Masks no longer compulsory anywhere but public transport and medical facilities

Masks no longer compulsory anywhere but public transport and medical facilities

2023-02-20

Taiwan on Monday further eased its mask mandate, making masks optional in most indoor settings. That means masks are now only required in medical facilities and in public transportation. At the CECC press conference on Monday, health officials commented on how they were finally seeing the faces of reporters they have spoken with for months. Let’s hear how it went.

Victor Wang
CECC head
Today, is the second easing of the mask mandate as we had announced it would be on Feb. 20. I am very happy to come to the press conference and finally see the faces of partners we have worked together with for such a long time. I see quite a few of you have taken off your masks today. I think this is how it will be moving forward. We can decide for ourselves. If you want to wear one, you wear one, and if you don’t want to, you don’t. It’s all up to you.

Also on Monday, the CECC announced that, starting March, Taiwan will stop offering free rapid test kits to inbound travelers and to close contacts of COVID patients. Officials say the change comes as current rules state that tests are only necessary when experiencing symptoms, and tests are widely available in convenience stores. It also announced it will launch COVID antibody tests on 7,000 blood donations from January to June this year to see how the disease has spread in the community.

室內口罩令今解禁醫院.大眾運輸仍須戴口罩

2023-02-20

室內口罩令週一開始放寬，剩下醫療照護機構和大眾運輸兩大場所，維持強制戴口罩，指揮中心記者會睽違許久，出席的幾位成員通通脫口罩。

[[疫情指揮官王必勝]]
“今天是我們第二階段口罩解封，口罩放寬實施的日期是今天2月20號。很高興到記者會，看到我們一起工作很長一段時間的夥伴到底長什麼樣子，看幾位都已經把口罩拿掉。我想這也是一個樣態，未來我們常常自主，你願意戴就戴，不要戴就不要戴，由自己判斷。”

指揮中心也同步宣布，因為自主防疫篩檢頻率已經調整為有症狀再篩，因應快篩試劑的普及，民眾購買便利，因此3月開始停止提供入境者和密切接觸者免費家用快篩。另外，也宣布展開血清抗體監測，將針對今年1到6月捐血人，隨機抽樣7千件血液檢體來檢驗，了解社區COVID-19染疫情形。

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KMT Vice Chair holds press conference on 10-day China visit

KMT Vice Chair Andrew Hsia on Monday held a press conference to discuss his recent 10-day visit to China. At the event, Hsia said that officials from China’s central government were paying special attention to cross-strait relations. Critics from several political parties have blasted Hsia for the visit, saying that he failed to bring up important matters about Taiwan’s sovereignty or to protests China’s military expansionism in the area.

After 10 days in China, KMT Vice Chair Andrew Hsia held a press conference about his visit. He said that after conversations with Chinese officials, China was willing to gradually resume the import of banned agricultural and fishery products.

Andrew Hsia
KMT vice chair
In meetings with central and local government officials, we conveyed the thoughts of Taiwanese fishers, of small and medium enterprises, and of Taiwanese residents in the mainland. They showed good will, and we received a proactive response from them.

An expert on national security says that China’s “show of goodwill” is due to the KMT’s good performance in last year’s local elections. That has opened doors for utilizing the KMT as a tool to extend its reach in Taiwan, adopting measures similar to those under the Ma Ying-jeou administration. Those include things like offering support and enticements to work with China. Hsia said the elections had nothing to do with the visit.

Andrew Hsia
KMT vice chair
They paid attention to us because nobody wants a war. During our visit, we did not at all talk about the elections.

Chao Chun-shan
National Policy Foundation
We are not the ruling party, we can’t solve problems. This time across the strait, even if we achieve consensus with them, we can’t do anything unless we are in power.

A think tank scholar that was part of the delegation said that China hoped to see the KMT back in power. Reporters asked Hsia about his meetings with Wang Huning, who is soon to be the chair of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and with Song Tao, the head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. They asked him whether he had defended Taiwan’s sovereignty and pushed back against China’s military threat.

