Recognizing the CCP’s ‘dialogue’ deceptionBy Lu Hai-tung 陸海東A familiar refrain is often heard whenever cross-strait tensions rise: The more tense things get, the more exchanges are needed. Those who cannot — or who resist — are not merely excluded from dialogue, but punished. Within the first group, some believe that unification matters more than the survival of the ROC itself. The logic defines CCP’s current Taiwan policy: Use the first group, co-opt the second and strike the third. Given how clear the objectives and methods are, Taiwanese must approach calls for exchanges and communication with caution.

KMT policies keep birthrate lowBy Teng Hon-yuan 鄧鴻源Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) deputy secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said that Taiwan’s low birthrate is no longer a warning sign, but a fact of life. Why does the KMT continue to focus solely on workplace and retirement benefits for the military, police and civil servants while ignoring the welfare of all other groups? Are they aware that the retirement funds of average workers are far lower than that of military personnel and civil servants? The national security crisis posed by low birthrates transcends party lines — it decides whether Taiwan’s next generation has a future. Is the real issue not that the KMT has continuously blocked both the general budget and the special defense budget?

The US’ missing manufacturing renaissanceBy Scott Lincicome / Bloomberg OpinionUS manufacturing ended last year with a thud, capping a rough year for the sector. Overall, the evidence revealed a sector that is stagnant at best, and a long way from the manufacturing renaissance US President Donald Trump promised when he took office for a second time a year ago. Better tax, regulatory and monetary policies should indeed provide a tailwind for manufacturing, but the sector would probably continue to struggle. Producers involved in goods trade (imports and/or exports) are large and growing employers — home to about 80 percent of all US manufacturing workers. Roughly half of US goods imports in 2024 were between related parties, with especially high concentrations in transportation equipment, chemicals, computer and electronic products, and machinery.

Every few years, uprisings erupt across Iran — and each wave of resistance is deeper and more widespread than the one before. People are still risking their lives to stand up to torture and state violence. The regime wants to hide its crackdown from the rest of the world and stop Iranians from organizing. Nasrin Parvaz is a women’s rights activist and torture survivor from Iran. Her books include A Prison Memoir: One Woman’s Struggle in Iran, and the novel The Secret Letters from X to A.

Indonesian rescuers locate wreckage of missing aircraftReuters, JAKARTAIndonesian authorities yesterday said they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane that went missing in South Sulawesi province near a fog-covered mountain, but were still searching for the 11 people on board. The ATR 42-500 turboprop owned by aviation group Indonesia Air Transport lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday at about 1:30pm around the Maros region in South Sulawesi. Members of the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) rescue team conduct a search operation around Mount Bulusaraung, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, on Saturday. The aircraft had been heading to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, after departing from Yogyakarta province before contact was lost. Yesterday morning, local rescuers found the wreckage in different locations around Mount Bulusaraung in the Maros region, said Andi Sultan, an official at South Sulawesi’s rescue agency.

Trump wants ‘Board of Peace’ members to payBloombergUS President Donald Trump is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least US$1 billion. Several European nations have been invited to join the peace board, according to people familiar with the matter. The peace board would hold regular non-voting meetings with its executive board. Trump would also have the power to remove a member, subject to a veto by a two-thirds majority of member states. “The Chairman shall at all times designate a successor for the role of Chairman,” the charter says.

Syrian army extends hold in northESCALATION: The SDF had agreed to withdraw from Aleppo, but accused the Syrian government of breaking previous agreements as clashes erupted between themAFP, DEIR HAFER, SyriaSyria’s army has seized swathes of the country’s north, dislodging Kurdish forces from territory over which they held effective autonomy for more than a decade. People welcome Syrian army troops following the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Maskanah, Syria, on Saturday. “The Syrian army controls the strategic city of Tabqa in the Raqqa countryside, including the Euphrates Dam, which is the largest dam in Syria,” Syrian Minister of Information Hamza Almustafa was quoted by the official SANA news agency as saying. However, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said they had “taken the necessary measures to restore security and stability” in Tabqa. Syria’s army said four soldiers had been killed, while Kurdish forces reported several fighters dead.

S Korea seeks favorable chip terms with US: officialReuters, SEOULSouth Korea would seek favorable terms for US tariffs on imports of memory chips, a presidential office spokesperson told a news conference yesterday. South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Kim Jung-kwan on Saturday said US tariffs on some advanced computing chips would have a limited impact on South Korean companies. Photo: BloombergSouth Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc are among the world’s biggest producers of memory chips. Under an accord with South Korea announced in July last year, the US would charge a 15 percent tariff on most goods from the country, while sparing, for now, imports of chips. “If they don’t build in America, the tariff is likely to be 100 percent,” Lutnick told CNBC.

