Promotional models pose in front of a Corona beer stand in Kenting during the annual Spring Scream music festival

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/03
By Keoni Everington,Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cosplayer “Fresa” (second from left) and other promotional models pose in front of a Corona beer booth on Kenting Street today, the final day of the annual Spring Scream music festival (春天吶喊) in Kenting in the far southern tip of Taiwan.

The annual three-day music festival, kicked off around Eluanbi Lighthouse in Kenting National Park on Saturday and the musical lineup included 150 acts from around the world performing on the venue’s five stages. The music covered a wide variety of genres including funk, metal, rock ‘n’ roll, punk rock, indie music, hip-hop, DJs, fusion and shoegaze.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 017/04/03
By: Chang Jung-hsiang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, April 3 (CNA) The drought that Taiwan experienced from December to February

was the second worst the island has faced in the past 70 years, and the consequences are still being felt today, the Water Resources Agency (WRA) said Monday.

In view of Taiwan’s depleted water reserves, the WRA said its current goal is to not impose second-phase water rationing in any part of Taiwan before the end of April and to avoid third-phase water rationing before the end of May.

A persistent dry spell between December 2016 and Feb. 22 resulted in the second lowest amount of winter precipitation in Taiwan since 1947 and started to dry up reservoirs, according to the agency.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 4, 2017
By: Christine Chou

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) said Monday

that it will express its objection to hikes on bullet train ticket prices in its capacity as the largest shareholder of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) at the firm’s board meeting next month.

The MOTC’s Bureau of High Speed Rail announced Friday that it has adjusted the base rate for price per kilometer on high speed rail tickets from NT$4.009 to NT$4.134. The bureau is required by law to adjust the base rate when the consumer price index reaches an accumulated increase of more than 3 percent.

The new base rate can be used as a point of reference for price adjustments but any fare hike would require approval from the Legislative Yuan as the MOTC is the THSRC’s largest shareholder.

Under the MOTC’s new base rate, a single journey from Taipei to Kaohsiung on the Taiwan High Speed Rail can be increased by as much as NT$80, or 5.37 percent. The rail company confirmed it is considering fare hikes on Monday.

Currently, the ticket price for a single journey from Taipei to Kaohsiung is NT$1,490. This could rise to as high as NT$1,570 if calculated based on the newly adjusted price per kilometer.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-02

This weekend people throughout the Chinese speaking world are observing a traditional

festival known as “Qingming”, which is also known in English as the Tombsweeping Festival.

Usually during festivals, it’s customary to wish people a “happy” festival – like “Happy Lunar New Year”. People throughout Taiwan and China will also send text message greetings on special days as well.

But this year, internet users in China have been discussing whether that’s an appropriate thing to do during the Qingming Festival, which is known for being a somber day of venerating ancestors and sweeping graves.

The Secretary-General of the China Folklore Society, Gao Wei, explained to the state-run China News Service that wishing someone a “Happy Qingming Festival” is nothing new. He said the current on-line debate demonstrates a lack of understanding about the festival.    [FULL  STORY]

The government will continue in its efforts to move toward constructing a win-win situation for both nations, said Huang.

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/02
By: Wendy Lee , Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Food safety and the rights of local farmers are important

considerations for determining whether to participate in international trade deals, Taiwan’s government stated Saturday in response to a U.S. report urging the country to fully open its market to U.S. beef and pork.

In the report by U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released yesterday, the United States said it will continue to urge Taiwan to remove its ban on U.S. pork and beef products .

The 500-page report, which devoted eight pages to Taiwan, stated the nation’s agricultural policies as serious concerns, while noting the U.S. sees it as a key priority to keep pushing Taiwan to open its market fully to its beef and pork imports.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/02
By: Hsieh Chia-chen and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, April 2 (CNA) A plan to cut the retirement benefits of retired political appointees

has been submitted to the Examination Yuan for review as part of the government’s pension reform initiative, the Ministry of Civil Service said Sunday.

The plan proposes to cut the retirement income replacement rate for some retired political appointees to as low as 50 percent and phase out the preferential 18-percent interest they draw on retirement savings accounts over a period of six years, the ministry said.

Political appointees who retired before Dec. 31, 2003 have been a target of criticism because they were able to count the time they worked as civil servants toward their total years in service and be entitled to higher pension payments.   [FULL  STORY]

REPRESSION:Taiwanese still face restrictions on freedom of expression, especially from China’s limitations on political and economic activities, Yeh Jiunn-rong said

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 03, 2017
By: Chen Yu-fu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Censorship from China, cyberbullying and the so-called “digital divide” are the biggest

challenges confronting freedom of speech in Taiwan, Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) said.

Yeh made the remarks in a recent interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) ahead of the nation’s first-ever Freedom of Speech Day on Friday. The ministry last year declared the event would be observed every year on April 7.

Citing US rights watchdog Freedom House’s “Freedom in the World” report for this year that gave Taiwan the highest possible scores for political rights and civil liberties — the nation’s best showings since 2006 — Yeh said Taiwan had made great strides in its transformation from an authoritarian society that habitually censored free speech to a liberal democracy.

However, infringements still persist, especially with regards to China’s censorship of Taiwanese freedom of expression in the political and economic spheres, Yeh said.

In addition, online bullying, the spread of fake news and the digital divide also pose challenges to the nation’s freedom of speech, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 3, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A tackle shop owner claimed responsibility yesterday for accidentally

reeling in Ah Niu (阿牛), a giant trevally famed in the waters of Kenting’s Houbihu conservation area, telling local media he sold the celebrity sea creature for NT$2,380.

The business owner, who identified himself only as “Ah Di,” told local media that he had caught many giant trevallies in the region.

On the market, they are not considered a “very delicious fish,” and so the 34-kilogram Ah Niu was sold for only NT$70 per kg, he said.

The death of the beloved fish garnered widespread attention after videos and photos were posted online showing it being reeled in last Thursday.

According to a diver in the area, Tsai Yung-chuen (蔡永春), while giant trevallies were not uncommon around the area, Ah Niu was special in that it had been friendly toward divers since appearing in the waters two years ago.

Tsai said giant trevallies were migration fish but that Ah Niu and three other giant trevallies ended up staying in the Kenting waters.

Ah Niu was known to regularly swim among divers, many of whom would return to the area to greet the fish.    [FULL  STORY]