JIJI EARTHQUAKE: The collapse of a slope of Jiufenershan killed 41 people, but also hit the wild sambar deer living in the area, ushering in two decades of conservation efforts

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 17, 2019
By: Tung Cheng-kuo and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The wild sambar population in Nantou County’s Jiufenershan (九份二山) has been

restored to 4,000, after nearly two decades of intensive conservation following the 921 Earthquake, the Council of Agriculture’s Soil and Water Conservation Bureau said yesterday.

The bureau had been tight-lipped about the conservation program to avoid attracting visitors who might have disrupted the efforts, bureau Nantou Branch Director Chen Jung-chun (陳榮俊) said.

As the deer population has largely recovered, the bureau now deems it safe to reveal the program to the public for the first time as the 20th anniversary of the earthquake approaches, Chen said.

Tourists visiting would have disrupted reproduction during a critical time, he said, adding that the Endemic Species Research Institute and local residents estimate the deer population at about 4,000.    [FULL  STORY]

Jet export reverses Obama, Bush appeasement of China

The Washington Free Beacon
Date: March 15, 2019
By:: Bill Gertz  

The Trump administration has approved the sale of dozens of new F-16 jet fighters to

Taiwan, the first major warplane sale to the island state in nearly 30 years.

The interagency decision, to be announced in the near future, authorized the sale of up to 66 F-16V jet fighters at an estimated cost of $13 billion, according to administration officials familiar with internal discussions.

The jets are among several new weapons systems, including missiles, that are part of the administration’s latest arms sale to Taiwan, a key U.S. partner in the Asia Pacific region.

The jet sale reverses the Obama administration rejection of Taiwan’s request for the same number of F-15C/D jets over fears of upsetting China. The George W. Bush administration also blocked F-16 sales in 2007, amid worries about triggering a backlash from Beijing.    [FULL  STORY]

A Daguan Community resident speaks ahead of the March 18 forced demolition of the village by the New Taipei city government.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/03/15
By: Chenhuang Jinju, Translated by Brian Hioe

New Bloom editor Chenhuang Jinju interviewed Daguan Community resident Zhou Xiang-ping on March 9, 2019. Daguan Community residents currently face the forced demolition of their homes by the New Taipei city government on March 18. The following is a transcript of their interview.

Chenhuang Jinju: Could I ask you to first introduce yourself?

Zhou Xiang-ping: I’m Zhou Xiang-ping. I was born here. My family came here in Minguo 48 (1959). We lived here and did business. My mother sold red bean soup and our home has been here for 60 years.

CJ: Daguan Community is continually threatened with eviction. The government gave notice on March 6 that the community will be demolished on March 18? How are local residents reacting to this?

ZXP: Some people are looking for means of self-defense, since they’ve become panicky after receiving this notice. One view everyone seems to share is: “What should we do? Now what?” But we plan to continue meeting and to continue protesting.

Now some of our residents are looking for houses and desperately trying to fix them up to move over. But for me, my feelings are a bit more complicated. I was born here. My father’s things are all here. I don’t know where to move any of this. My father is longer with us, I spent a long time organizing his clothes yesterday.    [FULL  STORY]

Authorities to request maximum fine of NT$1.5 million

Taiwan News   
Date: 2019/03/15 
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Two appearances by a drone shut down Taipei Songshan Airport Friday evening, causing delays and even the diversion of one flight to Taichung, according to the Apple Daily.

By 8 p.m. Friday, the problem had been resolved and flights resumed their normal schedule, but the authorities said they would find the culprit, who could face a fine of up to NT$1.5 million (US$48,500).

A first incident occurred just before 7 p.m., which caused an immediate shutdown of the airport in downtown Taipei City.

Since the unmanned object was not found, officials assumed it had left the area and they allowed services to resume at 7:17 p.m., the Apple Daily reported.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/03/15
By: Miao Zong-han, Liu Lee-jung and Ko Lin

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) said Friday it has blocked a Chinese website promoting Beijing’s “31 Measures,” which are aimed at attracting more Taiwanese to work, study, live or start businesses in China.

The move was made based on national security concerns, a NCC official said, noting that it had been notified by relevant national security agencies to request the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC) to shut off the web domain www.31t.tw by the end of the day.

As of 7:30 p.m., Internet users in Taiwan were no longer able to access the Chinese website.

China issued the measures last year to attract more Taiwanese to go to the mainland and win over the public, but they have generally been described as propaganda in favor of Beijing’s cause to annex the island.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 16, 2019
By: Chen Yi-chia and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

“Buckyballs” — magnetic balls sold as toys — are to be subject to mandatory inspections

starting on Oct. 1, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said, after the introduction of warning labels in 2012 failed to prevent cases of children swallowing the magnets.

Often marketed as educational toys, Buckyballs are said to stimulate creativity and improve logical reasoning, the Consumer Protection Committee said.

However, the potential risks should not be underestimated, it said.

Buckyballs have a magnetic strength of more than 4,000 gauss, or 80 times the international standard, and as they are small, children could accidentally swallow them, it said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 14 March, 2019
By: Paula Chao

The sea goddess Mazu is a deeply venerated figure in Taiwan. It’s common to see religious processions carrying her statue through the streets. But it’s not every day you see two Mazu processions joining forces to flood a town with worshippers.

You might be forgiven for thinking you’re seeing double. But this really is a double procession- two religious parades happening side by side. Each is in honor of the sea goddess Mazu, and each carries a statue of the goddess.

Both are passing through Lugang in central Taiwan, on their way to visit the historic Lugang Tianhou temple. There, these two Mazu statues they carry will be reunited with a third that the temple keeps as a treasured relic.

Lugang Tianhou temple chair, Chang Wei-dong, says it’s a blessing that two Mazu statues from other parts of Taiwan arrived in town at the same time.    [FULL  STORY]

Zhang Zhijun, head of the semi-official Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, says mainland’s growing strength means it will achieve its goal

South China Morning Post
Date: 14 Mar, 2019 
By: Kristin Huang

Any effort by Taiwan to resist the “historic trend” towards unification is doomed to failure since Beijing is in a much stronger position to realise its goals, the head of a semi-official Chinese body to handle relations with the island said on Wednesday.

Zhang Zhijun, the president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, told reporters at the annual legislative session in Beijing that reunification was inevitable as China becomes stronger.

“The Taiwan issue happened because of the degeneration of the Chinese nation,” Zhang, the former director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said.
[FULL  STORY]

Plans for visit suspended due to cost and scale concerns: city government

Taiwan News   
Date: 2019/03/14 
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Residents of Kaohsiung will not hear Hollywood action star and

former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger deliver his trademark phrase “I’ll be back” this month, since a long-rumored visit will not take place after all.

Just before taking office last December, Kaohsiung City Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) spread the news that a major Hollywood star would visit the southern port city in March.

As the environment and sustainable development were supposed to be the themes for the visit, initial attention had focused on Leonardo di Caprio, but Han’s team later named Schwarzenegger as the visitor.

A city government spokeswoman said Thursday that the plan to invite him had been “temporarily suspended” due to considerations related to the cost and scale of the event, the Apple Daily reported.    [FULL  STORY]