China has warned Taiwan of consequences after officials from Beijing and
Taipei attended a Pacific leaders summit in Palau.

The meeting brings together 18 member states and territories of the Pacific
Islands Forum.

China, the U-S and Taiwan are not members, but all three have significant
interests in the region.

Palau is one of the few countries that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan
and has hosted joint events with Taipei's representative.

A Chinese envoy called Taiwan's presence at the summit "very inappropriate"
and hinted that Beijing could take action.

The dispute highlights growing competition among major powers for influence
in the Pacific.

Princess Cruises has ended its local sales operations in Taiwan ... but its
scheduled sailings this year will not be affected.

The company's Taiwan branch, Carnival Taiwan, stopped its website, social
media and local sales operations on August 31st.

Princess Cruises said it will no longer accept new bookings through its local
entity, but existing reservations and passenger support services remain
unaffected.

Future travelers will need to book through the company's global website or
other international channels.

The move is part of parent company Carnival Corp.'s decision to halt local
sales operations in several Asian markets, including Taiwan, China, Hong Kong
and South Korea.

Taiwan International Ports Corp. says the decision was a business strategy
adjustment and would not affect this year's scheduled port calls.

Princess Cruises ships will continue to call at Keelung and Kaohsiung, while
Taiwan authorities work to attract more international cruise operators.

(CNA_IG)

Weight-loss doctor Wang Ming-yu (王銘嶼) has been indicted for allegedly
defrauding 424 patients out of 18.02 million NT by charging them for a
surgical device prosecutors said was never used.

The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office said Wang faces charges including
fraud, document forgery and violations of medical laws.

Prosecutors said Wang told patients undergoing weight-loss surgery they would
need to pay an additional $42,500 NT for a disposable wireless ultrasonic
surgical device known as "Maxima".

However, investigators found no evidence the device was actually used,
leading prosecutors to conclude patients were charged for equipment they did
not receive.

Wang's medical license was revoked in September 2025.

He is also being investigated over the deaths of two patients who underwent
weight-loss surgery at Antai Hospital.

Ferry operators are suspending services between Taiwan's east coast and
Orchid Island and Green Island from tomorrow afternoon due to worsening sea
conditions.

Ferries between Taitung and Green Island will operate only in the morning,
with a 9:30 AM departure and a 12:30 PM return to Fugang Harbor.

While all Taitung to Orchid Island ... and Pingtung Houbitou to Orchid Island
services will be canceled tomorrow.

Operators said the disruptions are due to strong winds and waves associated
with a tropical depression.

Passengers are advised to check the latest updates before traveling.

(IG)

Meanwhile,

Kaohsiung saw its wettest August on record this year, with 1,712 millimeters
of rain falling over the month.

That's nearly four times the historical average for August and equivalent to
93 percent of the city's average annual rainfall.

The city government has stepped up flood preparations, with its disaster
response center activated and emergency teams deployed to monitor rainfall
and water levels and prepare equipment and personnel for possible flooding.

Local officials say rainfall could become more concentrated and intense
through to tomorrow, September 2nd, as a low-pressure system and
southwesterly winds continue to affect the region.

Authorities are urging residents to watch for flooding in low-lying areas, as
well as lightning and strong winds.

People in mountainous areas and near rivers and streams are also being urged
to take extra care.

(IG)

Netflix has told Taiwan health officials that its response to concerns over
tobacco imagery in the Japanese anime series "Chainsmoker Cat" may take some
time due to internal procedures.

Hsinchu City health officials visited Netflix at the end of August ... after
formally contacting the company over scenes repeatedly showing identifiable
tobacco brands and packaging.

The Health Promotion Administration says the matter may need to go through
internal review procedures and be reported to Netflix's U-S parent company.

Several other streaming platforms have removed the series, while Netflix has
continued showing and updating episodes without obscuring the tobacco
imagery.

Taiwan health authorities are urging the company to quickly mask identifiable
tobacco brands and markings.

The H-P-A says platforms that removed the series can restore it once the
non-compliant imagery is obscured.

(IG)

New Taipei's Sanying MRT Line has recorded more than 1.7 million passenger
trips during its two-month trial operation.

According to the city's metro operator, the five busiest stations were
Dingpu, Yingge Station, Ceramics Old Street, National Taipei University and
Sanxia.

Electronic smart cards accounted for 44 percent of trips, followed by social
welfare cards at 36 percent and commuter monthly passes at 12 percent.

