Taipei Times
Date: Sep 03, 2018
By Nadia Tsao and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter in Washington, with Staff Writer and CNA

Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) on Friday had a one-on-one meeting with US

House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan in Washington, marking the first such meeting since the US severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979.

Although the US’ Taiwan Relations Act does not forbid the speakers from having public meetings, the US was concerned that doing so would cause political speculation.

However, since the US Congress passed the Taiwan Travel Act earlier this year, interactions between senior-level government officials from the two sides have become more frequent and public.

In 2008, then-legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) met with then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi and other US representatives at the US Capitol, local media reported.    [FULL  STORY]

PerthNow
Date: September 1, 2018
By: Lisa Thomas

A TAIWANESE man has flown home after spending more than a week living at Perth Airport.

Lee Chi Lin, 24, had nowhere to stay after failing to find work and running out of money.

Mr Lee, who had been in WA on a working visa since July, had a return ticket booked for October 5, but couldn’t afford to change his ticket to an earlier date. So he planned to stay at the airport for the next month.

He said he hadn’t showered or slept properly in a week and was living off a loaf of bread, packet noodles and tuna.    [FULL  STORY]

China is not putting any pressure on self-ruled Taiwan’s last diplomatic ally in Africa, the Kingdom of eSwatini, to switch to Beijing, but believes it is just a matter of time before that happens, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Saturday.

Channel News Asia
Date: 01 Sep 2018

BEIJING: China is not putting any pressure on self-ruled Taiwan’s last diplomatic ally in Africa, the Kingdom of eSwatini, to switch to Beijing, but believes it is just a matter of time before that happens, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Saturday.

China has become increasingly vocal about its desire to win away the country, formerly known as Swaziland, from Taiwan, even as the eSwatini government has denounced Beijing for playing “mind games” and says it has no desire to ditch Taipei.

eSwatini will be the only African country not represented at a major summit between China and the continent opening in Beijing next week, where President Xi Jinping is likely to offer new loans and aid for Africa.

Speaking at a news briefing, China’s special envoy for Africa, Xu Jinghu, said the issue of eSwatini and its lack of ties to Beijing was “an important question”, but it was up to them to take the initiative.   [FULL  STORY]

Picture taken by Central Weather Bureau employee among 75 competing for 13 places

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/09/01
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A picture taken by a staff member at Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau is in the running to be featured in the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) calendar for 2019, reports said Saturday.

The photo, taken by Fu Ie-feng (傅譯鋒), shows threatening dark clouds and the effects of lightning during a thunderstorm over the islet of Pengjia (彭佳嶼), where the photographer is posted for the Central Weather Bureau, the Liberty Times reported.

Pengjia, 56 kilometers north of Keelung, is technically an uninhabited island run by the military and off limits to civilians.

Fu’s picture was one of almost 1,000 photos submitted to the WMO’s request for 13 images for its next calendar, according to the Liberty Times. The organization picked 75 of the pictures about “The Sun, the Earth and the Weather” to enter the second phase of the selection process, which allows members of the public to vote for their favorite on Facebook during two weeks.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/09/01
By: Chai Sze-chia, Ko Lin and Lee Hsin-Yin 

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) China’s issuing of residence permits for residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan with effect from Saturday is part of a ploy by China to bring Taiwan into its political fold, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said.

The appearance of the permit, which carries an 18-digit code, is almost identical to a Chinese identification card and is aimed at belittling Taiwan’s sovereignty, the MAC said.

While Beijing claimed that the new policy will allow Taiwanese residents better access to public services, the MAC said it is part of China’s united front strategy that will benefit itself instead of Taiwan.

China is also being irresponsible because it has never addressed public concerns about what risks applicants might be exposed to once they become permit holders, the MAC said.
[FULL  STORY]

CONFUSION: Beijing might force foreign governments to require Taiwanese to present the cards and then claim jurisdiction over Republic of China citizens, a group said

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 02, 2018
By: Chung Li-hua and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

Beijing’s issuing of residency permit cards for people from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau,

which came into effect yesterday, is part of a ploy to bring Taiwan into China’s political fold, the Mainland Affairs Council said.

