Min Chao

However, Formosa Petrochemical (FPCC), a private company, has single-handedly made Taiwan the world's largest buyer of Russian naphtha. Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, FPCC has been the single largest known buyer of Russian naphtha in the world. energyandcleanair.org/publication/...

Official response by the #Taiwanese foreign ministry:

"Imports of #naphtha raised in media reports are not currently controlled by #Taiwan. However, Taiwan's state-owned enterprises stopped purchasing #Russian crude oil, naphtha, and other related products in 2023."

en.mofa.gov.tw/News_Content...

If the KMT-proposed reversal of pension reform was to be voted by the TPP, young voters supporting the TPP would be screwed.

https://english.president.gov.tw/News/5165

https://english.president.gov.tw/News/5165

The KMT aims to change the one-time direct vote for presidency to a two-round plurality (aka top-two runoff). Reinstilling the preferential interest rate of 18% paid to retired civil servants and public school employees will deplete public coffers by ~NT$1.4 trillion and bankrupt the pension system.

國民黨公布24優先法案 停砍公教年金、總統改二輪多數決入列 | 政治 | Newtalk新聞 國民黨今（2日）舉行立法實務研討會，公布立法院新會期，國民黨立法院黨團的24項優先法案，包含：因應花蓮光復鄉災情，而提出的《樺加沙風災暨花蓮光復堰塞湖潰決災後重建特別條例》草案，攸關停砍公教年金的《公務人員退休資遣撫卹法》及《公立學校教職員退休資遣撫卹法》等法案，甚至有將總統選舉修正為二輪絕對多數制

The #KMT has announced 24 priority policies the party plans to push through the Taiwanese #parliament via its majority coalition formed with the TPP, including reversing Tsai Ing-wen's national #pension reforms and changing how presidential #elections work in #Taiwan. newtalk.tw/news/view/20...

"A national figure like everyone's granny."

More on the career of the #Taiwanese actress who said "acting is a pursuit for a lifespan": www.goldenhorse.org.tw/news/detail/...

The 2025 Golden Horse Awards received 593 submissions (80 narrative features, 3 animations, 64 documentaries, 310 live action shorts, 79 doc shorts, 57 animated shorts). The awards ceremony will be held on Nov 22 at #Taipei Music Center. Full list of nominees 👉 www.goldenhorse.org.tw/awards/nw/?s...

https://goldenhorse.org.tw/news/detail/2329

This year's #GoldenHorse Lifetime #Achievement Award goes to Chen Shu-fang (陳淑芳)! Active for over six decades, the 86-year-old actress has starred in acclaimed films ranging from "A City of Sadness (1989)" to "Little Big Women (2020)." Chen has said she has no desire to retire and "wait for death."

A list of #Taiwanese celebrities who have shared a Chinese state media graphic celebrating the PRC's 76th national day with the hashtag "I Love You, China ♥️" on Weibo so far:

侯佩岑 Patty Hou
陳志朋 Julian Chen
吳慷仁 Wu Kang-ren
吳奇隆 Nicky Wu
伊能靜 Annie Yi
劉畊宏 Will Liu
楊宗緯 Aska Yang
歐陽娣娣 Ouyang Didi

https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202509190159.aspx

On the occasion of Communist China's 76th anniversary, it must be remembered that a monthly average of 9 #Taiwan citizens are disappeared, detained, or otherwise had their rights violated (like illegal phone searches, interrogations) by the #PRC. There were 188 known cases from Jan 2024 to Aug 2025.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1347127390112728&id=100044464388138

Taiwan FM at Warsaw Security Forum: "National security takes precedence over profits. The #semiconductor industry [...] is now at the very core of the strategic competition between democracies and authoritarians. In response, #Taiwan calls on its partners to jointly establish non-red supply chains."

"At the frontier of democracy in more than one sense. Taiwan not only faces daily threats to its democracy, but it is also at the cutting edge of democracy's global development: innovative democratic practices for the 21st century society are created there." community-democracies.org/cod-signs-mo...

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/5195213

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/5195213

One of the targeted DPP figures, legislator Michelle Lin, released #screenshots revealing Hsieh masquerading as another journalist surnamed Hsiao while texting from the same phone number. The paparazzi group also rented a parking space right below Lin's residence. CNA has initiated an investigation.

https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20250928inv007

Context: A "spying ring" — aka a paparazzi group has been found to violate journalistic #ethics by tailing DPP figures under orders from TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang. Incriminating photos or videos were then provided to TPP and KMT lawmakers as political fodder. Yet ringleader Hsieh claims #victimhood.

Sylvia Feng's #sarcastic translation of Eve Hsieh's convoluted statement:

"I believe in the Fourth Estate, which is why I took a full-time job at CNA while serving as Huang's #paparazzi coordinator. Only by covertly working for Huang could I 'check the government.'"

news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...

https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-149-4486-7785a-2.html

https://www.mae.ro/en/node/2040

https://www.mae.ro/sites/default/files/file/2025_files/pdf/2025.08.27_anexa_1_eng.pdf

The irony being #Romania is one of the countries that #Taiwan offers visa-free entry and a duration of stay up to 90 days.

#Taiwanese passport holders are also granted the same courtesy from Romania, but Chinese citizens are not.

Looks like the Romanian police were unfamiliar with their own laws.

