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Taiwanese youth face serious problems: Reuters

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-28
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

A minimum-wage worker working full-time only makes NT$22,000 a month,

Taiwan youth face serious problems.

Taiwan youth face serious problems.

which equals to about one-third of the average monthly pension of NT$60,000 a retired state employee receives. These lopsided figures reveal problems facing Taiwan’s youth today.

A news report by Reuters revealed the current predicament of nation’s youth such as low wages, distrust of government, and the difficulty for fresh graduates to find a decent job.

The low minimum wage is a reflection of the economic strength of Taiwan, which has gone from a vibrant economy to an aging and weak one in just two generations.

Taiwan’s waning economy and capital flight not only keep minimum wages low but also produce fewer job opportunities for young people, a bad cycle that is hard to break.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese teenage star on 100 most beautiful faces list

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/28
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, Dec. 28 (CNA) Tzuyu (周子瑜), the Taiwanese member of South Korean 31138009girl group Twice, was ranked 13th on The 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2015 released Sunday by American film review site TC Candler.

Sixteen-year-old Tzuyu, whose birth name is Chou Tzu-yu, was the only Taiwanese who made it onto this year’s list, which has been presented annually since 1990.

South Korean singer Nana from the girl group After School topped the list for the second year in a row. Israeli actress and model Gal Gadot ranked second and British model Jourdan Dunn came in third.

Rounding up the top five were British actress Emma Watson (4) and Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani (5).     [FULL  STORY]

ROC presidential candidates square off in 1st debate

Taiwan Today
Date: December 28, 2015

Candidates Eric Chu of the Kuomintang, Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party and James Soong of the People First Party faced off in the first of two televised debates Dec. 27 for the upcoming 2016 ROC presidential election.

Issues covered by the three hopefuls included international relations, trade liberalization and cross-strait interactions. Chu proposed a three-pronged strategy to stimulate sustainable growth, vowing to expand the ROC’s international space by building on the foundation of improved ties between Taiwan and mainland China.

“Over the last seven years, the ruling KMT has made significant headway in cross-strait peace and stability in line with the 1992 consensus. The progress has led to the deepening of international cooperation spanning tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges,” he said, citing the visa-free entry or other privileges now offered by 158 countries to ROC passport holders.

Additionally, Chu pledged to boost the nation’s global competitiveness while raising the minimum wage from NT$20,008 (US$610) to NT$30,000 in four years. He also plans to reform Taiwan’s taxation system so as to reduce wealth inequality in society.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s allies fleeing to China: KMT

SAVING FACE:Alex Tsai has said that if the DPP wins the elections, Taiwan stands to lose 18 allies and that China has only turned those nation’s away out of respect Alex Tsai has said that if the DPP wins the elections, Taiwan stands to lose 18 allies and that China has only turned those nation’s away out of respect

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 29, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday alleged that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) anticipated victory in next month’s elections has prompted dozens of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies to seek relations with China.

Citing an “extremely reliable source,” KMT Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元) told a news conference in Taipei that 18 of Taiwan’s 22 diplomatic allies have been waiting outside Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish diplomatic ties.

“These allies worry that Tsai Ing-wen could destabilize cross-strait ties if elected president. That means we are standing to lose 18 diplomatic allies, which could deal a heavy blow to Taiwan’s international status,” Alex Tsai said.     [FULL  STORY]

First presidential debate revolves around 92 Consensus, economy

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-27
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The election debate on Sunday continued to revolve around the “1992

Debate revolves around 92 Consensus, economy.

Debate revolves around 92 Consensus, economy.

Consensus” and cross-strait relations as Kuomintang presidential candidate Eric Chu repeatedly attacked his contender over the subject.

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen however retaliated Chu that she has expressed her stance on the 1992 Consensus many times before, adding that the DPP will do its utmost to maintain the status quo, as well as to maintain good communication so that there are no misunderstandings while managing the relationship.

The first televised debate among three presidential candidates was hosted by Public Television Service (PTS) in the afternoon, one of the nine media sponsors agreed upon by the candidates. After giving out their opening speeches, the three candidates – Eric Chu of the ruling KMT, Tsai of the DPP and James Soong of the People First Party (PFP) – then faced five questions posed by media sponsors, before each was allowed to challenge their counterparts with their own questions and make a closing statement.    [FULL  STORY]

Difficult to realize presidential candidates’ economic goals: groups

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/27
By: Milly Lin, Hsu Chih-wei and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) Business group leaders and academics said the economic

Wang Ying-chieh (CNA file photo)

Wang Ying-chieh (CNA file photo)

goals set by presidential candidates during their first TV debate Sunday are difficult to achieve, based on the strategies they proposed for reaching the targets.

