The Standard
Date: 12 Mar 2020

Taiwanese politician and mayor of Kaohsiung Daniel Han Kuo-yu wants to see Hongkongers

settling in the port city in the island's south.

Among his plans to start achieving that goal once the Covid-19 threat is beaten back is by setting up a "Hong Kong Village" in Kaohsiung (population 2.77 million).

Han talked of his plans at a district meeting yesterday, saying attracting Hongkongers is part of a broader effort to promote Kaohsiung and to see it "grow by leaps and bounds." It is already Taiwan's No 2 metropolis

Incentives to attract Hong Kong immigrants, Han says, include offering bilingual education for children – a program to be offered in 48 city schools.    [FULL  STORY]

Director Brent Christensen spoke at National Taipei University for exhibition on Taiwan-US ties

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/03/11
By:  Taiwan News, Staff Writer

NEW TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Addressing the students of National Taipei University in New Taipei City on Wednesday (Mar. 11), Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Brent Christensen described the relationship between Taiwan and the U.S. as a family that both sides have chosen to belong to.

Bound by shared values, similar economic principles, and a common commitment to making contributions to international society, Taiwan and the U.S. have collaborated on a wide array of areas, including most recently the disarming of disinformation, said Christensen. “Tackling disinformation is a challenge shared by all members of the family of democracies,” he said.

“Disinformation seeks to deepen existing divides within societies, interfere in elections, and in our case, undermine public confidence in the U.S.-Taiwan friendship,” said the director. “AIT has worked with our Taiwan partners to share information and expertise, to fund academic research to better understand this challenge, and to empower civil society to come up with innovative solutions,” Christensen added.

The director also reiterated the U.S.’s effort to enlarge Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, which often exclude the island nation due to pressure from China. The AIT is working with the Taiwanese authorities on activities intended to “reaffirm the critical need to expand Taiwan's participation in the international community and its role in global problem solving.”    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/11/2020
By Chang Ming-hsuan, Yu Hsiao-han, Bien Ching-feng and Frances Huang

Taipei, March 11 (CNA) A total of 361 Taiwanese nationals who returned to Taiwan Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning from China's Hubei province, after being stranded due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, have been placed in quarantine, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

At a news conference held Wednesday morning, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who is also head of the CECC, said testing of samples from the 361 Taiwanese is expected to be completed in 48 hours to determine whether they have the virus.

The evacuees have been placed in single rooms and those who test positive for the virus will be sent to hospital, while those who test negative will remain in quarantine for 14 days, according to the CECC.

During the quarantine, the CECC said, the evacuees will have their temperature taken twice a day and if anyone develops a fever or respiratory symptoms they will be sent to a hospital for treatment.    [FULL  STORY

‘STRICTLY BUSINESS’: Responding to reports that he was seen at a motel with another party 0member, the Taipei Culture Foundation official said he was there to ‘discuss work’

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 12, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday expelled Taipei Culture Foundation deputy chief

executive Chang Yi-san (張益贍) from the party following a magazine report alleging an extramarital affair with another party member.

However, the party cited evidence that Chang had discussed negative campaign strategies with a representative of another political party “without the authorization of the TPP” as the reason for his expulsion.

Chang’s behavior contravened the “princip8le of integrity and honesty” in the TPP’s regulations and “severely damaged” its image, it said in a statement.

After a meeting of the TPP Central Review Committee in the afternoon, the party decided to expel Chang, it added.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 10 March, 2020
By: Paula Chao

A recent study released by a Chinese medical association shows that the new coronavirus COVID-19 can spread up to 4.5 meters in an enclosed, air-conditioned vehicle. One confirmed case infected 13 others who weren’t wearing a mask on a bus. What’s even worse, the virus can survive for 30 minutes in the air.

The study found that a confirmed patient in the Chinese province of Hunan spread the virus to 13 other passengers on a bus in January.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says people should keep a distance of one meter from each other to avoid getting COVID-19.

But a Chinese study found that one person infected 13 others who weren’t wearing masks on a bus. Patient A not only spread the virus to patient E who was half a meter away, but also to patient G who was 4.5 meters away.    [FULL  STORY]

In the latest episode of ‘1616’, we catch up with the young photographers, skaters and gymnasts navigating the unique pressures of life in the Taiwanese capital.

i-D
Date: 10 March 2020
By Mahoro Seward

You may be up to scratch with what’s coming out of Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai — but Taipei? Admittedly, the Taiwanese capital’s international reputation has often been dwarfed by its larger neighbours. But take the time to learn about the city and you’ll discover a cultural powerhouse as formidable and complex as any other East Asian metropolis. What better way, then, to get acquainted with Taipei than through the eyes of the ones leading it into tomorrow?

