“Black cat” masks that Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) officials wore on Thursday symbolize the enhanced friendship between Taiwan and the US, and the nation’s gratitude for Washington’s donation of Moderna vaccines, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker said yesterday, urging critics not to distort their meaning.
Several CECC officials, including Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, wore the specially designed mask during the daily news conference. The mask features a black cat wearing a Republic of China flag scarf, with the US flag in the background, and the words “Stronger Together.”
It has caught the public’s attention and sparked questions about where they can be purchased.
Photo provided by the Central Epidemic Command Center
CECC officials said the mask, dubbed the “Taiwan cat warrior” mask (台灣戰貓口罩), was designed and produced by Taichung-based Shang Hao Biomedical Co to thank the US government for its donation of Moderna vaccines, as well as to acknowledge the effort of Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) in helping the nation secure them.
However, several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers saw it in a different light, saying it was demeaning for Taiwanese to become the US’ “pet.”
“Some people asked me, does it mean Taiwan is the US’ pet cat? This is like a throwback to the authoritarian era when a personality cult is built around a public figure,” KMT Legislator Jessica Chen (陳玉珍) said, in an apparent reference to Hsiao, who is a known cat fancier.
“Why did Chen have to wear this mask? It has made people angry. Where is our national dignity?” KMT caucus whip Alex Fai (費鴻泰) added.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that cats — whether in Taiwanese or Western culture — are viewed as cute, adorable animals, in contrast to China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy, with Chinese officials resorting to threatening or violent conduct.
“This ‘Taiwan cat warrior’ mask projects a positive image for Taiwan on the international stage,” Lo said. “The KMT has gone too far by suggesting it is building a personality cult, demeaning national dignity and is a return to the authoritarian era.”
Shang Hao Biomedical general manager Yang Sheng-te (楊勝得), the designer of the mask, said his company is working on a new design to thank Lithuania for its pledge to send vaccines to Taiwan.
The company also made a “Taiwan-Japan” friendship mask to mark the arrival of a Japanese donation of vaccines, he said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS