No damage or injuries reported

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/03/04
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A magnitude-4.0 earthquake struck just off the coast of Yilan

County Saturday evening, but no immediate casualties or damage were reported.

The tremor struck at 6:33 p.m. at a spot 21.6 kilometers under the surface and 32.4 km southeast of the Yilan County Government, the Central Weather Bureau said.

The strongest intensity was recorded in the southern Yilan County town of Nan’ao and measured 3, the CWB said. An intensity level of 2 was measured in Heping in nearby Hualien County, while the intensity rated 1 in Yilan City.

On average, Taiwan registers about three earthquakes of a magnitude of 6 or higher per year, and most of the tremors strike along or just off the east coast, near the counties of Yilan, Hualien and Taitung.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/03/04
By: Chang Jung-hsiang and Romulo Huang

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) The 2017 Taiwan International Orchids Show opened in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan on Saturday with the participation of exhibitors from 28 countries, the organizers of the exhibition said that day.

With the theme of “Discover Sustainable Orchids,” more than 20,000 blooming orchid plants are being displayed at the exhibition site which are divided into four main exhibition halls.

The annual exhibition, considered as one of the three main international orchid shows, aims to prosper the orchid industry, increase the global trade, foster general public’s interest in appreciating the beauty of orchids and promote tourism in Taiwan.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 05, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday said that a flotilla of Chinese military

vessels had passed through the Taiwan Strait earlier in the day, heading southward along China’s east coast, after conducting a military exercise near the Japanese island of Miyakojima.

A destroyer, a supply ship and an escort vessel from China’s South China Sea fleet passed through the Miyako Strait — which lies between Miyakojima and Okinawa — into the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.

The flotilla was traveling west of the median line in the Taiwan Strait and was expected to leave Taiwan’s air defense identification zone by last night, the ministry said, adding that it was closely following the ships’ movement.   [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: March 5, 2017
By: CNA

Anti-gay marriage activists rally outside the Legislative Yuan, Saturday, March 4, holding placards highlighting their strong opposition to a marriage equality bill, education related to homosexuality and coverage of foreign HIV-infected patients by the national health insurance system.
[FULL  STORY]

‘Academic freedom should not be oppressed by politics,’ says Premier Lin Chuan.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/03/03
By: Rosemary Chen

Six Taiwan universities have signed a letter of agreement with certain Chinese universities, stating

classes offered to Chinese exchange students from these schools are to steer away from any politically sensitive content, especially those regarding cross-Strait relations.

Investigations were conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), and Minister Pan Wen-Chung (潘文忠) on March 2 said that the letters of agreement “have violated Article 33 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例),” which states that any contractual cooperation between Taiwanese and Chinese universities must be approved by the MOE and the nature of cooperation must not be politically motivated.

At a press conference on March 2, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-chin (葉宜津) said that by signing the agreement letter “would mean the acceptance of the One China principle by the Taiwanese universities,” reports Taipei Times.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese captain and Indonesian crew safe

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/03/03
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Taiwanese fishing trawler seized by Myanmar more than a month ago was

allowed to leave Friday after paying a fine, while its Taiwanese captain and nine Indonesian crew members were safe, reports said.

The Shing Chuang Jyi (興川吉), registered on the Pingtung County island of Liuchiu (琉球), had unloaded its cargo in Kawthaung, the southernmost town in Myanmar, on January 25, and was preparing to set course for neighboring Thailand when a military vessel stopped it and forced it to stay, reports said.

The captain, named as Tsai Jui-hsien (蔡瑞賢), and the crew were safe and their movements had not been restricted, according to a conversation the Liuchiu fisheries association had with the man on Friday.

The Myanmar military wondered why he had not halted his ship when the former used a warning light but waited until they fired a gun, Tsai said. The captain said he told the authorities he had never seen the warning light.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/03/03
By: Yang Shu-min and Lilian Wu

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) The Consumers’ Foundation on Friday pointed out several deficiencies in the mass

rapid transit (MRT) line linking Taipei and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which began commercial operation a day earlier.

The foundation also called for a lowering of fares for regular trains, noting that currently, the price for both regular and express trains is the same at NT$160 (US$5.16).

It is “more reasonable” to separate the prices, with regular fares cut to between NT$100-NT$120 to encourage commuters to use the line so as to attract more passengers and solve the problem of possible insufficient ridership, the foundation said.

It made the suggestions at a news conference in which it also criticized that direction signs for the airport MRT line are not comprehensive or clear enough.    [FULL  STORY]

PRESSURE:A national university promising to avoid certain course subjects shows that Shih Hsin University’s case was not isolated, DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei said

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 04, 2017
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

National Tsing Hua University was yesterday found to have signed a letter of agreement

with Chinese universities, promising prospective Chinese students that “one China, one Taiwan” would not be included in its course material.

The disclosure came one day after Shih Hsin University was found to have signed a similar document, constituting a possible breach of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例).

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) yesterday posted a photograph of a leaked “letter of commitment” signed by Tsing Hua, which states that “talented Chinese high-school graduates” who sign up for its courses will receive only professional education, adding that the school guarantees no mentions of cross-strait relations or “one Taiwan, one China” would be made in class.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: March 4, 2017
By: Joseph Yeh

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Two Taiwanese women have reportedly been missing in South Korea

since mid-February, it was revealed, after the mother of one of the women openly asked the government for assistance on Friday.

Asked to comment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said its representative office had passed on the information to Korean police, but so far they have received no further information on the whereabouts of the reportedly missing nationals.

The mother of one of the two women told local media that her daughter, Chiang Yun-yi (江芸儀), was originally working for a shipping company but had resigned last month. She previously said that she would be visiting South Korea on a “tour and study” trip with another Taiwanese woman surnamed Hsu (許) for three months.

Chiang also told her that a company was willing to pay her NT$30,000 per month during the three-month period, the mother said.    [FUILL  STORY]

The Star
2 March 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: Taiwan’s bustling night markets, mouth-watering food and iconic

Taipei 101 tower have long made it a favourite destination for non-Muslims in Malay-sia, particularly the Chinese community.

Muslims may have been deterred from visiting Taiwan in the past, viewing the country as not Muslim-friendly. But Taiwan is working hard towards shaking off that perception.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Hamzah Rahmat said all the necessary facilities such as halal food and prayer rooms in public places were now easily available there.

“Muslim travellers to Taiwan need not worry about food, as at least 93 hotels and restaurants in Taiwan have halal certification.    [FULL  STORY]