The line began charging fares today, with tickets ranging from 20 to 35 NT
... after beginning trial operations on June 30th.

Single day passes are also available for 60 NT, allowing unlimited rides on
the line on the day of purchase.

(IG)

To help fishermen locate fish, the Ministry of Agriculture says it will work
with the National Science and Technology Council on a four-year project
beginning next year.



Minister Chen Jun-ji says the project will combine decades of Taiwan's catch
statistics with satellite imagery and ocean data, including sea temperatures,
water color and acidity, for big-data analysis.



The Fisheries Agency says AI models will initially be used to predict the
location of skipjack tuna in the western and central Pacific, as well as
mackerel and scad in waters around Taiwan.



Fishermen currently often rely on visual clues, such as seabirds and drifting
wood, to locate fishing grounds, making the process costly and uncertain.

Officials hope more accurate predictions will reduce the time and resources
fishermen spend searching at sea.

Taiwan's fisheries produced about $97 billion NT in output last year, while
the entire industry chain was worth an estimated $350 billion NT.

(JL)

Three players on Taiwan’s Asia U18 Rugby national team have been disqualified
for drinking alcohol during training camp ahead of the Asian championships.

The team has been in Taipei since August 3rd to prepare for the tournament
starting September 5th in mainland China.

But an investigation was launched after social media evidence surfaced,
showing the players drinking while out past curfew.

The association filled the vacant spots on the 13-man roster with three
replacement players ahead of the tournament in China.

The association also confirms that following the emergency meeting, strict
disciplinary action was taken to officially revoke the national team status
of all three athletes.

(NS)

Taiwan shares were higher as were many other Asian stock markets. The Taiex
gained 820 points to end the session at 46,948.

The turnover also expanded to 1-trillion 810 billion NT.

The Ministry of Education is offering free online classes for teachers,
students and the public to learn more about artificial intelligence.

The MOE says the courses are available on its MOOCs learning platform, which
has also added a special AI section with features including personalized
course recommendations and automatically generated subtitles.



The ministry worked with a team from National Taiwan Normal University to
introduce an AI evaluation system for the first time.

The system assesses AI courses based on five areas, including how engaging
they are, the depth of their content, hands-on learning, organization and
range of applications.



The first 18 recommended courses cover topics including introductions to
AI, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing and computer
vision.

Among the highest-rated courses is "Applied Machine Learning with Python,"
taught by National Chengchi University professor Lin Yi-ling.

It takes learners from basic machine-learning concepts through data analysis
and eventually to building machine-learning models.

(JL)

The opposition TPP is gearing up to support its Taipei City Council
candidates' campaign for this year's local elections.

TPP chair Huang Guo-chang and founder Ko Wen-zhe accompanied the 6
candidates, including sitting councilors Lin Zhen-yu and Huang Jing-ying, to
register at the Taipei Election Commisssion.

Asked whether the TPP plans to cooperate with the KMT in Taipei, Huang said
the party's immediate priority is to get its own campaign on a firm footing.

On the issue of any further cooperation or coordination with Taipei Mayor
Chiang Wan-an, Huang indicated that it can be discussed at the next stage.

(JL)

The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday approved a 9.8 billion NT
investment by US semiconductor equipment supplier Lam Research.

Lam Research will invest the money in its Taiwan subsidiary to support
research, development, and design operations for critical equipment used in
advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes.

The ministry's Investment Commission approved a total of 6 major investment
cases, including 2 foreign investments in Taiwan and four overseas
investments by Taiwanese companies.

The other foreign company approved to invest in Taiwan yesterday was Zhen
Ding Technology Holdings, which will invest 3 billion NT in subsidiary
Boardtek Electronics to support printed circuit board research and
development.

Meanwhile, one of the companies approved to invest abroad is the
semiconductor company Nuvoton Technology Corporation.

CPC says, it will keep natural gas prices for domestic and industrial users
unchanges this month...

but will increase prices for companies that generate electricity.

The oil supplier says that LNG prices have been on the rise due to
uncertainty over supply as negotiations between the US and Iran have
stalled...

and European countries push to build up their inventories before the winter.

CPC says it will absorb additional costs for industrial users after taking
into account consumer prices and overall economic conditions.

A statement from the oil supplier added that it has absorbed about 140
billion NT in losses on sales to the industriak sector since 2021.

However, prices for the electricity sector will be increased by just under
6%.

It's not yet clear if that will translate into higher electricity costs.

