Page Two

New York’s Passport to Taiwan event a success

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-05-29

The annual Passport to Taiwan Festival in Manhattan’s Union Square was a festive

Crowds loved the event at NY’s Union Square (CNA)

success on Sunday. Crowds flocked to the festival to enjoy the food, folk culture, traditional music, and performances featuring Taiwanese, Hakka and aboriginal performers.

The event is a highlight of Taiwanese American Heritage Week in New York City. This year a total of 53 stalls served crowds eager to get a taste of Taiwanese culture on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

At the event, New York State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, whose wife is Taiwanese, praised Taiwan’s excellent cuisine. He encouraged visitors to travel to Taiwan to enjoy the local food for themselves.

The tourism bureau hopes the popular event can attract more visitors to Taiwan.
[FULL  STORY]

Rail fares in Taiwan likely to go up, commuter pass prices go down

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/05/29
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) has submitted a fare

Taiwan Railways Administration has submitted a fare hike proposal, which, if approved by its supervisory agency, will raise fares by an average of 7.5

hike proposal, which, if approved by its supervisory agency, will raise fares by an average of 7.5%.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is reviewing the proposed fare hike.

But at the same time, the TRA is also mulling over lower prices for commuter passes, chopping 45% off of regular prices for 30-day commuter passes and 47% off for 60-day student passes that bear students’ names. Currently, the discounts for the commuter and student passes are 15% and 20%, respectively.

The TRA is also planning to price different classes of Tzu-Chiang Express differently, raising fares for long-distance Puyuma Express and Taroko Express by up to 5% and lowering fares for DMU Tze-Chiang Express, which mostly runs on the Eastern Line and South Link Line, by 20%, according to the TRA.    [FULL  STORY]

Suhua Highway closed until at least Tuesday due to rockslides

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/05/29
By: Shen Ju-feng and Christie Chen

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) Suhua Highway, which links Yilan County and Hualien County,

Photo courtesy of Directorate General of Highways

will be closed until at least Tuesday evening as a result of multiple rockslides that began on Sunday and lasted into Monday, according to authorities.

Rainfall on Sunday caused rocks to fall near the 112.6-kilometer mark of the Suhua Highway at about 5 p.m. that day. The section between Su’ao and Dong’ao was subsequently closed at 7 p.m.

On Monday, the Directorate General of Highways (DGH) said that continuous rockslides have hampered efforts to clear the road and aerial shots indicate that the mountain slope remains unstable.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei urged to clarify global stance

NEW NORMAL:The policy of maintaining the ‘status quo’ across the Strait should be re-examined because it implies adherence to Beijing’s ‘one China’ policy, an academic said

Taipei Times
Date: May 30, 2017
By: Chung Li-hua / Staff reporter

Following its failure to secure an invitation to this year’s meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA), Taiwan should seek international participation as an independent nation, rather than as an entity whose involvement is contingent on China’s attitude, academics said yesterday.

Beijing rejected Taiwan’s bid to join the meeting, although the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) twice sought to communicate with China on the matter — in March and this month.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) described the nation’s attendance at this year’s WHA as “an important indicator of cross-strait relations” during a media interview aimed at urging Beijing to allow Taiwan’s WHA bid.

Taiwan was also denied participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization assembly, which took place in Canada last year, despite the MAC’s attempt to negotiate with China over the bid.    [FULL  STORY]

New toilet paper policy to take effect in June

The China Post
Date: May 29, 2017
By: CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A new policy urging people in Taiwan to flush their used toilet paper will take effect in June, and the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on Monday urged local governments to put up signs to encourage the practice.

Local governments should post signs at public bathrooms before the end of June instructing people to flush used toilet paper, said Yuan Shao-ying (袁紹英), head of the EPA’s Department of Environmental Sanitation and Toxic Substance Management.

Beginning in July, EPA authorities will inspect the bathrooms to see if the signs have been put up, Yuan said, but local governments will be given more time to comply with the request if they have difficulty doing so in the short term.

