Taiwan Tonight - Taiwan News | Sep. 2, 2026

With its triple theme of trust, resilience and prosperity, the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Semicon Network Summit has more than delivered, with over 600 leaders from governments and businesses attending the semiconductor industry event. Terms like silicon photonics and cyber-resilience might sound complicated to the average person. The economics minister Gong Mingxin explained that the government is trying to help Taiwan's 1 million small and medium enterprises making the AI transition. SEMI, an international semiconductor association based in Taiwan and Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute teamed up to hold the 2026 Semicon Network Summit, which had over 600 business and government leaders hailing from 38 countries. One of these leaders was Taiwan's very own president, Lai Ching-de. Taiwan's ability to manufacture the world's most advanced chips is the result of us in the last 10 years valuing forming relationships with international partners that are based on trust. Going forward, we'll continue to be a stable and reliable partner in the world's technology industries. I don't think any country in the world can say that we did better than Taiwan. There's no doubt in anybody's mind that Taiwan has played the most central role in advancing this industry. The summit had four themed sessions, which were semiconductor cooperation, the silicon photonics ecosystem, chip trends in the era of AI robotics, and cyber resilience. President Lai awarded certificates from the Ministry of Economic Affairs that commended Global Waivers CEO Doris Hsu and Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Malhotra for their contributions to the world's semiconductor industry in the midst of the AI era. In addition to deepening collaborative relationships with partners around the globe, the Taiwanese government is also seeking to help small and medium-sized enterprises transition during this period of change. We hope that in the shortest time frame possible, that we can help Taiwan's 1 million small and medium-sized enterprises be able to utilize AI developments and applications. In a hypothetical situation where these companies are not able to incorporate AI into their operations, their opportunities for development, as well as the development of AI and the semiconductor industry in Taiwan, will not be long-lasting. By having collaboration involving companies, governments, schools, and research institutions, Taiwan anticipates it will be able to fully take advantage of AI-fueled growth so that, going forward, it will continue to play a critical role in the world's semiconductor industry. Semicon Taiwan, the annual semiconductor expo, has finally kicked off, bringing together 4,300 exhibitors from 60 countries. At the opening ceremony, Premier Zhuorong Tai said Taiwan will do everything to support both domestic and international companies looking to set up facilities on the island as Taiwan works with the world to build, quote, one high mountain after another. But one of the biggest attractions on the show floor wasn't a microchip. It was the chance to suit up in an actual cleanroom outfit. The experience drew hundreds of people who formed long lines just to get a taste of life inside a semiconductor fab. Let's hear more. It took some time, but I'm finally ready. I've been wearing this cleanroom suit for only a short while, but already it feels stuffy and hot. If you want to experience this yourself, you can have a go at this cleanroom replica at Semicon Taiwan. There's even a 15-second air shower. It's so fun. I didn't know what wearing a cleanroom suit would feel like. It's so cool. I've never tried anything like this before. I don't really have to wear it much designing ICs. I've only been wearing it for five minutes. I'm already drenched in sweat. Up above, overhead crane systems zip back and forth, giving visitors a close-up look at a near-perfect recreation of a semiconductor fab right on the exhibition floor. There are polishing pads used to smooth wafer surfaces, ASML's cutting-edge EUV lithography equipment, and Precision's wafer carriers designed to keep wafers well-protected during transport. With semiconductor equipment and facility engineering solutions on full display, the expo is drawing the attention of industry experts and buyers from around the world. For one passenger, a trip from Banqiao to Taipei on an evening train was a pain in the butt, literally. The man boarded a train on Tuesday evening and probably felt lucky to find an empty seat to sit in after a long day. But as soon as he sat down, he felt a sharp pain. It turns out he had sat on a sewing needle. Let's hear more. A train passenger plunked himself on a seat only to feel a sharp pain on his behind. It turns out he had just sat on a sewing needle. He immediately went to the hospital. Why was there