‘Orange Devils’ marching band from Japan offer sneak peek of show at Grand Hotel

‘Orange Devils’ marching band from Japan offer sneak peek of show at Grand Hotel

2022-10-06

The “Orange Devils” are in Taiwan. The marching band from Japan’s Kyoto Tachibana High School arrived on Wednesday, ready to perform at the National Day parade next Monday. Altogether, there are almost 100 students and teachers from the school in the delegation. On Thursday the young musicians offered a preview of their performance at the Grand Hotel in Taipei.

The band is known for its striking orange outfits, but on Thursday, they chose to simply wear their school uniforms. They filled the lobby at the Grand Hotel with their jazzy music and energetic performances, wowing spectators. On their instruments, they carried banners celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association. The Japanese marching band will be the first group of foreign performers to have an act at Taiwan’s National Day parade.

受邀國慶表演日本橘高校圓山飯店快閃演出

2022-10-06

以鮮豔橘色制服、華麗表演被稱為「橘色惡魔」的日本京都橘高校吹奏部，受邀到今年雙十國慶典禮上演出，昨天90多位師生抵台，而今天一早就在圓山飯店舉辦快閃表演。

京都橘高校學生一行人，在圓山飯店前拍合照，露出甜美笑容喊愛台灣。前一天才抵達台灣，今天就展現活力，在圓山飯店前快閃表演，活潑可愛的橘高校學生們，隨著演奏出的輕快音樂，一邊跳朝氣十足的舞蹈，樂器上還掛著「日台友情」50週年的牌子，吸引不少民眾圍觀拍照，學生們看到鏡頭也都開心揮手打招呼。

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Taiwan will regard airspace intrusions as a ‘first strike’ by China: defense minister

With tensions rising in the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense is reconsidering what Taiwan’s military will regard as a “first strike” by China. Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng says the definition of “first strike” now includes intrusion into Taiwan’s territorial airspace. The territorial airspace extends just 12 nautical miles from the coast of Taiwan. The minister said that and any intrusions on it would result in countermeasures from Taiwan’s military.

With its frequent incursions, the PLA has shown that it has stopped recognizing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. That is making Taiwan reconsider what actions would be considered a “first strike” from China.

Lo Chih-cheng
DPP lawmaker
Previously, we had said that we wouldn’t be the ones to fire the first round, or be the first ones to attack. We said we would only counterattack after the enemy starts the conflict. Does that approach still stand?

Chiu Kuo-cheng
Defense minister
Back then, we said that we wouldn’t fire the first round. That we wouldn’t strike unless they attacked us first. That includes artillery and missiles and so on.

Lo Chih-cheng
DPP lawmaker
But now it seems that the definition of that has changed. If they send warplanes into our airspace, that counts as the first attack.

Chiu Kuo-cheng
Defense minister
That’s right.

The defense minister said that aircraft flying into Taiwan’s airspace would constitute a “first strike” against Taiwan. With cross-strait tension on the rise, the ministry is not just revising its definition of “first strike.” It has also decided to extend the duration of conscription.

Chiu Kuo-cheng
Defense minister
We’ll announce the conscription changes before the end of the year. They have to be announced one year before they take effect.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
We are also working to adapt our defense strategy to the changing threats we face. To this end we have substantially increased our defense spending, including on asymmetric warfare capability, weapons upgrades, and domestic vessel production. Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government has the right to represent the Taiwanese people.

In a prerecorded message on Wednesday, President Tsai Ing-wen addressed the Washington-based Global Taiwan Institute, thanking the U.S. for its assistance to Taiwan. In an interview in Hawaii last week, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Samuel Paparo said that the U.S. and its allies would be able to break a maritime blockade of Taiwan imposed by China. Comments of support like that in recent weeks have been seen as a signal to China that the U.S. will stand with Taiwan.

2022-10-06

Concessions to Russia could result in China attack on Taiwan: former NATO official

Voices in support of defending Taiwan against an invasion from China are continuing to multiply. In an interview, a former NATO secretary general warned against making concessions to Russia, which he said may compel China to strike. Meanwhile, AIT chairman James Moriarty criticized China for threats undermining peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sounded the alarm for international response to the situation in the Taiwan Strait. The former secretary general of NATO warned in an interview with Fox News that the West should take Russia’s hints about nuclear weapons seriously, because Beijing is watching.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Former NATO secretary general
We should never ever give in to nuclear blackmail. The leadership in China is following the conflict in Ukraine closely, and they would take concessions to Putin as an invitation to attack Taiwan.

