Seven Marines were preparing landing drill ahead of Han Kuang 36 war games

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/03
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three members of the Marine Corps are reportedly in critical condition after their dinghy capsized off Kaohsiung during military drills Friday (July 3).

Initial reports said a sudden change in the winds and waves overturned the small boat, causing all seven onboard to fall into the water, a few hundred yards from Taoziyuan Beach in the Zuoying District, CNA reported. The group was participating in Navy landing drills in preparation for the July 13-17 Han Kuang 36 war games.

Four of the seven Marines were rushed to the Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital in Zuoying, where three were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) due to the critical nature of their condition.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/03/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and William Yen

Taipei, July 3 (CNA) Foreign residents of Taiwan will no longer have to provide negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test results when entering the country starting Saturday, the Central Epidemic Command Center said Friday.

Foreign residents with residency permits are not restricted from entering Taiwan, and because Taiwanese do not have to show a negative COVID-19 test when re-entering the country, foreign residents should not have to either, the CECC said in reversing a previous decision.

The CECC announced on June 24 that all foreign nationals, including resident permit holders, would have to show a negative COVID-19 test conducted no more than three days before their departure date when entering Taiwan.

On Thursday, the three-day timeframe was changed to three business days, and on Friday, the test requirement was lifted for resident permit holders.    [FULL STORY]

JUST QUESTIONS: Expelled reporter Ai Kezhu said that every member of Southeast Television had complied with the law and had not appeared on any talk shows

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 04, 2020
By: Chu Pei-hsiung, Chung Li-hua and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer and CNA

Two Chinese reporters yesterday left Taiwan after the government revoked their accreditation and ordered them to leave amid a probe into allegations that several Chinese media outlets have set up studios and produced political talk shows in Taiwan.

The two reporters — Ai Kezhu (艾珂竹) and Lu Qiang (盧薔) — worked for Fujian Province-based Southeast Television and arrived in Taiwan in December last year.

The Mainland Affairs Council has launched an investigation after local media reported that Chinese broadcasters — including China Central Television, Southeast Television and FJTV — had set up studios in Taipei and produced political talk shows.

Council Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) on Thursday said that the council had been keeping a close watch on Chinese reporters based in Taiwan, and that it maintains close contact with the Ministry of Culture to deal with Chinese journalists if they are involved in any breaches of the nation’s laws.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 02 July, 2020
By: Paula Chao

The Transitional Justice Commission has concluded that the 1981 death of Taiwanese democracy activist Chen Wen-cheng was likely a case of murder. The commission wrote its findings in a report released on Thursday, the 39th anniversary of Chen’s death.

The Transitional Justice Commission was set up in 2018. Its purpose is to investigate the actions of the authoritarian KMT government between 1945 and 1992. Its findings contradict the authoritarian government’s claim at the time that Chen’s death had been a suicide.

Chen was an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an advocate for Taiwan’s independence. He was found dead on the campus of National Taiwan University after a night of interrogation by the now-disbanded Taiwan Garrison Command. Along with Chen’s case, the commission has been reviewing evidence of government surveillance and politically-motivated murders during Taiwan’s period under martial law from 1949 to 1987.    [FULL  STORY]

New York Post
Date: July 2, 2020
By Reuters

Check in but never leave: Taiwan offers fake flights for travel-starved tourists[/caption] TAIPEI – Starved of the travel experience during the coronavirus lockdown? One Taiwanese airport has the solution – a fake itinerary where you check-in, go through passport control and security and even board the aircraft. You just never leave.

Taipei’s downtown Songshan airport on Thursday began offering travelers the chance to do just that, with some 60 people eager to get going, albeit to nowhere.

Around 7,000 people applied to take part, the winners chosen by random. More fake flight experiences will take place in coming weeks.

“I really want to leave the country, but because of the epidemic lots of flights can’t fly,” said Hsiao Chun-wei, 38, who brought her young son.    [FULL  STORY]

China hopes to take over Taiwan just like Hong Kong, but domino effect unlikely: French scholar

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/02
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In light of the implementation of Hong Kong's new national security law, Jean-Francois Di Meglio, president of the French independent think tank Asia Centre, warned on Wednesday (July 1) that taking over Taiwan is next on Beijing's agenda.

