Hualien County and TRA sign MOU to develop two sites
Hualien County and TRA sign MOU to develop two sitesBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and the Hualien County Government yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop properties surrounding the Hualien Railway Station and Dongdameng Night Market (東大門夜市) in Hualien City. Taiwan Railways Administration Director General Chang Cheng-yuan, seated left, and Hualien County Commissioner Hsu Cheng-wei, seated right, pose yesterday in Hualien City with other officials after the signing of memorandum of understanding to develop properties near the Hualien Railway Station and Dongdameng Night Market. The project is the largest development project in the county, and it would help turn the properties into gateways for international tourists, the TRA said. “The Hualien Railway Station will become more than just a transportation hub. Hualien County Commissioner Hsu Cheng-wei (徐榛蔚) said the partnership would boost business activities in the county and create a new industrial chain there.
Source:Taipei Times
January 14, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taiwan’s Tai breezes into quarter-finals
Taiwan’s Tai breezes into quarter-finalsALL CLEAR: Although a player, a coach and a staff member are under observation after testing positive for COVID-19, officials cleared all other players to continueAFP, BANGKOKTaiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying, the world No. 1, yesterday breezed into the quarter-finals of the Yonex Thailand Open, sweeping aside South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun 21-16, 21-10 in less than half an hour. The 26-year-old’s victory came as the BWF declared the tournament safe to continue following the latest round of COVID-19 testing. Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying returns to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun during their match at the Yonex Thailand Open in Bangkok yesterday. In men’s doubles, Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin beat Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Kedren 21-14, 21-18.
Source:Taipei Times
January 14, 2021 15:56 UTC
In memorandum
More sites locally infected cases visited are disclosedALLEVIATING FEARS: The CECC would only announce public places where it is difficult to identify everyone there at the same time as the couple, minister Chen said The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced six places where two locally infected COVID-19 cases had visited between Thursday last week and Sunday, urging people who had been at the places at the same time to monitor their health. The couple, cases 838, a doctor, and 839, his nurse girlfriend, were reported by the center on Tuesday. The doctor had treated a patient with COVID-19 last week before he began suffering symptoms on Friday, while the nurse began suffering symptoms on Saturday. They work in the same hospital in northern Taiwan, but the nurse had not worked with COVID-19 patients, soBy Lee I-chia
Source:Taipei Times
January 14, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taiwan takes three wins at Thai Open
Taiwan takes three wins at Thai OpenWORTH WATCHING: Spain’s Carolina Marin sailed to victory, while Malaysia’s Liew Daren, ranked world No. 2, was yesterday forced into a three-set decider by Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk at the Yonex Thailand Open. 12 from Taiwan, took three sets to beat France’s 37th-ranked Brice Leverdez 21-12, 14-21, 21-16. Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen returns to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia in their Chinese Taipei Open match in Taipei on Sept. 7, 2019. Spain’s Carolina Marin returns to France’s Qi Xuefei in their Yonex Thailand Open women’s singles match in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.
Source:Taipei Times
January 13, 2021 16:01 UTC
Trip cancelation understandable: KMT
Trip cancelation understandable: KMTPRAGMATIC RELATIONS: It is understandable for the US Department of State to give priority to domestic stability, the KMT chairman said, calling for improved exchangesBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday said that the cancelation of US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft’s visit to Taiwan was understandable, while KMT spokeswoman Lu Chen-wei (盧宸緯) accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of using the matter for political gain, after DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said that the KMT should bear “considerable responsibility” for the cancelation. The KMT has always advocated for pragmatic, substantive and sustainable relations between Taiwan and the US, he said. Chen earlier yesterday said that the KMT should bear “considerable responsibility” for the cancelation of Craft’s trip. She asked whether the KMT was also to blame for the cancelation of Pompeo’s trip to Belgium. Although the cancelation of Craft’s trip has been confirmed, the KMT welcomes visits aimed at promoting bilateral exchanges and common interests by US officials who have left office, she added.
