Moreover, geostrategically, the West must do whatever it takes to defend both Ukraine and Taiwan to prevent either Russia or China from successfully upending the international order. The time for word games and rhetorical posturing is over — Washington must end its policy of strategic ambiguity on defending Taiwan. The ambiguity was concisely articulated during the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis when Chinese defense officials asked then-US president Bill Clinton’s assistant secretary of defense, Joseph Nye, what Washington would do if China attacked Taiwan. Xi must be made to understand that those presidential utterances were not top-of-the-head responses, but reflections of well-considered internal US policy. If strategic ambiguity is not finally ended, it would lead to major strategic miscalculation on China’s part — precisely the opposite of what Nye thought he was achieving with his opaque formulation.

EDITORIAL: A rejected suitor vs a failing princeTaiwan has never had a president who is not from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) or the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). A monthly poll released by my-formosa.com on Monday showed support for Hou nosediving from 26 percent to 18.3 percent, the lowest among the three presidential hopefuls. It was a surprising turn, as Hou had just won re-election as mayor by a wide margin in November last year. After staying out of the limelight for a week following Hou’s nomination, Gou appeared on Tuesday at a religious festival in Kinmen County. Gou, by flirting with a third party, could cause panic and unease in the KMT for rejecting him.

Until the presidential election next year, the candidates’ past and current remarks and endorsements will be closely scrutinized as indicators of their future leadership. The candidate with the worst symptom is none other than Ko, a loose cannon known for making insensitive and outlandish remarks. However, the KMT’s party-state mindset still lingers in him. Having received firsthand the KMT’s spoon-fed patriotism of accentuating the sovereignty of the “Republic of China” (ROC), or “anti-Taiwanese independence,” Hou is still repeating the same obsolete slogans and values in his campaigns. If the party had “democracy written in it,” it would have found it unbecoming not to reward Deng for advocating freedom of speech, let alone ordering a raid that resulted in Deng’s self-immolation.

The Hsinchu-based chip designer said it has counted on smartphone chips, power management chips and chips for other applications to fuel its growth in the past few years, but it is developing new products to continue growing. MediaTek Inc chairman Tsai Ming-kai poses for a photograph at an event in Hsinchu City on Dec. 8 last year. MediaTek shareholders yesterday approved a proposal to distribute a cash dividend of NT$76 per share, including NT$14 from its capital surplus. Replenishing demand for automotive chips and chips used in industrial devices peaked last quarter, meaning demand for those two segments would stagnate, Liu said. UMC shareholders yesterday approved a proposal to distribute a cash dividend of NT$3.6 per share.

Working with Indonesia on healthBy Asri JalalTaiwan has a lot to offer Indonesia on healthcare in terms of knowledge-sharing and collaboration. By working together, the countries could make significant strides in improving the overall health and well-being of their citizens. Taiwan’s high-tech healthcare system and emphasis on technology could provide valuable insights and best practices for Indonesia’s healthcare system, which is in need of modernization. This is due to better healthcare services, a higher standard of living and its more developed healthcare infrastructure. Public health initiatives, disease prevention and health education programs have also improved the well-being of the population.

S Korea proposes same-sex marriage billSYMBOLIC: The bill sponsored by a cross-party group of lawmakers was hailed as a ‘historic moment’ in the fight for marriage equality, but is unlikely to passThe Guardian, SEOULLawmakers in South Korea have proposed the country’s first same-sex marriage bill, in a move hailed by civic groups as a defining moment in the fight for equality. The marriage equality bill, proposed by South Korean lawmaker Jang Hye-yeong of the minor opposition Justice Party and co-sponsored by 12 lawmakers across all the main parties, seeks to amend the country’s civil code to allow same-sex marriage. Lawmakers vote on a bill during a plenary session at the South Korean National Assembly in Seoul on April 13. “It’s a historic moment, but this is just the start,” said Ryu Min-hee, a lawyer at the Marriage Equality Korea civic group. A Hankook Research survey said that 52 percent of respondents opposed the idea of legislating same-sex marriage in South Korea.

Reselling of Chinese devices illegal: NCCBy Ting Yi and Jason Pan / Staff reportersSelling second-hand mobile phones and other communications devices that were made in China is illegal and subject to fines, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said on Sunday. Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei TimesSince November last year, there have been fines totaling NT$260,000 imposed in 11 cases of illegal sales of unapproved telecommunications devices, NCC data showed. Six people have been fined NT$25,000 each for illegal sales of such devices online, the data showed. “Even if a device purchased in a foreign country is the same model as devices sold in Taiwan, it cannot be resold in Taiwan,” he said. There need to be negotiations with Chinese online shopping firms to develop solutions for such issues, he said.

