China holds a Taiwanese businessman hostage

China holds a Taiwanese businessman hostage

2024-09-19

Many Taiwanese people travel to China for business or tourism, but an increasing number are facing questioning and difficulties when crossing borders. Recently, a senior executive from Formosa Plastics Group was questioned immediately after landing in Shanghai earlier this month. Although he was eventually released, he has been unable to return to Taiwan, effectively being receiving an exit ban. DPP lawmakers have called on the Chinese side to ensure the safety of foreign nationals, stating that even if there are reasons for detention, a proper explanation should be provided.

Wu Cheng-han
FTV reporter
A senior executive from Formosa Plastics flew to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and was immediately taken to a small interrogation room by Chinese authorities upon landing. Although he was eventually released, it has been half a month since the incident, and he has still not been allowed to return to Taiwan, effectively being subjected to and exit ban.

With cross-strait tensions rising, the risks for Taiwanese citizens traveling to China have increased significantly. The Mainland Affairs Council is aware of the situation regarding the executive, but they have not yet received any requests for assistance from his family. The Council warns that discussing or comparing the political systems of both sides online, praising Taiwan’s democracy; commenting on China’s economic downturn and rising youth unemployment; or even running for public office in Taiwan could all lead to detention.

Chen Kuan-ting
DPP Legislator
This clearly shows that Chinese state security personnel can charge individuals with anything they want. We strongly condemn such practices by the Chinese authorities, and hope that China will prioritize the basic safety of foreign nationals engaged in business, tourism, and education within its borders.

The ruling party has strongly criticized the expansion of powers by Chinese authorities. It has been reported that the Formosa Plastics executive is involved in a criminal case that is under investigation, which is why he has not been allowed to return to Taiwan. Still, the ruling party is demanding an explanation about what has happened.

Rosalia Wu
DPP lawmaker
Regardless of academic or cultural exchanges, all activities should be based on goodwill. Using such ambiguous methods, with the true reasons still unclear, infringes on the rights of Taiwanese people in China. We must protest against these actions.

The DPP caucus has urged China to show goodwill and ensure the safety of Taiwanese people in civilian exchanges. Detaining individuals without providing reasons will only deepen the doubts Taiwanese people have towards China.

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

台塑高管赴中被訊問遭到邊控綠籲中保障僑民安全

2024-09-19

不少台灣人會到中國做生意、經商、或旅行，但卻有越來越多人在出入境時被問話、刁難，還傳出一名台塑高管這個月初到上海，下飛機就被問話，雖然事後放人，卻遲遲無法回台，形同被邊控。綠營呼籲中方要保障外國僑民的安全，就算扣人有理由，也該給個說法。

[[民視記者吳承翰]]
“有台塑的高級主管，他搭飛機到中國上海虹橋機場，一下飛機立刻被中方的人帶到小黑屋裡面去問話。雖然事後人放了出來，但事發過去半個月，遲遲不肯讓他回台灣，形同遭到境管。”

兩岸情勢緊張，國人赴中風險大增，陸委會也掌握這名高管的情況，但目前仍未收到家屬求助。陸委會提醒，在網路上比較兩岸政治制度、盛讚台灣民主；或者談論中國經濟疲軟、青年失業率大增；甚至參選台灣公職，都可能被扣押。

[[立委(民) 陳冠廷]]
“在在顯示現在中國國安人士，可以用各種罪名給你扣帽子。嚴厲譴責中方這樣的做法，也希望中方能注重外國僑民，在中國經商、旅遊、觀光、教育的基本安全。”

綠營痛批中方國安單位擴權，也傳出這名台塑高管是牽涉到刑案，需要被調查，才不讓他回台，我方也要求一個說法。

[[民進黨團幹事長吳思瑤]]
“不管學術交流、文化交流，各項活動參與，都該在善意基礎上。用這種不明就裡的手段，到現在真實理由還不清楚，這樣做法侵犯台灣民眾在中國的權益，我們要表達抗議。”

民進黨團喊話，民間交流都需要中方釋出善意，確保台灣民眾安全，扣人卻不給理由，只會加深台灣人對中國的疑慮。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Related News

Taipei a haven for super rich

2024-09-19

China to end tariff exemptions on selected Taiwanese produce

2024-09-19

Taiwan-exclusive boba toy designer says no to scalpers

An international designer toy brand has launched a limited edition figure inspired by Taiwanese bubble tea, priced at nearly NT$6,000. The announcement has sparked intense discussion, with concerns about scalpers reselling the item after its release. To combat this, sales will be conducted through a lottery system over three days, and purchases must be made under real-name registration.

Chou Jung-Hsan
FTV Reporter
Taiwan’s most famous drink is undoubtedly bubble tea. Now, even international designer toy brands are drawing inspiration from it to launch globally limited figures, making it clear to everyone that this comes from Taiwan.

