Standing Front and Center

ouble Tenth National industrial innovation program—a Day festivities take on a comprehensive initiative targeting the special air in Taiwan this high-growth sectors of biotech, green EDITORIAL year. The international energy, national defense, smart machin- community is increasingly recogniz- ery and Internet of Things, as well as Ding the importance of the country as promoting two core concepts: the cir- a defender of freedom, democracy, cular economy and a new paradigm for human rights and rules-based order, agricultural development. as well as its strengthening economic The spirit of innovation and col- 台灣評論 outlook and emergence as Asia’s go-to laboration underpinning the program hub for entrepreneurship and R&D. takes center stage at Taiwan Tech is healthy state of aairs, rooted Arena. e state-supported incubation in sound foreign diplomacy and far- hub has attracted dozens of startups sighted policymaking nurturing the from home and abroad, as well as lead- industries of tomorrow, has given the ing accelerators from countries includ- people great confidence. It has also ing Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. steeled their resolve to ensure Taiwan Impressive progress in cultivating remains an indispensable member of an outward-looking digital economy the family of nations. is further underscored by ramped-up Such optimism was on full dis- investment from top global tech rms, play during President Tsai Ing- with Amazon, Facebook and Google 蔡英文 wen’s ( ) Journey of Freedom, all moving to expand their local pres- Democracy, Sustainability and Oceans ence. Taiwan manufacturers that had of Democracy state visits. The former shifted production overseas are also Standing Front comprised Caribbean allies Haiti, St. pouring funds into the country. Under Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the an incentive program launched in Grenadines, and St. Lucia with U.S. January, these enterprises have pledged and Center stopovers in New York and Denver, to spend billions of greenbacks in relo- while the latter comprised Pacic allies cating production home. Palau, Nauru and the Marshall Islands Deepening Taiwan’s ties with the with a U.S. stopover in Hawaii. world and reinvigorating the economy Both trips generated a mountain of are accomplishments worthy of trum- media coverage and hammered home peting. Equally so are the country’s the message that Taiwan Can Help pro- values giving rise to a multicultural mote peace, stability and prosperity far society of various faiths, ethnicities and from its shores. They similarly showed languages regularly held up as a model that the country is a force for good in for integration and respect. the world and resolute in realizing the As a maritime country, Taiwan U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. incorporates the inuences of peoples This positivity characterizes Tai- from the four corners of the globe, wan’s eorts to cultivate closer connec- as well as its indigenous population. tions with partners such as Japan, the This is reflected in the more than 20 U.S. and other like-minded countries government-recognized languages and across the Indo-Pacific. One of the dialects spoken by the country’s citi- main pillars of this approach features zens, a mix that has grown in recent workshops staged under the Taiwan- years to include new arrivals from U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Southeast Asia and beyond. Framework, as well as tailored pro- Double Tenth National Day is grams in keeping with the objectives a chance for the people to celebrate of the New Southbound Policy. the country’s diplomatic, economic Complementing this solid founda- and cultural achievements. It is also tion of international engagement is a a time to look toward the future with raft of measures revitalizing the coun- clear eyes and full hearts, condent in try’s manufacturing base and bolstering the knowledge that commitment and its role in global tech R&D. Driving unity of purpose are the keys to a bet- this transformation is the ve-plus-two ter tomorrow.

3 Taking Root

Government eﬀorts to promote the adoption of circular agriculture solutions are 01 gaining traction in Taiwan. hih An Farm in southern BY PAT GAO Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City is a national leader in circu- PHOTOS BY CHIN HUNG-HAO lar agriculture. One of the country’s largest chicken egg pro- Sducers, the company has developed a system that collects excretion from its more than 700,000 laying hens for use in making biogas for electric- 02 ity generation and organic fertilizers for nearby farmland. In April 2018, President Tsai program. This comprehensive eco- Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited the facil- nomic revitalization initiative is ity to inspect this successful model promoting the high-growth sectors for creating value from waste. Tsai of biotech, green energy, national described Shih An’s approach as a defense, smart machinery and synergy of agriculture, the circular Internet of ings, as well as the cir- economy and renewable energy. cular economy and a new paradigm Encouraging the adoption of similar for agricultural development. solutions at other farms can help Spearheading the country’s propel Taiwan’s animal husbandry eorts to devise and integrate circular sector toward a sustainable future, agriculture solutions is the Taiwan she said. Livestock Research Institute (TLRI) under the Cabinet-level Council of Policy Priority Agriculture (COA). Headquartered Circular agriculture intersects several at a former horse-breeding facil- components of the government’s ity in the southern city of Tainan, five-plus-two industrial innovation it operates eight branch offices and

