Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/09/20
By: Liu Te-chang, Tang Pei-chun and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) The government has expressed its “grave concern” about Cambodia sending 13 Taiwanese to China on suspicion of involvement in an international telecom fraud ring, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

The 13 were among 64 suspects arrested Aug. 30 during a police raid in Cambodia. Taiwan immediately sent its Ho Chi Minh office director, Liang Kuang-chung (梁光中), from Vietnam to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, to negotiate terms for repatriating the Taiwanese suspects to Taiwan.

But under pressure from China, who claimed the victims of the fraud ring were all Chinese citizens, the Cambodian authorities ignored Liang’s request to visit the suspects and take them back to Taiwan, instead deporting them on a China Southern Airlines flight bound for Nanjing Tuesday.

Taiwanese businessmen based in Cambodia told CNA that they had tried to offer assistance to the Taiwanese suspects, but Cambodia would not allow them to visit.     [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: September 21, 2016
By: CNA

This satellite image released by the Port of Kaohsiung Taiwan International Ports Corporation on Tuesday, Sept. 20, shows the Sizihwan area in Gushan, Kaohsiung. (CNA)

This satellite image released by the Port of Kaohsiung Taiwan International Ports Corporation on Tuesday, Sept. 20, shows the Sizihwan area in Gushan, Kaohsiung. The corporation said it had cleared the pollution created when four stranded vessels were blown to Sizihwan by the strong winds of Typhoon Meranti last week.     [FULL  STORY]

China’s crackdown on foreign NGOs could be an opportunity for Taiwan.
One researcher sees a new opportunity emerging for Taiwan as China cracks down on foreign non-government organizations (NGO).

The News Lens
Date: 2016/09/19
By: Olivia Yang

Many are predicting a flight of foreign NGOs from China when new restrictions come into force next year. Cambodia, India, Egypt and Russia are among the other countries that are implementing similar restrictions on how domestic NGOs interact with foreign organizations “due to the rise of civil societies around the world in recent years,” Li Yen-cheng (李晏榛), a Taiwanese researcher on NGOs, told CNA.

Lu Jun (陸軍), a member of NGO Beijing Yirenping Center (益仁平), which promotes social justice and public health, tells CNA that the relationship between local and foreign NGOs is not just about gaining financial support, but also learning from the more developed operating systems of international NGOs.

But China’s new NGO controls will “have a strong impact” on this, Lu says.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/09/19
By: Chang Che-fon and Romulo Huang

Taipei, Sept. 19 (CNA) Two new 1000-ton Class Coast Guard Administration cutters will be officially commissioned at a ceremony to be held at the Port of Kaohsiung on Wednesday, the CGA announced Monday.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will preside over the ceremony at which she will present in person the flags of the Taitung (CG-133) and the Pingtung (CG-135) to their respective captains, the administration said.

After presiding over the ceremony, Tsai will board the Pingtung (CG-135) and inspect the ship’s navigation instruments and arms installed on board and also meet with CGA coastal control personnel, it added.

The new cutters, with a length of 87.6 meters and a beam of 12.8 meters, were constructed domestically. They are equipped with two main engines each and can sail at a speed of up to 24 knots, with a range of 6,000 nautical miles.     [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: September 20, 2016
By: CNA

Models fly kites in this undated file photo released by the New Taipei City government’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs on Monday, Sept. 19. The Northern Coast International Kite Festival will be held on Sept. 24-25 at Baishawan Beach in New Taipei City’s Shimen District. More than 20 teams of kite flyers from over 10 nations will compete at the festival.         [SOURCE]