In an interview with French news magazine Marianne, the French scholar noted that Wednesday was the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from the U.K. He said Beijing's decision to enact the new legislation on July 1 was symbolic and a way to declare its abandonment of the "one country, two systems" framework it had formerly promised to the special administrative region.

Di Meglio said he believed the security law was the Chinese government's response to the surge of Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019 and retaliation for Hong Kong's withdrawal of the extradition law. He said Beijing has waited for the right moment to respond and decided to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, when global attention has shifted.

While attributing Hong Kong's downfall to the U.K. for failing to set up a democratic system before the handover, Di Meglio pointed out that Beijing has kept details of the security law secretive until the last moment and used the new law to wipe out all opposition. He added that China would most likely allow Hong Kong to keep its financial and economic autonomy so as not to scare away foreign investors.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/02/2020
By: Lai Yan-hsi and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, July 2 (CNA) Taiwan has revoked the credentials of two reporters from China's Southeast Television station and ordered them to leave by Friday, amid an investigation into allegations that several Chinese media outlets have set up studios and produced political talk shows on the island.

According to Taiwan's top China policy-making body, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), it launched an investigation after local media reporters alleged that Chinese broadcasters, including China Central Television (CCTV), Southeast Television and Cross-Strait Television have established studios in Taipei and produced political talk shows which usually have a Chinese host serving as a moderator, followed by comments from two Taiwanese political pundits.

MAC Deputy Minister and Spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said the agency has been keeping a close watch on Chinese reporters based in Taiwan and maintains close contact with the Ministry of Culture to deal with Chinese journalists in accordance with Taiwan's laws and regulations if they are involved in any violations.

Taiwan opened its doors to Chinese reporters in 2000 based on the policy of promoting journalist exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, allowing them to cover local news.
[FULL  STORY]

FINDING A BALANCE: The CECC said that it would consider screening of the general public for SARS-CoV-2 if scientific research warranted it or a high-risk group is found

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 03, 2020
By: Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

The government should consider rebalancing its COVID-19 prevention efforts with its economic interests as prolonged isolation from the international community could contribute to Taiwan being “mainlandized” by China, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) consultants said at a recent meeting.

The council yesterday revealed the key remarks of the consultants, who were asked to comment on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on China and cross-strait relations.

Taiwan’s success in disease prevention has been hailed worldwide, but the government should consider a reasonable relaxation of restrictions, one academic said, adding that overly severe border controls cannot be sustained over a long period.

The consultants said that the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) should consider balancing pandemic prevention with economic development and that the general economy should be a factor when assessing the risks of a further rolling back of the regulations.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 01 July, 2020
By: John Van Trieste

Premier Su Tseng-chang says that a new security law tightening China’s grip on Hong Kong unmasks Beijing’s true colors for the world to see. Su was speaking Wednesday, the day the law formally takes effect.

Su said that the law shows the hollowness of Beijing’s promises to respect Hong Kong’s autonomy.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan on Wednesday launched a new office to process applications by Hong Kong nationals seeking to work, study, or seek asylum in the country.

The Diplomat
Date: July 02, 2020
By: Nick Aspinwall   

Taiwan on Wednesday opened an office to help people fleeing Hong Kong, its strongest

response yet to calls to provide humanitarian assistance to Hong Kongers leaving the city due to ongoing pro-democracy protests and a newly imposed national security law.

The Taiwan-Hong Kong Services and Exchange Office will serve as a hub for a task force established last month to provide direct assistance to Hong Kongers who wish to stay in Taiwan.

“China’s disregard for the will of Hong Kong’s people proves that ‘one country, two systems’ is not viable,” President Tsai Ing-wen said Tuesday on Twitter. “Taiwan’s commitment to supporting those HKers who want freedom and democracy has never changed.”

Tsai has gained broad popularity in large part due to her steadfast support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. But her administration had faced criticism in the past for not doing more to directly assist Hong Kongers resettling in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]