Options to transform the Chiang memorialBy Liou Je-wei 劉哲瑋The Transitional Justice Commission last week announced a plan to transform the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, triggering debate at home and abroad. Ogasawara also argued that from the perspective of a foreign visitor to Taiwan, the memorial hall provides an excellent educational opportunity about Taiwan’s democratic transition. It is entirely proper that, in accordance with the legal remit of the commission, all authoritarian symbols in the complex should be amended. Finally, a way must be found to prevent the restoration of authoritarian symbols and iconography following a future transition of political power. The memorial was renamed National Democracy Memorial Hall by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), but then changed back to its current name by his successor, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

Bangladesh’s transgender tycoons create safe workAFP, DHAKASimran Snigdha was begging when a chance encounter helped get her off Bangladesh’s streets and realize her artistic dreams — one of a growing number of transgender people securing formal employment as the government boosts support for the marginalized community. A transgender person works at the Bhuyan Fashion garment factory owned by Siddik Bhuyan Synthia in Dhaka on June 24. Photo: AFP“I didn’t get the opportunity — I had to extort people ... and did prostitution,” Snigdha said at a garment factory in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. Staring back was transgender factory owner Siddik Bhuyan Synthia — who asked her to join the business. At her garment factory in Dhaka, she employs only transgender people.

China’s true fears in AfghanistanBy Kok BayraqWith the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, China has remarketed its East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) concerns. Undoubtedly, China fears that its own criminal record against Islam, including its ongoing genocide against Uighur Muslims, might be disclosed. “The Uighurs are Chinese citizens, and all citizens should have equal rights, and so should the Uighurs,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said. The implied condition in the statement is a policy change by China toward Uighur Muslims. All these possibilities and concerns are the real source of China’s fears regarding Afghanistan and the Taliban regaining power; it has nothing to do with the ETIM.

EDITORIAL: The KMT’s wasted opportunityThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Sept. 4 held a televised debate between candidates for its chairperson election. However, by far the biggest issue of contention is the KMT’s insistence on Taiwanese being “Chinese” and that Taiwan must remain friendly toward the Chinese Communist Party. During the debate, Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), another candidate, said that if elected, he would seek a peace treaty with Beijing, should the KMT win the presidency. This is the KMT’s core problem — its fundamental inability to detach itself from China, despite majority public opinion. If the KMT is to ever win the presidency or at least be a viable opposition party, it must rethink its views on China.

Argentina pinning hopes on Carreras against All BlacksAFP, BRISBANE, AustraliaArgentina’s Santiago Carreras today faces the daunting task of making his first Test appearance at flyhalf against the All Blacks, in a bold selection gamble forced by injuries and poor results. 10 Nicolas Sanchez to injury in last weekend’s 39-0 loss to New Zealand, but had a ready replacement in Domingo Miotti. Photo: AFPLedesma said 23-year-old Carreras, who normally plays Tests at fullback or wing, was a “natural” in the No. Hopefully, we can play some free-flowing footy.”Captain Ardie Savea said he expected a fierce physical challenge from Argentina and the All Blacks had to respond in kind. If we turn up thinking the same performance we did last week will be enough, we’re kidding ourselves,” Savea said.

US, Australia commit to boosting ties with TaiwanStaff writer, with CNAThe US and Australia on Thursday expressed support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and said they intend to bolster ties with Taiwan. In a joint statement issued by the two governments at the conclusion of the 31st Australia-US Ministerial Consultations in Washington, they said that Taiwan plays an important role in the Indo-Pacific region. The logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured at the ministry in Taipei on March 3, 2019. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei welcomed the open support from the two countries. Taiwan would continue to build ties with the two democratic partners, based on a solid foundation, to jointly maintain peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, it said yesterday.

Labor law amendments urged to boost birthrateFEMALE WORKFORCE: Childcare leave needs to be more flexible, which would help boost the birthrate and workforce participation of married women, an advocate saidBy Chien Hui-ju and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerDemocratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers and the Childcare Policy Alliance on Wednesday urged the government to reform labor regulations to boost the birthrate in Taiwan and keep married women in the workforce. These changes would require amendments to the Employment Insurance Act (就業保險法) and the Regulations for Implementing Unpaid Parental Leave for Raising Children (育嬰留職停薪實施辦法), Huang said. Academic studies and data from other countries show that publicly funded childcare properly integrated with parental leave is an effective policy solution, Liu said. “In Australia, childcare leave laws are written in gender-neutral language and they authorize up to 12 consecutive weeks of paid leave to the parent of any one-year-old,” Fan said. The Chinese-language United Daily News reported that the ministry said allowing workers to take childcare leave for a few hours at a time might not be practicable for all industries.

