Page Two

Grassroots Alliance steps up campaign

SUNFLOWER ROOTS:‘No one gave a shit about them and their opinions, but a few years later, we witnessed their achievements,’ Lin Chia-hsing said of the Sunflower movement

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 25, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

The newly established Grassroots Alliance yesterday stepped up its efforts to push for reforms of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), announcing that in the next few months it is to hold six seminars across the nation.

The alliance made the announcement in Taipei yesterday at its first seminar — held to expound on its reform ideas and founding principles, and to recruit members and voluntary workers.

Despite the cold weather, nearly 80 participants packed the small venue, which was offered to the alliance by a supporter free of charge.

“The KMT has evolved from a revolutionary party to one that is stable and conservative. When it comes to governing a nation, there is nothing wrong with being stable and conservative, but we believe it is time to make the KMT a revolutionary party once again,” former chief of the KMT’s Youth League and Grassroots Alliance founder Lin Chia-hsing (林家興) said.

During his sophomore year at National Chengchi University, Lin said he joined Sunflower movement leaders Chen Wei-ting (陳為廷) and Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) to advocate causes the group believed in.     [FULL  STORY]

First Taiwan-built PL-1B Chieh-shou jet returns to service in U.S.

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/24
By: Tsao Yu-fan and Evelyn Kao

Los Angeles, Jan. 24 (CNA) The PL-1B Chieh-shou trainer, designed and 3605631manufactured by the Aero Industry Development Center (AIDC) under the Republic of China Air Force as the first domestically built aircraft since the ROC government moved to Taiwan in 1949, is back in service in the United States after being decommissioned in 1982.

The PL-1B Chieh-shou primary trainer was built by AIDC and completed a final flight test Oct. 26, 1968. It was named Chieh-shou, meaning “Long live Chiang Kai-shek,” to mark the 82nd birthday of the late then-President Chiang Kai-shek that year.

The Aero Industry Development Center was renamed the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC, 漢翔航空), which was established in March 1969 under the Ministry of National Defense.

The model then entered mass production the following year. As of 1982, a total of 58 of the jets had been decommissioned, five of which were bought by the United States.     [FULL  STORY]

Vice President Wu Den-yih hints not to join KMT chair race

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-24
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taiwan’s Vice President Wu Den-yih hinted Sunday he will not join the race 6730971for KMT chair, saying he would like the middle-aged generation to take on this responsibility.

Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu and former Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin have announced their intention to run for the leadership of the KMT, which suffered its biggest election defeat in the party’s history in Taiwan’s 2016 general elections. The KMT lost both presidency and the majority in the Legislature to the opposition Democratic Progressive Party by landslide margins.

The voices calling for the KMT to start a reformation has become louder and louder since the election was over in mid-January.

In response to the media question whether he will run for KMT leadership while attending a social function on Sunday, Wu said he hopes the middle-aged generation can take on the responsibility of upholding the party’s core value of loving the country and its people.     [FULL  STORY][

Snow around Taiwan wows locals (update)

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/24
By: Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Jan. 24 (CNA) Snow, which is rarely seen in Taiwan, an Asia-Pacific

Taipei's Yangmingshan

Taipei’s Yangmingshan

island crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, wowed people around the island Sunday with the appearance of the white stuff, from the capital Taipei in the north to Pingtung County in the south.

Under the influence of a strong cold air mass, many places around Taiwan — even those located at an altitude of only 400 to 500 meters — received a covering of snow or soft hail overnight, exciting the locals, who likely have never seen a silver world in real life since they were born.

Despite low temperatures, people were seen swarming to elevated areas, including Jiangziliaoshan (726 meters) in Keelung, Taipei’s Yangmingshan, and Linkuo and Pinglin in New Taipei, to appreciate the natural beauty painted by snow.     [FULL  STORY]

Cabinet should stay on until May 20: Hsu

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-23
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A caretaker president should only form a caretaker 6730676Cabinet, and it would still be the best if the incumbent team stayed on until the presidential inauguration on May 20, said former Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Hsu Hsin-liang.

While DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen was elected president with 56 percent of the vote on January 16, she will still have to wait four months until she is sworn in, leading to a variety of proposals on how the government should function during that time.

An extra complication is that the DPP also won a majority at the Legislative Yuan which will start work on February 1, heading into more than three months of possible confrontation with a Kuomintang-led government.     [FULL  STORY]

4 crew members on stranded Chinese freighter airlifted to safety

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/23
By: Huang Kuo-fang and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Jan. 23 (CNA) Four crew members on a China-registered freighter 201601230012t0001were airlifted to safety by Taiwanese rescuers Saturday, after their ship became stranded during an attempt to dock at a harbor in southern Taiwan to take shelter from strong winds.

