YACHT ACT:A replica boat that was damaged when launched in 2010 has proven inviable as regulations prohibit the boat having more than eight passengers

Taipei Times
Date: May 02
By: Hung Jui-chin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Tainan City Government recently unveiled plans to spend an additional NT$13 million

(US$402,714) to build a cultural park to house the replica of a Ming Dynasty junk that it had built five years ago.

The boat was built based on a drawing of Ming-era ships in the Matsura Historical Museum in Nagasaki, Japan, and was intended to follow the route of Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功) to Taiwan, Tainan Bureau of Cultural Affairs director Yeh Tse-shan (葉澤山) said.

Cheng, more commonly known to Westerners as Koxinga, expelled
Dutch colonists from Taiwan in 1662.

Construction of the boat received a great deal of attention both in Taiwan and abroad, including by National Geographic, but the vessel’s main mast broke during a sailing trial in 2010. As a result, the city government sued the designers, sailors and boat building company, asking for NT$7.6 million in reparations.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-05-02
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office on Monday indicted 13 people, including former Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Lin Hsi-shan, on charges of violations of the Anti-Corruption Act, the Government Procurement Act, and the Money Laundering Control Act.
According to prosecutors’ investigation, Lin has been suspected of requesting staff at the IT department of the Legislative Yuan to accommodate Far Net Technologies Co in several computer software and hardware procurement proceedings.

Lin is also suspected of leaking important information of procurement to Far Net Technologies owner Lee Pao-cheng, so that the company could win the tenders.

For return, Far Net Technologies Co paid bribes to Lin accumulating more than NT$39.5 million.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/02
By: You Kai-hsiang and Lilian Wu

Taipei, May 2 (CNA) Taiwan has not reinforced its deployment on Taiping Island, the largest of

the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said Monday.

The CGA was responding to a report that Taiwan recently sent a “platoon” of about 30 Coast Guard officers to Taiping, all of whom are trained in the use of guns.

The Liberty Times said Monday that the move was aimed at cushioning the impact of the stepped-up military deployments of other countries in the disputed waters.

The CGA said in a statement Monday that it transferred some of its people stationed on the Pratas Islands to Taiping Island on Oct. 16 to support the opening of a new wharf there on Dec. 12.     [FULL  STORY]

CHINA CARD:Su Chi said that Tsai’s administration lacks communication channels with China, and the situation is set to become more dangerous after her inauguration

Taipei Times
Date: May 02, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The recent detention of a Taiwanese fishing boat by Japanese authorities has underscored that

if Taiwan were to give up the “ace in its sleeve” — improved cross-strait relations — it would be accorded less dignified treatment, a former national security official said on Saturday.

Former National Security Council secretary-general Su Chi (蘇起) said that Japan’s attitude toward Taiwan is a warning signal to president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and the incoming Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.

Su said that a comparison of Japan’s behavior over the recent incident and a similar one eight years ago is an indication of how Taiwan would be treated if cross-strait relations deteriorate.

He was referring to Japan’s detention on Monday last week of a Taiwanese fishing boat east-southeast of Okinotori, an atoll in the Pacific Ocean that belongs to Japan.     [FULL STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-05-01
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Many labor groups across Taiwan staged a joint Labor Day demonstration in Taipei City Sunday

to reassert their positions on fighting for labor rights and protection.

In response, Tsai posted a photo that states the six guarantees she promised in her labor policy, saying that the new government will take steps to fulfill them.

The six guarantees include pay increase, reduction of working hours, protecting non-typical workers, supporting middle-to-old aged employment, taking care of workers with occupational injuries, and encouraging forming labor unions.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/01
By: Huang Li-yun and Kay Liu

Taipei, May 1 (CNA) Financial markets and banks in Taiwan will be closed Monday for employees to have a make-up day off for Labor Day, which falls on Sunday this year.

The Taiwan Stock Exchange, the Taiwan Futures Exchange and the operator of the over-the-counter stock market — the Taipei Exchange — will not open for trading Monday, according to their websites. Banks in Taiwan will also be closed.

