SHIFT BACK: More than 860,000 people have stayed in quarantine hotels, which have received more than NT$6 billion in subsidies throughout the pandemic, the bureau said
The Tourism Bureau is studying the feasibility of offering subsidies to COVID-19 quarantine hotels as they transition back to normal operations after the government announced it would drop quarantine requirements for arrivals, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday. The nation still has about 382 quarantine hotels, Wang said. “We thank all quarantine hotels for playing an important role in containing COVID-19 in Taiwan,” he said. “The Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of Labor are working together to address the personnel shortage problem facing hoteliers. I also ask the Tourism Bureau to study the feasibility of subsidizing quarantine hotels as they transition back to being a normal hotel.” The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) last week announced that international arrivals would no longer be required to quarantine after its new policy takes effect on Oct. 13, the bureau said in a statement on Monday night. The new policy is the government’s response to the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and the public’s hopes for life returning to normal, it added. As such, hotels that were previously used for quarantine purposes should prepare to gradually shift back to normal operations, it said. More than 860,000 people have stayed in quarantine hotels since the government implemented the quarantine policy for international arrivals, the bureau said, adding that the cumulative subsidies for quarantine hotels have exceeded NT$6 billion (US$188.8 million). During the Lunar New Year holiday, hoteliers provided 32,000 rooms per day to meet travelers’ demand, with the average occupancy rate reaching a peak of 80 percent, the bureau said. The number of quarantine hotel rooms has fallen to 24,000 per day due to changes in quarantine policy, with the average occupancy rate at about 60 percent, it said. The Executive Yuan has asked the bureau to help hotels transition and prepare to host domestic
The government has so far brought back 246 Taiwanese who had been lured to Cambodia by fraud rings, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. However, there are still 393 Taiwanese stranded in the Southeast Asian country, Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs deputy head Fan Hou-lu (范厚祿) told a news conference, citing last week’s figures. The Criminal Investigation Bureau in a statement on Saturday said that 60 of the 393 Taiwanese had been freed from their jobs and were awaiting assistance to return home. The numbers were provided by Taiwan’s representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which handles Cambodian affairs in the absence of a representative office there, Fan said yesterday. The office has over the past few week received fewer requests for help from Taiwanese in Cambodia, he said. From Aug. 26 to Sept. 8, the office received 133 such requests, but from Sept. 8 to Friday, the number dropped to 51, Fan said. The government on Aug. 8 appointed a task force to help Taiwanese falling prey to job scams in Cambodia and to bring home those stranded there. The task force has also been working to raise public awareness of the risks related to work and travel in Cambodia, the Executive Yuan has said. As part of those efforts, airport police have been warning travelers to Cambodia about the reported job scams there.
In most of its habitats, the heavily trafficked pangolin’s biggest threat comes from humans, but in Taiwan, the scaly mammals brave a different danger: a surging feral dog population. Veterinarian Tseng Shao-tung, 28, has seen firsthand what a dog can do to the gentle creatures during his shifts at a hospital in Hsinchu. Last month, he worked to save a male juvenile pangolin who had been lying in the wild for days with half of its tail chewed off. “It has a big open wound on its tail and its body tissue has decayed,” Tseng said, as he carefully turned the sedated pangolin to disinfect the gaping injury. It was the fifth pangolin he and his fellow veterinarians had saved this year, all from suspected dog attacks. Chief veterinarian Chen Yi-ru said she had noticed a steady increase of pangolins with trauma injuries in the past five years — most of them with severed tails. Pangolins are covered in hard, overlapping body scales and curl up into a ball when attacked. The tail is the animal’s most vulnerable part. “That’s why when attacked, the tail is usually the first to be bitten,” Chen said. Wildlife researchers and officials said dog attacks, which account for more than half of all injuries since 2018, have become “the main threat to pangolins in Taiwan” in a report released last year. Pangolins are described by conservationists as the world’s most trafficked mammal, with traditional Chinese medicine being the main driver. Although their scales are made of keratin — the substance that makes up our fingernails and hair — there is huge demand for them among Chinese consumers because of the unproven belief that they help lactation in breastfeeding mothers. That demand has devastated pangolin populations across Asia and Africa despite a global ban and funded a lucrative international black market trade. All eight species of pangolins
‘REPRESENTATIVES’: Entrepreneurs’ efforts helped the nation become the 25th-largest economy in the world, Vice President William Lai told a forum in Kaohsiung
