Franz Collection prints ceramic teeth
Franz Collection prints ceramic teethBy Chen Yu-fu and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerLocal porcelain brand Franz Collection Inc (法藍瓷) yesterday announced that it has become the first local company to produce all-ceramic crowns with 3D printing — and has taken out a NT$100 million (US$3.39 million) liability insurance policy on its new product. Franz Collection founder Franz Chen at a news conference yesterday in Taipei stands next to some of the ceramic crowns that his company has produced using 3D printing technology. Franze founder and president Franz Chen (陳立恆) thanked his employees, Ministry of Economic Affairs officials and Siew for their unwavering support for the company’s innovation efforts. All the materials and equipment used in the making the ceramic crowns are produced in Taiwan, he said. Franz Collection does not plan to selling the technology or hardware to other firms, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
July 27, 2020 15:56 UTC
Temples hoping for changes in plaques’ status
Temples hoping for changes in plaques’ statusNATIONAL TREASURES? They were gifts from emperor Guangxu (光緒) in 1886 after the two temples collaborated to bring about rain and end a drought that year. A plaque inscribed with the characters Ci Yun Sa Run, gifted to Chaotian Temple in Yunlin County in 1886 by Qing Dynasty emperor Guangxu, is pictured in an undated photograph. The four inscribed Chinese characters used a specific kind of font, and the overall style of the plaque is consistent with plaques used in houses of Qing Dynasty officials, they said. Cheng Huang Temple chairman Lai Yung-chuan (賴永川) expressed excitement about the two temples’ shared goal of ultimately acquiring the designation of “national treasures” for the plaques.
Source:Taipei Times
July 27, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Island-hopping cruise departs Keelung
A crew member yesterday wears a mask and a face shield to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as he works in the canteen on the Explorer Dream in Keelung. The Explorer Dream is docked in Keelung Port yesterday before it set sail on an island-hopping cruise. Meanwhile, industry sources said international cruise lines are vying for a piece of the domestic market, with Costa Cruises reportedly interested in an island-hopping itinerary with its Costa Serena. A Ministry of Transportation and Communications official said that the government would wait for the Explorer Dream’s voyage to be completed, and everything to go smoothly, before allowing a second cruise ship to start offering trips. A travel industry source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said quarantine requirements mean that it might not be cost-effective for international cruise lines to offer island-hopping itineraries around Taiwan at this time.
Source:Taipei Times
July 26, 2020 15:56 UTC
University president says school can win back trust
University president says school can win back trustBy Fang Chih-hsien and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerNational Sun Yat-sen University president Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) yesterday wrote in an open letter to faculty, students and alumni that as long as the university corrects its faults, it would continue to hold the public’s trust. National Sun Yat-sen University president Cheng Ying-yao speaks in Kaohsiung in an undated photograph. The university initiated an investigation immediately after reports about Lee’s thesis surfaced on Monday last week, and on Friday held its first meeting to review her thesis, he said. A meeting of faculty members is to be held after the review process is over to determine whether Lee’s thesis adviser should be punished for dereliction of duty, he added. The university apologized for the uproar surrounding Lee’s alleged plagiarism, saying that it would show “no leniency” in plagiarism cases to uphold the university’s integrity.
Source:Taipei Times
July 26, 2020 15:56 UTC
HK law affecting people’s willingness to visit: survey
NPP think tank executive director Lee Chao-li (李兆立) said that a survey it commissioned showed that 53.1 percent of respondents said their willingness to visit Hong Kong had been affected by the legislation, while 36.7 percent said they were not affected by it. The poll showed that respondents with a higher education level were more conscious of how the legislation might affect them and were less willing to visit Hong Kong, NPP creative media director Jerry Liu (劉仕傑) said. Although the Mainland Affairs Council has cautioned “high-risk groups” — including people who support independence for Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang and those who have criticized the Chinese or Hong Kong governments — not to travel to the territory, it should do more to warn all Taiwanese about the possible risks in visiting Hong Kong., Liu said. Meanwhile, the poll showed that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) have approval ratings of 60.8 and 56.1 percent respectively, which remains about the same as the previous survey. The poll also showed that 70.4 percent of people surveyed said they considered the procedure for purchasing the government-issued Triple Stimulus Vouchers convenient.
