Ko accused of promoting inaction over PRC threatBy Yang Cheng-yu and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan Statebuilding Party Taipei city councilor candidate Wu Hsin-tai (吳欣岱) yesterday accused Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and his Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) of encouraging Taiwanese to ignore the Chinese threat. The most detestable response to the Chinese threat is urging Taiwanese to ignore it, just like the “political quack” Ko and his TPP do, she said. Taiwan Statebuilding Party Taipei City councilor candidate Wu Hsin-tai, center, is joined by Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Chen Shih-chung, left, at a campaign event for her in the city on Friday last week. The Taiwan Statebuilding Party held a similar news conference last week at Kaohsiung’s Sanduo roundabout and unveiled a billboard at the intersection of Minquan and Ruiguang roads in Taipei to raise awareness about the threat. The next five years are to be treacherous for Taiwan, as Xi sets his sights on “recovering Taiwan” to achieve his goal of “national rejuvenation,” Taiwan Statebuilding Party secretary-general Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) said.

Tax revenue increases 21% on corporate income taxIMPROVED BUSINESS: The robust corporate income tax revenue would give the national treasury a tax surplus of NT$300 billion this year, a Ministry of Finance official saidBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTax revenue last month expanded 20.9 percent year-on-year to NT$365.3 billion (US$11.47 billion), driven mainly by a spike in corporate income taxes that offset declines in securities and property transaction taxes, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. Corporate income tax revenue swelled 55 percent to NT$163.4 billion last month, as companies generally reported an improvement in business, although the nation’s exports faltered, the ministry said. In the first nine months of the year, corporate income tax revenue surged 57 percent to NT$893.8 billion, as listed companies posted a 12.83 percent annual gain in combined revenues. Chen attributed the advance in personal income tax revenue to the extension of capital gains taxes to transfers of presale housing contracts. Securities transaction tax revenue last month tumbled 29.1 percent to NT$12.6 billion, while land value increment tax revenue fell 15.6 percent to NT$6 billion, as weak sentiment drove people to the sidelines, the ministry said.

Army ready for war after ‘first strike’: defense chiefSERIOUS ISSUE: If a Chinese UAV entered Taiwan airspace the military would first lock onto it as a warning and only later resort to a counterattack, Chiu Kuo-cheng saidStaff writer, with CNAThe military would be prepared for war if it was forced to counter a “first strike” by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said yesterday at the legislature. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Chi-chen (江啟臣) asked Chiu to elaborate on a comment he made on Tuesday that incursions by the PLA’s uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) into Taiwan’s territorial airspace would now be considered a “first strike,” necessitating countermeasures. Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAThe military would first lock onto intruding UAVs as a warning, which if not heeded would prompt a defensive “counterattack,” Chiu said. Asked by Chiang whether the counterattack would be aimed at repelling intruding PLA aircraft or preventing a “second strike,” Chiu said: “I don’t see it that way.

The party will no doubt harp on how “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” laced with the usual threats and intimidation. In her speech, Tsai spoke of defense reforms and increasing the national defense budget, and how Taiwan is taking responsibility for its own self-defense. The government has established the All-out Defense Mobilization Agency to bolster military training capacity and refine reserve training. Tsai spoke of forging a “resilient nation” based on democratic freedom, economic development, social security and national defense. Taiwan needs to expedite its defense reforms and to have an overall roadmap for national mobilization.

Nanya Technology plans to slash 40 percent in manufacturing equipment spending this year and another 20 percent next year, it said. Nanya Technology Corp president Lee Pei-ing poses for a photograph at a new factory in Taipei on April 20. On an annual basis, net profit plunged 64 percent from NT$7.53 billion, Nanya Technology said. “To cope with the market changes, we are scaling back our capital spending,” Nanya Technology president Lee Pei-ing (李培瑛) told an online news briefing. With uncertainty about the external environment rising, Nanya Technology expects DRAM chip prices to extend the downtrend this quarter and next quarter, he said.

Bivalent jab orders dependant on uptake, CECC saysBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterAbout 450,000 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 bivalent vaccine have been administered, and as eligibility was expanded yesterday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said that it might order more if many people are willing to receive the jab. Moderna’s bivalent vaccine targets the original SARS-CoV-2 strain as well as the Omicron BA.1 subvariant. Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei TimesHe said 11,163 people received Moderna’s bivalent booster on Sunday, taking the total number of doses administered to more than 449,000 doses. Eligibility for the bivalent vaccine was expanded to include people aged 18 to 49 who received their last dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least three months (84 days) ago. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the CECC, said there are still about 2.55 million doses of the bivalent vaccine in stock.

PC sector reports worst decline in two decadesRATTLED GIANTS: Apple Inc was the only PC vendor among the top five to post an annual increase in unit shipments last quarter, while HP reported a 27.9% dropBloombergThe global PC market saw its steepest decline on record as economic uncertainty and a glut of unsold inventory dented shipments for the fourth quarter in a row. Lenovo Group Ltd (聯想) remained the top global PC maker in the third quarter, although its shipments fell 15.3 percent year-on-year to 17.11 million units, Gartner said. Among the top five vendors, ranking second place, HP Inc saw the largest decline in the third quarter with a 27.9 percent drop to 12.71 million units, Gartner added. Acer Inc (宏碁) dropped out of the top five PC vendors last quarter in the latest statistics tracked by Gartner, Canalys and IDC. IDC — which categorizes PCs as desktops, notebooks and workstations — said global shipments totaled 74.25 million units last quarter, down 15 percent year-on-year due to cooling demand.

