Taiwan will not ’escalate the conflict’ as China kicks off second day of drills

Taiwan will not ’escalate the conflict’ as China kicks off second day of drills

2025-12-30

China continued with its military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the PLA launched live-fire exercises near Taiwan’s contiguous zone which extend 24 nautical miles from the shore. Between 6 a.m. on Monday and 6 a.m. on Tuesday, China conducted 130 aircraft sorties and sent 14 naval vessels and eight government ships near Taiwan. Among them, 90 sorties crossed the median line on the Taiwan Strait. That’s the second-highest single-day total recorded.

Taiwan responded to the threat, scrambling Mirage 2000 fighter jets with live munitions. Over in Hualien, Hsiung Feng anti-ship missile launch vehicles were spotted with their launchers raised. In Pingtung’s Maobitou, surface-to-air missile systems were deployed. In the Penghu archipelago, M60A3 tanks conducted combat readiness patrols. And near Kaohsiung Harbor, the Pan Shi fast combat support ship was spotted. In a video conference with the Ministry of National Defense, President Lai Ching-te emphasized that Taiwan will not escalate the conflict and will not back down in the face of threats.

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

#taiwan #china #crossstrait #military #taiwanstrait

全程掌握! 中國圍台軍演實彈射擊總統:不升高衝突決不退讓

2025-12-30

中國對台軍演，週二進行實彈射擊，根據我方監控，落彈區散布在台灣24浬線周邊，從29日早上六點到30日早上六點，偵獲共機130架次、軍艦14艘、公務船8艘，其中，有90架次逾越中線，單日偵獲數量創歷史次高，我國三軍也強勢回應。

兩架幻象2000戰機，緩緩滑出機堡，收到指示後，立刻掛彈升空。鏡頭轉到花蓮，具備反艦能力的雄風發彈發射車，發射架已升起。屏東貓鼻頭，地對空飛彈，也完成佈署。外島也上緊發條，澎湖M60A3戰車，執行戰備巡邏任務，海軍也跟上腳步，磐石油彈補給艦，現蹤高雄港。總統賴清德和國防部進行視訊會議時強調，台灣不升高衝突，但面對威脅，絕不讓步。

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Taiwan animal testing down 9% over 10 years

To enhance ethics in laboratory animal research and improve animal welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture has actively promoted the application of the “3R Principles” for over 10 years. Animal experimentations has decreased by 9% nationwide over the past decade. A press conference was held to commend researchers and institution’s contributions.

For over a decade, Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture has actively advanced the “3R Principles” in animal science—replacement, reduction, and refinement. Due to the efforts of various government agencies, the nationwide use of animal testing has decreased by 9% over the past 10 years.

Chiang Wen-chuan
Department of Animal Welfare director
We estimate that the number of live animals used annually in experiments is about 1.1 to 1.2 million, with around 7,800 experimental projects carried out. This is the current situation. By promoting replacement and refinement measures, we have indeed seen a significant decline in the number of animals used.

At the press conference, The Ministry of Agriculture awarded experts and institutions for their commitment to laboratory animal welfare. To improve the effectiveness of humane management of laboratory animals, a management system is scheduled to launch in 2026.

Chiang Wen-chuan
Department of Animal Welfare director
Basically, there are three areas that must be followed. First, the implementation of existing regulations. Second, since laboratory animals are managed by institutions, this self-management—from animal care to the review of scientific research projects and subsequent monitoring—must comply with the Animal Protection Act.

The Ministry of Agriculture hopes to continue deepening cross-agency cooperation in the future, promoting the development of alternative technologies, aligning with international trends, and safeguarding animal welfare.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Experts review how to stay safe parking in towers

A car recently fell down an apartment building parking tower in Kaohsiung, calling attention to safety in these types of parking lots. Any passengers must get out of the car before entering the tower, leaving only the driver. After parking, the driver needs to close the doors securely. All parking towers are legally required to have anti-fall devices, but this does not guarantee they are completely safe, so drivers need to stay alert.

A car exits a parking lot while another waits to enter. This is not a traditional lot with spaces side by side, but a parking tower that stacks cars on top of each other. Staff guide the driver into the elevator, which lifts the car to its designated parking spot.

Chuang Shu-ting
FTV reporter
How do parking towers like this stay safe? Not only are passengers not allowed to enter, but the driver needs to close the doors securely when exiting the car to prevent accidents.

The driver exits their car after parking it in the elevator, which slowly lifts the car to its designated spot in the tower. Nearly all parking towers are now equipped with safety systems to prevent free fall, but if the system is old or in disrepair, it may malfunction.

