Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/08/28
By: Yang Ming-chu and Ko Lin 
Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) Taiwan’s defense budget has been relatively stagnant over the last 20 years and its military modernization program still remains an issue that has not been tackled, Japan’s annual defense review said Tuesday.

Up until 2017, China’s military spending has exceeded that of Taiwan’s by as much as 15 times, according to Japan’s defense white paper.

Outlining security concerns about China’s expanding military might, the paper also looks at how the military balance in the Taiwan Strait is tilting toward Beijing, and notes that the margin is growing wider by the year.

But despite the sheer size of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), making a full-scale amphibious landing assault on the island is still highly unfeasible, it said.
[FULL  STORY]

RECIPROCITY? While acknowledging Thailand’s right to raise visa fees in October, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would talk to its Thai counterparts about the issue

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 29, 2018
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

The Travel Agent Association yesterday threatened to boycott Thailand after the Thailand

Trade and Economic Office Taipei on Monday announced that visa fees are to increase by NT$470 in October.

Based on the notice issued by the Thai office, tour group visa applications are to be outsourced to a private agency authorized by the office.

Independent travelers applying for visas at the Thai office mght also be affected by the new visa scheme, as the office will only accept 50 applications per day.

The visa agency will take over the visa applications once the daily quota is met, the office said.    [FULL  STORY]

Your daily bulletin of Taiwan news, courtesy of ICRT.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/08/27
By: International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT)

Taiwan is sitting in eighth place in the overall medals table at the Asian Games following this weekend’s round of events having secured eight gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze medals.

Wen Tzu-yun (文姿云) clinched gold Sunday in the final of the women’s karate under 55-kilogram division in Jakarta, overcoming Iran’s Taravat Khaksar to become the first athlete to be bantamweight champion in consecutive games after winning the same title in South Korea in 2014.

Taiwan won gold in the men’s 500 meter dragon boat final with a time of 2 minutes, 11.691 seconds, beating out silver medalists China to mark the second time they have won the event at the Asian Games The 16-man team also won silver in the men’s 200 meters final on Saturday.

Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) advanced to the women’s badminton singles semi-finals, while Chou Tien-chen (周天成) did the same in the me’s event.    [FULL  STORY]

Heavy to torrential rain advisory in effect for 10 counties, cities as ‘rain bomb’ forces cancellations in Kaohsiung

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/08/28
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Editor

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As a tropical depression and moist southwesterly winds lash southern Taiwan, what is being described as a “rain bomb” is blasting Kaohsiung with up to 216 millimeters of rain having already fallen in the early morning, forcing the city to cancel work and classes, while a heavy to torrential rain advisory is in effect for 10 counties and cities in Taiwan.

The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has issued a special report on the heavy rain in Kaohsiung with cumulative rainfall in the city’s Fengshan District having reached 216 millimeters within only six hours this morning. The Water Resources Agency has issued a level 1 flood for 12 districts in Kaohsiung.

Despite the massive deluge, no cancelations had been announced in the early morning hours, leading frustrated Kaohsiung netizens to criticize acting Kaohsiung Mayor Hsu Li-ming (許立明) on his Facebook with comments such as “It’s been raining cats and dogs all night long, how are we supposed to go out?” They also reposted a text message sent out by the weather bureau stating “Thunderstorm instant message.”

At 6:12 a.m., the Kaohsiung city government finally announced that work and school had been canceled for the day, leaving many commuters who had already tried to traverse the inundated roads livid, with netizens leaving comments such as “If you want to cancel work and school, you need to announce this sooner, people are already out the door!”
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/08/27
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Ko Lin 

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) The Cabinet held a meeting on Monday to discuss how to stabilize vegetable prices following serious flooding in southern Taiwan as a result of the torrential rainfall last week.

Executive Yuan deputy spokesman Ting Yun-kung (丁允恭), who spoke to reporters after the meeting, said the government will do everything in its power to assist local farmers in the aftermath of the natural disaster.

Flood-related agricultural losses are estimated to have reached more than NT$500 million (US$16.2 million), Ting said, adding that the government has requested the Council of Agriculture (COA) monitor market conditions closely.

Ting said the Cabinet also instructed the COA to watch out for any price fluctuations in local markets and to supervise private wholesalers and their inventory to increase supplies when needed.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 28, 2018
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday refused to sign a referendum petition to change

the name the nation would use at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics from “Chinese Taipei” to “Taiwan,” saying that he respects the campaign, but as he is the head of a local government, he would refer to the central government’s stance on the issue.

Ko, who has been taking public buses to Taipei City Hall in the morning since October last year to help promote the use of public and sustainable transport, was approached by a man wearing a blue vest reading: “Team Taiwan Campaign for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”

“Mayor, are you willing to sign the petition?” the man asked as he tried to approach Ko at a bus stop, but was blocked by three bodyguards who accompany the mayor on his way to work. “Mayor, do you have any thoughts on this issue?”    [FULL  STORY]

ABC News
August 25, 2918
By Lauren Beldi

A ban on Chinese tourists to the tiny Pacific nation of Palau has left hotels empty, an airline in limbo, and shown the power China has over its vacationing middle class.

The number of Chinese visitors to Palau had increased from just 634 people in the 2008 financial year to 87,000 during 2015, according to figures from Palau’s Bureau of Immigration and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

But by the end of 2017 — after China seemingly randomly banned state-run package tours from visiting the country — Chinese arrivals plummeted to 58,000.

That has left some tourism operators in the Pacific island country reeling, and one airline says it’s been forced to suspend operations because it can’t fill seats.

Analysts have suggested Palau’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan — being one of its 17 remaining allies worldwide — combined with Beijing’s ability to control and oversee its tourists have a lot to do with it.    [FULL  STORY]

ABS-CBN News
Date: Aug 25 2018
By: Michelle Yun, Agence France-Presse

TAIWAN — With a cross rising from a red pagoda roof and two lion statues guarding the entrance, a Catholic church in southern Taiwan could easily be mistaken for one of the ubiquitous temples dotting the island.

Taiwan embraces freedom of religion and has one of the highest densities of temples in the world, with close to 70 percent of the population believers in Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese folk traditions.

About 6 percent of Taiwan’s 23.57 million population are Christian, with 300,000 of those Catholic.

There are more than 1,000 churches across the island but the Holy Spirit Church is particularly unique.

Located on a quiet road in the rural town of Yanshui, about an hour’s drive from southern Tainan city, it started life as a simple wooden structure, built by a German missionary more than six decades ago.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan set for heavy rain and strong winds overnight, says CWB

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/08/25 
By: Scott Morgan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB) issued a heavy rain warning for every municipality on Taiwan proper, as well as Penghu County, at 3.50 p.m. on Aug. 25.

A strong wind advisory has also been issued for the majority of Taiwan’s coast, winding southward from the most northern tip of Yilan County, all the way down and around to the northern edge of Taichung City.

The weather overnight is mild with a moderate chance of rain and expected maximum of 29-30 degrees Celsius in the north and east area of Taiwan. The rest of Taiwan is slightly cooler with an expected maximum temperature of between 27-28 degrees Celsius, and rain can be expected in the central and south area of Taiwan proper.

A total of 20 municipalities have been issued the heavy rain warning, and 11 municipalities were issued a strong wind advisory.      [FULL  STORY]