Taipei Times
Date: Dec 01, 2016　
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter

Authorities yesterday reaffirmed the nation’s sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea, including

Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島), after Vietnam said a Coast Guard Administration (CGA) humanitarian exercise on Tuesday violated Vietnamese sovereignty.

Three aircraft, eight naval vessels and 336 personnel took part in the drill, which simulated a scenario in which five people jumped overboard from foreign-flagged cargo ship on fire, with all five being rescued and transported to Itu Aba for medical treatment, the administration said.

The exercise turned into a real rescue operation, as a journalist invited to cover the drill experienced gastrointestinal bleeding and was transferred to a hospital in Kaohsiung, Executive Yuan spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said.

The drill, part of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) policy to transform Itu Aba into a base for humanitarian aid and logistical support, was the nation’s first humanitarian exercise in the South China Sea since she took office.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: November 29, 2016

A one-day interagency disaster response exercise is underway in the waters surrounding Taiping Island

in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands as part of Republic of China (Taiwan) government efforts to transform the island into a base for providing humanitarian aid and supplies in the South China Sea, according to the Coast Guard Administration Nov. 29.

Operation Nanyuan No. 1 involves elements of the CGA and other central government agencies working together for the first time on and around the largest naturally formed island in the Nansha Islands. It aims to demonstrate the government’s capacity for conducting maritime surveillance and providing emergency assistance.

The drill involves three aircraft and eight vessels responding to a blaze aboard a foreign-flagged cargo ship forcing the crew to leap into the waters near Taiping Island. Its five phases are emergency notification and division of operational responsibilities; firefighting and rescue operations; supply replenishment and damage control; telemedicine and the dispatch of medical aircraft; and transferring the injured to Taiping Island and emergency medical evacuation to Taiwan proper.

Since assuming responsibility in 2000 for maintaining the government’s presence on Taiping Island as part of the Nansha Islands, as well as the Dongsha (Pratas) Islands, the CGA has conducted 70 disaster response and humanitarian aid missions and assisted 100 individuals from home and abroad.    [FULL  STORY]

After two 4.1 magnitude quakes struck earlier in the day, Yilan gets jolted by a 4.5 magnitude quake in the evening

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/11/30
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan late Tuesday evening, according to the Central

Weather Bureau (CWB). Two magnitude 4.1 quakes had previously struck in quick succession earlier that day.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage resulting from the temblor.

The quake occurred at 11:10 p.m. and its epicenter was located 36 kilometers southeast of Yilan County at a depth of 26.1 kilometers, according to CWB data.

An intensity level of 3 was felt in Yilan County, while the intensity level of 2 was felt in Hualien and Yilan counties, and an intensity level of 1 was reported in Nantou County, Taipei City, Central Taipei City, and Hsinchu County.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/29
By: Huang Tzu-chiang, Cheng Chi-feng, Stanley Cheung and S.C. Chang

Singapore, Nov. 29 (CNA) Singapore’s Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen said Tuesday that Singapore

will keep sending its troops on overseas training missions based on existing agreements and that it is no secret where they have been training.

Ng made the remarks after a shipment of nine armored vehicles aboard a ship originating in Kaohsiung and bound for Singapore that was transiting through Hong Kong was seized by Hong Kong customs on Nov. 23.

In Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, customs officials said two shipments of Singapore military gear and vehicles were legally exported from two local wharfs Nov. 22. Both shipments were destined for Singapore, they added.

Singapore confirmed that the Terrex AV81 wheeled armored personnel carriers belonged to its military and were “used in overseas training,” but it did not confirm that the training mission took place in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: November 30, 2016
By: Sun Hsin Hsuan

Chang Kuo-cheng (張國政), former director general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA,民航局),

said Tuesday he was “willing to take over” recently-dissolved TransAsia Airways (復興航空), urging the government to delay a revocation of the airline’s flying rights set for today.

“Entrusted by people from the IT industry, my team is willing to take over TransAsia Airways. Hopefully, our intervention can help resolve some of the government’s problems, the airline’s difficulties and its employees’ job crisis,” Chang said Tuesday during a press conference in Taipei.

“Furthermore, we hope the CAA can temporarily suspend and delay its plan to retract the airline’s international and domestic aviation rights.”

Should TransAsia Airways’ flying rights be revoked now, Chang said, his team would not be interested in taking over the company.

Chang refused to disclose the name of the buyer behind his team, saying, “If I tell you now, it’s going to fall apart.”    [FULL  STORY]

The temperatures will continue to be on the chilly side on Tuesday.

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/11/28
By: Wendy Lee , Taiwan News, Staff Writer

As this year’s 25th typhoon Tokage has weakened into a low depression, less rain has been seen

throughout the day on Monday, while a cloud system from the south may turn the weather wet again the following day, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

Localized heavy rain is expected across the island and especially for northern part of Taiwan starting Tuesday afternoon, the forecasters said.

The temperatures will continue to be on the chilly side, with mercury hovering around 20 degrees Celsius in the north, and up to 23 degrees Celsius in the south, the bureau said.

Meanwhile, yet another typhoon could be forming next week as a tropical disturbance seems to be brewing southeast of the Philippines. The bureau noted that it will continue to watch over its movements as it is likely to turn into this year’s 26th typhoon.    [SOURCE]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/28
By: Lu Hsin-hui, Hsieh Chia-chen and Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, Nov. 28 (CNA) In a survey of nearly 1,100 respondents, 46.3 percent said they support same-sex

marriage legalization, while 45.4 percent expressed opposition, according to the results of the survey released on Monday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation.

You Ying-lung (游盈隆), chairman of the non-government, non-profit organization, said society at large has “zero consensus” on the issue and there is a serious divide, since those for and those against are almost the same.

Separated by age, among those under 40 years old, 64 percent support same-sex marriage legalization, while more than 50 percent are opposed among those over 40, according to the survey.

Among women, 49.6 percent support same-sex marriage and 41.9 percent said no, while 42.8 percent men support it and 52.1 percent do not.    [FULL  STORY]