Hon Hai denies rumors about irregular operations due to China tax audit

2023-11-15

Rumors are running rampant surrounding Taiwan tech giant Hon Hai, as it faces a tax audit and land use investigation in China. According to one rumor, Hon Hai is now strictly adhering to Chinese labor laws and has eliminated overtime and night shifts. Another rumor alleges that Hon Hai implemented an early holiday at one of its China factories. A financial analyst believes the rumors are unlikely to be true, due to strong iPhone 15 sales and rising demand. Amid the speculation, Hon Hai is urging the public not to believe the rumors, stressing that operations remain normal.

Recent online rumors claim that since late October, Hon Hai’s China factories have been strictly adhering to Chinese labor laws, implementing a two-day weekend and eight-hour workday, with no overtime or night shifts. This has reportedly dealt a blow to workers who rely on overtime pay. Another rumors indicates that Hon Hai’s Foshan plant has taken its Lunar New Year vacation early. But a financial expert says that, with iPhone 15 sales going well and peak shopping season just around the corner, it’s unlikely that the plant went on holiday four months in advance.

Wang Chieh-min
Financial expert
The first possibility could be that Apple sales actually aren’t going well. But from the data, we can see that’s not the case. Since Hon Hai is being audited, it has decided to abide by the rules, so you can only work eight hours a day.

With rumors circulating concerning China’s tax inspections into Hon Hai, the company set the record straight at its investor conference.

Voice of David Huang
Hon Hai CFO
Our company always complies with laws and regulations in its operations all around the world. Currently, production and operations are normal as a whole. We will proactively cooperate with the relevant government agencies in any procedures necessary. We hope to get the relevant matters done with as soon as possible, to quell everyone’s worries about uncertainties. Once there are any clear results, we will make an announcement to let everyone know.

Sources say it’s untrue that Hon Hai adjusted its work hours and holidays. At press events and earnings calls, the company has stressed that operations remain normal and urged the public not to believe baseless rumors.

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傳富士康取消加班夜班鴻海澄清查稅謠言

2023-11-15

中國針對富士康查稅之後，出現不少網路評論，還有網友傳言，富士康將配合蘋果，轉移部份產能到印度，甚至說富士康取消加班和夜班，廣東佛山廠區還提早四個月放年假，影射跟查稅有關。不過面對各種傳聞，鴻海鄭重強調，生產正常，經營一切合法合規。

最近中國工人間流傳，說：富士康從10月底開始，嚴格遵守中國勞動法，實施周休二日，每天工時8小時的制度，取消加班和夜班，對於靠加班費賺錢的員工來說，所得瞬間減少。甚至傳出廣東佛山廠提早放年假。但財經專家分析，iPhone15銷售成績不差，接下來年底購物旺季，提早四個月放假，不太可能。

[[財經專家汪潔民]]
“第一種可能的事情是說，真的是蘋果業績不好，但事實上我們看到的數據並不是這樣子。對於鴻海而言來說，你既然要查稅，那我就按照你的規矩，就是一天只能工作8個小時。”

面對中國查稅所引發的效應和謠言，鴻海在法說會上鄭重回應。

[[聲源:鴻海集團財務長黃德才]]
“一直都是以合法合規的原則，在全球各地經營，目前集團生產經營都一切正常，我們會積極配合相關單位的作業，希望可以儘快完成相關的工作，減輕大家對於不確定性的擔心。若是有明確的結果，我們一定會公告讓大家知悉。”

據了解，富士康調整工時和放假的傳聞是不實消息。鴻海多次透過重訊和法說會強調，生產經營正常，就是希望謠言止於智者。

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KMT and TPP agree to decide joint presidential ticket using poll results

At long last, the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party have broken their negotiation deadlock. After two hours of talks on Wednesday, they agreed to use polling results to decide their joint presidential ticket. The presidential candidate will be chosen based on public polls released by third-party organizations between Nov. 7 and 17, in addition to two polls conducted by the two parties. The outcome will be announced this Saturday by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation.

Former President Ma Ying-jeou, KMT Chair Eric Chu, and presidential candidates Hou You-ih and Ko Wen-je join hands. After a two-hour meeting, the two parties finally reached a consensus on their joint presidential ticket.

Ma Ying-jeou
Former president
Today, the KMT and the TPP reached a cooperation agreement. I think this is a first in Taiwan’s political history.

