Thai woman gets 43.5 years for insulting monarchy

The Bangkok Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a former civil servant to a record prison term of 43 years and six months for breaching the nation’s strict law on insulting or defaming the monarchy, lawyers said. The court found the woman guilty on 29 counts of breaching the nation’s lese majeste law for posting audio clips to Facebook and YouTube with comments deemed critical of the monarchy, the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said. The court initially announced her sentence as 87 years, but reduced it by half because she pleaded guilty to the offenses, the group said. The sentence, which came amid an ongoing protest movement that has seen unprecedented public criticism of the monarchy, was swiftly condemned by rights groups. “Today’s court verdict is shocking and sends a spine-chilling signal that not only criticisms of the monarchy won’t be tolerated, but they will also be severely punished,” said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher for the group Human Rights Watch. Breaking Thailand’s lese majeste law — known widely as Article 112 — is punishable by three to 15 years in prison per count. The law is controversial not only because it has been used to punish things as simple as liking a post on Facebook, but also because anyone can lodge a complaint that can tie up the person accused in legal proceedings for years. The verdict comes as Thailand ramps up its use of the controversial legislation against democracy advocates, whose demands include reforms to the ultra-powerful monarchy. Authorities at first let much of the commentary and criticism go without charge, but since November last year have arrested about 50 people and charged them with lese majeste. Sunai said yesterday’s sentence was meant to send a message. “It can be seen that Thai authorities are using lese majeste prosecution as their last resort measure in response to

Most Europeans fear Biden unable to fix ‘broken’ US

TRUMP’S LEGACY: More Europeans than not say the US cannot be trusted after four years under Donald Trump, a survey by a think tank showed

A majority of Europeans believe the US’ political system is broken, that China would be the world’s leading power within a decade, and that US president-elect Joe Biden would be unable to halt his nation’s decline on the world stage, a study by the European Council on Foreign Relations said. While many welcomed Biden’s victory in the US election in November last year, more Europeans than not feel that after four years under US President Donald Trump, Washington cannot be trusted, the study showed. “Europeans like Biden, but they don’t think America will come back as a global leader,” council director Mark Leonard said. “When George W. Bush was president, they were divided about how America should use its power. With Biden entering the White House, they are divided about whether America has power at all,” he added. The survey of 15,000 people in 11 European countries, conducted at the end of last year, found that the shift in European sentiment toward the US in the wake of the Trump presidency had led to a corresponding unwillingness to support Washington in potential international disputes. At least half of respondents in all 11 countries surveyed felt, for example, that their government should remain neutral in any conflict between the US and China, while no more than 40 percent in any country said they would back Washington against Russia. “It’s clear that the tumultuous Trump presidency has left an indelible imprint on Europe’s attitude towards the US,” said Ivan Krastev, chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, a non- governmental organization in Sofia and a council board member. “The majority of Europeans are now skeptical about the capacity of the US to shape the world. It makes many, rightly or wrongly, want to opt for a more independent role for the EU in the world,” he said. While more

Third nurse infected in hospital cluster

SECRET OUT: Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung yesterday accidentally revealed that the infections occurred at the ministry’s Taoyuan General Hospital

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported the fifth COVID-19 case in a cluster infection at a Taoyuan hospital, where four other medical workers were confirmed to have been infected over the past week. The latest case is a nurse who had tested negative on Tuesday last week, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, told a news conference. However, on Thursday, she developed symptoms, such as nasal congestion and a cough, and a second test yesterday found that she was infected, Chen said. She is the head nurse of a ward where two doctors previously tested positive, the CECC said. The first medical personnel to be infected — one of the doctors — most likely caught the virus from a Taiwanese man in his 60s who is being treated at the hospital after returning from the US late last month and developing a severe COVID-19 infection. The doctor later infected his partner — a nurse at the hospital — as well as another nurse and the other doctor. The CECC has refused to name the hospital, but Chen at yesterday’s news conference accidentally revealed that it is “the ministry’s Taoyuan General Hospital.” Asked for confirmation, Chen said that the Taoyuan hospital is the site of the cluster infection. The CECC said it would set up a command center at the hospital to monitor the situation. Patients who were cared for by the infected medical personnel have all been transferred to single rooms, it said, adding that the hospital would not admit new inpatients nor allow hospital visits. The CECC also reported six new imported cases of COVID-19 infection. Three of the cases are members of a Taiwanese family who live in the US and returned home on Jan. 4, Chen said. The mother, who is in her 40s,

