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Traffic enforcement to go on as usual during New Year holiday: Ko

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-01
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

With the approach of the Lunar New Year holidays merely a week 6732712away, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je announced Monday that the city government has set up a specialized task force to handle traffic-related issues during the nine-day off period.

“Illegal parking will still be enforced in Taipei during the holiday break,” Ko said, calling on officers to carry on with their normal routine of handing out traffic fines to non law-abiding drivers.

His comments came during a groundbreaking ceremony for the tear down of Zhongxiao Bridge, which is located near Taipei Railway Station at the intersection of Zhongxiao West road and Zhonghua road.     [FULL  STORY]

Two sentenced to 2 months for vandalizing artifacts at new museum

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/01
By: Huang Kuo-fang and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Feb. 1 (CNA) Two people were sentenced to two months in

CNA file photo

CNA file photo

prison for spraying paints on two Chinese zodiac heads that were part of a set of 12 donated by Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan (成龍) to the southern branch of the National Palace Museum last month.

The two can pay fines in lieu of serving prison terms and the case can still be appealed.

The Chiayi District Court said the man surnamed Chen, 33, and another woman, also surnamed Chen, 20, sprayed red paint on the “dragon” and “horse” heads of the Chinese zodiac set and painted “cultural united front” on the pedestals.

The two Chens said that they were dissatisfied with Chan’s status as a member of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and that the heads, as united front tools, are not suitable to be displayed at the southern branch.      [FULL  STORY]

ROC’s Interpol oberver bid backed by US Senate

Taiwan Today
Date: February 1, 2016

A bill boosting Taiwan’s participation in the International Criminal

Taiwan’s bid for Interpol observer status is receiving strong legislative support in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. (CNA)

Taiwan’s bid for Interpol observer status is receiving strong legislative support in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. (CNA)

Police Organization (Interpol) was passed unanimously Jan. 28 by the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Introduced by Sen. Cory Gardner and co-sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin, S 2426 follows HR 1853, which was approved without dissent by the House of Representatives last November.

The two bills direct the U.S. president and Department of State to develop a strategy to help Taiwan obtain observer status in Interpol and its related activities. This highlights the importance of including Taiwan in international organizations for the U.S. and global community, according to the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is ready, willing and able to play a vital part in the global initiative to thwart acts of terrorism and crime against humanity,” a MOFA official said.     [FULL  STORY]

Cabinet not to be passive caretaker, President Ma says

PROACTIVE:At a swearing-in ceremony for Premier Simon Chang, Ma cited three examples of how his administration has not ‘slacked off’ since elections

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 02, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that the new Cabinet

Vice President Wu Den-yih, center, presides over a ceremony at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday as outgoing premier Mao Chi-kuo, left, hands over the seals of office to incoming Premier Simon Chang. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times

Vice President Wu Den-yih, center, presides over a ceremony at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday as outgoing premier Mao Chi-kuo, left, hands over the seals of office to incoming Premier Simon Chang. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times

would proactively carry out its duties in the remaining four months of his term and would not “merely be a passive caretaker.”

Cabinet members would also provide assistance to their successors to ensure a smooth transition of power, Ma said at a swearing-in ceremony for Premier Simon Chang (張善政) and his Cabinet members.

Ma cited three examples of proactive governance during the transition period.
First, the National Financial Stabilization Fund has been supporting share prices in the volatile stock market since the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections, Ma said.

“We did not slack off just because the Cabinet resigned,” he said.     [FULL  STORY]

DPP to hold workshop for incoming legislators

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-31
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Democratic Progressive Party will hold a workshop for incoming

DPP to hold workshop for incoming legislators

DPP to hold workshop for incoming legislators

legislators after Lunar New Year to discuss priority policies as well as controversial policies of the caretaker government, a DPP official said on Sunday.

The DPP will become a majority in the new legislature when it is sworn in on Feb. 1.

The DPP’s caucus and policy committee will hold a legislator workshop for incoming legislators after Lunar New Year when the party’s caucus and each committee have decided on their members, DPP Policy Committee deputy executive director Shih Keh-he said Sunday.

