Radio Taiwan International
Date: 08 June, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

Taiwan's officials are pushing domestic travel now that COVID-19 has been contained within Taiwan[/caption] Taiwan’s government is promoting local tourism. The country began easing coronavirus-related restrictions on June 7. But the nation’s orders remain strictly regulated and people are strongly discouraged from traveling abroad. 

Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung is reminding people with a bad case of the travel bug that Taiwan’s scenery is just as beautiful as anywhere else.

On June 7, Taiwan began easing domestic lockdown restrictions. Health officials declared that the coronavirus is under control in Taiwan. Masks are no longer required on mass transportation, as long as people can maintain social distance. But even on the first day back to work after the restrictions were lifted, people are still wearing masks out of habit. 

COVID-19 changed the way people live in Taiwan. But things are slowly, but surely, returning to normal. Special events and exhibitions are taking place again, and people are returning to public spaces. One thing that’s still out of the question: summer holidays overseas.     [FULL  STORY]

The international response to China’s latest power grab is uncertain. What can Taiwan do to help a Hong Kong under siege?

The Diplomat
Date: June 08, 2020
By: Wu Jieh-min

OPINION

Hong Kong participants attend a candlelight vigil at Democracy Square in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, June 4, 2020, to mark the 31st anniversary of the Chinese military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

China’s National People’s Congress has passed a seven-point decision paving the way for legislation

to apply a national security law to Hong Kong. One primary goal is to prevent “foreign forces interfering with Hong Kong affairs,” a phrase repeated three times in the bill. Beijing’s attempt to install its repressive national security apparatus is in effect laying the first building block of a “Berlin Wall” separating Hong Kong from the outside world and will gravely restrict the former colony’s global political connections. One of the countries that would be most deeply affected if the legislation comes into force is Taiwan, which has aided Hong Kongers in their civil protests over the years, especially during the Anti-Extradition Movement.

We are in unsettling and precarious times. The U.S.-China rivalry has upset the global order and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating. While the United States is occupied with nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice, an unbridled Beijing has decided to speed up its power grab in Hong Kong.

The United States is trying to lead a coalition to agree on sanctions against China. But apart from a handful of countries that have shown limited support — the United Kingdom has pledged to offer visas to Hong Kongers, for instance — the coalition seems weak so far. The Australian government signed a joint statement expressing deep concern but is not considering sanctions. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has asserted that fundamental divisions between China and the European Union should not prevent dialogue and cooperation. The Chinese market remains a lure for most Western countries.    [FULL  STORY]

1st stage will likely see resumed air travel at airports in 6 Chinese cities

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/06/081
By: Kelvin Chen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced Monday (June 8) that it is currently discussing recommencing flights from six additional cities, including Shenzhen, Chongqing, Qingdao, Ningbo, Guangzhou, and Changsha as the first stage of normalizing cross-strait air travel.

At the height of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, only cross-strait flight routes from five airports across Shanghai, Xiamen, Beijing, and Chengdu were resumed beginning on February 10. All other Chinese airports are still suspended from transporting passengers to Taiwan, Liberty Times reported.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 06/08/2020
By: Yeh Su-ping, Liu Kuang-ting and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, June 8 (CNA) The Presidential Office on Monday urged members of the public to refrain from making controversial comments following the death of Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Hsu Kun-yuan (許崑源), a member of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).

Hsu fell to his death from his residence on Saturday, hours after Kaohsiung citizens voted to recall KMT Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).

"All loss of life is a mournful tragedy regardless of party affiliation," Presidential Office spokesman Ting Yun-kung (丁允恭) said.

Supporters of different political parties are urged to remain calm and act rationally instead of making controversial remarks about the deceased, Ting said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 09, 2020
By: Liu Hui-chin and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Ministry of Science and Technology has launched a digital tool that allows people to see which countries are safe to visit based on the number of COVID-19 infections reported in them.

The tool, called “World Social Distancing Pedometer,” shows the number of “steps” by which Taiwan should keep away from each nation.

The steps are calculated using the number of infections reported in each country, so the higher the number of cases, the more “social distance” travelers should keep from that place, said the National Center for High-performance Computing, which developed the tool.

The tool uses a five-color system to denote travel safety — green, light green, yellow, orange and red — the center said, adding that the data are updated every five minutes.    [FULL  STORY]

ABC News
Date: June 07, 2020

Taiwan's main opposition party has moved to distance itself from China after one of its most senior officials lost a highly charged recall election, as attitudes harden towards Beijing on the democratic island.

Mr Han lost by a wide margin in a recall vote, amid accusations from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that his Kuomintang party, or KMT, wants to sell out Taiwan to China.

China's Government has made little effort to conceal its dislike of Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, and her landslide re-election is a massive blow to Xi Jinping, writes Bill Birtles.

A recall election is held when the electorate petitions to vote on the performance of an elected representative before their term has ended when they have been seen as ineffective.
[FULL  STORY]

• ‘Result should be a warning to all politicians that the people can bestow power and can take it back,’ president says after Han Kuo-yu is ousted as Kaohsiung mayor
• Han’s friend and city council speaker Hsu Kun-yuan fell to his death from his 17th floor flat after poll defeat

South Chins Morning Post
Date: 7 Jun, 2020
By: Lawrence Chung

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has appealed for opposing factions on the self-ruled island to reconcile their differences following the removal of her former opponent Han Kuo-yu as mayor of Kaohsiung and the death of one of his allies.

Han lost his position in the southern port city in an unprecedented recall vote on Saturday.

“More than 900,000 Kaohsiung residents made a collective decision and took Taiwan’s democracy a step forward,” Tsai said on Facebook late on Saturday.

“The result should be a warning to all politicians that the people can bestow power and can take it back. Now that the recall election is over, it is time for reconciliation in the country.”   [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/06/07
By:  Central News Agency

The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) on Sunday evening issued a heavy rain advisory for 16 cities and counties across Taiwan, as a plum rain front approached the country.

With the arrival of the front, northern parts of Taiwan, Nantou County, Yilan County and mountainous areas north of Chiayi County can expect heavy downpours, gusty winds and thunderstorms Sunday night into Monday, the CWB said.

An extremely heavy rain warning, which means 200 millimeters over 24 hours or 100 millimeters in a three-hour period, was issued at 5:45 p.m. for Nantou, Chiayi and Hualien counties.

A heavy rain alert was issued for Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City and County, Miaoli, Taichung, Yunlin, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Yilan, warning of accumulated rainfall of 80 millimeters for more over a 24-hour period or 40 millimeters within an hour.    [FULL  STORY]