Lai receives delegation led by US Senate Armed Services Chair

Lai receives delegation led by US Senate Armed Services Chair

2025-08-29

President Lai Ching-te on Friday received a delegation from the US Congress at the Presidential Office. The group was led by Roger Wicker, the Chair of the US Senate Armed Services Committee. Wicker previously visited Taiwan 24 years ago, and he is a vocal supporter of pro-Taiwan legislation in the US. During the visit, he voiced praise of Taiwan’s commitment to boosting its national defense capabilities.

Shaking hands and exchanging greetings, President Lai Ching-te on Friday received US Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker and Senator Deb Fischer.

Roger Wicker
US Senate Armed Services Committee Chair
We come here from the United States bringing a message of commitment, of long-term friendship and I’m happy to say that this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, which we will begin debating on Tuesday of next week will once again enhance that assurance.

It is Wicker’s first Taiwan visit in his capacity as committee chair, making the occasion particularly significant. He’s long been an outspoken supporter for Taiwan, having previously underscored the importance of arming Taiwan at the US Senate. He’s called for expediting sales of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, urging to deliver arms to Taiwan under a Presidential Drawdown Authority. He says deepening bilateral relations is imperative.

Deb Fischer
US Senator
We also recognize that the world is more dangerous today than at times since World War II. It requires us in Washington and here in Taipei to invest wisely to strengthen deterrence and to ensure our defenses are ready for the threats of tomorrow.

Lai Ching-te
President
In terms of national defense, Taiwan will continue to strengthen our national defense capabilities. Our defense spending in 2026, as defined by NATO standards, will exceed 3% of GPD and our goal is to increase that number to 5% of GDP by 2030. We are working on strengthening our asymmetric warfare capabilities through arms sales from the US and through autonomous defense means here in Taiwan. We hope to strengthen collaboration with the US in terms of planning, designing, producing and manufacturing .

Wicker was joined by National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu in a separate talk during which he voiced high praise for Taiwan’s commitment to self-defense.

Roger Wicker
US Senate Armed Services Committee Chair
…appreciates the goal of this great president to move to over 3% of the economy being spent on national defense by next year. That is my goal as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

The delegation will stay in Taiwan for two days. Already, their meeting with Lai demonstrates strong support for Taiwan in the US Congress.

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

#defense #taiwan #us #bilateral #RogerWicker # DebFisher

接見美參院軍委會主席維克! 賴總統盼台美國防密切合作

2025-08-29

美國聯邦參議院軍事委員會主席維克，以及參議員費雪今天抵台訪問，總統賴清德下午立刻和訪團見面、展開談話，維克過去就是立場堅定的挺台派，睽違24連來台，他表示此行是要傳達友誼訊息，賴清德也表達台灣展現自我防衛決心，希望未來能與美國在國防合作從規劃、設計、生產、製造進一步密切結合。

握手、熱情寒暄，總統賴清德接見美國聯邦參議院軍事委員會主席維克，以及參議員費雪一行人。

[[美國聯邦參議院軍事委員會主席維克]]
“我們從美國來到這裡，帶來了承諾的訊息，以及對台灣安全援助倡議的長期友誼，我也很高興地說，今年的國防授權法案，我們將於下週二開始討論，再次將進一步強化相關措施”

第一次以聯邦參議院軍委會主席身分來訪，意義非凡，維克本身就是堅定"挺台派"，過去他曾在參議院發表演說，表明美國必須緊急武裝台灣，加速"魚叉"反艦飛彈售台，並呼籲啟動總統提用權支持台灣。台美深化合作勢在必行。

[[美國參議員費雪]]
“我們也認識到，今天的世界，比二戰以來的任何時期都更加危險，這要求我們無論是在華盛頓，還是在台北都必須審慎投資，強化威懾能力，並確保我們的防衛，準備好應對明日的威脅”

[[總統賴清德]]
“在國防上我們會持續提升我們的防衛能力，台灣明年度的國防預算，將佔比GDP超過3%，我們預計在2030年之前，比照北約的標準達到5%，希望對美進行軍事採購，或者是國防自主，從規劃、設計、生產、製造，也讓兩國的國防合作可以進一步進行”

維克也在國安會秘書長吳釗燮陪同下，展開敞廳談話，對於台灣展現自我防衛決心，表達高度肯定！

[[美國聯邦參議院軍事委員會主席維克]]
“讚賞總統的目標，到明年將國防支出提升至占GDP3%，這也是我作為軍事委員會主席的目標”

參院軍委會訪團停留台灣兩天時間，和賴清德會面字裡行間，都展現以行動挺台立場。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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The residents of an apartment in Keelung were extremely lucky to just barely avoid getting crushed by their ceiling on Thursday. The incident happened on the third floor of a 37-year-old building in Qidu District. The ceiling came crumbling down in its entirety onto the living room, fortunately when all dwellers were elsewhere in the house. Their upstairs neighbors had been reflooring their apartment, which could have caused the rusty rebars in the concrete to give in.

The concrete ceiling has fully collapsed, exposing rusty steel beams and leaving debris everywhere. The unit is now uninhabitable. Firefighters go in and finally get a woman out of the apartment on a stretcher through the window.

