Idaho State Journal
Date: June 11, 2019
By: John O'Connell joconnell@journalnet.com

EAGLE — A team of fresh Idaho potato shippers will soon head to Taiwan to develop new business relationships in the Southeast Asian market. 

The foreign trade mission, sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission, will leave for Taiwan early during the week beginning June 16 and will spend about a week overseas. 

IPC President and CEO Frank Muir said representatives from six different Idaho fresh potato sheds will participate in the trip. 

"This was pretty unique. Typically, we don't have this many (participating sheds)," Muir said. 

Muir said the team will be headed by IPC's international director, Ross Johnson. The team will meet with potential customers, current customers and government officials in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Dennis Peng doubts whether president’s doctoral dissertation exists, despite evidence showing it does

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/06/11
By:  Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former TV political talk show host Dennis Peng (彭文正) posted a statement on

Facebook questioning the authenticity of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) academic credentials on Tuesday (June 11).

Peng said he agreed with commentator Cao Chang-qing (曹長青), who said in a Facebook post on Monday that it is questionable whether the president’s doctoral dissertation exists.

These claims were made despite strong evidence to the contrary from Tsai’s alma mater and the British Library.

Cao said that according to the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) website, where all theses published in the U.K. are collected, Tsai’s doctoral dissertation for her PhD degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University of London, has been listed as “missing.”
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/11
By: Stacy Hsu

Hong Kongers protest a controversial extradition bill that would allow people in the former British territory to be sent to China to face trial / CNA file photo

Taipei, June 11 (CNA) Dozens of civic groups in Taiwan called on the government Tuesday to adopt concrete regulations in response to Hong Kong's controversial extradition bill, suggesting tighter controls on investments from Hong Kong and visits by its civil servants, for example.

In a statement issued ahead of the expected second reading of the bill Wednesday, the groups urged the Taiwan government to submit a countermeasure proposal to the Legislature during its extraordinary session on June 17.

The Taiwan government should also issue a statement, asking the Hong Kong government to halt its review of the bill, which could put the personal freedom of Taiwanese nationals at risk, as it would allow the Hong Kong government to send suspects to China for trial, the groups said.

Despite fierce opposition by an estimated 1 million protesters in Hong Kong on June 9, the China-backed extradition bill is expected to be passed by lawmakers soon.    [FULL  STORY]

TWO STRIKES: The freeway bus operator faces harsher punishment for labor law infractions that could have contributed to the crash, its second in as many years

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 12, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

Aloha Bus Co (阿羅哈客運) has become the subject of an inspection by the Directorate-General of Highways

after one of its buses ran off an embankment on the Sun Yat-Sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) in Changhua County on Monday night, killing three people and injuring 13.

The deadly accident was the freeway bus operator’s second in the past two years. The first was on Sept. 11, 2017, when one of its buses went out of control and hit a barrier in the northbound section of Freeway No. 1 in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (岡山).

The driver of the bus involved in Monday’s crash, surnamed Kuo (郭), has a good record as a commercial vehicle driver, agency records show.

He has committed minor traffic infractions when driving his personal car, but he paid the fines, and the bus recently passed an inspection, with another scheduled for July 18, the records show.

Kuo on Sunday drove 4 hours, 16 minutes from Taipei to Kaohsiung. On Monday, he departed Kaohsiung at noon and arrived in Taipei at 6pm. After resting for about an hour, he drove south again, the records show.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 10 June, 20196
By: Jake Chen

The Cabinet has approved a NT$20.5 billion (US$651 million) investment in 5G network technology. The Cabinet made the announcement on Monday, saying the goal is to make Taiwan an important member of the global 5G supply chain.

The 5G (fifth generation) cellular network offers wider bandwidth at a faster speed than the current 4G network.

Cabinet spokesperson Kolas Yotaka said Monday the government will invest on the development of the technology between 2019 and 2022. The goal, she said, is to help local companies adopt the 5G network and make Taiwan a major partner in the global 5G supply chain.    [SOURCE]

The Japan Times
Date: Jun 10, 2019
By: Peter Apps

LONDON – As head of Beijing’s strategic nuclear forces and its fastest rising general,

Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe had a reputation for “doing more and saying less.” It was a methodical, determined approach that made him a clear favorite of President Xi Jinping, placing him at the heart of China’s remarkable military revolution and its efforts to dominate the region.

Recently, however, in his first major international appearance, Wei chose to say a lot. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore — arguably Asia’s premier diplomatic gathering — his speech and the question and answer session were unexpectedly aggressive, even by China’s recent standards. He focused on two topics in particular: threatening Taiwan and defending the massacre of protesters in a Beijing square 30 years ago.

That may have been a mistake — particularly when it comes to Taiwan. Instead of intimidating China’s potential enemies, Wei instead unified and motivated them — particularly empowering Taiwan’s current government, which faces elections next year and has been desperate to persuade its population of the growing threat from China.

Wei’s comments were swiftly repeated and exploited by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who had been facing a strong challenge from pro-Beijing businessman Han Kuo-yu. The anniversary of the 1989 Beijing crackdown was marked in Taiwan with mass vigils and protests, and government assertions that the island would not abandon democracy or join the mainland without a fight.    [FULL  STORY]

DPP primary observation group questions fairness of presidential primary and asks premier to resign

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/06/11
By:  Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A pro-independence observation group for the presidential primary of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said in a press conference on Monday (June 10) that Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) should resign.

The observation group claimed it felt the DPP presidential primary was failing on three counts, reported Liberty Times. First, it lacked sportsmanship and a democratic spirit. Second, it lacked preparation. Third, it failed to listen to grassroot voices.

The group also put in two requests: the rules and schedule of the primary must not be changed again; and government officials and party workers should maintain neutrality.

Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒), head of the Ketagalan Institute, said he suspected some people intended to delay the primary race until the DPP general assembly. He was also concerned whether the result of the primary would be nullified if William Lai (賴清德) wins the race.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/10
By: Flor Wang and Yang Shu-min

Taipei, June 10 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Paul Abbate, associate deputy

director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), on Monday formally opened a one-week FBI training program for senior law enforcement officers in the region, which is being held in Taiwan for the first time.

In Tsai’s speech at the formal opening of the FBI National Academy’s 22nd Asia-Pacific Chapter Conference, she said the choice of Taiwan as the host country was “testament to Taiwan’s importance to rule of law in the international community.”

“Taiwan is committed to achieving a Free and Open Indo-Pacific region,” she said. “We are working with like-minded partners throughout the world to make the region a safer and prosperous place.”

Tsai said Taiwan has signed memorandums of understanding with the U.S., the Philippines, Nauru and Palau on law enforcement, and its intelligence sharing networks stretch across East and Southeast Asia.    [FULL STORY]