Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-18
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Barely hours after returning from a visit to the United States, the capital’s outspoken mayor

chaired a meeting of his three deputies and key city government officials to discuss the latest developments surrounding the Taipei Dome. Work on the 40,000-seat stadium complex was halted last year amid disputes between the city and the developer, the Farglory Group.

An arbitration meeting is expected to take place next week to discuss the delays in finishing up work on the stadium. The request for the arbitration was initiated by Farglory.

The prime concern of the city government was still whether the complex in its present form was safe or not, Ko reportedly said.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/18
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, March 18 (CNA) Besides obesity, inflammatory T cells in the immune system may

cause type 2 diabetes, especially in Asian people, a local research team said Friday.

After four years of research, the team of researchers from the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) and Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH) found that a lack of the enzyme MAP4K4 (Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4) might cause inflammatory T cells to increase and become activated, which could then bring about type 2 diabetes.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the latest findings, the team said that the lack of MAP4K4 and the increase of inflammatory T cells are highly correlated to high levels of blood glucose among type 2 diabetes patients, and unrelated to body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference.

They also found that the lack of MAP4K4 might be caused by its DNA methylation, which changes the enzyme’s DNA structure.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: March 18, 2016

Taiwan exporters of products included in the World Trade Organization’s expanded

Information Technology Agreement can expect to save US$820 million per year once the pact takes effect July 1.

The ITA includes 136 products in which Taiwan enjoys market advantages. These are components for display devices and mobile phones, GPS navigation equipment, integrated circuits, memories, polarizers and set-top boxes, among others, according to the Office of Trade Negotiations under the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs March 18.

Under the agreement, 73 percent of such local exports will gain duty-free access to 10 key markets this year, with tariffs on another 19 percent abolished by 2019. As Taiwan’s annual exports and imports of covered products are estimated at US$90 billion and US$62.7 billion, respectively, net savings in tariffs can reach US$820 million a year.

Display components are one of Taiwan’s most profitable exports. A total of 75 percent of shipments are sent to mainland China at rates of 6 percent to 8.4 percent, all of which will be eliminated in three years.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/17
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) The government-funded seasonal influenza vaccination program will be expanded and made available free of charge to more people starting Oct. 1 through physician and public health clinics in light of the current influenza epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

In Taiwan, the flu season is considered October through March. The CDC said that over the past few years, doses of free flu vaccine were made available from Oct. 1 for high-risk groups, including people aged 65 and over; children between the ages of six months and elementary school students; patients with rare or acute diseases; health care workers; pregnant women, and people aged between 50 and 64 with high-risk chronic illnesses.

This year, the CDC will ask for NT$600 million (US$18.5 million)-700 million (US$21.5 million) in funding from the central government for the procurement of more flu vaccine doses, so that the agency can make an estimated 6.15 million doses available for eligible recipients, about 2.99 million doses more than last year, the agency said.      [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/17
By: Chen Chia-lun, Scarlett Chai and Elaine Hou

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) Taiwan expressed regret Thursday over a decision

by The Gambia and China to resume diplomatic ties two years after the African country severed relations with Taiwan.

Earlier in the day, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Gambia issued a joint statement, indicating that they had reestablished official relations after 21 years.

“It has been two years and four months since The Gambia unilaterally decided to break diplomatic relations with us on Nov. 14, 2013,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement. “We regret The Gambia’s decision to establish official ties with mainland China.”

In an effort to safeguard Taiwan’s interests, the MOFA said, it will stay highly alert to possible suppression by Beijing in the international arena.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: March 17, 2016

Former ROC Minister of Finance Lin Chuan was tapped March 15 as

premier by President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, reflecting the reform mindset of the incoming Democratic Progressive Party administration.

A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign-trained economist, Lin was described by the DPP chairwoman as an effective communicator capable of quickly and effectively implementing policy. “I expect Lin and the new Cabinet to initiate root-and-branch policy reforms spanning the economy, politics and society,” Tsai said.

“We will work hand in hand to rebuild the people’s trust in government.”     [FULL  STORY]