Craft made the remarks at the Ketagalan Forum — 2021 Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue. “If Taiwan is lost, we lose, too.”Taiwan should be included in the Quad as a “plus one” member, Craft said, adding that Taiwan should also participate in Japanese naval exercises. Speaking in a panel discussion, Project 2049 Institute chairman Randall Schriver — a former US assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs under Trump — also stressed Washington’s commitment to Taiwan. If Taiwan is lost, it would be incredibly difficult to defend the first island chain, the Miyako Strait and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, he said. Taiwan is also fully committed to collaborating with its neighbors to prevent armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait, and the East and South China seas, she said.

TRA to release new batch of iPass cards shaped like trainBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday said it would release more EMU900 train-shaped iPass cards on Friday, following a successful launch last month. The railway operator on Aug. 11 put 900 train-shaped electronic ticket cards on sale at its online store (railway.gov.tw/tra-tip-web/tip/tip005/tip511/shop) where it sells TRA-related souvenirs. A person holds an EMU900 train-shaped iPass card in an undated photograph. “We worked with iPass Corp to release 2,800 more EMU900-shaped iPass cards, which would be available for purchase online as well as at TRA stores at railway stations,” it said, adding that this would be the final batch. People who purchase cards at a TRA store can buy other EMU900-themed paraphernalia at a discount if the purchase is made before Sept. 30, the agency said.

First autonomous cargo ship faces test in FebruaryBloombergIn just two decades from now, half of all domestic ships plying Japan’s coastal waters might be piloting themselves. That is the ambitious goal of the Nippon Foundation, a public interest organization backing the nation’s development of ocean-traversing autonomous ships. Photo: BloombergAccording to Nippon Yusen, the 380km voyage would be the world’s first test of an autonomous ship in an area with heavy marine traffic. The global market for autonomous shipping could grow to be worth about US$166 billion by 2030. The “immense challenge” would be developing a regulatory environment and industry standards around autonomous shipping by then, he said.

Auto sector calls for law changeBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterAfter a slew of patent violation charges filed against Taiwanese aftermarket auto parts manufacturers, industry leaders and legislators are calling for a “right to repair” clause to be added to the Patent Act (專利法). Speaking at a legislative hearing yesterday, makers of automotive lighting and other aftermarket auto parts said such a clause is necessary to “create an open and fair environment” for Taiwan’s 3,400 aftermarket auto parts makers, including 52 publicly traded companies such as Depo Auto Parts Industry Co (帝寶工業). Taiwan dominates the non-glass aftermarket auto parts market, with 90 percent of aftermarket rear bumpers and 70 percent of aftermarket automotive lighting worldwide made in Taiwan, he said. “Taiwan’s aftermarket parts manufacturers put a lot of effort into making parts that are even better than the original manufacturers,” the Central News Agency quoted an industry insider as saying. “As a leading nation in the aftermarket auto parts market, we should follow the lead of the US and the EU in upholding the right to repair.”

Aluminum prices soar as supply worries mountBloombergAluminum yesterday rose for a seventh day — to near the highest in a decade — as deepening Chinese output cuts raised fears of a supply shortfall. The southwestern Chinese province of Guangxi, a major metals producer, would cut output of energy-intensive materials, including aluminum, people familiar with the matter said. Aluminum prices have rallied almost 40 percent this year on the LME, second only to tin among six base metals. However, iron ore still faces headwinds as the world’s largest steel market faces several challenges for the rest of this year. Earlier this week, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co (寶山鋼鐵), the listed unit of China’s biggest producer, flagged the potential for renewed price declines in iron ore.

EDITORIAL: Vague rules tearing families apartThe COVID-19 pandemic has challenged democracies worldwide with legal and ethical dilemmas, pitting public health against other core values such as privacy and freedom of movement. Since last year, foreign spouses have been calling for senseless spousal visa rules to be eased, but their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Unaware of the policy and what constitutes a “humanitarian” reason, few immigration officials are recommending this route, inadvertently separating an estimated 1,000-plus spouses and children from their families. The vast majority of people would agree that the “humanitarian” thing to do would be to keep immediate families together, especially while weathering a global pandemic. Yet ambiguous rules — however well-intentioned — are adding undue stress to people already anxious about being separated from their partners, as well as to immigration officials who are unsure of the rules and reluctant to pass judgement on a case.

F1 under fire after Spa race ‘farce’Reuters, LONDONSunday’s rainswept Belgian Grand Prix will go down in history as Formula One’s shortest-ever race, and also as a leading contender for most farcical. The safety car leads Formula One drivers during the Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium, on Sunday. “If there were actually no race laps, no competition, why should points be given and any result be given, because there was basically no race?” said Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who finished 10th. “We wanted to race, our drivers wanted to race and of course we know you wanted to see a race,” Brown told fans in a video posted on Twitter. “The outcome should not be a race after three laps behind a safety car...

COVID-19: CECC reports three local COVID-19 casesBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported three local COVID-19 infections, five imported cases and zero deaths. The five imported COVID-19 cases are two arrivals from Indonesia, and one each from the Netherlands, the Philippines and Thailand. The arrival from Thailand — a Taiwanese man in his 40s — had been vaccinated against COVID-19, CECC data showed. As of yesterday, the CECC had recorded 15,991 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,413 imported and 14,525 domestic cases, with 834 deaths. From May 11 — when the last local outbreak began — to Saturday, 14,761 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed, CECC data showed.

