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China to commemorate Sun Yat-sen to cement ties with Taiwan

The Hindu
Date: November 9, 2015
By: Atul Aneja

A CPPCC statement described Sun Yat-sen as a “great national hero, patriot and pioneer of

Sun Yat-Sen, father of modern China. Photo: The Hindu Archives

Sun Yat-Sen, father of modern China. Photo: The Hindu Archives

China’s democratic revolution”.

China has decided on to host a string of events next year to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sun Yat-sen — a major move to help bridge cross-strait ties with Taiwan.

The decision was taken on Sunday by the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, a day after the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying Jeou.

A CPPCC statement described Sun Yat-sen as a “great national hero, patriot and pioneer of China’s democratic revolution”.

The state-run tabloid Global Times quoted Lu Cuncheng, an academic focusing on Taiwan as saying that the “scale of the events could be equivalent to those that marked the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression”.     [FULL  STORY]

Ko says cross-strait issue is president’s ‘homework’

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-09
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je pointed out Monday that the issue on cross-strait relations is an

Ko says cross-strait issue is ‘homework’  Central News Agency

Ko says cross-strait issue is ‘homework’ Central News Agency

important “homework” reserved exclusively for the president of the Republic of China.

Ko made the remarks in response to media queries while accompanying children from the Ying-Qiao Elementary School in Taipei on a field trip to experience a day’s labor on urban farming.

“The motive behind this educational trip is for children to appreciate the fruits of the farmer’s labor,” Ko said.

Asked whether President Ma Ying-jeou’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week would pose pressure on Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen, Ko said the question is not about putting peer pressure, but a responsibility that the R.O.C. president has to contend with during his/her time in office.     [FULL  STORY]

NCKU designs, launches new hybrid rocket

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/09
By: Chang Jung-hsiang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) A new hybrid rocket built by a research team from National Cheng Kung 310541University (NCKU) was launched Oct. 28, the university announced Monday.

The rocket took off from a beach in Mudan Township, Pingtung County, and reached an altitude of 9 kilometers, a record high for a hybrid rocket launched by any university in Asia, according to the team leader, Chao Yi-chin (趙怡欽), director of the Aerospace Science Department of NCKU.

The rocket’s launch, which required 1,000 kilogram-force (kgf) thrust, represents a key technological breakthrough and indicates that the hybrid rocket development program can ultimately progress beyond the laboratory stage and enter the application stage, Chao said.

The rocket measures 5.3 meters in height, 28 cm in diameter and weighs 194 kg in take-off weight, according to Chao.     [FULL  STORY]

Ma-Xi meeting receives mixed public response

Taiwan Today
Date: November 9, 2015
By: United Daily News

The historic meeting between ROC President Ma Ying-jeou and mainland Chinese leader Xi

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou (second left) and mainland Chinese leader Xi Jinping (right) hold talks during their historic meeting Nov. 7 in Singapore. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou (second left) and mainland Chinese leader Xi Jinping (right) hold talks during their historic meeting Nov. 7 in Singapore. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

Jinping Nov. 7 in Singapore has been met with a mixed response from the public in Taiwan, according to a survey released Nov. 9 by local paper United Daily News.

Approximately 37.1 percent of respondents in the UDN poll approved of President Ma’s performance in the meeting, ahead of 33.8 percent who said they were dissatisfied and 23.3 percent who said they had no opinion.

When asked whether Ma should report to the Legislature on his talks with Xi, 52.9 percent of the respondents agreed, while 21 percent disagreed and 20.4 percent said they did not know.

Meanwhile, concerning which of the three candidates in Taiwan’s 2016 presidential election are most capable of maintaining stable cross-strait relations, the ruling Kuomintang’s Eric Chu received the most public support at 28.2 percent.     [FULL  STORY]

Flight attendants seek legal changes

WORKING HOURS:A new group said that discrepancies between flight operation rules and the Labor Standards Act mean airlines can make attendants work excessive hours

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 10, 2015
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union yesterday demanded immediate changes to the

Members of flight attendant and maintenance crew unions yesterday protest outside the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei.  Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Members of flight attendant and maintenance crew unions yesterday protest outside the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Aircraft Flight Operation Regulations (民用航空器飛航作業管理規則), saying that the rules have caused China Airlines (CAL) to overwork its flight attendants.

The union, which held a ceremony to mark its “official establishment” yesterday although the paperwork was completed in September, is made up mostly of China Airlines flight attendants.

Members of the China Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Labor Union and the attendants’ union protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei and asked to be able to participate in amending the regulations.

