Taipei Times
Date: Oct 14, 2019
By: Lu Yi-hsuan and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

A petition calling on the US government to recognize Taiwan as an independent nation is

displayed on the “We the People” petition section of the White House Web site yesterday.

Screen grab from the White House Web site

An online petition launched by a US citizen calling on the US to formally recognize “Taiwan as [an] independently governed nation” yesterday passed the 100,000 signature threshold.

The petition, submitted to the White House Web site “We the People” on Monday last week by a person identified only as “K.W.,” argues that Taiwan could only join the UN if the US recognized its sovereignty and set an example for other nations.

The White House generally responds to petitions within 60 days of the threshold being reached, the Web site says.

“However, depending on the topic and the overall volume of petitions from We the People, responses may be delayed,” it says.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday acknowledged the petition and said it would continue to deepen its “friendly partnership” with the US.

The ministry respects the action by the petitioner, but reminds the public that launching White House petitions is a personal undertaking by US citizens, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said.

The ministry would continue to monitor developments related to the petition and would continue to develop relations with the US through existing channels, she said.    [FULL  STORY]

Dezeen
Date: Ocvt 12, 2019
By: Ali Morris

JC Architecture has converted a 90-year-old dormitory building in Taipei into a contemporary family home, to serve as a blueprint for reviving similar neglected historical properties throughout the city.

The 223-square-metre building, now named Living Lab, was bought by JC Architecture from the National Taiwan University.

It was built more than 90 years ago when Taiwan was under Japanese rule but over the years it has undergone significant alterations and had largely been used as a dormitory. Eventually, it fell into a state of disrepair and had no toilets, missing floors and crumbling walls.

The practice set out to transform the building into a comfortable home that catered to the needs of a modern family while preserving the building's layers of history.    [FULL  STORY]

Sputnik News
Date: 12.10.2019

Photos of a young female tourist from Taiwan have made the rounds on Philippine social media, after she was spotted by other vacationers and locals wearing a not-so-subtle bathing suit.

A female Taiwanese tourist has been fined 2,500 pesos ($50) for wearing a bikini in the Philippines' Boracay Island, later described by one police officer as “literally a string”, after her scantily-clad photos went viral, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

Photos of the young tourist wearing a string two-piece bikini circulated on social media for several days catching attention of the The Boracay Inter-Agency Rehabilitation Management Group on Wednesday, which directed the island's police to identify the tourist and summon her to the station.
[FULL  STORY]

Cuts valid until December 30

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/10/12
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The introduction of the cheapest tickets for the Taipei 101 observation deck in its 15-year history has been a success, reports said Saturday (October 12).

From October 10 until December 30, a ticket costs NT$101 (US$3.27) instead of NT$600 (US$19.45), but only for Taiwanese citizens who can show their ID. The price cut is only valid before noon.

With a four-day Double Ten National Day holiday, the policy has started with a bang, attracting long lines to take the high-speed elevator to the 89th floor, the Central News Agency reported.
Up to 99 percent of the people responding to the price cuts were first-time visitors, and 60 percent were families, according to Taipei 101 management.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/10/12
By: Stacy Hsu and Frances Huang

Washington, Oct. 11 (CNA) A petition submitted to a White House petition network is gathering signatures to urge the U.S. government to recognize Taiwan as an independent country.

In the White House's "We the People" petition website, the petition initiated on Oct. 7 by someone identified only as "K.W." had collected more than 40,000 signatures endorsing the petition as of Oct. 11, according to the website.

Under the rules of "We the People," a petition needs to collect 100,000 signatures or more in 30 days after being submitted to the website, and in 60 days after the threshold is reached, in order for the White House to review it and issue a response to the request.

The deadline for gathering enough signatures is Nov. 6.  This is the web link to:   We The Perople    [FULL  STORY]

POLITICAL: Taiwanese firms could be forced to accept the ‘1992 consensus’ should Beijing launch its social credit system, the Taiwan Democracy Watch chairman said

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 13, 2019
By: Chung Li-hua and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwan Democracy Watch yesterday voiced concern over the inking of a collaborative agreement

between Pin Shang Credit Investigation Co (品尚徵信), based in China’s Fujian Province, and Taiwan’s China Credit Information Service Ltd (CCIS, 中華徵信所), saying that information held by the Taiwanese firm could be used by the Chinese credit investigation industry.

The two companies signed the agreement last month, according to a news release that month by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office.

The agreement allows credit investigation firms across the Taiwan Strait to use “big data” for applied research, development and merging of the cross-strait economy, the report said.

