President Tsai thanks Taiwan’s diplomats for speaking out for Taiwan in their respective

2022-08-07

As China continued its military exercises around Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen took to Facebook to convey her thanks to Taiwan’s diplomats around the world. Some 27 envoys stationed in various countries have spoken out via local media to proclaim Taiwan’s position and its resolve to defend its sovereignty, democracy and freedom.

On Saturday evening, President Tsai Ing-wen made a Facebook post thanking Taiwan’s diplomats in different countries around the world for speaking up for Taiwan in the international community and highlighting Taiwan’s resolve to defend its sovereignty, democracy and freedom.

Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
You can tell that this is typical expansionism of an authoritarian state. The international community, particularly those countries in this area, need to watch out for what China has been trying to do.

In an interview with the BBC, foreign minister Joseph Wu said China’s ongoing military exercises near Taiwan are yet another manifestation of China’s expansionist ambition.

Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Taiwan is not going to be the last piece in the Chinese dream of expansionism.

Speaking to CBS News in the U.S., Taiwan’s Representative Hsiao Bi-khim said what’s happening across the Taiwan Strait is similar to school bullying.

Hsiao Bi-khim
Representative to US
You don’t say, “You don’t go to school”. You’ll try to find a way to deal with the bully, and that’s exactly what Taiwan is doing, working on making our society stronger and more resilient, fortifying our defenses.

Francois Wu, Taiwan’s Representative to France, appeared on as many as five local TV news channels. One even referred to him as Taiwan’s ambassador.

Host
Do you think one day mainland China will attack Taiwan?

Francois Wu
Representative to France
I think if this day ever came, it would be the end of the world. So again, we will have to work together.

In the Facebook post, the president quoted foreign minister Wu as well as five envoys.

Foreign minister Joseph Wu called on Taiwan’s friends to stand firm in their support for Taiwan and not to send the wrong message to China, thus making authoritarian states even more provocative. Representative to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim said Taiwan will do all it can to deescalate the situation, but Taiwan will not give up on its freedom. Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh said the more coercive China is, the more concerned the world will be for Taiwan, and that he believes more and more people around the world will understand Taiwan’s predicament and come to Taiwan’s support. Representative to France Francois Wu said if Taiwan were to be annexed by China, that would mean there would only be authoritarianism left in the Chinese-speaking world and that democracies would have created for themselves an enemy who always causes trouble. Representative to Germany Shieh Jhy-wey said if free and democratic Taiwan were to come under the control of authoritarian and dictatorial China, then China would use the semiconductor supply chain to coerce the free world. Representative to the European Union and Belgium Tsai Ming-yen said Taiwan must strengthen its ties with likeminded partners and together, defend the rules-based international order.

The President thanked all 27 envoys who rallied for Taiwan via foreign and international media. She stated that she hoped Taiwan’s expats, no matter where they are in the world, would unite and speak out for democratic Taiwan.

捍衛台灣主權! 我國27外交官向國際媒體發聲

2022-08-07

中國持續在台海周邊軍演，造成區域緊張，總統蔡英文昨天晚間9點多發臉書，表示台灣在世界各地的外交團隊，向國際表達台灣捍衛主權的決心！其中包括外交部長吳釗燮、駐美大使蕭美琴還有駐日大使謝長廷，蔡總統進一步說，已經有27位駐外大使，在第一時間向世界各國主流媒體發聲，向國際社會傳達台灣堅定的立場！

總統蔡英文週六晚間發臉書，表示台灣在世界各地的外交團隊，在第一線，向國際表達台灣捍衛主權、堅守民主自由的決心。

[[外交部長吳釗燮]]
“你可以理解到，這就是典型威權國家擴張，因此國際社會，特別在這些亞太區域國家，必須密切關注中國企圖”

外交部長吳釗燮，接受BBC專訪，點出中共軍演企圖，難掩激動。

[[外交部長吳釗燮]]
“台灣絕對不會是最後一塊拼圖，在中國擴張主義野心夢想中”

駐美大使蕭美琴接受哥倫比亞廣播公司新聞網專訪時，以校園霸凌事件比喻台海緊張情勢。

[[駐美大使蕭美琴]]
“你不會要孩子不去學校，而是會想辦法對付霸凌者，這正是台灣在做的，我們正在使我們的社會更強大，也更有韌性，強化自我防衛”

駐法大使吳志中，更是一口氣接受5家法國當地節目訪問，連專訪字幕都直接稱呼他為台灣駐法國大使！

[[主持人]]
“您認為有一天中國會攻打台灣嗎”

[[駐法大使吳志中]]
“我認為如果真有這麼一天，那就會是世界末日，所以我們必須一起面對”

蔡總統列出幾位第一線外交官，受訪語錄！

外交部長吳釗燮呼籲，堅定支持台灣，避免中國誤判情勢，而造成威權國家更為挑釁冒進，駐美大使蕭美琴表示，我們將盡我們所能來緩和局勢，但我們不會放棄我們的自由！駐日大使謝長廷說，中國愈施壓，世界就愈關心台灣，相信將有更多世人了解、並支持台灣，駐法大使吳志中表示，若台灣被中國拿下，代表華文世界只能有獨裁，而民主國家也為自己製造了一個處處掣肘的敵人。駐德大使謝志偉說，自由民主台灣若被專制獨裁中國控制，半導體供應鏈就會被中國作為勒索自由世界的武器，駐歐盟兼駐比利時大使蔡明彥也說，要與理念相近國家加強合作，共同捍衛以規則為基礎的國際秩序。

感謝這27位駐外大使，第一時間向世界各國主流媒體，傳達台灣堅定的立場。蔡總統希望，在全世界各地的台灣人，團結一致、共同發聲，讓國際社會更支持民主台灣。

PLA says combat training will continue after Chinese media announces end to military drills

2022-08-07

Premier Su tells China not to show off military muscles and hinder regional peace

Foreign enemies are at our doorsteps. Those are the words Premier Su Tseng-chang used when attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Nanzih Industrial Park in Kaohsiung, where TSMC will begin building its wafer fab later this year. The premier used the occasion to call on China not to show off its military muscles and undermine regional peace. He also tried to boost the morale of the people, saying that Taiwan will never bow under pressure, but will insist on freedom and democracy.

The groundbreaking ceremony of Kaohsiung’s Nanzih Industrial Park was attended by premier Su Tseng-chang, economics minister Wang Mei-hua and Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai. They were here to witness the historic moment that marks an industrial transformation of the southern port city.

TSMC vice president Wang Ying-lang attended the ceremony on behalf of his company, which is slated to move into sector three of the industrial park. As Kaohsiung revels in its welcome for the semiconductor giant, Taiwan has come under the threat of China’s military exercises and drones penetrating Kinmen’s airspace. Premier Su used the occasion to send a message to China and boost the morale of the people.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
We call on the Chinese government not to rely on its military strength to show off its muscles everywhere and hinder regional peace. Under the leadership of President Tsai, our military has obtained all the information, and we are putting up the best defense. As President Tsai said, we will never bow under pressure, but we insist on freedom and democracy.

As for the cyberattacks some public and private organizations’ websites came under in recent days, the Cabinet has issued a directive that Chinese-made IT products are prohibited in all government agencies.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
Foreign enemies are right in front of us. They use all kinds of misinformation to undermine our unity and morale. We must come up with ways to respond. I hope everyone from both the public and private sectors will work together.

When the enemy is at your doorsteps, a leader is compelled to maintain internal stability and resist external aggression. Premier Su has attempted to do just that.

2022-08-07

Taiwan reports 21,771 cases Sunday, brings the total accumulated count to 20% of population

2022-08-07

Hongshulin Light Rail Station opens summer weekend market

2022-08-07

Chicken revolution: How the humble hen is teaching skills and changing lives

Comfort can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places. In recent years, more and more people have discovered the therapeutic value of chickens. Due to their docile and affectionate nature, chickens are popular at nursing homes, where they give seniors a sense of purpose. They’re also being used in schools, to teach students how to make new friends and engage with their community. Here’s this week’s Sunday special report.

Two net fences on the sides mark off an 8-meter-long race track, where chickens vie for glory. This race was held in December 2021, with chickens raised by three organizations: Ren-ai Senior Citizens’ Home, Kaohsiung Municipal School for Students with Disabilities, and Shen-shuei Primary School.

The chickens wear special outfits for the occasion. But many of them don’t seem too concerned about the competition. They stroll around the track, paying no mind to the humans screaming at the finish line.

The event was sponsored by Kaohsiung’s Animal Protection Office. There were 12 rounds of races to find a winner for the Kaohsiung qualifier, who would later compete against chickens from Taichung and Chiayi for the title of Taiwan’s fastest hen.

Yang Chung-hsun
Kaohsiung City Animal Protection Office
We don’t want chickens to just be seen as an animal that produces eggs. If we are good to them, they will also be good to us. The intangible things that animals give back to us may be even more meaningful and more fulfilling.

How did the care home and the schools get started with raising chickens? It all began with the founder of Hen and Traveler, Yang Huan-ching.

During the financial crisis of 2007, raising chickens in one’s backyard became a popular activity in Europe and the U.S. What started off as a way to save money on food, or to make extra cash selling eggs, eventually became a therapeutic hobby for older adults. In 2017, Yang set off on a campaign to get people in Taiwan reacquainted with the humble chicken.

At the beginning, Yang’s program focused just on older adults. But hens are affectionate and can keep people company just like cats and dogs. They also offer additional benefits.

Yang Huan-ching
Hen and Traveler founder
Chickens live outside, in the garden. So if you want to see the chickens, you have to go outside. You can watch them eat their feed there. So raising chickens can get older adults to head outdoors and get closer with animals and nature.

