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Politics

Donation Scandal Mars Tsai Ing-wen's Election Campaign

  • 2016-01-19

by Crystal Tai Taiwan presidential candidate, Tsai Ing-wen faces allegations that she received a NT$450 million donation from an economic fugitive. Former legislator, Chiu Yi claimed in a news conference on Tuesday that the money came from Huang Fang-yen, the doctor of the wife of disgraced former president Chen Shui-bian. Tsai, tipped to become Taiwan's first female president in Saturday's polls, has staunchly denied the allegations. Donations from Democratic Progressive Party supporters continue to arrive at the party's headquarters in Taipei in the form of money filled piggy banks. The Young Reporter talked to voters in Taipei say they are not fazed by the scandal. "I think the scandal is just a groundless accusation used by Kuomintang to attack Tsai Ing-wen," says Mr Chen, a shopper at the souvenir store at the DPP's headquarters. A young voter Ivory Fan-I Chia from the National Taiwan University says she does not believe Tsai would keep her promises in the campaign after the election but she would still vote for her. "The scandal would not change my stance. I'm not in favor of Tsai but Kuomintang has done such a bad job that I would not vote for them again," she says. Professor Benson Wong Wai-Kwok from the Department of Government and International Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University says that it's common for parties to attack each other in the final phase of the election. "Opposition parties or the KMT have no sufficient ground to challenge Tsai's abilities during the campaign.. The only way to attack Tsai is to put her in scandals in relation to her family like land rights issue so that neutral voters may not vote for her," he says. As the election campaign enters the final phase, presidential candidate Eric Chu Li-luan tries to placate public frustration with …

Politics

Taiwan's IT Industry Hopes a New Government Can Revitalise Their Business

  • 2016-01-19

  by Crystal Tai Taiwan goes to the polls tomorrow to elect the island's 14th president, but a Top 2000 CEO Survey done by CommonWealth Magazine in December, 2015 found that 20.8% of the executives think that none of political parties can lead Taiwan out of its economic turmoil. Only 11.4% of the CEOs interviewed were confident that Tsai Ing-wen, the predicted winner, has the ability to overturn a sluggish economy Chen Kwan-Ming, founder of Westudent, a headhunter company believes the answer lies in investment in the IT industry. "The previous generations have the capital in hand but the only knowledge they have of IT is how to fiddle with smartphones," he said. He wants the government to provide IT education for the older generations so they can benefit from startup companies. International Data Corp, a market information advisory firm predicts that over 30% of Taiwan's firms would conduct transactions through virtual platforms in 2016. But Yvette Lin Wan Ching, CEO of Sudo said government policies in Taiwan and the business environment on the island lag behind mainland China and the U.S. "Eighty percent of Taiwan's GDP is comprised of income from production. The government fails to comply with global trends to let tech industry take over," said Ms Lin. Tsai Ing-wen has promised better opportunities for entrepreneurs in Taiwan by removing red tapes for startups and renew innovation in Taiwan. When asked whether she favored which presidential candidate, Yvette said anyone would do as long as voters chose the right talents to develop the tech sector. "I do not have a particular preference as long as the party is encouraging and tolerant towards startups," Ms Lin said.

