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ROC Cabinet announces 2016 carbon emissions goal

Taiwan Today
Date: January 6, 2016

Carbon emissions by Taiwan’s five major economic sectors will be capped at

Clear skies are likely to occur more frequently in Taiwan as a result of the ROC Cabinet’s Jan. 5 commitment to capping national carbon emissions at 251.04 million tons this year. (CNA)

Clear skies are likely to occur more frequently in Taiwan as a result of the ROC Cabinet’s Jan. 5 commitment to capping national carbon emissions at 251.04 million tons this year. (CNA)

251.04 million tons this year as part of government efforts to fulfill the national reduction commitment.

“Cutting annual output to the average of 2012 to 2014 levels is in line with the goals set out in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act promulgated in July last year,” Minister without Portfolio Yeh Shin-cheng said Jan. 5.

“It also follows the roadmap to achieving the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions unveiled by the Environmental Protection Administration in September 2015.”

Among the five major emissions contributors, Yeh said, industrial activities will account for 48.76 percent of the total, followed by residential and commercial at 25.44, transportation at 14.18 percent, energy production at 10.53 percent and agriculture at 1.08 percent.

The goals serve as the benchmark for the respective sectors before the EPA releases the country’s statutory carbon emissions targets between 2016 and 2020 by the end of the year, he added.     [FULL  STORY]

Protests target labor rule plans

BUSINESS-FRIENDLY ACT?Taiwan Labour Front’s Son Yu-lian said the proposed regulations would remove rules that aim to protect jobs for Taiwanese workers

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 07, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber  /  Staff reporter

Dropping salary requirements for foreign white-collar worker would force down

Taiwan Labour Front, Economic Democracy Union and Green Party Taiwan members protest in front of the Ministry of Labor building in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Taiwan Labour Front, Economic Democracy Union and Green Party Taiwan members protest in front of the Ministry of Labor building in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

local wages, labor rights advocates said yesterday at a protest outside the Ministry of Labor, calling for the withdrawal of plans to abandon absolute salary thresholds for work permits.

Members of the Taiwan Labour Front, Economic Democracy Union and other groups shouted slogans saying that the proposed changes go against the spirit of the Employment Service Act (就業服務法) and calling for the government to “hold firm” on the NT$47,971 monthly salary threshold in the face of corporate pressure.

In addition to the salary threshold, regulations require foreign white-collar workers to have either two years of relevant work experience or an advanced degree to be eligible for a work permit.     [FULL  STORY]

Ko plans to bike from Taipei to Kaohsiung in 21 hours

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-05
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je plans to bike from Taipei to Kaohsiung, a

Ko to bike from Taipei to Kaohsiung in one day.

Ko to bike from Taipei to Kaohsiung in one day.

distance of 380km, in 21 hours on January 9 to promote Velo City 2016.

Taipei has taken over from Nantes to organize Velo-city conferences from February 27 to March 1, 2016.

Velo-city conferences bring together those involved in policy, promotion and the provision of cycling facilities and programs from around the world to build effective trans-national partnerships.

Last time Ko rode from Taipei to Yunlin, a distance of 260km, on December 13. Along the way, a total of 10 candidates in the legislative race set up rest areas fro him and came to root for him, transforming his biking journey into a different way of election campaign.     [FULL  STORY]

Over 300 candidates registered for legislative elections

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/05
By: Tai Ya-chen and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) More than 300 candidates will vie for 73 directly elected 17176579seats in Taiwan’s Legislature in national elections on Jan.16, over 30 percent more than four years ago, the Central Election Commission announced on Tuesday.

A total of 354 district legislative candidates — including those from the ruling Kuomintang and the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party — have registered to compete to represent Taiwan’s 73 electoral districts, compared with 269 in the 2012 elections.

Several new parties have also nominated candidates in the legislative elections, including the New Power Party, the Minkuotang, and the Faith and Hope League.

Many of the parties were formed in 2015 because of dissatisfaction with the performances of the existing major parties.     [FULL  STORY]

ROC VP candidates make televised policy presentations

Taiwan Today
Date: January 5, 2016

The three ROC vice presidential candidates Wang Ju-hsuan, Hsu Hsin-ying

(from left) ROC vice presidential candidates Wang Ju-hsuan, Hsu Hsin-ying and Chen Chien-jen are all smiles before delivering televised policy presentations Jan. 4 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of CEC)

(from left) ROC vice presidential candidates Wang Ju-hsuan, Hsu Hsin-ying and Chen Chien-jen are all smiles before delivering televised policy presentations Jan. 4 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of CEC)

and Chen Chien-jen made their first and only televised policy presentations Jan. 4 during an event broadcast by the Central Election Commission.

Wang, running mate of the ruling Kuomintang’s Eric Chu, reiterated the pair’s determination to raise the minimum monthly wage from NT$20,008 (US$604) to NT$22,200 in the first year after taking office and to NT$30,000 over the next three.

“I will assist Chu in creating a virtuous circle of prosperity for the new generation, boosting economic growth through bolstering the salary structure,” she said. “Enterprises and workers will both enjoy the fruits of this progress.”

