Could Ko’s push for a renewed services pact change their minds? STRUCTURE OF TRADE PACTMany have forgotten how the services pact was structured. The agreement opened only services in Fujian Province to Taiwan competition (but all of Taiwan was opened), making Taiwan in effect a territory of Fujian. Ko’s insistence that the “cross-strait agreement supervisory act” be passed was probably intended to blunt criticisms that the services pact was undemocratic. The services pact was backed by big business and big finance.

Taiwanese Lin, Chen win WTT doubles in TunisStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese paddlers Lin Yun-ju and Chen Szu-yu yesterday won the mixed doubles title at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender Tunis, beating South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yubin 11-6, 13-11, 11-9 in just under 29 minutes. Although Lin and Chen started the third game strong, at one point boasting a 7-4 lead, Lim and Shin were determined to keep their title hopes alive, with the pairs eventually equalizing at 7-7 and then 9-9. Taiwanese table tennis star Chen Szu-yu, left, poses for a selfie with partner Lin Yun-ju after they won the mixed doubles final at the World Table Tennis Contender Tunis yesterday. Photo: screen grab from the World Table Tennis Web siteA strong forehand strike ended the game 11-9, handing Lin and Chen the victory. The title in Tunis was the second won by the duo, who also won in their debut together at the WTT Contender Almaty in September last year.

F-16s, Hercules to use civilian airport in drillsHAN KUANG EXERCISES: Military runways might be attacked during wartime, so civilian airports would play a critical role, a retired air force officer saidStaff writer, with CNAF-16 jets and C-130H Hercules transport aircraft are to take part in an emergency landing and takeoff drill next month held for the first time at a civilian airport, a military source said on Friday. An F-16V takes off from Hualien Jiashan Air Force Base during live-fire exercises on March 20. Taitung Fengnian Airport was ideal for the exercises, as it would be difficult to practice such drills at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) or Kaohsiung International Airport given how busy they are, Chang said. The runway is only 400m shorter than the one at the Air Force Academy in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (岡山), he said. The landing distances for a F-16V Block 20 and Mirage 2000 are 810m and 610m respectively, he said.

The war has almost entirely halted the workings of Ukraine’s insurance market, which must be unlocked to private investors if its economy is to recover from the ravages of the conflict, the ministry said. Photo: Yang Cheng-yu, Taipei TimesTaiwan, Ukraine and other partners agreed that the ERBD should establish the Ukraine Recovery Guarantee Facility to make insurance products available in Ukraine while reducing risks to private insurers involved in the effort, the ministry said. The nation’s signing of the joint statement attested to Taiwan’s commitment to helping Ukraine, it said. In aiding Ukraine’s economic recovery Taipei is demonstrating once again that Taiwan can help, it said. The nation strives to be a force for good and Taipei is dedicated to providing aid to maintain Ukraine’s economy during the war and post-war reconstruction, it said.

TPP seeks presidency by splitting electorateBy Pan Wei-yiu 潘威佑Looking at this year’s presidential and legislative nomination process, the national development planning of the candidates and their pan-blue, green and white camps can be seen. Within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), there has been a dispute over its nomination mechanism, as Hon Hai Group founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) again sought the party’s presidential nomination. Although the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), the main party in the pan-white camp, was expected to ally with the KMT, the rise of pan-blue camp support was seen as unfavorable to the TPP, which has gradually been marginalized. A TVBS poll released last month said that support for the KMT, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the TPP was 23, 22 and 12 percent respectively. A surprise surge such as that by the TPP and its candidate is rarely seen, and the phenomenon deserves attention.

Crusaders deliver against ChiefsSEVEN IN SEVEN: Despite the Chiefs having won 15 from 16 going into the final and injury worries for the Crusaders, the visitors battled to another trophyAP, HAMILTON, New ZealandScott Robertson yesterday ended his seven-year tenure as head coach of the Canterbury Crusaders with a seventh title after his team beat the Waikato Chiefs 25-20 in the Super Rugby Pacific final. The Canterbury Crusaders celebrate with the trophy after their win in the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Waikato Chiefs at FMG Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand, yesterday. The Waikato Chiefs’ Samisoni Taukei’aho runs with the ball during the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Canterbury Crusaders at FMG Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand, yesterday. The Waikato Chiefs’ Emoni Narawa, front, dives over for a try during the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Canterbury Crusaders at FMG Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand, yesterday. Canterbury Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson break dances after his team won the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Waikato Chiefs at FMG Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand, yesterday.

MOL working on raising female re-employmentBACK TO WORK? The government would offer companies willing to reduce working hours NT$3,000 in monthly subsidies to help women better balance work and life, Ho said. The goal is to reintroduce 70,000 women to the job market and raise the female labor participation rate to 53 percent, Ho said. According to the Key Points for Trialing the Special Subsidized Employment Project to Alleviate the Labor Shortage (專案缺工就業獎勵試辦實施要點), those working full-time at “short-staffed positions” are eligible for a monthly subsidy of NT$6,000. People working full-time in remote areas or outlying islands would be entitled to an additional NT$3,000.

