Latest news with #Taichung
South China Morning Post
15-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong woman faces court after leaving stillborn baby in Taiwan hospital freezer
A Hong Kong woman, who gave birth to a stillborn baby in Taiwan in 2022 and left the body in a hospital freezer before disappearing, has been convicted of abandoning a corpse. Huang, 25, had moved to the island years ago to pursue her studies. On November 5, 2022, she delivered a stillborn baby boy at the affiliated hospital of China Medical University in Taichung at 21 weeks of pregnancy. According to a report from the island's media outlet, China Times, Huang placed the baby's body in the hospital's freezer and made arrangements with a funeral company to pick it up and pay the deposit before December 10 that year. However, she did not return and has been out of contact since then. It remains unclear who the father of the child is. Huang was recently apprehended by Taiwan police, and her case was heard in April, according to the report. Huang placed her baby's body in the hospital freezer and had coordinated with a funeral home to collect the remains, but she subsequently went missing. Photo: Google Maps In court, Huang defended herself by denying any intention to abandon the corpse. She claimed that she was unaware of her pregnancy until she sought medical attention for a stomach issue, at which point doctors informed her that the fetus had died in utero.
Newsweek
08-05-2025
- Newsweek
Video Shows Coast Guard Using Water Cannon Against Chinese Ship
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Taiwan has released footage showing its coast guard using a water cannon to expel a Chinese fishing vessel from Taipei-controlled waters in the South China Sea. The agency urged Beijing to rein in "illegal" fishing activities carried out by Chinese nationals in the area. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese and Taiwanese foreign ministries with written requests for comment. Why It Matters The incident occurred in a marine national park administered by Taiwan in the Pratas Islands, known in both Taiwan and China as the Dongsha Islands. Pratas Island, the largest in the group, has been home to a Taiwanese marine garrison since 2024. China also claims the Pratas, as it does most of the South China Sea's islands—claims that overlap with those of several neighbors, leading to sometimes tense confrontations with the Philippines in particular. Beijing likewise claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has threatened to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary. What To Know While on patrol on Saturday, Taiwan coast guard vessels Taichung and Patrol 9 discovered the Chinese fishing vessel Yue Shen Shan Yu 11366 had "illegally entered" Taiwan-claimed waters in the Pratas Islands, according to a coast guard statement. Without delay, the Taichung fired its water cannon to expel the Chinese ship from the area, the agency said. Taiwanese coast guard cutter the Taichung sprays Chinese fishing vessel Yue Shen Shan Yu 11366 with a water cannon near Pratas Island in the South China Sea on May 5, 2025. Taiwanese coast guard cutter the Taichung sprays Chinese fishing vessel Yue Shen Shan Yu 11366 with a water cannon near Pratas Island in the South China Sea on May 5, 2025. Taiwan Coast Guard Administration The coast guard stressed the Dongsha Atoll National Park serves to protect marine ecosystems and that all forms of fishing are strictly prohibited there. The agency added that so far this year, it has driven off 30 Chinese fishing vessels on 111 occasions and detained seven smaller boats. There were no Chinese ships operating illegally in the area as of Monday, the agency said. The coast guard also rebuked China for failing to enforce its own annual fishing ban, applied to much of the South China Sea from May 1 to August 16. According to the moratorium—which also extends to parts of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea until September September 16—all offshore fishing vessels are required to return to port and cease operations to allow fisheries to recover. The unilateral order has drawn protests from China's neighbors, who argue it violates international law and infringes on their sovereignty over territorial waters and maritime zones. What People Are Saying Taiwan Coast Guard Agency said in a statement: "The Coast Guard Administration will strictly enforce the law to effectively deter mainland vessels from illegal crossings. It also calls on the Chinese side to restrain its fishing vessels and to refrain from illegal harvesting activities in the Dongsha waters, which would damage the marine ecosystem and run counter to the universal values of marine conservation." What Happens Next Tensions are expected to persist between China and Taiwan under Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's Beijing-skeptical, Democratic Progressive Party-led administration. Amid continuing pressure to defend its territorial claims, Taiwan is expected to continue responding forcefully to Chinese fishing vessels in waters it controls.
