Radio Taiwan International
Date: 14 September, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

Taiwan’s Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says that the government will not sacrifice food safety in order to benefit trade with other countries. He was referring to Taiwan’s plans to open up imports of US pork containing ractopamine residue beginning next year. 

Ractopamine is a leanness-enhancing pig feed additive commonly used in the US.

Chen’s comments on Monday came in response to public concern over a comment he made during a recent radio interview. Chen said during that interview that the easing of import restrictions will elevate Taiwan’s international status. 

But Chen said Monday that food safety is one of the health ministry’s main responsibilities. He said that he would not sacrifice food safety for the sake of international trade.
[FULL  STORY]

The collapse of confidence in long-term advantage means the era of strategic ambiguity is over.

The Diplomat
Date: September 13, 2020
By: Eric Chan

Our Taiwan National Defense University international group had almost finished the tour of a naval vessel at Zuoying Naval Base when the escorting ship commander suddenly halted. An embarrassed silence followed. He had clearly overheard some of the sotto voce comments from the group about the state of the ship, which was painstakingly maintained but undeniably antiquated. The commander turned around and quietly said, “When the enemy comes, they will pay a price.”

“When the enemy comes,” not “if.” The certainty of the phrase struck me at the time, and even more so today.

For years, U.S. policy toward Taiwan’s defense has been oriented around the principle of strategic ambiguity, outlined in the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. There is no guarantee of any sort.

China also had a policy of strategic ambiguity: a refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, but emphasizing the economic gains of cooperation. The viability of strategic ambiguity rests on an assumption: that time is on our side. As long as each player thought that long-term trends favored their cause, there was significant incentive to tamp down short-term tensions.
[FULL  STORY]

Party said it has not received apology from Chinese state media, which said KMT's China trip intended to 'beg for peace'

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/09/14
By: Sylvia Teng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) will not send a delegation to China for the upcoming Straits Forum in protest of Chinese state media’s inappropriate remarks, which the party has criticized as a blow to mutual trust.

Individual party members, however, will not be prohibited from attending the forum, said Wang Yu-min (王育敏), head of the KMT's Culture and Communications Committee, at a press conference on Monday (Sept. 14). The Straits Forum, which has been denounced by Taiwanese authorities as a platform for Beijing to promote its political agenda, will open on Sunday (Sept. 20) in the Chinese province of Fujian.

Former Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who was previously appointed to lead the KMT delegation to China, will thus cancel his trip. He convened with KMT Chair Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) and the party’s secretary-general Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) on Monday afternoon to discuss the party's response to the controversy.

With the title, “This man is coming to the mainland to beg for peace,” China Central Television (CCTV) described Wang as a “messenger” for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The KMT later slammed the Chinese state media’s report and lodged a protest against Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), which hosts the forum, with a demand for an apology.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/14/2020
By Fang Cheng-hsiang and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) Taiwan's Legislature decided Monday to set up an ad hoc committee tasked with revising the Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan), based on a consensus reached by ruling and opposition parties.

Under the Legislature's rules, the committee is a necessary part of the review process for constitutional amendments.

The committee will consist of 22 lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, 14 lawmakers of the Kuomintang, two of the Taiwan People's Party, and one of the New Power Party, based on their proportion of seats in the lawmaking body.

Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) announced the decision after hosting interparty talks on issues related to amending the Constitution and the Additional Articles of the Constitution.
[FULL  STORY]

ON THEIR OWN: The KMT has decided not to participate as a party at this year’s forum, and if any members do go, they would not be representing the party, Alicia Wang said

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 15, 2020
By: Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday announced that it would not send a delegation “as a political party” to this year’s Straits Forum, after a Chinese TV program described the planned visit to the annual meeting as “suing for peace.”

The 12th forum is scheduled to open in Xiamen, China, on Saturday.

On Tuesday last week, the KMT announced that former legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) would lead the party’s delegation to the forum, with KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) as deputy head.

However, on Thursday last week, China Central Television’s (CCTV) Yangshipin (央視頻) program, hosted by Li Hong (李紅), included a headline about Wang and the delegation that read: “With the Strait on the brink of war, this man is coming to the mainland to sue for peace.”
[FULL  STORY]

• The Trump administration has shown increasing support for Taiwan in the race for the White House, actions that Beijing has branded as provocations
• While the prospect of armed conflict is not high, the possibility of ‘peaceful reunification’ is waning, analysts say

South China Morning Post
Date: 13 Sep, 2020
By:\ Kinling Lo

For Beijing, there is one very clear red line on Taiwan.

If the self-ruled island moves towards independence, Beijing has said that it would be justified in “reunifying” Taiwan with the mainland by force, a position it spelt out 15 years ago in its Anti-Secession Law.

In Beijing, the island’s sovereignty is a “core interest” and priority issue – more important than any other matters.

Despite dramatic lows and opposing stands in their relationship, both sides of the Taiwan Strait have so far managed to avoid crossing that line and engaging in a direct confrontation.
[FULL  STORY]

Those in need of counseling or assistance can call the 1995, 1980, or 1925 hotlines for help

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/09/13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A university student and an 18-year-old preparing to retake her college entrance exams were found dead in Tainan on Saturday (Sept. 12) after having apparently taken their own lives.

National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) said that a junior at the school’s Department of Chemical Engineering surnamed Lin (林) went missing on Friday (Sept. 11) after leaving the rented apartment he shared with his mom near his school, per CNA. Lin’s mother immediately reported her son missing to the school, which mobilized teachers and students to look for him.

At noon on Saturday, Lin’s bicycle was found parked in one of his department’s parking lots. Soon after, a student found Lin hanging beside a water tower on the roof of a building.

The school said Lin left a suicide note in his bag. The gist of it was “I’m so tired. I want to rest.”
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/13/2020
By: Huang Li-yun and Chiang Yi-ching

Taipei, Sept. 13 (CNA) A total of 23 people were stuck in elevators at Far Eastern Department Store's Xinyi A13 outlet on Sunday evening due to a malfunctioning air conditioning system, according to Taipei City Fire Department.

Of the 23, 14 were stuck in an elevator on the second floor, while nine were stuck in another elevator on the eighth floor, the fire department said.

The power outage occurred at about 6:30 p.m. and those stuck in the elevators were rescued by 7:30 p.m., with no one injured, according to local media reports.

VieShow Cinemas Co., which operates a movie theater within the department store, said on its Facebook page that the outage affected the whole building.    [FULL  STORY]

RIVERSIDE CAMP: As rescuers continued their search for a missing man, Taipower said that the floodgates at a hydro plant on the Lishi Creek opened due to a malfunction

Taipei Times
Date:  Sep 14, 2020
By: Tung Chen-kuo, Liu Pin-chuan
and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer

Three people have been confirmed dead and one was missing after being swept away by a flash flood while camping in Nantou County’s Renai Township (仁愛), police said yesterday.

Six people from two families were camping near Lishi Creek (栗栖溪) when the riverbanks were suddenly flooded just after 4am, carrying away four of the campers — including two children — who were asleep in their tents, police said.

A man who was among those swept away was able to climb ashore and call for help, police said, adding that another man had gone missing in the turmoil at the campsite.

A team comprised of search-and-rescue personnel from the Renai, Sinyi (信義) and Puli (埔里) townships was dispatched to find the four campers, the Nantou County Fire Department said yesterday.    [FULL  STORY]