Due to the PLA’s intensification of sea and air drills in the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙島) are under severe threat from China’s military. The Ministry of National Defense has responded by garrisoning the Marine Corps on the Pratas Islands, ostensibly to conduct off-shore training, but in reality to bolster its defenses. The Pratas Islands are only about 400km from Kaohsiung. Freedom of navigation by the navies of the US and European nations would also be muzzled, as the waters around the Pratas Islands form a key choke point. Whether from the perspective of defense, diplomacy or territorial sovereignty, the Pratas Islands are vital to Taiwan.

Central bank tightens mortgage gripOVERHEATING: The measures would not affect first-time homebuyers or people with real demand, but are aimed at corporate and individual investors, the governor saidBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe central bank yesterday tightened credit controls for real-estate financing after verbal warnings failed to rein in property price hikes linked to capital repatriation and loose lending. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-long answers questions from reporters at a news conference at the bank in Taipei yesterday. It is better to act now, if credit controls are necessary to reverse the trend, he added. That explains why housing prices in the proximity of science parks in Hsinchu, Taichung and Tainan have risen, as have housing prices in rezoning areas nationwide, the central bank governor said. The central bank would further tighten credit controls if the situation fails to improve, Yang said.

Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesThe amount of payment that can be delayed is capped at NT$30,000, with wire transfer being the only financial tool for payment, it says. The service also offers installment payment plans, but charges annual interest of up to 20 percent, the Web site says. “The service is more accessible and convenient than credit cards,” Shopee said on its Web site. “I am worried that this service would encourage young consumers to buy things they cannot afford. Both ShopeePay and Shopee Taiwan fall under the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ supervision due to their businesses of third-party payment services and e-commerce respectively.

New group urges unity in climate change fightADAPTATION: Taiwan must plan for changing climate policies, which are likely to affect supply chains, but also provide business opportunities, Camyale Chao saidBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterA group of advocates yesterday announced the formation of an alliance in Taipei called Business Action on Climate Change (BACC), aimed at facilitating a more integrated effort to fight climate change among the private sector, the government and the public. Business Action on Climate Change cofounder Niven Huang, center, announces the formation of the alliance at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesTo conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions, all main sectors of the economy must transition at the same time, he said. Even trying its hardest, Taiwan would only be able to reduce global carbon emissions by less than 1 percent, he said. There are now many new ways to deal with environmental issues that can give rise to new business opportunities, Su said.

Study traces ancient Taiwanese sailorsTAIWAN TO RYUKYU: Paleolithic seafarers might have deliberately set sail, as drifting in the ocean would not have led them to Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, a new study found About 30,000 years ago, ancient inhabitants of Taiwan might have intentionally crossed the Kuroshio, one of the world’s strongest currents, researchers found. They might have searched for a new habitat and reached the Ryukyu Islands in Japan, said a study, titled “Palaeolithic voyage for invisible islands beyond the horizon,” which was published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday. The study, led by anthropologist Yousuke Kaifu, a ancient history researcher at the University of Tokyo, is part of a project on maritime migration of Paleolithic people 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. While some of them are believed to have migrated from TaiwanBy Lin Chia-nan

Furthermore, Aboriginal hunting is often stigmatized as causing environmental damage despite rampant development continuing in other areas. Avai Yatauyungana, standing, speaks at the third annual National Aboriginal Hunter Conference. They are also required to report their kills, which will be more streamlined with the app. In April 2018, the Chiayi County Tsou Hunter Association was established as the nation’s first of its kind. Pei says findings so far have evidence that if followed properly, traditional hunting practices are sustainable.

“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Valdosta, Georgia, on Saturday. Photo: APThe Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in Georgia are to determine the balance of power in Washington after Biden takes office. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position US vice president-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote. Trump pulled out a piece of paper and read a list of his electoral achievements, including falsely asserting he won Georgia and the White House.

A Financial Supervisory Commission sign is pictured in an undated photograph in New Taipei City. “The commission has asked the Taiwan Stock Exchange to propose relevant strengthening measures,” the FSC said in the report. Taiwan’s campaign to attract investors and explore potential opportunities has seen the number of KY companies reach 110 as of the end of October — 77 on the Taiwan Stock Exchange and 33 listed on the Taipei Exchange. The Taiwan Stock Exchange once touted the listing policy as an opportunity for overseas Taiwanese businesses to consider business upgrades, channel development, long-term corporate sustainability and improve brand recognition. Meanwhile, the report said that the Taiwan Stock Exchange and the Taipei Exchange need to collect further corporate credit information and immediately grasp information that affects a company’s financial situation.

