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AIT chairman met with lawmakers in private, source says

SCUTTLEBUTT:The AIT chairman reportedly traveled to Taiwan after a briefing from high-ranking US government officials, an unnamed source said

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 30, 2017
By: Peng Wan-hsin, Chiu Yen-ling and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer

American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty on Thursday met with Legislative Yuan President Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) and Wang Ding-yu (王定宇), a source said.

The meeting, which was described as “cordial,” took place at AIT Deputy Director Robert Forden’s residence and participants discussed Taiwan’s defense, according to an unnamed source who claimed knowledge of the meeting.

Moriarty allegedly told Su and the legislators that Taiwan must show its will to defend itself.

Moriarty, who formally served as a diplomat in Taiwan, was said to have invited Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers Jason Hsu (許毓仁) and Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), but they were unable to attend the meeting, the source said.

Later on the same day, Moriarty met New Power Party Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維).
[FULL  STORY]

NIA helps kids go on root-seeking trips

The China Post
Date: April 30, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The National Immigration Agency (NIA) hosted on Saturday

NIA Director-General Ho Jung-chun, left, and Deputy Interior Minister Chiu Chang-yu, second left, present a certificate to a student and her mother, who is a new immigrant, at a ceremony in Taipei on Saturday, April 29. (Courtesy of National Immigration Agency)

afternoon a presentation of achievements made by the children of new immigrants, who conducted cultural exchanges and studied the native languages of their parents’ hometowns during the winter vacation.

The ceremony witnessed a total of 41 groups of children and immigrants, selected out of 73 group applicants, present their experiences in living with their maternal grandparents in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the U.S., Japan, India and mainland China.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Interior Minister Chiu Chang-yu encouraged new immigrants and their children to fully utilize their cultural and linguistic diversity to develop themselves into international talents and open a window for Taiwan’s internationalization.    [FULL  STORY]

Rights groups slam China over detained NGO worker

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-28

NGO worker Lee Ming-che has been held for 40 days. (CNA photo)

Rights groups slam China over detained NGO worker

A number of human rights groups got together on Friday calling for continued focus on the case of a Taiwanese NGO worker detained by China.

Human rights activist Lee Ming-che has been held for 40 days after he entered mainland China via Macao in the middle of March. His whereabouts and condition remain unknown, as do the exact charges against him. Chinese authorities have said only that he has been detained on suspicion of “harming national security.” His case has started to draw attention from international media.

Groups including the Taiwan Association for Human Rights condemned the Chinese authorities’ handling of the case. Lin Hsiu-hsin, head of the Taiwan Association of University Professors, said Lee’s detention would serve to further alienate people in Taiwan regarding China.    [FULL  STORY]

Top Chinese netizen names for new aircraft carrier: ‘Taiwan’ and ‘Phi Phi Shrimp’

Chinese netizens vote that the new aircraft carrier should be named ‘Phi Phi Shrimp’ over ‘Taiwan’

Taiwan News
Daste: 017/04/28
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In an online vote on the best name for China’s new

(Image from PTT)

domestically-built aircraft carrier, netizens initially chose the name “Taiwan” before it was suddenly outvoted by “Phi Phi Shrimp.”

China launched its first domestically-produced aircraft carrier from the Dalian shipyard on April 26, however, as it has yet to be given a formal name, Chinese netizens decided to make their own online vote to pick a suitable name.

Initially on April 26th, the name “Taiwan” was the clear leader with 180,000 votes. Trailing behind “Taiwan” was “Shandong” and “Beijing.”    [FULL  STORY]

Promising writer dies at 26 from apparent suicide

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/28
By: Christie Chen, Liu Shih-yi and Sabine Cheng

Taipei, April 28 (CNA) Promising writer Lin Yi-han (林奕含), who published a

From Lin Yi-han (林奕含)’s Facebook page

bestselling novel this year about a girl raped by her teacher, died at the age of 26, allegedly by her own hand, authorities said Friday.

The Taipei City Fire Department said it received a call on Thursday that a woman had hanged herself in her home in Taipei. It confirmed that the woman was Lin, who had been open about her depression and past attempts to take her own life.