Source:Taipei Times
January 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
Commercial real estate to remain strong: JLL
Tainan also attracted heavy property funds after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC,台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, announced plans to set up new plants in the area, JLL Taiwan said. TSMC’s suppliers would soon follow suit and the cluster effect would spur demand for residential spaces, Chao said. In related news, vacancy rates for grade A offices in Taipei edged up 0.1 percent to 2.16 percent last quarter, while rents grew a fractional 0.6 percent, JLL Taiwan said. The mild increase in vacancy rates came because some firms relocated to make way for other corporate tenants to earn rental income, JLL Taiwan said. The office market remains tight, and companies with space to spare are leasing it to make money, the consultancy said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
NCC orders Taiwan Mobile to speed up recall
The commission’s tougher stance came one day after the Consumers’ Foundation said that Taiwan Mobile should take full responsibility for the security breach and fix the loopholes immediately. Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei TimesThe foundation said that some Amazing A32 owners had filed complaints with it over the recall offer. Taiwan Mobile halted sales of the smartphone in July last year after selling about 90,000 units since the model’s launch in April 2018. Only about 7,600 of Taiwan Mobile subscribers who bought the phones are still using them, the commission said last week. In addition, Taiwan Mobile must add a specific icon for the recall on its Web site, and should use every means possible to inform Amazing A32 owners about the recall, including sending text messages and making media announcements, the commission said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
Calling off Craft’s trip ‘too bad, but understandable’
Calling off Craft’s trip ‘too bad, but understandable’MISSED OPPORTUNITY? While regretting that Craft could not make the trip, they said they would welcome her in the future. Canceling Craft’s trip was clearly the plan of US president-elect Joe Biden, who could not give US President Donald Trump more chances to wreak havoc, former representative to New Zealand Dale Jieh (介文汲) of the KMT wrote on Facebook. Meanwhile, Owen Churchill, a South Morning Post correspondent based in Washington, yesterday asked on Twitter whether Craft’s flight was in the air when the state department canceled her trip. In related news, Pompeo on Tuesday reasserted Washington’s adherence to the “one China” policy during a telephone interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show, which was produced before Craft’s trip was canceled.
Source:Taipei Times
January 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
More sites locally infected cases visited are disclosed
The couple, cases 838, a doctor, and 839, his nurse girlfriend, were reported by the center on Tuesday. The doctor had treated a patient with COVID-19 last week before he began suffering symptoms on Friday, while the nurse began suffering symptoms on Saturday. The nurse visited Pxmart’s Taoyuan Ciwun Branch (桃園慈文店) between 6:15pm and 7:50pm on Thursday, the center said. People who were also at those places during those time periods should practice self-health management, it said. The center would not announce all locations that confirmed cases had visited, just public places where it is difficult to identify everyone who were there at the same time, Chen reiterated.
