Japan Forward
Date: December 12, 2019
By: Russell Hsiao

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is waging a battle to influence and control the narrative over history in Asia through propaganda and “thought management” (sixiang guanli). The primary objective is to shape how history is understood in the current geopolitical dynamics and political context.

To be sure, history in the region — especially related to the numerous wars fought in the 20th and 21st centuries — is fraught with political fault lines. Yet, this battle is less about the past and more about the future.

History is a critical front in shaping people’s thoughts through influencing their perceptions and beliefs about their national history and identity. It has been an emerging theater in the CCP’s United Front (tongyi zhanxian) efforts to co-opt its former nemesis, the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT), and promote a common narrative against one of its principal external targets: Japan.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese expats visits children in hospital, disbursing seasonal greetings, food and gifts

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

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — With Christmas approaching, the Taiwan Presbyterian Church in Argentina, formed mostly by Taiwan citizens and emigrants, decided to give back to the community by distributing holiday gifts at a children's hospital.

On Wednesday (Dec. 11), the Taiwan-based church congregation visited hospitalized children and gave mid-sized Minion plush dolls as Christmas presents. Despite their various illnesses the children showed excitement on their faces when they received their toys.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/12
By: Yang Ming-chu, Liu Chien-pang and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Dec. 12 (CNA) Coordination between Taiwanese and Japanese authorities has led to the arrests of 11 suspected drug smugglers, including four Taiwanese, as well as the seizure of nearly 600 kilograms of amphetamine in the Kyushu region of southern Japan, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said Thursday.

In a press release, the CGA said its Kaohsiung Reconnaissance Brigade tipped off Japanese authorities about a fishing boat suspected of transporting drugs, which was headed to Oniki Port in Kyushu's western Kumamoto Prefecture.

According to the statement, at around 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, the Japan Coast Guard and police raided the boat after it entered port, uncovering the drugs and arresting one Taiwanese and two Japanese suspects at the scene.

As of Thursday, 11 suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, including four Taiwanese, who are being held in Japan, the statement said.    [FULL  STORY]

IN THE AIR: The ministry received approval to disband the board of Yung Ta, but the board appealed and has still not fully paid its former faculty dismissed in 2014

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 13, 2019
By: Rachel Lin and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday said it would enforce the closure of Yung Ta Institute of

Technology and Commerce if it fails to inform the ministry of its shutdown by Jan. 8.

Former school employees yesterday protested outside the Executive Yuan and the ministry, accusing the ministry of failing in its duties and calling for the school to compensate them for salary owed, severance payments and civil servant insurance payouts.

The ministry received court approval to disband the school’s board of directors on Aug 29, after applying in March, on grounds that the school, in Pingtung County’s Linluo Township (麟洛), had breached Article 25 of the Private School Act (私立學校法) and had stopped paying its former faculty members’ monthly pensions.

However, the school’s board appealed the decision, leaving the case — along with obligations to pay former staff and faculty — hanging in the air.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatioal
Date: 11 December, 2019
By: John Van Trieste

The Central Weather Bureau has released a timetable predicting which parts of Taiwan will be the last to see the sun in 2019 and which will be the first to greet the first sunrise of 2020.

Those wanting to see the final sunset of the year should head to Anping in Tainan or Cijin in Kaohsiung. These two spots on Taiwan’s southwest coast will be the last places on Taiwan proper to see the sun sink below the horizon. Forecasters are predicting a sunset time of 5:25pm.

Taiping Island in the South China Sea will be the final point under Taiwanese administration to see the sun. Forecasters predict a 6:11pm sunset on this disputed island.     [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2019/12/11
By: Yu-hua Chen6

In January 2020, Taiwan will elect its president for the next four years. Incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) warned in an interview that “China’s attempt to meddle in this upcoming presidential election…is very obvious. We can see the shadow of Chinese meddling in every important election of Taiwan.”

Although China denied the allegation, research and reports provided evidence of how Beijing sways Taiwan’s elections and political processes. Since Taiwan’s 2018 "nine-in-one" local elections, there has been much productive analysis of Chinese interference. One aspect, however, has not been thoroughly covered: how can Taiwan and the United States cooperate to safeguard the coming presidential election against China’s intervention?

Many Taiwanese have not fully recognized that this election is at the center of a clash between two forces – China vows to reset the existing liberal international order, while the U.S. endeavors to strengthen it.

China’s most visible and longest-held measure for influencing Taiwan’s elections is military intimidation. Since Tsai assumed office, China has ramped up military coercion considerably by conducting military exercises in Taiwan’s vicinity, and periodically dispatching its navy and air force to circumnavigate the island. These military maneuvers attempt to undermine faith in the Tsai government and sends an aggressive political message that the Taiwan Strait is China’s territorial water.    [FULL  STORY]

Magnitude 4.0 temblor rattles northeastern Taiwan's Yilan County

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/11
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A magnitude 4.0 earthquake shook northeastern Taiwan's Yilan County at 10:02 p.m. this evening (Dec. 11), according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

The epicenter of the temblor was located 14.0 kilometers east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a shallow depth of 7.7 kilometers, based on CWB data. Taiwan uses an intensity scale of 1 to 7, which gauges the degree to which a quake is felt at a specific location.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/11 21:49
By: Wang Shu-fen, Chang Hsiung-feng and Joseph Yeh

Kaohsiung, Dec. 11 (CNA) The Kaohsiung City government pledged Wednesday to continue to push China Steel to speed up its efforts to reduce emissions to improve air quality following a local media report that named the largest steel maker in Taiwan as the country's No. 1 source of air pollution.

Citing air pollutant emissions data from June to December 2018, the Chinese-language Apple Daily ran a front page story Wednesday that lists the top 10 air pollution sources in Taiwan.

The state-run company emitted a total of 1.18 million kilograms of PM2.5 and PM10 particulates during the six-month period, according to the report.

PM2.5 and PM10 particulates are considered dangerous because they are minute enough to travel deep into the lungs and are often loaded with toxic compounds such as heavy metals.
[FULL  STORY]