Taiwan Today
Date: September 06, 2019

Winners of the Presidential Culture Awards were announced Sept. 4 in Taipei City, with five individuals and groups honored for contributions to elevating culture in society.
 
Organized by Taipei-headquartered General Association of Chinese Culture, the 10th edition of the biennial event saw celebrated sculptor Ju Ming named recipient of the Arts and Culture Award.
 
Born in 1938 in Miaoli County, northern Taiwan, Ju is known for his signature pieces including the Taichi and Living World series. He established the Ju Ming Museum in New Taipei City in 1999, which won Best Practice Award presented by the France-based International Council of Museums in 2017.
 
Fang He-sheng, a borough chief in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District, is winner of the Community Building Award. He created Taiwan’s first community-based food bank, as well as implementing projects for youths, seniors and underprivileged groups.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan warns Solomon Islands of Beijing's debt trap diplomacy as it considers switching ties to Beijing

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/06
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As leaders of the Solomon Islands consider switching diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China, the Taiwanese government is warning the fellow Pacific island nation of Beijing's notorious "debt trap" diplomacy.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told Reuters that "China’s expansion in the Pacific has made many countries to fall into the trap of debt." She added that many countries have been lured into China's debt trap, "The flashy infrastructure that China promised has caused serious damage to the local ecosystem and infringed their sovereignty."

Ou told the news service that much of the general public in the country wishes to maintain ties with Taiwan, "Representatives from the civil society mostly support maintaining the official relations with Taiwan and are doubtful toward the so-called 'switching of ties.'" Ou expressed confidence that the Solomon Islands government is wise to Beijing's tricks, "We believe the Solomons government and people are alerted by China’s usual deceptive tricks, overbearing behaviors and untrustworthiness in the international society."

As part of the sweet candy to lure the Solomon Islands into its layer, the authoritarian communist regime is offering a development fund to the Pacific nation if it cuts off ties with Taiwan. The fund would replace a similar program launched by Taiwan, which has pledged US$8.5 million (NT$265.8 million) for the period 2019-2020 to the South Pacific nation of 600,000.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/06
By: Miao Zong-han and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) Dissident Hong Konger Lam Wing-kee (林榮基), who arrived in Taiwan in April,

reached his target Friday for the funding he needs to bring back to life Causeway Bay Books, the Hong Kong bookstore he operated that sold titles critical of Beijing.

Lam hit his goal of raising NT$2.8 million (US$89,689) — a target he initially expected to reach by Nov. 5, at around 3:30 p.m. Friday, just 20 hours after he launched the fundraising event on the online fundraising platform flyingv for his new bookstore.

Lam issued an open letter on the Facebook fan page "Causeway Bay Books Taiwan" Friday to express his gratitude for the support.

"In the future, please give me the opportunity to thank you personally," he wrote.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 05 September, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Premier Su Tseng-chang says Taiwan needs to purchase new models of warplanes in order to cope

with China’s growing military threat. Su was speaking Thursday during a Cabinet meeting.

Su said that Taiwan needs advanced weapons to defend itself as China launches increasingly regular sorties of warplanes around the island. Su called a March incident in which Chinese warplanes deliberately crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line a grave threat.   [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan English News
Date: September 4, 2019 
By: Phillip Charlier

The body of a 6-year-old boy was found wedged under a rock in Wulai District’s Nanshi River this morning, 10 days after he went missing August 26. The incident occurred at the same spot his 6-year-old sister drowned last year.

On July 29, 2018, a 6-year-old girl from the Jian family sneaked away from her grandmother’s home with her 7-year-old cousin. The two girls went to the riverbank 30 meters from the house to play in the water of the fast-flowing river.

As the girls lost their footing and were washed downriver, the 7-year-old managed to clamber onto rocks, and was rescued around 100 meters downstream, but the younger girl disappeared. Her body was found 4 days later after an extensive search.

After his daughter’s drowning, Mr Jian, a 39-year-old divorced father of three, banned his remaining two children from going near the river.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/05
By:  Central News Agency

Taiwan's Cabinet passed a draft bill Thursday that paves the way for the purchase of a new fleet of advanced F-16 fighter jets from the United States at a cost of NT$250 billion (US$8.08 billion) to boost its defense capabilities amid the rising threat from China.

The bill will empower the Cabinet to create a special budget to cover the spending over several years until Dec. 31, 2026.

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said the purchase is of vital importance for Taiwan.

He made the remark in the face of increasing military coercion from the other side of the Taiwan Strait, noting that the nation needs more advanced weapons systems to safeguard its security.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/05
By: Shen Peng-ta, Wen Kuei-hsiang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) Visiting Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) said Thursday that

the desire of Hong Kong people for a democratic election is unshaken even after the government withdrew the highly controversial extradition bill a day earlier.

In an interview with CNA, Wong, secretary-general of pro-democracy party Demosisto and a leading figure in the months-long anti-extradition law protests in the Chinese Special Administrative Region, said that the objective is clear, a full democratic election.

"Hong Kong's Legislative Council and chief executive should be elected by its people," Wong said when asked about his view on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's withdrawal of a proposed bill that would have allowed the extradition of criminal suspects to China for trial.

The Hong Kong government's move was aimed at making concessions in order to gain advantage, Wong noted, adding that even though the bill has been revoked, that does not mean a democratic election will take place.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 04 September, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

President Tsai Ing-wen has reiterated that Taiwan will not intervene in the ongoing political unrest in Hong Kong. Tsai said Wednesday that Taiwanese law only allows it to provide assistance to Hong Kong residents.

Tsai’s words came as Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong called on Taiwan to take to the streets in solidarity with Hong Kongers’ struggle for freedom and democracy. Wong has also asked Taiwan’s government to draft a refugee act to help Hong Kongers facing persecution.
[FULL  STORY]