Radio Taiwan Internaional
Date: 12 July, 2019
By: Leslie Liao

It’s only July, but already Taiwan’s fruit exports have generated more money this year than they did during the whole of 2018.

Premier Su Tseng-chang announced the achievement on his Facebook fan page. Su wrote that Taiwan’s fruit exports last year were worth around NT$4 billion. In the first six months of this year, however, the value of fruit exports have already broken NT$4.2 billion.    [FULL  STORY]

RT
Date: 12 Jul, 2019
By: Darius Shahtahmasebi 

The US is planning a $2.2 billion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan as part of its commitment to defend the island, yet continues to complain about China’s expanding involvement in South America and elsewhere.

It is becoming increasingly harder to keep up with the current enemy caught in Donald J. Trump's firing line. One week it's Venezuela (until Trump apparently became bored due to the lack of progress), then it's Iran, then it's – God forbid  – the United Kingdom, and as things come full circle we see a newfound emphasis on the multi-pronged threat posed by China.

Just this week, the Pentagon’s top official for South America, Adm. Craig Faller of the US Southern Command, was sounding the alarm on China at the Senate Armed Service Committee’s Emerging Threats subcommittee. According to Faller, China is increasing its efforts to move “inside our own neighbourhood seeking to displace the United States as the partner of choice and weaken the commitment of our partners to the rule of law and democracy.”

Just so we are clear – Iran, dominating the news cycle lately due to the so-called threat it has been posing to US interests – was allegedly pushed aside together with Russia, as China apparently dominated the entire discussion on “emerging threats.”    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese college student cancels Wuhan study plans after Chinese netizens call him 'Japanese traitor, Taiwan separatist'

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/07/12
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

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TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After being bullied online by Chinese netizens for being a "Japan lover" and "Taiwanese separatist," news has surfaced today (July 12) that a Taiwanese college student originally slated to go an exchange program at the university has canceled his plans.

On Thursday (July 11), Chinese netizens took to Weibo to claim that "Wuhan University is bringing over a Taiwanese student who is a Japan-lover and Taiwan separatist." He then included an image showing the admission letter issued to Taiwanese student Chuck Ko (柯筌耀), as well as a number of screenshots from his Facebook posts.

The Public Relations Office for National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) said today that Ko has expressed his decision not to go to Wuhan University, and that the university respects his wishes. Wuhan University announced that it will investigate the incident and deal with it in accordance with the results and regulations.

Ko had earlier announced on social media that he was participating in a graduate exchange program between his alma mater NTNU and Wuhan University. According to the admission notice released by Wuhan University, Ko was originally slated to study from Sept. 2, 2019 to Jan. 11, 2020.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/12
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Emerson Lim

Taipei, July 12 (CNA) It took six months of monitoring a heart transplant patient, but National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) was finally willing to declare success Friday in keeping alive a patient without a functioning heart longer than ever before in Taiwan.

The 38-year-old patient was stung by a bee during a visit to Japan in early October 2018. Upon her return to Taiwan, she suffered a high fever and then a cardiac arrest on Oct. 20, 2018, due to inflammation of the heart muscle resulting from the bee sting.

The hospital put her on life support, including an artificial heart, while waiting for heart donors, Chen Yih-sharng (陳益祥), chairman of the Cardiovascular Surgery Division at NTUH, said at a press conference on Friday.

Although bed-ridden, the patient was conscious and could move her limbs and react whenever someone called her name, proving that her brain was functioning well, Chen said.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 11 July, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Taiwan’s only jellyfish pond[/caption] The Linyuan Ocean Wetland Park in the southern city of Kaohsiung is home to Taiwan’s first and only jellyfish pond. As a part of the city’s ecotourism project, the pond offers an opportunity to revitalize a local village that has been plagued by pollution.

Jellyfish are not fish; they are invertebrates or animals without bones. They are 98 percent water, gooey, and have outlived the dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years.  

These fascinating creatures at Linyuan Ocean Wetland Park are called “upside-down jellyfish” because of their unusual habit of resting upside down.

They blend in to their environment nicely and live together with algae, making them look like flowers in the water.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: July 11, 2019

Taiwan attended the recent Sixth Meeting of the Parties of the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement as a participating fisheries entity in Mauritius, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs July 9.
 
The engagement shows how Taiwan Can Help SIOFA realize U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 14 while protecting its interests and rights in the Indian Ocean, the MOFA said. It also demonstrates the country’s commitment to ensuring the long-term conservation and responsible use of fishery resources in the area, the ministry added.
 
Statistics produced by the Fisheries Agency under the Council of Agriculture reveal that more than 100 Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels ply the waters of the Indian Ocean. The combined catch for 2018 was 17,000 tons, making the country a major player in the region.
 
The positive development also signifies international recognition of Taiwan’s status as a responsible stakeholder in the global fisheries industry, the MOFA said, adding that the country is committed to working with all SIOFA parties on related matters going forward.    [FULL  STORY]

Hsu leaves decision and scale of eventual increase up to August 14 committee meeting

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/07/11
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) said Thursday (July 11) she hoped the basic minimum wage would be hiked when the relevant committee meets for a decision on August 14.

The current minimum salary stands at NT$23,100 (US$744) a month, or NT$150 (US$4.83) per hour.

Hsu said that from labor’s point of view, she hoped there would be a raise, but the size of any hike would be up to the committee, the Central News Agency quoted her as saying.

The committee includes representatives from employers, unions, government and academia and meets each quarter to decide what to do about the minimum wage, with changes most likely to be introduced the following January 1. This time, the date of any changes precedes the next presidential and legislative elections by just 10 days.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/11
By: Wang Cheng-chung and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) An Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Chingchuankang Airport in Taichung on Thursday due to mechanical trouble, the Air Force Command Headquarters said.

The jet was on a routine training mission when it developed a mechanical problem and had to return to the airport in Taichung, where it landed safely at 5 p.m., the Air Force said.    [FULL  STORY]