Elections reveal concerning trendBy Shih Fang-long 施芳瓏Last month’s local election results were a repeat of the 2018 elections: the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) made big wins, while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered ignominious defeats. On closer analysis, given the similarity in the results, we can see a new trend emerging: Taiwanese vote differently in presidential elections than in local ones. In the four years since the KMT’s 2018 local elections victories, Beijing has worked hard to make connections with and engage in exchanges with KMT local government heads. It needs to do so without using it as a slogan to manipulate elections, even if it means losing votes. Almost all of the local KMT leaders involved in corruption and the criminal underworld were elected, showing that control over local politics is wielded by criminals.

EDITORIAL: Xi is squandering China’s reputationThe impressive growth of China’s economy since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), under former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平), lifted millions of Chinese out of poverty has petered out. After Chinese took to the streets to call for an end to the policy, the government quickly started lifting restrictions. The abruptness of the policy shift, coupled with the dubious timing, would surely result in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Xi had also planned to elevate the economy and China’s standing in the world by developing an independent, cutting-edge and self-sufficient semiconductor manufacturing industry. Perhaps Xi will now see the wisdom of being a “good international citizen” and cultivating the international goodwill, trust and access to soft power that would entail.

Wowprime chairman Chen Cheng-hui (陳正輝) made the announcement in a late-night livestream event that the company organized for its 9,300 employees in Taiwan. Photo courtesy of Wowprime CorpThe company is expected to pay more than NT$200 million (US$6.51 million) in employee bonuses. Wowprime also announced that it would spend NT$20 million on five year-end banquets for its employees, plus an incentive tour later this month. With China easing its COVID-19 restrictions, Wowprime said it believed its operations there would improve. Last month, Wowprime said it would raise its starting monthly salary for employees to NT$33,000 from next year as part of a plan to increase pay by 3 percent to 7.5 percent for employees across the group’s chains.

Ex-CSIST boss tells behind-the-scenes story of missile development projectsBy Aaron Tu, Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerFormer Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) president Kung Chia-cheng (龔家政) made known some behind-the-scenes details of the nation’s missile development in a memoir published by Academia Sinica’s Institute of Modern History last month. Speaking about the supersonic cruise missile developed by the Yun Feng (雲峰, Cloud Peak) project, Kung said the missile could exceed Mach 3 and had excellent penetration, as it comes down on its target vertically. The missile’s speed ensures that it is not easily intercepted, and at the time of the missile’s development, under former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), only the US and Russia were developing similar kinds of missiles, Kung said. Nearly 400 CSIST members worked on a secret project to develop ballistic missile capabilities under the overarching “Tien Kung” project. Officials had been pleased with the successful results of the Hsiung Feng II-E type B simulation, he said.

EDITORIAL: Laws cannot ensure ‘clean’ electionsAfter the plagiarism scandals and allegations in the run-up to last month’s local elections, the hot topic ahead of a by-election in Taipei’s third electoral district is the issue of “black gold,” that is, bribery and affiliation with criminals. The Cabinet and the DPP have drafted amendments to ban people convicted of offenses related to organized crime, money laundering, firearms, drugs or vote-buying from running in national and local elections. Besides, commitment to holding a “clean election” by political parties would be a more crucial factor or, more precisely perhaps, a challenge. Many of these candidates were elected with a large number of votes in their favor, mostly from local political factions. Legislation alone cannot prevent politicians from using camouflage or sophistry, neither can it guarantee that elections are clean and ethical.

TPP urges government to address growing inflationBy Huang Ching-yu and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus yesterday urged the government to pass its budget soon and observe fiscal discipline in helping Taiwanese weather inflation woes. Calling “inflation” the word of the year, the caucus told a news conference at the legislature in Taipei that economic issues are gradually eroding people’s livelihoods. Consumer prices have steadily risen throughout the year, TPP Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) said. From left, Taiwan People’s Party legislators Jang Chyi-lu, Lai Hsiang-ling and Lin Chen-yu hold a news conference at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Meanwhile, real regular wages fell 0.07 percent annually, she said, adding that inflation has cut into earnings and depleted people’s disposable income.

Officers’ Santa hats spark debate about ‘dignity’ of police’ A TOUCH OF WARMTH’: Officers wearing the hats while directing traffic at a Chrismas event was well received by the public, New Taipei police saidStaff writer, with CNAThe New Taipei City Police Department yesterday defended its decision to ask some officers at a “Christmasland” event in New Taipei City at the weekend to wear Santa hats, after receiving online criticism that said the costumes harmed the “dignity of the police.”In a post in the “Kaobei Police” Facebook group on Saturday, a user shared a photo of police officers wearing Santa hats directing traffic at the Superstar Christmas Concert in Banciao District (板橋) earlier that evening. Some people dismissed the notion that festive headwear could harm the dignity of a profession, while others said that the Santa hats were a big hit with concertgoers, many of whom asked to take photos with the officers. Responding yesterday, the New Taipei City Police Department defended the move, saying it increased the officers’ visibility and was well received by the public. Of about 570 officers deployed to maintain security at the two-night event, only 100 officers — all reassigned from desk jobs and helping to direct traffic — were asked to wear the Santa hats, the department said. This year’s Christmasland events in Banciao District have already attracted about 5.8 million visitors since they opened on Nov. 11, Hou said.

Indian teller wins big with bet on Taiwanese guavasStaff writer, with CNAIn November 2019, Indian Kapil Sharma would not have known that he would share a bond with Taiwan because of its guavas. Unlike most local farmers who planted water-consuming crops like wheat or rice, Sharma visited a biotech company before deciding what to grow. “Taiwanese guavas changed my life,” he said, adding that the story might have been different if he had chosen another crop. Everyone in his village has heard about Taiwanese guavas, he added. Following the success of Taiwanese guavas, Sharma expanded his business by planting sugarcane and lemons, and started keeping bees.

