Good Morning World: Blue Version Drone Regulations 6 Years, 240 Billion NTD, Using Government Budget; Executive Yuan Worries About Crowding Out Social Welfare Spending

Writer and screenwriter Liu Tzu-chieh, who caused a sensation in film and literature with "Seven Days After Father," recently released her new short story collection "Rebirth," which includes nine stories related to death. Whether it's incorporating the real experience of her uncle's spirit possession at her grandfather's funeral or exploring the transformation of life from "six gods without a master" to "self-determination" through a terminally ill character, she uses light and precise language to guide readers to think about how to live consciously in the real world. Listen to this episode of "Culture Plus" to ponder together on the path of life and creation, and to "rebirth" together. (Listen to Podcast)

The KMT caucus released its version of the drone regulations draft on June 30, planning a total of 240 billion NTD over 6 years, to be appropriated annually through the government budget, exclusively for the procurement, production, and industrial cluster development of military unmanned vehicles. Any single procurement exceeding 100 million NTD requires reporting to the Legislative Yuan, with annual execution results to be submitted. The TPP caucus's version also returns to the government budget. Executive Yuan officials stated that annual budget appropriations will significantly increase the financial burden and may crowd out social welfare and other expenditures. National security personnel pointed out that the criteria for examining the feasibility of each version include whether it can fulfill the original drone demand, meet the original procurement and commissioning schedule, and balance national defense equipment with industrial capacity. (See full report)

The Legislative Yuan passed the "Virtual Asset Service Act" on third reading on June 30, strengthening the supervision of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), which must obtain permission from the competent authority to operate. It clearly regulates the issuance and management of stablecoins, requiring issuers to maintain fully backed assets and separate them from their own property. To prevent unfair market practices, penalties are also stipulated for fraud or manipulation. The Financial Supervisory Commission stated that it will complete the subordinate laws as soon as possible, with implementation and operator applications expected to begin as early as the first quarter of next year. The VASP association stated that the passage of the special law signifies that Taiwan's virtual asset industry has entered a new era of special law governance, and the division of responsibilities between VASP operators and financial institutions will be clearer in the future. (See full report)

The Central Weather Administration stated that this week, affected by the Pacific high pressure, temperatures will be high and hot across the island, with only scattered brief showers in Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula. On August 1, 10 counties and cities including New Taipei City should be aware of temperatures above 36 degrees Celsius, with thunderstorms still possible in central and northern Taiwan and mountainous areas in the afternoon. In addition, statistics show that the average rainfall across Taiwan during this year's plum rain season is the highest since 2012, with June rainfall significantly exceeding May. Taipei Weather Station recorded the rainiest June since records began. El Niño years often have a higher proportion of strong typhoons; typhoons have formed every month from January to June this year, which is the third time this has happened since records began. (See full report)

The Taiwan stock market showed strong performance on June 30, reaching a intraday high of 46637.86 points, an increase of 1637.96 points, marking the third-largest intraday point increase in history. The market closed at 46125.91 points, up 1126.01 points, with a transaction value of NT$1.203323 trillion. The stock market rose by 14402.92 points in the second quarter and 17162.31 points in the first half of the year, setting the record for the largest single-quarter and first-half point increases in history. Foreign investors sold a net of 508 million NTD, with financial and memory stocks dominating the top 10 selling positions. The New Taiwan Dollar closed at 31.837 against the US Dollar, a slight appreciation of 0.8 cents, ending the month lower but successfully turning the quarterly trend upward, ending three consecutive months of decline. (See full report)

The Ministry of Economic Affairs announced the 2025 Survey of Overseas Production of Export Orders on June 30. Benefiting from strong demand for AI and cloud computing, the domestic production ratio climbed to 52.9%, a new record high. The production ratio in mainland China and Hong Kong fell to 26.2%, a decrease of 6.9 percentage points from the previous year, falling below 30% for the first time. This reflects the US-China trade dispute and global supply chain restructuring, with Taiwanese businesses continuously moving production back to Taiwan or to Southeast Asia. In addition, the manufacturing sector's business climate indicator for May remained green for three consecutive months, with the score reaching a more than one-year high, approaching the lower edge of the yellow-red light zone. CPC Corporation also announced that the price of natural gas for civilian use will not be adjusted in July. (See full report)

