Radio Taiwan International
Date: 07 September, 2020
By: Katherine Wei

Taiwan is an archipelago rife with volcanic activity. It is a country filled with hot springs. But, contrary to popular belief, not all hot springs are good for you－beware of soaking for too long in Taiwan’s Milky Sea. 

Turtle Island is a small uninhabited island off the coast of Yilan County in Eastern Taiwan. One of the main draws that attracts tourists to Turtle Island is its underwater hot spring.

Bubbling up from the seabed, the hot spring brings the telling scent of sulfur to the ocean’s surface. Spurts of milky white water create the loveliest shades of turquoise when mixed with surrounding seawater. The waters above the hotspring contrast delicately with the neighboring ocean earning the attraction the name “Milky Sea.”    [FULL  STORY]

China's economic clout in European country dampened by failed promises

Nikkei Asian Review
Date: September 7, 2020
By: Cybil Chou,, Contributing writer

TAIPEI — The Czech Senate speaker's visit to Taiwan last week predictably angered China, but Milos Vystrcil's trip carried little economic risk for the central European nation even if Beijing retaliates as expected.

Vystrcil declared in a speech in Taipei that "I am Taiwanese." This led Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to accuse him of "crossing a red line," saying he should "pay a high price for his shortsighted behavior."

"This may prove counterproductive for China," said Filip Sebok, an analyst at the Prague-based Association for International Affairs, a foreign policy think tank.

"It may definitely embolden similarly minded politicians to also consider moves on Taiwan," added Sebok, a member of MapInfluenCE, a research project focused on Chinese influence in central Europe. "Other countries might also try to increase the profile of their relationships with Taiwan, without abandoning the 'One China policy'."    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan mask-maker says that though his behavior may be bad, his products are not

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/09/07
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lin Ming-chin (林明進), owner of Taiwanese mask supplier Carry Mask on Monday (Sept. 7) apologized to the public for importing over 3.3 million masks from China and mislabeling them as Taiwanese.

Earlier last week, a pharmacist in New Taipei City's Sanchong District discovered that a mask shipment from Carry Mask contained packages with simplified Chinese characters. It was later confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the company, which was a member of Taiwan's "National Face Mask Team," had imported an overwhelming amount of non-medical grade masks from China and sold them as government-rationed masks.

On Thursday (Sept. 3), Lin admitted he had commissioned a Chinese company to manufacture the masks but refused to acknowledge his mistakes. He also criticized the government for putting too much pressure on local suppliers and said he had no choice but to seek help from China.

Despite his explanation, the majority of the public did not take his side and believed he was trying to profit from the price difference between the Chinese and Taiwanese masks. Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua (王美花) also criticized Lin for damaging the reputation of other members of the National Face Mask Team, reported CNA.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/07/2020
By: Chen Chun-hua and Ko Lin

Taipei, Sept. 7 (CNA) Two members of the Control Yuan, the watchdog branch of the government, said Monday they will launch an investigation into whether government agencies are doing enough to guarantee the safety and rights of migrant caregivers in Taiwan, especially with regards to incidents that involve alleged sexual assault or harassment.

Foreign caregivers are an important labor force in Taiwan, and a vital resource in the nation's long-term care sector, but their safety and working conditions are often overlooked, Control Yuan members Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) Wang Mei-yu (王美玉) said in a statement.

The investigation is necessary because when migrant caregivers are confronted with sexual assault or harassment from their employers, often they are too scared to report incidents for fear of retaliation or losing their job, Yeh said.

Even if they do file a report, labor brokers on many occasions either ignore the case or threaten them to remain quiet or risk being deported back to their countries of origin, Yeh said.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 08, 2020
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

The Taipei City Government is cracking down on owners of short-term rental units, including Airbnb listings, who have been offering their units for home quarantine or isolation stays, amid concern that such rentals could be a loophole in disease-prevention efforts.

