KMT, DPP candidates exchange barbs as election campaigning for Taipei mayor heats up

2022-07-22

The municipal elections are just over four months away but already in Taipei the gloves are off. The KMT’’s mayoral candidate Chiang Wan-an alleged that the DPP’’s candidate Chen Shih-chung, who just resigned as health minister, couldn’’t do epidemic prevention properly. Chiang even went as far as to accuse Chen of lying all the time. Chen in response said the Taiwan government’’s fight against the pandemic had marked a new chapter in world public health. Meanwhile, local pundits are divided on whether the three-way mayoral race could be to Chen’’s advantage. Some say Chen could get elected on a split vote, while others say the DPP’’s 28-year-long losing streak in Taipei will continue.

The DPP’s Taipei mayoral candidate Chen Shih-chung on Friday continued to stump at temples, attracting crowds of supporters. But one man in the crowd in particular caught attention from the media after turning up to Chen’s campaign events for three days in a row. Reports say over the past six years, the man had sought help from the KMT’s rival candidate Chiang Wan-an on four occasions, leading some to question his motives.

Chiang Wan-an
KMT Taipei mayoral candidate
I held seven meetings to assist this petitioner and helped him issue 14 official documents. Although I did not entirely fulfill his wishes, I have already done my absolute best.

Chen Shih-chung
DPP Taipei mayoral candidate
If the citizens run into difficulties, we’re willing to listen to them. We’ll look into our records and see which ministry can help.

Chen and Chiang both made a big show of how they each help members of the public. A new poll released by a foundation run by KMT legislator Johnny Chiang reveals that 56% of the public are dissatisfied with former health minister Chen’s performance in fighting the COVID pandemic. In that poll, dissatisfaction with the government procurement of COVID vaccines also broke the 50% mark.

Chiang Wan-an
KMT Taipei mayoral candidate
Chen Shih-chung’s epidemic prevention results simply don’t make the grade. Politicians actually need to be honest with the people, not like Minister Chen Chih-chung, who lies all the time.

Chen Shih-chung
DPP Taipei mayoral candidate
I think this is something that everyone can evaluate. However, I just want to say here, I insist that our epidemic prevention results get a score of at least a 75, or even 80. This will be remembered as a new chapter in the world’s history of public health.

Some media pundits say Chen could be the DPP candidate with the best chance at winning back Taiwan’s capital for his party, after 28 years of DPP losses in the Taipei mayoral race. But a three-way race could also result in defeat, as happened in 2018. Will Chen’s race result in victory like Chen Shui-bian or defeat like Yao Wen-chih?

Chen Shih-chung
DPP Taipei mayoral candidate
We need to adopt the “Ah-chung” model. We will work hard, Ah-chung will do the right thing, and I hope the public will support what we do.

Taking off his tie and rolling up his sleeves, Chen has adopted his own “Ah-chung” model for electoral campaigning as he fights to win the capital back for his party.

金句再現! 陳時中:採取"阿中模式"拚贏選戰

2022-07-22

台北市長選戰升溫，民進黨參選人陳時中今天到松山慈祐宮參香祈福，前兩天都到場的陳情民眾依舊形影不離，第三度現身。面對藍營對手蔣萬安，批評他漠視民意、還有防疫成績不力，陳時中都一一回擊。對於媒體人引用民調，陳時中是靠「阿扁模式」勝選，還是「阿智姚文智模式」敗下陣來？陳時中笑回，自己會採取「阿中模式」，打贏北市這一戰。

民進黨台北市長參選人陳時中持續勤走宮廟，許多支持者都慕名而來。不過，這位陳情男子連著三天現身、緊跟陳時中，卻遭人起底，過去6年間他找了蔣萬安四次，被質疑背後不單純。

[[台北市長參選人(國) 蔣萬安]]
“協助這位陳情民眾，開了七次協調會，幫他發了14個公文，雖然沒有完成陳情人的心願，但是已經盡最大的力量”

[[台北市長參選人(民) 陳時中]]
“市民有困難，我們都願意傾聽，那我們會就索到的資料裡面，那我們看看是哪一個部會能夠幫忙”