Ren-ai Senior Citizens’ Home is located in Kaohsiung’s Yanchao District. It houses more than 100 residents. When the facility first started raising chickens, the residents weren’t so enthusiastic.

Yang Fang-yi
Ren-ai Senior Citizens’ Home
At the beginning, when they heard the news, they were all like, “Why should we raise chickens?” “They reek!” “Can we eat them?”

But once the chickens arrived, their affectionate and lively nature captivated the residents. For some of the residents, looking after the chickens was life-changing.

Huang Chao-yang heads outdoors. In his hand is a fly swatter that’s used to keep chickens out of the path of his wheelchair so as to prevent accidents.

Yang Huan-ching
Hen and Traveler founder
He used to be very hot-headed before, throwing tantrums frequently. He had suffered a stroke and would not accept the changes that brought to his life. But he’s all different now. He started changing when he began pushing his wheelchair to spend time at the chicken coop. He’s kind of like the head of chicken affairs now.

Yang Fang-yi
Ren-ai Senior Citizens’ Home
So they started taking care of the chickens. After a while, they would take turns coming here every day to check on the chickens. And we started finding a lot of food in the coop, like steamed buns, rice, grass and veggies. They really look forward to collecting their eggs. We found that some of them would even sit there and wait for the hens to lay eggs. They didn’t want to miss the moment in case someone else took the egg.

Ren-ai Senior Citizens’ Home is a success story for the therapeutic power of chickens.

Over at the Kaohsiung Municipal School for Students with Disabilities, chickens are not only a part of the therapy program. They also help prepare the students for gainful employment.

It’s Friday afternoon and the students are hard at work creating drawings to stick on their egg cartons. Using glue and the scissors is good practice for their fine motor skills.

Since the fall of 2021, the school has reared its own chickens and incorporated them into its coursework. To the teachers’ surprise, the chickens have helped the students by leaps and bounds, even encouraging some students to speak.

Liao Li-wen
Kaohsiung Municipal School for Students with Disabilities
Some of our students have congenital conditions, affective disorders or are on the autism spectrum. They may not be so keen on communicating with others. But after we got the chickens, they started interacting. They’d discuss how many eggs the hens had laid, or ask about whether we had collected veggies to feed the chickens. So we have interactions like these. It’s spontaneous speech. It’s engagement with others.

The students feel attached to the chickens, and that attachment motivates them to get involved in all related activities. Today, they are packing eggs to sell at the market and try their hand at being vendors.

Before opening up shop in the morning, a teacher reminds the students of what they have to say to attract customers. This market sells only organic produce and ecofriendly products. Price isn’t the top priority for shoppers, but value. The young vendors explain what makes their eggs so special.

Their candid explanations endear them to their customers.

Ms. Chiu
Shopper
Just now the kids talked me through how they had raise the chickens, how they feed the chickens mixed grains, and how they give them vegetables too. It seems they all took part in the process, even helping to plant the vegetables.

Through the school’s chicken curriculum, the students engage with society, all while nurturing their professional skills.

Yang Huan-ching
Hen and Traveler founder
I sometimes watch how they are doing. Before, they wouldn’t dare speak to others. But now they stand at the market and call out to shoppers saying, “Come buy free-range eggs!” It fills me with hope.

Liao Li-wen
Kaohsiung Municipal School for Students with Disabilities
Students can get integrated in society in a natural way. And in the future, when they get placed in a job, they’ll have professional skills. They can be confident in themselves and adapt well to the work environment.

Chickens can be used to support therapy and job training. Over at Shen-shuei Primary School, chickens are a way for kids to give back to the community.

Shen-shuei Primary School has four chickens. Every day, students have to feed the chickens, replenish the water in the coop, put in fresh vegetables, and change the sand bedding. The students put their all into these tasks.

Sun Kuo-hua
Shen-shuei Primary School principal
The children raise chickens as part of a comprehensive farming program. They harvest the vegetables they planted and feed them to the chickens. In the process, students also become more aware of their own eating habits and health.

Students report that the hens lay eggs at the same time every day, like clockwork.

The healthy, freshly laid eggs are the beginning of a lesson in giving.

They are used to make steamed eggs to share with the community.

The surface of the steamed eggs glistens like a mirror. These meticulously prepared meals are given to the residents of Ren-ai Senior Citizens’ Home.

Sun Kuo-hua
Shen-shuei Primary School principal
Instilling respect for one’s elders has always been one of the goals of our curriculum. We hope that through these gifts of egg dishes, children and older adults can connect with each other in a beneficial way.

These dishes often spark intergenerational friendships.

The steamed egg delights the residents of the home, whose joy give validation and confidence to the children. It just goes to show how an extraordinary impact can be made with help from the most ordinary chicken.

2022-08-07

Moisture in the south may bring heavy rains in the coming week

2022-08-07