As of Sept. 22, people under a home isolation or quarantine order can only stay at quarantine hotels, at home or at a place offered by another person free of charge, Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) told a news conference yesterday.

Owners of short-term rental units who rent to people under a home isolation or quarantine order would be fined between NT$3,000 and NT$15,000, and the owner’s name and the address of their accommodation would be made public, she said.

“People have to be responsible to whom they are offering their houses, so the fines would be aimed at the home owners,” she said.    [FULL  STORY]

Straight
Date: September 5th, 2020
By: Charlie Smith

One of the highest-profile aspects of TAIWANfest in Vancouver will be on display at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square (a.k.a. the north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery).

It just won't happen today to coincide with the launch of the annual celebration of Taiwanese identity.

Curated by Jessica Sung, the SKY Installation is intended to encourage local residents to look beyond our differences by removing the influence of colour.

Each lantern will feature a gorgeous image of the sky taken by photographers in Canada and Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Forbes
Date: Sep 4, 2020
By: Michael Peck

Did Taiwan shoot down a Chinese jet fighter?

The answer is no. And that’s good news, because the last thing that the current Asian tinderbox needs is being set aflame with rumors of war.

The furor began when Taiwanese social media went abuzz with video that purportedly showed the wreckage of a People’s Liberation Army Air Force Su-35 fighter destroyed by Taiwanese air defenses. Other video supposedly showed the injured pilot laying on the ground.

The Taiwanese tweets were quickly picked up by Indian social media. Recent border clashes between Chinese and Indian troops in the Himalayas have heightened tensions between the two nations. With China deploying additional jets on the Indian border, and India sending its new French-made Rafale fighters to the region, the sight of a destroyed Chinese jet must have gladdened the hearts of Indian nationalists.    [FULL  STORY]

Classified as aggressive breed, pit bulls must be accompanied by adult owners and be leashed

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/09/05
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three men living in Taichung were assaulted and injured by two pit bulls on Thursday (Sept. 3), marking the second bloody attack by the aggressive dog breed in the country within the past fortnight.

CCTV footage shows two pit bulls attacking a man, surnamed Pan (潘), 52, after he stepped out of a house in Dali District. Pan fell to the ground but managed to stand up again. Two men in their 60s helped Pan but were also attacked by the two dogs.

The two dogs left after the assault and the three victims were taken to hospital for treatment. Pan suffered multiple dog bite wounds to his hands, back, and knees. The other two victims had bruises on their legs.

Media reported the two dogs were raised by a man living in the same neighborhood but were not properly confined at his property. The two dogs were later sent to a temporary shelter out of safety concerns.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/05/2020
By: Yeh Chen and Kay Liu

Taoyuan, Sept. 5 (CNA) Hundreds of people took part in Taoyuan's first pride parade on Saturday, including Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who expressed the city government's support for such events.

The 4.4-kilometer parade began at Taoyuan City Hall, where Cheng gave a speech, and ended with a group picnic at the city's Chaoyang Park.

Cheng pointed out that more than 4,000 same-sex couples have registered their marriages in Taiwan since a law that allows them to do so was passed in May 2019, of which 400 are in Taoyuan.

According to the organizers, some 800 people took part in the parade.    [FULL  STORY]

NEW MEASURES: From Jan. 1, all pork products sold anywhere, including at food stalls, traditional markets and restaurants, must be legibly marked with the country of origin

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 06, 2020
By:. Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday announced the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for US pork containing ractopamine: 0.04 parts per million (ppm) for liver and kidneys, and 0.01ppm for all other parts of the animal.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said that to protect people’s health, the MRLs for US pork containing ractopamine were based on scientific evidence and health risk assessments.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Aug. 28 announced that the government would lift bans on US pork containing ractopamine and US beef from cattle more than 30 months old. The policy is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1 next year.

A food hygienic safety and nutrition consultative council was convened by the ministry on Friday to discuss the appropriate MRLs for Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]