Taiwan News
Date: 2020/09/26
By:  Central News Agency

Stunning gowns and head-turning looks made their way down the red carpet Saturday evening at the 55th Golden Bell Awards being held at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.

The event, Taiwan's equivalent of the Emmy Awards, saw a wave of expensive designer-made suits, sparkling cocktail dresses, and elegant full-length gowns displayed by the stars before the actual award ceremony began.

Among the memorable looks at Taiwan's top TV awards was that of Japanese model and actor Mondo Otani (大谷主水), who walked down the red carpet in a green velvet tuxedo with black satin peak lapels and a matching bow tie.

The 40-year-old Otani, who is vying for the best lifestyle show host award this year for his role in the lifestyle and travel program Global Festival, also drew attention as he live-streamed the event from the red carpet using his phone.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/26/2020
By: Lai Yen-hsi and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Sept. 26 (CNA) Taiwanese entertainers interested in performing at China's National Day celebration event should stay away to avoid being exploited for political propaganda, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a statement Saturday.

The MAC voiced its concerns amid media reports that Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) would sing "My Mother Country" along with Chinese entertainers at a show on Sept. 30, the day before China's National Day, and that Angela Chang (張韶涵) also intended to participate in the same event.

The MAC discouraged them from taking part, arguing that such behavior would hurt the national identity of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Those who insist on performing at the event could possibly violate cross-Taiwan Strait regulations, the council said, warning that it will monitor the event closely.   [FULL  STORY]

RFI
Date: 25/09/2020
By: Jan van der Made

Increasingly hostile rhetoric from Beijing, and a growing number of incursions by the Chinese air force and navy into Taiwanese territory, point to China’s determination to occupy the self-proclaimed island state. Will the US honour promises to Taipei and come to the rescue if push comes to shove?

Chinese military exercises "are rehearsals for taking over Taiwan,” said the Beijing-controlled Global Times newspaper in an editorial published on 18 September. “What is needed is a political reason that can turn them into a real battle to smash Taiwan independence forces.”

According to Taiwan News, the exercises by the mainland’s People’s Liberation Army involved dozens of transgressions into Taiwanese territory. The online newspaper claims that PLA Airforce Shaanxi Yun-8 anti-submarine propeller planes entered the Taiwanese Air Defence Identification Zone (Adiz), followed by submarines.

Over the following days, dozens of incursions ensued, obliging the Taiwanese air force to scramble jet fighters in response. As a result, Taiwan said China had "threatened regional peace and stability". And Taiwan elevated its air defence alert level.    [FULL  STORY]

Island of Matsu needs permanent presence of larger Coast Guard shipsTaiwan News
Date: 02020/09/25
By: Matthew Strong0, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Coast Guard sent a large patrol ship to the small island of Matsu to chase illegal Chinese sand dredgers away, reports said Friday (Sept. 25).

The Chinese ships have been posing a threat both to the environment and to national security, since Matsu lies close to the coast of the Chinese province of Fujian. Their presence has even impacted public transport between the different Taiwanese-held islands which form Lienchiang County, CNA reported.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 26, 2020
By: Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter

China’s foreign influence campaigns have damaged democratic institutions, but Taiwan will continue to work with the US and like-minded partners to counter Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

The ministry made the statement in response to a speech by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison on Wednesday.

Pompeo warned about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence campaigns targeting US states.

For example, he said that Wisconsin Senate President Roger Roth earlier this year received a letter from Wu Ting (吳婷) — wife of Chinese Consul General in Chicago Zhao Jian (趙建) — asking him to pass a draft resolution praising China’s response to COVID-19.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatio7nal
Date: 24 September, 2020
By: Katherine Wei

Large numbers of military planes were seen and heard flying over Taipei on Thursday morning. The defense ministry has clarified that the war planes were rehearsing for a performance scheduled for the upcoming National Day. 

Rumors had begun circulating online that the planes may be Chinese, as cross-strait tensions have been especially high recently. China sent over 40 military planes over the Taiwan Strait during the past week, with a number of them crossing the median line into Taiwan’s airspace. 

The planning committee for the National Day celebrations also gave a statement about the rehearsal. The committee said that while it didn’t have to explain practice flyovers in past years, this year’s rehearsals are taking place against a more unusual and sensitive context. 
[FULL  STORY]

Newsweek
Date: 9/24/20
By: Brendan Cole

The editor of China's state-backed Global Times newspaper has taken aim at an article published in the professional journal of the U.S. army which calls for a return of American forces to Taiwan.

Hu Xijn tweeted his disdain at the piece written by Capt. Walker D. Mills, from the U.S. Marine Corps in the latest edition of Military Review.

In the piece, Mills says that the regional balance of power in East Asia is shifting away from the United States and Taiwan and towards mainland China. In his view, this meant that the U.S. needed to consider basing ground forces on the island "if it is committed to defending Taiwanese sovereignty."

The article headlined "Deterring the Dragon," has Mills warning that the current power balance made a surprise attack on Taiwan "more likely" and believes that American leadership has to "face down" international pressure "against a deliberate and more global conflict with China."
[FULL  SORY]

NCSIST has booked area up to 300 km from Taitung coast

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/09/24
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As China continues to send warplanes into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), the island’s main weapons developer announced Thursday (Sept. 24) it was conducting two days of live-fire missile tests off Taitung County.

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST, 國家中山科學研究院) said there was “no ceiling” for the height of the missile tests, while their reach stretched 300 kilometers into the Pacific, encompassing the waters off the counties of Hualien and Taitung, including Orchid Island, CNA reported.

While neither the NCSIST nor the military revealed more details about the Sept. 24-25 event, defense experts speculated the tests centered on Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missiles or Sky Bow III surface-to-air missiles.

Another possibility was that the weapons developer was putting a new yet-to-be-unveiled missile system through its paces, CNA reported. The projectiles were likely to be fired from the Jiupeng base in Pingtung County.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/24/2020
By: Matt Yu and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Sept. 24 (CNA) A Chinese military Y-8 anti-submarine airplane entered Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday, the seventh intrusion since Sept. 16, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.

The Air Force responded by scrambling jets, issuing radio warnings and mobilizing surveillance and air defense assets, according to a report published by the MND website.

The incident marked the seventh intrusion by Chinese warplanes into Taiwan's ADIZ, following similar incidents each involving two Y-8s on the past three days.    [FULL  STORY]

CONSOLIDATION? Taiwan Thinktank deputy executive-general Doong Sy-chi said Beijing’s intimidation tactics are further alienating those who identify as Chinese

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 25, 2020
By: Yang Chun-hui and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Only 2 percent of respondents to a poll on constitutional amendments and national identity identified as Chinese, while 62.6 percent identified as Taiwanese, the Taiwan Thinktank said yesterday.

Legislators have proposed amendments to the Additional Articles of the Constitution (憲法增修條文), which would change the definition of the nation’s territory, remove the Taiwan Provincial Government as an entity, prioritize the use of “Taiwan” for national groups at international events, and remove restrictions on defining the national emblem, national flag and national anthem.

The poll showed that 80.5 percent of respondents agreed that the nation should participate as “Taiwan” at events organized by world bodies, while 12 percent disagreed.

Ethnically, 62.6 percent identified as Taiwanese, while 2 percent identified as Chinese and 32.6 percent identified as both, the results showed.    [FULL  STORY]