18 Taiwan Review September / October 01 & 03. The Taiwan Livestock Research Institute under the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture develops circular solutions at its cattle farm in 03 the southern city of Tainan. 02 & 04 – 06. Shih An Farm in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City, one of research stations around the country. the country’s largest chicken egg The institute’s measures to advance producers, collects excretion from its more than 700,000 laying the reuse of “leftover materials”—an hens for use in making biogas and emerging industry term for waste in organic fertilizers. Taiwan—target the agriculture, aqua- culture, forestry and livestock sectors. 02 & 04 – 06. Courtesy of Shih An Farm Co. “e terminology change reects our new mindset,” TLRI Director- General Huang Jeng-fang (黃振芳) said. “In the past, waste treatment was largely aimed at meeting the environmental standards for dis- posal. Today, it’s increasingly about facilitating the more complete use of

04 05

19 01

01 & 02. Facilities at TLRI’s cattle farm gather animal excretion. 03 & 04. Processed manure is sent to a 03 biogas production system. 05. A pig farm in Linluo Township is among a number of facilities in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County to receive government support for the installation of similar setups. 06. The biogas generator at TLRI’s cattle farm 07. A napier grass plot at the site is being used to test a liquid organic fertilizer developed from processed cattle manure.

05. Courtesy of Lin Wei-yen, Harvest Publishing Group

20 Taiwan Review September / October available resources through the appli- the nation’s foremost research insti- estimated 13,000 kilowatt-hours per cation of cutting-edge technologies.” tution. Also participating in these day, Donghaifong is now powered Circular agriculture projects typi- efforts are major industry think completely by renewable energy. cally convert leftover materials into tanks including Taiwan Institute The capture system was devel- either biogas or inputs for the proof Economic Research and Taiwan oped at TLRI’s cattle farm in Tainan. duction of feed, fertilizers, biomedi- Agricultural Science and Technology e site has served as a test bed for cines and cosmetics. “anks to new Resources Logistics Management a host of other circular agriculture upcycling processes, companies in Association (TARM), both based in initiatives, including the rst COA- Taiwan and elsewhere are generating Taipei City. supported project to develop a liquid significant value from byproducts TARM Chief Executive Officer organic fertilizer from processed and waste,” Huang said. Lee Yi-ying (李宜映) said that the cattle manure. To bolster the development of organization takes a top-down Between 2013 and 2018, TLRI related procedures and technolo- approach to advancing circular agri- conducted a trial of this compost, gies, TLRI coordinates integrated culture. “We advise on government using about 6,800 metric tons of it R&D involving such agencies as policymaking and help conduct each year on a 35-hectare pangola the COA, Ministry of Science and ensuing projects,” she said. “Together grass eld at the facility. e institute Technology, and Academia Sinica, with other like-minded bodies, we’re is now utilizing three on-site napier committed to furthering the coun- grass plots to stage a comparative try’s goal of putting materials once study of its eectiveness versus com- considered worthless back into the mon chemical fertilizers and fal- value chain.” lowing. Initial results indicate that According to TARM statistics, it outperforms in promoting crop animal manure and rice straw and growth and maintaining soil quality. husks are the two largest sources “If we don’t reuse this waste from of agricultural waste in Taiwan at the cattle farm, it’s like we’re throw- a combined total of roughly 5 mil- ing away piles of e©cient fertilizer,” lion metric tons per year. Much of Huang said, adding that TLRI is 05 the former comes from the 5.45 organizing forums, meetings and million hogs at the 7,048 pig farms training courses for agricultural nationwide. enterprises to accelerate the shift TARM has supported several toward nonchemical products. projects to tackle the manure generated at these sites. Among the most Gold Rush successful is at Donghaifong pig In Tainan’s Guantian District, not farm in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung far from the TLRI cattle farm, County. The facility is operated by the power of circular solutions to 06 state-owned Taiwan Sugar Corp., boost revenues, eliminate waste the nation’s largest hog farming and transform industries is on full enterprise with 18 locations produc- display. Guantian is the primary ing about 380,000 animals annually. water caltrop-growing region in Under a COA-led integrated R&D Taiwan, accounting for about 70 initiative, technologies were installed percent of the nation’s annual out- at the farm to capture excretion and put of the black hard-shelled fruit. methane and convert them into Previously, thousands of metric tons biogas. This process serves a dual of water caltrop shells were burned purpose by utilizing the waste and or discarded in the area each year, preventing emissions of the harm- causing significant environmental ful greenhouse gas. With its biogas concerns. “Now virtually all of them 07 and solar facilities outputting an are collected and reused,” said Yen

