The China Post
Date: November 22, 2016
By: CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A Chinese delegation arrived in Taiwan Monday on an eight-day visit to explore the

possibility of procuring agricultural and specialty products from eight counties and cities.

The delegation of government and business representatives is being led by Liu Ting, deputy director of the Taiwan office of All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives.

During the eight-day visit, the group will travel to New Taipei City and Hsinchu, Miaoli, Hualien, Taitung, Lienchiang, Kinmen and Nantou counties, six of which have Kuomintang (KMT) local governments.

The arrival of the procurement mission followed a visit to China in September by the heads of the eight KMT-led pan-blue municipalities, who are scheduled to make a second trip to China in December to promote their tourism and agricultural products.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/19
By: Tang Pei-chun and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Nov. 19 (CNA) The Executive Yuan will hold more public hearings on lifting the ban on imports of Japanese food products from four radiation-affected prefectures, the Cabinet spokesman said Saturday.

Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said the Executive Yuan is planning to have one public hearing each in Taipei and Kaohsiung in December.

It is also planning to organize a live TV broadcast of the public hearings, but it is trying to work out the details, he said.

Hsu added that the Cabinet will announce the exact time, venue and other details at a Cabinet meeting next Monday.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: November 18, 2016

The first 100 percent locally designed and manufactured tram was unveiled Nov. 16 in Hsinchu County,

northern Taiwan, signaling a major upgrade of the nation’s production capabilities and its readiness to vie for a share of the international rail transport market.

Produced by Taiwan Rolling Stock Co. Ltd., “The Warrior” is a five-unit, low-floor tram capable of carrying up to 265 passengers and reaching a top speed of 70 kph. A total of 15 trams is to be delivered by August 2017 to New Taipei City Government, operator of the planned Danhai Light Rail Transport System.

The tram’s large windows and spacious design allow passengers to enjoy the journey and scenic views of Tamsui District in New Taipei City, especially around sunset. It is anticipated they will prove extremely popular with riders from home and abroad.

TRSC Chairman Tsai Huang-liang said at the launch ceremony that the tram is the “pride of Taiwan” and will fast-track development of the domestic rail transport industrial chain, as well as stimulate the local economy and boost job creation.    [FULL  STORY]

The indigenous population of Taiwan grew six times more than average growth rate for the country as a whole

Taiwan News
Date:L 2016/11/18
By: Central News Agency

The population of indigenous people in Taiwan was 552,000 as of the end of October, 2.3 percent of

the total population, according to statistics released Thursday by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS).

The number represents a 1.2 percent annual increase, which is six times the 0.2 percent growth in the total population over the same period, the statistics show.

Within the population of 552,000 indigenous people, 284,000 are female, representing 51.4 percent, and 269,000, or 48.6 percent, are male, according to the data.

The sex ratio in the indigenous population is 94.6 males to 100 females, compared with 99.2 in the country’s total population.

In a breakdown by age, the data shows that under-14s account for 20 percent of the indigenous population, while the national ratio for that age group is 13.4 percent.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/18
By: Jay Chou and Elaine Hou

Jakarta, Nov. 18 (CNA) A Taiwanese drug dealer was among two suspects shot dead during a

shootout in Indonesia between an international drug cartel and local police earlier this week, authorities confirmed Friday.

The shootout broke out as National Narcotics Agency officers and police were carrying out a raid at a warehouse in Tangerang, a suburb of Jakarta, on Nov. 15, the agency’s deputy head Arman Depari was quoted as saying by Indonesian media.

As the officers were trying to stop a van, one of the suspects in the car fired a shot toward the officers, and the officers shot back at the suspects, killing two of them, while a third suspect was arrested.

The officers said they found a Republic of China passport near the body of one of the deceased and thus believed he was a Taiwanese citizen. The other suspect killed was from Indonesia.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 19, 2016
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

Calling for a national referendum on same-sex marriage, officials from a coalition of civic groups and

religious organizations opposed to the legalization of same-sex marriage yesterday said they won a small victory by stopping a proposed amendment from going into the legislative review procedure.

Alliance of Religious Groups for the Love of Families Taiwan secretary-general Chang Shou-yi (張守一) said the proposed amendments to the Civil Code to legalize same-sex marriage and allow married gay couples to adopt children would have a monumental impact on society and therefore should be decided by a plebiscite.

“When it goes to a referendum, I believe we will win,” Chang said.

“However, if the other side, which supports amending the law, wins, we will abide by the result and bear the burden together with the rest of society,” he said.

“Most people right now are either apathetic, do not understand the issues, or only taking a stance without any logic, but by holding two public hearings and going through the referendum process, there will be opportunities for people and groups to express their views and think the whole thing through,” he said.   [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: November 19, 2016
By: CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Activists display banners that read “refuse cuts of seven holidays” in a rally near the

Presidential Office, Friday, Nov. 18. Demonstrators were protesting a Cabinet-sponsored labor bill that aims to cut the number of public holidays.

Protesters scuffle with police during the demonstration. The protesters vowed that they would take further action if the government failed to respond to their demands.   [SOURCE]