Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/27
By: Huang Ya-chuan and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Nov. 27 (CNA) Taiwan will not agree to lift an import ban on food items from areas

Wang Mei-hua (王美花)

in Japan affected by radioactive fallout from a nuclear power plant meltdown in 2011 to gain access to a regional trade bloc led by Japan, an economic official told lawmakers Monday.

At a hearing of the Legislature’s Economics Committee, Vice Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said Taiwan has clearly spelled out in international forums its interest in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

But no matter what Taiwan strives for, whether in pursuit of bilateral or multilateral trade deals, it always faces challenges, which are even “tougher in the political area,” she said.
[FULL  STORY]

BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS: Protesters threw balloons filled with red paint into the Executive Yuan compound to represent the degraded conditions workers would face

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 28, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter

Several labor rights groups yesterday protested a draft amendment to the Labor

Members of various labor groups, holding photographs of Premier William Lai, protest against the government’s draft amendment to the Labor Standards Act outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday.  Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

Standards Act (勞動基準法) and demanded the reinstatement of seven national holidays, while Premier William Lai (賴清德) reiterated that labor rights would be protected by the changes.

The groups rallied in front of the Executive Yuan in Taipei and urged the government to reinstate the seven national holidays that were abolished by the last labor amendment that was passed in December last year, while calling for the withdrawal of a new draft amendment that would ease restrictions on overtime.

The groups in September launched an online petition asking the government to reinstate the holidays and Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) on Oct. 25 convened a meeting with petitioners, but the Cabinet has taken no action since, protesters said.
[FULL  STORY]

Forbes
Date: Nov. 26, 2017
Date: Rob Cain, Contributor
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Aamir Khan, his fellow filmmakers on Secret Superstar, and his fans will be watching

Aamir Khan Films
‘Secret Superstar’ debuted in Taiwan on November 24th, 2017.
Secret Superstar began the next phase of its international release by opening in a key territory this weekend, Taiwan. It debuted there Friday on 73 screens, a record for an Indian film in the Chinese-speaking territory.

closely to see how Taiwanese audiences respond to the family comedy-drama. Its box office numbers in Taiwan and the rest of Greater China, especially in the People’s Republic, will determine whether Secret Superstar‘s global theatrical total vaults past the Ajay Devgn comedy Golmal Again, or whether the huge gap between the two pictures remains.

As of now Secret Superstar’s worldwide theatrical gross stands at ₹123 crore / $18.9 million—including its ₹83 crore / domestic tally in India—which puts it a long, long way behind Golmaal Again’s nearly—₹300 crore ($46 million) global haul.

For any other movie, and any other movie star, that would be a laughably insurmountable gap. But we’re talking about Aamir Khan and his enormous Chinese fan base. As of now it looks not only possible, but even likely, that Secret Superstar will close the distance and surpass Golmaal to become Bollywood’s highest grossing release of 2017. Given that Khan’s last several films—Dangal, PK, and Dhoom 3—have over-indexed in the Chinese-speaking countries, it’s reasonable to assume that Secret Superstar will perform well there too.    [FULL  STORY]

The most famous hot selling product of the second half of 2017 in Taiwan — I-Mei Foods “I-Mei Milk Tea” — brought a surprise growth in sales by collaborating with the international marketing channel and the branding value of quality food exp

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/26
By: Brain Wu (Wu Chin-sheng), Brain Magazine publisher,Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–The most famous hot selling product of the second half of 2017 in

Actually, the origin of this product was the intention of pulling dairy farmers out of the long-term difficult situation.

Taiwan — I-Mei Foods “I-Mei Milk Tea” — brought a surprise growth in sales by collaborating with the international marketing channel and the branding value of quality food experts. Actually, the origin of this product was the intention of pulling dairy farmers out of the long-term difficult situation of milk not selling well in the winter by developing a new product and a new marketing strategy. The originator focused on the core of the problem, delivered the “Creativity of creating innovative execution” to both the suppliers and the customers, and turned the difficult situation into a way out by actions and originality.

