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ECNSAA launches itinerary service program—“I Helper”

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-15
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Tourism Bureau’s East Coast National Scenic Area Administration 6741561 (1)(ECNSAA) on March 15 launched a travel service program –“I Helper”—aiming to provide tourists with comprehensive custom-made itinerary planning services that combine information including foods, lodging, routes, transportation and shopping.

To help domestic and foreign travelers get rid of the hassle of planning an itinerary for a journey along Taiwan’s east coast, the ECNSAA simultaneously launched the “I Helper” program at seven east-coast tourist centers on Tuesday.

The seven tourist centers providing the services are of Siaoyeliou, Duli, Baxian Caves, Xibulan, Xiuguluan River, Hualien, and Green Island.     [FULL

  STORY]

Next president to link defense policy to industrial development

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/15
By: Tai Ya-chen, Lu Hsin-hui and S.C. Chang

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told her staff

Tsai (R) and Lin (C) at Chuang-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

Tsai (R) and Lin (C) at Chuang-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

Tuesday that the country’s industrial development prospects must be considered when bolstering the country’s defense capabilities.

She shared her strategy ideas during a visit to Taiwan’s main weapons research and development institute in Taoyuan along with several Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers.

During the visit to the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Tsai said that when acquiring new weapons from abroad, “we must not ignore industrial technology cooperation,” according to Chang Ching-sen (張景森), her policy office director.

Chang quoted Tsai as calling for formation of a “defense industry cluster” — part of a defense policy proposal she promoted during her election campaign aimed at achieving a self-reliant defense industry.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai said to name Lin Chuan as next premier Tuesday

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-14
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

At a press conference to be held on Tuesday morning, President-elect Tsai Ing-6741299wen will tap former minister of finance Lin Chuan to be premier of her administration, which will be inaugurated on May 20, sources in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) confirmed Monday.

After the announcement, Lin will act in the capacity of a premier-to-be and begin to carry out personnel arrangements for the new Cabinet as well as the power transition, sources in the DPP said.

Media have recently reported several possible personnel arrangements, but DPP members familiar with the matter said that some of the people named by the media are just “one of the options.”

Tuesday’s press conference will formally announce Lin’s appointment as the next premier, and will not touch on other appointments, sources in the DPP said.     [FULL  STORY]

Houston welcomes President Ma on Taiwanese Friendship Day

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/15
By: S.C. Chang

Houston, March 14 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) made a stopover in Houston on Sunday, the city’s “Taiwanese Friendship Day,” on his way to Guatemala as part of his last overseas trip before his term ends in May.

During a dinner party held in honor of Ma, he was warmly welcomed by Taiwanese expats and U.S. politicians, including Congressman Blake Farenthold and Texas House of Representatives members Gene Wu, Sarah Davis and Phil Stephenson.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Austin Mayor Steve Adler sent their greetings to the president.

In recognition of the importance of its relationship with Taiwan, Houston announced March 13 as Taiwanese Friendship Day and Port Lavaca designated Sunday as President Ma Ying-jeou Day.

Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡), Taiwan’s top representative in the United States, said this was the 18th U.S. city where Ma has made a stopover on route to Taiwan’s Latin American allies or on his way back home from those visits.     [FULL  STORY]

NPP elects party chairmen, executive to be announced

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 15, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

A new slate of party chairmen was announced by the New Power Party (NPP) yesterday following internal party elections, with the party’s executive chairman to be announced today.

In order of support, the new slate includes the party’s current executive chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐), director Ko I-chen (柯一正), author Neil Peng (馮光遠), Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal, Lin Feng-jeng (林峰正) and author Lin Shih-yu (林世煜).

Ko and Kawlo are new additions to the slate, while former legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) and lawyer Huang Hsiu-chen (黃秀禎) chose not to stand for re-election.
The internal election followed promises by the party to hold chairmen elections after every national poll, with almost 44 percent of the party’s 2,094 members casting their ballots on 33 candidates.

Party members are eligible to vote for all approved candidates, with the seven candidates receiving the highest tally of votes forming the board.     [FULL  STORY]

World Kidney Day fair held to raise disease awareness

SERIOUS PROBLEM:A government survey in 2007 showed that about one in 10 adults in Taiwan is likely to suffer from chronic kidney disease

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 14, 2016
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
A World Kidney Day fair was held in Taipei yesterday to raise public awareness about kidney health, as deaths related to kidney disease have become one of the top 10 causes of death in Taipei over the past two years.

The event, held by the Taipei City Department of Health and Taiwan Society of Nephrology at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Plaza, saw medical personnel from 28 hospitals provide free health information and blood pressure readings.

