LIFELONG BAN: Taiwanese who hold or have held Chinese residency cards would be permanently barred from National Security Bureau jobs, according to a draft amendment

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 31, 2019
By: Lee Hsin-fang and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Executive Yuan is mulling amending the law to bar Taiwanese who have Chinese

residency cards from government posts related to national security, an official said yesterday.

The planned changes are part of a broader government proposal to amend the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), the official said on condition of anonymity.

The Executive Yuan believes that Taiwanese who hold or have held Chinese residency cards should be permanently disqualified from jobs at the National Security Bureau, the integrity of which is paramount, the official added.

They would also not be allowed to work for the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Military Police Command, the Investigation Bureau, the Coast Guard Administration or the National Police Administration, but the agencies would be allowed to hire such people 10 years after they renounce their Chinese residency, the official said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal 
Date: ch, 2019
By: Paula Chao

President Tsai Ing-wen says the government will speed up urban renewal and the reconstruction of dilapidated buildings across Taiwan. Tsai was speaking Friday at a plaque-unveiling ceremony for the Taiwan Urban Regeneration and Financial Services Company.

The company is made up of eight state-run banks, led by the Bank of Taiwan. It aims to help landowners demolish decaying buildings and replace them with new ones.
[FULL  STORY]

Videographer Tobie Openshaw on how his experiences in early adulthood shaped his life, his memories of the Sunflower Movement, and his ever-expanding list of projects.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/03/29
By: Cat Thomas

Tobie Openshaw (歐陽峰) might fairly be described as a stalwart of the foreign community in Taiwan. The 50-something videographer – who has lived in Taiwan for close to 21 years – is a go-to for several international news outlets when it comes to covering Taiwan with work appearing on Al Jazeera (Decriminalizing Sex Work in Taiwan), The Weather Channel (covering various typhoons), The Economist – for whom he recorded an interview with Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in the early days of the Sunflower occupation – as well as various segments on the BBC, Sky, Discovery and National Geographic Travel, perhaps the most well-known of which was on funeral pole dancers in Changhua County.

Alongside this, Openshaw has a regular day job as a videographer for a private school in Taipei and is involved in myriad side projects: He’s the founder of Taipei Filmmaker Nights, chairman of the board of directors for Taipei art/performance space The Red Room Association, helps out with the Urban Nomad film festival, is involved in organizing the upcoming Burning Man pre-burn event in Yilan and consistently has some ad-hoc projects on the boil – which are often related to film development or indigenous communities in Taiwan.

Openshaw is curating a photo exhibition for the five-year anniversary of the Sunflower Movement which will take place at The Red Room in April. The News Lens caught up with Openshaw to discuss the upcoming exhibition, his experiences as a videographer during the Sunflower Movement and how life in his native South Africa shaped his views of modern Taiwan, and his upcoming projects.    [FULL  STORY]

An ad hoc committee has been established to examine Han’s meetings

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/03/29
By: Ryan Drillsma, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A special committee has been established to probe the nature

of Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) recent visit to China.

Han’s sojourn to China last week caused uproar in Taiwan. Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said during a legislative session that Han’s actions have been the source of great controversy in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the international community, according to Liberty Times.

The minister said Han’s behavior has jeopardized Taiwan’s status, particularly as Beijing pushes the “One Country, Two Systems” arrangement with increasing impetus.

The Kaohsiung mayor aroused suspicion by visiting the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong and Macau—responsible for managing “One Country, Two Systems” arrangements in both autonomous regions. Chen said Han absolutely should not have entered the Liaison Office.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/03/29
By: Elaine Hou and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, March 29 (CNA) Visiting Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib revealed on Friday that he had once rejected China’s request to expel a Taiwanese official from an event he hosted back in his city, because it was not acceptable to do so from a human decency standpoint.

Hrib was answering questions from reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his visit there.

He was asked about a recent incident that saw Taiwan’s Representative to the Czech Republic Wang Chung-I (汪忠一) removed from a meeting held by the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade after China’s ambassador Zhang Jianmin (張建敏) protested his participation.

“From a simply human decency, it is unacceptable for me to throw away a guest that I had invited as a host,” said Hrib, and therefore “this would never happen on an event that would be held by me.”    [FULL  STORY]

DREAM TEAM? Chen Chien-jen’s move paved the way for a Tsai-Lai ticket, and he should be applauded at this ‘critical juncture,’ DPP Legislator Chen Ming-wen said

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 30, 2019
By: Lee Hsin-fang and Chen Yun  /  Staff reporters

ice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday announced that he would not be

President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) running mate in next year’s presidential election, adding that it was the “best decision” he could make for the president and the nation.

In an open letter on Facebook, Chen said that by next year he would have completed what he had signed up for when he agreed to join the Tsai administration almost four years ago.

