Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/19
By: Chu Tze-wei and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, April 19 (CNA) A Chinese civil rights activist who left his tour group last week and asked for political asylum in Taiwan flew back to China on Wednesday of his own volition, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said that day.

The agency assisted Zhang Xiangzhong (張向忠) with his departure earlier in the day, it said.

The 48-year-old civil rights activist from Shandong Province arrived in Taiwan on April 12 as part of a Chinese tour group on an eight-day visit. However, he left the group the next day and kept his whereabouts unknown until Monday.

Before being found by the NIA in New Taipei that day, Zhang had indicated his intention to seek political asylum. He claimed that his act was inspired by the dauntless actions of Lee Ching-yu (李凈瑜) to save her husband, Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che (李明哲), who is being held in China.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 20, 2017
By: CNA

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), famously a surgeon before he entered politics, examines Deputy Taipei Mayor Charles Lin’s (林欽榮) wound, Wednesday, April 18. Lin cut his hand when he was pushed against a barbed wire barricade on his way to attend an infrastructure project meeting at the Legislative Yuan. Ko, after examining his deputy’s hand, said the injuries were not serious and said with a laugh that he’d like to see Lin get back to work.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-18

A number of officials were sworn in at the Presidential Office on Tuesday morning,

among them the new deputy head of the Examination Yuan, Lee I-yang.

President Tsai Ing-wen oversaw the ceremony, along with Vice President Chen Chien-jen and Examination Yuan president Wu Jin-lin. The Examination Yuan is the branch of Taiwan’s government that oversees the selection of civil servants.

Among others sworn in on Tuesday were Chen Tsi-yang, appointed to the Examination Yuan Council; and Kuo Fang-yu, head of the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission.

Meanwhile, Javier Hou was sworn in as Taiwan’s new envoy to Italy. Harry Tseng was sworn in as the new representative to the European Union and to Belgium. And Winston Hu was sworn in as the new ambassador to Haiti.    [SOURCE]

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/18
By: Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Creative Expo Taiwan (CET), the largest trade fair to present the unique lifestyle and values of Taiwan, will take place in three overlapping locations from April 19 to April 23.

This year’s CET will be different compared to the past, as it adopts the method of thematic curation to propose a number of cultural topics through the theme of “Cultural Explosion,” inviting professionals from different disciplines to participate in the curating of the exhibition and triggering imaginative discussions through dialogue.

There will be a new exhibition area titled “LIFE! Craft & Art” that will gather glamorous new craft brands in Taiwan and showcase their source materials, production process, and the affection and personality contained in every creation in the hope of restoring craftwork’s rightful place in daily life.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/18
By: Chang Shu-ling, You Kai-hsiang and Y.F. Low

Taipei, April 18 (CNA) Taiwan has received an application for asylum from Chinese civil

rights activist Zhang Xiangzhong (張向忠) and will review his case to see if he meets the requirements, the head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Tuesday.

Zhang is currently being questioned by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) after leaving his Chinese tour group last week and being located by authorities on Monday, MAC Minister Chang Hsiao-yueh (張小月) said.

Officials from the responsible agencies will meet later Tuesday to discuss Zhang’s case, according to MAC Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正).

Asked if Zhang might be repatriated back to China, Chiu said such a possibility “could not be ruled out.”    [FULL  STORY]

‘OLIVE BRANCH‘:KMT official Hung Meng-kai said that the government should explain why it is determined to push through pension reform before the end of summer

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 19, 2017
By: Lu Yi-hsuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday criticized the use of barbed-wire

barricades outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei as protests against pension reform began, prompting security measures.

KMT caucus whip Sufin Siluko (廖國棟) told a news conference outside the Legislative Yuan that the nation claims to embrace democracy, liberty and the rule of law, but the barricades symbolically locked lawmakers in, while keeping the public out of the debate.

An all-night protest against pension reform began yesterday, while legislative review of proposals are to be held today and tomorrow.

KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said that the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) claims to be willing to communicate, but talks are reserved for “insiders,” while the government is erecting barricades to keep the public out.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 19, 2017
By: Joseph Yeh

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan’s annual military exercises will be held next month to test its

new “multideterrence” defense strategy, the military announced on Tuesday.

According to an announcement by the Defense Ministry, the annual Han Kuang exercises, which simulate various scenarios of attack by the Beijing government, will, as usual, be comprised of two stages: first computer-aided war games following by live-fire drills.

The series of exercises will begin with five days of computer-aided war games from May 1 to 5 before live-fire drills are staged across the country and at offshore islands from May 22 to 26 for five days and four nights, the ministry said.

This year’s drill will for the first time test the R.O.C. armed forces’ newly adopted defense strategy.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/17
By: Wu Hsin-yun and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, April 17 (CNA) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Monday that it

will increase a surcharge on diesel and gasoline by the end of 2017 to raise a fund that could accelerate the phasing out of older diesel trucks, one of the major mobile air pollution sources in Taiwan.

Surcharges will increase from NT$0.2 (US$0.006) to NT$0.4 per liter on diesel and from NT$0.2 to NT$0.3 per liter on gasoline, the EPA said.

The move could add NT$1.9 billion per year to the existing fund of NT$20 billion, which will be used for subsidies to encourage the phasing out of older diesel trucks, defined as those produced before July 1999, according to the agency.

The EPA encourages the speedy reduction of high-polluting trucks, saying last month that subsidies for each replacement of such vehicles will be NT$200,000 in 2018 and NT$150,000 in 2019.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 18, 2017
By: James Lo

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Local government chiefs clashed at a public hearing on the Executive

Yuan’s eight-year, NT$880 billion infrastructure plan, with Kuomintang (KMT) representatives accusing the Cabinet of favoritism toward the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The fourth hearing on the “Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Plan” was attended by New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), Taichung City Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) and Keelung City Mayor Lin Yu-chang (林右昌).

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) and Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien (林智堅) declined to attend, sending deputy mayors in their stead.

The KMT’s Chu criticized the fact that funding for only a few of New Taipei City’s proposed infrastructure budgets had been approved by the central government.
[FULL STORY]