Friday briefing: What you need to know about Taiwan today

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — As a cold wave gripped Taiwan on Friday (Jan. 10), the nation faced challenges on multiple fronts, including plummeting temperatures, snowfall, worsening air quality, and reports of a continuing decline in birth rates last year. This confluence of issues paints a complex picture of the island's current state and future prospects.

Cold Wave Brings Plummeting Temperatures

The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署) issued a cold weather alert for 13 counties and cities as a strong continental cold air mass threatened to trigger a cold wave. Meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) warned of extreme lows, with northern, eastern, and mountainous areas experiencing intermittent rain until Sunday morning.

Snowfall Delights Visitors at Yushan
Early snowfall delighted visitors at Yushan (玉山), leaving a 0.5-centimeter layer and covering nearby Paiyun Lodge (排雲山莊) in snow. Enthusiastic visitors built small snowmen and enjoyed the frosted landscape. Yushan National Park (玉山國家公園) officials advised visitors to assess risks and prepare with snow gear to ensure safety during the snowy season.

Cold Air Mass Worsens Air Quality in Southern Taiwan
The Ministry of Environment's (MOENV, 環境部) Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network (空氣品質監測網) reported that the strong continental cold air mass led to unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups in several southern counties and cities. This was attributed to pollution accumulation due to northeastern winds placing central and southern Taiwan downwind.

Taiwan Finalizes Delegation for Trump Inauguration
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, 外交部) confirmed that it finalized the administrative arrangements for the Taiwanese delegation attending U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. The eight-member legislative delegation, led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), aims to represent the government and demonstrate bipartisan support for Taiwan-U.S. relations.

Taiwan Sees Record Low Births in 2024, Continuing Decline
Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior (MOI, 內政部) released data showing a record low in the nation's newborn count for 2024, with only 134,856 births. This marks a decrease of 715 from 2023 and continues a nine-year decline in birth rates since 2016. The statistics reveal a surprising trend as the number of "Dragon Year" babies in 2024 was lower than those born in the "Tiger Year," contradicting traditional preferences for the dragon zodiac.