Malay Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Wheel of fortune? Taiwan's bike exports face bumpy ride amid US tariff chaos
TAICHUNG, May 7 — Weeks after Donald Trump's global tariff bombshell, Jeff Chen's factory in Taiwan is as busy as ever turning out carbon and alloy wheels for high-end bicycles bound for US and European markets. But he wonders how much longer it will last. The US president's initial 32 per cent tariff on Taiwan stunned the island's bicycle manufacturers, who were racing to meet orders ahead of the northern summer before the new toll was announced. Some US customers immediately cancelled or postponed shipments, only to reverse their decision when the hefty tariffs on Taiwan and many of America's trading partners were paused for 90 days. With a global 10 per cent levy still in place and no clarity on what happens once the three months are up, Taiwanese bicycle companies and US buyers are in limbo. 'They don't know what to do. There's no time to respond,' said Chen, general manager of Joy Group, which makes wheels and hubs in Taichung. Joy Group, founded by Chen's grandfather in 1971, is one of more than 900 companies assembling bicycles or making components, including wheels, pedals and frames, mostly in central Taiwan, the island's manufacturing heartland. Some companies have received a surge in orders as US customers rush to import bicycles and components before the end of the 90-day period. Others, like Joy Group, have seen little change in demand, which Chen put down to inventory leftover from Covid-19, when retailers stocked up to meet surging demand for bicycles. Chen said US customers had passed on the 10 per cent tariff to consumers, but a 32 per cent levy could put the brakes on further orders, with inevitable knock-on effects in Taiwan. US president Donald Trump's initial 32 per cent tariff on Taiwan stunned the island's bicycle manufacturers, who were racing to meet orders ahead of the northern summer before the new toll was announced. — AFP pic 'Hidden champions' 'If we are getting affected, then the company would need to think how to cut down... everybody will be facing the same issues,' said Chen, whose company also has four factories in China. Taiwan has long been a key player in the global bicycle industry, but it faced an existential crisis more than two decades ago when an ascendant China drew many of the island's manufacturers to its shores. Rather than try to compete with China's cheaper, mass-produced two-wheelers, Taiwanese companies collaborated to upgrade their manufacturing techniques and produce quality bikes and components for high-end markets, mainly in Europe and the United States. While Taiwan's export volume has fallen dramatically from around 10 million in the 1990s to 1.3 million in 2024, exacerbated by the pandemic glut, the average export price of its bicycles has risen sharply. A traditional bike was valued at US$1,131 (RM4,800) last year and an e-bike US$1,848, industry data and analyst reports show. China, which exported more than 44 million bikes in 2024, had an average price of US$57. A worker installs spokes on a bicycle wheel at a factory of Joy Group in Taichung April 24, 2025. — AFP pic Taiwan bicycle industry expert Michelle Hsieh said the island's success in targeting the high-end market was down to 'hidden champions' in the supply chain. Small and medium-sized companies — a hallmark of Taiwan's manufacturing sector — were highly specialised and flexible, Hsieh said, making them 'indispensable' in the global market. 'They are making things that other people cannot make so they have that competitive advantage,' said Hsieh, a sociologist at Academia Sinica in Taipei. Trump's hopes that higher tariffs will force firms to move their production to the United States were dismissed by Taiwanese and American bicycle manufacturers as fanciful. 'Like a big family' It would be 'nearly impossible' to set up a factory in the United States in the next three to five years, Taiwanese bicycle company Giant told AFP, citing higher costs, labour challenges and the lack of a 'bicycle industry cluster'. 'Taichung is the absolute centre of the bicycle industry,' said Tim Krueger, industry veteran and chief executive of US-based Esker Cycles, which imports frames and parts from Taiwan for its mountain bikes. 'That's where the expertise in the whole world is on how to properly manufacture bicycles.' Some bike makers in Taiwan look set to benefit from the 145 per cent tariff on Chinese products in the short term, with US customers seeking out Taiwanese suppliers, Hsieh said. A worker tests a bicycle wheel at a factory of Joy Group in Taichung April 24, 2025. — AFP pic But Tsai Po-ming of the Cycling & Health Tech Industry R&D Centre, which was set up in 1992 to help Taiwan's industry become more competitive, said there could also be negatives. Chinese manufacturers might try to offload their lower-end bikes in Europe if Trump's tariffs fuelled inflation, Tsai told AFP. 'Consumers might feel that the prices are too high, and although our products are mid to high-end in quality, they might prefer to buy lower priced models instead,' he said. At Pacific Cycles' factory near Taipei, workers assembled fold-up bicycles mostly destined for Europe and Asia. While the company has little direct exposure to the US market, president Eva Lin said if one of its suppliers was hurt by the tariffs, then Pacific Cycles would be affected. 'The complete industry is like a big family,' she said. 'No one can escape from the impact.' — AFP
The Star
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Citrus fruit from Taiwan debuts in M'sian menus, stores
(From left) Fu, Chang and Tsai showing the sweet and fragrant Taichung murcott during an event in Ipoh to showcase the fruit from Taiwan. A refreshing citrus twist is making its way to Malaysian dining tables, in the form of sweet and fragrant Taichung murcott from Taiwan. The Shigang District Farmers Association of Taichung City in Taiwan partnered with halal Chinese eatery Restaurant Caterbest in Ipoh, Perak, to introduce a series of seasonal dishes featuring the Taichung murcott. The association's marketing department director Fu Yu-Chin said murcott was one of Shigang's signature fruits – juicy and sweet, and enjoyed by people of all ages throughout the year. 'Murcotts from Shigang are certified under Global GAP – an internationally recognised certified standard that ensures good agricultural practices – and ISO 22000, ensuring premium quality and food safety, so Malaysians can enjoy them confidently,' he said during an event to showcase the products in Ipoh, according to Bernama. A highlight was the unveiling of an exclusive stir-fried chicken dish infused with Taichung murcott, aptly named 'When Life Gives You Murcott'. Created by Caterbest, the dish offered a fragrant, mildly tangy flavour that captured guests' attention. Also present were Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia economic division director James Chang, Taiwan Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur director Eva Peng and Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Malaysia vice-president Tsai Hsin Tien. Caterbest chef Wong Swee Kok, who was present too, shared the inspiration behind the dish. The first shipment of Taichung murcotts arrived in Malaysia on March 3, with future exports planned to Singapore, Canada and several other countries. Taichung murcotts are now available at major retail outlets across Malaysia, including Harvest Impact, Aeon, Jaya Grocer, TF Value-Mart, Star Grocer and Wholefood Market.