Over 180,000 people have donated so far, culminating in 4 hundred million New #Taiwan dollars going toward #recovery efforts after the ravages of super typhoon #Ragasa 🙏

https://interactive.idea.int/gsod-2025

The Stockholm-based International IDEA's assessment of #Taiwan in its Global State of #Democracy Report 2025 ↙️

- Representation: ranked 18 out of 174 countries (0, or no year-on-year ranking
change)

- Rights: 24 (down 3 spots)

- Rule of Law: 18 (down 2 spots)

- Participation: 8 (down 6 spots)

The Romanian police even declared their intent to seize the "illegal documents" — in reference to the tourists' passports and licenses — to hand over to the Chinese embassy. The Taiwanese citizens had to sign statements saying "driving licenses from Taiwan are illegal" in exchange for their freedom.

羅馬尼亞不承認台灣！苦主駕照衰成違法文件　「被送中國大使館」外交人員也無奈 | 易軍堯 | 新聞 出國自由行選擇自駕不僅相對省錢、也大大提升便利性，不料卻有台灣遊客指出，赴歐洲旅遊期間被羅馬尼亞邊境警察攔下、以「不承認台灣」為由扣留台灣護照，還強調將會送往中國大使館，令一行人相當無奈。旅遊粉專「下一站去哪」透過Facebook發文，分享從羅馬尼亞自駕準備前往匈牙利的插曲；「下一站去哪」無奈表示，在一行人即將駕車駛離羅馬尼亞、只差100公尺處，突然被兩個邊......

#Taiwanese tourists were detained for four hours by Romanian police for possessing a #Taiwan passport. The charges? Since #Romania does not recognize Taiwan's sovereignty, them driving with an international license (backed by 🇹🇼 passport and license) was deemed "illegal." www.storm.mg/article/1107...

▼ Helping Mata'an landslide #survivors:

1. SWIFT CODE: LBOTTWTP102

2. NAME: Taiwan Foundation for #Disaster Relief

3. ACCOUNT: 102-005-201-966

4. BANK: LAND BANK OF #TAIWAN CHANGCHUEN BRANCH

5. ADDRESS: No. 156, Changchun Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City 10459, Taiwan

6. CALL: 02-7702-8028

Goodwill ambassadors comprising of #multilingual students from Ming Chuan University have served as #ushers at Taiwan's international events for 41 years:

2019 – white top, red skirt for national day
2021 – pink lavender
2023 – orchid pink
2024 – white top, beige pants for presidential inauguration

"Considering that the #Netherlands, together with other #democracies, has the responsibility to resist threats and intimidation aimed at free and democratic societies […] requests the government to actively advocate for Taiwan's meaningful participation at the UN." www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken...

MOFA thanks Dutch parliament for Taiwan motion - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

The #Dutch House of Representatives voted in support of how the #UNResolution2758 of 1971 does not stipulate that the People's Republic of #China enjoys sovereignty over Taiwan, for the House recognizes that this resolution does not judge the status of #Taiwan. www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...

https://www.jeromecohen.net/jerrys-blog/tag/Henry+Liu

Cohen served as the pro bono representative of the widow of Henry Liu, an author who was murdered in California on orders from the Chiang Kai-shek government. The intelligence officer said at the trial: "Ten or twenty years ago we used to do this kind of thing all the time and no one discovered it."

https://usali.org/institute-news/remembering-jerome-a-cohen

In 2020, Taiwan awarded Cohen the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon for promoting Taiwan-US legal exchanges. Then-Ambassador Lily Hsu: "Jerry has not only witnessed the entire transformation of Taiwan into the full-fledged democracy it is today, but also played no small role in the process."

RIP. Jerome A. Cohen (孔傑榮) was mentor to a president and a veep of #Taiwan.

"Annette Lu and Ma Ying-jeou share a history. But they offer different futures for Taiwan.

Jerome Cohen [...] remembers the two students' relationship as 'less than friendly' [at Harvard]."

hls.harvard.edu/today/the-ri...

https://ws.ndc.gov.tw/Download.ashx?u=LzAwMS9hZG1pbmlzdHJhdG9yLzExL3JlbGZpbGUvNTgyMS8zOTMyNi81YWU1MWYwYi1mY2ZlLTRjMzgtODFjMS02Y2U5YWVjMmM3M2YucGRm&n=VGFpd2FuIEVjb25vbXkgaW4gYSBTbmFwc2hvdCgyMDI1LjkpLnBkZg%3d%3d&icon=.pdf

In actuality, Taiwan's #GDP is projected to expand by 4.45% in 2025.

- In July, Taiwan's total #exports increased 42.0% year-on-year, marking the 21th consecutive month of growth.

-In July, Taiwan's industrial production index increased 18.1% year-on-year, marking 17 consecutive months of #growth.

"🇨🇳 #propaganda routinely quotes Taiwanese opposition figures, and makes use of idioms and phrases typically used in China to homogenize Taiwanese culture, language and public discourse. [...] #TikTok users are more likely to approve of China and express pessimism [over 🇹🇼]." iorg.tw/a/tw-defeati...

"The types of issues #Beijing seeks to leverage to spread #defeatism reflect #Taiwanese fears of being abandoned by allies [...] The defeatist worldview, built to dovetail with other Chinese information campaigns, creates a sense of crisis and then presents acquiescence to China as its solution."