MAC reiterates ban on Chinese officialsCROSS-STRAIT VISITS: MAC officials said that Taiwan has expressed goodwill, but Beijing has dismissed whatever the government does as seeking independenceBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe government’s policy of banning top officials of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office from entering the country remains unchanged due to a persistent lack of goodwill from Beijing, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Chairman Liang Wen-chieh speaks at a press conference in Taipei yesterday. Any policy change would need goodwill from Beijing, Liang said. “We have been expressing goodwill and strive to protect the Republic of China (Taiwan) and our democratic way of living. We do not know where he is, but at the moment there is no indication that he is unsafe,” Liang said.

Councilors blast lantern festival’s Shanghai displayBy Tung Kuan-yi and Jason Pan / Staff reportersTaipei city councilors yesterday said Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) and city government officials were undermining Taiwanese sovereignty and national identity after a display featuring Shanghai was given a prominent spot at the Taipei Lantern Festival. The lantern festival is ongoing at the Taipei Flora Expo Park. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, sixth left, and other city government officials pose with a Shanghai government display at the Taipei Lantern Festival on Wednesday. Upon entering the lantern display zone, people were attracted to the first bright, multicolored display, but were surprised to see the signage “Shanghai 2026.”The display contained the headline, “This is Shanghai,” she said, adding that it was obviously pushing the Chinese agenda that Taiwan is part of China. “Mayor Chiang and his city government officials gave the most prominent place to a Shanghai display.

Taiwan, Japan raise working holiday visa limit to twice per personStaff writer, with CNATaiwan and Japan have raised the lifetime limit on working holiday visas to two per person, up from one, under a revised agreement that took effect Feb. 1, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝), citing Cho, said the change was formalized between Taiwan and Japan on the implementation of their working holiday scheme, aimed at deepening bilateral youth and cultural exchanges. Visitors walk along Nakamise-dori Street as they visit Sensoji temple in Tokyo, Japan, on August 9, 2024. Photo: ReutersAccording to Cho, the Taiwan-Japan working holiday scheme was first signed on April 3, 2009, and implemented later that year, allowing applicants to receive the visa only once in their lifetime at the time. The scheme is open to applicants aged 18 to 30, with each visa valid for one year from the date of issue.

INSIGHT: PLA drone seen flying false codes in flightSPOOFING SIGNALS A Chinese long-endurance drone has been spotted flying a pattern that corresponds with Taiwan’s geography using false transponder codesReuters, HONG KONGA large Chinese military drone has conducted regular flights over the South China Sea while transmitting transponder signals that made it appear to be other aircraft, including a sanctioned Belarusian cargo plane and a British Typhoon fighter jet. The real Belarusian Il-62 has been active throughout the period with a different call sign and was once airborne at the same time as the Chinese drone flying under its transponder code, the Flightradar24 data showed. Flying out of Hainan’s Qionghai Boao International Airport, the aircraft frequently remained airborne for hours, flying geometric patterns over the same areas. The Chinese military generally flies its drones “dark,” transmitting neither call signs nor registration numbers. “It is a compelling image — extensive rehearsals across the South China Sea to be deployed over Taiwan’s key points,” Neill said.

