Export-focused manufacturing drove GDP growthEXPERIENCES MAY VARY: Manufacturing firms had a great year, the service sector did alright, but other areas limped along, such as the traditional industries sectorStaff writer, with CNAExport-oriented manufacturing served as the major contributor to Taiwan’s strong GDP growth in the first three quarters of last year, government statistics showed. Photo: CNAIn November last year, the DGBAS raised its GDP growth forecast to 7.37 percent for last year and predicted the economy would grow another 3.54 percent this year, citing the continued AI boom. Tsai said the growth of the local manufacturing sector varied from industry to industry. Many employees did not feel significant benefits from the GDP growth in Taiwan and consumer confidence remained weak, he said. In the service sector, the retail and wholesale industry’s contribution to total GDP growth was 0.7 percentage points, and the financial/insurance industry’s share was 0.29 percentage points in the first nine months of last year, DGBAS data showed.

Chinese online manipulation soars: NSBBROAD CAMPAIGN: Beijing has adopted a government-civilian partnership model to disseminate disinformation in Taiwan through bots, AI and more, an NSB report showedBy Huang Ching-hsuan and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan’s national intelligence community recorded 45,590 fake online accounts last year, up from 28,216 in 2024, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. More than 3,200 pieces of disinformation were reported to government agencies, allowing them to address cognitive warfare attempts in real time, the bureau said. China has expanded the targets of its cognitive warfare to include countries in the global democratic camp, the bureau said. Taiwan is situated at the forefront of international efforts to counter China’s cognitive warfare, it said. To expand a network in the democratic community to counter China’s cognitive warfare, the NSB last year engaged in more than 80 security dialogues and intelligence conferences with international friends and allies, it said.

At least 192 dead as demonstrations continue in IranAFP, PARISAt least 192 protesters have been killed in Iran’s biggest movement against the Islamic republic in more than three years, a rights group said yesterday, as warnings grew that authorities were committing a “massacre” to quell the demonstrations. People protest the Iranian government in Tehran on Saturday in a screen grab from footage circulating on social media. Several circulating videos, which have not been verified by AFP, allegedly showed relatives in a Tehran morgue identifying bodies of protesters killed in the crackdown. The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said it had received “eyewitness accounts and credible reports indicating that hundreds of protesters have been killed across Iran during the current Internet shutdown.”“A massacre is unfolding in Iran. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the ousted shah, who has played a prominent role in calling for the protests, yesterday called for new actions.

EDITORIAL: Opposition dragging feet on budgetOpposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers on Friday again blocked the general budget for this year, saying that it was because the government failed to propose a budget consistent with the law. As the new year enters its second week, this year’s general budget remains unreviewed, and the Cabinet and legislature are still at an impasse. The Cabinet warned that failure to pass the general budget would cause NT$299.2 billion (US$9.5 billion) in funds for a wide range of services and development — including new initiatives, disaster response, defense, healthcare resilience and local government subsidies — to remain inaccessible. Most local government heads are KMT members, so their concerns about possible TPass disruption due to delayed budget review, which could freeze discounts for more than 1 million regular TPass users, has put pressure back on the KMT lawmakers. Are increased pensions for retired police officers, firefighters and civil servants more important than subsidies for long-term care services?

Chilly temperatures to rebound from today: CWAStaff writer, with CNAA continental cold air mass kept much of Taiwan chilly early yesterday, but temperatures are expected to rebound gradually starting today as the system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The lowest temperature recorded in low-lying areas yesterday was 8.3°C in Chiayi County’s Jhuci Township (竹崎), followed by 8.4°C in Tainan’s Nansi District (楠西) and 8.7°C in Kaohsiung’s Neimen District (內門), CWA data showed. A chart of the weather forecast for this week. The green line represents Hualien County and Taichung, the yellow line represents Taichung and Tainan, and the white line represents Taipei and Yilan. On Saturday, the northeast monsoon is to bring moisture, increasing the chances of rainfall in northern and eastern Taiwan, it added.

‘Up to Xi’ how to handle Taiwan, but Venezuela no precedent: TrumpUS President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in

Taichung drink shop suspended due to ‘roach egg’ in drinkBy Huang Hsu-lei and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writerA drink shop in Taichung’s Yizhong Street Commercial Area (一中商圈) was suspended yesterday after a customer said they found a cockroach egg in their drink. The customer, surnamed Lin (林), said she bought a drink from the shop on Saturday and felt a strange substance while sipping her beverage. People walk along the Yizhong Street Commercial Area in Taichung in an undated photograph. The shop refunded the order and made her another drink, but Lin said she did not dare drink it. The Taichung Office of Food and Drug Safety yesterday said it had dispatched personnel to inspect the shop.

Kenting tourism sees second year of historic lowsBy Tsai Tsung-hsien and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerTourism in Kenting fell to a historic low for the second consecutive year last year, impacting hotels and other local businesses that rely on a steady stream of domestic tourists, the latest data showed. A total of 2.139 million tourists visited Kenting last year, down slightly from 2.14 million in 2024, the data showed. Uni-Resort Kenting has closed, while Fullon Hotel Kenting, one of the largest hotels in the area, has temporarily closed for large-scale renovations. Kenting National Park Headquarters Deputy Director Tseng Tien-ting (曾添丁) said they released a plan to develop tourism this year. Kenting is a natural wonder that should not be diminished by short-term data, Pingtung County’s Transportation and Tourism Division said.

