Radio Taiwan International
Date: 17 December, 2020
By: Paula Chao+

[Escaping COVID][/caption] Broadway stars Dina Morishita and Welly Yang moved their family from Los Angeles to Taiwan during the pandemic. Find out what inspired this decision and why they love it here, in Andrew’s interview with the famous couple.

Newsweek
Date: 12/17/20
By: John Feng

China's bullish state-owned media has attempted to downplay Taiwan's newly unveiled "aircraft carrier killer" corvettes, saying the warships could be sunk by a single attack helicopter.

In an editorial published on Wednesday, Chinese Communist Party newspaper Global Times said Taiwan's new fleet of Tuo Chiang-class guided-missile corvettes would be potential targets for the People's Liberation Army Z-9 helicopter.    [FULL  STORY]

'If China wants to play hard ball, Australia can too,' says George Christensen

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/12/17
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As diplomatic and trade tensions boil over between China and Australia, Liberal National MP George Christensen called on his government to seriously consider officially recognizing Taiwan.

Since Australia began to issue calls in April for an investigation into the origins of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China, relations between the communist country and Australia have rapidly deteriorated. Beijing's authorities this year have imposed tariffs on Australian barley, banned certain beef slaughterhouses, expanded bans and tariffs to red wine and timber, and recently suspended coal imports.

On Tuesday (Dec. 15), Sky News cited Christensen as saying that as China attempts to send a strong message to countries around the world to fall in line with its agenda, it has turned Australia into a "guinea pig." Christensen claimed that “China is giving us a big shake in order to spook other countries from doing things which China might not be happy with including domestic laws that they’re not happy with."

He called on countries in the free world to join together and stand up to China. The lawmaker then accused Beijing of using trade to meddle with domestic politics in other countries.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 12/17/2020
By: Han Ting-ting and Emerson Lim

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) Antroquinonol (Hocena), an anti-cancer and anti-hyperlipidemia drug developed by a Taiwanese firm as a potential medicine to treat COVID-19, was approved by Peru's authorities to begin phase II trials, according to its developer.

Golden Biotechnology Corporation (GoldenBiotech), a pharma and supplement products manufacturer based in northern Taiwan, said in a press statement that it has received a notice from Peru's Ministry of Health that the company is allowed to carry out the phase II clinical trials of Antroquinonol on humans in the South American country.

The purpose of the trials is to evaluate the drug's efficacy and safety for patients with mild to moderate pneumonia due to COVID-19, it said, adding that the schedule on when to end the trials will be adjusted based on clinical results.

The company said it independently developed the small molecule new drug and owns 100 percent of its patent rights, therefore it can apply for market licenses after all phases of the trials are completed.    [FULL  STORY]

CANCELED: While the troupe has been forced to cancel its tour, the minister of health and welfare said that people who test positive after a 14-day quarantine are not contagious

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 18, 2020
By: Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

The Moscow Classical Ballet canceled all planned performances in Taiwan after eight members of the troupe tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the tally of infected members to eight.

The three female dancers and one male dancer have been placed under isolation, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), told a news conference in Taipei.

As of yesterday, Taiwan had reported 757 cases — including the four new cases — with seven fatalities.

The dancers’ tests showed cycle threshold (Ct) values of between 31 and 35, but had low virus counts, Chen said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 16 December, 2020
By: Natalie Tso

A test of over 14,000 blood samples in Taipei has found that eleven of them had COVID-19 antibodies. That was the word from Taipei Veterans General Hospital on Wednesday.

The hospital tested leftover blood from over 14,000 samples. The samples were taken from people 20 and older during May and July. If the proportion of people with antibodies found in the study was extended to cover the general population, it would mean that 11,800 people in Taiwan have COVID-19 antibodies. Health officials say, however, that since this was not a survey of the general population, a specific rate of antibodies cannot be determined.    [FULL  STORY]

Naval News
Date: December 2020
By: Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry

According to news published by the Focus Taiwan website on December 16, 2020, Taiwan has planned to build three more of the upgraded version of its Tuo Chiang-class catamaran-design missile corvette by 2025.

Taiwanese Navy Tuo-Chiang class corvette undergoes preparation for an official inspection. (Picture source Twitter account WarshipPorn)

Vice Defense Minister Chang Che-ping has announced that the Taiwanese armed forces have planned to build three upgraded Tuo Chiang-class missile corvettes by 2025. The ship will be built by Lungteh Shipbuilding, a Taiwanese ship and boat builder headquartered in Yilan County.    [FULL  STORY]

Mistake regarding several sticky rice balls could have disproportionately cost business

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/12/16
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A receipt showing a customer buying three sticky rice balls for over NT$4 million was returned to the store of its origin, bringing a sense of relief to all the clerks, especially the one who made the mistake on the invoice.

The Hualien-based chain store, specialized in sticky rice balls, has a branch at National Highway 5’s Suao Service Area. On Sunday afternoon, a customer was buying three gelatinous treats from the store, which in total cost NT$54 (US$ 1.9), when a young clerk bungled the use of the cashier register, entering the amount of NT$4,000,054 for the purchase.

The sales tax for an NT$54 transaction is only NT$2.7 for the store. However, the sales tax for an NT$4,000,054 transaction would amount to NT$199,998, according to CNA. The gravity of her mistake reportedly drove the clerk to tears.

The rice ball chain falls under the management of the FamilyMart location at the same service area. At around 4 p.m. on the day of the incident, a manager there detected transactional abnormalities and urgently notified the other clerks.    [FULL  STRY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 12/16/2020
By: Emerson Lim

Taipei, Dec. 16 (CAN) Taiwan-based Caribbean writer Peggy Carr on Wednesday launched her new book titled "Shape of a Warrior," a socio-cultural historical narrative about what life was like for the indigenous people in her native country St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Hiroon) before the arrival of the Europeans.

"Shape of a Warrior," a book that has been eight years in the making, tells the story of an indigenous girl, Yurubi, who rescues and helps hide a young boat wreck survivor Aloo, who is from Africa.

The two become close friends and together, they secretly explore the forest on the island of Hiroon, learn to make weapons, play wrestling games, hunt, and build small river boats. But their world of adventure crumbles when Aloo is forced out of hiding and as Yurubi's unwomanly skills become apparent. They both struggle against their fears and age-old traditions, fighting for a place on an island that's home to some of the most fearsome warriors on Earth.

Talking to CNA on the sidelines of the launch event, Carr said she was inspired to write the story because of her love of storytelling and her deep desire to know what life was like for her home country's indigenous people, who called themselves "Kalina," before Europeans arrived in the 16th century.    [FULL  STORY]

THAW THE FREEZE: DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng said that the US has approved the exportation of systems to Taiwan, so there is no legitimate reason to stall the budget

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 17, 2020..
By: Yang Chun-hui, Lin Chia-nan and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer

The US has notified Taiwan that export permits for digital sonar systems needed in locally made submarines have been cleared and the systems’ exportation approved, Deputy Minister of National Defense (MND) Chang Che-ping (張哲平) said yesterday.

Sonar systems, diesel engines, torpedo and missile systems, and an integrated combat system have all been categorized as “red,” Chang said.

The ministry has divided required components into three categories: “red” for imported technologies that the country is unable to research and develop, or manufacture itself; “yellow” for parts that are difficult to obtain, but can be produced locally; and “green” for components that can be manufactured locally.

Deputy Minister of National Defense Chang Che-ping answers questions at the legislature in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: Taipei Times

The exportation of sonar systems would not require the US Congress to be notified, as they would be purchased directly from the manufacturer, Chang said.  [FULL  STORY]