Focus Taiwan
Date: 11/03/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Nov. 3 (CNA) A Taiwanese biotechnology company that said last month it had been authorized by a German company to sell a prospective COVID-19 vaccine announced on Tuesday that it had failed to negotiate a distribution agreement with Taiwan's government, but the two sides offered conflicting explanations as to the reasons why.

Taipei-based TTY Biopharm Company announced on Oct. 12 that it had reached a deal with Germany's BioNTech SE (BNT) to distribute its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently in Phase 2/3 of clinical trials in Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey and the United States.

At the time, the Taiwanese company said it had been authorized to sell 30 million doses of the vaccine — enough to immunize 15 million people with the required two doses — and that it could provide the initial batch of 10 million doses as early as the first quarter of next year, if the government confirmed the order by the end of October.

On Tuesday, however, the company said the authorization had expired after BNT failed to negotiate an agreement with the Ministry of Health and Welfare during more than 20 days of talks.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 04, 2020
By: Lin Chia-nan and Hsieh Chun-lin / Staff reporters

The government is neutral regarding the US presidential election result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, adding that it is in close communication with the US about further arms sales.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday convened a high-level national security meeting about major events that could affect the nation, including the US election.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Monday told lawmakers that the ministry had conducted several evaluations about the US elections, with one scenario suggesting there would be a period of uncertainty in the aftermath and that China might use its military to increase pressure on Taiwan.

Asked about the potential impact of the US election, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a news briefing yesterday that the ministry remains in close contact with the US as well as Taiwanese expatriates there.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 02 November, 2020
By: Andrew Ryan

Taiwan on Monday confirmed five more cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 563. All five are imported cases, including three people from Indonesia and one each from India and the Philippines. 

Central Epidemic Command Center spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang spoke on Monday about an increase in the number of migrant workers who are testing positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Taiwan. He said that includes 20 migrant workers from the Philippines and 11 from Indonesia. 
[FULL  STORY]

• Island’s foreign minister says Taipei is preparing for all outcomes from the US electoral race
   
• No sign of deployments on the mainland signalling threat of conflict, he says

South China Morning Post
Date: 2 Nov, 2020
By: Lawrence Chung

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has said the island was preparing for the outcome of the US presidential election and its potential impact on relations with mainland China.But he played down speculation that the People’s Liberation Army would try to take advantage of a distracted United States to attack Taiwan

Speaking before a legislature meeting on Monday, Wu said Taiwan was keeping a close eye on the race and preparing for a possible transition from the administration of the Republican incumbent Donald Trump to his challenger Joe Biden.

“Should there be a transfer of power … there would be a turnover period and possibly a period when the person elected has yet to fully assume his post,” he said.

“In this period, all relevant departments, including the national security unit, the defence ministry and the coastguard administration will make the best preparations for anything that could possibly happen.”

If there were no transfer of power, Taiwan would continue to maintain “very good” relations with the Trump administration and promote US-Taiwan relations.    [FULL  STORY]

Scooter driver only suffers minor scratches, calls help for man

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/11/02
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A man living in New Taipei City on Monday (Nov. 2) suffered serious injuries after he fell from the fifth floor of his apartment building and landed on top of a passing scooter, with the rider suffering only scratches.

A 28-year-old man surnamed Lai (賴) fell from the fifth floor of his apartment building and landed on the handlebar of a scooter driven by a 54-year-old woman surnamed Lee, causing her to fall off the vehicle, according to a CNA report.

Lai, who suffered multiple fractures and is in a coma, was listed as in critical condition at the hospital where he was sent for emergency treatment. Police are investigating the case.

Lee, who only suffered scratches on her arms and feet, refused to see a doctor. The handlebar and one of the rearview mirrors of her scooter were damaged.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 11/02/2020
By: Yang Shu-min and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) A majority of dried Brazilian mushrooms being sold in Taiwan and randomly selected for testing were found to contain higher than permitted levels of lead and cadmium, the Consumers' Foundation said Monday.

The foundation took samples of 25 types of mushrooms, including 13 dried Chinese mushrooms and 12 dried Brazilian mushrooms, from retail outlets and online shops for testing and label inspections, said Ling Young-chien (凌永健), the foundation's head of product testing.

Of the 12 packs of Brazilian mushrooms that were tested, nine contained excessive levels of heavy metals, Ling said.

