties, President William Lai (賴清德) announced yesterday following a ceremony in Taipei welcoming Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. The...
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CDC seeks to confirm whether Taiwanese on ‘Hondius’
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is verifying whether any Taiwanese passengers were aboard the hantavirus-hit MV cruise ship, adding that it has established a task force to monitor the outbreak overseas and coordinate preventive...
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HOMEWARD BOUND
Coast Guard Administration personnel and experts from the Taiwan Cetacean Society yesterday release four melon-headed whales stranded near Bali beach in New Taipei City back to sea after assessing their condition.
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State visits are a basic right: president
Bilateral visits between heads of state are a “basic right” and should not be seen as “breakthroughs,” President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday upon returning from a delayed trip to the Kingdom of Eswatini. “Some media outlets described [overcoming]...
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Premier directs ministries to assist shipping companies US denies Iran struck navy ship in new Hormuz
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday instructed ministries to coordinate assistance for Taiwanese shipping firms whose vessels were stranded due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the US. In a news release, the Cabinet said the...
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President Lai, King Mswati reaffirm ties
President William Lai (賴清德) and King Mswati III on Saturday reaffirmed diplomatic ties during the first day of Lai’s visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini, after an earlier trip to Taiwan’s sole African ally was suspended due to revoked overflight...
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Lai lands in Eswatini despite revoked flight permits
President Willaim Lai (賴清德) yesterday arrived in Eswatini, more than a week after his planned visit to Taiwan’s sole African ally was suspended because of revoked overflight permits. “The visit, originally scheduled for April 22, was postponed due to...
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Workers march for a reform of pension system
Labor groups and unions rallied on Workers’ Day yesterday, calling for pension reform to prevent poverty among older people caused by wage polarization and structural unemployment. They demanded that pensions be increased and the labor insurance’s...
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Budget is key to defense plans: official
The government’s special defense budget is key to the armed forces’ plans to augment command and control, lethality, defense resilience and full-domain awareness, a top Ministry of National Defense official told a Cabinet meeting yesterday. The...
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President details income tax reductions
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday detailed cuts to income tax and excises aimed at improving workers’ livelihoods ahead of the tax filing period, which starts tomorrow. Lai, who is chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party, made the remarks at...
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Coast guard overhaul planned, Lai says
The government is planning a major coast guard overhaul to counter growing “gray zone” threats from China, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) inaugural “National Sea Light...
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Four sentenced for spying on TSMC
A former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) engineer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in leaking trade secrets involving the company’s advanced 2-nanometer process, a court ruled yesterday. The Intellectual Property...
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Lai condemns violence after Washington shooting
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday in a social media post condemned political violence following a shooting incident on Saturday at a media gala in Washington which US President Donald Trump attended. “Shocked and gravely concerned to hear about...
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TRADITIONAL PARADE
A religious event in honor of Baoshengdadi, also known as the God of Medicine, parades through Tainan’s Syuejia District yesterday. The annual event hosted by Tainan’s Cihji Temple has been listed as a national important folk tradition since 2022.
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US urged to act over Chinese pressure
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday urged Washington not to normalize Chinese pressure, while a US lawmaker called on the US government to hold countries accountable for yielding to Beijing’s pressure to block President William Lai’s...
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OAC head makes rare visit to Taiping
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Tuesday visited Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, to observe a maritime rescue drill, marking the first visit by a council head in seven years to the Taiwan-controlled island in the disputed...
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EU raises concern after flight blocked
The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清 planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese...
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HALFWAY MARK
People accompanying a palanquin bearing a statue of the goddess Matsu arrive at Fongtian Temple in Chiayi County’s Singang Township yesterday. The nine-day, 340km pilgrimage, which starts and finishes at Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung’s Dajia District,...
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African politicians welcome Lai visit
President William Lai (賴清德) has been formally welcomed ahead of his trip to Africa this week by more than 40 political figures from 11 African nations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Lai is to make his first official trip to...
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Pineapple prices up despite China ban
Pineapple prices have risen despite pressure on the market from China, officials said yesterday. Pineapples are Taiwan’s top fruit export. China suspended imports of the fruit in March 2021, citing pest concerns, in a move that Taiwan said lacked...
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China ‘incentives’ fail to sway Taiwan
China’s “incentives” failed to sway sentiment in Taiwan, as willingness to work in China hit a record low of 1.6 percent, a Ministry of Labor survey showed. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) also reported that the...
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RING IN PEACE
A humanitarian peace initiative titled “Let the Bell of Peace Ring from Taiwan” is unveiled at the plaza in front of the National Taiwan Museum in Taipei yesterday. Event guests were invited to ring the peace bell together. The bell stands 2.86m tall,...
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Ocean radar network plans outlined
The government is building an ocean radar network to enhance monitoring capabilities in key strategic waters, including the Taiwan Shoal (台灣灘), the Luzon Strait and Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼), the National Academy of Marine Research said yesterday. The...
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Lawmakers agree to budget process
The legislature yesterday agreed to start deliberating the government’s general budget for this fiscal year after an hour of caucus negotiations, potentially ending 230 days of deadlock. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the Chinese Nationalist...