The figure features a bubble-tea color scheme with big, round, adorable eyes. From its belly to its feet, it is covered in clusters of black sugar pearls, resembling the beloved drink.

Yeh Chien-Yu
Toy company PR head
We hope to strengthen our connection with local consumers, which is why we chose to use bubble tea—Taiwan’s most popular beverage—as our inspiration.

From Sept. 20 to Sept. 22, the public will be able to participate in an online lottery for three consecutive days. The winners will be announced on Sept. 24, and the limited sale will take place from Sept. 27 to Sept. 29. Many fans are eagerly preparing to bag the Taiwan-exclusive item.

Member of public
I would want to buy it because it’s a Taiwan exclusive, and I usually collect these kinds of things.

In addition to the figure, the brand will also host a special exhibition at its flagship store, which will run for a month. However, after the launch of the “egg tart” limited edition in Macau, scalpers appeared online selling it at inflated prices.

Yeh Chien-Yu
Toy company PR head
To ensure fairness in the availability of our products, we will be using a lottery system for sales. Additionally, purchases will require real-name registration to minimize issues with scalpers.

To prevent similar incidents from recurring, the company will implement protective measures. That way, it’ less likely the Taiwan-exclusive bubble-tea figure will become a tool for scalpers.

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

2024-09-19

Instagram Teen Accounts protect young users, Asia rollout next year

Instagram has announced the launch of accounts specifically for teenage users. The accounts of users under 18 will be set to private by default, and there will be restrictions on usage time. Content that is considered age-restricted will be locked, and parents will have the ability to monitor their children’s interactions. This new policy will first be implemented in North America, the UK and Australia, with plans to roll it out in Asia by next year.

Meta’s social media platform Instagram announced on Sept. 17 that it would launch accounts specifically for teenagers. This initiative aims to address calls for increased regulation and protection measures on the platform.

Barbara Ortutay
AP reporter
This means that anyone who has an Instagram account or is opening one who is under 18, will be placed in a special account that’s more restricted.

For teen users who spend more than 60 minutes on Instagram, a reminder notification will pop up. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., the app will automatically enter sleep mode, blocking even direct messages. Additionally, users under 16 will need to obtain parental permission to change their settings.

Member of public
Many people might try to deceive the system by claiming to be adults to access certain content. If there are mechanisms in place, it could help prevent these issues.

Member of public
I was a child once too, and if kids want to get around something, there’s really no way to fully prevent it. Kids are quite clever, and you can’t design overly complicated systems; otherwise, even adults might struggle to use them.

Parents are concerned that excessive use of social media could impact their children’s physical and mental development and lead to learning difficulties. In response to regulatory pressures, there will be enhanced review mechanisms. In the future, content related to violence, fighting, and explicit material will be restricted for underage users.

3C Tim
Tech expert
This is also a kind of trial. Given the increasing number of Instagram users, having restrictions for teenagers can at least help filter out sensitive content. I think this is a positive step.

Experts believe that while the intention behind the new system is positive, its implementation remains to be tested. Currently, the teenage accounts are being rolled out in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia first. Expansion to the EU is expected this year, while Taiwan will have to wait until next year for the new system to take effect.

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

2024-09-19

Taiwanese voice actor and Mandarin voice of Stephen Chow Passes Away

2024-09-19

DPP politicians, Taipei mayor mourn late city councilor

2024-09-19

Deaf educator encourages early sign language education

Sept. 23 is the UN’s International Day of Sign Languages. Ku Fang-huai, a doctor of deaf studies and education from Lamar University in Texas, was invited alongside people in the deaf community to share their experience of deaf children’s education. They encourage teaching sign language from a young age to protect the basic wellbeing and interests of the deaf community.

Simple gestures paired with vivid facial expressions make it clear what the other is thinking. To the deaf community, sign language is a crucial form of communication.

Chiu An
Sign language interpreter
I find every translation very rewarding, no matter the size of the interaction. I can help deaf and hearing people communicate with each other. I can help them complete a dialogue or meeting or forum or doctor’s visit, or even something simple. As long as I can help them smoothly complete an interaction, I feel accomplished.

Ku Fang-huai
Signing Village Workshop founder
Sign language is enormously helpful to deaf children. If they can use sign language, they can learn more. They can absorb more information, get a better education, and then find a better job.

There are about 70 million deaf people in the world and over 3 million different kinds of sign language. In Taiwan, sign language doesn’t have a long history. It came out of the Japanese signing family. But with recent advancements under the Development of National Languages Act, Taiwanese signing is getting more attention.

Ford Liao
Taiwan New Century Foundation
It’s a form of communication. If the form is complete and accurate, people are better able to understand what’s being said. On the other hand, the greater consideration is you don’t want to cause more harm from a breakdown in communication. For example, in many legal cases the content is extremely important.

Although there’s still a long way to go before sign language is popularized, advocates hope that through education and promotion, the deaf community can fully enjoy their rights while building a more friendly environment for all people.

