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Leadership showdown – Three emerge in a divisive race for the helm of an embattled party

The China Post
Date: January 9, 2017
By: James Lo

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Tensions rose Sunday ahead of a press conference this morning that will likely see the

Tensions rose Sunday ahead of a press conference this morning that will likely see the race for the Kuomintang (KMT) leadership expand to three candidates.

race for the Kuomintang (KMT) leadership expand to three candidates.

Meanwhile, one of the contenders, former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, announced that he would not seek the opposition party’s presidential candidacy while serving as chairman.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Hau said he believed politicians who constantly targeted higher positions were unable to fulfill their current duties.

The comments came after he encouraged his rivals to resist using the party’s leadership position as a stepping stone for higher office.

In a Facebook post Saturday announcing his bid for the KMT’s top job, Hau said the role “should not be used as a means to elevate one’s own political ambitions.”    [FULL  STORY]

The App Students in Taiwan Can’t Live Without

Ten questions with a co-founder of a Taiwan startup tapping into the nation’s university market.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/01/07
By: Yuan-ling Liang

Colorgy co-founder Marta Wu (吳順涵) talks about the sacrifices made in creating a mobile app already

Photo Credit: Reuters / 達志影像

used by one in every ten students in Taiwan, including getting kicked out of school.

The News Lens International (TNLI): What is the origin of Colorgy and when did you come up with the idea for the business?

Marta Wu: Back in summer two years ago, we were a bunch of restless college students trying to make a difference. We started out with a platform that sold textbooks, then moved on to a carpool service for college students, then a manpower dispatch service, and eventually the Colorgy calendar app. Since we started with the textbook service, we had a lot of curriculum data on our hands, and that’s how we naturally decided to develop the class schedule calendar app.

TNLI: Can you briefly describe what Colorgy does?

Wu: It’s a class schedule calendar app combined with recommended events for college students. When students are using the app, they not only see their class schedule but also see what interesting events are going on this week.    [FULL  INTERVIEW]

Young Taiwanese support independence even if it means war with China: poll

Taiwan on its way to solely Taiwanese identity: academics

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/07
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A total of 43 percent of Taiwanese younger than 40 support independence for

(By Taiwan News)

the island, even if it meant China would launch a military attack, according to a poll mentioned by four Taiwanese academics in a letter to the Washington Post.

“The Taiwanese see themselves as Taiwanese, not as Chinese,” reads the title on the analysis piece published by the authoritative United States newspaper in its Monkey Cage section and written by Fang-Yu Chen, Wei-ting Yen, Austin Horng-en Wang and Bryan Hioe.

In the piece explaining the background to relations between Taiwan and China, the four authors say that attitudes on the island have not been static, and reject U.S. President Barack Obama’s statement that the Taiwanese “won’t charge forward and declare independence” “as long as they can function with ‘some degree of autonomy.’”

The authors quote a survey conducted by the Election Study Center at National Chengchi University originated by Duke University political scientist Emerson Niu.    [FULL  STORY]

46 people arrested on boat carrying illegal Vietnamese immigrants

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/07
By: Wang Chao-yu and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) A Taiwan fishing boat carrying illegal Vietnamese immigrants was intercepted off the

Photo provided by a private citizen

coast of Yilan Friday night and 46 people were arrested, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said Saturday.

It said 40 of the people arrested were illegal Vietnamese immigrants — 25 men and 15 women — who were packed into a space that was only 1.2 meters high.

The other six people were the captain and crew of the Wun Shun Man No. 66 (穩順滿66號), a fishing vessel registered in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, the CGA said.

The boat was intercepted 9.2 nautical miles off the coast of Yilan in northeastern Taiwan after the CGA received a tipoff that it was carrying illegal immigrants, said Shen Da-wei (沈大偉), deputy chief of CGA’s Northern Coastal Patrol Office.    [FULL  STORY]

Masked people confront HK lawmakers

INTIMIDATION:Protests and a verbal assault against Hong Kong lawmakers were aimed at telling them never to return to Taiwan, the vice chairman of a pro-unification group said

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 08, 2017
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

Several people wearing masks confronted pro-localization Hong Kong lawmakers who arrived in Taipei

Pro-unification protesters chant slogans outside the Songjiang 101 International Convention Center in Taipei during a political forum hosted by the New Power Party yesterday. Photo: AFP / Sam YEH

late on Friday night, sparking allegations of an attempt by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to interfere with their meetings in Taiwan.

Hong Kong lawmakers Edward Yiu (姚松炎), Nathan Law (羅冠聰) and Eddie Chu (朱凱迪) arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport after midnight and were confronted by more than 100 protesters associated with the pro-unification Patriot Association.

Several people wearing masks and black clothes rushed toward the lawmakers as they walked into the airport lobby, shouting at them to leave Taiwan, before a police escort held them back, allowing the lawmakers to make their way to a waiting car.