The police said a suicide note was found at the scene and initial investigations have ruled out the possibility of foul play.    [FULL  STORY]

KMT criticizes president’s call for arms, F-35s

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 29, 2017
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

Purchasing arms is not the policy the public expects of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on the eve of the anniversary of her inauguration, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday.

Tsai in a Reuters interview on Thursday said that her administration does not “rule out any items that would be meaningful to our defense and our defense strategy, and the F-35 is one such item,”

Tsai also said she does not “exclude the opportunity to call [US] President [Donald] Trump himself, but it depends on the needs of the situation and the US government’s consideration of regional affairs.”

KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director Tang Te-ming (唐德明) said Tsai’s remarks indicated that she is “still anticipating friendly moves on the US’ part and hoping that Washington could be leaning toward [Taiwan] when it comes to cross-strait affairs.”    [FULL  STORY]

New China fears brew in Taiwan after snub

The China Post
Date: April 29, 2017
By: AFP

TAIPEI — Taiwan’s fears that it will become a bargaining chip between China and the United States worsened Friday after a snub by President Donald Trump, who said he would not do anything to upset Beijing.

Trump rattled China in December after taking a congratulatory call from the self-ruling island’s new Beijing-sceptic president Tsai Ing-wen after his election, smashing decades of diplomatic precedent.

But after Tsai suggested another call could take place in an interview with Reuters Thursday, Trump said he did not want to risk his newfound “personal relationship” with China’s president Xi Jinping.    [FULL  STORY]

Over 50% back Tsai though unhappy with performance

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-27

President Tsai Ing-wen is supported by more than half of Taiwan’s public even though a majority feels dissatisfaction with her performance. That’s according to a recent poll conducted by the Taiwan Style Foundation, an independent think tank.

The poll suggests that 55% are in support of President Tsai, as opposed to 40% not in favor. The numbers also show that roughly 55% are unsatisfied with Tsai’s policies. Probed further, 60% of these respondents felt Tsai’s reform agenda is proceeding too slowly.

The poll also shows that more than 60% are in favor of Tsai’s pension reforms, compared to 23% not in favor. 56% support Tsai’s approach to cross-strait relations, to maintain the status quo. Around 34% said they do not agree with her position. Relations with China have been largely frozen since Tsai took office last year. That’s because Beijing has declared itself unsatisfied with Tsai’s refusal to adhere to its own position on Taiwan’s status.

The poll reveals a strong division between supporters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT).    [FULL  STORY]

Wei Chuan ex-chairman sentenced to two years over tainted-oil scandal

The verdicts delivered on Thursday included two years in jail for Wei Ying-chung, one year and six months for Ting Hsin CEO Chang Mei-feng…

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/27
By: Wendy Lee ,Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former Wei Chuan Foods Corporation Chairman Wei Ying-

(By Central News Agency)

chung (魏應充) was found guilty of fraud and of violating legislation regarding food safety and hygiene, and was sentenced to two years in prison by the Intellectual Property Court Thursday for his part in an adulterated cooking oil scandal.

It is the second trial in connection to the case, the first of which ended with Wei being sentenced to four years in prison and to a fine of NT$15.5 million (US$475,000) by the Taipei District Court in March, 2016.

In October, 2015, Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co., which made cooking oils marketed under the Wei Chuan brand, Taiwan’s second-largest food manufacturer, was found to have used adulterated oils from Chang Chi Foodstuff Co. in its finished products.    [FULL  STORY]

Legislative meeting rescheduled for infrastructure development plan

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/27
By: Justin Su and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, April 27 (CNA) A legislative meeting to review a draft bill for an infrastructure development plan is to be rescheduled for May 1 after the first reading of the bill was passed at the Legislature on Wednesday without any substantive review and after fierce protests from opposition lawmakers, said the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator who presided over the meeting.

Amid vehement clashes and physical altercations between legislators from the ruling and opposition parties, the draft of the Special Act for Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Projects on Wednesday received its first reading at a joint meeting of six legislative committees presided over by DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩).

KMT lawmakers attempted to thwart the review by procedurally drawing out the process, but as tempers flared a table was overturned and drinks thrown on the floor in protest, as Chiu asked a legislative official to read the bill article-by-article as she used the DPP’s majority to push it through without discussion.    [FULL  STORY]