COVID-19: GDP growth forecast raised to 5 percentDEMAND FOR EXPORTS: While a level 3 COVID-19 alert is wreaking havoc on service providers, there is little impact on manufacturers, a Standard Chartered economist saidBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterStandard Chartered Bank Taiwan (渣打台灣銀行) yesterday raised its forecast for the nation’s GDP growth this year from 4.4 percent to 5 percent, as local firms continue to benefit from strong demand for technology products amid an improving global economy. The upward revision came despite consumer spending taking a hit from social distancing measures implemented to combat a COVID-19 outbreak, the bank said. Domestically, the COVID-19 outbreak is driving up unemployment and consumer confidence would remain weak until vaccination rates reach safe levels, he said. In related news, the Taiwan Research Institute (台灣綜合研究院) yesterday forecast GDP growth of 5.12 percent for this year. Major economies are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend that bodes well for global trade and the nation’s exports, the institute said.

Hualien struck by earthquake swarmBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterHualien County was yesterday struck by more than 30 shallow earthquakes, with a few homes damaged, although there were no reports of injuries. The earthquake swarm began with a magnitude 5.2 tremor at 6:52am, with the epicenter 5.1km southwest of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 5.9km. From 6:53am to 8:08pm, it was followed by 38 aftershocks of magnitude 3 to 5, Central Weather Bureau data showed. Fallen masonry and sheet metal lie in front of a shop on Guangfu Street in Hualien City after an earthquake struck the region yesterday morning. The rapid succession of events yesterday was unusual, Chen said, adding that more aftershocks might occur over the next week.

NHRC report clears Lin Shui-chuanBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday released its first report, clearing pioneer democracy advocate and former Taipei City councilor Lin Shui-chuan (林水泉), who was imprisoned by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). NHRC Chairwoman Chen Chu (陳菊) said Lin ran as an independent candidate for Taipei City councilor in 1960, but in 1961 the KMT branded him a “hoodlum,” and imprisoned him without due judicial process. From left, National Human Rights Commission Deputy Chairman Kao Yung-cheng, Chairwoman Chen Chu and Commissioner Chang Chu-fang announce a report on pioneering democracy advocate and former Taipei City councilor Lin Shui-chuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of the National Human Rights Commission via CNALin had the courage to criticize the KMT government for supressing people’s rights, Chen said. The NHRC’s investigation was completed in April, and Lin had been informed of its findings, but the report was not released due to a local COVID-19 outbreak.

The cover photo for the Radioactive Taiwan podcast. “We were by far a lot more than just a radio station,” Monday says. Longtime former ICRT DJ Bobby Kong narrates Radioactive Taiwan. Members of Cutting Crew and the immensely popular Air Supply share their memories of playing in Taipei on the podcast. With traditional media in decline due to the Internet, the show provides fascinating insight to what a radio station could do back then.

Taipower spokesman Chang Ting-shu (張廷舒) attributed the results to an annual increase in electricity consumption of 5.1 percent, far above what the company had anticipated. The Bureau of Energy had estimated that electricity use would increase 2.6 percent year-on-year, up from 2.1 percent last year. RISING LNG PRICESHowever, the surging price of liquefied natural gas (LNG) internationally has become “a burden” for the company. THE DROUGHTTaiwan Sugar Co (Taisugar, 台糖) reported net profit of NT$685 million, but Taiwan Water was in the red due to a drought earlier this year, the ministry’s State-owned Enterprise Commission said. As the drought affected farmers’ first and second rice harvests, Taiwan Water and the Water Resources Agency paid compensation of NT$1.22 billion each to the farmers, the commission said.

Military think tank expanding its European tiesBy Aaron Tu / Staff reporterThe Institute for National Defense and Security Research is expanding its ties with think tanks in Europe, and they are interested in Taiwan’s experience in countering China’s security threats, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. Many European nations have been alerted to China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy, military expansionism and its ties with Russia, which is an opportunity for the institute to acquire more partners through “think tank diplomacy,” an institute member said on condition of anonymity. An undated photograph shows the logo of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei. Several European nations have expressed an interest in learning from Taiwan’s experience in countering disinformation campaigns and cognitive warfare by Beijing, the member added. “European nations that maintain close ties with Washington cannot be indifferent to the situation.”

Number of quarterly ‘big players’ hits new record, showing market confidenceBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe number of so-called “big investors” — those who trade more than NT$500 million (US$17.86 million) in local stocks in a single quarter — rose 88 percent in the second quarter to 5,990 investors, a record amount for a fifth consecutive quarter, data released by the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) showed. The number of big investors, viewed as a gauge of investors’ confidence in the local stock market, has been hitting fresh highs since the 1,674 registered in the second quarter of last year. The number increased to 2,369 in the third quarter and 2,401 in the fourth quarter of last year, before climbing to 3,178 in the first quarter of this year. The total number of investors rose 13 percent quarterly to 4.44 million in the second quarter, the data showed. Turnover totaled NT$656.38 billion, with foreign institutional investors buying a net NT$22.95 billion of shares on the main board, TWSE data showed.

