Taipei Times
Date: Dec 28, 2019
By: Rachel Lin and Dennis Xie  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Faculty and students from several universities yesterday protested outside the Ministry of Education

to demand that it require public universities to establish budget auditing committees.

The group, which included New Power Party Legislator Cheng Hsiu-ling (鄭秀玲), said that an unbiased system for budget auditing is necessary for a democratic academic environment, and the government should amend the legislation regulating how public universities use academic funds and make establishing a budget auditing committee a legal responsibility.

Legislators should reach an agreement before Monday to guarantee that the draft amendment could clear a third reading and be passed before Tuesday next week, the last day of the current legislative session, they added.

The fund management authorities and budget auditing committees on campuses should also include student representatives, and the auditing members should belong to the auditing committee, not the fund management authority, Cheng said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 26 December, 2019
By: Jake Chen

The newest satellites jointly developed by Taiwan and the United States – FORMOSAT-7 — will be sharing the meteorology data they gather with people around the world.

Science ministry officials provided an update on FORMAT-7 on Thursday at a briefing in the legislature. They said that since its launch in June, the six satellites in the constellation have been gradually adjusting their course to gather more accurate meteorology data. Officials say they are looking to make the data public starting next February.    [FULL  STORY]

The Chinese public’s witch-hunt for “pro-independence” Taiwanese stars dims the prospects of peaceful unification with Taiwan.

The Diplomat
Date: December 26, 2019
By: Jo Kim   

On Saturday, Taiwanese singer Annie Yi drew criticisms from Taiwan for reaffirming her identity as a

Chinese. Yi even remarked that her daughter’s favorite song is “I Love Beijing Tiananmen,” a song written to exalt Mao Zedong. Yi is not the first celebrity to disappoint the Taiwanese population with open declarations of supporting “One China.” Owing to mainland China’s vast market, many Taiwanese celebrities have either been forced to or chose to accord with mainland China’s political narratives.

That trend had already started back in 2015, when Taiwanese Chou Tzu-yu, a member of the K-pop group TWICE, was reported as a “pro-independence” celebrity for waving the flag of the Republic of China (ROC) on a Korean variety show. Chou released an apology video shortly after. The pressure on the then-teenager created an uproar in Taiwan that contributed one to two percentage points to presidential hopeful Tsai Ing-wen’s eventual win in the 2016 election.

Similar incidents have followed, making the realm of entertainment and culture a frequent point of political friction for the populations on both sides of the strait. In 2016 Taiwanese entertainer Show Luo lost about 10,000 fans on Facebook and gained around 50,000 fans on Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter) after remarking “We are all Chinese” at a movie premiere. In 2019, Taiwanese performer Ouyang Nana hurried to “clarify” her support for “One China” and told the Chinese state media CCTV, “I am Chinese – I love my country,” after doubts of being pro-independence. The press has counted 42 of Taiwan’s top celebrities, such as Taiwan’s top model Lin Chi-Ling and singer Leehom Wang, who congratulated the PRC on its 70th anniversary while remaining silent on the national day of the ROC.    [FULL  STORY]

Gou has drawn fire over remarks about highly controversial bill aimed at preventing Chinese meddling

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/26
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foxconn founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) has rebutted allegations that he

opposes the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法), a contentious bill aimed at warding off political interference by foreign powers.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Dec. 25), the business tycoon sought to clarify his remark on a talk show that he would organize a protest outside the Legislative Yuan should the bill be approved. The former Foxconn chairman is reportedly concerned about the adverse effect the bill's passage would have on the company’s operations in China.

Gou, who entered the presidential race earlier this year but dropped his bid in September, claimed he was one of the victims of Chinese meddling and what he called “unfair media coverage.” He would, therefore, absolutely support measures to counter any espionage activities, he insisted.

He elucidated that it is not the legislation he opposes, but the process of its enactment. He lamented the lack of legislative debate and enforcement details pertaining to the bill, which should be pushed through in a more rigorous and prudent manner.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/26
By: Wang Shu-fen, Wu Che-hao and Ko Lin

Photo courtesy of the the Directorate General of Highways[/caption] Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) The final section of Provincial Highway No. 61, from Fangyuan to Dacheng in Changhua County will open for traffic Friday, marking the completion of the highway.

Also known as the West Coast Expressway, the 291.509-kilometer highway stretches from Bali in New Taipei to Shifen in Tainan, with construction starting in 1992.

The road has been opened to traffic in sections over the past 28 years, with the Fangyuan-Dacheng section being the last one, marking the completion of the nation's third north-south highway serving western Taiwan, after National Freeways No. 1 and No. 3.

[Video by ROADMAN's YouTube channel.]

However, because the No. 61 expressway is toll-free, it has often been dubbed the "poor man's highway" by local motorists.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 27, 2019
By: Dennis Xie  /  Staff writer, with CNA

The National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital yesterday launched long-term care services for aging animals.

Although rehabilitative therapy for humans is common, the same healthcare for pets is considered an emerging field for veterinarians, the hospital said in a statement.

It has rolled out rehabilitation services for pets that have trouble walking, it said, adding that decreased mobility could be due to bone surgery, paralysis in the nervous system or chronic joint illnesses.

The program uses Western medicine to treat animals, as well as rehabilitative therapy and Chinese medicine, as part of a multipronged approach to manage pain more effectively and shorten the recovery process.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 25 December, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

Zhushan Lantern Festival to feature lanterns made of bamboo[/caption]Zhushan Lantern Festival to feature lanterns made of bamboo[/caption] Every year the Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar New Year. In 2020, that day lands on February 8. One township in central Taiwan is featuring lanterns made from bamboo, which is grown in the region. In fact, bamboo is such an important industry for the township… you can find it right in the town’s name “Zhushan”, which literally means “bamboo mountain.”

The 2020 Lantern Festival in Zhushan Township of Nantou County will exhibit 60 lanterns made from bamboo, featuring different themes. As Taiwan ushers in the Year of the Rat, you can be sure there’ll be at least one lantern featuring the rodent.    [FULL  STORY]

Speaking of the poll results, Hou said that the numbers could only serve as a point of reference

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/25
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A total of 79 percent of people recently polled by Excellence Magazine approve of the way Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) is handling his job as New Taipei City mayor, the highest approval rating given to any of the mayors of the six special municipalities in Taiwan, the Liberty Times reported on Wednesday (Dec. 25).

Speaking of the poll results, Hou said that the numbers could only serve as a point of reference, and whether they are good or bad, they can serve the purpose of being “an encouragement and spur,” according to the news outlet.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/25
By: Hao Hsueh-ching, Tsai Peng-min, Liao Yu-yang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) The Taichung City government on Wednesday announced it will revoke coal-use permits for two generators at Taichung Power Plant and fine the plant NT$9 million (US$299,368) for continuing to use more coal than legally permitted and failing to cease the use of raw coal for power generation.

The city government's decision came after the fossil fuel power plant, one of the largest of its kind in the world, was deemed to have not made sufficient improvements to reduce its coal consumption. It has also been fined twice for exceeding the legal limit for coal use for this year, Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said.

The power plant, operated by state-run Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower), has violated the Air Pollution Control Act and Taichung's newest coal control regulations that stipulate coal use at the Taichung plant is limited to 11.04 million metric tons between Jan. 2019 and 2020.

As a result, the city government decided to revoke permits for the plant's older No. 2 and No. 3 generators, with effect from Jan. 1, 2020, Lu noted.    [FULL  STORY]