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One of the top stories from this past week was that the former chairman of an oil company at center of a major food safety scandal has been found not guilty. The former chairman is Wei Ying-chun, of the Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co. He was indicted last October after his company was found to have sold lard mixed with oil intended for use as animal feed.
The ruling and opposition party presidential candidates found a rare patch of common ground in their response to the ruling. The opposition DPP’s presidential candidate, Tsai Ing-wen, said following the acquittal that the public had lost its confidence in the government’s handling of food safety issues.
The campaign of the ruling KMT’s presidential candidate Eric Chu has also said he supports an appeal of the verdict.
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Another big story from this past week in Taiwan was a new video released by the Islamic State which featured Taiwan’s flag alongside the flags of 60 other nations which oppose the group. President Ma Ying-jeou called on government agencies to raise alertness in the face of international terrorism. Ma says he issued the call during a national security meeting last week.
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And finally this past week, DMG Entertainment Founder, Dan Mintz, has agreed to buy a majority stake in Taiwan's Eastern Broadcasting Corp (EBC).
The deal is subject to regulatory approval by Taiwan’s Investment Commission and the National Communications Commission (NCC).
DMG is a Chinese-based entertainment company that also produces and distributes Hollywood movies. Taiwan's Investment Commission said Peter Xiao, a co-founder of DMG Entertainment, also has links with the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
The commission said this connection with China means the deal faces a "strict review" by the Taiwan government.
DPP legislator Lee Kun-Tse said that investments that may infringe on national security must be carefully evaluated.