Tibetan democracy feted in Taipei at legislature eventBy Yang Cheng-yu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan and Tibet share a democratic way of governance, and China’s oppression cannot make Tibetans abandon their belief in democracy, the Central Tibetan Administration’s Sikyong Penpa Tsering said in a pre-recorded message at an event yesterday marking the 62nd anniversary of the founding of Tibet’s government-in-exile. Tsering’s pre-recorded comments were played at an event at the legislature in Taipei jointly held by the Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association, the Dalai Lama’s Tibet Education Foundation and the Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet to mark the founding of the Tibetan parliament in exile. People sing the Tibetan anthem yesterday during an event at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to mark the 62nd anniversary of the founding of Tibet’s government-in-exile. Independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said at the event that the Tibetan efforts over the past two decades had not been wasted, citing the first democratic election of the Central Tibetan Administration’s sikyong Lobsang Sangay in 2012. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) said that many support a democratic Tibetan government, adding that she hopes Tibetans continue their fight against the tyranny of the Chinese.

TSMC says three fabs to start production in 2024ADVANCED PROCESSES: The company expects to start producing 3-nanometer chips in Tainan in the second half and 2-nanometer chips at new factories in Hsinchu Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said that three new plants in Kaohsiung, Japan and the US would start production in 2024, as it accelerates its capacity expansion to cope with growing semiconductor demand. Apart from the two fabs that are under construction in Arizona and in Kumamoto, Japan, the world’s biggest contract chipmaker plans to start building a new fab in Kaohsiung in the second half of this year, TSMC vice president Y.L. Wang (王英郎) said at the firm’s annual technology symposium in Hsinchu. The Kaohsiung fab, dubbed Fab 22, would produce 7-nanometer and 28-nanometer chips once it beginsBy Lisa Wang

Google defends Meta deal, ad empire from US states’ antitrust threatBloombergA 2018 advertising pact between Alphabet Inc’s Google and Meta Platforms Inc does not contravene antitrust law because it does not restrict Facebook from using rival ad exchanges, Google’s attorney told a federal judge. Google and Meta, which is not a defendant in the case, have defended the agreement and denied any wrongdoing. The deal expanded competition because it allows Facebook to bid on ads being sold through Google’s ad exchange on behalf of Web sites or mobile apps within its Facebook Audience Network, he said. In exchange, the social media company abandoned plans to adopt a new type of technology that would have undercut Google’s online advertising monopoly, he said. Lawyers for the US Department of Justice — which sued Google in 2020 for allegedly monopolizing the search market and is separately probing the company’s ad tech business — attended Wednesday’s hearing.

Toyota to invest ￥730bn in batteriesEV BOOST: Toyota’s plan to invest ￥325 billion in the US follows the passage of a US law offering tax credits for buying vehicles with batteries made in North AmericaAP, TOKYOToyota Motor Corp is investing ￥730 billion (US$5.26 billion) in Japan and the US to boost production of batteries for electric vehicles (EV), the Japanese automaker said yesterday. In the US, about ￥325 billion would be invested in Toyota Battery Manufacturing in North Carolina, the company said. Toyota has scored success with the Prius and other hybrid models, which have an engine as well as a battery-driven electric motor, and so the company has at times been seen as a laggard on electric vehicles. People inspect a Toyota Motor Corp Lexus NX plug-in hybrid electric vehicle at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang, Indonesia, on Aug. 18. Photo: BloombergHowever, the global demand for electric vehicles is expected to grow in coming years as fuel prices rise and concerns grow about the environment.

Buffett’s BYD sale fuels fears of more to comeBloombergTraders rushed to sell BYD Co (比亞迪) after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc trimmed its stake in the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker, fearing that the legendary investor might be gearing up for an eventual exit after a decade as the company’s most notable backer. BYD shares yesterday plunged as much as 13 percent in Hong Kong, the most in seven weeks and the worst performance on the benchmark Hang Seng Index. The investment has also proved hugely lucrative as BYD shares have soared more than 2,000 percent since his initial purchase. Investors view BYD, China’s biggest EV maker, as a bellwether for the sector. A BYD official, in comments to China’s 21st Century Business Herald, said there is “no need to overinterpret” the stake sale, and added that the company’s operations remain normal.

EU to intervene in energy market as winter loomsBloombergThe EU is preparing to step into its energy market, intervening in the short term to dampen soaring power costs as the continent braces for the economic hit of energy shortages this winter. Introducing a maximum regulated price in an emergency would be limited to its duration and the market price should be used as long as possible. “Skyrocketing electricity prices are now exposing, for different reasons, the limitations of our current electricity market design,” Von der Leyen said earlier on Monday at the Bled Strategic Summit in Slovenia. European natural gas prices on Monday plunged the most since March after Germany said its gas stores are filling up faster than planned. “We will look very carefully at what instruments we have that we can use to bring down electricity prices,” Scholz said.

Guatemalan minister reaffirms support for TaiwanStaff writer, with CNAGuatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Bucaro yesterday reaffirmed his country’s support for Taiwan while encouraging dialogue between Taipei and Beijing to ease tensions. During a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Bucaro said that his five-day visit to Taiwan is testament to Guatemala’s support for the nation in an increasingly volatile world. President Tsai Ing-wen, right, meets Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Bucaro at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAHe also encouraged Taipei to engage in dialogue with Beijing, saying that the Guatemalan government firmly believes that talks are necessary to defuse tensions. Guatemala will “always support Taiwan” and has showed solidarity with Taiwan since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1933, Bucaro said.

