7 government-owned banks, post offices to offer crisp bills from Feb. 1

7 government-owned banks, post offices to offer crisp bills from Feb. 1

2024-01-22

Spring Festival is coming up, which means it’s almost time to visit the bank for new banknotes. This year from Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, all seven government-owned banks and post offices will offer crisp, clean notes at the counter. For those who are in a hurry, ATMs at these locations will also dispense new bills.

For the Year of the Dragon, the central bank has prepared about 700 million new notes. They’re meant for stuffing in red envelopes as a lucky gift. But this year, the central bank is also encouraging people to think green. It’s promoting digital “red envelopes” and the concept of using old banknotes, saying that old cash or money transfers are just as auspicious.

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7家公股銀行及郵局2/1起可換新鈔央行備妥7億張

2024-01-22

每年過春節前，民眾都會到銀行兌換新鈔，拿來包紅包，討個"新年新氣象"寓意。央行宣布，2/1到2/7共5個營業日，可到全國7家公股銀行和中華郵政，臨櫃辦理，ATM也同步提供新鈔領取。

央行已準備約7億張新鈔，供民眾兌換，面額100元的，每人限兌100張，其他面額酌量供應。央行這幾年也開始宣導，響應環保，包紅包舊鈔也可以，或用紅包轉帳，心意不變。

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Ami Bera to lead bipartisan congressional delegation to Taiwan

A bipartisan congressional delegation is set to visit Taiwan this week. According to Nikkei Asia, the group will be led by Ami Bera, the top Democrat in the House Indo-Pacific subcommittee. After arriving on Wednesday, the lawmakers will meet President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Lai Ching-te. They also intend to meet senior members of the opposition KMT and TPP.

Shortly after his Jan. 13 victory, DPP President-elect Lai Ching-te met a senior U.S. delegation. Now more U.S. officials are expected to visit.

According to Nikkei Asia, the top Democrat in the House Indo-Pacific subcommittee Ami Bera will lead a delegation to Taiwan. He will be joined by lawmakers including Congressional Taiwan Caucus Co-Chair Andy Barr and Representative Mario Diaz-Balart. The delegation will arrive in Taiwan on Jan. 24, and meet President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Lai on Jan. 25.

A lawmaker set to visit separately is Mike Gallagher, who chairs the House Select Committee on the CCP. Gallagher is known for his tough stance on China.

Ho Chih-wei
DPP lawmaker
Over the past four years, Taiwan has received more than 3,000 foreign guests. Lai Ching-te’s election shows that we are choosing peace in the Taiwan Strait. I think that the discussions will center on maintaining the status quo and peace in the Taiwan Strait. What’s important is that we have bipartisan support from the U.S. They support Taiwan, and they support our democracy.

Speaking to the Nikkei Asia, Bera said the delegation planned to meet with senior members of the KMT and the TPP, citing the need to “have meetings with all parties.” The report also quotes Bonnie Glaser from the U.S. German Marshall Fund, who said it was extremely important for members of Congress to engage with Taiwan’s opposition. She said support from both of them was essential for continued increases in defense spending, passing special budges for purchasing weapons and other matters related to security.

Wang Zhin-sheng
Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association
The U.S. knows very clearly that it has to have more communication and build understanding with the KMT and the TPP, to prevent China from winning over and using the two parties. If China is successful, stagnation could occur in Taiwan-U.S. relations, particularly as bills are hindered in the Legislative Yuan.

Ahead of the U.S. delegation, lawmakers from Lithuania flew in last Sunday. Led by MP Matas Maldeikis, the 11-member group is in Taiwan to show support for the country.

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

2024-01-22

KMT to invite newly elected president to report to legislature: report

A new legislative session is set to start on Feb. 1. The KMT reportedly plans to invite Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s newly elected president, to the Legislative Yuan. Opposition lawmakers want to request a “state of the nation” report from Lai. They also want a chance to ask him questions, to subject Lai to public scrutiny. During his presidential campaign, Lai had promised to report to the legislature if invited.

