MOFA warns against misusing visa-free travel for illegal activitiesStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today urged Taiwanese not to misuse visa-free entry privileges to engage in illegal activities while traveling overseas. Six Taiwanese have been arrested by South Korean police so far this year in connection with such cases, Hsiao told a weekly MOFA briefing. Taiwanese passport holders are allowed visa-free entry to South Korea for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days. To prevent similar cases, Thai authorities have continued to step up screening of visa-free visitors at border checkpoints, he said. Visa-free travelers should not engage in illegal activities or activities prohibited under visa-exemption rules, including paid employment, Hsiao added.

China rejects TPP legislator’s bid to renounce citizenshipBy Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNATaiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) today said her application to renounce her Chinese citizenship was not accepted by her hometown authorities, while emphasizing that she is loyal to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and its Constitution as she was sworn in. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Li Zhenxiu in Taipei today holds up an application to renounce her Chinese citizenship. Li flew back to her birthplace in Hunan, China, to apply to renounce her Chinese nationality, but her application was not approved, she said. As the Mainland Affairs Council has said, no Chinese spouse has successfully renounced their Chinese citizenship because of their Taiwanese identity, Li said. Li said that she would forward the document rejecting her application to renounce her Chinese citizenship to the Ministry of the Interior, showing that renouncing Chinese citizenship is not so simple.

KMT chairwoman says peaceful unification with China ‘premature’By Lin Hsin-han, Hollie Younger and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writers and CNAChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) recently said in an exclusive interview with The Economist that she considers peaceful unification with China “premature,” the party said today. In the interview on Tuesday last week, Cheng talked about cross-strait peace, national identity, national defense and security, US-China relations and her political career, the party said. Chinese Nationalist Party Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is pictured in an undated photograph. She said she hopes for exchanges and dialogue with China, including meeting Xi as she advocates for cross-strait reconciliation. Asked in the interview about Beijing’s high expectations for peaceful unification, she called herself a pragmatic politician.

Banks can freeze accounts of departed foreigners: FSCBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAFinancial institutions can temporarily freeze the accounts of foreign nationals, as some of them are being heavily exploited as “dummy accounts” after the account holders leave Taiwan, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said today. An inter-agency consensus has been reached allowing financial institutions to temporarily freeze accounts held by foreign nationals under four circumstances, the FSC said. All financial institutions are connected to the National Immigration Agency’s (NIA) system to track the departure status of foreign nationals, an FSC official said. If any of the four circumstances are met, the NIA would provide the foreign national’s information to financial institutions for customer identity verification, the FSC said. Once the person’s identity is confirmed, the bank would temporarily freeze the account, meaning no withdrawals or transfers into the account would be permitted, it said.

President Lai maps out Taiwan-US cooperationBy Chen Yun and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerPresident William Lai (賴清德) today said that the US-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD) highlighted three key strategic directions for bilateral cooperation: economic security, an innovative economy and a prosperous future. However, tariff negotiations are just one aspect of Taiwan-US cooperation and the goal has always been to deepen strategic economic partnership through dialogue, exchange and expanded cooperation, Lai said. The EPPD covered four key concerns: strategic alignment on supply chain security, cooperation on critical minerals, third-country cooperation and bilateral cooperation, he said. Third, Taiwan-US cooperation no longer revolves around a single industry, but incorporates AI, digital infrastructure, critical minerals and drones, diversifying into cross-sector engagement, Lai said. Lai said he hoped that the Legislative Yuan would review the Taiwan-US tariff agreement in accordance with the law, without involving partisan divisions or cross-party politics, to safeguard the hard-won results of the US trade negotiations.

Taichung egg farm operator detained in avian flu caseStaff writer, with CNAA Taichung egg farm operator was today detained by prosecutors and held incommunicado on suspicion of illegally disposing of chickens that died of avian influenza. The Taichung District Court approved the detention, finding that the operator of Fengkang Egg Ranch in Taichung's Fengyuan District (豐原), surnamed Yun (雲), met the legal criteria to be held in custody. A disease prevention worker disinfects an egg farm in Taichung's Fengyuan District in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Taichung City GovernmentOn Jan. 10, chickens at Fengkang Egg Ranch began showing symptoms of avian influenza, with large numbers dying from Jan. 10 through Monday last week, the Taichung City government said. Prosecutors said they searched the farm and Yun's residence, and questioned Yun, two employees and Yen.

Taipei International Book Exhibition launchesStaff writer, with CNAThe Taipei International Book Exhibition (TiBE) today officially opened, launching the 34th edition of Taiwan's largest international book event of the year. The exhibition opened at 10am at the Taipei World Trade Center and runs through Sunday, featuring 509 stands from 29 countries and more than 60 international authors, co-organizer the Taipei Book Fair Foundation said in a statement yesterday. In 2019, the last edition before the pandemic, the exhibition brought together 735 publishers from 52 countries with 1,859 stands. People browse at the Taipei International Book Exhibition today. At least 18 Thai writers are expected to attend, including Veeraporn Nitiprapha, the first Thai writer to receive the Southeast Asian Writers Award twice, and former Thai lawmaker Pita Limjaroenrat, the foundation said.