Hou Yu-ih
KMT presidential candidate
For the sake of national security and the well-being of the people, we have all put aside our personal interests so that this party alliance can march forward.

Eric Chu
KMT chair
We will work hard and fight to win the 2024 election. In the future, we will form a coalition government that works together for the R.O.C.

Ko Wen-je
TPP presidential candidate
Today is a day of historic significance. Taiwan has never had a coalition government. With former President Ma as witness, Taiwan history is moving forward. The outcome will all depend on everyone’s efforts.

The KMT and TPP agreed on the following terms. Former President Ma Ying-jeou, the KMT, and the TPP will each nominate a polling expert to review third-party polls released from Nov. 7 to 17. Each party will also provide an internal poll for consideration. Ko will get one point for every poll in which he beats Hou beyond the margin of error. The same goes for Hou, who will also get one point if the difference is within the margin of error. The outcome will be announced this Saturday by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation.

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2023-11-15

DPP’s Lai pans blue-white coalition as shortsighted

While the KMT and Taiwan People’s Party agreed to run a joint presidential ticket and form a coalition government for Taiwan, DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te says a vote for the coalition is a vote for taking Taiwan backward instead of forward.

Lai Ching-te
DPP presidential candidate
Theoretically, democratic politics is party politics, which entails political responsibility. The goal of every political party is to secure maximum public support for governance, in order to institute the ideals of the party, and to act in the public interest. But surprisingly, in this election, the opposition parties have chosen not to take this path. Instead, they’re discussing a coalition before Election Day, discussing who will take this or that position, who will be president and who will be vice president. Of course, currently that issue is still at a stalemate. Who will lead the Legislative Yuan, who will lead the Executive Yuan? How will the various ministries be divvied up? They are talking about all this before the election itself. And that’s given me much to think about. At a time when Taiwan faces a variety of challenges, the blue and white camps are going about the election in such a way. I think that at such a time, what the people want is national unity, as well as partnership with the democratic alliance and the international community. That should be what’s most important. So these days, I have been saying, “Why have a blue-white coalition, when you can have national unity? When you can have unity with the international community?”

Wang Ting-yu
DPP lawmaker
Lai Ching-te doesn’t resort to strategies. He just opens the door and takes the high road. He’s held one briefing after another to present his national policies, to let the people know what problems he will solve. This election is a watershed moment. Will Taiwan continue to walk with its allies in the international community, or will it move toward what Ma Ying-jeou advocates, a Taiwan that is a part of China? Will it move toward what Xi Jinping advocates, a Taiwan that is an internal affair of China? I hope that the people will consider their options carefully.

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2023-11-15

Travel operators protest policy to cap China group tourists at 2,000 a day

Travel agents are protesting a new government limit on group travelers to China. The Mainland Affairs Council announced that when group tours to China restart next March, there will be a limit of 2,000 people per day. The policy has triggered anger among travel operators, who say there’s already been a surge of bookings for China tours. They say the limit could force them to violate their contracts with customers. In response, the transport chief says he will open talks with the Mainland Affairs Council to rethink the policy.

Earlier this month, the transport ministry announced that Taiwan would once again allow tour groups to visit China next March. The move was welcomed by travel agencies, which immediately launched promotions and deals. But on Nov. 13, the Mainland Affairs Council decided to limit group travelers to 2,000 a day, sparking uproar among travel operators.

Lee Chi-yuen
Travel Agent Association of R.O.C. Taiwan
This measure could force travel operators to renege on bookings already made. That could result in contract violations. Industry operators are very dissatisfied with this policy, and are protesting the measure.

The Mainland Affairs Council justified the cap, saying that China has failed to reciprocate by allowing tour groups to Taiwan. It said that, since Sept. 1, Taiwan had allowed Chinese passport holders to enter Taiwan from a third country for tourism, and that those arrivals were limited to 2,000 people per day.

Voice of Huang Jeng-tsong
Providence University Department of Tourism
There’s no reciprocal treatment, and that is causing Taiwan’s tourism sector to suffer losses. There are no travelers from the mainland coming to Taiwan and spending money here. In Taiwan, operators such as hotels have lost a source of guests. China has not yet announced a reciprocal policy to let Chinese tourists come to Taiwan and stay here for tourism.

Taiwan has almost 4,000 travel agencies. About 90% offer group tours to China, which means that travel to China could reach 12,000 people a day, far surpassing the government limit.

