Radio Taiwan International
Date: 10 December, 2019
By: Natalie Tso

What do you do with a broken bowl? One artist in Changhua County is an expert at mending it with homemade staples. But his craft – staple china art – is a dying one. He is trying to pass on this rare and environmentally friendly skill.

 Oops! Don’t throw that broken bowl away. You can fix it with sticky rice and an oyster shell.  Put a piece of the shell in the rice, crush, and mix together to make chinaware glue.

Put the glue along the broken edges, stick it back together and tie it with hemp rope. Then you use this tool to gently drill a hole in the chinaware. Now flatten a piece of bronze to make the staple. Then stick staples in the holes and gently hammer it in until it is sealed. This is called staple china art. Pour water in the bowl and it doesn’t leak. You can even prove it with a tissue.

He says, “It’s dry. You can use it for 100 years, unless you drop it again.” Chu Fang Ben is a staple china artist. He loves antique chinaware and vases. That’s why he learned this art from his mentor. He says,"It’s not an easy skill to acquire. He said the hardest part is drilling the hole. You have to have just the right angle and force. If you don’t, you’ll break the chinaware."
[FULL  STORY]

Asia Dialogue
Date: December 10, 2019
By: Yu-Hua Chen.

In January 2020 Taiwan will elect its president for the next four years. Incumbent president Tsai

Ing-wen 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, respectable research and reports provide 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 (to which I contributed my own assessment). One aspect, however, has not been thoroughly covered: how can Taiwan and the US cooperate to safeguard the coming presidential election against China’s intervention? Many Taiwanese have not fully recognised that this election is at the centre of a clash between two forces – China vows to reset the existing liberal international order, while the US endeavours 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 manoeuvres 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]

One of the country's most famous music festivals gets underway later this month

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/10
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Indulge yourself and enjoy a multitude of wind music performances at the 2019 Chiayi City International Band Festival (CCIBF ) from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1.

The first Chiayi City International Band Festival (CCIBF) took place in 1997. Since then the event has evolved into one of the the most famous music festivals in Taiwan, turning Chiayi into an "international wind music city," according to the Travel in Chiayi website.

CCIBF offers a variety of activities, including indoor and outdoor concerts, a wind band marathon, marching bands, formation transformation performance, a New Year party, and more. They will be "amazing and fabulous music performances," according to the website.

The marching band parade, which has become a focus of the festival, features performances from bands, including Les Transformateurs Acoustiques from France, Anjo Gakuen Marching Band from Japan, and Assumption College Lampang Symphonic Band from Thailand.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/10
By: Chiang Chin-yeh and Joseph Yeh

Washington, Dec. 9 (CNA) A conference agreement version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2020 suggests the U.S. government should study the feasibility of forming a U.S.-Taiwan working group to coordinate responses to cybersecurity issues, among other recommendations designed to enhance defense and security cooperation between the two countries.

A review of the bill, released by the U.S. Congress on Monday, indicates that issues concerning Taiwan were mentioned in sections 1260B, 1260C and 1260D, touching on cybersecurity activities with Taiwan; a review and report related to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA); and enhancing the U.S.-Taiwan defense relationship.

Section 1260B of the bill stipulates that the U.S. Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Congressional defense committees a report on the feasibility of a "high-level, interagency United States-Taiwan working group for coordinating responses to emerging issues related to cybersecurity."

Section 1260C asks the Secretary of Defense to review Chinese coercion toward Taiwan; cross-strait military balance; and to make sure the future of Taiwan will "continue to be determined by peaceful means."    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 09 December, 2019
By: Natalie Tso

Hong Kong singer and actress Karen Mok completed her last world tour at the Taipei Arena on Sunday. It was her fourth performance at the arena, more than any other Hong Kong artist. 

Mok kicked off her 25th anniversary concert tour "The Ultimate Karen Mok Show" last June in Shanghai.    [FULL  STORY]

Epoch Times
Date: December 9, 2019
By: Nicole Hao

Taiwan has sentenced a retired lieutenant general and charged two other men with helping mainland China run its interference operations on the self-ruled island, including attempts to sway Taiwan’s democratic elections. 

