RESEARCH SHIP: The ‘Thomas G. Thompson’ has visited Taiwan four times since its maiden voyage in April, and is conducting research with NTU, defense officials said

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 17, 2018
By: Hung Ting-hung, Aaron Tu and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

The Ministry of National Defense yesterday downplayed the presence of a US Navy ship

in Kaohsiung, saying it is a research vessel and urged people to stop speculating about its mission or how it relates to US policy.

The Thomas G. Thompson dropped anchor in the Port of Kaohsiung on Monday morning to replenish supplies and for crew replacement, Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC, 台灣港務) said in a statement.

The ship is owned by the Office of Naval Research.

It has visited Taiwan four times for resupply since its maiden voyage in April, the company said.

During a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Jason Hsu (許毓仁) and Lin Li-chan (林麗蟬) asked Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa (嚴德發) if the boat’s presence is connected to the US’ National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019 or a US military show of force in the region.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-10-15

Taiwan’s Vice President Chen Chien-jen is in the Vatican on a four-day visit… the purpose

of the trip was to participate in a ceremony on Sunday morning in which Pope Francis declared seven new saints.

The canonization ceremony began on Sunday morning in the Vatican… with large portraits of the seven new saints hanging from the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica, watching out over the square where the ceremony was held.

Some 70,000 faithful from around the world were on hand, including 120 cardinals, 500 bishops and 3,000 priests.

Taiwan’s Vice President Chen Chien-jen and his wife joined dignitaries, including Honduran Vice President Olga Alvarado.    [FULL  STORY]

A Human Rights Defender makes an impassioned plea for the United Nations not to leave Taiwan behind as it pursues its 2030 sustainable development goals.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/10/15
By: Roy Ngerng

To: The United Nations,

I come from one of the United Nations’ member states, Singapore. I have been living in Taiwan for the past two years.

Living in Taiwan, I have enjoyed a unique experience of democracy in Asia. Taiwan is a relatively young democracy, but it has already developed one of the better referendum models in the world, as Bruno Kaufmann, co-president of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy and board member of the Swiss Democracy Foundation, wrote in March this year.

I also have the privilege of being protected by Taiwan’s National Health Insurance, which is extended to United Nations member citizens like me who are working in Taiwan, even though Taiwan is no longer given similar protection by the World Health Organization. Taiwan’s social welfare system is easily among the top three in Asia in terms of adequacy, coverage, accessibility and costs to its citizens, and is even better than that of my home country.

I have had the opportunity to study Taiwan’s welfare system firsthand while living here, and to write about it. Coming face to face with the people of Taiwan, I learned that there is much that their patient strength can teach me, and the world. There is a quiet resilience in their continued determination in spite of adversity. It is this adversity that has allowed their democracy to grow in strength.    [FULL  STORY]

Seized amphetamines worth an estimated 370 billion won (NT$10 billion)

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/10/15
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – South Korean police officers busted the largest ever amphetamine smuggling case in the country, including 90 kilograms of the drugs being seized in connection with three Taiwanese suspects now in custody.

Three other members of a cross-border drug trafficking ring have been arrested during the raid, while two more remain on the run.

South Korean media YTN reported that South Korean police authorities have uncovered the largest amphetamine smuggling case, with the seized amphetamines worth an estimated 370 billion won (NT$10 billion).

According to a Yonhap News Agency report, a 25-year-old Taiwanese man was found exporting an automatic screw machine from Bangkok of Thailand to Busan. A total of 112 one-kilogram pouches of amphetamines were believed to be concealed inside the machine when it arrived at a factory in Busan. The machine was later transported to another city ​Gyeonggi Do to be dismantled to get the pouches out. The ring then brought all the pouches to Seoul for transactions.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/15
By: Huang Li-yun and Ko Lin

Taipei, Oct. 15 (CNA) A Criminal Investigation Bureau official expressed the hope Monday

that his agency will be able to participate in the next general meeting of Interpol that will be held in the United Arab Emirates in November.

Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) Commissioner Tsai Tsan-po (蔡蒼柏) has filed an application to Interpol for the CIB to participate in the annual meeting as an observer, the bureau said in a statement.

Taiwan was an Interpol member as the Republic of China until 1984, when it was replaced by the People’s Republic of China.

The government has applied to participate in the annual meeting since 2016, but each time its request has been rejected by Interpol because of opposition from China, which has ramped up its suppression of Taiwan internationally.    [FULL  STORY]

FUTURE STARS: Together with the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, the new park can form an industrial corridor to raise Taiwan’s competitiveness, the president said

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 16, 2018
By: Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday inaugurated the National Biotechnology

Research Park in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港), saying its opening marks a giant step in the development of the nation’s biotech industry.

