CULTURE
Taichung to host Double Ten
The annual fireworks display on Double Ten National Day is to be held on Oct. 10 at Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港) in Taichung, Deputy Minister of the Interior Hua Ching-chun (花敬群) said yesterday. National Day and the fireworks display play an important role in unifying people and drawing international attention, Hua, secretary-general of the National Day Preparation Committee, said in a statement. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫?), who chairs the National Day committee, have expressed their support for having Taichung serve as the venue this year, Hua said. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said it was the good fortune of Taichung residents to be able to watch the fireworks in person this year rather than on television.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
St Kitts gets YouBikes
The Taipei City Government yesterday announced the donation of 50 retired first-generation YouBikes to Saint Christopher and Nevis. The donation symbolized the firm friendship between Taiwan and the Caribbean country, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. He added that the city government is scheduled to launch a program allowing YouBike users to ride for free for the first 30 minutes. St Christopher and Nevis Ambassador Donya Francis said he was “excited” about the donation, which was indicative of the “strong and admirable friendship” between the two nations. The bicycles would be used as part of a local initiative to create a healthy lifestyle centered on healthy eating practices, consistent physical activity, and regular health checks and screenings, he said. Thanking Chiang and his administration, he said he looks forward to collaboration opportunities between the Embassy of St Christopher and Nevis in Taipei and the Taipei City Government.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Envoy reshuffle approved
The Cabinet has approved proposed reshuffle of diplomatic personnel, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Douglas Hsu (徐佑典), who heads the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ North American Affairs Department, is to replace Elliott Charng (常以立) as the representative to Australia, while Sharon Wu (吳尚年), head of the ministry’s International Organizations Department, is to head Taiwan’s office in Poland, replacing Bob Chen (陳龍錦), who is to become the envoy to Bahrain, the source said. Deputy Representative to the US Wang Liang-yu (王良玉) is to take over Hsu’s post, while Jonathan Sun (孫儉元), the top envoy in Boston, is to replace Wu. No specific dates were given when the new postings are to take effect.
POLITICS
Lee quits Yonghe race
Political commentator Lee Cheng-hao (李正皓) on Thursday night announced on Facebook that he has dropped his bid for a legislative seat in New Taipei City’s Yonghe District (永和). The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on May 24 announced that it was working with Lee, an independent, to secure a seat in the constituency. The decision drew objections from some DPP staffers, who urged the party’s nomination committee to reconsider, citing previous sexual allegations against Lee. Lee has denied the allegations, adding that a court has cleared him of the accusations. The DPP has become mired in discussion over a wave of allegations of sexual harassment, and his withdrawal would give DPP Chairman William Lai (賴清德) breathing room to resolve gender issues within the party, Lee said. DPP Secretary-General Hsu Li-ming (許立明) yesterday said the party respects Lee’s decision.
ANOTHER EMERGES: The CWA yesterday said this year’s fourth storm of the typhoon season had formed in the South China Sea, but was not expected to affect Taiwan Tropical Storm Gaemi has intensified slightly as it heads toward Taiwan, where it is expected to affect the country in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the 120km-radius storm was 800km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving at 9kph northwest, the agency said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued tonight at the earliest, it said, adding that the storm is projected to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday. Gaemi’s potential effect on Taiwan remains unclear, as that would depend on its direction, radius and intensity, forecasters said. Former Weather Forecast
As COVID-19 cases in Japan have been increasing for 10 consecutive weeks, people should get vaccinated before visiting the nation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. The centers reported 773 hospitalizations and 124 deaths related to COVID-19 in Taiwan last week. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) on Tuesday said the number of weekly COVID-19 cases reported in Japan has been increasing since mid-May and surpassed 55,000 cases from July 8 to July 14. The average number of COVID-19 patients at Japan’s healthcare facilities that week was also 1.39 times that of the week before and KP.3 is the dominant
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) working group for Taiwan-related policies is likely to be upgraded to a committee-level body, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. As Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is increasingly likely to upgrade the CCP’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, Taiwanese authorities should prepare by researching Xi and the CCP, the report said. At the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which ended on Thursday last week, the party set a target of 2029 for the completion of some tasks, meaning that Xi is likely preparing to
US-CHINA TRADE DISPUTE: Despite Beijing’s offer of preferential treatment, the lure of China has dimmed as Taiwanese and international investors move out Japan and the US have become the favored destinations for Taiwanese graduates as China’s attraction has waned over the years, the Ministry of Labor said. According to the ministry’s latest income and employment advisory published this month, 3,215 Taiwanese university graduates from the class of 2020 went to Japan, surpassing for the first time the 2,881 graduates who went to China. A total of 2,300 graduates from the class of 2021 went to the US, compared with the 2,262 who went to China, the document showed. The trend continued for the class of 2023, of whom 1,460 went to Japan, 1,334 went to