Local defense firms urged to seek US certificationJOINT PRODUCTION RUMORS: The defense ministry should urge compliance with US cybersecurity standards in contracts with the Taiwanese military, an expert saidStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese defense companies should seek certification from the US government cybersecurity program, a defense expert said on Friday. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program uses advanced standards on safeguarding sensitive information, Institute for National Defense and Security Research analyst Tzeng Yi-suo (曾怡碩) said, adding that it also allows third-party assessment of defense contractors that handle controlled unclassified information. Photo: ReutersTaiwanese defense contractors working with the US military, as well as those who are planning to do so, would have to obtain certification, Tzeng said. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and other strategic partners of the US have urged their defense companies to seek certification since the program was launched in 2020, he said. Tzeng said the Ministry of National Defense should also encourage the country’s defense contractors to comply with the standards set by the US program in bids for defense contracts with the Taiwanese military.

Taiwan in Time: The many faces of a famous architectDespite his primary focus on arts education, Han Pao-teh was also known as a prolific writer, historic preservationist and museum curatorBy Han Cheung / Staff reporterNov. 14 to Nov. 20Han Pao-teh (漢寶德) must have been feeling quite good when he returned to Taiwan in 1967. The Minnan-style Youth Activity Center in Kenting, designed by Han Pao-teh. Academia Sinica’s Institute of Ethnology, designed by Han Pao-teh. A 2006 portrait of Han Pao-teh. It was the turning point of his life, Han writes.

Cambodia telecom job fraud suspects indictedStaff Writer, with CNAPingtung County prosecutors yesterday said they had indicted four people for their alleged involvement in recruiting people to work for a Cambodia-based telecoms fraud operation. The suspects allegedly used fake job advertisements promising base salaries of NT$40,000 to lure Taiwanese to Cambodia, they said. The three female suspects each played different roles, ranging from recruiting new hires to personnel matters, prosecutors added. Prosecutors have identified 10 people as having been duped by the suspects into going to Cambodia. After receiving approval from the Pingtung District Court, the four suspects remain in custody pending further investigation, prosecutors said.

During the first three quarters, Adimmune accumulated net profits of NT$230 million, an improvement from losses of NT$251 million made during the same period last year, company data showed. Adimmune earlier this year won a government bid to supply 3.27 million flu vaccines to the Ministry of Health and Welfare for NT$786 million. The third quarter was the peak season for the delivery of flu vaccines, it said. The company also gained more orders for flu vaccines and flu vaccine ingredients from overseas markets, such as eastern Europe and Thailand. “It is an achievable target, as we will continue delivering flu vaccines to local governments and begin shipping flu vaccines to China, and gain more revenue from our contract manufacturing business,” it said.

Or that there’s a concealed opening on the bottom of each booth so that election workers can remove votes for certain candidates? People can verify the information they receive via Taiwan Fact Check Center’s LINE account. Recent election disinformation warns people that there’s a higher chance of their ballot getting rigged if they vote in the morning. Photo: Chang Hsuan-che, Taipei TimesDisinformation pertaining to the nine-in-one election on Nov. 26 began appearing around June, Chen says. TFCC last month provided a rundown of common election “rumor scripts” (謠言劇本) on its Web site, which include verified election procedural guidelines.

Taipei probing preschool over abuse allegationsStaff writer, with CNAThe Taipei Department of Education on Tuesday said that it has launched an investigation into allegations that two teachers slapped and held children upside down at a quasi-public preschool in Nangang District (南港). Taipei City Councilor Chung Siao-ping (鍾小平) and the parents of two of the allegedly abused children at a news conference released video footage to support their claims. Taipei City Councilor Chung Siao-ping, left, on Wednesday at a news conference in Taipei looks at video footage recorded at a quasi-public preschool accused of abusing children. Chung said the abuse, allegedly carried out by two teachers on the same day, need to be thoroughly investigated by the Taipei City Government. The preschool could face fines or more serious consequences if it is found guilty of major violations, Chen said.

p.8 EDITORIAL: Cross-party cooperation confusionIn the Taipei mayoral debate on Saturday last week, former minister of health and welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) posed a question to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) regarding an “interesting” proposal put forward by Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康). The KMT supporter had proposed that the KMT form an alliance with the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), to unite in countering the DPP. Taiwan has seen its fair share of political party alliances. If the KMT and TPP wish to team up, perhaps they could take a page out of the DPP’s book. The DPP was completely united in its support for Ko as Taipei mayor in 2014.

“Hon Hai enjoys a competitive edge in industries with large-scale volume. Supply chain management and large-scale labor manufacturing are Hon Hai’s strengths.”People walk past the logo of Foxconn outside Hon Hai Precision Industry Co’s Taipei office on Wednesday. With the factory’s operation recovering gradually, Hon Hai has proved to its key customer that it has strong risk management ability, he said. The company attributed the growth to robust demand for consumer electronics, primarily high-end smartphones, and cloud-based servers and data centers. With greater exposure to high-end consumer electronics and smartphones, Hon Hai would be less affected by rising inflation, he said.

