Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/18
By: Su Mu-chun and William Yen

Taipei, Jan. 18 (CNA) Seven people who were arrested on June 13, last year, for allegedly operating a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme were officially charged with violating multiple banking and business related laws on Friday, according to prosecutors.

Although the Bitcoin investment scheme would have been in violation of the law even if successful, the scheme in question was also a fraud that promised investors large-yield returns of up to 355 percent after a year of investment in the cryptocurrency, prosecutors pointed out.

However, most investors did not see any returns after February 2018 and returns stopped altogether after April 24 the same year, prosecutors said.

Among the seven charged, a 47-year-old man surnamed Lin (林), established an office in Taichung’s West District to attract investors from Taiwan and China, according to the indictment filed by Taichung District Prosecutors Office.    [FULL  STORY]

INTERNATIONAL  WATERS:Richardson said that the US Navy sees no limitation on what kind of warships transit the Taiwan Strait, despite China’s military modernization

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 19, 2019
By: Reuters, TOKYO

The US Navy has not ruled out sending an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait,

despite military technology advances by China that pose a greater threat to US warships than ever before, the chief of US naval operations said yesterday.

Washington sent ships through the strategic waterway three times last year as it makes more frequent transits of the strait that separates Taiwan from China, but it has not dispatched a carrier in more than 10 years.

During that time, China has modernized its forces with missiles designed to strike enemy ships.

“We don’t really see any kind of limitation on whatever type of ship could pass through those waters,” Admiral John Richardson told reporters in Tokyo when asked if more advanced Chinese weapons posed too big a risk.    [FULL  STORY]

The display of a Nazi swastika in a Wanhua betel nut store is no isolated incident, writes Brian Hioe.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/01/17
By: Brian Hioe, 破土 New Bloom

The issue of anti-Semitic symbols openly displayed in Taiwan is again in the news after a betel nut store in Wanhua, Taipei was found to have two Nazi flags hanging in the store. That the Wanhua betel nut store was displaying a Nazi flag came to light after an American photographer posted a photo of the store on Instagram on Jan. 6, commenting that “Taiwan still didn’t get the memo about what has happened in past history. Absolute cluelessness”.

The Instagram photographer in question, however, was subsequently attacked by nationalistic Taiwanese netizens who referred to him as “white trash” and called on him to “go back to America,” leading him to change the settings on his Instagram account to private. The photographer had reportedly been living in Taiwan for two and a half years and has publicly stated that the incident was a factor in leading him to decide to return to America.

However, when questioned about his decision to hang Nazi flags in his store by the Apple Daily on Jan. 8, the store owner defended his choice of decoration, claiming that the flags were merely “art” and claiming that Nazis had little to do with Taiwan and so it was valid for him to hang the flags. Reportedly, the sign had been hanging in the store for several years before it came to public attention.

A statement would later be issued by the Chabad Taipei Jewish Center, emphasizing that the use of the Nazi flag is “extraordinarily hurtful to the Jewish people” as a symbol of the Nazi regime, and an act “disrespectful to human rights”. In its statement, the Chabad Taipei Jewish Center would also state that, at the same time, it rejected the “any stereotyping of the people of Taiwan”, as in the comments by the American photographer. To this end, the statement emphasizes that as “Taiwan has worked hard to bring about transitional justice and unity across ethnic groups, and Taiwan is generally accepting of and open to different cultures and religions”, calling on Taiwan to live up to these words.    [FULL  STORY]

Bosses now stress volunteers will be paid overtime

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/17
By: Ryan Drillsma, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chunghwa Post have attempted to allay resentment among employees again after announcing they will have to work regular hours the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday.

Employees at Chunghwa Post were angered after seeing a public notice posted by the delivery service informing customers that regular, time-slot and parcel delivery services will continue operations as usual on Feb. 2. Although speedy delivery services were still arranged to run regularly, others, including registered mail, were supposed to be temporarily halted.

The Storm Media reports postal staff expressed their collective dissatisfaction online, admonishing the company for attempting to detract from their holiday. According to the report, the postal labor union stressed many people had planned to go on vacation and had already bought travel tickets.

If Chunghwa Post is unwilling to negotiate, the union declared, a protest will be staged.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/17
By: Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Jan. 17 (CNA) Taiwan on Thursday condemned a proposal by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) that 66 foreign companies who have failed to label Taiwan as part of China’s territory on their websites should be punished, saying the move demonstrates Beijing’s “evil intent” to downgrade the nation’s sovereignty.

In its 2018 annul report on cyber rule of law in China issued on Jan. 7, the top research institute in China noted that 66 of the world’s top 500 companies in 2017 list Taiwan as “Taiwan” instead of “Taiwan, China.”