Navalny decries arrest, as West urges his release

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny yesterday said that his treatment was beyond a “mockery of justice,” as he was brought before a hastily organized court a day after his dramatic airport arrest. With calls growing in the West for Navalny’s release, he was brought into a courtroom set up at a police station in Khimki on the outskirts of Moscow where he was taken following his detention on Sunday night. Police seized Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opponent, at a border control post at Sheremetyevo International Airport less than an hour after he returned to Russia from Germany for the first time since he was poisoned with a nerve agent in August. In a video posted by his team from inside the hearing, an incredulous Navalny said that he did not understand how a court session could take place at a police station and why no one had been notified until the last minute. “I’ve seen a lot of mockery of justice, but the old man in the bunker [Putin] is so afraid that they have blatantly torn up and thrown away” Russia’s criminal code, Navalny said. In another video, Navalny called for the hearing to be open to all journalists, after only pro-Kremlin media were allowed to attend. “I demand that this procedure be as open as possible, so that all media have the opportunity to observe the amazing absurdity of what is happening here,” he said. About 100 people, mostly journalists, had gathered in the snow outside the police station and several police vans were waiting nearby with their engines running. Russia’s FSIN prison service on Sunday said that it had detained Navalny for breaching the terms of a suspended sentence he was given in 2014, on fraud charges he said were politically motivated. Navalny is also facing potential new criminal charges under a probe launched

Creative content agency, French festival ink MOU

EXTENDED REALITY: The MOU would accelerate exchanges between local and French creators and professionals, the government agency said

The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the organizers of France’s NewImages Festival to boost extended-reality (XR) cooperation and coproductions between the two nations. First held in 2018 and hosted by the Forum des images, the Paris-based festival is the largest immersive content festival in France, and a pioneer in virtual-reality content and immersive creation, the agency said in a statement. The agreement will strengthen ties between the XR industries in the two nations by accelerating exchanges between Taiwanese and French creators and professionals, TAICCA said yesterday. It seeks to provide opportunities for cooperation and business, and help Taiwan become a global leader in XR content, the agency said. The two organizations are to select 10 Taiwanese XR professionals to attend the fourth NewImages Festival from June 9 to 13, following an open call for applications, the agency said. Prior to the opening of the festival, a “Taiwan-France XR Day” event is to be held as a platform for Taiwanese and French XR professionals to engage in workshops, discussions and one-on-one matchmaking sessions, it said. Applications to the networking program are open until March 12, with details available at taicca.tw/article/c061ffca, it said. Meanwhile, the agency is to invite 10 French XR professionals to attend this year’s Taiwan Creative Content Fest, which held its first event in November last year, it said. Their participation would facilitate a better understanding of Taiwan’s plans for advancing content, and open up more opportunities for collaboration, it said. They might join the festival virtually depending on the COVID-19 situation, it added. Taiwan’s XR ecosystem is developing rapidly, and several important achievements have demonstrated the nation’s success in the integration of XR hardware and software, TAICCA chairperson Ting Hsiao-ching (丁曉菁) said. The agency and the NewImages Festival share common goals and values about XR creation, Ting said,

By Sherry Hsiao

Japan’s Don Quijote opens its first store in Taiwan

Don Quijote, the biggest discount store in Japan, is opening its first store in Taiwan today. The three-story Don Don Donki store in Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) area, which operates 24 hours a day, has already created 400 jobs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said in a press release. Many Taiwanese, including Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊), consider a trip to Don Quijote an essential stop in Japan. “I have been to Don Quijote at least 10 times myself,” Huang said yesterday at a news conference announcing the store’s opening. “They are rendering an important service, because we cannot travel outside of Taiwan at the moment.” “There are a lot of Don Quijote fans in Taipei and by going to the store they can get a ‘mock travel’ experience,” she said. Huang credited the Invest in Taipei Office (ITO) for assisting Don Quijote in opening its doors in Taiwan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “The ITO and the MOEA were with the company every step of the way, from forming the Taiwanese company to selecting the location,” Huang said. “As a result, we have [today’s] opening and jobs for many Taiwanese workers.” A media tour through the store yesterday showed that more than 2,000 Japanese snacks will be available, along with fruit and seafood imported from Japan. Other products for sale include cosmetics and skincare products, groceries, discount items and even adult entertainment products. The COVID-19 pandemic is the reason Don Quijote decided to open a branch in Taiwan, said Mitsuyoshi Takeuchi, head of the Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau business for Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp, the parent company of the Don Quijote chain. “In the past Taiwanese travelers would go to Don Quijote in Japan to pick up authentic products; now they can get the products they were used to

