Shuttlers Lee Jhe-huei, Yang Po-hsuan claim doubles gold at Korea Masters

2023-11-13

Taiwan claimed gold and silver in men’s doubles at the BWF Korea Masters last Sunday. Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan played against their compatriots, Olympic gold medalists Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin.

Lee Jhe-huei and Yang won the match in straight sets, 21-17, 21-19. This was the pairing’s first title in a BWF Super Series event in four years and eight months.

南韓羽球大師賽李哲輝.楊博軒勇奪男雙金牌

2023-11-13

南韓羽球大師賽男雙週日進行決賽，台灣好手金包銀，世界排名第17的李哲輝以及楊博軒，直落二，擊敗東京奧運金牌男雙李洋以及王齊麟。

李哲輝和楊博軒以21比17、21比19，2比0擊敗麟洋配，終於奪下4年8個月以來，第一面超級系列賽的金牌，終結冠軍荒。

China’s meddling in focus as Taiwan elections loom

With the elections drawing near, China is ramping up its political interference. A Thai interview featuring foreign minister Joseph Wu was removed online last week, after China’s embassy in Thailand lodged a protest. On Monday, Wu blasted Beijing for its pressure campaign against Taiwan. At the upcoming Biden-Xi summit, the issue of Chinese meddling is expected to loom large.

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping this Wednesday in San Francisco. Biden is expected to express concern over Chinese interference in Taiwan’s elections. According to DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te, this concern has three main implications.

Lai Ching-te
DPP presidential candidate
…to protect Taiwan’s hard-won democracy. The international community hopes that the next president will be determined by the free will of the Taiwanese people. They want the people to choose the candidate who can best protect the rights and interests of the Republic of China, Taiwan.

Lai said the U.S. wants Taiwan to elect a president who can defend national interests. He said the U.S. does not want a pro-China regime.

Lai Ching-te
DPP presidential candidate
The U.S. is of course opposed to a pro-China government in Taiwan. If the authority in Taiwan were pro-China, not only would that be bad for Taiwan’s future development, but it could also harm Taiwan’s democratic constitutional system. It would have a significant impact on the stability of the Indo-Pacific region. Under President Tsai Ing-wen’s leadership, Taiwan has been seen and affirmed and supported by the international community. Of course the international community doesn’t want Taiwan to regress.

Joseph Wu
Foreign minister
China’s interference happens all the time. I don’t think we should allow Chinese interference to affect whether we speak out in the international community.

Last week, a Thai TV station’s YouTube channel removed an interview with foreign minister Joseph Wu, following a complaint from China. In response, Wu said that Chinese pressure on Taiwan was a constant.

As Taiwan’s elections draw closer, China is ramping up its interference, with tactics like poll manipulation and diplomatic pressure. According to the DPP’s legislative caucus, a major vehicle of interference is the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland, which is managed by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. The DPP called out KMT lawmaker Hung Meng-kai 洪孟楷, whose parents are prominent members of the Taiwanese business association.

Ho Po-wen
New Taipei legislative candidate (DPP)
Hung Hsi-yao is the founding deputy secretary-general of this important United Front organization of China. He also undertakes important election work in Taiwan. I ask Legislator Hung Meng-kai, do you embrace the pro-unification statements and mission of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland?

DPP legislative candidate Ho Po-wen demanded that the younger Hung clarify his stance. In response, Hung said that Taiwan has an Anti-Infiltration Act and a National Security Act. If the DPP believes he violated either, he said, it’s welcome to take legal action.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-11-13

TPP’s Ko Wen-je aims to make decision on joint ticket within two days

2023-11-13

Japan grapples with space crunch, talent shortage amid chip expansion

Japan is pushing to build its semiconductor industry, offering hefty subsidies to chip giants like TSMC. But it’s stumbling on hurdles including a talent gap and shortage of industrial space. To overcome the space crunch, some firms have repurposed abandoned factories to produce semiconductors. Meanwhile, a local government has launched a chip camp for teens, to train the workforce of the future.

TSMC is forging ahead with construction at its Kumamoto fab, which is set to enter production in late 2024. In addition, Japan is expected to provide up to 900 billion yen in subsidies for TSMC to build a second fab in Kumamoto.

But amid Japan’s semiconductor push, an industrial space crunch has become clear. Companies have turned to repurposing older factories that are lying idle.

NHK reporter
Back in 2014, semiconductor giant Renesas Electronics shut down its plant in Yamanashi’s Kai City. Last year, the company invested 90 billion yen to restart operations.

The rebooted Renesas will be used to make chips for electric vehicles. Other major firms like Mitsubishi and ROHM have announced plans to convert idle factories in Kumamoto and Miyazaki to semiconductor production bases. But even after solving the space shortage, firms face another challenge, that of the talent shortage. In a bid to attract workers, the Kumamoto government recently held a three-day camp for high-school students.