Rubio backs Saint Kitts and Nevis–Taiwan tiesBy Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNAUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew on Wednesday affirmed the importance for Drew’s country to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan, US officials said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, meets with St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew alongside Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meetings in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday. South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty pose for a photo during a ceremony in Ottawa on Feb. 25. Last year, Saint Kitts and Nevis issued a statement expressing concern for the rise in tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Saint Kitts and Nevis said that constructive diplomatic strategy should be used to ensure lasting peace and security across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan gender pay gap indicates 59 extra workdays for womenStaff writer, with CNAWomen in Taiwan must work an average of 59 additional days in 2025 to earn the same annual salary as men, one day more than in 2024, according to data released yesterday by the Ministry of Labor. Taiwan’s gender pay gap last year stood at 16.1 percent, meaning women earned 83.9 percent of men’s average hourly wages, the ministry said in a statement. The gender pay gap widened by 0.3 percentage points from 2024 and by 0.5 percentage points compared with 2019, said Jasmine Mei (梅家瑗), head of the ministry’s Department of Statistics. The healthcare sector also recorded a relatively large gender pay gap of 43.1 percent last year, although the figure declined compared with both 2024 and 2019. The ministry noted that Taiwan’s gender pay gap in recent years has remained 13 to 16.5 percentage points lower than those reported in Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan, Australia could be closer, Taiwan envoy saysStaff writer, with CNAAs Australia looks to recalibrate its economic relationship with China, Taipei is hoping to strengthen ties and partner with Canberra in areas such as critical minerals and drones, Representative to Australia Douglas Hsu (徐佑典) said. Hsu said he has been trying to convince Australia to engage Taiwan “on its own merit,” rather than treating it as a subordinate issue in its relationship with China. Hsu said many countries across the world, including Taiwan, have learned the importance of breaking China’s near-complete hold on critical minerals. Australia has significant reserves of many key critical minerals and Taiwan looks forward to closer bilateral cooperation in this area, he said. Although Taiwan lacks deep expertise in the mining industry, he said that a critical minerals pact signed by the US and Australia late last year provides a potential framework to follow.

Domed stadiums in major cities needed: CPBL headBETTER CONDITIONS: Given Taiwan’s hot weather and the frequent rain, more indoor stadiums would mitigate many issues the baseball league is facing, the head saidBy Lin Yu-chen, Lin Tse-yuan and Jason Pan / Staff reportersTaiwan needs to build more indoor stadiums in other major cities to sustain the growth of baseball, CPBL president Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said on Wednesday, ahead of the national team traveling to Japan tomorrow to compete in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament. “In Taiwan, we have hot weather and it rains frequently, so playing baseball at outdoor ballparks are often disrupted by natural conditions,” he said. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei TimesSince using the Taipei Dome in 2024, the CPBL has seen an attendance record of more than 10,000 people on average per game, he added. Taiwan is currently gripped by a baseball fever, with sports fans following news on players and preparations. Tsai reminded Taiwanese fans to purchase individual tickets or group packages from authorized agencies, and to only carry small flags.

Stray cats reported to remember the hand that feedsDO THEY BITE IT? Cats have better memories than people might think, but their motivation is based entirely around the chance of getting fed Cats can remember the identity of the people who fed them the day before, Taipei-based veterinarians said on Friday, debunking a popular myth that cats have a short memory. If a stray does not recognize the person who fed them the previous day, it is likely because they are not carrying food and the cat has no reason to recognize them, said Wu Chou Animal Hospital head Chen Chen-huan (陳震寰). “When cats come to a human bearing food, it is coming for the food, not the person,” he said. “The food is the key.” Since the cat’s attention is on the food, itBy Jonathan Chin

Taipei City flexible-hours plan for parents criticizedIMPRECISE: It was not disclosed that the maximum subsidy was NT$15,000 per person, which would not be enough to cover lost wages, a city councilor saidBy Tsai Kai-heng, Tung Kuang-yi and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe Taipei City Government yesterday said the private sector is flooding officials with inquiries about a proposal on seven-hour work days, amid criticism from city councilors that the municipality overpromised, but underdelivered. The policy — which would subsidize 80 percent of lost wages due to less work hours — is scheduled to go into effect on Sunday. Photo: Taipei TimesMany businesses have called the Taipei Department of Labor regarding the policy’s implementation and eligibility requirements, a city government spokesperson said. Taipei City Councilor Ho Meng-hua (何孟樺) yesterday slammed the Taipei City Government, saying Chiang has fluffed up the policy with promises that cannot be cashed. Taipei City Councilor Chen Hsien-wei (陳賢蔚) said the city government was rushing the policy planning, and that its budget allocation, implementation plans, impact assessments and expected goals were unclear.