21 Neng-tung (顏能通), who heads Yen said. With an impressive sur- Guantian District O©ce. face area of 250 square meters per With assistance from the aca- gram, the water caltrop-derived demic and business sectors, the product is also eective at absorbing o©ce developed a way to transform moisture, odors and volatile chemi- this waste into what locals call “black cals, he added. gold.” Supported by Lin Hong-ping Touting these attributes, social (林弘萍), a chemistry professor at enterprise Guantian Black Gold Tainan-based National Cheng Kung Community Cooperative markets University, Yen’s team developed the biochar to the public, selling it in an incineration system capable of variously sized cloth pouches for use exceeding 1,000 C to turn the shells in spaces like cars, closets, drawers, into biochar, a form of charcoal refrigerators and toilets. “Our project 01 used to enrich soil. e system is set addressed a community environmen- to be further upgraded with help tal issue and tapped a commercial from local enterprises including opportunity,” Yen said. “By seeking a sheet metal fabricator Chih Kang scientic answer to our waste prob- Material Co. lem, we’ve fashioned a long-term In addition to boosting nutrient economic benet.” content, biochar can limit acidica- According to the district tion, making it a popular soil addi- office head, the black gold rush in tive among agricultural enterprises, Guantian is also helping draw young 02

22 Taiwan Review September / October 04

05 06

01. Tainan’s Guantian District is the primary water caltrop-growing region in Taiwan, accounting for about 70 percent of the nation’s annual output of the fruit. 02 & 03. Water caltrop shells are turned into biochar in a locally developed incineration system. 04 – 06. Biochar is used to enrich soil for rice cultivation and enhance water quality for potted plants. 07 & 08. Guantian District Office head Yen Neng-tung, left, and chemistry professor Lin Hong-ping show off the biochar as sacks of the product dry in the sun.

08 people back to the rural area. Next the exception rather than the norm. One method of addressing this on the agenda for the coopera- Many agricultural sectors in Taiwan is through the establishment of tive is competing directly against are characterized by the widespread organic circular parks. The COA more established products, such as dispersion of smallholder farmers, has launched 12 such sites this year, Japanese bamboo-based biochar. making it di©cult to achieve econo- with TARM providing technical “With further equipment upgrades mies of scale in implementing circu- services to resident farm operators. and investment in R&D, we’ll be lar solutions. While acknowledging the chal- able to challenge international mar- The pork production industry lenges, Huang expressed condence ket leaders in this industry,” Lin said. is a case in point. Of the nation’s that circular innovations will take 7,048 pig farms, those raising 1,000 hold across Taiwan’s agricultural Distribution Dilemma or more hogs made up only 22.2 industry and help propel it to new Guantian’s biochar venture was percent, while those with less than heights. “e academic, public and enabled by the centralization of 200 animals accounted for 42.1 per- private sectors are fully behind the water caltrop-growing industry. cent, the most recent COA statistics this mission,” he said. “Through The issue for groups such as TLRI showed. e other primary source of embracing these concepts, we can and TARM working to promote agricultural waste, the rice-growing give rise to a new age of climate- circular agriculture is that this is sector, is similarly spread out. smart agriculture.”

