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Traffic controls for New Year unveiled

A SAFE HOLIDAY: On New Year’s Eve, traffic controls would be in place along all roads leading to Taipei City Hall Plaza, the Taipei Department of Transportation said

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 20, 2019
By: Tsai Ya-hua and Dennis Xie  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Traffic controls for New Year’s Eve events near Taipei City Hall are to unfold in three stages, along with

A simulation of this year’s New Year countdown fireworks display at the Taipei 101 building is shown in a photograph provided by Taipei 101 on Wednesday.
Photo courtesy of Taipei 101

62 bus route changes, 114 bus stop cancelations and 20 YouBike station suspensions, the Taipei Department of Transportation told a news conference yesterday.

On New Year’s Eve, traffic controls would be in place along all roads leading to the Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said.

The first stage is to begin at 7pm and vehicles would not be allowed to enter the area bordered by Zhongxiao E, Songren, Xinyi and Keelung roads, the department said.

The second stage is to begin at 8pm and would see the zone where traffic control is administered expanded to include all of Renai and Yixian roads, it said.    [FULL  STORY]

President Tsai sends birthday message to Pope Francis

Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 18 December, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

Pope Francis celebrated his birthday on Tuesday (CNA file photo)

President Tsai Ing-wen has sent a congratulatory message to Pope Francis on the occasion of his 83rd birthday. Tsai was writing both on behalf of Taiwan’s people and its government. The Vatican is Taiwan’s sole diplomatic ally in Europe.

Taiwan’s embassy at the Vatican has also posted a congratulatory message on its Facebook page.
[FULL  STORY]

What Beijing fears most is Taiwan’s democracy: Tsai

The Straits Times
Date: December 19, 2019
By: Reuters

Taiwan President accuses opposition KMT and its candidate of cosying up to China

TAIPEI • What Communist Party rulers in China fear the most is Taiwan's democracy, President Tsai Ing-wen said yesterday, describing Beijing as a threat seeking every day to undermine Taiwan.

Ms Tsai, who faces re-election on Jan 11, has repeatedly warned of the danger posed to self-ruled Taiwan by China, which claims the island as its own territory, to be brought under control by force if needed.

In a live televised pre-election policy address by the three presidential candidates, Ms Tsai accused Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), of cosying up to China, pointing to its presidential hopeful Han Kuo-yu's meeting with senior Chinese officials earlier this year.

"What China fears the most is the unity of Taiwan's people.

"What China fears the most is Taiwan's democracy," said Ms Tsai, from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). "We must be aware that China is infiltrating and dividing Taiwan's society in an all-round way."    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration disputes online rumors about cold medicine

Taking cold medicine with coffee will worsen symptoms and cause insomnia: Taiwanese health official

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/18
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Mixing cold medicine with coffee is not advised: FDA. (Pixabay photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday (Dec. 18) warned that mixing cold medicine with coffee could have a negative effect on patients, contrary to what some Taiwanese netizens have suggested.

With the arrival of flu season, many internet users are offering their secret remedies to help speed up the recovery process. Recently, one viral online rumor claimed that coffee could amplify the effect of the chemicals in cold medicine and provide patients with a clear mind, reported New Talk.
[FULL  STORY]

Presidential candidates clash over cross-strait ties in TV presentation

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/18
By: Joseph Yeh

photo courtesy of Central Election Commission (from left to right: Tsai, Soong, Han)

Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and her two challengers in the 2020 presidential race, Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and James Soong (宋楚瑜), put forth widely differing views on cross-Taiwan Strait policy, in their first televised presentation of their campaign platforms Wednesday.

In his presentation, Han of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) reiterated his party's long-held position that adherence to the "1992 consensus" must be the basis for any interaction between Taiwan and China.

According to the KMT, the consensus refers to a tacit understanding reached in 1992 between the then-KMT government and the Chinese government that there is only "one China," with each side free to interpret what "China" means.

Responding to Han's comments on the issue, President Tsai said the "1992 consensus" was "a mere illusion" because China does not recognize the second part of the statement.    [FULL  STORY]

Many say nation ‘not very safe’ for children

GAUGING THE PUBLIC: More than 60 percent surveyed on child safety said Taiwan was ‘not very safe,’ and 41 percent said that conditions were ‘gradually improving’

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 19, 2019
By: Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

Many people say they feel “not very safe” or “very unsafe” about Taiwan’s childcare environment, a survey released yesterday by the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) showed.

