The China Post
Date: December 10, 2016
By: CNA

TAIPEI–Tonlin Department Store Co. (統領百貨), one of Taiwan’s oldest department store operators,

said Friday that its Taoyuan branch is planning to cut its workforce by laying off more than 100 workers.

The Taoyuan branch, located in front of the Taoyuan train station, began operations 21 years ago, serving as an important venue for residents in Taoyuan City for shopping and entertainment.

However, the outlet has failed to counter escalating competition as its rivals such as Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store (新光三越) and Far Eastern Department Store (遠東百貨) have expanded their operations in the same downtown area.

The booming e-commerce industry has also taken business from the physical retail sector, posing a greater threat to the store, which has a relatively smaller scale of economy compared to its larger rivals.

Tonlin said that it would abide by the Labor Standards Act and other related labor regulations to carry out the layoffs. The employer and its employees have entered negotiations on the layoffs and the amount of compensation is still being calculated, Tonlin officials said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: December 8, 2016

Local public and private sector organizations have unveiled a series of measures designed to add

fresh momentum to Taiwan’s agricultural sector and boost ties with Southeast Asia in line with the New Southbound Policy.

The government-supported Agricultural Technology Research Institute has recently signed cooperation agreements with eight Taiwan business groups in Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states.

ATRI concluded memorandums of understanding on fostering cooperation in technology transfers and industrialization with the Taipei City-headquartered Asia Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce (ASTCC) as well as Taiwan business associations in Brunei, Cambodia and Laos Dec. 3 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Since September, the research institute based in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu City has also inked similar pacts with Taiwan business groups in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.    [FULL  STORY]

Over thousand traditional Chinese herbal medicine owners protest bill banning TCM treatment of certain conditions

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/12/08
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

More than a thousand traditional Chinese herbal medicine store owners rallied in front of the Ministry

of Health and Welfare building on Wednesday, Dec. 7 to protest a draft bill amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法) that would ban them from dispensing medicine for specific ailments.

Under the proposed bill, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners would need to pass an examination to receive a certification to be allowed to dispense Chinese medicine, and they would be required to obtain a special business license to sell such medicine at their establishments. There would also a be a ban on TCM practitioners from selling certain medicines for specific medical conditions, however it remains unclear which creams, pills, or powders would be subject to this ban.

Chu Pu-lin (朱溥霖), chairman of the National Union of Chinese Medicine Associations of the Republic of China, said that Chinese medicine has been perfected and codified over the course of thousands of years, even the slightest change in ingredients will have an effect. He then questioned the logic of the ban by saying, “how could it be possible that TCM practitioners would not already be well versed in safety measures?”2    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/08
By: Sophia Yeh and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will attend the opening on Friday of an

exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of the recovery of the Republic of China’s control over Taiping Island in the South China Sea, during which she will also videoconference with the commander on the island.

Entitled “Sustainable Governance and Enduring Peace: An Exhibition Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Recovery of the South China Sea Islands,” the exhibition will run until Dec. 19 at Academia Historica, which is co-organizing the event with the Ministry of the Interior.

The president will give a speech at the opening and also talk to the commander of Taiping Island, the organizers said.

The exhibition will cover the history, strategic location and sustainable development of Taiping, showcasing historical documents, artifacts, photographs and videos, the organizers said.   [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: December 9, 2016
By Kuan-lin Liu

German luggage maker Rimowa officially launched their electronic tag suitcase collection in Taiwan

on Thursday.

This timely launch came just days after Taiwan’s EVA Air implemented a system-wide electronic luggage check-in service for its customers on Dec. 1. Starting this month, EVA Air flyers with electronic luggage tags have the option to check their luggage via smartphone and to save themselves waiting time at the airport.

The case features an E Ink display screen to which passengers can upload their baggage tag information via Bluetooth at their own convenience.

Even with the addition of electronic tag technology, the price of the suitcase is only roughly NT$100 more than the average price of a Rimowa suitcase.

Electronic Tag Debuts

The electronic tag collaboration between Rimowa and EVA Air was announced earlier this year at the Future Travel Experience Asia EXPO 2016 and makes EVA Air the first Asian airline and the second airline worldwide to adopt Rimowa’s electronic tag.

With the combination of the self check-in stations and the electronic tag check-in, EVA Air’s Customer Service Deputy-General Manager Yang Yung-heng (楊永恒) estimated that passengers could cut their overall check-in time at the airport to between three and five minutes for a quick passport check and baggage drop-off.    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2016/12/07
By: James Baron

‘I’m Mi-Mi, 21 years old, 166 cm, 47 kg, 36-24-34, a student but moonlighting. I offer a bathing and

massage service and compensated dating. 3,000 for 90 minutes, 7,000 for an overnight stay. Want to make an appointment?’

“I’m waiting for you, handsome guy,” Little Mi Mi messages. “Don’t you want me? Hurry up! Give me your phone number.”

This latest in a string of formulaic missives comes through as I loiter on a dank street corner, poorly wired neon signs fizzling overhead like cicadas drowning in bucket of soda. It’s spitting and thunder is cracking. A typhoon leers.

“Phone number! Quickly, give it me.” The messages don’t let up. “You don’t want to play? Little sister is tired. If you don’t want to play, Mi Mi is going to bed.”    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/12/07
By: Maggie Huang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei City Foreign and Disabled Labor Office (FDLO), Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) and Taipei City Hospital are collaboratively offering free health checkup and counseling for foreign workers.

The free checkup and counseling will be at the area between West 1 Gate and North 3 Gate inside Taipei Railway Station starting at 1 PM on December 11.

FDLO began organizing free checkups for foreign workers since 2004, offering five free checkups every year. Bilingual services are also provided on site to allow participants to better communicate with medical professionals.

Health checkups and counseling provided during the event cover fields spanning ophthalmology, dermatology, dentistry, Otolaryngology, general medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, psychosomatic clinic, and Chinese medicine.   [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/07
By: Chen Cheng-wei and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) Hehuanshan (Hehuan Mountain), a popular mountain resort on the border of

Nantou and Hualien counties in central Taiwan, will be subject to traffic restriction for 59 days, starting on Jan. 1, during the winter season, Taroko National Park Headquarters said on Wednesday.

Traffic restrictions on the mountain will be in place from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, though the time frame could be revised depending on prevailing weather conditions, the national park administration said.

Hehuanshan has an elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level, is located on the western edge of Taroko National Park and known as one of few places in Taiwan where people can see snow.

Traffic controls are introduced every winter for the safety of visitors.    [FULL  STORY]