Dip into a mouthwatering smorgasbord of Taiwanese meat dishes and their histories.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/06/13
By: Steven Crook and Katy Hui-wen Hung

Few societies are more vegetarian-friendly than Taiwan. Buddhism and [ I-Kuan Tao (一貫道) encourage meat-free eating habits, and not long ago PETA called Taipei “the new vegan Mecca of Asia.”

At the same time, at least four out of every five Taiwanese eat meat regularly. Per capita pork consumption doubled between the mid-1960s and the early 1990s – by which time the average Taiwanese person could afford to eat meat every day of the week – but has plateaued since then. The 2015 figure was 38.1 kg per year, more than double that in Canada.

Taiwanese eat almost as much poultry (32.2 kg per person per year) as Canadians, although not quite as much as Americans. In terms of per capita beef consumption, Taiwan is way behind North America, Europe, and even relatively poor countries in Latin America – but that is hardly surprising, as beef was anathema to the majority until a few generations ago.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/06/13
By:  Central News Agency

TAIPEI (CNA) – The visiting chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) praised

President Tsai Ing-wen Wednesday as a “pragmatic and reasonable leader” and said Beijing should take more responsibility for the stalemate in cross-Taiwan Strait relations.

AIT Chairman James Moriarty told CNA that no one in Washington blames Taiwan for the lack of cross-strait dialogue.

“We are encouraged every time we see Taiwan try to reach out to the Mainland, we do think that’s an ongoing process. But there has to be a response and understanding,” he said when asked to give suggestions on how to resume cross-strait official talks.

“I have found President Tsai to be a very pragmatic and reasonable leader. I think she has tried to reach out to the Mainland, I don’t think people in Washington are blaming the lack of dialogue on President Tsai,” he added.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/06/13
By: Joseph Yeh

Taipei, June 13 (CNA) The outgoing de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan on

Wednesday was awarded the highest honor given to an individual for diplomatic-related contributions by Taiwan’s foreign ministry in recognition of his role in strengthening Taiwan-U.S. relations over his three-year tenure.

Kin Moy, director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), was decorated with the Grand Medal of Diplomacy by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) in a ceremony held at the Taipei Guest House. The AIT represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.

Wu thanked Moy, the first Chinese-American to hold the post of AIT director, saying that he has worked “tirelessly to enhance the security, cultural, educational and people-to-people partnerships between our two countries.”    [FULL  STORY]

COMMON PHILOSOPHY: Washington will unceasingly strive to guarantee Taiwan’s ability to have a voice in international contexts, AIT Chairman James Moriarty said

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 14, 2018
By: Lee Hsin-fang and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwan is to work more closely with the US on defense and other exchanges as China

unilaterally destabilizes regional peace, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday in a meeting with US officials.

Tsai met with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty at the Presidential Office Building, where they discussed shared ideas about democracy and talked about the enduring Taiwan-US relationship.

Tsai thanked the US and other nations of “similar [political] philosophies” for their support as Taiwan faces the challenges presented by Chinese aggression.

Taiwanese were deeply touched by Washington and others speaking up on Taiwan’s behalf when China pressured international airlines to change Taiwan’s designation on their Web sites, she said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-12

President Tsai Ing-wen says that the world cannot ignore Taiwan’s existence, despite

pressure from Beijing. Tsai was speaking Tuesday while meeting with young volunteers set to go abroad this summer with Taiwan’s Youth Overseas Peace Corps.

Over 1,000 volunteers are participating in this year’s program. Teams are set to serve in 23 countries, providing assistance in areas such as medicine, education, information technology, and environmental protection.

Tsai said that all of the fields covered by the program are areas in which Taiwan can make the greatest international contribution. Taking medicine as an example, she said that Taiwan has sent medical teams to assist its diplomatic allies.     [FULL  STORY]

Trash management systems have barely changed since the 1970s.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/06/12
By: Nate Maynard

Garbage slowly piles up inside a public trash can. With each passing deposit the mountain grows larger and larger, until it tips over spilling onto the street.

You aren’t sure what to do with your banana peel so just lightly place it on top of the pile before moving on. This accumulated mountain of waste is a challenge facing cities all over the world.

By 2025, cities will produce an estimated 2.2 billion tons of solid waste per year, equivalent to 440 million decent-sized African elephants, up from 1.3 billion tons in 2012, according to The World Bank.

Despite continuously increasing quantities, waste management has barely changed since the 1970s and the introduction of modern recycling.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/06/12
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC)

on Tuesday (June 12) announced that seven new Japanese encephalitis cases have been confirmed in Taiwan.

The new cases include one in Taichung City, one in Changhua County, one in Chiayi County, one in Tainan City, and three in Kaohsiung City, according to the agency.

As the Japanese encephalitis season (May-October) has arrived, Taiwan CDC advises people who frequent mosquito-prone areas such as pig farms and rice paddy fields to take precautions against mosquito bites and ensure age-appropriate children receive Japanese encephalitis vaccination in a timely manner in order to ward off infection.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/06/12
By: Chen Wei-ting and S.C. Chang

Taipei, June 12 (CNA) The Central Weather Bureau on Tuesday issued a forecast for extremely heavy rain across Taiwan Thursday through Sunday due to a weather front and moist southwesterly air currents, while a meteorologist warned that the weather conditions during that period could be disastrous.

CWC forecaster Lin Po-tung (林柏東) said the converging weather front and seasonal currents will bring heavy rain to central and southern Taiwan, starting Wednesday with afternoon showers.

In western parts of the country, heavy or extremely heavy rain can be expected, he said, forecasting 80-200 millimeters of rainfall within 24 hours, starting Wednesday.

From Thursday through Sunday, the entire island will be affected by the arrival of moist warm southwesterly winds, which will cause extremely heavy rain, Lin said.
[FULL  STORY]

CEREMONY HIGHLIGHTS TIES: A ‘Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above’ DVD and gifts from former presidents as well as US officials were placed in a special time capsule

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 13, 2018
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Taiwanese and US officials yesterday reiterated their commitment to strengthening

bilateral relations as they celebrated the dedication of the American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) new office compound in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖).

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) topped the list of Taiwanese guests, while US officials included US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce, US Department of State Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Principal Deputy Director Ambassador William Moser, US Representative Gregg Harper, AIT Chairman James Moriarty and AIT Director Kin Moy.

Former AIT directors Richard Bush, Raymond Burghardt, William Stanton and Stephen Young also attended.

The compound represents much more than just steel, glass and concrete — it is a symbol of the strength and vibrancy of the Taiwan-US partnership in the 21st century, said Royce, the highest-ranking State Department official to visit Taiwan since then-US assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs Charles Rivkin in 2015.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-11

President Tsai Ing-wen says that new agricultural innovations have made it possible for

lychee farmers in the central city of Taichung to export their produce to Japan.

At a press conference to highlight the achievement on Monday, the president spoke about how new technology had made it possible to maintain the freshness and color of the fruits.

Tsai also spoke about recent remarks from the American Chamber of Commerce, which said that Taiwan’s government had solved a lot of problems in a short period of time. The president attributed that to peaceful transitions of power.
Tsai also spoke about the government’s efforts to set up a company that has made strides in promoting the nation’s agricultural products around the world.
[FULL  STORY]