Taiwan News
Date: 2016-10-22
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Postage stamps have been one of the most desired objects of collectors’ passion. More than 2,000 tiny pieces of paper worth a fortune have recently been showcased in Taiwan, among which the four unseparated stamps named “The Legendary Block of Four,” with a declared value of NT$500 million owned by a Chinese entrepreneur, have become the focus of attention of collectors and stamp fans.

The PhilaTaipei 2016 World Stamp Championship Exhibition kicked off at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 on Friday, showcasing 2,450 rare and valuable postage stamps from collectors from 80 countries around the world. It is the first time Taiwan has hosted the exhibition, Chunghwa Post Co stated.

Among the rare stamp collections on display from October 21 to 26, the four red stamps, with each carrying the same pattern and issued during the Qing Dynasty, generated buzz among media for their whopping value. The top horizontal line of each stamp featured the words “Great Qing Post” and the central vertical line “used as one dollar” in Chinese, with “1 dollar” in English written horizontally at the bottom of each piece of paper.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/10/22
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) A group comprising survivors and families of victims of political suppression from the 1950s urged President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) Saturday to sign a peace agreement with Beijing to ensure the peaceful development of cross-Taiwan Strait relations.

The group put forward the proposal at an annual event held in Taipei to remember the “white terror” victims. The theme of this year’s event was “peace agreement and historical justice,” according to the group.

As survivors of “white terror” and families of the victims, the group said they have a very deep feeling about the damage caused to Taiwanese society by the 38-year-long martial law imposed by the former Kuomintang regime following its retreat to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war.

They argued that Tsai’s efforts to promote transitional justice, which they said merely targets the injustices committed by the past authoritarian rulers, is based on “a distortion of history.”    [FULL  STORY]

If Taiwan is aiming to promote many of its industries at international events, companies need to seriously consider to what it is they are promoting and how they intend to communicate it.

The News Lens
Date: 2016/10/21
By: David Green

Anyone who has attended an industry exhibition at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center knows it can be

an overwhelming experience. There are scores of exhibitors on each floor with only minor restrictions on how much noise, light or showgirl flesh each can parade in a bid to attract footfall to their booth. The result is a dizzying assault on the senses, and a great opportunity to assess communications strategy.

Take the recent 2016 Automation Intelligence and Robot Show in early September as an example. This is a good example because President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has prioritized the success and growth of the smart machinery sector, pledging to reshape Taiwan’s global competitiveness through state support for such innovative and forward-looking industries.

According to the latest economic data, Taiwan’s machinery company output in August fell 2.76 percent on the year, even as overall industrial output index rose 7.74 percent. Smart and automated machinery was credited as helping the machinery sector arrest a slump that had seen growth decline in the double digits for the last 11 months.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-10-20
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Hong Kong has once again been selected by the International Skyrunning Federation to host the Asian Skyrunning Championships for the second straight year, and many elite trail runners have signed up to compete in the event in December.

Lantau, the verdant island situated in southwest Hong Kong, sets the stage for this year’s championships, which comprises of the MSIG Lantau VK (vertical kilometre) and the MSIG Lantau 50 (includes a 27km SkyRace and a 50km Ultra SkyMarathon). Tangled with technical trail and home to Lantau Peak (934 metres) and Sunset Peak (898m), the second and third highest peaks respectively in Hong Kong, Lantau Island will most definitely challenge even the highest calibre athletes.

France’s Caroline Chaverot, the reigning world Skyrunning champion and 2016 Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) winner, along with fellow countryman Ludovic Pommeret, the 2016 UTMB men’s winner, spearhead the international field. Chaverot, who will compete in the VK and Ultra SkyMarathon, will be racing in Asia for the first time. But Pommeret is no stranger to the region, having notched wins in Japan previously.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/10/21
By: Liu Kuan-ting, Hsieh Chia-chen, Bear Lee, S. C. Chang and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Oct. 21 (CNA) The legislative caucus of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has urged party

members to abide by the principle of the “1992 consensus” when attending a cross-Taiwan Strait forum early next month.