23 Lasting Links

01 Taiwan NGOs are improving public health and well-being ambodian surgeon Memorial Hospital. “Before the and strengthening people-to- Dr. Long Vanna still foundation came to Cambodia, chil- people ties with Cambodia. remembers the buzz dren with craniofacial conditions of excitement at the went untreated for their whole lives,” BY OSCAR CHUNG National Pediatric Hospital (NPH) he said. “anks to this partnership, in Phnom Penh during the summer I’ve acquired the skills to help, and PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELIV CO. C of 1999 as he and fellow physi- become one of the top surgeons in cians prepared to welcome the rst this medical eld in my country.” delegation from Taipei City-based According to NCF, its doc- Noordho Craniofacial Foundation tors have treated 648 patients in (NCF). The visit was to discuss a Cambodia. Local physicians who mooted partnership under which have undergone training thanks to the Taiwan nonprofit would share the foundation have helped many its expertise in treating conditions more. Long has independently such as cleft lip and palate. Long, handled more than 1,300 cases, in then 41, recognized the potential addition to assisting NCF person- of this tie-up in boosting children’s nel with complex procedures during health and well-being in Cambodia. their regular visits. Looking back on what has been A total of 16 Cambodian medi- achieved in the decades since, he cal professionals, including four said the results have, if anything, surgeons, five dentists, three anes- exceeded his expectations. thesiologists and two speech thera- Under the collaborative arrange- pists, have received instruction in ment, formally launched one year Taiwan under the NCF partnership. later, NCF doctors perform surger- They also act as seed trainers on ies at the hospital and NPH physi- returning home, with Long having cians undertake advanced training passed on his knowledge to three in Taiwan. Long was among those junior doctors. selected for the overseas fellowship, Inspired by the Taiwan founda- spending 2002 studying cutting- tion’s outreach work, in 2008 NPH edge care practices at Chang Gung started seeking out patients with

42 Taiwan Review September / October 03

02 04

01. A Cambodian father and son express gratitude to Taipei City- based Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation after the boy received treatment from NCF personnel at the National Pediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh in December 2017. 02. Dr. Long Vanna, right, assesses a young patient at an NPH outreach clinic in eastern 05 06 Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province in June. 03. The NPH team performs surgery craniofacial conditions in remote (TEP), both of which have their during the mission to Mondulkiri. 04. Children treated by an NCF parts of the country, establishing a Cambodian headquarters in the team to Cambodia and clinic in one province each year to northwestern city of Siem Reap. their parents attend a send- off for the members of the conduct consultations and surger- Like NCF, Taipei-headquartered nongovernmental organization in ies. “Sometimes on these trips, we nonprofit ELIV Co., short for December 2016. 05 & 06. Thanks to the NCF-NPH encounter patients who got inad- Empowering Lives through partnership, children with cleft lip equate treatment,” Long said. “It lls Innovative Volunteerism, is dedi- and palate in Cambodia receive you with great pride and joy to be cated to improving public well-being top-class care. able to oer them top-class care.” while fostering enduring people- 01 & 04 – 06. Courtesy of Noordhoff to-people connections. Founded in Craniofacial Foundation Dedicated Volunteers 2010, the social enterprise facili - 02 & 03. Courtesy of Dr. Long Vanna Founded by American surgeon Dr. tates international volunteering in Samuel Noordho in 1989, NCF is countries across Asia. Every year, it among the rst Taiwan-based non- dispatches dozens of teams to Siem governmental organizations (NGO) Reap province to build houses and to launch collaborative projects toilets in rural communities. in the Southeast Asian nation. According to the World Bank, It has been followed by a host Cambodia is the least urbanized of others in recent years, includ- nation in Southeast Asia. Just 23 ing ELIV and Taiwan Education percent of its population lived in and Employment Program— cities in 2018, lower than Myanmar, Culture and Education Association 31 percent; Vietnam, 36 percent;

