Taipei Times - Taiwan News

Revamp to replace Taipei station’s iconic floor tiles 00:03 Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store Co’s plan to invest at least NT$1 billion (US$30.98 million) to renovate commercial and public spaces at Taipei Railway Station would involve removing the iconic black-and-white flooring in the main hall, the company said yesterday. In April, Shin Kong Mitsukosh... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/08/12/2003862356#news #taiwan

Han Kuang drills rehearse invasion fighting 00:03 Taiwanese armed forces are to simulate fighting a Chinese invasion of Taiwan proper and spreading weapons manufacturing across different locations to sustain combat operations in next month’s annual Han Kuang military exercises, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. Han Kuang 41, this yea... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/29/2003861566#news #taiwan

Industry urges passing of drone budget 00:03 Industry leaders and security researchers yesterday urged lawmakers to pass the government’s special budget for drones a day after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus said it would freeze the budget for the Executive Yuan’s drone industry plan rather than scrapping it. If the budget is not pa... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/24/2003861295#news #taiwan

China satellite likely to fly over Taiwan’s ADIZ today 13:23 China is today expected to launch a satellite that would fly over Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) toward the western Pacific Ocean, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.The satellite is expected to be launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, also known as the Xichang... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/23/2003861251#news #taiwan

Subsidized China trip for Taiwan teachers carries ’united front’ risk: MAC 00:03 The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Tuesday warned that a heavily subsidized eight-day trip to Xinjiang, an autonomous region in China, aimed at young Taiwanese teachers could expose participants to Beijing’s "united front" influence operations.By targeting teachers through the upcoming summer tri... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/15/2003860774#news #taiwan

Net users spread S Korea voting fraud claims 00:03 Taiwanese social media are seeing a wave of claims that China interfered with South Korea’s recent elections, sharing concerns about possible interference in Taiwan’s own elections this year.Fact-checkers debunked disinformation concerning South Korea’s municipal races last month, which played on an... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/08/2003860410#news #taiwan

Ferries between Taiwan, outer islands and China suspended 14:23 Fourteen ferry routes connecting Taiwan proper with its outlying islands and China were today suspended due to Typhoon Bavi, affecting 114 ferry trips, the Maritime and Port Bureau said.The suspended routes were Keelung-Matsu, Nangan Fuao (南竿福澳港)-Fuzhou Langqi, Beigan Baisha (北竿白沙港)-Fuzhou Huangqi, ... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/10/2003860539#news #taiwan

Potential tropical storm could trigger sea warning tonight 13:43 A tropical depression that is expected to develop into a tropical storm could trigger a sea warning for Taiwan as early as tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.The system is forecast to become a tropical storm late tonight or early tomorrow, at which point it would be named Noul, t... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/23/2003861252#news #taiwan

National Palace Museum to show Genghis Khan portrait 18:23 The National Palace Museum in Taipei is to display a famous painting of Yuan Taizu (Genghis Khan), the founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire, for the first time in 13 years in a new exhibition that opens on Friday.The Portrait of Yuan Taizu is one of the most iconic images of Genghis Khan and ... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/07/2003860380#news #taiwan

New contaminated oil case not related to Central Union 00:03 A suspected benzopyrene contamination case involving camellia oil produced by New Taipei City-based Aconpure Green Technology Inc (連淨綠色科技), is not related to the Central Union Oil Corp (中聯油脂) cooking oil scandal, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday.The two cases invo... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/24/2003861299#news #taiwan

Chinese moving to set up ‘legal gray zones,’ expert says 00:03 Taiwan and the US should form an anti-infiltration task force as China shifts influence operations into “legal gray zones,” Hsu Kai-hsieh (許凱傑), a judge in the Taipei District Court’s National Security Division, said on Friday during a discussion hosted by the Hudson Institute’s China Center in Wash... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/12/2003860617#news #taiwan

Condolences offered after firefighter dies on rescue mission 13:43 President William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday expressed their condolences to the family of a firefighter who died after falling into a river in Nantou County while attempting to rescue stranded tourists whose raft had capsized.In a social media post, Lai said he was saddened b... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/09/01/2003863501#news #taiwan