Wang Kwo-tsai
Transport minister
When the time comes, we’ll see what preparations everyone has made and how many travelers have signed up. I think that the Mainland Affairs Council’s position is to do it in stages, because early on there won’t be a lot of people. But if, after discussions, it turns out that there are indeed so many groups that want to go next year, we can go to the Mainland Affairs Council and revisit the details.

A new proposal is expected before the Lunar New Year. Travel operators are closely monitoring developments, fearing disputes with their customers as they take aim at the reopened China market.

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2023-11-15

Kinmen urges veterans to return to front line of their youth

Calling all Kinmen veterans! If you once served on the offshore county, the local government wants you back for a trip down memory lane. Until Dec. 15, it’s offering a range of nostalgic souvenirs to returnees. There’s also a military-themed selfie studio at Kinmen Airport, featuring iconic local landmarks as backdrops. Veterans are invited to don their old uniforms and relive the cherished memories of their youth.

It’s a blast from the past as he sports the uniform of his youth. The Kinmen County government is calling veterans to return to the islands, for a trip down memory lane.

Liang Wei-ching is dapper as ever in a uniform from more than four decades ago. He served three stints in Kinmen as a soldier, and he’s now a volunteer for the program known as Kinmen Veterans Return. Standing before a photo backdrop, he tilts the phone and strikes a pose, capturing the perfect throwback shot.

During the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, Kinmen was home to more than 100,000 troops. Many left the islands with unforgettable memories. At Kinmen Airport, a nostalgic selfie studio is now open, offering a special experience to veterans and tourists alike.

Mr. Hung
Veteran
I come back to Kinmen frequently. It’s a great honor. I think that almost every young soldier in Taiwan ended up here once.

Run by the Kinmen County government, the photo studio serves not only veterans but tourists, too. Staff are onsite to help, as visitors try on outfits and take photos in front of four themed backdrops. Liang says that the hardships of Kinmen made for sweet memories today.

Liang Wei-ching
Veteran
Many of us old veterans had cried to the heavens when being assigned to Kinmen. But now we smile from ear to ear when we visit.

Chung Li-wei
Kinmen tourism director
There are four photo backdrops in the studio. We’ve created a nostalgic military vibe.

As of Oct. 31, the Kinmen Veterans Return campaign has drawn over 11,000 visits from veterans, and more than 20,000 visits from accompanying friends and family. Plans are underway to showcase veterans’ stories on an online platform, to encourage more former soldiers to return.

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2023-11-15

Japanese shopping carnival kicks off at department stores

2023-11-15

20 technologies showcased at ITRI ICT Solution Day

Twenty innovative technologies went on display on Wednesday at the ITRI ICT Solution Day. The event was organized by ITRI, or the Industrial Technology Research Institute, and the economics ministry’s Department of Industrial Technology. It showcased solutions from a wide range of sectors, from logistics and smart health care to sports and culture. Highlights included a smart canoe system, an automated ticketing machine, and an AI model generator that can produce a 3D character in just five minutes.

Enthusiastic staff paddle away. With this system, canoeing is possible indoors. The smart oars are embedded with sensors, and system is based on the motion data of national athletes. There’s also this innovative technology.

You can book an experience, buy a flexible tour package, and do some retail shopping, all without a ticket booth or a human attendant. This single machine integrates suppliers, sales channels, and consumers. It’s among the 20 technologies showcased at ICT Solution Day, organized by the economics ministry and the Industrial Technology Research Institute.

Chiou Chyou-huey
Department of Industrial Technology director-general
For us, service technology is a very important direction for development and investment. These service technologies can drive our service industry, making it more competitive. It can even make life smart and more convenient for people.

Service technology can support a range of fields, from travel to smart health care. At the event, a special guest was invited to showcase generative AI.

A contestant on the reality show NEXT GIRLZ sings a duet with an AI version of herself. The technology goes beyond traditional 2D creation, producing a 3D model in just five minutes, using 52 parameters. Another AI application was a platform for calculating insurance claims. Using AI, it yields clear and comprehensive results based on data from various insurance companies.

Roger Cheng
ITRI Service System Technology Center general director
We’ve shifted from the “technology push” of the past to applying technology in solutions. This marks a very important step in Taiwan’s journey from manufacturing to branded services, and particularly to innovative services.

Taiwan is producing a variety of branded services, in fields like logistics, health care, and sports and culture. Through these solutions, innovators are achieving advancements in everyday life.

