Taiwan

BEIJING - "Beijing power struggle heralds end of China Communist Party," screams one headline. More sensational headlines purport to reveal how the wife of recently sacked Politburo member Bo Xilai poisoned an Englishman, who may have been her lover. And if that weren't enough, other stories claim that "Bo planned airline crash" and "slept with more than 100 women. " It's payback time for Chinese exiles, especially those with a printing press, television station or just a computer at their disposal.

Yani Tseng finished her second round Friday at the Kraft Nabisco Championship with a series of shots that made golf seem like an easy game. Tseng's drive off the tee was a three-wood straight down the middle of the fairway on the 539-yard par-five hole. Her final shot was a birdie putt of about 15 feet. And that was followed by a series of fist-pumps, the kind athletes make when they know they've done well. Tseng, a 23-year-old from Taiwan who has won six of the last 12 tournaments she has entered, took a two-shot lead after two rounds of the LPGA Tour's first major of the season Friday at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

Sanctions Expected After Talks With U.S. Fail: The most recent round of intellectual property talks between Taiwan and the American representatives in Washington have ended in failure, Taiwan officials said. This leaves open the prospect that the United States will move toward adopting trade sanctions against Taiwan at the end of this month.

Reporting from Carlsbad -- Yani Tseng had led after the first, second and third rounds of the Kia Classic golf tournament, and by the ninth hole of the final round, she was five shots ahead of the field. So the top-ranked women's golfer in the world played the final nine holes without much pressure from those behind her and enjoyed the accolades she received on the course. Plus, the cries of "Go, Yani" distracted the large groups of birds walking alongside the golfers. Tseng, in only her fifth year on the LPGA Tour, collected her 15th title after a safe two-under-par 70 in Sunday's final round at the La Costa Resort course led her to a six-shot victory over South Korea's Sun Young Yoo. Tseng, of Taiwan, had a four-day total of six-under 274 and won $255,000.

The Obama administration informed Congress last month that it would proceed with the upgrade of Taiwan's fleet of 145 F-16 jet aircraft. The decision is controversial. China firmly opposes any U.S. effort to assist Taiwan militarily. Although Taiwan expressed gratitude for the decision, it had sought 66 new F-16s in the more advanced C/D models (it now has the A/B models). Taiwan's friends in Congress and defense contractors had argued for the C/Ds. Taipei's disappointment belies the fact that this decision constitutes a real contribution to Taiwan's security and underscores the U.S. commitment to Taiwan.

As California and the rest of the nation stagger from massive layoffs and soaring unemployment, companies in Taiwan have largely opted to cut pay and work hours to deal with the economic crisis. Here in Hsinchu Science Park, modeled after California's Silicon Valley, about 100,000 of its 130,000 workers are taking up to 10 days of unpaid leave a month. Part of the reason is pressure from Taiwan's government, they say.

Cincinnati Reds 3, Dodgers 2 Surprise, Ariz. AT THE PLATE: The Dodgers didn't score any runs until the ninth inning, by which time all of their regular players were out of the game. ON THE MOUND: Clayton Kershaw limited the Reds to two walks and two hits over three shutout innings. Jonathan Broxton tossed a scoreless inning and fifth-starter candidate Carlos Monasterios put up three zeros. EXTRA BASES: Doug Mientkiewicz started a 3-6-3 double play in the fifth inning, showing that his surgically repaired shoulder can handle making that kind of throw.

Taipei in April? You can do it for $867 round-trip, including all taxes and fees, between LAX and the Taiwanese capital on Air China. It is subject to availability and is for departures April 1-30. There is no minimum stay, but there is a maximum two-month stay. Info: Air China , (800) 882-8122 Source: Airfarewatchdog

Pastry obsessives might have an affinity for layer cakes, fruit tarts or croissants, and may even know where to score kouign amann (the caramelized Breton pastry). Filipino silvanas and Danishes by way of Taiwan are probably a taller order. How about warm Persian sangak slathered with cultured cream and honey? Or the Chilean cake brazo de reina filled with dulce de leche ? Here are some bakeries from recent Find columns at which to get your beyond-chocolate-chip-cookies fix. - Linda Burum, Miles Clements, Betty Hallock and C. Thi Nguyen Chilenazo Baker Ruben Villaruel is baking more than Chilenazo's sturdy buns - the foundation of the Chilean cafe's hefty sandwiches.

There's something about Taiwan ... at least at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show. Every year experts on travel to the island nation put on quite a show and attract quite a crowd. The display space includes what every attendee might expect: handouts on trips that focus completely on Taiwan and literature on trips to Southeast Asia and China with a stopover in Taiwan. There are maps of Taipei that display markets and restaurants and hotels. But the biggest attraction each year is the live entertainment and this year did not disappoint.

Ma Ying-jeou, the incumbent president of Taiwan, has now won his hard-fought battle for reelection. What does it mean for the United States? To state it plainly, Ma's victory means one less headache for any U.S. administration, Democratic or Republican. China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949. The U.S. ended its formal treaty commitment to protect Taiwan from a Chinese attack in 1979, but it continues to be committed to the island's security through legislation. Ma is seen as the candidate least likely to provoke China or otherwise put the U.S. in an uncomfortable position.

  Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou won reelection Saturday, receiving a mandate from voters that he vowed would spell closer economic ties with the island's old foe, China. Ma won 51% of the vote, compared with 46% for his chief rival, Tsai Ing-wen, after a tense campaign packed with criticism of his overtures to China. Ma had urged voters to see his attempts at rapprochement as a stimulus for the local economy, but was accused of getting too cozy with Taiwan's rival of more than 60 years.

Ever since Taiwan's democracy took shape in the 1990s, elections have revolved around relations with mainland China. But the hot-button issue of independence from China was bumped from the top of the campaign list in recent months as incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou and main challenger Tsai Ing-wen vied for votes ahead of the presidential election Saturday. Both major candidates sought to establish themselves as leaders with fail-proof strategies for helping a vast lower-middle class.

Round-trip airfare from LAX to busy, bustling Taipei, Taiwan, is available on China Southern for $882, including all taxes and fees. It is subject to availability, and travel can be any day of the week from Jan. 11-May 15, 2012. Maximum stay is three months. Info: China Southern , (888) 338-8988 Source: Airfarewatchdog.com

The Obama administration informed Congress last month that it would proceed with the upgrade of Taiwan's fleet of 145 F-16 jet aircraft. The decision is controversial. China firmly opposes any U.S. effort to assist Taiwan militarily. Although Taiwan expressed gratitude for the decision, it had sought 66 new F-16s in the more advanced C/D models (it now has the A/B models). Taiwan's friends in Congress and defense contractors had argued for the C/Ds. Taipei's disappointment belies the fact that this decision constitutes a real contribution to Taiwan's security and underscores the U.S. commitment to Taiwan.