Mr. Chen
3rd floor resident
About 3 minutes before it crumbled down, I went to the kitchen to get an afternoon snack ready. That’s when it all came down, goodbye.

The next day, the room is a sorry sight. Mr. Chen’s elderly wife spends most of her time in the living room, but fortunately at the time of the collapse she went to rest in their bedroom, narrowly avoiding getting crushed.

Mr. Chen’s daughter-in-law
Heard noises before collapse
My mother-in-law is bedridden, so when the firemen got her out, they had to take down the door and go through here. We did hear some noise during the earthquake on Wednesday, but we just thought it was rats outside, or something like that. We didn’t know what it could be. My father-in-law says that yesterday morning, he heard noises that sounded like cracking.

The ceiling collapse happened on the third floor of a 37-year-old five-storey building on Baisan Street on Keelung’s Qidu District. It’s thought that the floor renovation that the upstairs neighbors are doing was a contributing factor that put extra strain on the ceiling. The residents on the second, third, and fourth floors have been evacuated to a nearby hotel as a preventative measure. Engineers came to look at the site on Friday morning.

Chiang Chi-huang
Taiwan Professional Civil Engineers Association
The steel beams were corroded, which could be due to excessive levels of chloride ions. The collapsed ceiling will have to be broken up into small pieces and removed. There should be an additional seismic resistance assessment.

Hsieh Shiao-kun
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We’ve consulted with technicians, and they say the entire building is not in immediate danger at the moment.

It is suspected that the five-story building was constructed using marine sand, which causes rebar corrosion and flaking of the concrete. If that’s the case, the ceiling collapse is only the beginning of the problems.

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

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Ministry hosts military carnival to celebrate Armed Forces Day

To celebrate Armed Forces Day coming up on Sept. 3, the Ministry of National Defense hosted a military carnival in Taipei’s Xinyi District. The event featured many exciting performances that showed a different side of the military. The Marine Corps Honor Guard performed challenging silent rifle drills, the Air Force Academy’s rock band took the stage in sunglasses, and the Army Band gave an unforgettable performance that left the crowd roaring.

The Army Band performs an upbeat song at a military carnival on Xinyi District’s Xiangti Avenue.

To celebrate Armed Forces Day coming up on Sept. 3, the military not only set up interactive booths, but also put on several exciting performances, attracting a large audience.

The Marine Corps Honor Guard performed complex rifle drills in complete unison, moving their rifles in time to the music.

While they maintained serious expressions, they made a heart gesture with their hands on just the right beat, showing a hidden playfulness.

Wang Yi-hsin
Marine Corps Honor Guard leader
Pop music is more approachable to everyone, so it will create an upbeat atmosphere. We also enjoy performing it ourselves.

Shih Cheng-wu
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Normally, the ceremonial troops are bold and imposing. But today, especially for Armed Forces Day, we added audience interaction so that people can see our soft power and a different side of the military.

The soldiers prepared these performances using their free time outside of training and coursework. They’ve honed their singing and dancing skills, and some can even write music.

Wearing their signature sunglasses and strumming electric guitars, the Air Force Academy’s rock band gave an electrifying performance that featured their own original songs.

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The Air Force Academy has a tradition in which each class writes an original song and performs it. As pilots, we wear flight suits and sunglasses, which makes us unique.

The military showed its artistic side at this carnival to commemorate the upcoming Armed Forces Day. It was a rare opportunity for soldiers to interact with the public, building support for the armed forces.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Taiwanese students win 8 golds at international inventors competition

The annual International Exhibition for Young Inventors showcases inventions by children 6 to 19 years old. This year, Taiwan’s team competed against 156 exhibitors from 13 countries worldwide, bringing home eight gold medals. FTV reporter Stephany Yang met some of the winners to learn more about their inventions.

During table tennis training, retrieving balls can drain both time and energy. To tackle this challenge, students from Stella Maris Primary School developed an innovative paddle-shaped ball collector that can collect, store, and launch balls.

Chung Yu-chen
Stella Maris Primary School
We designed a ping pong paddle to resolve our common issues during training.

Ku Hsin-yu
Stella Maris Primary School
Using your smartphone, users can easily switch between automatic and manual mode. It is also equpited with a touch sensor to free itself when it is stuck. Our machine has a ball launching mode, using motors and rulers on the padel handle. This allows players to continue to practice when the machine collects balls and puts out.

Yen Yu-chen
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We improved the robot’s ability to accurately identify pingpong balls.

Students from Taoyuan Municipal Longtan Junior High School created a baby AI sleep posture and abnormal temperature alert system. The system utilizes AI technology to recognize an infant’s sleeping posture and detect abnormal body temperature in real time. Through its notification feature, it alerts caregivers to reduce the risk of suffocation, illness, and enhance child safety.

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The International Exhibition for Young Inventors was established in 2003 to spotlight inventions by children 6 to 19 years old. Competition categories include technology for special needs, green technology, education and recreation, foods and agriculture, health and safety, and disaster response and prevention. This year’s event attracted 156 entries from 13 countries and regions. Taiwanese students received eight gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 7 bronze medals.