The park houses the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Food and Drug Administration, the Ministry of Science and Technology’s National Laboratory Animal Center, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Development Center for Biotechnology, an incubation center, two Academia Sinica research centers and a bioinformatics center.

While some of the agencies moved in last year, the park’s inauguration had been put off several times.

With Academia Sinica leading the project and a budget of more than NT$20 billion (US$646.4 million), the park was set up on a site that used to house the Ministry of National Defense’s 202nd Arsenal.    [FULL  STORY]

Voice of America
Date: October 13, 2018
By: Ralph Jennings

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Taiwan’s pick of a semiconductor magnate rather than a political

figure as its envoy to a meeting of 21 Asian nations, including historical rival China, gives it a chance to showcase its tech prowess instead of its sticky position in geopolitics.

Morris Chang, retired chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., will head the Taiwan delegation to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ summit next month in Papua New Guinea.

Taiwanese officials normally send political figures to the event that Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to attend. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway part of its territory rather than as a country, keeping relations chilled for decades.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen during a visit to Asuncion, Paraguay, Aug. 14, 2018.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said she picked Chang because of his status in global industry. He’s ideal to discuss Taiwan’s technology with world leaders, she said Oct. 3 in announcing the appointment. Chang is expected to focus away from geopolitics or China-Taiwan ties.    [FULL  STORY]

But what is the best design? How does Taipei avoid the challenges of building such an advanced weapon of war?

The National Interest
Date: October 12, 2018
By Carl Schuster

Facing an increasingly powerful and aggressive China, Taiwan has placed a high priority on acquiring modern submarines for its Navy. Stymied in its efforts to purchase foreign-built submarines and lacking domestic submarine construction experience, Taipei sought outside expertise to assist its submarine construction program. On October 1, it took its first major step in that process, signing a $1.6 billion contract with Gavrno Limited to supervise the design of the Taiwanese Navy’s indigenous defense submarines (IDS). Gavron was chosen from among seven competitors based on its technical expertise, capitalization and possession of the required export permits. The design options are expected to be presented by March 2019. A Taiwanese shipyard will initiate construction once a design is chosen with Gaven Limited providing oversight and supervision of key aspects of the construction until the domestic shipyards have gained sufficient experience to go forward on their own.

What remains to be seen is if Taiwan will take an incremental approach of starting with a comparatively small prototype and scaling up the design for its operational units or taking the riskier path of beginning with a full-scale operational submarine. In either case, the more important question will be the submarine force’s size and capabilities. Given the proximity of the threat, 1,200 plus ton ocean-going submarines may not be necessary. A a mix of 600 to 800 ton manned submarines and smaller unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) may provide the required deterrent to Chinese naval aggression and amphibious assault. Submarines remain the ultimate stealth weapons platform that no naval commander can afford to ignore.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese trio arrested for allegedly extorting money posed as Chinese police

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/10/13
By: Scott Morgan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Three Taiwanese men were arrested for suspected involvement in a scam where they posed as Chinese officials and extorted around US$1.2 million (NT$37.09 million) from a man in Singapore.

A 34 year old Singaporean man received an unannounced call on Oct. 9, when he was told he was was linked to an alleged transnational fraud by someone posing as member of China’s police, reports said.

As per instructions outlined during the call, the victim handed over around US$668,000 in cash to a man believed to be linked to Interpol. The victim then transferred an additional US$580,000 the following day, according to the Straits Times of Singapore.

Singapore’s Commercial Affairs Department said they believe the accused are linked to other impersonations of Chinese officials, and during a search they found what they believe are proceeds from criminal activity.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/12
By: Wang Cheng-chung and Frances Huang

Taipei, Oct. 12 (CNA) In a policy reversal by the government, Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Friday he has agreed with a decision made by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to shelve a project to expand capacity at the coal-fired Shen’ao power plant in New Taipei.

At a legislative hearing, Lai said the completion of a third liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal on the Taoyuan coast would support an increase in power generation big enough to drop the Shen’ao power plant project.

“The Executive Yuan supports the MOEA’s decision,” Lai said.

The decision was in line with remarks Lai made at the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday when he said the proposal to reopen and expand the Shen’ao power plant would depend on whether Taiwan can generate enough electricity from gas-fired power plants to meet future demand.    [FULL  STORY]