a needle there? It's so suspicious. If you saw such a thing, you'd think twice before sitting the next time. You have to be careful, but it's a freak incident. It's not something that happens often. If you get pricked, you should see a doctor, of course. You'd get a tetanus shot at the ER, and then you might also get antibiotics to prevent pathogens that could cause sepsis. The doctor says that the right thing to do is to seek immediate medical attention and keep an eye on how the injury develops. Police are reviewing CCTV footage to determine whether someone had tried to stitch up a prank or whether it all unraveled in this way due to carelessness. Two river rafters stranded in Nantou's Zhuoshui River have finally been brought back to safety. After their raft capsized in raging floodwaters last Sunday, the pair were trapped on a sandbar for four days. Rescuers battled dangerous weather and terrain to reach them, and in the process, a rescuer lost his life. This morning, as conditions finally improved, a helicopter swooped in and airlifted both men to safety. After finally making it out, the two men went straight to a memorial for the perished firefighter, where they met his grieving mother. The two remaining stranded rafters have finally been rescued. They were lifted out by helicopter to prevent any further tragedies. The two were conscious, able to move, and with stable vitals. Still, they were sent to a hospital for a checkup. One of the rescued rafters is Mr Liu, who sobbed inconsolably while waiting for a doctor. A rescuer surnamed Wu died while trying to save him. Mr Liu was part of a group of five people who went rafting on the Zhuoshui River in Nantou on August 30th. The raft capsized in the strong current. Two rafters made it to safety and one was rescued. But Mr Liu and a fellow rafter surnamed Chen were left stranded on a sandy bank near the Sunhai Bridge for four days due to the bad weather. They were airlifted to safety on Wednesday after drinking river water for days. I heard they airdropped supplies to us four times. We looked hard for them. We wanted to survive. The two stranded rafters wrote a message in the sand asking for help. Rescuers airdropped supplies, which the rafters were unable to find. Back in the city, they both stopped at the memorial for the deceased rescuer, Mr Wu. Mr Wu's mother was all tears as she asked Mr Liu and Mr Chen to call over the other rescued rafters and pay respects to her son. I'm so sorry that I was the reason you lost your life. I'm really sorry. I'm devastated. You were such an amazing firefighter and you sacrificed your life to save us. Mr Liu and Mr Chen mourned the death of the firefighter and apologized to the mother of the man who gave up his life trying to rescue them. A massive sinkhole suddenly opened up in Kaohsiung's Nanzi district this afternoon, scaring passing motorists and pedestrians. Police were immediately called to the scene where they placed traffic cones around the area to keep road users out of danger. The sinkhole appeared in the middle of Chongling Third Street. It measures more than seven meters in diameter and is around three meters wide, with a depth of one to two meters. From a distance, it looks like a bottomless pit. Authorities rushed to the scene to assess what caused the subsidence. They suspect the recent heavy rains may have washed away the soil underneath the road, causing the ground to cave in. People passing through the area are advised to be vigilant. These noodles from the convenience store have some spring onions and bean sprouts on the side, with fried bean sauce and a whole piece of chocolate in the middle. How would people rate this interesting combination? I'd give it a seven because the chocolate flavor isn't so strong. It's pretty good, quite refreshing. Probably a five. I think it's just okay. It was sweet at first. I couldn't really taste the bean sauce. The sweetness of the peanut and caramel balances the spiciness of the bean sauce, but people aren't sure about it. Fried bean sauce noodles or jjajang noodles is a classic Taiwanese dish. Recently, an online trend of adding chocolate with peanut and caramel to it inspired a convenience store to offer the unusual combination. Traditional Taiwanese fried bean sauce is made by stir-frying soybean paste with dried tofu and minced pork. The Korean version is made with a caramelized black bean paste and lots of onions, giving it a sweeter flavor. This new version combines the savory Taiwanese dish with the sweetness of peanut, caramel and chocolate. It's kind of like sesame noodles, but there's something like Ferrero Rocher mixed in. I think it's just okay. I probably wouldn't get it. Some people have even suggested adding milk or more chocolate to make it richer. These unusual combinations add a little fun to the daily grind. For the first time in its 30-year history, Taiwan ICDF has selected student