Page Two

Gov’t not doing enough to help raise children: Poll

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-08

As Taiwan struggles with a low fertility rate, many mothers with small children say their

Day Care

needs are not being met. The results of a recent survey show areas where they feel the most improvement is needed.

On Monday, the Child Welfare League Foundation released the results of a survey of over more than 1,600 mothers with children under the age of three. The takeaway is a dissatisfaction with some areas of government policy and a sense that the government isn’t doing enough to make raising children in Taiwan easier.

Just over 55% of respondents said they were satisfied with subsidies and tax cuts for those with children. Just under 46% were satisfied with efforts to make information about childcare services accessible. Only around 45% were satisfied with the government’s job in creating parent-friendly workplaces.     [FULL  STORY]

Thousands of hairdressers to compete in 2018 Hair Talent Cup in northern Taiwan

The winner of the May 12 competition will receive an award of NT$20,000 and represent Taiwan in an international hair competition

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/05/08
By: Alicia Nguyen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Also known as the Hair Olympics of the industry, the national 2018 Hair Talent Cup and OMC World Cup Expert Selection attracts thousands of talented college students and professional hairdressers from across Taiwan to fight for the top prize and a spot in an international hairdressing championship competition.

The alluring rivalry between hairdressers and their works will take place on May 12 in Keelung Municipal Stadium and is organized by the Taiwan Hairdressing and Beauty Association (OMC Hairworld Taiwan).

According to Liberty Times, OMC Hairworld Taiwan is committed to promoting the domestic beauty salon industry and cultivating national hairdressing professionals.
[FULL  STORY]

Pressure Tactics: China may be trying to make Taiwan a bargaining chip with US

The Times of India
Date: May 8, 2018, 6:55 PM 
By: Rudroneel Ghosh

In China’s latest move to put pressure on Taiwan, the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration had on April 25 sent a letter to foreign airlines – including two American ones – demanding that they remove all descriptions of Taiwan as a country from their websites and promotional materials. This drew a strong rebuke from the US government as it described the Chinese move as an attempt to interfere in foreign companies. While China says it is only asking the airlines to follow its ‘One China’ principle, the matter is much more than that.

Taiwan, as is well known, is a self-governed, democratic island state. Though China insists that Taiwan is a mere Chinese province, the reality of 23 million Taiwanese people thriving in a liberal, open political environment cannot be more different than the situation on the mainland. And while China hasn’t completely ruled out reuniting Taiwan with the mainland by force – and has been undertaking threatening military drills around Taiwan in recent times – a military invasion of Taiwan will be catastrophic for Beijing. In any case, I don’t think China is contemplating such action in the near future.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipower head rebuffs nuclear waste storage concerns

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-08

The head of the state-run Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) has rejected concerns that

Taipower chair Yang Wei-fuu receives Taipower Building’s platinum LEED certification on Tuesday.

the government has settled on New Taipei as a location for the disposal of low-grade nuclear waste.

On Tuesday, Taipower chair Yang Wei-fuu accepted the highest grade of LEED certification for the company’s 36-year-old Taipower Building in Taipei. LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – recognizes a building’s energy-saving and environmentally-friendly design features. Yang said Taipower Building is able to save 1.6 million units of electricity and 4,000 tonnes of water each year, making it a “virtual electricity plant.”

Yang also addressed concerns over a recent move by the Atomic Energy Council to include Taiwan’s special municipalities as potential sites for the location of a final storage place for the nation’s low-grade nuclear waste. Reports had speculated that the government had already settled on New Taipei for such a site, given that two of Taiwan’s functioning nuclear plants are located in the municipality.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s female workers expect prospective husbands to earn NT$51,872 at minimum: poll

Female workers are reluctant to have babies unless their household income reaches NT$74,965

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/05/08
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s female workers will not consider entering marriage if

Image by pixabay

their prospective husbands earn less than NT$51,872 (US$1,730) and will not be willing to have babies unless their household income reaches NT$74,965 (US$2,501) at minimum, according to the latest survey by 1111 Job Bank.

In addition, as many as 76 percent of married women reported having had quarrels with their spouses over financial issues, indicating the importance of household income and expenditure in a nuptial relationship.