To help the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) remain in power, ensure the survival of Taiwan’s sovereignty and transform the economy, the party needs to unite to give Tsai its support, he said.

It has been a pleasure to take on the responsibility of reform, which has not been an easy path, but the criticism the DPP has faced in the more than three years since it won power were a necessary price to pay for reform, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

It is estimated that Taiwan will have approximately four weeks advanced warning of a Chinese invasion. Given China’s skill in the dark arts of strategic deception, this cannot be taken for granted. Yet the vast scale of the PLA’s envisioned amphibious operations necessarily means its offensive intentions would be foreshadowed.

The National Interestg
Date: March 28, 2019  
By: Ian Easton

The ever-tense political and security environment across the Taiwan Strait necessitates an accurate depiction of PLA capabilities, strengths, and shortfalls.

Various sources from within the People’s Republic of China have allegedly suggested that time is running out for Taiwan’s democracy. In their narrative, China’s iron-fisted leader, Xi Jinping, is “losing patience” and could order the invasion of Taiwan in the early 2020s. The world’s most dangerous flashpoint might witness an overwhelming amphibious blitz, perhaps before July 2021 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

That’s the narrative. The reality is that China will probably not attack Taiwan in such a radical and high-risk fashion. Xi and his top lieutenants are far more likely to draw-out and escalate the war of nerves across the Taiwan Strait. They will continue using disinformation and other techniques to drain Washington’s confidence that Taiwan can be defended, while ramping up subversive activities to undermine the island nation’s confidence and willpower.

Xi will bide his time and hope the Taiwanese government cracks under mounting pressure, allowing him to conquer his target cheaply. At the same time, his military generals will continue planning and preparing to deliver on their “sacred” mission. Coercion could easily fail, making invasion a tempting option―especially in a future scenario where the balance of power looks more favorable to Beijing than it does today.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal 
Date: 28 March, 2019
By: Paula Chao

President Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan must boost its self-defense capabilities. Tsai was speaking Thursday in Hawaii during a videoconference with Washington think tank the Heritage Foundation.

The president said Taiwan is an integral part of the Pacific. She also said the government’s approach to the Indo-Pacific centers on three core principles: democracy, regional prosperity, and collective security.

Tsai said Taiwan has been seeking co-existence and reconciliation across the Taiwan Strait rather than confrontation. She accused China of trying to change the status quo.
[FULL  STORY]

Tsai Ing-wen, speaking to the conservative Heritage Foundation, said Taiwan needs US support to maintain its democracy and avoid the ‘Hong Kong model’ amid threats of Chinese influence and interference.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/03/28
By: Milo Hsieh

On Mar. 27, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) spoke to an audience assembled at the

Heritage Foundation, a think tank in Washington DC known for its support of conservative policy and its support of Taiwan. Joining her were Senator Cory Gardner and Congressman Ted Yoho. Both are Republicans who are involved in their respective foreign relations subcommittees on East Asia.

According to Tsai, who addressed the Heritage audience through a video feed during a stopover in Hawaii, democratic nations around the world are all facing a common problem: Efforts by undemocratic nations to undermine them. Taiwan is at the forefront of these challenges, facing efforts such as a Chinese campaign to suppress Taiwan’s recognition abroad and the spread of disinformation and fake news.

Despite Taiwan’s best intentions, said Tsai, China is constantly attempting to change the status quo and undermine Taiwan’s democratic institutions. Though Taiwan intends to keep peace and avoid hostility, it also must acquire strength to defend freedom, democracy, and its way of life.

With these “monumental challenges” from across the Taiwan Strait, Tsai maintained that a “pragmatic and responsible” manner is needed to account for the shared interests of the U.S. and Taiwan. This refers to the historical Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) attitude to advance the Taiwan independence agenda at the cost of Chinese backlash. Taiwan seeks reconciliation instead of conflict, Tsai said, but the reality is that Taiwan also needs U.S. help in soft-balancing vis-à-vis China.    [FULL  STORY]

Former Taiwan President Chen Shuibian harshly criticizes Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu in 25-minute-long video

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/03/28
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) had unannounced

meetings with the top liaison officers of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for Hong Kong and Macau behind closed doors over the weekend, Former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) recorded a 25-minute scathing tirade admonishing Han to “stop cheating the people,” and said “If Han becomes president, everyone will die together.”

On Sunday (March 24), during Han’s trip to Hong Kong and Macau, he met with the CCP’s Director of the Hong Kong Liaison Office, Wang Zhimin (王志民) and its Director of the Macau Liaison Office, Fu Ziying (傅自應). The unprecedented meetings with communist officials by an acting Taiwanese mayor caused alarm in both Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In response, Chen posted a video on his Facebook page on Tuesday (March 26). In the video, Chen quickly cuts to the chase and starts criticizing Han in Taiwanese Dialect:
[FULL  STORY]