High-school student
I’d like to work in the semiconductor industry, so I signed up and took part in the camp to learn more about it. A lot of the things were new to me and also very tough. It was hard to understand. But learning something new was quite interesting.

The camp offered both theory and hands-on practice, providing an in-depth overview of the semiconductor industry. The Kumamoto government hopes such initiatives will nurture more industry talent, to restore Kyushu to its former reputation as Japan’s “Silicon Island.”

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-11-13

National Taiwan University plans undergraduate semiconductor program

2023-11-13

Taipei International Startup Festival kicks off with AI forum

The 2023 Taipei International Startup Festival has kicked off. Until Dec. 2, the event will hold series of activities, including forums, workshops and talks. The inaugural forum gave startups ideas on how to harness artificial intelligence to accelerate their growth. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the story.

At the 2023 Taipei International Startup Festival, the first to speak was Ed Jager, the director of trade and investment at the Taipei Canadian Trade Office’s. Jager discussed the factors that led Canadian AI startups to success and how AI startup teams can expand into the global market through international accelerators. He said one key to success was Canada’s global innovation clusters.

Ed Jager
Taipei Canadian Trade Office’s director of trade and investment
A tool that the Canadian government has adopted in recent years to really focus in on key sectors is something called the global innovation clusters. In fact, we have set up five different entities that are a mixture of the private sector, public sectors, academia to work together to generate inner clusters, excitement, and innovation.

Another key to success is the establishment of the Canadian Technology Accelerator, which opened a branch in Taipei four years ago.

Ed Jager
Taipei Canadian Trade Office’s director of trade and investment
Taipei was opened four years ago and proved to be one of our best technology accelerators. As a result, these accelerators are supporting a whole bunch of companies, raising capital and generating revenue. Over 1,000 new partnerships were created. We can attribute at least 3,000 new jobs to this work that we have been doing in these accelerators.

Peter Wu, president of Taiwan Web Service Corporation, shared his insights on international collaboration for startups and the robust AI 2.0 resources available in Taipei. Wu praised Taiwan’s AI computing power.

Peter Wu
President of TWSC
In Taiwan, we have very unique AI computing power that we are ahead of many Asian countries. Even for Singapore and Japan. We are unique here. That is because our government invested this AI super-computer many years ago. Taiwan is unique for generative AI and ASUS is very unique because we operate the computing power.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an touted how the city government has been promoting policies to create a friendly environment for startups.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
This year Taipei City has utilized a lot of open data to use in YouBike’s transport model. Moving forward, Taipei is committed to building a founder-friendly city, an entrepreneur-friendly city and an AI-driven smart city.

Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
Over the next few weeks, there will be a series of events including talks, a demo show, and a Maker Faire to further accelerate the international expansion of startups in Taiwan.

The festival hopes to provide entrepreneurs with a platform to network, showcase their work, and learn about new trends to better shine on the international stage. The festival will be on until Dec. 2.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-11-13

126 Taipei food vendors earn updated food safety mark

The Taipei City Government has granted food hygiene certification marks to 126 businesses. The businesses are concentrated in the Yongkang Street and Xinbeitou commercial districts, two hotspots for foreign tourists. This year the city updated its certification mark, which now includes the Japanese and Korean languages, in addition to Chinese and English.

Tourist arrivals have been on the rise since the end of the pandemic. Yongkang Street is a must-visit with its freshly made dumplings, beef noodles and ice treats. Xinbeitou is also a popular destination.

In 2015, Taipei launched a hygiene rating system for food service. At an award ceremony on Monday, 126 vendors in Yongkang and Xinbeitou were granted an “Excellent” or “Good” rating for 2023.

Chen Yen-yuan
Taipei Department of Health
Getting the foods certified can help build trust regarding the source of the ingredients, their storage, and delivery and so on.

Lin Meng-hui
Taipei Department of Health
The certification mainly concerns the management of staff, ingredients and equipment, offering guidance and evaluations. By earning the certification, businesses can show the public that there are food safety controls, and that these controls are conducted jointly by food vendors and the government.

Taiwan is set to host the 2025 Summer World Masters Games. Athletes from all around the world will converge in Taiwan and of course, try the local food. With that in mind, the Taipei Department of Health updated its certification mark. Now it features not just Chinese and English, but Japanese and Korean as well, to enhance accessibility for international tourists.

Lin Meng-hui
Taipei Department of Health
We chose vendors in commercial districts due to the rise of international tourists in the post-pandemic era, and because of the 2025 Summer World Masters Games. The marks are in Japanese, Korean and English, so that international tourists can understand them easily.

Vendors that obtain certification must be reassessed every two years, to make sure standards are maintained. The program is aimed at boosting the competitiveness of commercial districts, while enhancing hygiene in the food service industry.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-11-13

Taiwan mulls increase to NT$20,000 duty-free allowance

Taiwan is reassessing its duty-free allowance for incoming travelers. Currently, people entering Taiwan can carry up to NT$20,000 in goods. Anything above that is subject to customs tax. Officials say the cap was set more than 30 years ago, and does not factor in today’s incomes and consumer prices. The Ministry of Finance is considering raising the allowance, potentially to a range between NT$30,000 and NT$40,000.