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2023-11-15

Immigrant farmer grows top-grade grapes and gives tours of Taiwan

Now for a spotlight on an immigrant farmer who is also a consummate tour guide. Duong Hue has been growing top-grade grapes in Miaoli’s Zhuolan Township for over 20 years. She gave us a tour of the farm and talked through the finer points of growing this tricky fruit. And we also got to see her in action as a tour guide. She loves to introduce Taiwan, her adopted home, to visitors from abroad. Their most memorable impression, she says, is always the warmth and friendliness of the Taiwanese people.

The paper bags hanging from these grape vines hide full and juicy purple grapes, so dark they seem to glitter. Grape farmer Duong Hue picks the giant fruit with care, mindful not to damage her soft and squishy harvest.

Duong Hue
Grape farmer
We look at the color. Darker grapes will be sweeter and ready to pick.

Grape farming is a complex process, from breeding the seeds, to trimming and grafting the vines.

Duong Hue
Grape farmer
Everything is hard work with the grapes. Because firstly, you’re always in the sun, about 12 to 13 hours a day. And that’s not all – your head is in the sun all the time, and your neck and your whole body get so achy. So you have to adjust to it.

When the grapes have been picked, they need to be hand-sorted, and the blemished fruit cut off one by one. The grapes are laid out in rows according to their color and size, to be classed and finally boxed up.

Duong Hue
Grape farmer
Grapes should be large and dark, and have some hardness, to have a better texture.

Duong’s grapes are very popular. But during the pandemic, she nevertheless gave away more than 300 boxes of grapes to five different medical institutions, as a way to express her gratitude toward frontline medical workers.

And she’s visited all of Taiwan’s most photogenic spots, not just for leisure, but also in her role as a tour guide.

Duong Hue
Grape farmer
What people see is the friendliness of Taiwanese people. Taiwan has class, and a really good heart. These are the sorts of reasons that people love to come to Taiwan, from other countries, not just from Vietnam. What’s fun about being a tour guide is serving the clients, and when they’re happy, you’re promoting Taiwan’s history and culture to other people, so they know how great Taiwan really is, how wonderful it is, because the environment is so clean.

Duong has been watering good seeds for many years, both the seeds in the ground of Miaoli, and also seeds of cross-cultural understanding and friendship between Taiwan and the world.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by New Immigrant Development Fund

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2023-11-15

Taitung granary renovated into a tofu-focused restaurant

A Taitung granary has been renovated and turned into a tofu-focused restaurant. The new tourist attraction serves soy products in dozens of ways. Customers can even watch dried bean curd being made right in front of them. There are also plenty of soy desserts, including an unmissable century egg douhua. The restaurant, run in association with Chi-shang Farmers’ Association, aims to help local farmers market their soy products.

Tofu skins sizzle in the pan until golden, giving off a delicious scent. Meanwhile, battered tofu is deep-frying. A little seasoning is added, and it’s plated and ready to serve.

The famous deep-fried tofu is a must for every customer who comes in the door. They can also select a generous plate of tofu skin rolls, with bacon, scallion oil and apple.

Member of public
It’s a local specialty. It tastes nutritious and healthy, so we love coming here.

The restaurant in Taitung’s Chishang Township has a youthful, bookish atmosphere. It was renovated from an old granary, and features a super high ceiling and installation art. The menu is all based on tofu products, with plenty of savory items as well as desserts.

This traditional tofu pudding, douhua, has a rich but silky taste. The special twist is the century egg douhua, drizzled in a thick soy sauce, and sprinkled with scallions. Many customers are entranced by its sweet and salty flavors. And then there’s the live dried tofu show.

Piping hot soy milk forms a skin on the top. The chef lifts golden strings from the vat and hangs them to dry. Customers can watch the whole process of making dried tofu from inches away, through this glass window.

Tang Ting-yun
Chi-shang Farmers’ Association, Taitung
Our main goal is to solve farmers’ sales problems. In the future, we will develop even more different things, such as spicy dishes that young people may prefer, something in that direction.

Soy beans are served up in thousands of ways in Taiwan. Now this 50-year-old granary has had a makeover and is a tourist attraction for tofu-lovers in Taitung.

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2023-11-15

Taiwan wins 5 golds, 6 silvers, 6 bronzes at Lithuania lifting championships

2023-11-15

Hon Hai denies rumors about irregular operations due to China tax audit