Source:Taipei Times
July 26, 2020 15:56 UTC
INTERVIEW: HSBC boss talks wind project financing
INTERVIEW: HSBC boss talks wind project financingFinancing plays a key role in offshore wind projects, but it also takes more consideration and knowledge than regular green loans. HSBC Taiwan Ltd chief executive officer Adam Chen poses for a photograph during an interview in Taipei on July 10. While one offshore wind developer sought corporate loans, with its parent company willing to guarantee the lending, not all offshore wind developers are willing to follow the same path. As there are a lot of issues to negotiate among all parties and banks, settlement on project financing for offshore wind project takes from 13 to 18 months on average. I personally have an upbeat outlook for financing offshore wind projects, as once the wind farms become operational, investors will feel more confident and commit more.
Source:Taipei Times
July 26, 2020 15:56 UTC
Ministry restates rules for reviewing master’s theses
Ministry restates rules for reviewing master’s thesesMORE ALLEGATIONS: The Taiwan Statebuilding Party said that members of Kaohsiung City Councilor Lee Ya-ching’s thesis committee lacked appropriate qualificationsBy Wu Po-hsuan / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Education yesterday reminded universities that members of examination committees for master’s degrees should be appointed based on academic professionalism and peer consensus. The statement was issued after the Taiwan Statebuilding Party questioned the qualifications of examination committee members who had evaluated the master’s thesis of Kaohsiung City Councilor Lee Ya-ching (李雅靜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). Kaohsiung’s residents cannot accept local factions intervening in university autonomy and academic ethics, he said, calling on the ministry to investigate. The university yesterday released its enforcement rules for master’s degree examinations, which include the same qualifications for examination committee members as the Degree Conferral Act. Amid mounting accusations that she had plagiarized her thesis, Jane Lee on Thursday said she would give up her master’s degree.
Source:Taipei Times
July 26, 2020 15:56 UTC
Yuanta forecasts record revenue for Sinbon
With new growth momentum from the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm’s net profit this quarter is expected to rise 2 percent on a quarterly basis to also reach a record high, Yuanta said in a client note. The analyst’s forecast came after Sinbon on Friday reported stronger-than-expected financial results for the second quarter. Consolidated sales rose 18 percent quarter-on-quarter and 9.5 percent year-on-year to NT$5.29 billion (US$178.98 million) for the second quarter — Sinbon’s highest in a second quarter, the company reported on Friday. Gross margin increased to 26.3 percent in the second quarter, while operating margin advanced to 12.7 percent, the company said in a statement. Sinbon attributed the better-than-expected results to higher revenue and rising gross margin, coupled with nonoperating investment gains, design service revenue and better control of operating expenses.
Source:Taipei Times
July 26, 2020 15:56 UTC
Art and pornography in Taiwan
Art and pornography in TaiwanBy Liao Hsin-tien 廖新田As an art historian specialized in Taiwanese art history, I appreciate the Taipei Times’ feature, “Taiwan in Time: Private parts not allowed” (July 12, page 8) for showcasing a story about Taiwanese art. The article proves that Taiwanese art history is fascinating, which my own academic experience can also vouch for. First, the debate around “art or pornography?” is a general phenomenon of the modernization process in Asia, not to mention globally. Second, Lee Shih-chiao (李石樵) was not the only person involved in the controversy of art and pornography in colonial Taiwan. These two incidents are thought to be the peak of the controversy of art and pornography in Taiwan.
Source:Taipei Times
July 25, 2020 16:07 UTC
Planned cap on medical device costs scrapped
Planned cap on medical device costs scrappedQUALITY CONCERNS: The medical sector said that the policy would keep high-quality gear from entering the market and ignored differences between clinicsStaff writer, with CNAThe government on Friday scrapped a plan to cap patient’s out-of-pocket expenses for some medical devices, saying that it would instead focus on offering price comparisons and using non-legislative mechanisms to “persuade” healthcare providers who charge significantly more than industry norms to change their pricing. The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s name and logo are pictured outside its Taipei headquarters in an undated photograph. The representatives also said that it would mainly benefit private insurance companies, saving them from high reimbursement costs. Hospitals and clinics whose prices exceed those norms would not be allowed to log their products on the NHIA’s medical device comparison Web site, he said. The NHIA would also “communicate with” and try to “persuade” institutions with excessively high prices to offer more affordable prices, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
July 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
Referendum with elections is best: speaker
Referendum with elections is best: speakerBy Sean Lin / Staff reporterLegislative Speaker You Si-kun touted the benefits of holding a referendum in 2022 along with the nine-in-one elections to deal with constitutional issues such as lowering the legal voting age and abolishing the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan. Even though an amendment to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) last year decoupled referendums from national elections and stipulated that they be held every two years on the fourth Saturday of August starting next year, You said in an interview published on Wednesday by the Chinese-language Mirror Media magazine that separating constitutional referendums from national elections might not be a good idea. Legislative Speaker You Si-kun speaks at an event in Taipei on Thursday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei TimesTherefore, it would be “very difficult” for a referendum to pass if it were held independently from national elections, he said. You said that he met separately with the three opposition caucuses in April, and all of them agreed that the referendum for the proposed constitutional amendments should be held in tandem with the national elections.
