Countering statements made by China's Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday afternoon, Center for Disease Control Director General Su Ih-jen (蘇益仁) called an emergency press conference last night to clarify that Beijing has not been taking care of the health needs of the people of Taiwan as Chinese officials had claimed.
"Whether Taiwan is invited to observe at the World Health Assembly is not just about Taiwan-China relations," Su said.
He cited three examples to argue that Taiwan's healthcare needs had not been met by Chinese health authorities and that China had refrained from promptly and accurately reporting on its difficulties with infectious disease.
"The first example is SARS," Su said. "By the time China reported their SARS situation in January, there were already 130 patients in a Guangdong hospital. The first SARS patient had actually been identified in November."
The case of avian flu discovered in Hong Kong in 1997 was also a case in point, Su said. He noted that by the time the Hong Kong's bird-flu case was reported, Guangdong had already seen several cases of the disease.
"Hong Kong was the first victim. This just shows that closer health ties with China actually leads only to greater risks," Su said.
The third example Su raised was that of HIV/AIDS. He explained that while China had not admitted to the existence of several "AIDS villages" in China until two years ago, AIDS villages were already a problem 10 years ago.
Su called the press conference in the absence of Department of Health Director General Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), who is now in Germany.
Su also rebutted Beijing's claim that Taiwanese researchers were invited to medical conferences in China.
"Every year, before the World Health Assembly is held, China holds several medical conferences and invites several Taiwanese researchers to attend," Su said.
"If Taiwan needs information on China right now, it comes from other nations that China has communicated with or from the WHO," Su said.
"Only if Taiwan participates in the WHO will we be able to exchange health information and experiences of prevention with other nations," Su said.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
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