The incident raised suspicions of CCP involvement to hamper planned exchanges between the lawmakers and the New Power Party (NPP), which invited them to participate in two political forums over the weekend.    [FULL  STORY]

No free breakfast, but Costco opens to crowds

The China Post
Date: January 8, 2017
By: CNA

TAIPEI — Costco, an American membership-only wholesale club, on Saturday attracted huge crowds at

Shoppers wait in line to enter Costco’s new location in New Taipei’s Xinzhuang District on Saturday, Jan. 7. (CNA)

its new store in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei.

But notably absent was the offer of a free breakfast, as has been customary at previous openings of new outlets in Taiwan.

Instead, Costco was offering its members discounts of up to 50 percent on select products at the new store, a decision it said was aimed at preventing the traffic jams that have occurred in the past when it provided free breakfast at the opening of new stores in Taiwan.

On Saturday, some 500 people had already lined up at the new Xinzhuang outlet about 30 minutes before its scheduled opening at 8:30 a.m. and within half an hour the number had increased to around 3,000.

A man surnamed Tsai, who was first in line to enter the store, said he had been queuing up since 4 a.m. to buy clothing.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Filmmaker Denies ‘Pro-Independence’ Claim by Chinese Media

The Taiwanese director is now being accused of bowing to Chinese pressure.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/01/06
By: ZiQing Low

Taiwanese film director Chen Yu-hsun (陳玉勳) has denied accusations leveled at him by Chinese news

Photo Credit: Reuters/達志影像

website Guancha.cn that he is a supporter of Taiwanese independence. His denial, made via a statement on Facebook, comes as his fourth feature film, “The Village of No Return,” is set to be released in cinemas on Jan. 28.

“The Village of No Return” is co-funded by interests in Taiwan and China, and features actors from both countries.

Chinese media have for some time accused the award-winning filmmaker of backing Taiwanese independence, based on his support of the 2014 Sunflower Movement — which opposed the signing of a services and trade pact between Taiwan and China and led to the occupation of the Legislative Yuan by protesters — but until now the director has remained silent about the issue.

Chen’s sudden address of the accusations has led some in Taiwan to speculate that he has faced pressure from Beijing, Chinese-language Liberty Times reports.    [FULL  STORY]

Nine restaurant chains face questioning over price hikes

List includes Pizza Hut and top Taiwanese brand names

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/06
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Nine restaurant chains, including Pizza Hut, faced questioning by government

Photos from www.8way.com.tw (By Central News Agency)

officials next week over plans for price hikes possibly related to recent workweek reform, the Consumer Protection Committee announced Friday.

The government promised it would crack down on companies using the changes in the workweek for employees as an excuse to push through unfair price hikes for customers.

The CPC, a unit of the Executive Yuan, said it would spend Monday and Tuesday talking to representatives of nine companies, including Pizza Hut, bakery Mr. Mark, Formosa Chang, dumpling chain 8way, beef noodle specialist Sanshang Qiaofu 3375 and Bullfight steakhouses.

The selection was the result of visits to 30 fastfood chains, drink providers, movie theaters and places of entertainment on January 4, the CPC said. The nine companies had told the CPC they had plans to raise prices in the near future.    [FULL  STORY]

American priest gets ROC ID after 54 years

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/06
By: Chang Jung-hsiang and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) American Catholic priest Brendan O’Connell (甘惠忠) finally obtained a Republic of China identification card

Friday after living and serving in Taiwan for more than half a century.

“I’ve waited for this ID for 54 years,” the 81-year-old said upon receiving the card from Premier Lin Chuan (林全), who visited him at the Bethlehem Foundation in Tainan to present the ID to him.

O’Connell said he has always seen himself as a Taiwanese and that he loves Taiwan because the Taiwanese people love him.    [FULL  STORY]

Hung may face at least two challengers

‘SERIOUS CONSIDERATION’:Former vice president Wu Den-yih said that he must ‘shoulder a portion of the burden of responsibility’ when the party is in distress

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 07, 2017
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) might face at least two challengers

Former vice president Wu Den-yih speaks to reporters during a visit to Harvard University’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies in Cambridge, Massachusetts, yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Taipei Photojournalist Society

in the party’s chairperson election in May, as former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) are expected to announce their bids at separate news conferences on Monday.

Wu, who briefly served as interim KMT chairman in December 2014 after then-party leader Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) stepped down over an electoral defeat, yesterday confirmed, although ambiguously, that he is interested in vying for the KMT chairmanship.

“Despite being only an opposition party at the moment, the KMT must nevertheless do its utmost to scrutinize the ruling party to ensure that our nation can continue to improve and develop. Many of my fellow party members are looking to me to fulfill those expectations,” Wu said yesterday.

Wu said as both the nation and the party had offered him significant assistance when he served as KMT vice chairman, premier and lawmaker, he must “shoulder a portion of the burden of responsibility” when the party is in distress.    [FULL  STORY]