Pork import plan sparks call for risk assessment
Pork import plan sparks call for risk assessmentPORK FEED ADDITIVE: Food safety experts are concerned over the risk posed by pork products containing ractopamine residue to human healthStaff writer, with CNAThe medical community on Friday called for an assessment of the risk of consuming meat containing ractopamine as Taiwan plans to allow imports of US pork containing the controversial lean meat additive. The commission standard allows up to 10 micrograms per kilogram (mcg/kg) of ractopamine in beef and pork, 40mcg/kg in livers and 90mcg/kg in kidneys. The maximum residue limit was approved by a 69-67 vote, showing the equal support both for and against the standard, Su said, urging the government to publish a risk assessment report on the issue given the lack of hard data. Ractopamine does not treat animal diseases, but saves feed costs and increases profits, Su said. However, higher residue levels are found in internal organs such as the lungs and kidneys, and risk assessments should be conducted if imports of internal organs are allowed, Yang said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2020 15:56 UTC
A photograph of ‘Queen’s Head’ shown in Taipei altered a fishing village’s fate
A photograph of ‘Queen’s Head’ shown in Taipei altered a fishing village’s fateBy Yu Chao-fu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerA photograph taken by a former chairman of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store of the “Queen’s Head” (女王頭) rock formation at Yehliu Geopark (野柳公園) in New Taipei City changed the fate of the fishing village Yeliou (野柳). The “Queen’s Head” rock formation at Yehliu Geopark in New Taipei City is pictured on Aug. 21. “The people in Yeliou are really thankful to Wu for photographing the Queen’s Head and showing his photograph at an exhibition in Taipei, letting it become so well known,” Lin said. A woman holding a baby stands in front of the “Queen’s Head” rock formation at Yehliu Geopark in New Taipei City in a picture taken during the 1970s. The park protects the Queen’s Head and other rock formations from damage, and promotes the study of geology, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2020 15:56 UTC
F-16 repair hub opens in Taichung
President Tsai Ing-wen, center, yesterday presides over the opening ceremony of a maintenance center for F-16s in Taichung alongside National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo, third right, Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa, third left, and others. The maintenance center “will significantly reduce maintenance time and increase fighter jet availability,-- ensuring air superiority on the front lines of national defense,” she said. Expounding on her mantra that “peace depends on national defense,” Tsai said that national defense efforts could also be used to spur industrial development by creating industry chains, technology transfers and better training. One of her top priorities is to allow local vendors to participate in production and maintenance work connected with the center, Tsai said. Taiwan would soon have more than 200 F-16s, he said, adding that with a system availability of about 70 to 80 percent, about 40 fighter jets would always be undergoing maintenance.
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
MediaTek seeks US permit on Huawei
Almost all suppliers of Huawei will require a license from the department to be able to ship chips to Huawei. MediaTek said it “has already applied to the US side based on regulatory rules,” according to a brief company statement yesterday. MediaTek was originally considered a major beneficiary of the export ban on US technology, as Huawei has been increasingly adopting chips designed by MediaTek as substitutes for those designed by its semiconductor arm, HiSilicon Technologies Co (海思), to circumvent the US restrictions. Local companies, individuals and organizations would require the ministry’s approval to provide or transfer technologies or patents to Chinese entities, the ministry said. The new rules would also include the licensing or transfer of patents relating to layout designs of integrated circuits.
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Ruling upholds ill-gotten assets act, committee
Ruling upholds ill-gotten assets act, committee‘NOT SURPRISED’: The KMT said the ruling was expected, as the DPP had chosen the justices, but the committee said it was an important ruling for transitional justiceBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe Council of Grand Justices yesterday ruled that provisions of the Act Governing the Settlement of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations (政黨及其附隨組織不當取得財產處理條例) are constitutional. Photographers take pictures of the plaque outside the Executive Yuan’s Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee’s offices in Taipei on Aug. 31, 2016. The grand justices also said there was no breach of the Constitution in establishing the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee, and the committee’s authority did not contravene the “division of government power” under the Constitution. “Therefore, corrective measures should be taken to build an environment for fair competition among all political parties, and to ensure ‘constitutional order of liberal democracy.’”“For our democracy, under the rule of law with a plurality of political parties, it is essential to have fair and equal competition among all political parties, and therefore some appropriate measures are needed to regulate the finances of political parties,” Lin said. KMT Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang (王育敏) added that members of the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee have certain political leanings.