The U.S. has been concerned about China’s recent escalation of military threats against Taiwan. President Joe Biden has mentioned four times that the U.S. military would help defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack. AIT Chairman James Moriarty, speaking at a Washington think tank forum, made it clear once again that Biden meant what he said.

James Moriarty
AIT chairman
The original documents make it clear that we would have to do something if there’s an attempt to change Taiwan’s status by force. That is, in a nutshell, what the president was saying.

Moriarty reiterated that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged, and that what has changed is Beijing’s threats to Taiwan. He also pointed out "blockading" as a form of coercion, seemingly in response to China’s previous military exercises around the island. He also accused China of overreacting to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and distorting the meaning of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 to suppress Taiwan’s international participation.

James Moriarty
AIT chairman
The PRC’s words and actions are deeply destabilizing. They risk miscalculation and threaten the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

In terms of helping Taiwan defend against a PLA invasion, the New York Times quoted officials as saying that Washington is conducting research on building a huge weapons inventory in Taiwan, making Taiwan become a "porcupine." That way, even if Taiwan is faced with a blockade from China, it can wait for reinforcements while defending itself with asymmetric warfare strategies.

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Taiwan comes second in the world at 2022 R&D 100 Awards

Taiwan swept the board at this year’s R&D 100 Awards, sometimes known as “The Oscars of Innovation.” Taiwanese tech developments won 12 awards, and the country came second place in the world. Today we take a look at some of the winning ideas to come out of Taiwan, and hear from officials about what the awards mean for the future of tech and industry.

This is a small piece of low temperature co-fired ceramic. It’s resistant to high temperatures and conducts reliably at high frequencies of 1 to 100 Gigahertz. The Industrial Technology Research Institute worked with a materials manufacturer to create this “9KC Green Tape LTCC,” a new solution for 5G and millimeter wave communications. Until now, Taiwan has relied on U.S. giant Qualcomm for parts like this. Now it can make its own.

Kao Shih-ming
Circuits and components material manufacturer
The product received the recognition of the R&D100 Awards. This achievement will bring us a new solution for future 5G millimeter wave applications.

Put on this augmented reality headset and the high-res micro-LED modules inside create a vivid projection on a tiny crystal screen just half an inch wide. It’s bright, high res, highly integrated, and low on energy use. All those traits make it perfect for the virtual world.

Meanwhile, this device uses AI to help detect and diagnose diabetic retinal and macular degeneration. Fourteen other common eye conditions can also be detected at the same time. Taiwanese innovations gleaned 12 honors at the R&D 100 Awards this year. Taiwan was, in fact, in second place on the awards table, ahead of Japan and European countries.

Liu Wen-hsiung
ITRI director
All innovations must be led by the market. So winning R&D 100 Awards is not the end, but the beginning. These awards indicate that our research achievements have gained recognition, but the most important thing is to bring these achievements into industry.

Lin Chuan-neng
Deputy economics minister
It’s not just this year. Since 2007, for a total of 15 years, our selections for the R&D 100 Awards have won 75 awards.

Deputy economics minister Lin Chuan-neng pointed out that Taiwan has been winning accolades for its innovations for many years. More than 90% of those award winners sold their technologies to manufacturers and can be found on the market, even spawning the creation of many new startups.

2022-10-06

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Delegation of German lawmakers departs after six-day Taiwan visit

A delegation of German lawmakers on Thursday held a press conference before their departure from Taiwan. The group’s head said that he had enjoyed his six-day stay in Taiwan, which included meetings with the president and government officials, as well as a visit to Tainan. The lawmaker voiced hope of more Germany-Taiwan exchanges to come in a variety of fields.

Taiwan’s representative to Germany Shieh Jhy-wey traveled back to Taiwan with the delegation of German lawmakers. Shieh kept a low profile over the six-day visit; after all, the German visitors were the important guests here. Before departing back to Germany, the head of the group, Klaus-Peter Willsch, said he had been very warmly welcomed to Taiwan, and that he had really enjoyed his stay.

Klaus-Peter Willsch
German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group
It’s a pity that we are going to be returning to Germany before the National Day celebrations on Oct. 10. The new session of parliament will have already started by then. So I would like to wish you a happy 111th birthday.

A German lawmaker voiced hope that visits between Taiwan and Germany would become commonplace after COVID. He said he expected more delegations to visit in the future.

