FINES NOT WORKING:COA  Deputy Minister Huang Chin-cheng said that increased fines had not curbed illegal meat imports, so more X-rays and dogs are needed

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 01, 2019
By: Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

The Council of Agriculture (COA) yesterday said it would propose installing

A Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine sniffer dog inspects luggage at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Dec. 14.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

additional X-ray devices and deploying more sniffer dogs to ensure that all luggage entering Taiwan is checked at customs as part of its efforts to keep African swine fever at bay.

The council on Dec. 18 increased fines for those found illegally bringing meat products through customs from areas affected by the disease to NT$200,000 (US$6,508) for first-time offenders, and between NT$500,000 and NT$1 million for repeat offenders.

However, customs officials still intercepted smuggled meat on 84 occasions from Dec. 18 to Sunday, including 26 pork products from China, council data showed.

COA Deputy Minister Huang Chin-cheng (黃金城) said that as the fines have not effectively curbed illegal imports, the council would propose adding X-ray devices and dogs at customs to make sure that every piece of luggage is checked.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan English News
Date: December 30, 2018
By: Phillip Charlier
Two people who were riding bicycles in Lucao Township, Chiayi County yesterday are dead, after being hit by a car driven by a 72-year-old man affected by alcohol.

The drunk driver, Mr Chen, had attended a temple fair in Lucao Township where he consumed alcohol before heading back to Puzi City at around 1:30pm. At the approach to an intersection in Fengji Village, Chen slammed into two people riding bicycles from behind.

A 50-year-old woman also named Chen, and her 30-year-old son were rushed to local hospitals but the male was declared dead shortly after arrival, and his mother died at around 4:00pm.

An alcohol breath test on Mr Chen returned an BrAC level of 0.24mg/l. Chen claimed that he had only consumed one can of beer.    [FULL  STORY]

The man was rushed to hospital after being left bleeding at the side of the road but died soon after

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/12/30
By: Ryan Drillsma, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Three men attacked Chiang, one wielding a katana (By Central News Agency)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A man died after being jumped on the streets in Changhua County (彰化縣) last night (Dec. 29).

According to Yahoo News, a 31-year old man surnamed Chiang arranged to meet someone yesterday evening outside a coffee shop in Hemei Township (和美鎮), Changhua, but was unexpectedly attacked after he reached the meeting point.

The report states just as Chiang parked up and got out of his car to wait, another car arrived and parked directly in front. Three men, one wielding a Japanese-style samurai sword and the others motorcycle helmets, emerged and surrounded Chiang then began to attack, eventually leaving him bleeding at the side of the road.

The victim was reportedly stabbed several times in the abdomen and hit across the head with motorcycle helmets. After realizing they had left him in a critical state, the three perpetrators quickly fled the scene.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/12/30
By: Matt Yu, You Kai-hsiang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) Taiwan will continue to demonstrate its determination to join

CNA file photo

the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Sunday as the free trade agreement took effect.

In congratulating CPTPP members for bringing the deal to fruition, the ministry expressed hope that Taiwan could be accepted into the trade bloc along with other new members because of the deal’s importance for economic development in the region and the world.

The CPTPP came into being after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of its predecessor — the Trans-Pacific Partnership — just days after he took office in January 2017.

The other 11 TPP countries — Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam — renegotiated the free trade deal and called the new version the CPTPP.    [FULL  STORY]

CPTPP GOAL: Minister Without Portfolio John Deng said that when application procedures are made apparent, the government would apply to join the CPTPP

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 31, 2018
By: Lu Yi-hsuan  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged to continue to lobby for support regarding

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, center in red, and trade officials pose for a photograph before signing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in Santiago, Chile, on March 8.  Photo: EPA-EFE

Taiwan’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which came into effect yesterday.

The ministry congratulated CPTPP members in a statement, calling it an “important achievement” that was especially significant to the economic development of Asia-Pacific and the world.

The ministry also urged CPTPP nations to accept new members, including Taiwan, soon.

Taiwan’s participation would enhance the partnership and the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region, the ministry said.    [FULL  STORY]

Should Taipei be worried?

