Focus Taiwan
Date: .019/09/20
By: Emerson Lim and Christie Chen

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) China's ongoing diplomatic offensive is aimed at influencing Taiwan's

upcoming elections and undermining its democratic process, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said Friday at a press conference, at which he announced the severance of official ties with Kiribati.

Taiwan on Friday lost its second diplomatic ally in a week, after Wu said Kiribati had given official notice earlier in the day that it was switching diplomatic allegiance to China.

"The Republic of China (Taiwan) government hereby declares that it is terminating diplomatic relations with the Republic of Kiribati effective immediately, ending all bilateral cooperative projects, and recalling the staff of its embassy, technical mission, and medical mission stationed in Kiribati," Wu said. "The government also demands that Kiribati immediately recall its government personnel from Taiwan."

He said that recently, China has been able to make inroads into the political circles in Kiribati and that the Pacific Island nation's President Taneti Mamau had been requesting a huge fund of US$36 million from Taiwan to buy commercial aircraft.    [FULL  STORY]

SECOND ALLY IN A WEEK: Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu said that there is ‘nothing to worry about’ regarding the nation’s four remaining Pacific allies

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 21, 2019
By: Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

Taiwan yesterday lost a second diplomatic ally in a week after Kiribati decided to switch recognition to

China.

Taiwan “regrets and strongly condemns” Kiribati for disregarding the years of assistance and friendship that Taipei had extended to Tarawa, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told a news conference at 1pm yesterday, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a formal notice of the termination of relations from Kiribati at about 11am.

The government “hereby declares that it is terminating diplomatic relations with the Republic of Kiribati effective immediately, ending all bilateral cooperative projects and recalling the staff of its embassy, technical mission and medical mission stationed in Kiribati,” Wu said.

The Solomon Islands cut ties with Taipei on Monday, making Kiribati the seventh to switch allegiance to Beijing since 2016, following Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, and El Salvador.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 19 September, 2019
By: Paula Chao

The Taiwan Statebuilding Party has unveiled a draft bill aimed at curbing Chinese infiltration into Taiwan.

At a press conference on Thursday, Taiwan Statebuilding Party official Ho Cheng-hui said there is a need to monitor and regulate Beijing’s efforts to project its power outside its borders. This is because Beijing has tried relentlessly to infiltrate Taiwan.

Ho said while the ruling DPP has revised bills to crack down on infiltration by China and its proxies, these revisions leave grey areas and loopholes in place that could be exploited to increase Chinese influence in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2019/09/19
By: Paul Huang

A wildcard has just entered Taiwan’s 2020 presidential race. While international media focused on

Foxconn tycoon Terry Gou’s surprising decision to drop out of the presidential bid, an unexpected candidate declared her run just minutes before Gou’s announcement: Taiwan’s former Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮).

Lu accepted the nomination of the newly established political party Formosa Alliance (喜樂島聯盟) and registered her candidacy just a few hours before the deadline on September 17.

While it’s easy for some to dismiss anyone running outside of the two major parties as a fringe candidate, Lu’s candidacy deserves more attention.    [FULL  STORY]

Tuvalu parliament picks Kausea Natano to replace Taiwan ally Enele Sopoaga

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/19
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The parliament of the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu on Thursday

(Sept. 19) chose a new prime minister following the general election for parliament held on Sept. 9.

The 16-member parliament of Tuvalu, which is a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, selected Kausea Natano ​​​​​to replace Enele Sopoaga, who was considered a staunch supporter of Taiwan-Tuvalu ties. Natano’s election as head of state has many observers speculating that Tuvalu may be the next target of China's dollar diplomacy following the recent break of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Solomon Islands.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, Natano secured 10 out of 16 votes in a secret ballot against an unnamed opponent that was most likely Sopoaga. Sopoaga retained his seat in the parliament and before Thursday’s vote was expected by many to also retain his position as prime minister.

Although some speculate that the new leadership in Funafuti, Tuvalu’s capital, might signal uncertainty for Taiwan-Tuvalu relations, Natano’s position on China and Taiwan is not clear at this time. Following the announcement of the new prime minister, representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Funafuti proclaimed that the country’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan remain stable, reports Reuters.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/19
By: Joseph Ho and Frances Huang

Reyhanli, Turkey, Sept. 19 (CNA) A ground breaking ceremony was held for a Taiwan-funded refuge center in Turkey near the border with war-torn Syria Thursday.

