A total of nine foreign women forced into prostitution in Taiwan have been rescued by Taipei police in a recent operation, during which the alleged mastermind behind the gang was also arrested.
After collecting intelligence over a period of several months, the police said on Saturday that several places were recently raided, including properties in New Taipei.
During the operation, six suspects were arrested, including a Taiwanese man surnamed Chen, who is believed to be the head of the prostitution ring.
Several women forced into prostitution were also rescued, including victims from Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, the Criminal Investigation Division under Taipei City Police Department said.
The suspects are currently being held by New Taipei prosecutors after initial police interrogations, the police said.
Acting on tips from the public about a prostitution ring in New Taipei and other areas, the police initially arrested a Taiwanese man surnamed Wu, who was in charge of the foreign women.
Based on further information, they later tracked down the head of the gang, the police said.
The investigation found that Chen scammed women from Southeast Asian countries with promises of work in Taiwan, the police said.
However, when the women arrived, their passports were taken away and they were confined to suites or motels by gang members, the police added.
The gang was found to use drugs to control the women, forcing them into prostitution, the police said, adding that the victims also included runaway illegal foreign migrant workers.
During the investigation, the police found that the gang placed sex service ads on online forums, with prices ranging from NT$1,800 (US$58.8) to NT$3,000, the police said.
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Showing posts with label Taiwan Tourism News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taiwan Tourism News. Show all posts
Monday, 10 July 2017
TAIWAN: Tourist Tax Refunds For UnionPay Card Holders In Urban Areas
Foreign tourists shopping with a China UnionPay bank or credit card will be entitled to value-added tax (VAT) refunds in the urban areas of Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taiwan's National Credit Card Center announced Monday.
Beginning on Tuesday, UnionPay card holders will be able to apply for the 5-percent VAT tax refund at four designated downtown locations in the two special municipalities, the center said.
The locations include Taipei 101, the A8 branch of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store in Taipei's Xinyi District, the Zhongxiao branch of SoGo Department Store in Taipei, and the Hanshin Department Store in Kaohsiung.
Foreign travelers who make purchases of at least NT$2,000 (US$65) on the same day from the same store will be eligible for the downtown refunds, the center said, explaining that the measure is aimed at encouraging tourists to shop more.
It is hoped that the move will create "shop again" business opportunities in terms of high-end tourism, the center said.
As part of efforts to boost tourism, the government began electronic tax refund services in May last year at airports and ports around the country.
Also, the four landmark department stores in downtown Taipei and Kaohsiung were designated to provide tourist tax refund services, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Moreover, travelers can claim the refunds with various brands of credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and JCB.
Because Chinese tourists are major foreign shoppers in Taiwan, the ministry decided to add UnionPay cards to the list.
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Beginning on Tuesday, UnionPay card holders will be able to apply for the 5-percent VAT tax refund at four designated downtown locations in the two special municipalities, the center said.
The locations include Taipei 101, the A8 branch of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store in Taipei's Xinyi District, the Zhongxiao branch of SoGo Department Store in Taipei, and the Hanshin Department Store in Kaohsiung.
Foreign travelers who make purchases of at least NT$2,000 (US$65) on the same day from the same store will be eligible for the downtown refunds, the center said, explaining that the measure is aimed at encouraging tourists to shop more.
It is hoped that the move will create "shop again" business opportunities in terms of high-end tourism, the center said.
As part of efforts to boost tourism, the government began electronic tax refund services in May last year at airports and ports around the country.
Also, the four landmark department stores in downtown Taipei and Kaohsiung were designated to provide tourist tax refund services, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Moreover, travelers can claim the refunds with various brands of credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and JCB.
Because Chinese tourists are major foreign shoppers in Taiwan, the ministry decided to add UnionPay cards to the list.
Tourism Observer
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TAIWAN: Philippines Attracts Lots Of Taiwanese Tourists
The number of Taiwanese visiting the Philippines in the first five months of 2017 increased by 20 percent from the previous year, making Taiwan the Philippines' sixth largest source of overseas visitors, according to the latest Philippine Department of Tourism data.
The figures showed that the Philippines had 2.88 million overseas visitor arrivals from January to May, up 14.4 percent year-on-year, with East Asia accounting for 1.49 million, or just over half, of them.
South Korea remained the largest source of visitors, totaling 686,630 arrivals in the January-May period, or 23.82 percent of the total.
It was followed by the United States at 428,767 arrivals, or a 14.87 percent share.
China ranked third with 388,896 visitors, or 13.49 percent of the total, followed by Japan (255,819, 8.87 percent) in fourth.
Though Taiwan had the fifth most visitors in the month of May, it remained sixth behind Australia in the rankings for the first five months with 108,643 visitors, or a 3.77 percent share.
Australia accounted for 112,814, or 3.91 percent of the total.
Rounding out the top 10 were Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Among the top 10 markets, Chinese and Taiwanese visitor arrivals posted the biggest year-on-year growth at 36.29 percent and 20.99 percent, respectively, due in part to warming relations between Manila and Beijing and Taiwan's new policy to focus more on relations with Southeast and South Asia.
Tourism Observer
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The figures showed that the Philippines had 2.88 million overseas visitor arrivals from January to May, up 14.4 percent year-on-year, with East Asia accounting for 1.49 million, or just over half, of them.