如何處理陳情民眾，蔣萬安、陳時中隔空過招，陸戰、空戰都不放過，國民黨立委江啟臣基金會公布的最新民調，有5成6民眾不滿意陳時中的防疫表現，採購疫苗的不滿意度也突破5成。

[[台北市長參選人(國) 蔣萬安]]
“陳時中的防疫成績就是不及格，政治人物其實是要對人民誠信，而不是像陳時中部長，一直說謊”

[[台北市長參選人(民) 陳時中]]
“我想這是可以大家公評，不過我還是要講，我還是要堅持我們防疫成績至少有75分啦，講得比較好有80分，世界上的公共衛生史上，將來也會記上一筆”

媒體人還點評，陳時中是睽違28年，最有可能為民進黨搶下北市的人選，但在三腳督選戰中，會重演2018年的姚文智落敗，還是有望循阿扁模式贏得勝選，陳時中這樣回應。

[[台北市長參選人(民) 陳時中]]
“就是要採取"阿中模式"啦，我們努力，阿中做好事情、做對事情，希望市民支持”

拿掉領帶、捲起襯衫袖管，陳時中採取"阿中模式"跑選戰，力拚打贏北市這一戰。

Temperatures in Hualien soar to 41.2 degrees as Banqiao records highest temp in 19 years

2022-07-22

Spanish choreographer Marina Mascarell shows sci-fi inspired dance piece in Taipei

A new dance piece choreographed by award-winning Spanish choreographer Marina Mascarell will be showcased in Taiwan in August. The dance piece will be performed by Taiwan’’s dance troupe, "Dance Forum Taipei", and is inspired by the science fiction novel "Parable of the Sower." FTV reporter Stephany Yang met Mascarell to find out more about her piece.

Dancers take the stage, interacting with tubes, water pipes, tiles, strings, bamboo and other abandoned objects. Through the organic sound of their bodies and objects, the dancers travel through different worlds, encouraging the audience to value objects that they often neglect.

Marina Mascarell
Choreographer
The dancers travel through different worlds created with abandoned objects or objects that in our society don’’t have a lot of value. But they elevate those objects and give them value. In the first world, we used tubes. It’’s a whole world of tubes which makes a special sound and they learn from these objects. Their bodies learn from those objects. The second world is full of tiles. It’’s construction tiles that are not used anymore. They create special sounds and instruments with them for their bodies.

This is a choreography piece by award-winning Spanish choreographer Marina Mascarell. The dance piece, called “Orthopedica Corporatio,” is inspired by the science fiction novel “Parable of the Sower.”

Marina Mascarell
Choreographer
The inspiration behind this piece is the novel by Octavia E. Butler called the “Parable of the Sower” which generates the journey of a community to survive. That was the main inspiration or the piece. We have created a community of singular people that shares the space and travel through different landscapes and soundscapes. It’’s a community that is open to listen to each other. It’’s a science fiction community.

Mascarell says this show caters to the Taiwanese audience and showcases Taiwanese characteristics.

Marina Mascarell
Choreographer
The landscape is definitely Taiwanese and the dancers are recreating absolutely everything. Obviously, it’’s very different also because the concept of community in your society is very different to our concept of community. This is a more collective society that takes in consideration more of the community compared to where I come from, which is more individualistic. This makes a huge difference in the way people approach this work and they approach the tasks and objects.

Mascarell has been awarded several prizes during her career. Her work has been seen in The Netherlands, Taiwan, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Korea, and more. “Orthopedica Corporatio” will be on show from Aug. 26-28 at the newly opened Taipei Performing Arts Center.

2022-07-22

Teen hoping to become youngest person to fly around the world solo touches down in Taipei

2022-07-22

Both sides of 5.4-kilometer cross-sea Kinmen Bridge connected after 12 years

2022-07-22

Premier Su meets Ukrainian students living in Taiwan

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education launched a program with eight universities to allow up to 281 Ukrainian students to flee the war in their country and study in Taiwan. On Friday, Premier Su Tseng-chang sat down with some of those students, chatting to them about how they were adjusting to life in Taiwan.