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Lai urges military to fully test strengths
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday urged service members to test the military’s strengths to the utmost in this year’s Han Kuang No. 41 virtual exercise, while urging lawmakers to pass the administration’s special defense budget without any...
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President to visit Eswatini next week
President William Lai (賴清德) is to visit Taiwan’s sole African ally, the Kingdom of Eswatini, later this month, in what would be his second official overseas trip since taking office in May 2024, the Presidential Office said yesterday. Eswatini is one...
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BURMESE CELEBRATION
People celebrate Myanmar’s New Year, or Thingyan, with water-splashing and a prayer event at Huasin Street in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District yesterday.
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Joint first island chain shield urged
In light of China’s authoritarian expansion and military threat, democratic countries should reconceptualize the First Island Chain as a single theater, and build a collective and coordinated democratic shield to deter aggression, Minister of Foreign...
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KMT’s Cheng Liwun meets Xi Jinping in China
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近 and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) met in Beijing yesterday, where they vowed to bring people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait closer to facilitate the “great rejuvenation of the...
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Cabinet eyes rules to protect migrants
The Cabinet yesterday approved a draft amendment that would ban employers or labor brokers from keeping migrant workers’ identity documents or expropriating their personal property under any circumstances. Under current rules, employers and labor...
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CCP shifting infiltration strategy: NSB
China’s attempts to infiltrate Taiwan are systematic, planned and targeted, with activity shifting from recruiting mid-level military officers to rank-and-file enlisted personnel, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Mingyen (蔡明彥) said...
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Safeguarding Taiwan key to peace: Lai
True peace can only be achieved by safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at a memorial marking the 37th anniversary of democracy advocate Deng Nan-jung’s (鄭南榕) death. Lai said he hoped that through annual...
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NDC to forecast rapid population drop
An expected National Development Council (NDC) report expects the nation’s population to drop below 12 million by 2065, with the oldage dependency ratio to top 100 percent sooner than 2070, sources said yesterday. The council is slated to release its...
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SHOWCASING TRADITION
A dragon dance troupe performs during the Nantou Temple Culture and Art Festival at the Jinlongshan Fahua Temple in Nantou County’s Jhongliao Township yesterday. The Nantou County Government said the festival connects religious traditions with the...
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Taiwan implementing cybersecurity projects: source
The military’s Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command is implementing plans to bolster cybersecurity protection, including a “Dedicated Communication Network Bandwidth Service” contract with Chunghwa Telecom for NT$5.457 billion...
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DPP primary winner indicted over spying
Chu Cheng-chi (朱政騏), a former legislative assistant who won a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) primary for a Taipei city council seat, was indicted yesterday on charges of spying for China. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office accused Chu of...
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Iran hits Kuwait after Trump comment
Iran yesterday hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar, as well as Kuwait’s airport, while airstrikes battered Tehran — hours after US President Donald Trump said that he was nearly ready to wind down the war. Trump, who was scheduled to address the...
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EU opposes use of force in Strait: MEP
The EU is to continue to oppose any attempt to change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait by force, European Parliament Committee on Security and Defence Chair Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said yesterday during a meeting with President William Lai...
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US support for Taiwan strong: senators
The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US...
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KMT’s Lu urges passage of defense bill
It would be “reasonable to pass NT$800 billion to NT$1 trillion” (US$25.09 billion to US$31.37 billion) for the special defense budget, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀 of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday. Lu made the remarks in an...
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NEWS SEASON
More than 40,000 fans attend the opening game for the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s 37th season, a clash between the Rakuten Monkeys and the CTBC Brothers at the Taipei Dome yesterday. The Rakuten Monkeys won 3-2.
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Taipower to freeze power rate for 6 months
Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, is to keep electricity rates unchanged for six months from next month in an effort to curb inflation risks due to the Middle East conflict, which has bumped global crude oil prices to more than US$100 per barrel, the...
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Ko sentenced to 17 years in prison
Ko’s lawyers sought reduced bail and other concessions, as did other defendants, but the bail judge denied their requests, citing the severity of the sentences Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was yesterday sentenced to 17 years in prison and had...
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AIT head calls for stronger trade ties
Taiwan’s manufacturing strengths, in combination with the US’ technological expertise, could bolster the nations’ trade resilience by enhancing supply chain resilience and tapping into emerging markets, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director...
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Taipei tells Denmark to fix ‘China’ tag
Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits...
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Taiwan establishes trade office for diplomatic allies
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has established a “diplomatic allies prosperity economic and trade office” to encourage local companies to invest in the nation’s allies, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in New Taipei City...
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Taiwan aiming to be major UAV player
The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the...
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Lai reveals nuclear power revival plan
A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month,...
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Trump, Takaichi commit to peace in Taiwan Strait
US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday affirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposition to any attempts to unilaterally change the “status quo.” The two leaders...
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US report says no China 2027 plan
China does not plan to invade Taiwan next year and seeks to control the nation without the use of force, the US intelligence community said on Wednesday. The assessment in the intelligence agencies’ annual report on global threats comes as Beijing has...
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Venezuelan fans celebrate maiden victory at WBC
Venezuela on Tuesday won the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time, defeating the US 3-2 in the championship game at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Eugenio Suarez’s tiebreaking double in the top of the ninth inning. Suarez and his Venezuela...
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