ambassadors to visit Eswatini, Taiwan's ally in Africa. The ambassadors interned at Taiwan's technical mission to see how it supports local communities. Some local women, grateful that the mission helped increase their income, personally thanked the organization. Tie Pei-Fen, Deputy Secretary General of Taiwan ICDF, brings three student ambassadors to Eswatini to see how Taiwan's technical mission there supports local agriculture. About 90 percent of Eswatini's agriculture products are imported. Taiwan's mission introduced tilapia fry from Taiwan, helping develop the local industry. It wasn't until this internship that I understood how Taiwan's technical mission has expertise across so many areas and how each field has its own specialization. It gave me a lot to consider about my future career path. I was stunned by the scenery here. It's so beautiful and the view is expansive. I feel like I naturally fully relax here. It doesn't have the hectic feeling of the city. Beyond working with the mission, the ambassadors helped at a free clinic, visited a local market, and tried on traditional Eswatini clothing. Women who the mission supported even personally came to thank Xie. The close relationships between our technical mission, our local partners, the beneficiaries, and our government partners can't really be captured on paper. Some of the women we've supported even came running up to say thank you and tell us how much more money they're making. Our government offices, technical mission, and our volunteers work hard here on behalf of Taiwan. It's simple. We want the whole world to see what Taiwan has to offer. Taiwan ICDF and the technical mission work hard in Eswatini, one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic allies, showing the world what a great partner Taiwan can be. Kids keep their eyes glued to the ball as it rolls across the floor. They're even joined in their bacha game by the deputy sports minister. There's a small farmer's market across the hall, but only kids can go inside. The shopkeeper is none other than the Hakka affairs council minister, happy to join in the fun. President Lai made a special appearance via video, warmly inviting children to visit the presidential office. Children also voted on the presidential office employee they most wanted to interview, revealing the top five. The 2026 Kids Big Fun event is scheduled for September 19th, including lots of educational activities and 10 theme zones inside the presidential office and along Kigalan Boulevard. There will even be a climate change summit for kids. We hope that everyone, including adults, can give children more opportunities to express their opinions. Through opportunities to play, children can make more friends and gain more accurate knowledge. They should begin to feel responsible for their own environment and society. The presidential office is taking on a playful atmosphere, giving children chances to learn about the environment, sports, and culture through fun, hands-on activities. As the mid-autumn festival approaches, many people are looking forward to gathering around the grill with their loved ones. To spruce up the menu, a seafood vendor in Jianghua is offering enormous Thai tiger prawns and Japanese oysters bigger than your hand. Looking at this Thai prawn next to a standard shrimp, the difference is obvious. One prawn alone is easily bigger than a person's hand. To get 600 grams of standard shrimp, you usually need 12 to 15 of them. But for these palm-sized prawns, just one alone is 600 grams. Also larger than life are these oysters, sizzling enticingly on the grill with a mouth-watering burst of ocean flavor in each bite. Considering the health-conscious consumer, the vendor is also offering sous-vide chicken breast to give a guilt-free grilling option. For more health-focused consumers, this year we're also selling some other barbecue options. For example, the sous-vide chicken breast is high in protein without having excessive seasoning. The Jianghua District Fisheries Association has also stepped in to capture holiday sales with its surf and turf barbecue set. In addition to squid skewers, white shrimp and roe sausages, eel skewers have been included for the first time. The eel is softer than the ones you get at typical banquet restaurants. It's not too tough and it seems a lot less bony. The tender eel pleasantly surprised many shoppers. Seeing strong market demand and lower eel prices this year, the association decided to add the option to its barbecue set to expand its market reach. The set has eight items, including thick cuts of pork belly and milkfish. The entire box is a market value of 1,700 NT, but we're selling it for a special discounted price of 1,500 NT. Vendors are pulling out all the stops to offer unique barbecue options this year, hoping that their consumers can all enjoy a satisfying feast this mid-autumn festival.