Category：Politics

Beijing targets Taiwanese youth with launch of new platform and jobs

China’s tactics to win over Taiwanese hearts and minds are now focusing on Taiwan’s youth. The Taiwan Affairs Office under the PRC’s State Council has launched a platform called "Taiwan Youth e-Home," which offers jobs and other services. DPP politicians say young people can be required to say they agree that Taiwan is part of China in exchange for a job that isn’t even well paid by Taiwanese standards. They are urging young people not to hand over their personal data to the site. Let’s find out more.

China’s United Front tactics are evolving rapidly. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the PRC’s State Council recently launched a United Front platform targeting Taiwanese youth.

Hsu Kuo-yung
DPP Secretary General
Misinformation, disinformation, and related messaging—various groups and organizations are continuously waging information warfare against Taiwan. China is pulling out all the stops in Taiwan, and its infiltration of our national security is pervasive.

Finding a job is extremely difficult for young people in China, yet the CCP continues to promote the idea that "opportunities are everywhere" for young people in Taiwan. According to reports, some job openings on a platform known as "Taiwan Youth e-Home" are offering monthly salaries of only 2,000 to 4,000 Chinese yuan, which is less than the minimum wage in Taiwan. Not only are the salaries uncompetitive, but they also come with political requirements such as agreeing to the "One China Principle".

Hsu Chih-chieh
Legislator (DPP)
This is a classic bait-and-switch: a sugar-coated United Front trap. China can’t even solve its own youth unemployment crisis, so how could there be opportunities everywhere waiting for Taiwanese people? We must remain vigilant and not throw our sensitive personal data, precious freedom, and future careers into the fire for the sweet bait of short-term subsidies.

China’s infiltration methods are constantly evolving. Taiwanese people must be vigilant to avoid being affected by these Chinese tactics.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#crossstrait #Unitedfront #jobopenings #Taiwanyouth

2026-07-30

Taiwan to disrupt mobile data services as part of military drill

The Ministry of National Defense outlined the schedule and key training objectives for this year’s Han Kuang live-fire military exercises. The exercises will take place from Aug. 5 to 14, and or the first time, will include a mobile internet disruption drill in Northern and Central Taiwan. The drill will simulate communications disruptions during a national emergency causing mobile data services to slow down. The National Communications Commission says that critical services such as ATMs, emergency response systems, and police communications will not be affected. Let’s hear more.

Liang Po-chou
National Communications Commission
We will conduct a mobile internet disruption drill as part of the disaster relief exercises in Central and Northern Taiwan. The connection slowdown will extend to government agencies, military units, schools, businesses, and the general public. In accordance with evacuation guidelines, securities firms will suspend indoor and outdoor operations during the 30-minute exercise, and civil defense personnel and employees will assist the public with evacuation procedures.

Lu Wen-yuan
Joint Operations Division
Command centers at all levels will operate at full capacity in order to strengthen command, control, and emergency response capabilities. By integrating changing battlefield conditions and simulated enemy actions, the exercise will train commanders and staff to make rapid assessments, operational decisions, and issue timely orders.

The mobile internet disruption drill is a new addition to the exercises, which will continue to feature computer-assisted command post exercises, immediate combat readiness drills, and unscripted joint defense exercises. The network slowdown will affect an estimated 17 million people across 14 cities and counties. The government stresses that it is only a temporary slowdown. Voice calls, SMS services, fixed-line internet and Wi-Fi will remain operational.

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

#internet #connection #data #wifi #drills

2026-07-28

Japanese lawmaker Furuya Keiji receives Order of Brilliant Star

This Monday morning President Lai Ching-te awarded an Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to Japanese House of Representatives Member Furuya Keiji for his outstanding contributions towards deepening Taiwan–Japan relations. Lai also said he looks forward to working with Japan in the future and having the support of Furuya, who is head of the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council. Together, Lai said, the two countries will help one another prosper while contributing towards fostering peace, stability, and economic development in the Indo-Pacific.

