Page Two

‘The fate of Taipei Dome is up to the city gov’t’

The China Post
Date: May 6, 2017
By: Kuan-lin Liu

TAIPEI, Taiwan — According to the latest statement from Farglory Group (遠雄集團), the decision to resume construction of Taipei Dome lies in the hands of the Taipei City Government.

After a year of back and forth between the Taipei government and Farglory, which is contracted to build Taipei Dome, it was reported on Friday that the Taiwan Architecture & Building Center had finished a fire safety inspection of Taipei Dome.

The case now heads to the Ministry of the Interior’s (MOI) Construction and Planning Agency, which will assess the dome’s fire safety and escape details.

Should the case be certified, Farglory can apply to resume construction of Taipei Dome, according to local media reports.    [FULL  STORY]

Navy considering choice of missiles for US-made frigates

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-05-04

Further assessment is needed on whether to use indigenous missiles on the navy’s US-made Perry class frigates. That was the word from the R.O.C. Navy’s chief of staff, Lee Tsung-hsiao on Thursday. The Republic of China (ROC) is Taiwan’s official name.

The navy recently took delivery of two US-made Perry-class frigates purchased in 2016. Former deputy defense minister Lee Shih-min had previously told the Legislature that domestically made Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles would be deployed on the frigates. However, more recent reports suggest alternatives are being considered.

Asked to clarify the navy’s position, Lee said the navy would prefer to install missiles that are compatible with the frigates’ MK13 missile launcher in order to save costs. Lee said further technical assessment will be needed before a final decision is made. [FULL  STORY]

Eight female Asian singers join forces against homophobia

Tanya Chua produced the song “We Are One”

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/05/04
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Eight top female singers from the Chinese-speaking part of

8 singers against homophobia (from Facebook).

Asia are joining forces to sing “We Are One,” a song dedicated to the May 17 International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

Proposals for the legalization of same-sex marriage have been moving forward in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, while a separate ruling by the Council of Grand Justices is expected by the end of this month. If approved, Taiwan would be the first country in the region to introduce gay marriage.

Singapore singer-songwriter Tanya Chua (蔡健雅) acts as producer of the project. She gathered a host of other Chinese-language singers from various countries in the region to record the song, which was originally written for a women’s solidarity music festival in 2014, reports said.    [FULL  STORY]

Chinese visitors to Taiwan fall 50.2%

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/05/04
By: Miao Chung-han and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, May 4 (CNA) Chinese tourist arrivals to Taiwan dropped 50.2 percent in the

(CNA file photo)

first four months of the year to 610,524, compared with the same period last year, according to statistics released Thursday by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).

Of the 610,524 arrivals, 267,447 were in tour groups, a decline of 61 percent year-on-year, the MAC said, citing National Immigration Agency data.

Meanwhile, the number of independent Chinese tourists to Taiwan fell 36.3 percent year-on-year to 343,077, the data showed.    [FULL  STORY]

DPP touts economy in Tsai’s first year

MORE INFRASTRUCTURE:DPP spokesman Chang Chih-hao said the government would keep improving the investment environment and increasing public spending

Taipei Times
Date: May 05, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter

The nation has experienced stable economic growth during the first year of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration, with the economy over the past year posting better numbers than in previous years, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday.

The economy showed year-to-year declines in the third and fourth quarters of 2015 when then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was in office, but Tsai turned a decline of 0.63 percent into 2.88 percent growth in the same period last year, the DPP said.

The economic indicators were “blue” for the 10 months from June 2015 to March last year during Ma’s administration, suggesting economic stagnation, while the indicators were “green” for the nine months from May last year to March, indicating steady economic development, it said.

There was a year-on-year decline of 12.1 percent in merchandise exports in the first quarter last year, but there was a 15.1 percent increase in the same period this year, it said.    [FULL  STORY]

Local fans unleash the force for ‘Star Wars’ day

The China Post
Date: May 5, 2017
By: James Lo

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Thursday, May 4 marked the annual “Star Wars Day: May the 4th

A group of Star Wars cosplayers pose in front of the Core Pacific City Mall during the Star Wars Day: May the 4th (Force) Be With You worldwide celebration, yesterday. The mall was selected as the flagship photo op location for its spherical resemblance to the film’s iconic battle station the Death Star.(Photo credit: The China Post James Lo)

(Force) Be With You” worldwide celebration, and Taiwan participated in the international festival by holding its own celebratory parade — replete with obligatory photo opportunities — around various areas in Taipei.

