Stories from Taiwan

Shen Boyang addressed the long-standing political presence of the Kuomintang in Taipei, noting the party has held power for 70 years with only a brief period of Democratic Progressive Party rule. Shen Boyang has announced intentions to run for Mayor of Taipei in the 2026 elections. He has proposed a new legal framework for city governance, drawing praise from several Green Camp political figures including Mao Si-pei and Chang Hsiao-chuan. Kuomintang legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin responded to the announcement by noting the KMT's 70-year history of governing Taipei. Shen's platform focuses on changing city administration through new regulatory approaches. KMT legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin commented on Shen's candidacy, noting his emergence follows internal DPP polling and comparing his rise to previous political shifts in Taipei.

The number of high-net-worth clients with assets exceeding 100 million has reached 23,206. As of the end of March, Taiwan had over 100,000 individuals with assets exceeding NT$100 million.

Taiwan's Health Minister Shih Chung-liang stated the government will not promote assisted dying due to legal uncertainties.

The final 28 units of a 108-unit M1A2T tank procurement arrived at Taipei Port late Saturday night. The final 28 tanks of the 108-unit order arrived at Taipei Port on Saturday night and were moved to Hsinchu by civilian flatbed trucks under police and military escort.

US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo has urged Taiwan to expedite the passage of a large defense budget. Some analysts have raised the Taiwan Stock Exchange target from 40,000 to 43,000 points. Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng addressed the Legislative Yuan on Monday morning regarding defense spending. The opposition parties, including the People Democratic Party and the Kuomintang, have indicated they may support raising the budget to 800 billion TWD if the Executive Yuan makes concessions on a 1.25 trillion TWD figure. The negotiations follow remarks made by Lu Li-shih regarding cross-strait relations in September. The Ministry of National Defense and the Democratic Progressive Party have maintained a firm stance on current fiscal requirements. The outcome of the afternoon negotiations remains uncertain.

The Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party plan to coordinate candidate nominations for several counties ahead of the year-end nine-in-one elections. Kuomintang candidate Li Si-chuan and Democratic Progressive Party candidate Su Chiao-hui are currently in a dead heat according to recent polling data. Li Si-chuan's campaign momentum has increased following the removal of a campaign video, which supporters claim was an act of political smear by the ruling party. The race remains highly competitive as both candidates vie for leadership. Taiwanese presidential candidates Su Chiaohui of the Democratic Progressive Party and Lee Chih-ching are currently tied in recent polling. Recent polling data in Taiwan indicates a deadlock between major political candidates. Supporters of Li Si-fu have seen a surge in public momentum following the removal of his campaign videos from online platforms.

Imported potatoes are causing health concerns due to solanine toxicity from sprouting. Poisoning typically occurs at levels between 200 and 400 mg. Sprouted or green-skinned potatoes must be avoided to prevent ingestion. Testing a single sprouted potato is insufficient to determine the toxicity of a batch. Researchers suggest testing 10,000 to 20,000 potatoes to accurately assess solanine content. The presence of sprouts indicates potential toxicity that heat cannot eliminate. They suggest that testing 10,000 to 20,000 potatoes may be necessary to accurately measure solanine content compared to non-sprouted ones. Processed potato products may have looser inspection standards for these toxins compared to fresh produce. This follows two recent food safety incidents in Taiwan involving processed potato products.

Draft amendments to the Budget Act have moved to a second reading. The proposed changes aim to institutionalize universal cash handouts if tax revenue reaches 115 percent of the budgeted amount. Taiwanese legislators are debating a increase in flood control funding. The central government's total budget for the current year has been delayed. There are differing views among committee members regarding a budget proposal, but a rational consensus suggests capping it at 800 billion. Minister of Transportation Chen Shih-kai stated that overdue payments for the T-Pass system exceed 27.03 million NT dollars and have been delayed for three months. Subsidies for Taiwan's T-Pass 2.0 program have been delayed for three months, with urgent amounts exceeding 27.03 million NT dollars.

Heavy rainfall in Kaohsiung has begun to relieve drought conditions across central and southern Taiwan. The Irrigation Agency reported that water shortages persisting since December last year are easing due to the arrival of spring rains.

Taiwan is formally recognized as a sovereign state by only 12 countries. These nations include Belize, Swatini, Guatemala, Haiti, Palau, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, Vatican City, and the Marshall Islands. At the start of the 21st century, 30 nations maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China has utilized investment promises and threats to induce the severance of ties with Taiwan. Poland maintains only unofficial economic and cultural relations with Taiwan. The decline is attributed to Chinese policies involving both threats and investment promises. Taiwanese farmers face a potential 10 to 20 percent drop in peanut purchase prices during May and June.