Chen Ding-shinn (
Chen's cautious attitude is praiseworthy, given the recent recurrence of SARS in Toronto.
Official optimism about the epidemic affects people's psychology and social activities. For example, former Department of Health chief Lee Ming-liang (
This must have been the reason why President Chen Shui-bian (
For this reason optimism can reverse public over-reaction toward the epidemic, but it may not necessarily be good for epidemic control or people's vigilance. Facts tell us that to let down your guard is to create a big loophole in epidemic control. This is one reason hospitals became centers of infection.
Because the World Health Organization believes the epidemic has subsided in Asia, the Cabinet's SARS prevention and relief committee said on Tuesday that it would review the quarantine measures imposed on people arriving in this country. The Executive Yuan's optimism appears premature. SARS has taken more than 80 lives in this country alone. The epidemic has merely subsided -- it is not yet under control. Yet the Executive Yuan can't wait to review its quarantine measures.
Medical experts around the world have reached a unanimous conclusion that quarantine is the most effective measure against highly infectious diseases such as SARS. On Tuesday, the National Taiwan University Hospital made public results of its virus studies showing the SARS infections in this country can be traced to China and Hong Kong.
At present the government maintains a 10-day home quarantine requirement for people arriving from areas listed by the WHO as SARS-affected areas. China, Hong Kong and Toronto are on that list. Toronto's experience with a SARS resurgence tells us that any loophole in epidemic control can make the entire country's efforts in vain. Toronto was taken off the WHO's list for a while, but now it is back on it.
Taiwan has been improving its epidemic control measures. We hope the government will make people's lives and health its top priority.
The WHO still has doubts about the rapidly falling SARS figures in China. Non-cooperation from China could cause the SARS epidemic to make a comeback anytime.
We call on the WHO to undertake strict investigations before removing China from its list of affected areas, instead of just relying on figures released by the Chinese authorities. For Taiwan, any relaxation in the epidemic control measures must be premised on complete control of the epidemic.
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
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