Politics

The Face of Victory: Tsai Ing-wen and Her Supporters

  • 2016-01-18

  Tsai Ing-wen won the 2016 Taiwan General elections and becomes the first female president on the island. She beat the Kuomintang' candidate Eric Chu Li-luan in a landslide victory by grabbing more than 6.5 million votes. She said today's victory is the first milestone for reforms, promising to unify all parts of Taiwan and strengthen the country to defend the people: "We will not be divided by the elections but we will be more unified by democracy." Supporters of Tsai Ing-wen, the president elected of Taiwan, celebrated outside the headquarter of Democratic Progressive Party. More than 30,000 people used their mobile phones to "Light up Taiwan". That has been the slogan of Tsai's electoin campaign. The DPP also took about 60 percent of the seats in the parliamentary election held on the same day. Jeffrey Chiu Shien-yu, 26, one of the supporters of the new president, waved a rainbow flag at the moment of victory. He believed Tsai will be willing to listen to the public. "She understands the needs of the minority, such as LGBT, ethic groups and indigenous people, he said. "We are proud that she is elected. She is the first female president of Taiwan. It's not only men in politics." Chu Li-luan conceded defeat when Tsai had a commanding vote count and resigned as the president of the Kuomintang. "We have not tried hard enough and failed supporter' expectations." "We are facing unprecedented challenges," said Mr Chu. "We have to remember the lessons so that we can come back the next time." Pan-green camp, led by the DPP takes at least half the seats in parliamentary elections, wresting control of the 113-member parliament away from the Nationalists. Chiang Wan-an, son of former president Chiang Ching-kuo, was elected as legislator of Taipei. As the first parliament member …

Politics

Taiwan's President Elect Promised Unity and Strength

  • 2016-01-18

  Tsai Ing-wen expressed her deepest gratitude to all voters, including those who did not vote for her soon after winning the election. "Today the Taiwanese people have used their ballots to make history," she said. "We have now experienced the third transition of political power. For the first time there is also a transition of Taiwan's legislative majority." On relations with mainland China, she warned that any form of suppression will only harm the stability of cross-Strait ties. "Both sides of the Strait have the responsibility to find mutually acceptable means of interaction based on dignity and reciprocity," she said. "National identity is a right and should be normal. This is something that the international community should respect." She was referring to a public apology made by teenager pop star, Chou Tsu-yu. The girl waved the flag of Taiwan during a performance on Korean television. "The election results today show that the people of Taiwan enjoy freedom and democracy. As long as I am the president, no one should have to apologise for being Taiwanese." Tsai then addressed more than 30,000 people on the road outside the DPP's headquarters. "Tonight, we tell the world through out votes that Taiwan has democracy. There are winners and losers in an election, but democracy will always win," she said. "Also, I would like to give my gratitude to my two rivals, chairman Chu and chairman Soong. Here, I sincerely invite you two to work with me. The reform will not work without you," said Tsai. "Keeping our society stable and peaceful is my promise to Taiwanese residents and the world. As the president elect and chairwoman of the party, I will give the first order to my fellows here, which is, you should always remain humble." "Dignity, unity and confidence, this is …

Politics

Hong Kong Youngsters Draw Inspiration on Democracy from Taiwan Election

  • 2016-01-18

by Sing Lee New Power Party (NPP) founded after the 2014 Sunflower movement has won five seats in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan election. The up and coming political group garnered 740,000 votes. Chairman of NPP, Huang Kuo-chang, said the party will continue to be an open, transparent and active political party. He thanked their young members and volunteers who have worked behind the scenes, saying that they have been crucial in the party's victory. In his audience was a group of Hong Kong youngsters who came to Taiwan to witness the election. Mr Huang said he admired them and noted that they face " a much more difficult situation" than Taiwan. He told them to never give in after the 2012 protest against national education and the 2014 Umbrella Movement. The NPP leader believes young people in Hong Kong share his belief in universal values and they will eventually be able to decide who should be in government if they persist. Joshua Wong, leader of Scholarism, is among the Hong Kong visitors. He witnessed Tsai Ing-wen's victory in the presidential election at her campaign headquarters in Taipei. He said to The Young Reporter that the rise of NPP and other "third force" will encourage more and more social activists in Hong Kong to run in elections. Mr Wong hoped Hong Kong's post-umbrella movement organizations to make reference to the NPP when preparing for the Legislative Council election in September this year. Earlier also in Taipei, Lester Shum Ngo-fai, the former deputy secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said political parties can learn from the NPP's method to reach consensus. The NPP experimented with conducting a poll on the internet to allow everyone in Taiwan to nominate their legislative candidates. Mr Shum believed that's an effective way to reflect the …