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Banquet uses produce grown on owl-friendly farms to raise awareness

The eastern grass owl is a Category I endangered species with less than 500 in all of Taiwan. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency instructs famers in Kaohsiung and Pingtung against using herbicides and rodenticides to protect the threatened bird. Seventeen farmers in the area have achieved designation as “grass owl-friendly.” They recently worked with four eco-conscious restaurants to use their “owl-friendly” produce in a banquet to promote awareness of conservation.

Okra and lotus seeds are seared before being added to shrimp rice in pumpkin sauce. Organic winter melon and pineapple is topped off with a slab of fatty pork belly. What these dishes have in common is that they were both grown on farms recognized as being “grass owl-friendly.”

Chiang Chin-hua
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These ingredients come from owl-friendly farms, like jackfruit, tomatoes, bamboo shoots, and basil.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency worked with four sustainable restaurants in Kaohsiung to make dishes with produce from these owl-friendly farms for a banquet to raise awareness of conservation.

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I wrapped a filling in tofu skin to make a tofu steak, then grilled it with a barbeque sauce.

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The eastern grass owl is a Category I endangered species with less than 500 left in Taiwan. This innovative banquet is not only a treat for the taste buds, but also a significant event for conservation.

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We hope that these sustainable foods will introduce this issue to more consumers. Furthermore, from the act of eating a meal, we can promote conservation.

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We hope that it’s not only the grass owl, but also the canals that run next to the fields will start to have fish and shrimp, thereby improving the entire environment.

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Orchid exhibition on show at the National Museum of History

Taiwan is renowned in the world as the “Island of Orchids,” acknowledged for its diverse and beautiful specimens. Today, we take you to an exhibit centered on Taiwan’s orchids. The exhibit is a collaboration between Taiwan’s National Museum of History and the University Museum of the University of Tokyo, showcasing over 200 works. FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us in for a look!

Orchids hold a deeply symbolic place in Taiwanese art, especially during the post-war era. After 1949, as many artists and intellectuals relocated from mainland China to Taiwan, traditional ink painting flourished. Other styles include western sketching, Japanese gouache paintings, and Western-style watercolors and oil paintings. The National Museum of History houses a wide collection of orchid paintings from post-war Taiwan. Among the standout pieces are works by Taiwanese artist Chen Chin.

Chen Yi-an
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This room showcases rare orchid specimens and glass plate negatives from Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period. The specimens are from the University of Tokyo’s museum, and many are exhibited for the first time. There are also photography and documentaries talking about the Tsou’s sacred orchids that are used during ceremonies.

Chen Yi-an
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This collaboration is actually with the University of Tokyo’s Museum. They have a lot of scientific specimens. They have a lot of materials that brings us to Taiwan’s history before the Japanese colonial period and also how they explored Taiwan on our specialty orchids. Also, the Tsou people have an important ritual called mayasvi. They use a very particular orchid called Fiteu that has been discovered by Japanese scientists but also is deeply involved in their ritual, and we actually produced a documentary to showcase how this plant is deeply integrated in the Tsou culture.

Scientific illustrations on Taiwan’s flowers flourished in the 20th century. The exhibit also showcases delicate scientific paintings of orchids by Japanese botanical illustrators from the Meiji and Taishō period. In addition, Taiwan’s first-generation botanical painter Wang Jen-li are also on display.

Chen Yi-an
Curator
When people do research or publish new species on orchids, apart from the scientific specimens, they also need some illustrations to demonstrate how the plants actually look like. In this room, we have Japanese scientific paintings from the Meiji period to the Taishō to the post-war. Also, we have one scientific painter that is Taiwanese, called Wang Jen-li. He actually had training from the Japanese and worked at the scientific painting from the Japanese period later to post-war period in Taiwan. He had a very delicate series of works that we are exhibiting.

The Formosa Orchids Blossom exhibition is jointly organized by Taiwan’s National Museum of History and the University Museum of the University of Tokyo. Featuring over 200 works, it offers a rich journey through Taiwan’s orchid legacy from the 17th century to now—blending scientific inquiry with artistic expression.

Chen Yi-an
Curator
In Taiwan, we have very specific, special geographical features. We are an island, but we also have very high mountains. We have plants and we have geographic features that is near the sea. Also, we are next to a huge piece of land and also to the southeast, there are oceanic islands that are really close to Taiwan. There is a specialty in orchid seeds so they are very small. They can be carried by the air. In Taiwan, it actually gathers lots of orchid species, not only from the mainland, but also from the sea area and because of our special geography, we have such a variety of orchids so from the Japanese scientists they could actually discover all kinds of orchids that they couldn’t find in Japan. During the 50 years of Japanese rule, the Japanese scientists get to discover all kinds of different orchids and through their scientific painting and specimen collecting, they actually documented all kinds of orchids.

The exhibition showcases groundbreaking research and insights from renowned experts in orchid biology and the arts. The exhibition will be held at the National Museum of History in Taipei until Sept. 7.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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