Latest news with #NationalTaiwanUniversity
India Today
21-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
India, Taiwan team up on solar tech to turn carbon emissions into green energy
In a promising development in the fight against climate change, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), Chennai, has created a photocatalytic system that uses sunlight to convert harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable renewable fuels. The research, done in collaboration with National Taiwan University, is published in the respected journal Nano Energy and marks a significant step forward in green Indrajit Shown and his team, along with Dr Li-Chyong Chen's group, engineered a novel material called ZnS/ZnInS (ZIS) heterostructure material uses solar energy to efficiently transform CO into hydrocarbons, specifically acetaldehyde -- a useful chemical for producing sustainable fuels. HITS Professor in collaboration 200x EFFICIENCY BOOST IN CO2 CONVERSION The researchers developed this ZnS/ZIS composite through a simple one-pot hydrothermal method, introducing a new mechanism called the strain-induced direct major development has boosted the efficiency of CO2 conversion by 200 times compared to older ZnS-based systems.'Our work aims to go beyond scientific curiosity,' said Professor Shown. 'It focuses on practical solutions to reduce CO2, a major greenhouse gas, and turn it into something valuable. This research highlights the strength of international teamwork between HITS and National Taiwan University in addressing global environmental challenges.'advertisementOne of the key achievements is that the system uses visible light to produce acetaldehyde selectively, a critical feature for developing green fuel testing using isotope-labeled CO2 confirmed that the hydrocarbons generated come directly from CO2, ruling out innovation supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, Industry Innovation, and Responsible team now plans to further develop this technology for real-world applications, potentially transforming how we tackle carbon emissions and energy Watch
Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
‘Highly unusual': Why Taiwan President Lai made no mention of China in major speech
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te ended up mentioning China only after his 14-minute speech on May 20, in response to a journalist's question. PHOTO: EPA-EFE – In a rare move for a major speech, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te did not make any mention of China nor cross-strait relations in his May 20 address marking his first anniversary in office. This is in contrast to his inauguration speech a year ago, when he mentioned China not once but seven times. His speech had raised eyebrows; some interpreted it to be pro-independence, as it implied that China and Taiwan are two separate countries. His predecessor, Ms Tsai Ing-wen, usually referred to China in her speeches as 'the other side of the strait' or the 'Beijing authorities'. 'The way a Taiwan President references China – the specific vocabulary used and the number of times one does so – is always closely watched in a speech like this. So the fact that Lai didn't do so at all now is, in itself, highly unusual,' said Associate Professor Chen Shih-min, a political scientist at National Taiwan University. Analysts told The Straits Times that Mr Lai, by deliberately steering clear of the subject, is seeking to avoid giving Beijing any further reason to mark him as responsible for escalating cross-strait tensions. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has a particular distrust of Mr Lai – a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty – and has repeatedly labelled him a 'troublemaker' and a 'dangerous separatist'. Assistant Professor Ma Chun-wei, a political scientist at New Taipei's Tamkang University, noted that Mr Lai is well aware that Beijing will not be happy no matter what he says. 'So he might as well not mention China at all in a speech that Beijing will certainly pay close attention to. At least, Beijing cannot say that he was being provocative in this speech,' he told ST. This comes as Taiwan officials previously said that the island cannot rule out the possibility that China would hold more military drills to 'stir up trouble' around Mr Lai's first anniversary in office. Beijing has in recent years held major military exercises around the island in response to major Taiwanese events or speeches, to send a strong political message against those it says are seeking 'independence'. Three days after Mr Lai took office in May 2024, for instance, China launched two days of war games as a 'strong punishment for the separatist acts of 'Taiwan independence' forces'. 'If Beijing launches military drills at this particular point in time, they will look like the ones raising tensions, not Lai,' Prof Ma told ST. He added that it was unnecessary for Mr Lai to highlight his cross-strait policy here, as the President had already made it 'very clear' in recent months. In March, Mr Lai formally designated China as a 'foreign hostile force' for the first time, as he unveiled a series of wide-ranging measures to counter infiltration efforts. Mr Lai ended up mentioning China only after his 14-minute speech on May 20 , in response to a journalist's question. Taiwan wants peace and dialogue with China, as war has no winners, he said, when asked for his take on the state of cross-strait relations. 