Taiwan police discover hundreds of counterfeit coins smuggled from China

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/26
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan City police have arrested a woman suspected of smuggling in fake Taiwanese currency from China with the intention of disturbing the economic system on the island.

According to Liberty Times, the police received a report from an owner of a claw machine who claimed that someone had been inserting fake NT$50 coins into the drop-and-grab machine. Using surveillance camera footage, police were able to locate one of two Taiwanese allegedly behind the financial misdemeanor.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/26 22:37
By: Matt Yu and Emerson Lim

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) China's first domestically-built aircraft carrier "Shandong" is sailing through the Taiwan Strait as of Thursday evening, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a statement.

The Shandong, together with escort ships, entered the Taiwan Strait from the south, sailing northwards, the ministry said, adding that it is monitoring the vessel and is ready for any contingency.

The transit happened less than three weeks before Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 11, 2020.

The Shandong, named after a northern province in China, was officially commissioned on Dec. 17 in the southern naval base of Sanya, Hainan Province, more than six years after construction started.
[FULL  STORY]

FASTER TRAVEL: Three companies have signed on to operate services from Taipei to Hualien on new sections of the Suhua Highway with travel time at about four hours

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 27, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter, in Hualien County

Shuttle services between Taipei and Hualien are to begin when improved sections on the Suhua

Highway (Highway No. 9) open on Jan. 6, the Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) said yesterday.

The services would be operated by United Highway Bus (Ubus), Taipei Bus and Capital Bus, the highway authority said.

Of the 85 buses to be used on the route, 11 bear designs and colors that are associated with the Suhua Highway, it said.

News media were invited to view two of the buses, which are white with patterns designed to reflect the eight tunnels constructed as part of the improved sections.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 25 December, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

Radio Television Hong Kong reported on Wednesday that murder suspect Chan Tong-kai is still willing to come to Taiwan to face trial. The radio station said that it will make an announcement once the date is decided on when Chan will come to Taiwan.

Chan has admitted to killing his girlfriend last year while the two were vacationing in Taiwan. He then fled back to Hong Kong, where authorities imprisoned him for a related crime. Hong Kong later released him on October 23. Chan then turned himself in again, saying he’s willing to stand trial in Taiwan. But the two sides lack an extradition agreement, and Hong Kong has not provided judicial assistance to make it possible.    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2019/12/25
By: TNL Staff

Before Taiwan's 2020 elections, get to know these fun facts about these Taiwanese politicians' nicknames to add to your election chit-chat.

Taiwanese politics are fun when politicians act like they are part of a soap opera. Netizens and local media add to the entertainment when they come up with creative and hilarious nicknames for the politicians. As Taiwan's 2020 elections are approaching, The News Lens has compiled a list of notable Taiwanese politicians and tell you the stories behind their nicknames.

Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文): Hot Taiwanese girl (辣台妹)

It might be wildly inappropriate to call a female president “hot,” but it’s a popular description used among Tsai Ing-wen supporters.

Tsai’s nickname didn’t stem from weird sexual desires, but a rap. On January 2, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) warned Taiwan that unification is inevitable. But Tsai firmly rejected Xi’s speech and said, “China must face the reality of the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and not deny the democratic system that the people of Taiwan have established together.”

A week later, Taiwanese rapper Dwagie released a freestyle rap named “Hot Taiwanese Girl” (辣台妹), lauding Tsai for her bravery and "spicy" attitude. The term Tai-mei (台妹) used to be somewhat derogatory, stereotyping Taiwanese girls who dress in a revealing fashion and linger in nightclubs. Taiwanese rappers like MC HotDog and MJ116 have praised Tai-mei for their attractiveness and confidence, but Dwagie redefined the label by grouping Tsai into the mix.

President Tsai said she was at first confused about the reference, but she embraced the nickname after being advised by her social media team. And now, she's one of the “hottest” influencers in Taiwan.
[FULL  STORY]

Killers of mentally challenged teenage girl can be re-educated: Taiwan High Court

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/25
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan High Court ruled Tuesday (Dec. 24) that the five principal offenders who tortured a mentally challenged teenage girl after sexually assaulting her in 2015 had been sentenced to life imprisonment instead of death penalty.

