TOO WORDY:Hung Hsiu-chu criticized Tsai Ing-wen’s ‘new model’ economy, saying the DPP candidate should refrain from using ‘adjectives’ and provide concrete policies

Taipei Times
Date:  Jun 20, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential hopeful Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), in response to Time

magazine’s description of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as the likely winner of January’s election, said yesterday it was because the US has little understanding of her, as, unlike Tsai, she has only recently emerged as a candidate.

After Tsai made it onto the cover of Time, Hung congratulated her adversary in a radio interview yesterday and said it was “good” that she appeared on the cover.

When asked about the magazine referring to Tsai as possibly the nation’s next leader, Hung said it was because Tsai has been preparing for the presidential election for years and the US has a good understanding of her.

Hung said that not only the US, but even the Chinese government is probably at a loss about how she has become a contender for president.

“[The magazine] said that only because they do not know me at all,” Hung said.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/18
By: Chou Yi-ling and Maubo Chang

Taipei, June 18 (CNA) Taipei will see China’s decision to waive visas for Taiwan travelers as a positive development if this is done with mutual-respect to improve orderly exchanges, Wu Mei-hung (吳美紅), a spokeswoman for the Mainland Affairs Council, said Thursday.

In adjusting any practice regarding bilateral exchanges, Wu said, Beijing should acknowledge the fact that Taiwan and the Chinese mainland are governed by different administrations, and should give Taiwan due respect lest the adjustment evoke Taiwanese people’s skepticism and impact cross-strait relations negatively.

She made the remarks during a weekly news conference after Beijing announced earlier that day that Taiwanese will be allowed to visit China without a visa after July 1.

As to Beijing’s plan to convert the current booklet-form of the Taiwan Compatriot Travel Permit into a card, Wu said her council is unaware of the form, functions and would-be holder of the card thus far, and are seeking more information from Beijing before forming an opinion on it.     [FULL  STORY]

‘RIGHTING HISTORY’:The KMT presidential hopeful said that it was time to return the curriculum on the right track in accordance with the ROC Constitution

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 19, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday weighed in on controversy over the

Ministry of Education’s high-school curriculum adjustments, saying the changes were “too minor” and “far from enough.”

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential hopeful said in an interview with radio host Tang Hsiang-lung (唐湘龍) yesterday morning — who called the curriculum controversy “the most bloody, political and vicious machination” — that it is “wrong to call the adjustment process a ‘black box.’”

Defending the ministry against a court ruling that its conduct in planning and deciding the adjustment process was not transparent enough, Hung said that it was the composition of the curriculum adjustment committee, rather than the adjustments per se, that was admonished by the court.

However, “consider this: If [the ministry] did make public the names of the members of the curriculum adjustment committee, given the prevailing political mood, no one would dare join the committee in the future,” she said.

Outbreak News Today
Date: June 17, 2015
By: Staff

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control reports today that during June 9 and 15, 2015, a total of 20

new dengue cases, including 16 indigenous dengue cases and 4 imported dengue cases from Malaysia and Thailand, were confirmed in Taiwan, prompting health officials to urge the public to remove vector-breeding sites and ensure the cleanliness of the environment as well as recycle all unwanted containers and take personal precautions against mosquito bites in order to prevent the infection of dengue fever.

Among the 16 indigenous cases confirmed last week, 14 cases were confirmed in Kaohsiung City, including 7 in Zuoying District, 6 in Nanzih District and 1 in Sanmin District, and 2 cases were confirmed in North District, Tainan City. The number of dengue cases reported has continued to increase. A cumulative total of 22 dengue cases associated with the cluster around the farmers market in Nanzih District, Kaohsiung City have been confirmed and more cases are expected to occur.     [FULL  STORY]

CNBC News
Date: Jun 17, 2015

With Taiwan’s pro-independence party tipped to win next year’s presidential election, some analysts

fear that could renew tensions in cross-strait relations and risk destabilizing Asia.

“It is time to start worrying about Taiwan … Old questions about Taiwan’s longer-term future are re-emerging, and so are old fears that differences over Taiwan could rupture U.S.-China relations and drive Asia to a major crisis,” said Hugh White, professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University.

Despite splitting ways amid a civil war in 1949, China continues to regard Taiwan as part of its territory and has never ruled out the use of force as an option to reunify the island of 23 million. Under the stewardship of Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou, cross-strait ties have been on the mend and in recent years the two countries have developed closer economic dealings.

However, analysts feel a renewed chill in relations cross-strait ties is on the cards, after the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party in Taiwan suffered a defeat in December’s local elections, which were widely seen as a prelude to the 2016 presidential polls.

HELPING, HEALING:Minors face a greater risk of sexual assault in Taiwan, and family members need tools to help them cope, the Garden of Hope Foundation said

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 18, 2015
By: Chen Ping-hung  /  Staff reporter

The Garden of Hope Foundation yesterday launched a fund-raiser to boost awareness of sexual abuse

and provide better care for survivors and their families.

The Flying Dandelion Project aims to raise NT$15 million (US$479,831) to build a counseling office for people who have experienced sexual abuse and their relatives, the foundation said.

The foundation decided to extend its service to family members of victims because they are often at a loss as to how to help, creating situations that can be emotionally and physically draining, director Wang Shu-fen (王淑芬) said.

She said group therapy should be provided alongside individual counseling.

Through the support of group therapy sessions, people who have experienced sexual abuse are more likely to overcome their trauma, Wang said.     [FULL  STORY]