Investigators want to know why the driver did not leave his car

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/06
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Taroko Express train smashed into a car stalled on the tracks between Hualien City and Ji’an Friday (September 6) afternoon, killing the driver.

Investigators were focusing their probe on why the car had been immobile on the train tracks for 40 seconds, the Central News Agency reported.

According to camera footage, the driver, a 54-year-old man named Ho (何), stopped his car on the tracks, but when the barriers went down, he still did not try and leave the vehicle to escape the oncoming train.

The Taroko Express smashed into the small car, which ended upside down by the side of the track, with the train only coming to a halt past the crossing.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/06
By: Liao Yu-yang and Ko Lin

Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) Taiwan has maintained its status as the world's fourth-best investment destination in the latest U.S. Business Environment Risk Intelligence (BERI) report, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said in a statement Friday.

Taiwan received a total score of 64 points for profit opportunities recommendation (POR) — the overall indicator used by BERI to evaluate each country as an investment destination.

Taiwan's ranking was the same as in the previous BERI report released in April, but its score was down one point from the 65 points it received earlier this year, the ministry said.

According to BERI, the business risk service report provides qualitative analyses and forecasts for 50 countries three times per year — April, August and December.    [FULL  STORY]

DISRESPECT: One lawmaker said that the building is less a house of worship than a conduit for the Chinese Communist Party and that its use of the PRC flag is intolerable

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 07, 2019
By: Yang Chin-cheng and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Tainan City Government yesterday declared the “Taiwan People’s Communist Party Matsu

Temple” (台灣人民共產黨天后宮) in Sinying District (新營) an illegal building, saying that its owner would be given one week to make improvements.

After an inspection by city officials earlier in the day, Tainan Public Works Bureau official Lin Shang-ching (林尚卿) said that the building is on a 550 ping (1,818m2) plot of farmland, which by definition should be used only for agricultural purposes.

Activities on the plot, including paving concrete over farmland, and digging an artificial pond without the proper permits are contraventions of the Regional Planning Act (區域計畫法), he said, adding that the construction company had not obtained a proper permit for the work.

The building, which was converted into a shrine by Lin Te-wang (林德旺) — head of the Taiwan People’s Communist Party (台灣人民共產黨) — flies the five-star red flag of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 05 September, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Taiwan was concerned about a few storms this week – Typhoon Lingling and the possibility that the Solomon Islands, Taiwan’s biggest South Pacific ally, could break diplomatic ties. In this episode, we take a closer look at that prospect and explain the phenomenon of typhoons in Taiwan. 

In another tempestuous story, HK democracy activist Joshua Wong visited Taiwan this week to stir up support for HK as it faces greater tensions with Beijing. We look at what he plans to do after HK Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s promised to withdraw the extradition bill.     [FULL STORY]

Taiwan to Host Its First Eco-Friendly Lantern Festival in October

The News Lens
Date: 2019/09/05
By: Taiwan Scene

Fall for Taiwan this autumn with the eco-friendly sky lantern festival hosted by MyTaiwanTour.

Get ready to fall for Taiwan this autumn at WISH, the island’s first-ever sustainable sky lantern festival, which is taking place on October 12, 2019.

Sky lanterns are synonymous with Taiwanese tradition but they've created a waste problem in the mountain areas as they exploded in popularity among tourists. The lanterns were also threatening to birds and wildlife animals, further impacting the environment. At times, the falling lanterns have also caused injuries to motorcycle riders on the road.

This year, WISH is continuing the precious tradition by using eco-friendly sky lanterns that will burn up in the sky to protect the environment and avoid safety issues.

Traditional sky lanterns have resulted in massive waste buildup in Pingxi's surrounding mountains, angering the local residents.    [FULL  STORY]

Chen refutes allegations of money laundering and tax evasion

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/05
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) showed video footage Thursday (September 5) to prove he had brought the NT$3 million (US$95,500) in cash he forgot on a train from his home.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politician had been accused of trying to launder money or of using illicit money for election campaign purposes. He later explained the funds had been destined for his son to help him buy tea processing equipment in Taiwan and set up a bubble tea business in the Philippines.

At his first news conference since the events, Chen showed the camera footage to rebuke claims he had received the money during his September 3 train journey to Taipei, the Central News Agency reported.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwam
Date: 2019/09/05
By: Yang Shu-min and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) All hand luggage brought into Taiwan by passengers from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei will be subject to customs checks starting Sept. 6 as part of the government's efforts to prevent African swine fever (ASF), which has spread across Asia, from reaching Taiwan.

Currently, the hand luggage of all travelers entering Taiwan from Myanmar, China, Russia, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, North Korea and South Korea are subject to customs checks, according to the Central Emergency Operation Center for ASF.

Although there have been no reports of outbreaks of ASF in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, expanding hand luggage checks to include arrivals from those countries is a precautionary measure to keep the disease at bay, the center said.

Visitors from ASF-affected and high risk countries/areas who attempt to bring pork products into Taiwan are subject to a fine of NT$200,000 if they are first-time offenders, while repeat offenders face a fine of NT$1 million, according to Taiwan's regulations.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 06, 2019
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

The Taiwanese government and political parties have not become involved in Hong Kongers’ struggle

for democracy and freedom, although they have expressed support and offered assistance, Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) said yesterday in Taipei.

Wong and fellow Hong Kong activists Eddie Chu (朱凱迪) and Lester Shum (岑敖暉) met with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus for more than an hour.

“Hong Kong is being oppressed by Beijing, but Taiwan has free democratic elections and has successfully passed power between political parties,” Wong said, adding that he wishes for Hong Kong to have such a democracy while reiterating the slogan “Today’s Taiwan, Tomorrow’s Hong Kong.”

Chu agreed with President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) denial that the government has intervened in Hong Kong’s affairs, as Beijing has claimed.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 04 September, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

Two schools in Taiwan are getting their students excited about learning while also making themselves stand out.

An experimental arts school in Nantou County emphasizes music classes and encourages discussions among students. This is hardly the norm in Taiwan- at many schools, music class is something of an afterthought. This school is home to the award-winning Chin-ai String Orchestra, which won first prize at an international youth music festival held in Vienna in 2017.
[FULL  STORY]

Chinese leader warns officials to be ready to ‘struggle against’ challenge from the three regions

South China Morning Post
Date: 4 Sep, 2019
By: Jun Mai  

Hong Kong is one area Chinese President Xi Jinping has singled out as a challenge to the Communist Party. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan have been singled out by Chinese President Xi Jinping as major risks and challenges that Communist Party members must “struggle against”.

In a speech to officials on Tuesday, Xi listed a number of challenges facing the country, even putting this specific category ahead of “foreign affairs” despite the global economic and strategic challenges China faces, including the trade war with the United States.

The other risks identified by the Chinese president include economics, politics, culture and the environment, according to state news agency Xinhua.

In his speech, which was delivered to hundreds of mid-career officials at the Central Party School, he said: “Cadres must be vigilant to any wind of change. They must know a deer passing by the rustle of grass and leaves, they must know the coming of a tiger by feeling the wind, they must know the arrival of autumn by the colour of one leaf.”