According to Liberty Times, the Hsinchu City native Lin Chuen-Shyong (林春雄) was displeased by the 14-year-old teenage girl surnamed Chiu (邱)'s remark against his girlfriend Huang Xiaoyun (黃曉雲) at an internet café, and decided to take revenge on the intellectually disabled girl. Lin and four of his accomplices forced Chiu into a nearby alley and beat her with bamboo sticks and motorcycle helmets before pedestrians stepped in.

The five culprits then took Chiu to an open area under the Zhulin Bridge and gang-raped the severely injured girl before leaving for a karaoke bar. Upon their return, the offenders found that Chiu had died from excessive blood loss and proceeded to burn her body with gasoline in order to cover up their misdeeds, reported CNA.

Lin was originally convicted by the High Court of first-degree murder and sentenced to capital punishment at the first two instances in 2016 and in June, 2019 while the other four perpetrators received life time imprisonment. However, Lin was removed of his death penalty charge on Tuesday’s retrial.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/25
By: Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) The presidential candidate of the opposition People First Party (PFP) criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government Wednesday for trying to force through a controversial anti-infiltration bill before the end of the year, an action he said was a violation of procedural justice.

James Soong (宋楚瑜) reiterated his party's strong opposition to the DPP-drafted Anti-Infiltration Act during the second political platform presentation by the three candidates running in the Jan. 11 presidential election, including incumbent Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).

"It totally violates procedural justice" that President Tsai wants the Legislative Yuan to pass the legislation on Dec. 31 without having the bill first discussed by administrative departments or legislative committees, the PFP chairman said.

"There are more than 2 million Taiwanese business people in China, and there are also a great deal of religious and travel exchanges (between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait)," Soong said.
[FULL  STORY]

UNILATERAL DECISION: The central and local governments need to work together to reduce pollution and generate power, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 26, 2019
By: Tsai Shu-yuan, Lee Hsin-fang and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

The Taichung City Government has revoked the operating permits for two

units at the Taichung Power Plant, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) announced yesterday morning, saying that the plant had exceeded its annual allowance of raw coal.

Inspections last month and earlier this month found that the plant had surpassed the city’s annual limit of 11.04 million tonnes of raw coal, Lu said, adding that a third inspection on Monday found that no improvements had been made.

“The limit is in place to protect the health of Taichung residents, to safeguard the city’s air quality,” she said.

The plant was fined NT$3 million (US$99,328) after an inspection on Nov. 3 by the city’s Environmental Protection Bureau, and then an additional NT$6 million after an inspection on Dec. 13, when the city gave the plant 10 days in which to make improvements.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 24 December, 2019
By: Paula Chao

President Tsai Ing-wen is calling on Taiwan’s top brass to use innovative thinking when conducting military reform. Tsai was speaking Tuesday at a military commissioning ceremony.

Tsai said that over the past three years, the government has taken concrete steps to boost Taiwan’s military hardware. She says that the military has remodeled barracks, implemented personnel retention programs, and upgraded soldiers’ equipment. Tsai said Taiwan is working toward building its own indigenous aircraft and submarines, and has purchased F-16 jet fighters from the US.

Tsai said in order to respond to changes in the international community, military reform is crucial. 

“We need more innovative thinking to help develop responses to asymmetric warfare. Therefore, [I] hope you can continue to strengthen training methods, unite under the purpose of safeguarding national security, and lay a foundation for military reform via innovation," said Tsai. 
[FULL  STORY]

Sputnik International
Date: 21:56 24.12.2019

A retired Taiwanese air force colonel was charged by the New Taipei City District Prosecutor’s office Tuesday for spying and assisting in the development of an intelligence network for Beijing in Taiwan.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Tu Yung-hsin, 67, the charges come after the Taiwanese Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau raided the home of Tu and another Taiwanese army colonel identified by his surname Tsai back in September. According to the Prosecutor's office, between 2011 and 2019, Tu offered Tsai around $6,600 that Tsai could use for gifts for his wedding to to pay for his mother’s medical treatment. Additional details around the arrangement are unclear. 

The South China Morning also reports that back in 2004 after retiring from operating a business in China, Tu was recruited by a section chief of the Central Military Commission’s Political Work Department known as “Mr. A.”

“In 2017, the suspect [Tu] told Tsai he could introduce him to ‘Mr. A’ and arrange for Tsai to develop business in China after he retired,” a spokesperson for the office is quoted as saying. Tsai was allegedly told by Tu to recruit potential spies and help build an intelligence network in Taiwan on behalf of “Mr. A”    [FULL  STORY]