Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/09
By: Yeh Su-ping and Ko Lin

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) Taiwan expects the United States and China to continue their

efforts to ensure peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, the Presidential Office said Thursday.

The Presidential Office was commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China and his meeting earlier in the day with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at the Great Hall of the People.

“Our position is clear: we hope the two countries will continue their efforts to actively promote regional peace, stability and prosperity in the future,” Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said one day after Trump’s arrival in Beijing as part of a 12-day Asian tour.

At a joint press conference later in the day, neither Trump nor Xi mentioned Taiwan but according to China’s Xinhua News Agency, the issue was raised during the meeting between the two leaders.    [FULL  STORY]

FEMALE POWER:Taiwan’s promotion of equality, education and opportunities has facilitated the rise of female leaders in all sectors of society, a DPP lawmaker said

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 10, 2017
By: Lu Yi-hsuan and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter in Da Nang, Vietnam, with staff writer

Special envoy to APEC James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday reaffirmed Taiwan’s

commitment to gender equality at the regional meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, citing the nation’s election of a female president as proof.

Soong, who is the People First Party (PFP) chairman, made the remarks at a breakfast meeting marking the founding of the APEC Women and the Economy Sub-Fund, which was also attended by US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon and Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Karen Lanyon.

Soong was the first to give a speech at the event, APEC Councilor and PFP Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said, adding that the US deferred to Taiwan by letting Soong speak first.

Taiwan has consistently championed equality for women in education, law and other opportunities, and is one of the first nations in Asia and the world to elect a woman as the head of state, Lee quoted Soong as saying.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: November 9, 2017
By: Fan Cheng-hsiang, Hsieh Chia-chen, Lin Chang-shun and Evelyn Kao

TAIPEI (CNA) – Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) said Thursday that Taiwan

will seek the assistance of neighboring countries in the search for a Mirage-2000 fighter jet that went missing off northeast Taiwan two days ago.

With the search yet to yield any results, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) is planning to expand the search area, Feng told lawmakers during a legislative hearing.

He said Taiwan will request the Japan Coast Guard and neighboring countries to help locate the missing aircraft and pilot in recognition of the fact that the first 72 hours of any rescue mission are crucial to saving the life of personnel in distress.

When asked about rumors that the pilot could have defected to China, Feng said he found such suggestions infuriating, adding that it was incredible people might think a R.O.C. air force pilot would defect to China.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-08

US President Donald Trump is on a 12-day tour to Asia and recently announced his

Indo-Pacific strategy for Asia. The Indo-Pacific strategy includes an alliance with India, Japan, and Australia.

Foreign Minister David Lee said that Taiwan is positive about the Indo-Pacific strategy and has reported to President Tsai Ing-wen about it:

“This is positive for Taiwan. From my perspective, It is my responsibility to figure out how to develop our interests among these strategies,” Lee said.

National Security Council Deputy Head Chou Mei-wu says he has been keeping an eye on Trump’s Indo-Pacific strategy. He believes it is a combination of the concepts of Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy and India’s Asian-African corridor.
[SOURCE]

Taiwanese 8th graders have more civic knowledge than counterparts in most of the world

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/08
By: Juvina Lai, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — According to the local organizer of an International survey,

Taiwanese eighth-graders possess more civic knowledge than their counterparts in most of the world. Among 24 participating countries, Taiwanese students scored the second highest spot on the list, as reported by the Central News Agency.

The International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS) survey released the results on Tuesday in which Taiwan featured in second place. The countries which participated in the survey include Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Russia, Germany, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Peru, Mexico, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

The survey studied knowledge, understanding, feeling, rights, perceptions and activities of the students related to civics, citizenship and rights.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/08
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan

Taipei, Nov. 8 (CNA) The plan to make Taiwan nuclear-free by 2025 without suffering

electricity shortages could be disrupted by delays in construction of a controversial liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal, Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Wednesday.

State-run energy company CPC Corp. Taiwan wants to build its third LNG receiving terminal in an industrial harbor in Taoyuan’s Guantang Industrial Park but has met strong opposition from environmental groups due to concerns it could damage rare algae reefs and coral and other protected marine species.

The terminal is seen as critical to the government’s plan to increase the share of electricity in Taiwan generated from natural gas to 50 percent, from 32 percent at present. Construction on the project was originally scheduled to begin in August.
[FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: November 8, 2017
By: Yeh Su-ping and Evelyn Kao

TAIPEI (CNA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has arranged meetings between

James Soong (宋楚瑜) and at least five APEC countries on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) summit, Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) said Wednesday.

However, Lee said at a legislative hearing he could not reveal which leaders Taiwan’s APEC representatives would meet out of respect for those countries wishes.

People First Party Chairman James Soong, Taiwan’s special envoy to the APEC summit, arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam, on Tuesday to attend the APEC meeting to be held from Nov. 10-11.

Soong said Monday at a news conference ahead of the delegation’s departure to Vietnam that Taiwan hopes to find a “natural way” to exchange views with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at the APEC summit.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-07

(CNA)

The Taiwan Hospital Association and the International Hospital Federation (IHF) jointly

hosted the 41st World Hospital Congress on Tuesday. The IHF is the largest non-profit organization under the World Health Organization (WHO). It is the first time that Taiwan is hosting an event of such scale under the WHO, even though Taiwan is not a member.

Vice President Chen Chien-jen said at the congress that more than 850 experts from 48 countries are attending. He said it is a milestone for Taiwanese hospitals to have exchanges with other hospitals in the international arena.

Chen noted that the theme for this year’s congress is “Patient-friendly & Smarter Healthcare.” He said this is the very direction that Taiwan is taking. He said that he hopes all Taiwan’s hospitals will become smart hospitals providing local and overseas patients with better care.    [FULL  STORY]

Doctor says acid victim’s wounds are ’10 times worse than Formosa Fun Coast explosion’

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/07
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A little more than three weeks since the horrific acid attack

perpetrated in front of a dorm at National Taiwan University (NTU), the main victim is suffering greatly with burns so severe that his entire upper body has been blackened and his facial features are difficult to distinguish, according to an anonymous physician who spoke to China Times.

According to the physician, the acid has charred his skin black and caused it and even his muscle to rot and desiccate. Describing his condition as “10 times worse than the Formosa Fun Coast explosion,” a dust explosion that injured 508 and killed 15, the doctor says that he is unable to eat on his own and must be fed by a tube.

The 23-year-old victim of the attack, and male National Taiwan University student surnamed Hsieh (謝), suffered burns to 60 percent of his body, including his back, arms, neck, and most seriously, his retinas, when he was splashed with sulfuric acid in a dispute over an apparent breakup that took place in the lobby of a student dormitory. Hsieh has undergone a number of procedures to debride damaged tissue and treat his eyes.     [FULL  STORY]

The assailant, a male 25-year-old National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech) surnamed Chang (張), allegedly splashed bottles full of sulfuric acid on Hsieh out of an apparent dispute over their breakup as a couple. After being splashed with the caustic substance, Hsieh immediately tried to escape from Chang, who chased him outside the dorm carrying a knife. Chang then sliced his neck with a knife and then doused it with the remaining acid, ending his life in gruesome fashion in a massive pool of his own blood.