Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/11
By: Elaine Hou and Y.F. Low

Da Nang, Vietnam, Nov. 11 (CNA) Taiwan’s representative on Friday expressed the

country’s intention to deepen cooperation and exchanges with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states in areas such as education, information and communications, health care, agriculture, infrastructure, disaster prevention and rescues.

James Soong (宋楚瑜), Taiwan’s special envoy to the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic leaders meeting in Vietnam, expressed Taiwan’s desire during the informal dialogue between APEC and ASEAN leaders, which was held as part of the annual summit for the first time.

The dialogue was aimed at providing an opportunity for exchanges between APEC and ASEAN members.

Among the 10 ASEAN countries, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are not members of APEC.    [FULL  STORY]

EXPENSIVE TREATMENT:The premier said cancer medication cost the nation NT$32.2 billion last year, about 38 percent of treatment costs, and he hoped to bring this down

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 12, 2017
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

Premier William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said the he hopes the healthcare sector could

cooperate with the government to enhance the nation’s long-term care services and the biotechnology industry, and to introduce more information technology to medical administration.

Lai made the remarks while delivering the opening speech of the two-day annual conference of the Formosan Medical Association.

The association is the oldest local medical group, having been established 115 years ago, and is dedicated to promoting medical education and enhancing medical research, Lai said, adding that this annual conference was its 110th, and local as well as overseas medical specialists were invited to attend.

In his speech, Lai briefly introduced the two main topics of this year’s conference: National Health Insurance (NHI) payment principles for cancer medication and food safety.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: November 11, 2017
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

TAIPEI (CNA) – Certain international flights operated by Taiwanese carriers will have to report their aircraft’s positions every 15 minutes starting next February to meet the global standard, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said Friday.

The new rule under the Aircraft Flight Operation Regulations will require an aircraft-tracking time interval of under 15 minutes for airplanes with a seating capacity greater than 19, said Clark Lin (林俊良), director of the CAA’s Flight Standards Division.

The current standard applied by the CAA is for an aircraft to report its position within every 60 minutes.

The new interval will also be required of all aircraft with a take-off mass of 45,500 kilograms when flying over oceanic areas.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-10

Premier William Lai has called on Taiwan’s companies to distribute their profits to the

employees by raising wages.

The Cabinet held a press conference on Friday to introduce latest strategies to tackle shortages in labor and professional talent. The premier said he hopes companies will act to address a longstanding problem of stagnant wages.

Lai said, “[Companies] should make sure that their profits are distributed to their employees. At the same time, starting salaries need to be higher. For our listed companies and international corporations, it is too low to offer less than NT$30,000 as a starting wage. The statistics office said an average starting salary is around NT$28,000. I think there is room for increase.”    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2017/11/09
By: TNL Staff000

Revisions to the Labor Standards Act agreed Nov. 6 and passed to the Legislative Yuan

for review late Thursday, Nov. 9, pave the way for changes to work schedules across the country.

The changes were sold as, “allow[ing] flexibility to both employees and employers,” but some provisions have been criticized for eliminating protections afforded by the last revision, known as “One fixed, One Flexible,” passed in late 2016.

A simplified history and some of the more controversial revisions to the law are explained below:   [STORY CONTINUES]

Top 10 alternative places to visit in Taitung and Hualien

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/10
By: David Spencer, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The East Coast of Taiwan really is the jewel of the island.

While visitors to West Coast would be justified to question whether the name of “Formosa” (Beautiful Island) is really justified, once they make it to the east, the answer quickly becomes apparent.

The region is largely (but not entirely) unspoiled by the industrialization and pollution of the west and boasts a mix of spectacular scenery, fascinating cultural history, and a warm and friendly local population. But is relative geographic isolation is both a blessing and a curse. Sadly, for many visitors from overseas, it often means the area is either overlooked completely or only enjoyed from an organized tour to those places which make it into the tour guides.

Often that tends to mean Taroko Gorge, with perhaps one night spent in Hualien. Those that do make it to Taitung will often drive direct and not stop to enjoy the scenery on the way. I have written before about some of the spots that Taroko has to offer beyond the usual tourist fare. In this article I am going to consider the East Coast between Hualien and Taitung and pick out my Top 10 Alternative places to visit.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/10
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan

Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) The government has begun reviewing its immigration policy

related to professional talent and migrant workers to address the shortage of skilled workers and manpower, Minister without Portfolio Lin Wan-i (林萬億) said Friday.

Most immigrants move to Taiwan through marriage or as dependent relatives because Taiwan maintains a relatively strict immigration policy, Lin said at a press conference at which the government outlined its approach to deal with workforce shortage issues.

“In view of the lack of professional talent and manpower in specific sectors, such as agriculture, fishing, and the long-term health care sector, the idea of having foreign nationals work in Taiwan and reside here permanently is being floated,” Lin said.

Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) pledged that the government will present policies aimed at creating an “immigrant-friendly” environment.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-09

James Soong, President Tsai Ing-wen’s special envoy to the APEC summit, said

Thursday that Taiwan, the US and Australia have jointly set up an “APEC Women and the Economy Sub-Fund.” The sub-fund aims to enhance women’s economic inclusion and empowerment. The initiative was proposed by Soong and former US secretary of state John Kerry at last year’s APEC meeting in Peru.

Soong, who is chair of the minority People First Party (PFP), said at the meeting that Taiwan takes a leading role in advancing women’s rights. PFP caucus whip Lee Hung-chun spoke on Soong’s behalf.

“Chairman Soong intends to say that in every aspect, whether by law or in education, Taiwan is very much involved when it comes to equal rights for women. We are very advanced in these areas. We have demonstrated this by electing our first female president. We are ranked near the top not only in Asia but also in the world when it comes to the protection of women,” said Lee.    [SOURCE]

New cardholders to receive rewards

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/09
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

I-Mei Foods CEO Luis Ko (left) and Easy Card Corp. Chairman Kenneth Lin launch a

new food safety campaign. (By Taiwan News)
A choice of one out of three presents for new I-Mei Easy Card applicants. (By Taiwan News)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Owners of an Easy Card from I-Mei Foods Co. will be able to contribute to food safety in Taiwan, the food company announced Thursday.

For each NT$300 spent with the card at an I-Mei store, NT$6 will be donated to the Consumers Foundation’s food safety fund, I-Mei Foods Co. CEO Luis Ko said.

The action runs from November 9 until December 31 this year, he added.
[FULL STORY]