Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12./26
By: Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) The Dispatched Workers Union (DWU) on Thursday staged a protest in Taipei over a decision by state-run Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) to fire about 200 dispatched workers before the end of the year, in the wake of government policy to stop hiring such workers in government agencies and state-run companies.

Staging a protest outside the the Executive Yuan, DWU Secretary-General Shih Shih-ching (施士青) said former premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) announced in 2018 that the government would no longer use brokers to hire dispatched and contract workers, but would instead hire them directly to better protect their rights.

That decision was made to safeguard the interests of government contract workers, as they are usually hired via manpower agencies and do not enjoy the same protections as full-time employees.

In compliance with that policy, Taipower decided it would not extend contracts with 200 dispatched workers who work as engineers for the company, some for as long as 10-20 years, according to the union.    [FULL  STORY]

No sign of 47-year-old Keelung man by 5 p.m. in choppy waters

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/25
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A 47-year-old man was reported missing Wednesday (December 25) afternoon after he had gone diving to inspect the dismantling of a Chinese “ghost ship” off the coast of Yilan County.

The empty freighter had turned up near northeast Taiwan last September, and was towed away to the rocks near Daxi railway station in the township of Toucheng to prepare for its dismantling.

A diver from Keelung named Lu (呂) went diving to around noon Wednesday, the Central News Agency reported. When a colleague noticed he had not returned yet by 2 p.m., he alerted the emergency services, which sent vehicles and boats to start the search amid strong waves.

However, by 5 p.m., no sign of the missing man had been found, according to CNA.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/25
By: Hsieh Ya-chu and Frances Huang6

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) Taiwan will experience a warm Christmas Day Wednesday but a new northeasterly wind system that is on the way will send daytime temperatures lower by 5-7 degrees Celsius on Friday, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

The new weather system will start to affect northern Taiwan later Thursday, but its impact will be more apparent Friday, when daytime highs will fall to 18-20 degrees, the CWB said.

Central and southern Taiwan will not be affected by the weather system, however, with daytime highs reaching 26-28 degrees, the CWB forecast.

On Wednesday, the weather around Taiwan is expected to remain stable, with daytime highs of 25 degrees in northern Taiwan and 28-30 degrees in central and southern Taiwan, the CWB said.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 26, 2019
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday launched its annual Lunar New Year food

inspections, which is to include popular food products sold online.

Food is an important part of family reunions, get-togethers with friends and gift-giving during next month’s Lunar New Year holiday, the FDA said, adding that the inspections aim to ensure public food safety.

E-commerce platforms that sell popular holiday food products, manufacturers of gourmet gift products, supermarkets and hypermarkets, retailers at holiday markets and traditional markets, and restaurants that provide Lunar New Year dishes for dine-in or take-out would be inspected, the agency said.

“We will consider various aspects during this year’s inspections, and will inspect 1,300 items at 270 locations, which we believe amounts to complete coverage that can ensure food safety,” FDA Director-General Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 23 December, 2019
By: Paula Chao

A new immigrants group is calling on fellow immigrants to vote for President Tsai Ing-wen and the

legislative candidates of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Statistics released by the interior ministry show that there are more than 550,000 new immigrants in Taiwan. Of them, about 47% are eligible to vote in the presidential and legislative elections on January 11.

For the first time, the DPP nominated a new immigrant of Malaysian descent, Lo Mei-ling, for a legislator-at-large seat. Those seats are chosen by a separate ballot in which citizens vote for a party rather than a specific candidate. Lo has a very good chance of winning the race, because she’s high on the DPP’s list.

At a DPP campaign rally on Monday, Lo said the DPP has placed an emphasis on new immigrants.
[FULL  STORY]

East Asia Forum
Date: 25 December 2019
By: Roy Chun Lee, CIER

It has been another challenging year for Taiwan filled with both excitement and concern. Two key factors shaped the development of 2019 were the US–China trade war and the upcoming Taiwan presidential election.

In terms of economic performance, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) forecasts Taiwan’s GDP growth to be one of the highest in the East Asian region, reaching 2.33 per cent. While trade performance has declined throughout the year, domestic investment in the manufacturing sector has soared to a historic high, contributing to GDP growth. This outcome can be partly attributed to the US–China trade war. The surge of investment is mainly underpinned by the homecoming of Taiwanese original equipment manufacturing (OEM) companies — that previously used China as their production base — trying to circumvent tariffs for their US clients.

According to government figures, committed investment reached US$27 billion as of December, with US$8.7 billion already realised. Around 70 per cent of this investment is in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector, followed by electronic machinery, consumer products and chemicals. With the effect of creating job opportunities as well as new dynamics for economic activities, short-term prospects are looking positive for 2020.

The upcoming 2020 presidential election has prompted the government to accelerate major decisions on public investment, including the extension of the high-speed rail system to cities that were previously considered economically unviable. But many critics question feasibility and worry over the lack of transparent impact assessment processes.    [FULL  STORY]

HEO recommends Rainbow, Meiti Riverside Parks on north bank of Keelung River and Guanshan, Yingfeng Riverside Parks on south bank

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/24
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — For those who have no wish to experience the stifling crowds that accompany watching the Taipei 101 New Year firework display at the foot of the skyscraper or on the adjacent Elephant Mountain, Taipei’s Hydraulic Engineering Office (HEO) has recommended four riverside parks.

The HEO recommends the Rainbow and Meiti Riverside Parks on the north bank of the Keelung River in Neihu District and Songshan District's Guanshan and Yingfeng Riverside Parks on the south bank. The HEO’s River Administration Section said that the Rainbow Riverside Park is definitely the best riverside park from which to watch Taipei 101's fireworks due to its upwind location, where the show can be clearly seen free from disappointing smoke.

In addition to the Rainbow Riverside Park, the Meiti, Guanshan, and Yingfeng Riverside Parks are also ideal, according to the office. Not only can people watch the spectacular Taipei 101 fireworks display but they can also hear the countdown on the square in front of Taipei City Hall and watch fireworks shot off from the Miramar Entertainment Park at the same time, the office added.

Those who watch the fireworks at these parks also have a chance to get a parking space at one of the riverside parking lots. The office advised the public to get to one of them early, select a place with a nice view of the city's iconic skyscraper, lay down a picnic blanket on the lawn, and welcome the new year.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/24
By: Tien Jui-hua and Chiang Yi-ching

Taipei, Dec. 24 (CNA) The historic legalization of same-sex marriage has topped the list of Taiwan's top 10 news stories of 2019 released by Taiwan's national news agency, the Central News Agency (CNA), on Tuesday.

On May 17, the country's Legislature passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, a first for an Asian country. The bill, titled Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748, allows two persons of the same gender aged 18 or older to register their marriage.

The runner-up was Taiwan's loss of two diplomatic allies to China within a five-day period in September.

On Sept. 16, the Solomon Islands decided to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, and Kiribati followed suit four days later. The defection of the two countries left Taiwan with only 15 diplomatic allies worldwide.    [FULL  STORY]