With support from CCIS, the People’s Bank of China’s Fujian branch has already conducted 310 investigations of Taiwanese corporations or individuals, it said.   [FULL  STORY]

Radiuo Taiwan Internartional
Date: 11 October, 2019
By: Leslie Liao

Penghu's National Day fireworks was 42 minutes long this year[/caption] Taiwan observes National Day on October 10. The celebrations are special every year, but this year’s festivities included some especially big and significant events.

From October 4 to 10, Taiwan’s Presidential Office building hosted a nightly lightshow showcasing Taiwanese history. The building itself served as the show’s canvas. The show was held as a prelude to this year’s National Day celebrations on October 10. The choice of the Presidential Office as a canvas was significant- this year, the building turns 100.

Early on the morning of National Day itself, crowds gathered outside the Presidential Office for the National Day ceremony. This year’s theme was “Taiwan Forward”. The ceremony featured marching bands, lion dancers, and hip hop performers.

Professor Anna Azusa Fujita, a prominent Japanese pianist, and Pastore Edmund Ryden sang the national anthem. They were joined by 30 members of the Vietnam arts stars choir, a group representing Taiwan’s new Southeast Asian residents.    [FULL  STORY]

China “hell-bent” on reunification with Taiwan, says Taiwan's EU and Belgium representative Harry Tseng.The Parliament Magazine
Date: 1 October 2019
By: Martin Banks 

Speaking in Brussels, Michael Gahler (EPP), who chairs the European parliament’s newly-

reformed Taiwan Friendship Group, said, “Taiwan urgently needs our support. It is in dire need of this.”

The MEP’s comments come amid criticism of China’s policy towards Taiwan, which has been compared to the arrangement for the return of the former British colony of Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997.

Hong Kong has been hit by months of anti-government protests triggered by widespread resentment of what many city residents see as relentless efforts by Beijing to exert control over their city despite promises of autonomy.

China has proposed that Taiwan be brought under Chinese rule under a similar arrangement, but Gahler believes Beijing’s policies towards the island were a danger to regional stability.
[FULL  STORY]

White House petition requires 100,000 signatures before Nov. 6

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/10/11
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A new petition has been started on the official White House webpage

calling on the U.S. government to recognize Taiwan as an independently governed nation, which would effectively challenge Washington’s “One China” policy.

The petition was started on Oct. 7 by someone with the initials K.W. In order to be addressed by the White House, the petition requires 100,000 signatures by Nov. 6, and the petition is close to hitting the 10,000 mark as of this article’s publication.

At the current rate, the signatures should easily reach the minimum threshold, which will require the White House to issue an official response on the issue by early January. The text of the petition reads as follows.

“The 23 million Taiwanese who live in Taiwan, an island country independently self-governed for 60 years now, are a model for other Asian countries to follow, having transitioned from dictatorship into democracy in 1996 without bloodshed, when it voted for its first presidential election. It is a leader and partner to the United States, providing assistance to other countries with humanitarian aid and rescue teams during disasters. It is also a strategic partner in the Pacific, and important ally in helping to contain China.

It's time the 23 million people of Taiwan be represented in the United Nations (Taiwan is the only country not represented in the UN), and that can only happen if the United States extends formal recognition to the country, so other countries will follow suit.”

Recently, another petition on the White House website gained media attention for calling on the U.S. to “purchase Taiwan." The petition was largely derided as a joke, with some viewing it as an insult to Taiwan’s status as an independent nation. It only received about 800 signatures.

In contrast, the new petition calling for formal recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty in Washington has already gained much greater traction. With strong public support, and in the right political circumstances, the petition could serve as encouragement for Washington to re-assess its dated political position on Taiwan.

Those seeking to sign the petition can do so at petitions.whitehouse.gov

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/10/11
By: Stacy Hsu, Chiang Chin-yeh and Elizabeth Hsu

Washington, Oct. 10 (CNA) Several members of the United States Congress on Thursday issued congratulatory messages to Taiwan in celebration of the 108th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of China, lauding the U.S.-Taiwan friendship.

The four co-chairs of the Taiwan Caucus in the House of Representatives sent their best wishes to the people of the ROC in a statement, in which they described 2019 as "a milestone in the close friendship shared by the United States and Taiwan," referring to the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

"The Taiwan Relations Act has facilitated decades of economic, security, and trade relations (between the two countries)," the statement said, noting that Taiwan is the U.S.'s 11th largest trading partner and one of the largest markets for American agricultural products.

It said: "Our countries share many core values including a commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan has benefited the global community and is critical to prosperity in the region."    [FULL  STORY]