Officers’ Santa hats spark debate about ‘dignity’ of police’ A TOUCH OF WARMTH’: Officers wearing the hats while directing traffic at a Chrismas event was well received by the public, New Taipei police saidStaff writer, with CNAThe New Taipei City Police Department yesterday defended its decision to ask some officers at a “Christmasland” event in New Taipei City at the weekend to wear Santa hats, after receiving online criticism that said the costumes harmed the “dignity of the police.”In a post in the “Kaobei Police” Facebook group on Saturday, a user shared a photo of police officers wearing Santa hats directing traffic at the Superstar Christmas Concert in Banciao District (板橋) earlier that evening. Some people dismissed the notion that festive headwear could harm the dignity of a profession, while others said that the Santa hats were a big hit with concertgoers, many of whom asked to take photos with the officers. Responding yesterday, the New Taipei City Police Department defended the move, saying it increased the officers’ visibility and was well received by the public. Of about 570 officers deployed to maintain security at the two-night event, only 100 officers — all reassigned from desk jobs and helping to direct traffic — were asked to wear the Santa hats, the department said. This year’s Christmasland events in Banciao District have already attracted about 5.8 million visitors since they opened on Nov. 11, Hou said.

Indian teller wins big with bet on Taiwanese guavasStaff writer, with CNAIn November 2019, Indian Kapil Sharma would not have known that he would share a bond with Taiwan because of its guavas. Unlike most local farmers who planted water-consuming crops like wheat or rice, Sharma visited a biotech company before deciding what to grow. “Taiwanese guavas changed my life,” he said, adding that the story might have been different if he had chosen another crop. Everyone in his village has heard about Taiwanese guavas, he added. Following the success of Taiwanese guavas, Sharma expanded his business by planting sugarcane and lemons, and started keeping bees.

TPP to focus on 2024, re-elected chairman saysSECOND TERM: The 2024 elections, for which Ko Wen-je is expected to handpick the candidates for the TPP, could ‘make or break’ him, a source saidStaff Writer, with CNANewly re-elected Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Saturday said that his upcoming departure from the Taipei mayoral office would allow the TPP to fully focus on cultivating talent ahead of the 2024 elections. Hours after his re-election, Ko wrote on social media that his top priority during his second term as TPP chairman would be improving the party’s organizational structure. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je attends an event hosted by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in Taipei on Dec. 3 in his capacity as TPP chairman. Adressing TPP members, Ko said that as a minor political party, the TPP must position itself to “serve the people” by being innovative, serious and responsible. Ko Wen-je’s first challenge after he starts his second term on Jan. 1 would be to help the TPP regroup and identify strong candidates for legislative elections, party sources said.

EDITORIAL: Exercise caution traveling to ChinaThe Chinese government on Wednesday announced 10 new COVID-19 response guidelines for easing its stringent pandemic restrictions, sending a clear signal that it is drastically changing its almost three years of enforcing a strict “zero COVID-19” policy. They said that the policy adjustments are “science-based,” and blamed excessive control measures on local officials. However, with more than 150,000 Taiwanese registered as living in China last year, and many businesspeople and students traveling between Taiwan and China, Beijing’s sudden COVID-19 policy changes have left Taiwanese asking if it could bring a new wave of infections to the nation. However, the CECC warned that as most countries experienced overwhelmed healthcare systems when faced with large outbreaks, people intending to travel to China should be cautious, and be aware that medical and other essential services could be disrupted. A surge in cases could crowd out non-COVID-19 healthcare services, so vulnerable or unvaccinated people are advised to reconsider travel plans to China, and to use healthcare services in Taiwan.

