Taipei mayor demands objective criteria

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/11/15
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Following reports that top pop stars like A-mei had been blacklisted by the

Taipei Arena, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je called Tuesday for an investigation and for objective criteria in dealing with concert applications.

A-mei, also known as Chang Hui-mei or Amit, provoked protests from residents of the area around the Taipei Arena when the jumping of fans during a concert in April last year caused tremors, reports said.

As a result of local consternation, two applications by the star to hold new concerts this year had been turned down, leading to speculation that the management of the Taipei Area had put her on a blacklist. Two other pop acts, South Korean group Big Bang and the hiphop band G.U.T.S., formed by stars MC Hot Dog, Chang Chen-yue and MJ116, had also been barred from the location due to past experience, reports said.

A proper method of handling applications by pop stars to perform at the Taipei Arena should be worked out, Ko said Tuesday, responded to the allegations of a blacklist.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/15
By: Justin Su and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Nov. 15 (CNA) Taiwanese nationals who commit aggravated fraud overseas will now be subject to punishment at home after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to the Criminal Code on Tuesday.

The amendment to Article 5 of the Criminal Code added “aggravated fraud” to the list of offenses committed “outside the territories of the Republic of China” to which the Criminal Code will apply, making it easier to prosecute the suspects at home.

The revision will take effect when it is promulgated by the president, a formality that usually takes about two weeks.

Under existing law, aggravated fraud is not among the offenses listed under Article 5, making it nearly impossible for prosecutors to go after alleged fraudsters after they return to Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Two statues donated by actor Jackie Chan to a newly opened museum in Taiwan were splashed with paint and daubed with anti-China slogans, reflecting growing tensions over Beijing’s influence on the island.

Asia
Date: November 14, 2016
By: AFP

Statues donated by pro-Beijing actor Jackie Chan to a top Taiwanese museum and later defaced by

anti-China protesters have been removed from display, officials said Monday, in a further sign of ties between the neighbours deteriorating.

Workers began to move the set of 12 zodiac animal sculptures from the garden of the National Palace Museum’s southern branch in the presence of several lawmakers from the ruling Beijing-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who had backed their removal.

The sculptures are copies of high-profile historic artefacts from China’s Qing Dynasty and are seen on the mainland as emblematic of the country’s suffering under foreign invaders.

The originals of the statues were looted from Beijing’s Summer Palace in 1860 by British and French troops.    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2016/11/14
By: Olivia Yang

The organizer of the two-day protest says the decision for such a crucial issue should not lie in the

hands of legislators but should be settled through a nation-wide referendum.

With Taiwan edging closer to becoming the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, nearly 100 people from various local anti-LGBT groups protested in Taipei over the weekend.

The anti-same-sex marriage protesters demanded the government hold a referendum to decide whether or not same-sex marriage should be legalized. They held signs with slogans such as, “same-sex marriage, loss of ethics,” and “diversified families a lie, sugar-coating sexual liberation with human rights,” on Ketagalan Blvd., which leads to the Presidential Office.

Organizer of the protest, pastor Deborah Hsing (忻底波拉), said marriage between the same gender does not have the function of reproduction and is not beneficial to a country’s sustainability, reports United Daily News. She said same-sex marriage is not a human right, but a “sexual liberation movement,” and will lead to a faster increase of the LGBT population. The pastor also said the decision for such a crucial issue should not lie in the hands of legislators but should be settled through a nation-wide referendum.     [FULL  STORY]

The Control Yuan said that it is giving inspection priority to the military’s “new generation tanks” building plan

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/11/14
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

A high-ranking military officer told legislators on Monday that the Ministry of National Defense is

“negotiating” with the U.S. over the arms sales of M1A1, an American third-generation main battle tank.

In a Foreign and National Defense Committee meeting, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Shih-ying asked Deputy Defense Minister Po Hung-hui whether the next U.S. administration will sell more arms to Taiwan, and then asked him to “identify” from a list of American weaponry which are the most likely arms sales items to Taiwan.