All nine had cadmium levels higher than the 2mg/kg permitted and one of the nine contained more than the allowed 3mg/kg of lead, according to the foundation's data.    [FULL  STORY]

CHINA TO BLAME: Foreign minister Joseph Wu said that Taiwan would continue to provide help to other countries in times of need despite China’s efforts at repression

Taipei Times
Date: 3, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA and AP

A decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to remove the Republic of China (ROC) flag from a thank-you tweet to countries that offered support in the wake of Friday’s massive earthquake was due to pressure from China, which was regrettable, top officials said yesterday.

While Erdogan did not name the countries and organizations that reached out to Turkey after the magnitude 7 quake on Saturday, he posted pictures of their flags, but the tweet was later taken down and replaced with a new one that did not include the ROC flag.

Turkey maintains diplomatic ties with China.

“According to information obtained by our representative office in Turkey, it was due to China’s meddling and pressure,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told reporters in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei attending a legislative hearing.    [FULL  STORY]

America’s policy of “strategic ambiguity” is being hotly contested, but multilateralism might offer a fresh approach.

The Interpreter
Date: 2 Nov 2020
By: Jade Guan Wen-Ti Sung

The Taiwan Strait is a key hotspot in the intensifying US-China rivalry, where the two superpowers’ spheres of influence overlap. Beijing claims the area as a uncompromisable “core interest” of sovereignty and territorial integrity, while the US seeks to maintain its close economic, political and security relationship with Taiwan.

Whether it likes it or not, Australia is a major stakeholder in any future conflict arising around Taiwan. As an ANZUS treaty ally, Australia is at risk of being dragged into events. Yet as a middle power, Australia has the potential wherewithal to mediate and prevent the fighting.

With so much to lose and enough ability to make a difference, it is imperative that Australia understand what is at stake.

This year has proven to be one of reorientation in Washington-Taipei-Beijing trilateral relations. The US has significantly lifted protocol restrictions on official exchanges with Taiwan. It has upgraded the rank of State Department officials allowed to visit Taiwan, specifically from Deputy Assistant Secretary level to Under Secretary level, and possibly even higher in the future.
[FULL  STORY]

Bloomberg News
Date: November 1, 2020
By: Chris Horton, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) — In the battle for public opinion between China and Taiwan, Beijing has many advantages over its neighbor: the ability to leverage the world’s second-largest economy, an influential diplomatic corps and vast resources.

Diplomatically isolated, the democratic island of Taiwan has amplified its message and pushed back against Chinese propaganda with one of the few things Beijing doesn’t have many of -– high-profile women taking the lead in defending the government’s interests.

Hsiao Bi-khim is on the front line of that effort in the U.S., Taiwan’s most important strategic partner. Taipei’s representative — and de facto ambassador — to Washington, Hsiao has wasted little time in pushing for stronger American ties since she arrived in Washington this past summer.

Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, is leading a diverse group of women holding key positions in the government, aiming to raise its international profile at a time when China is attempting to block its neighbor from the global conversation –- and warning of a possible invasion. The women running Taiwan are looking to boost a soft-power edge over Beijing and promote an inclusive democratic system.    [FULL  STORY]

People’s Liberation Army Air Force Y-8 tracked in air defense identification zone Sunday morning

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/11/020
By: Eric Chang, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday morning (Nov. 1), marking the 31st time People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) planes have flown into the zone since Sept. 16.

A single Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance plane intruded into the southwest corner of the ADIZ, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). The Taiwanese military responded by scrambling fighter jets, broadcasting radio warnings, and deploying air defense missile systems to monitor the situation.

China’s latest string of intrusions started on Sept. 16 when two Shaanxi Y-8s flew into the southwest section of the identification zone. On Sept. 18, Beijing sent 18 military planes — including H-6 bombers and J-10, J-11, and J-16 fighter jets split into five groups — to carry out flights in the Taiwan Strait to the northwest of Taiwan and in the southwest corner of its ADIZ, with some crossing the median line in the strait.

The following day, an additional 19 warplanes, including bombers, fighter jets, and patrol planes, flew six different paths between an area northwest of Taiwan and the southwest portion of the ADIZ, with some again flying across the median line. One to three Chinese aircraft also penetrated the ADIZ on Sept. 21, 22, 23, 24, and 29 and on Oct. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31.    [FULL  STORY]