All legislators are invited to attend the workshop, which will focus on discussions of rules and operations of the legislature, priority bills, major policy proposals introduced during the presidential and legislative election campaign, as well as controversial policies of the caretaker government.     [FULL  STORY]

Legislature set to enter new era when new term begins Monday

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/31
By: Chen Chun-hua and Kay Liu

Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) When the Legislature begins a new term on

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng waves to reporters when leaving the Legislature Sunday.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng waves to reporters when leaving the Legislature Sunday.

Monday, its leadership will likely be controlled by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the first time in Taiwan’s history.

On Monday, the 113 lawmakers who will begin a new four-year term will elect a speaker and a deputy speaker after they are sworn in, according to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power.

All lawmakers are eligible to be elected for the posts, decided in separate elections, and the two major parties — the DPP and Kuomintang (KMT) — have nominated candidates.

The DPP put forward Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) and Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) as the party’s candidates for speaker and deputy speaker, respectively, and with the party holding 68 of the 113 seats, the DPP’s two candidates are virtually assured of victory.     [FULL  STORY]

Beijing’s policy toward Taiwan ‘will not change’

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 01, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Beijing’s basic policy toward Taiwan is to remain unchanged despite political changes in Taiwan, a Chinese official said on Saturday.

“No matter what changes occur in Taiwan’s political scene, the mainland’s basic policy line toward Taiwan will not change,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) said while meeting with a group of Taiwanese businesspeople with operations in China.

Zhang said he hoped that in the new year, cross-strait relations would continue to move forward along a path of peaceful development based on the common political foundation of the so-called “1992 consensus.”

He said that cross-strait ties have achieved fruitful results since 2008, a development which he said is beneficial to the wellbeing of people on both sides of the Strait and that should be valued.     [FULL  STORY]

Less rainy weekend in forecast; cooler in northern Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-30
By: Central News Agency

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) A weather front that has brought rain to all
6732241parts of Taiwan since Thursday will gradually move away from the

island, ushering in cooler air from the north to bring temperatures

down by two to three degrees Celsius in northern Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau said Saturday.

There could still be some showers around the country Saturday but any precipitation should be far more moderate than during the two previous days, especially in the latter half of the day, the bureau said.     [FULL  STORY]

Beijing’s policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged: Chinese official

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/30
By: Scarlett Chai and Y.F. Low

Beijing, Jan. 30 (CNA) Beijing’s basic policy toward Taiwan will remain

Zhang Zhijun (rear, left third)

Zhang Zhijun (rear, left third)

unchanged despite political changes in Taiwan, a Chinese official said Saturday.

“No matter what changes occur in Taiwan’s political scene, the mainland’s basic policy line toward Taiwan will not change,” said Zhang Zhijun (張志軍), head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, while meeting with a group of Taiwanese businessmen with operations in China.

Zhang said he hoped that in the new year, cross-Taiwan Strait relations will continue to move forward along the path of peaceful development based on the common political foundation of the “1992 consensus.”

He said cross-strait ties have achieved fruitful results since 2008, a development which he said is beneficial to the well-being of people on both sides and should be valued.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan ranked 14th-freest economy

STILL WORK TO DO:In Taiwan, connections remain between politics and big business, and corruption is still a problem, the ‘Index of Economic Freedom’ said

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 31, 2016
By: William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

Taiwan has achieved its highest-ever score in the annual Index of

Incoming Premier Chang San-cheng discusses policy priorities during a radio interview Jan. 29 in Taipei City. (CNA)

Incoming Premier Chang San-cheng discusses policy priorities during a radio interview Jan. 29 in Taipei City. (CNA)

Economic Freedom released on Friday, remaining the 14th-freest economy in the world, the same position it occupied in the previous year’s ranking.

The nation is ranked fifth out of 42 economies in the Asia-Pacific region and has improved over the past year in seven of the 10 categories measured by the index.
“Despite progress, however, a relatively high level of perceived corruption and a rigid labor market still restrain Taiwan’s overall economic freedom,” the report said.

Published and compiled by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, the report has attracted global attention for more than 20 years.

The global average score for economic freedom is 60.4 out of 100, with Taiwan scoring above that figure with 75.1.     [FULL  STORY]