43 01. Bun Chou, center, a group leader and translator for and Thailand, 50 percent. “In the Taiwan-headquartered social countryside, people typically defe- enterprise ELIV Co., explains the implements that will be used to cate outdoors. Women in particular build an outdoor toilet during a nd it embarrassing and often need volunteer mission to Siem Reap to walk a considerable distance province this summer. 02 – 04. ELIV groups build squat from home to find a comfortable toilets and houses using spot,” said Bun Chou, a Cambodian locally purchased sustainable materials such as bamboo and working as a group leader and palm fronds. translator for ELIV. “This can 05. Members of the social enterprise’s 179th team to become a grave concern during the Cambodia are all smiles in long rainy season.” front of the stilted house they To date, ELIV has sent more constructed in a rural community in Siem Reap. than 180 groups of volunteers to 06. The Bayon temple is among Cambodia. Participants vary widely, numerous world-class cultural heritage sites in the northwestern ranging from high school and col- Cambodian province. lege students to office workers and 07 & 09. Children from a rural community are taken by ELIV retirees. Providing housing and team members on a day trip to toilets aside, Bun said that the orga- 01 Angkor Archaeological Park. nization works to boost the social 08. ELIV volunteers visit Belgium- registered nonprofit APOPO inclusion of isolated communities. to learn about its efforts “Our missions bring volun- to eradicate landmines in Cambodia. teers to very remote villages, some of which may have been secluded 01, 02 & 06. Photos by Oscar Chung from the outside world for years. And residents sometimes still have lingering trauma from the Khmer Rouge,” she said, referring to the 02

04 05

44 Taiwan Review September / October 07

08 09 regime responsible for the 1975- remain on the lookout for similar 1979 Cambodian genocide. “They opportunities at home and abroad are often very wary of outsiders, but in the future,” she added. the altruism shown by ELIV teams The 179th group consisted of alleviates their concerns.” Bun and 26 volunteer high school Participants also nd the expe- and college students from Taiwan. rience deeply rewarding. “Doing During the nine-day trip, they volunteer work in Cambodia got constructed a simple stilted house me out of my comfort zone and and squat toilet in northern Siem made me realize that there’s so Reap. The structures were made much I can do to improve the lives from sustainable materials pur- 蔡瑜庭 of others,” Yanni Tsai ( ) said. chased locally, such as bamboo and The university student first joined palm fronds. an ELIV group to Cambodia last Also on the team’s itinerary were summer and was deputy leader of visits to two international nonprof- another, the 179th, which visited its operating in Cambodia, APOPO Siem Reap from late June to early and SALASUSU. The former, a July this year. “Taking part in these Belgium-registered NGO, uses trips has given me a strong interest specially trained rats to detect and in volunteering, and I’m going to remove landmines, while the latter

45 01. Dozens of students participate in a graduation ceremony during October 2018 at an education center in Siem Reap established by Taiwan Education and Employment Program—Culture and Education Association. 02. Teachers hired by the nonprofit attend a training session. 03. A teenager practices computer skills at a TEP center using a laptop donated by Taiwan- headquartered AsusTek Computer Inc. 04. Two girls discuss coursework during a break between classes 01 at a TEP center.

01 & 02. Courtesy of Taiwan Education and Employment Program—Culture and is a Japan-based social enterprise The TEP education program Education Association 03 & 04. Photos by Oscar Chung dedicated to advancing women’s focuses on two areas: English pro- economic empowerment. “Overall, ciency and computer skills, as these it was a very eye-opening experi - are considered critical in strength- ence for the Taiwan young people,” ening employment prospects. “We Tsai said. ensure all instructors are fully trained in delivering our courses,” Hung Eective Education said. “ey also have to demonstrate While ELIV offers immedi- a real passion and enthusiasm about ate assistance through building educating the young generation, who homes and toilets, TEP focuses on are the future of their country.” improving long-term outcomes by Among TEP’s teachers is Am providing education services. Also Sereyrath. She leads afternoon founded in 2010, the group oper- English classes in a stilted classroom ated solely in Cambodia until last erected by students from Shih Chien year, when it expanded its work to University in Taipei. Am picked Vietnam. “Initially, we provided free up the language through enrolling nutritious meals to impoverished in courses staged by international children in Siem Reap, but soon NGOs in Siem Reap. “Education realized that more needed to be means everything if you want a better done to boost their future prospects. future. I’m proof of that,” she said. That’s when we started our educa- To date, about 45,000 elemen- tion program,” said Rebeca Hung tary and junior high school stu- 洪子芸 ( ), deputy director of TEP’s dents in Cambodia have attended Cambodia o©ce. TEP classes, with about two-thirds In 2011, the organization began graduating. “All too many drop out opening education centers across because their parents ask them to Cambodia. Eight of these are located spend more time helping out on the in public schools, with TEP hiring farm or at home,” Hung said. educators from the host institutions The education program is sup- to offer courses after the conclu- ported by funding from Taiwan sion of regular classes. Another 13 private sector organizations. Thanks are in community buildings such as to growing donations from Taiwan temples or in purpose-built facili- enterprises operating in Cambodia, ties constructed by volunteers from salaries for TEP teachers have risen Taiwan universities. continuously since the start of the