Source:Taipei Times
January 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
Ministry planning low-orbit satellite launch in 2025
Ministry planning low-orbit satellite launch in 2025By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterTaiwan’s first low-orbit communications satellite would be launched by 2025, and the government has budgeted NT$4 billion (US$140.62 million) for its development, Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said yesterday. The Beyond 5G communications satellite would be jointly developed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Wu told a news conference in Taipei. The program seeks to help local companies make inroads into the emerging low-orbit satellite communications industry, led by US rocket supplier SpaceX’s Starlink program, he said. In related news, the science ministry said it has submitted a space development draft bill for review to the Executive Yuan. The science ministry is seeking to upgrade the space organization and outsource it from the National Applied Research Laboratories, which is also governed by the ministry, Wu said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
DBS opens fintech R&D in Taiwan
DBS opens fintech R&D in TaiwanStaff writer, with CNASingapore-based DBS Bank Ltd (星展銀行) has opened its third financial technology (fintech) research and development (R&D) center in the world in Taiwan, company executives announced at a news conference yesterday. DBS Bank Taiwan (星展台灣) general manager Lim Him-chuan (林鑫川) said that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for digital financial services, and the bank decided to set up an R&D center in Taiwan to build a lead over its local rivals in fintech development. DBS Bank Taiwan general manager Lim Him-chuan poses at the bank’s Taipei headquarters on May 24, 2018. Photo: Lee Chin-hui, Taipei TimesThe bank’s first fintech R&D center was set up in Singapore, where it is headquartered, and the second was established in India because of that country’s big pool of tech experts, DBS Taiwan technology head Rock Tsai (蔡祈岩) said. If Taiwan hopes to become an international financial hub, it has to cultivate experts in this field, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 12, 2021 15:56 UTC
Machine tool group says industry set to grow 20%
Machine tool group says industry set to grow 20%By Angelica Oung / Staff reporterThe local machine tool industry is forecast to see a recovery this year, with annual production value likely to increase 15 to 20 percent, the Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association (台灣工具機暨零組件公會) said yesterday. From left, Hiwin Group chairman Eric Chuo, Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association chairman Habor Hsu and Tongtai Machine and Tool Co chairman Yen Jui-hsiung hold a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lin Jing-hua, Taipei TimesDomestic manufacturers last month exported US$206 million in machine tools, up 9.3 percent month-on-month, but down 18.2 percent year-on-year, association data showed. Cumulative exports for machine tool products last year were US$215.4 million, down 29.7 percent from 2019, association data showed. China last year bought the most Taiwanese machine tools, accounting for 35.1 percent of the total, followed by the US (12.7 percent), association data showed.
Source:Taipei Times
January 12, 2021 15:56 UTC
Marathons postponed, canceled
Marathons postponed, canceledVIRTUAL RACE: Kinmen County is planning to set up an online marathon for registered runners to upload their data using an app before the end of the monthBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporter, with CNAThis year’s Kaohsiung Fubon Marathon, Kaohsiung Metro-LRT Marathon and Tainan Half Marathon have been postponed, while the Kinmen Marathon has been canceled due to the possibility of COVID-19 infection, the municipalities announced. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) yesterday afternoon announced that the marathons had been postponed, after he hosted a COVID-19 response meeting. Runners participate in the Tainan Half Marathon on Oct. 18 last year. The organizer yesterday announced that this year’s Tainan Half Marathon would be postponed from March 7 to Oct. 3 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) yesterday announced that the Tainan Half Marathon, which was originally scheduled for March 7, with more than 16,000 registered participants, had been postponed to Oct. 3.
Source:Taipei Times
January 12, 2021 15:56 UTC
Farmer uses 5G lighting to protect fish in cold snap
Farmer uses 5G lighting to protect fish in cold snapBy Wang Chu-hsiu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerA Tainan-based aquaculture company has developed a system that uses 5G networks to prevent mass fish deaths during cold snaps. Yen Jung-hung (顏榮宏), the founder of Fisherman Taijiang, said rapid drops in temperature stymie algae growth in fish ponds. The lighting system could be used by fish farmers to remotely monitor their ponds, and it allows fish farmers to remotely activate equipment such as pumps and water wheels, he said. Fisherman Taijiang serves as a platform where local fish farmers and collaborating university teams can interact. The Fisheries Agency yesterday issued a warning for fish farmers over a new cold front approaching the nation, urging them to take precautions to protect their ponds.
Source:Taipei Times
January 12, 2021 15:56 UTC
Next-generation speed
Chip shortages slow vehicle productionRIPPLE EFFECTS: Diminished supply, which has for the past few months affected auto firms worldwide, might prove to be a short-term issue due to COVID-19, an expert said A widening global shortage of semiconductors for auto parts is forcing major auto companies to halt or slow vehicle production just as they were recovering from COVID-19 pandemic-related factory shutdowns. Officials at Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co all say they have been hit by the shortage and been forced to delay production of some models in order to keep other factories running. “This is absolutely an industry issue,” Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said in an e-mail on Friday. “We are evaluating the supply constraint of semiconductors and developing countermeasures to minimize
Source:Taipei Times
January 12, 2021 15:56 UTC