How ‘one country, two systems’ plays out in Hong Kong could factor into Taiwan’s 2020 elections.

The Washington Post
Date: September 4, 2019
By: Shelley Rigger

The recurrent protests in Hong Kong on the past 13 weekends suggest that the “one country, two systems” (OCTS) model offers no magic formula for blending incompatible political systems under a single flag. Hong Kong is watching closely — but so is Taiwan, the reason China conceived OCTS.

In January, Taiwan will hold presidential and legislative elections. With Taipei-Beijing relations at the center of the campaign, here’s how the unrest in Hong Kong may factor into these elections.

Hong Kong became a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1997, at the end of a 99-year lease to Britain. The Basic Law under which Beijing promised to govern Hong Kong is rooted in the OCTS model. It states that Hong Kong would be part of the PRC’s sovereign territory — but for 50 years would retain many of the features that differentiate it from what Hong Kongers call the “mainland.”

‘One country, two systems’ and Taiwan    [FULL  STORY]

KMT presidential candidate says he won't accept migrant workers who 'cause trouble' after 'chickens' controversy

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/04
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Itinerant Kaohsiung Mayor and full-time Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu is sure to stir more controversy after he said he will not accept migrants who "cause trouble" as he tried to clarify his controversial comment referring to migrant laborers as "chickens."

During a livestream Facebook video discussion about policies on Aug. 29, Han touched on the topic of Taiwan's brain drain. In the video, Han described the flight of Taiwanese talent and the arrival of migrant workers as "phoenixes flying away and a bunch of chickens coming in!" (鳳凰都飛走了，進來一大堆雞！).

As Taiwan's migrant worker community is still wincing from Han's comparison to them with "chickens" last week. Han today (Sept. 4) took to Facebook to say that he was grateful and respectful of Taiwan's new immigrants, but he said he could not accept those who come to Taiwan to "cause trouble."

Han said that last week he was referring to Taiwan's talent being lured away by offers of salaries triple or quadruple Taiwan levels in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. Han conceded that when he said, "phoenixes flying away and a bunch of chickens coming in," it sparked a huge uproar and immense confusion.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/04
By: William Yen

Taipei, Sept. 4 (CNA) A Swedish YouTuber who makes videos about his explorations in Taiwan said

Wednesday that he wants to introduce the country's sights and travel convenience to other foreign visitors.

Lukas Engström, who has made some 37 videos documenting his travels in Taiwan, said there are so many different things that can be done in one day because of the travel convenience.

"You can literally go buy a Louis Vuitton bag and then go hiking to a waterfall afterward," he said. "You can fit those two things into one day, and following that, you can still make it back (to Taipei) to have a luxury meal at some rooftop restaurant."

One can take a 30-minute train or bus ride from Taipei to find a waterfall, which is very different to Sweden, he said, adding that he is originally from the countryside, where it takes an hour just to get to the city.    [FULL  STORY]

Lawmaker's son needed money to invest in beverage shop in the Philippines

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/03
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A suitcase containing NT$3 million (US$95,500) in cash was left unattended

on a high-speed train to Taipei and turned out to belong to Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Chen Ming-wen (陳明文), reports said Tuesday (September 3).

The money was destined for Chen’s eldest son to invest in a beverage shop in the Philippines, reports said.

The unlocked suitcase was found on an early train to Taipei Tuesday. Rail staff inspected the item to try and find its owner, and came to the conclusion it belonged to the prominent lawmaker and former Chiayi County magistrate, according to the United Daily News.

Chen only remembered he had left the money on the train when having lunch with his son, who later came to pick up the suitcase, the report said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/03
By: Chen Chi-fong and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, Sept. 3 (CNA) A total of 79 students and 11 faculty members at Min Tsu Elementary School in Kaohsiung took sick leave Tuesday following an outbreak of influenza at the school in southern Taiwan.

The school said the 79 students, all of whom are in first grade, and the 11 faculty members fell ill after developing respiratory problems.

The school first reported an outbreak of influenza on Sunday, according to the Kaohsiung Health Bureau, and from Aug. 30 to Monday, a total of 69 students and four teachers have shown flu-like symptoms.

The bureau suspected the reason for the spread of the infections was because all of the new students attended the school orientation ceremony Aug. 30 in the assembly hall, which is an enclosed space.    [FULL  STORY]

• Task force is reportedly evaluating diplomatic relations with self-ruled island, while a delegation went to Beijing to discuss potentially switching allegiance
• Growing Chinese influence in region has raised concern among US and allies

South China Moring Post
Date: 3 Sep, 2019
By: Laura Zhou  

Rivalry between China and the United States in the South Pacific is expected to intensify, with the Solomon Islands reportedly in talks with Beijing about potentially switching diplomatic ties from Taipei after 36 years.

A task force charged with evaluating the country’s Taiwan ties returned from a tour of Pacific nations allied to Beijing just before a mid-August visit to the Chinese capital by eight Solomon Islands ministers and the prime minister’s private secretary, Reuters reported on Monday.

The Solomon Islands is one of only 17 countries that recognise Taiwan, six of which are in the Pacific. Beijing – which sees Taiwan as a renegade province with no right to state-to-state ties – has sought to squeeze the self-ruled island diplomatically by trying to persuade its remaining allies to switch recognition since independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016.

According to parliament schedules, the task force – set up by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare after he was re-elected in April – will present its recommendations as early as this week, the report said.    [FULL  STORY]

Kuan Chung-ming reprimanded for illegal work during Ma administration

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/02
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taipei News) — A hearing by the Public Functionary Disciplinary Sanction Commission

involving National Taiwan University (NTU) President Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔) concluded on Monday (Sept. 2), finding Kuan guilty of engaging in improper employment during his time as a minister in the Ma administration.

The disciplinary commission of the Control Yuan determined that Kuan’s illegal activity constituted the first, and least severe, degree of punishable activity. At 3:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon, the commission announced that Kuan has been given an official reprimand (申誡) that will remain on his public record.

Kuan was found guilty of receiving payment from various media publications in Taiwan for writing anonymous opinion pieces during his time as minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development and as minister of the National Development Council, reports LTN. Payments from the illegal work are estimated at NT$650,000 (US$20,600) per year, or approximately NT$2 million (US$63,000), over a three-year period.

The editorials were found to be illegal employment in violation of paragraph 1 of article 14 of the Civil Service Act. The Public Functionary Disciplinary Sanction Commission was tasked with determining a punishment for Kuan after he was impeached by the Control Yuan in January, shortly after he took office as the president of NTU following a nearly year-long controversy over his appointment.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/02
By: Hu Yu-li and Frances Huang

Berlin, Sept. 2 (CNA) A group of Taiwanese residing in Norway said Monday that they have filed a lawsuit against Norwegian government authorities, accusing them of changing their nationality to China from Taiwan in their residency permits.

One of the three Taiwanese plaintiffs in the case, who identified himself as Joseph, said they filed the lawsuit at a district court in Oslo on Aug. 29, and a court hearing is scheduled to be held in early 2020.

The other two plaintiffs are a Taiwanese married to a Norwegian citizen and a Taiwanese post-doc candidate in the Northern European country, said Joseph, a Taiwanese lawyer working in Norway.

The three plaintiffs have named the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) and the Oslo Police District as defendants in the lawsuit, Joseph said.
[FULL  STORY]