The China Post
Date: June 16, 2017
By: The China Post

TAIPEI, Taiwan — President Tsai Ing-wen said Friday she was determined to uphold Taiwan’s

sovereignty and that she would not succumb to external pressure.

The president made the remarks at the opening ceremony of local television station Formosa Television’s (FTV) digital center in New Taipei.

She lauded the station’s management team for keeping it running despite hardship.

“As long as the Taiwanese people are united, anything can be accomplished,” Tsai proclaimed.

She said the government would uphold Taiwan’s sovereignty despite difficulties that the nation was encountering abroad.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/06/15
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—The section from C8 to C12 of the Kaohsiung Light Rail phase one project in

southern Taiwan could become operational at the end of June this year after an inspection was conducted on Thursday.

Inspectors from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications inspected the stretch from C8 (Kaohsiung Exhibition Center) to C12 (Dayi Pier-2), with C9 (Cruise Terminal), C10 (Glory Pier) and C11 (Love Pier) in between. After the inspection, the inspectors proposed a total of 16 items for improvement.

Kaohsiung City Mass Rapid Transit Bureau said that it will do its best to make the improvements as soon as possible so that C8 to C12 of the light rail can open at the end of this month.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/06/15
By: Huang Li-yun and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, June 15 (CNA) The United States is revising its trade policy and advancing its relations with Taiwan but there are still some barriers, such as agricultural issues and pork imports, which are hampering progress, a U.S. official said in Taipei Thursday.

Robert Manogue, head of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Bilateral Trade, said that while some media reports have painted the U.S. trade policy as protectionist, it is in fact the same as in many other countries, focusing on opening its market wide to imports and negotiating fair agreements with its trading partners.

The U.S. attaches great importance to its Asian-Pacific trade policy, Manogue said in a keynote speech on creating a win-win trade relationship, at a global trade forum held by the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei.

“One of our goals is to promote relations with Taiwan,” Manogue said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 16, 2017
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

More stringent requirements are to be imposed for the certification of oolong and high mountain teas,

and entry samples must be traceable to their place of production, the Nantou County Department of Agriculture said yesterday, following an alleged case of counterfeit tea sales.

More tea samples are to be subjected to random testing to determine their level of residual pesticide and other chemicals, department officials said, adding that QR codes would be required for all tea farmers to enable verification of the product’s place of production and processing.

The move was in response to the alleged discovery of counterfeit teas that officials say have damaged the reputation of the county’s certification and marketing processes for oolong and high mountain teas.

Prosecutors have arrested a tea farmer surnamed Lai (賴) and are conducting investigations to determine if other people or businesses were involved.

Officials raided Lai’s office and detained him for questioning, alleging that he imported tea from Vietnam, mixed it with tea produced in Taiwan and marketed it as high-priced Lugu Dong Ting oolong tea.

An official estimated that Lai made more than NT$5 million (US$165,306) in illicit profits by selling more than 8,000 catties (4,800kg) of blended tea in the past two years.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: June 15, 2017
By: CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan and Panama will discuss how to deal with their future relations after the two

countries severed their bilateral century-long diplomatic ties earlier this week, a Taiwanese foreign affairs official said Thursday.

Panama announced its decision to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing Tuesday and Taiwan immediately responded that it was terminating all of its technical aid programs in Panama, following the severance of diplomatic ties.

Eleanor Wang (王珮玲), spokeswoman for Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular news briefing that Taiwan and Panama will have to discuss how to deal with their future relations.

The two countries will also have to discuss how to handle bilateral cooperation projects that have been terminated due to the ending of diplomatic ties, Wang told reporters.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-06-13

President Tsai Ing-wen says she hopes to see strengthened diplomatic relations between Taiwan and

the Dominican Republic. Tsai was speaking on Tuesday while receiving the president of the Dominican Senate, Reinaldo Pared Perez, in Taipei.

Tsai said the Caribbean country’s economy has improved greatly in recent years. She said that Pared Perez has been pushing for many laws, including cooperation with Taiwan in fighting crime and handling public safety issues.

Tsai said she hopes there will be more cooperation with the Dominican Republic in the future. She said Taiwan is promoting its textile industry and hopes to invest in the Caribbean nation. She hopes that both countries can have more joint ventures. Tsai also thanked the Dominican Senate for its support in Taiwan’s participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization, among others.

On Monday, Pared Perez was presented with the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon in recognition of his contribution to the development of relations between the two countries.
[FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/06/13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–Continuing the success of last year’s edition, Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau has

announced “2017 Taiwan Fun on the Tropic of Cancer” activities, starting on June 17.

This year the bureau has cooperated with such sectors as marketing, 3C, the media, travel, finance, and gourmet foods to launch a great variety of activities.

The bureau said that it has joined forces with Chiayi County, Kaohsiung City and Penghu County as well as five national scenic area administrations and a variety of businesses in the tourism industry to offer discounts.

The five national scenic areas are the East Coast, East Rift Valley, Siraya, Southwest Coast, and Penghu, according to the bureau.

The bureau urged the public to participate in eight theme activities to be held around the country over the summer.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/06/13
By: Sunrise Huang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, June 13 (CNA) Taiwan has shown the world its soft power by making every effort to aid its

diplomatic allies, as evidenced by the successful case of Taiwan’s medical mission to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Deputy Foreign Minister Paul Wen-liang Chang (章文樑) said Tuesday.

Speaking at the launch of a book of stories of a medical team dispatched by Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital to the Pacific island country, Chang said Taiwan will continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the Marshall Islands to help improve medical care in the country.

Chang praised Taiwan’s achievements in providing medical care and resources to its diplomatic allies, such as Shuang Ho Hospital’s contribution, saying that Taiwan’s medical and health aid teams have shown the world the country’s soft power and have contributed to the global health safety system through this form of pragmatic diplomacy.

According to Chang, the hospital’s performance was highly acclaimed by major political figures in the Marshall Islands when Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) visited the country in April.
[FULL  STORY]