Virus care for the vulnerable
With the continuing spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus across the world, people are avoiding this virus from China’s Wuhan like the plague. Regular sterilization of public spaces has become a must, and every household is busy preparing their epidemic prevention measures.
People wearing masks are seen almost everywhere lately, from public transportation systems to public parks.
The reaction among people who encounter someone who is not wearing a mask in the street will perhaps be to hurry to move away from that person, cursing and silently wondering why they aren’t thinking of others.
Perhaps that person is a senior citizen who lives alone in a small room in a shared apartment somewhere, or even a homeless person who does not even have a shelter.
The homeless wandering the streets in the cold of winter may be unaware of the epidemic, as well as any prevention measures, since they have no access to television, radio or a smartphone with an Internet connection.
What could they do even if they were aware of this information?
The homeless and elderly people living alone are so poor that many of them live a hand-to-mouth existence, and could hardly afford to buy face masks or alcohol disinfectant.
They belong to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in Taiwan: They are old, may suffer from multiple illnesses, have perhaps been long undernourished, live in unhygienic conditions and have difficulties in accessing medical resources.
Hopefully the government and the public will attach greater importance to the disadvantaged and the protection of their health. No one should be left outside the epidemic prevention safety net. Lowering the risk that the disadvantaged are infected is a necessary defense in the fight against the epidemic.
At this critical juncture, it is time to put the goodwill and unity of our society on display. Hopefully, instead of isolation and alienation, the epidemic will make us help and care for each other.
Chun Hui
New Taipei City
With escalating US-China competition and mutual distrust, the trend of supply chain “friend shoring” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fragmentation of the world into rival geopolitical blocs, many analysts and policymakers worry the world is retreating into a new cold war — a world of trade bifurcation, protectionism and deglobalization. The world is in a new cold war, said Robin Niblett, former director of the London-based think tank Chatham House. Niblett said he sees the US and China slowly reaching a modus vivendi, but it might take time. The two great powers appear to be “reversing carefully
As China steps up a campaign to diplomatically isolate and squeeze Taiwan, it has become more imperative than ever that Taipei play a greater role internationally with the support of the democratic world. To help safeguard its autonomous status, Taiwan needs to go beyond bolstering its defenses with weapons like anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles. With the help of its international backers, it must also expand its diplomatic footprint globally. But are Taiwan’s foreign friends willing to translate their rhetoric into action by helping Taipei carve out more international space for itself? Beating back China’s effort to turn Taiwan into an international pariah
Typhoon Krathon made landfall in southwestern Taiwan last week, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and flooding, cutting power to more than 170,000 homes and water supply to more than 400,000 homes, and leading to more than 600 injuries and four deaths. Due to the typhoon, schools and offices across the nation were ordered to close for two to four days, stirring up familiar controversies over whether local governments’ decisions to call typhoon days were appropriate. The typhoon’s center made landfall in Kaohsiung’s Siaogang District (小港) at noon on Thursday, but it weakened into a tropical depression early on Friday, and its structure
Since the end of the Cold War, the US-China espionage battle has arguably become the largest on Earth. Spying on China is vital for the US, as China’s growing military and technological capabilities pose direct challenges to its interests, especially in defending Taiwan and maintaining security in the Indo-Pacific. Intelligence gathering helps the US counter Chinese aggression, stay ahead of threats and safeguard not only its own security, but also the stability of global trade routes. Unchecked Chinese expansion could destabilize the region and have far-reaching global consequences. In recent years, spying on China has become increasingly difficult for the US
RSS