1)
The top story from this past week involved national day celebrations last Friday, October 10.
Commenting on Taiwan’s relations with China, the president said the two sides have moved from tension to rapprochement. He said “now is the most appropriate time” for China to move toward democracy.
Also during the address, Ma expressed his support for the people of Hong Kong in their pursuit of a real chief executive election. Ma called on Beijing to keep its promise to Hong Kong, which was that for 50 years it would allow: rule of Hong Kong by the people of Hong Kong, a high degree of autonomy, and election of the chief executive through universal suffrage.
2)
Also this past week Taiwan and the United States discussed the acquisition of submarines at a US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference. The Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Raymond Burghardt said Wednesday that Taiwanese navy offers gave a report at the conference about Taiwan’s proposed indigenous submarine program.
AIT is the top institute in charge of US relations with Taiwan in the absence of official ties.
Burghardt said there was discussion about how Taiwan might acquire the submarines but refused to give further comments.
Burghardt also said that this year has seen frequent military exchanges between Taiwan and the US. About 2,500 US defense officers visited Taiwan this year, an increase of 25% from last year. During the same period, Taiwanese military officers visited the US more than 1,500 times.
3)
And finally this past week, Cheng I Food Co., a subsidiary of industry giant Ting Hsin International Group, was exposed on Wednesday as having sold lard for human consumption that was mixed with oil meant for animal feed. That affected hundreds of downstream food manufacturers, including the prestigious I-Mei Foods Co.
The scandal was uncovered one month after another cooking oil maker, Chang Guann Co., was found to have used recycled cooking oil and animal feed oil imported from Hong Kong in its lard-based oil products.
Premier Jiang Yi-huah has reaffirmed the government’s determination to eliminate law-breaking food manufacturers amid the latest food scare involving lard-based cooking oils.