‘OUT OF WHACK’:Activists said Taiwan is dependent on China for a disproportionate 40 percent of its trade, and the focus should be on domestic competitiveness

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 22, 2015
By: Abraham Gerber  /  Staff reporter

The trade in goods agreement being negotiated with China would benefit large

corporations at the expense of farmers and small businesses, civic activists said yesterday, calling for talks to be halted.

About 20 protesters from 10 different civic groups gathered outside the entrance of Taipei’s Grand Hotel, lining up behind a long black banner condemning the talks. The hotel is the site for the latest round of talks, which began yesterday and are scheduled to conclude tomorrow.

Protesters shouted a series of slogans demanding that government negotiators not concede the interests of farmers and workers, shouting that negotiations should be halted until there was “democratic participation” and “civic unity.”

Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said that based on the government’s negotiating objectives, large corporations controlling the petrochemical, flat-panel display and automotive industries would be the major domestic beneficiaries of any agreement. Any Chinese concessions to the industries would be linked to opening up thousands of new product categories to Chinese imports, he said.     [FULL  STORY]

BBC News
November 20, 2015

Many people in Taiwan thought racism and prejudice didn’t exist in their society –

until a viral video of a British man and his Taiwanese girlfriend being verbally abused on the subway last week touched off a soul-searching debate that’s continued to trend.

Last month, Christopher Raymond Hall and his girlfriend were taking the subway in Taipei when, Hall says, his girlfriend noticed a Taiwanese man staring and mouthing words at her. They moved to the next carriage, but the man followed and began insulting them.

The man, later identified as a Mr Liao, told the couple: “Just look at his ugly face. Just look at you, this kind of whore, with this piece of trash foreigner… The whole of Taiwan despises you.”

Liao continued to insult Hall for several minutes, calling him a “loser” who came to Taiwan because he couldn’t find a girlfriend back home. Hall tried to ask a series of questions and find out the man’s name, without much luck, and when the train stopped, he and his girlfriend got off.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: November 20, 2015

A three-year, NT$30 billion (US$921 million) program to boost the development of

long-term care services for the elderly and disabled in Taiwan was passed by the Cabinet Nov. 19.

Aiming to enhance the quality and productivity of the long-term care industry, the initiative will integrate public and private resources, Premier Mao Chi-kuo said, adding he expects to see a healthy business environment in place when related insurance and service bills take effect in 2017.

“Services targeting the needs of society’s elderly members are projected to see exponential growth going forward,” he said. “Building on the raft of measures scheduled for implementation, the government is working to create a sustainable ecosystem with a sufficient workforce and active participation from enterprises.”

Mao made the remarks after being briefed on the program by the Ministry of Health and Welfare during a Cabinet meeting in Taipei City.     [FULL  STORY]

Would you like fries with your history?

Huffington Post
Date: 11/18/2015
By: Nina Golgowski

A historic villa once home to Taiwan’s former president, Chiang Ching-kuo,

opened its doors on Friday as a McDonald’s McCafe, The Guardian reported. But not everyone’s “lovin’ it.”

Chiang’s grandson, who briefly resided in the villa in 1948 with his father, Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, is outraged over its commercialization.

“I don’t understand, opening a McDonald’s in the villa … how exactly does that adhere to regulations on correct usage of cultural heritage sites?” Demos Chiang wrote on China’s microblogging site, Weibo, according to the BBC.

The McDonald’s opened a month after part of the two-story lakeside home was converted into a Starbucks and more than a decade after Hangzhou city officials designated the property a cultural heritage site in 2003.      [FULL  STORY]

Bloombnerg News
Date: 24 Nov 19, 2015
By: Noah Feldman

The U.S. and Europe have spent the last week focused on Islamic State, but the

possibility of conflict between China and Taiwan is far more dangerous to the world’s security. An important development took place Nov. 7, when Chinese President Xi Jinping met for a historic summit with Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou.

The meeting has been variously interpreted. But the best read is that it was a warning from China to Taiwanese voters not to move toward independence. That’s particularly worrisome, because Ma’s nationalist Kuomintang Party (KMT) is widely expected to lose upcoming elections to the independence-minded Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Although China and Taiwan have deep trade ties, this was the first public encounter between the leaders of the two countries since Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek met for talks in 1945. It was therefore calculated on both sides to have maximum public effect. And it matters, in symbolic political terms at least, that Xi is the heir to Mao’s leadership of the Communist Party while Ma is head of Chiang’s KMT.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-19
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je reiterated that he will not stand by anyone during election

campaigns even though he is well acquainted with five of the three groups of candidates, reports said Thursday.

“Rest assured that I will remain unbiased, and will not stand to voice public support for anyone during the campaign period,” Ko said.

Ko’s response came during a food agricultural produce exhibition in Taipei, where he was asked by reporters who he would root for in the January election.

Amongst the six candidates bidding for the presidency and vice presidency, the mayor said the only person he is unfamiliar with is Jennifer Wang, who is currently Kuomintang presidential candidate Eric Chu’s running mate     [FULL  STORY]