EDITORIAL: Migrant labor rules reform urgentA labor broker last week was fined more than NT$10 million (US$318,279) for illegally charging migrant workers job-placement fees. Reports by labor rights groups and international organizations have found migrant workers paying US$5,000 to US$6,600 to secure jobs in Taiwan, often before they even arrive. When migrant workers are already deeply indebted upon their arrival, their ability to refuse unreasonable demands or seek help is severely constrained. As birthrates remain low, migrant labor has become essential across sectors ranging from manufacturing to hospitality and port operations. The nation’s growing dependence on migrant labor makes reform increasingly urgent.

Over 200 attack drones were launched onto Ukraine in the night,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram, saying energy infrastructure in seven regions across Ukraine had been targeted. Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of killing at least 24 people, including a child, in a drone strike on a hotel and cafe in a Russian-controlled part of southern Ukraine. Firefighters stand near a residential building on fire following a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, yesterday. Moscow on Monday accused Kyiv of trying to strike a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A senior Russian military chief handed to a US military attache what he said was part of a Ukrainian drone containing data that proved that the Ukrainian military had targeted the residence.

BYD surges, but Chinese EV market faces pressureBloombergBYD Co (比亞迪) last year met its full-year sales target and likely surpassed Tesla Inc to become the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles (EVs) — a milestone overshadowed by a challenging outlook for the Chinese auto market in the year ahead. The Chinese EV giant’s Hong Kong-listed shares rose on the first day of trading for the new year, gaining as much as 2.3 percent yesterday. The Shenzhen-based automaker delivered 4.6 million vehicles last year, up 7.7 percent from 2024. BYD and its rivals face growing pressure in the coming year as China scales back some incentives supporting EV purchases. The company’s total sales could grow to 5.3 million units next year, analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg showed.

The government is waiting for a wrap-up meeting to conclude the talks, Kung told reporters before the ministry’s weekly business briefing. Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin speaks at the legislature in Taipei on Dec. 1. Robust artificial intelligence (AI) demand supporting semiconductors and AI servers shipments was the top economic driver, while some traditional industries face structural challenges, he said. The main challenge for traditional industries lies in oversupply in China, which has fueled price competition amid persistently weak domestic demand in China, he said. The government aims to use the special budget to improve the resilience of traditional industries over the next two years, he said.

Gold and silver open the new year with advancesBloombergGold and silver advanced as trading began in the new year, building on their best annual performances since 1979. Bullion rose to US$4,375 an ounce, while silver gained more than 2 percent. A worker displays a 1kg gold bullion bar at the ABC Refinery in Sydney on Aug. 5, 2020. Silver rallied even harder than gold last year, hitting records and blowing through levels that until recently had seemed unthinkable to all but the most enthusiastic of market watchers. In addition to the factors that aided gold, silver has also been a beneficiary of sustained concerns that the US administration could eventually impose import tariffs on the refined metal.

Surveillance of digital generationBy Tenzing NyidonSocial networks have become the primary venue for youngsters in Asia to reveal their characters, construct relationships and participate in international discussions. For millions of young people living in areas where the state heavily monitors activities — like China, Myanmar and Vietnam — online digital expression is dominated by censorship, continuous surveillance and the possibility of punishment. The tactics not only show inventiveness, but also the difficulties that minority youth might encounter when digital platforms are used as a means to boost state powers. Tibetan diaspora youth living in India, Nepal, Europe or North America have much more digital freedom compared with those in Tibet and China. Asia’s young digital generation is the main driver of culture and politics in the 21st century.

Bullying with the use of tourism has failedBy Rath Wang 王健智China’s attempts to hold its tourists hostage have yet again failed, Japan being a case in point. Taiwan is familiar with this bullying tactic: In hindsight, hysterical outbursts from Beijing helped Taiwan to control the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. China’s ban gave Tsai the mandate to diversify Taiwan’s tourism industry from reliance on Chinese visitors. This is a lesson that Japan has already learned from, as it focuses on tourism from nations other than China. He is a producer and host of political talk shows and podcasts, and has worked on political campaigns and advocacies in Taiwan, Japan and the US.

Shares close at new high; TSMC breaks recordsStaff writer, with CNAShares in Taiwan closed at a new high yesterday, the first trading day of the new year, as contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) continued to break records amid an artificial intelligence (AI) boom, dealers said. Ta Ya Electric Wire & Cable Co (大亞電線電纜) rose 1.45 percent to close at NT$38.50 and rival Walsin Lihwa Corp (華新麗華) close at NT$32.90, up 3.46 percent. In the financial sector, E. Sun Financial Holding Co (玉山金控) rose 1.04 percent to close at NT$34.10, while Cathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控) and Fubon Financial Holding Co (富邦金控) lost 0.79 percent and 0.52 percent to close at NT$75.20 and NT$95.60 respectively. “The TAIEX is likely to challenge 30,000 points as foreign institutional buying continues until TSMC’s investor conference,” Huang said. Foreign institutional investors bought a net NT$12.02 billion of shares on the main board yesterday, TWSE data showed.