Andrew Hsia
KMT vice chair
When I bring up the “1992 Consensus” in my mind, I see it as the version that says there is one China with different interpretations of what China is. So there is no need for me to speak up about it. It’s not like what some people say. They say the Republic of China does not have space to grow on the international stage. But I think that such claims are ignorant of the reality. Over there, we are guests. We went there for exchanges and dialogue. We didn’t go there to argue. We put our differences aside, and any positions that we had to speak on, we spoke on very clearly.

Wang Hsing-huan
Taiwan Statebuilding Party chair
Wang Huning is the brains of Communist China, he was behind the “1992 consensus” and the “one country, two systems” models. His energy has been gradually exhausted. After the 20th National Congress, Xi Jinping ordered Wang Huning to formulate a new unification strategy for Taiwan. Andrew Hsia went to see Wang Huning. We think perhaps they went to rehearse the new script for the annexation of Taiwan.

Lo Chih-cheng
DPP lawmaker
It looks like they were trying to spruce up China’s image, and endorsing its policies. The results of the visit are questionable. I think we shouldn’t just look at what he said while he was there, but also at what he didn’t say.

Hsia said that both sides of the strait were looking for peace, giving rise to criticism that he failed to address the elephant in the room. DPP lawmakers have decried the visit, saying that Hsia’s motives for visiting China remain very unclear.

2023-02-20

Taipei City Hall receives delegation from sister city Shanghai

Taipei City Hall on Monday received a delegation from Shanghai, its sister city in China. The delegation included officials from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, who discussed ways to boost exchanges with Taipei in sports, culture and tourism. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an was present at the meetings, but had to leave before it ended, giving rise to criticism from a councilor.

On Monday morning, a delegation from Shanghai was received at Taipei City Hall by Taipei Deputy Secretary-General Wang Chiu-tung. The officials then held a meeting behind closed doors.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and the deputy chief of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office in Shanghai, Li Xiaodong, exchanged gifts and posed for a photo together. But halfway through the meeting, Chiang left the venue.

Reporters asked Chiang about his departure, but he did not speak on the matter. Taipei City Hall says preparations for the meeting with the Shanghai delegation had been going on since early in the morning.

Wang Chiu-tung
Taipei deputy secretary general
The two sides held discussions on city-to-city exchanges in areas like culture, sports and tourism. We discussed all of those matters. Mayor Chiang had to leave because he had a meeting to preside over on the 12th floor, a meeting about the 2023 National Indigenous Games. He had to be there.

Wang shared what the two sides had discussed during the meeting. The matters apparently did not include the fact that Shanghai will be hosting this year’s Taipei-Shanghai twin-city forum or whether the forum will be held in person once again. What is known, is that Deputy Taipei Mayor Lin Yi-hua will be working on matters related to the event. One opposition city councilor voiced criticism over the KMT’s handling of city-to-city diplomacy.

Chen Yi-chun
DPP Taipei city councilor
If these visits cause the KMT and Mayor Chiang to lose points, then don’t invite them to come to Taipei. The most contradictory thing is that, why do you have to leave halfway through your meeting with them?

The Taiwan Affairs Office official spoke highly of Chiang. Look closely, and you’ll notice he walked out of the meeting with a different face mask from the one he had worn on his way in.

He said that he was looking forward to coming again, marking the end of the delegation’s three-day Taiwan stay.

2023-02-20

Taichung maternity hospital introduced relaxing “sensory delivery room”

A new delivery room at a Taichung maternity hospital promises to make childbirth more relaxed. The hospital has a new “sensory delivery room,” with calming light and sound effects. Doctors say it helps women in labor to regulate their breathing, and even reduces the experience of pain. They hope it will make childbirth a less daunting experience, and encourage more women to have babies. We spoke to one woman who has experienced the room. She says it made her second childbirth significantly less painful and faster.

The delivery room hums with gentle, relaxing music to soothe the mother in labor. She can also switch the ambient lighting and projection to a blue ocean theme with wave sounds, for an even more tranquil atmosphere. This maternity hospital in Taichung has introduced a sensory delivery room, designed to reduce the pain and anxiety of giving birth.

