China's National Unity Law Faces International Condemnation from US, Japan, EU, and UN

The "Law of the People's Republic of China on National Unity and Progress Promotion" took effect on July 1st, covering education, language, publishing, internet, business activities, and religion. Any overseas organization or individual deemed by China to have engaged in acts that "undermine national unity" or "promote national division" can be held accountable under the law, without nationality or geographical restrictions. Furthermore, the relevant definitions are entirely determined by Chinese authorities, granting significant arbitrary power to law enforcement. Amnesty International stated that this law not only forces ethnic minorities to accept a single national identity but also provides a legal basis for transnational suppression. The United States, Japan, the European Union, and the United Nations have all issued statements condemning it. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan pointed out that in the future, individuals from various countries whose words and actions are unacceptable to China may become targets of targeting or accountability. The international community should jointly condemn China's actions of expanding its authoritarianism through its domestic law again. President Lai Ching-te emphasized that Taiwan will never accept, nor will it stand idly by, while the Chinese Communist Party attempts to extend its "red terror" and "united front infiltration" into Taiwanese society. (See full report)

The Food and Drug Administration announced that it received a report from Zhonglian Oil, a supplier to three major brands – Tai Shan, Fu Shou, and Fu Mao – stating that a batch of approximately 1,300 metric tons of soybean salad oil self-detected levels of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene exceeding the limit. Shipments were made on April 8th, 9th, and 10th to Fu Mao (approximately 588 metric tons), Fu Shou (approximately 421 metric tons), and Tai Shan (approximately 291 metric tons), affecting a total of 15 product items. A recall and removal from shelves have been initiated. Consumers holding affected products should stop consumption and return them for a refund. Benzo(a)pyrene is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. (See full report)

The Taiwan Stock Exchange is considering extending trading hours for the Taiwanese stock market. Preliminary plans include extending trading by 1 to 1.5 hours, with a closing time of 3:30 PM also being considered. Lin Hsiu-ming, Chairman of the Taiwan Stock Exchange, stated that the trading hours for the Taiwanese stock market are shorter compared to major exchanges in other countries, and the exchange has been studying ways to extend them. He also mentioned that securities firms prefer a continuous trading session and are not inclined towards a lunch break model like Japan's market. However, Chen Chun-hung, Chairman of the Securities and Futures Association, expressed that given the current trading volume and volatility of the Taiwanese stock market, extending trading hours is a significant matter, and it is more important to allow the market to stabilize and grow first. Some securities firms had previously privately indicated that the largest daily trading volumes in the Taiwanese stock market are concentrated in the hour after opening and the hour before closing, and extending trading hours would not significantly boost trading volume. (See full report)

The pre-earnings conference call rally for TSMC began early. On the 1st, TSMC's stock price surged in the final moments of trading on the Taiwan stock market, closing at the day's highest point of NT$2,505, driving the weighted stock index up by 893.08 points to close at 47,018.99 points, with a transaction value of approximately NT$1.301972 trillion. The three major institutional investor groups combined bought NT$52.935 billion worth of shares. Among them, foreign and Mainland Chinese investors (excluding foreign proprietary traders) bought NT$32.375 billion, ending their previous six consecutive trading days of selling. The top 10 stocks bought by foreign investors included five actively managed ETFs. The Chung-Hua Institution of Economic Research (CIER) announced that the seasonally adjusted Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for June fell to 60.7%, a slight decrease of 0.7 percentage points, marking the ninth consecutive month of expansion. CIER President Lien Hsien-ming stated that although the index slightly declined, a PMI above 50% indicates expansion. If the AI boom continues, export volume this year is expected to exceed the US$1 trillion mark. The Ministry of Labor also announced the latest performance of the Labor Pension Fund, with a single-month return of NT$586 billion in May. As of the end of May this year, the overall Labor Pension Fund had a cumulative return of NT$2.1252 trillion, with a yield of 27.7%. The Retired Servicemen's Fund had a cumulative actual return of NT$313.232 billion as of the end of May this year, with a yield of 24.29%. (See full report)

