Frank Hsieh defends qualifications for Constitutional Court seat

Frank Hsieh defends qualifications for Constitutional Court seat

2023-03-24

A high-stakes nomination battle is brewing as the terms of four justices are set to expire in September. According to sources familiar with the matter, Taiwan’s representative to Japan Frank Hsieh is being touted as a nominee. This has sparked an outcry from the main opposition party. KMT lawmaker William Tseng blasted the development, denouncing it as political patronage. For his part, Hsieh addressed the allegation on Friday.

Frank Hsieh
Taiwan representative to Japan
So I told my friends today, don’t put my name forward. But that doesn’t mean I’m not qualified. I studied legal philosophy, did research on legal justice, and have extensive practical experience. I have been a plaintiff, a defendant, a witness, and an expert witness. No one has as much experience as I do. No matter who is nominated, the KMT would be opposed, am I right? Not unless the nominee were Ma Ying-jeou.

Hsieh emphasized that he had passed the special examination for justices and was more than qualified for the job. He also commented on former President Ma Ying-jeou’s upcoming visit to China. Hsieh said he wasn’t opposed to the trip, but did not endorse it or have expectations for it. He said he could only offer his blessings as Ma travels a perilous road.

傳被推薦出任大法官謝長廷:若申請一定會報告

2023-03-24

今年九月底，將有4位大法官的任期即將屆滿，總統府成立"審薦小組"請各界推薦人選，傳出駐日代表謝長廷所屬的新文化基金會，將推薦他出任司法院大法官，引來在野黨猛轟，包括國民黨立委曾銘宗痛批，這種情況只有在民進黨派系分贓的情況下才會發生，謝長廷今天出席活動時做出回應。

[[駐日代表謝長廷]]
“所以我今天跟我朋友講，不要推薦我，但不表示我沒有資格，我讀法哲學，研究法正義，而且我實務經驗豐富，我做過原告，做過被告，做過證人，做過鑑定人，沒有一個人有這麼多經驗的，叫誰它(國民黨)都反對啦，對不對，叫馬英九大概它不會反對”

謝長廷強調曾考上司法官特考，絕對有資格。針對藍營挖出他2012年赴中國福建祭祖，質疑民進黨在馬英九赴中議題上又搞雙標，謝長廷則表示，雙標是有反對才是雙標，自己又沒反對，他沒有支持也沒有期待，只有祝福，畢竟前途險惡。

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Taiwan becomes focal point at congressional budget hearings

A U.S. House committee zeroed in on Taiwan on Thursday at a budget meeting for the 2024 fiscal year. Michael McCaul, chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, raises concerns about Chinese interference in Taiwan’s presidential election. He warned that China would ramp up aggression if it didn’t get its desired election outcome. McCaul said Taiwan was not prepared for conflict, and that the U.S. should help Taiwan bolster its defenses in a bid to prevent war. ##

Michael McCaul
US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
So people ask, “Why is Taiwan important?” Imagine if China invaded Taiwan tomorrow and controlled 90% of the global supply.

At a budget hearing for the fiscal year 2024, the chair of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs underscored China’s threat to Taiwan.

Michael McCaul
US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
I personally think that Chairman Xi is going to try to influence the elections. If he fails then I think Plan B will be a blockade and an invasion that will be on a scale that will make Ukraine look like a very small thing.

He added that Taiwan was not ready for conflict.

Michael McCaul
US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Taiwan is not prepared. We have no joint military exercises. The weapons I signed off on three years ago have yet to go into the country. We need to arm them and prepare them, to provide deterrence, along with AUKUS and the Quad to deter the Chinese form an invasion.

The U.S. budget for 2023 authorized up to US$2 billion in arms to Taiwan. No such clause was included in this year’s proposal. The omission raised objections from House Committee on Foreign Affairs vice chair Ann Wagner, who questioned the priorities of the Biden administration.

Antony Blinken
US secretary of state
Taiwan is a priority and, as you know, we have many different ways of doing this. At the same time, in the case of Taiwan, the most effective way to date, to make sure that they have what they need to defend themselves has been through the foreign military sales program. They increased their defense budget by 11%.

Speaking at a separate House committee hearing, defense secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. must be prepared for a potential conflict with China.

Lloyd Austin
US secretary of defense
This is a strategy-driven budget and one driven by the seriousness of our strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China.

Mark Milley
US joint chiefs of staff head
Preparation for war, deterring war, is extraordinarily expensive. But it’s not as expensive as fighting a war. And this budget prevents war and prepares us to fight it if necessary.

The Pentagon is requesting US$9.1 billion in support of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, a sharp increase from last year’s US$6.1 billion. Officials say the budget will help keep China in check and preserve peace across the strait.

