2019 Cyber Offensive and Defensive Exercises in Taipei enter second phase

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/06
By: Teng Pei-ju, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Brent Christensen

affirmed U.S. collaboration with Taiwan on cybersecurity, as a five-day series of cyberwarfare exercises entered the second phase on Wednesday (Nov. 6) in Taipei.

Opening the second phase of the 2019 Cyber Offensive and Defensive Exercises, jointly organized for the first time by Taiwanese and U.S. authorities, the director stressed the event should send a message to the world that “Taiwan is not alone on cyber.”

“The United States stands with you [Taiwan], side by side, as a friend and partner,” said Christensen. He added that every country that share similar values should join the U.S. and Taiwan to collectively bolster cyber defenses.

Representatives from more than a dozen countries have been invited to the exercises, prepared by Taiwan’s cyber security agencies and their U.S. counterparts, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “We must protect our intellectual property from cyber theft, our infrastructure from sabotage, and our democracies from interference by authoritarian states,” said the director.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/06
By: Chen Chun-hua and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) New Taipei City, which has 12 legislative seats up for grabs and is known as a bellwether municipality, has emerged as a battleground ahead of the January 2020 elections, drawing the attention of the presidential candidates and other major figures in the country's two main political parties.

Currently, nine of the 12 legislative seats in New Taipei are held by the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), two by the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), and one by the New Power Party (NPP).

During the recent two terms that the KMT was in power, from 2008-2016, it held a similar majority of legislative seats as the DPP now does in New Taipei, which indicates that the city may be something of a pacesetter.

For the upcoming elections, the election calculus is further complicated by the participation of smaller parties, including Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je's (柯文哲) Taiwan People's Party and the NPP, as well as several independent candidates.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 05 November, 2019
By: Paula Chao

The Talent Circulation Summit is under way in the southern city of Kaohsiung.  The summit is sponsored by the Talent Circulation Alliance (TCA), a program initiated by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in partnership with various government agencies.

Speaking at the event on Tuesday, AIT director William Brent Christensen said TCA aims to explore international talent exchange and training opportunities for the digital age. Christensen said TCA has invited Taiwan and more than 20 partners around the world to work together since the program was unveiled in April.    [FULL  STORY]

Faced with China’s “sharp power,” it’s time to redefine the interaction model between Taiwan and international society.

The Diplomat
Date: November 05, 2019
By: Chih-Wei Chen

China’s “sharp power” has increased significantly in recent years, challenging both the regional and international orders by influencing economies and threatening the national security of democratic countries.  This has given rise to both anxieties and vigilance throughout international society. As China’s neighbor, Taiwan stands on the front lines of confrontation with this sharp power. Taiwan suffers intensified pressures daily. Under such circumstances, what could Taiwan do to safeguard the common values of liberty and democracy as well as to respond to national and international changes unseen in decades?

The people of Taiwan have for decades enjoyed a free and democratic way of life, which was forged through the sustained efforts and enormous contributions of numerous democratic pioneers. However, changes in the political environment and economic development, as well as differing mindsets between generations and social groups in Taiwan, together with increasingly severe regional and international situations, all have made it critical to promote transformation in Taiwan.

In response to the current national, regional, and international situation, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the current governing party in Taiwan, embraced a democratic approach by holding comprehensive discussions among generations within the party to produce a progressive framework for the future. The National Party Congress’ September “Resolution on Forging Ahead with the Society together towards Win-win Future among Generations” was the result with the expectation of building broad consensus among generations and ethnic groups in society and further leading Taiwan’s transformation toward a sustainable future.    [FULL  STORY]

Foxconn founder previously sued netizens for targeting his mother with vicious comments

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/05
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The founder and former CEO of Taiwan's Foxconn Technology, Terry Gou (郭台銘), filed a lawsuit against a Facebook user surnamed Li (李) Tuesday morning (Nov. 5) after Li allegedly spread fake news about the death of Gou's mother on the Internet.

Gou previously on Oct. 31 sued about 200 Taiwanese netizens for using abusive language involving his mother, Chu Yung-chen (初永真). He told the press that he had been targeted by nonstop insults since he joined the Kuomintang (KMT) presidential primary earlier this year and that he could bear defamation aimed at him but not at his mother.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/05
By: Liu Chien-pang and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) As Taiwan's two major political parties campaign to hold onto their current legislative seats in Taipei in the January 2020 legislative elections, their plans have been complicated by smaller parties joining the race.

The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) currently holds five of the eight Taipei legislative districts; while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds two and a DPP-leaning lawmaker one.

Asked to comment on their electoral expectations, a DPP source recently told CNA the party expects to win three seats in the Jan. 11 elections.

A KMT source said the party is confident it will hold its current five seats and possibly win seven or eight.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Timesd
Date:  Nov 06, 2019
By: Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

Increased subsidies for underprivileged scavengers have stimulated the market of garbage recycling,

with the amount of recycled items growing threefold in three months, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.

Many underprivileged people make a living by collecting and selling recyclable garbage, but some do not even earn enough a day to buy a cheap meal, EPA Recycling Fund Management Board executive secretary Yen Hsu-ming (顏旭明) told a news conference in Taipei.

Nearly 8,900 scavengers across the nation need urgent financial aid, board section chief Lien Yi-wei (連奕偉) said, adding that the figure only included those registered with the government.

To alleviate their predicament and boost recycling, the EPA in August launched a new subsidy program, raising the prices of 12 types of recyclable waste that local government-owned garbage squads pay to individual scavengers, Yen said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan nternational
Date: 04 November, 2019
By: Leslie Liao

Taiwan’s foreign ministry says that it welcomes potential opportunities that result from the US Indo-Pacific Transparency Initiative. Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou says that the US unveiled the initiative at the 35th ASEAN Summit on Monday morning in Bangkok.

In it, the US Government outlines plans to actively coordinate with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. The foreign ministry says that it welcomes any opportunity to strengthen ties with the US, and that it will work to fortify cooperation under the US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy.
[FULL  STORY]

Beijing opts for carrots over sticks as Tsai leads pro-mainland rival

Nikkei Asian Review
Date: November 5, 2019
By: Shunsuke Tabeta and Kensaku Ihara, Staff writers

BEIJING/TAIPEI — China will grant Taiwanese businesses greater access to build the mainland's 5G

infrastructure, Beijing said Monday, one of 26 new measures seen as incentives to sway the outcome of the island's presidential election in January.

"The opportunities to develop the mainland will be shared with our Taiwanese compatriots," the Chinese State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office said.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, representing the Beijing-skeptic Democratic Progressive Party, is strongly favored to win re-election. The new measures seem designed to boost her China-friendly opponent, who faces negative press related to the monthslong Hong Kong protests.

Along with projects for fifth-generation wireless networks, Beijing also will offer Taiwanese companies equal access compared with mainland counterparts for participating in areas such as civil aviation and theme parks.    [FULL  STORY]