Investors tepid about Nvidia’s upbeat forecastBloombergNvidia Corp, the dominant maker of artificial intelligence (AI) processors, failed to impress investors with its latest sales forecast, signaling that concerns about an overheated AI economy would continue to dog the company. Although the chipmaker delivered a first-quarter outlook that easily beat the average Wall Street estimate, Nvidia shares fell as much as 1.5 percent during a conference call with analysts. After explosive sales growth turned the chipmaker into the world’s most valuable company, investors are seeking stronger assurances that booming AI sales are here to stay. Screens display the logo of US chipmaker Nvidia Corp in Toulouse, France, on Wednesday last week. The average estimate was US$4.01 billion.

Asian economies weigh impact of Trump movesCONFUSION: Taiwan, Japan and other big exporters are cautiously monitoring the situation, while analysts said more Trump responses ate likely after his loss in court US trading partners in Asia started weighing fresh uncertainties yesterday after President Donald Trump vowed to impose a new tariff on imports, hours after the Supreme Court struck down many of the sweeping levies he used to launch a global trade war. The court’s ruling invalidated a number of tariffs that the Trump administration had imposed on Asian export powerhouses from China and South Korea to Japan and Taiwan, the world’s largest chip maker and a key player in tech supply chains. Within hours, Trump said he would impose a new 10 percent duty on US imports from all countries starting onBy Selena Li and Ben Blanchard

Computer and IT service sector posts record-high revenueAI BOOM: The adoption of Industry 4.0 and increased demand for cross-border operations from major chipmakers have driven demand, an ADI report saidBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterThe computer and information technology (IT) service sector’s revenue in the fourth quarter of last year increased 8.5 percent year-on-year to NT$190.72 billion (US$6.1 billion), the highest for the October-to-December period on record, the Administration for Digital Industries (ADI) said yesterday. People look at laptops at a computer fair at the Taipei World Trade Center on July 4 last year. Photo: Cheng I-hwa, AFPThe computer programming industry’s revenue rose 11.11 percent to NT$141.54 billion in the fourth quarter, accounting for 74.22 percent of total revenue, the report said. The IT service industry’s revenue grew 1 percent to NT$49.17 billion, or 25.78 percent of the total. For the whole of last year, the computer and IT service sector’s revenue totaled NT$659.6 billion, up 8.06 percent from the previous year, with computer programming and IT service industries growing by 10.87 percent and 0.75 percent respectively, the report showed.

Standard Chartered CEO sets ambitious growth strategyBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterStandard Chartered Bank Taiwan’s newly appointed chief executive officer, Anthony Yu (游天立), yesterday unveiled an ambitious growth strategy for the bank’s wealth management division, reflecting a bullish outlook on Taiwan’s high-net-worth market. The Standard Chartered Bank logo is pictured in Taipei on July 8 last year. Standard Chartered Taiwan last year posted an 18 percent rise in profit, with a return on equity exceeding 14 percent. Overall operations and wealth management each delivered double-digit percentage growth, reflecting robust client demand and effective execution of the bank’s strategy. Yu expressed confidence that the bank’s wealth management business would sustain double-digit growth this year and beyond under his leadership.

HK court overturns Jimmy Lai’s conviction for fraudReuters, HONG KONGPro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Hong kong media mogul Jimmy Lai poses for a photograph at the Next Digital offices in Hong Kong on June 16, 2020. Photo: AFPEven with the quashing of the fraud conviction and sentence, Lai would remain imprisoned for 20 years in a separate case over two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one for publishing seditious materials. “He still has a sentence of 20 years in prison and has spent the last half a decade in solitary confinement in maximum security. Jimmy Lai was sentenced in December 2022 to five years and nine months in jail after being found guilty of breaching the lease terms of Apple Daily’s headquarters by concealing the operation of a private company, Dico Consultants Ltd, in the building.