China's J-20 is certain to imperial Taiwanese security.

The Natiopnal Interest
Date: October 26, 2019 
by Kyle Mizokami

Key point: Taiwan no longer holds a military advantage over China.

The balance of air superiority over the island of Taiwan is slowly shifting. Once assured by a fleet of sleek, modern Republic of China Air Force fighters, the rise of China—and the decline of Taiwan’s defense budget—has gradually changed the equation in favor of China.

Following the end of the Chinese Civil War, the government of the Republic of China evacuated to the island of Taiwan. Less than two hundred miles separate the island from a hostile Chinese mainland. Yet as long as Taiwan maintained a strong navy and air force, and more importantly, as long as China remained poor, Taiwan might as well have been on the far side of the moon.

But China is no longer poor, and it is building a military that matches its newfound wealth. China is able to build more combat aircraft than Taiwan can support, and has embarked on a two simultaneous fifth generation fighter programs.

The Chengdu J-20 “Soaring Dragon”—which is currently in development—will be one of the most dangerous threats ever posed to Taiwan’s national security. A large, twin engine aircraft with stealthy characteristics and long range, a version of  the J-20 (and there may indeed be more than one) might be configured as a long-range air superiority fighter.    [FULL  STORY8]

Taiwan celebrates 1st pride since becoming only Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/10/26
By: Sally Jensen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Despite a dreary start to the day, at 12.30 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 26) the sun emerged to shine over hundreds of thousands of people who took to Taipei’s streets to celebrate love.

This year was the first LGBTQ+ Pride parade since Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalize equal marriage. The 5.5km route started at Taipei City Hall and continued along Zhongxiao East Road, ending at the Presidential Palace.

It is estimated that between 170,000 to 250,000 people were in attendance throughout the day, with visitors from approximately 100 countries.
Taipei’s LGBTQ+ parade has become the largest in Asia since its initiation in 2003, drawing visitors every year from countries worldwide to join the festivities and experience the island’s vibrant civil society. The 17th LGBTQ+ parade focused on the theme, “Together, Make Taiwan Better,” calling for compassion and care among LGBTQ+ communities and the general public.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/10/26
By: William Yen

Taipei, Oct. 26 (CNA) A record-breaking 200,000 people marched through Taipei Saturday in a vivid and exciting annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride parade, calling for the public to embrace the LGBT community, especially now that same-sex marriage has been legalized in Taiwan.

The marchers brandished rainbow flags and sported flamboyant costumes as the 17th Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade, one of the largest in Asia, was launched from Taipei City Hall Plaza to Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office.

As of 5:30 p.m., organizers said the number of people attending the march had exceeded 200,000, setting a record for the march that was first held in 2003 and attracted only a few hundred participants.

Among the marchers were personnel from several foreign representative offices in Taiwan, including the United States, Australia, the European Union, the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.4
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 27, 2019
By: Staff Writer, with CNA

More than 27 percent of Taiwanese support independence, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).

According to the poll, 21.7 percent of respondents preferred maintaining the “status quo,” but they wanted Taiwan to ultimately be independent, while about 6 percent said the nation should declare independence as soon as possible.

Support for independence hit the highest level since the council in April 2010 started the poll to collect public opinions on cross-strait ties, it said.

The survey found that 1.4 percent hope Taiwan will unify with China “as soon as possible,” while 8.9 percent want to maintain the “status quo” for the time being, but want eventual unification.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 25 October, 2019
By: Leslie Liao

The Marshall Islands will continue to stand with Taiwan despite increasingly complex regional politics

and pressure from China. That was the word from Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, who is in Taiwan on a state visit.

President Tsai Ing-wen met with the Marshall Islands leader on Friday morning. Heine said that without Taiwan, her country would not have been able to become a member of the United Nation’s Human Rights Council earlier this year. Heine said that Taiwan and the Marshall Islands share a true friendship, and that this will not change despite external pressure.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei is a coffee shop haven but it’s not only limited to the third-wave hipster cafes — there are historical ones that would bring you back in time too!The News Lens
Date: 2019/10/25
By: Francesca Chang,Taipei Magazine

The lively city of Taipei has recently experienced a coffee craze led by a young generation that is amped up about high quality beans, trendy atmospheres, and unique café themes that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Taipei has also become a paradise for coffee lovers as just one drink order will usually grant you access to a cozy spot in a café for the entire day.

