Epoch Times
Date: October 24, 2019
By: Eva Fu

Vice President Mike Pence slammed the Chinese regime for curtailing “rights and liberties” in the city

of Hong Kong during a major policy address on Oct. 24, while reaffirming U.S. commitment to standing up for those values.

In a roughly 40-minute speech on the future of U.S.-China relations, Pence reprimanded Beijing for its unethical trade practices and human rights abuses, but noted that the United States would push for a cooperative relationship with China based on “fairness, mutual respect, and the international rules of commerce.”

“Nothing in the past year has put on display the Chinese Communist Party’s antipathy to liberty so much as the unrest in Hong Kong,” Pence said at the Wilson Center in Washington.

“Hong Kong is a living example of what can happen when China embraces liberty,” Pence said, while noting the city’s status as an international financial hub, its legal institutions, and “lively free press,” are things that people in mainland China do not enjoy.    [FULL  STORY]

99% of FB poll respondents think Taiwan KMT candidate is a joke, 1% support his run

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/10/24
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As the Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate and erstwhile mayor of Kaohsiung, Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) continues to make headlines for preposterous promises, such as installing flag-raising platforms on all Taiwanese mountains over 3,000 meters high, a Facebook poll posted on Thursday (Oct. 24) has found that 99 percent of respondents view Han as a joke, while only one percent support him.

At 8 a.m. on Thursday, the Facebook page @justadullan (只是堵藍), which has over 145,000 followers, posted a survey asking if readers believe Han is always in the news because "he is a joke" and should be on a Taiwanese variety TV show or "he is worthy of attention" and "support." A flood of votes poured in, with 2,000 Facebook users clicking on the survey within 10 minutes.

Within an hour, 10,000 votes had come in, with 99 percent feeling that Han was more of a joke. Only one percent of respondents deemed Han worthy of serious attention or support.

By 3 p.m., the voting had turned slightly in his favor, with 2 percent indicating that they support Han. The poll will conclude at 8 a.m. on Friday morning.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/10/24
By: Wu Hsin-yun and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) Taiwan and Vietnam have signed a cooperation agreement on measures to

prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF), the Council of Agriculture (COA) said Thursday.

The measures will include joint work on virus detection technology, immunology research and diagnostic methods, the council said.

Since its outbreak in China last year, the virus has spread to 10 countries in the region, including Vietnam in February, where it has been discovered in all of the country's 63 provinces and municipalities, resulting in the deaths of some 5.6 million pigs, either from the virus itself or from preventative culls.

Taiwan, meanwhile, remains the only East Asian country other than Japan not currently in the ASF epidemic zone, and has had aggressive prevention measures in place against the virus since last August, the COA said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 22 October, 2019
By: Natalie Tso

Green Island security officials discovered a baby turtle caught in a net on Monday. They called in coast guard personnel who came to rescue the turtle.

The turtle was kept warm and put in sea water and taken in to be inspected for injuries.  It has minor damages to its shell but otherwise was unharmed. 

It was found to be an Olive Ridley Turtle, which is a protected species.     [SOURCE]

Providence Magazine
Date: October 22, 2019
By: W. Alejandro Sanchez 

The government of the Solomon Islands has decided to switch its diplomatic relations from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This announcement occurred almost parallel to the US government’s decision to provide a major package of military technology, namely “66 F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft and related equipment and support for an estimated cost of $8 billion,” to the Asian nation.

Thus, while Washington continues to support Taipei, it has been unable to prevent some governments from establishing relations with Beijing. Many of the nations that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan are located in Latin America and the Caribbean, two regions where the US has plenty of allies and partners; hence, as we discuss Taipei’s future in the Western Hemisphere, we must discuss what Washington can (realistically) do to help its ally.

Taiwan’s Loss Is China’s Gain

According to the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the countries that still have diplomatic relations with Taipei are Belize, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Moreover, Taipei has economic and cultural offices in countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Peru. Nevertheless, Taiwan suffered diplomatic blows in recent years: Panama switched in 2017, while the Dominican Republic and El Salvador switched 2018.    [FULL  STORY]

New Taipei City's 2019 Christmasland light extravaganza opens to public on Nov. 15

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/10/22
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei City's annual Christmasland light show will light up on Nov. 15 in New Taipei City Plaza and will include light shows, market fairs, stage performances, and concerts by well-known musicians.

The festival, which will be held in New Taipei City's Banqiao District, will run this year from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, according to the New Taipei City Government. In addition to the opening ceremony on Nov. 15, other highlights include a children's carnival from Nov. 16-17, a "Fantasy Art Fair" from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, and a "Superstar Concert" to be held on Dec. 14-15.

The main light show runs from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night of the festival. The New Taipei Christmasland gala is the largest annual Christmas event in Taiwan and listed in 2018 by Hankyu Travel International Co.,Ltd. as the top overseas Christmas travel destination in the world.

More information about the light spectacle, including this year's theme, will be released in the coming days.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/10/22
By: Hung Chien-lun and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) Organizers of the Golden Horse Film Festival hyped its Nov. 7 opening with a

surprise announcement on Tuesday, revealing that the award-winning films "Crash" and "For Sama" will feature in this year's festival lineup.

According to a press release, the festival will present a digitally-remastered version of the 1996 David Cronenberg thriller "Crash."

The film, which centers around a group of people who take sexual pleasure from car crashes, caused controversy following its release, including calls for it to be banned, while also receiving a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

The second film announced is the 2019 documentary "For Sama," which follows the life of a young woman raising her son (Sama) in Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 21 October, 2019
By: John Van Trieste

The International Federation for Human Rights has opened its 40th annual congress in Taipei. The

federation, also known by its French acronym FIDH, is an NGO that aims to defend human rights worldwide.

The federation says it has chosen Taiwan to host this year’s conference because Taiwan is a democratic country with a vigorous civil society. Therefore, it said, Taiwan stands in sharp contrast to some of its neighbors. The federation also says that Taiwan has become one of the most democratic and progressive countries in Asia.

President Tsai Ing-wen gave an address at the conference’s opening ceremony on Monday. She spoke about her administration’s work to further human rights protections in Taiwan.

The president highlighted efforts to end workplace discrimination against women, as well as work to advance judicial reform, strengthen the social safety net, and expand protections for the disadvantaged. In addition, Tsai spoke about Taiwan’s legalization of same-sex marriage, a first in Asia.    [FULL  STORY]