A new global report shows that an area of the ocean that includes Taiwan has
seen the steepest decline in living coral in East Asia in recent years.

The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network today released its "Status of Coral
Reefs of the World: 2025" report, linking the decline to increasingly
frequent coral bleaching events.

Bleaching happens when stressed corals lose the algae that give them their
color and help keep them alive.

Globally, the amount of seafloor covered by living hard coral was about 9.5
percent below the historical average ... between 2020 and 2024.

East Asia has fared relatively well, but coral cover fell during the latest
bleaching event, with waters around Taiwan particularly affected.

Taiwan researchers say shrinking recovery time between marine heatwaves is a
major concern, leaving corals less time to recover.

They are calling for more marine protected areas, tighter controls on coastal
development and tougher environmental enforcement.

(IG)

The global semiconductor market is expected to top 2 trillion U-S dollars by
2030, driven by demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

SEMI senior director Clark Tseng says the market was previously expected to
reach about 1 trillion dollars, based on traditional demand from PCs,
smartphones and consumer electronics.

But AI data centers are driving demand for advanced chips, high-bandwidth
memory and other components.

The market is expected to surpass 1.5 trillion dollars this year, despite
continued weakness in PC and smartphone shipments.

Taiwan is expected to account for about 30 percent of the global
semiconductor materials market next year.

But SEMI board chair Tien Wu says AI growth is putting pressure on Taiwan's
land, talent, capital and electricity resources.

SEMICON Taiwan will run from Wednesday through Friday at Taipei Nangang
Exhibition Center Halls 1 and 2.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs is working with Meta, Google, LINE and TikTok
to use AI against increasingly sophisticated online scams.

Officials say fraud groups are using AI to generate large amounts of scam
content, prompting platforms to strengthen automated detection and share
intelligence with the government.

The measures include blocking fraudulent ads and fake accounts, tightening
checks on high-risk users and issuing warnings for suspicious messages and
links.

Meta says it removed 10.9-million scam ads in Taiwan between March 2024 and
mid-July this year.

LINE says it has also taken action against more than 142-thousand accounts
linked to fraud since November 2024.

(PB)

Kaohsiung is set to add 1-thousand-200 YouBikes by November, bringing the
city's total fleet to more than 14-thousand-300.

The new bikes will include almost 1-thousand standard YouBike 2.0s and over
200 electric-assist 2.0Es.

The city now has 1-thousand-500 rental stations, and more than 91 million
YouBike rides have been recorded as of July ... since the system launched in
2020.

The system averaged 1.9 million rides a month this year, peaking at almost
2.2 million in May.

Officials say YouBike has also helped cut carbon emissions by an estimated
15-thousand metric tons.

Kaohsiung's Transportation Bureau is offering 5-NT ride vouchers for helping
rebalance full and empty stations, with up to 10 NT available per trip.

(IG)

Taiwan is taking its culture to Poland next month with a two-day "Taiwan Day"
event featuring music, dance, food and folk arts.

The first event will be held in Lodz in in central Poland on September 11th
...

... with performances by the Lei Sheng Art Group, and Taipei Gong Le Xuan, a
Taiwanese Beiguan music ensemble.

There will also be stalls offering Taiwanese food and products, including
dumplings, bubble tea and Taiwanese tea.

The event moves to Opole in southwestern Poland the next day .... where the
groups will be joined by the MeimageDance {May-image} Troupe.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim says the event aims to encourage more Europeans
to visit Taiwan and experience its culture firsthand.

She says cultural exchanges can also help deepen international understanding
of Taiwan.

(CNA_IG)

With Taitung receiving the most rain islandwide today ....

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency in Taitung has closed several
hiking trails and mountain lodges from 1 PM as a precaution.

They include the famous Zhi-ben (知本) National Forestry Area, the Lake
Jia-ming (嘉明) Lake trail and Xiang-yang (向陽) Mountain Lodge.

Officials say the affected sites will remain closed until further notice ...
with reopening dates to be announced once conditions improve.

The trails that have already been closed, including the Li-yu (鯉魚) Mountain
trail, for repair will remain so.

Tai-tung has received more than 230 millimeters of rainfall so far today and
more is expected to come tonight and tomorrow.

Officials are reminding people not to venture into mountainous areas when the
weather conditions are bad.

(IG)

Agricultural losses from heavy rain in southern Taiwan in late August have
risen to almost 230 million NT.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Kaohsiung has suffered the heaviest
losses at almost 60 million NT, followed by Yunlin at over 53 million NT.