Chen Yen-yu
Obstetrician
Using this system, the new mother will feel more emotionally stable. It can help with breathing. We know that in labor we need some rhythmic breathing.

One of the new mothers who has experienced the room is Miss. Chou. In her first labor, although she received anesthesia, she felt stressed, and the pain had a big impact on her emotionally. But in her second labor, in a sensory delivery room, she experienced much less pain, and the delivery was faster.

Miss. Chou
Mother
If the pain index is 10, I think it can bring it down to a level five.

Taiwan’s population is shrinking. The hospital says that the pain of childbirth is one reason many women are choosing not to have children. They hope this delivery room will make labor less intimidating.

Lee Mao-sheng
Maternity hospital superintendent
The sound effects and lights have an effect on the brain, easing the nerves that respond to pain. So the level of pain in labor will decrease, while the woman’s willingness to give birth will increase.

The hospital says the relaxing effect of the system combined with anesthesia can help make labor an easier and less arduous experience.

2023-02-20

Water levels at Tainan reservoirs running low as dry spell continues

2023-02-20

Official says consensus reached on many issues related to a BTA with the US

Minister Without Portfolio John Deng on Monday accepted an interview where he discussed trade talks with the U.S. that took place in January. Deng said that while no agreement was yet reached on export tariffs, both sides reached a consensus on many key issues, and that further progress is expected before the end of 2023. One industry expert spoke optimistically, saying the talks were important for Taiwan’s market share in the U.S., and that an agreement could be the basis for a future FTA.

Following a second round of talks on the Taiwan-U.S. 21st Century Trade Initiative held in January, Minister Without Portfolio John Deng accepted an interview, during which he delivered some good news.

John Deng
Minister without portfolio
Both sides had a lot of questions over the course of the four-day meeting, and we were able to share quite a lot of ideas. Since it was a face-to-face meeting we were able to establish a lot of the basic structure. So far, there has been noticeably good progress. We’ve achieved consensus on a lot of issues.

During four days of negotiations, both sides reached a strong consensus on issues including trade facilitation, legal issues, anti-corruption efforts, policies for small and medium enterprises, and regulations for the service industry.

Issues that remain to be discussed include agricultural policies, digital trade, labor issues and environmental policies. Although no time or venue has been set for a follow-up meeting, Deng says that good progress is being made. He says the timeline for implementing the bilateral trade agreement may also be shorter than expected.

John Deng
Minister without portfolio
We will first report the main content of the meetings to the public. I am confident we won’t have any problems making headway on some things before year’s end. This time around we didn’t talk about tax reduction. One reason for that is that U.S. President Joe Biden does not discuss tariff concessions with any country. Another reason is that Taiwan has really high taxes on some items. So, I think it’s good for both sides that we don’t discuss tax at this point.

Darson Chiu
TIER
The U.S. is the largest source of Taiwan’s export orders, with about one-third of orders coming from the U.S. market. This type of agreement will be very helpful in consolidating the share of the U.S. market for Taiwanese products and related services. It can also be used as the basis for discussions on a future FTA.

Voice of Lin Por-fong
The Third Wednesday Club
We hope that our exports to the U.S. can be treated like those of other WTO countries, and that the issue of taxation of our investments in the U.S. can be appropriately solved.

Industry in Taiwan maintains that the lowering of tariffs on exports to the U.S. is important to bilateral trade. While the issue has yet to be worked out, Deng says good progress is being made on an agreement.

2023-02-20

Visiting US lawmaker reiterates importance of Taiwan chips to supply chain

U.S. lawmaker Ro Khanna, who is in Taiwan leading a delegation, on Monday spoke on the importance of Taiwanese semiconductors, and on the need to strengthen ties with Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, analysts said there are still no clear plans for a chip fab in Europe, but that fabs in Taiwan and Japan can already meet the demand for automotive chips in the short term.

Legislative Yuan Speaker You Si-kun on Monday met with a delegation of cross-party U.S. lawmakers. Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who led the delegation, revealed that he had met with TSMC founder Morris Chang. Khanna said that the two discussed strengthening ties between Silicon Valley and Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.