The Taiwan “May the 4th Be With You” event was once again organized by local lightsaber maker and renowned die-hard Star Wars fan Makoto Tsai, with participation from the 501st Taiwan — Formosa Outpost, the Taiwan division of an international stormtroopers cosplay organization, as well as the South Taiwan Jedi Order (南部光劍武士團), a Star Wars fan group from southern Taiwan.

“A weekday is not going to stop me from attending this celebration,” local cosplayer Tzu Ching (夏侯橘助), who was dressed up as Rey from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” told The China Post. “I had just come back from the ‘Star Wars 40th Anniversary’ celebration in the U.S., and I am happy now to bring the beauty of the Star Wars universe home to Taiwan.”    [FULL  STORY]

Science ministry to set up robotics bases in two science parks

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-05-03

The science ministry has announced plans to set up two robotics bases in the next

Science Minister Chen Liang-gee (front, center) has announced science ministry plans to build two robotics centers. (CNA)

four years. That was the word from Science Minister Chen Liang-gee on Wednesday.

Chen said the ministry plans to integrate resources in the Central and Southern Taiwan Science Parks to set up these bases.

The spaces, Chen said, will provide the necessary software and hardware needed to develop robots.

“Say I want to make a robot, I can simply draw its shape with a computer program and make a real model with a 3D printer. I can try whatever material I want, and if it doesn’t work, I can change the [material] and test it again,” Chen said. “This [environment] shortens the learning process and creative feedback loop, making everything happen simultaneously. After testing is complete, [the maker] will be aware of how to put his product into service.”
[FULL  STORY]

Eviction of Taiwanese delegates panned

‘DISRESPECTFUL’:A meeting in Australia on the conflict-diamond trade was marred by Chinese delegates staging noisy disruptions and demanding Taiwan’s delegates leave

Taipei Times
Date: May 04, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA

A Chinese delegation trying to prevent a Taiwanese group from attending a meeting hosted by Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop on Monday has been described as “disgusting” and “extraordinary.”

Participants at the Kimberley Process meeting in Perth said Chinese delegates shouted over the welcoming ceremony and forced the suspension of proceedings on Monday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday.

The Chinese delegation noisily disrupted the ceremony and forced the suspension of at least one of Monday’s sessions, the newspaper said.
“It was disgusting,” the paper cited one high-level Australian attendee who asked not to be named as saying. “It was extraordinary; so uncalled for and so inappropriate, and so disrespectful.”

The conference chair withdrew Taiwan’s invitation “following objections from China and several other delegations,” an Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said yesterday.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei intersection to remain closed until Friday

The China Post
Date: May 4, 2017
By: James Lo

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A busy intersection in Taipei will remain closed to traffic until

The intersecting area of Taipei’s Bade Road and Guangfu Road’s North and South sections is sealed off on Wednesday so the Taiwan Power Company can excavate and pour in cement to fix a collapse. (CNA)

Friday at the earliest after a botched construction Sunday caused part of the pavement to sink, the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) said on Tuesday.

Taipower expanded the road closure of the collapsed intersecting area of Taipei’s Bade Road and Guangfu Road’s North and South sections on Wednesday, in order to pour in cement to repair the area Tuesday marked the fourth day in which Taipei authorities have sealed of the intersection.

On April 29, Taipower began a routine maintenance service in the cable tunnel which connected the Da’an Electrical Substation with the Songhu Electrical Substation. As maintenance continued on April 30, toward the area where Bade Road and both parts of Guangfu Road intersected, Taipower discovered both sand and water seepage and called for the surrounding area to be sealed off so that repairs could be done.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan president tweets in Japanese about WHA

May 8 is deadline for WHA registration

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/05/03
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President Tsai Ing-wen for the first time tweeted in

Image from twitter.com/iingwen

Japanese Wednesday in the latest effort to defend Taiwan’s case to attend the World Health Assembly later this month.

The annual event takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 22 to 31, but as the date approaches, the likelihood of Taiwan being invited diminishes, observers have said, blaming the change on efforts by China to punish the Tsai Administration for its refusal to accept Beijing’s “One China” views.

The registration deadline is next Monday, May 8, but government officials have said they will send a delegation to Geneva even if no official invitation is forthcoming.

Over the past week, Tsai issued tweets in English defending Taiwan’s case, but on Wednesday, she wrote in Japanese for the first time.    [FULL  STORY]