46 Taiwan Review September / October initiative to about US$250 per month. for work, but most of those jobs are Taipei-headquartered AsusTek unstable or even illegal,” Hung said. Computer Inc. also contributed 100 “We want to develop Cambodia’s secondhand computers to the group human resources so more companies this year. will invest and young people can nd In line with the Cambodian gov- ample opportunities here in their ernment’s policy of promoting prac- own country.” tical skills training, TEP has opened Hung expressed hope that computer classes at three of the the work of TEP, as well as other 02 nation’s 11 public vocational senior nonprofits like ELIV and NCF, high schools. It also arranges intern- will help forge lasting bonds ships and factory visits for students with the Southeast Asian nation. at the institutions. These efforts are “Through its various humanitar- designed to lower long-term emi- ian projects, Taiwan’s NGO sector gration rates by spotlighting viable is strengthening people-to-people career prospects at home. ties with Cambodia. This will “Many young Cambodians cross undoubtedly benefit bilateral rela- the border into Thailand looking tions going forward.”

47 aiwan is one of the busi- and is excluded from its activities, est air transport hubs in mechanisms and meetings. Asia. The Taipei Flight The largest and most significant Information Region ICAO gathering is its triennial (FIR), adjacent to the Fukuoka, assembly. is event brings together THong Kong, Manila and Shanghai the 193 member states and a num- FIRs, provided navigation services ber of industry organizations such to some 1.75 million ights in 2018, as ACI, IATA and the International an annual increase of 5.8 percent. Federation of Air Tra©c Controllers’ In total, the number of air travelers Associations (IFATCA) to establish arriving in, departing from or passing global ICAO policy and review eco- through the region reached 68.9 mil- nomic, legal and technical program lion last year, according to the Civil work. It is next scheduled to take Aeronautics Administration (CAA) place Sept. 24 to Oct. 4 in Montreal. Seeking Safer under the Ministry of Transportation Taiwan last attended the assembly and Communications. in 2013 as a guest of the council Skies e country’s major gateways are president, but was not invited to the connected to 149 cities around the subsequent edition three years later. globe via 313 passenger and freight According to Lin, the nation’s Taiwan Can Help achieve routes operated by 92 airlines. Based exclusion creates unnecessary risks ICAO’s goal of a seamless on data from the International Air given its indispensable role in the Transport Association (IATA) and world’s aviation network. “Every FIR sky through pragmatic and Airports Council International should be able to obtain informa- professional participation (ACI), both headquartered tion on ICAO regulatory changes in its activities, mechanisms in Montreal, Taiwan Taoyuan through direct channels so as to International Airport ranks fth and ensure the safety and security of and meetings, including the 11th in the world—and fourth and global passenger and cargo transpor- triennial assembly. fifth in the Asia-Pacific—in terms tation,” he said. Taiwan also possesses of international cargo and passenger considerable technical expertise in BY PAT GAO volume, respectively. civil aviation, and omission restricts “These statistics spotlight its contributions to strengthening PHOTOS COURTESY OF CIVIL our status as a key stakeholder in related practices, he added. AERONAUTICS ADMINISTRATION the global aviation sector,” CAA While the CAA is operating the Director-General Lin Kuo-shian Taipei FIR to the highest interna- (林國顯) said. “They also underscore tional standards, exclusion has pre- why Taiwan is seeking pragmatic vented it from receiving operational and professional participation in and technical updates in a timely the International Civil Aviation manner, Lin said. “As a result, we Organization [ICAO].” Needless Exclusion Established in 1944, Montreal- headquartered ICAO is a U.N. specialized agency tasked with coordinating the development of governing principles and operational standards to ensure the efficiency and safety of global civil aviation. Taiwan is not a member of the body 01

48 Taiwan Review September / October 02

01. Civil Aeronautics Administration Director- General Lin Kuo-shian 02. An employee of Evergreen Airline Services Corp. directs an aircraft at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. 03. Taiwan-based carrier EVA Airways Corp. is among the 92 airlines operating passenger and freight routes at the country’s international gateways.

