Page Three

Chu criticizes Ma’s handling of China pact

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 25, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

Amid growing public opposition to the proposed cross-strait trade in goods agreement, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday said the government should draw up comprehensive compensatory measures before inking a deal with China.

Chu made the remarks during an interview with China TV yesterday morning, in which he criticized the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) handling of the controversial cross-strait service trade agreement signed in Shanghai in June 2013.

“When we reflect on the service trade agreement, it was marred by a lack of communication and the government’s ambiguous planning,” said Chu, who took over the KMT chairmanship from Ma in January.

Given the sensitive nature of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait signing a deal, Chu said if he had been in power, he would have handled the issue in a more discreet manner and laid down a full compensatory plan before signing the treaty.

Chu said the president should have also assessed the matter from a strategic point of view to determine whether to sign the service trade agreement or the trade in goods agreement first. [FULL STORY]

Penghu households to receive aviation noise subsidy in cash

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-23
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) confirmed that

Airport noise subsidy for Penghu households. Central News Agency

residents in the offshore island of Penghu will be eligible to apply for aviation noise control subsidy in cash beginning next year, reports said Monday.

Each household will likely receive NT$10,000 (US$333) of annual subsidy, according to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA).

Subsidy allocation has been put into practice for the past 10 years, but it usually came in the form of soundproofing equipment or noise reduction insulation for household residents needing such installations. However, the soon-to-be-implemented subsidy program next year will instead be paid in cash to residents living in the specified areas around the Makung Airport in Penghu.

The civil administration estimated that the stipend will go to more than 1,000 eligible households, totaling NT$20 million (US$667,000) in aviation noise control fund – including the 20 percent subsidy allocated to schools in Penghu. [FULL STORY]

Taipei listed in ‘Emerging World Cities’ in report

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/23
By: Wei Shu and Flor Wang

Taipei, Nov. 23 (CNA) Taipei has made it onto an “Emerging World Cities” list alongside four other cities, according to a research note issued by Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) earlier this month.

In the report, titled “Globalization and Competition: The New World of Cities” and issued by JLL Nov. 4, Taipei is named by the real estate services firm in the “Emerging World Cities” category, along with Shanghai, Beijing, Dubai and Instanbul, because of their “long-term growth opportunities and increasing volume of real estate activity.”

According to JLL Taiwan Managing Director Tony Chao (趙正義), Taipei is one of the emerging cities that has grabbed a high degree of global attention, as it ranks top in terms of public infrastructure, second in terms of higher education levels and seventh in innovation capabilities. [FULL STORY]

Productivity 4.0 initiative to bolster agriculture industry

Taiwan Today
Date: November 23, 2015

Taiwan’s agriculture industry is getting a boost thanks to the Council of

Productivity 4.0 initiative to bolster agriculture industryPremier Mao Chi-kuo (third left) is joined by senior officials while celebrating Taiwan’s agricultural achievements Nov. 21 in Taichung City. (CNA)

Agriculture’s move to include the sector in the government’s Productivity 4.0 initiative, the Cabinet revealed Nov. 21.

“The COA project will integrate smart production management practices into the local agriculture industry. This will help enhance the sector’s output and production efficiency while boosting consumer confidence in the safety of products grown in Taiwan,” Premier Mao Chi-kuo said.

“Given the premium quality of local produce and the country’s established product traceability system, the nation’s foodstuffs will become highly sought-after export items,” he added.

The premier made the remarks while attending an event highlighting the research and development achievements of the Taichung City-based Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute over the last 120 years.. [FULL STORY]

Protesters slam Jennifer Wang over labor record

‘LIKE A SHADOW’:Female workers affected by job losses have said they will follow Jennifer Wang on her campaign trail until they are granted pensions and severance pay

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 24, 2015
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

Labor activists yesterday confronted Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice

Demonstrators scuffle with police outside the Taipei City Election Commission yesterday as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice-presidential candidate and former Council of Labor Affairs minister Jennifer Wang accompanied the party’s legislative candidates to register their candidacy. The demonstrators were protesting Wang’s role in the lawsuit against laid-off workers. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

presidential candidate Jennifer Wang (王如玄) over her labor-rights record following a campaign event, clashing with police as they attempted to force a response to their demands by blocking her path.

About 20 members of the Taiwan International Workers’ Association and related labor groups who were protesting outside the Taipei City Election Commission rushed to stop Wang after she attempted to exit quietly through a side door.

