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Taiwan’s debate on ’China’ vs. ’mainland’ continues
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu criticizes the KMT’s proposal to refer to China as "Mainland" in official documents, sparking a debate over national identity and constitutional adherence.2024/05/02 17:17 -
Taoyuan offers NT$11,800 aid for uynemployed workers’ kids
The Taoyuan City Government is offering the "Unemployed Workers’ Children’s Study Assistance Subsidy" to eligible applicants. The program provides up to NT$11,800 in subsidies for children of unemployed workers attending private colleges and universities. Applicants must be involuntarily unemployed and registered in Taoyuan City for over four months. Relevant documents should be submitted during the application period, which runs until Mar. 25. Even if applicants have not received the Ministry of Labor’s subsidy, they can still apply for the NT$11,800 study assistance subsidy from Taoyuan City. Documentation can be submitted by registered mail or through the Taoyuan e-government web portal.2024/01/25 13:06 -
Premier Chen defends Medigen vaccine confidentiality deal
Premier Chen Chien-jen discusses the pricing process and confidentiality agreements surrounding Medigen vaccines, stating that negotiations with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are ongoing. As a publicly listed company, any decisions about publicizing the government contract require shareholders’ approval. Chen emphasizes the government’s belief in vaccination as the best measure against the pandemic. Medigen had positive results from phase one trials and clinical experiments, leading to phase two development. The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted unity trials with four other countries after being unable to proceed with phase three trials due to Taiwan’s low COVID-19 case statistics. Chen disputes rumors about a 30-year embargo on clinical results, calling it fake news and clarifying that all official documents have a preservation period. He also refutes accusations that over a thousand Medigen shareholders are members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), calling them "imaginary numerical figures." Chen hopes to disclose the information as soon as possible to maintain public trust, but it can only happen after negotiations and respecting existing confidentiality agreements.2024/01/03 17:07 -
Taiwanese can travel to Cuba with valid documents, says MOFA
The Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has stated that Taiwanese citizens are allowed to enter Cuba with a passport valid for more than six months and a Cuban Tourist Card, according to Central News Agency (CNA). However, MOFA has urged the public to suspend travel to Cuba or check the official Cuban government website or airlines before departure due to unclear information. This response comes after a Taiwanese-Canadian and his family were denied entry into Cuba because "China doesn’t recognize Taiwan as a country." The family’s passports were confiscated, and they were sent back to Canada after ten hours at the airport. MOFA has instructed the Taiwanese representative office in Bogota, Colombia, to investigate the issue and protect the travel rights of Taiwanese citizens.2023/12/25 16:29 -
Taiwan calls for WTO to resolve disputes with China
Deputy Trade Representative Yang Jen-ni of Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) criticized China’s recent trade barriers against Taiwan, highlighting four major concerns. Yang pointed out that China’s investigation process is biased, unfair, nontransparent, and not in line with international norms. Documents such as applications, comments, respondent summaries, and non-confidential data were undisclosed or restricted to foreigners. Additionally, Yang condemned China for bypassing the Taiwan government during the investigation, prioritizing political objectives over economic ones. She also accused China of misinterpreting trade policies and creating a false narrative that Taiwan is unwilling to address disputes. Lastly, Yang criticized China for producing inflated and unverifiable data in its impact assessment, without solid evidence to support its claims. Yang urged China to abandon its one-sided political manipulation and suggested initiating consultations through the World Trade Organization (WTO) mechanism to resolve trade disputes.2023/12/21 21:34 -
Kaohsiung school meals rely on domestic eggs only: Mayor
The story discusses how Kaohsiung school meals will now only use domestically produced eggs, addressing concerns about imported egg use. Two egg producers, Tai Nong Egg Products and Sin Sing Eggs, faced fines and legal scrutiny from the city government for their refusal to provide import and export documents, creating uncertainty around the distribution of 4.25 million eggs. This issue prompted a special inquiry report on egg imports in Kaohsiung, which Mayor Chen Chi-mai and officials from the Department of Health and the Agriculture Bureau attended. Mayor Chen revealed that both companies have been heavily penalized, accumulating fines of NT$11.3 million.2023/11/07 17:36 -
Taiwan to bar use of AI in official government documents
The surge of Generative AI has taken the world by storm, with CHATGPT proving to be a helpful tool for problem-solving and efficiency improvement.2023/07/25 17:13