According to the former minister of labor, the pay plan forms a key plank in the KMT ticket’s comprehensive industry development platform. “The initiative will spur greater industrial transformation on the back of heightened consumption and more job opportunities,” Wang said.     [FULL  STORY]

MOFA to keep pressing Japan about comfort women

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 06, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday downplayed Japanese

Members of the China Unification Promotion Party demonstrate outside the Taipei office of the Interchange Association, Japan on Thursday last week, calling on the Japanese government to apologize for the use of Taiwanese comfort women during World War II. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

Members of the China Unification Promotion Party demonstrate outside the Taipei office of the Interchange Association, Japan on Thursday last week, calling on the Japanese government to apologize for the use of Taiwanese comfort women during World War II. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

media reports that Tokyo is not planning to establish a new negotiation platform with Taiwan on the “comfort women” issue, saying the ministry would continue to communicate with its Japanese counterpart.

Association of East Asian Relations (AEAR) Secretary-General Chang Jen-joe (張仁久) told a morning news conference that Taipei’s communications with Tokyo on the issue is ongoing.

“Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruce Linghu (令狐榮達) exchanged opinions with the Interchange Association, Japan Chief Representative Mikio Numata on the matter on Monday. On the same day, Representative to Japan Shen Ssu-tsun (沈斯淳) met with Interchange Association, Japan President Tadashi Imai,” Chang said.

Linghu and Shen reiterated the government’s demands for an apology, compensation and the restoration of dignity that Taiwan’s former comfort women deserve, Chang said.     [FULL  STORY]

Chen emphasizes food safety, biotech during second VP presentation

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-04
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Democratic Progressive Party vice presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen

Chen emphasizes food safety and biotech.

Chen emphasizes food safety and biotech.

again panned the Kuomintang for mudslinging its presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen and for twisting her views over pork imports.

Chen’s comments came during Monday’s second televised vice presidential presentation whereby he reasonably and intelligently refuted all of KMT’s charges, while confidently explained his and Tsai’s positions on issues citizens care very dearly about, like the future of the nation’s youth and food safety.

At the start of the evening’s event, the DPP candidate opened his speech by saying the government should be more proactive in dealing with food safety concerns.     [FULL  STORY]

Hsu vows to improve Internet environment, promote public housing

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/04
By: Lu Hsin-hui, Wang Cheng-chung and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Jan. 4 (CNA) Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩), the vice presidential candidate on 201601040034t0001the People First Party (PFP) ticket, promised during a televised policy platform presentation on Monday to improve the country’s Internet environment, promote public housing and improve law and order if elected.

Hsu, who is the running mate of PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), said she and Soong support improving Taiwan’s Internet development environment through measures such as strengthening broadband infrastructure and establishing an Internet service exchange center.

On housing policy, Hsu proposed setting up an agency in the central government to build, manage, rent and sell public housing as well as to promote urban renewal.     [FULL  STORY]

Academia Sinica academician wins US tech award

Taiwan Today
Date: January 4, 2016

An academician of Taipei City-based Academia Sinica was recently named a

AS Academician Hu Chen-ming’s achievements in advancing semiconductor technologies are recognized by the U.S. government with a prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation. (Courtesy of AS)

AS Academician Hu Chen-ming’s achievements in advancing semiconductor technologies are recognized by the U.S. government with a prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation. (Courtesy of AS)

recipient of the prestigious U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation for his contributions to revolutionizing semiconductor technologies.

Hu Chen-ming, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, and former chief technology officer with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., will be honored by U.S. President Barack Obama along with seven other winners this year at the White House.

An alumnus of National Taiwan University, Hu earned his doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science at UC Berkeley in the early 1970s. He was elected a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 1997, and won the prestigious Phil Kaufman Award for electronic design automation in 2013.

Hu is widely considered a microelectronics visionary, with his BSIM series transistor models setting global standards for simulating microcircuits since 1996. It is estimated that microchips worth hundreds of billions of dollars have been produced using the models, which he provided for free to the industry.

In particular, Hu’s revolutionary 3-D transistor structure FinFET utilizes significant size reductions and power savings to facilitate scaling of microchips. The structure is used in computer servers, handheld devices and other high-performance applications.     [FULL  STORY]

VP candidates present proposals

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 05, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The three vice presidential candidates last night took part in a televised

From left to right, Jennifer Wang, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu’s running mate; Republican Party Chairperson Hsu Hsin-ying, running mate of People First Party presidential candidate James Soong; and Chen Chien-jen, running mate of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen, last night smile for photographers at the Public Television Service staion in Taipei before their televised presentation of campaign proposals. Photo: CNA

From left to right, Jennifer Wang, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu’s running mate; Republican Party Chairperson Hsu Hsin-ying, running mate of People First Party presidential candidate James Soong; and Chen Chien-jen, running mate of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen, last night smile for photographers at the Public Television Service staion in Taipei before their televised presentation of campaign proposals. Photo: CNA

presentation of their campaign platforms and vision, at an event organized by the Central Election Commission.

Each candidate was given 30 minutes to present their statements, going in order according to a pre-show draw.

Former Academia Sinica vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), running mate of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), was the first to speak.

He talked about food safety and accused the government of being incompetent in managing crises.

If Tsai wins the election, her administration would work to restore Taiwan’s reputation as a food paradise, he said.

He also pledged that the DPP would assist the biomedical industry through policies and law revisions.     [FULL  STORY]