Voice of Mr. Liao
Taiwan Parking Association secretary-general
Some car door sensors are fixed at the ground level and don’t move with the carrier, while others do move with the carrier. Basically, if the sensor is on the carrier, it should be able to detect whether the car door is open. That’s why I say this should be standard equipment.

Member of public
I think it would be better to have an anti-fall system, because sometimes while we’re driving, we’re worried there might be a sudden accident.

Member of public
You need to park straight, because if you park crooked, the car might be unstable and it might not be detected. The new model where I park now will sound an alert to warn you if you haven’t parked correctly. You have to park properly before you can get out of the car.

Even though parking towers are legally required to have safety systems to prevent free fall, they cannot completely guarantee there will be no accidents. There are still risks if the sensor is old or malfunctions, or if car doors are not closed properly. Drivers should pay close attention when parking to minimize the risk of any accidents.

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

#parking #parkinglot #parkingtower #Kaohsiung #car #safety #accident #elevator #lift #driver

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Handsome employee draws admirers to new yogurt shop

Customers of a newly opened yogurt shop in Kaohsiung were surprised and delighted to find that one of the employees is as handsome as a celebrity. They posted photos of him online, saying it’s like he walked straight out of a movie. The posts have resulted in a rush of customers hoping to see the cutie for themselves.

An employee scoops creamy yogurt into a bowl, topped with fresh fruit and roasted granola. He personally delivers it to the hands of the waiting customer outside the shop. At first glance he seems like a celebrity who’s helping run the shop for a day. The customers say it’s like he came straight out of a K-drama.

Customer
He really looks like he’s from a Korean drama. He has a distinct look.

Customer
He seems like a trainee. Really like a K-pop star.

Customer
He’s handsome. Not like other people you’d see on the street. He really looks Korean.

This supposed K-drama star is 24-year-old Yu Kuang, a Kaohsiung local. He enrolled in a military academy after graduating high school, but decided to leave early to follow his dreams. When he’s not working at the yogurt shop, he takes on some modeling or acting gigs.

Yu Kuang
Yogurt shop employee
I discovered there are things I want to do. I want to be an actor, because my idol is Stephen Chow. Here in Kaohsiung, there aren’t many yogurt shops or even places to get protein shakes. So I thought it’s not a bad idea. It’s classy. And like I said, I like when people are happy. I hope to be emotionally validated by everyone, that is, affirmed by people. If others are happy, then I’m happy too.

Yogurt shop owner
When he came for an interview, we found him to be very approachable and with a good smile. About 10 or 20% of our customers come especially to see him.

This Korean-style yogurt shop might have just opened, but it’s already packed with loyal customers. Some come for the yogurt, while others come just for the sights. But everyone is sure to leave with both their stomachs and their spirits lifted.

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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Interview with renowned pianist Boris Giltburg

Internationally renowned pianist Boris Giltburg recently traveled to Taiwan for a performance. FTV reporter Stephany Yang caught up with him to discuss his musical journey and future aspirations.

Playing Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102, and Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35. This is Giltburg, an award-winning pianist from Israel. Shostakovich is one of Giltburg’s favorite composers, and his recordings of these concertos have won international acclaim.

Boris Giltburg
Pianist
The two concertos by Dmitri Shostakovich, one of my absolute favorite composers. Both concertos are pieces I’ve been playing since I was a kid, so I have a strong connection with both works. Both by the same composers but they are extremely different. They are 25 years apart, so they are very different parts of his life. Their musical language is quite different, so they are a very good combination.

Boris Giltburg comes from a long line of pianists, with his mother, grandmother, and even great-great-grandmother devoted to the instrument. By 7 he was already giving concerts, and at 8 he began working professionally. His career took off after winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2013.

Boris Giltburg
Pianist
We always had a piano at home, and at the age of five, I asked my mom to teach me. And she said, "No." Because she said later that we had too many pianists in the family, and she thought that it is a challenging life and that I should be doing something else but I was really stubborn because the piano was there and I really wanted to play like the type of irrational way of a kid. You just want something. After a few weeks of pestering my mom, she finally gave in, and she started giving me lessons.

Today, Giltburg devotes himself to large-scale repertoire projects, and for the next two years he is immersing himself in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Boris Giltburg
Pianist
Now, for the next two years, I am exploring the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Exploring, the main thing is the scores themselves, the musical scores, because it is like a snapshot of their creative dreams which they wrote down for us like a map. We follow in their footsteps, but the score is not yet the music, the score is just the instructions. You need to bring the music back to life. If I can find their letters that I really like because you hear their own voices more than in biographies. Slowly, a kind of character portrait emerges. Through the music, through thinking, and through reading, you start having a sense of who they were as a person, and they become your companions.