By Angelica Oung

Samsung head gets 2.5 years for corruption scandal

The de facto chief of South Korea’s Samsung business empire was yesterday convicted over a huge corruption scandal and jailed for two-and-a-half years, in a ruling that deprives the tech giant of its top decisionmaker. Jay Y. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co, the world’s biggest smartphone and memorychip maker, was found guilty of bribery and embezzlement in connection with the scandal that brought down former South Korean president Park Geun-hye. Lee “actively provided bribes and implicitly asked the president to use her power to help his smooth succession” at the head of the sprawling conglomerate, the Seoul Central District Court said in its verdict. “It is very unfortunate that Samsung, the country’s top company and proud global innovator, is repeatedly involved in crimes whenever there is a change in political power,” it said. It concluded a retrial that was the latest step in a long-running legal process that has hung over Samsung for years. The multibillionaire Lee — who had earlier walked into court grim-faced and wearing a mask, without responding to reporters’ shouted questions — was immediately taken into custody. He has effectively been at the head of the Samsung Group for several years after his father was left bedridden by a heart attack, finally dying in October. “This is essentially a case where the freedom and property rights of a company were violated by the former president’s abuse of power,” Lee’s lawyer, Lee In-jae, told reporters. “Given the nature of the matter, I find the court’s ruling regrettable,” he said. Experts say the sentence would create a leadership vacuum that could hamper Samsung’s decisionmaking on large-scale investments. “It’s really a huge blow and a big crisis for Samsung,” said Kim Dae-jong, a business professor at Sejong University. Samsung Electronics, the group’s flagship subsidiary, declined to comment on the ruling. “Considering Samsung’s share of the [South] Korean economy and

Virus Outbreak: Second doctor infected with COVID-19

‘CONTAINED’: The CECC is not considering locking down the hospital where the infections were detected, as their source has been found, Chen Shih-chung said

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one new domestic COVID-19 case, a doctor at a hospital in northern Taiwan where three other medical workers were confirmed to have the disease over the past week. The new case — No. 856 — is a doctor who had treated a COVID-19 patient together with case No. 838, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center. Case No. 838, confirmed as a locally infected COVID-19 case on Tuesday, was the first case in the hospital cluster, and later infected his partner, who is a nurse at the same hospital. Chen yesterday said the two doctors came in contact with each other on Jan. 10, when they were treating a patient of case No. 856. As case No. 856 had previously tested negative for COVID-19, and since the two doctors wore masks and other protective equipment during their interaction on Jan. 10, case No. 856 had been under self-health management, but not quarantined, Chen said. However, when a third colleague — a nurse — tested positive on Saturday, case No. 856 was tested again along with 265 other employees at the hospital, and his result came back positive yesterday, said Chen, who again refused to name the hospital. Of the 265 employees, another 224 have tested negative, while the tests of the remaining 40 are being processed, Chen added. While the latest infection is the fourth case related to the hospital, Chen said the CECC is not considering locking down the hospital, as the source of the infection has been identified and “the situation is being actively contained.” Regarding the second infected nurse, the CECC said that three family members she lives with have tested negative for COVID-19. The test of another person living in the same residence is being processed, it said. As for

By Lin Hui-chin and William Hetherington

Taiwanese win men’s doubles at Thailand Open

Taiwan’s top-ranked men’s badminton doubles team overcame the 2016 Rio Olympic silver medal winners to take the title at the Yonex Thailand Open in Bangkok yesterday. The world No. 7 Taiwanese pair of Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) outlasted Tan Wee Kiong (陳蔚強) and Goh V Shem (吳蔚昇) of Malaysia (No. 14) 21-16, 21-23, 21-19 in a match they could have closed out earlier and nearly let slip at the end. They became the first Taiwanese men’s doubles team to win a HSBC BWF World Tour Super 1000 event title, the highest-tiered event other than the World Championships and Olympic Games. “Winning today was great, because we’ve played as a pair since 2019, so it’s just two years, so it’s good for us,” Lee was quoted as saying on the Badminton World Federation Web site. “We now have more power, better defense, and more skill. We want to keep going,” he said. The Taiwanese had won their two previous encounters against the Malaysian duo, including during the finals at the Gwangju Korea Masters in November 2019, and it appeared they would clinch their third win in two straight games. After winning the first game 21-16, Lee and Wang held a steady lead in the second, and had two match points at 20-18, but the Malaysians rallied to even the match. Lee and Wang then built a 19-13 lead in the third, but were only able to clinch victory after the Malaysians put them on edge by whittling down their lead to 20-19. The pair won a prize of US$74,000. The other Taiwanese playing in a final yesterday, world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎), suffered a one-sided defeat in the women’s singles title match against 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalist Carolina Marin of Spain. They last met in the semi-finals at