Here’s how the first bite of ‘cell-cultivated’ meat tastesBy Jonel Aleccia / APWhen I told friends and family I was reporting on the first chicken meat grown from animal cells, their first comment was “Eww.” Their second comment was: “How does it taste?”The short answer (you’ve probably heard this sentence before in other contexts): Tastes like chicken. Yes, it’s strange to think of eating a totally new kind of meat — chicken that doesn’t come from a chicken, meat that will be sold as “cell-cultivated” chicken after the US Agriculture Department on Wednesday gave the green light to two California firms, Upside Foods and Good Meat. And in this case, to the larger question behind it: Is this new material in fact chicken, or is it an impostor? And the texture was both tender and chewy, like a well-cooked chicken thigh should be. There are still huge hurdles — how to scale up manufacturing and pare back costs, experts say, and the lingering question of whether chicken without the bird is, in fact, chicken — but if you’re basing it on authentic taste, I’ll leave you with this:Please pass the “chicken.”

Proposed bill to prioritize US arms delivery to TaiwanStaff writer, with CNA, WASHINGTONUS Senator Dan Sullivan has proposed a bill that would place Taiwan on the US’ priority list for arms sale deliveries, amid reports of a US$19 billion backlog. US Senator Dan Sullivan speaks at a Senate Armed Services hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 7, 2020. Photo: REUTERS“Everyone in Washington agrees that Taiwan is under dire, immediate threat from the Chinese Communist Party,” Sullivan said. Sullivan’s bill, which does not yet have a name, would require the US secretary of defense to “ensure the delivery of defense articles and services to Taiwan ahead of the delivery of substantially similar articles and services to any other foreign military sales customer.”However, the bill states that deliveries to Taiwan must not cause delays in the delivery of similar defense articles or services to Ukraine or Israel. The US government has said disruption to supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased demand for weaponry in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to the slow delivery of arms to Taiwan.

The right candidate to avoid warBy Tommy Lin 林逸民The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is deeply mired in internal discord and is inconsistent on national policies. The Russian invasion of Ukraine offers Taiwanese a glimpse into how voting in the presidential election could increase or decrease the probability of war. At the beginning of the war, Germany believed that Ukraine would lose, and even hoped that this would happen quickly, so the war would end. The outcome of the election should let Xi know that Taiwanese are determined to resist China and are prepared for war. If Taiwanese are terrified of the prospect of war, it is clear whom they should vote for.

‘Peaceful reunification’ a CCP trapBy Tzou Jiing-wen 鄒景雯The 15th Straits Forum opened on Friday last week in Xiamen in China’s Fujian Province, with invitations sent out to Taiwan’s opposition parties. The Chinese government has repeatedly said it would strive to achieve “peaceful reunification,” but it has also not promised to renounce the use of force. This can be interpreted as “peaceful reunification” being China’s highest strategic goal, while “reunification by force” is a tactical application — a point borne out by decades of historical reality. However, since the 20th Congress, the dividing line in Xi’s thought about “peaceful reunification” and “reunification by force” might be a matter of whether the PLA is ready to use the second option. To deal with Taiwan after “peaceful reunification,” it would doubtless follow the model it has used in Xinjiang and Tibet — and it would come as no surprise if it acted even more harshly.

Gas explosion kills 31 in ChinaBROKEN VALVE: All regions in China should address risks and ‘hidden dangers’ in the hospitality sector, and launch campaigns to improve safety, Xi Jinping saidAP, BEIJINGCooking gas caused a massive explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China, killing 31 people and injuring seven others during national celebrations on the eve of a long holiday weekend, authorities said yesterday. The explosion left many people unconscious and they needed to be carried out of the shop, online news site The Paper reported, quoting a member of the search-and-rescue team. Smoke rises from a building after a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, China, on Wednesday. An hour before the explosion, employees noticed the smell of cooking gas and discovered that a gas tank valve was broken, Xinhua reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) demanded urgent medical care for the injured and a safety overhaul after the explosion, Xinhua said.

NHI co-payment changes to take effect next weekTIER SYSTEM: The scheme would not change for about 1.34 million low-income or disabled people to ensure they still receive treatment, the NHI agency saidBy Lin Hui-chou and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerAdjustments to co-payments for emergency care and prescription drugs covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI) are to take effect on Saturday next week, the NHI Administration announced on Wednesday. They were scheduled to go into effect on May 15 last year, but the agency deferred implementation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme would not change for an estimated 1.34 million low-income and disabled people to ensure that they receive treatment, the NHI Administration said. The new scheme leaves clinics and district hospitals unchanged, while the co-payment for regional hospitals would be raised to NT$400. Medical centers would charge NT$750 regardless of severity.

Tai cleans up opponent in 30mYOUNGER AND YOUNGER: The Taiwanese star beat her 19-year-old opponent and might play an even younger player if 16-year-old Pitchamon Opatniputh wins moreStaff writer, with CNATai Tzu-ying yesterday emphatically beat 19-year-old Tanya Hemanth at the Taipei Open. Tai Tzu-ying yesterday returns to Tanya Hemanth of India during their women’s singles match at the Taipei Open yesterday. Tai won in Taipei in 2012, 2016, 2018 and last year. “My goal is to move toward the top 10 in the world and win world championships and Olympic medals,” she said. “I have many idols, such as Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon and Tai Tzu-ying.”“I hope I get to play Tai this time,” she added.

IOC warns Afghanistan over sports for womenAP, GENEVA, SwitzerlandThe Afghanistan team’s status for next year’s Paris Olympics was put in question on Wednesday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over growing frustration with the Taliban blocking access to sports for women and girls. The IOC said it “continues to be extremely concerned” about the sports situation in Afghanistan despite its repeated calls for action. Signage for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games is pictured on the Pulse building in Paris on Tuesday. The issue was discussed on Wednesday at an IOC executive board meeting that also took updates on problems with Olympic officials in India, Indonesia, Iran and Guatemala. The Afghanistan issue is next scheduled to be discussed at an IOC board meeting in October.