02 & 03. Courtesy of EVA Airways Corp.

49 01. CAA personnel are all smiles at the 2019 Airports Council International Asia-Pacific/ World Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Hong Kong. 02. TTIA is one of the busiest air transport hubs in Asia. 03. Headquartered in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City, China Airlines is the country’s largest provider of aviation 01 services. The carrier ranked 28th globally in international passenger volume last year, according to data from ACI spend more time, pay higher prices carrying portable electronic devices and the International Air and consume greater energy in meet- in the 2017-2018 edition of the Transport Association. ing new requirements under ICAO’s Technical Instructions for the Safe

02 & 03. Photos by Chin Hung-hao Standards and Recommended Transport of Dangerous Goods by Practices, known as SARPs.” Air, part of the SARPs. Formally The needless burden placed released June 21, 2017, the revised on Taiwan is highlighted by an rules require that devices contain- amendment to the regulations on ing lithium ion batteries carried in checked baggage be completely switched o. Due to a lack of prompt access to the new regulations, the CAA had just days before they came into force July 1, 2017, to inform airlines and passengers about the change. “The delay meant it was impossible for us to respond in an efficient manner,” Lin said. “Unless we’re allowed to join ICAO activities, mechanisms and meetings, these sorts of issues will continue to arise.” Given the country’s absence from the U.N. agency, fostering con- tacts through major international organizations such as ACI, IATA and IFATCA is necessary for stay- ing informed of the latest aviation industry developments. Participation in such networks also helps boost the country’s global profile, as evi- denced by Taipei’s selection as host of the 2019 International Air Safety Summit by U.S.-based Flight Safety Foundation. Set for November, the meeting is expected to draw more than 300 professionals from about 50 countries and territories to exchange information and propose 02 new directives.

50 Taiwan Review September / October Similarly, to cultivate talent and Taiwan’s civil aviation author- some concern for the representa- promote exchanges in airport man- ity is also continuing to upgrade the tives of the world’s major advanced agement, the CAA regularly sends administrative and operational capa- economies. The statement released personnel to industry events like bilities of the Taipei FIR through April 6 from the meeting of G-7 for- the Passenger Terminal Expo and implementation of the communica- eign ministers urged support for “the Conference, as well as to forums and tions, navigation, surveillance and air substantive participation of all active training courses organized by ACI traffic management system (CNS/ members of the international avia- and IATA. Taiwan also works to con- ATM) and the performance-based tion community in ICAO forums” clude bilateral air service agreements, navigation (PBN) model in line with and asserts that “excluding some of its signing such deals with 57 countries ICAO specifications. “And we’ve members for political purposes com- and territories to date. been preparing for the rollout of the promises aviation safety and security.” Aviation System Block Upgrades, According to Lin, this under- Safety Commitment known as the ASBU modules,” Lin scores strong international support One of the major focuses for the said, referring to another ICAO ini- for Taiwan’s pragmatic and profes- CAA at present is ensuring compli- tiative to facilitate closer cooperation sional participation in ICAO activi- ance with new regulations in ICAO’s among neighboring regions by devel- ties, mechanisms and meetings. The 2017-2019 Global Aviation Safety oping integrated plans and solutions U.N. agency should recognize the Plan. The rules span such areas as on ight management. necessity and legitimacy of the coun- fatigue and risk management, pilot The nation’s inability to commu- try’s bid to attend this year’s assem- training, technician licensing, vehicle nicate directly with ICAO in enacting bly, he said, adding that through reliability checks and the supervision these upgrades produces additional meaningful engagement, Taiwan of emerging sectors like drones and challenges. It creates a gap in the Can Help achieve ICAO’s goal of a ultralight aircraft. global aviation network, a matter of seamless sky.