Taiwan wants to leap into the future of global tech innovation. It must start by addressing questions over the legacy of its authoritarian past.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/04/10
By: Milo Hsieh

As the concept of Industry 4.0 increasingly comes in play, Taiwan’s government has pointed to several objectives it intends to achieve in following this race to integrate newer technologies and adapt to the changing global economic condition. Though the National Development Council has laid out an ambitious strategy to make Taiwan’s economy one based on innovation and entrepreneurship, in the model of the Silicon Valley, the progress is a slow one that would require time and effort.

But is the environment in Taiwan really conducive in cultivating talents and new ideas?

At the forefront of all issues is Taiwan’s low wages. For the past 10 years after the 2008-9 global recession, Taiwan’s wages have remained stagnant despite rising costs of living. The infamous “22K,” reflective of a wage level of NT$22,000 (less than US$750) per month, was seared into the minds of college graduates at this time. (Taiwan’s monthly minimum wage was raised to NT$23,100 on Jan. 1, 2019.)

The direct result of this is “brain drain.” With opportunities abroad, there is no reason for the best and brightest of Taiwan – and those who could afford to afford a foreign degree – to return to the island looking for a job. They could simply remain competitive in a job market outside of Taiwan and earn several times the wage of what they would earn in Taiwan. Thus the innovation generated by Taiwanese, developed by those at the forefront of industries, simply did not happen at home most of the time.    [FULL  STORY]

Chinese experts concluded experience with Hong Kong could not be directly applied in Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date:[ 2019/04/10
By: Ryan Drillsma, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Implementing a “one country, two systems” arrangement in Taiwan would be a serious challenge for China, said Chinese scholars at a “Taiwan plan” forum in Shanghai on Wednesday (April 10).

Over 20 experts attended “Xi Jinping’s National Unification Discussion and ‘Two Systems’ Taiwan Plan” conference, convened by the Shanghai Institute for East-Asia Studies and the Hong Kong Cross-Strait Think Tank Association.

The scholars concluded that Beijing’s experience with Hong Kong could not be used to shape its policy towards Taiwan, according to Central News Agency. Prior to the 1997 sovereignty transfer, “one country” was never a problem for Hong Kong, they said, whereas both major political parties in Taiwan insist on sovereignty.

Beijing needs to confront how its “indisputable” sovereignty can, in the face of Taiwan’s existing legal institutions and military, respond to the diverse voices of support for independence in democratic Taiwan, said one scholar. Without a specific plan, they said, implementing “one country, two systems” is a worthless idea.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/10
By Elaine Hou and William Yen

Taipei, April 10 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) called Wednesday for the

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to invite Taiwan to participate in an upcoming assembly session, noting that China has no right to represent Taiwan.

MOFA spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said that ICAO spokesman Anthony Philbin’s response to a media enquiry about whether the country will be invited to the 40th ICAO Assembly session Sept. 24-Oct. 4 in Montreal, was “inappropriate” and a deliberate misinterpretation.

Citing Resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly, Philbin told the Apple Online that the ICAO “adopted a resolution in 1971 recognizing the representatives of the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to ICAO.”

“For the almost 50 years since, ICAO has continued to be guided by the UN’s One China policy,” Philbin wrote in an email to the online news network run by the Apple Daily tabloid.    [FULL  STORY]

A TIME FOR UNITY? DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai urged party members to use the time to coordinate between the two sides and avoid public support for either camp

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 11, 2019
By: Yang Chun-hui and Jason Pan  /  Staff reporters

Top Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials have decided to delay the start of the

party’s presidential primary from Friday to May 22, with the time frame for a public opinion poll to be worked out later, DPP Secretary-General Luo Wen-chia (羅文嘉) said yesterday after a meeting of the DPP Central Executive Committee.

Meanwhile, a five-member mediation panel would confer with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her challenger, former premier William Lai (賴清德), to finalize the process to determine the DPP’s candidate for next year’s presidential election.

The proposal to delay the primary was raised at the meeting and passed without opposition, “so the committee members will all bear responsibility together,” Luo said, adding that it would “foster unity within our party, without making changes or interrupting the primary process.”