The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for Taiwan’s manufacturing sector rose 3.9 points last month to 55.3, the third straight month of expansion and the fastest pace since June 2024, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中經院) said yesterday. Photo: CNA“The pickup reflects a broad-based recovery in manufacturing activity, driven primarily by Taiwan’s central role in the global AI supply chain,” CIER president Lien Hsien-ming (連賢明) told a news conference in Taipei. Supplier delivery times lengthened further, while inventories returned to growth, underscoring both rising demand and tightening supply conditions, it said. However, firms in food and textiles, basic raw materials, and machinery equipment remain more cautious, pointing to a prolonged, uneven expansion. The non-manufacturing index edged down to 54.6 last month from 55.8 a month earlier, but stayed firmly in expansion territory, CIER said.

The collapse of Germany’s coalition government in February last year could provide a reference point for how a no-confidence motion and early elections could be held to seek a renewed public mandate. The German parliament elected in 2021 was meant to serve a full term until September. His original calculation was to push through several key bills before later proposing a motion of no confidence, ostensibly to avoid dissolving parliament right before Christmas and disrupting the holiday atmosphere. The elections that followed allowed a new government to form with an updated mandate from the public. This same constitutional right to seek a no-confidence vote is well within the arsenal of Taiwan’s blue and white-camp legislators, who claim to disagree so resolutely with Cho’s refusal to countersign legislation.

Trump sneers at protocol as Netanyahu looks onTrump’s news conference with Benjamin Netanyahu touched on Gaza, Iran’s nuclear program and tensions with SyriaBy Robert Tait / The Guardian, WashingtonHosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the fifth time since returning to the White House 11 months ago, US President Donald Trump gave a performance on Monday that provided a microcosm of his customary disdain for foreign policy protocol. Almost in passing, Trump crowed about his relationship with another hardline leader, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who long derided Netanyahu and compared him to Hitler. He said Trump was the best friend among any US presidents Israel had ever had. “We’ve never had a friend like President Trump in the White House,” Netanyahu said. “I hope he’s going to get along with Syria,” Trump said of Netanyahu.

A new space race is beginningCan we learn sustainability or will old ideas poison new skies? The Guardian EditorialDuring the Cold War’s space race, the Apollo moon missions were driven by the US need to prove its superiority. Washington wants space exploration to be led by the private sector, a wish anchored in the Artemis Accords. Little wonder, then, that Musk aims to float his space exploration firm SpaceX this year for US$1.5 trillion. Echoes of the novel’s debates — nuclear versus solar, terraforming versus preservation — can be found in the real space race today.

Very cold temperatures to continue until tomorrowStaff writer, with CNAThe strongest cold air mass to blanket the nation this winter began yesterday and would continue through tomorrow morning, with temperatures in low-lying areas potentially falling below 7°C, independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said yesterday. The cold air is expected to weaken during the day tomorrow through Monday evening, before the weather turns clear and cold on Tuesday afternoon as another strong cold air mass moves southward, he said. A cold surge advisory took effect for New Taipei City, Keelung, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Yilan County and Kinmen County yesterday morning and was to remain in effect through the night amid a strong continental cold air mass, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. People in thick winter coats walk in Taipei yesterday. The lowest temperatures on Taiwan proper were in New Taipei City’s Shihmen District (石門) at 9.3°C and its Wugu District (五股) at 9.6°C.

Ho, who remains in detention, said he had done nothing wrong and could still appeal the verdict. National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu speaks at an event in Taipei on Oct. 21 last year. The NSC said the vote result sends the wrong message to the world and gives China an opportunity to divide Taiwan, carry out cognitive warfare and conduct “united front” infiltration. At this critical moment, the opposition voted down a proposal to condemn China’s military drills and instead attacked the national security and administrative teams, it said. This tramples on the efforts of the military and coast guard personnel who are on the front lines defending the country, it added.

The PLA simulated a blockade of Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday with live-fire exercises encircling Taiwan proper. The seal of the US Department of State is pictured in Washington in an undated photograph. “They’ve been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area,” he said after live-fire drills on Monday, touting his “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). The EU, UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines and Canada voiced concerns days before the State Department. The US has been committed for decades to ensuring Taiwan’s self-defense, while staying ambiguous on whether its military would intervene in an invasion.