A top US school, Johns Hopkins University, has backed down on how it refers to Taiwan on its Web-based map detailing the spread of the new coronavirus after the government protested at the institution’s inclusion of it as part of China.
Beijing has been exerting pressure on foreign companies and organizations to identify Chinese-claimed Taiwan as part of China, and often to label it as a Chinese province.
The issue has come to a head again with the COVID-19 outbreak, with the WHO listing Taiwan’s case numbers under China’s, referring to it as “Taipei and environs.”
The designation “Taipei and environs, China” began to be used on Monday by Johns Hopkins on an interactive Web-based dashboard created by its Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) that tracks the virus outbreaks around the world (coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html).
However, in a rare diplomatic victory for Taiwan, the university has now changed that, and again calls the nation simply “Taiwan.”
The Ministry of Foreign Ministry (MOFA) on Wednesday said that it had asked the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington to lodge a protest with university in Baltimore, Maryland.
“During a comprehensive review of the dashboard this week, professor Lauren Gardner and her team decided to align the names of nations with the World Health Organization’s naming conventions to achieve consistency in reporting,” the university said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters, referring to the CSSE codirector who oversees the mapping project.
“Upon further consideration, the team now uses US State Department naming conventions, including the use of Taiwan,” the statement said.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) yesterday said the government appreciated the university’s quick action in making the correction, and she thanked US Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Michael McCaul, as well as US think tank members for raising concern about the issue.
Taiwan is now listed as an independent entity, without being downgraded, she said.
The nation looks forward to deepening cooperation with Johns Hopkins in various fields, and at the same time, it thanks US President Donald Trump’s administration for showing support for Taiwan, she said.
Taiwan and the US would continue deepening collaboration to curb the spread of COVID-19, she added.
Additional reporting by Lin Chia-nan and staff writer
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS