Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/05 
By: Hsiao Po-yang and Ko Lin

Taipei, May 5 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) opened a new creative park

dedicated to the Hoklo language in Changhua City on Saturday, the first of its kind in Taiwan.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Changhua County Magistrate Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷), Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊), Culture Minister Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) and Education Minister Wu Maw-kuen (吳茂昆).

The county is rich in Taiwanese culture and has been the source of many popular Taiwanese songs, Tsai said, adding that she hopes the new facility will help spread and promote Hoklo language and culture for generations to come.    [FULL  STORY]

‘WAKE UP’: The protesters slammed the government for drafting a bill that ignored the 7-7 split vote between a jury system or citizen judges at the national congress

Taipei Times
Date: May 06, 2018
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

More than 1,000 people yesterday marched in Taipei to urge legislators to swiftly

pass a bill that would introduce a jury system.

Demonstrators at 3pm congregated at Liberty Square, shouting slogans to call for civic participation in the judicial system and the removal of “corrupt judges” and “political hatchet men.”

Participants panned the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration’s reform plan, saying that it is attempting to push through a “citizen judge” system that they said would be a watered-down version of a real jury and would not help to prevent mistrials or unjust rulings.

The proposed citizen judge system favored by Judicial Yuan President Hsu Tsong-li (許宗力) would allow the opinion of three judges to override that of six jurors, allowing judges who take bribes or serve politics to continue these practices, attorney Jerry Cheng (鄭文龍) said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan is once again interested in purchasing Abrams tanks from the United States.

The National Interest
Date: May 5, 2018
By: Zachary Keck

This week the Hong Kong–based South China Morning Post reported that Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense, Yen Teh-fa, told a legislative panel that Taipei is still interested in purchasing U.S.-made M1A2 Abrams tanks. Citing Taiwan’s United Daily News, South China Morning Post said that Taiwan’s Defense Ministry is initially interested in buying two battalions (or 108) of M1A2 tanks. Ultimately, the Taiwanese military hopes to purchase even more tanks from Washington.

Yen said that the tanks would provide the last line of defense against a Chinese invasion. Besides immediately improving Taiwan’s combat readiness, he indicated that the sale would also involve technology transfers that could enhance the country’s domestic arms industry.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-04

President Tsai Ing-wen visited Taiwan’s electric scooter maker Gogoro on Friday.

The visit to Gogoro’s production plant in Taoyuan is part of the president’s two-day trip to inspect industries targeted by the government for support. She said Taoyuan is a young and innovative city that will be a base to help Taiwan become Asia’s future Silicon Valley.

Tsai said Gogoro aims to set an example for the application of artificial intelligence as it creates an energy-saving and pollution-reduction program. Tsai praised the electric scooter maker for finding solutions for Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

The COA released a short video clip with what to look out for, to find the tastiest watermelons this summer

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/05/04
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – As temperatures begin to warm up, watermelon season is also

approaching. The Council of Agriculture (COA) has recently created a short video to help consumers select the best watermelon for their summer snacks.

Watermelon is abundant every year in Taiwan from April from August, and the COA wants to teach people how the sweetest watermelons can be selected by appearance.

First choose the melons with brightest color green, and look for the ones with the most vivid and distinct patterning on the shell. Likewise, look for the melons with the thickest vines, and the ones that visibly curl.

Second, use your hands and ears to lightly knock on the outside of the melon. The melons that make the clearest and loudest sounds from the knock should prove to be the juiciest of the bunch according to the COA instructions.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/04
By: Chang Jung-hsiang and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, May 4 (CNA) The Tainan branch of the National Immigration Agency (NIA) warned

migrant workers on Friday not to operate any vehicle, including bicycles, while under the influence of alcohol, as they can easily be deported after being caught in the act.

The more aggressive policy reflects a recent change in how Taiwan’s courts are handling violations of the law committed by migrant workers, according to the NIA.

In a statement, the office said a Vietnamese woman who worked at a factory in Tainan was caught in April riding an electric bicycle while intoxicated, which is illegal in Taiwan even if licenses are not required for bikes.

She was sentenced to two months in jail or could alternatively pay a fine for the offense, the statement said.    [FULL  STORY]

CHINA has issued a shocking “threat” to Taiwan by installing missile systems in three of its outposts in the South China Sea, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Express
By: Joseph Carey
Date: May 3, 2018

China sends warning to Taiwan with live-fire military drills

Xi Jinping has allegedly fitted the outposts in the contested area with anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems.

Greg Poling, an expert with specialist knowledge on the South China Sea, declared such a move from the Asian superstate would be an “implicit threat”.

He explained: “These would be the first missiles in the Spratly Islands, either surface to air, or anti-ship.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-03

Education Minister Wu Maw-Kuen said Thursday that he did not influence the decision of

disapproving the selection of Kuan Chung-Ming as the next president of National Taiwan University (NTU).

Kuan was officially selected as the next president of NTU in January. However, the education ministry cited a potential conflict of interest and has withheld their approval, preventing Kuan from taking office. Members of NTU and of the public have demonstrated against the government’s interference. At the end of April, the education ministry chose not to approve Kuan’s selection, sparking further protests.

Many have criticized Education Minister Wu since he took part in one of the interdepartmental meetings that discussed the selection of Kuan as NTU’s president. Wu said at the Legislature that he was invited to participate as an academic, and that his doubts focused on NTU’s selection process, not on Kuan himself.

Cabinet Spokesperson Hsu Kuo-yung questioned Kuan’s legitimacy as NTU’s president since he owns shares of Taiwan Mobile, a mobile phone service company. But lawyers have said that the NTU owns shares of Taiwan Mobile, which makes Kuan’s candidacy entirely legal.    [SOURCE]