Source:Taipei Times
July 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
Artisan seeks to preserve paper flower craft
Artisan seeks to preserve paper flower craftBy Wu Po-hsuan / Staff reporterHsu Kuang (徐光), an 83-year-old daughter of a “Qing Dynasty princess,” has a passion for flowers and has devoted much of her life to preserving their beauty through realistic waxed crepe paper flowers, a skill she hopes to pass on to younger generations. Artist Hsu Kuang stands next to one of her waxed crepe paper flower arrangements in Taipei on July 2. She first learned to make ribbon flowers, embroidery and leather carvings, but she unexpectedly fell in love with waxed crepe paper flowers during a visit to Japan when she was 30 years old, she said. However, these days, few people know how to make waxed crepe paper flowers, she said. Humbly calling herself an “artisan” rather than an artist, Hsu said waxed crepe paper flowers are made of imported crepe paper and must go through six procedures to create: shaping, plastering, coloring, waxing twice and varnishing.
Source:Taipei Times
July 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
Defense budget tipped to rise NT$10bn
Defense budget tipped to rise NT$10bnFISCAL 2021: If the funds to purchase 66 F-16 jets from the US were included, the increase in the national defense budget would be 7 percent from a year earlierBy Lee Hsin-fang, Rachel Lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe government budget for fiscal 2021 could see national defense spending increase to NT$335.8 billion (US$11.36 billion), up NT$10 billion, or 3 percent, from fiscal 2020, sources said on Friday. The Ministry of National Defense is discussing with the Executive Yuan additional funding to purchase advanced weaponry, they said. Equipment purchases, and maintenance and personnel fees comprise the main expenditures in the defense budget, although details cannot be divulged, an Executive Yuan source said. An official speaking on condition of anonymity said that the increase in the defense budget would be within normal parameters, as an exponential increase would breach the Budget Act (預算法). Tax revenue for fiscal 2021, estimated at NT$2 trillion, down NT$100 billion from fiscal 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, might lead to a deficit, the DGBAS said.
Source:Taipei Times
July 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
KMT labels DPP officials plagiarists
KMT labels DPP officials plagiaristsTIT FOR TAT: A KMT official said that members of the oral defense committee for incoming Control Yuan president Chen Chu’s thesis had close ties to the DPPBy Sean Lin / Staff reporterThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday questioned the authenticity of theses from prominent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members, calling on the party to hold its members to the same academic standard it used to judge Kaohsiung City Councilor Jane Lee (李眉蓁). Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang at a news conference in Taipei yesterday points to a poster with allegations about Democratic Progressive Party officials having plagiarized their academic theses. While professors, Wu and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) served as thesis advisers for many prominent DPP members, Wang said. Wang said that these DPP officials should explain why they appear to have plagiarized other people’s work. DPP spokeswoman Yen Juo-fang (顏若芳) said the KMT has become so desperate that it is now attempting to vilify the DPP.
Source:Taipei Times
July 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: StarLux to boost flights to Macau and Penang
Virus Outbreak: StarLux to boost flights to Macau and PenangBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterStarting next month, StarLux Airlines Co (星宇航空) is to increase its number of flights to Macau and Penang, Malaysia, to meet rising air cargo demand and help its pilots build up flight hours, the airline said yesterday. From Aug. 1, Starlux is to offer four round-trip flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Macau International Airport every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, compared with three per week now, it said in a statement. It would also operate three round-trip flights per week from Taoyuan to Penang International Airport every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from two at present, it said. However, StarLux has yet to resume its operations to Da Nang, as Vietnam has not eased its restrictions on air travel and cargo demand is low, he said. In the short term, domestic air travel would continue to outperform international travel, as a mandatory 14-day quarantine for returning citizens has dampened desire to travel abroad, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
July 24, 2020 15:56 UTC