Freeway revenue soars NT$500m

SUMMER TRAVELERS: Freeway toll fee revenue dropped from February to April last year, before recovering in the summer, with traffic volume surging up to 15 percent

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the government’s freeway toll fee revenue last year rose by NT$500 million (US$17.56 million) thanks to an increase in the number of road travelers, Freeway Bureau data showed. The pandemic led to a decrease in freeway traffic volume from February to April last year, on weekdays and holidays, the bureau said. The most dramatic decline happened in April, with traffic volume dropping 5 percent on weekdays and 11 percent on weekends and holidays, it said. However, traffic volume began to rise in May and showed positive growth in June, the bureau said. In August, summer travelers further drove up the volume by 6 percent on weekdays and 8 percent on weekends and holidays, it said. The swings in toll fee revenue mirrored the fluctuations in freeway traffic volume, the bureau said. The amount of toll fees collected slid from February to April, with the largest decline of 6.2 percent recorded in April, it said. By August, revenue had risen 9.5 percent, the bureau said. Overall, freeway toll fees collected last year reached NT$24.2 billion, up from NT$23.7 billion in 2019, the bureau said. The bureau also said traffic volume on the Formosa Freeway (Freeway No. 3) has surpassed that on the Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway (Freeway No. 5) since June. In June, traffic volume on Freeway No. 3 rose 6 percent, whereas that on Freeway No. 5 rose 4 percent. However, in August the volume on Freeway No. 3 surged 15 percent, while that on Freeway No. 5 increased about 5 percent, bureau statistics showed. Traffic volume on Freeway No. 3 rose 13 percent and 10 percent in October and December respectively, compared with increases of 9 percent and 4 percent on Freeway No. 5, the bureau said. The bureau attributed the growth in traffic on Freeway No. 3 to

By Shelley Shan

Joe Biden outlines ‘Day One’ agenda of executive actions after inauguration

In his first hours as president, US president-elect Joe Biden plans to take executive action to roll back some of the most controversial decisions of his predecessor and to address the raging COVID-19 pandemic, his incoming chief of staff said on Saturday. The opening salvo would herald a 10-day blitz of executive actions as Biden seeks to act swiftly to redirect the country in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency without waiting for the US Congress. On Wednesday, following his inauguration, Biden is to end Trump’s restriction on immigration to the US from some Muslim-majority countries, move to rejoin the Paris climate accord and mandate mask-wearing on federal property and during interstate travel. Those are among roughly a dozen actions Biden is to take on his first day in the White House, his incoming chief of staff, Ron Klain, said in a memo to senior staff. Other actions include extending the pause on student loan payments, and actions meant to prevent evictions and foreclosures for those struggling during the pandemic. “These executive actions will deliver relief to the millions of Americans that are struggling in the face of these crises,” Klain said in the memo. “President-elect Biden will take action — not just to reverse the gravest damages of the Trump administration — but also to start moving our country forward,” Klain said. “Full achievement” of Biden’s goals would require the US Congress to act, Klain wrote, including the US$1.9 trillion virus relief bill he outlined on Thursday. Klain said that Biden would also propose a comprehensive immigration reform bill to lawmakers on his first day in office. Providing a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants in the US illegally woud be part of Biden’s agenda, people briefed on his plans said. Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration Forum and among those briefed, said

