Vice president-elect to return to Taiwan after Europe trip

Vice president-elect to return to Taiwan after Europe trip

2024-03-20

Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim is in Europe, after making a personal trip to the U.S. last week. Earlier this week, Hsiao met with politicians in the Czech Republic, and spoke at a forum held by a Prague-based think tank. Taiwan’s foreign ministry has not disclosed where Hsiao will go next. But it’s confirmed that she will return to Taiwan after her European visit. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has protested Hsiao’s travels, calling them harmful to the interests of Taiwan’s people.

On social media, Czech Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil posted a photo with Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim. After visiting the U.S., Hsiao headed to Europe to speak at a seminar organized by Sinopsis, a Prague-based think tank.

Joseph Wu
Foreign minister
Hsiao’s trip to the U.S. was purely for personal matters. She is the vice president-elect, so we did have some communication with the U.S.

The foreign ministry did not give details on Hsiao’s itinerary after the Czech Republic. Although Hsiao has kept her travels low-key, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has expressed opposition, accusing her of harming the interests of the people of Taiwan.

Joseph Wu
Foreign minister
China has always protested whatever we do. If I visit Europe, if our European friends visit Taiwan or if Vice President-elect Hsiao visits Europe, China will raise objections. Some friends in the U.S. have told me that, if China gets angry, it must mean that we are doing the right thing. Before assuming office, Vice President-elect Hsiao has a degree of freedom. If friends invite her for a visit, we make the necessary arrangements.

China has not only been ineffective at deterring visits, but has also become the target of complaints. Twenty-seven members of the European Parliament have sent a joint letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization, protesting China’s unilateral adjustments to the M503 flight path in the Taiwan Strait. The letter urges the ICAO to monitor regional developments and ensure compliance with regulations.

Joseph Wu
Foreign minister
We also explained to them that China’s unilateral changes to the status quo would escalate regional tensions. Such actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability.

According to ICAO rules, any changes to flight paths must be negotiated beforehand. China’s change of the M503 flight route has been seen as a reaction to the results of Taiwan’s presidential election.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

蕭美琴訪捷克演說歐議會跨黨派批中國擅改M503航線

2024-03-20

準副總統蕭美琴日前傳出前往美國，但前一天會晤捷克議長韋德齊的照片曝光，才發現已經轉往歐洲，捷克智庫"解析中國"邀請發表演講。外交部長吳釗燮透露，蕭美琴訪美是處理私事，預計訪問完歐洲之後就會回台。而對於國台辦跳腳，怒斥蕭美琴訪歐是傷害台灣人利益，吳釗燮反嗆，中國跳腳就代表台灣做對了。

捷克議長韋德齊在社交平台PO出與準副總統蕭美琴的合照，原來蕭美琴已經結束美國行程，人已經到歐洲，接受捷克智庫"解析中國"的邀請，到研討會發表演講。

[[外交部長吳釗燮]]
“美國這一趟行程，單純是她的私人行程，因為身分是副總統當選人，所以我們跟美方之間也有些溝通”

針對蕭美琴捷克之後的行程，外交部保密到家，即使是低調再低調，但國台辦依舊跳腳，怒轟她傷害台灣人利益。

[[外交部長吳釗燮]]
“中國向來是，不管什麼樣的事情他們都抗議，不管是我到歐洲去，或者歐洲的朋友到台灣來，或者蕭副總統當選人到歐洲去，他們都會抗議，有些美國朋友跟我講，如果中國生氣了，就好像我們做對了，蕭副總統當選人在就任前，還有一定的自由度，如果有好朋友願意邀她去訪問，我們也會來做相關的安排”

中國不只抗議無效，更成為被抗議的對象，歐盟議會27位跨黨派議員針對中國日前擅改M503航線的行為，聯名致函給國際民航組織，要他們制止中國的行為。

[[外交部長吳釗燮]]
“我們也跟他們說明，中國這些說法其實是片面改變現狀，會造成區域緊張情勢不斷上升，這種作法對區域和平穩定一點幫助都沒有”

國際民航組織規定，變更航線要進行協商，中國擅改M503航線，被外界解讀為不滿台灣總統選舉結果。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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When hospital fees are cheaper without insurance

What happens when you show up at the hospital without your NHI card? In some cases, you could end up paying less. That’s what happened earlier this month, when a New Taipei mother forgot her daughter’s health insurance card. She braced herself for a bigger bill, but ended up with a bargain. This is what happened.

On March 1, a woman surnamed Chen took her daughter to Shuang Ho Hospital, to review a medical test result. She expected the fee to be NT$620, but having forgotten her NHI card, she feared having to pay more than NT$1,000. To her surprise, she was billed just NT$430 without insurance. Hospital staff advised her not to reapply with insurance, as that would incur a greater fee. She was puzzled as to why fees are higher with insurance than without.

Hung Tzu-jen
Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital
When people come to a medical institution to get a diagnosis, to review a report or for a consultation – if no medicines, tests or treatments are prescribed – the non-NHI fee can indeed be lower than the NHI co-pay.

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On March 1, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital and National Taiwan University Hospital’s Hsinchu branch were upgraded to medical centers. Outpatient co-pays went up from NT$240 to NT$420, and emergency care co-pays rose from NT$400 to NT$750. The hike has raised complaints from patients with long-term conditions.

Lin Ya-hui
Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation
The medical network plan calls for one medical center for every 2 million people. That means Taiwan only needs 12 medical centers. But already we have more than 20. Half of them are in Taipei and New Taipei. Where’s the fairness in that?

According to the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation, the rising number of medical centers could come at the detriment of regional hospitals and residents in rural areas.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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How does Taiwan support one convenience store for every 1,700 people?

We all know that convenience is a big part of Taiwanese life. But did you know there’s one convenience store for every 1,700 people? The only place in the world where convenience stores are more celebrated is South Korea. You might be wondering how these stores manage to balance their books, given that there are often several in a city block. Let’s take a look at some of the different commercial strategies convenience stores employ.

Buying objects, paying bills, picking up parcels, picking New Year’s gifts, three meals a day: is there anything you can’t do at a convenience store? Taiwan’s convenience stores mostly operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and have become a vital component of daily life for almost all of us.

Member of public
It might not be so convenient in other countries. In Japan it doesn’t feel like there are so many convenience stores, not as many as in Taiwan. They’re everywhere in Taiwan.

Tang Shih-ching
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So just how entangled is Taiwanese life with the convenience store? Here’s one store and just a few steps away… a competitor. On Taipei’s Linsen North Road, they almost form an avenue of convenience, with 23 stores along just 2 kilometers.

You can see how dense they are on the map. These red dots are all convenience stores. The latest figures from the Ministry of Economic Affairs show that at the end of 2023, Taiwan had 13,706 convenience stores – one for every 1,703 people. The only place where they’re more densely distributed is South Korea.

Li Chih-chen
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If they want to increase revenue, they need to start making some strategic brand collaborations. Brand collaborations increase the average per customer transaction value, and also bring in more customers. Secondly, they can bring in some higher value products. Those can be major factors in boosting their revenue.

Competition between convenience stores is fierce. The Ministry of Economic Affairs suggests that the total annual revenue of these stores was NT$412.6 billion in 2023, a new 14-year high.

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Sika deer can be pets: deer classed as domestic animals, not wild animals

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Wu Hsueh-chih
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They’re very cautious. They won’t come down if a stranger is here.

Sika deer are known as some of the scaredy cats of the animal kingdom. They’re constantly scanning their environment for danger and usually come out at night.

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Wu Hsueh-chih
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If you want to keep one as a pet, try to get a female, not a male, because they grow horns.

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