The cards, which carry an 18-digit code, look almost identical to Chinese identification cards and are aimed at belittling Taiwan’s sovereignty, the council said.

While Beijing has claimed that the new cards will provide Taiwanese residents in China with better access to public services, the council said that it is part of Beijing’s “united front” strategy, and would only benefit China’s agenda.

China is being irresponsible, because it has ignored public concerns over the risks card applicants might face, the council said, calling on Beijing to withdraw its “political ploy” and instead contribute to peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-08-31

President Tsai Ing-wen says AI or artificial intelligence should form part of Taiwan’s school

curriculum. Tsai was speaking Friday as she met students taking part in this year’s international science fair.

One student said greater AI resources should be available on campus so Taiwan won’t lag behind other countries such as China. The student said Chinese high school students have access to AI textbooks and learn about AI applications and how they integrate with industry.

Tsai talked about the government’s plan for teaching AI.

Establishing the AIT, which recently opened its new complex in Neihu, took a combination of diplomatic resilience and timely penny-pinching.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/09/01
By: Don Shapiro

In the lead-up to President Jimmy Carter’s announcement on December 15, 1978 that the United States would switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, only cursory discussion had taken place within the U.S. government about the nature of the future American relationship with Taiwan. The administration had held its plans close to the chest to prevent Taiwan’s friends in Congress from trying to undermine the change in policy.

As a result, even many observers who accepted the need for “normalization” of U.S. relations with China were distressed by the abruptness of the initiative and the apparent disregard for the impact on America’s longstanding friend and ally, the Republic of China on Taiwan.

“Through the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, resident meiguo [American] businessmen voiced surprise and disappointment at Carter’s move,” the Hong Kong-based magazine Asiaweekreported at the time. “But they also expressed faith in Taiwan’s future. Said a Chamber statement: ‘We expect U.S. investment in Taiwan and the trade between our two countries not only to continue but to increase.’”

The joint communique issued by the United States and China stated that within the context of recognizing the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China, “the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” But precisely how those unofficial relations would be carried out was unclear.   [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/08/31
By:  Central News Agency

The Navy has submitted a request for NT$31.6 billion (US$1.02 billion) to build 50-ton fast

attack missile boats, as part of the national annual defense budget which was submitted for legislative review on Friday.

According to a high-ranking defense official who asked not to be identified, the missile boats are part of an effort to strengthen Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare capabilities in the face of a growing military imbalance in the Taiwan Strait.

The nation cannot rely on conventional warfare as a solution, and must adjust its defense approach and resources, the official said.
As such, it is important to focus on quality, efficiency and precision over quantity, with the acquisition and construction of fast attack missile boats, mobile air defense systems, and anti-armor weaponry a priority.

For example, assault boats are small, fast, agile and offensive warships that can be armed with anti-ship missiles, guns or torpedoes, they are stealthy and can be rapidly deployed, the official said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/08/31
By: Chen Wei-ting and Elizabeth Hsu 

Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) Taipei Medical University Hospital (TMUH) has launched a healthcare platform using blockchain technology to improve patient referral services and integrate individual healthcare networks so that patients have easier access to their medical records.

Launched on Thursday, the Healthcare Blockchain Platform was developed as a one-stop referral and long-term care service in support of the government’s Hierarchical Medical System policy, TMUH said in a statement.

The platform, formed with the collaboration of more than 100 community-based clinics, uses blockchain technology to address “common pain points” in healthcare, including the physician referral process, transfer of data between medical institutions, and personal patient portals, the hospital said.

On the platform patients “have a complete set of all their medical records, including high-resolution medical images, lab test results, and clinical and health exam information,” it added.

“Using smart contracts, other hospitals and clinics can request and authorize patient record sharing — easily and securely,” it said.    [FULL  STORY]