The China Post
Date: October 20, 2017
By Liu Lee-jung and Isabel Wang

TAIPEI (CNA) – Taiwan’s Interior Minister Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) announced

Thursday at the Internal Administration Committee of the Legislative Yuan that electronic identity cards (eID) will be issued within a year.

Yeh told legislators that his ministry, in an attempt to communicate fully with the public on this issue, has conducted seminars and phone interviews with people in Taiwan regarding replacing the current ID cards with electronic ones.

The government understands that eID cards is a global trend nowadays and it has been mulling the issue of switching to electronic cards that contain a chip to store all kinds of personal information, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-10-19

The deputy minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Lin Cheng-yi, says China’s

top leader Xi Jinping adopts both hard and soft tactics in talking about Taiwan. Lin was speaking Thursday after Xi gave a three-and-a-half-hour speech at the Communist Party’s 19th National Congress on Wednesday. The MAC is the government body responsible for charting China policy.

Lin said the MAC has been closely following issues concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao contained in Xi’s speech. Lin said Xi opposed Taiwan’s independence but also said he hoped Taiwan and China can collaborate more. He cited issues including the fight against drugs, pornography, gambling and organized crime. Lin said Xi is acting tough but talking soft.

Lin said, “What was said at the 19th National Congress concerning cross-strait relations was not new. It is a continuation of the cross-strait policy from when Xi first took office. There are both soft and hard tactics that he’s taking. In his speech, he did not mention using force. He’s acting tough but talking soft at the same time.”
[FULL  STORY]

Author of ‘The Chinese Invasion Threat’ says PLA is being prepared for the invasion of Taiwan, at every level of organization.

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/10/19
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In part two of Taiwan News’ interview with Ian Easton, author

of the new book “The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan’s Defense and American Strategy in Asia,” he breaks down China’s plans to invade Taiwan in detail, how far it is in its planning, what signs to look for, how it would differ from the Normandy invasion and a glimpse at out how he gathered this secret information.

What do China’s plans to invade Taiwan entail?

The Chinese are not just creating plans alone, they are also preparing the forces they need to execute those plans. Early in January of 2016, they began a series of structural reforms of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including the way it was organized and equipped. If you look at what they’ve done they are preparing the PLA for the invasion of Taiwan, at every level of organization.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/10/19
By: Chen Wei-ting and William Yen

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) Two infants from Kiribati, who were born with cleft lips and

palates, have undergone surgery in Taiwan and are now recovering well, one of their Taiwanese doctors said Thursday in Taipei.

The two babies, Langley Beniata and Iotebwa Kantaro, were brought to Taiwan on Sept. 23 with the assistance of the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation (NCF), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Their cases were brought to the attention of the ministry and the two non-governmental organizations by doctor Wang Shih-hsin (王詩欣), who was working in Kiribati.

Wang saw the two infants in January and subsequently contacted the NCF, which helped make the arrangements for them to obtain treatment at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.    [FULL  STORY]

‘DETRIMENTAL’:The KMT has criticized the proposal to reclaim idle land, which is predicted to free up 604 hectares of industrial land within two years, as ‘authoritarian’

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 20, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter

The Cabinet and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday finalized a

draft bill that would allow the government to auction vacant private land in industrial parks in a bid to solve an industrial land shortage.

Land is one of five industrial shortages along with electricity, water, workforce and skilled workers.

The Cabinet on Saturday last week proposed a draft amendment to the Statute for Industrial Innovation (產業創新條例) that stipulates compulsory auction of vacant private land in industrial areas to free more space for factories and businesses.

Following days of controversy over the constitutionality of the proposal, it was finalized at a meeting between the Cabinet and the DPP caucus without any substantial changes.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: October 19, 2017
By: Tai Ya-chen and William Yen

LONDON (CNA) – National Taiwan University (NTU) has clinched 25th position in the

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asian University Rankings 2018, down four places from last year’s 21st, according to the rankings listed Tuesday.