During his speech, Furuya expressed his gratitude to Lai. The Japanese lawmaker also shared how China sanctioned him back in April for his many visits to Taiwan. China’s punishment included freezing his assets in China as well as banning him from entering the country. Furuya said the sanctions will have no effect on him, as these coercive tactics are part of China’s playbook. For this reason, he believes all countries having shared values of democracy, rule of law, and human rights should strengthen their cooperation.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#Chinesesuppression #diet #Japan #Taiwan #FuruyaKeiji #PresidentLai #OrderofBrilliantStar

2026-07-27

New patrol vessel shows military’s commitment to resilience

On Friday morning, President Lai Ching-te presided over the commissioning ceremony of the indigenous naval vessel ROCS Tan Chiang, a Tuo Chiang-class corvette that Lai emphasized is highly capable and can be mass-produced. The ship is the first of its batch to be constructed. President Lai also called on the people in Taiwan, as well as the Legislative Yuan, to support the Ministry of National Defense’s special defense budget.

Featuring a design that makes it less detectable by radar, this new patrol vessel’s surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles are the brainchildren of National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. The ROCS Tan Chiang is an important part of Taiwan’s defense resilience and asymmetric warfare approach, and its presence represents many aspects: Taiwan’s ability to domestically build naval vessels, the Navy’s commitment to defense, and how the country is taking a proactive approach to maintain peace.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#defense #navy #corvette #shipbuilding

2026-07-24

Chang Ching-sen quits DPP after Yilan approved to get HSR

The Executive Yuan recently passed the proposal to extend the high-speed rail to Yilan, a plan that has supporters and detractors. One critic is Chang Ching-sen, a veteran lawmaker who shockingly announced he was leaving the DPP over the Executive Yuan’s decision to extend the HSR to Yilan. Chang’s sudden decision was not understood by many, including Yilan residents who are looking forward to the HSR being a transportation option.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
I’m still going to ask Chang Ching-sen, to see if he’ll be willing to continue working with us on this plan of ours to extend the high-speed rail to Yilan.

Yilan resident
Fan of HSR, not of driving
Having the HSR makes traveling more convenient. Like if we want to go to the south, now we need to transfer first at an HSR station. If we can go down south directly, isn’t that more convenient? Driving is tiring.

Yilan resident
Fan of evidence-based decisions
I think he should’ve pointed out some more data if he wanted to convince us to think the way he does. Because, in the end, to those of us living in Yilan, I think this proposal is something that’ll be an important mode of transportation for us.

Hochen Tan
Former minister of transportation
I think, to us, the decision that’s been made is shocking, it’s even something we can’t understand. The only thing that explains it is Cho, after something suddenly happened, made a decision, in order to skirt some issues. But avoiding something like this, whether it’s a political maneuver or manipulating an election, it’s just not something we do as politicians.

In general, Yilan residents support the HSR being extended, as this will benefit the area’s transportation. Chang, however, is not the only politician who finds the proposal’s timing to be peculiar. Former transport minister Hochen Tan also questions why the HSR extension was approved in the midst of an upcoming election. Nevertheless, the Executive Yuan passed the proposal, which will cost over NT$352 billion and has a goal of being open by 2036. Once complete, an HSR train from Yilan to Nangang will take just 28 minutes.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#Yilan #HSR #MOTC #highspeedrail #statsnotstories #bullettrain #EastTaiwan

2026-07-24

Airsoft shooting competition kicks off to improve defense resilience

And if you’ve ever wanted to experience a military-style combat scenario without the danger of live ammunition, the Defense Ministry is giving the public a chance to do just that. It has launched its first-ever nationwide airsoft shooting competition, featuring close-quarters combat simulations, tactical shooting and even battlefield casualty-care challenges. The goal is to build practical skills, teamwork and whole-of-society defense resilience. This Saturday, the northern regional event will kick off at National Defense University.

The enemy has captured intelligence personnel. The squad storms in and enters a close-quarters battle, quickly taking aim and opening fire.

This weekend, the Ministry of National Defense will hold its first-ever airsoft gun shooting competition. The northern regional event will take place at National Defense University’s Fu Hsing Kang Campus. Participants will be put to the test on their combat skills and casualty care in close quarters.

Liao Wei-hung
FTV reporter
The T91 air soft rifle is a realistic replica of a real weapon, which allows competitors to safely train their muscle memory and firearm handling skills.