2023-03-24

Burns survivor Lee Hui-chu recovers her strength and builds new life as fitness coach

In 2015, Taiwan was horrified by a fire caused by combustible dust particles at a water park in New Taipei. It ended with 17 deaths, with many others left with severe burns. Today we meet one of the survivors, Lee Hui-chu, who has gone on to become a fitness coach. Despite living with the impact of burns on 42% of her skin, she’s competing in weight-lifting contests and running half marathons. We spoke to Lee to find out how she is rewriting the definition of health.

Lee Hui-chu lifts a barbell over her head in one clean swing.

She gently adjusts her position, watching herself in the mirror, and even using her rest breaks to train.

The determined, cheerful 29-year-old is full of life. It’s hard to imagine that she was one of the survivors of the 2015 New Taipei water park fire, which left her with burns on 42% of her skin. Seven years later, the scars are still very obvious across her arms and legs.

Lee Hui-chu
Burns survivor
I’ve had experiences where people have shouted at me across the street, “Hey, girl, what’s up with that? How did you get like that?” The scars will be on me for the rest of my life. I’m always practicing that.

After the fire, Lee picked up exercise again. Her skin is fragile and less flexible after recovering from the burns. But, undaunted, she trains hard and is learning how to live happily with her scars. She’s been in weight training for more than a year now, and can deadlift 105 kilograms.

Lee Hui-chu
Burns survivor
In the past, I couldn’t run up three flights of stairs. I think working out has been a very engaging thing for me, right from when I first got out of hospital, up until the moment when I realized that I’m in slightly better shape.

Last year Lee competed in the Taiwan Strongman competition, coming in at fourth place, as well as taking part in a Spartan Race and a half marathon. She’s determined to keep getting stronger so her legs can take her where she wants to go.

Lee Hui-chu
Burns survivor
Some people say women should be skinny, that’s the only way to be beautiful. But health often doesn’t look like we think it should. I think what I’m constantly searching for is, “What is true health?”

Now Lee works as a full-time fitness coach. Her scars are proof of her immense courage and determination. She rebuilt her own agency after a horrific trauma and now she’s helping others find their own strength too.

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Controversy shrouds plan for bridge over Taipei’s Civic Boulevard

The Taipei Metro has announced plans to build a pedestrian bridge over Civic Boulevard near Taipei Main Station, to make the area more walkable. The proposal has gotten mixed reactions. Some pedestrians say a walkway would save them time and hassle. But critics raise concerns about the impact on motorists and local businesses.

Even after rush hour, Civic Boulevard near Taipei Main Station is still busy with traffic. Along the thoroughfare, signs warn of fines for jaywalking. To cross the street, pedestrians have two options: taking an underpass connecting to the Zhongshan Metro Mall, or walking 200 meters to the nearest zebra crossing.

Member of public
The metro mall and MRT corridors are all connected, so you can lose your way quite easily.

Member of public
I have tried walking around, but it’s a hassle. It takes an extra 5 to 10 minutes.

Member of public
I hadn’t come for some time, so I didn’t quite know how to get around. If you take the wrong exit you have to go back in. It’s annoying.

According to Taipei Metro, out-of-towners often get lost in the underground mall, and must spend a long time deciphering maps or turning to their phones for guidance. After years of deliberation, the transport company decided to build a raised walkway connecting Taipei Bus Station with Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport’s bus terminal. With a price tag of NT$400 million, the project aims to save pedestrians a headache.

Voice of Hsu Chin-chih
Taiwan Institute of Landscape Architects
It would have to be at least 4.6 meters tall, so that vehicles can pass through below. It has to be high, but we can’t move the overpass above it, so that gives very little clearance to pedestrians on the walkway. It’d be quite uncomfortable. If you are driving at ground level on Civic Boulevard, the bridge would form a divider that cuts the skyline in half.

Although some applaud the initiative, experts say it would obstruct views for motorists, and run counter to current trends in urban design. Meanwhile, a city council member questions the need for a raised walkway.

Chen Yi-chun
DPP Taipei councilor
This would be putting the cart before the horse. They would be doing it without consulting anyone. If they build the walkway, then nobody would pass by the shops in the metro mall, which would deliver a blow to their business. Also, nowadays, many cities are taking down their pedestrian bridges. Why is building a bridge the solution to lost tourists?

Voice of Ling Chi-yao
Taipei Metro customer service center
Tourists don’t know how to navigate the underground passages. They often have to come up to ground level to find their way around. The sky bridge would benefit tourists who come.

The metro company said the bridge was part of the Western District Gateway Project and was still under review by the urban planning committee, which will accept feedback from all stakeholders.