Susan Chen (陳素香) — a middle-aged female protester — ended up prostate on the ground during the melee which ensued as demonstrators pressed against police who had formed a circle around Wang, with protesters saying Chen was pushed to the ground by a police officer while she was trying to block the door of Wang’s car.

Protesters shouted for Wang to “face” laid-off female workers who she sued during her tenure as Council of Labor Affairs Minister, accusing her of only caring about votes — not workers’ interests. [FULL STORY]

Tsai vows to seek immediate reform after legislative majority

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-22
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Democratic Progressive Party vows to seek reform if it wins a majority in the

Tsai vows to seek reform. Central News Agency

legislature next January, the party’s presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen said late Saturday evening.

Tsai assured supporters during a campaign rally in Pingtung that she will move straight ahead with her proposed reforms on February 1 after the transition of legislative power on January 16.

“It is time to stand united,” she said, appealing to the public for support as the party has never won a legislative seat in Pingtung before.

Tsai received a warm welcome from a cheering crowd at the party’s electoral office in southern Taiwan, accompanied by DPP legislative candidates Chung Chia-pin, Su Chen-ching and Chuang Ruei-hsiung. [FULL STORY]

Social, labor groups stage ‘Autumn Struggle’ protest (update)

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/22
By: Zoe Wei and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) Members of more than 50 social and labor groups took to the streets of downtown Taipei Sunday, kicking off the annual “Autumn Struggle” protest march under the themes of “uncovering the right wing’s fake progress” and “the rising left wing wants real power.”

During the protest parade, the civil groups campaigned for different causes which were divided into four categories: education, land, gender and laborers’ rights.

The groups also questioned the ruling party’s administrative efficiency in those fields and blamed the delays to Taiwan’s social reforms on administrative incompetence.

Over 1,000 protesters, including members of 30 student organizations, gathered at Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, before parading the streets that pass the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Interior, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Police Administrations. [FULL STORY]

Scans uncover hidden secrets in Chen Cheng-po works

WHAT LIES BENEATH:Cheng Shiu University’s art center is showing 75 of the Taiwanese artist’s works, alongside X-rays of some of them showing what he painted over

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 23, 2015
By: Huang Hsu-lei and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

X-ray tests on scores of paintings by renowned Taiwanese artist Chen Cheng-po

A painting of Chiayi Park, left, by Taiwanese artist Chen Cheng-po is displayed on Friday in the art center at Cheng Shiu University in Kaohsiung, along with an X-ray image of a painting of two nudes that is concealed beneath the painting. Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times

(陳澄波) have found that more than 20 have another painting below the surface of the canvas.

Seventy-five paintings by Chen went on exhibition at Cheng Shiu University’s art center in Kaohsiung on Wednesday — with X-ray scans next to several of them, showing the hidden artwork under their surfaces.

The center sent the paintings to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Kaohsiung branch to be X-rayed for study, and at least 22 underpaintings were found.

University arts maintenance and restoration center director Lee Yi-cheng (李益成) said the many of paintings uncovered by the scans were nudes of women. [FULL STORY]

EPA says VW cheating software is on more vehicles

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-21
By: TOM KRISHER,MICHAEL BIESECKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Volkswagen’s emissions cheating scandal widened Friday

EPA says VW cheating software is on more vehicles. Associated Press

after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the German automaker used software to cheat on pollution tests on more six-cylinder diesel vehicles than originally thought.

Volkswagen told the EPA and the California Air Resources Board the software is on about 85,000 Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche vehicles with 3-liter engines going back to the 2009 model year. Earlier this month the regulators accused VW of installing the so-called “defeat device” software on about 10,000 cars from the 2014 through 2016 model years, in violation of the Clean Air Act.

The regulators said in a statement they will investigate and take appropriate action on the software, which they claim allowed the six-cylinder diesels to emit fewer pollutants during tests than in real-world driving. [FULL STORY]

‘The Assassin’ wins Golden Horse for best feature film

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/22
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, Nov. 21 (CNA) Tang Dynasty martial arts film “The Assassin” (刺客聶隱娘) by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) bagged the Golden Horse Award for best feature film on Saturday, giving the film a total of five awards at the ceremony in Taipei.

“The Assassin,” which led the nominations with 11 nods, came away with best feature film, best director, best cinematography, best makeup and costume design, and best sound effects at the ceremony, Taiwan’s equivalent of the Oscars.

Even though Hou has won three Golden Horse best director awards, including Saturday night’s victory, it is the first time that he has won a Golden Horse best feature film award. [FULL STORY]

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