Depositing used toilet paper in a trash can is a common practice in Taiwan because toilet paper here was once made from materials that did not dissolve in water. Authorities have tried to change the practice to improve bathroom hygiene.
[FULL  STORY]

Tsai cheers on DPP dragon boat team

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-05-28

President Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday made an appearance at the Taipei

President Tsai (right) is joined by Taipei Vice Mayor Chen Chin-jun (second from right) at the Taipei Dragon Boat Race on Sunday. (CNA photo)

Dragon Boat Race, which will last through Tuesday. She cheered on the team from her party – the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – of which she also serves as chairperson.

The party’s central standing committee selected 29 team members in order to field a mixed team in the largest boat-size category. The team is headed by a graduate of one of the nation’s top physical education departments – Fu Jen Catholic University – who specializes in dragon boat racing.

President Tsai visited the site of the races – Dajia Riverside Park in Taipei – where she cheered on the DPP team and other participants from around the world. She observed the races from the judges’ stands for about an hour before meeting and taking photos with her party’s team.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei center mulling Southeast Asian language proficiency tests

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/05/28
By: Central News Agency

A language test center in Taipei said Sunday that it is working toward

A language test center in Taipei said Sunday that it is working toward offering language proficiency tests for people who are learning Southeastern Asian languages. (By Central News Agency)

offering language proficiency tests for people who are learning Southeastern Asian languages.

Despite some challenges, the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC) said, it hopes to introduce into Taiwan authorized tests for Southeastern Asian languages, as it has done for the Japanese and Korean languages.

LTTC, the largest foreign language test center in Taiwan, is now collecting data and coordinating with the relevant official authorities in Southeast Asian countries to obtain the accreditation to administer such tests, said Jessica Wu (吳若蕙), who is head of research and development at the center.    [FULL  STORY]

Organ donation film receives warm reception

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/05/28
By: Chen Wei-ting and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, May 28 (CNA) A microfilm which was posted online recently by

(Picture downloaded from NTUH Facebook page)

National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) to promote organ donation has been well received, drawing nearly 70,000 likes on the hospital’s Facebook page.

The microfilm was the idea of Kuo Ting-chun (郭廷均), a physician in the hospital’s Department of Traumatology, and an NTUH promotional team for organ donation.

Kuo said that while organ donation has gained wide acceptance in Taiwan, particularly among young people, most people in the country still lack knowledge about the subject. Some people even have the misconception that if they sign an organ donor card, they would not be given medical treatment at a hospital if they fell ill.    [FULL  STORY]

Extension requested for 228 claimants

MISSING CERTIFICATES:The bodies of many people killed during the 228 Massacre were never found, making it impossible for their relatives to claim compensation

Taipei Times
Date: May 29, 2017
By: Lee Hsin-fang / Staff reporter

The Memorial Foundation of 228 said it has asked the Ministry of the Interior to amend the Act for Handling and Compensation for the 228 Incident (二 二 八事件賠償及處理條例) to extend the period for claiming compensation, after a slew of documents related to the Incident were uncovered, giving victims an opportunity to seek compensation.

The act had set the deadline for claiming state compensation as Tuesday last week.

According to the act, victims could claim compensation within seven years of Oct. 7, 1995. The deadline was later extended.

In 2013, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) proposed to amend the act and the period was extended for another four years.
However, foundation executive director Yang Cheng-long (楊振隆) on Saturday said that victims need more time to claim compensation as more historic documents about the massacre are still being uncovered.
[FULL  STORY]

Air in parts of southern Taiwan Sunday unhealthy for sensitive groups

The China Post
Date: May 28, 2017
By: CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Air quality was unhealthy for sensitive groups in several areas in southwestern Taiwan while the rest of the country’s air was ranked as good or moderate on Sunday, according to the Environmental Protection Administration’s Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network.

As of 10 a.m., air quality flashed orange in Douliu Township of Yunlin County, Chiayi City, several districts of Tainan and Kaohsiung, and the offshore county of Kinmen. Also in Beitun District of Taichung, central Taiwan, an orange signal flashed at a mobile monitoring station.

It indicates air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups such as young children, the elderly and people with chronic disease, according to the network (http://taqm.epa.gov.tw/taqm/en/).

Air quality flashed either green (good) or yellow (moderate) in the rest of the country. The eastern counties of Yilan and Pingtung enjoyed good air on Sunday, the monitoring data shows.    [FULL  STORY]