Premier Su Tseng-chang and Education Minister Pan Wen-chung are on stage together, meeting Ukrainian students in Taiwan. Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than five months ago, Taiwan has donated more than US$45 million and more than 600 tons of aid to Ukrainians in need. The Ministry of Education worked with several universities to waive tuition and miscellaneous fees for more than 281 students. The aim was to help Ukrainian refugees flee the war and become students in Taiwan.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
Next to Taiwan we have a huge and barbaric country that is always talking about using force against our families. So the situation in Ukraine made us think that we should help each other and care for each other.

Su criticized China’s constant warmongering, saying that Taiwan and Ukraine were in similar situations with aggressive neighbors. A Ukrainian student at the event who lived through the attacks in Ukraine said she hoped the war would end soon.

Anna Fursyk
Ukrainian student representative
Because us Ukrainians already know that war only brings pain and death. All of us Ukrainians do not want to see war break out in the world. And that is why we hope the war will end as soon as possible. We believe that we can protect our land, our country and our rightful independence.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
I wanted to take this opportunity to hear whether any of you had found any difficulties in your studies in Taiwan. If there is anything we should improve, you’re more than welcome to bring it up. Just now we heard from Anna, who speaks Mandarin so well. I think you’ll have no problem graduating.

Su also made sure that the Ukrainian students had a good stay in Taiwan, suggesting that they go to his hometown in Pingtung to enjoy the beauty of Southern Taiwan. These blossoming ties between Ukraine and Taiwan show that friend in need is a friend indeed.

2022-07-22

Debate rages over whether chefs should wear masks in hot kitchens

2022-07-22

People aged 50 and up and workers going abroad now eligible for a fourth COVID shot

A fourth dose of COVID vaccine became available on Friday for people aged 50 and up, as well as people who need to leave Taiwan for work purposes. Dozens of people turned up at vaccination sites early in the morning to get a shot. Some of them said they were concerned about a lack of mask wearing in foreign countries, and hoped that the additional booster would offer some protection.

A long line of people formed on Friday outside a COVID vaccination site at Taipei Stadium. Before even 9 a.m. almost 100 people were here to get their fourth COVID vaccine shot. The CECC recently expanded eligibility for second booster shots to people aged 50 and up. People going abroad for work can now be assessed if they need an additional shot.

Member of public
I need to go abroad to handle some affairs. So I don’t know – abroad, people are going around without masks – so I don’t know what will happen when I go.

Member of public
I want to go outside. I’ve been cooped up at home for two, almost three months now. So now that it’s the summer break, I would like to go out, but safely. I’m going to retire soon, so I might have more chances to travel abroad in the future.

Some worry about getting infected abroad and having to deal with a foreign healthcare system. Others say they are getting the shot so they can feel safe when Taiwan opens its borders. Experts say that workers who need to go abroad should get this fourth shot two weeks before departure, but at least five months after their first booster shot. The relevant proof from the employer must be provided at the vaccination site, as well as proof of outgoing plane tickets. Any vaccine brand can be used for the fourth shot, but availability varies from place to place. Doctors say people aged 50 and up should go get their shot as soon as they can.

Chiang Kuan-yu
Taipei City Hospital
The older you are, the more chronic diseases you probably have. This all puts you at high risk for moderate to severe COVID symptoms. Around the world, people are getting chronic diseases younger. So perhaps even if you are just 50, you might not be as healthy as before. Your immune system may be a little worse.

CECC head Victor Wang on Friday went to Taoyuan International Airport to inspect procedures. The number of departing, arriving and transfer passengers has soared with the start of the summer break, and queues can get a little slow during peak hours.

Victor Wang
CECC head
The cap on weekly passengers is adjusted depending on how prepared we are to receive such a number of travelers at the airport. We also have to keep in mind the international COVID situation. Right now, the world is in the peak of another wave. So we need to observe the situation and look at the death rate and rate of severe infection when it reaches the peak. These are all factors we consider.

The CECC official said there were not yet any plans to remove quarantines for travelers, but said that Taiwan could consider increasing the caps on weekly arrivals.

2022-07-22

Taiwan reports first imported case of BA.2.75 subvariant

2022-07-22