Taiwan’s economy has flourished thanks to the hard work of entrepreneurs and is poised to take advantage of supply chain restructuring among other opportunities, speakers at the Global Taiwan Business Forum in Kaohsiung said yesterday. The forum was also attended by former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo. From the beginning, it was Taiwanese businesspeople who took the initiative to seize global opportunities, Vice President William Lai (賴清德) said in his opening address to the forum organized by the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). Through their efforts, Taiwan has become the 25th-largest economy in the world and the ninth-largest trading partner of the US, with a pivotal position in global supply chains, he said. Even amid the challenges posed by US-China trade tensions, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan has posted impressive results, reporting 6.57 percent GDP growth last year — an 11-year high, he said. These challenges — as well as shifting production bases and China’s use of its economy as a political tool — have alerted democracies to the need for a more secure, reliable global supply chain, in which Taiwan must play a part, Lai said. Taiwanese businesses over the past 30 years have relied on cheap Chinese production, but that strategy is no longer feasible given the weaknesses inherent in China’s exports and its real-estate-reliant economic model, Lai said. The answer is to partner with other democracies to restructure the supply chain, which many Taiwanese businesses have already started doing, he added. “Businesspeople have always been the drivers of Taiwan’s economy,” Liberty Times Group chairman Andy Lin (林鴻邦) said in his speech. Taiwanese have invested all over the world, with total investment reaching almost US$400 billion since 1952, he said. From the trying early days without export markets, to today’s worldwide presence, businesspeople have been “important representatives of Taiwan’s competitiveness,”
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) yesterday talked about the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Pompeo could not attend a scheduled breakfast meeting, due to his flight being delayed the night before and instead talked with Chen for 10 minutes behind closed doors. Answering reporters’ questions following the meeting, Chen said the two exchanged views on East Asian geopolitics and discussed strategies to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, including the need for the US to be a more assertive leader in the alliance of democratic nations. He cited Pompeo as saying that he agreed with the importance of safeguarding regional peace. Pompeo also emphasized trade as a force for peace and stability as powerful as any act of cooperation between governments, Chen said. Chen said he told Pompeo that the integration of technology supply chains is crucial to the future of free trade and the security of Taiwan, to which Pompeo agreed. Pompeo also underscored the need for Taiwan and the US to enhance their collaborations in trade, economy and democracy, Chen said. Chen said he told Pompeo that Kaohsiung is a regional trade hub and the birthplace of Taiwan’s democracy movement, including the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979. He said he thanked Pompeo for being a strong supporter of Taiwan’s national security and right to be represented in international organizations while he was in office. Chen also presented Pompeo with locally produced fine porcelain, rice wine and tea as gifts. Pompeo said he was happy to visit Kaohsiung and added that the city’s 2.72 million population is equal to the entire population of his home state of Kansas, the Kaohsiung Department of Administrative and International Affairs said. After the conclusion of the Global Taiwan Business Forum yesterday morning, during which Pompeo delivered a speech, he was
Nauru on Monday called on the UN to recognize and include Taiwan in the UN system at the UN General Assembly in New York. Nauruan Permanent Representative to the UN Josie-Ann Dongobir expressed her country’s gratitude for Taiwan for its support during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Republic of China, Taiwan is an important partner in the global response to the pandemic, as well as a particular partner of Nauru. Taiwan’s exemplary response and assistance should not be ignored,” Dongobir said. “Taiwan is ready to share the experience and we call for their recognition to ensure their right to engage with us all in this global forum,” she said. Nauru was Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally to deliver an address on the final day of the UN General Debate. In this year’s debate, 11 of Taiwan’s 14 diplomatic allies spoke up for the nation’s inclusion in the international body. Honduras, Haiti and the Holy See did not mention Taiwan in their addresses. The Holy See, Taipei’s sole diplomatic ally in Europe, is an observer rather than a member of the UN and rarely speaks on political issues during UN-related meetings. Honduras also rarely speaks up for Taiwan during the General Assembly, instead calling for the nation’s inclusion in the UN in letters to the UN secretary-general. Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Victor Geneus did not mention Taiwan in his half-hour speech, the first time since 2018 that a representative from the country did not mention Taiwan in the General Assembly.