What’s more, many of the capital’s upscale coffee shops are run by professional baristas who have won international roasting and concoction contests. Although Taipei has garnered international attention as one of the world’s top coffee cities because of these “hipster” shops, there remains a coffee culture nostalgic for the days when Taipei’s cafés were not prized for their international status, but rather for their steadfast standing as a hallmark of the times.

Here, we explore five coffee shops that have remained standing in Taipei since as early as the end of World War II.    [FULL  STORY]

Priest involved in case says he may advise Chan Tong-kai to wait until after Taiwan elections in January

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/10/25
By: Duncan Deaeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As the legal and political controversy around the now-released murder

suspect Chan Tong-kai continues to escalate, a key figure in the unfolding drama has stated that Chan may be advised to wait several months before planning his return Taiwan to face justice.

The priest who allegedly persuaded Chan to return to Taiwan, Peter Douglas Koon (管浩鳴) of the Hong Kong Anglican Church, was quoted on Friday (Oct. 25) saying that he may consider delaying Chan’s return to Taiwan until after the country has concluded its presidential election on Jan. 11. Koon claims that Chan is worried he may not receive a fair trial in Taiwan and says they are both concerned about how politicized the case has become.

It was revealed this week that Koon is a member of China’s National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPCC), raising suspicions that he may be working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to persuade Chan to voluntarily return to Taiwan. Koon’s comments, as reported by UDN, come as the breakdown in legal cooperation between Taipei and Hong Kong, along with the Tsai government’s response to Chan’s potential surrender, have sparked nationwide debate in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/10/25
By: Chiang Chin-yeh, Elaine Hou and Elizabeth Hsu

Washington, Oct. 24 (CNA) United States Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday praised Taiwan as a

beacon of Chinese culture and democracy, while criticizing China as failing to honor its trade commitments and to observe the right to freedom.

In a speech at the Frederic V. Malek Public Service Leadership Lecture, Pence reaffirmed the U.S.' support for Taiwan.

The U.S. "stood by Taiwan in defense of her hard-won freedoms," he said. "We've authorized additional military sales and recognized Taiwan's place as one of the world's great trading economies and beacons of Chinese culture and democracy."

In China, meanwhile, millions of ethnic and religious minorities are struggling against the Communist Party's efforts to eradicate their religious and cultural identities, Pence said.    [FULL  STORY]

MIRROR, MIRROR: The premier linked C.V. Chen representing Chan Tong-kai and Ma Ying-jeou’s ‘fake crying’ to Peter Koon, a member of a Chinese advisory body

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 26, 2019
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The issue of how to handle Hong Kong murder suspect Chan Tong-kai (陳同佳) is akin to a “demon-

revealing mirror” that can reveal not only the demon, but also the “demon within the demon,” Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said yesterday.

Su made the remark on the sidelines of a meeting at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei following a statement earlier yesterday by the Reverend Peter Koon (管浩鳴), a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Anglican clergyman, saying that Chan would surrender to Taiwanese authorities after January’s presidential and legislative elections.

Chan has reportedly confessed to Hong Kong police that he killed his pregnant girlfriend, Poon Hiu-wing (潘曉穎), in February last year while visiting Taiwan, before returning to Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong government on Monday notified Taiwan that Chan would like to “turn himself in” to Taiwanese authorities after leaving prison. He was on Wednesday released from a Hong Kong prison after serving a suspended sentence for theft and money laundering charges.
[FULL  STORY]

Radi Taiwan International
Date: 24 October, 2019
By: Leslie Liao
 

Hong Kong murder suspect Chan Tong-kai has just been set free and he wants to come to Taiwan, where the murder of his girlfriend occurred, and turn himself in. Some are saying this could be a “political trap” from China. Find out why in today’s Taiwan Insider.    [FULL  STORY]