Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/09/2020
By: Chen Yun-yu and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) Career diplomat Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) has been appointed as deputy foreign minister, filling a post that was left vacant when one of the two incumbents was appointed to the National Security Council, according to a press statement released Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Tien, who had been serving as Taiwan's representative to India since 2013, will replace Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉), the newly appointed deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 09 July, 2020
By: Katherine Wei

The three keys to Taiwan’s success in keeping COVID-19 at bay are being fast, fair, and fun. That’s what Minister without Portfolio Audrey Tang had to say during an online presentation for Italy’s Associazione Copernicani on Monday. 

Tang was the main speaker during the event. She said the three keys applied to most of the government’s responses to COVID-19, including keeping ahead of the disease’s spread, launching face mask rationing plans, and dispelling disinformation about the pandemic.

Phayul Newsdesk
Date: July 9, 2020
By: Choekyi Lhamo

DHARAMSHALA, July 9: Taiwan recently formed the Parliament Group for Tibet on Wednesday. Chairman of the group and Independent legislator, Freddy Lim, held the inaugural meeting of the “Taiwan Congress and Tibet Connection” in the Legislative Yuan. He said that the government should maintain an open attitude towards the Tibetan spiritual leader’s trip to Taiwan. The Tibetan community in Taiwan also hopes for a visit by their religious leader but would not insist if the Chinese government makes it impossible.

Legislator Lim noted that although the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has visited Taiwan several times in the last decade, Chinese protests against his travel plans have grown. The parliamentary group at the Legislative Yuan aims to contact similar organizations overseas and defend cases of human rights and freedom for Tibet on the international platform.

At the founding event on Wednesday, the participants in the group emphasized on its role against “Chinese expansionist ambitions” and promised that it would support Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong in their struggle for freedom, human rights and democracy. Speakers condemned China’s national security law and referred to it as an “ominous threat for Taiwan” as the group feared that the island could become a target for Beijing’s aggressive intentions.

The Dalai Lama on Sunday delivered a live video-session on the eve of his 85th birthday with over 1000 followers in Taiwan. He indicated a trip to Taiwan is a possibility at the end, “As the political scenario changes, I may be able to visit Taiwan. I hope for that, but it is difficult to say this at this point in time. But whether I am able to physically able to come or not, in my spirit I am with you.”    [FULL  STORY]

July 10 marks start of quarantine-free visits to both England, Scotland

Taiwan News
Dte: 2020/07/09
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Scotland has followed England and Wales in lifting Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine requirements for visitors arriving from Taiwan, reports said Thursday (July 9).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomed the development, indicating international recognition for Taiwan’s success in containing the pandemic. There have been only 449 cases and seven deaths out of a population of 23 million.

England already announced on July 3 that Taiwanese visitors would be welcome from Friday (July 10) without having to spend 14 days in quarantine. On Wednesday (July 8), the Scottish government followed suit, setting the same day for the start of the measure.

Taiwan was among 57 “overseas destinations that have similar or lower levels of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection than Scotland” subject to the ending of quarantine requirements, according to a Scottish government news release.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/09/2020
By: Lai Yen-hsi and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) Taiwan's top government agency in charge of China affairs on Thursday called on Taiwanese nationals to avoid traveling to Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, citing the increased risk of facing prosecution on allegations of violating the newly implemented Hong Kong national security law.

Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), deputy head and spokesman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said the "vaguely defined" clauses of the law could be interpreted broadly.

Chiu said it has thus largely increased the risk of facing possible prosecution as one could break the law without intending to.

Once found to have violated the law, one could be transfered to mainland China to face charges under Chinese laws, regardless of his or her nationality, Chiu said.    [FULL  STORY]

POST OFFICE RULES: People with odd number IDs can go on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to collect their vouchers, even numbers on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 10, 2020
By: Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

Chunghwa Post should form an emergency response team ahead of distribution of the government’s “Triple Stimulus Vouchers” on Wednesday next week to deal with any possible contingencies, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.

Lin watched a drill at the Jinnan Post Office (金南郵局) in Taipei designed to test the employees’ responses to various scenarios, including how to deal with angry customers unhappy about having to wait in line for a long time.