In the online survey, which collected 1,693 responses from Nov. 29 to Wednesday last week, 12 percent of respondents said they feel “very unsafe” about the childcare environment, 64 percent said “not very safe,” 23 percent “a bit safe” and 1 percent “very safe.”

The survey found that 12 percent of respondents believe that child abuse in Taiwan is “very serious,” 45 percent believe it is “a bit serious,” 2 percent said it is “not serious” and 41 percent feel that it is “gradually improving.”

The survey also asked respondents to rate on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most safe, how safe they believe Taiwan is for children, it said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan aims to make local banks bilingual by 2030: FSC Chair

Radio Taiwan internatinal
Date: 17 December, 2019
By: Paula Chao

FSC Chair Wellington Koo chatted with a customer at the Mega International Commercial Bank in Taipei.

Taiwan’s financial watchdog body aims to make local banks bilingual by 2030. That’s the word from Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) Chairman Wellington Koo on Tuesday.

The central government is pushing to make Taiwan into a bilingual nation by 2030. To show its support for the plan, the Singapore-based DBS Bank Limited opened Taiwan’s first bilingual bank, which is located in Tianmu, a neighborhood with Taipei’s largest expat population.

Right across the bank is the Taiwan-based Mega International Commercial Bank. 
[FULL  STORY]

Want To Make China Mad? Sell Taiwan U.S. M1 Abrams Tanks

Would they really help Taiwan deter China?

The National Interestg
Date: December 17, 2019
By: Zachary Keck

Key point: Taiwan has long been interested in purchasing M1A2 tanks from the United States.

.Taiwan is once again interested in purchasing Abrams tanks from the United States.

This week the Hong Kong–based South China Morning Post reported that Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense, Yen Teh-fa, told a legislative panel that Taipei is still interested in purchasing U.S.-made M1A2 Abrams tanks. Citing Taiwan’s United Daily News, South China Morning Post said that Taiwan’s Defense Ministry is initially interested in buying two battalions (or 108) of M1A2 tanks. Ultimately, the Taiwanese military hopes to purchase even more tanks from Washington.

Yen said that the tanks would provide the last line of defense against a Chinese invasion. Besides immediately improving Taiwan’s combat readiness, he indicated that the sale would also involve technology transfers that could enhance the country's domestic arms industry.

The M1A2 is the third iration of the M1 Abrams tanks after the original and the M1A1. Washington first authorized production of the M1A2 tank in 1990, according to Military.com, and it first entered into service in 1992. The same source notes that the M1A2 has a similar exterior to its predecessor, with the biggest change on the outside of the tank being the “redesigned Commander's Weapon Station (CWS) and the addition of a Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer on the left side of the turret forward of the loader's hatch.”    [FULL  STORY]

Bill raising penalties for possessing, supplying drugs passes in Taiwan

Penalties for possession of drugs like cannabis will increase sixfold to up to NT$300,000

Taiwan News
Datge: .2019/12/17
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Drug addiction. (Needpix.com photo)\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's legislature has greenlit a bill raising the penalties for possessing and supplying drugs, with those caught selling drugs to teenagers or pregnant women subject to aggravated punishment.

The Ministry of Justice proposed the change in 2017, and it eventually passed its third reading in the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday (Dec. 17).

According to the bill, fines for possessing Class A and B drugs will increase sixfold to NT$300,000 (US$9,954) and NT$200,000, respectively. Meanwhile, the criminalization of possession of Class C and D drugs based on gross weight will be revised downward from 20 grams to 5 grams.

The fine for possession of devices used to manufacture or inject Class A and B drugs has been increased from a maximum of NT$10,000 to NT$100,000. Meanwhile, the fines for manufacturing, transporting, or selling Class A and B drugs shall be increased by 50 percent to NT$30 million and NT$15 million, respectively.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan, HK on frontline in battle for press freedom: CPJ report

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/17
By: Lawrence Chiu and Chiang Yi-ching

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) Taiwan and Hong Kong "are on the frontlines of the battle for press freedom" due to efforts by the Chinese government to shape public opinion, according to a report published Monday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The report, titled "One Country, One Censor: How China undermines media freedom in Hong Kong and Taiwan" was written by CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler.

"China has become a top global economic power, and is fast expanding its military reach beyond its borders," Butler said in the introduction to the report.

"It is simultaneously trying to influence the global public through the media to accept and support China's growing role in the world," he continued.    [FULL  STORY]