There have been serious concerns of a major crisis developing that could lead to the party splitting up, as Lai, who has insisted that there should be no change to the party’s primary process, has mounted a strong challenge to Tsai for the nomination.
[FULL  STORY]

‘NO WAY’:Taiwan’s National Health Insurance and pension program are meant for the 23 million citizens whose hard work makes the benefits possible, Premier Su Tseng-chang said

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 10, 2019
By: Chung Li-hua and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday lambasted legal expert Shao Tzu-ping (邵子

平) for accepting Chinese citizenship while expecting to remain eligible for Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system and pension program.

“There’s no way that would ever happen,” Su said.

The health insurance system and pension program are meant for the 23 million Taiwanese citizens whose hard work makes the benefits possible, he added.

Su’s remarks came after media on Monday reported that Shao — whose local household registration was revoked because he assumed Chinese citizenship — has vowed to return to Taiwan and sue the government.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 09 April, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

Defense ministry official Lou Wei-je (5th from left) with ceremonial honor guards.
The defense ministry announced Tuesday that it is looking into recruiting women as ceremonial honor guards. Currently, only men serve as honor guards.

Defense ministry official Lou Wei-jie says the defense and education ministries have been hosting high school honor guard competitions since 2016.    [FULL  STORY]

When China attempts to limit Taiwan’s international space, it shows the rest of the world the mechanisms of the CCP’s hostility.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/04/09
By: David Evans

The London School of Economics (LSE) is one of the most prestigious and popular universities in the world.

In the 2019 QS World University Rankings, it was placed 8th for employer reputation and 38th overall, while the Times Higher Education rankings has it 26th in the world.

Despite being little more than 100 years old, it has already educated 16 Nobel Prize winners and no fewer than 37 current or former world leaders. Among this latter group is the current president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) who earned a PhD in law at LSE in 1984.

In 2018, there were another 56 Taiwanese students enrolled on courses at the LSE; 13 at the undergraduate level and 43 at the graduate level. However, by comparison, there were 1,451 Chinese students enrolled in 2018 (497 at the undergraduate level and 954 at the graduate level), giving them a markedly bigger voice in university affairs than their Taiwanese colleagues.    [FULL  STORY]

Magnitude 5.0 temblor rattles Taiwan’s Hualien County

Taiwan News 
Date: 2019/04/09
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A magnitude 5.0 earthquake rocked eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County this evening at 11:13 p.m., according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

The epicenter of the temblor was only 3.9 kilometers west-southwest of Hualien County Hall at a shallow depth of 11.5 kilometers, based on CWB data.

The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, measured a 5 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale in Hualien County, and a 3 in Nantou County and Taichung City. An intensity level of 2 was recorded in Yilan County, Changhua County, Yunlin County, and an intensity level of 1 was registered in Taitung County, Taoyuan City, Chiayi County, MIaoli County, New Taipei City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City.

Located along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Taiwan uses an intensity scale of 1 to 7, which gauges the degree to which a quake is felt in a specific location.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/09
By: Joseph Yeh 

Taipei, April 9 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Tuesday said that Taiwan is ready to defend its democratic way of life amid “unprecedented challenges” from China.

Speaking to U.S. think tanks in Washington during a video conference, Tsai said the nation’s “democratic way of life faces unprecedented challenges” from Beijing, which has used multiple approaches to influence public opinion in Taiwan over the years.

“Using economic incentives, control over sources of information and critical subversion; China’s objective is to divide our society, erode trust in public institutions, and make people question our traditional alliances,” she said.

Tsai reaffirmed the resolution of Taiwanese people to defend democracy and freedom.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 08 April, 2019
By: Natalie Tso

The Bao Sheng Cultural Festival kicks off on Tuesday at the Bao An Temple in Taipei. The festival features a lion fireworks display, performances, parades and many festivities. UNESCO has included the festival in its list of intangible cultural heritage.

The Fire Lion fireworks display is the highlight of the festival. It is a stunning fusion of beehive firecrackers and traditional paper arts. Worshippers believe that Emperor Bao Sheng, the Medicine God, was born on the 15th day of the third lunar month. The fireworks will be held on his birthday, which falls on April 18 this year, to ward off evil and disease.

The festival will last from April 9 through June 30. It will also feature art exhibits, temple tours, music performances, temple ceremonies and awards for scholarship.    [SOURCE]