Individual participants will be challenged to shoot in restricted areas, while teams will have to engage in close-quarters combat scenarios. A key goal of the event is for reservists to train physically and hone their teamwork and marksmanship.

Chou Pei-shan
Influencer
If you’re a beginner, there are clubs all over Taiwan where you can get started. They have online and in-person courses.

Hsiao Tzu-yun
Former Army Special Forces soldier
If you want to get better fast and cheap, airsoft is great as a training aid. Then, when you hold a real firearm, your body will adapt quickly to the recoil from live ammunition.

Yen Chia-hung
Ministry of National Defense
We will also hold events in Central and Southern Taiwan, and we are also planning to hold semifinals and finals. The contest will run from this July through to July next year.

The opening event on Friday featured a spectacular helicopter display, as an Apache and a Black Hawk rolled up flying low and blowing up clouds of dust. The military also showcased the combat capabilities of drones.

An attack drone locks into the target, dips down at full speed and fires at the target to demonstrate the power of precision strikes. The Defense Ministry says it hopes these kinds of events can encourage more people to learn about whole-of-society resilience through hands-on experiences.

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 #battle #drone #helicopter #chopper

2026-07-24

Organizer of Taiwan film festival in Thailand alleges Chinese intimidation

And China is once again trying to intimidate people for being friendly to Taiwan. This time the target is the Taiwan International Documentary Festival, which kicked off its 8th edition in Bangkok on Wednesday. The Thai organizer of the festival told a local media outlet that Chinese officials had been making threatening phone calls to the cinemas taking part in the festival. What’s more, the officials even headed to the theaters in person to exert pressure. They also demanded organizers to remove the logo of Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture from all promotional materials, saying it “made them uncomfortable.”

But China’s attempts to suppress Taiwan were futile. The organizer refused to give in, telling them that, they should resolve their problems through regular diplomatic channels, such as the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Taiwan itself. Taiwan’s Minister of Culture Li Yuan, who is currently in Thailand, said that China was worried about Taiwan’s embrace of multiculturalism, which Beijing sees a threat to itself.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#thailand #taiwan #liyuan #filmfestival #bangkok

2026-07-23

MOFA reconsidering relationship with Papua New Guinea

A few days ago Papua New Guinea suddenly announced it was closing the Taipei Economic Office, a unilateral move that’s believed to be due to China playing unfair games. Also unfair is the difference in media budgets for Taiwan and China, because Taiwanese ministries like the Mainland Affairs Council only has a media budget of NT$10 million annually to compete against China, which has well over NT$200 billion to paint itself in a positive light.

Just hearing the tone of DPP lawmaker Lin Chu-yin’s voice is enough to know the sense of injustice she’s feeling now. She’s standing up for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mainland Affairs Council, who have been fighting an unfair battle ever since KMT and TPP lawmakers slashed their media budgets. With China spending over NT$200 billion a year on media, it’s clearly a situation of David versus Goliath.

Shen Yu-chung
Mainland Affairs Council
For our media budget, it’s basically only a little more than NT$10 million a year, yet over there they have an enormous amount of funds, so they’re able to produce a lot of media and information that portrays them in a positive light. In the future all this content will become part of their database, which AI systems will then share with countries around the world.

China’s more than willing to play dirty, including cyber warfare and a host of methods to suppress Taiwan, such as getting Papua New Guinea to close their Taiwan office. MOFA revealed that Papua New Guinea asked for the Taipei Economic Office to have its name changed, which is still at the negotation stage. The sudden attitude change in Papua New Guinea seems contradictory, as Taiwan’s CPC signed a 20-year procurement contract for natural gas.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign minister
In Papua New Guinea, there’s only one person: that minister. It’s because of his relationship with China, in which they give him certain benefits. It’s all because his electoral district is connected to the airport.

Ma Wen-chun
Lawmaker (KMT)
With what Papua New Guinea is doing, they wouldn’t be able to do it with just one minister making all the decisions by himself. It’s clear as day that they don’t see us as important, which is an attitude that can’t be held by just one minister.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign minister
We’ll continue to discuss the trade relationship between Taiwan and Papua New Guinea, which of course involves natural gas procurement. We’ve called on the Papua New Guinea government to take an honest look at the amount Taiwan has invested into Papua New Guinea in terms of international exchange and economic cooperation.

