The China Post
Date: September 7, 2016
By: Stephanie Chao

Experts urged the Tsai administration to set up a task force to address the recent South China Sea

tribunal ruling, as they sought to clarify misunderstandings over the issue that they said were spread by the government and local media.

The Tsai administration has faced pressure and opposition from the public since the July 12 international arbitration tribunal ruling. According to the panel, the government’s lack of concrete action has contributed to President Tsai Ing-wen’s sliding approval ratings.

Tsai should form a task force comprised of experts to address issues such as the government’s maritime policy, which should include measures to address the South China Sea, East Sea, Taiwan Strait and global maritime affairs, said Academia Sinica Institute of European and American Studies Research Fellow Song Yann-huei at a press conference held by the Taiwan Center for Security Studies.

Song said the Tsai administration should redirect its narrative from focusing on Taiping Island (太平島) alone and should focus on the Scarborough Shoal (黃岩島) as well, which was also mentioned in the ruling.     [FULL  STORY]

‘Taiwan does not need to compete with others, but must instead try its best to make use of its strengths.’

The News Lens
Date: 2016/09/05
By: Yuan-ling Liang

Following news on Friday that President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) Presidential Office-level New Southbound Policy Coordination Office is to be merged with the Executive Yuan, the Cabinet today held a press conference to officially launch the new initiative.

National Development Council (NDC) Deputy Minister Kao Shien-quey (高仙桂) said the policy comports four main directions: economic and trade cooperation, interactions between professionals, sharing resources, and connecting local regions.

Kao said ASEAN countries have a total population of 600 million while India has 1.3 billion, and is a potential market for Taiwan as an alternative to China. The New Southbound Policy targets 18 countries, including the ASEAN nations, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Australia, and New Zealand.

“[Most of these countries] are growing, and they need infrastructure,” which is an opportunity for Taiwan, Kao said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-05
By: Cli Square, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Thousands of retired and serving military officers, civil servants and teachers marched through Taipei Saturday in the name of “anti smear and defending dignity.” But did they take to the street truly because they thought they deserve the unbelievably generous pensions they have been receiving and have been unjustly painted as a group of “social benefit predators?” Or did they take to the street to protest against the prospect that such pensions could be greatly modified?

The disproportionate pension schemes for the above-mentioned groups have been depleting the pension funds and are likely to drive the government’s finance to the brink of bankruptcy if left unattended.

Generosity is okay, but unfairness is not. The fact is that the country’s current pension schemes are extremely lopsided.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/09/05
By: Wang Shwu-fen and Elizabeth Hsu

Kaohsiung, Sept. 5 (CNA) Southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City forged sister city ties with Panama City on

Monday to boost mutual cooperation and exchanges in the cultural, trade and economic areas, city officials said.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) and her Panamanian counterpart, Jose Blandon, signed the agreement for the sisterhood pact here. The treaty officially makes Panama City the 29th sister city of Kaohsiung.

During the signing ceremony, Chen praised Panama as an important ally of Taiwan in Latin America. She expressed hope that in the future, the two port cities will help each other in the promotion of industrial transformation and boost mutual cooperation and exchanges in the areas ranging from port development, exhibition, finance to cultural innovation.

In his address, Blandon, who is on a visit to Kaohsiung for the upcoming 2016 Global Harbor Cities Forum, said he hopes the two cities will engage in experience sharing and exchanges more frequently in the future.     [FULL  STORY]

INVERSE PYRAMID:Statistics show that the 260,000 retirees with benefits of more than NT$40,000 account for more than double the spending on any other bracket

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 06, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

National pension reform should consolidate different pension funds while guaranteeing minimum living

expenses and putting a ceiling on payouts, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) said yesterday, announcing its pension reform plans as a national debate continues.

“It is time to stop the war of words, because we all have our ‘saliva’ on the subject. Anyone who is serious about supporting reform should put forth their plan,” SDP policy committee convener Fan Yun (范雲) said.

Fan criticized the organizers of Saturday’s protest by retired public-school teachers, civil servants and military personnel for stating that they support pension reform, while focusing on the “non-issue” of “dignity” instead of outlining specific proposals.

“The problem with pensions is that the difference across occupations is too huge, which is what creates hostility. Pension funds are going bankrupt because they are tied too closely to salaries rather than providing a minimum guarantee for retirees,” she said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-04
By: Poor Luis, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Tsai Ing-wen administration is on the brink of losing the popularity that gave it a total mandate to lead the country just a little more than 100 days after the transition of power. The new administration’s waning popular support, which has been reflected in its plummeting poll numbers, has disappointed the people who had high hopes that President Tsai, who leads a political party that commands an absolute majority in the Legislature, would build Taiwan into “a fair and just society.”

During the short period since the new administration took power, Taiwanese people have gone from “the stage of excessive expectation to hope to the stages of discontent, conflict and protest” as they gradually found that “the team’s political ideals professed during election were gone with the wind and campaign promises had gone unfulfilled.”

After the transition of power, besides having appointed several political officers who “tie their fate to Taiwan’s existence,” the new government has also kept promoting the previous administration’s important government officials to the posts of “important political affairs officers and staff members,” intertwining the new government’s structure with the old one and allowing the recurrence of the old problem of high-ranking officials shielding one another in wrongdoings.     [FULL  STORY]