Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/03/20
By: Tsai Peng-min and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, March 20 (CNA) The de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan called on people to

“think outside the box” and explore emerging technologies at the opening of the 2019 AIC Innovation Forum Wednesday in Taiwan.

Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT’s) Taipei office, in his opening remarks at the forum, quoted Albert Einstein, who said: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”

He said that this year’s forum will explore emerging technologies and also how people can learn to “think outside the box” and imagine these technologies.

The American Innovation Center (AIC) in Taiwan was jointly established by the AIT and the Taiwan Design Center (TDC) in 2014 to promote U.S.-Taiwan shared values of innovation, digitalization and culture and design by offering technology, creativity and designed-themed programs.   [FULL  STORY]

MISLEADING: Five of Taiwan’s allies signed a communique last month, but not at the summit mentioned by Deutsche Welle’s Chinese Web site, a ministry spokesman said

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 21, 2019
By: Lu Yi-hsuan and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Relations between Taiwan and its Pacific allies are “steady,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs

(MOFA) spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said yesterday in response to a Deutsche Welle report suggesting that relations might be faltering.

The Deutsche Welle’s Chinese-language Web site in a report on Tuesday cited Radio New Zealand as saying that at last month’s Pacific Islands Forum, the presidents of five nations — including Palau, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati — signed a joint communique to ask the forum to treat Taiwan and China equally, but also agreed to show more goodwill toward China.

The Web site quoted RAND Corp senior defense analyst Derek Grossman as saying that the joint communique was signed by “all six of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the South Pacific.”

Lee confirmed that the five nations — Palau, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia — signed a joint communique last month.
[FULL  STORY]

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

Interior Minister Hsu Kuo-yung says there is no need to turn the design of Taiwan’s new electronic ID cards into a political issue. Hsu was speaking Tuesday at a press conference.

The interior ministry plans to replace existing national ID cards with new card redesigned to protect personal information. However, some say the new design has political motives because it’s likely that it will not feature Taiwan’s national flag.

Hsu said many countries do not put their flag on their national ID cards. He said these countries include China and Japan.

Hsu also said that the national flag didn’t appear on Taiwanese ID cards until 1986, when the government rolled out fifth-generation of cards for citizens.    [FULL  STORY]

Can basic income save Taiwan? The movement has momentum thanks to some high-profile supporters.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/03/19
By: James Grant

Basic income can solve some of the most pressing issues of the 21st century, a range of experts said at this year’s Basic Income International summit, staged at the National Taiwan University (NTU) campus on Saturday. A youthful audience of around 100 participants gathered for the third iteration of the event, organized by Universal Basic Income (UBI) Taiwan.

For those unfamiliar with the idea, basic income is most broadly defined as “a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.” It is designed to provide a robust, modern form of social insurance. Speakers at the event discussed the capacity of basic income to address a range of contemporary issues in what they believe to be a critical juncture in the policy’s development.

“If you can succeed in what you are trying to do, I actually think it has the potential to be the tipping point that changes the direction for the rest of the world, and that’s not an exaggeration,” said Ryan Engen of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). “It’s primarily the globalized elite who are getting the rewards and the benefits from the current model… and that’s what’s in part fueling the nationalist, populist movements that you see spreading throughout the world.”

“If we are to reverse this, we need to create a new social contract that leaves nobody behind,” said Engen. “Taiwan’s central policy challenge is to make the transition to an innovation based society. UBI in Taiwan could be a democratically inspired grease that enables Taiwan to make this transition.”    [FULL  STORY]

CEC chose date to avoid Lunar New Year and school exams

Taiwan News   
Date: 2019/03/19 
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The next presidential and legislative elections will take place next January 11, the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Tuesday.

It was already known a Saturday in January 2020 would be chosen, while as on other recent occasions, the elections for president, vice president and 113 members of the Legislative Yuan would take place on one single day. The date of January 11 was eventually selected to avoid school examinations and the Lunar New Year holiday, the Central News Agency reported.

There is also still the possibility of a number of referendums being held on the same day, but no referendum campaign has completed the necessary process yet.

