100th birthday of Taiwanese activist and dissident Su Beng will be held on Sunday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/01
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The 100th birthday party for the famous Taiwanese independence activist and former dissident Su Beng (史明) is to be celebrated on Sunday (Nov. 5) on Ketagalan Boulevard, announced the Su Beng Education Foundation at a press conference held on Oct. 12.

During the press conference, Taiwan Society President Liao I-en (廖宜恩) expressed his hope that the event would not only help young people learn about the life of Su Beng, but also help them understand why they should learn from his spirit, and continue to pursue independence for Taiwan.

Su Beng, who also attended the press conference, affirmed that Taiwan is closer to democracy and freedom than before, however it is still very far from independence. He expressed hope that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) can run for re-election and win a second term, thereby accelerating the implementation of reform in Taiwan, reported Apple Daily.

Though Su Beng was born on November 9, 1918, which will make him 99 years old based on the Western convention, according to the Chinese method of age reckoning he will be 100 years old.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/01
By: Joseph Yeh 

Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) A joint letter signed by 36 United States senators from across party lines released on Tuesday has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to keep Taiwan in mind ahead of his trip to China later this month.

“As you discuss critical issues including North Korean nuclear proliferation and trade priorities, we urge you to remain mindful and an advocate of our vital partnership with Taiwan,” said the letter, signed by 23 Republicans, 12 Democrats and one independent.

The signatories include Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the co-chairs of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, as well as John McCain (R-AZ) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), among others.    [FULL STORY]

The China Post
Date: November 1, 2017
By: Christie Chen and Chen Wei-ting

TAIPEI (CNA) – Chinese visitor arrivals to Taiwan increased 4.8 percent in September

from the same month last year, showing growth for the second consecutive month since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office 17 months ago, according to the latest statistics released by Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau.

The data showed that 222,055 Chinese nationals visited Taiwan in September, compared with 211,838 in the same month last year, which represented growth of 4.8 percent.

It was the second month of growth, as Chinese visitor arrivals increased year-on-year in August for the first time during Tsai’s presidency.

Despite the growth in September, however, the numbers remained lackluster compared with the 341,991 recorded in September 2015.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-10-31

President Tsai Ing-wen announced Tuesday that Taiwan will grant visa waiver status to

nationals of its six diplomatic allies in the Pacific, including the Marshall Islands. Tsai is in the Pacific nation on the first leg of her trip to three Pacific allies.

Tsai was addressing the country’s Legislature when she made the announcement. She said, “I would like to take this opportunity to announce that in the near future, Taiwan will give its six diplomatic allies in the Pacific including the Marshall Islands visa waivers to their nationals. I believe our relationship with each other will be enhanced further.”

Tsai said under the leadership of the speaker of the Legislature, Kenneth Kedi, the Marshall Islands passed a resolution in August 2016 on strengthening relations with Taiwan. Tsai said the move affirms the importance the Marshall Islands places on its ties with Taiwan. The president said Taiwan pushes for diplomacy that provides mutual assistance for mutual benefits for its diplomatic allies.

In addition to the Marshall Islands, Taiwan’s allies in the Pacific region include Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, Palau, Nauru and Kiribati.    [SOURCE]

‘Who drove my car?’ asks drunk driver after he kills scooter driver and pretends to be a passenger of his own car

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/10/31
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After catapulting a scooter driver to her death, a drunk driver posed as a clueless passenger in the back of his car yesterday evening (Oct. 30) in New Taipei, reported CNA.

While he was driving his silver Mercedes-Benz along Provincial Highway 2 between Jinshan and Danshui Districts in New Taipei City at about 7 p.m., a 37-year-old driver surnamed Liao (廖) his vehicle smashed into a woman driving a scooter surnmed Lu (呂), sending her sailing into the air several meters away.

Lu was rushed to the Jinshan Branch of National Taiwan University Hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries.

When police arrived at the scene and approached Liao’s vehicle, they found him lying on the ground next to a passenger seat in the rear of the vehicle with his legs still inside the car. In addition to claiming to be a passenger, he asked the police “How did I get here, who drive my car?”    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/10/31
By: Miao Zong-han and Evelyn Ka

Taipei, Oct. 31 (CNA) Taiwanese citizens who join China’s Communist Party could face

a fine of NT$100,000 to NT$500,000 (US$3,390-US$16,950) for violating Taiwan’s law, Mainland Affairs Council head Chang Hsiao-yueh (張小月) said Tuesday.