'I also reiterate here – Taiwan is happy to have exchanges and cooperation with China as long as there is reciprocal dignity; use exchanges to replace hemming in, dialogue to replace confrontation,' Mr Lai added. China's Taiwan Affairs spokesman Chen Binhua responded on the evening of May 20 that no matter what the 'leader of the Taiwan region says or how they say it', it cannot change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China. 'Nor can it change the direction and pace of the development of cross-strait relations, nor can it stop the historical trend that the motherland will eventually and inevitably be unified,' he said. Mr Lai's speech, delivered at Taipei's Presidential Office, focused attention on pledging to strengthen the island's economic resilience as the prospect of US President Donald Trump's tariffs loomed. In April, Taiwanese were stunned by Washington's decision to slap hefty 32 per cent tariffs on the island, though the measure is currently paused. Tariff negotiations with Washington are going smoothly, Mr Lai said, adding that the government will ensure national interests and safeguard industry development, and 'under no circumstances sacrifice any one sector'. 'We will stand firm on Taiwan's position and, on the basis of deepening Taiwan-US economic and trade relations, strive for optimal negotiation results in a well-paced, balanced manner,' he said. Whether Taipei can strike a deal with Washington soon to lower tariffs will be key to raising Mr Lai's approval ratings, said Dr Qi Dongtao, a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore's East Asian Institute. According to the latest survey results by leading pollster Formosa released on April 29, Mr Lai's disapproval rating of 47.3 per cent had overtaken his approval rating of 47.1 per cent – the first time this has happened in this poll since he assumed office. 'As a majority of adult Taiwanese hold equities, the stock market crash (in April) had a widespread impact on Taiwanese society, creating pessimistic economic sentiment… and contributing to his disapproval rating significantly,' Dr Qi said. Mr Lai's speech also highlighted his efforts to work more closely with Taiwan's opposition parties, amid the island's domestic political turmoil and a mass campaign to recall dozens of legislators from different parties. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party does not have a majority in the 113-seat legislature; instead, Parliament has been dominated by an opposition coalition formed by the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party, which have passed legislation curbing the President's powers. 'I have always been willing, with open arms, to work hard for cross-party dialogue and strengthened cooperation among our political parties,' Mr Lai said, adding that he will instruct his team to initiate a national security briefing for the heads of the opposition parties. 'It is hoped that leaders of all parties, regardless of political stance, can prioritise our nation's interests and uphold our nation's security, and grounded in shared facts, we can openly and honestly exchange views and discuss matters of national importance, so that we can tackle our nation's challenges side by side,' he said. Yip Wai Yee is The Straits Times' Taiwan correspondent covering political, socio-cultural and economic issues from Taipei. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
NBC News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Caught between the U.S. and China, young people in Taiwan just want things to stay the same
Young people in Taiwan are used to living with uncertainty when it comes to China — a situation they generally say is for the best for the time being, particularly when recent actions by the Trump administration have some of them asking a question. 'Can Taiwan continue to view the U.S. as an ally?' said Chan Yu-hsiang, 25, a graduate student at National Taiwan University. Chan's question reflects growing concern in Taiwan over the reliability of the U.S. as a security partner under President Donald Trump, who has expressed support for the Beijing-claimed island in the face of Chinese military threats but also made critical remarks and upended trade relations. In a Taiwan government poll released in March, the percentage of respondents who said the U.S. military would 'definitely' intervene in the event of a Chinese invasion dropped to 14% from 19% a year earlier. Almost half of respondents said the U.S. military was unlikely to intervene, the same as a poll by the Brookings Institution conducted the same month. According to the same Taiwan government poll, 36% of respondents said U.S.