Bilingual nation, modern nation: is it 2030 yet? English policy in Taiwan has long been wide-ranging, with the government quietly investing in many different programs. Why is Taiwan implementing this massive program to make the nation bilingual within a decade? A HUNGER FOR MODERNITYThe other force driving this policy is Taiwan’s ardent desire to be seen, not just as a nation, but as a modern nation. Ditto for the “Bilingual by 2030” policy.

TRA’s landslide-hit line is closed until SundayStaff writer, with CNARepairs to a Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) line damaged in a landslide in New Taipei City on Friday would take five days longer than expected, leaving it closed to traffic until Sunday, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. Progress on repairing the damaged section of the line between Rueifang (瑞芳) and Houtong (猴硐) stations has been hampered by poor weather and the risk of further landslides, Lin said. People line up at Taipei City Hall Bus Station yesterday to buy tickets from Taipei to Yilan and Hualien counties after a landslide in New Taipei City on Friday knocked a Taiwan Railways line out of commission. Express trains between Shulin Station in New Taipei City and Yilan Station in Yilan County, as well as local trains between Rueifang and Houtong stations, have been suspended since the incident, the TRA said. Operations on affected sections of the line returned to normal at about 1pm, with about 10,000 passengers affected, it said.

Global PMX upbeat due to auto market recoveryBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterGlobal PMX Co Ltd (智伸科), a provider of dual-clutch transmissions and direct-injection parts for gasoline motors, said that it is cautiously optimistic about its business outlook for next year due to a recovery in the global auto market and the electrification trend. Sales contributions from the automotive segment account for 60 to 70 percent of the company’s total revenue, the company said in a statement on Friday. Global PMX said that it is positive about its sales performance next year, given global auto brands’ continuous pursuit for better performing engines, the market’s growing awareness of carbon reduction and saving energy, and the increasing penetration of advanced driver-assistance systems in new vehicles. Global PMX Co Ltd president Eddy Lin poses for a photograph at an extraordinary general meeting in Taipei on Nov. 19 last year. Global PMX reported net profit of NT$391.65 million in the first three quarters, compared with NT$462.52 million a year earlier.

Taichung has 1.11 million cars, but not enough parkingVALUABLE REAL ESTATE: With fewer than 300,000 parking spaces for nearly 3 million vehicles, the city has been building parking facilities wherever it canBy Tsai Shu-yuan and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaichung residents have registered more than 1.11 million cars, far exceeding the number of parking spaces in the city, leading to complaints about parking, a source said Saturday. Residents have also registered nearly 1.74 million scooters and motorcycles, but there are only 145,000 parking spaces for cars and trucks, and 146,000 spaces for scooters — far fewer than residents need, the source said. The parking facilities would provide an additional 4,604 parking spaces for cars and trucks and 2,808 for scooters when they are complete, he added. To attract more people to move to Taichung, the city government would continue to add more parking, Yeh said. To prevent people from abusing free parking spaces by using them for long-term parking, the city would also monitor those spaces and convert them to paid parking if necessary, he added.

Landmark status mulled for Taoyuan Hakka homeBy Hsu Cho-hsun and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerA 92-year-old residence in Sinwu District (新屋), Taoyuan, is being considered for preservation, and could become the area’s second historical landmark. The descendants of the building’s builders, the Yeh (葉) family, are optimistic, saying on Wednesday that landmark status would hopefully “reinvigorate” the hall. Nanyang Hall, the ancestral home of the Yeh family in Taoyuan’s Sinwu District, built in 1928, is pictured on Wednesday. Photo: Hsu Cho-hsun, Taipei TimesNanyang Hall (南陽堂), built in 1928, was constructed in the “one hall four dwellings” (一堂四橫) style typical of Hakka buildings. The wooden structure, materials, construction and artwork are all unique, showcasing the family’s storied history in Sinwu, Tung added.

Kwang Yang Motor Co chairman Allen Ko poses for a photograph during an interview in Taipei on Wednesday last week. Taiwanese consumers are familiar with battery-swapping systems, but in Europe and China, the main trend is to recharge the batteries of electric motorcycles. TT: Kwang Yang makes a very special case by offering electric motorcycles and gasoline-powered models at the same time. The challenge for us is to rebrand as a supplier of electric motorcycles. Those interested in buying electric motorcycles are different from buyers of gasoline-powered ones.

The TRA said it is continuing to liaise with bus companies and hopes to increase the number of trips to expedite the transportation of passengers. The landslide deposited 3,800m3 of rock, dirt and debris onto a section of tracks between Rueifang (瑞芳) and Houtong (猴硐) stations in New Taipei City at about 9am on Friday, disrupting transportation. Debris from a landslide blocks a section of railway in New Taipei City yesterday. Travelers yesterday line up at the Hualien Railway Station to return their tickets after train services were suspended due to a landslide on the Yilan line. People whose journeys have been delayed by the landslide by at least 45 minutes can visit any TRA station nationwide for a refund within a year, it added.