[Politics] 2026/06/16 RTI Selected News

National Security Bureau Establishes 'China Public Contact Window'; Green Camp Praises, Blue Camp Worries About Potential Breach The National Security Bureau recently announced the establishment of a "China Public Contact Window" to broadly collect intelligence on China's politics, military, economy, and society. In response, Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Guan-ting expressed his approval, while Kuomintang legislator Lee Yu-hsien urged caution to prevent it from becoming a channel for Chinese infiltration or false intelligence. Taiwan's Cross-Strait Negotiation Polls Over the Past Decade: No Acceptance of 'One China' Premise, Hope for Maintaining the Status Quo The Taoyuan City National Development Education Foundation released its polls on cross-strait political negotiations over the past decade. An average of 71.7% of Taiwanese people supported cross-strait political negotiations each year, but more than half have consistently rejected the "One China Principle" negotiation terms proposed by the CCP. "Maintaining the status quo" is the negotiation outcome most desired by the Taiwanese public. Most Trusted Cross-Strait Negotiators Poll: Tsai Ing-wen and DPP Lead The Taoyuan City National Development Education Foundation released its poll results on cross-strait political negotiations over the past decade. Regarding which political figure is most trusted to represent Taiwan in negotiations, former President Tsai Ing-wen, with a 25.7% trust rating, far surpassed other politicians. As for political parties, the Taiwanese public is most willing to authorize the DPP to conduct cross-strait political negotiations. Han Kuo-yu to Lead Cross-Party Legislators on US Visit on the 21st; Guests of Honor Draw Attention Following visits by Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen and Kuomintang Chairwoman Chu Li-wen, Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu will also lead legislators from both ruling and opposition parties on a visit to the United States on the 21st. The itinerary is expected to spark discussion. Subsidies for Housing and Land Tax for Newlywed and Childbearing Households; Finance Minister States No Central Government Subsidy for Local Tax Losses President Lai Ching-te has finalized Taiwan's new strategy for population policy, which includes one-time tax reductions for housing, land, and income taxes for newlywed and childbearing families. Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun stated on the 15th that the tax losses from reducing housing and land taxes for these households would total only NT$7 billion nationwide, which local governments can afford, and the central government will not provide additional subsidies to local authorities. Labor Insurance's NT$14 Trillion in Hidden Debt; Labor Groups: Premiums Can Be Raised, Retirement Benefits Cannot Be Cut The hidden debt of the Labor Insurance program has exceeded NT$14 trillion. Labor groups stated in interviews on the 15th that in addition to continuous government allocations and improving fund investment performance, reforms should be discussed promptly. They emphasized that laborers can accept a moderate increase in premiums but cannot accept the reduction of retirement benefits as a price for reform. Heavy Rain Causes Agricultural Losses to Rise to NT$32.76 Million; First Rice Crop Suffers Most Severe Damage According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, the heavy rain on the 8th caused agricultural losses. As of 5 p.m. on the 15th, the estimated losses to agricultural products and private facilities amounted to NT$32.76 million, with the first rice crop suffering the most severe damage. US-Iran Peace Agreement Expected to Boost Taiwan Stock Market; Super Central Bank Week Adds Uncertainty The United States announced that it will formally sign a peace agreement with Iran, leading the Taipei stock market to surge by 1227 points, a 2.78% increase, closing at 45,396 points on the 15th, with trading volume shrinking to NT$1.06 trillion. Domestic institutional investors believe that with central bank interest rate decisions from Taiwan and other countries this week, uncertainties will cause market funds to adopt a wait-and-see approach. US and Iran Willing to Promote Peace; Scholar: Both Sides Must Stabilize Economy It is highly likely that the United States and Iran will sign a peace agreement this week. Scholar Lin Tai-he analyzed in an interview on the 15th that the main reasons for the US-Iran ceasefire are economic and livelihood issues, and both sides must stabilize the situation before the problems worsen. Threads Misjudges Users Under 13, Causing Suspension Outbreak; Meta: Technical Error Meta's social media platform Threads experienced an outbreak of unexpected account suspensions on the 15th. Some adult users received system notifications that their accounts were locked for being "under 13 years old." Meta issued a statement saying that a technical error caused a small number of accounts to be mistakenly identified as belonging to users under 13, and they are actively working to resolve and fix the issue as soon as possible. US and Iran Announce Agreement; UK, France, Germany, Italy Issue Joint Statement Preparing to Lift Sanctions According to a joint statement released on the 14th, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy announced their readiness to lift sanctions on Iran and welcomed the agreement reached by Washington and Tehran to end the war in the Middle East. US-Iran Preliminary Agreement Reached; Israeli Defense Minister: Will Not Withdraw from Occupied Territories A glimmer of peace has emerged in the nearly four-month conflict between the United States and Iran, with both sides announcing a preliminary agreement on the 14th, including an immediate ceasefire on all fronts. However, Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated on the 15th that its forces will not withdraw from occupied territories in Lebanon, and the long-term situation in the Middle East remains uncertain. US-Iran Agreement Reached; Disagreement Remains on Whether Hormuz Strait Will Be Free to Pass Long-Term US Vice President Vance stated on the 15th that the US expects Iran not to charge passage fees for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the US-Iran agreement will allow Iran to charge "shipping service fees" for vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. NYT: Israel Fought Iran Twice in a Year, Gaining Nothing The United States and Iran announced a preliminary agreement on the 14th to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and set a 60-day window for negotiations to pave the way for a final agreement. However, all sides of the Israeli political spectrum believe this does not resolve the fundamental security threat posed by Iran to Israel. Former Myanmar Military Junta Leader Min Aung Hlaing Visits China as President At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, former Myanmar military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Beijing on the 15th for a five-day visit. This is Min Aung Hlaing's first state visit to China since being elected president. (Editor: Chung Chin-lung)