Chinese military incursions into Taiwan’s airspace pose a threat to aviation safety in the region, making it imperative for Taipei to be included in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), government officials said on Monday. While some might think that Taiwan’s wish to join the ICAO is a political goal, recent developments in the Taiwan Strait show that international civil aviation safety transcends politics and is vital to the safety of all air passengers, Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) said prior to the ICAO Assembly in Montreal. Taiwan has not been invited to ICAO meetings since 2013, and it has been left out of this year’s assembly, which began yesterday at the organization’s headquarters and is to run until Friday next week. The military exercises that China launched following US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei last month posed a severe threat to the Taipei flight information region’s (FIR) security, Tseng told a news conference on Monday. The international community should understand that China’s military exercises clearly contravened ICAO regulations, and compromised the aviation safety of Taiwan and neighboring countries, he said. That the drills were held so close to Taiwan proper constituted a major development, which should be discussed at the ICAO Assembly, Tseng said. Tseng is part of a government delegation campaigning in Montreal for Taiwan’s inclusion in the ICAO. Civil Aeronautics Administration Deputy Director-General Lin Jiunn-liang (林俊良), who is leading the delegation, said Taiwan is the sole managing authority of the Taipei FIR, which provided services to 72 million passengers in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taiwanese commercial airlines rank among the best in the world and Taiwan is willing to contribute to global aviation safety, Lin said, appealing for the country’s inclusion in the ICAO. The delegation on Monday held bilateral discussions with representatives of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and like-minded
‘INNOCENT VICTIM’: The NCC is investigating whether Formosa News failed to check the veracity of Clara Chou’s claim of an affair between a politician and a beauty queen
The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that it has received 32 complaints about media personality Clara Chou (周玉蔻) after she made accusations about former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice chairman John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) in a political TV show aired by Formosa News. Chou accused Chiang, the father of KMT Taipei Mayoral Candidate Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), of having had an extramarital affair with Miss Republic of China 1988 Chang Shu-chuang (張淑娟) about 20 years ago. Chang on Monday filed an aggravated defamation lawsuit against Chou at the Taipei Prosecutors’ Office. Chou appeared at the office at the same time, saying she wanted to apologize to Chang. In a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday, KMT Legislator Lee De-wei (李德維) asked NCC Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) whether the commission would hold Formosa News accountable for allowing Chou to “humiliate” Chang on the air. “Taiwan is a free and democratic country, and we will not censor what a news channel should or should broadcast before the program is aired. However, we will review the aired content to determine if it contravened broadcast regulations,” Chen said. “We are investigating the complaints to determine if Formosa News failed to verify the authenticity of the content before it was aired and abide by the principle of fairness, as per Article 27 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法),” he said. “We will also determine if the content disrupted public order and contravened other legal prohibitions,” he added. KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said in a campaign rally that the Democratic Progressive Party has been using the media and media personalities to attack the KMT. “As politicians, we should endure these malicious attacks. However, Chang is an innocent victim of this attack,” he said. In other news, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told the plenary session that neither he
Children’s nap times and active hours should be enshrined in law to protect their right to play, the Legislative Research Bureau has said. Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the UN in 1989 and by Taiwan in 2014, protects children’s right “to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities,” the bureau said. Regulations should be added to the Early Childhood Education and Care Act (幼兒教育及照顧法) regarding time children spend napping and on gross motor activities, it said. Similar regulations are stipulated in the Implementation Regulations Governing Early Childhood Educare and Childcare Services (幼兒教保及照顧服務實施準則), whose hierarchy is lower than the act, it said. Japan in 2011 conducted a lifestyle survey on children across the country to improve their mental and physical health, the bureau said. Based on the results, the Japanese government launched a campaign to encourage children to “eat more, move more, sleep more,” it added. Children with irregular sleep schedules also tend to have meals at irregular times, it said, adding that those who skip breakfast would be less active during the day and end up having insufficient exercise. An irregular sleep schedule could also affect the autonomic nervous system, reducing its ability to protect the body which in turn could lead to hormone imbalance, it said. Children with irregular sleep schedules might also experience discomfort and mental instability, it said, adding that they might also lose physical strength and have trouble focusing during class. To protect children’s right to participate in activities suitable for their age, “inclusive playgrounds” that are accessible to all children, including those with disabilities, must be built, it said. Equipment in playgrounds should be safe, user-friendly and barrier-free for children of all ages and genders, as well as those with disabilities, it added. Regulations should also be included in the Protection of Children
AT-3 jets of the air force Thunder Tigers rehearse aerobatics ahead of Double Ten National Day celebrations in the skies over Taipei yesterday.
