The Jamestown Foundation
Date: October 19, 2020
By:: Timothy Rich, Andi Dahmer

Introduction

The ill-defined sovereignty of Taiwan, which officially continues to exist under the political identity of the Republic of China (ROC), is often presented as a tension between two possible future outcomes: either unification with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), or formal independence. This ambiguous status quo not only allows Taiwan’s competing domestic supporters of unification or independence to believe in the possibility that their desired outcome could one day be attained, but has also led PRC officials to believe that widespread latent support for unification endures in Taiwan.

Beijing maintains that Taiwan is a province of the PRC, but its insistence on eventual unification contrasts with a growing sense of distinct Taiwanese identity on the island, as well as a declining sense of Chinese identity (The Asia Dialogue, February 8, 2019; Taiwan News, February 24). At the same time, an explicit move towards formal independence is constrained by the possibility of military conflict: without a guarantee of U.S. aid, it is unlikely that Taiwan’s smaller military could prevent a PRC victory in the event that the sovereignty dispute became violent. [1]

With the status quo in jeopardy, two polling questions are increasingly pertinent: 1) How do Taiwanese perceive prospects for strengthening relations with either the PRC or the United States; and 2) Do Taiwanese people support unification with the PRC, or do they support an independent Taiwan? Several factors must be considered in answering the first question, which encompasses the thorny issue of Taiwan sovereignty. Improved relations with the PRC would likely yield economic benefits for Taiwan, and could also de-escalate the diplomatic fight that has taken place globally over the issue of formal recognition of Taiwan. At the same time, many Taiwan officials and citizens are concerned that greater economic integration will ultimately serve the PRC’s longer-term goal of unification.

Strengthening relations with the United States would bolster Taiwan’s security. The United States is a major supplier of weapons to Taiwan, and the country most likely to come to its aid in the event of a mainland invasion. However, closer relations with the United States could also exacerbate tensions with the PRC, thereby endangering Taiwan. In the worst case scenario, closer ties between the United States  and Taiwan could convince mainland Chinese officials to act on unification sooner, rather than later—before American commitments solidify.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 10/19/2020
By: Liu Chien-pang and Ko Lin

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) Seventeen suspects have been arrested for creating an investment scam that took millions of dollars from unsuspecting would-be investors, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Monday.

Liao Shui-chih (廖水池), chief of the CIB's 1st Investigation Corps, said at a press conference that police nabbed the suspects, including the ringleader surnamed Chiang (江), in separate raids carried out from Oct. 6-14 in Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung and Yilan County.

The group running the scam allegedly defrauded some 100 people in Taiwan, amassing nearly NT$100 million (US$3.48 million) in illicit gains since 2018 through an investment scheme involving cryptocurrency and precious metals, the CIB said.

Through a Facebook page that Liao created, his members would pretend to show off their earnings, posting stories of their lavish lifestyles in order to lure people into their business ventures, while promising customers that they would earn 6 percent-10 percent returns every month, investigators said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 20, 2020
By: Hsieh Chun-lin and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

New Power Party (NPP) Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) yesterday called for an independent investigation into allegations that police used excessive force during a protest in Taipei on Friday.

The Railway Bureau on Tuesday last week began tearing down the three remaining homes that stood in the way of a planned railway relocation project.

Having been unsuccessful in their protests in Tainan, a group of students on Friday traveled to Taipei to protest in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

However, after the protest turned violent, police began restraining people, including a journalist from an online media company, Chiu said, adding that there were allegations that police used excessive force as they held people down on the ground while restraining them.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 10/17/2020
By: Tyson Lu and Kay Liu

Taipei, Oct. 17 (CNA) An unregistered helicopter was seized in Taitung and the owner held for questioning Friday on suspicion that he had been flying without a license, as the government tightens its enforcement of the Civil Aviation Act, a prosecutor said Saturday.

The man, identified only by the surname Chen (陳), was questioned and later released on bail of NT$250,000 (US$8,686.43), while the Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter found at his residence was seized, the Taitung District Prosecutors Office said.

During questioning, Chen denied that he had been flying the helicopter recently, as was reported to the local police, and said he had not flown the unregistered helicopter since he learned it was illegal to do so, according to prosecutor Tseng Yang-ling (曾揚嶺).

The investigation followed the Civil Aeronautics Administration's (CAA's) announcement Tuesday of an air safety campaign against flights by unregistered helicopters and light aircraft, as well as unlicensed pilots.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 16 October, 2020
By: Shirley Lin

The Taiwan Cultural Memory Bank goes online[/caption] The culture ministry has spent several years putting together a collection of Taiwanese cultural assets to show to the world. The collection’s website is officially going online this Saturday.

The Taiwan Cultural Memory Bank, a website showcasing Taiwanese cultural assets, is officially going online on October 17. This choice of date is not a coincidence: October 17 is the day the culture ministry has designated Taiwan Culture Day. 

The bank contains 2.7 million records of materials on Taiwan’s tangible and intangible cultural assets. The project has been made possible through the combined effort of various government ministries, city and county governments, civic groups, and museums under the jurisdiction of the culture ministry.    [FULL  STORY]

Voice of America
Date: October 16, 2020
By: Joyce Huang

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Taiwan's fishery regulator this week rebuked last month's U.S. inclusion of Taiwan-caught fish for the first time in its list of goods produced by forced labor, saying the move inflicts "unfair" harm on law-abiding producers, although fisher advocacy groups disagree.  

The U.S. Labor Department Sept. 30 added fish from Taiwan to the latest edition of its "List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor," required under 2005 U.S. legislation.  

Taiwan has a distant-water fishing fleet of more than 1,100 vessels, the world's second largest after China, with an annual output value of $1.4 billion. Fisheries Agency figures show the island employs about 32,000 migrant fishers, mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines, 20,000 of whom work aboard Taiwan-flagged distant-water vessels.      [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/10/16
By:  Central News Agency

The new leadership of the Legislative Yuan's India friendship group vowed Friday to further enhance relations with India through parliamentary diplomacy amid the warming of sentiments between Taiwan and India.

In an event to mark the handover of the leadership of the Taiwan-India Parliamentary Friendship Association, Legislator Wu Yu-chin (吳玉琴), the group's new chairwoman, said she will promote bilateral parliamentary exchanges.

"We hope we can form a delegation to visit India's parliament when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. The objectives of the association are to promote parliamentary dialogue as well as freedom and democracy," Wu said.

She thanked India's media for their support of Taiwan over a National Day spat involving the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 10/16/2020
By: Liu Kuan-ting, Yu Hsiang
and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Oct. 16 (CNA) Taiwan's Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on Friday that it will hold hearings on contentious portions of two recent referendum proposals brought by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), including one to overturn the government's easing of restrictions on imported U.S. pork.

In a press release, the CEC said it will arrange hearings to "clarify" petitions submitted by the KMT's leadership on Sept. 23 to ban the import of pork containing the leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine and to hold referendums in conjunction with national or local elections.

Under CEC operating procedures, the commission will announce the hearing dates and disputed portions of the referendum proposals in the coming weeks. After the hearings, the lead proposers will be required to submit requested changes within 30 days.

The commission's decision to hold the hearings — rather than allow the proposals to proceed to the second of Taiwan's three-stage referendum process — was swiftly condemned by the KMT, which accused it of disregarding the people's will.    [FULL  STORY]