Chunghwa Telecom eyeing partnership with StarlinkBy Lisa Wang and Shelley Shan / Staff reportersChunghwa Telecom Co yesterday said it is exploring partnerships with low Earth orbit satellite service providers led by Elon Musk’s Starlink project to offer diverse services and enhance its Internet coverage beyond 5G broadband technology. It would comply with the government’s satellite services regulations and evaluate further collaboration opportunities, it said. Photo: APThe nation’s biggest telecom said it is paying attention to the development of next-generation technologies for geosynchronous orbit satellites, low Earth orbit satellites, and beyond-5G and 6G connectivity. Chunghwa Telecom made the announcement after the Chinese-language Commercial Times yesterday reported that the company is to launch a satellite service with Starlink next year at the earliest. SpaceX launched a trial for the Starlink service in October last year, offering satellite Internet access at US$99 per month.

THSRC first public transport service to issue green bondsSUSTAINABILITY: The funds raised would be used to automate a maintenance depot and upgrade a passenger information systemBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterTaiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) yesterday became the nation’s first public transport service provider to issue sustainability bonds to fund its green initiatives and social investment projects. Sustainability bonds refer to financing instruments in which the issuer uses all the funds raised for green initiatives, social investment projects or other related plans. The bonds must be issued based on the Taipei Exchange’s “Rules Governing the Issuance of Sustainability Bonds,” and can be traded on the over-the-counter market. “The issuance of the sustainability bonds shows our determination to fulfill our responsibilities to the environment, society and corporate governance, as well as our commitment to pursuing the sustainable development of the rail service,” it said in a statement. The Yenchao project is a green investment plan, as it would prevent and control pollution.

Cross-regional air pollution has a larger impact‘GOOD NEIGHBOR’: Local governments must jointly discuss and implement regional measures to tackle air pollution as they affect other cities and countiesBy Lo Chi / Staff reporterCross-regional air pollution rather than local pollution has a greater impact on the air quality in an area, data on annual average concentrations of particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller (PM2.5) from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) showed. These figures showed that local PM2.5 emissions had a lower effect on local air quality, as most of the air pollution is coming from other cities and counties. As for preventing air pollution, Tsai said that since cross-regional pollution accounts for a considerable proportion of the air quality in each city and county, a “good neighbor clause” was included in Article 7 of the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法). Rather, it is when policies are promoted and become effective that air quality is improved across the nation, he said. For example, the improvement of Taichung’s air quality in recent years is not entirely attributable to Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), he said.

Former Brother Elephants player dies of liver cancerStaff writer, with CNAFormer Brother Elephants baseball player and manager Wang Kuang-hui died yesterday from complications related to liver cancer. In 1988, Wang joined the amateur Brother Hotel baseball team, which then became the Brother Elephants during the first season of the CPBL in 1990. Former Brother Elephants player Wang Kuang-hui, standing, coaches students from Yuli High School in Hualien County’s Yuli Township in an undated photograph. The Brother Elephants were eventually renamed the CTBC Brothers in 2014 after the team was acquired by CTBC Financial Holding. Chiang Chung-hao, another retired Elephants player, remembered his friend fondly as “good humored.”The CTBC Brothers management in a statement extended its condolences to the Wang family.

CSC eyes major emissions reductionGREEN ENERGY FIRM: The company aims to reduce emissions by 7 percent by 2025 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050, chairman Wong Chao-tung saidBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterThe nation’s largest steelmaker, China Steel Corp (CSC, 中鋼), is setting ambitious carbon emission reduction goals, chairman Wong Chao-tung (翁朝棟) said yesterday. “Apart from semiconductors, the green energy industry is the most hopeful bright spot for Taiwanese industry,” he said. According to Japanese news reports, CSC’s market value has risen to make it the sixth-largest in the world. Shares of CSC yesterday rose 1.63 percent to end at NT$37.5 in Taipei trading, giving the company a market value of NT$590.1 billion (US$21.22 billion). “For a steel producer that only makes 10 million tonnes of steel per year to achieve such a high market value is remarkable,” Wong said.

Police seize vapes, cannabis extractsEXTRA INGREDIENTS: Officers broke up an alleged criminal ring selling e-cigarettes containing cannabis extract, also seizing ketamine, guns and cashBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterLaw enforcement and health officials reminded the public that e-cigarettes and using or selling cannabis are illegal in Taiwan, after the arrest of five people in Taipei last week. Taipei police said over the weekend that they had broken up a criminal organization, whose members have been accused of selling e-cigarette oil containing cannabis extracts. Health officials and police inspect a store selling e-cigarettes and vaping products in New Taipei City on Aug. 6. When cannabis or other drugs are added to vaping oil, sellers and customers could be charged with contravening the narcotics act, health officials said. Ministry of Justice officials said yesterday that e-cigarettes and other vaping devices are being found more commonly on school campuses, often containing cannabis.

Recovery in global trade hit by East Asia outbreaksSLOWDOWN: The three-month outlook for Taiwan’s export orders has fallen from annual growth of 70 percent to only 20 percent, Llewellyn Consulting saidThe GuardianA recovery in global trade during the summer is beginning to wane, according to some early warning signs pointing to the negative effects of widespread COVID-19 outbreaks in the manufacturing centers of east Asia. A dramatic decline in exports from Taiwan, which makes many of the computer chips used in vehicles and mobile phones, has combined with temporary port closures and lockdowns in Australia, China and Japan to cut the level of global trade. After an 18-month backlog, the fall in export orders was likely to restrict the capacity of automakers and other manufacturers over the coming months. “Another drag on world trade has been the persistent shortage of semiconductor chips, which are nowadays a crucial input into motor vehicle manufacturing. Given Taiwan’s pivotal role in the global semiconductor industry, the decline in its export orders since February is a harbinger of some further slowing in world trade growth,” it said.