F.S. Mei suggests Taiwan’s missile truck count is larger than official reports

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/11/05
By: Scott Morgan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Director of the U.S.-based Taiwan Security Analysis Center F.S. Mei (梅復興) suggests that Taiwan’s military currently has over 200 missile trucks.

According to public information, Mei deduced in a Facebook post that Taiwan has over 200 missile trucks comprised of domestically-made and internationally-purchased models, as well as around 1,000 missiles.

Mei’s figure is significantly larger than public disclosures by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, who suggest Taiwan will soon reach the 200 milestone.

According to Mei’s analysis, Taiwan’s two most popular missile trucks support the Taiwan-developed Tiangong 3 Anti-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (96 trucks) and U.S.-developed MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles (72+ trucks).    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/11/05
By: Lee Hsin-Yin 

Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) The Japanese manufacturer of the Puyuma train model involved in a deadly derailment on Oct. 21 has promised to immediately fix a design flaw exposed by the crash, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said Monday.

Following the accident, it was discovered that the train did not automatically alert the dispatch control room when the driver turned off the train’s automatic safety system, which prevents a train from traveling at excessive speeds.

There is an automatic train protection (ATP) system in every train and remote control systems in the Shulin and Hualien depots sending messages to the dispatch control room, but the two were never connected.

The Japanese company will create a link between the two, which the TRA is hoping will improve the safety of the Puyuma trains, known for their tilting features to travel faster on existing tracks.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 06, 2018
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The US will show the positive role Taiwan plays in Asia and in the world next year to

mark the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty said yesterday.

“Next year, Taiwan and the United States will celebrate a milestone in the relationship before the anniversary of the TRA,” Moriarty said, referring to the law enacted by the US Congress in 1979 after Washington cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

“In that anniversary year, I look forward to further advancing across the many dimensions of this partnership,” Moriarty said.

“The coming year will, I am sure, show to all why the US considers Taiwan to be a vital and reliable partner in Asia and a force for good in the world,” he said.    [FULL  STORY]

He fainted after having sudden shortness of breath near the 10 km mark

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/11/04
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—A runner participating in a marathon event on Taiwan’s Hehuanshan died Saturday after fainting half way through the run, according to a Central News Agency report on Saturday.

The organizer of the event told reporters it has an insurance policy where the insured amount is NT$5 million for each participant, and the organizer will help family of the deceased take care of the funeral, the report said.

The 2018 Hehuanshan Marathon was divided into the three groups of the 44 km, 21 km, and 10 km.

The organizer said the runner surnamed Hsiao (萧) participated in the semi marathon event. He fainted after experiencing sudden shortness of breath near the 10K mark.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/11/04
By: Wu Hsin-yun and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) A ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker argued Sunday

that same-sex marriage should be protected under Taiwan’s Civil Code, while a law professor contended that revising the law will adversely affect society.

Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) and Tseng Pin-chieh (曾品傑) of National Chung Cheng University’s College of Law presented opposing views at a televised forum on a planned referendum on same-sex marriage to be held on Nov. 24.

The referendum will ask voters the question: “Do you agree that the Civil Code marriage regulations should be used to guarantee the rights of same sex couples to get married?”

Taiwan’s Civil Code currently defines marriage as a contract between a man and a woman, but Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled in May 2017 that the law was unconstitutional because it did not protect the rights of couples of the same sex who wanted to get married.    [FULL  STORY]

The Washington Post
Date: November 3, 2018
By: Associated Press

BEIJING — The Dominican Republic opened its embassy in Beijing Saturday, months after cutting ties with Taiwan amid a Chinese diplomatic offensive that aims to politically isolate the island it claims as its own territory.

Speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Caribbean island nation’s decision to switch diplomatic relations to Beijing “serves the fundamental interests of the Dominican people and completely conforms to the trend of the times.”

Also present was Dominican President Danilo Medina, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.    [FULL  STORY]

Channel News Asia
Date: 04 Nov 2018

Once one of the four Asian Tigers – alongside Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea – Taiwan began to lose its roar in the 1990s. Today, anaemic growth, high cost of living and youth unemployment are leading its young to head abroad for better opportunities. Here’s how it happened.    [SOURCE]

China is not free at present, so event only possible with Taiwanese scientists: Tibetan leader

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/11/03
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – At the close of a dialogue with scientists in India Saturday, the Dalai Lama expressed the hope that the next edition of the event could take place in Taiwan.

As there was no freedom in China at present, he was only able to discuss scientific issues openly with academics from Taiwan, the Tibetan leader said, adding it was therefore most logical to hold the next dialogue on the democratic island.

As to when he was likely to visit Taiwan again, the Dalai Lama was unable to give a precise answer, the Central News Agency reported.

“We’re waiting for a positive signal from Beijing, so when the signal comes, and you feel it’s practical, then we also feel it’s practical,” the religious leader reportedly said, adding it was difficult to predict the future.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/11/03
By: Yu Hsiao-han and Chi Jo-yao 

Taipei, Nov. 3 (CNA) Thousands marched in an anti-pollution parade in Taipei on Saturday afternoon, demanding that the government reduce the use of coal in generating electricity and preserve algal reefs along the Taoyuan coast.

Environmentalists from several organizations held the parade on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office and also set up stands to provide information on environmental sustainability and algal reef ecology.

About 5,000 people participated in the march, which started at 2:41 p.m. Among those taking part were Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) of the New Power Party, New Taipei mayoral candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) of the Kuomintang (KMT), and KMT lawmaker Wang Yu-min (王育敏), according to the organizers.

Taoyuan Local Union Director-General Pan Chong-cheng (潘忠政) said before the start of the march that Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) vowed to establish a nature reserve for the algal reefs along the coast of Taoyuan four years ago and should fulfill his promise before local elections on Nov. 24.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipiei Times
Date: Nov 04, 2018
By: Agencies, JAKARTA

Divers reported seeing the fuselage and engines of Lion Air flight JT610 on the seafloor

and a ping locator had detected a signal that might be from the cockpit voice recorder, Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency officials said yesterday.

“Two engines and more landing gear have been found,” agency head Muhammad Syaugi said.

“I haven’t seen it myself, but I got information from some divers that they have seen the fuselage,” Syaugi said.

The brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet on Monday plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 people onboard.    [FULL  STORY]