All details of charter flights to evacuate Taiwanese in China amid the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak must be negotiated by Taipei and Beijing, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said yesterday, adding that loopholes exposed by a charter flight from Wuhan, China, on Monday must not be exploited again.
Su made the remarks at a weekly Cabinet meeting amid controversy surrounding the flight, which carried three passengers who were not on an approved list, including one who was confirmed to be infected with the virus after the airplane landed, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka told a news conference.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Committee member Vincent Hsu (徐正文), who represents a self-help group of Taiwanese in Wuhan, helped arrange the flight.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Control over the situation had been completely lost and such incidents must not be allowed to occur again, Kolas quoted Su as saying.
The premier gave four instructions for evacuation flights, Kolas said.
First, disadvantaged people — including those on short-term business trips, on long-term medication, and the elderly and young — must be given priority for the charter flights, Su said.
Second, the government would demand that its health personnel inspect flights before passengers board to screen for the disease and prevent people from “sneaking” onto the aircraft, he said.
Taiwan would provide first-rate treatment to anyone exhibiting pneumonia-like symptoms after their return, but the government values the health of other passengers as well, he added.
Third, Chinese authorities must provide Taipei with complete lists of passengers for verification, Su said, adding that a last-minute manifest, such as the one provided just before Monday’s charter flight, would not be accepted.
Fourth, charter flights must be arranged on a government-to-government basis, he said, adding that no more intermediaries would be allowed.
Details on the flights must be ironed out by the Straits Exchange Foundation and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits or higher-ranking agencies, Su said.
Any intermediary attempting to speak for the government in an attempt to win praise would not be welcome, he added.
Local media yesterday reported that a Taiwanese minor with hemophilia was left stranded in Wuhan after they were “negotiated” off the list of passengers at the last minute.
The child has reportedly run out of medicine and might only survive until about Monday.
Asked about the government’s response, the Mainland Affairs Council said that the child would be given priority if there is a second evacuation flight and that it was arranging for Taiwanese businesspeople to deliver the needed medication.
Separately yesterday, the KMT said that it would suspend Hsu’s membership.
Hsu was not part of a seven-member group that helped negotiate the charter flight to evacuate Taiwanese, it said in a statement.
Without the party’s authorization, he held several news conferences and spoke to reporters about the outbreak, it said.
In addition to “creating panic,” Hsu “disrupted and hindered” efforts by the government and other groups to cooperate on fighting the outbreak, it added.
Hsu’s behavior “severely damaged the party’s image and reputation,” the statement said.
After consulting members of the KMT Disciplinary Committee, the party said that it decided to “first suspend [Hsu’s] party rights,” adding that a further disciplinary review would follow.
Additional reporting by CNA
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS