Monthly Archives: April 2016

Alishan forest train fares set to rise significantly

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-03
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) announced on Sunday that the fares of the Alishan Forest Railway will go up for the first time in 20 years from May 1, with the biggest increase being up to 100 percent.

The TRA said that the fare hike was intended to reflect the increased cost of operating the Alishan Forest Railway, but the increase can scarcely make up the balance.

The major fare increases include a 60 percent increase from NT$240 to NT$384 for a trip from Chiayi Station to Fenchihu Station on the main line, as well as a 50 percent hike from NT$100 to NT$150 for a trip between Alishan Station and Chusan Station, and a 100 percent from NT$50 to NT$100 for both trips from Alishan Station and Shenmu (Sacred Tree) Station and from Alishan Station to Zhaoping Station on the branch lines.

The Alishan Forest Railway, situated in the remote high-mountain region, uses more human and material resources to operate than ordinary railways, the TRA said. [FULL STORY]

Most popular freeway meal: Guanxi lunch box

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/03
By: Wang Shu-fen and S.C. Chang

Taipei, April 3 (CNA) Service areas along Taiwan’s national freeways used to be criticized

bell-shaped cake with custard filling offered by the Qingshui Service Area in Taichung

for offering poor quality yet expensive food, but no longer.

They now provide delicious and popular food that does not cost too much, such as the Guanxi lunch box, which has been rated as the most popular meal by road travelers.

The lunch boxes served at the Guanxi Service Area on National Freeway No. 3 in Hsinchu County offers five Hakka-style main dishes — salty pork, steamed pork with pickled vegetable, deep-dried pork chop with orange sauce, double main dishes, and chicken leg with plum juice, with prices ranging from NT$55 (US$1.70) to NT$85.

Last year, the service area sold an average 17,000 Guanxi lunch boxes per month for a total of NT$1.1 million, making it the best-selling meal among all those offered by all service areas along Taiwan’s freeways, according to the Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau.

Some specialty foods have also become popular, such as bell-shaped cake with custard filling offered by the Qingshui Service Area in Taichung. The cake was the No. 1 gift item in 2015, selling 27,000 boxes per month for a total of NT$3 million. A cheesecake from the same service area followed, selling 9,000 per month for revenue of NT$2 million. [FULL STORY]

DPP’s Yao says ready to run for Taipei mayor

DUTY CALLS:Yao said he is like a baseball pitcher who has been practicing and would immediately get on the pitcher’s mound when his team needs him

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 04, 2016
By: Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Pasuya Yao (姚文智) yesterday said he has been preparing to run for Taipei mayor and would accept the challenge if the party asks him to.

Yao made the remarks in response to queries about a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News that said the approval rating of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has been dropping and that the DPP is considering nominating its own candidate for the 2018 Taipei mayoral election.

A poll released on Friday showed that Ko’s approval rating fell to 42.3 percent, from 70 percent after his first 100 days in office.

“I have been preparing [for the Taipei mayoral election]. I was prepared for it in the last election [in 2014],” Yao said. “I am like a pitcher who has been practicing in the bullpen: When the team needs me, I can get on the pitcher’s mound immediately and if not, I will just keeping on preparing for a perfect game.”

Yao said he was already well-prepared two years ago, when he announced he would run for the post. In the end, the DPP decided to throw its support behind Ko, an independent. [FULL STORY]

Lu suggests hearings to draw up Tsai’s inauguration speech

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-03
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Former Vice President Annette Lu suggested on Sunday that President-elect Tsai Ing-wen hold public hearings to discern pubic opinions and get them across to the Chinese leader in her inauguration speech on May 20.

Lu told the media that she did know what points Tsai would make in the May 20 speech but urged her not to let unexpected statements pop up in her speech.

Why not hold public hearings so that Tsai can get some ideas of what to say on May 20, Lu said.

Lu suggested that Tsai get new public opinions across to China’s leader Xi Jinping as she was elected by the Taiwanese people. [FULL STORY]

PM2.5 concentrations reach hazardous levels in western Taiwan

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/03
By: Wu Hsin-yun and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, April 3 (CNA) Concentrations of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) were at “high” and “very high” levels in western areas of Taiwan Sunday, with PM2.5 indexes there reaching between 7-10. An index of 10 indicates the highest and the most hazardous — PM2.5 concentration.

According to data from the air quality monitoring network operated by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) that was updated at 8 a.m. Sunday, the PM2.5 concentrations detected at monitoring stations in Miaoli County and Xianxi Township of Changhua County were so high as to reach more than 71 micrograms (µg) per cubic meter.

This indicates a PM2.5 index level of 10 in those areas, the data shows. It also indicates that the PM2.5 concentrations in Hukou, Hsinchu County, Taichung’s Shalu, Lunbei and Taixi in Yunlin County, and Annan in Tainan, all surpassed 65 µg/cubic meter to register an index of 9.

Under Taiwan’s 10-tier PM2.5 index, with level 10 (71 µg/cubic meter or above) at the highest, measurements above level 7 (54-58µg/cubic meter) are deemed severe enough to cause tangible discomfort and health problems.

The EPA advised residents in the affected areas, especially those with allergies, to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical activity. [FULL STORY]

‘Overstaying Chinese might be spies’

SNOOPING:Chinese are most likely interested in Taiwan’s Indigenous Defense Fighters, weapons and defense facilities, former legislator Hsu Chung-hsin said

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 04, 2016
By: Lee Hsin-fang / Staff reporter

Former Taiwan Solidarity Union legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) said he has concerns over the intentions of Chinese who go missing after entering Taiwan on the pretext of traveling or undergoing medical procedures, saying they could be on intelligence-gathering missions.

According to statistics compiled by the National Immigration Agency (NIA), there are 146 Chinese who are unaccounted for, entering Taiwan for tourism or to undergo medical procedures.

The NIA and the National Police Agency are still trying to locate them.

“The probability of Chinese engaging in intelligence-gathering activities in Taiwan under the guise of medical examinations or independent travel has surged since President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration further opened Taiwan to China,” said Hsu, who is a professor of law at National Cheng Kung University.

Hsu said it is not that the government is unable to find the missing Chinese citizens, but rather that search efforts have been impeded by its attitude. [FULL STORY]

Taipei leads in number of ecological burials

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-03
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei City has registered the highest number of ecological burials in Taiwan since 2003 when the practice was officially introduced in the country, the Taipei Mortuary Services Office said on Sunday.

The office said that a growing number of people are becoming more acceptive of different forms of ecological burials, including burying ashes of the dead in wooded areas (tree burial) or in flower gardens (flower burials) and scattering ashes at sea (sea burial).

The containers for the ashes are made of eco-friendly and degradable materials.

The city has performed 7,989 tree burials, 1,364 flower burials and 482 burials at sea from 2003 till the end of February, the office added. [FULL STORY]

Taiwan-China milkfish deal suspended

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/03
By: Yang Ssu-jui and Christie Chen

Taipei, April 3 (CNA) A cross-Taiwan Strait deal to export Taiwanese milkfish to China has

SONY DSC

been suspended this year, as chilly weather in Taiwan this winter caused a decrease in milkfish production, according to the Tainan City Milkfish Aquaculture Association.

In 2011, the association and Taiwan’s Shinejia Foods Co. signed a deal with China’s Shanghai Fisheries General Corp. (Group), and later with China’s Haikui Seafood Group, to supply milkfish to Chinese buyers.

Due to the cold winter this year, however, prices for 5-inch milkfish fingerlings have tripled to NT$16 (US$0.49) per fingerling from NT$5 each last year, said Wang Wen-tsung (王文宗), head of the Tainan City Milkfish Aquaculture Association and chairman of Shinejia Foods Co.

has not fared as well as expected in the Chinese market, Wang said. [FULL STORY]

KMT report tackles CCP forum, assets

ASSETS DONATION:Former secretary-general Lee Shu-chuan said the KMT’s assets have been a constant source of criticism and a ‘cash machine’ for the opposition

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 04, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) should abrogate the party’s annual forum with the

Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) secretary-general Lee Shu-chuan, right, addresses a KMT legislative caucus meeting in Taipei on March 25. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and donate all party assets except for those that it legally acquired, former KMT secretary-general Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) said in a party reform proposal.

Lee compiled the report after 21 forums with the KMT’s local cadres and campaign staff across the nation from Feb. 19 to March 23, following the party’s landslide defeats in the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections.

Nominated as secretary-general in January last year by then-KMT chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), Lee submitted the report to newly sworn-in KMT Chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) before his term ended late last month.

The report listed 14 reasons presented at the forums for the KMT’s electoral failure, including the party’s controversial assets, which it said have been a constant target of and a “cash machine” for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). [FULL STORY]

ITRI to recruit 500 R&D talents to speed up innovation

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-02
By: Central News Agency

Industrial Technology Research Institute (IRTI, 工研院), a government-sponsored research group, said Saturday that it is planning to recruit 500 research and development talents this year to speed up the pace of innovation.

ITRI said that the recruitment campaign will be held at home and overseas at a time when the research entity aims to build more than 100 new technology development platforms which could help Taiwan’s enterprises to upgrade.

According to the ITRI, the 500 R&D newcomers will be assigned to a wide range of industries, including optoelectronics, software design, smart devices, robot development, automotive systems, information/communications, integrated circuit design, biotechnology and energy.

ITRI said that the newcomers will work in line with the government’s industrial initiatives focusing on green energy, medical care and smart life. [FULL STORY]

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