Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/30
By: Yeh Chen and Ko Lin

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) Starting in September, trains on the Danhai Light Rail Transit system will run more frequently during peak travel hours, the operating company said Tuesday.

In the period 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, the trains will depart every 12 minutes instead of every 15 minutes, the New Taipei Metro Corporation (NTMC) said.

The more frequent service will help reduce congestion on the Danhai line, which has been seeing growing ridership since it was launched last December, NTMC General Manager Wu Kuo-chi (吳國濟) said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 29 July, 2019
By: Paula Chao

A potential power shortage is still a major concern in the private sector. That’s according to a white

paper released Monday by a Taiwan-based industrial group called Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI). 

The group urged the government to extend the lifetime of existing power plants. It said that although the government has promised that Taiwan will not face a power shortage crisis before 2025, the planned changes to Taiwan’s energy mix and the high maintenance cost of green energy are both worrisome.

CNFI’s head, leading business tycoon Wang Wen-yuan, says nuclear power is pretty safe. He said China has built several nuclear power plants just across the Taiwan Strait, and that Taiwan will not be spared from a disaster if an accident occurs.

In its white paper, CNFI lists more than 200 policy suggestions in a number of fields, including industry, energy resources, the environment, tax and finance, and cross-strait relations.
[FULL  STORY]

EJ Insight
Date: Jul 29, 2019
By: Yu Kam-yin

The political turmoil arising from the proposed extradition bill is still gripping Hong Kong, but our

government has remained defiant against public calls for withdrawing the bill and establishing an independent commission of inquiry.

As a result of the ongoing political impasse, our senior government officials are keeping a low profile and doing nothing, while a lot of proposed policy initiatives are being put on hold.

There is talk that, among these initiatives is the proposed arrangement put forward by the administration earlier on, under which Hong Kong citizens convicted of criminal offenses by overseas courts can apply for transferring back to our city to serve their sentences.

The proposed arrangement has been shelved out of concerns that it could once again touch a nerve in society, according to the talk.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/07/29
By:  Agencies

Taiwan Today — President Tsai Ing-wen honored July 27 the five Taiwan winners of the Presidential Hackathon, praising the teams’ efforts in harnessing the power of innovation and open government to tackle social challenges and advance sustainable development.

Through promoting cutting-edge solutions and strengthening collaboration among the academic, public and private sectors, their projects can enhance the efficiency and quality of government services, Tsai said during the award ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.

The nation is committed to sharing its expertise in social innovation and open government with the rest of the world, Tsai said, adding that the hackathon demonstrates how Taiwan Can Help fast-track global efforts to achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

Organized by the Executive Yuan under the auspices of the PO, the second edition of the annual competition saw 10 finalists short-listed from more than 100 local entries.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/29
By: Chang Ming-hsuan, Wu Jui-chi and intern Tiffany Chiu

Taipei, July 29 (CNA) The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed a new measles case in Taiwan but said it is still searching for the source of the infection because the patient works at Taoyuan International Airport and had not traveled abroad in the past month.

A man at his 20s was confirmed to be infected with the measles Sunday, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said, noting that the patient developed a fever on July 21 but did not see a doctor until a rash broke out on his face, chest and hands on July 24.

The case was reported to health authorities that day, and tissue samples were sent for laboratory testing. Two days later, the test results came back positive for measles, which led to Sunday's confirmation, according to the CDC.

The patient, who is currently in isolation at home, is a member of China Airlines' ground crew at the Taoyuan airport, where he worked at the airline's check-in counter and airport lounge in Terminals 1 and 2 on July 20, 22 and 23 before developing more severe symptoms, Chuang said.
[FULL  STORY]

Texas Senator says Paramount kowtowing to Chinese censors 'disappointing' sign of China's influence in Hollywood

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/07/28
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Following the release of a trailer on July 19 for the new Top Gun film

starring Tom Cruise, it was discovered that the film’s producers altered Tom Cruise’s flight jacket to remove the flags of Taiwan and Japan from the film. This was done at the behest of China’s Tencent Pictures, one of the film’s production partners.

On July 26, U.S. Senator, Ted Cruz, discussed the new Top Gun, and China’s influence in Hollywood with the Washington Free Beacon, calling the situation disappointing and declaring that “Hollywood is afraid to stand up for free speech.” Using the example of Top Gun producers kowtowing to the demands of Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and recognizing Taiwan as an “American ally” Cruz warned against the malign influence of the CCP in Hollywood.

"Top Gun is an American classic, and it's incredibly disappointing to see Hollywood elites appease the Chinese Communist Party. The Party uses China's economy to silence dissent against its brutal repression and to erode the sovereignty of American allies like Taiwan. Hollywood is afraid to stand up for free speech and is enabling the Party's campaign against Taiwan."

The Chinese government consistently complains about any representation of Taiwan in their campaign to marginalize and repress the country’s international standing. The Free Beaconalso quotes an anonymous “senior congressional official” that is looking into the matter of Chinese influence in the entertainment media of the U.S.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/28
By: Wen Kuei-hsiang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, July 28 (CNA) The national election campaign headquarters of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who is running for reelection in Taiwan's January 2020 presidential election, is expected to officially open in October at the earliest, according to Lin Hsi-yao (林錫耀), Tsai's campaign manger, on Sunday.

Lin, a former vice premier, made the announcement after Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) was officially nominated the presidential candidate of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) at the party's national congress earlier that day.

The headquarters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which Tsai is representing and a central campaign office will be responsible for organizing the presidential and legislative election campaigns, coordinating with the Presidential Office, the Executive Yuan and the DPP legislative caucus, according to Lin.

Taiwan is scheduled to hold presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 11 next year.
[FULL  STORY]