EDITORIAL: Awareness key in the face of ChinaLocal media last week reported on a Coast Guard Administration officer in Penghu County who allowed four Chinese to disembark a yacht and wander around freely for several days without an entry permit, sparking shock and concern over national security. However, Lin said he was aware that the Chinese crew members had already snuck on land in the morning. After the negotiation, he said that they were free to wander around, enjoying the delicious food and beautiful scenery of Penghu. After the incident was reported, the Coast Guard Administration’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu branch issued a statement saying that Lin had been removed from his position and would be punished in accordance with to the law, while coast guard officers would receive additional training to prevent such incidents. The incident could have resulted in a national security breach if the intruders had had malicious intent.

Defense plays spot the uniformBy Fang Ping-sheng 方屏生On June 13, the Ministry of National Defense released the latest All-Out Defense Response Handbook. While the military’s effort should be applauded, the Ministry of National Defense should consider the situation more from the civilians’ perspective, particularly in terms of differentiating friend from foe. Hopefully, the All-Out Defense Response Handbook can be further edited to fulfill its purpose. The Ministry of National Defense should remove unnecessary details and make the handbook more accessible for the public, to boost people’s willingness to read it thoroughly and keep the important points in mind. The All-Out Defense Response Handbook must be taken seriously.

China’s lonely conquest dreamsBy Tzou Jiing-wen 鄒景雯The US Indo-Pacific Command said that a Chinese warship cut across the path of a US destroyer and a Canadian Navy frigate doing a routine transit in the Taiwan Strait on June 3. Details regarding the two close encounters by the US and Canada were revealed to warn the international community of China’s “unsafe and unprofessional” maneuvers. However, the two partners would continue with their routine patrols in the Indo-Pacific in accordance with the freedom of navigation as international law stipulates. As defense ministers and military officials around the globe convened in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, it is worth investigating the reasons behind China’s escalating provocations. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu (李尚福) were at the annual defense conference.

Major state-run financial holding firms change leadership, approve dividendsBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterMajor state-run financial holding companies yesterday formalized leadership reshuffles, and shareholders approved their dividend proposals. Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co (合庫金控) chairman Lei Chung-dar (雷仲達) yesterday morning hosted the group’s annual shareholders’ meeting for the last time and assumed the leadership at Mega Financial Holding Co (兆豐金控) in the afternoon. Lei said Mega Financial has proved to be the most profitable among state-run financial conglomerates, backed by robust foreign currency transactions and bills financing. Taiwan Cooperative Financial has had impressive showings in land financing, commercial banking and trust business, Lei said. Lei’s appointment to Mega Financial was earlier delayed by malpractices on the part of its asset management subsidiary.

Beijing does not approve of Vice President William Lai (賴清德), who is the DPP’s presidential candidate, because of his stance on independence, Nathan said. Columbia University political science professor Andrew Nathan speaks at an event in Taipei yesterday. That is why Beijing frequently flies warplanes near Taiwan and is building up its military bases in the South China Sea, he said. The Taiwan question is a “zero-sum game” for the US and China, he said. He warned that there is “anti-China rhetoric” in the US Congress, adding that congresspeople often take a tough stance on China to bolster their own political interests.

Taiwan top semiconductor spender in Q1: SEMISOLID SPENDING: The emergence of new applications such as artificial intelligence has paved the way for long-term growth of the integrated circuit industry, SEMI said Taiwan was the top spender on semiconductor equipment in the first quarter of this year, global semiconductor trade association SEMI said on Wednesday. Taiwan spent US$6.93 billion on semiconductor equipment during the period, up 42 percent from a year earlier, but down 13 percent from the previous quarter, SEMI data showed. The association represents companies in the electronic manufacturing and design supply chain. China was the second-biggest spender with US$5.86 billion, down 23 percent from a year earlier and 8 percent from last quarter, the data showed. South Korea came in third with US$5.62 billion, up 9 percent from last year, but down

Ko’s party represents a refreshing spirit, value and political attitude that independent voters have been waiting for. In Ko’s eyes, Glaser is just an academic seeking to get famous by talking about him. Aside from Ko making a fool of himself, Glaser’s remark underscored Ko’s potential threat to Taiwanese democracy. It could claim that Taiwan “made the first attack.” Under such circumstances, the US and other allies could not intervene. Ko’s political style might only resonate with people in favor of demagoguery and pro-KMT ideology.

All three major parties surpass 20% in approvalStaff writer, with BloombergThe nation’s top three political parties for the first time have all received approval ratings higher than 20 percent, a poll released yesterday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation showed, while the Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) approval rating surpassed that of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). The TPP, established in 2019, has an approval rating of 22.2 percent, compared with 20.4 percent support for the KMT, the poll showed. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) received an approval rating of 24.6 percent. This is the first time that three political parties in Taiwan have received approval ratings of more than 20 percent, the foundation said, calling it a potential “super bombshell” for the election in January. The survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday, and has a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.