STEMMING LOSSES: Customized weather and climate data could reduce financial and agricultural losses by up to NT$5.7 billion per year, a bureau director said
WeatherRisk Explore Inc has become the first private weather service provider authorized to access data collected by the Central Weather Bureau as it develops customized weather services, the state-run meteorology agency said yesterday. The company and the bureau yesterday signed the contract at the bureau’s headquarters in Taipei. The partnership was made possible through the agency’s launch of a plan earlier this year to develop innovative applications of meteorological resources, the bureau said. Bureau Deputy Director-General Cheng Jia-ping (程家平) said in his presentation at the ceremony that innovative uses of meteorological data would help reduce financial losses caused by weather-related disasters. Data collected in the past 10 years showed that Taiwan annually sustains about NT$18 billion (US$565.72 million) in financial losses and NT$10 billion in agricultural losses because of weather-related disasters, he said. “However, the World Meteorology Organization has estimated that the availability and use of weather and climate forecasts can reduce the impacts of weather variability by 10 to 30 percent, with the value of potential benefits generated by reducing financial losses reaching NT$1.8 billion and NT$5.7 billion per year,” he said. “To reduce weather-induced economic damage and create benefits, it is necessary to translate weather and climate data into information that can be understood by users and be used to create value-added applications for various disciplines,” he said. WeatherRisk is the first private weather service provider with authorization to use bureau data and offer customized weather services, Cheng said. The bureau is reviewing two other requests to use its data — one by a society studying issues related to climate changes, and another from manufacturers of devices for offshore exploration. WeatherRisk in April filed an application to receive 41 gigabytes of weather data daily, the bureau said, adding that its application was approved earlier this month following multiple rounds of technical exchanges. A list of government data
PERCENTAGE GROWING: The local outbreak might have plateaued, and requirements for arrivals to take effect in two weeks are to be less strict than Hong Kong’s latest measures
The Omicron BA.5 subvariant of SARS-CoV-2 accounted for about 80.5 percent of genetically sequenced local cases last week, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. It also confirmed 28,513 new local and 272 imported cases, along with 56 deaths, said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), head of the CECC’s disease surveillance division. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the CECC, said weekly local caseloads rose for five consecutive weeks before falling 3 percent in the past week. The local COVID-19 outbreak might have plateaued and the center is monitoring the number of new cases to look for signs of a decline, he said. The youngest fatality confirmed yesterday was a seven-month-old girl who had chronic nervous system disorder and metabolic disease. She died three days after the onset of symptoms, said CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division. Of the 159 local cases that were chosen for genome sequencing last week, 128 people, or 80.5 percent, had the BA.5 subvariant, while the rest had BA.2. As BA.5 has become the dominant subvariant circulating in the nation, it is expected to account for an even higher percentage of cases in the coming days, he said. Genome sequencing also showed that a child who was treated for encephalitis also had the BA.5 subvariant, the first reported instance of the subvariant causing encephalitis in a child, Lo said. The boy was reported as a severe COVID-19 case on Aug. 31 and was discharged from hospital on Sept. 14 following recovery. Asked whether Taiwan would follow Hong Kong’s example and implement a “0+3” self-monitoring scheme for international arrivals, Lo said that Taiwan’s “0+7” rule, which takes effect on Oct. 13, is less strict. Hong Kong no longer requires quarantine for arrivals, but they must take
The sixth round of a rationing scheme for purchasing COVID-19 rapid test kits is to start on Saturday, allowing people to buy more kits than in previous rounds, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the center, said that number of local COVID-19 infections might have plateaued, and there is a higher demand for the test kits. Six packs, each containing five kits, can be purchased individually for NT$500 per pack, Wang said, adding that six can be obtained in one purchase or at different times. People can also purchase kits on behalf of family and friends by bringing their National Health Insurance card or residence permit, he said. People aged 65 and older, and children aged six and younger, are also to be eligible for a free pack of test kits at one of the nation’s 4,517 contracted pharmacies or 79 public health centers, Wang said, adding that the free kits are not included in the quota. Wang said that at-home rapid antigen tests using a nasal swab should not be used on children aged two or younger. Wang also said that as of yesterday, indigenous people aged 55 to 64 are being offered free packs of rapid test kits, which have been delivered to local governments. They or an appointed family member or friend can obtain the kits at an authorized local government distribution point by showing a household certificate or registration, he said.
