Taiwan stock market sets six records in 2025, eyes global No. 6
Taiwan stock market sets six records in 2025, eyes global No. 6Staff writer, with CNATaiwan’s stock market set six record highs in 2025 and is aiming to overtake Canada to become the world’s sixth-largest equity market by capitalization, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) said yesterday. Taiwan Stock Exchange chairman Sherman Lin speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. By the end of last year, total market capitalization of listed companies stood at NT$94.36 trillion, placing Taiwan eighth globally by market value, the exchange said. As of Tuesday, total market capitalization had risen to NT$99.6 trillion, allowing Taiwan to overtake France and rank seventh worldwide, Lin said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 17:12 UTC
China planning to green-light Nvidia chip sales
China planning to green-light Nvidia chip salesBloombergChina plans to approve some imports of Nvidia Corp’s H200 chips as soon as this quarter, people familiar with the situation said, giving the company access to a critical market. Chinese officials are preparing to allow local companies to buy the chips from Nvidia for select commercial use, the people said. However, the H200 chip would be barred from the military, sensitive government agencies, critical infrastructure and state-owned enterprises due to security concerns, they said. China is the world’s largest market for semiconductors, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) has said that the artificial intelligence (AI) chip market alone could generate US$50 billion in the coming years. The H200 is an older-generation chip that the US President Donald Trump’s administration has said can be exported to China.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 17:12 UTC
US says it is to dictate Venezuelan decisionmaking
US says it is to dictate Venezuelan decisionmakingAFP, WASHINGTONUS President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday said that it would dictate decisions to Venezuela’s interim leaders and control the country’s oil sales “indefinitely” after toppling Nicolas Maduro as president of the South American nation. Trump’s assertion of US dominance over Venezuela comes despite Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez saying there is no foreign power governing Caracas. “There is a stain on our relations such as had never occurred in our history,” Rodriguez said about the US raid to depose her predecessor. “We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now” following the capture operation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing. Washington also seized two oil tankers, including a Russian-linked vessel that it pursued from Venezuela to the north Atlantic.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 17:12 UTC
China hacked e-mails of US congress staff: report
China hacked e-mails of US congress staff: reportReutersChina has hacked e-mails used by staff members of committees in the US House of Representatives as part of a cyberespionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. China accessed e-mail systems used by some staffers on the House China committee, as well as aides on panels covering foreign affairs, intelligence and the armed services, the report said. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning speaks at a news conference at the ministry in Beijing on Dec. 4. US officials have previously alleged that the hacking group is prepositioning itself to paralyze critical US infrastructure in case of a conflict with China. China yesterday said that it was against “politically motivated disinformation” in relation to the report.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 17:12 UTC
Fossils discovered in Morocco shed light on our African roots
Fossils discovered in Morocco shed light on our African rootsAFP, PARIS, FranceWhere did our species first emerge? Fossils discovered in Morocco dating back more than 773,000 years bolster the theory that Homo sapiens originally appeared in Africa, scientists said in a study Wednesday. The oldest Homo sapien fossils, dating from over 300,000 years ago, were found at the Jebel Irhoud northwest of Marrakesh. The research published in the journal Nature fills that gap by finally establishing a firm date for fossils discovered in 1969 inside a cave in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. Until the last reversal — 773,000 years ago — our planet’s magnetic north pole was near the geographic south pole.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 17:12 UTC
German high-speed rail in Vietnam
German high-speed rail in VietnamBy Wang Hung-jen 王宏仁A recent piece of international news has drawn surprisingly little attention, yet it deserves far closer scrutiny. The agreement positions Siemens to participate in the construction of a high-speed rail link between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. Particularly telling is the comprehensive cooperation agreement between VinSpeed and Siemens that includes technology transfer, even though Vingroup — VinSpeed’s parent company — later announced its withdrawal from the massive US$67 billion North-South high-speed rail investment. In this context, high-speed rail cooperation functions as a diplomatic confidence-building measure, not merely an economic calculation. Vietnam’s North-South high-speed rail project would inevitably draw on substantial foreign capital and diverse technologies, creating a tangible opening for Taiwan to consider.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:52 UTC
Israel slams Syrian attacks on Kurds
Israel slams Syrian attacks on KurdsALEPPO FIGHTING: Deadly clashes began this week between Syrian forces and Kurdish fighters as a deal to merge administrations and militaries struggles to formAFP, JERUSALEMIsrael yesterday criticized the Syrian government over what it described as attacks against the Kurdish community in Aleppo, just days after the two sides agreed to establish a joint mechanism aimed at lowering bilateral tensions. “Attacks by the Syrian regime’s forces against the Kurdish minority in the city of Aleppo are grave and dangerous... Earlier this week, Israel and Syria, under US pressure, agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism, an unprecedented step as the two countries edge toward a security agreement after decades of hostilities. Following discussions in Paris, Israel and Syria agreed to establish “a dedicated communication cell” under US supervision that would seek to lower bilateral tensions. US President Donald Trump, who met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Washington in November last year, has been pushing for a security deal between Syria and Israel, but Israel remains distrustful of the former jihadist.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:52 UTC
Venezuela’s key customer, China’s ‘teapot refiners,’ no longer needs it
China, the biggest contributor to oil demand growth in recent decades and the key customer for Venezuelan crude, is needing smaller doses as consumption shrinks. They have been the most important consumers of Venezuelan crude for years. Much now depends on whether China would even be allowed to buy Venezuela’s crude. Even without that, a removal of sanctions would certainly raise the price of Venezuelan crude, which might undermine the teapots’ threadbare margins. The biggest state-owned refiner, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, expects the country’s crude demand to peak before next year.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:52 UTC