At the ceremony to mark the beginning of work on the Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens, Velalettin Guvenc, head of the Turkish parliament's interior committee expressed gratitude to Taiwan, saying although Taiwan is about 8,000 kilometers away and most Taiwanese are of a different religious persuasion to most Turks, they share the same humanitarian values.

The Turkish lawmaker said with the provision of financial aid to build the refugee center in Reyhanli, Hatay Province, southeastern Turkey, Taiwan was showing that Turkey does not have to deal with the refugee crisis on its border alone.

Since Syria plunged into civil war in 2011, almost 120,000 refugees from the country have fled to Reyhanli. Moreover, as the Turkish city has a population of about 100,000, the density of refugees to the local population is highest among all the Turkish cities along the border with Syria.
[FULL  STORY]

STREET BRAWLS: Between Tuesday and yesterday, 435 police officers were dispatched to the scenes of violent incidents, leading to the deputy minister of the interior’s visit

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 20, 2019
By: Huang Liang-chieh and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) yesterday traveled to Kaohsiung to address an

increasing number of violent incidents that are seen as a threat to public safety.

Twenty-five people were detained by police after a pet supplies store was vandalized, leading to street brawls, the Kaohsiung Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Corps said.

It believes the incident was caused by a dispute between two livestream hosts and it has formed a task force with the local police precincts involved to investigate the case, it said.

It has identified and is searching for suspects still at large, it added.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 18 September, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

President Tsai Ing-wen has reiterated the importance that the government has placed on making Taiwan a more Muslim-friendly place. Tsai was speaking on Wednesday while receiving a Hajj group from Taiwan.

Tsai said the government’s efforts to make Muslims feel at home in Taiwan are being recognized globally. Tsai said,“Our efforts are reflected in international rankings. According to the Global Muslim Travel Index, Taiwan went from being in seventh place in the past to third place this year. This is our first time being in the top three.”    [FULL  STORY]

Hundreds of fallen sick from vaping in the U.S. this summer and New York has just become the first state to ban e-cigarettes. But in Taiwan, e-cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products were never legalized.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/09/18
By: Yang
Translator: Andrew Maxey
Infographic: Yu Cheng-ying

New York banned flavored e-cigarettes on September 17 after hundreds of vaping-related breathing illnesses surfaced in the United States this summer.

In Taiwan, about 24,000 smokers die from smoking every year and nearly 2,600 non-smokers died from secondhand smoke. On average, one person loses his or her life every 20 minutes due to the harmful effects of smoking. Measures to reduce smoking have continuously been a focus of Taiwan's domestic policy, but in the wake of continuous innovation in e-cigarette and T-vapor technology, it seems that a solution is forever out of reach.

After implementing the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act over a period from 1997 to 2009, Taiwan now prohibits smoking in most indoor places and mandates the printing of warning labels on tobacco product packaging, while promoting various efforts to help people to quit smoking. According to the Health Promotion Administration statistics, the adult smoking rate fell from 21.9 percent in 2008 to 14.5 percent in 2017.    [FULL  STORY]

Intoxicated Maserati driver dies after smashing Maserati into truck in Taoyuan, Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/18
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A drunk Maserati driver died after he plowed into a semi-trailer truck on Tuesday (Sept. 17) in northern Taiwan's Taoyuan City.

After a heavy night of drinking, a 38-year-old man surnamed Lee (李) got behind the wheel of his black Maserati sports car early on Tuesday morning. Just as Lee was barreling down Nantun Road, Section 2 in Taoyuan's Luzhu District, a 45-year-old truck driver surnamed Chang (張) suddenly made a left turn into the intersection, reported UDN.

Lee, who was believed to be driving far above the speed limit, smashed his car into the trailer of the truck. His car submarined under the steel trailer, and he entered cardiac arrest.

Surveillance camera footage showing moment before impact. (Taoyuan City Police Department photo)

When paramedics arrived on the scene, Lee did not have any vital signs. After being rushed to a nearby hospital, doctors were unable to resuscitate Lee and he was declared dead, according to the report.    [FULL  STORY]