-Taiwan relations would get worse under Trump, a 12% increase since January. Taiwan's rising wariness toward the U.S. comes amid growing pressure from China, which claims the self-governing democracy as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force in achieving its unification goal. Beijing sends warplanes and ships toward the island on near-daily sorties. Last month, the Chinese military conducted large-scale drills around Taiwan in what it said was a warning to 'separatist' forces. The Taiwan government has warned that Beijing could hold more drills in the coming days as the island marks one year under President Lai Ching-te, whom China describes as a 'separatist' and 'troublemaker.' China has rebuffed multiple offers of talks from Lai, who says only Taiwan's 23 million people can decide its future. Beijing insists the island's future is 'by no means an 'internal affair of Taiwan,'' warning that Taiwanese authorities would 'suffer an apocalypse' if they sought formal independence. Strategic ambiguity The U.S. has no formal relations with Taiwan, but is its most important international backer, bound by law to provide it with defensive weapons. On Monday, Taiwan test-fired for the first time a new rocket system provided by the U.S. that Ukraine has also used against Russia. Washington has long maintained a policy of 'strategic ambiguity' when it comes to whether the U.S. military would defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack, not giving a definitive answer either way. Trump has not given any indication of a change in that policy. But he has unnerved Taiwan with comments accusing it of stealing semiconductor business from the U.S. and calling for Taiwan to pay more for its own defense, which it has pledged to do. Last month, he also slapped Taiwan with a 32% tariff on its goods, with an exemption for the chip industry, which makes up a big part of the Taiwan economy and which the U.S. relies on heavily. Taiwan has said it will not retaliate against the U.S. and that it is ready for trade talks 'at any time,' offering a package of zero tariffs on American goods and increased U.S. investment. The duties came as a surprise to Taiwan after state-backed chipmaker TSMC announced a plan in March to invest an additional $100 million in the U.S., where it is already building multiple factories. For Chan, this suggested that even Taiwan's 'silicon shield' — the semiconductor industry that makes the island so indispensable to the global economy — is not enough to guarantee U.S. support. 'If you keep giving away Taiwan's last line of defense, the U.S. will take advantage of it, but they won't necessarily treat you well,' he said. 'Why would Taiwan still believe that Trump would definitely deploy troops if it was to fall?' Maintaining the status quo Though some U.S. officials and Taiwan's military point to 2027 — the 100th anniversary of the founding of China's People's Liberation Army — as a possible timeline for China to attack, polls show that most Taiwanese believe an invasion is unlikely in the next five years. A survey last year by National Chengchi University in Taipei showed that over 88% of people in Taiwan support maintaining the status quo, in which Taiwan operates as a de facto independent country without formally declaring independence, a move that would risk all-out war with China. That's especially true for Taiwan's youngest voters, said Lev Nachman, a political scientist and assistant professor at National Taiwan University who has studied their views. Taiwan's Gen Z 'are by no means pro-China relative to other generations, but they don't have the same attitude towards Taiwan independence' as millennials do, he said. 'Instead, we see younger generations having a much more sort of pro-status-quo approach to politics,' Nachman said. Young people in Taiwan were too young to be radicalized in political upheavals such as the island's Sunflower Movement in 2014 and the martial law era, he said. They don't want to 'rock any major boat' with any 'radical change' in the Taiwan Strait, Nachman added, though the desire for unification with mainland China is still 'incredibly low.' The Taiwan government poll found that over a third of respondents ages 18 to 29 viewed China as the island's 'primary threat' despite efforts by Beijing to win them over with preferential policies for studying and working in the mainland, as well as various activities including sponsored trips, internships and cultural events. Last year, over 4 million people from Taiwan visited mainland China for tourism, study or work, a year-on-year increase of 54.3%, according to official data released by Chinese authorities. According to China's Taiwan Affairs Office, young people were the 'most active' group. 'You are also Chinese. You are our family,' Chan said he and other students from Taiwan were told by a tour guide last year on a Beijing-sponsored trip to the Chinese province of Henan. While some accuse Beijing of using such efforts to strengthen its sovereignty claims, these measures are 'quite good' and enable young people in Taiwan to visit and explore different places, said Chen Pin-yin, a student at the National Taiwan University of Arts. Chen, 21, who is also pro status quo, said not everything is about politics. Young people in Taiwan are mainly concerned about practical issues such as the cost of living and their job prospects, she said. Chen did a one-month internship last summer for a variety show in the southern Chinese province of Hunan that was partly funded byChinese organizers. The experience was 'a dream come true' for Chen, who said the Chinese TV industry is 'highly developed.' She said she plans to pursue a master's degree in mainland China next year and that she would also consider working there. The most important thing 'is to avoid wars for now,' Chen said. 'I hope the U.S. can play the role of a mediator when tensions are high.'