Asked about the reasonable monthly salary for “mothers,” if to be paid, female respondents expected an amount of NT$53,031 (US$1,769) on average, NT$3,042 (US$101.5) higher than the 2017 figure of monthly income released by the government’s Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, standing at NT$49,989 (US$1,668), reported CNA.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan will not succumb to defeatism: president

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/05/08
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan

Taipei, May 8 (CNA) As a country that faces difficulties ahead, Taiwan must do

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文, CNA file photo)

everything in its power to deal with those challenges and that will take the determination of both its leader and people not to give in to defeatism, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said recently.

In a pre-recorded interview with TTV and Unique Broadcasting that aired Tuesday night, Tsai was asked to share her thoughts on the evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk during World War II after saying she recently read a book about the event.

“My thought was: no matter how difficult the situation, there is no room for defeatism. We, as a nation, have to make every effort to confront the challenges we face,” Tsai said.

When a country faces difficulties it takes not only the willpower of its leader but also the grit and mobilization of its people to ensure survival, as seen in the miracle of Dunkirk created by then-U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and its people, she said.
[FULL  STORY]

New ally list does not exist: minister

DEMOCRACY DIPLOMACY: The foreign ministry has created an Indo-Pacific section, potentially in response to Alex Wong’s praise of Taiwan as an example for the region

Taipei Times
Date: May 09, 2018
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday rejected allegations that the government has a list of potential new diplomatic allies, saying that the government has no plans to establish new diplomatic ties and would focus on the nation’s existing allies.

Wu made the remarks in Taipei at his first gathering with the media since taking the helm of the ministry in February, during which he was asked whether the ministry has a list as his predecessor, David Lee (李大維), had told a legislative session in December 2016.

“The foreign ministry does not have such a list. We should focus on strengthening ties with our existing diplomatic allies and let them see that the assistance we are offering them is substantial and vital to maintaining ties with us,” Wu said.

He also said that Taipei would not engage in a checkbook diplomacy war with Beijing, something that Taiwanese strongly oppose, according to opinion polls conducted by the ministry.    [FULL  STORY]

New TPE Does Not Agree to Perpetual Storage of Nuclear Fuel Rods in City

ICRT Radio News
Date: 2018-05-07 

The New Taipei government says it does not agree to storing spent nuclear
fuel rods within the city.

A representative for the municipality says they absolutely do not agree to
storing spent fuel rods for an indefinite period of time, and says their
constituents first and only concern is safety.

The comments come after the Atomic Energy Council announced it was expanding
consideration for permanent storage sites to all counties and special
municipalities so as to maintain an objective selection process.

The AEC also says it will be doubling the compensation paid to the
administration of whichever area is selected, bringing the original
50-billion NT payment up to 100-billion.

But the New Taipei spokesman says money is not the issue, and the decision of
where to store spent nuclear fuel rods should be made through transparent
discussions with safety being at the forefront.    [SOURCE]

Taiwan yet to receive invitation to attend WHA

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-05-07

The health ministry says Taiwan has yet to receive a letter of invitation to attend this

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (CNA photo)

year’s World Health Assembly (WHA). The WHA, which is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, is set to meet in Geneva on May 21st.

Taiwan has been barred from attending the WHA as an observer since President Tsai Ing-wen took office two years ago. That’s due to pressure from Beijing, which claims to oversee the health needs of Taiwan.

With the looming deadline for registration on Tuesday morning, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on Monday that Taiwan is still working to seek international support.

“[We] are actively seeking countries who share similar values to speak out on our behalf. Our expatriates [in Geneva], the people of Taiwan, and the government stand in close unity. All plans for our bid have been carried out on schedule, and we are calling on the WHO to allow us [to attend],” said Chen.    [FULL  STORY]

Draft act promoting Taiwan’s national languages likely to pass soon

The draft act outlines the government’s obligation to preserve and promote national languages, which are defined as spoken or sign languages long practiced by ethnic groups in Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/05/07
By: Teng Pei-ju,Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A draft act promoting Taiwan’s national languages passed a

Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun participates in the review of the draft Development Act of National Languages at the Legislative Yuan (By Central News Agency)

review at the Legislative Yuan Monday, setting a timeline for schools to include compulsory courses on national languages.

The draft Development Act of National Languages was reviewed and passed by the Education and Culture Committee of the Legislative Yuan on Monday morning, a process undertaken in-between the first and second reading.

To complete the legislative process, the draft act still needs to pass the second and third reading. Nevertheless, the draft act might soon pass the two readings as it has gained bipartisan support at the Legislative Yuan.

According to the draft act, a national language refers to a spoken or sign language practiced by any ethnic group long existing in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]