World Kidney Day is an international awareness campaign that takes place on the second Thursday in March every year.

The department said that pyelonephritis (kidney inflammation), nephrotic syndrome and diabetic nephropathy were the seventh-highest causes of death in 2014.

A survey conducted by the central government’s Health Promotion Administration in 2007 showed that about one in 10 adults (aged more than 20) in Taiwan is likely to suffer from chronic kidney disease, it said, adding that people with high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or diabetes are 1.58 to 2.35 times more likely to develop kidney disease than unaffected people.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei aims to diversify tourists’ country of origin

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je said on Sunday that Taipei City has made a plan 6741079to attract more tourists from Japan, the ASEAN member countries and Muslim countries to avoid “putting all the eggs in one basket.”

Rumors have been circulating among Taiwan’s industries related to tourism that China could cut down the number of Chinese tourists allowed to visit Taiwan.

Answering a media question regarding the rumor, Ko said during a visit to San Francisco that he hopes the cross-Strait relations are based on goodwill, urging China not to use business as a means to push for its political agenda.

Taipei City Government has held internal meetings regarding the issue and decided on a tourism promotion plan for this year to attract more visitors from Japan, the 10 ASEAN member countries and Muslim countries, Ko said. The purpose of the plan is to diversify country of origin of foreign tourists in Taipei to avoid “putting all the eggs in one basket,” he added.     [FULL  STORY]

Waiting lists at medical centers shorten as flu outbreak wanes

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/13
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, March 13 (CNA) The number of patients on waiting lists for a bed in 201603130016t0001intensive care units at hospitals with the highest level of emergency services has shrunk to 47, four of which are flu patients, a health official said Sunday.

As of 9 a.m. Sunday, only one medical center — National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan — had more than five patients on its ICU waiting list, which indicated an improvement of the situation over the past 10 days, said Wang Tsung-hsi (王宗曦), head of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s (MHW) Department of Medical Affairs.

Over the last 10 days, there was a total of 15 centers that had more than five people on their ICU waiting lists. During that time, the ministry helped 54 patients transfer to other hospitals, he said.

The flu outbreak, which started in July last year and reached its peak last month, had led to more than 1,529 severe flu-related cases and 121 confirmed deaths in the country as of the end of last week, the most of any flu seasons over the past five years, the ministry.

In a bid to prevent overcrowding at medical centers, the ministry has published a list of 32 “flu response” hospitals that it said patients should visit first for diagnosis and treatment.     [FULL  STORY]

Draft party assets bills set for review

CAREFUL CONSIDERATION:Both major parties have submitted draft bills regarding party assets, and committee members will be asked to discuss them without prejudice

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 14, 2016
By: Lin Liang-sheng / Staff reporter

A review of proposed bills on the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) ill-gotten party assets is scheduled to begin at the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee meeting today, with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) committee convener Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) arranging for proposals from both the DPP and the KMT to be discussed.

In addition to the DPP’s draft bill for handling illegitimate political party assets, the KMT has also proposed a bill on the supervision and management of political party properties.

Having decided to review both proposals during today’s meeting, Chen said that it is an important issue concerning transitional justice and that he would ask the committee to carefully discuss both proposals without prejudice.

In addition to members of the Internal Administration Committee, lawmakers from the Finance and Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes committees are also expected to attend the meeting.

Although DPP legislators have six proposals for the party assets legislation, the differences among them are minimal, and all versions are focused on setting up committees to investigate and deal with party assets.     [FULL  STORY]

Legislative speaker could see role shrunk

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-12
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The legislative speaker should not be involved in negotiations between the party caucuses, a Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker said Saturday.

Since the new DPP-dominated Legislative Yuan was sworn in on February 1, moves have been afoot for a thorough overhaul of the body. One of the proposals was making the speaker and his deputy more impartial and neutral.

The new holders of those positions, speaker Su Jia-chyuan and vice speaker Tsai Chi-chang, already promised they would not take part in political party activities or events and gave up their membership of key party bodies such as the DPP’s Central Standing Committee.

DPP legislator Su Chiao-hui went one step further on Saturday, suggesting the speaker and his deputy should not be involved in negotiations and talks between political party caucuses. Instead, the legislator in charge of the largest caucus should manage the talks, she said.

However, according to media reports, there was unease that her proposal might give too much power to the DPP’s already most senior lawmaker, chief whip Ker Chien-ming. Some comments said the change was being managed by the supporters of Su’s father, former Premier Su Tseng-chang.     [FULL  STORY]