The China Post
Date: January 18, 2017
By: Joseph Yeh

Taiwan’s government denied allegations that it had covered the cost of President Tsai

Ing-wen’s high-profile welcome during her stopover last week in San Francisco, where she was escorted by police on Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

During a San Francisco transit last Saturday after a weeklong Central America trip, Tsai was escorted by 60 police officers on Harley-Davidson bikes on her way to visit Twitter’s headquarters.

The bikes were part of Tsai’s high-level reception in the U.S., according to Taiwan’s government.

But in the end, the cost of the U.S. police motorcade could fall to Taiwanese taxpayers, according to former Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Chih-chiang (羅智強) and ex-Kuomintang lawmaker Lin Yu-fang (林郁方).    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: January 18, 2017
By: Stephanie Chao

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan’s delegation to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s

inauguration ceremony, led by former Premier Yu Shyi-kun, arrived in New York City Tuesday.

Yu told the Central News Agency that he hoped the delegation would be able to extend its congratulations and gratitude to the incoming U.S. president, as well as convey Taiwan’s desire to seek more opportunities for collaboration and exchange with the U.S.

Yu heads up the delegation of two local magistrates and six lawmakers from four political parties.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: January 16, 2017

President Tsai Ing-wen returned Jan. 15 to Taiwan from an official visit to Republic of

China (Taiwan) diplomatic allies Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order, describing the nine-day trip as instrumental in cementing bilateral ties with the Central American nations while demonstrating the effectiveness of the government’s steadfast diplomacy approach.

The visit provided the opportunity to experience firsthand conditions in these diplomatic allies and learn of their expectations and needs in terms of economic development, Tsai said. In keeping with the principles of steadfast diplomacy, the government will continue promoting bilateral talks instead of providing one-way aid, as well as implementing more efficient joint cooperation projects and creating additional opportunities for win-win results, she added.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/16
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei (Taiwan News)–The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation (TBSF) on Monday urged

the public to donate blood before the Chinese New Year holiday as blood stocks and blood use at hospitals across Taiwan will reach their peak in the week before the holiday.

TBSF public relations official Li Lei said blood banks around Taiwan currently have enough blood for 6.4 days, slightly below the minimum safety reserve of seven days, and that types A and O are running especially low. As the blood donation during the past weekend hasn’t been disposed of and there are more requests of blood by hospitals on Monday, there will be small fluctuations in the levels of the blood reserve, Li said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/16
By: Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) Republic of China (Taiwan) passports have a power ranking of

28th, indicating a relatively high level of travel freedom for its citizens, according to the Passport Index created by financial advisory firm Arton Capital.

The index’s visa-free score represents the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with a visa on arrival.

Taiwanese passport holders can visit 119 countries around the world without having to obtain a visa in advance, up 10 from 2016, earning the passport a power ranking of 28, the same ranking it had in last year’s survey.

But because individual power rankings can include more than one country, the 119 countries accessible to Taiwanese passport holders without a visa ranked 63rd among the countries in the survey.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: January 17, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Former Vice President Vincent Siew said Monday he would support

the candidacy of former Kuomingtang (KMT) Vice Chairman Steve Chan for the party’s leadership, should Chan join the race for the May 20 election.

Siew made the remarks to the press while attending the inauguration of a cultural and education foundation headed by former Premier Jiang Yi-huah.

“Chan did talk to me about his own sense of mission recently, but I didn’t give him any suggestions. It will be up to him to make the decision,” Siew told reporters.

“I will support him,” Siew added, when asked whether he would back Chan if he launches a bid for the KMT leadership.    [FULL  STORY]

It’s time for Taiwanese people to speak up and tell our own side of the story.
The News Lens
Date: 2017/01/15
By: American Citizens for Taiwan

As a dual citizen of the United States and Taiwan, I have been spending a lot of time contextualizing for

my American friends the controversy behind Donald Trump’s recent call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).

I have found that many otherwise progressive allies and journalists have been unintentionally or ignorantly parroting pro-Beijing talking points in the course of criticizing Trump. These are people who would otherwise proudly proclaim, “Free Tibet,” “Free Palestine,” and “Black Lives Matter.” We need more progressive voices in support of Taiwan. If you care about democracy and human rights, then I urge you to become a friend of Taiwan as well.

It’s time for Taiwanese people to speak up and tell our own side of the story. If you can’t stay until the end, here are my main points:    [FULL  STORY]

Pretty policewoman who many netizens ‘yearn to get a ticket from’ reports for duty

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/15
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei (Taiwan News) — A pretty policewoman who many netizens “yearn to get a ticket from” has reported for duty at Pingzhen Precinct, Taoyuan Police Department, as a traffic police officer.

Police academy student Lin Hsiao-chi had graduated and was assigned to the precinct’s traffic squad as a traffic police officer. A netizen said, “[I] am falling in love. It’s even a matter of happiness to be issued a ticket by her.”

As a rookie, she participated in a national mission on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 and seized 0.65 g. of amphetamines in a pub in Pingzhen District.

Lin was said to be a little nervous the other day when she began to carry out police duties for the first time, but she said with confidence that she can handle traffic accidents, issuing tickets for traffic violations and related duties.

Lin, born in Tainan City in 1989, quit her studies at the National Taipei University of Business and worked as a model for two years before becoming a police officer. She reportedly aimed to become a civil servant because her modeling job did not bring her steady income.   [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/15

Taipei, Jan. 15 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) arrived back in Taipei late Sunday and pledged that Taiwan will maintain its cooperation projects with its allies but that they will be carried out more efficiently and with a better chance of benefitting the both sides.

She said that Taiwan’s allies which she has just visited approved of her administration’s “steadfast diplomacy,” which favors methods that are mutually beneficial by adopting bilateral dialogue instead of providing unilateral aid.

“In the future, the number of cooperation projects will not decline but the projects will become more efficient and have a better chance of creating win-win situations,” she said.

Speaking at the airport, the president also said that any future cooperation projects should take the development of businesses and markets into consideration.    [FULL  STORY]