Taiwan Today: Taiwan’s stance on comfort women issue unchanged

Mitsuhiko Fujii, a citizen of Japan who was in Taiwan representing 16 civilian groups who objected the building of a "comfort women" statue, was captured by surveillance cameras kicking the bronze statue and posing for pictures last Thursday.

Taiwan’s stance on comfort women issue unchanged

The government’s stance on seeking the rights and dignity of Taiwanese “comfort women” — women forced to work in wartime brothels for the Japanese military during World War II — remains unchanged, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reiterated Tuesday.

Urging Japan to face up to the issue, MOFA spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said there will be continued efforts in negotiations with Japan on the comfort women issue. However, Taipei also hopes the matter will not hinder Taiwan-Japan relations from moving forward, he added.

Lee was answering questions at a regular press briefing about whether or not the government will demand that Japan apologize in the wake of a Sept. 6 incident in which a Japanese activist was caught on camera appearing to kick Taiwan’s first comfort women memorial in Tainan, southern Taiwan.

Typhoon Mangkhut intensifies, could pose threat to Taiwan

Typhoon Mangkhut was upgraded to a super typhoon Tuesday and will be closest to Taiwan this coming weekend when it could pose a potential threat to eastern areas and the Hengchun Peninsula in the south, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) forecast.

Mangkhut is likely to pass through the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan Saturday and Sunday, bringing rainfall to eastern areas.

Typhoon Mangkhut was carrying maximum sustained winds of 184 kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 227 kph, according to the bureau.

EVA Air to resume flights to Osaka Sept. 14-20

EVA Airways said Tuesday it will restart flights to Osaka between Sept. 14 and Sept. 20, operating one round- trip flight per day, as the typhoon-stricken Kansai International Airport has resumed partial services.

But the regular schedule of daily flights is awaiting further notice from the airport, EVA Air said, asking passengers to check its website for real-time information.

China Airlines (CAL) and Tigerair Taiwan — have not yet received permission from the airport to resume flights and plan to continue suspending their flights to Osaka until at least Sept. 13.

Almost 80% of employers have raised wages this year

Almost 80 percent of employers in Taiwan have raised wages for their employees this year, with most firms having a positive view of the current business climate and outlook, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Citing the survey, U.S.-based human resources advisory firm ManpowerGroup said 79 percent of the 1,039 enterprises polled indicated they have raised pay for employees, with an average wage hike of 3.2 percent.

ManpowerGroup said the majority of employers in the survey wanted to use higher wages as an incentive to encourage their employees to work hard.