A Taiwanese fishing boat, which had been adrift since earlier this month after its captain died onboard, returned safely to port yesterday with help from the coast guard and a private vessel. The captain of the Chin Long Cheng No. 18, surnamed Chen (陳), died suddenly on Sept. 15 when the vessel was in waters north of Guam. None of the workers on the ship had piloting skills and they could not steer the boat. It drifted at sea for one day, after which a private ship provided a tow. A Taiwanese coast guard vessel responding to the fishing boat’s call for help reached the vessel six days later. The coast guard vessel brought a pilot to steer the fishing boat to Yanpu Fishing Port (鹽埔漁港) in Pingtung County, close to Liuqiu Township (琉球), where the boat is registered. The coast guard’s pilot, surnamed Hung (洪), docked the vessel at 7am yesterday after sailing for five days, sometimes in strong winds and on high waves. Hung said that he had not taken the wheel of a boat in 10 years, but as a friend of Chen’s family, he wanted to help rescue the boat at their request. A Taoist monk and Chen’s family were at the port when the boat arrived with the body. They burned paper money while chanting “come home” as Chen’s body was lifted off the vessel. An Indonesian crew member on the ship gave a thumbs up as he disembarked and told reporters that Chen had been very kind to the fishermen during the trip.
With two months to go before the local elections on Nov. 26, the Taiwan Equality Campaign yesterday launched an updated Web site to document candidates’ opinions on gender equality. Pridewatch.tw was created to urge the candidates to heed the needs of the public, provide gender-friendly services and promote human rights in Taiwan, the group said. Taiwan Equality Campaign chief executive Jennifer Lu (呂欣潔) said that the organization also used Pridewatch.tw during the 2018 local elections to introduce candidates who advocated gender-friendly policies. The site generates more than 100,000 views annually, she said. The updated site includes candidates’ platforms and statements related to gender equality for voters to refer to, she said. Mayors, county commissioners, city and county councilors, and township mayors and councilors can contribute their positions on gender equality and fill in a questionnaire on the Web site, she said. Citing examples, Tainan Sprout secretary-general Su Lin-chi (蘇淋齊) said that the site details Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin I-chin’s (林宜瑾) participation in several Pride parades in Tainan, and New Power Party Tainan City Councilor Lin Yi-ying’s (林易瑩) efforts to review gender-equality education in the city. Taiwan Gender Equity Education Association secretary-general Hang Yi-chen (韓宜臻) said that some anti-LGBTQ groups have in the past few years harassed teachers who tried to provide gender-equality education to their students. Gender-friendly councilors looked into the issue and brought it to city and county councils, which was “a great help” to teachers, she added. Humanistic Education Foundation secretary Chen Chih-yuan (陳志遠) said that the Web site shows whether a candidate understands the needs of their voters and is prepared to provide gender-friendly services. Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association secretary-general Sean Du (杜思誠) said the Web site allows people to take political action. Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy president Chang Yu-meng (張育萌) said that the Web site could prompt candidates to care more about such issues and
HAWAII MODEL: While Hawaii held a referendum on becoming the 50th US state, Taiwan has never applied to join the People’s Republic of China, Miles Yu said
China comparing Taiwanese independence to Hawaii seeking independence from the US is illogical, as Taiwan has never applied to be a part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hudson Institute senior fellow Miles Yu (余茂春) said over the weekend. Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅), who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, has given multiple talks asserting Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan. In a speech to the Asia Society on Thursday, Wang likened Taiwan to Hawaii. “Just as the US would not allow Hawaii to break away,” Beijing “reserves the right” to seek unification, Wang told the gathering. The comparison “does not make sense,” as the historical circumstances behind the two relationships are entirely different, Yu told the Chinese-language Voice of America in an interview published on Saturday. Hawaii in 1959 became the 50th US state after a referendum in which its citizens voted to join the US, said Yu, who served as senior China policy and planning adviser to former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo. On the other hand, “the Taiwanese people have never applied to become a part of the PRC, nor has the PRC administered or exercised sovereign control over any existing Taiwanese territories since its establishment in 1949,” Yu said. Beijing cannot merely claim sovereignty over Taiwan without also discussing the revulsion that the people of Taiwan have for its autocratic system, he said. Taiwanese presidents from the Democratic Progressive Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have stressed that the fundamental obstacle to cross-strait communication is the two sides’ inherently contradictory political systems, he said, adding that without resolving this issue, Beijing’s claims are meaningless. Yu also rejected Wang’s appeal for the US to drop its attitude of “strategic competition” with China, and return to peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. Washington has “suddenly realized that this is a
