Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/04
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan, Ku Chuan, Chu Tse-wei, Liao Yu-yang

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) Taiwan will try first to hold discussions with the United States on

President Donald Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, before considering other action if necessary, a trade official said Sunday.

John Deng (鄧振中), Taiwan’s top trade negotiator, said it was still unclear which countries would be targeted under Trump’s recent proposal to implement tariffs of 25 percent on imports of steel and 10 percent on aluminum.

If Taiwan is affected by the proposed tariffs, it will first seek talks with the U.S. to find a way to deal with the issue and prevent it from spilling over into other areas of bilateral trade, Deng said.    [FULL  STORY]

Reuters
Date: March 3, 2018
By: Reuters Staff

BEIJING (Reuters) – China wants to deepen friendship with Taiwan, the ruling Communist

Party’s fourth-ranked leader said on Saturday, a day after state media warned China could go to war over Taiwan if a U.S. bill promoting closer ties with the island becomes law.

China has been infuriated over the bill, telling Taiwan on Friday it would only get burnt if it sought to rely on foreigners, adding to the warnings from state media about the risk of war.

The legislation, which only needs President Donald Trump’s signature to become law, says it should be U.S. policy to allow officials at all levels to travel to Taiwan to meet their Taiwanese counterparts, permit high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States“under respectful conditions” and meet with U.S. officials.

Yu Zhengsheng, the Communist Party’s fourth most senior official, put on a friendlier face at the opening session of a largely ceremonial advisory body to parliament which he heads, making no direct mention of the bill.    [FULL  STORY]

 

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-03-03

Air quality monitoring stations continue to record serious air pollution along Taiwan’s

western coast amid poor atmospheric circulation.

At 8:00am Saturday morning, a number of stations from Taipei in the north to Tainan in the south reported unhealthy levels of pollutants in the air.

Forecasters predict that a slight pick-up in the wind during the daytime Saturday could lessen pollution in these areas to a degree. However, unhealthy levels of pollution could return overnight.   [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/03/03
By:  Central News Agency

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) The Presidential Office said Saturday that it will host a social

innovation hackathon, starting March 5, in a bid to seek solutions to societal problems through the use of open data in Taiwan.

Registration for the nationwide “President’s Cup Social Innovation Hackathon” will open Monday, Presidential Office spokesman Sidney Lin said, making the announcement on International Open Data Day.

The purpose of the hackathon is to figure out how best to use open data made available by the government to solve major societal issues, Lin said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/03
By: Chang Su-ling and Kuan-lin Liu 

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) Causeway Bay Books, an independent bookstore in Hong Kong that closed its doors after the disappearance of five staff members, will reopen in Taipei this year, its founder said Saturday.

At a press conference in Taipei, Lam Wing-kee (林榮基) said the independent bookstore will open in June or later in the year in Taipei’s Ximending area, which is a popular hangout spot for young people.

Causeway Bay Books, which was selling politically sensitive publications banned in mainland China, closed up shop in Hong Kong in 2015 after five members of its staff disappeared.

Lam said at the press conference that while young people in Taiwan appear not to be paying much attention to China, he thinks they should be concerned about China’s efforts to suppress Taiwan and try to understand the root of the problem through literature.
[FULL  STORY]

RT
Date: 2 Mar, 2018

Beijing has issued an ominous warning to Taiwan over a pending US law that would strengthen ties between Washington and the island nation, with Chinese state media even suggesting it could lead to an open conflict.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said that the passage of the Taiwan Travel Act was a direct affront to Beijing’s ‘One China’ principle, which does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state and calls for eventual unification with the mainland.

US lawmakers pitch greater military, diplomatic ties with Taiwan
“We also sternly warn Taiwan: do not rely on foreigners to build yourselves up, or it will only draw the fire upon you,” the government bureau said in a short statement.

The US legislation, which only needs President Donald Trump’s signature to become law, will allow US officials to travel to Taiwan to meet with their Taiwanese counterparts, permit top Taiwanese officials to visit the US and meet US officials, and encourage closer economic ties between the two countries. China’s Foreign Ministry “resolutely opposes” the US legislation and has already lodged a formal complaint with Washington.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-03-02

An office set up by the Kinmen County Government in 2016 is working to maintain the

county’s ties with locals who have migrated abroad.

The island county saw many residents leave for opportunities abroad in past decades, when local development was limited. Many settled in Southeast Asia.

During an RTI interview on Friday, deputy county commissioner Wu Cheng-tien said that during those years, migrants helped Kinmen through remittances of money. He said the funds were particularly useful in allowing islanders to maintain their religious culture.    [FULL  STORY]

The jets made appearances in the afternoon and evening of March 1 and March 2

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/03/02
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – On March 1, and March 2, at the 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival

being held in Chiayi, in southern Taiwan, guests witnessed a spectacular aerial display by five F-16 fighter jets showcased by Taiwan’s air force for the special occasion.

President Tsai Ing-wen was also present to for one of the shows on March 2 which occurred at 4:45 pm. The inclusion of F-16 fighter jets marks the first time the aircraft have ever been part of the national lantern festival.

This is also the first year that the national lantern festival has ever been held outside of northern Taiwan. The five fighter jets delighted the crowd with their roaring engines and a seamless flying V formation at 1000 feet.    [FULL  STORY]