Photo Essay

Final days of the fabric bazaar

  by Flavia Wong Chan Yu-tung, also known as "Uncle Tung", 82, is the oldest hawker in the Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar in Sham Shui Po, where he has worked for decades. He still enjoys his work in the market, although he says the environment is not ideal – the small fabric market was built with plastic and iron sheets and is packed with fabric bolts. But that all may soon come to an end if the government gets its way. In August, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department sent letters to hawkers saying it was planning to resume the land for building 200 units under the Home Ownership Scheme, according to a report by local media Apple Daily. Hawkers with a license may have the choice of compensation of $80,000, lower than the normal $120,000, if they return the licenses back to the government, or they will be offered a stall in other markets. Yet, among the 190 tenants, only 21 of them actually have government licenses, according to Cable TV's report. These hawkers will receive no compensation. Tung has no license. "The government has not talked to us, the tenants, yet. We have no idea how they would settle us, or if they would compensate us," he said. He added that he will miss the market if it is closed. Since the 1970s, the fabric market has been the paradise of fashion students. They have also expressed their reluctance to part with the market. Some university graduates even take photos in the market in their graduation gown. "We can find varieties of fabrics here and they are very cheap. Hawkers are also very nice to us. It actually nurtures many students," said Chee Ka-po, a graduate of Bachelor of Fashion and Textile Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. …

Running for Life

  • 2016-01-10
  • 2016-01-10

  by Sharon Tang Jogging may seem like an afforadable way to get fit, but there are risks. According to a 2014 study by the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Pennsylvania, people who live longest only do a moderate amount of exercise. That menas two to three hours of running a week. Researchers looked at more than 3,800 joggers. They found that those who jog a lot or not at all have shorter lifespans .than moderate joggers. Another research by the American College of Cardiology in February 2015 mentioned that training too hard might be as bad as not putting on your running shoes at all. The study suggested jogging at a steady pace for less than two and a half hours a week is best for health. Here in Hong Kong, the annual Hong Kong Marathon sponsored by Standard Chartered has seen more and more participants in recent years. For the 2016 marathon, 15,500 places were all gone in two and a half hours. "When welfare organizations promote the advantages of exercise, more people become aware of their health," said Lobo Louie Hung-tak, Associate Professor of Physical Education atHong Kong Baptist University. "Jogging, for instance, is easy because you need don't need any facilities," he said. "Joggers' injuries are not that serious. Maybe it is exagerrated by the media ," Dr Louie suggested. But he admitted there is a lack of data on joggers. Dr Louie explained that there is a causal relationship between training time and the probability of getting injured while jogging. He said that competition should not be considered as a way to show off one's talent, but should be about commitment to training . A 10 kilometer marathon for example requires at least three months' preparation. "Some people blame on the host organization of the marathon that they are injured. That is unethical," Dr Louie said. Bobo Lau Po-yu loves running and strarted going into competition when she was in secondary school. She has been running long distance for seven …

A city of light

  • 2016-01-09
  • 2016-01-09

by Lindsy Long In a small residential neighborhood in the quiet city of Eindhoven in southern Netherlands, colourful lights decorate the surface of three residential houses. The lights are part of the project "Nature & Architecture", a concept created by audio-visual artist Noralie van den Eijnde and executed by children, architects and residents for the city's annual GLOW lights festival. A light show is nothing new for Hongkongers. Hong Kong is famous for its 13-minute long daily light and sound show "A Symphony of Lights" over Victoria Harbour, recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest of its kind. This $44 million project organised by Hong Kong Tourism Board has attracted millions of visitors since it started in 2004. But unlike Hong Kong's mission of attracting tourists, GLOW is wants to achieve something different. Around 50 light artists are participating in this year's GLOW light in art and architecture festival in Eindhoven, an interactive cultural event that attracted around 730,000 visitors in November this year, according to GLOW's official website. Over one week, various spots in the city were transformed into a temporary theatre. Like the Nature & Architecture show, residents in the project areas were also invited to participate in the projects. Artist Ms van den Eijnde specialises in designing multidisciplinary experiences with light, video and sound. This year, she was invited by the GLOW organizers to produce a social project for the neighbourhood themed on the nature and architecture. Residents used a broad selection of materials such as plants, ribbons, and plastic pieces for residents to make their DIY projects. "Children seemed to enjoy the preparation work and their parents were very supportive in assisting me to direct the process," Ms van den Eijnde said. Eugene Franken, one of the participants and owners of the projected …

