Ministry of Defense determined military capabilities will not be weakened by Wuhan coronavirus

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/03/14
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Defense (MND) on Saturday (March 14) called on all military personnel not to travel abroad during the global coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with CNA, MND Spokesman Shih Shun-wen (史順文) said the military has temporarily suspended all overseas travel to maintain Taiwan's national security. He said the ban will also help prevent the virus spreading.

Shih said the decision was taken following advice from Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) and coronavirus prevention should be treated like a battle. He added the MND has requested that military camps stop granting overseas travel leave and soldiers who have already been granted permission should postpone their trips.

Shih noted that soldiers who need to travel for emergency reasons will still be able to do so with special approval, but will be placed under 14-day quarantine upon their return. He stressed that troops will continue to train and retain their combat capability to protect the country
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/14/2020
By: Chang Ming-hsuan, Wu Hsin-yun and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, March 14 (CNA) Taiwan plans to introduce a "strengthened" version of its self-health management guidelines, monitoring travelers for 14 days after their arrival in Taiwan via text messaging, in an effort to reduce the risk of imported cases of the coronavirus disease COVID-19.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said in a press briefing Saturday that the CECC plans to introduce automatic text message checks as part of a "strengthened" version of the self-health management guidelines, as well as penalties for those who fail to reply or disclose symptoms of illness.

The CECC has already developed operational procedures for the new guidelines, Chen said, but he did not specify when they would be implemented.

Current CECC regulations stipulate that travelers entering Taiwan from countries under a Level 3 warning must undergo 14 days of home quarantine, while those arriving from all other countries are required to conduct self-health management for 14 days by minimizing time spent in public, wearing a face mask and checking their body temperature twice daily.
[FULL  STORY]

A NEW VECTOR Cleaning volunteers have reported finding more masks in beach areas, and disposed masks containing COVID-19 might become a new method of infection

Taipei Times
Date:  Mar 15, 2020
By: Lo Chi / Staff reporter

People who are caught littering used masks face a fine of up to NT$6,000, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday, as more masks are being found on beaches amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beach cleaning volunteers said they have found an increasing number of masks for adults and children in a variety of colors, Society of Wilderness chairwoman Liu Yueh-mei (劉月梅) said, calling on the government to increase public education and implement regulations about garbage disposal.

Mask littering pollutes the environment and threatens public health, as masks with nonwoven fabrics cannot naturally decompose, while used masks might carry the virus, Greenpeace Taiwan campaigner Chang Kai-ting (張凱婷) said.

As human-to-human transmission remains the primary method of infection for COVID-19, garbage bins that contain disposed masks in urban areas are more likely to become a vector of transmission than those at less populated seaside areas, National Taiwan University College of Public Health dean Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權) said.    [FULL  STORY]

Epoch Times
Date}: March 14, 2020
By: Jocelyn Neo

A childhood prank ended up wreaking havoc in the life of a first-year junior high school student in Taiwan, leaving her to struggle with unbearable pain in the years that followed. Nevertheless, upon seeing Chiang Wan-Yun’s radiant smile today, no one can tell what this young woman lived through in her teen years.

Chiang—who is now the co-founder of “Cultivator,” a Taiwanese health drink—had to quit school in her third year of high school following her illness and overwhelming pain. However, a fortunate turn of events led her to regain health and find her life purpose.

“Thanks to fate! I not only got my health back but also learned the meaning of life,” she told Minghui.org.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 12 March, 2020
By: John Van Trieste

A group of academics at National Taiwan Normal University is recommending that schools devote more time to English classes. They also say that changes need to be made to the existing English-language curriculum if Taiwan is to achieve its goal of becoming a bilingual nation by 2030.

A group of academics working on linguistic and cultural policy put forward the recommendations on Thursday.    [FULL  STORY]

The 28-year-old analogue photographer captures life in her rural hometown in a series of intimate self-portraits.

i-d.Vice
Date: 12 March 2020
By Emma Russell0

It was in the early Renaissance that artists really began experimenting with self-portraiture, as mirrors improved. Ever since, generations of artists have used their own bodies as muses to explore identity. Sarah Lucas used humor to challenge sexual stereotypes and conventional morals. While Frida Kahlo came to terms with her own physical and psychological suffering by painting herself from her bed. Today, Taiwanese photographer Chih Han Yang turns the camera on herself too — capturing the beauty she finds in the ordinary. In her rural hometown of Huatuan, she finds a tranquility and vitality, that’s almost poetic. While in Taipei, where she currently lives and studies, there’s an energy amid the busy shopping streets, colonial buildings and high rise towers.