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
FSC introduces fintech roadmap
FSC introduces fintech roadmapDEVELOPMENT GOALS: The three-year plan includes allowing data sharing to facilitate risk assessments and implementing a licensing exam to develop fintech talentBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) on Thursday unveiled its fintech development roadmap for the coming three years, relaxing its regulations on consumer data sharing and corporate account opening while introducing a new fintech license. The FSC would consider broadening the scope of consumer data sharing to non-affiliated financial firms, such as start-up fintech companies in 2022 or to non-financial companies, such as telecoms and electronic commerce firms, in 2022 or 2023, it said. Currently the commission only allows sole proprietorships or single-shareholder companies to open online corporate accounts to prevent potential disputes. The commission would study the issue further and would relax its regulations on corporate online accounts by phases, Lin said. Given a lack of fintech talent in Taiwan, the commission would introduce a new fintech license by 2022, rewarding companies that have more licensed fintech staff by prioritizing their applications to conduct fintech businesses, Hu said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taiwan to ease rules on US pork, beef
Taiwan to ease rules on US pork, beefSETTING STANDARDS: The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it yesterday finalized a new rule that would require vendors to clearly label the origin of pork productsBy Sean Lin / Staff reporterPresident Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday announced that Taiwan would ease restrictions on US beef and pork imports, while setting standards for pork containing ractopamine, in an apparent attempt to broker a trade deal with the US. President Tsai Ing-wen, center, speaks at a news conference in the Presidential Office Building’s Entrance Hall in Taipei yesterday, alongside Vice President William Lai, left, and Premier Su Tseng-chang, right. The decision to lift the bans on US pork containing ractopamine and beef from cattle more than 30 months old is aimed at facilitating efforts to expand Taiwan’s international trade, officials said. Only about 20 percent of pig farmers in the US still use ractopamine, he said, adding that Taiwanese can always not buy US pork. The American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei yesterday in a statement welcomed the decision, saying it would help Taiwan and the US to make progress in starting negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement.
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taiwan’s bid to join the UN to cite COVID-19 efforts
Taiwan’s bid to join the UN to cite COVID-19 effortsBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterThe nation’s campaign to rejoin the UN this year would highlight its achievements in containing COVID-19 and its commitment to multilateralism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief Secretary Lily Hsu, center, speaks alongside the ministry’s Department of International Organizations Director-General Bob Chen, left, and ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. As usual, the ministry would ask the nation’s diplomatic allies to speak up for Taiwan during the debate and write to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, she said. The ministry would also hold General Assembly-related events at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York City, said Hsu, who was director-general of the TECO in New York before assumed her current post, adding that most of the events would be held virtually due to COVID-19-related crowd size restrictions. On Sept. 23 last year, Hsu was invited by the US to attend a speech by US President Donald Trump at the UN headquarters, which was regarded as a diplomatic breakthrough in Taiwan.
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Local movie threshold must go: cable TV
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesOverseas streaming platforms do not follow NCC rules, putting local channels at a disadvantage, Fu added. Locally made movies typically cost more to broadcast than foreign films, added Lee Chen-yi (李貞儀), who heads NextTV’s movie channel. The government should reward cable TV operators who reach the 20 percent primetime target, rather than punish those who do not, Long Turn TV president Chen Yi-chun (陳依君) said. With demanding regulations, decreased movie production, and competitive over-the-top media services from abroad, cable TV operators are squeezed by internal and external pressures, Chen Yu-jen said, urging the NCC to keep up with the times by easing the regulations. Cable TV operators’ opinions would be shared with the NCC and inform further discussions, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Kao Chi to close flagship store due to safety issue
Kao Chi to close flagship store due to safety issueStaff writer, with CNAThe flagship store of Kao Chi (高記), a restaurant known for serving Shanghai delicacies in Taipei’s Yongkang Street commercial circle, is to close its business before the end of the month. Kao Chi made the announcement on Wednesday after the Taipei City Government found the three-story building on Yongkang Street that houses the restaurant in contravention of building regulations. The flagship store of Kao Chi restaurant on Taipei’s Yongkang Street is pictured on Wednesday. Instead of making the changes, Kao Chi decided to shut the store after closing its three other restaurants in Taipei this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Kao Chi started selling Shanghai delicacies from a mobile street stand in 1949.
