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Ko threatens to sue New Taipei City

HEFTY BUS FARE:Ko Wen-je says that Taipei paid New Taipei City NT$86.26m too much for bus subsidies, and that he cannot reach campaigning Mayor Eric Chu

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 01, 2015
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said he would file a lawsuit against the New

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je dances with members of the public at a festival in Guandu in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday to celebrate the beauty of Guandu’s mountains and rivers. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

Taipei City Government if it does not return excess payments Taipei made to subsidize its bus system.

People First Party Taipei City Councilor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) brought the issue to the fore during a city council question-and-answer session on Friday and asked Ko to demand a refund from the newly nominated Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate, New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫).

Under a bilateral subsidy program, the two municipalities issue a subsidy toward each other’s bus system every four years, but due to a difference in the average bus fare calculated by the two cities, the Taipei City Government had paid an excess of NT$86.26 million (US$2.62 million) between 2007 and 2010, Huang said. [FULL STORY]

Tainan mayor reprimanded

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-30
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Tainan City Mayor William Lai received an official reprimand

Tainan mayor reprimanded. Central News Agency

Friday for boycotting the Tainan City Council, but he was not removed from office.

The Control Yuan impeached him, meaning his case was referred to the Committee on the Discipline of Public Functionaries, which could have sacked him as mayor. The committee on Friday announced it was giving Lai a reprimand.

The senior Democratic Progressive Party politician and the members of his city administration boycotted sessions of the council during the first part of the year in a protest against its speaker, Lee Chuan-chiao of the Kuomintang, who was accused of vote-buying.

When the Control Yuan, the nation’s highest government watchdog body, announced its decision to impeach Lai, the mayor said it was punishing the wrong person, since it was Lee who had damaged the reputation of his office. [FULL STORY]

Descendants of Second Sino-Japanese War heroes to visit Taiwan

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/30
By: Elaine Hou

Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) Descendants of Chinese expatriates who helped transport supplies to China through the Burma Road, an important wartime transportation route during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), are scheduled to visit Taiwan in November to attend commemorative events.

More than 20 descendants of Chinese expatriates who went to China to serve as drivers to transport supplies and as auto mechanics are expected to arrive in Taiwan in mid-November to attend events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, the Ministry of National Defense said earlier this week.

During their visit, they will meet with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who will present commemorative medals to the descendants to express gratitude for their family members’ contributions during the war, the ministry said.

The Burma Road, linking Burma with southwest China, was opened in early 1939 to transport supplies to China during the war, also known as the War of Resistance against Japan. [FULL STORY]

Tsai vows to pursue local submarine project if elected

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-30
By: CNA

Tsai Ing-wen, chair and presidential candidate of Taiwan’s opposition Democratic

Tsai Ing-wen attends a press briefing at DPP headquarters in Taipei, Oct. 29. (File photo/CNA)

Progressive Party, said Thursday that if she is elected, her administration will initiate a project to develop a 1,500-ton submarine prototype next year.

According to the DPP’s plan, the first indigenous submarine would enter service within 10 years, after which Taiwan would go into the mass production of submarines, Tsai said during a news conference.

The submarine project is part of Tsai’s policy to revitalize the defense industry, which aims to create business opportunities worth NT$250 billion (US$7.6 billion) and 8,000 jobs in the aerospace, shipbuilding and information security industries between 2016 and 2020. [FULL STORY]

TRA ‘reaffirmation’ sought

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 31, 2015
By: William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

In a move aimed to reinforce US-Taiwan relations, Republican Representative Steve Chabot on Wednesday introduced legislation to the US Congress to “reaffirm” the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the “six assurances.”

“The Taiwan Relations Act and the ‘six assurances’ together form the cornerstone of US relations with Taiwan,” said Chabot, former chairman of the Asian subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

As a “sense of Congress” bill, the legislation is almost certain to pass.

Chabot said in his legislation that for more than 50 years a close relationship has existed between the US and Taiwan and that it had been “of major economic, cultural and strategic advantage to both nations.”

He said that Taiwanese had worked hard to establish a vibrant and pluralistic democracy, and conducted five successful presidential elections. [FULL STORY]

Navy plans to purchase 10 MH-60R Seahawks

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-29
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Republic of China Navy (ROCN) plans to purchase 10 MH-60R helicopters from the

Navy plans to purchase MH-60R Seahawks. Central News Agency

United States to replace its ageing fleet of 500MDs, Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Hsiao Wei-min said during a question-and-answer session at the legislature on Thursday.

The proposed bill riled opposition from legislators at the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting in the morning, as they questioned the necessity of such procurement.