Urologist warns of cold-related health risksWATCH OUT: Low temperatures do not just make people feel ‘cold,’ but also bring risks to the heart, blood pressure, urination, joints, immunity and emotions, a urologist saidBy Lin Chih-yi / Staff reporterAs Taiwan is experiencing waves of cold snaps, physicians have shared health risks brought about by lower temperatures and protective measures the public could take. A graphic shows 10 cold weather health risks and corresponding protective measures. He also warned of rising blood pressure and increased cardiovascular risks, such as heart attacks or strokes, as low temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict. Staying warm, drinking sufficient water, not holding in urine and moving slowly are important health guidelines for cold days, he added. Tri-Service General Hospital cardiology director Tsai Tsung-neng (蔡宗能) said low temperatures increase the risks of fatal cardiovascular conditions, including heart attacks and cardiogenic shock.

Lai touts Taiwan’s smart healthcare‘DIVINE MOUNTAINS’: The president said he hoped the integration of healthcare and technology could push the nation to become even more globally competitiveBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe “Healthy Taiwan Sprout Project” launched last year has approved funding worth NT$2.94 billion (US$93.05 million) for 197 smart healthcare projects, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that he hoped to see healthcare and technology integration become the next “divine mountains” maintaining Taiwan’s international competitiveness. The forum, which started in 2017, has a clear mission to implement the nation’s healthcare policies and engage in frontline medical services, Lai said, adding that it has become a vital platform promoting Taiwan’s healthcare industry. President William Lai speaks at the opening ceremony of the 19th Nobel Health Care Forum in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei TimesCross-sector collaboration — especially the integration of healthcare and technology — diversified topics reflecting the medical community’s continuous efforts to push for innovative health management, and the implementation of smart healthcare solutions contributed to the forum’s success, he said. It also includes smart healthcare, Lai said, adding that NT$2.94 billion in funding for 197 smart healthcare projects has been approved since last year, mainly for optimizing clinical workflows and improving service efficiency, he added.

KMT chairwoman quiet on reported summit with CCPStaff writer, with CNAChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) has remained tight-lipped on a reported summit with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) late this month and a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), saying only that any talks would “not be conducted in secret.”Online news site Meihua Media on Friday reported that the KMT and the CCP are set to resume their long-suspended dialogue — the Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum, better known as the “KMT-CCP Forum” — from Jan. 27 to 29 in Beijing. The KMT delegation would be led by party Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), the report said, citing anonymous sources. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, center, speaks to reporters in Taichung on Saturday. Cheng said that she had sensed a spirit of “sincerity and goodwill” from Beijing regarding cross-strait communication since she became KMT chair in November last year, prompting the KMT to prepare for resumed exchanges. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesman Lee Kuen-cheng (李坤城) dismissed Cheng’s plan to revive the KMT-CCP Forum as a move to “test the waters” for a potential meeting with Xi.

Taiwan needs to bolster its legal framework, inter-ministerial cooperation and societal resistance to face China’s cognitive warfare, Tunghai University Cross-Strait Research Center deputy executive director Hung Pu-chao (洪浦釗) said. “We cannot use laws from the analog era to fight cognitive warfare in the digital age,” Hung said. China does not need to convince everyone, heightening political polarization alone achieves its cognitive warfare goals, he said. Cognitive security can no longer be the responsibility of just national security agencies, but needs to involve cooperation between multiple ministries, he said. When the public sees through China’s cognitive warfare, it acts as a “social vaccine,” weakening disinformation and embedding cognitive security into democratic defense, he said.

The laws aim to prevent foreign vessels from falsifying their identities, concealing sailing routes, severing undersea cables and engaging in other illegal activities, said the Executive Yuan, which proposed the amendments. Those who damage meteorological facilities, undersea cables or other infrastructure face fines ranging from NT$2 million to NT$100 million, depending on the offense. The measures were introduced after several incidents last year involving foreign vessels severing undersea cables or lingering in Taiwan’s offshore waters, raising national security concerns. Under the Commercial Port Act amendments, port operators, the Maritime and Port Bureau or designated authorities may order vessels to leave a commercial port within three months or relocate if their presence interferes with berth scheduling or port safety. The remaining five amended laws, including to the Meteorological Act, target those who steal, damage or unlawfully interfere with facilities related to meteorology, undersea cables, power generation, natural gas or water supply.

TPP chair leads delegation to USBy Lo Kuo-chia / Staff reporter, with CNATaiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) late yesterday afternoon departed for Washington, where he said he is scheduled to meet with US government officials to discuss arms procurement and tariffs. “Aside from receiving two A4 pages and seeing seven articles, the amount of information we have been able to obtain is so little it is hard to even describe,” he said. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, center, speaks to reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. The trip came as a surprise to many, as it was not announced until the TPP briefed the press on it earlier yesterday afternoon. Huang said, however, that the visit had been arranged for “quite some time” after discussions with the US side.

Man drowns in a public hot spring pool in TaianBy Peng Chien-li, Weng Yu-huang and Fion Khan / Staff reporters, with staff writerA 73-year-old man yesterday drowned at a public hot spring pool at the Taian Police Light Villa in Miaoli County, police said. The entrance to a public hot spring pool at the Taian Police Light Villa in Miaoli County is pictured in an undated photograph. The villa, in Taian Hot Spring, is a popular destination for police officers. While the resort primarily serves police personnel, its public pool is open to the public. Entering a high-temperature pool too quickly could cause rapid vasodilation, while repeatedly alternating between hot and cold pools could lead to sharp fluctuations in blood pressure, he said.