Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/07/09
By: Tang Pei-chun and Lilian Wu

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday asked nationals to be on guard when travelling to Malaysia, in light of the terrorist attack there last month.

A grenade explosion at a nightspot near the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on June 28 was later confirmed to be the first successful terrorist attack in that country by the Islamic State, the MOFA said.

The ministry said travelers to Malaysia should be alert and aware of their surroundings and avoid spending too much time in public places or crowded areas.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-07-09
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – As Taitung County was struggling to emerge from under the shadow of Typhoon Nepartak Saturday, I-Mei Foods Co., Ltd. CEO Luis Ko announced that company staff whose relatives lived in Taitung and who had to help with the reconstruction of their homes would receive two days extra leave, while close relatives who had suffered severe damage could receive a subsidy of NT$20,000 (US$620).

The move was designed to show solidarity with the residents of the southeastern Taiwanese county, which had borne the brunt of the passage of Typhoon Nepartak Friday.     [FULL STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 10, 2016
By: Tseng Wei-chen / Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators expressed conflicting opinions on the necessity of filling the vacant seats at the Control Yuan after the appointment of 11 candidates was rejected by the legislature in 2014.

In July 2014, the legislature approved the appointment of 18 Control Yuan members, including Control Yuan President Chang Po-ya (張博雅) and Control Yuan Vice President Sun Ta-chuan (孫大川), but rejected 11 of the nominees, who the DPP said formed “the worst roster in history.”

Then-DPP spokesman Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said at the time that a new set of candidates should be nominated by the next president and they should be approved by the next legislature to establish a constitutional convention that the institution can have members who are nominated by different presidents.

Huang also said that the DPP supports the constitutional framework of a three-branched government instead of five and called for the Control Yuan to be abolished.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 09, 2016
By: Lee Shin-fang and Yang Chun-huei  /  Staff reporters

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus on Thursday said that it aims to pass a bill on the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) ill-gotten party assets by the end of the current legislative session on Friday next week, or during an extraordinary legislative session, even at the cost of “physical clashes.”

Passing the bill is an important first step for transitional justice in Taiwan and the DPP is determined to have it passed, even if such insistence leads to physical conflict, caucus members said during a luncheon meeting with Premier Lin Chuan (林全).

As the current legislative session is scheduled to ends on Friday next week, a source within the Executive Yuan said the ill-gotten party assets bill is the most uncertain bill yet to clear the floor, and the caucus has informed the premier about it, adding that it might effect the progress of other legislation.

According to the draft bill, which passed an initial review on Wednesday, the Executive Yuan could create a commission to handle illicit party assets, including organizations affiliated with political parties, such as the China Youth Corps and the National Women’s League of the Republic of China, and would require such groups to declare their assets.     [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: July 9, 2016
By: Joseph Yeh

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Funding made to Paraguay during President Tsai Ing-wen’s recent state visit to the South American ally was initiated during the previous Ma Ying-jeou administration instead of during Chen Shui-bian’s administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has said.

MOFA spokeswoman Eleanor Wang told The China Post that the US$71 million project to help the ally build affordable housing units was first initiated in 2014 during a previous administration.

Wang said Foreign Minister David Lee had already explained the project to lawmakers.

In a legislative session on Monday, Lee said the five-year project was launched by Ma in 2014.     [FULL  STORY]

VIETNAM:Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin said the lesson from the incident was that investment abroad requires corporate social responsibility

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 08, 2016
By: Kuo Chia-erh / Staff reporter

Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, 台塑集團) yesterday said it would pay compensation in installments to those affected by its Vietnamese steel unit discharging toxic waste and causing massive fish deaths in April.

The group’s major member companies and investment partners said in separate filings with the Taiwan Stock Exchange that they have agreed to pay the US$500 million compensation offer in two installments, but added that the payment period is still under negotiation with Vietnamese authorities.

The group’s member companies — Formosa Plastics Corp (台灣塑膠), Nan Ya Plastics Corp (南亞塑膠), Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp (台塑化纖) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) — each hold an 11.432 percent stake in Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp (台塑河靜鋼鐵興業).     [FULL  STORY]