The legislative caucus said in a statement issued Friday that the caucus and many party members are worried about the development of cross-strait relations since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office on May 20.

It said the party should insist on the “1992 consensus” principle of “one China, different interpretations” when it attends the forum to underscore the party’s edge in handling cross-strait issues.

“Normal exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are necessary, but one should not lose sight of the basic stance,” it said.    [FULL  STORY]

AFRAID TO SEE A DOCTOR:The Tibetans said their lives in Taiwan are hard because they do not have ID cards or belong to the National Health Insurance system

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 22, 2016
By: Lee Hsin-fang / Staff reporter

Several exiled Tibetans, accompanied by the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and other groups, held

a demonstration in front of the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday, protesting that they cannot renew their passports, leave the nation, work or join the National Health Insurance system.

Sobbing and kneeling on the ground, the exiled Tibetans said they are worried that they will not even be able to see a doctor if they get sick and they hope the new government can help solve the problem.

“How long do we have to live this inhuman life,” the exiled Tibetans and members of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, the Union of Excluded Immigrants, the Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association and other groups chanted.

In September 2014, a group of exiled Tibetans who have been in Taiwan since 2009 began seeking the help of legislators and the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission to solve the problem that they are unable to renew the passports they used to travel to Taiwan.     [FULL  STORY]

Many consider Taiwan to be East Asia’s friendliest country for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders.

The News Lens
Date: 2016/10/20
By: Alexander Melnik

Many people know Taiwan for its rapid economic growth. As one of the Four Asian Dragons, Taiwan –

along with Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong – quickly industrialized from the 1960s to the 1990s. Much of Taiwan’s identity has also been defined by its successful development of a democratic system and its complicated relationship with China. But few may realize that Taiwan is also one of Asia’s most LGBT-friendly countries.

In a controversial McDonald’s McCafé ad earlier this year, a young Taiwanese man comes out to his father by writing the message “I like boys” (我喜歡男生) on a cup of coffee. The father storms off, only to return several minutes later to write on his son’s cup: “I accept that you like boys.”

The commercial, which first aired in March, was met by staunch opposition from the Alliance of Taiwan Religious Groups for the Protection of Family, a coalition that opposes same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights. According to the publication AdWeek, the Alliance took the position that “Even if you just want to take a leak in a McDonald’s restroom, you can’t help but feel polluted.” The group also objected to McDonald’s “openly promoting gay issues.”     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-10-20
By: Maggie Huang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Tainan City police arrested eight Indonesian women Tuesday who claimed they left their jobs because the employment conditions were different from what they had expected and wanted to go back to Indonesia and never want to come back to Taiwan .

The city’s second police precinct received a report that several foreign female workers were seen living in a sheet metal house in the city’s western district for over a month.

According to the police, the eight Indonesian women were originally employed in Taoyuan, Taichung and Tainan as caregivers. They told police they could not get used to the long hours as caregivers and said the pay was not as good as they had been led to believe.

Police assume that they received assistance from a third party and the case has been transferred to the National Immigration Agency (NIA) as the investigation continues.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/10/20
By: Wang Shu-fen and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Oct. 20 (CNA) Local airlines said on Thursday that some of their flights on Friday have been canceled due to the impact of Typhoon Haima, which is currently located south off Taiwan.

EVA Airways said round-trip services from Taoyuan-Hong Kong, Taoyuan-Macau, Taichung-Macau and Kaohsiung-Macau will be canceled.

TransAsia Airways also said it has canceled Macau-bound flights from Taoyuan, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

China Airlines has canceled flights between Hong Kong and Taoyuan, Tainan and Kaohsiung.

Mandarin Airlines said it has canceled round-trip services from Taichung-Hong Kong and Kaohsiung-Hong Kong.    [SOURCE]