Minneapolis on edge after ICE shooting
Minneapolis on edge after ICE shootingWOMAN DIES: ‘I would love for ICE to leave our city and for more community members to come to see it happens,’ said a person who attended a vigil in the cityAP, MINNEAPOLIS, MinnesotaMinneapolis was on edge yesterday following the fatal shooting of a woman by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, with the governor calling for people to remain calm, and schools canceling classes and activities as a safety precaution. State and local officials demanded that ICE leave the state after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot in the head. People visit a memorial for Renee Nicole Macklin Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, yesterday. “We can’t give it to them.”There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot Macklin Good. Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said that state authorities would investigate the shooting with federal authorities.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:52 UTC
The attack on Venezuela leaves China worried about its interests
China has been boosting its diplomacy and investment in Latin America for years, challenging US influence in Washington’s backyard. So, Beijing would also be concerned about what the crisis in Venezuela means for China’s interests in the oil-rich country and for its influence in the region. For years, Beijing has extended credit to Venezuela in loan-for-oil deals, which has made China the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude. Last month, a tanker bound for China and thought to be carrying Venezuelan oil was seized by US forces as part of Trump’s campaign against Maduro’s regime. Venezuelan oil only accounts for about 4 percent of China’s total imports.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:32 UTC
EDITORIAL: Lessons from US strike on Venezuela
Amid debates on whether the US’ strike on Venezuela violated international norms, Washington has defended the operation as “a surgical law enforcement operation facilitated by the US military against two fugitives of American justice,” not targeting the land or people of Venezuela. The Venezuela strike has also shown the US’ capabilities for cross-regional projection and military joint operations, as well as the Trump administration’s efficient decisionmaking and determination to defend national interests. Although China is unlikely to change its Taiwan policy in response to the Venezuela strike, Taiwan needs to learn from the US operation and upgrade its defense system and asymmetric weapons for advanced, precise and efficient national defense. One thing that should not be overlooked is the intelligence and espionage network in Venezuela that contributed largely to the success of the US operation. Faced with China’s escalating “gray zone” tactics and cognitive warfare, Taiwan should remain alert and contain the pro-China forces and espionage networks within the nation that seek to undermine national security.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:32 UTC
Fading to black: The race to save Taiwan’s cinematic history
Photo: Billy WuForty years after its premiere, the film has become the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute’s (TFAI) 100th restoration. Indeed, according to Chu Taiwan’s film industry in the 1970s and 1980s was mostly controlled by organized crime. Professor Robert Chen (陳儒修) of National Chengchi University’s Department of Radio and Television says that there was no awareness at the time of the importance of film preservation. But Taiwan’s lack of major studios and the absence of a legal mandate for film preservation meant that original negatives were scattered and difficult to trace. Aside from Tainan National University of the Arts’ lone graduate program, there is no comprehensive training in film preservation.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:32 UTC
DBS forecasts 4.8 percent GDP growth
The outlook follows a standout last year, when Taiwan delivered one of Asia’s strongest economic performances, with GDP growth estimated at 7.2 percent, while the nation’s per capita GDP is projected to reach US$38,000, surpassing Japan and South Korea for the first time, DBS said. DBS economist Ma Tieying (馬鐵英) said AI-driven momentum is expected to persist this year, although growth is likely to moderate amid more realistic profitability expectations, elevated equity valuations and rising corporate leverage. Photo: AFPIn its base-case scenario, DBS projects GDP growth of 4 to 5 percent, assuming AI demand remains solid, but cools, US semiconductor tariffs stay moderate and the US’ tariffs on Taiwan are slightly reduced through trade negotiations. By contrast, Taiwan’s non-technology manufacturing is expected to remain weak, with exports continuing to contract amid the lingering possibility of tariffs, DBS said. Overall, Taiwan remains well positioned to capitalize on the global AI wave while evolving into higher-value manufacturing and knowledge-based services, DBS said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:32 UTC
China: All words and no action
China: All words and no actionBy Aadil BrarChina often describes itself as the natural leader of the global south: a power that respects sovereignty, rejects coercion and offers developing countries an alternative to Western pressure. It cannot claim leadership of the global south while consistently declining the burdens that leadership entails. Beijing’s campaign to marginalize Taipei depends on persuading developing countries that China is not only economically indispensable, but strategically reliable. In an increasingly multipolar global south, where states hedge rather than align wholesale, credibility might matter as much as capital. Venezuela is forcing China to choose between being a powerful, but cautious transactional partner and becoming the leader it claims to be.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:32 UTC
All F-16s to get ground collision avoidance systems
All F-16s to get ground collision avoidance systemsSTILL SEARCHING: An air force officer said that fitting F-16 jets with Auto-GCAS is a time-consuming process involving the integration of complex systems and trainingBy Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNAThe air force would install automatic ground collision avoidance systems (Auto-GCAS) on all of its F-16V jets by next year, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said yesterday, two days after a fighter pilot went missing in an apparent mishap. Air force Captain Hsin Po-yi (辛柏毅) was flying a Lockheed Martin F-16V on a routine training flight on Tuesday night when the jet vanished from radar over waters off Hualien County. However, the air force operates 139 F-16Vs that lack the safety system, he said. For the same reasons, the US Air Force has yet to fully outfit its F-16s with Auto-GCAS technology, he said, adding that test flights are still being conducted. The air force continually searches for ways to improve pilot survivability, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 08, 2026 16:32 UTC