Page Three

Man tries to burn down KMT headquarters

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 01, 2018
By: Hsieh Chun-lin and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

A middle-aged man yesterday morning attempted to torch the Chinese Nationalist

A man surnamed Tsai, right, who yesterday broke into the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) headquarters in Taipei and started a fire, is escorted in handcuffs by a police officer at the Taipei District Prosecutors Office.  Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

Party’s (KMT) headquarters, the Taipei City Police Department said, adding that they are still investigating his motive.

A 43-year-old man surnamed Tsai (蔡) broke into KMT headquarters and started a small fire, but was stopped by two security guards, police said.

One of the guards is in intensive care for observation after sustaining a smoke inhalation injury, police said.

Tsai was a member of the Bamboo Union gang and has a criminal record for obstruction of liberty, fraud and threatening others, police said, adding that he might be indicted for breaching the Public Safety Act (公共危險罪).

Tsai entered the premise and shouted “Mind your own business” before pouring gasoline over the carpet and setting it ablaze, the guards said in their statements.
[FULL  STORY]

Transportation Ministry considers using ETC to catch speeding offenders

Formosa News
Date: 2018/05/30

The highway patrol has traditionally been using microdigicams to catch speeding drivers. Now the Ministry of Transportation is looking into the feasibility of using the electronic toll collection system, or ETC, to nab speeders. While the technology is already in place, some are wondering if such an adoption would invade privacy.

The ETC system, as the name suggests, is designed to facilitate toll collection. But now the Transportation Ministry is considering using it to crack down on speeding.
[FULL  STORY]

Good chance to take part in RIMPAC: Minister

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-30

The defense minister, Yen Teh-fa, said Wednesday that there is a good opportunity for Taiwan to take part in US-led military exercises next month. But he stressed that it would depend upon the decision of the US side.

The Wall Street Journal reported that China had originally agreed to take part in this year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in June. The US has apparently withdrawn the invitation, however, with a trade war between the two sides currently escalating and amid recent confrontations over China’s actions in the South China Sea.
[FULL  STORY]

BBC China: 11 out of 100 major company websites designate Taiwan as a country

The survey found only 8 out of 100 designate Taiwan as part of ‘China’ or ‘Chinese’

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/05/31
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Amid China’s current campaign pressuring companies to

Image by Pixabay user geralt (modified)

change their designation of Taiwan, BBC China conducted a survey of 100 major international company websites to compile a list of companies in compliance with China’s dictates.

The survey of company websites was conducted over May 28 -29, and of the 100 companies, reportedly randomly selected, it was found that 11 out of 100 display “Taiwan” as an available choice under the category of country or nation on website menus.

The vast majority of websites surveyed have Taiwan listed alongside other countries under politically safe categories like “Location,” “Region” or “Country or Region.”
[FULL  STORY]

IATA asks for political disputes to spare airlines

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/30
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, May 30 (CNA) The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged

Image taken from Pixabay

governments Wednesday to sort out their political differences so that airlines are not caught in the middle, in response to Beijing’s latest attempt to belittle Taiwan in the global air transport sector.

The trade association of the world’s airlines said that it and its member airlines are “non-political businesses serving many global markets and have no wish to make political statements in how they designate those markets.”

The IATA asked that governments follow global standards, and where there are no such standards, or where there are gaps in how they are implemented, should find a solution to avoid an impact on the market.

“An inter-governmental agreement on the naming and grouping of states and territories would be a helpful reference,” the IATA said, referring to China’s putting pressure to dozens of international airlines to remove references to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as countries on their websites and marketing materials.    [FULL  STORY]

International support at WHA at new high: minister

IRRELEVANT: Former minister of foreign affairs Francisco Ou said that a US$1 million donation to fight Ebola would not help Taiwan’s bid for inclusion in the annual meeting

Taipei Times
Date: May 31, 2018
By: Lee I-chia and Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporters

Taiwan has received its strongest international support yet at this year’s World Health

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung speaks during a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

Assembly (WHA) Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday, adding that should the WHO decline the nation’s US$1 million donation to help fight Ebola, at least it has extended its goodwill.

While Taiwan was not invited to the annual WHA for the second consecutive year, its delegation, the “WHA Action Team” led by Chen, flew to Geneva, Switzerland, to protest the nation’s exclusion and engaged in ministerial-level health talks on the sidelines of the meeting.

After the delegation returned home on Saturday last week, its members met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.

Tsai announced at the meeting that Taiwan would donate US$1 million to the WHO to fight Ebola.    [FULL  STORY]

Han Kuang Rehearsal Drills

Formosa News
Date: 2018/05/29

Precision-guided weapons were tested at the Jioupeng Military Base in Pingtung today. The launches were a rehearsal for the Han Kuang live-fire exercises, an annual display of Taiwan’s ability to counter a Chinese attack. Over the last several months, China has taken up an increasingly aggressive stance, its military planes and warships invading Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone with rising frequency.

Today Taiwan’s military were testing the Sky Bow I, a surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile developed by National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. In the sky, F-16 Fighting Falcons launched rockets to fight off an imagined Chinese incursion into Taiwan’s airspace. Meanwhile, a flotilla of naval vessels took to sea, practicing a coordinated mobilization of the nation’s armed forces.    [FULL  STORY]

Haiti Reportedly Seeking Better Deal with Taiwan

ICRT Radio News
Date: 2018-05-29

Foreign media claim there may be ulterior motives to the Haitian president’s
state visit.

The Miami Herald is hinting that president Jovenel Moise’s current trip to
Taiwan may be to negotiate a better deal from the Taiwan government.

Moise’s chief of staff, Wilson Laleau, has been quoted as saying that while
Taiwan is a longtime friend, they are not closing the door to other potential
partnerships, including with China.

US Senator Marco Rubio has warned Haiti against aligning itself with China in
exchange for investment, saying “the deal is never as good as sounds on the
front end”.

He adds that money from China will come with all sorts of strings attached,
that will be problematic for decades to come.    [SOURCE]

Taiwan to promote indigenous tourism at APEC ministerial meeting

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/05/29
By:  Central News Agency

TAIPEI (CNA) – Minister of Transportation and Communications Ho Chen Tan will

Taiwan is to present its rich indigenous culture at an APEC conference. (By Central News Agency)

highlight the development of tribal aboriginal tourism in Taiwan at the 2018 APEC Tourism Ministers’ Meeting next month, a ministry official said Tuesday.

Ho Chen will lead a delegation to the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting June 1-2 in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, according to Tourism Bureau Chief Secretary Lin Kun-yuan.

This year, the 10th APEC Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, under the theme of Harnessing Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing the Digital Future, will provide 21 APEC member economies with an opportunity to explore ways to advance sustainable, inclusive travel and tourism growth in the region through improved use of digital tools.

Taiwan will report on its five-pronged approach to developing sustainable tourism by exploring diverse markets, promoting domestic travel, guiding reform of the tourism industry, and developing smart tourism, Lin said.    [FULL  STORY]

Legislature approves bill to limit donations from political parties

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/29
By: Chen Chun-hua and Ko Lin 

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) The legislature approved Tuesday an amendment that will set an upper limit on the amount of donations a political party can pass on to its candidates in election campaigns.

According to the amendment to the Political Donations Act, political parties will not be allowed to donate more than NT$25 million (about US$881,700) to presidential and vice presidential candidates, or more than NT$2 million to each legislative candidate.

Mayoral candidates will not be allowed to receive more than NT$3 million in political donations from their parties, while city and county council candidates will be bound by an upper limit of NT$500,000 each, according to the new amendment.
[FULL  STORY]