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Kaohsiung fashion Awards celebrate a renaissance of style in Southern Taiwan

Taiwan’s fashion industry is thriving. But while most of the country’s fashion experts are based in Taipei, there’s a growing fashion hub down in the south. The Kaohsiung Fashion Awards are the highlight of the fashion calendar in southern Taiwan. Last year the awards opened up to international students, creating a burst of new energy for the fashion scene. We went to the port city to meet some of the designers who are contributing to this sartorial renaissance.

Models and celebrities take to the catwalk at Kaohsiung Fashion Awards, setting the standard for fashion in the south.

Kaohsiung has invested heavily in the fashion industry, hoping to tempt rising stars to build their careers in the city.

Fashion designer Sun Yi-chih focuses intently as he cuts a piece of fabric, before taking it to the sewing machine.

He’s been working in Kaohsiung ever since he graduated, and his formalwear creations are all one-of-a-kind.

Sun Yi-chih
I’ve worked with TV presenters and performers, for example, the FTV presenter Crystal Liu. This year we worked with her for the Alishan Sunrise Impression Concert, and produced her clothing. The performers we’ve worked with include Janet and Patty Lee. We’ve collaborated on their outfits when they hosted events and made publicity appearances.

Meanwhile, Wang Jui-ting is another Kaohsiung designer. After growing up in Kaohsiung, he studied occupational therapy at university, before returning to his hometown to take up the family uniform business, and its three decades of history. His designs incorporate thoughtful elements from many other walks of life.

Wang Jui-ting
Clothes designer
My mother might feel that functional fabrics, such as antibacterial fabrics, are unnecessary. But what we discussed was first trying to use them in clothes that will come in direct contact with food, such as uniforms for restaurant staff, and in the end we came to an agreement.

Wang and his mother have clashed over design theory, but their collaboration has sweet results. They’ve also witnessed the transformation in Kaohsiung’s design industry in recent years.

Wang Jui-ting
Clothes designer
On the one hand, we’ve been serving in this place for a long time, and we’ve developed relationships with various firms and companies. Of course, the industry in Taipei is very far ahead. But we think there are also a lot of opportunities in Kaohsiung. More and more department stores are opening here, which shows that this place has consumer power.

Sun Yi-chih
Clothes designer
The fashion awards have grown quite fast from its first year to now. At the start it was limited to design schools in the south, but last year they started to allow international fashion students to enter. In that sense I feel like it’s the “Southern Fashion Index.”

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Student carpenter Chen Shih-kai wins gold at WorldSkills Competition 2022

Taiwan’s craftspeople are renowned worldwide. Now, an up-and-coming carpenter has made his first big splash in the world of woodworking. Chen Shih-kai won gold for professional woodworking in the World Skills Competition 2022. The prestigious event is a major gathering of elite craftspeople from all round the world. Chen created an elaborate window frame to clinch his medal, working flat-out over four days.

Chen saws a plank of wood up, only to reassemble it. He uses various textures and colors of wood to create many different types of products.

Woodworking by hand majors on the texture of the finished product, which is very different to machine work, and requires consummate skill. Chen has been honing the craft for years.

Chen Shih-kai
WorldSkills Competition gold medalist
You have to train this as soon as you start in the workshop: how to saw, sawing straight. You might have to do 10 or 20 planks in one day. It’s something you must do every day – you have to maintain the feeling for it.

Chen first got into carpentry at vocational college, then studied Wood Science and Design at university. Over seven years he’s perfected the foundational skills, and last October he was finally chosen to represent Taiwan at the WorldSkills Competition in Switzerland. He beat competitors from around the world to win a gold medal in the Windows and Doors Professional Woodworking contest.

Chen Shih-kai
WorldSkills Competition gold medalist
You only find out the task the day before the contest. The whole contest is 22 hours long, spread out over four days. The hardest thing is managing the time well, and completing your task within the time limit, and making it as flawless as possible.

The task set this time was a window frame, but not just any window frame. It had to be possible to disassemble, open both inward and outward, and feature a lattice with an irregular curved edge. It had to be asymmetrical, both vertically and horizontally. And contestants were forbidden to use nails. Phew! A technical and artistic challenge.

Chen Shih-kai
WorldSkills Competition gold medalist
The hard part was these mortise and tenon joints. You have to saw them by hand. On the surface it looks like they’ve just been cut and stuck together in a simple way. But inside they’re actually very complicated. They have to be divided into many equal parts, and then you must stick the two materials together.

During the contest, Chen made a major error, but managed to fix it and complete the product within the time limit. The gold medal is a triumphant conclusion to his time at university, and a good omen as he heads out into professional life.

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