Officials address challenge of election interference 00:03 Diplomats from the US, UK and EU yesterday underscored the need to counter electoral interference and cognitive warfare operations ahead of Taiwan’s year-end local elections.They made the remarks at this year’s Resilient Taiwan for Sustainable Democracy International Forum hosted by the Presidential... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/09/20/2003864576#news #taiwan

Taipei police handed corrective measures over spycam scandal 00:03 The Control Yuan has taken corrective action against the Taipei Police Department for failing to notice that two of its officers were using spycams, Control Yuan members Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) and Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容) said on Saturday.Former police officers Huang Shih-chi (黃仕奇) and Kuo Sheng-han (郭昇翰) were ... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/27/2003861452#news #taiwan

Ministry outlines insurance coverage for delivery drivers 00:03 The Ministry of Labor has unveiled the mandatory minimum insurance coverage for group accident insurance and liability insurance offered by delivery platform operators to delivery workers.Foodpanda and Uber Eats, two major food delivery platforms in Taiwan, yesterday suspended their services in 20 c... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/12/2003860619#news #taiwan

No reason not to improve ties with Taiwan: Manila 00:03 The Philippine government on Sunday reaffirmed its long-held stance that it diplomatically recognizes China, rather than Taiwan, but said that position does not prevent it from pursuing relations with Taipei. “The Department of Foreign Affairs reaffirms the Philippines’ adherence to its One-China Po... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/09/22/2003864679#news #taiwan

Loong Air launches Chengdu-Taichung route 14:03 China's Loong Air yesterday launched a new route between Chengdu Tianfu International Airport and Taichung International Airport, marking its first direct cross-strait service.The new route is to operate twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.According to the airline, flight GJ8301 departs Chengdu ... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/29/2003861591#news #taiwan

New COVID-19 epidemic as outpatient, emergency visits up 66.5% 18:23 The number of outpatient and emergency room visits related to COVID-19 rose to 4,766 last week, up 66.5 percent compared with the previous week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said today, as cases met the threshold to declare an epidemic. There were also 25 cases with severe symptoms and five... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/21/2003861135#news #taiwan

Demolish power plant’s pier, environmentalist says 00:03 The Ministry of Economic Affairs should promptly demolish the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant’s heavy cargo pier to halt beach erosion, an environmental advocate said last week, saying that shows dune heights near the pier have decreased by nearly half since 1995. Since construction of the plant began in... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/08/2003860418#news #taiwan

Chinese spouse to lose residency after ruling 00:03 Chinese immigrant Zhou Manzhi (周滿芝) would soon have her status as a Taiwanese resident revoked after her conviction for contravening the National Security Act (國安法) became final on Wednesday, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday.Zhou, who became a Taiwanese resident through marriage in ... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/24/2003861293#news #taiwan

Agency suggests resting in forest parks to battle heat 00:03 The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency is recommending that people visit the national forest recreation areas to escape the heat.It especially recommended the Lalashan (拉拉山), Dongyanshan (東眼山), Dasyueshan (大雪山), Basianshan (八仙山) and Shuangliu (雙流) national forest recreation areas as ideal locat... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/27/2003861456#news #taiwan

Readiness not provocation, senior security official says 00:03 Taiwan’s preparations to deal with a possible Chinese attack are not a provocation, and Taiwanese need to take the threat seriously and prepare, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) said yesterday.Taiwan’s government, which rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, has be... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/08/2003860407#news #taiwan

US ‘disagrees’ with China’s coast guard patrols near Taiwan: Rubio 12:23 The US has made clear to Beijing its opposition to China's recent deployment of coast guard vessels to waters near Taiwan, as Washington believes the operations undermine regional stability, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday."It [the issue] always comes up in every one of our meetings... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/23/2003861250#news #taiwan

Oil firm ordered to suspend production 00:03 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday ordered the preventive removal of three batches of oil products produced by Central Union Oil Corp (CUOC). The agency said it received CUOC’s first report on June 30, stating that a batch of soy cooking oil produced on April 4 — batch No. 315-1150404 ... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/12/2003860618#news #taiwan