Tensions over Taiwan have raised the thorny issue of whether US troops based in South Korea would be involved in any conflict, with US and South Korean officials acknowledging that the peninsula could easily be dragged into a crisis. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told CNN in an interview aired on Sunday that his country was keen to work with the US to “expand freedom,” but that in a conflict over Taiwan, North Korea would be more likely to stage a provocation and that the alliance should focus on that first. North Korea has a mutual defense treaty with China, and military analysts suggest it could coordinate with Beijing or take advantage of a crisis to pursue its own military goals. US President Joe Biden last week said US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, drawing an angry response from China and raising the stakes for Washington’s allies that host US troops in the region. China is South Korea’s largest economic partner, and Seoul could find itself on the literal front lines of any regional military conflict. North Korea has backed China’s claims over Taiwan, and accused Washington of trying to build an “Asian NATO” that would import crises like the one in Ukraine to Asia. Yoon has vowed to forge closer ties with the US, which has had a mutual defense treaty with South Korea since the 1950-1953 Korean War, and stations about 28,500 troops in the country. When asked whether South Korea would help the US if China attacks Taiwan, Yoon did not directly answer. Commander of US Forces Korea (USFK) General Paul LaCamera last week said it is prudent to plan for all possibilities. “What begins in one region spreads very quickly within the region and around the world,” LaCamera told a seminar hosted by the Institute for Corean-American Studies (ICAS)
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is to give a keynote speech at a business forum in Kaohsiung today to share his insights on Taiwan’s economic development and role in the global economy. Organized by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times), the Global Taiwan Business Forum has invited more than 300 businesspeople based in Taiwan to the Kaohsiung Marriott Hotel, where Pompeo is to deliver a speech on “Seeing Taiwan’s post-COVID-19 pandemic business opportunities from the perspective of international economic and trade trends.” Nearly 100 police officers are to be deployed for security during the former secretary’s visit, during which he is also expected to visit the Pier-2 Art Center, the light rail transit system and the Great Harbor Bridge (大港橋). Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) yesterday welcomed Pompeo to the city, saying he would “definitely love Kaohsiung.” The two were expected to have breakfast together this morning, but the meeting was canceled as Pompeo’s flight was delayed. As for the rest of his itinerary, Chen said that the city respects the organizer’s planning. It is the second time this year Pompeo has visited Taiwan, following a trip to Taipei in March during which he called on Washington to officially recognize Taiwan.
ANTI-INDEPENDENCE: The e-mail demanding that Taiwan stop all activities advocating independence was traced to an offshore IP address, police said
Taoyuan International Airport Corp yesterday confirmed that it had received an e-mail threatening to bomb the airport if Taiwan did not cease activities advocating for independence. An ad hoc team was formed to investigate as soon as the Aviation Police Bureau received the report from the airport operator, said Chuang Ying-shou (莊英壽), deputy head of the bureau’s Criminal Investigation Squad. “Our preliminary investigation showed that the e-mail was sent from an offshore IP address. Officers at our security patrol squad and security inspection squad have enhanced security inspection at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport,” Chuang said, adding that the bureau takes every statement threatening aviation safety seriously. The operator said that the anonymous e-mail sender claimed that they had placed bombs at the airport and demanded that Taiwan stop all activities related to Taiwanese independence. The e-mail, which was delivered to the airport’s customer service inbox on Sunday, was not discovered by information technology specialists until yesterday, sources familiar with the matter said. Prior to yesterday’s incident, the airport operator had received an e-mail on Aug. 2 ahead of the visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. In the e-mail, the writer said that they had planted three explosive devices at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to prevent Pelosi’s arrival. The bureau traced the source of the e-mail to an offshore IP address as well. The airport company yesterday said that it immediately informed the Aviation Police Bureau and other agencies about the threatening e-mail in accordance with standard operating procedures, adding that aviation police officers and airport security were asked to step up patrols. Airport personnel were also asked to bolster security inspections, pay attention to suspicious people and unidentified items and report them immediately, it said. Article 105 of the
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