My mom’s trip to Taiwan was a major turning point in her life, opening up a new travel-obsessed chapter. In her old pictures she’d be looking askance, lips shut, not a trace of a smile. Now she looks right at the camera, mouth wide in a smile. She even throws up a peace sign every now and then.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/01/30
By: TNL Staff

This is an excerpt from the book “Jottings of a Life in Altay” (記一忘三二) by Li Juan (李娟).

 An unabridged Chinese-language version of this excerpt can be found here.

Since my mom returned from her trip to Taiwan, she’s wanted nothing to do with the mainland. Whether it’s that Ürümqi (capital of northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region) is too noisy or Hongdun village is too dirty, there’s no shortage of complaints. And the second she’s done complaining, she’ll change her clothes and go right to cleaning the cow pen or sweeping out the chicken coop, same as always.

It’s been half a year since she’s been back, and no matter who she starts chatting with she’ll still find a way to work Taiwan into the conversation.    [FULL  STORY]

Two Chinese airlines canceled plans for extra flights in the wake of M503 dispute

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/01/30
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – China blamed Taiwan for the cancellation of plans for extra

Lunar New Year flights, but the island’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said Tuesday it was still willing to talk.

After China unilaterally decided to launch the northbound M503 civil aviation route close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait earlier this month, Taiwan protested, leading to two Chinese airlines canceling plans for 176 extra flights for the February 15-20 holiday.

Transportation Minister Ho Chen Tan (賀陳旦) on Tuesday denied that he was not approving the flights by China Eastern Airlines Corporation and Xiamen Air, the Central News Agency reported. The fact was that the airlines had suspended their applications, not that Taiwan had rejected them, the MOTC said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/01/30
By: Yang Sheng-ju, Chen Chia-lun and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) Two Chinese airlines have been “forced to cancel” plans to

operate extra cross-Taiwan Strait flights during the Lunar New Year holiday that were still pending approval from Taiwan to avoid inconveniencing travelers, the airlines said Tuesday.

Both China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Air released statements saying they had to cancel their extra flights because they could not afford to keep waiting for Taiwan’s response on those flights out of consideration for their customers.

Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) announced on Jan. 19 that it was withholding approval for the two airlines’ applications to operate extra flights across the Taiwan Strait over the Lunar New Year period because of safety concerns.
[FULL  STORY]

CREDIBILITY: Eight NTU professors said the election committee was clearly flawed, because it failed to investigate Kuan’s Taiwan Mobile links and potential plagiarism

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 31, 2018
By: Ann Maxon  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Education should not approve the appointment of National Taiwan

University (NTU) president-elect Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔), because the election process was clearly flawed, a group of NTU professors told a news conference yesterday.

It was reported earlier this month that Kuan was an independent director of Taiwan Mobile (台灣大哥大), and that company vice chairman Richard Tsai (蔡明興) was a member of the presidential election committee.

In response, the university election committee on Friday last week issued a statement saying that Kuan had in May last year obtained the school’s approval to serve as the independent director and said that he is qualified to be the president.

Eight NTU professors yesterday criticized the way the university election committee handled the controversy and said it is no longer qualified to make the decision.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-01-29

Taiwan’s top China policy-making body, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), says the

government will not compromise when it comes to aviation safety and national security.

MAC Minister Katherine Chang made the statement on Monday at a press conference. She was referring to China’s unilateral announcement earlier this month of four new flight paths that approach the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Chang urged China to return to the negotiation table to solve the dispute. She said there should be no “political prerequisites”, since flight paths involve both Taipei and Beijing.    [FULL  STORY]

One survey indicates that most social workers in Taiwan already make less than US$1,000 per month.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/01/29
By: TNL Staff

Just before revisions to the Labor Standards Act go into effect on March 1, anonymous online disclosure of wage levels in Taiwan’s social welfare sector point to a brewing outcry over low wages.

Under the revisions, some sectors will be permitted to compel employees to work for more than seven consecutive days between days off. The time between shifts will also be reduced from the current 11 hours to eight.

Even before final passage of controversial amendments to Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act, Minister of Labor (林美珠) emphasized that proposed changes would not go through a trial phase and be implemented in full starting on March 1.    [FULL  STORY]

On the other hand, the Civil Aeronautics Administration said airlines were also planning the third increase of flights for travel to and from Penghu and Kinmen counties during the Lunar New Year

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/01/29
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) announced on Monday

that it will increase the number of additional trains for the second time to meet unfulfilled demand for the Lunar New Year holiday after advance tickets for popular holiday periods had sold out.

The TRA said the second increase of additional trains for the Lunar New Year holiday will include 20 more trains for the Western Line and 10 more trains for the Eastern Line to bring the total additional trains for the holiday season to 359. The agency said the booking for the latest additional trains will start on February 6.

On the other hand, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said airlines were also planning the third increase of flights for travel to and from Penghu and Kinmen counties during the Lunar New Year according to demand.      [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/01/29
By: Lee Hsin-Yin and Wang Shu-fen

Taipei, Jan. 29 (CNA) Military aircraft will be used to transport Taiwanese in China

home from Kinmen for the Lunar New Year holiday if both sides of the Taiwan Strait fail to reach a consensus on the controversial issue of the M503 route, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said Monday.

Chen Chin-sheng (陳進生), director-general of the Department of Navigation and Aviation under the MOTC, said the ministry is prepared for the worst-case scenario, in which military aircraft will be used to fly Taiwanese home from outlying Kinmen County.

To board those flights, however, Taiwanese passengers will have to use the “mini-three links” mechanism established between the two sides in 2001, meaning that they will have to travel to Xiamen in Fujian Province first in order to take ferries to Kinmen.
[FULL  STORY]

‘SMALL THREE LINKS’: The ministry said it plans to add extra holiday flights and ferry services between Kinmen and Xiamen, and it could also request military aircraft

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 30, 2018
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday said that it has

prepared for the worst-case scenario in its plans to help Taiwanese return home from China for the Lunar New Year holiday, after the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) denied requests for additional cross-strait flights.

The CAA denied requests made earlier this month by XiamenAir (廈門航空) and China Eastern Airlines (中國東方航空) for 176 additional flights during the holiday, citing potential safety risks generated by their use of the northbound M503 aviation route and three other extensions.

The two airlines had defied the CAA’s repeated warnings not to use the northbound M503 route, as well as the W121, W122 and W123 extensions before Taiwan and China engage in communication over the technical issues involved.

Beijing has yet to express any intention to communicate with Taiwan on the use of the four routes, the ministry said.    [FULL  STORY]

Star Online
Date: 28 Jan 2018

SINGAPORE: KiKi noodles from Taiwan, which have become an online hit with foodies

in Singapore, will now be available at selected Buzz kiosks.

SPH Buzz Convenience Stores will be the first retail shop here to carry these noodles by Taiwanese restaurant chain KiKi, which specialises in Sichuan dishes.

Previously, the noodles were only available through the restaurant’s local partner KiKi Fine Goods Singapore, an online retailer.

The noodles caught the attention of consumers in East Asia, from Hong Kong to Singapore, last year (2017) after it was made popular on social media by Taiwanese actress Shu Qi.

The noodles, which will hit the shelves on Thursday (Feb 1), will be available in two flavours – Aromatic Scallion and Sichuan Pepper.    [FULL  STORY]