Japan Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Li Kotomi: 'I refuse to choose death'
'I'm here, but I can't find the entrance,' Li Kotomi texts as our interview time approaches. When my interpreter and I rush down the stairs, she's already halfway up: a petite woman with straight bangs and streaks of pink and purple dye in her hair for the spring season. We laugh and shake hands all around. I'm somewhat mortified that my first meeting with an Akutagawa Prize-winning author is in a dingy staircase next to old mops and brooms. Up we go to the rented room, where we make ourselves comfortable and Li sets her laptop, covered in Pride stickers, down on the coffee table between us. The past three years have seen tremendous peaks and valleys for Li. As the critically acclaimed author of 'Solo Dance' and other fiction that explores topics of queer identity and migration, she has built a formidable career for herself and received some of Japan's highest literary accolades. But she has also been dealing with vicious cyberbullying, doxxing and harassment. Throughout my interview, Li appears serene, smiling with confidence. 'I am more persistent than most,' she declared in an online statement in response to her harassment. 'If I weren't so tenacious I wouldn't have made it this far. Authors are tenacious creatures to begin with.' A dedicated student Li, 35, hails from rural Taiwan. As a child, she was a voracious reader of both Chinese classics and contemporary literature. She began studying Japanese at age 15 for no particular reason beyond enjoying the language, but soon came to love reading Japanese books. Rieko Matsuura and Kaho Nakayama, authors known for their provocative explorations of gender and sexuality, were among her favorite writers. Li went on to major in Chinese and Japanese literature at the prestigious National Taiwan University, becoming fluent in Japanese by the time she graduated with her bachelor's degree. She studied at Waseda University as an exchange student and later moved to Tokyo to pursue her master's. Relocating to Japan was also a means for her to escape the severe oppression and discrimination she had experienced in Taiwan as a transgender woman and a lesbian. The capital had more queer spaces than Taipei, which had only two lesbian bars at the time, and Li quickly established a safe space of her own within the LGBTQ community. Li had written several short stories as a young adult in Taiwan, but found the literary industry difficult to break into. She contemplated giving up her dream entirely and becoming an academic or office worker. Even after she received her master's from Waseda, she felt intimidated by the idea of writing in Japanese. Writing literature in one's native language is challenging enough, she says, for all the technical and creative capacities it demands. 'You have to read a lot, you have to learn the culture, you have to know about society and history,' she says. 'I didn't think I could do that in Japanese.' Li started working at a big Japanese company in Tokyo after receiving her master's. One day, while riding a jam-packed train at rush hour, she wondered if there would be anything more to her life than just commuting to and from the office. 'Then a word came into my heart and that word was 'death,'' Li says. 'As a queer person, 'death' is close to my life. Even when I was a child, I often thought about death. I didn't think I could live past 30. Death is something I couldn't help thinking about. At that time, I started thinking about the word itself (in Japanese). ... And I thought, 'Maybe this could be the beginning of a novel.'' Five months later, she completed what would become her literary breakthrough. Li submitted the manuscript to the 2017 Gunzo Award for New Writers contest, competing against more than 2,000 submissions. She won top prize. Her story about a young lesbian from Taipei trying to overcome trauma and find connections in Tokyo was published the following year by Kodansha, and came out in English in 2022 as 'Solo Dance' (translated by Arthur Reiji Morris). It's a harrowing tale that details the protagonist's struggles with rejection and mental health. The Gunzo Award marked the official start of Li's literary career — a dream come true — and established Li as a serious author. In 2018, she quit her day job to focus on her work as a freelance writer and translator of Japanese to Mandarin. Ascent and adversity In 2021, Li became the second non-native Japanese speaker and first Taiwanese national to receive the Akutagawa Prize, Japan's top literary award. Her winning book, 'The Island Where Red Spider Lilies Bloom,' was an ambitious project, showcasing Li's linguistic innovation and her love of wordplay. 