Radio Taiwan International
Date: 30 December, 2019
By: Paula Chao

President Tsai Ing-wen says the government is determined to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty. She was speaking Monday in New Taipei City while campaigning for the ruling DPP’s legislative candidates.

To strengthen Taiwan’s national defense, Tsai said the government is not only building indigenous submarines and aircraft, it is also working to help boost the local aviation and shipbuilding industries.
[FULL  STORY]

Broadway World
Date: Dec. 31, 2019  
By: BWW News Desk 

A non profit organization, "CATCH US PERFORMING ARTS" (CUPA) in its second year will host the

first anniversary gala, "Japan-Taiwan-USA Friendship Fundraising Concert at Scandinavia House in Manhattan on Saturday, January 18, 2020. CUPA was established on September 1st, 2018, and has been serving community services and supporting artists and performers in performing arts within the tri-state area.

CUPA invited a Japanese artistic producer, Rintaro Dainichi, president of "Furusato-no-Monogatari Production Committee" based out of Sendai in the Miyagi prefecture, Japan. The concert features Daisuke Oyama (baritone), Caroline Miller (soprano) and Ping-An Lin (piano). A reception will follow the concert.

This concert is going to be the debut in the U.S. for the Japanese native, Dainichi, who will be working on an opera titled, "Koxinga," the production of Japan and Taiwan, which is to be completed in 2024, and is commissioned by CUPA. Dainichi programmed the Japan-Taiwan-USA Friendship Fundraising Concert; "Uniting Through Music" as its first anniversary event. His intention is to unite three countries; Japan, the United States, which started "Operation Tomodachi(friendship)," and Taiwan, which provided Japan the most physical and mental support when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on March 11th, 2011.

Program includes; a piano solo, "Variations of Taiwan folk songs", baritone solo piece, "The Moon of Wild Castle" (Rentaro Taki), soprano aria, "Caro Como," (Puccini) and return song, "From now on, Thank you," composed by Rintaro Dainichi. This concert is also supported by Project Director, Mack Okubo, and the Music for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Project, which aims to provide opportunities for the general public to help deepen the understanding of SDGs through music events.    [FULL  STORY]

Reflections on the Story of Taiwan’s Success

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/31
By: William A. Stanton, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer\

When I first arrived in Taiwan in September 1986, I knew of course that the world is always changing, but I never realized how much it would change, and certainly not Taiwan itself. I had already served for two years as a consular officer and then a political officer in the U.S Embassy in war-ravaged Beirut where sporadic fighting continued. My time there bracketed Iran’s taking 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage from November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981. Thereafter, I spent three years in the State Department largely working on Middle East crises, many involving terrorist attacks including the bombing of our Embassy in Beirut and the kidnappings of Americans, and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The U.S. preoccupation with terrorism and the Middle East began in those years.

Except for the widening spread of terrorism, however, in many ways the Middle East has not changed at all. It is still fraught with the same religious and ethnic strife, oppressive governments, and most often even the same rulers or their sons. When I realized this, I did whatever I could to get assigned to another part of the world, and I focused on East Asia where I believed the possibilities for positive development were greatest. Before long, I would in fact see huge changes, both in Taiwan and in the PRC. Both would prosper economically, but only Taiwan would evolve politically into a fully free democracy. It was not an easy process, and there were many threats and missteps along the way. Island Nation (國際橋牌社) tells this unique story in a dramatic series.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/31
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) A drone intrusion was reported at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Tuesday, leading to its temporary closure, the airport management company said.

Flight arrivals were suspended immediately after a pilot reported at 7 p.m. seeing a drone about 4.5 nautical miles from the airport, according to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Co. (TIAC).

Runways were closed at the airport until 8 p.m., affecting 12 flights, TIAC said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 30 December, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency says that people exporting products made from shortfin mako shark will need a permit issued by CITES.

CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The treaty, which governs the international wildlife trade, is also known as the “Washington Convention”.

At the CITES Conference of the Parties held in Geneva in mid-August, mako sharks were listed under Appendix II.    [FULL  STORY]

Independent and small-party candidates set to take seats in Jan. 11 election

Nikkei Asian Review
Date: December 30, 2019
By: CHENG TING-FANG, LAULY LI, Nikkei staff writers, and KENJI KAWASE, Nikkei Asian Review chief business news correspondent

NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen may be the odds-on favorite to win a second term in the Jan. 11 election, but her ruling Democratic Progressive Party faces a bigger struggle to retain control of the legislative yuan.

Candidates running for Tsai's China-skeptic DPP in the parliamentary race face stiff opposition, not only from the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang but also from "third-force" independent and small-party aspirants.6

While the DPP is likely to remain the biggest party, Tsai — should she retain the presidency — will need her party to hold on to its majority in parliament to push her agenda forward. This includes further reducing the island's economic and political dependence on Beijing, and promoting issues such as LGBT rights and increasing renewable energy capacity as she seeks to phase out the island's nuclear power plants.

The DPP currently holds 68 out of 113 seats in the legislature, while the Kuomintang has 35. Eight seats are held by two smaller parties and the remaining two by independents.
[FULL  STORY]

Chance of precipitation in Taipei low on New Year's Eve, temperatures could dip to 14 C

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/30
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Soaking rainfall will continue throughout Monday (Dec. 30) across the island under the influence of a wet monsoon, and the mercury is expected to drop to 14 degrees Celsius early on Tuesday (Dec. 31) in the northern part of the country as a northeasterly wind intensifies.

According to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB), lows in northern Taiwan reached between 16 and 17 degrees early Monday morning, 17 to 19 degrees in central and southern Taiwan, and 17 to 18 degrees in the eastern counties of Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung.

The weather is forecast to remain wet and cool in the north on Tuesday, New Year's Eve, with temperatures to hover between 15 and 18 degrees. Meanwhile, the central and southern parts of the country will see dry weather and temperatures ranging between 18 and 25 degrees.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/30
By: Matt Yu and Emerson Lim

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) Taiwan's military is procuring anti-tank missiles and launching platforms worth NT$11.3 billion (US$373 million) from the United States, a government notice of award posted online showed Monday.

According to an updated notice of award (NOA) posted on the government's e-procurement System website, the deal involves the purchase of additional TOW 2Bs worth NT$7.5 billion, following a procurement of 460 such missiles in March 2018 that cost NT$3.8 billion.

A notice of award is a public notification that a purchase is being made and that suppliers are needed to meet the project's needs.

In this case the award specifically says the Ministry of National Defense has awarded the bid for the new procurement to the American Institute in Taiwan, which will in turn look for suppliers.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 31, 2019
By: Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

More than 80 percent of students who took part in online mock elections ahead of the Jan. 11 polls

voted for President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as the next president, the National Students’ Union of Taiwan said yesterday.

The mock elections were jointly organized by groups including the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy and the Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare, as well as 35 university student unions, the union said.

Voting took place on Facebook from 8:20pm on Thursday last week to 8:20pm on Sunday, the groups said, adding that holders of student identification cards from senior high schools, vocational high schools and universities in Taiwan were allowed to vote for one presidential candidate and one political party.

A total of 11,369 valid votes were cast in the mock elections, union president Tan Ko-him (陳佑維) said, adding that invalid votes, such as those cast by non-students, were not counted.
[FULL  STORY]