The CEC also revealed the dates for the phases of the presidential election process, the Apple Daily reported. The final registration for the candidates will be staged from November 18 through 22, with the candidates drawing numbers on December 9. Televised debates will be organized between December 14 and January 10, the CEC said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/03/19
By: Wen Kuei-hsiang and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) confirmed Tuesday that her administration has made a formal request to the United States to purchase F-16 Viper fighter jets after an overall evaluation of Taiwan’s defense needs.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) has officially submitted a Letter of Request to the U.S. to buy a fleet of F-16V fighter planes, Tsai told a group of visitors from the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force Elementary School Alumni Association of the United States and Canada.

The decision was made after careful evaluation to determine the advantages of the F-16V compared with other fighter jet models, Tsai said, while receiving the visitors at the Presidential Office.

“I believe the decision will be supported by our nationals,” she said, adding that it is the first time since 1992 that Taiwan has made a request to the U.S. to purchase new fighter jets.    [FULL  STORY]

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE: The first meeting is expected to be held in September, with a senior US State Department official leading a delegation to Taipei

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 20, 2019
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Taiwan and the US yesterday announced the establishment of an annual dialogue

mechanism on democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region, which would serve as a regular occasion for both sides to explore ways to assist other countries in the area in addressing governance challenges.

The creation of the Indo-Pacific Democratic Governance Consultations was announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Brent Christensen in a rare joint appearance at a news conference at the ministry in Taipei.

Good governance is one of the three pillars of the Indo-Pacific strategy of US President Donald Trump’s administration, Christensen said in his speech.

“The US and Taiwan share the belief that advancing transparency and rule of law in the region in turn contributes to the goal of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” he said, adding that the common conviction that all people deserve fundamental freedoms has served as an important basis for Washington’s partnership with Taipei.
[FULL  STORY]

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

Taiwan’s techno prince has been invited to participate in a Saint Patrick’s Day parade at a seaside town called Bray, not far from Dublin.

The techno prince reflects a unique and important feature of Taiwan’s temple festivities. He combines Taiwan’s subculture, electronic music, and processions with components of folklore.

March 17 marks Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland. The three techno princes caught public attention at the parade with their colorful costumes and brisk dance movements.

Taiwan’s representative office in Ireland said Ireland’s public service broadcaster RTE also invited the techno prince for a TV shoot a day earlier.    [FULL  STORY]

Tsai is facing challenges from all sides. Polls show winning re-election in 2020 will be a tough task.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/03/18
By: Paul Huang

Recent opinion polls reveal that public support for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) re-election run in 2020 has sunk to a dismal low, hovering at 20 percent in some lineups, while all of her major challengers lead by at least double digits. Despite her unpopularity, Tsai has announced she will pursue the presidential nomination in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) primary, scheduled to begin this week.

Tsai faces challenges ahead on all fronts. Two candidates from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) have declared they will seek the presidency, and William Lai (Lai Ching-te, 賴清德), Tsai’s former premier, entered the DPP primary earlier today. Other KMT hopefuls may enter the race, as might independent Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).

Taiwan’s 2020 general election is set to take place in January of next year, the result of which will determine the President and the composition of the parliament in the next four years at a time when China continues to increase political and military pressure against the island nation.

President Tsai’s administration has resisted China’s demands for unification. Her party also consistently refuses to accept the “one China principle” that Beijing insists serve as the baseline for any peaceful relationship.    [FULL  STORY]

After Taiwanese woman fights off rapist, landlord evicts her for being ‘too beautiful’

Taiwan News   
Date: 2019/03/18
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After fighting off an attempt by a stranger to rape her, a woman

found herself being evicted because her landlord allegedly blamed her for causing “trouble” because she is “too beautiful,” according to local media reports.

At 1 a.m. on Feb. 18, after a night of drinking wine with friends, a 40-year-old woman surnamed Lee (李) was wearing a miniskirt when she returned to her apartment complex in Taichung City’s South District. As she entered the elevator, a 47-year-old man surnamed Chang (張), who she noticed was behaving suspiciously, followed her inside.

When she arrived on the floor where her apartment was located, she demanded that the man leave the scene. Instead of complying with her demand, Chang grabbed her hair and put her in a bear hug.

Chang then wrestled Lee to the ground and tried to strip her clothes off and rape her. After struggling for 10 minutes, Chang finally relented the assault out of apparent exhaustion and left the scene.    [FULL  STORY]