Yuanta forecasts nation’s GDP to grow 5.3 percent, following Taiwan-US dealBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterTaiwan’s GDP is forecast to grow 5.3 percent year-on-year this year, as the nation’s non-electronics industries are expected to benefit from the latest Taiwan-US trade deal, which lowers US tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent from 20 percent, Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) said in a report. Yuanta’s forecast is higher than a market consensus of 3.8 percent growth forecast, the report issued on Friday said. The latest trade deal aligns Taiwan’s tariff rates with those of its major trading partners such as Japan and South Korea, and is lower than the current US tariff rates on China, Yuanta said. In addition, TSMC’s upward revision of this year’s AI shipment growth forecast from 33 percent to 43 percent is expected to add an additional 4 percentage points to Taiwan’s export growth this year, thereby boosting this year’s GDP growth by 0.64 percentage points, it said. Meanwhile, the US’ semiconductor tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 pose no substantial negative impact on Taiwan’s economy, while reducing uncertainty about US future policies on semiconductor tariffs, Yuanta said.

Chinese customs restrict Nvidia chips‘BASICALLY A BAN’: Sources said the wording governing H200 imports from officials was severe, but added that the regulations might change if the situation evolves Chinese customs authorities told customs agents this week that Nvidia Corp’s H200 artificial intelligence (AI) chips are not permitted to enter China, three people briefed on the matter said. Chinese government officials also summoned domestic technology companies to meetings on Tuesday, at which they were explicitly instructed not to purchase the chips unless necessary, two of the people and a third source said. “The wording from the officials is so severe that it is basically a ban for now, though this might change in the future should things evolve,” one of the people said. The H200, Nvidia’s second-most powerful AI chip, is one

US$250bn credit to help firms raise funds: expertsA BOOST: The mechanism could help smaller companies obtain lower borrowing costs, making it easier for big firms like TSMC to expand overseas, an economist saidStaff writer, with CNAA US$250 billion credit guarantee the government has agreed to in a tariff deal with the US is expected to help enterprises raise funds to facilitate their investments in the US, experts said. As part of the deal, Taiwanese semiconductor, electronics manufacturing service, artificial intelligence and energy companies would invest US$250 billion directly in the US. The government has pledged to provide up to US$250 billion in credit guarantees to financial institutions to support US-bound investments by companies in the semiconductor and information and communication technology sectors. The government’s credit guarantee is feasible, as Taiwan already operates similar mechanisms to support domestic small and medium-sized enterprises, Lo said. Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) on Friday wrote on social media that the credit guarantee aims to help enterprises extend their reach globally and does not mean the government would carelessly throw the money around.

Gasoline, diesel prices at pumps to rise this weekBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterThe nation’s two refiners yesterday said they would raise gasoline prices by NT$0.8 per liter and diesel prices by NT$0.9 a liter this week, after lowering prices for both by NT$0.2 per liter each the previous week. Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to increase to NT$27.2, NT$28.7 and NT$30.7 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said. The price of premium diesel is to rise to NT$25.7 per liter at CPC stations and NT$25.5 at Formosa pumps, they said. Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — last week rose 1.25 percent to settle at US$64.13 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures — the US oil benchmark — gained 0.54 percent to US$59.44 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Micron to pay US$1.8bn for fab siteKEEPING UP: The acquisition of a cleanroom in Taiwan would enable Micron to increase production in a market where demand continues to outpace supply, a Micron official saidBloombergMicron Technology Inc has signed a letter of intent to buy a fabrication site in Taiwan from Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (力積電) for US$1.8 billion to expand its production of memory chips. Micron would take control of the P5 site in Miaoli County’s Tongluo Township (銅鑼) and plans to ramp up DRAM production in phases after the transaction closes in the second quarter, the company said in a statement on Saturday. The acquisition includes an existing 12 inch fab cleanroom of 27,871m2 and would further position Micron to address growing global demand for memory solutions, the company said. Micron would also assist Powerchip in enhancing its existing specialty DRAM process technologies at the P3 site in Hsinchu County, it said. The investment is part of Micron’s global expansion as it seeks to meet continued demand for memory chips.

Real Madrid overcome fans’ boos to win matchAFP, MADRIDAngry Real Madrid fans on Saturday jeered their own team before they went on to beat Levante 2-0 in Spanish La Liga to record new coach Alvaro Arbeloa’s first win at the helm. Real Madrid’s Raul Asencio, front, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during their Spanish La Liga match against Levante in Madrid on Saturday. Mbappe had the best chance of a flat first half against the team in 19th in La Liga. “Today was a very important day, playing in front of our fans, we wanted to turn around the situation,” Asencio told Real Madrid TV. The loss leaves Villarreal eight points behind leaders Barcelona and damaged their chances of competing for a first-ever La Liga title.

Al-Attiyah and Benevides are winners in DakarAFP, YANBU, Saudi ArabiaQatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. The Dacia Sandriders’ Nasser al-Attiyah celebrates after winning the Dakar Rally in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. With Belgian codriver Fabian Lurquin, al-Attiyah took control of the overall standings early on in the motorsport marathon. Luciano Benavides, center, celebrates after winning the Dakar Rally motorbike title in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. Earlier, Argentina’s Luciano Benavides took the bike honors by a mere two seconds.