British vlogger picks apart Nathan Rich's assertion that Taiwan is part of China

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/28
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In his latest video, a British blogger with strong ties to Taiwan goes after American YouTuber Nathan Rich's erroneous claims that Taiwan is part of China.

In his latest YouTube video uploaded on Sunday (April 26), Christopher Raymond Hall, who goes by the handle DREAM清醒夢LUCID, itemized and refuted each of Rich's claims in a video about China's supposed sovereignty over Taiwan. Hall started out by introducing Rich, an American and former Scientologist who now works in Beijing as a propagandist for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In response to Rich's claim that "Taiwan is not a nation," Hall pointed out that Taiwan has its own currency, military, flag, president, and democratic legislature. After Rich claimed "Taiwanese separatists" were attacking the World Health Organization (WHO), Hall retorted that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has rejected the proposed "one country, two systems" framework, declaring that Taiwan and China are in fact "two countries, two systems."

Rich then went on to say that "Taiwan is not a country, Taiwan is not a nation, it is not a sovereign state. And that's not just my opinion. That's just a fact." In disgust, Hall said, "You may be OK selling your soul to the CCP, but I am not."    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 28 April, 2020
By: Paula Chao

The Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Music began online performances on April 24（Photo: Taipei Philharmonic Fdtn. for Culture and Music）

The COVID-19 pandemic has suspended public performances in countries throughout the world, including Taiwan. Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, Taiwanese artists have been pondering whether they should go online or offer live-streaming to keep audiences entertained.

Performing artists are divided over the issue. Opponents are concerned that online performances can’t provide viewers with the power, drama and exquisiteness of their original work. The skeptics include Godot Theater Company, Taipei Philharmonic Chorus and GuoGuang Opera Company.

But supporters tend to have an open attitude towards putting on a show on the Internet. Our Theater says there is no need to limit oneself to physical performances as digital ones offer an additional platform and help promote the industry.      [FULL  STORY]

Coconuts Manila
Date: Apr 28, 2020
By Coconuts Manila 

The Taiwanese government yesterday turned down a request from the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to send home a Filipina caregiver for publishing a Facebook post that allegedly attempted to “discredit and malign” President Rodrigo Duterte.

On Saturday, Labor Attaché Fidel Macauyag said in a statement that a certain Elanel Ordidor, a resident of Taiwan’s Yunlin County, committed cyber libel “for [the] willful posting of nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on Facebook [that was] intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The three-minute video, which has since been deleted from Ordidor’s account, shows the caregiver complaining about the military-like lockdown that Duterte imposed over parts of the country to curb the spread of COVID-19. She said that due to severe measures, people in the Philippines “would not die from the virus but from hunger.”    [FULL  STORY]

Company will give each family of deceased NT$1 million to assist with funeral costs

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/28
By:  George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cashbox Partyworld KTV announced at a press conference on Tuesday (April 28) the company will suspend operations at all 17 of its stores for a week after a fire in Taipei on Sunday that left five dead and one in critical condition, Chinatimes reported.

In addition, Cashbox Partyworld KTV Spokeswoman Gao Xin-hua (高心華) said the company would give each family of the deceased NT$1 million (US$33,000), plus the NT$100,000 originally offered to them, to help with funeral costs, per the Chinatimes. She added the company had sent representatives to visit the victims in hospital, the report said.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/28/2020
By: Liu Shih-yi, Liu Kuan-ting and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, April 28 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court on Tuesday sentenced seven Sunflower Movement activists to 2-4 months in prison for inciting others to commit crimes related to the occupation of the Executive Yuan complex during a 24-day student-led protest in 2014, overturning the "not guilty" verdicts a lower court previously handed down.

The sentences are commutable to fines, but the decision can still be appealed.

The Sunflower Movement was a protest against the then Kuomintang (KMT) government's handling of a trade in services agreement with China, which was sparked when former KMT legislator Chang Ching-chung (張慶忠) rushed through the trade agreement without debate on March 17, 2014.

During 24 days of protests from March 18 to April 10, hundreds of students broke into the Legislative Yuan, while thousands demonstrated outside the complex.

100 DAYS: Thanking the public, the health minister talked about critical periods in the nation’s fight against COVID-19 and why the CECC favors targeted testing

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 29, 2020
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported no new COVID-19 infections for a third consecutive day, thanking the public for cooperating with and supporting the center since its establishment 100 days ago.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, added that a total of 307 patients have been released from isolation after recovering.

Of the 429 people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Taiwan, 343 cases were imported, 55 were locally acquired and 31 were a cluster infection on the navy supply ship Panshih (磐石), he said.

Yesterday marked the 100th day since the center’s establishment on Jan. 20 and the 16th consecutive day that no domestic case has been confirmed in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 27 April, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

Local governments in Taiwan have started requiring people to wear face masks at traditional markets, but compliance is not yet at 100%.

When taking a stroll through any of Taipei’s traditional markets, you’ll find that most people — be they customers or vendors — are wearing masks. They’re doing their part to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The Taipei City Government has posted flyers and notices urging the public to comply.

However, you’ll still find people without masks here. This vegetable vendor says she removed her mask in order to eat something and this man tells us he did the same.

Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center announced on April 10 that people must wear masks when visiting traditional or night markets in Taiwan. A flyer circulating online warns that beginning on April 22nd, anyone not wearing a mask in those places is subject to fines of up to NT$15,000 (about US$500).    [FULL  STORY]

Tokyo reports fewest cases since March 30; Thailand extends state of emergency to end-May

Nikkei Asian Review
Date: April 27, 2020
By: Nikkei staff writers

The Nikkei Asian Review is tracking the spread of the new coronavirus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Global cases have reached 2,810,325, according to the World Health Organization.

The worldwide death toll has hit 193,825.    [FULL  STORY]

Fines for exploring without a permit at Shoushan National Nature Park are up to NT$3,000

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/27
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Shoushan National Nature Park administration announced in a press release on Monday (April 27) that applications for cave exploration will be suspended from May 1 to Oct. 31.

The suspension will apply to four caves in the park, the press release stated, adding the decision was made to keep cave explorers out of danger. It would also provide an opportunity for the cave ecosystems to revive, the report added.

The geology of the park is dominated by coral limestone, providing clear evidence of land uplift in Taiwan. The insides of the limestone caves are damper than the outside, and sometimes water accumulates to form pools, which can result in a change of life forms in the environment, the release stated.

The ban therefore, will prevent environmental disturbances inside the caves. It will also eliminate the risk of falls caused by slippery conditions, according to the document.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/28/2020
By: Chris Wang

Taipei, April 28 (CNA) Health Ministers of Taiwan and the United States held a 30-minute teleconference late Monday night (Taiwan time) as the U.S. pledged its full support of Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) as well as World Health Organization (WHO) meetings and events.

Taiwan’s Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) expressed his appreciation of the U.S.’ collaboration with Taiwan on fighting the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the brief teleconference with Alex Azar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to a press release issued by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Taiwan’s Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中); Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health and Welfare

Azar reiterated that the U.S. will continue its full support of Taiwan’s participation in the WHO and global affairs in the area of public health, so that Taiwan could share its expertise with the world.

Among the attendees of the meeting were Brent Christensen, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) and Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), director-general of Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC), according to the press release. 
[FULL  STORY]