China Steel Corp employees work in a plant on July 11. Photo: CNAThe Kaohsiung-based company said it took its cue from global peers, which have raised steel prices amid an improving industry outlook. As the prices of iron ore and other commodities continue to hover at high levels, they have lent support to global steel prices, China Steel said. “It is clear that global steel prices have hit the bottom and are ready to rebound,” it said. Responding to improving market conditions, China’s major steelmakers started hiking hot-rolled steel for exports by US$30 per tonne, China Steel said.

EDITORIAL: Ko an unlikely presidential choiceKo an unlikely presidential choiceIf the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was the biggest loser in the nine-in-one elections, then the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) was undoubtedly the runner-up. In post-election somberness, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) re-election as party chairman also failed to generate interest. Other minor parties, such as the New Party, the People First Party and the New Power Party, were born out of similar contexts, but none could escape marginalization in the end. The bloodiest example might be the decline of the New Power Party, a party born out of the Sunflower movement. If Ko wishes to model his presidential ambition on former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) or Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), he might have to think again.

Is Hong Kong back to business as usual? People on Sunday take photos of a Christmas tree in Hong Kong, China. Travelers yesterday arrive at Hong Kong International Airport after the lifting of coronavirus disease movement controls in Hong Kong, China. A quarter-century after Hong Kong’s return to China, Hong Kong’s rulers have chipped away at civil liberties and jailed dozens of pro-democracy figures. Australian jockey Zac Purton riding California Spangle on Saturday celebrates winning the Hong Kong Mile G1 race (1600m) during the Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, China.

Taipei police impeached for covering up assaultStaff writer, with CNAThe Control Yuan has impeached four police officers for their role last year in deleting surveillance footage of a group of men storming Taipei’s Zhonglun Police Station before leaving without being arrested. Yang, a police training instructor with the Songshan Precinct, reportedly had a dispute with Hsu at a nearby restaurant. The Songshan Precinct held a news conference the following day, but no video recording was provided. Hsu Shu-huan has since been reprimanded for his actions and removed from his post, while Yang has been transferred to another station. The Control Yuan said the officers filed a false report claiming the computer had been damaged by a member of the public accidentally knocking it over.

“The global economic scene looks pessimistic going forward, as the war in Ukraine drove up global fuel prices and prompted major central banks to hike interest rates to tame inflation,” institute founder Liu Tai-ying (劉泰英) said. Taiwan Research Institute president Wu Tsai-yi, standing, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Hsu Tzu-ling, Taipei TimesThe growth projections for this year and next year made TRI the most conservative among major local think tanks. The institute is expecting a 1.96 percent increase in consumer prices next year, below the central bank’s target of at most 2 percent. Exports of goods and services are forecast to grow 3.37 percent next year, slower than imports’ projected increase of 5.44 percent, the institute said.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui attends a hearing at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times“There is no possibility unless there is a change of regime” in Nicaragua, Yui said. Ortega had maintained ties with Taipei after he returned to office in 2007 until last year. In response to Ortega’s win, Washington sanctioned Nicaragua, which was probably why Ortega allied himself with China and Russia, Wu said. The termination of ties with Nicaragua left the nation with 14 diplomatic allies worldwide.

Elections reveal concerning trendBy Shih Fang-long 施芳瓏Last month’s local election results were a repeat of the 2018 elections: the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) made big wins, while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered ignominious defeats. On closer analysis, given the similarity in the results, we can see a new trend emerging: Taiwanese vote differently in presidential elections than in local ones. In the four years since the KMT’s 2018 local elections victories, Beijing has worked hard to make connections with and engage in exchanges with KMT local government heads. It needs to do so without using it as a slogan to manipulate elections, even if it means losing votes. Almost all of the local KMT leaders involved in corruption and the criminal underworld were elected, showing that control over local politics is wielded by criminals.

EDITORIAL: Xi is squandering China’s reputationThe impressive growth of China’s economy since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), under former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平), lifted millions of Chinese out of poverty has petered out. After Chinese took to the streets to call for an end to the policy, the government quickly started lifting restrictions. The abruptness of the policy shift, coupled with the dubious timing, would surely result in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Xi had also planned to elevate the economy and China’s standing in the world by developing an independent, cutting-edge and self-sufficient semiconductor manufacturing industry. Perhaps Xi will now see the wisdom of being a “good international citizen” and cultivating the international goodwill, trust and access to soft power that would entail.

Wowprime chairman Chen Cheng-hui (陳正輝) made the announcement in a late-night livestream event that the company organized for its 9,300 employees in Taiwan. Photo courtesy of Wowprime CorpThe company is expected to pay more than NT$200 million (US$6.51 million) in employee bonuses. Wowprime also announced that it would spend NT$20 million on five year-end banquets for its employees, plus an incentive tour later this month. With China easing its COVID-19 restrictions, Wowprime said it believed its operations there would improve. Last month, Wowprime said it would raise its starting monthly salary for employees to NT$33,000 from next year as part of a plan to increase pay by 3 percent to 7.5 percent for employees across the group’s chains.