Crop hardest hit include guava, green onions, papaya, sweet corn and peanuts.

The agricultural sector also reported over $48 million NT in fishery losses,
mainly involving milkfish, mullet and marbled gody.

Livestock losses totaled 2.8 million NT, mainly involving chickens, ducks and
pigs.

(IG)

If you're riding a YouBike in Taipei around mid-September, you could be
become the person who uses a YouBike for the 500 millionth time and receive
20-thousand NT in vouchers

The Department of Transportation estimates that could happen around September
14th.

And there are consolation prizes too — the five riders immediately before and
the five immediately after number 500 million will each get 1-thousand NT in
shopping vouchers.

Transportation officials said YouBike has grown to almost 1-thousand-800
stations across Taipei, with more than 27-thousand bicycles available,
including over 4-thousand electric-assist ones.

Officials are encouraging more people to ride bicycles instead of driving for
the purpose of cutting carbon emissions and traffic jams.

(IG)

This week on Taiwan Talk... ICRT's Tim Berge sits down with Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines Ambassador Kenton X. Chance...

A TSMC executive says the the next phase of artificial intelligence growth
will be driven by bigger and more powerful computing systems.

TSMC AI and high-performance computing director Li Xiang (李湘) said at SEMICON
Taiwan today that AI is moving beyond chatbots and into everyday business
operations.

She said companies will need to connect computing power, memory and data
systems to keep up with growing demand.

Li said the amount of data used to run AI has increased nearly 500-fold since
2022, as newer AI systems handle more complex tasks.

TSMC is developing new chip packaging and data-transfer technologies to meet
that demand.

Li said TSMC now needs to understand the entire AI supply chain, "from
silicon to the data center to the token".

(CNA_IG)

Taiwan's manufacturing outlook reached its strongest category in more than
five years in July, helped by strong AI demand and signs of recovery in
traditional industries.

The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research says its manufacturing climate
index rose to 18.57 points, moving into the "red" range that signals strong
growth.

Nearly 46-percent of industries were classified in the red category, up
sharply from June.

But TIER says the outlook for the second half remains uncertain.

Export growth for information and communications products is slowing from a
high base, while it remains unclear whether the recovery in traditional
industries can continue.

The institute is also warning that higher energy prices and global borrowing
costs could add pressure to the economy.

(PB)

KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun says the party will not preselect a candidate or
tailor its nomination system for anyone ahead of the 2028 presidential
election.

Speaking to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, Cheng said her job is to establish a
fair process, nominate the strongest candidate and maintain cooperation with
the Taiwan People's Party.

Cheng also defended the KMT's push for cross-Strait dialogue, saying peace
remains possible through communication and exchanges.

She said her recent Beijing visit showed there is still room to reduce
hostility across the Strait.

Cheng also expects another U.S.-China leaders' meeting at the end of
September could bring further progress in relations.

(PB)

The Ministry of National Defense says China's military threat against Taiwan
has not eased, with recent exercises increasingly focused on blockade
scenarios.

Its latest report on China's military power says PLA drills have centered on
cutting off Taiwan's external sea and air routes.

The MND says China has used military aircraft, warships, coast guard vessels
and maritime militia in those exercises to improve its ability to encircle
Taiwan.

The report also warns of espionage and disinformation campaigns aimed at
weakening public trust and internal unity.

The ministry says Taiwan will continue strengthening its defenses, reserve
mobilization and cooperation with security partners.

(PB)

President Lai Ching-te says the government will provide 20-billion N.T. a
year starting in 2027 to help small and micro-sized businesses modernize and
improve their competitiveness.

The government is also drafting legislation aimed at making support for
smaller enterprises a permanent part of policy.

Lai says the measures are intended to help businesses of all sizes benefit
from Taiwan's economic growth and technological development.

He also highlighted the government's Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects,
which focus on areas including quantum computing, silicon photonics and
robotics.

The initiative aims to help at least 1-million smaller businesses adopt
digital technologies and train 500-thousand people in AI applications by
2040.

(PB)

Weather forecasters say while they're not ruling out the possibility of
issuing a sea warning for the number 20 tropical depression near Hai-nan
island tomorrow evening, the chances are low.

The Central Weather Administration says that's because the system is not
expected to get much stronger as the conditions are not favorable.

The CWA says TD 20 is currently 1,100 kilometers southwest of Taiwan and
moving at a northeasterly direction toward the Taiwan Strait.