In the Jan. 13 election, the DPP won the presidency but lost its majority in the Legislative Yuan. Reports say the KMT caucus has decided to ask the new president to give a “state of the nation” address before lawmakers.

Lai Ching-te (Nov. 15)
DPP presidential candidate
If the Legislative Yuan asks me to go, I will go.

Before the election, Lai Ching-te had said he’d be willing to give a “state of the nation” address. But the KMT also proposes that Lai take questions on the spot, to face a public examination. Since Taiwan’s first direct presidential election in 1996, no president has delivered a “state of the nation” address at the legislature. Should Lai give a report, he’d be the first president to do so in Taiwan’s constitutional history.

Hsieh Yi-fong
KMT lawmaker
Before the election, all three candidates agreed to report to the Legislative Yuan. So far, there have been no caucus discussions on the format of such a report.

You Si-kun
Legislative speaker
During his time in office, Chen Shui-bian was willing to report to the legislature, but it never happened. If the president were to come, what kind of protocol should be followed? After all, the president represents the country, so any uncivil behavior would make international news.

The DPP and KMT have yet to agree on the details of the presidential summons. The Constitution states that parliament may hear a report on the state of the nation by the president. But it does not explicitly require a president to deliver such a report. It also does not stipulate a question-and-answer session like that for other officials. Given the gray area, much negotiation remains ahead.

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

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TSMC rumored to pick Chiayi for 1 nm hub

TSMC may have found a new home for its 1 nanometer chips. According to a Chinese-language media outlet, it plans to build on a new science park in Chiayi County. The rumored project was welcomed by Chiayi’s commissioner, who said he would personally ensure that TSMC has full support. Last October, the chipmaker ditched its original plan to build in Taoyuan due to opposition from residents.

TSMC plans to build its 1 nanometer plant in Taibao City, Chiayi, according to the Economic Daily News. The report said TSMC applied for 100 hectares of science park land, 40 of which would be used for advanced packaging and testing. The remaining 60 hectares would be for the 1 nanometer facility. TSMC’s total investment amount will reportedly exceed NT$1 trillion.

Weng Chang-liang
Chiayi County commissioner
We would wholeheartedly welcome it. If TSMC does in fact choose Chiayi, I will personally serve as the lead coordinator, organizing a dedicated service unit within the Chiayi County government to provide full support.

Tsai Yi-yu
Lawmaker
Chiayi has many favorable qualities. You won’t encounter land requisition issues, because all of that land belongs to Taisugar. Tsengwen Reservoir, Taiwan’s largest dam, is located right in Chiayi’s Dapu Township. And Commissioner Weng Chang-liang has announced plans to build a desalination plant off the Chiayi coast.

TSMC’s rumored project was warmly received by the Chiayi County government.

TSMC houses its 7 nanometer technology in Taichung, while Tainan hosts its 5 and 3 nanometer processes. In Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, it plans to roll out 2 nanometer chips as early as 2025. In Chiayi County, its potential 1 nanometer fab would meet demand from AI servers, accelerators, smartphones, and PCs.

Jefferey Chiu
Semiconductor industry specialist
TSMC expects to mass produce 2 nanometer chips by 2025. It’s already started to plan a 1 nanometer facility, and that’s very reasonable, because mass production for that may not start till 2028. Its rival Intel has announced 1.8 nanometer production by 2025, so the competition is coming on hot and heavy. For TSMC, the most urgent priority is probably cutting costs while maintaining a high yield.

With the U.S.-China tech war ongoing, TSMC is facing strong geopolitical pressures, but remains committed to keeping its advanced processes in Taiwan.

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

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Vietnamese immigrant cultivates a taste of home with herb garden

Originally from Vietnam, Tran Hong Mai has created her very own herb garden with the help of her community and the Hsinchu County New Immigrant Service Center. There you can find all kinds of herbs common in Southeast Asian cooking, but rare in Taiwan. The garden not only sates a longing for home, but also serves as a gathering place for the community, Taiwanese and immigrant alike.