Can you tell me what it’s like growing up in Taiwan?
Before I went to college to study Commercial Design, I lived in Changhua, a relatively rural area compared to Taipei, where I’m living currently. I feel free no matter where I live. Even though living in Taipei and Chunghua are totally different lifestyles, I’m very happy with both of them. In my opinion, the most critical things for growing up are family and education. However, I couldn’t get used to the systems and rules of schools when I was growing up. I’m a very straightforward person, and sometimes I had conflicts with teachers in my school. Luckily, my family is very open-minded. They always support me no matter what, that’s why I can do what I’m passionate about for living.

Can you describe Taiwan to someone that has never been?
Taiwan is a very warm, charming and friendly place. Let me put it this way… if you ever get lost in Taiwan, I’m sure that someone on the street will be very happy to help you. They’ll also probably tell you where to get the best food in the neighborhood.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/03/12
By: Chang Kuo-tsai, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan and the United States both underwent transfers of power in the 2016 presidential elections, with Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Donald Trump of the Republican Party being elected as the new leaders of their respective countries. Over the past few years, the U.S. has passed a host of pro-Taiwan bills and resolutions, giving a significant boost to the bilateral relationship.

The moves made by the U.S. towards Taiwan have had a positive impact on the island country’s effort to promote freedom and democracy while fending off threats from Communist China.

These include a telephone call in which Tsai congratulated Trump for his electoral victory, the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act that incorporates Taiwan into its Indo-Pacific strategy, the Taiwan Travel Act that allows visits between high-level officials from both sides, the National Defense Authorization Act that calls for continued patrols of U.S. Navy vessels through the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwan Assurance Act that paves the way for normalizing U.S. military sales to Taiwan, and the TAIPEI Act, which helps Taiwan bolster ties with its allies, engage with international organizations, and promote bilateral trade.

While Taiwan has faced obstacles and relentless bullying from Beijing in its bid to become a relevant international player, it has proven democracy prevails through the 2020 January elections, in which the DPP secured landslide victories in both the presidential and legislative contests. The resounding wins demonstrated Taiwan’s determination to “say no to China.”
[FULL  STO-RY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/12/2020
By: Stacy Hsu and Ko Lin

Washington, March 11 (CNA) The United States Senate passed the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019 Wednesday with unanimous consent.

The TAIPEI Act, which is aimed at supporting Taiwan's international presence, is now expected to be presented to President Donald Trump for review.

The passage comes just one week after the legislation cleared the House floor March 4 with an unanimous vote of 415 to zero.

According to the website of the U.S. Senate, unanimous consent is a situation in which no member present objects to a proposal. A senator may request unanimous consent on the floor to set aside a specified rule of procedure so as to expedite proceedings.   [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 13, 2020
By Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

The WHO should clarify whether China underplayed the severity of COVID-19, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) chairman, Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), said yesterday, adding that Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHO is vital to prevent loopholes through which the virus could spread.

Chiang made the remarks after leading KMT members in presenting their respect to Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) at the National Sun Sat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei on the 95th anniversary of his death.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus on Wednesday told reporters that the agency now considered the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic, the same day that US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien suggested that China had understated the severity of its initial COVID-19 cases, delaying an effective global response by two months.

As Taiwan is not a WHO member, and cannot attend the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting, it would be impossible for Taiwan to know if China underplayed the severity of COVID-19 if the WHO could not, Chiang said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 11 March, 2020
By:| Shirley Lin

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has led some organizations to cancel public events. But some events have not been called off. Among them is a national athletics event for middle school students.

This year’s National Middle School Athletic Games in Pingtung has opened on schedule despite the COVID-19 outbreak.

Organizers of the five-day event have taken precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved. Firstly, athletes are not allowed to travel to venues in the usual tour buses. Instead, they are being limited to nine-seater vans. In all, 3,000 athletes are taking part in the games, which are split among 18 competition sites.    [FULL  STORY]