Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-30

President Tsai Ing-wen highlighted the technical know-how of Taiwan’s experts and

medical teams while meeting a SICA delegation at the Presidential Office on Wednesday.

SICA, or Central American Integration System, is a political and economic organization of Central American countries. Taiwan joined the organization as an observer in 2002 and has a number of diplomatic allies in the region.

Tsai said Taiwan shares many values with Central American countries, and has long been their most loyal partner. She said Taiwan has collaborated with SICA member countries on more than 120 projects. She said Taiwan offers a lot of highly skilled workers despite the country’s limited territory and population.    [FULL  STORY]

European weather agency predict twin typhoons near Taiwan will interact with each other and bring heavy rains

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/05/31
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — European and U.S. weather centers are predicting typhoons will be forming near Taiwan next week, with the European model predicting twin cyclones could interact with each other and bring heavy rains to Taiwan.

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model predicts that Taiwan will be affected by two typhoons, one to its northeast and one to its southwest from June 8 to June 13. This may lead to the Fujiwhara effect in which the two cyclones feed each other and touch off massive southwestern monsoon rains in Taiwan.

In some cases wir the Fujiwhara effect, if the two cyclones are close enough, they can merge together to form an even larger typhoon. Based on the early European model, Taiwan would be in between the two typhoons, thus whether the two merge or just draw nearer to each other, Taiwan wil bear the brunt of the affects in the form of heavy rains and strong winds.

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) predicts that a typhoon will form off of Guangdong on June 6 and then work its way up the coast of Fujian Province. The U.S. model predicts that this will generate a powerful southwest monsoon system that would pack a big punch and bring heavy rain to Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/30
By: Liao Yu-yang and Flor Wang

Taipei, May 30 (CNA) Power consumption in Taiwan reached an all-time high of 36.7

million kilowatts on Wednesday, even before the start of summer, according to Taiwan Power Company (Taipower).

The power consumption peaked at 1:50 p.m., beating the record 36.453 million kilowatts recorded on Aug. 15, 2017 and leaving the country with an operating reserve margin of 4.23 percent.

The reserve margin triggered an orange alert, the third highest in Taipower’s five-level system, as it fell to just 1.29 million kilowatts above the red alert level.

Under Taipower’s five-color coded electricity supply warning system, a green light means the operating reserve margins are above 10 percent, a yellow light represents power reserves of between 10 percent and 6 percent, while an orange light indicates that the reserves have fallen below 6 percent.    [FULL  STORY]

FADING GREEN? The ‘Global Views’ survey found that DPP local government heads appear to have become less popular than their KMT and independent counterparts

Taipei Times
Date: May 31, 2018
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Five of the 14 local government heads seeking re-election in November’s nine-in-one

elections do not have majority backing from their electorates, including independent Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), a survey released yesterday by the Chinese-language monthly Global Viewsshowed.

The poll did not include Tainan, as it is governed by Acting Tainan Mayor Lee Meng-yan (李孟諺) after former Tainan mayor William Lai (賴清德) became premier in September last year.

However, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) was included, as she did not leave her post as Kaohsiung mayor until after the poll was conducted from Feb. 23 to March 29.    [FULL  STORY]

The DPP’s record on following through with promises of political reform is less than stellar.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/05/29
By: Kharis Templeman

Before the 2016 election brought them to power, Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) pledged to pursue political reforms that would address fundamental, long-standing weaknesses in Taiwan’s democratic system.

Three of these became particularly apparent during the Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) era: an unbalanced executive-legislative relationship that concentrated extraordinary power in the president’s hands, a disproportional electoral system that worked to the Kuomintang’s (KMT) advantage, and a deep, popular distrust of many of Taiwan’s “accountability institutions” – especially judges and prosecutors, the constitutional court, and the Control Yuan.

Two years on, these weaknesses are still apparent. The ruling DPP’s record on political reform has so far been disappointing: despite some positive changes, it is mostly a series of unfulfilled pledges, missed opportunities, and unintended consequences.
[FULL  STORY]

 

Taiwan grants Haiti US$150 million loan to enable country to build a full-scale electrical grid

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/05/29
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hot on the heels of last week’s defection of Burkina Faso to

China, and the switching of neighbor the Dominican Republic’s allegiance to Beijing earlier this month, Taiwan has agreed to loan about US$150 million dollars to Haiti to electrify the whole Caribbean island country, reports Haiti Libre.

Just before Haitian President Jovenel Moïse began his current five-day visit to Taiwan with a 30-member delegation, Jude Alix Patrick Salomon, the Minister of Economy and Finance announced that Taiwan has granted a loan of approximately US$150 million dollars to build an extensive electric grid in Haiti.

With China willing to offer multi-billion dollar loans as part of its “dept trap diplomacy” strategy which lures third world leaders with massive loans in exchange for severing ties with Taiwan, many worry that Haiti could be next. The most insidious part of China’s dept trap diplomacy is that after corrupt leaders have taken their cut, the countries are ultimately saddled with a mountain of debt they can never repay and thus must surrender a strategic asset, such as a sea port, to China in perpetuity.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/29
By: Joseph Yeh 

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) Taiwan’s military will test a new air raid text-alert system at an annual air defense drill to be held next month, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced Tuesday.

The system, built this March, is designed to send text messages to users’ mobile phones to provide alerts of an incoming air or missile attack, according to military spokesman Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉).

The system, currently under trial, was previously tested on March 28 on a small scale in Taitung County in southeastern Taiwan.

Another larger scale test will take place during the central Taiwan portion of the annual Wan An No. 41 (萬安演習) air raid drill being held between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on June 7, according to Chen.    [FULL  STORY]

PRESCHOOL POLICY: Other amendments require preschool education to prioritize minority and disadvantaged children, and stipulate fines for corporal punishment

Taipei Times
Date: May 30, 2018
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

Lawmakers yesterday passed an amendment to Article 190-1 of the Criminal Code,

which introduced a maximum prison term of seven years and fine of NT$15 million (US$500,200) for companies that pollute the environment.

Under the amendment, people who discard or emit matter that is detrimental to health into the air, soil or water to the point that it jeopardizes public safety faces a maximum prison term of five years and a potential fine of NT$10 million.

If any of the aforementioned actions causes death, the culprit would face a maximum prison term of 10 years, while those who cause others grievous bodily harm would face up to seven years.

Owners, supervisors or employees of businesses that commit the aforementioned crimes would face a maximum prison term of seven years and a fine of up to NT$15 million.

People affiliated with a business whose pollution resulted in loss of life would face a jail term of seven years to life, whereas those that cause grievous bodily harm face a prison term of three to 10 years.
[FULL  STORY]

Attempts to intimidate self-ruled island will not work while PLA lacks military power to prevent American intervention, Jiang Yi-huah says

South China Morning Post 
Date: 28 May, 2018
By: Minnie Chan

Former Taiwanese Premier Jiang Yi-huah has warned Beijing to stop using its military to intimidate the island, saying Beijing was not strong enough to deter the United States.

“Military intimidation only works when Beijing makes sure its military might is strong enough to defeat the United States if the People’s Liberation Army is going to attack Taiwan,” Jiang, who was appointed by former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou as premier in February 2013, said on Thursday.

Beijing has stepped up military drills around Taiwan in recent months, frequently sending its H-6K bombers and fighters jets, as well as the PLA’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, to conduct regular “island encirclement” patrols.    [FULL  STORY]