The report suggested that Beijing should punish the companies, which include Apple, Nike and Amazon, if they fail to change their designation on Taiwan.

In response, Taiwan’s foreign ministry on Thursday condemned the threat and its effort to “blatantly interfere with private-sector commercial activities and international business operations with political means” to suppress Taiwan’s status in the world community.
[FULL  STORY]

PRIORITY: China’s goal of unification with Taiwan and expectation of foreign intervention has been the ‘primary driver’ for its military modernization, the report said

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 17, 2019
By: AP, WASHINGTON

The Pentagon on Tuesday released a report that lays out US concerns about China’s

growing military might, underscoring worries about a possible attack on Taiwan.

The key concern is that as China upgrades its military equipment and technology, and reforms how it trains and develops troops, it becomes more confident in its ability to wage a regional conflict, a senior US defense intelligence official told reporters.

Beijing has made it clear that asserting sovereignty over Taiwan is its top priority, they said.

Although China could easily fire missiles at Taiwan, it does not yet have the military capability to successfully invade, the official added.    [FULL  STORY]

The time is now for the US to recalibrate its China policy to support Taiwan and adapt to a changing Asia-Pacific security climate, writes Kent Wang.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/01/16
By: Kent Wang

As the 116th U.S. Congress begins its work in earnest, it will be critical for members to examine the current state of U.S.-Taiwan Relations and the many opportunities that this administration can take.

The situation in the Taiwan Strait is treacherous, and the United States has a large interest in helping Taiwan because of its strategic position in the island chain bracketing China’s east coast. By increasing the deterrent value of Taiwan’s defenses and those of our other allies in the region, the United States and Taiwan can help deny China the opportunity to accomplish its goal by threat or by force.

The year 2019 presents not just challenges, but opportunities for improved U.S.-Taiwan relations. Here are five paths towards strengthening U.S.-Taiwan ties that the new U.S. Congress and the administration of President Donald Trump should consider going into the new year.    [FULL  STORY]

Turkish entertainer Wu Feng comes out in support of death penalty in wake of recent child abuse cases in Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/16
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In the wake of two brutal cases of child abuse seen in Taiwan in recent days, Taiwanese-Turkish TV show host Ugur Rifat Karlova, better known as Wu Feng (吳鳳) issued a comment today in which he came out in support of the death penalty for particularly heinous cases.

In response to Yahoo News article about an 18-month-old toddler who was beaten to death by her mother and those around her and the news of a father beating his son for not adding hot peppers to his meatballs, Wu Feng posted a comment below expressing his support for the death penalty in extreme cases of child abuse, quickly gaining thousands of likes by Taiwanese readers.

In the comments section of the article about the beating death of the tiny toddler, Wu Feng wrote the following comment:

“I have never publicly shared my support for the death penalty! But for the first time since the recent spate of child abuse, I sincerely support very serious punishment that includes the death penalty! This kind of behavior should definitely not be punished lightly! I feel that we as influential entertainers are also responsible for helping Taiwan’s society progress, and the world to improve.”    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/16
By: Wang Shu-feng and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) Taiwan’s national freeways will be toll-free from midnight to 5 a.m. during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday to ease traffic congestion, new Minister of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, Lin said the government’s priority in that regard will be providing a safe and high-quality service on the freeways rather than collecting tolls.

Therefore, the toll-free measure will be implemented not only during the Feb 2-10 Lunar New Year holiday but also on 228 Peace Memorial Day and during the Tomb Sweeping Festival to provide greater convenience to road users, said Lin, who took office the previous day.

In past years, tolls were lifted on highways for about six hours per day on long holidays, starting at 11 p.m.    [FULL  STORY]

SEVEN MINUTE WAIT: To improve delays for travelers, customs officers requested 10 more X-ray machines, 130 to 150 additional personnel and time to train them

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 17, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport customs officers yesterday expanded inspections of

carry-on luggage for passengers from China, Macau and Hong Kong — which are at high risk for African swine fever — but a lack of personnel and X-ray machines resulted in long lines of arriving passengers.

The Customs Administration began more thorough luggage inspections on a trial basis for travelers from areas affected by African swine fever to comply with an order given by Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) after he took office on Monday requiring all carry-on luggage from those areas to be manually checked.

The Aviation Police Bureau said it was instructed to assist in the quarantine efforts, adding that it would coordinate with other agencies in inspecting carry-on luggage at boarding gates.

With more than 100 flights daily from Hong Kong, Macau and China, the bureau said it has requested additional personnel from the National Police Agency.    [FULL  STORY]