Ten Taiwanese missing in China, MAC reports 00:03 Ten Taiwanese traveling in China have been reported missing this week by family members, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said on Thursday.Contact has been lost completely with a group of four, he said.One person went to China to visit family, one tr... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/11/2003860575#news #taiwan

Latin America trade office opens with expanded coverage 00:03 The Latin American and Caribbean Trade Office (LACTO) officially opened in Taipei yesterday, expanding the reach of its predecessor to six of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the region.Previously known as the Central America Trade Office, the organization mainly served Belize and Guatemala. Its rename... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/25/2003861358#news #taiwan

Back to basics 00:03 People carry baskets during a rice harvesting experience in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday. The event, jointly organized by the Beitou District Farmers’ Association and the Ministry of Agriculture’s Irrigation Agency, aims to preserve Taiwan’s traditional rice farming culture.... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/27/2003861457#news #taiwan

US dismisses China’s criticism of AIT director as ‘baseless’ 16:03 The US Department of State yesterday dismissed China's criticism of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene as "baseless," saying he "fully represents the US government's position."The response came after China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) criticized Greene over remarks he made a... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/10/2003860543#news #taiwan

Stopping discrimination 00:03 Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang, fifth left, meets with international review committee members of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/18/2003860966#news #taiwan

Urban resilience drills to test civil-military cooperation 15:43 This year’s urban resilience exercises are to fully integrate with the annual Han Kuang military drills for the first time, expanding from a single day to two days to test civil-military coordination across county lines, a national security source said today.The exercises would include underground m... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/21/2003861127#news #taiwan

Military completes five days of joint defense exercises 00:03 The army’s Lanyang Regional Command based in Yilan County has completed rapid deployment and cross-region reinforcement drills as part of the nation’s five-day joint defense exercises, which concluded yesterday, the military said.After receiving the order to begin the drill, the troops boarded milit... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/18/2003860957#news #taiwan

St Vincent and the Grenadines PM to visit Taiwan 13:23 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Godwin Friday is to visit Taiwan tomorrow to mark 45 years of diplomatic relations."Forty-five years is an important milestone, but this visit is also about looking forward," Friday was quoted as saying in a news release issued by the Prime Minister's ... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/08/10/2003862251#news #taiwan

Animal rites 00:03 Performers dressed as the divine generals Ox-Head and Horse-Face yesterday lead a procession organized by Peitian Temple in Nantou City to celebrate the City God’s birthday.... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/29/2003861576#news #taiwan

Note worthy 00:03 Taichung Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Chen Chia-chun, left, and Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Corp chairman Yen Pan-chieh pose with a Fazioli F308 piano in Taichung yesterday. The grand piano is at Taichung MRT City Hall station for the public to play.... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/15/2003860784#news #taiwan

Pokemon fans defy typhoon at Main Station 00:03 Pokemon Go players yesterday braved the typhoon and flooded the main plaza at Taipei Main Station to play this year’s Pokemon Go Fest.With Typhoon Bavi’s storm radius yesterday reaching areas north of Taichung, Nantou, Yilan and Hualien, some Taipei MRT services were suspended. However, undeterred b... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/12/2003860620#news #taiwan

Under the sea 00:03 Children dressed as Underwater Dragon Palace characters, such as turtle ministers, clam spirits and aquatic soldiers, take part in an aquatic-themed parade in Tainan yesterday. The event was held by Tainan’s Beiguan troupe of the Chingchi Society for the first time in 43 years, a significant event i... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/13/2003860674#news #taiwan

17 Chinese tech companies under investigation for illegal recruitment 14:43 Seventeen Chinese companies suspected of illegally recruiting high-tech talent in Taiwan have been investigated over the past three weeks, with prosecutors across six jurisdictions searching 64 locations and questioning 114 people, the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau said today.With the rec... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/08/05/2003861986#news #taiwan

US representatives urge Lithuania to back Taiwan 18:43 The US Congressional Taiwan Caucus yesterday urged Lithuania to support Taiwan in the face of Chinese coercion.In a joint letter, US representatives and caucus cochairs Mario Diaz-Balart, Ami Bera, Greg Stanton, Andy Barr and three other representatives urged Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sink... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/08/11/2003862317#news #taiwan