Hsiao pointed out that its current fleet of anti-submarine 500MD Defenders are severely outdated and has been in service since the 80s.

“In order to upgrade the Navy’s Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates anti-submarine capabilities, the 500MDs have to be phased out eventually to make way for a new replacement,” he explained. [FULL STORY]

President calls for deepening of cross-strait exchanges

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/29
By: Hsieh Chia-chen and Elaine Hou

During a meeting with participants in an annual Global Views Chinese Business Leaders

Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) called Thursday for an expansion and deepening of exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.

Forum held by the Taipei-based magazine “Global Views Monthly”, Ma said that both sides of the strait can resolve disputes through peaceful means and that the most important thing is to expand and deepen bilateral exchanges, and increase mutual understanding.

Speaking on cross-strait relations, he said both sides began deepening their exchanges seven years ago when he took office.

Before Ma took office in May 2008, tension across the strait was heightened due to then-President Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) pro-Taiwan independence stance.

Ma also lauded his administration’s efforts to maintain close trade relations with China, while also trying to increase trade exchanges with Southeast Asian countries to diversify the country’s trade relations.

During the meeting, the participants suggested that the two sides of the strait should increase exchanges and cooperation in the area of the cultural and creative industries.

In response, Ma said that the government will continue to identify the reason for a bottleneck in cross-strait exchanges in this area and seek to deepen bilateral exchanges. [FULL STORY]

Taoyuan Airport MRT still aiming for March launch: ministry

Want China Timnes
Date: 2015-10-29
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

A rapid transit line connecting Taiwan’s main international airport and the greater Taipei

A carriage is lifted onto the track in Taoyuan, Sept. 2. (Photo courtesy of Taoyuan Metro Corp.)

area is still expected to open in March 2016 after final tests are conducted, the country’s deputy transportation minister Wu Meng-fen on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a legislative committee hearing, Wu said the Taoyuan International Airport MRT project has met 42 of 43 test criteria.

The remaining criterion involves the stability of the line’s signaling system, an area that has caused multiple difficulties for the project since the testing process began.

Wu said the Transportation Ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Taoyuan city government that commits to begin operating the MRT system by the end of March next year on condition that it is proved safe. “We’re not giving up on this target,” Wu said, while acknowledging that there are problems that still need to be solved during the final tests.

Tibetan refugees urge legislative action

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 29, 2015
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission should grant residency to stateless Tibetan refugees, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights said yesterday, also calling for the passage of a refugee act.

“There should be a system in place to determine whether people are stateless or refugees rather than dealing with them on a case-by-case basis. If their identity can be determined, they should be afforded protection,” association secretary-general Chiu E-ling (邱伊翎) said, adding that the current law affords no guarantees to the two groups.

Tibetan rights advocates and association members rallied outside the commission building in Taipei, demanding that residency be granted to 12 stateless Tibetans.

Chiu said the government had treated the 12 as illegal immigrants rather than as refugees or Tibetans in exile, when at least some of them had become trapped in the nation after their Nepalese passports were lost or expired.

There were also cases in which Tibetan’s Taiwanese spouses had divorced them, leaving them without identity papers, she said. [FULL STORY]

MOE: Taiwan’s TPP bid lies in the hands of members and China

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-29
By: Jocylin FC, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taiwan’s Economic Affairs Minister John Deng said the Taiwan’s bid to join the Trans-

MOE: Taiwan’s TPP bid lies in the hands of members and China. Central News Agency

Pacific Partnership (TPP), a United States-led trade bloc, lies in the hands of 12 member states and “no opposition from China.”

The U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim countries concluded TPP negotiations on Oct. 5 after more than five years of negotiations. The trade bloc covers about 40 percent of the global economy. Taiwan can have a chance to join the trade bloc if China shows no opposition in the case. “China has the biggest market among all member states, so it’s inevitable that they will have some concerns,” said Deng in an interview with a local radio station. Many international affairs experts suggest Taiwan government to build closer relationships with other 12 member states to increase the chances.

Deng said the degree of openness of the TPP is extremely high with few exceptions, and the transition period during which tariffs have to be cut to zero or 5 percent is five or 10 years, shorter than for most free trade agreements. Deng admitted that several countries have adopted a cautious attitude toward Taiwan’s bid to join the trade bloc, and considering that China is the biggest trading partner of six of the 12 participating countries, since they have been isolating Taiwan in international affairs as they oppose the sovereignty of Taiwan. However, Taiwan is a big market that imports US$200 billion to US$300 billion worth of goods a year, and the opportunity to join the bloc is not slim. [FULL STORY]

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