For example, Koumintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu’s wage increase proposal is very difficult to realize and, even if done, could lead to a “malicious” inflation, said Wang Ying-chieh, chairman of Taipei Chamber of Commerce.

A senior executive at the National Association of Small & Medium Enterprises, ROC said when the economy is in a slump, how could business owners increase wages for their employees? Besides, he added, pay increase will involve the legal cost for business operators.

The association executive, who requested anonymity, also questioned the feasibility of Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman’s proposal to throw state power behind the high-tech sector to counter China’s threat of “red supply chain.”     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai expresses views over U.S. pork imports and TPP

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-27
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen pointed out 6724685during the televised election debate on Sunday that the government needs to help local hog farms boost their level of the game in order to compete with U.S. pork imports.

Commenting on a question posed by the Apple Daily regarding if Tsai would allow pork containing ractopamine from the United States in exchange for Taiwan’s inclusion in the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), Tsai said raising the nation’s competitiveness will help promote its bargaining chip when it comes to negotiating with the U.S. in the importation of agricultural produce.

“If elected, the new government pledges to use extremely high standards for examining the labeling of foreign pork at the home market,” she said.

The presidential candidate noted that locally produced pork products are not allowed to contain ractopamine, which is important to differentiate them from foreign products.   [FULL  STORY]

7 women killed in Miaoli fire

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/27
By: J.P. Kuang and Flor Wang

Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) Seven people were killed in a fire that broke out in a 30178676two-story sheet metal building in Miaoli early Sunday, according to the results of an initial investigation.

The blaze was so strong that the building, covering 70 pings (231.42 square meters), was totally destroyed. Fifteen people allegedly attending a religious ceremony were trapped inside.

The seven women who died were all from other parts of Taiwan, while four others — three men and a woman –were rescued and taken to hospital, where one remained in critical condition. Four others were rescued uninjured.

While the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, prosecutors said it might have been caused by the religious ritual, as many religious items and candlesticks were found at the scene.     [FULL  STORY]

Candidates swap barbs in TV debate

REDEFINING CONSENSUS:The use of the so-called ‘1992 consensus’ must be discussed, Tsai Ing-wen said, but Eric Chu shook his head eight times while she spoke

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 28, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter Staff reporter

The three presidential candidates yesterday exchanged barbs in their first

A man yesterday walks past a police barrier outside the Public Television Service (PTS) building in Taipei’s Neihu District, where a presidential election debate was being held. Photo: CNA

A man yesterday walks past a police barrier outside the Public Television Service (PTS) building in Taipei’s Neihu District, where a presidential election debate was being held. Photo: CNA

televised debate, putting the spotlight on cross-strait relations while engaging in finger-pointing over several contentious issues.

The closely watched presidential debate, broadcast by Public Television Service (PTS), began at 2pm with each candidate delivering an eight-minute opening remark.

That was followed by questions from five media representatives, including Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) deputy editor-in-chief Tzou Jiing-wen (鄒景雯), Central News Agency vice president and editor-in-chief Sheena Chang (張慧英), United Daily News editor-in-chief Yu Mei-yueh (游美月), China Times deputy director-in-chief James Chang (張景為) and Apple Daily Policy and Political Center executive vice president Kuo Shu-min (郭淑敏).

The candidates posed three questions each to their opponents in the third part of the debate, before making concluding remarks.     [FULL  STORY]

Vice presidential debate ‘disappointing’: observer

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/26
By: Lung Pei-ning and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) An observer expressed disappointment Saturday at the 201512260029t0001performances of the three vice presidential candidates in a televised debate held earlier that day.

Wang Tai-li (王泰俐), director of the Graduate Institute of Journalism at National Taiwan University, noted that Wang Ju-hsuan (王如玄) on the Kuomintang ticket is an eloquent speaker because she is a lawyer, and Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) on the Democratic Progressive Party ticket is also good at debating, while Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) on the People First Party (PFP) ticket is a legislator and chairwoman of the Minkuotang party.

The performances of the three candidates, however, were not as impressive as they could have been, Wang Tai-li said. One problem is that the candidates referred to their drafts too often, she said. She said Hsu did not directly answer questions put to her and sometimes even refused to respond, on the grounds that she considered the question “illogical.”     [FULL  STORY]