VP Hsiao Bi-khim praises Paraguay President Pena

VP Hsiao Bi-khim praises Paraguay President Pena

2026-05-07

The president of Paraguay, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in South America, landed in Taiwan on Thursday morning for a state visit. In the afternoon, President Santiago Peña headed to National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, where he received an honorary doctorate. The ceremony was presided by Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who delivered a speech with emphasis on one letter: P. Her humorous comments elicited laughs from everyone in the audience. Let’s hear what she said about Paraguay, and its principal partnership with Taiwan.

Hsiao Bi-khim
Vice President
I am still extremely impressed by President Peña’s passion for serving the people of Paraguay. President Peña, passion, people, Paraguay. Five Ps. And plus a principal partnership with Taiwan makes it perfecto.

Santiago Peña
President of Paraguay
Today I receive this distinction not merely as a personal honor but as a symbol of the alliance of two peoples who believe in freedom, in education and in the transformative power of knowledge.

Recent reports indicate that China has been attempting to pressure Taiwan into switching allegiance to Beijing by providing financial aid. But Peña’s visit demonstrates that he has no intention of breaking off relations with Taiwan. Even earlier, he has expressed support for Taiwan in multiple occasions internationally. On Friday, President Lai Ching-te will receive the Paraguay president at the Presidential office, and confer on him the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon to recognize his contributions to the strong friendship between the two countries.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#taiwan #paraguay # SantiagoPeña #蕭美琴 #southamerica

巴拉圭總統獲頒名譽博士蕭美琴用"8個P"形容兩國關係

2026-05-07

我國位於南美洲的友邦巴拉圭，今天由總統貝尼亞率團抵台進行國是訪問，下午貝尼亞也到台科大獲頒榮譽博士，由副總統蕭美琴擔任見證人，在致詞中蕭美琴更用八個P形容兩國關係，大讚貝尼亞熱情，再加上和台灣是夥伴關係這就是Perfect逗得底下哄堂大笑。

[[副總統蕭美琴]]
“我對貝尼亞總統為巴拉圭人民服務的熱情印象深刻，貝尼亞總統(President Pena)、熱情(Passion)、人民(People)、巴拉圭(Paraguay)這五個P，再加上和台灣的主要夥伴關係(Principal partnership)，讓這一切更加完美(Perfecto)。”

[[巴拉圭總統貝尼亞]]
“今天我接受這項殊榮，不僅是代表我個人的榮譽，更視為兩個堅信自由、教育，以及知識化為力量的民族，攜手結盟象徵。”

儘管近期傳出中國試圖以金援施壓巴拉圭，逼迫和台灣斷交，但貝尼亞訪台已經用行動證明，沒要斷交意圖，過去在國際間他更多次展現挺台立場。總統賴清德在8號，將頒贈"采玉大勳章"，展現堅實友邦情誼。

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Traditional Chinese medicine shops are quickly disappearing. Once numbering between 20 and 30,000 in their heyday, there are now only a few more than 7,000 left. Facing extinction, some practitioners of this old profession are steering their businesses in new directions. After taking over the family business, some young entrepreneurs are focusing on revamping their storefronts and packaging. Others are putting a bold new spin on TCM by incorporating the ingredients into desserts, introducing ancient medical wisdom to new generations.

Rather than dispensing traditional Chinese medicine, the wooden counter in this Taipei shop is used for serving afternoon tea. A generous heaping of cordyceps tops off this steaming hot latte.

This cake has goji berries, challenging people’s perception of Chinese herbs as bitter and astringent. Or take this Belgian chocolate tart, where osmanthus and smoked plum sauce intertwine to create a sweet and tangy flavor.

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Smoked plum and chocolate are both very sharp flavors. Aside from smoked plum, I add things like roselle, osmanthus, hawthorn, or other medicinal herbs to strike a balance.

Owner Wang Sen-pin has been running this TCM shop for 39 years. Now, one small corner has transformed into a bakery. Five years ago, 35-year-old Wang Hsin-ying returned home to join the family business. Guided by the concept that food and medicine share the same origin, she incorporates Chinese medicinal herbs into Western desserts.

