The Presidential Office yesterday denied a foreign news report suggesting the government plans to use tens of thousands of convenience stores as “wartime hubs” in the event of a cross-strait war, saying it has no such specific plan.
The Guardian on Saturday reported that if domestic rail lines were shut down, airspace was closed to commercial traffic, and Internet and phone services were disrupted during a Chinese invasion, Taiwanese could seek help from local convenience stores.
“If all this happened, Taiwanese residents could walk to one of the island’s more than 13,000 convenience stores to pick up rations and medical supplies, delivered by the chains’ own logistical transport systems,” the report said, citing four unnamed sources familiar with discussions.
Photo: EPA-EFE
They could read government communications which have been faxed to the stores and displayed on the window. Or maybe they would be able to send a message using the store’s emergency hotspot,” it added.
The idea was being discussed by President William Lai’s (賴清德) Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, which aimed to make Taiwanese society more resilient in the event of an attack or natural disaster, the article said.
Responding to the report, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) yesterday said the idea of turning civilian distributors into emergency hubs had been brought up by retail industry representatives during meetings of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee.
Representatives shared how they supported the public after the 921 Earthquake, Kuo said.
Although that was useful information for the government, the administration has not begun making the type of plans mentioned in The Guardian report, she said, adding that the government already has a plan for setting up wartime stations to distribute strategic materials.
The committee has pledged to enhance Taiwan’s resilience by training civilian forces, securing strategic and critical supplies, reinforcing energy and key infrastructure, and ensuring the continued operations of medical, transportation, information and financial facilities. It has so far held three rounds of meetings, most recently on March 27 during a civil defense drill in Tainan.
The Guardian also said that they expect “Taiwan’s military and maybe police will be sent to frontlines, leaving civilian first responders in charge of care and control.”
Kuo also denied that, saying that police would not be sent to the frontlines and emphasizing that they would be responsible for maintaining social order and logistics, and safeguarding key infrastructure during wartime.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS