Focus Taiwan
Date: 06/17/2020
By: Chou Shih-hui and Evelyn Kao

San Francisco, June 16 (CNA) Face masks featuring a butterfly design containing an image of Taiwan created by a Taiwanese designer has been produced in the United States and has gained praise from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).

The masks were designed by Kao I-min (高一民), 44, a freelance artist and brand designer who graduated from National Cheng Kung University's Department of Architecture, when he was commissioned to design cardboard boxes with markings identifying Taiwan as the country of origin.

The design was made into stickers for the cardboard boxes originally meant to contain disposable gloves to be shipped to the U.S., Kao said, adding that he did not expect that the work would later be used for the production of face masks.

An important implication of the design is that "one of the wings of the butterfly is in the shape of Taiwan, symbolizing that Taiwan is the butterfly kingdom, while the words 'Taiwan can help!' are also printed on the masks."    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 18, 2020
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

The Taipei City Government plans to spend nearly NT$600 million (US$20.21 million) to

revitalize economy activity in the city, Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said yesterday.

She made the announcement at a news conference at Taipei City Hall for a new event — “2020 Taipei Shopping Go (2020來台北一起Go)” — to promote commercial activities from July 15 to Aug. 31.

As the central government’s Triple Stimulus Vouchers would be launched on July 15, the city government has been mulling incentives to attract visitors to Taipei and have more people spend their vouchers in the city, she said.

The city government came up with two main ideas: holding lotteries to boost sales in shopping districts, as well as at traditional and night markets; and offering an additional NT$1,000 subsidy to city residents who spend their vouchers, using EasyCards for senior citizens and disabled people, she said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 16 June, 2020
By: Natalie Tso

Taiwan is carefully watching Kiribati presidential elections next week. Kiribati severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan last year. 

Kiribati’s pro-China President Taneti Maamau’s decision was unpopular among the public. Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said his party lost the majority in the parliament in April and was divided over the decision to switch ties to China.     [FULL  STORY]

The National Interest
Date: June 16, 2020  
By: Fang-Yu Chen Austin Wang Charles K.S. Wu Yao-Yuan Yeh

Taiwan’s citizens are acutely aware that moving toward independence swiftly might invite a Chinese military invasion. As a result, even when support for the independence movement is highest in history, they veer towards maintaining the status quo forever.

Recently, Taiwan has been under the spotlight in international media for three main events: passing a same-sex marriage act in May 2019, Tsai winning a reelection in January 2020, and the outstanding performance in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The statehood of Taiwan, however, is not as clear as the above achievements. While numerous international media outlets tend to Taiwan as a self-ruled island-state, others often avoid using the term “country” to describe Taiwan due to the chagrin of Beijing. The duality of reporting exemplifies the dilemma of Taiwan’s statehood.

While journalists worldwide often associate the sitting president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen, with political stances that advocate for Taiwan’s de jure independence, that tendency is problematic. For starters, the goal of the Tsai administration has always been maintaining the status quo across the Strait. Second, Tsai’s pro-status-quo attitudes are clear when compared to other political parties and political groups in Taiwan that take on more extreme positions such as holding an independence referendum immediately, or supporting and promoting Beijing’s unification and one-country-two-system rhetoric in Taiwan. 

It is imprecise to think of Tsai and the Democratic Progressive Party DPP as “pro-status quo.” A pro-status quo president should be adamant in defending the name of the Republic of China. The former president, Ma Ying-jeou, is seen as the most representative figure for the pro-status quo stance. Elected as the president in 2008, Ma was seen on record correcting a journalist that “He is not the president of Taiwan, but the president of the Republic of China.” Following the same line of logic, Ma blasted Tsai recently by criticizing that “our country name is Republic of China, not Republic of China Taiwan!”     [FULL  STORY]

80-year-old good Samaritan does not wish to be identified

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/06/16
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An 80-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張) was able to save up enough to buy 1,000 sticky rice dumplings ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival to donate to elderly people living alone in Hsinchu County.

The Hsinchu County Social Affairs Department and a charity organization held a donation ceremony on Monday (June 15) on Chang's behalf, CNA reported. Department director Lee Guo-lu (李國祿) said the snacks will be distributed to 168 senior citizens who are either living alone or underprivileged, with each getting six dumplings.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 06/16/2020
By: Kuo Chih-hsuan, Huang Li-yun and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, June 16 (CNA) A hiker who was rescued earlier Tuesday after being missing for 10 days in a mountainous area of Pingtung County said he drank his own urine to survive the ordeal.

After being rescued, 52-year-old Yang Hsin-cheng (楊欣正) told reporters that he had not eaten for 10 days and survived solely by drinking water and his own urine.

During the 10 days lost in the mountains, Yang said he thought about giving up several times, but kept going by chanting Buddhist mantras.

Yang made the comments after being airlifted by a helicopter from a riverbank in rural Laiyi Township, where he was found Tuesday morning, to Pingtung Fire Department and taken in an ambulance to Pingtung Christian Hospital.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 15 June, 2020
By: Natalie Tso

President Tsai Ing-wen is lauding police for a massive drug bust. Her praise came on Monday, which is observed as Police Day in Taiwan. 

The Criminal Investigation Bureau revealed on Monday that authorities had confiscated over 3,500 kilograms of illegal raw materials that can be used to make drugs. It was the biggest bust in Taiwan involving drugs smuggled into the country in coffee packets. 

The raw materials discovered in the bust include “mephedrone,” PMMA and others. More than 80 people have died from using PMMA in Taiwan since last October.     [FULL  STORY]

ORDER FROM CHAOS

Broo-kings Inastitute
Date: June 15, 2020
By: Ryan Hass

Editor's Note: 

In the months since its effective response to the outbreak of COVID-19, the world has gained a greater appreciation of Taiwan’s capacity for confronting problems. Taiwan’s response to COVID-19 has revealed its resilience and capacity for unity of purpose. This piece originally appeared in the Taipei Times.

In the months since its effective response to the outbreak of COVID-19, the world has gained a greater appreciation of Taiwan’s capacity for confronting problems. Previously known for its exacting standards in producing the world’s most sophisticated semiconductor chips, Taiwan now also is known for its technocratic competence in protecting its own people. Taiwan is led by competent and trusted leaders who use science to inform their decisions.

We all know, though, that an effective response to COVID-19 is not inoculation against other strategic challenges. Taiwan likely will face more times of testing in the months to come, even if the exact time and place of those tests is not yet knowable.

It is little secret that Chinese officials nurture grievances about Taiwan’s early decision to halt shipments of medical supplies and refer to COVID-19 as the “Wuhan virus.” It also should not come as a surprise that officials in Beijing harbor jealousy about the acclaim that Taiwan is receiving from the rest of the world for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis. They also have been smarting over Taiwan voters’ indifference to Beijing’s political preferences.
[FULL  STO-RY8]

Next chance to see annular eclipse in Taiwan will be in 195 years

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/06/15
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Residents of parts of southern Taiwan will be able to catch a glimpse of a rare annular eclipse on June 21, but for those who miss it, the next opportunity to see one will not come for another 195 years.

According to the Tainan Astronomical Education Area, the eclipse can be viewed in its totality along a belt across southern Taiwan that runs through Kinmen County, Penghu County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Tainan City, Hualien County, and Taitung County. The annular eclipse will last about one minute along the central line of the eclipse zone and only a few seconds along its edges.

An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon covers the Sun's center, leaving a "ring of fire" known as an annulus around the Moon's periphery. The last time such a phenomenon was visible in Taiwan was 2012, and the next will not take place until the year 2215.
[FULL  STORY]