Taipei Times
Date: Oct 07, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Taiwan’s representative office in the US on Wednesday held a Double Ten National Day celebration at

the Twin Oaks Estate in Washington, where new or incoming American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) officials made their first appearance.

More than 3,000 guests, including US officials, diplomats based in Washington and overseas Taiwanese, attended the celebration ahead of National Day on Monday.

“Taiwan, Republic of China, easily a small country, but too big to ignore, with 23 million hardworking men and women, we’ve come a long way,” Representative to the US Stanley Kao (高碩泰) said.

John Norris, newly appointed managing director of the AIT’s Washington Office, and James Moriarty, reportedly the likely successor to outgoing AIT Chairman Raymond Burghardt, were among the guests at the event.

“I know President Tsai [Ing-wen, 蔡英文] to be a pragmatic, level-headed leader. I’m confident that she will successfully lead Taiwan into the next chapter of its story. I’m equally confident that the United States will continue to serve as a close and trusted partner as Taiwan chooses its future path,” Moriarty said.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: October 7, 2016
By: Tammy Liu

Double Ninth Festival (九九重陽節), also known as Chung Yeung Festival, is a significant day to honor the elderly on the 9th day of the 9th month of the year in the Chinese lunar calendar. Government and civil organizations traditionally host events to show their respect to senior citizens. Various activities, such as releasing an annual allowance for the elderly, climbing mountains, filial piety awards, a karaoke singing competition and more, are held within a week of the 9th.

The Double Ninth Festival falls on Saturday, Oct. 9 this year. President Li Bor-yuan (李伯元) of the Mr. Hsieh Ching-yun Culture and Education Foundation (謝清雲先生文教基金會) coordinated with the Keelung City Government, Municipal Council and Taroko Group (大魯閣集團) to host the 5th annual Honor Elderly Singing Celebration (重陽敬老歌唱大會).

Rotary International (扶輪社) District 3490, You-Li Enterprise (優利企業) and the Community Service Center (民眾服務社) attended the event on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Numerous heads of city government, councilors, association leaders and about 200 people from local dancing groups participated in the event. The opening dance “Soaring Black Kite”(翱翔) (Keelung City Bird) was performed by the well-known Feng Hsiang Dance Troupe and featured special choreography to win the national first excellence award.    [FULL  STORY]

Low investment and lax regulations threaten the long-term survival of the domestic television industry.

The News Lens
Date: 2016/10/05
By: Matthew Fulco

In January, the celebrated Taiwanese talk show Here Comes Kangxi went off the air after 12 seasons.

Driven by the witty banter between hosts Dee Hsu “Little S” (徐熙娣) and Kevin Tsai (蔡康永), the program was one of the most popular talk shows in Taiwan during its time on the air. It had more than a million Facebook fans and won numerous Golden Bell Awards – the Taiwanese Emmys. Here Comes Kangxi also gained a strong following in China and Hong Kong over the years, making its hosts household names throughout Greater China.

Twelve seasons is a long time for any television program, but there’s more to the show going off the air than that timespan. It’s the latest chapter in the long-term decline of Taiwan’s television sector, which has been steadily losing its producers, hosts, actors, and viewers – in many cases to China. “There’s a bit of a brain drain occurring,” says Ming-Yeh Rawnsley (蔡明燁), a professor at the Centre of Taiwan Studies at London’s School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS). The trend dates to the early 2000s, but has accelerated in recent years, she adds.

In October 2015, Taiwanese media reported that China’s Hunan TV had plans to make Kevin Tsai a top host at the station, for whom he was co-hosting the talk show U Can Bibi. Tsai reportedly is paid NT$20 million to host two episodes a week. As a result, he can earn more in one season working for Hunan TV than he did in a dozen years hosting Here Comes Kangxi.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-10-05
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Top executives at CTBC Financial Holding, including its late chairman Jeffrey

Koo Sr., moved US$300 million (NT$9.4 billion) of the group’s assets into their private accounts, according to eight indictments announced by prosecutors Wednesday.

The alleged embezzlement happened from 2004 to 2007, when Koo and his eldest son, Jeffrey Koo Jr., officially had a CTBC asset management company buy junk bonds, but in reality told local and overseas managers inside the group to move funds between its headquarters and a Hong Kong office into the accounts of an overseas company invested by the Koos.

According to prosecutors, the father and son used this method a total of 13 times to accumulate US$300 million in their accounts. One of the schemes involved the moving of funds supposedly set aside to invest in Beijing real estate into the Koos’ private accounts by 17 different ways, reports said.

Jeffrey Koo Sr. was not indicted Wednesday because he died in 2012, but the eight charged include his eldest son.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/10/05
By: Chang Che-fon and Romulo Huang

Kaohsiung, Oct. 5 (CNA) A Netherlands-registered sailboat ran into trouble and was rescued this week

by Taiwan’s coast guard in waters near Dongsha Island, the largest of the Dongsha Islands (Pratas Islands) in the South China Sea.

The vessel was able to continue on its journey to Hong Kong after receiving assistance with repairs from Taiwanese coast guard units stationed on the island.

The Dongsha Command Post of the Southern Coastal Patrol Office under the Coast Guard Administration said on Wednesday in a press release that units under its command noticed an unidentified object in waters about 7.4 nautical miles southwest of Dongsha Island on Oct. 2 and a speed boat sent to investigate observed water entering the cabin of the sailing ship “HUIA.”     [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: October 6, 2016
By: Yuan-Ming Chiao

TAIPEI, Taiwan — People First Party (PFP) chairman James Soong has been selected as Taiwan’s

special envoy to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru this November, according to the Presidential Office Wednesday.

Citing Soong’s ample experience in public service and academia, Presidential Office Spokesman Alex Huang said the PFP chairman was also familiar with the island’s economy, international trends and was “outstanding” in the promotion of regional development.

“(He) will accurately convey to the international community our all-encompassing development while enhancing our influence in APEC and its interaction with other parties,” Huang added.

He said that Taiwan has been a longtime supporter of APEC and its plans since it became a member in 1991.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: October 4, 2016

President Tsai Ing-wen and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez signed a joint declaration

expressing their commitment to strengthening the longstanding partnership between the two diplomatic allies Oct. 3 at the Office of the President in Taipei City.

In the statement, Hernandez reiterated his nation’s support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in U.N. specialized agencies and activities such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and World Health Assembly. He also lauded Tsai’s “steadfast diplomacy” policy, which he said would help expand Taiwan’s international space and benefit the global community.

Tsai expressed appreciation to Hernandez for the Honduran government’s support for Taiwan’s participation in U.N. specialized bodies. She further praised the president for his dedication to boosting national development and employment, tackling corruption and promoting the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle, an initiative aimed at addressing migration issues in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-10-04
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Two trains on Taipei Metro’s Songshan Line will be equipped with free Wi-Fi in October, according to a news report by Taipei City’s Department of Information and Tourism on Tuesday.

Taipei’s Department of Information Technology (DOIT) has worked with Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC), HwaCom Systems, and Free Ad WIFI to introduce the nation’s first “MRT WI-FI 230” trains this October, the report said.

The two WI-FI 230-enabled trains on the Songshan Line will allow passengers to access free 4G Wi-Fi broadband connection service, according to the report.

Free Wi-Fi service has also been installed at eight metro stations across the city, including MRT Taipei Zoo, Technology Building, Daan, Nanjing Fuxing, Taipei City Hall, Ximen, Gongguan, and Taipei 101/World Trade Center stations.     [FULL  STORY]