The China Post
Date: July 8, 2017
By: The China Post

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Chen Tzu-feng (陳姿鳳) is an exemplary researcher who won first place at a

national technology show with her work on fuel cells. And the high-school student took home another prize on Friday — this one from the Presidential Office.

This year, 56 kids were selected carefully from 285 nominees to receive the Presidential Education Award (總統教育獎), which recognizes outstanding scholarship.

When Tzu-feng picked up the award, she thanked her mother, saying mom had given her “a lot of love” and made her feel like she had nothing to apologize for.

Tzu-feng’s father died when she was in elementary school, and her mother, an immigrant from Indonesia, worked odd jobs to support her children.

A so-called “second-generation” Taiwanese, Tzu-feng grew up in the Pingtung countryside in this single-parent household.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 08, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) yesterday described the nation’s relationship with China as one

between friends, but added that he advocates Taiwanese independence.

Lai, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said his stance on cross-strait relations is clear, which is in favor of “Taiwanese independence and that stance will not change no matter what position I hold.”

However, he said his attitude toward China is friendly and his strategy is flexible, adding that he would seek common ground and put aside differences in cross-strait exchanges to enhance bilateral understanding.

He was asked during a radio interview about the differences between his approach to China and that of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), an independent.    [FULL  STORY]

Rasdio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-07-07

The defense ministry opened a special exhibition on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the

Marco Polo Bridge Incident and the establishment of the ROC Military News Agency. The ROC, or Republic of China, is Taiwan’s official name.

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident was a fight between Nationalist Chinese forces and Imperial Japanese troops on the outskirts of Beijing in 1937. The encounter was the trigger for the Second Sino-Japanese War, with the full-scale invasion of China proper.

The defense ministry has set up a special exhibition with records of the war against Japan. Deputy defense minister Chang Guan-chung attended the opening ceremony. He said the heroic efforts of the military during the war gives perspective to the peace that people enjoy today. He also referred to the government’s plan for Taiwan to develop its own military hardware.

“The Nationalist Army fought the Imperial Japanese Army with inferior weaponry. Their sacrifice shaped history and allowed us to have a peaceful life today. They are worthy of our praise. All members of the ROC military should remember the lessons of history, and understand that developing our own weapons is the best way to safeguard our nation,” said Chang.
[SOURCE]

A Chinese graduate student was dead for 3 days before anyone thought to look for him in his dormitory

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

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The body of a 22-year-old graduate student from China was found at 10

a.m. this morning inside his dormitory at National Taiwan University (NTU) after going missing for three days, but police do not suspect foul play as he was known to have a serious heart condition.

Last year, the student, surnamed Xu (徐), a native of Dalian, began his studies at NTU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. In recent days his professor had tried to locate Xu to no avail, so he asked some of his classmates to search for him.

His classmates then found his lifeless corpse lying on his bed in his dorm room in Prince House, Shuiyuan Dorm. He had apparently been dead for three days, but no one thought to check his dorm room nor had anyone noticed the smell of his decaying body as the air conditioning had been running the whole time.

Police pointed out that Xu had a history of heart disease and he had to take half a year off during his graduate studies in China due to the condition. His family in Dalian, China has been notified of his untimely death.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/07/07
By: Elaine Hou and Emerson Lim

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel alert for the Philippines on

Friday after several reported cases of con artists drugging foreign tourists in Manila and using their credit cards to make transactions.

In the notice, the ministry urged Taiwanese people traveling to the Philippines to stay on high alert and to avoid strangers who come up to them to start a conversation.

The ministry said that Taiwan’s representative office in the Philippines has recently received several reports of Taiwanese tourists being drugged by scammers, who stole credit cards from the victims while they were unconscious.

The victims all reported similar situations, in which a gang of three to four Filipinos approached them when they were alone and invited them to restaurants, drugging them into deep sleep to steal their credit cards or other valuable belongings, the ministry said.    [FULL  STORY]

EXPRESSING GRATITUDE:Remembering the Marco Polo Bridge Incident is not aimed at inciting hatred or antipathy toward Japanese, former president Ma Ying-jeou said

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 08, 2017
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday held an event marking the 80th anniversary of the

Marco Polo Bridge Incident.

The incident refers to a battle between KMT forces and the Imperial Japanese Army that started on July 7, 1937, which sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who was at a hearing at the Taipei District Court in a trial that involves the leaking state secrets, sent a pre-recorded video that was shown at a symposium at National Chengchi University in Taipei.

Ma started the video by thanking KMT chairman-elect Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) for granting his request to hold the event.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
July 7, 2017
By: dpa

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The torch relay bringing the flame for the 2017 Universiade to host city Taipei hit

a new high Friday — literally — as a team of the climbers took it to the summit of Taiwan’s tallest peak.

The 3,952-meter mountain, also called Jade Mountain, was the first stop for the torch since it arrived from Italy.

The 10-person team set off from the trailhead on Thursday morning and spent the night at Paiyun Lodge at an elevation of 3,400 meters. It was then an early rise on Friday — 2:30 a.m. — for the final push.

Two and a half kilometers later and about 500 meters higher, they reached the peak at 5:20 a.m.

The torch still has many more stops to make around Taiwan before the Universide kicks off in Taipei. The multidisciplinary sporting event, which is open only to university students, runs from Aug. 19 to 30.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-07-06

The Cabinet on Thursday passed an amendment to restrictions on retired and resigned military

officials of senior rank and political appointees visiting China.

The move came following a controversial trip by a small number of retired senior officials who attended an event presided over by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, in Beijing last November.

The restriction for government and military officials has been changed to at least a three-year period after retirement before making overseas trips. The amendment also places restrictions on people who have retired from national defense, foreign affairs or China affairs positions or from any department related to national security. Such figures may not attend any political or military events in China for a period of 15 years after their retirement.

Mainland Affairs Council minister Katherine Chang explained. “This time we require of any significant figure traveling to China that they do not attend any political activities while there. There are close to 1,000 people who may be affected. They are free to visit China for tourism or cultural events as long as they apply for permission. Such situations are not within the restrictions.”
[FULL  STORY]

“A Superstar”, “Historic event” is how the Israeli media covered Modi’s visit to the country.

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/07/06
By: Juvina Lai, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, being the first Indian Prime Minister

to visit Israel, got a very ceremonial welcome in Israel.

The visit was termed historic as Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to have paid a visit to Israel. The Middle Eastern country’s media used terms like “A Superstar” and “Historic event” to cover the trip.

After a very warm and ceremonial welcome by the Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his stay in the country has become even more interesting as the PM Modi is kept in the most secure suite on the planet.

“His suite is secured against bomb attacks, chemical attacks, everything,” Sheldon Ritz , the director of operations at the King David Hotel told the Times of India. He is also in charge of the PM’s entire visit.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/07/06
By: Worthy Shen and Christie Chen

Taipei, July 6 (CNA) Father Gian Carlo Michelini (秘克琳) from Italy was presented with Taiwanese citizenship on Thursday, a day before his 82nd birthday, in recognition of his decades of contribution to Taiwan, with the priest calling his new status the best gift he could ask for.

“This is the best birthday gift. I want to do many more things for Taiwan!” Michelini said at a ceremony in Yilan County, where he was awarded the Taiwan citizenship card and household registry.

Best known for being the founder of the renowned Taiwanese children’s folk dance troupe, the Lan Yang Dancers, Michelini said he had waited for a long time for this moment and had never dreamed that he would be able to receive the citizenship.

Michelini is the first foreign national to be naturalized as a Taiwanese citizen due to his contributions in the field of art and culture.    [FULL  STORY]