EDITORIAL: National Day message of resilienceAmid yesterday’s performances and martial arts displays, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took to the stage, as she has every year during her tenure, to deliver her Double Ten National Day address. Instead of last year’s missiles and soldiers, the highlight was the delightful Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School marching band and a delegation from the Taiwan-Japan Parliamentary Amity Association, marking the first time foreign groups have been invited to participate in the National Day parade. Her segment on social resilience emphasized economic equality and touched on her administration’s efforts to address the declining birthrate, housing issues, wages, and physical and mental health. “Resilience” is the perfect word to encapsulate Taiwan’s response to the challenges ahead. Whether in economic, defensive or social spheres, Taiwan continually demonstrates its ability to forge ahead, even against immense odds.

Japan eager to welcome back tourists from abroad as yen hits record lowsAP, TOKYOIt is hard to tell from his serious demeanor, but Akky International Corp CEO Hideyuki Abe can barely contain his excitement. A person is surrounded by deer in Nara, Japan, on Oct. 15, 2005. Meanwhile, the yen has weakened sharply against the dollar, giving some visitors heftier buying power and making Japan nearly irresistible to bargain hunters. The city of Nara, famous for its temples, shrines and sake breweries, is banking on the return of tourists from other parts of Japan, along with those from abroad. Japan’s major carriers All Nippon Airways Co (ANA) and Japan Airlines Ltd are increasing flights for expected higher demand.

Former admiral calls for citizen defense forceFIGHTING SPIRIT: People must overcome ideological differences and show a willingness to defend the nation, which could deter China, Lee Hsi-ming saidBy Aaron Tu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwanese must develop the resolve to work together to defend the nation, former chief of the general staff admiral Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明) said, while proposing a “homeland defense force” to provide small-arms training to the public. The strategy would help discourage the Chinese Communist Party from attempting to invade Taiwan, Lee told the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) in an interview published on Saturday. Former chief of the general staff admiral Lee Hsi-ming speaks to the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) in an interview published online on Saturday. “Taiwanese must overcome their ideological differences and show a willingness to unite in the defense of the country,” he added. Despite the huge gap in defense resources across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan could effectively defend itself if it aims not for air and sea control, but air and sea denial, he said.

Mandatory service key to bolstering the militaryBy Yao Chung-yuan 姚中原The Ministry of National Defense has reached an initial consensus on the extension of mandatory military service, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) told legislators on Sept. 27, calling the extension a major issue. The possible defense policy U-turn deserves public attention and support, because extending military service meets not only the nation’s needs amid the current cross-strait situation, but also the expectations of the international community. That period is shorter than in Israel and South Korea — countries that are facing formidable enemies and thus have more than a year of compulsory military service. Taiwan should adopt an “all-out defense” strategy, extend mandatory military service to at least one year and extend conscription to women, Esper said. In the face of the heightened and normalized military threats from the CCP, Taiwan’s military service system must be adjusted to become more flexible.

“After night missile attack on Zaporizhzhia, at least 20 houses and about 50 multistory buildings were damaged. Seventeen people died, as of now,” Zaporizhzhia City Council Secretary Anatoliy Kurtev wrote on Telegram. Residents look at the damage caused by a Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, yesterday. At least 17 people including a child died when seven Russian missiles hit Zaporizhzhia before dawn on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities announced in an upwardly revised toll on Saturday. Russian General Sergei Surovikin is to take over its forces in Ukraine.

The international community must respond to the irresponsible and deliberate actions undertaken by Beijing to disrupt aviation safety, the ministry said. Countries friendly to Taiwan should therefore call for the nation’s participation in ICAO events, it said. Taiwanese officials had bilateral discussions with ICAO members on the sidelines of the assembly, highlighting the nation’s commitment to bolster global aviation safety, it said. Taiwan’s bid was also supported by France, Japan and New Zealand, it said. It would have a positive effect on aviation safety, the ministry said.

Culture and language should be celebratedBy Ng Siu-lin 黃修仁To consolidate the nation’s culture, Taiwanese should recognize the languages and cultures of Taiwan’s various ethnic groups, learn about local customs and understand the nation’s history. Only then will Taiwan be able to become a normal nation, and “Taiwan Culture Day,” observed on Oct. 17, would become truly meaningful. In the past few years, the Ministry of Culture has devoted itself to governing and nation-building through culture. It makes every effort to preserve and recreate Taiwanese culture, and promotes it to the international community. Participants can discover the diversity of Taiwanese culture and be artistically inspired about how to think about being Taiwanese with dignity.

Ann Kao continues to dodge questions: DPP caucus whipBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterTaiwan People’s Party (TPP) Hsinchu mayoral candidate Ann Kao (高虹安) continues to dodge questions about plagiarism allegations and financial irregularities, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said yesterday. Taiwan People’s Party Hsinchu mayoral candidate Ann Kao, center, speaks to reporters in the city on Friday. Ker said Kao and TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) should know that “politicians, including legislators and mayoral candidates, must stand up to public scrutiny. “Is Kao running for herself or for Hsinchu City mayor?” he asked, questioning Kao’s passion for the job. Kao, who yesterday inspected Hsinchu City’s main fruit and vegetable distribution and retail depot as part of her campaign, denies the allegations.