The China Post goes digital-only on May 15

According to Hsieh, it was time for the newspaper to go digital after hits on both the official website and the newly-launched app surpassed subscriptions for the paper edition. The China Post launched the first English-language newspaper app in Taiwan earlier this year in February. 
    The daily paper will be transformed into a digital news platform and will cooperate with other media outlets to offer users news reports and videos from a wide range of sources, local media quoted Hsieh as saying. 
    The digitalized China Post will adopt a multimedia approach to introducing Taiwan news and developments, Hsieh said, adding that 80 to 85 percent of future content would come from partnering media outlets while 15 to 20 percent would be self-generated. 
    Hsieh also added that The China Post would adopt video reporting in the near future so that the news platform would be even more comprehensive and multifaceted. 

Reason Behind the Shift

    Hsieh, who recently became the first Taiwanese student at Alibaba founder Jack Ma’s school for entrepreneurs, Hupan College in Hangzhou, stated that his courses at the school have allowed him to more deeply understand the trends of the internet era. 
    This in-depth knowledge of the digital age is what prompted the switch, which Hsieh stressed was not related to any financial issues but rather because it was the right path to take. 
    In a statement put out by the company, The China Post noted that "Taiwan has a free and diverse media culture, but is lacking many English news platforms to bring together the wealth of media content that is produced ... to help an international audience get the whole picture and truly see the real Taiwan."

The Post’s Promise 

    The China Post promised to "stick to the same principles we always have done in our desire to report the truth and to give our readers the best information possible" in its new fully digital medium. 
    The paper specifically addresses its subscribers in the statement, ensuring them that "we will work hard to make sure the reimbursements of your outstanding subscription fees are handled properly and smoothly." 
    The shutting down of The China Post’s printing marks the second English newspaper in Taiwan to go paperless, the first being Taiwan News. 
    Local media reports have also noted that The China Post’s decision follow a trend in newspapers going digital, remarking that the United Kingdom’s The Independent went paperless earlier last year. 
    While many were sad to see The Independent cease print publication, international media sources called it a move that embraced the global, digital-only future that we are all heading toward.