China is doubling down on its cognitive warfare efforts, showing it’s fully committed to unscrupulous behavior. And what’s making life even easier for China’s government is Taiwan’s opposition lawmakers slashing media budgets.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#PapuaNewGuinea #MOFA #China #Taiwan #TaipeiEconomicOffice #unfairfight

2026-07-23

Japan eyes drone cooperation to detach from China supply chain

Japanese drone maker ACSL has been expanding into the defense, logistics, and disaster relief markets in recent years, with its small Soten photography drone already adopted by the Japan Self-Defense Forces. After ridding its supply chain of China-made components, the company is expanding cooperation with Taiwanese manufacturers, as it looks forward to the development of the lucrative AI robotics and drone markets.

Propellers whirling, this is the Soten drone developed by Japanese drone maker ACSL. It uses components from the US and Taiwan, fully avoiding the use of China-made parts.

Kensuke Hayakawa
ACSL representative director and co-CEO
We’re focused on the national defense market, so when delivering our products, we ensure as much as possible that they do not contain any components made in China.

The Soten drone targeting the national defense and information security marketshas already been adopted by the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Beyond defense applications, it can also be used for facility inspection, maintenance, and reconnaissance in earthquake disaster zones.

As its products find more applications, ACSL shipped about 1,000 units last year, generating revenue of 2.6 billion yen. Its products have already entered mass production, but the company admits that its biggest challenge moving forward is keeping Chinese manufacturers out of the supply chain.

Kensuke Hayakawa
ACSL representative director and co-CEO
When it comes to our collaboration with Taiwan, we believe that by working with Taiwanese enterprises, Japan and Taiwan can jointly build a supply chain that does not rely on China. We’ve already discussed various possibilities with a number of Taiwanese businesses. They have proposed many solutions and we have presented different requirements. Both sides are actively engaging in negotiations.

James Huang
TAITRA chair
The Japanese market is small compared to China. But as this becomes more true, the more it’s necessary that Japan and Taiwan work together to expand their markets. Besides further strengthening technological cooperation, they can expand together into third-party markets.

This large logistics drone can carry a maximum payload of 4.5kg over a distance of 40km. Through GPS positioning, it can independently route deliveries and emergency supplies.

Akira Amari
Japan Diet caucus for semiconductor policy
First of all, whoever controls semiconductors controls the world. I believe this is now a reality. Secondly, the focal point of semiconductors will shift from design and development to manufacturing capability. I believe this is also gradually becoming a reality.

Looking favorably on Taiwan’s manufacturing strength, Japan aims to team up with Taiwan to seize business opportunities within the non-China supply chain.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#nonredsupplychain #supplychain #drones #ACSL #TaiwanJapan #Soten #defensetech #semiconductors

2026-07-28

Mobile internet to be disrupted for military drills in August

If you are the kind who can’t go a minute without checking your phone, you definitely want to jot this down. For the first time ever, Taiwan’s military will conduct a drill simulating a disruption to mobile internet services this August. The drill will be held as part of the Han Kuang military exercises, which run from Aug. 5 to 14, and will cover 14 cities and counties across Northern and Central Taiwan. But officials are stressing that this is not actually a complete internet shutdown. Let’s hear more.

I would also like to take the opportunity to explain the drills to everyone. Mobile internet services won’t be cut off fully. The connection speed will be slowed down, to simulate a disruption as caused by a natural disaster or a large-scale cyber attack. If you require a connection you can use fixed lines, or Wi-Fi. Taiwan isn’t the first in the world to conduct a drill of this kind. Democracies such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore and some European countries have conducted drills where they simulate power outages or cyberattacks on internet communications systems. It’s common practice, as these simulations enhance the resilience of democratic countries.

During the drill, mobile phones will still be able to make voice calls and send SMS messages. Emergency services, including 110 and 119, will also remain fully operational, while disaster warning text messages will not be affected. The Central Taiwan drill will take place from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. on August 10. In Northern Taiwan, the disruption will take place at the same time on Aug. 13.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#drill #phone #internet #connection #network #data

2026-07-21