Reporter's Notebook: Japan’s defense white paper displays nation’s growing affinity for TaiwanBy Lin Tsuei-yi and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter in TOKYO,with staff writerSignificant changes in Japan’s annual defense white paper, including for the first time a declaration of support for stability in the Taiwan Strait and separate treatment of Taiwan, show Tokyo’s growing affinity and respect for the nation. The cover of this year’s “Defense of Japan” annual white paper featuring a warrior riding a horse, left, is pictured yesterday next to the cover of last year’s white paper featuring cherry blossoms and outline of Mount Fuji. Photo: Lin Tsui-yi, Taipei Times“Stabilizing the situation surrounding Taiwan is important for Japan’s security and the stability of the international community,” the paper says. While the Japanese Ministry of Defense has emphasized that the nation’s basic stance toward Taiwan has not changed, its treatment of the issue in the latest white paper says otherwise. The report also corrects a map of Chinese military capabilities repeated in previous versions that expat groups have long protested should not include Taiwan.

COVID-19: Recreation sites reopen, but few people going outSLOW START: Amusement parks reported about 100 visitors each, gyms said that attendance was sparse, while theaters are banking on ‘Black Widow’ for helpStaff writer, with CNAMovie theaters, sports centers, gyms, scenic spots and amusement parks across Taiwan reopened after two months yesterday as some COVID-19 restrictions were eased, but crowds generally stayed away. A worker disinfects a cycling machine as a woman exercises at a gym in Taipei yesterday. Moreover, Taoyuan and New Taipei City did not allow movie theaters to open. In Taichung, movie theaters and gyms reopened, although attendance was sparse. Three of Taiwan’s biggest amusement parks — Janfusun Fancyworld in Yunlin County, Lihpao Discovery Land in Taichung and Farglory Ocean Park in Hualien — said that about 100 visitors had entered each of their reopened parks as of noon.

Farmers in need of digital certificates, DPP legislators sayVIRTUAL WORLD: An online business account should be implemented as part of the farmer’s welfare card to help them source supplies, a legislator saidBy Pan Wan-hsin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Council of Agriculture should implement digital certificates to help farmers buy materials and claim benefits, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators said yesterday. The council should create QR codes as an addition to the farmer’s welfare card, which was introduced in January, Chung said. The council should also implement an online business account function as part of the farmer’s welfare card project that would help farmers source their supplies through online retailers, he added. The farmer’s welfare card should be used for more than proof of identity and managing food safety standards, DPP Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said. The farmer’s welfare card should also incorporate other personal information, such as the farmer’s insurance, pension account and the status of subsidy payments, he said.

TSMC says three workers test positive for COVID-19By Lisa Wang / Staff reporterTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday said three of its employees had tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 100 workers who came into close contact with them are quarantining at home and are to undergo rapid and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. It has also provided them with COVID-19 home test kits and arranged for further PCR tests. The PCR tests will be completed in two days, the chipmaker said. More than 200 workers have tested negative in initial tests, TSMC said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The chipmaker plans to launch several rounds of rapid tests this week for employees to safeguard their health, it said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang, center, speaks to reporters on the sidelines of an event outside Tucheng Hospital in New Taipei City yesterday. Chiang said that he made the KMT’s discourse on cross-strait relations “very clear” at the congress. The party advocates “a 1992 consensus based on the Constitution of the Republic of China,” Chiang added. Elections for the KMT chairperson and delegates to the party’s 21st national congress had been scheduled to take place on Saturday next week. Cho’s announcement made him the fourth candidate to run for KMT chairperson.

Starting today, the Central Epidemic Command Center is to ease some COVID-19 restrictions on a conditional basis, although the nation remains under a level 3 COVID-19 alert through July 26. Unlike night markets and other places for whom restrictions have been relaxed, after-school education facilities have fixed clients, he said. If the nationwide level 3 alert is lowered after July 27, there would be no reason to keep cram schools closed, he said. He urged the government to finish vaccinating cram school teachers against COVID-19 before the end of this month so that they can resume classes. Summertime is peak season for cram schools, he said, adding that many elementary and junior-high school students are sent to cram schools during summer break.

TSMC, Hon Hai to donate 10m shotsPRIVATE EFFORT: The shots are to arrive by the end of September and the firms have not mentioned reserving doses for their employees, the minister of health saidStaff writer, with CNATaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密)-affiliated Yonglin Foundation yesterday said they would each donate 5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the government. TSMC and Hon Hai yesterday said that the doses they are buying would be shipped directly from the manufacturer in Germany. Hon Hai in a statement said that it would spend up to US$105 million and the foundation would spend up to US$70 million on the vaccine deal. Taiwan has signed contracts to buy about 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from abroad: 5.05 million doses of Moderna, 10 million doses of AstraZeneca and 4.76 million doses of unspecified brands through the COVAX program. As of yesterday, only about 2.15 million doses have been delivered, but Taiwan has also received donations of 4.86 million doses from the US and Japan.

Taipei censured over lax response to nursing homeCURSORY RESPONSE: Reports of an illegal nursing home in Neihu District were mired in bureaucracy and not thoroughly followed up on, leading to a deadly fireBy Hsieh Chun-lin and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Control Yuan yesterday censured the Taipei City Government for its cursory response to reports of an unregistered nursing home, saying that its negligence resulted in a missed opportunity to prevent a fire that killed three residents last year. The owner, surnamed Ting (丁), took three physically disabled people under her care, despite not having a nursing license, they said. The Control Yuan building is pictured in Taipei on June 3. Based on their investigation and Huang’s statement, Wang said that the Control Yuan found Taipei’s process for handling reports of unlicensed facilities insufficient. In addition, two of the residents formerly received welfare payments when living in another private care facility in the district, Wang said.