Sacred ritual 00:03 People carry baskets during the Kouhu Qianshuizhuang in Yunlin County’s Kouhu Township yesterday. The annual ceremony is intended to help free the spirits of those who drowned in the 1845 Jinhu flood. Other activities include offerings, water lanterns and Taoist rites for those killed in the flood.... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/21/2003861116#news #taiwan

Safeguarding rights 00:03 Members of the Disability Rights Promotion Alliance hold a news conference outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Civic groups gathered to demand that proposed amendments to the People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act safeguard human rights, planning to camp overnight at the site t... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/31/2003861707#news #taiwan

Australian Labor Party rejects Chinese demand to expel Taiwan officials 14:23 Chinese diplomats staged a walkout at the Australian Labor Party’s (ALP) national conference after complaining about the presence of Taiwanese officials, the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) reported yesterday.Three Chinese diplomats observing the conference approached ALP National Secretary Paul ... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/24/2003861316#news #taiwan

Travelers in China asked to confirm family members’ military IDs: reports 00:03 Families of senior Taiwanese military officers traveling in China have reportedly been asked by local hotel staff to verify the ID numbers of their relatives in Taiwan, prompting concerns over the extent of Beijing’s data collection on Taiwanese military personnel. A Taiwanese service member wrote o... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/21/2003861109#news #taiwan

COVID-19 hospital visits surge 74.8% 00:03 Hospitals reported 18,990 visits for COVID-19 last week, a 74.8 percent increase from the previous week, while 62 severe cases were reported, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, urging people to take precautions. Weekly COVID-19 outpatient and emergency visits continued to rise las... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/08/05/2003861968#news #taiwan

Evergreen Marine director released amid investigation 00:03 Chang Kuo-hua (張國華), a director on the board of Taiwanese shipping giant Evergreen Marine Corp, was yesterday released on NT$120 million (US$3.73 million) bail after prosecutors questioned him over allegations of insider trading. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office barred Chang from leaving Taiw... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/08/2003860415#news #taiwan

CDC confirms this year’s first Zika virus infection 00:03 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday urged people to protect themselves from mosquito bites to reduce the risk of infections after this year’s first Zika virus infection and three new cases of Japanese encephalitis were confirmed last week. The Zika case, Taiwan’s first in about two years... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/15/2003860777#news #taiwan

Microplastics found in the majority of baby food products 00:03 Nearly 80 percent of baby food products sold in Taiwan are packaged in plastic spout pouches which could contain up to 99 microplastic pieces per gram, data from Greenpeace Taiwan showed.Greenpeace Taiwan in April surveyed baby fruit puree and yogurt products available in hypermarkets, pharmacies an... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/18/2003860960#news #taiwan

Groups urge clarity on illegal buildings on agricultural land 00:03 About NT$12.7 billion (US$391.32 million) counseling or management fees were collected from 30,000 illegal industrial buildings on agricultural land, but only 10 buildings were improved to become compliant, environmental advocates said yesterday.They urged the Ministry of Economic Affairs to disclos... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/31/2003861705#news #taiwan

Japanese ships in Strait shows strong ties, legislator says 00:03 Three Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels sheltering in the Taiwan Strait amid Typhoon Bavi is a sign of the enhanced trust between Taiwan and Japan, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定于) said yesterday.Open-source data from marinetraffic.com on Friday showed that the Kanbai, a Sun... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/12/2003860616#news #taiwan

New standards from Ministry of Interior slated to boost rooftop solar development 00:03 The Ministry of the Interior’s Standards for Installing Photovoltaic Power Systems on Buildings is to take effect on Aug. 1, with officials estimating that it would add about 660 megawatts of new capacity annually.The measure is expected to increase rooftop solar development, with companies includin... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/27/2003861453#news #taiwan

Man sentenced for draft avoidance 00:03 The Taipei District Court has sentenced a man to 10 months in prison for evading compulsory military service by staying abroad for nearly 10 years beyond the permitted period.The man, surnamed Huang (黃), was found guilty of violating the Act on Punishment for Violation of the Military Service System... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/13/2003860670#news #taiwan