December 30:
The Ministry of Environment announced a draft of the third-phase greenhouse gas control targets, expanding the scope of carbon footprint verification. By 2030, carbon dioxide emissions ought to be reduced by 26 percent to 30 percent compared to the baseline year of 2005, which is five percentage points higher than the target proposed by the National Development Council, second only to Japan among Asian countries.
According to environmental groups, development of renewable energy has consistently lagged behind policy targets, and the target carbon reduction action plan has not been announced concurrently, making it difficult to judge the target's feasibility.
December 31:
Yilan County Magistrate Lin Chih-miao was sentenced in the first instance for three crimes: seeking to gain illegal benefits, property from unknown sources, and special money laundering. Lin was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison and deprived of public rights for six years and will have NT$32.5 million (about US$980,000) confiscated. Lin expressed great anger or pain over the ruling, accused the prosecution and officials of the Agency Against Corruption, Ministry of Justice, of targeting her unfairly, and stated that she will appeal. According to the law, Lin will be suspended from her position immediately, and Deputy County Magistrate Lin Mao-sheng will serve as the acting county magistrate.
December 31:
The Taiwan stock market closed, with the index ending at 23,035 points, despite being dragged down by the decline in the American stock market. It still closed with the highest annual closing index in history, with a cumulative annual increase of 28.4 percent. Market experts are optimistic about the first quarter of 2025, predicting that the index could reach 26,000 points and set a new historic high.
The New Taiwan Dollar closed at 32.781 to 1 U.S. dollar, marking the first time since 2016 that the closing price was below 32.7, having depreciated by more than NT$5 in the past three years.
January 1:
Following his New Year's Day address, President Lai Ching-te mentioned opening cross-strait tourism. Taiwan hopes to engage in healthy and orderly exchanges with China based on mutual respect and dignity. If China is sincere, said President Lai, then negotiations can begin between Taiwan's Taiwan Strait Tourism Association and China's Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Strait. He also stated that the real obstacle to cross-strait exchanges is China, not Taiwan.
Regarding current deadlock in the Legislative Yuan, President Lai stated that uniting the ruling and opposition parties and resolving differences are most important for him. He plans to invite Speaker Han Kuo-yu for a coffee chat to discuss national affairs.
January 2:
Chairman Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) was indicted for corruption. After three Interlocutory appeals by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, the Taipei District Court ruled to detain him without visitation rights. Previously, Ko's bail had been significantly increased to NT$70 million (about US$2.1 million), setting a record for the highest bail for a politician facing corruption charges. It was also unprecedented for him to be placed under electronic monitoring.
The TPP's central committee accepted Ko's resignation as chairman and appointed Legislator Huang Kuo-chang, head of the party's Legislative Yuan caucus, as acting chairman.
According to the latest poll by Mirror News, 56.4 percent believe that Ko accepted bribes, but 80 percent of TPP supporters still believe in his innocence. Additionally, 43.9 percent think that the evidence presented by the prosecution is insufficient.
January 2:
Suspended Hsinchu City Mayor Ann Kao was accused of falsely reporting assistant salaries and overtime pay to fraudulently claim public funds during her term as legislator. She was sentenced to seven years and four months in the first instance, becoming the first legislator to be sentenced for misappropriating assistant fees.
However, the second instance court found that the relevant provisions of the Organization Act of the Legislative Yuan might be unconstitutional, and the funds she misappropriated might not constitute salary or public funds, thus not constituting corruption. The court requested a constitutional interpretation and suspended trial.
January 2:
The Executive Yuan filed a reconsideration of the Constitutional Court Procedure Act, which was passed in the third reading by the Legislative Yuan, and President Lai quickly approved it. This is the reconsideration case by Premier Cho Jung-tai's cabinet since the passage of the legislative reform bill. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus of the Legislative Yuan stated that it is prepared to request a constitutional interpretation and temporary injunction.
According to the third reading provisions, if the number of grand justices is less than 15, then the president should nominate replacements within two months. The number of grand justices participating in the deliberation should not be less than 10, and at least nine must concur to render a law unconstitutional.
January 2:
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) determined that the "Chinese Unification Promotion Party" mingled with foreign forces, temple groups, and gang organizations to engage in organized crime under the guise of a political party. The MOI decided to petition the Constitutional Court for its dissolution, making it the first political party in Taiwan to be petitioned for dissolution because of endangering national security. The party claims to have more than 30,000 members.
January 4:
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) whip Legislator Ker Chien-ming has threatened to initiate the recall of the speaker and deputy speaker of the Legislative Yuan, as well as all Kuomintang (KMT) constituency-elected legislators, and launch a referendum to dissolve the Legislative Yuan. The KMT responded that the DPP has completely torn off the mask of reconciliation and wants to plunge Taiwan into endless confrontation and strife.