People

Rookie musical actress ready to shine on stage

  • 2016-01-09

  by Choco Chan She is an adorable 6-year-old child on stage, but a newlywed 26 year-old in real life. Angelika Wong Ching-ching is a rookie theatre actress. She introduces herself as Siu Lung, the nickname she is known by because she is only 150-centimetre tall. "I don't mind being short. My height has actually given me a lot of opportunities for many roles on stage," said Siu Lung. In ‘With Love, William Shakespeare', she played the main role, Juliet and drew a lot of attention. "I was thrilled when I received the call from the director because I was just a fresh graduate but was offered the main role," she recalls in excitement. "The director later told me he chose me simply because I was short enough to act as a sweet innocent girl," the 26-year-old said. "But I did not mind at all," she smiled. Unlike many successful actresses, Ms Wong did not have any drama experience during her secondary school years. But she liked singing and was always encouraged to join singing competitions at school. She started voice lessons when her music teacher discovered her singing talent and recommended a good tutor for her. But she found practising Italian and German songs "very boring". "I had no idea what I was singing. But now I am so grateful to the teacher because she helped me build a strong foundation. That's why many directors think of me when they need an actress who can sing in their drama," she said. Ms Wong wanted to study music at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts after secondary school. But the programme was not available then. So she chose drama instead because she thought that was similar. She got her first role in Disneyland soon after graduation. Dressed as a …

Culture & Leisure

Is Hong Kong ready for street art?

  by Herbert Cheung Salmon swimming upstream, snowboarding and rock climbing: just some of the paintings you see on staircases in Tsuen Wan town centre. But are people in Hong Kong ready to welcome community arts with open arms? "In Hong Kong, more people are interested in popular culture than in crafts, such as tea making, ceramic and handicrafts," said Lam Yuk-fai, leader of the artist group, Omni Art. Their members have been painting the murals around Tsuen Wan. "Most of the shops are monopolised by tycoons, leaving no room to promote arts and culture. It is hard for artists to blossom here," he said. Mr Lam thinks Hong Kong does not provide a fostering environment for art, compared with Taiwan and mainland China. Mr Lam believes community art is a great stepping stone to promote art in Hong Kong. But it takes a time for people to develop an interest. His group has been working with the Home Affairs Bureau, but Mr Lam there is not enough government support. He believes Hong Kong has the potential for further art development because it is the world's fourth largest art auction market. According to the Contemporary Art Market Report 2015 published by Artprice, more than $146 million dollars' worth of contemporary art was auctioned off between July 2014 and June 2015. Denise Yeung Tsz-ching, one of the five artists of Omni Art, said residents in Tsuen Wan used to call the police when the artists were working on the stairs because they thought they were vandalising. "We didn't put up any signs stating that the activity was sponsored and approved by the District Council. So there was some misunderstanding," said the 20-year-old artist. "The visibility of the murals allow people to appreciate and participate in art as they walk on the stairs or stop to take photos", Ms Yeung said. Lo Siu-kit, a Tsuen Wan district councillor, thinks murals on stairs are ‘interesting', even though painting the three stairs cost $100,000, according to the council's meeting document. "These may be small changes, but people feel different about the stairs," …