Due to the bad weather, the Chinese ship applied late Friday for approval to dock at Budai Harbor in Chiayi County.

However, the ship was stranded as the crew tried to enter the harbor under the guidance of Taiwanese coast guard officials Saturday morning.

Budai coast guard said they tried to tow the ship, but failed. Because of the high waves, rescuers were also unable to approach and board the ship to save the people aboard.

The coast guard, therefore, sought assistance from the National Airborne Service Corps, which sent a helicopter to airlift the four crew members, all Chinese nationals, from the ship.     [FULL  STORY]

Peace the foundation of Taiwan’s democracy: Ma

INTANGIBLE BRIDGE:Ma expressed hope that meetings of top-level officials across the Strait would continue, saying that they provide an avenue for peaceful dialogue

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 24, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that peace is the foundation

President Ma Ying-jeou, left, yesterday leaves an event in Taipei marking World Freedom Day. Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times

President Ma Ying-jeou, left, yesterday leaves an event in Taipei marking World Freedom Day. Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times

for Taiwan’s democratic system and stressed the importance of peace across the Taiwan Strait and in its democracy.

In today’s Taiwan, peace is the foundation for its democratic system, Ma said at a celebration of World Freedom Day, held by the World League for Freedom and Democracy.

Attaching the importance of cross-strait peace to Taiwan’s democracy, Ma said: “If there is no cross-strait peace, that will pose a threat to the development of freedom and democracy.”

Over the past 60 years, the nation experienced martial law and the White Terror era, a period of suppression of political dissidents, and Ma described them as the results of the war between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party forces.     [FULL  STORY]

DPP legislative caucus issues reform manifesto

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-22
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

It is the first time the DPP won an absolute legislative majority, taking 68 of 6730383the 113 seats. The DPP legislative caucus members held a press conference Friday morning to speak of their reform proposals, which will be put forth once the DPP takes office.

Presidential and legislative elections last week saw a landslide victory for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) with Tsai Ing-wen being elected as president and the party winning a majority of seats in the next Legislature. The DPP legislative caucus members held a press conference Friday issuing their manifesto, vowing to push for legislative reform immediately after taking office.

It is the first time the DPP won an absolute legislative majority, taking 68 of the 113 seats. The DPP legislative caucus members held a press conference Friday morning to speak of their reform proposals, which will be put forth once the DPP takes office.

The proposals are part of the DPP’s wider plans for legislative reform, said legislator Lee Chun-yi, including the establishment of regulations for an impartial speaker of the Legislature, changes to the Legislature’s voting system, and the improvement of the Legislature’s efficiency and transparency.     [FULL  STORY]

Paiwan tribe people miffed after losing NHK discrimination case

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/22
By: Kuo Chu-chen and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Jan. 22 (CNA) Elders from one of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes, the Paiwan, said on Friday that they were not satisfied at all, one day after the Supreme Court of Tokyo rejected a lower court’s ruling that Japanese broadcaster NHK should compensate a Taiwanese Paiwan woman for defamation.

The ruling is final.

In 2013, Tokyo’s high court ruled that NHK should compensate the woman around NT$290,000 (around US$8,700) for using “discriminatory wording” to describe indigenous people, including her father, shown in a picture in its report.

At issue is a special program on the history of Japan’s colonization of Taiwan, which was produced by NHK and aired on April 5, 2009.     [FULL  STORY]

Ma outlines economic achievements in office

Taiwan Today
Date: January 22, 2016

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said Jan. 21 that government promotion of trade

President Ma Ying-jeou details government measures in transforming Taiwan’s economy through innovation Jan. 21 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

President Ma Ying-jeou details government measures in transforming Taiwan’s economy through innovation Jan. 21 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

liberalization and innovation over the past seven years has helped Taiwan firms expand their global footprint and laid the foundations for a national industrial upgrade.

“We have implemented a raft of measures transforming our efficiency-driven economy competing on price to one powered by innovation and value,” Ma said. “We must continue developing our competitive edge and embracing regional integration to ensure sustainable economic development.”

The president made the remarks during his opening address at an economic forum organized by locally based CommonWealth Magazine in Taipei City. It was the seventh consecutive year Ma attended the event.

According to Ma, since he took office in May 2008, the government’s economic liberalization policies have paid handsome dividends in the form of trade agreements with Japan, New Zealand and Singapore.     [FULL  STORY]