Page Two

The lowdown on countdown parties held around Taiwan to ring in 2016

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/31
By: Christie Chen and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) Various New Year’s Eve countdown parties are being 10786814held around the country Thursday night for revelers to ring in 2016.

The biggest party, hosted by variety show hosts Jacky Wu, Na Tou and LuLu., began at 7 p.m. at the Taipei Civic Square, where singer A-mei heated up the night with a one-hour show.

Singers Elva Hsiao, William Wei and Wilber Pan, and electropop diva Jeannie Hsieh, also rocked the stage in Taipei.

A fireworks display lasting 238 seconds will be held at the Taipei 101 skyscraper, which will involve setting off 30,000 rounds of fireworks at the stroke of midnight.     [FULL  STORY]

Battle lines drawn over vote-buying accusations

FANCY FEAST:DPP officials have estimated that a Hsinchu banquet at the center of the vote-buying controversy would have cost the KMT about NT$8 million to host

Taipei Times
Date:  Jan 01, 2016
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

Officials and advisors of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), led by lawyer Wellington Koo (顧立雄), yesterday headed to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office to launch a lawsuit against the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) over alleged vote buying at a banquet event in Hsinchu last weekend.

Koo said that the year-end “thanksgiving” banquet with 1,035 tables and free meals for over 10,000 Hsinchu City residents at a night market plaza was a clear attempt at vote buying to influence the election outcome.

DPP officials have estimated the event would have cost about NT$8 million (US$243,532), including food and drinks, caterers, venue rental and service personnel.

Koo said that if the event’s bill payments can be traced to the KMT, he would consider launching a lawsuit to nullify qualifications for all KMT nominated candidates for legislator-at-large seats.     [FULL  STORY]

Nice weather forecast across Taiwan on New Year’s Day

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-30
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Spotty rain showers will be possible on New Year’s Eve in northern Taiwan, 6725231but nice weather is expected across Taiwan on New Year’s Day, Central Weather Bureau forecast on Wednsday.

The wet weather in the greater Taipei area is gradually turning dry, and therefore rain chances diminish as we get closer to New Year’s Eve, the CWB said. Currently chances of rain on the eastern side of the greater Taipei area are not high, but scattered showers are still possible due to soggy conditions, the CWB said.

As there will still be plenty of low-level moisture on New Year’s Eve, the 2016 New Year’s fireworks display at the Taipei 101 building could be affected, especially the fireworks at the building’s upper levels, the CWB said.     [FULL  STORY]

Hsia, Zhang launch new cross-strait hotline

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/30
By: Yin Chun-chieh, Scarlett Chai and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) A newly installed telephone hotline system connecting

MAC chief Hsia Li-yan. (Photo courtesy of MAC)

MAC chief Hsia Li-yan. (Photo courtesy of MAC)

the heads of cross-Taiwan Strait affairs in Taiwan and mainland China was officially launched Wednesday, with the top cross- strait affairs officials conversing with each other and recognizing the recent achievements across the strait.

Hsia Li-yan (夏立言), chief of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), and his Chinese counterpart, Zhang Zhijun (張志軍), head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), held their first conversation via the hotline, marking the official launch of the high-level communication channel across the strait, the MAC said in a statement.

During the conversation, Hsia described the launch of the hotline as an important achievement resulting from the historic talks between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) in November, the MAC said.     [FULL  STORY]

International students eye job opportunities in Taiwan

Taiwan Today
Date: December 30, 2015

An increasing number of international students are mulling staying in Taiwan

A growing number of international students are considering pursuing employment opportunities in Taiwan after graduation, according to the results of an MOE survey released Dec. 28. (Courtesy of National Taiwan Normal University)

A growing number of international students are considering pursuing employment opportunities in Taiwan after graduation, according to the results of an MOE survey released Dec. 28. (Courtesy of National Taiwan Normal University)

after finishing their studies, with 84 percent eyeing opportunities to join the local workforce, according to a survey released Dec. 28 by the Ministry of Education.

The study found 86.87 percent of ethnic Chinese students are interested in exploring employment possibilities in Taiwan following graduation. They are followed by foreign national students, at 83.89 percent, and students at Mandarin-language learning centers, at 82.45 percent.

Li Yu-mei, an official with the MOE’s Department of International and Cross-strait Education, said the trend is getting a significant boost from the launch of a revamped points-based work permit application system to assess foreign students wishing to find jobs in the nation.

“Regulations on the hiring and retaining of foreign professionals will be eased from January,” Li said. “Students who score more than 60 points in an evaluation of their educational background, language proficiency and professional capabilities will qualify for a work permit under the new regulations.”     [FULL  STORY]

Ma support moves to Tsai: poll

CHINA’S SHADOW:Separate surveys by two think tanks showed increasing concern over Chinese companies acquiring shares in Taiwan’s high-tech and media industries

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 31, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

More than a quarter of the voters who backed President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)

A Taiwan Thinktank member in Taipei yesterday points to a graphic explaining the results of its latest opinion poll. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

A Taiwan Thinktank member in Taipei yesterday points to a graphic explaining the results of its latest opinion poll. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

in 2012 would vote for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) next month, a survey taken after the presidential debate on Sunday showed.