Iron ore rallies, as wheat prices continue to declineBloombergIron ore last week rose to the highest level in almost four months on signs that Chinese authorities would announce more support for the property sector at a key meeting next week. There is scope for iron ore to rally further due to positive sentiment on China’s shift away from its “zero COVID-19” policy and Beijing’s determination to support the property sector, Citigroup Inc said in a note. Replenishment of iron ore stockpiles remains slower than expected, Minmetals Futures said in a note. Iron ore rose 2 percent to US$111.25 a tonne in Singapore on Friday, set for a sixth weekly advance. Meanwhile, wheat posted a fifth straight week of losses as prospects brighten for getting global grain shipments out of the war-stressed Black Sea.

New tech offers ecologists high-quality health checksBy Jack Graham / Thomson Reuters Foundation, MONTREALIn the rivers of the Peruvian Amazon, manatees wallow in the murky water, making them very hard to spot. If you are lucky, you might see their nostrils poking out above the surface, British ecologist Kat Bruce said. A few years ago, she joined conservationists from the WWF who were traveling a 1,000-km stretch of river to study manatees and other species. Photo: ReutersIn Peru, they found 675 vertebrate species — from manatees and river dolphins to night monkeys living high in the trees. “You can’t actually measure ecosystem health just by monitoring what you can see,” NatureMetrics CEO Katie Critchlow said.

CECC predicts problems as China eases restrictionsLUNAR NEW YEAR PEAK: Taiwanese who are in China should get vaccinated and consider returning early, as infection rates are expected to increase, the CECC said China faces five major problems once COVID-19 begins spreading there, with a peak in infections likely during the Lunar New Year holidays, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said yesterday. Wang wrote on Facebook that according to the center’s data, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in China is worth noting, as the new Omicron subvariants BF.7 and BA.5.2 spreading in China are highly infectious and are more transmissible than the previously dominating Omicron subvariants. “The virus cannot be eliminated even under China’s strict control measures,” he wrote. “Its policyBy Lee I-chia

US House passes US$12bn aid for Taiwan militaryStaff writer, with CNA in WashingtonThe US House of Representatives on Thursday passed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes up to US$12 billion in grants and loans to Taiwan to buy US weapons over the next five years. The bill passed the Democratic Party-controlled House on a 350 to 80 vote. The act would authorize up to US$2 billion in annual grants from next year to 2027, and an additional US$2 billion in loans for Taiwan to use to bolster its military capabilities with weapons from the US. The act also recommends that the US administration invite Taiwan to attend the US-organized Rim of the Pacific Exercise, a regional military drill, in 2024. The bill was proposed following China’s increased military actions in and near the Taiwan Strait in recent years, and amid growing concerns in Taipei and Washington that China’s military buildup has far exceeded that of Taiwan.

Income taxes drive gains in November tax revenueBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe government last month collected NT$253.6 billion (US$8.28 billion) in tax revenue, rising 0.4 percent from a year earlier on the back of corporate and personal income tax, as well as inheritance tax gains, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. Corporate income tax revenue spiked 70.3 percent to NT$7.8 billion, while personal income tax revenue grew 2.6 percent to NT$22.9 billion, the ministry told a news conference in Taipei. Ministry of Finance Department of Statistics Deputy Director-General Chen Yu-feng, right, attends a news conference in Taipei yesterday. In addition, inheritance tax revenue swelled 60.8 percent to NT$4.1 billion, while revenue from business taxes picked up 4.5 percent to NT$97.8 billion, she said. Full-year excess tax revenue might be more than NT$450 billion, Chen said, adding that corporate, personal, inheritance, business and house tax revenues have already set full-year records.

Economic growth to slow to 2.72% next year: CIERBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe nation’s GDP growth could slow to 2.72 percent next year, from an estimated 3.04 percent pickup this year, as global economic headwinds could hurt demand for Taiwanese exports, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) said yesterday. In addition, the Ukraine war and China’s tight COVID-19 controls would continue to slacken global trade, Chang said. Exports this quarter are forecast to contract 6.26 percent and remain in the woods in first half of next year, CIER said. Imported inflation has received support from a weak New Taiwan dollar linked to capital outflows this year, government data showed. The NT dollar is likely to trade at an average of NT$31.09 versus the greenback next year, from NT$29.82 this year, CIER said.