Beyond the concert hall, he aims to use his social media platforms and blog to share thoughtful insights into composers and bring his passion for storytelling to audiences around the world.

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Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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PLA’s doctored footage textbook case of psychological warfare: defense ministry

As usual, relentless propaganda accompanies China’s military exercises in Taiwan, but somehow it always backfires. After this round of live-fire drills began, the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command released a video of their fighter pilot, exuberant over the view of Taiwan from high-up, with the byline “So Near, So Beautiful — Anytime to Taipei.” Chinese state media CCTV also publicized a doctored video of a passenger plane flying over Taiwan, claiming it was captured by a PLA drone. The Ministry of Defense slammed the move as a textbook case of psychological warfare, while many netizens delighted in its memefication.

The main island of Taiwan can be seen from the windshield of this PLA fighter jet. This video posted on the PLA Eastern Theater Command’s Weibo page claims that Taipei is just “one gas pump away.” Also featured, is the Central Mountain Range, as well as an Air Force pilot’s selfie. Meanwhile, Chinese state media CCTV doubled down with this grayscale video.

It’s claimed that the video was taken by PLA drone at nighttime, depicting a passenger plane that had just taken off from Songshan Airport and crossing over the Taipei 101. Eagle-eyed netizens questioned its authenticity, as no PLA drones were detected within Taiwan. Still, some entertained the likeliness that raw footage was provided by CCP sympathizers, since the view could be photographed quite easily from Jiantan Mountain in Taipei.

Puma Shen
Lawmaker (DPP)
It’s even possible that it’s an angle and content that our security cameras would normally capture, or that someone might be filming from a similar high vantage point, like on a mountain, and that footage could also be transmitted. That’s one possibility.

Former Taoyuan City Councilor Wang Hau-yu memeified the image, his version featuring Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower. Others joined in with iterations featuring a skyline of Xiamen, for example. There’s even one of Winnie the Pooh overlooking the Tiananmen Square in Beijing—not much subtlety here.

Puma Shen
Lawmaker (DPP)
In times of emergency, there will certainly be a lot of information like this. We should all be prepared to receive all sorts of messages, just like during the pandemic, but we should always refer to official sources.

The Ministry of National Defense has since informed the public that the doctored footage is a textbook example of psychological warfare. It also insisted that no large-sized drones are closer than 24 nautical miles off the coast, and that the Armed Forces remain vigilant on all hours during the PLA live-fire drills.

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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13 persons indicted for 5 deaths, 35 injured in February department store gas explosion

Back in February, a gas explosion at a Shin King Mitsukoshi Department Store branch in Taichung left 5 dead and 15 injured during renovation works at the food court. On Tuesday, prosecutors determined gross negligence by management and contractors to be the cause, and have therefore filed an indictment against Shin King Mitsukoshi Department Store Company and 13 persons for criminal offenses and violations against the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

A gas explosion on Feb. 13, at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi’s Zhonggang branch in Taichung left five dead and 35 injured. On Tuesday, prosecutors concluded investigation and are indicting 13 persons including the vice general manager of the company, the store manager of the branch and contractors for renovation works.

Lee Yu-pei
Taichung District Prosecutors Office
We have determined the defendants as Shin King Mitsukoshi Department Store Company and a total of 13 persons, which include relevant managers and contractors, for, as stated in the Criminal Code, having negligently caused the death of others and negligently caused injury to others by setting fire; and for violations against the Occupational Safety and Health Act; and as such we’re filing an indictment.

According to prosecutors, the department store began renovation works after closing on Feb. 9, and began gutting the 12th floor the following day. The store manager did not make sure to turn off the gas and obtain the gas piping layout, while the vice general manager and a staff member, who oversaw the project, failed to implement substitute safety measures, despite knowing that the gas leak detector had been removed prior. It was determined that their negligence led to the incident.

Lee Yu-pei
Taichung District Prosecutors Office
The defendants failed to obtain a renovation permit, nor did they submit a fire safety plan for an ongoing construction project before proceeding with the works. Additionally, after the gas leak detector was removed, they failed to implement any substitute safety measures. The gas safety shut-off valve was not turned off before the works began either.

The department store did not submit a fire safety plan before proceeding with renovations, nor did their contractors ask to refer to the gas piping layout. The gas was also only partially turned off, while the main safety valve remained on, which led to leakage.

Lee Yu-pei
Taichung District Prosecutors Office
It is evident that Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store Company did not implement legally enforced safety management practices in a high-risk construction project. Their negligence across management levels led to great, irrevocable harm.

Prosecutors also stated that the case could be considered the worst of public safety incidents ever in the country’s history. Additionally, despite having settled with some victims and their families, the defendants’ negligence caused serious harm and therefore they should be prosecuted accordingly.

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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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