A garden stretches as far as the eye can see, packed with over 40 kinds of Southeast Asian herbs. Every stalk was planted with care by immigrant women. Tran Hong Mai runs this garden, putting her all into its maintenance.

Tran Hong Mai
Vietnamese immigrant
When those of us from Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia get together, we want to cook food from home for everyone to enjoy. But it’s sometimes hard to find the ingredients. So I said, don’t worry, I’ll help you find some land to grow herbs from home.

With help from the Neili community in Hsinchu’s Xinpu Township, they got a plot of land to use free of charge.

In addition to running the garden, Tran plays another important role in this community of immigrants.

She also prepares Southeast Asian food to share with her elderly neighbors. Meticulously selected pork is seasoned simply with black pepper, garlic and salt, then mixed with shredded lolot to enhance the flavor before wrapping in a freshly picked lolot leaf.

Tran Hong Mai
Vietnamese immigrant
My biggest takeaway is, no matter whether Southeast Asian, Taiwanese or Hakka, we all come together as one family. I’m happiest every time I come here.

Lin Feng-yen
Neili community resident
The first time I saw something so novel, wrapped up in natural leaves like this, I was blown away by the flavor!

Feng Yun-yen
Neili community resident
This is just the best, everyone coming together as a family.

Apart from lolot-wrapped pork dipped in a homemade sauce, Tran also makes the vegetable and egg dishes and soup she ate often in Vietnam. When the community eats together, the table is crowded with Hakka, Taiwanese and Vietnamese dishes. Through food, the distance between them vanishes as they become one family.

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

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

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Master shoemaker and repairer Hsieh Hsin-hsien fixes shoes for 40 years

Have you ever thought about where your shoes go if you send them to the cobblers’? Today we meet master shoemaker and repairer Hsieh Hsin-hsien. Hsieh has been making and repairing shoes for more than four decades. He’s the partner of many famous brands, trusted to mend beloved shoes when they’re worn. Despite working long hours of sometimes 12 hours a day, he loves his job. He says he has always been fascinated by shoemaking. And with the business support of his wife Chen Fen-ju, he hopes to keep going until he’s in his 70s. He showed us how the magic happens at the workshop in Taoyuan.

Trim away the extra leather, paste superglue between lining and zipper, and place to one side to dry. Then on to the other side. When both sides are stuck fast, the shoes are closed up with a sewing machine and the work is done.

Hsieh Hsin-hsien
Cobbler
When you take these shoes they look quite complicated. When I’ve completed a pair, I have a real sense of achievement, and it’s very fun. When it’s busy, I get up at 5 a.m. or so, and I get here to start work around 6 a.m., and sometimes I finish work around 6 or 7 p.m.

Shoe repair expert Hsieh Hsin-hsien came to Taipei to learn the art of shoemaking at the age of 15. That was more than 40 years ago. He focuses on getting the details right, and that’s earned him the custom of many famous shoe brands, who hire him as their post-sales repair partner. He repairs 500 pairs of shoes a month, on average.

Chen Fen-ju
Cobbler’s wife
For men’s labels, he’s done George Shoes; for women, he did Nine West and Steve Madden and so on. And it just expands outward more and more. The sales assistants see the work, and they recommend us to each other. I go into Taipei every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and collect shoes for repair, starting at Taipei Main Station and going all the way round to the East District.

Hsieh Hsin-hsien
Cobbler
Lots of people will moan about every job they get, but I’ve always been quite interested in shoemaking. I never wanted to give up. I told my wife, “Maybe I’ll keep going to 70 before I retire…”

Shoes from department stores like Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Nanxi, all the way to Sogo Fuxing and Uni-president, all end up getting repaired here at the workshop in Pingzhen Township, Taoyuan. Hsieh and his wife are proud that their sturdy work creates a solid footing for customers in all walks of life.

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

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