Taiwan Tonight - Taiwan News | May. 12, 2026

On Monday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Beijing will not allow Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly, which starts next week. The announcement didn't come as a surprise, but legislator Gene Guo says it's interesting that China spoke on Taiwan via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Let's hear more. China's Taiwan region, unless given approval by the central government, has no basis, reason or right to participate in the WHA. China has decided not to approve the Taiwan region's participation in this year's WHA. China is making a statement on the matter through its own diplomatic authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So doesn't that show that they consider Taiwan a separate country? On what basis and on what position do they claim to have any authority to decide on our international participation? We oppose any attempts to suppress Taiwan for political reasons. Viruses don't act based on political positions. The outcome is unfair to Taiwan. It is a loss for public health governance in the world. Zhang Zhisha, the Deputy Director General of MOFA's Affairs Department of international organizations, has condemned China's actions and strongly protested Taiwan's exclusion. She also called on the WHO to uphold neutrality and professionalism, urging for the body to reject China's political interference and invite Taiwan to join the event as an observer. The conception to completion spanning across the millennium, the Danjiang Bridge is finally about to open. A long line of drivers can't wait to experience it on day one. Among them, a fleet of vintage cars. It now takes 25 minutes less to travel from Danshui to Bali. Transportation Minister Chen Shikai presides over a blessing ceremony to wish the bridge a long lifespan and safe travels. The plaque unveiling ceremony for the Danjiang Bridge Control Center, also the first of its kind in Taiwan, was held on the same morning. The minister is also driving the engineering team along the bridge to commemorate this milestone. Later, to express gratitude to our engineers who have been stationed here for so many years for this project, I will personally drive them across the bridge, which they've worked so tirelessly on for so many years to see its completion. Designed by the late master architect Zaha Hadid, it's the longest single-towered cable-stayed bridge in the world, a major feat of utility and aesthetics, and a new Taiwan landmark. A search is underway in Taipei to find a university student who jumped into the Danshui River to rescue an old man who had fallen into the water. The incident happened at around 5 a.m. near Dattelton Wharf. A 94-year-old man was taking a walk on the side of the river when he crossed the railing and fell in the water. The student, aged 24, heard the calls for help and immediately jumped in to rescue him. The student reportedly managed to reach and rescue the man, but the two suddenly sank in the river before they could make it to the shore. Three hours later, the body of the elderly man was found, and he was pronounced dead. The search continues for the brave 24-year-old rescuer. Police and firefighters have deployed 12 rescuers as well as drones to find him. CNN's interview with KMT Chair Zeng Liwen cut straight to the point. U.S. skepticism for a reduced special defense package passed by the opposition-controlled legislature, 47 million NT smaller than the Cabinet's 1.25 trillion NT proposal. What's your response to calls from U.S. lawmakers that Taiwan needs to spend this money on its defense to send the message to the global community that Taiwan is serious about its defense? Actually, we're very serious. Most of it is too vague and lacks details, so we can't give a blank check authorization. How can you guarantee it won't happen if Taiwan doesn't have what your military leaders say are enough weapons to deter military action by China? When a KMT is in power, Taiwan's defense capabilities, its deterrence will still exist. Zeng was then asked to respond to criticisms of her meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month. You obviously have your critics that accused you of being a pawn while you were in Beijing, saying that you and Xi Jinping had almost the same language. It may seem that I have a common language with Xi Jinping, but it is precisely because there are so many differences between the two sides of the strait, it is critical that we find a common foundation for peaceful dialogue. You said publicly you're worried about Taiwan being treated like a pawn. Are you talking about the United States treating Taiwan like a pawn? I believe it is the DPP government's wrong policies that have reduced Taiwan to a pawn. She also says that Taiwanese people should identify both as Taiwanese and Chinese, Jim, which of course is a very hot-button issue here. A growing number of people here in Taiwan identify only as Taiwanese. They don't identify as being members of a greater Chinese nation, but that's something that she's really pushing for. The market for heavy motorcycles is no longer just about the need for speed. It's an entire aesthetic, from leather racing suits to helmets, gloves, riding boots and jackets. Formula One-inspired apparel brands are kicking off the spring and summer season with new collections of trendy biker gear. When you go out riding as a couple wearing a traditional biker get-up, it can be very heavy and cumbersome when you get off at sightseeing spots. Since it was designed for safety, it's