On Dec. 3, Republic of China (Taiwan) authorities sentenced former Lt. Gen. Luo Wen-shan to 30 months in prison for having accepted mainland Chinese money to promote a pro-Beijing politician. Also facing charges of mainland espionage are Cheng Chao-ming, chairman of the Taiwan Labor Party, and his son Cheng Chih-wen, a retired commander in the ROC missile forces. 

The three cases come amid growing concerns that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recruits and manipulates senior Taiwan elites to subvert local politics. 

Weeks earlier, Wang Liqiang, who defected to Australia and is seeking asylum as a former Chinese spy, spoke at length to the media about the CCP’s clandestine activities abroad. After Wang implicated his former employer Xiang Xin and Xiang’s wife Kung Ching as having meddled in Taiwan’s elections, they were arrested in Taiwan and put under investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office.    [FULL  STORY]

The holiday is a time when people return home for reunions with loved ones and enjoy eating seasonal foods

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/09
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Individuals visiting Taiwan are requested not to bring or mail contraband meat products to the country, as an influx of visitors are expected to arrive for the upcoming Lunar New Year break.

Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) of the Council of Agriculture (COA) inspected the X-ray machines that handle international packages during a visit to postal facilities on Monday (Nov. 9). Reports have surfaced that meat merchandise or samples have managed to find their way into the country through delivery services.

Last week, UDN reported that an e-commerce platform has been hawking a China-made rat trap that comes with a sausage bait. This reignited fears that parcel delivery services could become a weak link in the fight against African swine fever (ASF), which has plagued 10 Asian countries, including China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, North Korea, South Korea, and East Timor, according to Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC).

A total of 117 meat items were impounded in September, eight times the monthly average. This could be attributed to the custom of sending food presents to relatives and friends during Mid-Autumn Festival, said the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ).
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/09
By: Kuo Chu-Chen and Chiang Yi-ching

Taipei, Dec. 9 (CNA) A French TV show host who recently visited Liuqiu, a coral island off the coast of eastern Taiwan's Pingtung County, praised the reusable cups offered by the island's cup-sharing program as well as its other eco-friendly schemes.

Jerome Pitorin visited the island to shoot an episode of Echappees belles, a French travel show that he hosts. The show airs weekly on Saturday nights on the channel France 5.

The Tourism Bureau and the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area Administration, which provided support for Pitorin and his crew, released a statement Monday about the visit.

According to the administration, Pitorin and his crew traveled around Liuqiu using reusable cups from the island's cup-sharing program, which was launched in April 2019.

The program works like this: People can borrow reusable cups for free from 23 rental points that are either beverage shops, convenience stores or tourists service centers. People are allowed to take the cups of beverages to go, without having to buy drinks in plastic bottles.   [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 10, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) yesterday said it is leaning toward a plan to demolish the

two terminals at Kaohsiung International Airport and build a new one that can accommodate both domestic and international passengers.

The domestic and international terminals are currently connected by a 343m-long passageway.

With the number of international flights increasing, the CAA at the end of 2017 began proposing ways to revamp the airport’s terminals.

A proposal to tear down the two terminals and build a new one was considered after reviewing two other options, the CAA said.8    [FULL  STORY]

She could fit the small opening.

Mothership SG
Date: December 8, 2019
By: Julia Yeo

A woman in Taipei was caught on CCTV footage in a hilariously desperate attempt to obtain two massive plushies locked inside a claw machine — by crawling inside.

The 22-year old woman had successfully escaped with two huge plushies, but she was later caught and remanded at the police station.

The incident took place on Dec. 3.

Crawled into the claw machine

The petite lady had managed to make her way up the small opening in the claw machine, which was meant for toys to fall through.

It was designed to be not exactly spacious enough for an adult human, although she has clearly proven manufacturers wrong.

The master swiper got away with two huge toy: A Minnie Mouse and Angel from Lilo and Stitch.
[FULL  STORY]