Lin was sitting on edge of cliff dangling feet while friend took photos

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/19
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A New Taipei policeman was found dead after falling into a ravine on central Taiwan’s Huoyanshan (火炎山) on Friday (April 17) while posing for photos, CNA reported.

The mountain is composed of thick layers of gravel, and the deep valleys and cols were formed by rain erosion over many years. The attraction is like a real-life version of the “Mountain of Flames” in the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West.”

The Miaoli County Fire Bureau received a report at around 1 p.m. that a visitor had fallen into a ravine in the gorge. The bureau immediately marshaled a rescue team composed of police officers, fire fighters, and volunteers, and they arrived at the scene of the accident around 2:15 p.m. Some members of the rescue team rappelled 120 meters into the ravine, and at around 4 p.m. they found the victim, who had lost vital signs.

According to photos the rescue team took at the scene, the victim seemed to accelerate during the fall and thrust himself into the earth headfirst. The victim’s head and chest were buried by a great deal of dirt and rubble, and his right leg was fractured.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/19/2020
By: You Kai-hsiang and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, April 19 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is coordinating with China Airlines (CAL) to transport stranded Taiwanese in India back home in the wake of an extended lockdown policy there amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the plan works out, a flight using CAL's current Delhi-Taoyuan route will bring passengers back, and they will be quarantined in designated places upon arrival, the ministry said.

The Indian government first announced a lockdown of the country on March 25, and later extended it on April 14 to May 3.

There have been requests from Taiwanese in India and other countries in South Asia to help them return home, the ministry said.    [FULL  STORY]

SupChina
Date: April 17, 2020
By: Alex Smith

While women remain vastly underrepresented in politics and account for a mere 7% of world leaders, the past week has seen wide recognition that a disproportionate number of the countries that have been most successful in containing COVID-19 have female leaders (see Leta Hong-Fincher’s piece on CNN).

We take a closer look at these women and why their responses have been so successful.

Prior to joining Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party in 2004, Tsai (蔡英文 Cài Yīngwén), who has a PhD in Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, worked as an economic trade negotiator and as an advisor to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council.

Taiwan’s success in containing the virus — its COVID-19 infections have slowed to a trickle before reaching 400, and for three days this week it recorded no new cases — has been largely attributed to Tsai’s decision to take action early on. When news of the virus first broke in late December, Tsai ordered all Wuhan arrivals to be inspected, and flights from the mainland, as well as Hong Kong and Macau were later restricted. Taiwan’s border has been effectively closed to foreign travelers since March 19 and the country quickly ramped up its production of personal protective equipment.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan has only reported 398 coronavirus cases and six deaths.PHOTO: REUTERS

The Straits Times
Date: April 18, 2020

TAIPEI (REUTERS) – Taiwan will put 700 navy sailors into quarantine after three cases of the new coronavirus were confirmed among sailors who had been on a goodwill mission to the Pacific island state of Palau, the government said on Saturday (April 18).

Three Taiwan navy vessels visited Palau – one of only 15 countries to maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan – in the middle of March, before returning to Taiwan a month later, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told reporters.

The three confirmed cases had all shared quarters on the same ship, but all 700 sailors on all three ships were being re-called and would be put into quarantine, he said.

Taiwan's presidential office said that President Tsai Ing-wen had been at the ceremony to welcome back the ships but had only waved to the sailors from the shore and had not been exposed to the risk of infection.    [FULL  STORY]

Admiral Huang Shu-kuang went to April 15 navy ceremony attended by three COVID-19 cases

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/18
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光) will self-manage his health for 14 days after attending a ceremony for returning navy crews, including three trainees who later tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of National Defense announced Saturday (April 18).

While Huang kept his distance from returnees at the April 15 event, it was deemed best for him and other officials present at the ceremony to take precautionary measures, CNA reported.

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Saturday that three trainees who had sailed with a navy unit to Palau from Feb. 21 to April 9 before disembarking on April 15 had been diagnosed as coronavirus patients. As a result, more than 700 others were ordered into quarantine.

Earlier, officials said that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who had attended an April 9 ceremony for the same group, was not at risk from the virus. She had stayed on shore and waved at the crews, but never boarded any of the vessels, officials said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/18/2020
By: Yeh Su-Ping, Lu Hsin-hui and Kay Liu

Taipei April 18 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) saw the number of her Twitter account followers surge past 1 million earlier this week as the social media platform has become a tool to strengthen Taiwan's participation in the global community, she said Friday.

"Taiwan wants to engage with the world. And social media gives us a free, open platform to enter the global conversation. Pandemics have no borders. But fortunately for us, social media transcends distance as well," Tsai said in a pre-recorded video released on Twitter on Friday.

She said her Twitter milestone came "at a unique and unprecedented time in history. Social media…helps Taiwan connect with the world."

"Coming together and sharing our stories reminds us that we are not alone. We will get through this. And we will do it together" said Tsai, in the video that also showcased Taiwan's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed the desire of the country and its citizens to help in the international community.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 17 April, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

President Tsai Ing-wen says that Taiwan is donating surgical masks abroad because it is the right thing to do, not to earn praise from other countries. Tsai was speaking Friday in front of reporters in southern Taiwan. 

Tsai’s remark comes after a German official was unwilling to mention Taiwan by name during a press conference about masks donated by Taiwan. Despite the controversy this caused in Taiwan, Tsai said she believes that the recipients of the masks are thankful, even if they don’t say so out loud.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 17 Apr 2020
By: Xavier Vavasseur

The Republic of China Navy (ROC Navy, Taiwan) has started a program to upgrade the decoy launchers aboard its French-built Kang Ding-class frigates. Following the upgrade, the DAGAIE MK2 launchers will be able to deploy next gen countermeasures which will better protect the vessels against modern anti-ship missiles.

Taiwan’s ministry of national defense announced earlier this month that DAGAIE MK2 decoy launcher upgrade kits will be procured from France for the ROC Navy’s six Kang Ding-class frigates. The budget for this procurement is in excess of 800 million yuan and has been awarded to French company DCI DESCO acting as prime contractor. DCI is a defense consultancy firm.

Naval News understands that the upgrade kits and ammunition (the decoys) will be produced in France by French countermeasure specialist Lacroix who supplied the original decoys for the DAGAIE launchers already fitted on the frigates (there are two launchers per ship).
[FULL  STORY]