The Ministry of Labor said in an April 18 statement that the May 1 Labor Day is a national holiday for laborers under the Labor Standards Act, and that if laborers are already having that day off because it falls on a Sunday, they can have an extra day off.

However, state-run Chunghwa Post Co., which also operates banking services, said post offices that open on Sunday will be closed for Labor Day, and that Monday will be a normal business day.     [FULL  STORY]

ONE-MONTH DEPLOYMENT:The vessels carry LED display boards reading: ‘We are exercising the freedom of fishing. Do not disturb’ in Chinese, English and Japanese

Taipei Times
Date: , May 02, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Two patrol boats yesterday left Kaohsiung for international waters near the Okinotori atoll in the

Western Pacific in response to a directive from President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to protect Taiwanese fishing boats operating in the area.

The deployment of a Coast Guard Administration (CGA) ship and one belonging to the Fisheries Agency came after a Taiwanese fishing boat, the Tung Sheng Chi No. 16, was seized on Monday last week by the Japan Coast Guard while operating in waters about 150 nautical miles (228km) from the uninhabited atoll.

The boat and its crew were released the following day after the boat’s owner paid a security deposit demanded by Japanese authorities.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/04/29
Compiled and translated by Shin-wei Chang

The New Power Party has announced a proposal to boost the monthly minimum wage from NT$20,008 to $26,867 (approximately US$620 to $832). In addition, the party wants a fine up to NT$1 million (approximately US$30,000) for employers violating the regulation.

New Power Party legislator Huang Kuo-chang says the minimum wage has remained very low for the past ten years. Despite the Consumer Price Index (CPI) lifting each year, Taiwanese workers do not have enough income to afford their daily expenses.

The New Power Party and the Taiwan Labor Front held a demonstration on April 29, calling for the law to be changed. Taiwan Labor Front says, according to the International Labour Office, the minimum wage should at least meet the costs workers face in raising a family. According to its equation, the minimum wage should be the minimum cost of living multiplied by the dependency ratio – this is the rate of dependents out of 100 working-age people. To meet that standard, the current minimum wage, which is NT$120 (approximately US$3.7), would need to lift 35% to NT$163 (approximately US$5) per hour.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-29
By: Luis Ko, Taiwan News

Everybody’s aim is to safeguard the public’s health, to take care of pig farmers, and to prevent trade disputes between Taiwan and the United States.

In fact, because Taiwan is small, its population is dense, environmental pollution problems are serious, there is no way like 10 to 20 years ago to raise 12 million pigs. A number like 6 million would be the maximum today.

Most countries are already importing pork in large quantities. What the dispute is about, is the import from the United States of pork containing residues of the leanness drug ractopamine.

The absolute priority is to preserve the income and profit margins of the Taiwanese pig farmers who raise a grand total of 6 million animals. If imports are liberalized, subsidies should be based on the average price over the past eight years, and each year there should be an average rise of 1.5 percent in order to have an effective ban on the domestic use of lean-meat drugs. The measure would protect the livelihood of the pig farmers, Taiwan’s agriculture and the environment.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/30
By: Liu Chien-pang and Elaine Hou

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) Taiwan will send two patrol ships Sunday to international waters near a

Japanese-controlled atoll in the Western Pacific to protect Taiwanese fishermen operating in the area.

In response to a directive issued by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), a nearly 2,000-ton Coast Guard Administration vessel and a ship belonging to the Fishery Agency under the Council of Agriculture will depart from the southern city of Kaohsiung for waters near Okinotori atoll to protect Taiwanese fishermen operating in the area.

The deployment of the two patrol boats comes after a Taiwanese fishing boat operating some 150 nautical miles from Okinotori was seized April 25 by the Japanese coast guard.

On Saturday, Premier Simon Chang (張善政) said that the Navy will be on standby to provide further assistance if needed.     [FULL STORY]