SYMBOLISM:The museum’s layout was designed to resemble the mythical Jinwu bird, representing the National Police Administration’s commitment to protect society

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 21, 2016
By: Wang Kuan-jen and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The National Police Administration (NPA) is usually considered a secretive

Police uniforms from different eras are displayed at the National Police Historical Museum in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Huang Tun-yen, Taipei Times

and closed-off government agency, but many people would be surprised to learn of the museum within its halls documenting the history of the nation’s police force.

Located within the NPA building in Taipei, the museum covers 406m2 and features more than 2,000 items and documents, including some dating back to the Japanese colonial era.

Among the documents and items are the results of a census carried out in 1906, a pennant for winning a Kendo competition in 1924 and a plaque that was hung on the police station’s wall in 1931.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-20
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Indigenous citizens of Taiwan should no longer have to spell their names in Chinese characters on their ID, Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Kolas Yotaka said Saturday, on the eve of International Mother Language Day.

Since the 1990s, indigenous citizens have been allowed to add their names in Romanized spelling on the ID documents, but a version in Chinese characters remained obligatory.

Kolas Yotaka said Saturday she had proposed a piece of legislation to abolish the latter requirement. The change would also have an impact on elections, where indigenous candidates would be able to have bilingual texts about their policies and proposals written on official election documents sent to every voter.     [FULL  STORY]

TAKING IT ONLINE:Hung Hsiu-chu said that she has always been happy to talk to young people, adding that she would be answering questions on her Facebook page

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 21, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

Former deputy legislative speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday said that

Former deputy legislative speaker Hung Hsiu-chu gestures during a book launch in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

her absence from a debate organized by pro-reform Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members for candidates in the KMT’s chairperson by-election was not to dodge questions from young people, adding that she did not attend due to a scheduling conflict.

Hung said the claims that her absence from the event were an attempt to avoid questions from the party’s younger members was not true, adding that she has always been happy to talk to young people and would offer her answers on Facebook later.

She did not participate in the debate because she had to be in Chiayi for an activity that had been scheduled earlier, Hung said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-19
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – New Taipei City Mayor Eric Liluan Chu gave a cautious response Friday to unexpected comments from one of the island’s most influential tycoons that he should hurry up and become more efficient instead of seeking higher office.

Chu took up the Kuomintang’s presidential candidacy late in the campaign and went on to suffer a crushing defeat in the January 16 presidential and legislative elections, leading him to give up the party leadership.

On Thursday, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Chairman Terry Gou expressed impatience with the failure of Chu’s New Taipei City Government to approve his company’s plans to find land for a “smart dormitory” for new employees.

The city administration should become more efficient and hurry up, Gou told reporters, while adding that Chu should stop seeking higher office, an apparent swipe at the KMT politician’s failed presidential bid.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/19
By: Zoe Wei and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Feb. 19 (CNA) A concentration of dust from China will hit Taiwan on Saturday afternoon but will not be strong enough to reach the threshold to be called a “dust storm,” the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said Friday.

Tsai Hung-te (蔡鴻德), head of the EPA’s Department of Environmental Monitoring and Information Management, said the wave of dust is not expected to have a serious impact on Taiwan, but he still urged people who are sensitive to dust to take precautions.

“The wave of dust consists mostly of larger PM10 particles, and after the dust wave passes the outlying Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu archipelagos at around noon on Saturday, the PM10 concentration in those areas will reach between 100 and 150 micrograms per cubic meter,” Tsai said.

The impact of the phenomenon will be limited, he said, because the ice in Inner Mongolia in China has yet to melt and large volumes of sand particles have yet to be dragged southward by seasonal northeasterly winds.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: February 19, 2016

An agreement eliminating double taxation and minimizing tax evasion was

Taiwan is set to see international trade and exports boosted by the signing of more tax treaties and bilateral investment agreements with major economic partners around the world. (CNA)

recently concluded by Taiwan and Italy, paving the way for further development of the bilateral trade relationship.

Taking effect Jan. 1, 2016, the pact prevents the levying of tax by both sides on the same asset, income or financial transaction. It is expected to bolster investment and trade activities spanning automobile parts, chemicals, clothing, logistics and pharmaceuticals.

The agreement also includes an adjustment mechanism for enterprises to handle transfer pricing and related issues.

ROC Ministry of Finance statistics revealed that Italy is Taiwan’s fifth largest trading partner in the EU, with two-way trade reaching US$4.13 billion in 2014.     [FULL  STORY]

TRADING PLACES:The party said that the DPP and KMT had switched their stances on transitions of power since 2008, and shortening the transition would limit controversy

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 20, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

Early presidential power transitions should be negotiated to shorten the

New Power Party (NPP) Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, second right, and three other NPP lawmakers during a press conference in Taipei yesterday stress the urgency of passing legislation regulating the transfer of government power. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

interregnum between administrations, New Power Party (NPP) legislators said yesterday.
At a press conference presenting the party’s version of a proposed presidential transition act, NPP caucus whip Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to cooperate to shorten the current four-month transition period.

“The proposed ‘transition act’ should not become a tool for parties to attack each other,” he said, adding that the DPP and KMT had switched stances since the last transition of power in 2008.

In 2008, then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the DPP handed over power to incoming president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the KMT.

DPP president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), elected in the Jan. 16 presidential election, is slated to take office on May 20.     [FULL  STORY]