Advocation of《Penghu Declaration of Peace》
On November 18th, 2017, the “Future Tourism Penghu International Forum” was organized by the Penghu County Future Development Association with nine other co-organizers, including the Taiwan Amoeba Design Association and the Penghu County International Art Communication Association.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/26
By: Yeh Su-ping and Shih Hsiu-chuan

Taipei, Nov. 26 (CNA) Lee Ching-yu (李凈瑜), the wife of Taiwanese nongovernmental

Lee Ching-yu (李凈瑜), the wife of Taiwanese nongovernmental organization (NGO) worker Lee Ming-che (李明哲) who has been tried in China for subverting the state/CNA file photo

organization (NGO) worker Lee Ming-che (李明哲) who has been tried in China for subverting the state, will head to China on Monday to hear the verdict in the case in person.

China confirmed on Nov. 24 that it will deliver its verdict in the case on Nov. 28 at 9 a.m. According to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Lee Ming-che’s family members were only informed of the date earlier the same day.

Lee Ching-yu and Lee Ming-che’s mother Kuo Hsiu-chin (郭秀秦) traveled to China separately to attend Lee Ming-che’s only trial hearing on Sept. 11, when he made his first public appearance since being arrested by Chinese authorities on March 19.

During the trip, Lee Ching-yu was accompanied by two members of the “Lee Ming-che rescue team,” an alliance established by local NGOs, including Hsiao I-min (蕭逸民), head of the Appeals Center under the Taiwan-based Judicial Reform Foundation.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 27, 2017
By: Liu Yu-ching and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Hou Wu-chung (侯武忠), a doctor who spent his time touring outlying islands on his

Doctor Hou Wu-chung smiles aboard his boat in an undated photo.  Photo taken from Hou Wu-chung’s Facebook page

personal boat to provide medical assistance to underserved communities, passed away on Monday last week at the age of 55 after serving the Penghu community for over 20 years.

Hou in February discovered that he had pancreatic cancer. Despite seeking treatment at a hospital in Kaohsiung, Hou was unable to defeat the cancer.

The Penghu native dedicated the prime of his life to serving his hometown.

After graduating from the Kaohsiung Medical University College of Medicine, Hou returned to Penghu. In his 20-year medical career, Hou spent most of his time serving the outlying islands of Wangan Township (望安), Cimei Township (七美), Baisha Township (白沙) and others, Penghu County Public Health Bureau Director-General Chen Shu-chuan (陳淑娟) said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-25

Premier William Lai has outlined what he says are the keys to making the government’s

Premier William Lai (front, second from left) inspects progress implementing the government’s Long-term Care 2.0 plan in Taitung County Saturday. (Photo Courtesy The Executive Yuan) (CNA)

long-term care policy a success.

Lai was speaking Saturday during a visit to Taitung in eastern Taiwan, where he went to inspect progress in implementing the government’s Long-term Care 2.0 plan. The plan is the Tsai Ing-wen administration’s program for taking care of the increasing elderly population in Taiwan.

Lai said that in order to make the plan a success, caregivers will need to able to earn higher salaries. At the same time, he said that Taiwan must set up departments in universities or vocational schools focused on training future caregivers. Lai also said that public respect for the profession of caregiving is also needed. He said the government hopes to put a stop to the high rate of turnover among caregivers and keep caregivers on the job long enough to gain experience.
[FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2017/11/25
By: Philip Liu

Slim margins meant that when production costs later increased and more overseas

Photo Credit : AP/達志影像

competition emerged, Taiwanese firms had little choice but to transplant their factories offshore.

Factories of Hon Hai Precision (also known as Foxconn) and other major Taiwanese contract manufacturers are currently running at full capacity churning out the iPhone 8 and other new models launched by Apple.

Economists regularly disparage Taiwan’s continued heavy reliance on contract manufacturing – also known as Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) – and urge domestic industry to develop their own brands to command better margins and greater control over their business.    [FULL  STORY]