NOT JUST CHINA: While the Executive Yuan initially targeted products made in China, it decided to include all devices manufactured overseas that could pose a security risk

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 20, 2019
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The Executive Yuan yesterday unveiled guidelines asking central and local government

agencies to tally in-use information and communications technology devices that could pose a risk to the nation’s information security and disconnect any potentially hazardous devices from government networks.

The check should be completed within three months based on assessments of the risks the devices could pose to the government’s operations and social security, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka told a news conference in Taipei.

Any device deemed to pose an information security risk whose life span has expired should be replaced and disposed of before the end of this fiscal year, while a timetable for elimination should be set for devices that have not reached the end of their lives, she said.

The Guidelines Restricting the Use of Products Threatening Information and Communication Safety went into effect on Thursday afternoon after they were signed by Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Kolas said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 18 April, 2019
By: Paula Chao

The defense ministry says it is prepared for a range of scenarios involving maneuvers

by the Chinese military.

Deputy Defense Minister Shen Yi-ming told lawmakers Thursday that the defense ministry has already made some adjustments after two Chinese warplanes recently crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Shen said Taiwan is closely watching China’s military moves, and is monitoring its warplanes and vessels. He said Chinese warplanes pose a bigger threat to Taiwan than naval vessels.

As part of its preparedness program, the military will hold a war game simulation next week.    [FULL  STORY]

Terry Gou Invokes Sea Goddess Mazu, Announces Run for President

The News Lens
Date: 2019/04/18
By: Brian Hioe

Foxconn CEO Terry Gou (郭台銘) has been an unusual presence in the news in the past

few days, with Gou hinting to Taiwanese media that he might seek to run in the Kuomintang (KMT) presidential primary, and making a number of high-profile public appearances. Gou then finally declared a run earlier today, with the claim that he was told to run by the sea goddess Mazu.

Gou, Taiwan’s richest man, has long been touted as a possible presidential candidate for the KMT in 2020 elections, but he has been relatively quiet in the past half year. Nevertheless, Gou has been overshadowed in the past half year by current Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜). Han is a figure who notably has a similar public persona to Gou, given the view of Han as a heterodox candidate whose background is more in business than in politics, and who breaks from political norms because of his willingness to speak frankly and boldly, even when this ruffles feathers.

This is a public persona similar to Gou’s. Likewise, both Gou and Han’s public personas tout their business achievements, as the CEO of FoxConn and the former CEO of the Taipei Agricultural Marketing Promotion Corporation respectively. That being said, Han is no newcomer to politics, having previously served as a legislator from 1993 to 2002, yet this has escaped notice by many members of the public.    [FULL  STORY]

Shock waves from magnitude 6.1 earthquake causes 2 Taipei buildings to lean sideways

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/04/18
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Update: 04/18 5 p.m.

There is now a second building which has also been seen to be leaning sideways. The second building found to be tilting sideways after the quake is located at 405 Xinyi Road, Section 4. Police have already cordoned off the area and have evacuated 32 people from the structure. After an initial inspection, officials from the Taipei City Construction Management Office say that the building is not in immediate danger of collapsing, reported CNA.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County, shock waves were felt across the island and a building in Taipei City was found to be leaning to one side shortly afterward.

At 1:01 p.m. today A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County, where an intensity level of 7 was felt, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). An intensity level of 4 was recorded in Taipei City, and after the quake, a building at Chang’an East Road, Section 2 was found to be leaning to one side and pushing into a neighboring structure, reported CNA.

More than 100 people have been evacuated from the building and were moved to nearby Yitong Park. The Taipei City Government said that the Building Administration Office is liaising with professional associations and will survey the site shortly.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/18
By: Pan Tzi-yu and Ko Lin

Taipei, April 18 (CNA) The tuned mass damper at Taipei 101 skyscraper recorded its biggest ever movement due to an earthquake on Thursday, the management of the building said.

At 1:01 p.m., the damper — a device that reduces the amplitude of mechanical vibrations — moved by 20 centimeters, the biggest movement ever recorded in the building during a temblor.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Taiwan at that time, leaving at least 17 people injured nationwide, tilting two buildings on their foundations in Taipei and causing the temporary suspension of MRT services.  [FULL  STORY]

NO CASUALTIES: A building on Changan E Road in Taipei shifted, leading to the evacuation of 30 people, but was declared safe after an inspection yesterday

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 19, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Hualien at 1:01pm yesterday, injuring at least 17

people and tilting some buildings.

