Taiwan Today
Date: March 8, 2016

A series of policy initiatives aimed at building Taiwan into a global information

and communications technology solutions center were recently proposed by ROC President-elect Tsai Ing-wen.

These include a talent recruitment scheme, stable electricity, land and water provisions for semiconductor fabs, and closer cooperation with mid- and downstream integrated circuit manufacturers. Tie-ups with innovative sectors like biomedical, green energy, Internet of Things, national defense and smart machinery are also on the cards.

“Semiconductors are key to Taiwan’s economic transformation,” Tsai said during a March 3 meeting with more than 20 business leaders at Hsinchu Science Park—a cluster of high-tech companies in northern Taiwan. “My administration will take a central role in assisting such cross-industry collaborations to give Taiwan a distinct and unified presence in the international marketplace.”

The Democratic Progressive Party chairwoman also expressed interest in industry challenges connected with intensifying competition from South Korea and mainland China. These were raised in the meeting by members of locally based Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association, who urged her to think outside the box when drafting new policies.

Kung Ming-hsin, vice president of Taiwan Institute of Economic Research and an economic policy advisor to Tsai, said the incoming government is expected to be bullish when it comes to strengthening youth science education and providing subsidies for employer-backed IC-relevant doctoral degrees.     [FULL  STORY]

INVESTIGATION:Premier Simon Chang told lawmakers he advised the ministry of defense to suspend officials involved in the search of Wei’s house to facilitate a probe

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 09, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

Premier Simon Chang (張善政) yesterday pledged to explore ways to recover

old classified government documents held by private individuals as he was questioned by legislators about the military police’s allegedly warrantless search of a residence of a civilian who possessed White Terror era documents.

Chang made the promise during a question-and-answer session at the legislature in Taipei in response to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Chi-mai’s (陳其邁) inquiries regarding media reports that the proprietor of a Yahoo auction store, Rebirth.com, is in possession of nearly 1,000 government documents from the White Terror era.

The store owner, surnamed Hu (胡), is said to be the person who initially sold the documents to a middle-aged man surnamed Wei (魏), whose house was searched by military police on Feb. 19 after he attempted to sell the files online.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/07
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, March 7 (CNA) A total of 383 hospitals, clinics and pharmacies defrauded Taiwan’s health insurance system of more than NT$300 million (US$9.16 million) in 2015, the most ever in a single year, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said Monday.

Kao Shih-hao (高世豪), a senior NHIA official, said that the funds have been recovered and the institutions involved punished, including having their contracts with the NHIA revoked.

Some 171 institutions involved in the more serious cases of fraud have been turned over to prosecutors.

The NHIA conducted surprise inspections of 803 medical institutions last year and found 383 filing false reimbursement claims to defraud the national health insurance system, Kao said.

The amount that was found to be collected through false claims was three times more than was uncovered the previous year and the most ever in any single year, Kao said.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/06
By: Sophia Yeh and Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, March 6 (CNA) Shared convictions about human rights, rule of law, democratic

values and world peace provide a solid and enduring basis for the diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of China, the Holy See’s representative in Taipei said Sunday.

Monsignor Paul Russell (陸思道), chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Holy See, made the remarks at a mass to mark the third anniversary of the election of Pope Francis at the Taipei Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Datong District.

The event was attended by Vice President-elect Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) and Vice Foreign Minister Leo Chen-jan Lee (李澄然).

Russell said that “our diplomatic relations, which date from Oct. 23, 1942, are based on shared convictions about the dignity of the human person; promotion of human rights, especially religious freedom and freedom of conscience; respect for the rule of law among nations and within nations; respect for basic democratic principles and the promotion of democratic values, including freedom of thought and expression; a common commitment to the promotion of peace in the world and a reduction of tensions among peoples and nations, especially in this area of the world; and the desire to have friendly relationships with all peoples and nations.”     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-05
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The central government’s Forestry Bureau announced Saturday that Taiwan will cooperate

with the United States in the fight against wildlife trafficking.

The bureau has agreed to work with the U.S. on conducting a joint training program to increase the expertise of law enforcement officers to tackle wildlife trafficking, which will take place in May, said the bureau.

Illicit wildlife trade has had a devastating impact on biodiversity, which the global figure runs up to twenty billion dollars per year, trailing only illegal drug and gun trading, said the bureau.

As U.S. President Barack Obama has made the fight against illegal wildlife smuggling a priority, the bureau said it is willing to work with the U.S. on conducting a joint training program, after it was contacted by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in this regard.

Some Taiwanese individuals may have been involved in global trafficking and smuggling activities, and a joint training program could increase local law enforcement officers’ capability to fight these crimes, the bureau added.

The training program will be conducted by Trade Record Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce in Taipei (TRAFFIC Taipei). In the meantime, two visiting experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will come to Taiwan to exchange experience in the field area, said the bureau.     [SOURCE]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/05
By: Chen Cheng-wei and Y.F. Low

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) The socioeconomic status of women in Taiwan has been increasing as their levels of education increase, according to a report released Saturday by the government.

The percentage of tertiary-educated women has exceeded that of men since 2012.

In 2015, 45 percent of women aged 15 years old and above had a college education or higher, compared with 39.3 percent for men, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said.

Women’s overall labor force participation rate continued to rise to reach 50.7 percent, which reflects women’s growing desire to maintain economic independence, the DGBAS said.

However, the labor force participation rates of women between the ages of 30 and 64 remained significantly lower than those of men’s, with the gaps ranging from 14.5 percentage points to 30.4 percentage points.     [FULL  STORY]