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) is developing an air-launched version of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile under the project name "Project Fierce Eagle." The missile body is smaller than the ship-launched and land-launched versions and can be mounted under the wings of an IDF fighter jet. Because it is launched from a fighter jet, the two boosters originally on the Hsiung Feng III missile have been omitted, significantly reducing its weight. Military sources confirmed that an IDF Ching-kuo fighter jet successfully completed a live-fire test of the air-launched Hsiung Feng III missile in the waters off Jiupeng on the 1st. (See full report)

The Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to Article 26 of the "Civil Servant Election and Recall Act" in its third reading, removing the disqualification for candidates who have been granted a suspended sentence or are eligible for community service in lieu of imprisonment. The Presidential Office announced the executive order on the 1st. Fan Yun, the caucus whip of the Democratic Progressive Party, had previously stated that Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an might be eligible for community service, which would be seen as a politically tailored amendment and unacceptable. The Taiwan People's Party Legislative Caucus stated that the regulations in the Election and Recall Act prior to the amendment clearly violated the constitutional right to run for office and the principle of proportionality for legal restrictions, making it "reasonable, legal, and constitutional" for judges to grant suspended sentences or allow community service or fines as alternatives to imprisonment, thereby restoring their eligibility to run for office. (See full report)

Melanie Gallant, the Representative of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, has a connection to Taiwan that predates her diplomatic posting. She first came to Taiwan in 1989 to study Mandarin Chinese. She recalled living at the Taipei Youth Activity Center in Jiantan, with a view of the Grand Hotel from her window. She affirmed Taiwan's diversity and expressed her fondness for stinky tofu, stating, "You must add a lot of kimchi." In an interview with CNA, she said that Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy explicitly mentions Taiwan, and the framework for Canada-Taiwan relations remains unchanged. Regarding the fact that negotiations for the "Trade Cooperation Framework Agreement" between Canada and Taiwan were completed in April 2025 but have not yet been signed, Gallant said that it is currently in the post-negotiation phase, with further consultations underway. "This is not an uncommon situation"; Canada's free trade agreement with South Korea took eight years to negotiate, but that does not mean Canada is not interested. When asked about Canada's focus on relations with China, she said that Ottawa "talks about Taipei in Taipei" while also valuing engagement with Beijing. (See full report)

The U.S. Supreme Court on the 30th rejected President Trump's executive order to restrict birthright citizenship. The order, signed after Trump's return to the White House last year, required states to stop issuing identification to children born to undocumented immigrants and those on short-term visas. The Supreme Court stated that children born in the United States to parents who are residing illegally or temporarily are within the "jurisdiction of the United States" and are U.S. citizens from birth under the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Civil rights groups were excited by the outcome, stating that it brings hope to immigrant families and provides psychological security for children. (See full report)

To address the continuous decline in the number of Japanese imperial family members, the Japanese government passed an amendment to the "Imperial House Law" on June 30th, allowing female members of the imperial family to retain their status after marriage and permitting male descendants of former imperial families to become adopted members of the imperial family. However, opposition parties criticized that the sons born to adopted members would have succession rights, deviating from the parliamentary consensus. The amendment was sent to the Diet for deliberation, with the aim of completing legislation in the current session. On the 1st, opposition parties were absent from all deliberations in the House of Representatives, and as tensions between the ruling and opposition parties escalated, House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda convened representatives from seven parties to mediate. (See full report)

Venezuela has been severely impacted by two consecutive major earthquakes, reducing entire communities to rubble. High-rise residential buildings, shopping centers, and schools have collapsed due to the strong tremors. National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez stated that the death toll has risen to 1,943, with 10,571 injured. The World Health Organization has warned of the increasing risk of an epidemic outbreak due to low vaccination coverage in the affected areas. Communicable diseases currently posing a threat include measles, diphtheria, pertussis, yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika virus, Oropouche virus, and malaria. (See full report)

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