WIDE RANGE: A text alert was supposed to be sent to residents living within 300m of Kaishan Borough, but the unit of distance was later changed to kilometers

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 11, 2019
By: Hsieh Chun-lin and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) yesterday apologized for a dengue fever

alert that was mistakenly sent to mobile phone users nationwide on Tuesday.

The alert was sent at about noon, warning residents of Tainan’s Kaishan Borough (開山) of an indigenous dengue fever outbreak in the area.

The message, signed by the Tainan City Government and the Centers for Disease Control, asked residents to take measures to prevent mosquito bites, routinely empty water containers and undergo an NS1 antigen test at a hospital should symptoms such as fever, headache, joint pain or rashes appear.

The alert was originally set up to be sent to residents within 300m of the borough, but the unit of distance was later changed to kilometers, Chen said during a visit to a summer camp for children in grades three to six organized by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬).    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 10 July, 2019
By: Jake Chen

Qinbi Village on Matsu Islands. (CNA Photo)[/caption] The Lienchiang County government, which administers Taiwan’s outlying Matsu Islands, has announced a new tourist bus line that will shuttle visitors to different tourist spots.

The outlying Matsu Islands are known for scenic views, including the famous “blue tears”- a glittering night time display of glowing algae- and Qinbi Village, with its Mediterranean-style architecture.

In an effort to promote local tourism, the Lienchiang County Government is starting a tourist bus line to help visitors get around between famous spots.

Lienchieng County Secretary General Chang Lung-te says the islands’ roads are not safe for cycling or driving. He said tickets for the new bus service will start at NT$200 (US$6.40), and that he hopes the buses will bring more tourist traffic to the islands.    [SOURCE]

National Chung Hsing University associate professor Shen Jian-de believes the number of Han immigrants is overstated

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/07/10
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — How many Han immigrants were there in Taiwan when the Dutch were expelled by Koxinga in 1662?

100,000 is the number stated in Taiwan’s new senior high school history textbook, but former National Chung Hsing University associate professor Shen Jian-de (沈建德) strongly disagrees, Liberty Times reported on Wednesday (July 10). He believes the number of Han is exaggerated and the textbook is fabricating history.

Shen said some versions of the history textbooks for senior high school students state that before the Dutch left Taiwan, the population of Han immigrants in Taiwan reached 100,000. Various historic documents, however, say there were only 3,200.

Shen added there are documents that state at the end of the Koxinga family rule (1662-1683) era, the population of Han immigrants in Taiwan exceeded 200,000. He also disputed that number, saying that there were about 40,000, citing two authoritative historic sources.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/10
By: Stacy Hsu

Taipei, July 10 (CNA) The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) passed its first list of legislative candidates recruited for difficult electoral districts in the 2020 race Wednesday, moving one step closer to its goal of completing the party's list of regional legislative candidates by July.

The recruited candidates include DPP Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) for the Keelung City electoral district, former Hsinchu City Councilor Cheng Hung-huei (鄭宏輝) for the Hsinchu City electoral district, and DPP Legislator Chen Ying (陳瑩), a member of the indigenous Puyuma tribe, for the plains aboriginal electoral district.

Their recruitments were passed by the DPP's Central Executive Committee (CEC) during a meeting that was presided over by DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰).

The three districts are among the 20 electoral districts listed by the DPP as "difficult" ones, as the party received less than 42.5 percent of the votes there in the previous legislative elections in 2016.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 09 July, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

The Presidential Office on Tuesday displayed the gifts that President Tsai Ing-wen will present to the leaders of St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Haiti on her trip to the Caribbean allies.

Tsai will present to the Haitian president a carved painting of leaf veins to depict the connection between mankind and nature. Tsai has chosen the gift also because the Haitian leader was an agricultural businessman.

The governor-general of St. Kitts and Nevis will be presented with porcelain pottery featuring a Formosan Black Bear. Tsai hopes to share the importance of sustainable development and respect for life with the gift.

The governor-general of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will receive pottery with a painting of the Formosan Macaque. Tsai hopes to convey the spirit of coexistence between man and earth, and for the two countries to work together in sustainability.    [FULL STORY]

Beijing criticises potential sale as a 'crude interference', harming its sovereignty and security interests.

AlJazeera
July 9, 2019

China has demanded that the United States"immediately cancel" a potential $2.2bn arms

sale to Taiwan, including battle tanks and anti-aircraft missiles.

The move would be Washington's first big-ticket military sale to the democratically-governed island in decades, and comes amid deteriorating ties between the US and China, the world's two largest economies that have been locked in an acrimonious trade war. 

It risks further heightening tensions with China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.

Addressing reporters on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that Beijing had lodged formal complaints through diplomatic channels expressing "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to the proposed sale.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/07/09
By: Taiwan Today, Agencies

Four Taiwan performing arts troupes are taking to the stage in the Festival Off d’Avignon July 5-28 in France, spotlighting the diversity and richness of the nation’s cultural sector.

Participating with support from the Ministry of Culture, the groups are modern dance outfits B. Dance and Kuo-shin Chuang Pangcah Dance Theatre, nanguan opera company Gang-a-tsui Theatre, and multidisciplinary Hsing Legend Theatre.

B. Dance and Kuo-shin will perform the shows “Rage” and “038,” respectively; Gang-a-tsui is set to put on its latest offering “Passage to Lo-Jin”; and Hsing Legend Theatre will present its martial arts spectacular “Wu Song—The Tiger Warrior.”

According to MOC Deputy Minister Hsiao Tsung-huang, this marks the 13th year Taiwan troupes have taken part in the event. The high-quality productions from the 2019 lineup are expected to further bolster the nation’s stellar reputation at the festival, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/09
By: Wen Kuei-hsiang and Emerson Lim

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will embark on a 12-day visit to four Caribbean

diplomatic allies July 11, with symbolic stopovers in two American cities — New York and Denver — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Tuesday.

In previous visits by Taiwan's presidents to foreign allies, the stopovers in the U.S., which angered Beijing, were usually seen as an indicator of U.S.-Taiwan relations. Things like in which cities the president stopped over and whom the president met were taken into account, and were regarded as very sensitive and important.

Tsai will visit Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia on this trip dubbed the "Tour for Freedom, Democracy and Sustainability," according to the itinerary released by MOFA.

The stopover in New York is symbolic as the city is considered one of America's most influential metropolises and a cultural, financial and media capital. However, the details of her New York transit were not revealed.    [FULL  STORY]