Over 90 percent of voters want better rights for foreign workers

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/10/07
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – According to the preliminary results of a mock referendum

on foreign workers’ issues in Taiwan, more than 90 percent of those polled say the laborers should be free to change employers.

The poll is being held from September 17 until December 10, with the final results to be announced at a migrant workers’ parade on December 17, the Migrants Empowerment Network in Taiwan (MENT) told the Central News Agency.

The first phase of the vote saw a total of 2,447 people, including 2,109 foreign laborers and 338 interested Taiwanese citizens, take part in the mock referendum, CNA reported Saturday.

The three topics up for a vote in the first phase included the protection of caregivers and housemaids by labor laws, the right to change employers freely, and the replacement of private labor brokers and middlemen by government-to-government labor recruitment.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/10/07
By: Elaine Hou and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) The Prospect Foundation is hoping its first Yushan Forum, being

held Oct. 11-12, will promote innovation and development in the Asia Pacific region, it said in a statement on Saturday.

The goal of the forum is to stimulate growth and value creation in the Asia Pacific region, which is why the forum will gather leaders, scholars, and entrepreneurs from across the globe, the foundation said, citing previous comments by Prospect Foundation President Lai I-chung (賴怡忠).

It will feature discussion on the six themes of economic and trade issues, human resources, technological innovation, nongovernmental organization engagement, think tank cooperation, and youth dialogue at separate sessions during the two days.

A key feature of the forum will be the “New Southbound” exhibit, which will showcase the results of Taiwan’s initiatives related to Southeast Asia over the past under the government’s New Southbound Policy.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: October 7, 20170
By: Wang Shu-fen and Y.F. Low

TAIPEI (CNA) – Heavy rain can be expected in parts of Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung

and Yilan Saturday — the first day of the four-day National Day holiday weekend, due to strengthening northeasterly winds and a strong convective system over Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

There will also be strong winds, starting Saturday afternoon, in the coastal and open areas of northern and southeastern Taiwan, the Hengchun Peninsula, and the offshore islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, the bureau said.

Daytime highs on Saturday are forecast at 29-30 degrees Celsius in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Yilan, 32-33 degrees in Taoyuan, Hualien and Taitung, and 34-25 degrees in areas south of Hsinchu, it added.     [SOURCE]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-10-05

The United States respects President Tsai Ing-wen’s effort to maintain cross-strait

stability and it also encourages Taiwan and China to engage in more constructive dialogue.

That’s according to AIT chair James Moriarty on Wednesday at a banquet in celebration of Taiwan’s upcoming national day. The AIT (American Institute in Taiwan) is the de facto US embassy in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

 

Moriarty said the United States has long paid close attention to relations between Taiwan and China because it is a key factor in regional stability. He also praised President Tsai for being responsible and pragmatic in her attempts to keep cross-strait stability.

Moriarty also said that the US will continue to encourage Taiwan and China to engage in more constructive dialogue, and hopes that the two sides will resolve their differences peacefully.    [FULL  STORY]

Around 600 international students have received scholarships to study in Taiwan this year, but Higher Education has the potential to offer Taiwan more if the authorities dare to think big

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/10/06
By: David Spencer, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

At the start of this week, the 2017 Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment

Scholarship Program was launched in Taipei. This laudable scheme is designed to encourage students from around the world to choose to study at university level or learn Mandarin in Taiwan by offering a variety of scholarships.

The program is particularly targeted at Taiwan’s Diplomatic allies and has enjoyed some success. This year saw some 1,500 applications being received from more than 80 countries, around 600 of which were accepted. Meanwhile, in the 13 years since it was established, it has provided scholarships to more than 100,000 students from over 100 countries around the world.

The many benefits of international students

The positive long-term impact of this program on the students who participate is difficult to underestimate for Taiwan. Students who study in Taiwan will return to their home countries with (hopefully) a hugely positive view of Taiwan to share. They will have developed language skills and contacts which will enable them to do business with Taiwan in their future careers. Some may even choose to remain in Taiwan and directly contribute to the economy and to Taiwanese society.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date; 2017/10/05
By: Elaine Hou and William Yen

Wu Hsin-hsing (吳新興), head of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC)
Taipei, Oct. 5 (CNA) The number of expatriates returning to Taiwan for the Double Ten National Day celebrations next week has increased by 40 percent compared to last year, according to the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) Thursday.

This year, 5,300 expatriates are returning to attend the festivities on and around Oct. 10, Wu Hsin-hsing (吳新興), head of the OCAC, told the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Last year, the figure was around 3,700.

Wu said that out of the current 5,300 expatriates returning to Taiwan, the OCAC has arranged for 2,000 of them to attend the National Day party in Taichung City on Monday.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: October 5, 20170
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan  

TAIPEI (CNA) Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy is the country’s “regional strategy for

Asia,” as the country used to identify itself only with Northeast Asia but now wants to integrate itself more deeply into the South and Southeast Asia regions, presidential advisor Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌) said Tuesday.

Hsiao was briefing the press on the Yushan Forum, a major initiative of the President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) administration aimed at establishing the country’s role in the changing regional dynamics by creating an institutionalized multilateral dialogue platform on cooperation. It is slated to be launched Oct. 11.

A leading pioneer in Southeast Asian studies, Hsiao told reporters that what he has observed in his long-term research is that “we [Taiwan] actually play no role in Asia.” That is partly due to the fact that the Taiwanese society as a whole has long identified itself more strongly with Northeast Asia and has lost sight of countries in South and Southeast Asia, Hsiao said. “With the New Southbound Policy in place, we are trying to reassert our role.”    [FULL  STORY]