Despite repeated verbal interventions by Japanese officials recently, the depreciation of the Japanese yen has not been reversed. The yen briefly fell below 161.96 yen against the US dollar on the 30th, reaching a new low since 1986. Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki stated that the authorities are prepared to take "appropriate action," which the market interprets as Japan may intervene at any time. Analysis indicates that the market's rising expectations for interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve have driven the dollar's strength, which is the main reason for the recent depreciation of Asian currencies, and they will continue to be influenced by the dollar in the short term. As for future trends, international oil prices will be the most important indicator to watch. (See full report)

China's "Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress" will officially take effect on August 1. Taiwanese local organizations stated that this law will impact cross-strait exchanges and Taiwan's democratic system, calling on the government to establish early warning and protection mechanisms and severely punish local collaborators. A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry stated that the law "carries a significant risk of further weakening the rights of ethnic minorities in language education and religious freedom." Japanese parliamentary groups, including the "Parliamentary League to Investigate and Take Action on Human Rights Violations by China," criticized that the new law may accelerate the suppression of ethnic minorities' languages, cultures, religions, and education, and demanded that China withdraw the relevant law. (See full report)

The UK government will release its defense investment plan on June 30. A highlight includes a planned investment of over 5 billion pounds (approximately 210 billion NTD) over the next four years to enhance the flexible integration and coordinated operations of manned and unmanned autonomous systems for the army, navy, and air force, and to utilize AI to increase overall combat power in a more cost-effective manner. The navy will continue to build a "hybrid navy" combining manned, unmanned, and autonomous systems, integrating sea and air systems. The army plans to expand investment in low-cost, expendable unmanned and autonomous systems, covering air and ground. The air force will increase the unmanned nature of its air strike capabilities. (See full report)

Rotavirus is one of the main causes of gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old, accounting for 50% of cases. Director-General of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chuang Jen-hsiang, announced that rotavirus vaccine will be included in the public health insurance program starting next year, saving parents up to 6,000 NTD depending on the dosage. An estimated 120,000 children will benefit in the first year. On the other hand, Director-General of the National Health Insurance Administration, Chen Liang-yu, explained that they plan to allow at-home chemotherapy for cancers such as stomach and head and neck cancer, with implementation expected by the end of the year. However, patient advocacy groups' surveys show that nearly 80% of cancer patients are unwilling to accept it. The National Health Insurance Administration stated that it will focus on patient safety and establish supporting measures such as 24-hour consultation and a green channel for emergency medical treatment, with pilot bundled payments. (See full report)

On the first day of the opening of the New Taipei MRT San-Ying Line on June 30, free trial rides were offered from 2 PM for two months. Less than 1 hour and 30 minutes later, queues had already formed, with the longest wait time to board being 1 hour. Issues such as detached handrails inside the train cars and problems with card swiping to enter the station also occurred. Taipei Metro announced that starting August 1, domestic and international credit cards, as well as contactless payments via Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, will be accepted for entry. iPhone users will not need to unlock their screens when passing through the gates. Other new regulations include requiring a domestic product label for the sale of fresh milk, the addition of a special chapter on workplace bullying prevention in the new occupational safety law, and the ability to apply for passport renewal online for those whose passports have less than one year of validity. (See full report)

The Hong Kong-Taiwan co-production "The Monkey King" is adapted from "Journey to the West" and was billed as the TV drama with the strongest cast in 2002. Dicky Cheung played the lead role of Sun Wukong. This lighthearted and comedic drama is a shared memory for those born in the 70s and 80s. A major highlight was the innovative "dual female lead" setting, with the then-popular Hong Kong girl group Twins playing the roles of the agile and cute Fairy Zilan and Fairy Ziwei, respectively, portrayed by Charlene Choi (Ah Sa) and Gillian Chung (Ah Gil). The divine and demonic battles featured a luxurious cast, with Sammi Cheng, Law Kar-ying, Anita Yuen, Nicholas Tse, Barbie Hsu, and others playing various deities. (See full report)

Writer and screenwriter Liu Tzu-chieh, who caused a sensation in film and literature with "Seven Days After Father," recently released her new short story collection "Rebirth," which includes nine stories related to death. Whether it's incorporating the real experience of her uncle's spirit possession at her grandfather's funeral or exploring the transformation of life from "six gods without a master" to "self-determination" through a terminally ill character, she uses light and precise language to guide readers to think about how to live consciously in the real world. Listen to this episode of "Culture Plus" to ponder together on the path of life and creation, and to "rebirth" together. (Listen to Podcast)

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