Micron seeks US tax breaks for US$160bn chip plantMicron Technology Inc is considering to spend as much as US$160 billion on a new semiconductor factory in central Texas. The company filed applications with the Texas Comptroller’s office to lock down property-tax breaks in exchange for a potential new facility near Lockhart, an exurb 48km south of Austin. It would be built in eight phases with construction beginning in January next, the application showed. There is no guarantee that Micron will make an investment of that magnitude, and a company spokeswoman declined to comment on the potential spending. However, companies like Micron are rushing to file applications before a tax-break program

China irate over Kyiv pro-Taiwan groupDISPUTE BREWING: Beijing is worried Kyiv’s defense against Russia could become a model for Taiwanese resistance against China, Ukrainian lawmaker Inna Sovsun saidBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff writer, with CNAThe Chinese embassy in Ukraine attempted to thwart the Ukrainian parliament’s plan to establish a pro-Taiwan group, Newsweek magazine reported on Saturday. Newsweek reported that “a diplomatic dispute is brewing between Ukraine and China” as Beijing lodged a protest against the newly established group at the Ukrainian embassy in China last week. Ukrainian lawmaker Inna Sovsun, another member of the group and a long-term supporter of Taiwan, said that “China is worried Ukraine’s defense against Russia could become a model for Taiwanese resistance against China,” the magazine reported. She said that group members “coordinated the creation of the group through different layers of government” so as not to cause trouble for the executive. What we want from them is not to help Russia,” Sovsun was quoted by Newsweek as saying.

Visiting Guatemalan minister pledges commitmentSUPPORT: Mario Bucaro, who is to meet with the president and other top officials, said it was no coincidence that his trip came during ‘sensitive times in the region’Staff writer, with CNAVisiting Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Bucaro yesterday said his trip is aimed at showcasing his country’s commitment to Taiwan amid increased tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Bucaro, left, shakes hands with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui upon arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. The visit is Bucaro’s first trip to the country, and he plans to meet with high-ranking officials, including President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. They would head south to Kaohsiung Software Park (高雄軟體園區) before concluding their visit and leaving Taiwan on Friday, it said. Bucaro’s visit comes two months after Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei pledged to maintain ties with Taipei, amid increasing efforts by Beijing to poach Taiwan’s 14 remaining diplomatic allies.

BizLink profit surges on record salesBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterBizLink Holding Inc’s (貿聯控股) second-quarter profit surged from a year earlier and the previous quarter as sales hit a record high driven by demand for factory automation, capital equipment, high-performance computing and electric vehicles, the interconnect solutions provider said in a statement on Friday. Net income last quarter grew 112.72 percent year-on-year and 109.58 percent quarter-on-quarter to NT$1.17 billion (US$38.72 million), or earnings per share (EPS) of NT$7.68, BizLink said. The logo of BizLink Holding Inc is pictured at the company’s Taipei office in an undated photograph. However, BizLink’s ability to address customer needs quickly was key to our performance in the second quarter,” Teng said. In the first half of the year, net income was NT$1.73 billion, up 101 percent from a year earlier, or EPS of NT$11.46, while revenue rose 94.9 percent to NT$25.63 billion, BizLink said.

Stephen M. Young On Taiwan: US-Taiwan relations after Pelosi’s visitThe controversy in the US and with China over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan thrust my favorite island-state into the world’s headlines. Despite there being clear precedent for such a visit, Beijing decided to overreact and top it off with missile tests on, around, and over Taiwan. Speaker Pelosi’s trip was followed by a visit from a second congressional delegation headed by Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey. President Biden and his advisers maintained their cool and provided the necessary logistical support for Speaker Pelosi’s visit, including a US Government plane to carry her delegation there and back. Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, though controversial in some circles, reinforces American support for Taipei and its strategic position in East Asia.

Energy crisis spurs nuclear power revival in AsiaBloombergAsia is giving the once-shunned nuclear power industry a second lease on life, thanks to the global energy crisis. Photo: AFPThat is making clean and reliable nuclear power attractive for policymakers and utilities eager to rein in inflation, achieve renewable energy goals and curb dependence on overseas energy suppliers. China has nearly 24 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity under construction, while another 34 gigawatts is planned, WNA data showed. If all of that comes to fruition, China would become the world’s top nuclear power producer. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expansion into atomic energy is also gaining momentum as India’s largest power producer looks to develop two massive nuclear power projects.

Afghanistan demolish Sri Lanka in Asia Cup openerAFP, DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesAfghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi on Saturday said his team would not be pushovers in the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament after a crushing eight-wicket win over five-time champions Sri Lanka in the opening match. Fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi returned figures of 3-11 to help bundle out Sri Lanka for a paltry 105 — a total their batsmen overhauled in 10.1 overs in Dubai. Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi, left, bowls, while Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa looks on during their Asia Cup Twenty20 match in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday. Photo: APAfghanistan, in Group B with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have made a thumping start to their campaign in the six-nation tournament that acts as a tune-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which starts in October in Australia. We have properly worked on this tournament,” Nabi said after being about Afghanistan creating shock wins.

Defense talks with US to be held in November: sourceBy Su Yung-yao and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerDefense review talks between Taiwan and the US could be held as soon as November, focusing on views on arms sales and defense strategies that might have changed since the Chinese military drills around Taiwan early this month, senior officials at the Ministry of National Defense have said. Photo: ReutersNational Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) might attend the review talks, after his deputy attended last year’s edition of the annual event, they said. The review talks would be held “sometime around November,” as it was last year, the source said. There have always been differing views on US arms sales to Taiwan, with some calling for the acquisition of larger weapons platforms, the source said. However, obtaining HIMARS is in line with Taiwan’s asymmetrical warfare strategy, the source said.