March CPI hits lowest figure in 8 months at 2.14%

March CPI hits lowest figure in 8 months at 2.14%

2024-04-09

The consumer price index for March stood at 2.14%, according to the latest government statistics. That’s a drop of 0.66 percentage points from the month before. Though the figure is above the inflation goal of 2%, it marks the lowest CPI in eight months. The cost of 17 government-tracked household necessities grew by 1.17%, the smallest figure in 39 months.

The cost of dining out rose by 3.49%, the smallest hike in 27 months, and the first time that the figure has fallen below 4% in the last year. After a restructuring of copays at medical institutions, the cost of medicine and healthcare moved higher by 4.47%, the biggest increase in 18 years. The government statistics agency says the electricity price hikes starting April are expected to add 0.18 percentage points to this year’s CPI.

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3月CPI年增2.14%高於通膨警戒 8個月來最低漲幅

2024-04-09

主計總處公布3月消費者物價指數，比上個月下跌了0.66%、年增2.14%，雖然還高於通膨警戒，但已是8個月來最低漲幅。其中17項重要民生物資漲幅1.17%，為39個月來最低。

外食費漲3.49%，創27個月來最低漲幅，更是一年來首度跌破4%。不過，受到健保部分負擔調整方案影響，醫療費用年增4.47%，創近18年來最大漲幅。針對4月電費將平均調漲11%，主計處表示，預估對全年CPI影響0.18個百分點。

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Integrated circuit designer MediaTek is also stepping into the world of artificial intelligence. The company has launched its newest AI platform, the MediaTek DaVinci, which it has touted as surpassing Chat GPT-3.5 in its traditional Chinese language capabilities. The company says users can interact verbally with the platform without giving explicit instructions, and the system will understand what they want.

Complain about the heat to turn on a fan and the AC unit and voila: the temperature is brought down. Unlike conventional smart devices that need explicit instructions, MediaTek’s generative AI service platform, DaVinci, can provide assistance in a conversational manner. The company hopes the platform will become the smart assistant that best understands Taiwanese people.

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A language model called BreeXe, which is based on 4 to 5 million parameters, can be integrated into the MediaTek DaVinci. Its performance with traditional Chinese writing has surpassed Chat GPT-3.5 in our evaluations, and in evaluations conducted by school teachers.

With 45 billion parameter models, and Taiwan-specific Mandarin terms, Mediatek says the DaVinci platform is better than Chat GPT-3.5. It can process more than 40,000 traditional Chinese characters, 10 times more than Mistral AI’s language model, which can handle just 4,000. DaVinci has more than 100,000 dialogue entries from MediaTek as its foundation, allowing it to provide custom services for home and vehicle use.

It can also be integrated with employee time tracking systems and work leave systems.

Everything can be handled by DaVinci, from marketing strategies and collecting news pieces to booking train tickets.

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DaVinci is not a product, it’s already a developed platform. We have received inquiries from Japan and even Singapore. Clients have contacted us from Asia and the Americas, and they are all big corporations that are global leaders in their industries.

And it’s not just companies from overseas. In Taiwan, more than 20 high-tech companies, over 10 consumer brands and financial corporations as well as companies in traditional industries are working together, allowing MediaTek to expand its ecosystem and make AI applications more widespread.

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Computerized portion of Han Kuang War Games extended to be eight days long

The annual Han Kuang War Games are back in action this month. Starting next week, computerized exercises will be carried out over eight days, and the military will be using lessons learned from the tabletop version when live-fire drills are held in July. One of the key features of training this year will be rules of engagement which define the situations in which soldiers can use force when fighting the enemy. The rules are seen as a way to maintain support from the international community in a war scenario.

First held in 1984, the annual Han Kuang War Games are the Armed Forces’ biggest war exercise, and this year they’ll include currently conscripted soldiers and reservists. The live-fire drills portion of the war games will take place in July, but first up is the tabletop portion.

Tung Chi-Hsing
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This year the schedule for tabletop exercises has been extended to eight days and seven nights. They include simulations of gray-zone tactics during peace time and a potential rapid transition from peace to war in Taiwan. Amid the Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, we’re concentrating on cognitive warfare, asymmetrical warfare capabilities, and our utilization of military reserves. The way we designed these games takes into consideration every aspect of asymmetrical warfare, and we can use this as reference for how we can employ our troops.

The primary focus of this year’s war games is anti-landing exercises. Both computerized and live-fire segments will include a coastal command that’s yet to be formally established. They’ll also feature Chinese cargo ships and Taiwan’s Sea Dragon Frogmen. One of the issues currently receiving a lot of attention is ensuring the legality of the war efforts. Commanders and troops will receive training on the matter, to develop skills related to strategic-decision making and combat response, while helping Taiwan receive international support.

Tung Chi-Hsing
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This edition of the war games is separated into two sessions: computerized exercises and live-fire drills. The computerized exercises involve inspecting the procedures of commands and discussing rules of engagement. During the live-fire drill part, soldiers will take action while following the rules of engagement. These are cards with instructions for every soldier, that tell them under what kinds of threats they are authorized to use weapons and ammunition. They even include different instructions that can be followed to face specific situations.

On Monday, civilian drones from China were once again detected flying over Kinmen’s Erdan Island and Menghu Islet. Soldiers used drone jamming guns to drive them away. Unlike last year, none were shot down.

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With China using gray-zone tactics on Taiwan’s outlying islands, the military is ready to counter harassment from across the strait.

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During Hualien visit, TSMC Charity chair Sophie Chang promises to help victims rebuild

TSMC is known for its world-leading semiconductors, but the high-tech giant also has a charity foundation that has committed itself to helping post-earthquake Hualien rebuild. Sophie Chang leads the charity, and she was part of a team that traveled to eastern Taiwan to inspect the damage done by last week’s quake.

Almost a week after the earthquake, TSMC Charity Foundation Chair Sophie Chang took a train to Hualien to inspect the damage; she expressed that the charity is determined to help with recovery.

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I came to see the damage done for the primary reason of seeing what we can do. We won’t get involved in anything the government is working on. As for what the public desperately needs, we’ll be sure get to work on that as quickly as we can.

Chang led a team that carried out on-site inspections of damaged places to determine the extent of damage done and what disaster victims require. The foundation will help the area rebuild by working with the government so that the public and private sectors can get separate projects done.

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We have experts who specialize in post-disaster recovery. Their department will be leading the effort, so they know what the work entails.

An apartment complex on the Milun Fault was chosen as the group’s first stop. As they stepped into the common area they saw the walls’ large cracks; the building was left absolutely battered by the violent quake. A resident teared up as she described what happened one week ago.

Chang promised to help. In the afternoon the team visited a center that cares for youth. Just six years ago, the TSMC Charity Foundation had donated NT$3 million to upgrade the building’s seismic resistance to intensities of 7. Even then the structure sustained heavy damage by last week’s tremor.

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Something just popped into my head: every time I come to Hualien it’s to help with disaster relief. I’ve never come here for pleasure, so today has been very emotional for me.

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