According to the protesters, many of the regulations conflict with the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法).     [FULL  STORY]

Opinion: Taiwan to follow Myanmar to turn around

Both ruling parties Union Solidarity and Development Party and the Kuomintang share one shocking thing about them – seeing party heavyweight ousted from an important role three months ahead of election, internal upheaval, and its own doom…

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-09
By: Sterling Hsiao, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

It was a touching and historic moment for the people in Myanmar as they witnessed their

Taiwan to follow Myanmar to turn around.  Associated Press

Taiwan to follow Myanmar to turn around. Associated Press

victory to democracy on Monday. The scene of celebrations from supporters of opposition party leader Aung San Suu Kyi was broadcasted to the entire world, just a day after the disputed Ma-Xi talks held in Singapore Saturday.

For those paying attention to Myanmar’s election in Taiwan, they will find both ruling parties USDP and KMT share one thing in common – apathy towards people’s suffering and being plagued with internal upheaval. Myanmar’s parliamentary speaker Shwe Mann was ousted from his role as party chairperson amid a power struggle three months ahead of the election.

Shwe Mann had been rumored to be discussing an alliance with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was sent to leave on August 13, according to the local media.     [FULL  STORY]

2 Chinas, ‘1 China, 1 Taiwan,’ Taiwan independence unconstitutional: Ma

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/09
By: Flor Wang

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Monday President Ma 24873611Ying-jeou (馬英九) expressedly told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Singapore that the Republic of China’s Constitution bans “two Chinas,” “one China. one Taiwan,” and “Taiwan independence.”

The MAC unveiled the full text of Ma’s talks in his historic summit with Xi (習近平) held Nov.7 in Singapore to prove that Ma did indeed mention the latter part of the “1992 consensus” during the meeting — that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are free to interpret the meaning of “one China.”

Ma said that since 2008, the two sides have jointly built peace and stability across the strait, which has gained recognition from people on both sides and from the international community.     [FULL  STORY]

China paper warns Taiwan on independence

SBS
Date: 8 Nov 2015
By: AAP

The main newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party says the push for Taiwan’s 2a0cf09c-5f8f-4c09-9f6d-e7cbbb6ded95independence must be stopped, a day after the two nations’ leaders met.

Those who wish to push for Taiwan’s independence risk overturning the “boat of peace” and must be stopped, the main newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party said a day after a historic meeting between China and Taiwan’s leaders.

Meeting in Singapore on Saturday, China’s President Xi Jinping told Taiwan’s president they must not let proponents of Taiwan’s independence split them, at the first get-together of leaders of the two sides since China’s civil war ended in 1949.

Ma Ying-jeou, president of self-ruled, democratic Taiwan, where anti-Beijing sentiment has been rising ahead of elections, called for mutual respect for each other’s systems and said Taiwan people were concerned about mainland missiles pointing their way.     [FULL  STORY]

Going Dutch with Xi – Taiwan recounts ice-breaking dinner

Reuters
November 8, 2015
By: J.R. Wu

TAIPEI (Reuters) – After waiting for more than six decades, it was a meal that lasted less

President Ma Ying-jeou and mainland leader Xi Jinping shake hands at the Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore before their private meeting, yesterday. (CNA)

President Ma Ying-jeou and mainland leader Xi Jinping shake hands at the Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore before their private meeting, yesterday. (CNA)

than two hours.

Seated next to each other at a round table, to avoid having to choose someone to sit in the “host” position at the top of a rectangular table, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou shared a relatively simple dinner in a Singapore hotel after their historic meeting on Saturday.

Over crayfish, fried asparagus and spicy noodles, Xi and Ma talked politics, education and knives made from old Chinese artillery shells, according to an account provided by Ma to reporters on the flight back to Taipei late on Saturday.

“We did not drink that much,” Ma said. “He said his capacity for liquor wasn’t good and I said mine was not good either.”     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai’s criticism of Ma’s performance in Singapore rebutted

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/08
By: Claudia Liu and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Nov. 8 (CNA) A presidential spokesman on Sunday rejected opposition leader and

Presidential Office spokesman Chen Yi-hsin. (CNA file photo)

Presidential Office spokesman Chen Yi-hsin. (CNA file photo)

presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文)’s allegations that the Republic of China (ROC) was absent throughout a historic meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore Saturday.

After delivering his opening remarks, Ma referred to the ROC in the context of the ROC Constitution and the Additional Articles to the ROC Constitution and talked of “one China, respective interpretations,” in front of Xi, Presidential Office spokesman Chen Yi-hsin (陳以信) said, asking Tsai when and where were these phrases missing during the Ma-Xi meeting?

Chen also asked Tsai to refer to page S3 of the Apple Daily, the front page of the Liberty Times, the front page of the United Daily News, and page A3 of the China Times on their Sunday editions, which he said had thorough and comprehensive coverage of the meeting.     [FULL  STORY]