TPP to focus on 2024, re-elected chairman saysSECOND TERM: The 2024 elections, for which Ko Wen-je is expected to handpick the candidates for the TPP, could ‘make or break’ him, a source saidStaff Writer, with CNANewly re-elected Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Saturday said that his upcoming departure from the Taipei mayoral office would allow the TPP to fully focus on cultivating talent ahead of the 2024 elections. Hours after his re-election, Ko wrote on social media that his top priority during his second term as TPP chairman would be improving the party’s organizational structure. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je attends an event hosted by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in Taipei on Dec. 3 in his capacity as TPP chairman. Adressing TPP members, Ko said that as a minor political party, the TPP must position itself to “serve the people” by being innovative, serious and responsible. Ko Wen-je’s first challenge after he starts his second term on Jan. 1 would be to help the TPP regroup and identify strong candidates for legislative elections, party sources said.

EDITORIAL: Exercise caution traveling to ChinaThe Chinese government on Wednesday announced 10 new COVID-19 response guidelines for easing its stringent pandemic restrictions, sending a clear signal that it is drastically changing its almost three years of enforcing a strict “zero COVID-19” policy. They said that the policy adjustments are “science-based,” and blamed excessive control measures on local officials. However, with more than 150,000 Taiwanese registered as living in China last year, and many businesspeople and students traveling between Taiwan and China, Beijing’s sudden COVID-19 policy changes have left Taiwanese asking if it could bring a new wave of infections to the nation. However, the CECC warned that as most countries experienced overwhelmed healthcare systems when faced with large outbreaks, people intending to travel to China should be cautious, and be aware that medical and other essential services could be disrupted. A surge in cases could crowd out non-COVID-19 healthcare services, so vulnerable or unvaccinated people are advised to reconsider travel plans to China, and to use healthcare services in Taiwan.

Iron ore rallies, as wheat prices continue to declineBloombergIron ore last week rose to the highest level in almost four months on signs that Chinese authorities would announce more support for the property sector at a key meeting next week. There is scope for iron ore to rally further due to positive sentiment on China’s shift away from its “zero COVID-19” policy and Beijing’s determination to support the property sector, Citigroup Inc said in a note. Replenishment of iron ore stockpiles remains slower than expected, Minmetals Futures said in a note. Iron ore rose 2 percent to US$111.25 a tonne in Singapore on Friday, set for a sixth weekly advance. Meanwhile, wheat posted a fifth straight week of losses as prospects brighten for getting global grain shipments out of the war-stressed Black Sea.

New tech offers ecologists high-quality health checksBy Jack Graham / Thomson Reuters Foundation, MONTREALIn the rivers of the Peruvian Amazon, manatees wallow in the murky water, making them very hard to spot. If you are lucky, you might see their nostrils poking out above the surface, British ecologist Kat Bruce said. A few years ago, she joined conservationists from the WWF who were traveling a 1,000-km stretch of river to study manatees and other species. Photo: ReutersIn Peru, they found 675 vertebrate species — from manatees and river dolphins to night monkeys living high in the trees. “You can’t actually measure ecosystem health just by monitoring what you can see,” NatureMetrics CEO Katie Critchlow said.

CECC predicts problems as China eases restrictionsLUNAR NEW YEAR PEAK: Taiwanese who are in China should get vaccinated and consider returning early, as infection rates are expected to increase, the CECC said China faces five major problems once COVID-19 begins spreading there, with a peak in infections likely during the Lunar New Year holidays, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said yesterday. Wang wrote on Facebook that according to the center’s data, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in China is worth noting, as the new Omicron subvariants BF.7 and BA.5.2 spreading in China are highly infectious and are more transmissible than the previously dominating Omicron subvariants. “The virus cannot be eliminated even under China’s strict control measures,” he wrote. “Its policyBy Lee I-chia

US House passes US$12bn aid for Taiwan militaryStaff writer, with CNA in WashingtonThe US House of Representatives on Thursday passed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes up to US$12 billion in grants and loans to Taiwan to buy US weapons over the next five years. The bill passed the Democratic Party-controlled House on a 350 to 80 vote. The act would authorize up to US$2 billion in annual grants from next year to 2027, and an additional US$2 billion in loans for Taiwan to use to bolster its military capabilities with weapons from the US. The act also recommends that the US administration invite Taiwan to attend the US-organized Rim of the Pacific Exercise, a regional military drill, in 2024. The bill was proposed following China’s increased military actions in and near the Taiwan Strait in recent years, and amid growing concerns in Taipei and Washington that China’s military buildup has far exceeded that of Taiwan.

Income taxes drive gains in November tax revenueBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe government last month collected NT$253.6 billion (US$8.28 billion) in tax revenue, rising 0.4 percent from a year earlier on the back of corporate and personal income tax, as well as inheritance tax gains, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. Corporate income tax revenue spiked 70.3 percent to NT$7.8 billion, while personal income tax revenue grew 2.6 percent to NT$22.9 billion, the ministry told a news conference in Taipei. Ministry of Finance Department of Statistics Deputy Director-General Chen Yu-feng, right, attends a news conference in Taipei yesterday. In addition, inheritance tax revenue swelled 60.8 percent to NT$4.1 billion, while revenue from business taxes picked up 4.5 percent to NT$97.8 billion, she said. Full-year excess tax revenue might be more than NT$450 billion, Chen said, adding that corporate, personal, inheritance, business and house tax revenues have already set full-year records.