'Brokeback Mountain' ranks No. 54, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' ranks No. 90

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/01/19
By: Chris Chang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The British film magazine Empire has honored the Academy-award winning Taiwanese director Ang Lee (李安) for his two extraordinary films, "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," in The 100 Greatest Movies of the 21st Century.

Lee won his first Oscar for Best International Feature Film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" back in 2001. The movie ranked No. 90 on The Greatest Movies list. Empire praised the movie for making "wuxia (武俠) accessible to the contemporary Western audience, a genre which was largely the preserve of lower video store shelves on clumsily-dubbed fuzzy VHS tapes before 2000."

Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" helped him win his first Academy Award for Best Director and is ranked No. 54 on the list. The film depicts the awe-inspiring scenery of the Rocky Mountains and was seen as a stepping stone to bring queer cinema to the mainstream.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 01/19/2020
By: Chou Shih-hui and Joseph Yeh

San Francisco, Jan. 19 (CNA) China is unlikely to back down from its hardline stance against Taiwan in the wake of the Jan. 11 general elections that resoundingly gave Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) a second term, according to an American scholar.

Larry Diamond, a professor of sociology and political science at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the school's Hoover Institution, told CNA in a recent interview that the Chinese communists never seem to learn from history, despite the lessons that intimidation against Taiwan "will not work."

Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has been a "calamitous failure" as leader of his country, and the Taiwan election results were the latest indication of that, but there are no signs that the Chinese communists are waking up to reality, said Diamond, who was one of the foreign observers in Taiwan during the election.

"As a result, I predict more tensions and intimidation ahead and the need for strong nerves, clear resolve, and sustained partnership between the U.S. and Taiwan to defend the sovereignty and security of the Republic of China, Taiwan," he said.    [FULL  STORY]

DIRECT COMMUTE: The circular line would allow New Taipei City residents to travel around the city without having to transfer in Taipei, reducing commute times

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 20, 2020
By: Staff Writer, with CNA

The first section of the Taipei MRT circular line might officially begin operations before the end of this

month, although a date has yet to be determined, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday.

A launch date would be decided when Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) returns from Europe on Wednesday, Hou said.

He made the remarks during an inspection tour of the first section of the line, which began free trial runs yesterday.

The line is to serve Taipei and New Taipei City when all sections are completed.    [FULL  STORY]

Xinhua
Date: 2020-01-19
Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) — China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Sunday stressed implementing the work arrangements on Taiwan affairs made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and upholding the principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems."

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks at a conference on Taiwan affairs held in Beijing.

While reviewing the work on Taiwan affairs in 2019 and affirming positive progress made in the past year, Wang warned that the cross-Strait situation would be more complicated and grave in 2020.
[FULL  STORY]

RadioTaiwan International
Date:17 January, 2020
By:} Leslie Liao

A US naval vessel passed north through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday. This is the first US passage through the Taiwan Strait this year.

The defense ministry says that the ship was carrying out a routine mission. It says that the military closely monitored Taiwan’s maritime zones and air space during the exercise.   [FULL  STORY]

Finnish flagship newspaper Helsingin Sanomat compliments Taiwan's recycling system in report

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/01/17
By: Chris Chang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The largest Finnish newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat (HS), published a double-page spread on Wednesday (Jan. 15) extolling Taiwan's achievements in recycling and recommending that the European Union (EU) and Finland learn from the island nation.

The HS noted that Taiwan used to carry the name "garbage island," as urbanization and the rising consumption of consumer goods generated tremendous plastic waste within the country. However, the Taiwanese government proposed revolutionary recycling policies in the '90s that successfully reduced the amount of trash and transformed it into a world leader in the field of waste management, reported CNA.

The article compared the current situation in Taiwan with that in Finland, observing that the former's total recycling rate has reached 55 percent, with the average Taiwanese producing 850 grams of trash per day. The figures for Finland are 42 percent and 930 grams, respectively, putting the country in the middle of the pack among EU countries when it comes to recycling ability and waste reduction.

The report also mentioned that the EU has updated its recycling targets. If Finland is to comply with the new standard, it will have to sort its plastic waste more efficiently and increase the total amount of waste recycled.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 01/17/2020
By: Angie Chen and Elizabeth Hsu

Manila, Jan. 17 (CNA) Taiwan's representative office in the Philippines donated US$100,000 on Friday to Sorsogon province on Luzon Island to support its reconstruction efforts after it was severely battered by Typoon Kammuri, locally called Tisoy, in early December.

Representative to the Philippines Michael Hsu (徐佩勇) presented a cheque for the sum of money to Gilberto Lauengco, vice chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, which represents the Philippines' interests in Taiwan, during a ceremony witnessed by Sorsogon Governor Francis Escudero.    [FULL  STORY]

REAR-FACING POLICY: 3A Department of Railways and Highways official said that the amendments were based on expert opinions and studying legislation from overseas

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 18, 2020
By: Cheng Wei-chi and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Rear-facing travel seats are to be required for children aged over one and under two if amendments

to the Regulations on Implementation of Child Safety Seats in Automobiles (小型車附載幼童安全乘坐實施及宣導辦法) take effect from Sept. 1 as the Ministry of Transportation and Communications plans, it said yesterday.

The date of implementation depends on the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection, which is to establish manufacturing standards, the transportation ministry said.

Articles 4 and 14 of the regulations state that children under the age of one, or who weigh less than 10kg, must be in rear-facing safety seats or beds, while those aged one to four who weigh 10kg to 18kg should be in safety seats in the rear.

The amended version states that children younger than two should travel in rear-facing safety seats or beds, while children from the age of two and under four who weigh less than 18kg should be in a safety seat, preferably rear-facing, in the back seat.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 16 January, 2020
By: Paula Chao

Czech parliamentarian Marek Benda says he believes that relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic will deepen further now that Taipei and Prague are sister cities.

Benda was speaking Wednesday during a meeting with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, who is in the Czech Republic for an official visit.    [FULL  STORY]