Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/12
By: Liu Lee-jung and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, May 12 (CNA) The military said Saturday that it will continue to search for the

Mirage 2000 fighter piloted by Captain Ho Tzu-yu (何子雨), which went missing during a flight training sortie last November.

Air Force Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Chang Yen-ting (張延廷) said the military will not give up hope of finding Ho, who lost contact with the control tower at 6:43 p.m. Nov. 7 around 60 nautical miles north of Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼), north of Taiwan.

Ho is part of the Hsinchu-based 499th Tactical Fighter Wing and went missing during a regular nighttime training exercise.

The military has only been able to locate where the jet lost contact, but has not found either Ho or his aircraft.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: May 13, 2018
By: Staff writer, with CNA, WASHINGTON

The US Department of State on Friday again expressed concern over the People’s

Republic of China’s (PRC) lack of military transparency and reiterated its opposition to attempts to change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, after Chinese military aircraft circled around Taiwan.

“The United States remains concerned by China’s lack of transparency about its growing military capabilities and associated strategic intentions,” a department spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to queries by Taiwanese media. “The United States opposes unilateral actions by any party aimed at altering the status quo, including any resort to force or other forms of coercion.”

The US has a deep and abiding interest in cross-strait peace and stability and encourages Taipei and Beijing to engage in constructive dialogue that pursues a peaceful resolution of differences acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait, they added.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-11

The foreign ministry has opened an Indo-Pacific Affairs Section under the Department of

East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

The foreign ministry unveiled a plaque on Friday to officially open the new Indo-Pacific Affairs Section. The foreign minister, Joseph Wu, presided over the ceremony. Wu said the move shows that the government’s New Southbound policy has been warmly received by the public.

Wu said the United States, Australia and Japan all have strategies for the Indo-Pacific region. As they are working to forge more cooperative ties in the region in the areas of trade and the value of freedom, Taiwan should make use of its more limited resources to do something that is in line with the global trend, Wu said.

The New Southbound policy refers to the government’s efforts to promote closer cultural and economic ties with nations in South and Southeast Asia, as well as with Australia and New Zealand.    [SOURCE]

Pick a waterfall and off you go.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/05/11
By: Asher Leiss

There’s nothing quite like a brisk swim at the end of a long hike and Taiwan, the wettest developed country on Earth, has plenty of good options to choose from. Here are 10 waterfalls to consider:

Jiaolong Waterfall – Chiayi County, Meishan Township

With a main waterfall over 400 meters tall and a total height over 600 meters, Jiaolong waterfall is literally in the clouds. This massive waterfall is best viewed within a few days of a heavy rain. It’s also recommended to visit in the morning, as the waterfall can be completely obscured by clouds in the afternoon. The waterfall can be seen from miles around — cars can drive directly to the viewing platform.

Jiaolong waterfall takes my breath away. It just goes up and up and up until it disappears in the clouds. Even though it’s so big, looking for it is like a treasure hunt, since it only flows after a heavy rain.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/05/11
By:  Central News Agency

Taipei (CNA) – The Cabinet expressed its hope on Friday that National Taiwan University

(NTU) will restart the process to select a new president and not let the multiple contentious issues that have arisen following the NTU Selection Committee’s election of Kuan Chung-ming, who the government refuses to accept, slow down its trajectory toward progress and advancement.

Cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung said that NTU should move forward on the matter now the Ministry of Education has sent an official letter to the university asking it to remedy and then restart the selection process.

Hsu addressed criticisms of the government’s focus on alleged flaws in the process used to elect Kuan.

He noted that multiple regulations and principles, including an amendment to NTU’s own rules allowing its professors and administrators to simultaneously work in the private sector, require the university to sign an industry-academia collaboration agreement and give written consent before an individual can assume a position at a private company.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/11
By: Chiang Chin-yeh and Kuan-lin Liu

Washington, May 10 (CNA) U.S. Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, wrote a letter to American airline carriers on Thursday urging them to resist bowing down to pressure from Beijing and Chinese political correctness.

In his letter to Delta, American and United Airlines, Yoho addressed a recent letter China’s Civil Aviation Administration sent to foreign airlines asking them to list Taiwan as a province or region of China, under threat of penalties.

The congressman agreed with the White House, which on May 5 called those demands “Orwellian nonsense” in reference to George Orwell’s description of controlling governments in his literature, and pledged Congressional support of American companies against such threats.

“Congress will also stand behind U.S. companies that prudently refuse to be drafted into the CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) political warfare against Taiwan,” Yoho wrote in his letter.    [FULL  STORY]

FRIENDLY ELEMENTS: The bill requires the US secretary of defense to conduct a comprehensive assessment on ways to enhance and reform Taiwan’s military forces

Taipei Times
Date: May 12, 2018
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday expressed gratitude to the US

Congress for its support after the US House Armed Services Committee passed a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“[We] have noted the bill that is being deliberated in the US Congress, which includes many elements friendly toward Taiwan,” Wu said.

Wu said he is extremely grateful for the US Congress’ support for Taiwan, especially in the areas of national security and defense cooperation.

The US House Armed Services Committee on Thursday passed the latest version of the annual NDAA with a bipartisan vote of 60 to 1.    [FULL  STORY]

Catholic News Agency
Date: May 10, 2018
By: Hannah Brockhaus

Vatican City, May 10, 2018 / 10:29 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The bishops of the Republic

of China, also known as Taiwan, arrived in Rome earlier this week ahead of meetings with the pope and other Vatican officials – the first such visit in 10 years, and their first meeting with Francis since his election.

The delegation of seven bishops will meet with the pope next week for an ad limina visit – a customary meeting for diocesan bishops to give an update on the state of their dioceses – which typically takes place every five years.

The bishops of Taiwan last made an ad limina visit in December 2008 with Benedict XVI.

The bishops have brought two gifts for the pope: a painting by Giuseppe Castiglione, an Italian missionary to China who served as a painter in the court of three emperors in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and a painting titled “Merciful Sun Shines on Taiwan,” by Tawanese artist Chia Shen-chen.    [FULL  STORY]

Chan Tong-kai, 19, who was on holiday with victim Poon Hiu-wing, 20, is accused of theft and receiving stolen goods belonging to her

South China Morning Post 
Date: 10 May, 2018
By: Jasmine Siu

The news came less than a week after Taiwanese prosecutors sought help from Hong Kong authorities upon discovering Poon Hiu-wing, 20, was three months pregnant when she was killed while on holiday with her boyfriend, Chan Tong-kai, in February.

Chan, who returned to Hong Kong alone on February 17, is currently remanded in the city after being charged in March with two counts of theft and one of handling stolen goods.

On Thursday, acting senior public prosecutor Claudia Ko Hoi-yee asked for the case to be adjourned for another eight weeks before Chan enters a plea at Kwun Tong Court.

“More time is needed for further inquiries on the possibility of adding new charges,” Ko told magistrate Chu Chung-keung.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-10

President Tsai Ing-wen has praised Taiwan’s biomedical industry, saying that the sector

has shown rapid development in recent years.

Tsai was speaking while visiting the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park on Thursday. She said the biomedical industry has a strong foundation, and has fostered many top quality research and development talents.

The president said that she believes the industry will continue to see growth in both the short and long term. She also encouraged industry professionals to reach out and work with their peers from the internet and the machinery industries in order to boost innovation and explore other markets.    [SOURCE]