It may strengthen a little as it moves northward, and brings even more rain
to Taiwan's south and east.

Forecasters say Taiwan is currently under the influence of a broad
low-pressure system, which has already brought over 200 millimeters of
rainfall to Tai-tung so far today.

Southern Taiwan and Hualian could see brief torrential downpours or heavy
rain as well, with prolonged torrential rain also possible today and
tomorrow.

(JL)

Taiwan shares are down today, with the benchmark Tai-Ex losing 202.98 points
to close the session at 46,128.47.



The turnover was 1.2-trillion N.T.

The Water Resources Agency has activated a Level 3 response team as stronger
southwesterly winds raise the risk of heavy rain.

The agency says short periods of intense rainfall are possible today and
Tuesday, especially in areas already affected by recent bad weather.

Local governments are being told to clear drainage systems, prepare pumping
equipment and monitor flood-prone roads, underpasses and low-lying areas.

Authorities may also lower water levels at major reservoirs in southern
Taiwan, including Tsengwen, Wushantou and Mudan, to create more storage
capacity if needed.

(PB)

With reports that Taiwan's National Security Bureau hired a U.S. consulting
firm to provide advice on trade issues, the N-S-B stressed today that
legitimate consultations and lobbying have become common practice in
democratic countries.

The Bureau also noted that it follows local laws governing required
registration and disclosure.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice's disclosure under the Foreign
Agents Registration Act, the N-S-B hired the U.S. consulting firm ASG
Corporation to provide government relations and trade consultations between
April and September last year.

The contract also included arranging a high-level meeting with Kevin Hassett,
Director of the White House National Economic Council.

A-S-G utilized contacts within the Executive Office of the President to
arrange the meeting on July 8, 2025, between Taiwan’s N-S-B Director-General,
Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥), and Kevin Hassett.

The N-S-B paid ASG Corp. a total of $325-thousandＵ.S. dollars for trade and
government relations services.

Sources familiar with the matter said the Taiwan-U.S. tariff negotiations
have highlighted the need for the government to diversify its
intelligence-gathering channels when faced with major changes.

(JL)

TSMC says silicon photonics is becoming the mainstream technology for optical
transceivers as AI pushes data-center networks toward their physical limits.

The company's Advanced Packaging Technology Development Vice President K.C.
Hsu says silicon photonics could take more than half of the market by 2027.

He says sales of optical transceivers rose 25-percent last year and are
expected to grow another 50-percent this year.

Hsu says the technology's next major step is co-packaged optics, or CPO, with
at least one company expected to begin mass production in the second half of
this year.

He says Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem is well positioned for large-scale
production, but bottlenecks remain in lasers, optical fiber, connectors and
testing.

(PB)

The Central Weather Administration says former Typhoon Saudel could regain
typhoon strength within the next 24 hours.

The storm weakened after moving into China, but strengthened back into a
tropical depression at 8 a.m. today.

Saudel was centered about 1,050 kilometers west of Eluanbi and is forecast to
cross Hainan before turning toward Guangdong.

The CWA says the system would likely only reach the lower threshold of a mild
typhoon before weakening again over land.

A typhoon warning remains possible, but forecasters say the chances are low.

Meanwhile, central and southern Taiwan could see localized heavy or
torrential rain today, with wet conditions continuing into tomorrow and
Wednesday.

(PB)

The Ministry of National Defense says six Chinese warships and four
government vessels were detected around Taiwan over the latest 24-hour
period.

The MND also detected four Chinese military aircraft between 6 a.m. Sunday
and 6 a.m. today.

Three of the aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered
airspace north of Taiwan.

The ministry says Taiwan's military used aircraft, naval vessels and
shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the activity and respond.

(PB)

Accusefive and Mayday bassist Masa brought JAM JAM ASIA to a close Saturday
night with a special collaboration at Taipei Music Center.

The one-off group rearranged several Accusefive songs and combined tracks by
Mayday and Accusefive into a new mashup.

Their final performance of Mayday's "Embrace" prompted a mass singalong.

The weekend festival also featured Faith Yang, Crowd Lu, ATARASHII GAKKO! and
Mavis Fan.

Japanese singer-songwriter Taeko Onuki also made her first Taiwan appearance
at the age of 72, performing several of her best-known songs.

Onuki was a longtime friend and collaborator of the late Japanese composer
Ryuichi Sakamoto.