South Korea remained the largest source of visitors, totaling 686,630 arrivals in the January-May period, or 23.82 percent of the total.
It was followed by the United States at 428,767 arrivals, or a 14.87 percent share.
China ranked third with 388,896 visitors, or 13.49 percent of the total, followed by Japan (255,819, 8.87 percent) in fourth.
Though Taiwan had the fifth most visitors in the month of May, it remained sixth behind Australia in the rankings for the first five months with 108,643 visitors, or a 3.77 percent share.
Australia accounted for 112,814, or 3.91 percent of the total.
Rounding out the top 10 were Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Among the top 10 markets, Chinese and Taiwanese visitor arrivals posted the biggest year-on-year growth at 36.29 percent and 20.99 percent, respectively, due in part to warming relations between Manila and Beijing and Taiwan's new policy to focus more on relations with Southeast and South Asia.
Tourism Observer
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Tuesday, 13 June 2017
PANAMA: Panama Switches To China,Cuts Off Taiwan
Panama and China announced on Tuesday they were establishing diplomatic relations, as the Central American nation became the latest to dump Taiwan for closer ties with the world’s second-largest economy.
The move prompted an angry response from Taiwan and will likely further strain ties between Taipei and Beijing, which considers the self-ruled island a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland.
Taiwan is recognised by around 20 countries worldwide and its status is one of the most politically sensitive issues for Chinese leaders who pressure trade partners to accept its “one China” principle.
Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a nationally televised message “to the country and the world” that “Panama and China establish diplomatic relations today”.
The two countries issued a joint statement saying: “In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People’s Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document’s signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level.”
After decades of siding with Taiwan in the disagreement over its status, Panama now “recognises that there is only one China in the world” and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Panamanian counterpart Isabel Saint Malo signed the communique in Beijing.
“This is a historic moment, China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter,” Wang said, adding that Panama’s decision was in “complete accordance” with its people’s interests and “in keeping with the times”.
Saint Malo said Panama and China had made an “important step” and started a “new page in our strategic relations”
The announcement comes after Beijing began construction last week of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in Panama’s northern province of Colon.
Panama had long stressed it had diplomatic ties with Taipei and commercial ones with Beijing.
Chinese ships, after those from the United States, are the number two users of the Panama Canal, the Central American country’s main source of budget revenue.
Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan.
In December China signed an agreement to restore diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe after the African nation ditched the island.
Taiwan reacted furiously to the latest move.
“We strongly condemn Beijing for manipulating the so-called ‘one China’ policy to continue to suppress Taiwan’s international space through various means,” the presidential office said.
“This kind of action is not only an open threat to Taiwanese people’s survival and welfare but also an open provocation to peace and stability in the Taiwan strait and the region.”
Diplomatic tussles between Taiwan and Beijing eased under the island’s previous Beijing-friendly government.
But relations have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen’s China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party was swept to power in a landslide election victory last year.
Tsai has refused to acknowledge the concept that Taiwan is part of “one China”, unlike her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou.
Cross-strait tensions have been further exacerbated by a highly unusual call from Tsai to congratulate then US President-elect Donald Trump, who questioned Washington’s policy towards the island, including its decision to not formally recognise its government.
The move prompted an angry response from Taiwan and will likely further strain ties between Taipei and Beijing, which considers the self-ruled island a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland.
Taiwan is recognised by around 20 countries worldwide and its status is one of the most politically sensitive issues for Chinese leaders who pressure trade partners to accept its “one China” principle.
Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a nationally televised message “to the country and the world” that “Panama and China establish diplomatic relations today”.
The two countries issued a joint statement saying: “In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People’s Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document’s signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level.”
After decades of siding with Taiwan in the disagreement over its status, Panama now “recognises that there is only one China in the world” and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Panamanian counterpart Isabel Saint Malo signed the communique in Beijing.
“This is a historic moment, China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter,” Wang said, adding that Panama’s decision was in “complete accordance” with its people’s interests and “in keeping with the times”.
Saint Malo said Panama and China had made an “important step” and started a “new page in our strategic relations”
The announcement comes after Beijing began construction last week of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in Panama’s northern province of Colon.
Panama had long stressed it had diplomatic ties with Taipei and commercial ones with Beijing.
Chinese ships, after those from the United States, are the number two users of the Panama Canal, the Central American country’s main source of budget revenue.
Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan.
In December China signed an agreement to restore diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe after the African nation ditched the island.
Taiwan reacted furiously to the latest move.
“We strongly condemn Beijing for manipulating the so-called ‘one China’ policy to continue to suppress Taiwan’s international space through various means,” the presidential office said.
“This kind of action is not only an open threat to Taiwanese people’s survival and welfare but also an open provocation to peace and stability in the Taiwan strait and the region.”
Diplomatic tussles between Taiwan and Beijing eased under the island’s previous Beijing-friendly government.
But relations have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen’s China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party was swept to power in a landslide election victory last year.
Tsai has refused to acknowledge the concept that Taiwan is part of “one China”, unlike her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou.
Cross-strait tensions have been further exacerbated by a highly unusual call from Tsai to congratulate then US President-elect Donald Trump, who questioned Washington’s policy towards the island, including its decision to not formally recognise its government.
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