Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/02/18
By Joseph Yeh, CNA staff reporter 

The Chinese saying: “Hsiang Feng Chi Shih Yu Yuan” (相逢即是有緣), can be loosely

translated as “each and every encounter is a matter of fate” and provides a loose framework for Eric Aldrich’s experience with Taiwan.

One might say it was fate that brought him to the island in the early 1990s after taking a position as an English teacher at the Taipei YMCA for 18 months.

After more than two decades, Aldrich has returned to Taipei, to work in the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which represents U.S. interests in the absence of official diplomatic ties.

He is a cultural affairs officer in AIT’s Public Diplomacy Section and also serves as director of the institute’s American Center, responsible for strengthening educational and cultural ties between the United States and Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Breaking Belize News
Date: February 16, 2018
By BBN Staff: 

Yesterday, Belize received US $500,000 from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to support ongoing efforts aimed at strengthening the Belize Police Department as part of the Security Cooperation that exists between the two countries.

Receiving the cheque on behalf of the government of Belize was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs, Wilfred Elrington; and on behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) was Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize, H.E. Charles K. Y. Liu.

The contribution will be used for the purchase of standard police equipment and law enforcement technologies for the Department, including alcohol measuring instruments, bulletproof vests, and motorcycles.    [FULL  STORY]

The senior US Navy officer in the Pacific region has spoken out in support of US-Taiwan relations in a statement made to the House Armed Forces Committee

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/02/17
By: David Spencer, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US Congress has been told by a senior US military officer

that the country must continue to help Taiwan defend itself and push back at any efforts by China to force unification with Taiwan.

The comments were made by Admiral Harry Harris Jr, who is Commander of the US U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) and as such responsible for US Navy efforts to ensure that international freedom of navigation remains in the South China Sea despite the efforts of China to unilaterally claim the waters as their own.

Admiral Harris was addressing a hearing of the House Armed Forces Committee on the current policies and security challenges that the US were facing in the Pacific region and took the opportunity to highlight the close relations between the USA and Taiwan, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations.

He noted that Taiwan’s free market economy and vibrant democracy “reflect the shared values between Taiwan and the U.S.” He continued, saying “we maintain a substantive and robust relationship with the people of Taiwan based on the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.”    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/02/17
By: Huang Ya-chuan and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Feb. 17 (CNA) Minister without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳), who is tasked with

overseeing Taiwan’s digital affairs, has reaffirmed the government’s determination to support the development of Taiwan’s social enterprises.

In a film released by the Executive Yuan Saturday, Tang is seen making bread with a group of physically and mentally disabled people, and wishing everyone a happy and rewarding Year of the Dog.

She said the Children Are Us Foundation and other social enterprise groups in Taiwan have a clear mission — to help solve problems in different sectors of society.

The Children Are Us Foundation has dedicated itself over the past 20 years to helping disabled young people find jobs and integrate into society, she noted.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 18, 2018
By: Lin Tsui-Yi and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporter in Tokyo, with staff writer

This year’s Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival floral competition opened

yesterday in Tokyo with participants from 21 countries, including six from Taiwan.

A total of 2.5 million flowers were submitted to the competition, comprising 3,000 varieties of orchid, organizers said.

This year is the 28th year the Grand Prix International Orchid Festival has been held in Japan, and Taiwanese flower enthusiasts have participated every year since it started.

Six of the nation’s orchid nurseries cooperated in this year’s competition, with the Taiwan Orchid Growers’ Association (TOGA) and Taida Horticultural Co receiving consolation prizes at the event.    [FULL  STORY]

The largest lantern festival of the year will take place in Chiayi from March 2 to 11

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/02/16
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – It has been announced that rare and legendary Pokémon Mr.

Mime, and different forms of Unown, will be loose at the 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival. The chance to catch the rare Pokémon is expected to create another Pokémon Go craze in Chiayi of southern Taiwan.

Although the initial craze for Pokémon Go has waned after it reached an unprecedented level of popularity after its launch in 2016, the location-based augmented reality game developed by Niantic still has 65 million monthly active players, according to a Forbes report.

The Chiayi County Government recently announced a partnership between the local government and Pokémon Go developer Niantic in which two rare Pokémon will be available to be caught in Chiayi County during the 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival, which the county is hosting.    [FULL  STORY]