Taiwan News  
Date: 2017/12/27
By: Taiwan Today,Agencies

President Tsai Ing-wen said Dec. 26 that Taiwan and Japan should expand collaboration in a range of fields spanning culture, technology and trade.

The president noted that Taiwan and Japanese companies would both benefit by joining hands in exploring business opportunities in New Southbound Policy target nations, which comprise the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

Tsai made the remarks while receiving a Liberal Democratic Party delegation headed by Takinami Hirofumi, member of Japan’s House of Councilors, at the Office of the President in Taipei City. She added that she is grateful for Hirofumi’s steadfast efforts in bolstering Taiwan-Japan exchanges.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/27
By: Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) Head of the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) Agnes Chen (陳華玉)

stepped down Wednesday amid a furor over an error on the newly updated Taiwan e-passport, which bears an image of Washington’s Dulles International Airport rather than Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

“On behalf of BOCA, I apologize to the public for the major oversight and will take full administrative responsibility for the incident,” Chen said in a brief statement at a press conference.

Chen said she had met with Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) the previous night and submitted her resignation to him. According to MOFA spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章), the foreign minister accepted Chen’s resignation Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s top envoy to Canada Kung Chung-chen (龔中誠), who was BOCA’s chief when the new passport was designed, has been recalled, Andrew Lee said.
[FULL  STORY]

Reuters
December 26, 2017
By: Reuters Staff

TAIPEI (Reuters) – China’s air force has carried out 16 rounds of exercises close to Taiwan in the last year or so, Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Tuesday, warning that China’s military threat was growing by the day.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen visits the Suyapa Cathedral in Tegucigalpa, Honduras January 9, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera
China considers self-ruled and democratic Taiwan to be its sacred territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring what it views as a wayward province under Chinese control.

China has taken an increasingly hostile stance towards Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen from the island’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won presidential elections last year.    [FULL  STORY]

‘Would you marry Christmas in just 3 minutes?’ 

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/12/26
By: Alicia Nguyen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A misspelled festive greeting “Marry Christmas” instead of “Merry

Christmas” went viral on Facebook after it was spotted several times in a public place.

Christmas is a festival for families and friends to gather and enjoy good food, exchange gifts and blessings. But this year, a misspelling of “Marry Christmas”, has added a bit more fun and spice to the celebrations.

This curiously spelled holiday greeting was first discovered at the Kota Bharu airport in Malaysia when a picture of a Christmas sign written “Marry Christmas and Happy New Years” attracted several comments and shares on Facebook. Malaysia Airports removed the sign and posted a sorry note on its official Facebook page.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/26
By: Wang Shu-fen, Wu Che-hao and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) Chunghwa Post launched 50 more of its smart delivery mailboxes

Tuesday in central and southern Taiwan.

According to a press release, the 50 imailbox kiosks are now available in central and southern Taiwan, bringing the total tally in the country to 109, covering cities and counties of Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Nantou, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

The service, which was launched in July 2016 with the installation of 59 units, allows customers to use the imailbox as a delivery address for packages and international express mail, with the convenience of 24-hour pickup.

Chunghwa Post’s plan is to have over 1,000 units throughout Taiwan by the end of 2018, many of which will be situated at train stations, college campuses and hospitals.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 27, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter

The Control Yuan has issued 20 percent more censures to the Cabinet this year compared

with last year, Control Yuan President Chang Po-ya (張博雅) said yesterday during an annual review of the Executive Yuan, calling for immediate action to improve official integrity and policy enforcement.

As of Monday, the Control Yuan issued 99 censures to the Cabinet this year and issued a total of 159 censure orders requiring government agencies to make corrections.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior have each received 13 censure orders, followed by the Ministry of Education, which received 12.

“Whether in terms of the number of censure orders or the number of agencies censured, the figures are much higher than last year with a 20 percent increase. Premier William Lai (賴清德) and Cabinet members are asked to place high importance on the Control Yuan’s censure orders,” Chang said.    [FULL  STORY]

CHINA has vowed to create an “overwhelming strategic advantage” over neighbour Taiwan as invasion fears up another gear, it has emerged.

Express
Date: Mon, Dec 25, 2017
By: Joseph Carey

China has vowed to create an ‘overwhelming strategic advantage’ over neighbour Taiwan

Liu Junchuan, the head of the liaison office of China’s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, declared that Beijing favours a “one country, two systems” approach to reunification it claims would be attractive to the Taiwanese people.

He said: “The swift development and massive changes in the mainland of the motherland are creating an increasingly strong attraction for the people of Taiwan.

“The contrast in power across the Taiwan Strait will become wider and wider, and we will have a full, overwhelming strategic advantage over Taiwan.

“The economic, political, social, cultural and military conditions for achieving the complete reunification of the motherland will become even more ample.

“The basic situation of the Taiwan Strait continuing to develop in a direction beneficial to us will not change, and time and momentum are on our side.”    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-12-25

President Tsai Ing-wen said on Sunday that she would like to gradually raise the minimum

wage and her ideal figure is NT$30,000. She said Taiwan can start with long-term caregivers.

She said most people think that the economy, environment and social welfare have conflicts of interest but that is not necessarily so. The government asking for a minimum wage for long-term caregivers of NT$32,000 will upgrade the wages and quality of service of this important industry. The president said she hopes this will also inspire higher wages.

The president said a raise in wages will be a burden on companies so she is considering not raising the national health insurance payments for companies at the same time.
[FULL  STORY]