DPP lawmaker gets NCC approval for Matsu role‘APOLITICAL’: Chen Ting-fei said her engagement is not comparable to that of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, who was fined for playing a role in a TV dramaBy Wang Shu-hsiu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerDemocratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) yesterday said she has obtained broadcast regulators’ approval to play the sea goddess Matsu (媽祖) in a TV drama. Chen wrote on Facebook that she and the production team of Formosa TV’s Taiwan New Mysteries had been granted approval from the National Communications Commission (NCC). Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ting-fei is dressed as the sea goddess Matsu during the shooting of a TV drama in Tainan on Thursday. Citing the commission’s approval, Chen said that politicians are allowed to appear in a drama as long as their role is not designed to boost their political career. The Taipei District Court has upheld Lu’s fine, saying that her appearance in the show in 2019 was intended to boost her as Taichung mayor and promote the Taichung Flora Expo.

Taiwan unaffected by China’s sudden CPTPP bid: ministerBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterChina’s surprise application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) would not force Taipei’s hand in its own application, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said yesterday. “Our strategy is to line up allies in a low-key manner and work on building consensus before pursuing any official application,” Wang said. Beijing’s surprise bid for inclusion does not mean Taipei should feel pressured into making a parallel bid, she added. “There’s no set timetable for inclusion after an official bid,” Wang said. “Of course US support is always welcome in helping Taiwan join international organizations,” Wang said.

The recent boom in food delivery apps meant customers were already used to having restaurant quality meals quickly delivered to their homes. To meet that demand a growing number of restaurants set up delivery only kitchens — also known as “cloud kitchens” — or rented space in ones. Grab opened 20 new cloud kitchens in Southeast Asia last year, up from 42 before the pandemic. Earlier this year they opened their first cloud kitchen on the outskirts of Bangkok, with plans for two more. After recently retiring from Air India, Nirjash Roy Chowdhury, sunk his savings into setting up a cloud kitchen in Mumbai.

Chinese planes spotted as military exercises endStaff writer, with CNATen Chinese military planes flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone yesterday as Taiwan concluded its annual Han Kuang military exercises, the Ministry of National Defense said. The air force responded by scrambling planes to monitor the Chinese aircraft, issuing radio warnings and mobilizing air defense assets — the standard practice in responding to intrusions. A Sikorsky S-70C helicopter lands on the Tian Dan, a Cheng Kung-class frigate, during the Han Kuang military exercises yesterday. Photo provided by the Military News Agency via CNAYesterday was the 15th consecutive day of intrusions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone by Chinese planes, ministry data showed. The ministry on Sept. 17 last year set up a dedicated section on its Web site for reports of intrusions by Chinese military planes.

Critics call for oversight of Fed officials’ investmentsBloombergUS Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s review of internal rules around investments by policymakers is a move in the right direction, but will not stem pressure for more accountability at the US central bank. “It’s about time,” Roberto Perli, a partner at Cornerstone Macro LLC, said of a Fed statement on Thursday that Powell had ordered a “fresh and comprehensive” study of the ethics rules around permissible financial holdings and activities by senior Fed officials. Photo: ReutersPowell’s move followed revelations last week over investments and trading by two of the central bank’s regional bank presidents. Both said that their transactions complied with Fed ethics rules and that they were acting to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. US Senator Elizabeth Warren said in a statement on Thursday that she had written to all 12 regional Fed bosses to urge them to adopt a self-imposed ban on the ownership and trading in individual stocks by senior Fed officials and that they act “within 60 days.”The role of the regional Fed directors was also under scrutiny.

Innolux cutting output on weak demand, pricesBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterInnolux Corp (群創), which makes flat panels used in TVs and computers, yesterday said it is cutting production amid weakening demand and slumping prices. The Miaoli-based flat-panel maker’s comments came as demand began losing steam last month after experiencing the industry’s longest boom of one-and-a-half years. “Shipments might be adjusted in the fourth quarter,” Hung added. Innolux also attributed supply-chain disruptions, international port congestion and key component shortages to the already falling demand. Flat panels used in notebook computers, monitors and mobile phones account for a third each, he added.

Two local cases posted in TaipeiMUTUAL GOODWILL: Taiwan is to donate 10,000 pulse oximeters and 1,008 oxygen concentrators to Japan, which has pledged to send Taiwan 500,000 additional vaccinesBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported two local and six imported cases of COVID-19, but no deaths. The two local cases reside in Taipei, a woman in her 70s and another one in her 20s, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is also the CECC spokesman, told a news briefing in Taipei. Chuang also shared the genome sequencing results of 11 cases that are part of the 41 imported cases reported between Friday last week and Thursday. Taiwan has recorded a total of 149 infections by the Delta variant, including 43 local cases, Chuang said. Its government pledged another donation of 500,000 vaccine doses to Taiwan earlier this week.

INTERVIEW: Creativity helps Formosa Group survive difficult timesFormosa International Hotels Group is taking a hard hit this year, but it is nonetheless aiming to expand its footprint at home and abroad, unfazed by the reshaping of the hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other international tourist hotels fared worse with business plunging 85 percent. Formosa International Hotels Group chairman Steve Pan speaks at an event on Feb. 24. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei TimesThe international tourist hotels have been a completely different story. In Singapore, the government provides different degrees of wage subsidies for international tourist hotels while border controls are in place.