Departing travelers wait in line for security screening. In the post-pandemic era, Taiwanese are flocking abroad during holidays, seizing the chance for retail therapy. But they have to watch out when returning, to not exceed the duty-free allowance of NT$20,000.

Member of public
NT$20,000 is too low. Now that the New Taiwan dollar is depreciating, what can you buy with NT$20,000?

If you buy a luxury good, you’ll go over. A watch or a bag would exceed that.

Travelers say the NT$20,000 allowance is meager and too easily exceeded. Responding to a call from a lawmaker, the finance ministry is considering raising the limit to NT$30,000 or NT$40,000. That means the allowance might be doubled.

Voice of Hsu Sheng-sheng
Customs Administration
The limit was set in 1989 and it hasn’t been reevaluated in 30 years. The price of goods abroad has gone up, and so has the average income in Taiwan. Japan and South Korea also increased their own allowances.

Referencing neighboring nations, the official said South Korea sets its limit at US$800, or about NT$26,000. Japan has increased its allowance to 200,000 yen, or about NT$43,000.

Member of the public
NT$20,000 is indeed too low. If you buy anything, for example, if you buy electronics in Japan, you’ll probably exceed NT$20,000. I wish the cap were a little higher. I think a cap of about NT$30,000 or NT$40,000 would be closer to the level for buying things abroad.

Member of public
NT$30,000 or NT$40,000 seems about right. After all, that’s close to how much the average person’s credit card limit is.

Before the pandemic, Taiwan had some 15 million international departures every year. With tourism recovering post-pandemic, Taiwan saw 8.42 million departures from January to September this year. With 10 million departures expected by year’s end, customs rules have become a hotly debated issue.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-11-13

Kendo instructor spotted riding horse through fast food drive-though

2023-11-13

Vets urge annual health checks for pets

Vets are urging pet owners to arrange annual health checks for their furry friends. The call comes as animal ownership soars, with pet-related sales reaching NT$34.7 billion last year. Vets say that big savings can be made in medical bills if pets get routine screenings to catch potential problems. They say dogs and cats tend not to show symptoms until they’ve reached the late stages of a disease.

A 4-year-old pug sits patiently as a vet checks its heart, lungs, and lymph nodes. Then it gets an X-ray and an abdominal ultrasound. Devoted pet parents know the importance of yearly health screenings.

Mr. Chen
Pet owner
The health check is basically blood work. It costs NT$3,000 to NT$5,000 per pet, so for our three dogs, that’s over NT$10,000 a year. Recently we’ve been thinking about pet insurance to offset costs.

Ms. Ko
Pet owner
After we adopted this one, we found a tumor on its paw. The cost of surgery to remove it was around NT$10,000. Then because it had cryptorchidism, we had to pay another NT$10,000. The trouble was getting blood transfusions – that cost is quite considerable. Big dogs need a lot of blood, and one bag costs NT$30,000 or NT$40,000.

Ms. Ko’s family believes that with three large dogs, the medical bills will pile up as they age. Through routine health screenings and pet insurance, the family hopes to bring costs down. Heartworm medication costs NT$700, but it’s more affordable than treating disease. Illnesses like lymphoma can cost tens of thousands of dollars to treat, which means early prevention is key.

Chung Sheng-hua
Taiwan Academy of Veterinary Internal Medicine head
The main companion animals are cats and dogs. They are carnivores with a high tolerance for pain. So when they start to appear sick, when they start showing symptoms, that’s when the disease is already in its late stages. So we recommend regular health checks for these animals. That’s how you can catch issues early on.

To keep their companions healthy, pet parents are happily shelling out for checkups. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2023-11-13

Shuttlers Lee Jhe-huei, Yang Po-hsuan claim doubles gold at Korea Masters

Shuttlers Lee Jhe-huei, Yang Po-hsuan claim doubles gold at Korea Masters

2023-11-13

南韓羽球大師賽 李哲輝.楊博軒勇奪男雙金牌

2023-11-13

China’s meddling in focus as Taiwan elections loom

2023-11-13

TPP’s Ko Wen-je aims to make decision on joint ticket within two days

2023-11-13

Japan grapples with space crunch, talent shortage amid chip expansion

2023-11-13

National Taiwan University plans undergraduate semiconductor program

2023-11-13

Taipei International Startup Festival kicks off with AI forum

2023-11-13

126 Taipei food vendors earn updated food safety mark

2023-11-13

Taiwan mulls increase to NT$20,000 duty-free allowance

2023-11-13

Kendo instructor spotted riding horse through fast food drive-though

2023-11-13

Vets urge annual health checks for pets

2023-11-13

南韓羽球大師賽李哲輝.楊博軒勇奪男雙金牌