Officials say China has stepped up aggressive air force missions to intimidate 'separatist forces' and distract attention

Asia Times
Date: March 5, 2020
By: Dave Makichuk

Chinese fighter jets appear to be getting bolder as they patrol the fringes of Taiwan.

A report has surfaced that on at least once occasion, a Chinese warplane locked its radar onto a Taiwanese F-16 fighter jet, Taiwan News reported.

As the Wuhan coronavirus rages in China, the communist country has stepped up aggressive air force missions near and around Taiwan to intimidate “separatist forces” and distract attention from the epidemic, officials said.

These flights have consisted of Shengyang J-11 fighter jets, Xi’an H-6 strategic bombers, and Shaanxi KJ-500 early warning and control aircraft and have been met with Taiwanese F-16 fighter jets on at least two occasions, the report said.    [FULL  STORY]

Cheng Hsin-chu featured on TAPA's list of candidates for the Jan. 11 elections

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/03/04
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Wednesday (March 4) decided to expel Kaohsiung politician Cheng Hsin-chu (鄭新助), a strong supporter of former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

Cheng was one of several politicians listed for discussion and eventually expelled Wednesday due to their support for other parties during the campaign for the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections, UDN reported.

As a supporter of former President Chen, Cheng, a longtime member of the Kaohsiung City Council, joined the list of legislative candidates for the Taiwan Action Party Alliance (TAPA, 一邊一國行動黨). The group was a new movement founded just last year by close allies of the former president.

TAPA also invited Chen himself to feature on their list, but the authorities ruled he was ineligible. He has been out on medical parole after a 20-year prison sentence for corruption.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/04/2020
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has prepared a NT$4.2 billion (US$140 million) budget to bail out Taiwan's aviation industry if the novel coronavirus outbreak gets worse.

The special budget will subsidize the landing fees and rent for airport space and facilities the airlines pay, said Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on the sidelines of a legislative session Wednesday.

"The aviation industry is being hard hit by the epidemic. It is the biggest victim," Lin said, citing difficulties faced not only by airlines but by airport operators and duty-free shops as well.

According to an MOTC policy advisor, the NT$4.2 billion budget was calculated to subsidize 25 percent of airlines' airport rents and fees to make up for an estimated 25 percent drop in traffic because of the global novel coronavirus outbreak.    [FULL  STORY]

SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES: Three men in their 20s have also been questioned after a hostess died in a Banciao apartment, from what police suspect was a drug overdose

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 05, 2020
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

Police on Tuesday captured a parolee after he escaped his home by cutting off his electronic

tracking bracelet with an electric chainsaw and then allegedly committed a robbery in Taipei.

At about 10pm on Monday, Ou Li-yuan (歐力源), 53, removed the tracking bracelet and drove a car to Taipei, where he allegedly robbed a betel nut stand of NT$6,000, police said.

He headed south on the highway and police caught him driving around Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (岡山) at about 4pm on Tuesday.

He was transferred yesterday to Taipei and placed in detention.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 03 March, 2020
By: Paula Chao

Premier Su Tseng-chang says a special budget passed last week will be spent on COVID-19 prevention and boosting the economy. Su was speaking Tuesday at the legislature.

Since the new coronavirus outbreak began in China last December, Taiwan has reported 42 confirmed infections, including one death. The local economy has also taken a hit by the outbreak.  

The government has allocated NT$ 60 billion (US$ 2 billion) to address the issue. Su said about NT$40.4 billion (US$ 1.3 billion) will be spent on helping industries hit hard by the outbreak. These measures include loans, interest subsidies, taxes, and subsidies for companies. The art and culture industry as well as industries supplying domestic demand are among those included. The rest of the NT$19.6 billion (US$653 million) is to help curb the spread of COVID-19. The funds will be used to set up screening centers and as subsidies for the transport industry and schools.     [FULL  STORY]

China's lack of transparency and willingness to fully cooperate is 'deja vu all over again'

The Washington Times
Date: March 3, 2020
By: David Keene

It goes almost without saying that it is foolhardy to play politics with a possible impending pandemic. Rising above politics, however, is tough for politicians and almost impossible for China’s Communist rulers who always and in every way put their ideological interests above all else regardless of the consequences to others.

Nowhere are the potential risks of putting politics above all else more acute than in dealing with the various flu-like pandemics that have a tendency to emerge first in China and then spread to surrounding countries and the rest of the world. 

Perhaps the best example of China’s willingness to ignore any risk to promote its political agenda can be seen in Beijing’s continuing opposition to Taiwan’s membership in the World Health Organization or WHO. The Chinese Communists do everything they can to isolate the Republic of China on Taiwan from the rest of the world, insisting that Taiwan is a part of China and that other countries should not recognize the Taipei government.
[FULL  STORY]

Large number of passengers expected to return home for Qingming Festival April 4

Taiwan New0s
Date: 2020/03/03
By:  Taiwan New0s, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is cancelling all non-reserved seats in the first week of April as the rail company gears up for a large number of passengers returning home for the Qingming Festival on April 4 amid the spread the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has sickened 42 people on the island.

THSR announced on Tuesday afternoon (Mar. 3) that non-reserved seats will be unavailable from April. 1-6, during which time many people are expected to return home to sweep the tombs of their ancestors.

The cancellation of non-reserved seats means that only those who manage to book regular tickets, which usually sell very fast for holidays, will be allowed to board the train. The tickets will be available starting Wednesday at midnight on the THSR’s website/app as well as at kiosks in convenient stores across the island.

Multi-rides and periodic tickets cannot be used during the upcoming period, but their duration will be extended eight days as part of the compensation, according to the rail company. In addition, the EasyCard and the iPass will not be accepted at the train station gate.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/03/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) A Taipei hospital on Tuesday announced that one of its patients is the longest-living person to have received pioneering heart surgery, the 107-year-old man underwent an operation more than five years ago to replace an aortic valve.

According to Cheng Hsin General Hospital, its cardiac surgery team performed Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) surgery on the patient surnamed Chen (陳) when he was 102.

The previous record for the oldest living person to have undergone TAVI surgery was a man who had the operation at 99, but passed away before 107, the hospital said.

Wei Jeng (魏崢), superintendent of Cheng Hsin General Hospital, said at a press event that the aortic valve usually opens when blood is pumped from the heart to the rest of the body.
[FULL  STORY]