'In some of the lines, I combine Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese and Okinawan to make a completely new language,' she says. Overall, she describes her process of writing in Japanese as more analytical than her native language, since she is still able to view it from a distance. The Akutagawa Prize consolidated Li's literary reputation in both Japan and Taiwan. At the same time, this honor invited a degree of unwanted attention and animosity. Li received backlash from Japanese conservatives on X, formerly Twitter, for winning the Akutagawa as a foreigner, for publicly criticizing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and for exploring queer themes in her books. In the same year, anti-transgender movements led by trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs) were gaining momentum in Taiwan and Japan. '(In 2021), there also was a case in Taiwan where a transgender woman sued the government for the right to change her legal gender marker without getting gender confirmation surgery,' says Li. The court's ruling in favor of the plaintiff led to a transphobic backlash in Taiwan, around the same time as a similar reaction in Japan when Ochanomizu University, a women's college, began admitting transgender students. Li's gender identity became a target for online harassers. Individuals from around the world have relentlessly bullied her over the past few years, publicly outing her as transgender and even posting her confidential information. She has shared, in her blog, the anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation she experienced as a result. Li has since filed multiple lawsuits in both Taiwan and Japan against several individuals, citing defamation, sexual harassment and violation of privacy. Some she has won, while others are ongoing. She is contemplating filing even more, as she still faces innumerable attackers online. 'I should just be writing my books,' she laments. 'It's strange; it's not correct.' But ultimately, she believes her actions to be necessary 'to fight for my own rights and show queer people that you can fight back.' In response to this online harassment, Li's friends and supporters have rallied to raise funds for her drawn-out legal battles. 'I refuse to choose death,' she wrote in her public statement on Transgender Day of Remembrance. 'Our community has already seen far too much death. ... Yes, there is international solidarity among anti-trans activists. Therefore, I too need the international solidarity of the LGBTQ+ community.' A bright future In contrast to the storms raging online and in the courts, Li's day-to-day life is quiet and peaceful. She busies herself with chores, meets with editors, spends time with friends and then writes whenever she has a spare moment — always in the privacy of home. Li has a number of new stories and books in the pipeline. She is writing a series of travelogues based on her experiences at Pride festivals in Seoul, Zurich and Paris. In August, her book of hybrid fiction and nonfiction about her time at the University of Iowa's International Writing Program will be published. Li reminisces fondly about the program, where she befriended a novelist from Hong Kong and a poet from Korea, strengthening her ties to a global ecosystem of literary professionals. 'I really hope that more of my books can be translated into English, too,' Li says. Her third book, 'The Night of the Shining North Star,' takes place in Shinjuku Ni-chome and features women of all sexualities making connections and conversations. She feels that this book can offer readers a glimpse of Asian history, politics and queer communities. Li strongly believes that the struggle for queer rights is tied to wider political and social problems. 'We have to acknowledge discrimination: homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia. We have to deal with it. ... What makes my novels different is that I focus on those who are most marginalized and intersectional. That is important to me.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AMD CEO says ready to start chip production in Arizona, to make more AI servers in US
By Wen-Yee Lee TAIPEI (Reuters) - Advanced Micro Devices' Chief Executive Lisa Su said on Tuesday that it is ready to start chip production at its Arizona plant and will certainly make more AI servers in the U.S. Su was speaking to reporters at National Taiwan University in Taipei. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would be announcing the tariff rate on imported semiconductors this week, adding that there would be flexibility with some companies in the sector. AMD, one of the largest providers of personal computer chips, relies mostly on TSMC, the world's largest contract chip maker in Taiwan to make its chips.
