The New York Times
By: MICHAEL FORSYTHE and JANE PERLEZ

HONG KONG — When the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis and four other

American warships sailed into the South China Sea last week for what were described as routine exercises, the message was clear: The United States is the dominant military power in the region and plans to keep it that way.

But numerous Chinese naval ships were operating nearby, the United States Navy said, noticeably more than in past years. A Chinese officer told the state-run news media that the ships were there to “monitor, identify, follow and expel” foreign vessels and aircraft, depending on how close they came “to our islands.”

The encounter, which passed without incident, was the latest episode in a wary standoff between the United States and China over two contested island chains known as the Paracels and the Spratlys.

U.S. Challenges China’s Claim of Islands With Maritime OperationJAN. 30, 2016
Since taking office three years ago, President Xi Jinping has used the isles to expand China’s military footprint in the region, taking one step after another to build and equip outposts far from the Chinese mainland over protests from its neighbors and from Washington.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-10
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Director General of the Department of North American Affairs of Ministry of

Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Christine Hsueh said Thursday that the Taiwan-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks would most likely take place after the new government takes office, and will be hosted by the United States this time as both sides agreed to take turns holding the annual meeting.

The TIFA was established in 1994 as a high-level economic and trade consultations between the two states and a primary bilateral platform for trade dispute resolution, trade promotion and investment cooperation.

The latest round of TIFA trade talks was held in October last year in Taipei without reaching consensus on debated issues such as U.S. pork imports. Taiwan’s resistance to expanding imports of U.S. pork has had the U.S. suspend the talks several times in the past to express its dissatisfaction. It is generally thought that Taiwan’s new government is expected to remove restrictions on pork imports in order to help its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

In the meantime, the U.S. has lent conditional support to Taiwan’s membership in the TPP, with opening Taiwan’s market to U.S. pork being one of the conditions, according to media reports.

Trade negotiation between Taiwan and the U.S. has been an ongoing process, said Hsueh, and since the new government will be sworn in on May 20, the latest trade talks would most likely be held after then.     [SOURCE]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/10
By: Tai Ya-chen and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, March 10 (CNA) The current influenza outbreak in Taiwan, while still widespread, has been winding down and there are sufficient medical resources to treat flu patients, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛福部) said Thursday.

Health authorities recorded 60 new severe flu-related cases and three suspected deaths on Thursday, the ministry said in a briefing on the outbreak during a Cabinet meeting.

The flu outbreak, which started in July last year and reached its peak last month, has led to more than 1,529 severe flu-related cases and 121 confirmed deaths in the country, the most of any flu seasons over the past five years, according to the ministry.

A severe case is one in which a patient either requires admission to an intensive care unit or dies.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: March 10, 2016

Taiwan’s thriving coffee culture is set to take on an added dimension courtesy

of the revolutionary approach by world coffee roasting champion Jacky Lai.

Born 1980 in Yilan County, northeastern Taiwan, Lai was introduced to the world of coffee while working part-time at a cafe on the other side of the island in Yunlin County’s Gukeng Township, which boasts the country’s largest coffee plantations like Huashan.

But it was further south in Kaohsiung that Lai started his own business. He said the port city’s entrepreneur-friendly environment proved an irresistible lure.

“I opened my first shop, which combines fresh roasting and barista coffee, in 2011 after a fact-finding trip to the U.S.,” Lai said. “It represented the culmination of years spent working at the coffee coalface, and Kaohsiung’s nascent coffee scene proved a fertile ground for daring tastes and business innovation.”

Surfing the third wave of artisanal coffee, his little shop quickly developed into a popular national chain. Emboldened by such success, Lai’s next step was to conquer the coffee world.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 11, 2016
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

Protesters yesterday rallied outside the Taipei Military Police Station over the

military police’s controversial seizure of White Terror-era documents from the residence of a civilian surnamed Wei (魏), an action leaders said represented a “return to White Terror era authoritarianism.”

About 30 Free Taiwan Party supporters gathered outside the station to denounce the military police and the Ministry of National Defense (MND) for seizing the declassified documents during a search conducted without a warrant.

They held up banners which said: “Deplorable actions by military police,” “refuse Waffen-SS troops” and “Give us transitional justice,” then set fire to a military police uniform and ghost money at the entrance to the station.

The protesters issued a statement demanding Minister of National Defense Kao Kuang-chi’s (高廣圻) resignation and called for a thorough judicial investigation into which officials were responsible.

They also demanded a law be implemented to oversee the public disclosure of all White Terror era documents.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-09
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Both Taiwan’s incoming and outgoing presidents on Wednesday orally agreed to arrange a meeting between them.

After having a 90-minute closed-door meeting with People First Party Chairperson James Soong on Wednesday morning, President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, who has said she would meet with leaders of the country’s major political parties, was asked by the media whether she will meet with President Ma Ying-jeou.

Tsai, who doubles as Democratic Progressive Party chairperson, said that Ma will soon go on a state visit, so she will contact him after his return to arrange a meeting between them at an appropriate time.

Ma is scheduled to visit Guatemala and Belize, both Taiwan’s allies in Central America, from March 13 to 19.

In response to a media question regarding the meeting with Tsai, Ma said, “[Meeting between] us is not difficult. We will find a way to arrange.”

Ma served as chairperson of the Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007 and from 2009 to 2014.     [SOURCE]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/08
By: Chen Wei-ting and Y.F. Low

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) Taiwan recorded 314 new cases of severe flu with complications last week, 37 of which resulted in deaths, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.

Since July last year — the starting point for each flu season in Taiwan — 1,423 severe flu cases have been reported in Taiwan, and 121 of them have been fatal, the CDC said.

Influenza A H1N1 remains the most prevalent strain of virus this year, but influenza B cases are also increasing, according to the CDC.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that from the 1976-1977 season to the 2006-2007 flu season, flu-associated deaths ranged from about 3,000 to 49,000 people per year in America.

Using the same methodology, the CDC has estimated that about 1,000 to 2,200 people die from flu-related complications in Taiwan during every flu season.     [FULL  STORY]