Chang issued the warning after Taiwanese native Lu Li-an (盧麗安) served as a delegate to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and after Wang Yuqing (王裕慶), a 39-year-old Taiwanese student studying at Peking University, told Hong Kong media that he is planning to join the party after China’s “two sessions” in 2018.

The annual two sessions refer to the plenary meetings of the country’s top political, legislative and consultative bodies, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC).    [FULL  STORY]

CENTRAL FIGURE:Chao Teng-hsiung was released on a record NT$550 million bail, but is restricted to his home and has been ordered not to leave the country

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 01, 2017
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday sought a jail sentence of 24 years for

Farglory Group (遠雄集團) founder Chao Teng-hsiung (趙藤雄) on charges that include bribery and breach of trust in cases involving several public construction projects.

After a four-month investigation, prosecutors yesterday indicted 31 people, including Chao, New Taipei City Councilor Chou Sheng-kao (周勝考) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and former Taipei Department of Finance commissioner Lee Sush-der (李述德).

At 8pm, Chao, considered the central figure in the four cases relating to Farglory Group, was released on a record bail of NT$550 million (US$18.23 million).

The judge imposed restrictions on Chao’s movement, ordering him to remain within his home, prohibiting him from leaving the country and requiring him to report to his local police station every day.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: October 31, 2017
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Evelyn Kao

MAJURO, the Marshall Islands (CNA) – President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) planned visit

to the Solomon Islands will proceed as scheduled despite the mass resignation of Cabinet ministers from the government last weekend, a Taiwanese official said Tuesday.

Tsai is scheduled to arrive in the Solomon Islands on Wednesday night as the country faces political uncertainty.

Seven Cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga, tendered their resignation on Oct. 28, bringing the country’s government to the verge of collapse.

Despite the resignations, however, Tsai will give a speech at the Solomon Islands National Parliament as scheduled on Nov. 2, according to Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維).    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan is second only to Germany when it comes to recycling, but the country and its ambassadors are too humble when it comes to marketing leadership in the sector.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/10/30 
By: Mark Stocker

A concerted effort by the government and private enterprises to market Taiwan’s green achievements abroad would not only benefit the nation’s image, it would also create more business opportunities for Taiwan’s brands, products and services.

When one is asked to identify the nations that lead the world in the greening of their economies, countries such as Germany tend to spring to mind for most of us. In fact, it is generally the nations of Western Europe and Scandinavia that are recognized as de facto leaders in recycling, sustainability, and green industry. Unbeknownst to many, however, Taiwan has quietly surpassed a majority of these countries in its rates of recycling, putting the island nation in the top three of most global benchmarks.

You might be skeptical, and if you are I don’t blame you. For all that Taiwan is achieving in the greening of its economy, the island does not have much of a reputation for green leadership. The truth is that many still associate Taiwan with a dirty past. A time when economic performance took precedent over environmental protection. Unfortunately for Taiwan, the nation’s reputation remains stuck in this past, due in part to Taiwan’s lack of assertiveness in marketing its recent achievements.    [FULL  STORY]

Family of 4 dies on the 4th floor from a massive inferno after going to Halloween party

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/10/30
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A family of four was killed by a fire that engulfed in their

home on Yangping Road in Taipei in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to the Taipei City Government Fire Department.

After attending a Halloween party on Saturday evening and returning home to turning in for bed, a massive fire suddenly broke out at around 3:00 a.m. on the third floor of their building, trapping them in their fourth floor apartment. Neighbors who heard their cries for help for until about a minute before the fire department arrived, and then they went silent.

The Taipei Fire Department said that after receiving a call about the fire at 3:16 a.m., they dispatched 34 fire trucks and ambulances and 90 rescuers, who arrived at the scene at 3:22 a.m. When rescue crews arrived, the entire 3rd and 4th floors were completely engulfed in flames and it took firefighters until 4:46 a.m. before they were able to extinguish the blaze.    [FULL  STORY]