Prosecutors indict 4 in deepfake fraud case targeting ChineseStaff writer, with CNAProsecutors have indicted four alleged members of a Taichung-based cyberfraud ring that used deepfake technology to scam at least 55 Chinese nationals out of NT$200 million (US$6.33 million), the Criminal Investigation Bureau said yesterday. The Taichung ring worked with a fraud gang in China to acquire the personal information of Chinese nationals online, the bureau said. The deepfake faces were used to gain access to the e-CNY banking accounts of users and transfer funds, the bureau said. The ring also created social media accounts to be sold to fraud factories operating outside Taiwan, it said. Citing the bureau’s fifth cybercrime division, United Daily News reported that the case marks the first time a fraud ring using Starlink and deepfake technology has been uncovered in Taiwan.

Baishatun Matsu pilgrimage to start April 12Staff writer, with CNAThis year’s Baishatun Matsu pilgrimage, widely recognized as Taiwan’s longest religious procession on foot, will begin on April 12, Gongtian Temple (拱天宮) in Miaoli County said yesterday. A ritual tossing of divination blocks, known as jiaobei, was held at the temple in Tongsiao Township’s (通霄) Baishatun (白沙屯) to determine the dates of key activities for the pilgrimage honoring the sea goddess Matsu. Worshipers carry the palanquin containing a statue of the sea goddess Matsu at the start of the Baishatun Matsu Pilgrimage in Miaoli County in an undated photograph. On April 20, the pilgrimage will return to Gongtian Temple, while the lighting of an incense burner marking an end of the annual pilgrimage will be held on May 1. The management of Gongtian Temple said this year’s pilgrimage will last eight days to and from Beigang.

This raises two critical questions: Why have young people turned to protest as their primary means of political engagement? The protest wave of last year made clear that formal channels for youth engagement are failing. At the same time, the leaderless nature of many contemporary protest movements excludes them from formal negotiations and decisionmaking processes. Moreover, while protest movements tend to focus on broad objectives, success often depends on articulating clear demands and winning the support of powerful actors. Rose Ngugi is the former executive director of the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis.

China’s Lunar New Year travel rush beginsReuters, GUANGZHOU, ChinaChina’s annual Spring Festival travel rush, a 40-day period commonly referred to as the world’s largest annual human migration, commenced yesterday ahead of an extended Lunar New Year holiday. It is hoped a longer holiday (last year’s break was eight days) might prompt Chinese consumers to boost consumption by spending more on travel and meals this festival period. Performers dance at Guangzhou airport as the Spring Festival travel rush began ahead of the Lunar New Year in China yesterday. For example, the flight back to my home is already sold out,” said 32-year-old Liu, a traveler flying out of Guangzhou airport yesterday. “If you don’t buy early, the price range fluctuates a lot, and can even double.”Major travel platforms reported Lunar New Year bookings already surpassing last year’s levels.

Taiwan crucial to survival of Japan: KatayamaBy William Hetherington / Staff writer, with CNATaiwan is crucial to Japan’s survival, and the two nations should work together to strengthen supply chains, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Representative Kazuyuki Katayama said. “For Japan, Taiwan is of existential importance,” he said. Commenting on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (台積電) investment in a plant in Kumamoto, Japan, Katayama said the move was a step in the right direction, as Japan and Taiwan should form a complementary relationship by capitalizing on their respective strengths rather than competing with one another. Regarding areas for further cooperation, Katayama said disaster prevention and relief, environmental energy and public health are challenges jointly faced by Taiwan, Japan and the global community, and areas where the two nations could make strides together. In addition, cooperation in areas such as drones and the security of undersea cables could enhance economic security and promote development, Katayama said.

The threat of the ‘incinerator tea’By Liou Je-wei 劉哲瑋The Nantou County Government on Saturday last week convened an environmental impact assessment meeting on plans to build an incinerator in Mingjian Township (名間). Once heavy metals enter the environment and the tea fields, it would put local tea farmers’ livelihoods and bubble tea food safety standards across the country at risk. The chairman of the Environmental Assessment Committee, National Chi Nan University professor Tsai Yung-pin (蔡勇斌), told the kneeling tea farmers: “You set a terrible example.”Ivory tower arrogance indeed. How could power in Nantou, long governed by the DPP, be flaunted so arrogantly? Once the inevitable “incinerator tea” label takes hold, the decades-long reputation of the purity of Mingjian’s tea would evaporate overnight.

Taiwan’s start-up sector has continued to expand in scale and investment, while export performance has also improved significantly, the ministry said in the white paper. Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Chin-tsang, fifth left, attends a news conference in Taipei yesterday about a white paper on start-up development in Taiwan. Taiwan’s export orders totaled US$743.73 billion last year, leaving substantial opportunities for start-ups, particularly in the US, Lee said. Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, North America and Europe would also remain key regions for the government’s promotion of start-up exports, he said. By sector, local start-ups are shifting their focus to the green transformation and digital applications from hardware manufacturing, Ho said.

Right-winger Fernandez wins Costa Rica electionAFP, SAN JOSERight-wing political scientist Laura Fernandez on Sunday won Costa Rica’s presidential election by a landslide, after promising to crack down on rising violence linked to the cocaine trade. With 94 percent of polling stations counted, the political heir of outgoing Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves had captured 48.3 percent of the vote compared with Ramos’ 33.4 percent, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal said. “Viva Rodrigo Chaves,” some cheered, in a nod to Fernandez’s mentor. Appearing via videoconference at her party’s official election night gathering in the capital, San Jose, Fernandez, 39, thanked Chaves for giving her “the confidence to be president-elect of Costa Rica” and said his legacy was in good hands. Chaves plucked Fernandez from relative anonymity to serve as planning minister and chief of staff.