Separate probes launched into the TPP’s Ann KaoBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterJudicial agencies yesterday said they are investigating Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Ann Kao (高虹安) over allegations of pocketing her assistants’ wages, accepting illegal political donations and other corrupt practices. Kao is running for Hsinchu City mayor in the Nov. 26 local elections. Taiwan People’s Party Hsinchu mayoral candidate Ann Kao speaks at the legislature on Tuesday. The Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office separately said it has launched its own investigation after receiving complaints relating to the case. Kao and Lee allegedly used public funds for private use, Mirror Media reported, citing whistle-blowers.

South American presidents launch appeal for AmazonAFP, SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EgyptThe presidents of Colombia and Venezuela on Tuesday launched a call at the COP27 climate summit for a wide-ranging alliance to protect the Amazon, the planet’s biggest tropical forest. “We are determined to revitalize the Amazon rainforest ... to offer humanity a significant victory in the battle against climate change,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said at the UN summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Lula faces an immense challenge in putting a brake on Amazon deforestation. He urged solidarity from international organizations, at a time when the COP has put the issue of compensation for climate change effects on its agenda. “One of the subjects which could bring consensus between us, Africa and part of Asia is [a mechanism for] forgiveness of [national] debt as a means of financing action” against climate change, Petro said.

Council hails successful test flight of NCKU rocketStaff writer, with CNAResearchers at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) yesterday conducted a successful test flight in Pingtung County of a two-stage rocket using a hybrid propulsion system. The launch tested the rocket’s hybrid propulsion system, which uses a mix of liquid and solid-state propellants, the council said. A two-stage hybrid rocket is launched from a test site in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township yesterday. It is hoped that the Tainan-based university’s hybrid rocket can be modified to carry payloads for scientific research in the near future, the NSPO said. The sounding rocket launch yesterday was also used to test the basic functions of the ComSAD for future missions, the council said.

EDITORIAL: Scholz’s trip only raises doubtsGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz, accompanied by 12 top executives, on Friday visited China, hoping to deepen economic ties to reinvigorate the German economy, which is on the brink of a recession. Last month, US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen warned of China’s “weaponization of trade” as a tool of geopolitical coercion. Taiwan has long been a target of China’s economic coercion, with politically motivated bans imposed on all types of Taiwanese products. Right before Scholz’s trip, Germany approved Chinese shipper Cosco’s purchase of a stake in Tollerort terminals in Hamburg. The German chancellor’s China trip has raised more doubts, and that could be a lesson for the world.

The Hurun Rich List, which ranks China’s wealthiest people with a minimum net worth of 5 billion yuan (US$689.3 million), said only 1,305 people made the mark this year, down 11 percent from last year. “This year has seen the biggest fall in the Hurun China Rich List of the last 24 years,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of research firm Hurun Report, which compiles the list and is named after Hoogewerf’s Chinese name, Hu Run (胡潤). The founder of TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd (字節跳動), Zhang Yiming (張一鳴), took second place, but saw his wealth fall 28 percent to US$35 billion due to a drop in ByteDance’s valuation. In third place was Zeng Yuqun (曾毓群), chairman of battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (寧德時代新能源). Tencent founder Pony Ma (馬化騰) posted the second largest drop in wealth of US$14.6 billion amid sliding tech stock prices, to take fifth place on the list.

Fewer furloughed as restrictions easeStaff writer, with CNAThe number of workers on official furlough programs fell by more than 1,400 during the past week as the tourism sector received a boost from eased border controls, the Ministry of Labor said. Ministry-compiled data showed that the number of workers placed on furlough programs was 15,782 as of Monday, down 1,433 from 17,215 as of Oct. 31. With eased COVID-19 restrictions boosting domestic consumption, the number of workers placed on unpaid leave programs in retail and wholesale businesses fell to 1,315 from 1,556, the data showed. Most of the enterprises implementing furlough programs are small firms that employ fewer than 50 people. Unpaid leave programs typically last for less than three months, with employees taking five to eight days of unpaid leave per month, the ministry said.

Electric vehicle sales in Taiwan to rise 31% this year: ITRIBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterSales of fully electric vehicles (EVs) in Taiwan are to experience rapid growth over the next three years, expecting to account for about 30 percent of new vehicle sales as early as next year, jumping from 15.2 percent last year, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, 工業技術研究院) said yesterday. Sales of new EVs in Taiwan this year are to surge 31 percent year-on-year to 89,000 units, comprising about 20.3 percent of total sales of 438,000 new vehicles, the ITRI said. New EV sales are to comprise 24 percent of total new vehicle sales next year and reach about 29.6 percent in 2024 after seeing a 22.52 percent year-on-year growth to 136,000 units, the ITRI said. Overall new vehicle sales are to grow 2 percent to 458,000 units in 2024, it added. With EV sales growing rapidly, Taiwan should build a resilient power grid given that the vehicles are likely to create a massive demand for electricity, ITRI president Edwin Liu (劉文雄) said.