Frank Shaffler
German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group
The Bundestag’s Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid should be visiting very soon. And next year, members of the Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Committee will also come to Taiwan.

Katrin Budde
German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group
If some country tells us to not visit another country, that’s unacceptable to us. We decide which countries we visit.

The lawmaker directed some thinly veiled criticism at China, which frequently protests international exchanges with Taiwan. The lawmakers in this delegation come from six different political parties, meaning that in Germany, they often have different stances on many issues. According to delegation leader Willsch, the consensus in the Bundestag is that military threats by bigger countries to smaller countries are unacceptable to all. He added that with the shared values of freedom and democracy, he hoped Taiwan and Germany could carry out deeper exchanges in a variety of fields.

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A tablet for every student: digital education strategy revolutionizes classrooms

A policy to give every schoolchild a tablet in class was one of the Ministry of Education’s flagship digital education goals. The ministry has earmarked NT$20 billion over four years to revolutionize learning at grades 1 through 12. Teachers using tablets in class say it’s part of a broader revolution in teaching and learning. With the flexibility a tablet affords, students have more chances to invent a learning style that works for them, rather than toiling away at a monolithic program. We take a trip to Wong-Zih Elementary in Taichung to learn more.

In every class, each student has a tablet in their hands. The teacher stands at the front and teaches through the devices.

This lesson is on natural sciences. Using the tablet, abstract concepts become concrete and understanding opens up for kids. The Ministry of Education has launched a “Digital Learning Plan” to give every school class internet access and every child a tablet.

Student
When I watch a video to prepare for the class I’m going to do, it makes what we do in class more memorable. And I don’t feel in the class like I can’t understand what the teacher’s saying.

Student
I only remember it if it’s interesting.

That’s an insight most of us can agree with. Teachers say that if every child has a tablet, teachers must also change their styles of teaching. Force-feeding students facts is becoming obsolete.

Yang Tzung-jung
Wong-Zih Elementary head
I make some abstract ideas concrete. Then I can use some electric circuits and currents to make it look like a real flow is occurring. So that way, the students can establish a mental model, which is very important in scientific education. Then when they actually carry out experiments, and observe the natural environment, then they have more tools to use.

In this class, students break into small groups to discuss the task they’re working on using the tablets. Then they report their experiences to the class in small groups. They can prepare for the class in advance using the tablet, and revise it afterward. Learning is much more flexible. As the program rolls out, children across Taiwan will find out if this makes lessons more or less of a headache.

2022-10-06

More than 25 Kaohsiung businesses call themselves ‘The King’

Kaohsiung is a city blessed with many thriving small businesses. Have you ever noticed how many of them are the king of something? In name, at least. A recent survey found that over 25 businesses in Kaohsiung call themselves “Dawang”, which means “the king.” Let’s take a trip to the south to explore just a few of the kings in the city.

In Kaohsiung, there are shops proclaiming to be the king of milk, the king of schoolbags, the king of pork ribs. Is anyone in Kaohsiung not a king?

King of lotus root
I think it’s about our bold spirit. Because in the past very few people in Kaohsiung sold lotus root. We’re the second generation, in business since 1966.

Perhaps it’s also because a store called king is easy to remember and sounds pretty good. This lotus root shop has been in business 56 years. Customers say the name with the word “Dawang” sounds majestic.

But it does share many namesakes. This green bean soup shop has been in business for 50 years. Customers say the beans here have just the perfect texture, with each bean maintaining integrity.

Member of public
The king of green bean soup… You probably have to be very confident to choose that name. Something like king or conqueror…

King of green bean soup
The Chinese characters don’t have many strokes. I wanted to see if a name with the word king might make more money.

According to a Facebook page “Kaohsiung Tien” there are at least 25 establishments in the city who claim to be the king of something. There are kings of Job’s tears, mutton, glasses, pants, and all kinds of other clothes and cuisines. Perhaps the most famous is a drink shop claiming to be the king of milk in Kaohsiung, founded in 1966. Meanwhile, a young entrepreneur is continuing the honored tradition, opening up a shop as the king of ice treats.

King of ice treats
We call ourselves the king of ice treats because all our drinks are made with natural ingredients. We want that commitment to come across to every customer. We want to be the best in the drinks world, so we’re the king.

And let’s not forget the king of schoolbags, founded 63 years ago. It is still the only shop billing itself as the king of schoolbags in Taiwan. This store is a shared memory of school days for thousands of Kaohsiung locals. Next time you’re in the port city, make sure to watch out for royalty around every corner.

2022-10-06