[Politics] 2026/06/19 RTI Selected News

President: Japan-Philippines EEZ Delimitation Negotiations Do Not Affect Taiwan's Rights; The Only Threat is China's Expansion Regarding the start of exclusive economic zone (EEZ) delimitation negotiations between Japan and the Philippines, President Lai Ching-te stated that all international disputes over rights and interests should be handled in accordance with international law and relevant international norms. The sole and greatest risk and threat in this case is China, which intrudes into the economic waters of Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines under the guise of law enforcement, but whose actual purpose is expansion. Taiwan's Competitiveness Rises to 4th Globally; President Lai: Best Performance Ever President Lai Ching-te stated on the 18th that the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2026, released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland, ranks Taiwan 4th globally among 70 evaluated countries, marking its best performance ever. He said this is the result of the collective efforts of all citizens and a demonstration of Taiwan's resilience and competitiveness. Receiving US Congressional Black Caucus; President: Deepen Taiwan-US Tech Cooperation and Talent Cultivation President Lai Ching-te received a delegation led by Congresswoman Lucy McBath, Vice Chair of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus, on the 18th. The President stated that Taiwan will continue to strengthen its economic resilience and self-defense capabilities, deepen cooperation with the United States in fields such as technology and defense, and hopes to combine bilateral strengths to jointly cultivate the next generation of tech talent. Executive Yuan Amends Law: Drug Driving Will Result in License Revocation for 3 Years; Repeat Offenders or Causing Serious Injury/Death Will Be Permanently Banned from Driving To strengthen penalties for drug driving, the Executive Yuan passed amendments to the "Drug Hazard Prevention and Control Act" and the "Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act" on the 18th. In addition to incorporating saliva testing into the law, it mandates that those caught drug driving will have their licenses revoked for 3 years and be prohibited from obtaining a license. Repeat offenders or those causing serious injury or death will be permanently banned from driving. Cannot Collect Without Showing Face! Criminal Investigation Bureau Launches ATM "Facial Obscuration Alert" to Prevent Scammers from Withdrawing Funds The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) is collaborating with financial institutions to pilot an "AI Facial Obscuration Alert System" at ATMs nationwide to prevent scam syndicate members from withdrawing stolen funds by concealing their faces. Compared to the same period last year, from January to April this year, over a thousand instances of cash withdrawals by syndicate members have been successfully blocked, reducing the amount of victim losses by over 40 million. Central Bank Does Not Ease Property Market Controls; Yang Chin-long: Loans Are Flowing into the Stock Market The Central Bank announced on the 18th that interest rates and property market control measures will remain unchanged. Governor Yang Chin-long stated that there are three reasons for not easing property market controls, one of which is that bank loans are decreasing in concentration in real estate and are instead flowing into the stock market, not into real manufacturing. AI Boom Adds to High Temperature Effect; Ministry of Economic Affairs Revises Upward Average Annual Electricity Demand Growth to 2.5% for the Next 10 Years Due to the continued development of AI data centers and the semiconductor industry, the Ministry of Economic Affairs released the "2025 National Power Resource Supply and Demand Report." The latest forecast estimates that the average annual growth rate of national electricity demand from 2026 to 2035 will reach 2.5%, a significant upward revision of 0.8 percentage points from the 1.7% estimated in last year's report. The Ministry of Economic Affairs will also ensure stable power supply. Taking Over Academia Sinica; Chen Chien-jen Proposes Five Major Governance Directions to Make Taiwan an AI Research and Governance Model Academia Sinica held a handover ceremony for its 13th outgoing and new president on the 18th. In his speech, the new president, Chen Chien-jen, proposed five major governance directions. Among them, he believes that a responsible artificial intelligence and data governance system should be established to make Taiwan a model for AI research and governance. Fuel Fee Collected in July Renamed "Highway Maintenance Fee"; Highway Bureau Reminds Public of Three Principles to Prevent Scams The "Automobile Fuel Use Fee" collected annually in July will be officially renamed the "Highway Use, Maintenance, and Safety Management Fee" starting this year! As this affects over 14 million people, Highway Bureau Director Lin Fu-shan specifically reminded the public of three principles to prevent scams on the 18th, emphasizing that apart from the name change, everything else remains the same. Chiu Chui-cheng: Numerous "Lure, Trap, and Kill" Cases; Why Must Rao Ching-ling Sell Fruit at the Straits Forum? Regarding Taitung County Magistrate Rao Ching-ling promoting agricultural products at the "Straits Forum" organized by the CCP via video, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairperson Chiu Chui-cheng stated that he does not understand why she must sell fruit on a platform with strong united front connotations. China has had countless "lure, trap, and kill" cases against Taiwanese farmers in the past. The MAC opposes selling fruit under political preconditions precisely to protect farmers. Israeli Officials Criticize US-Iran Ceasefire Agreement; Vance Rarely Reprimands, Urges "Recognize Reality" U.S. Vice President Vance issued a rare reprimand on the 18th regarding Israel's criticism of the agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran, warning Israel not to alienate its "only powerful ally in the world." Vance: US-Iran 60-Day Negotiation Period Starts from the 18th; Talks Planned for Weekend in Switzerland After the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum to end the Middle East war, U.S. Vice President Vance stated that the subsequent 60-day negotiation period begins on the 18th. Vance also said he plans to travel to Switzerland, though the exact date is uncertain, but technical negotiations on Iran's nuclear program are expected to begin over the weekend. United Arab Emirates Protects Children; Bans Social Media Use for Under 15s The United Arab Emirates announced on the 18th that it prohibits children under 15 from using social media. Similar measures have previously been adopted by countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and the number of countries joining this initiative is growing. Ukraine Drone Attack on Moscow; Russia Claims Largest Attack in at Least Two Years Russian officials stated that Ukraine launched its largest drone attack in at least two years on Moscow on the 18th, causing fires in multiple locations in the capital and surrounding areas and forcing the evacuation of passengers from Russia's largest airport. Memory Supply Tightens; Cook Confirms Apple Products Will Increase in Price Apple CEO Tim Cook stated in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that Apple plans to increase the prices of its products to offset the rising costs of memory and storage chips.