Yes! That’s right! i-D’s '1616' series is back, with Taipei as our next stop. From the peaks of its towering skyscrapers to the bustling night markets below, we follow 16 of Taipei’s most ambitious 16-year-olds. From budding photographers to gymnasts to temple dancers, the image that Taiwan’s kids on the cusp of adulthood paint of their hometown is one of ambition, fun and progressive values. And no matter their passion, all share an attitude that anything can be achieved.

That achievement, however, isn’t something that comes without hard graft. Across the board, living up to external pressures to succeed, both at school and at home, is cited as one of the main challenges faced. “As 16-year-old students in Taipei, we’re constantly in competition,” says one of the teenagers we spoke to. “I feel there’s a lot of pressure from home and school life,” another echoed.

Taipei’s youth is not, however, short of solutions on how to counterbalance day-to-day stress. Whether its dancing or dressing, skating or escaping to the country, these kids know how to cut loose. For all the hardships encountered in the classroom, though, Taiwanese Gen Z’s forward-looking focus is not noticeably affected.

“I feel extremely fortunate as a 16-year-old in Taipei. I don’t have to worry about expressing my true self,” explains one of the most-chic 16-year-olds we’ve seen yet. “Taipei held Taiwan’s first transgender march this year. Compared to other Asian countries, Taipei and Taiwan are becoming very progressive.” It’s a sentiment mirrored by all, it seems: “The abundance of information makes us very forward-thinking,” says one teen, “and sometimes confuses us too.” Think you can keep up? Watch the new episode below!    [FULL  STORY]

Two local men working together to subdue gator and remove it from gutter

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/03/10
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An alligator of a meter's length was caught swimming in a gutter in Douliu City, Yunlin County on Tuesday (March 10) after residents reported it lurking in farm fields, CNA reported.

Douliu City Council Chairman Hu Ke-qin (胡克勤) shared on Facebook the story of how the alligator was subdued by Jiangcuo village chief Shen Yong-qing (沈永清) and volunteer firefighter Liao Guo-zhi (廖國志). As there is no alligator farm in the vicinity, Hu assumed that the alligator might have been a runaway or abandoned pet.

Sources in Hu’s office said that a Douliu resident saw the Facebook post and called to ask about the alligator's whereabouts, saying that a gator they kept at home ran away during a flood last year, and they suspected the gator caught in the gutter Tuesday to be their pet.

Shen told CNA that a villager who heard the story called it "ridiculous," saying that if the owner lost their alligator last year and was only trying to find it now, it was fortunate no gator attacks had occurred.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 11, 2020
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

A Taoyuan woman was yesterday fined for posting false reports about COVID-19, as the Criminal Investigation Bureau continued to probe cases of people spreading unsubstantiated stories and misinformation about the outbreak.

The 62-year-old woman, surnamed Hsieh (謝), was fined NT$30,000 for posting on Feb. 7 on the messaging app Line that “as of Jan. 27, authorities had quarantined 48 people in Taoyuan suspected of being infected with the Wuhan virus, then added 10 more in the next two days, for a total of 58.”

Hsieh had breached Article 63 of the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法) by “disseminating rumors or incorrect information concerning epidemic conditions of communicable diseases, resulting in damage to the public or others” and Article 151 of the Criminal Code by endangering “public safety by putting the public in fear of injury to life, body, or property,” prosecutors said.

As Hsieh admitted her mistake and showed remorse, prosecutors said they decided not to indict her.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/10/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, March 10 (CNA) Individuals subject to home isolation or home quarantine for 14 days to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus are entitled to monetary compensation for the mandatory movement constraints on them, according to a Cabinet bulletin released Tuesday.

Such persons, as well as any of their family members who take unpaid leave to attend to the isolated or quarantined, will get NT$1,000 (US$33.35) per day in compensation, according to the bulletin, which was in the form of a directive from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The compensation measure is retroactive to Jan. 15.

Under the order, which sets forth "Regulations Governing Compensation for Periods of Isolation and Quarantine for Severe Pneumonia with Novel Pathogens," the compensation-entitled caregiver is limited to the family member of the home quarantined without self-care ability in daily life, such as children under the age of 12.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date:\ 009 March, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

Taiwan’s top research institute has developed a new test for COVID-19 that cuts the time from four hours down to 15 minutes. What’s more: they developed the test in just 19 days.

Two lines on a strip of paper may not seem particularly extraordinary, but it could be the key to containing the COVID-19 outbreak. This new rapid diagnostic test can detect the virus in just 15 minutes.

This new breakthrough comes from Taiwan’s top research body: Academia Sinica. But the organization’s president, James Liao, says that the test is not ready for the public just yet. That’s because Taiwan has a low number of COVID-19 cases, which means they haven’t been able to assess the accuracy of the test.

Researchers developed the test months ahead of schedule. In just 19 days they managed to synthesize an antibody that can identify the new coronavirus.    [FULL  STORY]