Taiwan's Cabinet has approved draft amendments that would allow authorities
to detain or fine people who spread hate speech or promote extremist causes
in parks, train stations and other public places.

The amendments to the Social Order Maintenance Act need to be passed by the
Legislative Yuan to become law. This isn't a certainty, as the opposition
controls the legislature.

Under the draft revisions, individuals who promote or disseminate hate
speech, terrorism-related messages, or narratives linked to hostile foreign
forces in public venues could face penalties.

"Hostile foreign forces" usually refers to China.

Offenders could be subject to detention of up to three days or fined up to
NT$30,000.

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Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense says China launched a rocket shortly
after midnight that crossed over central Taiwan.

The People's Liberation Army launched the rocket from a satellite base in
Sichuan Province. It traveled eastward --above Taiwan's atmosphere.

The ministry said it posed no danger to to Taiwan.

Meanwhile, in the 24 hours to 6am today, the ministry reports that there were
13 PLA aircraft sorties near Taiwan, with 12 of them crossing the Taiwan
Strait median line. It also spotted seven PLA ships operating near Taiwan.

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Taiwan's Legislative Yuan has passed a law aimed at facilitating youth
development and encouraging greater youth participation in public affairs.

Under the newly passed "Youth Basic Law," which defines youth as people aged
18 to 35, a NT$10 billion youth development fund will be established, with
funding allocated in stages over five years after the law takes effect.

It is to be financed through central government budget allocations,
investment returns and public donations, and it will be overseen by a
management committee of 13 to 15 members, with scholars, experts and youth
representatives accounting for more than half of its members.

The law also mandates that the government ensure 18-year-olds can exercise
their legal rights to participate in voting, recalls, initiatives, and
referendums.

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The Central Weather Administration says a continental cold mass brought low
temperatures and up to 9 centimeters of snow to Taiwan's highest mountains
early this morning.

The temperature dipped to as low as minus 5 degrees overnight on Jade
mountain.

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President Lai Ching-te is seeking a ruling from the Constitutional Court
regarding a bill passed by the Legislature that rolls back some pension
reforms that were introduced in 2018.

Lai has promulgated the bill, but he appended an annotation that argued it
was unconstitutional because it would require taxpayer funds to cover
shortfalls in the public service pension system.

He added that it infringes on the Cabinet's authority to formulate the
general budget.

Lai said in the annotation the "latest amendments would cause the civil
servants' and public school teachers' pension systems to go bankrupt earlier,
forcing the public to shoulder additional financial shortfalls."

Any appeal to the Constitutional Court is problematic, as it currently has
only eight justices, two fewer than a quorum required under a separate
opposition amendment that requires at least 10 justices on the 15-seat
Constitutional Court to participate in deliberations and at least nine to
approve a ruling that a law is unconstitutional.

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The Miaoli District Court has ordered the detention of a man accused of
attacking a woman with a sickle and attempting to assault a convenience store
clerk in Miaoli City.

Police said officers arrested the suspect on Thursday afternoon after
receiving reports that a man was wielding a sickle and threatening people at
a convenience store.

Earlier, the suspect had attacked a woman outside, injuring the left side of
her waist.

Officers said the suspect appeared to be under the influence of drugs at the
time of arrest.

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The Cabinet has approved amendments that would expand the range of
individuals who would be required to get government approval before visiting
China.

The revisions, which require passage by the opposition-controlled Legislative
Yuan before they can become law, follow a Dec. 19 trip to Xiamen by seven
lawmakers from the KMT to attend an event that was categorized as commercial
but reportedly touched on political issues.

Under the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and
the Mainland Area, only political appointees, the mayors of Taiwan's six
biggest cities and certain high-level government officials must undergo a
joint review before traveling to China.

The revisions would additionally require national legislators as well as all
mayors, and county commissioners to pass a joint review by the Ministry of
the Interior in consultation with the Mainland Affairs Council before they
could visit China.

Lower-level political appointees and police officers would be required to
obtain approval from their respective agencies.

The amendments would seem to be a non-starter given that the opposition
controls the legislature.

KMT caucus secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang described the revisions as a "fig
leaf" to cover up President Lai's incompetence in handling cross-Taiwan
Strait relations.

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Taiwan's manufacturing sentiment improved for a fifth consecutive month in
November, as strong global demand for AI applications continued to bolster
export-oriented producers.

The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research reports that the composite index
for the manufacturing sector rose by 2.39 points from a month earlier, to
94.42.

A TIER official said movements in the index indicate that the local
manufacturing sector has left behind the shadow created by Trump's tariff
policies.

He added that manufacturers are upbeat that the US Federal Reserve's lowering
of interest rates will create wealth effects by pushing up stock markets and
eventually boosting private consumption.

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