In the latest edition of the QS rankings of universities in Asia, NTU ranked at the top among the 35 universities from Taiwan that were ranked this year.

Out of the 400 universities in the Asian rankings, 11 Taiwanese universities made it into the top 100, including National Tsing Hua University at 32nd, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) at 35th and National Chiao Tung University at 36th.

The QS Asian University Rankings is part of the annual QS World University Rankings, which uses indicators such as academic reputation, papers per faculty and citations per paper to compile the rankings.   [FULL  STORY]

‘Only time will tell if the DPP government is merely cultivating its own local supporters, or is sincere about recognizing indigenous sovereignty,’ writes Simon Scott.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/10/18
By: Scott Simon

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) began her term on May 20, 2016, full of promise for

Taiwan’s indigenous peoples. In her inauguration address, she promised to pursue transitional justice, rebuild an indigenous historical perspective, promote indigenous autonomous governance, restore indigenous languages and cultures, and improve indigenous livelihoods. Just over two months later, on Aug. 1, 2016 — Indigenous Peoples’ Day — she issued a formal apology at a ceremony with indigenous leaders at the presidential office. Tsai’s apology went further than those of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd or Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Whereas Rudd and Harper only apologized for mistaken policies of previous governments, Tsai atoned for 400 years of settler colonialism. Like her Australian and Canadian predecessors, she also announced the creation of a new commission, the “Commission for Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice.” During the event, indigenous protestors outside the Presidential Office Building on Ketagalan Boulevard called for respect of indigenous hunting rights. There are more than 550,000 indigenous people in Taiwan, accounting for about 2.5 percent of Taiwan’s population of 23.5 million.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs admitted Chinese President Xi Jinping’s stern message is probably to create a hurdle for Taiwan on the world stage

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/10/18
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The stern message in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech at the 19th Communist Party Congress in Beijing on Wednesday has caused headaches for the Taiwanese government. The Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee admitted that Taiwan is probably facing tough road ahead after Xi’s speech.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told the assembled members of the party Wednesday that the party “will never allow anyone, any organization, any political party, at any time or in any form, to separate any part of Chinese territory from the country.”

Apart from the same emphasis of the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, Xi made these two the prerequisites to conduct conversations between the two sides in Wednesday’s speech, rather than a framework under which both sides can seek a common ground through talks as stated in his speech at the same occasion in 2012, which at the time Taiwan was under the leadership of China-friendly Ma Ying-jeou.

In a briefing to the Legislature on Wednesday, David Lee admitted that Xi’s address is probably to create a hurdle for Taiwan on the world stage, and the ministry has no choice but to deal with it.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/10/18
By: C.H. Liao and Flor Wang

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) Leaders on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should show

wisdom, determination and patience to forge a new model for bilateral ties and lay a solid and long-lasting foundation for perpetual peace in the region, the Presidential Office urged Wednesday.

“We are keeping a close tap on the development in cross-strait relations and all situations in the region,” the Presidential Office said in a statement responding to remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier in the day.

Speaking at the opening of the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi stressed Beijing’s intent to safeguard its “one China principle” and the “1992 consensus” in handling cross-Taiwan Strait ties.    [FULL  STORY]

KEYS TO COMMUNICATION:The Mainland Affairs Council said that ‘artificial obstructions’ are the source of deadlock, while the Presidential Office issued a measured statement

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 19, 2017
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter, with agencies

It is difficult for Beijing’s unilaterally constructed “one China” principle to win public

recognition in Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in response to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) reiteration of Beijing’s determination to quash any Taiwanese pro-independence forces.

The council issued a statement expressing regret over Xi’s report yesterday at the opening ceremony of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 19th National Congress in Beijing, in which he reiterated Beijing’s adherence to its previous cross-strait policy.

“The differences in [political] systems and ideologies across the Taiwan Strait have not created a gulf in interactions over the past three decades. Rather, artificial obstructions and divisions have been the main causes of the worsening deadlock,” the council said.    [FULL  STORY]