Djokovic launches bid for 23rd Slam title in FranceAFP, PARISNovak Djokovic on Monday started his bid for a men’s record 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a straight-sets victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic at Roland Garros, as Carlos Alcaraz dazzled in his opening victory. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz returns to Italy’s Flavio Cobolli during their men’s singles match at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday. He is tied with Nadal for most men’s Slam singles trophies and just one behind the 23 of Serena Williams. Alcaraz began his attempt to win a second Grand Slam title in fine style against Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli, the world No. In the women’s draw, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina won her first match at a Slam event since last year’s Australian Open, beating last year’s semi-finalist Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-2.

TSMC negotiating German dealSTATE SUBSIDIES: The talks over a factory in Dresden have a top end on par with what Japan is offering TSMC and outdo a cap other firms are being offered in Europe Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, is in talks to receive German government subsidies for as much as 50 percent of the costs to build a new semiconductor fab in the country, people familiar with the matter said. The government is in ongoing negotiations with TSMC, as well as its partners on the project — Bosch Ltd, NXP Semiconductors NV and Infineon Technologies AG — the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. No final decisions have been made and the final subsidy amount could still change. Any state aid must also

Deciphering Modi’s speech at G7By Rup Narayan DasIndia’s nuanced yet clear and consistent stance on the Taiwan Strait can be deciphered and inferred from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the recent G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. India’s response to the tension in the Taiwan Strait has been muted. Discernable observers could see the elephant in the room and India’s commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, which is seamlessly connected with the Taiwan Strait. While Beijing frowned upon the pact as a “geopolitical game,” Russia criticized the G7 as an incubator for anti-Russian and anti-Chinese hysteria. Be that as it may, the G7 summit has reiterated once again its firm commitment to Taiwan and to a rules-based world order.

Manufacturing output in Q1 declines 13.59 percentGLOOMY FORECAST: The outlook would be weighed by global inflation and monetary tightening, as well as the conflict in Ukraine and US-China technology disputesBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterThe nation’s manufacturing output in the first quarter fell 13.59 percent year-on-year to NT$4.22 trillion (US$137.7 billion), as slowing global trade, weakening demand and ongoing inventory adjustments dragged down manufacturers’ capacity utilization, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement yesterday. In the electronic components industry — the manufacturing sector’s most important segment — output decreased 16.85 percent to NT$1.25 trillion last quarter, ending 13 consecutive quarters of annual increases since the fourth quarter of 2019, ministry data showed. In addition, LCD panel makers reported declining output due to weakening demand for new applications and falling prices compared with a year earlier. As a result, production value last quarter decreased 46.52 percent to NT$108.8 billion, it said. The automobile and vehicle parts industry’s output grew 3.39 percent year-on-year last quarter, as some new car models sold well and a shortage of components eased, it said.

Ko Wen-je to visit Japan next week, meet with officialsStaff Writer, with CNATaiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder, chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) is scheduled to visit Japan from Sunday to Thursday next week, and would meet high-ranking officials to discuss international and cross-strait affairs, the TPP said. Ko, 63, spent three weeks in the US last month and was formally nominated as his party’s presidential candidate on May 17. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je, right, speaks at an event in Taipei on Sunday. He referred to former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) advice to him, saying that Taiwan should look to Japan if it faces challenges relating to the two superpowers. Ko officially launched his presidential campaign in Taipei on May 20.

Girls are beating out boys in schoolBy Chiueh Tzi-cker 闕志克The US Congress in 1972 enacted Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools or in education programs that receive federal funding. While the gender education gap in the UK is similar to the US’, it is more dramatic in Nordic countries. While the difference in grade-point averages (GPA) between high-school boys and girls is stark, their standardized test scores do not show any statistically meaningful differences. In these areas, girls are generally more engaged and perform better than boys, and are often rewarded with better grades. The percentage of female university students in Taiwan last year was 49.5 percent, which is perfect, and has remained stubbornly constant since 2000.

MJIB raids eight alleged Chinese firms over hiringsStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) last week launched a multicity raid of eight technology companies with alleged links to China that are believed to have hired staff illegally in Taiwan. The companies allegedly faked business registrations, posing as branch offices of overseas firms with foreign or Taiwanese investment capital, and allegedly hired personnel without authorization, it said. Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau agents at an undisclosed location raid a firm accused of hiring staff illegally in Taiwan. Local media reports said that two of the companies are Fuzhou Sinoregal and Quectel Wireless Solutions, which is headquartered in Shanghai. Since 2016, the company has reportedly contracted a Taiwanese firm to hire R&D employees on its behalf, it said.

Ryan Hass On Taiwan: Now is the time to build zones of political consensusElection seasons expose societal divisions and contrasting visions about the future of Taiwan. This presents an opportunity for Taiwan’s political candidates to demonstrate leadership in carving out zones of political consensus. Another area of potential political consensus could be an agreement that the next administration should prioritize building stockpiles of critical materials. America’s political system is providing a powerful advertisement of the risks of allowing zones of political consensus to crumble. There are both lessons from America’s travails and opportunities through the upcoming campaign season for Taiwan’s leaders to build zones of political consensus.