Ex-CSIST boss tells behind-the-scenes story of missile development projectsBy Aaron Tu, Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerFormer Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) president Kung Chia-cheng (龔家政) made known some behind-the-scenes details of the nation’s missile development in a memoir published by Academia Sinica’s Institute of Modern History last month. Speaking about the supersonic cruise missile developed by the Yun Feng (雲峰, Cloud Peak) project, Kung said the missile could exceed Mach 3 and had excellent penetration, as it comes down on its target vertically. The missile’s speed ensures that it is not easily intercepted, and at the time of the missile’s development, under former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), only the US and Russia were developing similar kinds of missiles, Kung said. Nearly 400 CSIST members worked on a secret project to develop ballistic missile capabilities under the overarching “Tien Kung” project. Officials had been pleased with the successful results of the Hsiung Feng II-E type B simulation, he said.

EDITORIAL: Laws cannot ensure ‘clean’ electionsAfter the plagiarism scandals and allegations in the run-up to last month’s local elections, the hot topic ahead of a by-election in Taipei’s third electoral district is the issue of “black gold,” that is, bribery and affiliation with criminals. The Cabinet and the DPP have drafted amendments to ban people convicted of offenses related to organized crime, money laundering, firearms, drugs or vote-buying from running in national and local elections. Besides, commitment to holding a “clean election” by political parties would be a more crucial factor or, more precisely perhaps, a challenge. Many of these candidates were elected with a large number of votes in their favor, mostly from local political factions. Legislation alone cannot prevent politicians from using camouflage or sophistry, neither can it guarantee that elections are clean and ethical.

TPP urges government to address growing inflationBy Huang Ching-yu and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus yesterday urged the government to pass its budget soon and observe fiscal discipline in helping Taiwanese weather inflation woes. Calling “inflation” the word of the year, the caucus told a news conference at the legislature in Taipei that economic issues are gradually eroding people’s livelihoods. Consumer prices have steadily risen throughout the year, TPP Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) said. From left, Taiwan People’s Party legislators Jang Chyi-lu, Lai Hsiang-ling and Lin Chen-yu hold a news conference at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Meanwhile, real regular wages fell 0.07 percent annually, she said, adding that inflation has cut into earnings and depleted people’s disposable income.

Officers’ Santa hats spark debate about ‘dignity’ of police’ A TOUCH OF WARMTH’: Officers wearing the hats while directing traffic at a Chrismas event was well received by the public, New Taipei police saidStaff writer, with CNAThe New Taipei City Police Department yesterday defended its decision to ask some officers at a “Christmasland” event in New Taipei City at the weekend to wear Santa hats, after receiving online criticism that said the costumes harmed the “dignity of the police.”In a post in the “Kaobei Police” Facebook group on Saturday, a user shared a photo of police officers wearing Santa hats directing traffic at the Superstar Christmas Concert in Banciao District (板橋) earlier that evening. Some people dismissed the notion that festive headwear could harm the dignity of a profession, while others said that the Santa hats were a big hit with concertgoers, many of whom asked to take photos with the officers. Responding yesterday, the New Taipei City Police Department defended the move, saying it increased the officers’ visibility and was well received by the public. Of about 570 officers deployed to maintain security at the two-night event, only 100 officers — all reassigned from desk jobs and helping to direct traffic — were asked to wear the Santa hats, the department said. This year’s Christmasland events in Banciao District have already attracted about 5.8 million visitors since they opened on Nov. 11, Hou said.

Indian teller wins big with bet on Taiwanese guavasStaff writer, with CNAIn November 2019, Indian Kapil Sharma would not have known that he would share a bond with Taiwan because of its guavas. Unlike most local farmers who planted water-consuming crops like wheat or rice, Sharma visited a biotech company before deciding what to grow. “Taiwanese guavas changed my life,” he said, adding that the story might have been different if he had chosen another crop. Everyone in his village has heard about Taiwanese guavas, he added. Following the success of Taiwanese guavas, Sharma expanded his business by planting sugarcane and lemons, and started keeping bees.

TPP to focus on 2024, re-elected chairman saysSECOND TERM: The 2024 elections, for which Ko Wen-je is expected to handpick the candidates for the TPP, could ‘make or break’ him, a source saidStaff Writer, with CNANewly re-elected Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Saturday said that his upcoming departure from the Taipei mayoral office would allow the TPP to fully focus on cultivating talent ahead of the 2024 elections. Hours after his re-election, Ko wrote on social media that his top priority during his second term as TPP chairman would be improving the party’s organizational structure. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je attends an event hosted by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in Taipei on Dec. 3 in his capacity as TPP chairman. Adressing TPP members, Ko said that as a minor political party, the TPP must position itself to “serve the people” by being innovative, serious and responsible. Ko Wen-je’s first challenge after he starts his second term on Jan. 1 would be to help the TPP regroup and identify strong candidates for legislative elections, party sources said.