The National Interest
Date: December 29, 2018
By: David Axe
The Chinese military’s new S-400 surface-to-air missile system can hit targets more than 150 miles away, if the reported result of the type’s first-ever test in Chinese service is accurate.

The Taiwan strait is just 140 miles across at its widest point, meaning that, in theory, Chinese S-400s could target Taiwanese warplanes shortly after they take off.

But the short distance separating China and Taiwan works both ways. At the same time that China is fielding S-400s and other long-range surface-to-air missiles, Taiwan is deploying air-and surface-launched munitions that can target the Chinese missile launchers.

The People’s Liberation Army’s rocket force conducted its first live-fire drill with its first regiment of Russian made S-400s in November 2018, The Diplomat reported, citing Russian sources.

A Russian-style missile regiment usually includes two battalions together possessing 16 launchers. An S-400 launcher packs four missiles at a time.    [FULL  STORY]

CAUGHT UNAWARE? As the Haicang District government used a travel agency as an intermediary, the Taiwanese might not have known what work they were hired to do

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 30, 2018
By: Chung Li-hua  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) has determined that Taiwanese working as

The Ministry of the Interior logo is displayed at the ministry in Taipei in an undated photograph.  Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times

assistants to community directors in China have breached the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).

At the 10th Straits Forum in Xiamen, China, in June, 35 young Taiwanese took jobs as assistants to community directors in Xiamen’s Haicang District.

A notice published by the district government’s civil affairs bureau said that the position was open to Taiwanese aged 45 or younger who have a college degree and support the so-called “1992 consensus,” as well as the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and the reinvigoration of the Zhonghua minzu (中華民族, “Chinese ethnic group”).

Those selected would earn 150,000 yuan (US$21,803) per year and would be in charge of village planning, collecting information about villages’ histories and gauging public opinion, as well as promoting Chinese culture, the notice said.
[FULL  STORY]

Travelers are notably advised not to smuggle pork and other banned meat products into Taiwan or will receive a fine of NT$200,000 for first-time violation

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/12/29
By: Alicia Nguyen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Smuggled meat. (Image from BAPHIQ)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – In order to prevent the contagion of African swine disease onto the island, Taiwan has beefed up penalties for bringing meat into the country up to a heavy fine of NT$200,000 (NT$6,489); however, customs authorities said they see no decline in the number of travelers attempting to smuggle contraband meat at the airport, according to CNA.

According to reports from the Customs Administration, five passengers were caught carrying processed meat, chicken feet, and Chinese sausages at Taoyuan International Airport on Dec.28. Two of them were from China and the other three were Taiwanese nationals. They received a fine of NT$200,000 (US$6,500) for bringing pork and NT$30,000 for chicken.

Starting from Dec. 18, the new penalties for individuals bringing meat products into Taiwan raised from NT$50,000 for the first offense, to NT$200,000. And those who violated for two or more times would receive a fine as high as NT$1 million. Nevertheless, the Customs Administration said they were reported with at least one violation from the airport every day despite the heavy fine going under effect.

Taiwanese custom authorities said most of the offenders, when asked whether they received any warnings about the meat restrictions during the check-in process and in-flight announcements prior to the plane’s landing, replied that they were unaware or haven’t paid attention to it.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/12/29
By: Liu Chien-pang and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Dec. 29 (CNA) Sixteen Vietnamese nationals were arrested along with three

Image taken from Pixabay

Taiwanese in central Taiwan earlier this week on suspicion of telecommunications fraud that targeted people in Vietnam, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said Friday.

Fourteen of the Vietnamese suspects are runaway immigrant workers and two are fake tourists who strayed from their tour groups, the CIB said.

It was also the first cross-border fraud case that involved runaway Vietnamese workers in Taiwan, according to the CIB.

In a raid carried out on Dec. 26, law enforcement officers seized computers, mobile phones, victims’ information and other items at two locations in Taiping and Shalu districts in Taichung City, which appeared to have been the base of the operations, the CIB said.    [FULL  STORY]