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

2024-09-19

Interview with Germany’s representative, Eva Langerbeck

Taiwan’s ties with Germany have been flourishing for many years. Recently the relationship reached new heights when TSMC, Taiwan’s star chipmaker, broke ground at its Dresden fab in August. It was the first European venture for the Taiwanese company that makes roughly 90% of the world’s most advanced chips. Our very own FTV reporter Stephany Yang spoke to the new German Trade Representative Eva Langerbeck about Taiwan’s economic ties with Germany. Let’s hear what Langerbeck has to say.

Dr. Eva Langerbeck assumed office in July as the new Chief Representative and Executive Director of German Trade Office Taipei. Langerbeck said one of her main goals is to put more German attention on areas where Taiwan can make a major contribution to Germany’s economy. She pointed to semiconductors.

Eva Langerbeck
German Trade Office Taipei
One of my goals is, of course, number one, increasing the visibility of Taiwan’s strengths of where you can play a vital role for the German economy. One, of course, is semi-conductors, which, thanks to the investment of TSMC, is at the forefront right now. The most successful years were during the COVID years due to the semiconductors, because the demand especially for specialized chips was at an all-time high globally. You can see that in the trade statistics already. When you look at the trade statistics between Germany and Taiwan at the moment, microelectronics and electrical components is still the majority, which I believe is around 30%.

TSMC is currently building a US$11.04 billion fab in Dresden, Germany, in its first expansion into Europe. Production is expected to begin in 2027. Subsidies have been approved by the European Union, and a TSMC delegation visited Germany to familiarize itself with the region and German working culture.

Eva Langerbeck
German Trade Office Taipei
For the TSMC side, of course, there was a groundbreaking ceremony on the 20th of August, which I heard was very successful and was covered extensively in the media. Also, the subsidy has also been approved by the European Union so the project is on track is also what we hear from TSMC. We also had a delegation with Silicon Saxony to Germany for some of the suppliers of TSMC, to introduce them of course to the region and also show them what is on offer: where they could set up companies and also what is the working culture, and so on. And also to ease a bit maybe voices that there could be challenges along the road. This is something we will definitely continue.

Aside from semiconductors, Langerbeck said other areas of collaboration with Taiwan included artificial intelligence, aerospace technologies, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and automation, as well as robotics, health care and renewable energy.

Eva Langerbeck
German Trade Office Taipei
There are other areas where mutual collaboration would be beneficial for both sides. One is artificial intelligence, also automation robotics. The other area would be healthcare, because both of our populations are aging, so that could be pharmaceuticals, biotechnology but also smart healthcare solutions for example. We do have overlap in machinery and also tool manufacturing, because we have a lot of German companies in Taichung, which is the heart of that industry here. And definitely of course also renewable energy. Both of our economy are going through a renewable energy transition at the moment.

Prior to taking up office in Taipei, she earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies and worked at the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Langerbeck said she’s eager to further strengthen bilateral trade ties between Taiwan and Germany.

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

2024-09-19

Nine-year-old makes app after teaching self to code

One nine-year-old in New Taipei City developed his own budgeting app for a smart watch. After finding other apps too difficult to use, he decided to just make his own. It took half a year, but he taught himself to code and with the help of AI, successfully made a program that can now be found on the app store.

Just enter the date, amount, and type of expense. This smart watch budgeting app is simple and easy to understand. And this is the developer, a nine-year-old nicknamed Sea Horse.

Sea Horse
Young app developer
Most of the better apps are all for the phone, but I don’t have one at the moment. I wanted to learn some programming, so I decided to make a budgeting app.

He drafted every page of these plans by himself. From learning the basics to actually writing the code, Sea Horse spent six months to make the program and upload it to the app store. He also used ChatGPT for help and troubleshooting.

Sea Horse
Young app developer
I started learning some Python in February and started making the app in May. I’m thrilled, because after so long it’s finally in the app store. I want to be a computer engineer. I hope to work at Apple someday.

He may want to become a software engineer in the future, but for now, Sea Horse’s other passion is Doraemon. Everything is covered in the cartoon, from his clothing to his desk. When they were stuck at home during the pandemic, his software engineer father introduced Sea Horse and his sister to coding through games.

Sea Horse’s father
During the pandemic, everyone was home. I saw them lazing around without anything to do, so I made a computer class. Every weekend for one or two hours I taught them a few basic things about computers. As for actually coding, they were welcome to teach themselves whenever they wanted to.

Starfish
Sea Horse’s sister
At the time, Dad said that if we finish a chapter, he’d buy us a comic book. I took it very seriously. It feels like talking to a computer, having a conversation. It’s amazing to watch your program run without any problems.

Not only Sea Horse, but also his sister, Starfish, loves to learn programming languages. To them it’s not complicated, but offers limitless space to display their creativity.

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

2024-09-19