Taipei Times
Date: May 23, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Torrential downpours yesterday caused power cuts and damaged roads in the south of Taiwan, local governments reported, as a plum rain front, accompanied by southwesterly winds, battered the nation.

The heavy rain and winds downed power lines in Kaohsiung, leaving Namasiya District (那瑪夏) without electricity yesterday morning.

The power was restored in phases before noon.Rockslides and fallen trees were reported in mountainous areas of Kaohsiung, while schools and offices were closed in several districts in the city due to the weather.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internartional
Date: 21 May, 2020
By: John Van Trieste

The US State Department has approved the sale of 18 MK-48 advanced heavyweight torpedoes to Taiwan. The Pentagon has drawn up the required certification informing the US Congress of the sale.

In addition to the torpedoes themselves, Taiwan will receive spare parts, testing equipment, training, shipping, and additional support if the sale goes ahead. The total cost to Taiwan is expected to come to US$180 million.
[FULL  STORY]

EE Times
Date: 05.21.2020
By Alan Patterson  

TAIPEI – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and two other Democratic Party senators have called for a suspension of a planned project by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to build a chip plant in the state of Arizona.

The latest move by the senators is a further evidence that politics continues to haunt TSMC, as EE Times surmised.

In a May 19 letter addressed to U.S Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the senators requested the two Trump administration cabinet members to “cease any such negotiations or discussions” until the relevant authorization and appropriations committees have been briefed on plans, including any commitments the two departments have made to funding, tax breaks, licenses, or other incentives.

The announcement by TSMC last week was very likely motivated by a number of political factors, according to people who spoke to EE Times.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese netizens question timing of video release

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/05/21
By: Eric Chang, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — On the same day as President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) inauguration, Chinese military magazine Warship Knowledge (艦船知識) released a computer simulation video claiming China could take over Taiwan in only 24 hours.

The 11-minute video was posted onto Chinese social media platform Weibo, Liberty Times reported. The film simulates an attack on Taiwan divided into three stages: forced isolation, sea and air strikes, and landing operations.

The goal of the first stage would be to stop the United States and other countries from coming to Taiwan's aid. The second stage of the invasion would be to eliminate Taiwan's command, early warning, air defense, and coastal defense systems. This would then create favorable conditions for landing operations to secure Taiwan's harbors and airports for follow-up troop deployments.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a researcher at Taiwan Strategy Research Association, told PTS News that the video was overly optimistic. He said it made Taiwan's army look like it was made up of plastic soldiers and that its defenses were made out of paper.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/21/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, May 21 (CNA) One new case of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease was reported in Taiwan on Thursday,

breaking a 13-day stretch of zero new confirmed infections in the country, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The new patient is a Taiwanese man in his 30s who went to Mexico in January on a work trip and returned to Taiwan on Wednesday, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC.

While in Mexico, the man developed a fever around April 30, a mild cough on May 5, and diarrhea May 11-13, Chen said at the CECC's daily press briefing.

Upon arrival in Taiwan, the man reported his symptoms to quarantine officers and was immediately tested for COVID-19 before being sent to a quarantine center, Chen said.    [FULL  STORY]

STRONGER DEFENSES: The announcement could be considered tacit US support for the nation’s indigenous arms manufacturing program, Joseph Wu told lawmakers

Taipei Times
Date: May 22, 2020….
By: Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

Just hours after President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inauguration on Wednesday, the US Department of State’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced in Washington the possible sale of 18 MK-48 Heavy Weight Torpedoes to Taiwan.

Reacting to the announcement, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday told a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee that the ministry applauded the US move, which would help to uphold the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

The TRA states that the US should “provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character … to maintain the capacity of the US to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”0

The possible sale — which includes 18 MK-48s, spare parts, logistics support, training and manuals — was valued at US$180 million and is pending review by the US Congress.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 20 May, 2020
By: Natalie Tso

President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai were sworn in on Wednesday morning.  Due to the pandemic, there was a streamlined inauguration ceremony at the Presidential Office. At 10 am, President Tsai gave an inaugural address at a small private event at the Taipei Guest House. 

President Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in for her second term on Wednesday at the Presidential Office. She was re-elected with over 8 million votes, the most of any Taiwan president.  But inauguration events were scaled down due to the pandemic.

The new incoming Vice President William Lai was also sworn in on Wednesday morning. Vice President Chen Chien-jen chose to step out of politics and return to academia. Chen contributed much expertise as an epidemiologist to national efforts to contain COVID-19.    [FULL  STORY]

The Hill
Date: 05/20/20
By: Tal Axelrod

China threatened to take “counter-measures” against the U.S. after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulated Taiwan’s president on starting a second term in office.

“On Pompeo’s congratulation to Tsai Ing-wen on her inauguration, we express strong indignation and condemnation. China will take necessary counter-measures, and the consequences will be borne by the US side,” said Lijian Zhao, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

China’s Ministry of Defense added in a statement that Pompeo’s remarks “seriously” violated the one-China policy and that Taiwan is an “inalienable” part of China.

The Wednesday warning came after Pompeo touted the relationship between Washington and Taipei under the leadership of President Tsai Ing-wen.    [FULL  STORY]

Aviation expert said Xiang'an Airport will greatly affect Taiwanese environment, ecology, economic development

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/05/20
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Netizens were outraged by the close proximity of a Chinese airport under construction to the coast of Taiwan’s outlying county of Kinmen after seeing a photo posted on social media, with one describing China’s behavior as trespassing.

The photo was taken by a Kinmen resident on the shores of the island county's Guan'ao area and posted to Facebook, Liberty Times reported Wednesday (May 20). The photo was quickly reposted by another netizen to PTT, a Taiwanese social media site, along with an article titled “The new Xiamen airport is being built at the door of Kinmen!”

The second netizen who reposted the photo wrote in the article that the construction site of Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport (翔安國際機場) is only about six kilometers from Kinmen’s coastline, labeling the project as trespassing.

The reposting on PTT touched off a wave of heated debate, with some users lamenting that Taiwan cannot do anything about it because the construction did not extend beyond China’s border, while others were calling the construction an overreach and an intrusion.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/20/2020
By: Chen Yun-yu and Emerson Lim

Taipei, May 20 (CNA) The United States is expected to help Taiwan highlight its national identity more actively during President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) second four-year term but "dramatic breakthroughs" are unlikely, political analysts in Taiwan said Wednesday.

Tsai was sworn in for her second term as president of the Republic of China, Taiwan's formal name, on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent a congratulatory message Tuesday in which he addressed her as "president."

"As we look toward the future, I am confident that, with President Tsai at the helm, our partnership with Taiwan will continue to flourish," Pompeo said in the statement.    [FULL  STORY]