Channel News Asia
Date: 27 Jun 2018

BEIJING: China lashed out on Wednesday (Jun 27) at Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-

wen after she urged the international community in an AFP interview to “constrain” China before it does irreparable damage to global democracy.

Her comments are “misleading and totally baseless”, the spokesman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office told a regular press conference.

Tsai’s “objective is to create enmity between compatriots across the straits”, said Ma Xiaoguang, referring to Chinese separated by the Taiwan Strait.

She is “plotting to contain the great rejuvenation of the Chinese race”, he said, adding that she “overestimates her own influence”.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-27

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has called on Japan to engage in security talks with

Taiwan in order to address mounting pressure from China.

In a recent interview with Japan’s Senkai Shimbun, Wu said he hopes Japan and Taiwan can more frequently exchange ideas on security issues, since the two nations face similar threats. Wu said China’s increasingly frequent activities in the Pacific could threaten Japan in the future.

Wu also said that formal diplomatic ties should not be a prerequisite for security talks. He said senior US officials have frequently visited Taiwan in the past year, and that President Trump also approved a new round of arms sales to Taiwan last June, worth US$1.4 billion.

Wu said Taiwan is open to alternative channels if Japan is unwilling to engage in formal talks.    [FULL  STORY]

People from the two countries will enjoy facilitated immigration clearance

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/06/27
By:  Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan and South Korea co-launched the “Taiwan-South

Korea Automatic Immigration Clearance Program” and signed a MOU at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on June 27.

The Taiwan-South Korea Automatic Immigration Clearance Program will allow Taiwanese visitors to register for the Smart Entry System (SES) —South Korea’s automatic immigration clearance system— and use it when entering the country. With this Program, the people of Taiwan and South Korea can enjoy improved convenience when visiting each other’s country.

According to Minister Yeh Chun-Jung of Ministry of the Interior, the MOI began establishing the Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) after the Official Launch of e-Gate for the United States and Global Entry for Taiwan on November 1, 2017. The Taiwan-South Korea Automatic Immigration Clearance Program will be the first success story of the TTP, demonstrating that Taiwan’s border security and e-Gate system are up to international standards.

Yeh said that during the trial operation in 2011, Taiwan’s e-Gate saw a usage rate of 3 percent by Taiwanese citizens. After the trial, 66 e-Gates were installed in Taiwan’s international airports and seaports, and the usage rate by Taiwanese citizens rose to 51 percent.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/06/27
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and William Yen

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a press

statement Wednesday saying that it has set the maximum tolerance level for the insecticide fipronil in eggs at 0.01 parts per million (ppm), to take effect Friday.

Last year, incidences of fipronil-tainted eggs were reported around the world, including Taiwan. Local authorities seized and incinerated more than 500,000 eggs after a country-wide investigation found 45 farms to be supplying eggs with excessive levels of the insecticide.

At the time when the fipronil scare occurred, Taiwan had no rules regulating the pesticide’s residue in eggs. To reassure the public, the authorities decided to adopt 0.005 ppm — the instrument detection limit — as a provisional standard for fipronil inspection.

However, the Council of Agriculture (COA) decided that the standard was too strict and proposed to the FDA that it should be relaxed.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 28, 2018
By: Staff writer, with CNA in BEIJING

If cross-strait relations are to move forward, “the ball is now in Taiwan’s court,”

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) said yesterday.

Ma was commenting on an overture from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on an equal footing and without any preconditions.

In an exclusive interview with Agence France-Presse on Monday, Tsai said there is still a chance for the two sides to sit down and talk, despite escalating tension across the Taiwan Strait.

China’s stance on the “1992 consensus” and its opposition to Taiwanese independence remain firm and consistent, Ma said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-26

President Tsai Ing-wen says she is viewing recent dialogue between the Vatican and

China rationally and calmly. An interview with the president was released Monday by news agency AFP.

The Vatican is Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Europe and Taipei is concerned that rapprochement between Beijing and the Holy See could result in a break in relations.

Tsai said she believes many other countries like Taiwan are also concerned about what issues are being discussed, including Beijing’s views on religious freedom.

Concerning relations between Taiwan, China and the US, Tsai was asked if the benefits from improved relations between Taipei and Washington are greater than the countermeasures from China. Tsai said Taiwan’s relations with the US and its neighboring countries are built on the common values of democracy, freedom and human rights.     [FULL  STORY]

The agreement takes immediate effect, allowing for easier license transfer

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/06/26
By: Scott Morgan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The U.S. state of New Mexico and Taiwan have signed an

agreement to mutually recognize each other’s driving credentials, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today.

The agreement will take immediate effect and is the 26th mutual recognition agreement between a U.S. state and Taiwan, reported CNA.

The agreement will allow for easier transfer of a driver’s license from a Taiwan issued license to a New Mexico issued one, and vice versa.

According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign affairs, 11,000 people have benefited from driver’s license agreements between Taiwan and various U.S. states.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/06/26
By: Siti Badriah

Jakarta, June 26 (CNA) Siti Badriah, a hugely popular songstress in Indonesia who has performed in Taiwan, has thanked Taiwan for taking good care of Southeast Asian migrant workers, including those from her country.

The 26-year-old Siti, who has become wildly popular after her performance of Lagi Syantik (Pretty Full), has had close ties with Taiwan since performing a concert at the Flora Expo site in Taipei in 2016 to celebrate Eid al-Fitr or the End of Ramadan.

That performance bonded the singer and her fans — both Indonesian migrant workers and Taiwanese — who have been in contact online ever since.

Her rendition of Lagi Syantik has now earned her the title of “Queen of YouTube” after the Dangdut music got more than 167 million hits on TouTube.    [FULL  STORY]