Wang Hsin-ying
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I like to eat and make desserts. So I thought I’d try out combining medicinal herbs with desserts.

At another store, some customers come in asking to buy a gift box. Chou Tung-yen doesn’t hesitate to recommend this exquisitely packaged box. At 40 years old, Chou is the fourth-generation owner of this 108-year-old TCM shop in Yilan. When he took over 15 years ago, he decided to make some changes.

Chou Tung-yen
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I want young people to feel that going to get products with traditional Chinese medicine is a source of pride. Using medicinal herbs is no longer considered commonplace.

From selling through the community and online, to designing a distinctive website, Chou approaches every step with precision. Before graduating, he tried his hand at becoming a rapper. After college he switched to the fashion industry. But he said he never imagined he’d come home to take over the family business.

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Modern times aren’t like before. People used to visit TCM shops to treat illness. Now they’re places for wellness.

Chou gradually renovated the shop’s lighting, decor, and display arrangements, while taking pains to preserve classic elements like the wooden sign and rows of herb jars. The key to enabling ancient wisdom to coexist with modern sensibilities may just lie with this crop of talented young entrepreneurs.

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Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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T91 rifle fast-response shooting added to new recruit curriculum

Over the past few years, the Ministry of National Defense has been updating firearm training for army recruits to focus on combat realism. Moving away from shooting in a fixed prone position, starting in 2024, “fast-response shooting” was added to the curriculum. New recruits must sprint 125 meters toward cover and cycle through prone, kneeling, and standing positions. They must also hit a certain number of targets within a 1-minute and 45-second time limit.

Taking up a T91 assault rifle, recruits must sprint, find cover, and wait for the right moment to continue forward. Every second counts.

Wang Yun-hsuan
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For the T91 fast-response shooting drill, army recruits must fire 36 rounds within 105 seconds. But it’s not just about speed and accuracy—it’s also a test of their ability to adapt on the fly.

Even without getting jammed, firing six rounds still took our reporter 40 seconds. It’s also quite the cardio challenge, leaving her gasping for air. Starting in 2024, this fast-response shooting regimen was incorporated into the training for new conscripts. Officers have to undergo regular assessment as well.

Lee Ting-yueh
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Every shooter is given 36 live rounds and one dummy round. During the drill, the shooter must land at least six rounds on each of three different targets to pass.

Aside from accuracy, the drill also tests adaptability on the battlefield. Since the shooter doesn’t know when the dummy round will appear, they must react quickly to clear it.

Liu Yun-ju
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To adapt to the changing dynamics of the battlefield, while shooting, we heavily emphasize changes in position, tactical maneuvers, clearing malfunctions, and mental resilience.

Last year, a conscript at Taichung’s Chenggong Ling training camp sustained a severe cheek injury during this exercise. Since then, the army has installed side-mounted cameras to capture the drill from multiple angles, enabling officers to scrutinize every movement to ensure conscripts’ safety.

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City councilor urges rat population monitoring amid hantavirus scare

Just how many rats are there in Taipei today? That’s a question City Councilor Miao Po-ya posed during a hearing with city officials Wednesday. According to Miao, Taipei used to have a regular rat monitoring program, but after it was deemed obsolete in 2015, the city has gone without an alternative. Mayor Chiang Wan-an in response said that there isn’t a nation-wide protocol for local governments. However, with recent sightings around the city and hantavirus cases, Taipei would do well with regular rat population monitoring and control measures.

A local resident in Taipei’s Da’an District has been documenting the number of rats they’ve caught on glue traps set up at home since November last year.

Voice of local resident
Da’an District, Taipei
A few years ago, there were one or two occasions of seeing a rat or two coming into our home. We thought our home was an isolated case, but later we realized that it was really unusual. It’s been really frequent.