Ro Khanna
US lawmaker
I got to meet this morning with Dr. Morris Chang to discuss the semiconductor industry, and I understand very much the important economic ties between the United States and Taiwan, and we look forward to those ties continuing to strengthen.

Khanna said that while the U.S. will invest US$280 billion into the industry through the CHIPS Act, he was also concerned about Taiwan’s leading technology and the U.S.-Taiwan supply chain. With heightened U.S.-China tensions due to an alleged Chinese spy balloon over U.S. airspace, he did not cancel his trip to Taiwan out of concern that would send the wrong message, he said.

Taiwan’s semiconductor sector has garnered international attention, not just in the U.S., but also in Europe. The EU has also expressed interest in the establishment of a TSMC plant in Europe, but the plan is reportedly to be delayed two years.

Chai Huan-hsin
Industry analyst
Although there were two visits to Europe to probe the matter, things are still under discussion. The construction of factories in various places has actually put TSMC’s management capabilities to the test. In finding a suitable timetable, we face a great challenge.

The analyst says TSMC has no clear plans yet on a Europe plant, as the EU has no clear subsidy program for such a plant. Exacerbating the matter is the poor performance of the European economy, which may impact the growth of the EV car market.

Chai Huan-hsin
Industry analyst
The whole global economy is in a slump, and then there’s inflation. This is impacting demand for EVs. Chip production in Japan and Taiwan should be able to meet demand.

With demand for vehicles low, fabs in Japan and Taiwan that produce chips for cars are expected to generate enough output for global demand in the short term. Whether Europe gets its own TSMC plant in two years remains to be seen.

2023-02-20

Tsai discusses carbon emission policies with heads of eight industry groups

2023-02-20

Taiwan’s first ever circus arts festival launches in Tainan

2023-02-20

Taipei exhibition commemorates life and work of Chang Yu-sheng

It’s 25 years since the versatile pop vocalist and songwriter Chang Yu-sheng passed away. Also known as Tom Chang, or just “The Music Magician,” Chang left an indelible mark on Taiwan’s music scene, before passing away at the age of just 31. Now a major exhibition in Taipei commemorates his life and work. The exhibition at Taipei Music Center gives visitors an insight not just into Chang’s musical legacy, but also his personal life. It will be capped with a major concert, bringing together many of Chang’s contemporaries, and later generations who have followed in his footsteps.

A clear soprano voice rings out, taking visitors straight down memory lane. Many parents have brought their children here to listen to classic songs from their youth. Taipei Music Center has commissioned this special exhibition to mark the 25th anniversary of Chang Yu-sheng’s death. The exhibition theme, “Fly Me to the Moon and Back,” references one of his best-loved songs.

Huang Yun-ling
Taipei Music Center chair
It’s not just viewing these things, it’s about getting to know Chang Yu-sheng again, or, let’s say, commemorating him. I think we can see so much warmth, and so many traces of him left behind.

Liang Chih-min
Musical theater director
God was good to him, and a bit unfair to us. Because 25 years have passed, and those of us who were overweight have got bigger, and those of us who are old have gotten older. But he always has the same image.

The exhibition reveals many sides to Chang that the public might not be so familiar with. There are youthful photos from his university graduation, as well as a letter he wrote his father, asking for NT$1,000 so he could buy a new pair of glasses. Taipei Music Center will host a concert in March featuring many artists of different generations, united in music to pay tribute to Chang.

Huang Yun-ling
Taipei Music Center chair
It’s very difficult to gather everyone together, actually. For this concert, the most important thing is to pay our respects to Chang Yu-sheng, and pay our respects to that era, which gave us so much energy.

The concert will be a who’s-who of Taiwanese pop. The musical director is Huang Yun-ling, chair of Taipei Music Center. From Chang’s contemporaries, his former bandmate Eric Chen and the musical theater director Liang Chih-min. Younger generations are represented by Cheer Chen and WeiBird. Some of Chang’s classic songs will be covered by Trash, erstwhile Golden Melody nominees for Best Musical Group, as well as mandopop band Men Envy Children.

2023-02-20