Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/20
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Romulo Huang

Taipei, Dec. 20 (CNA) Several Chinese military aircraft were seen flying near Taiwan again

on Wednesday, passing through the Bashi Channel to the south then going north before flying over the Miyako Strait that lies between two Japanese islands, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.

The military aircraft returned to their bases in China on the same route after apparently conducting training missions in the western Pacific, the ministry said in a press release.

One of the planes was a TU-154 electronic surveillance aircraft, while the others included an Su-30 fighter, IL-78 aerial refueling plane and a Xian H-6 bomber, the ministry said.

In addition, the ministry said, a Shaanxi Y-8 transport aircraft flew over the Bashi Channel into the western Pacific and returned to its base in China via the Miyako Strait.
[FULL  STORY]

Expert has warned Beijing could be plotting an invasion and a takeover of Taiwan
Last week, Chinese jets armed with cruise missiles were seen circling the island
Imposing stunt thought to have been intelligence-gathering mission by Beijing
Countries split after 1949 civil war, but Taiwan never declared independence

Daily Mail
Date: 19 December 2017
By: Gareth Davies

China has been accused of stepping up its preparations for a war with Taiwan after jets

were spotted circling above the island.

An expert has warned Beijing could be plotting an invasion in order to take over the island just east of the mainland by force.

Last week the Chinese jets – PLA Yun-8 planes – carried out what was described as ‘island encirclement patrols’ around Taiwan and state media showed pictures of bombers armed with cruise missiles.

Although imposing, it appears the stunt could have been to gather intelligence in preparation for a takeover.

An expert has warned Beijing could be plotting an invasion in order to take over the island just east of the mainland by force.  [FULL  STORY]

David Liu was named for his groundbreaking gene-editing technique

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/12/19
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – British journal Natural recently released its list of “ten people who

mattered this year.” Among them,Taiwanese American David Liu was named for his groundbreaking gene-editing technique which “could one day save lives.”

Born and raised in California, the 44-year-old scientist studied chemistry at Harvard and UC Berkeley. Liu’s father and mother moved to the U.S. from Taiwan to work as an aerospace engineer and a professor in physics respectively.

Liu is now working with the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which published the results of a daring attempt to quickly change the DNA of nearly any organism including humans. The technique was called CRISPR.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/19
By: Wu Hsin-yun and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 19 (CNA) Environmental protection advocates asked President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) Tuesday to help with efforts to protect several-millennium-old algal reefs on the coastline of Taoyuan in northern Taiwan from harm by a natural gas terminal construction project.

Members of several environmental protection groups, headed by Taoyuan Local Union Director-General Pan Chong-cheng (潘忠政), issued the call at a press conference in Taipei, in which they presented over 4,300 postcards on the issue addressed to Tsai.

Last month, Pan launched a movement on the Taoyuan Local Union Facebook page, inviting people to write to Tsai, asking her to save the Taoyuan algal reefs that Pan said are 7,500 years old.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-12-18

The education ministry is set to roll out a new program that will help universities develop

and retain talent. That was the word from President Tsai Ing-wen, who was speaking at an awards ceremony on Monday for distinguished researchers.

Under the new five-year program, the ministry will redistribute higher education resources, starting next year. The goal is to reduce competition between universities while giving them the funding they need to develop talent.

Tsai said that the education ministry will also launch the Yushan (or “Jade Mountain”) program next year to help keep good teachers in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Thousands took to the streets in front of a strong showing of Taiwanese politicians, but will it be enough to instigate meaningful policy change?

The News Lens
Date: 2017/12/18
By: Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文)

A boisterous and enthusiastic crowd of thousands braved a cold, blustery day to take a stand against air pollution, specifically coal. Fronted by medical professional groups and a girls marching band with a clear fondness for the band Queen, the festive crowd snaked for blocks through the streets of Taichung chanting slogans and waving banners. As the afternoon came to a close, a crowd formed the words “No Coal” and a shape of Taiwan, making for a dramatic aerial shot.

The impressively professional event was primarily organized by NGOs, including the Action Coalition for Healthy Air (ACT), formed by a group of doctors at Changhua Christian Hospital, and 350.org, which campaigns against fossil fuels. A press release issued prior to the event stated, “Even though the national Executive Yuan has committed to providing solutions to the business elite … [there] is still a long way to go to pursue good heart, good lungs, good brains, good health and good atmosphere for all.” Dr. Yeh, the chairman of ACT stressed that “anti-air pollution is anti-imperialism, anti-countercivilian, anti-centralization.”    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News lists the main New Year’s Eve fireworks displays in Taiwan 

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/12/18
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The following is a list of the major New Year’s Eve public fireworks displays that will be taking place throughout Taiwan to ring in 2018.

Northern Taiwan

Taipei

Taipei 101 will present a six-minute fireworks display, the longest in the history of the annual event, which will be further enhanced by a massive light-emitting diode (LED) display. Starting from one minute before midnight, fireworks will be launched from Taipei 101 for a full six minutes (360 seconds), more than two minutes longer than last year’s pyrotechnic display.

This year’s light display at Taipei 101 will be much larger than last year’s as well, with 140,000 LED lights covering the tower’s exterior from the 35th floor and going all the way up to the 90th.

Central Taiwan

Sun Moon Lake

Although Sun Moon Lake has not held a pyrotechnic display on New Year’s Eve for nearly 5 years, because visits by Chinese tourists to the area is down this year, local authorities are organizing a music performance and an 8-minute fireworks display to stimulate tourism. The New Year’s Eve fireworks display can be best viewed from Wenwu Temple (文武廟), the Shuishe Plum Lotus Garden (水社荷梅園), and the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway Station (日月潭纜車站).     [FULL  STORY]