Their sixth-floor apartment in Taipei’s Da’an District has been infested with rats for about half a year now. They also say that they can often feel rats entering their home while watching television in the living room. Moreover, the rats have learnt to survive and now know not to ingest rat poison placed around their home, leaving them no choice but to lay down glue traps all over the apartment. Since September last year, they’ve caught nearly 20 rats in total.

Voice of Local Resident
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We’ve filed a report, but we’re not sure what kind of help we’ll get. I don’t exactly know how many rats there are in my home, so I can only stay vigilant and place glue traps in the meantime.

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Miao Po-ya (May 6)
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Is there not a single expert around you? Or have you not bothered to consult experts?

Chiang Wan-an (May 6)
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You’re referencing a methodology from 20 years ago. Experts now believe the estimation made with it is in fact, inaccurate.

Miao Po-ya (May 6)
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Of course, if you’re not making an estimation, then the number of rats won’t increase, because you’re not monitoring the rat population at all.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an said that the central government does not have a rat monitoring protocol for local governments, while Miao said Taipei used to have its own methodology. They said it was deemed obsolete in 2015, but there still isn’t an alternative. Meanwhile, Hong Kong media am750 published an article urging travelers in Greater Taipei to avoid unhygienic areas amid recent hantavirus cases.

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Be it the Ministry of Health and Welfare or the Centers for Disease Control, central government agencies have repeatedly stated that there isn’t a worsening trend of hantavirus in Taipei.

After 12 years without, it seems that it’s time for Taipei to implement rat population monitoring again, especially with the recent hantavirus cases and rat sightings.

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A grey-and-white munchkin cat balances on the rim of the toilet, which is full of dirty water and bugs. The kitty hears the warnings, but goes in for another sip.

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When we went to rescue the cats, we found two of them had made their way into the hollow space in the ceiling and got trapped in the wall. With the landlord’s permission, we sent a team to tear down the wall and get the cats out.

Two cats tried to escape to the neighbor’s unit via the hollow in the ceiling, and refused to come out. Neighbors noticed something was wrong, and called animal protection officials on Tuesday. With thermal imaging devices and the landlord’s permission, they pinpointed their locations and tore down the wall to rescue the two calico cats. All 14 felines have since been taken to a shelter.

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The outer skin of these gua bao are deep-fried until they are a caramel color, then they are stuffed with a variety of fillings. The crispy savory textures of these fried gua bao have caused many people to become regular customers after just one taste.

Crispy, golden-brown fried pork ribs are also incredibly popular. The secret to their deliciousness is that the owner first rubs the meat with a secret sauce and marinates it, before frying it.

- Do you prefer regular night markets or pop-ups?
- Pop-ups
- Why?
- They’re more unique.

Located in Dongshan, Qinggou Night Market is lined with food stalls on both sides of the road, all run by mobile vendors. Yilan is known for its delicious food, and now, from Monday to Sunday, there’s a different night market every day. This woman is the driving force behind the booming night market scene.

Each corner is carefully inspected and the ground needs to be scrubbed. All vendors are required to take their kitchen waste with them. Lin Mei-li, 68, started out by selling hair accessories at Yilan’s Dongmen Night Market. To expand her base of customers, she went from having a small stall to being a night market promoter.

Lin Mei-li
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Back then, mobile night markets weren’t very popular, but we thought it was better to go find the customers rather than wait for them to come to us. Before, it wasn’t on such a large scale. There used to be dozens of stalls, now there are over one hundred.

With great power comes great responsibility. When Lin turns on her phone, all her contacts are related to night markets.

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Her job is actually very important because she has to keep everyone in order at the Qinggou Night Market, as well as do cleaning, maintenance and traffic control.

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Without management, things will definitely fall into chaos. The staff help her but she must have a very tough time. Nobody wants to do these things because you’ll get scolded for them. Every decision she makes will affect someone else.

From recruiting vendors and coordinating venues to even handling the final cleanup, Lin Mei-li is essential to bringing every mobile night market in Yilan to life. She hopes to keep the mobile night markets going and support the local economy.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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