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
KMT slams DPP’s pork import rule
KMT slams DPP’s pork import rulePORK FEED ADDITIVES: As the government is to allow US meat imports containing ractopamine residue, the opposition accuses Tsai of peddling a backroom dealBy Sean Lin / Staff reporterThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday called on the government to reverse its decision to lift the ban on US pork containing ractopamine residue, saying that public health and farmers are not to be bargained with. Even Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers had not been informed of the decision until yesterday noon, which shows the administration’s opaque decisionmaking process, Lin said. The Executive Yuan has not laid out any plans to help them cope with the import of US pork, Lin said. Tsai had made Taiwan a vassal state of the US, Lin said, adding that Tsai should report to the legislature on how the decision was made. When the DPP was the opposition party, it vigorously opposed the import of US pork containing ractopamine, but it has made a U-turn now that it is in power, KMT chairman Johnny Chiang said (江啟臣).
Source:Taipei Times
August 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Blockbuster TV productions lead award nominations
Blockbuster TV productions lead award nominationsBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Culture (MOC) on Wednesday announced the nominees for the 55th Golden Bell Awards, which are to be presented at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei on Sept. 26. While 1,995 works entered the competition last year, 2,055 television productions were considered this year, it said. The Victims’ Game is to compete with Yong-jiu Grocery Store (用九柑仔店), Someday or One Day (想見你), Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner (噬罪者) and The Mirror (鏡子森林) for best television series. The ceremony for the Golden Bell Awards for television is held separately from the Golden Bell Awards for radio, which is to take place at the same venue on Sept. 19. For a full list of nominees for this year’s Golden Bell Awards, visit gba.tavis.tw/55th.
Source:Taipei Times
August 27, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taipei drops charges against ‘The Slaughter’ author
Taipei drops charges against ‘The Slaughter’ authorBy Jason Pan and Wu Liang-yi / Staff reportersThe Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday dropped charges against US author Ethan Gutmann and Taiwanese political pundit Brian Wu (吳祥輝) in a defamation case brought by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) over Gutmann’s allegations that Ko had played a role in China’s forced organ harvesting program. US author Ethan Gutmann holds up a copy of his book The Slaughter in an undated photograph. When neither Gutmann nor Wu apologized, Ko’s lawyers on Oct. 4 filed a complaint in Taipei, accusing Gutmann of defamation. of In dropping the charges, prosecutors said that someone had asked whether Ko was a “liar,” prompting Gutmann to answer. They also cited written communication between the two when Gutmann was writing the book, and Ko had given him the go-ahead.
Source:Taipei Times
August 27, 2020 15:56 UTC
Ministry eyes a September start to third stimulus
The ministry has already asked the Executive Yuan for funding, Wang said. Photo: Huang Pei-chun, Taipei Times“We are waiting right now, but we expect approval within days so that we can start processing the relief,” she said. The stimulus program is to help businesses still down by more than 50 percent year-on-year, she added. When asked about the ministry tightening rules against Chinese business interests, Wang said that in addition to more regulation of Chinese firms investing in Taiwan, the ministry is also clarifying statutes governing information transfer to China. “After our clarification, any skill transfers or licensing agreements that are technical in nature must be approved by the ministry,” Wang said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 27, 2020 15:56 UTC
Municipal venue for pop concerts opens in Taipei
“Over the past few decades, Taiwan has been the center of Mandarin pop music,” Tsai said at an opening ceremony at the center in Nangang District (南港). “The opening of the TMC means that Taiwanese pop music is about to restart,” Tsai said, adding that fans from across the nation should support their favorite artists by attending concerts at the center. This is the magic of pop music,” Ko said. “We hope Taiwan’s music talent can gather at the center, and make this a temple of Asian pop music,” Ko added. Meanwhile, the Maritime Cultural & Popular Music Center in Kaohsiung is also expected to celebrate its opening this year, the ministry said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 27, 2020 15:56 UTC