Po said the M1A1 tank is the only item in the list that is currently under negotiation.    [FULL STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/14
By: Tai Ya-chen, Tony Liao and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) The appointment of Reince Priebus as the next White House Chief of Staff is

good news for Taiwan as Priebus is familiar with Taiwan-U.S. affairs, Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) said in a legislative session on Monday.

Lee said he is happy to see Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, receive such an important position because he has been a friend to Taiwan.

Priebus has visited Taiwan several times, including last year and during the Republic of China’s Centenary celebrations in 2011.

He also met with a delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers who visited the United States in July, Lee said, adding that Priebus has maintained good relations with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S.    [FULL  STORY]

FRIENDLY AND FAMILIAR:Reince Priebus, who was named as the next White House chief of staff, has visited Taiwan twice and last year met with President Tsai Ing-wen

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 15, 2016
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter

A change of government in the US will not affect Washington’s commitment to Taiwan, while Taiwan is

likely to benefit from a US Republican administration in securing arms deals, diplomatic and defense officials said yesterday.

US administrations have consistently shaped Taiwan-US relations according to the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances,” and US president-elect Donald Trump’s administration is not expected to deviate from that pattern, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) said during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

The US Republican Party incorporated the “six assurances” and the sale of defensive arms to Taiwan into the party platform in July, which the Trump campaign recognized, so a friendly US administration and deeper bilateral military relations could reasonably be expected, Lee said.

Last year, Taiwan was the US’ ninth-largest trade partner, seventh-largest destination for US agricultural exports, 19th-largest source of international visitors and seventh-largest source of international students, and has proven itself to be a solid partner to the US, Lee said.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: November 15, 2016
By: The China Post news staff

A top Council of Agriculture official offered his resignation Monday after being personally attacked at a

public hearing on whether to lift a ban on food imports from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Chen Chun-yen (陳俊言), director of the council’s Department of International Affairs, was on the receiving end of stinging attacks by Kuomintang New Taipei City Councilor Chen Ming-yi at a hearing on Sunday, though he was not present.

The councilor joined a chorus of criticism claiming that the public hearings were only showpieces organized to pave the way for the lifting of the ban.

Chen, who was involved in organizing the hearings, announced his intention to resign in a statement from Singapore, saying he would formally step down after returning to Taiwan.

However, Deputy Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chong-chi said the council would not accept the resignation.    [FULL  STORY]

The parents and their eldest daughter also fell into the river while trying to rescue the youngest daughter

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/11/13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Three members of a family of four died from drowning in a river near a tourist farm when they were visiting the place on Saturday.

A man surnamed Wu, his wife and their two daughters visited the Canyon Ecological Farm on Saturday, a tourist farm in Meishan Township in Chiayi County. Near 3 p.m., Wu’s youngest daughter reportedly fell into a river near the farm. The parents and their eldest daughter also fell into the river as they tried to rescue the youngest daughter.

Even though the life of the youngest daughter was saved, the other family members were drowning and eventually sank into the water. After they were pulled up from the river, their heartbeat and breathing had reportedly stopped. They were rushed to Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.

Forensic experts have confirmed drowning as their cause of death.

As the Wu family paid the entry fees to visit the farm, prosecutors are investigating whether the owner of the farm has any responsibility for the deaths of the three family members.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/13
By: Huang Chao-ping and Y.F. Low

New York, Nov. 12 (CNA) Taiwan’s relations with the United States are expected to keep moving steadily forward over the next four years, Taiwan’s representative to the United States said Saturday, addressing concerns about possible changes in U.S. foreign policy when its President-elect Donald Trump takes office next January.

Under the framework of the Taiwan Relations Act, bilateral cooperation and exchanges on trade, cultural, educational and security affairs will continue, Stanley Kao (高碩泰) said at a gathering of the Taiwan Merchants Association of New York.

In the five months since Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office, Taipei and Washington have been interacting with each other under the principles of mutual trust, low profile exchanges, and no surprises, Kao said, adding that bilateral ties have remained stable and strong.

He said Taiwan still has a goal of taking part in the second round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations and will wait to see how things develop under the Trump administration and whether there are other options or possibilities.    [FULL  STORY]