(PB)

The KMT and DPP are arguing over the reason for Taiwan's low birthrate and
what needs to be done to ameliorate it.

KMT caucus chief deputy secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) today said that
after a decade of the DPP in charge, young people are afraid to have
children. Hsu blamed poor governmence.

DPP caucus whip Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said it was oversimplifying and
politicizing to characterize the problem as a "government failure." Rather,
he said it was something both parties agreed was a national security issue
... and that it ought to be resolved on a bipartisan basis.

The comments come after the National Development Council released a
projection that Taiwan's population will fall by around half by 2075 based on
existing data and trends.

CNA_zh_JvW

The coral reef at a popular diving site off Green Island has been found
fractured, with local divers saying it may have been caused by an earthquake
that struck the area earlier this week.

Located in the Chaikou diving area, Heimao Reef (黑毛礁) was found broken apart
after local diving instructors returned there following several days of
suspended water activities around Green Island due to strong winds and waves.

Diving instructor Chen Yi-hsi (陳宜禧) said there were no signs of the reef
having been struck by other rocks at the site, leading him to believe the
magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of southeastern Taiwan on
Tuesday may have caused it to fracture.

The quake's intensity on Green Island measured 4 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity
scale.

Chen said Heimao Reef lies at a depth of 11 to 12 meters and attracts both
first-time and regular divers.

CNA_JvW

SEMICON Taiwan 2026 kicks off on Wednesday. It's set to break records of
various kinds.

Among those records:

An estimated 1,300 global exhibitors are expected at the semiconductor expo
in Nangang, they'll man 4,300 booths on display for more than 100,000
semiconductor professionals from 65 countries.

Meanwhile, the number of national pavilions has more than tripled to 18.

SEMICON is second-only to COMPUTEX as an exhibition that draws global
technology giants in Taiwan. It starts on Sept. 2 and ends on the fourth.
That's at TaiNEX 1 and 2 in Nangang.

The latest population forecast released by the National Development Council
projects that Taiwan's population could fall by half over the next 50 years
amid a falling birth rate and an aging society.

The forecast is based on household registration data, including births,
deaths and migration.

The NDC estimated that Taiwan's population will fall to just over 12 million
in 2075.

The population is projected to fall below 20 million in 2045.

The percentage of people 65 and over eclipsed 20 percent last year, meeting
the definition of a super-aged society.

The projection puts the super-aged at 37 percent in 2045 and 53 percent in
2075.

The NDC said the number of women aged 20-49 peaked in 2005, while the number
of newborns hit a new low of 108,000 last year and is expected to fall below
100,000 this year.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan has wrapped up its 2026 Startup World Cup final in Taipei, selecting a
team to represent the nation at the global competition in San Francisco.

The event is organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, with a 1 million US-dollar
investment prize at stake in the global final.

Pegasus business development director Justin Jackson says the competition is
designed to connect entrepreneurs around the world with Silicon Valley.

Jackson says more than 200 international companies will compete at the grand
finale, with multiple teams from Taiwan taking part.

Meanwhile, Michael Kao (高志明), chairman of TINVA, says Taiwan's technology and
America's capital and markets make the two startup ecosystems natural
partners.

Kao adds that Taiwan's startup strengths include AI, biotech and deep
technology -- and events like this can help young companies reach investors
and customers overseas.

proposals

The Central Election Commission has approved a referendum on abolishing the
government's nuclear-free energy policy to coincide with November's local
elections.

The CEC met for 2 and a half hours yesterday to deliberate three referendum
questions passed by the legislature.

The approved referendum asks whether the government should abolish its
"Nuclear-Free Homeland" policy to secure affordable electricity supplies and
strengthen national defense resilience, among other rationales.

The policy was enshrined in the Basic Environment Act in 2002. The phaseout
of nuclear power began in 2016, after the DPP returned to power, and was
completed in May last year.

The referendum will be Taiwan's fourth on nuclear power since 2018.

Voters in 2018 backed removing a legal requirement to end nuclear power
generation by 2025.

In 2021 and 2025, voters rejected proposals to restart the mothballed Fourth
Nuclear Power Plant and extend the operation of the Maanshan plant.

CEC Chairman Michael You (游盈隆) said the commission rejected the other two
proposals because they didn't fall within the scope of matters that can be
put to a referendum under Article 2 of the Referendum Act.

The two rejected proposals were on caning and on how to allocate traffic-fine
revenue.

CNA_JvW