Taiwan Thinktank yesterday released the results of the poll conducted on Sunday and Monday, which showed that 45.9 percent said Tsai did better than her two rivals in the debate, while 22.1 percent said that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) was the best among the three and 19.9 percent rooted for People First Party presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜).

The survey showed that 31.7 percent said they would choose to support a candidate based on their performance in a debate, while 67.5 percent said they would not. The numbers indicate that while debates — with another one scheduled on Saturday — might not have a major effect on a candidate’s popularity, they could solidify voters’ preferences, the think tank said.     [FULL  STORY]

Chu confirms nuclear-free consensus

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-29
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang presidential candidate Eric Liluan Chu

Chu confirms nuclear-free consensus.

Chu confirms nuclear-free consensus.

told business associations Tuesday that the trend toward a nuclear-free Taiwan was impossible to turn back.

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party has proposed to turn the country nuclear-free by 2025, a policy which has come under fire from the KMT for being unrealistic and threatening higher prices.

As the third and final presidential candidate after the DPP’s Tsai Ing-wen and People First Party Chairman James Soong to address a forum hosted by seven business organizations, Chu said that a nuclear-free homeland had become a national consensus, and that the public had to change its attitude and learn how to conserve energy.

Energy should be safe, clean, effective and reasonably priced, the ruling party candidate said. Chu defended his statements in favor of a nuclear-free homeland as being not motivated by ideology, but by common sense. He wanted a gradual reduction in the use of nuclear energy which was responsible to the public, he said.     [FULL  STORY]

NPM Southern Branch launches trial operations

Taiwan Today
Date: December 29, 2015

National Palace Museum Southern Branch began its trial period Dec. 28 in

The golden screen of “Tibetan Dragon Sutra” is showcased for the first time as one of the highlights in the opening exhibitions of National Palace Museum Southern Branch Dec. 28 in Chiayi County. (Courtesy of NPMSB)

The golden screen of “Tibetan Dragon Sutra” is showcased for the first time as one of the highlights in the opening exhibitions of National Palace Museum Southern Branch Dec. 28 in Chiayi County. (Courtesy of NPMSB)

Chiayi County, marking a significant development in the government’s efforts to enhance art facilities in southern Taiwan.

During the ceremony, President Ma Ying-jeou praised the contributions made by all project participants, particularly the devotion of the construction workers who built the facility with speed and precision.

“This is the best gift for the NPM’s 90th anniversary,” Ma said. “The complex also enriches the local art scene and improves the city while laying the foundation for the area’s cultural infrastructure in the future.”

Initiated 15 years ago, the 70-hectare museum is designed by acclaimed local architect Kris Yao, recipient of the 2014 Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects. The NT$10.93 billion (US$331 million) project comprises a main exhibition hall, an artificial lake and a landscape park in Chiayi County’s Taibao City.

In addition, a 141.74-meter-long bridge designed to resemble a rainbow provides the only access to the glass-and-steel building, which is equipped with the latest technology to protect the facility from droughts, earthquakes and floods.     [FULL  STORY]

Support for Tsai slides, Chu and Soong get boost

WINNERS:Most people in a survey after the presidential debate said Tsai performed most like a national leader, while Soong’s performance was the most impressive

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 30, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Cross-Strait Policy Association deputy director-general Tan Yao-nan, center, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday announcing the results of a survey on the recent vice presidential and presidential candidates’ televised debates.  Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) support rating has declined noticeably following Sunday’s televised presidential debate, while those of the other two candidates have increased mildly, according to a survey released by the Cross-Strait Policy Association (CSPA) yesterday.

The telephone-based poll, conducted between Sunday evening and Monday among Taiwanese aged 20 or older, showed that while Tsai maintained a strong lead over her rivals, her support rating has dropped to 45.1 percent, compared with 52.6 percent in a survey released by the association three weeks ago.

In contrast, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu’s (朱立倫) approval rating rose from 20.1 percent to 22.1 percent over the same period, while a more significant rise was observed in the support rating for People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜): from 9.2 percent to 13.6 percent.

Despite the decline, the majority, or 75.3 percent, of respondents said Tsai would be the likely winner of the Jan. 16 presidential election, followed by Chu at 10.2 percent and Soong at 2.7 percent.     [FULL  STORY]

Ma blasts Tsai over ‘diplomatic truce’

VIABLE VERSUS AGGRESSIVE:Instead of focusing only on China, the DPP aspires to engage both official and non-official allies to pursue mutual benefits, Tsai Ing-wen said

Taipei Times
Date: , Dec 30, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday lashed out at Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for challenging his “diplomatic truce” policy, saying whoever opposed it has clearly forgotten the lessons of history.

The diplomatic truce, also known as “viable diplomacy,” is a policy proposed by Ma in August 2008 during his first year in office. It calls for a halt to China’s and Taiwan’s attempts to woo each other’s allies.

“Recently, some people have spoken against my viable diplomacy policy and intend to reinstate [former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁)] scorched-earth diplomacy,” Ma said during a speech at a ceremony to mark the promotion of military officers at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei yesterday morning.

Ma said that these individuals have apparently left behind the lessons of history and made such a misjudgement due to a complete lack of regard for international reality.     [FULL  STORY]