Vice President Lai to run for DPP chairpersonEXPECTATIONS: William Lai understands the DPP’s need for a new leader to revitalize the party and restore the public’s trust in it, party officials saidBy Chen Yun and Jason Pan / Staff reportersVice President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday confirmed that he had told President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of his decision to run for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson position. Tsai resigned as DPP chairperson in the wake of the party’s losses in local elections on Nov. 26. Vice President William Lai speaks at an event in Kaohsiung on Nov. 16. They said that Lai understands that the DPP needs a new leader to revitalize the party and has therefore responded to calls for him to lead it. The DPP will then hold an election open to all party members on Jan. 15 and formally announce its new chairperson on Jan. 18, it said.

Pandemic stirs farming innovationBy Hsieh Chi-Ming 謝奇明Since its initial outbreak in 2019, COVID-19 has continued to cause health crises and negative GDP growth throughout the world. Due to the perishability of agricultural products, the loss of nutrition over time and the difficulty of standardizing packaging, the management of the supply chain of such products is more complicated than that of general industrial goods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, logistics delays, the reduction of retail channels and the short chain of agricultural products led to the rise of a stay-at-home economy in Taiwan. Even though the phenomenon of short chains of agricultural products exists in pandemics, some local smallholder farmers also developed their own coping strategies. The association has dispersed farmers’ sales channels from a single, large one to more expanded channels to stabilize the local agriculture during the pandemic.

US could use ‘lightning carriers’ against PRCBy Jonathan Chin / Staff writerThe US Navy could use experimental “lightning carriers” in a possible conflict with China over Taiwan, Business Insider reported on Wednesday. The lightning carrier concept involves using converted amphibious assault ships (LHAs) carrying Lockheed Martin F-35B “Lightning II” stealth jets. “There is no comparison between a J-15 and an F-35B,” Thomas said, referring to the PLAN’s main carrier-based strike fighter. Lightning carriers carry fewer jets than fleet aircraft carriers, which can feature more than 50 jets, but are significantly cheaper and more versatile, as the configuration enables ships to switch between naval aviation and amphibious assault platform, he said. The US Navy is continuing to experiment with integrating lightning carriers with existing naval forces and formations, the report said.

Meta expected to face fines after EU privacy rulingAFP, PARISMeta Platforms Inc is expected to face another large fine after an EU data watchdog on Tuesday imposed binding decisions concerning the treatment of personal data by the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The European Data Protection Supervisor said in a statement that the rulings concerned Meta’s use of data for targeted advertising, but did not give details or recommend fines. The latest case follows complaints by privacy campaigning group NOYB that Meta’s three apps allegedly fail to meet the EU’s strict rules on data protection. However, this was rejected as far too low by the French National Commission for Technology and Freedoms and other national watchdogs, which asked the EU watchdog to investigate the case. That adds to a 60 million euros fine in France in January over its use of “cookies,” the digital trackers used to target advertising.

China’s imports and exports plungeAMID COVID-19 CURBS: The country would go through ‘a bumpy reopening process,’ an economist said, while officials might target 5 percent GDP growth for next yearAFP, BEIJINGChina’s imports and exports last month plunged to levels not seen since early 2020, official figures showed yesterday, as stringent COVID-19 restrictions hit the economy hard. Imports fell 10.6 percent year-on-year, the biggest drop since May 2020, Chinese General Administration of Customs data showed. “Weakening domestic and foreign demand, COVID disruptions and a rising comparison base lead to a perfect, but well-expected storm to China’s exports and imports,” Jones Lang Lasalle Inc chief economist Bruce Pang (龐溟) told Bloomberg News. “I expect exports will stay weak in the next few months as China goes through a bumpy reopening process,” he said. A growth target of about 5 percent “would be a signal to send this message to the public and local officials,” he added.