The Central Weather Bureau said that it does not exclude the possibility that there would be aftershocks of magnitude 5 or larger in the next seven days.

The Executive Yuan at 1:10pm opened the Central Emergency Operation Center following an order from Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).

As of 4:30pm, 17 injuries had been reported: 15 people in Taipei and New Taipei City were struck by falling objects and broken glass, while two tourists in Hualien County were hit by falling rocks, the center said.

One of the tourists, a 40-year-old Malaysian man, had no vital signs when he was sent to a hospital in Hualien, but doctors were able to resuscitate him, it said.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 17 April, 2019
By: Paula Chao

President Tsai Ing-wen has vowed to throw her full support behind the military’s protection of Taiwan.

The president visited an air force unit in the off-shore Penghu Islands Wednesday to boost morale.

In a later interview, Tsai said that China’s military maneuvering over the past few weeks has threatened regional stability and jeopardized the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Two Chinese fighters crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait in late March.

Tsai also thanked soldiers for maintaining vigilance at all times. She said as long as she remains in office, she will throw her full support behind the military, whose protection allows the public to enjoy peace and security.    [FULL  STORY]

‘This might work,’ quipped one Chinese internet user, ‘because PLA soldiers might die from laughing too hard.’

The News Lens
Date: 2019/04/17
By: Milo Hsieh

On April 14, Taiwan’s military announced its newest weapon in times of war: food with prints in simplified Chinese calling upon recipients to defect.

An assortment of food items such as Oreos, caramel candies, Choco Pies, egg rolls, and bottled water were presented in a press conference as Taiwan’s newest tool of cognitive warfare. There is one difference – their brands are replaced with “Surrender” (投誠) instead of the their typical names.

“Surrender Brand” instant noodles bring a familiar Taiwanese flavor to a potential battlefield. Printed in simplified Chinese is: “Please leave this instant noodle package and put down your weapons / Surrender to the ROC army / We promise to provide hot water and safety.”

“Surrender Brand” egg rolls call upon the recipient to follow five steps to surrender:

1. Put down your weapons
2. Raise both hands
3. Hold this box of egg rolls
4. Surrender
5. Go home to be with your families

In a report by TVBS News, several randomly selected interviewees laughed upon seeing the program. This juxtaposes with the seriousness with which the Ministry of National Defense Cognitive Warfare Section head Wang Yi-hung (王宜弘) presented the program. According to Wang, the use of this program has no specific target. Though based on the use of simplified Chinese, one would not see that the use is for none other than on Chinese soldiers.    [FULL  STORY]

China sent 24 planes and 5 ships close to Taiwan during celebrations of the Taiwan Relations Act

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/04/17
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Chinese bombers among a group of 24 aircraft and five ships

which approached Taiwan on April 15 simulated an attack on the southern and southeastern parts of the island, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) tweeted Wednesday (April 17).

The fact that China’s People’s Liberation Army sent its planes and vessels close to Taiwan as former United States House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan attended events marking the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act in Taipei was already known.

However, Wu on Wednesday provided more details about what occurred, adding that “we will not lower our heads to bullying,” the Central News Agency reported.

Asked for a reaction to Wu’s tweet that China’s H-6K bombers had rehearsed for an attack, the Ministry of National Defense referred to its April 15 news release which said the military had closely monitored the Chinese presence in the air and on the sea. The military had safeguarded the nation’s security, so there had been no need for the public to worry, the text said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/17
By: Chiang Chin-yeh and Flor Wang 

Washington, April 16 (CNA) The U.S. Department of State confirmed Tuesday its latest approval of an arms sale to Taiwan, citing the need to help the island maintain sufficient self-defense capability in the face of growing intimidation from China.

The US$500 million arms sale is in line with the Taiwan Relations Act in the face of mounting intimidation from China, a State Department official said at a news briefing in answer to a reporters’ question.

On Monday, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the deal, part of a continuous program which it said will provide Taiwan’s Air Force with pilot training/logistics and maintenance services at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona
[FULL  STORY]