Executive Yuan adviser removedBy Cheng Wei-chi, Tsai Ya-hua and Jason Pan / Staff reportersThe Executive Yuan yesterday removed Cabinet adviser Cheng Hung-huei (鄭宏輝) from his role after he was accused of sexual harassing a woman two years ago. Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said that he ordered a gender equality probe committee to investigate the allegations. Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAYu said that the woman told her Cheng allegedly unzipped his pants and asked the woman to perform oral sex on him. “Yu’s accusations from an anonymous source are to assassinate my character and attract media attention for her own political benefit,” he said.

Military outlines drills to counter ChinaBLOCKADE SIMULATIONS: An officer said that Taiwan’s military has run analyses of potential invasion scenarios, and formulated plans to counter blockades and convoysStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday said that it has been conducting drills in response to recent exercises by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) simulating a blockade of Taiwan and nearby maritime routes. Major General Lin Wen-huang (林文皇), who is in charge of planning at the ministry, told a news conference that the espionage systems of Taiwan’s military have run analyses of potential invasion scenarios, including blockades. Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang speaks at the ministry in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei TimesIt has formulated strategies to counter blockades and convoys, and has conducted drills to enhance the military’s capabilities, Lin said. Spare parts for the Mirage jets are also almost impossible to find, the reports said.

Consumer inflation drops in US for the 11th month in a rowAFP, WASHINGTONConsumer inflation in the US cooled for an 11th straight month on an annual basis last month, the US Department of Labor said on Tuesday, in an encouraging sign for policymakers. US consumer inflation dropped annually for the 11th month in a row last month. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, consumer inflation was up 5.3 percent over the past 12 months. “CPI used vehicle prices will fall over the summer, likely starting as soon as June,” he said in a note. Meanwhile, new vehicle prices dipped on a monthly basis on improving supply and “softer demand in the face of tightening credit conditions,” he said.

US not changing policy on evacuation of citizensPLANNING ‘HEATED UP’: A news site said that the US was drawing up evacuation plans for its citizens in Taiwan, but John Kirby said there was currently no need The US has seen “no indication” that the situation in Taiwan warrants a review of its policy of not evacuating private US citizens from areas of conflict, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Monday, but did not disclose whether it was preparing for such a contingency. The Messenger news site reported that the US government was drawing up evacuation plans for US citizens living in Taiwan, citing three anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter. One of the sources, identified as a senior US intelligence official, told the Web site that planning had been under way for at least

World experts join forum on combating corruptionGLOBAL COOPERATION: Aside from the three-day meeting in Taipei, Taiwan’s representative office and the US embassy in Rome hosted a similar event in ItalyBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterA three-day forum on combating corruption under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) opened yesterday in Taipei, with international experts joining the physical event for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The Taipei event, an international workshop focusing on anti-corruption, was organized by the Agency Against Corruption and the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau, and cohosted by Canada and the UK, he said. Incorporating important issues related to combating disinformation and corruption into international collaborations demonstrate the role Taiwan can play and show that the nation is a force for good on the global stage, he said. Through training programs for officials and experts, initiatives under the framework aim to assist countries in the Indo-Pacific region to build their capacity in various fields, it says. Over the past eight years, the framework has held 57 international workshops, which were attended by 6,300 government officials, experts and civil society representatives from 125 countries, it says.

Japan nuclear plant begins testsCONTROVERSIAL PLAN: Workers examined the pumps and emergency shutdown equipment that would release treated, but still slightly radioactive water into the oceanAP, TOKYOThe operator of the wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant on Monday began tests of newly constructed facilities for discharging treated radioactive wastewater into the sea, a plan strongly opposed by local fishing communities and neighboring nations. The tests at the nuclear power plant use fresh water instead of the treated water, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co Holdings (TEPCO) said. Plant workers examined pumps and emergency shutdown equipment at the newly constructed seaside facility, which would dilute the treated water with large amounts of seawater. However, Nozaki said the association supports progress in the nuclear power plant’s decommissioning and hopes to continue the dialogue. In South Korea, fishers on Monday staged a rally in front of the National Assembly in Seoul against the plan to release treated radioactive water.

Disney cable channels to stop broadcasting in TaiwanBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNAAll 11 Walt Disney Co Ltd-operated channels in Taiwan are to cease services by the end of this year, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said after confirming that it received documentation covering cessation of broadcasting services yesterday. National Geographic International, National Geographic Wild and Baby TV are to stop broadcasting by the end of September, while National Geographic Local, Star Channel Chinese, Star Channel Movies, Star Movies Gold, Star World, Star Movies Entertainment, Star Movies HD, Star Chinese Movies HD and Star Movies Gold are to stop broadcasting by the end of the year, the NCC said. The 11 channels are owned by two companies — National Geographic Taiwan and Disney Pacific Group Ltd Taiwan branch — both of which are subsidiaries of Walt Disney Co. The Disney+ logo is displayed at the Walt Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, on Sept. 9 last year. Its over-the-top media services, cinema services and content sale contracts would continue to operate as usual, the department said.