US state capitals, Washington gird for possible protests

Ten days after rioters breached the US Capitol in a deadly attack that stunned the world, cities across the US were girding for a potential new wave of violent protests over the weekend, erecting barriers and deploying thousands of National Guard troops. The FBI warned police agencies of possible armed demonstrations outside all 50 state capitol buildings starting Saturday through president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, fueled by supporters of US President Donald Trump who believe his false claims of electoral fraud. Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Washington were among more than a dozen states that activated their National Guards to strengthen security. Meanwhile, downtown Washington was virtually empty, with streets near the US Capitol closed and battalions of camouflaged National Guard soldiers taking up positions across the city center. There were scattered demonstrations on Saturday, but statehouses remained mostly quiet. Law enforcement officials were training much of their focus on yesterday, when the anti-government “boogaloo” movement made plans weeks ago to hold rallies in all 50 states. Thousands of armed National Guard troops were on the streets of Washington in an unprecedented show of force after the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. Authorities were on high alert. A Virginia man, Wesley Allen Beeler, was arrested on Friday evening at a security checkpoint after police said he presented an “unauthorized inauguration credential,” Capitol Police spokeswoman said. Beeler had a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, court papers said. Beeler later told the Washington Post that he had been working security in Washington all week and pulled up to the checkpoint after getting lost. He told the paper he forgot the gun was in his truck and denied having so much ammunition. Beeler was released after an initial court appearance on Saturday and is due back in court in June, records show.

Taipei seeks to persuade Europeans for BIA talks

‘HIGH TIME’: The government needs to guarantee the support of each EU member state for the bloc to reach a consensus on investment talks, a Cabinet minister said

The government is stepping up efforts to persuade European countries to start bilateral investment agreement (BIA) talks with Taiwan, as the conditions are ripe, Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) said yesterday. Most foreign investment in Taiwan comes from the EU, while new member states in central and eastern Europe, including the Czech Republic, have expressed a keen interest in investing in the nation, said Deng, the Cabinet’s chief representative for trade negotiations. Over the past few years, Taiwanese events promoting smart city infrastructure have attracted many European visitors, showing that bilateral trade ties are improving, he said. Taiwan’s global visibility is at its apex after the nation won global accolades for its effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which presents an opportunity for the nation to garner the support of EU members, such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, to start BIA talks, Deng said. The European Parliament has passed resolutions to support Taiwan’s bid to join the WHO and its intention to negotiate a trade pact with the EU, he said. Given the good foundations as well as the needs proposed by businesses, it is high time that both sides commence BIA negotiations, he said. However, as the EU is often slow in making major decisions due to the need to reach a consensus among member states, the government has to work harder to garner support from each member state, he said. Commenting on Taiwan-US talks over a bilateral trade agreement, another high-level Cabinet official said that there had not been enough time to deal with certain issues, echoing outgoing US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s remarks. Lighthizer, who is to depart next week, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Monday rejected criticism that he did not start talks with Taiwan because he wanted to protect Washington’s “phase one” trade deal with

By Lee Hsin-fang

US-China Row: US sanctions pro-China officials

HONG KONG ARRESTS: Washington condemns Beijing’s actions to erode Hong Kong’s freedoms and democratic processes, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said

The US on Friday imposed sanctions on six officials, including Hong Kong’s sole representative to China’s top lawmaking body, over mass arrests of pro-democracy advocates in the territory. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in the latest of a slew of sanctions imposed in the final days of his term, and following political violence in Washington, called the crackdown in Hong Kong “appalling.” “We condemn PRC actions that erode Hong Kong’s freedoms and democratic processes, and will continue to use all tools at our disposable to hold those responsible to account,” Pompeo said in a statement, referring to the People’s Republic of China. Among those hit by sanctions was Tam Yiu-Chung (譚耀宗), the Hong Kong delegate to the Chinese National People’s Congress Standing Committee, and You Quan (尤權), the vice chairman of the Chinese government group that handles policy for Hong Kong and Macau. Three Hong Kong security officials were also hit by the sanctions, which restrict any US transactions with them. China last year imposed a draconian National Security Law in Hong Kong after widespread and sometimes violent protests that sought to preserve the territory’s separate freedoms. The US earlier imposed sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥), who later acknowledged that she has had to rely on cash and can no longer hold a bank account. Pompeo earlier threatened US action after the rounding up on Wednesday last week of more than 50 people in Hong Kong, including a US lawyer, John Clancey, who worked for a law firm known for taking up human rights cases. Hong Kong yesterday hit back at the US, slamming the sanctions as “insane, shameless and despicable.” The Hong Kong government in a statement expressed “utmost anger” and denounced the “coercive measures,” which it said were Washington’s latest attempt to intervene in China’s internal affairs and obstruct the territory’s effort