Chunghwa Post has conducted several drills on facilitating distribution of the vouchers, but it still needs an emergency response team to monitor the situation nationwide and take quick action in case of an emergency, Lin said.

It also needs to inform the public about the procedures they should follow, as well as the time they can collect their vouchers, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

Beijing has thousands of missiles and believes it could overwhelm Taiwan with them in a surprise attack during a war.

The National Interest
Date: July 8, 2020
By: Sebastien Roblin

Key point: It's not impossible to imagine, but Taiwan has ways to counter this.

After dithering for weeks, on August 15 the Trump administration informed Congress it would authorize the sale of sixty-six newly-manufactured F-16V fighters to Taiwan for $8 billion—a move which is certain to infuriate Beijing, which considers Taiwan a renegade province.

Though the deal is not technically finalized, Taipei will jump at the rare opportunity to purchase new jet fighters to reinforce its aging fleet of combat aircraft. Theoretically, its air force may be called upon to face off against nearly four or five times their number of Chinese combat aircraft, should Beijing resort to using military force against the island.

But for Taiwan’s out-numbered fighters to have any impact at all, they must first make it off the ground—and that could become impossible due the 1,300 ballistic missiles and hundreds of air-, sea-, and ground-launched cruise missiles the People’s Liberation Army can array against the island.    [FULL  STORY]

Wray describes China’s use of counterintelligence, economic espionage as ‘greatest long-term threat’ to future of US

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/08
By: Eric Chang, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses various means to manipulate and influence American officials from visiting Taiwan, according to the director of the FBI.

While addressing the Hudson Institute in Washington on Tuesday (7/7), FBI Director Christopher Wray blasted the CCP for its use of espionage and cyberattacks to achieve its goal of surpassing the United States. During his nearly hour-long speech, he described Beijing’s use of “malign foreign influence” to prevent U.S. officials from visiting Taiwan.

“Malign foreign influence efforts are subversive, undeclared, criminal, and coercive attempts to sway our government’s policies, distort our country’s public discourse, and undermine confidence in our democratic processes and values,” Wray said. In addition to using bribery, blackmail, and covert deals, Chinese diplomats also use economic pressure and independent middlemen to push their agenda, the director added.

According to Wray, when the Chinese government learns that an American official like a governor, state senator, or member of Congress wants to visit Taiwan, they leverage the official’s constituents such as American companies, academics, and members of the media who want access to Chinese partners and markets. Beijing will first try to influence the U.S. official overtly and directly.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/08/2020
By: Kuo Hsuan-wen and Matthew Mazzetta

Hsinchu, July 8 (CNA) Eight international students on National Tsing Hua University's (NTHU) football team have created a video to thank Taiwan's epidemic prevention workers for their success in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the video posted on social media Wednesday, the students from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, and El Salvador praised Taiwan's public health response, saying it has kept them safe and allowed them to maintain their normal routines amid the pandemic.

"I would like to thank the workers in Taiwan keeping us safe from the virus. It's allowing us to do what we love the most, which is to play football," says a student from El Salvador, identified by his Chinese name Lung Yu-kuo (龍雨果).

"Taiwan is not on lockdown. I'm very safe in Taiwan," says Kao Chia-mo (高家莫) from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, joking that he plans to go out later to lift weights and eat xiaolongbao.    [FULL  STORY]

TIME LIMIT: The dead sergeant’s mother disputed the court’s claim that she had exceeded the 30-day limit between receiving new evidence and filing for a retrial

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 09, 2020
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

The High Court yesterday rejected a request for a retrial of the case of air force staff sergeant Tsai Hsueh-liang (蔡學良), who died in 2008 of a gunshot wound to the head, with his family and supporters disputing military authorities’ initial claim that it was a suicide.

Tsai’s mother, Yu Jui-min (尤瑞敏), and advocates of judicial reform staged a protest outside the High Court in Taipei, decrying the court’s decision to overlook new evidence.

Yu has for the past 12 years fought to clear her son’s name and find out the truth behind his death. Tsai died during target practice on a shooting range on May 9, 2008.

Yu and her lawyer on March 9 presented new evidence — a re-examination of the autopsy reports and ballistic tests by weapons experts and forensic doctors at National Taiwan University College of Medicine — and filed for a retrial with the High Court’s civil division.
[FULL  STORY]