super heavy. This new line of clothes has added airbags, so it's extremely lightweight. Breaking the mold of traditional riding gear, this new collection covers everything from streetwear to road and track styles. Models showcase the various street looks, including trendy racing helmets that are making their Taiwan debut. Save for lots of looking chic, it's no wonder these helmets have become a favorite among Hollywood stars and K-pop idols. This helmet is the result of a lengthy period of brand development, about 10 years or so. Lots of young people are wanting to wear bolder designs. This year, we hope to focus on a more fashion-forward street style. The number of heavy motorcycles in Taiwan continues to rise. By the end of 2024, there were already more than 260,000, with steady growth ever since. In the first quarter of this year, there were 280,766 heavy bikes, among the 14,678,705 total motorbikes in Taiwan. Motorcycles are very common now. I always invest in quality gear like helmets, leather riding suits and boots. As the Bikers of Culture grows, you can get riding gear that's fashionable as well as functional. Whether tearing up the track or hitting the road, this gear can transition seamlessly from the seat to the street. Now, every ride can be your own personal runway show. Siya Laobei City God Temple in Beitou is known as the smallest of its kind in Taiwan. Standing at only 103 centimeters tall, it only comes up to my shoulder. Despite its small structure, it's been around for over 160 years. The miniature altars to the city god and land god were still built from stone, block by block. This used to be a cemetery. Now that it's been cleaned up, there are more visitors. Besides praying to the gods, many people come especially to see the temple's consecrated rooster. The mascot of the temple, this rooster will sometimes stand in front of the altar, head bowed as though in prayer. Onlookers are convinced he's a very spiritual creature. The four-month-old bird was consecrated by the temple and roams freely nearby, greeting visitors. There are lots of public parks and temples nearby that everyone loves. A lot of my friends will come here. Standing right next to Siya Laobei Park, Taiwan's smallest city god temple not only offers believers a place to worship, but with the beautiful plum blossoms in winter and cherry blossoms in spring, it's a must-see destination in Beitou. The sea urchins freshly caught this morning were sorted by size then cut open with scissors. That's right, they rinse sea urchins in beer, remove the guts and then serve them to customers. I developed this myself and I've tested this myself. It works because it also washes away seawater, enhances flavor, removes fishy smells, and leaves a sweet aftertaste. May marks the start of the purple sea urchin season. Most vendors simply rinse the urchins with water, remove the digestive organs, and keep only the five yellow gonads. However, at a stall in Kezai Liao Fishing Harbor in Kaohsiung, the vendors spare no expense and use beer to rinse them. What if they encounter customers who don't drink alcohol? Then don't buy it. We will stick to adding beer. We used rice wine before, but it was too strong. This is the only one that tastes right. It doesn't matter if it's too expensive, the important thing is that it tastes good. I've never had it with beer. I previously had sea urchin that was rinsed with plain water, and it tasted quite different because adding beer brought out its sweetness. When serving up raw sea urchin, the most important thing is to remove the fishy odor while preserving the sweetness. Some vendors rinse them with water and then spray them with lemon juice. The beer flavor slightly overpowers the natural sweetness of the sea urchin. With this one, lemon juice has been added, and it was sprayed from a bottle so the natural sweetness has been better preserved. To each their own. You only know which one you like after you've tried them. The best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by tapping it. A higher, brighter sound means the fruit isn't ready yet, while a deeper, fuller sound means it's ripe. But most people could tap on a watermelon until it's bruised and still not be able to tell the difference. There are watermelon appraisers who are experts at this, but as they get older and their hearing declines, farmers have been struggling to judge their fruit's ripeness. Now with a collaboration between the Hualien County Government and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, AI can help determine whether a watermelon is ripe. After listening for a while, appraisers' ears might get tired and they might make mistakes, so this device can help us to improve judgment accuracy. We use it to tap and listen, confirming whether the assessment is consistent and reliable. When farmers tap a watermelon with this AI-powered device, it analyzes the sound and shows a green light if the fruit is ripe. It's already about 85% accurate. By loading different sound models into it, the device can perform different functions. For example, when we tap a watermelon, it can determine its level of ripeness, say 60, 70, 80 or 90 percent, or even detect internal damage or bruising. The Hualien County Government looks at the development of our technology and works together with our farmers to identify their needs and help them reduce labor costs. From tapping and listening to using an AI-powered device, ensuring farmers can accurately determine watermelon's ripeness will allow everyone to enjoy delicious watermelon this summer.