US-China Row: Xi Jinping in a letter asks ex-CEO of Starbucks to help mend US-China ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has asked former Starbucks chief executive officer Howard Schultz to help repair US-China relations that have plunged to their lowest level in decades amid a trade dispute and tension over technology and security. A letter from Xi to Schultz reported on Friday by the official Xinhua news agency was a rare direct communication from China’s leader to a foreign business figure. Schultz had opened Starbucks’ first outlet in China in 1999 and is a frequent visitor. Xi wrote to Schultz “to encourage him and Starbucks to continue to play an active role in promoting Chinese-US economic and trade cooperation and the development of bilateral relations,” Xinhua reported. In a statement issued on the same day, Schultz did not directly address Xi’s request to help repair relations, but said it was “a great honor” to receive the letter from China’s president. Schultz said Xi was replying to a letter Schultz recently sent him along with a Chinese-language edition of his book, From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America. Xinhua reported that Schultz congratulated Xi on “the completion of a well-off society” under his leadership. Schultz did not release a copy of his letter to Xi, but he said that he shared his respect for the Chinese people and culture. In his statement, Schultz said that he has formed many close relationships with Starbucks employees in China, which is Starbucks’ biggest market outside the US. It has 4,700 stores and 58,000 employees in nearly 190 Chinese cities. “I truly believe Starbucks best days are ahead in China and that the values of creativity, compassion, community and hard work will guide the company toward an even greater business and community contribution, while continuing to build common ground for cooperation between our two countries,” Schultz said in his statement. Starbucks

Taiwan can fill gap left by Confucius Institutes: AIT

With the closure of China’s Confucius Institutes in the US, it is time for Taiwan to fill the Mandarin teaching gap and share “a different version of history” with US students, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Brent Christensen told the Chinese Language Symposium to Support the US-Taiwan Education Initiative in Taipei yesterday. “We have all read news stories about the closing of many of the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] Confucius Institutes in the US. Now is the time for Taiwan to step forward and help fill this gap — not only to teach Mandarin and learn English, but to more fully tell Taiwan’s story to their American students,” Christensen said in Mandarin. The US Department of State in August last year designated the Confucius Institute US Center as a Chinese “foreign mission” for multifaceted propaganda efforts. After Taiwan and the US last month signed a memorandum of understanding on international education cooperation, both sides have agreed to expand existing programs, including the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program, Christensen said. Wishing good luck to about 60 program participants who are to teach Mandarin in the US, he told them they play a crucial role in teaching young Americans a language spoken by 1.3 billion native speakers around the world and have the opportunity to tell a different version of history than the one taught at Confucius Institutes. ‘CIVIC AMBASSADORS’ Encouraging Taiwanese instructors to serve as “civic ambassadors” and make more friends, National Security Council (NSC) Deputy Secretary-General Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said the government attaches great importance to the program, and the council since May last year has been coordinating inter-agency efforts to make plans to promote Mandarin teaching in the US and Europe. Many senior US researchers on Chinese affairs had learned Mandarin in Taiwan during or after China’s Cultural Revolution, Department of North American

By Lin Chia-nan

Virus Outbreak: Mike Pompeo pushes new allegation of China covering up origin of COVID-19

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday said that there were COVID-19-like illnesses among staff at a Chinese virology institute in autumn 2019, casting further blame on Beijing as health experts arrived in the country to probe the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins. The top US diplomat in a statement urged the WHO team that landed on Thursday in Wuhan, where COVID-19 was first detected, to “press the government of China” on the “new information.” “The United States government has reason to believe that several researchers inside the [Wuhan Institute of Virology] became sick in autumn 2019, before the first identified case of the outbreak, with symptoms consistent with both COVID-19 and common seasonal illnesses,” Pompeo said. He said this contradicted reports that none of the staff at the institute had contracted COVID-19 or related viruses. “Beijing continues today to withhold vital information that scientists need to protect the world from this deadly virus, and the next one,” Pompeo said. COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan in late 2019 and has since billowed out across the world, killing more than 2 million people so far, infecting tens of millions and eviscerating the global economy. The WHO has said establishing the pathway of the virus from animals to humans is essential to preventing future outbreaks. The outgoing administration of US President Donald Trump has consistently blamed China for COVID-19, which has killed 392,000 people in the US, with the president routinely calling it the “China virus.” In related news, India yesterday began one of the world’s biggest coronavirus vaccine programs, a colossal and complex task compounded by safety worries, shaky infrastructure and public skepticism. The world’s second-most populous nation hopes to inoculate about 300 million of its 1.3 billion people by July — a number equal to almost the entire US population. Health workers, people over 50 and those deemed