MORE TRUSTWORTHY? While officials investigate whether the shelf life of AstraZeneca vaccines can be extended, the Moderna jab might boost inoculations
Shipments of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are due to arrive in Taiwan next month, while another batch of AstraZeneca vaccines allotted to Taiwan under the COVAX program is due to arrive by June, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. The Chinese-language Apple Daily reported that the Moderna vaccines might arrive at the end of this month or next month. The center in February said that Moderna had agreed to supply about 5 million doses to Taiwan, although at the time the center estimated that they would arrive in the middle of this year. Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman, said that 9,470 additional AstraZeneca shots had been sent to 68 medical facilities to expedite the rollout. The CECC would also provide shots to local health departments, Chuang said, amid reports that vaccinations are lagging due to wariness among the public. The Apple Daily quoted National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital pediatrician Huang Li-min (黃立民) as saying that low administration rates of the AstraZeneca vaccine was due to safety doubts, not people failing to heed CECC recommendations to get the jab. The AstraZeneca vaccine has been linked to unusual blood clots, resulting in reluctance to get the shots, Huang said, adding that the Moderna vaccines should not draw the same skepticism. The CECC is moving forward with the vaccine rollout, Chuang said. The Food and Drug Administration has been asked to contact the manufacturers of the vaccines and inquire about extending their shelf life. Two shipments of AstraZeneca vaccines expire on May 31 and June 15. Regulations say that the manufacturer must conduct a stability test before an application to extend a shelf life can be submitted, Chuang said. In the worst case, the expiration date would be unalterable and the vaccines disposed of, he said. Asked about Denmark’s decision to stop its rollout of
Citigroup Inc plans to exit retail banking in 13 markets across Asia, and the region of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The bank would instead operate its consumer-banking franchise in both regions from four wealth centers in Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and London, it said yesterday in a statement. The move is part of an ongoing review of the company’s strategy by chief executive officer Jane Fraser, who took over last month. “This positions us to capture the strong growth and attractive returns the wealth-management business offers through these important hubs,” Fraser said. Citigroup is to exit its consumer franchises in Taiwan, Australia, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. The firm would continue to offer products in those markets to customers of its institutional clients group, which houses the private bank, cash-management arm, and investment-banking and trading businesses. The withdrawal came as Citigroup reported record quarterly profit of US$7.94 billion, or US$3.62 per share, boosted by the flurry of blank-check companies it helped take public in the first quarter. “While the other 13 markets have excellent businesses, we don’t have the scale we need to compete,” Fraser said. “We believe our capital, investment dollars and other resources are better deployed against higher returning opportunities in wealth management and our institutional businesses in Asia.” Yesterday, the Financial Supervisory Commission said it has been informed by Citibank Taiwan Ltd (花旗台灣) about its parent company’s latest decision and that the bank would find a buyer for its consumer banking business in Taiwan. Citibank Taiwan chairman Paulus Mok (莫兆鴻) told the commission that exiting Taiwan’s consumer banking market was a global strategy by its parent company and “had nothing to do with Taiwan’s business environment,” Banking Bureau Director-General Sherri Chuang (莊琇媛) said. “It is not clear when the bank will sell
The Canadian House of Commons on Wednesday unanimously passed a motion voicing its support for the Halifax International Security Forum’s plan to give the “2020 John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service” to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised that his administration would continue to help fund the US-based non-governmental organization. In the motion, which was introduced by Canadian Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Chong (莊文浩), parliament agreed with a statement by Halifax vice president Robin Shepherd that “President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan is a well-respected international leader, the first female president of Taiwan and a strong advocate of democracy... She would certainly be an ideal fit for this award.” It also called on Ottawa to continue funding the organization at the current level, even if the award goes to Tsai. Halifax, which holds its signature forum in the city of the same name in Nova Scotia each year, was planning to present its Leadership in Public Service award to Tsai, Politico reported on Sunday. However, the Canadian government threatened to withdraw its financial support if it went through with the plan, with potential provocation of China a concern, Politico reported. Trudeau said that his government supports and provides funding to Halifax, while ministers attend the forum every year and would continue to do so. Canadian Minister of Defense Harjit Sajjan on Monday denied the Politico report, saying that it was “absolutely false.” Trudeau also voiced support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation in multilateral international forums,” saying that “Canada continues to have strong and growing people-to-people relations with Taiwan.” Asked whether Canada would support Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) next month, Trudeau said that “Taiwan’s role as an observer in World Health Assembly meetings is in the interests of global health.” “We welcome the participation of the entire international community to
Hong Kong police yesterday displayed a cuddly bear mascot, rappelled from a helicopter and goose-stepped as the territory held a “National Security Education Day.” Beijing last year blanketed Hong Kong in a sweeping National Security Law after months of democracy protests. Yesterday’s events, the first since the law’s imposition in June last year, included activities across the territory to burnish the security forces and outline the threats China perceives in Hong Kong. At a morning ceremony attended by senior officials, Hong Kong Liaison Office Director Luo Huining (駱惠寧) vowed to “strike down hard resistance and regulate soft resistance.” China was ready to “teach a lesson” to any foreign power trying to use the territory “as a chess piece,” said Luo, Beijing’s top official in Hong Kong. “For all deeds that endanger national security, and Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, the central authorities will take action as necessary,” he said. Over seven straight months in 2019, protesters demanded democracy and greater police accountability. Beijing’s leaders have dismissed the movement, portraying it as a “foreign plot” to destroy China. They have since embarked on a crackdown against critics and rolled out an official campaign — dubbed “staunch patriots governing Hong Kong” — to root out disloyalty toward the Chinese Communist Party. Hong Kong’s police college held an open day, at which officers revealed a new goose-stepping march, the same style used by police and troops in the mainland. The display was a symbolic break from Hong Kong’s British colonial past and Chinese army officers helped train police in the new style. Tactical units then demonstrated an “anti-terrorism drill,” which included officers sliding down ropes from a helicopter to shoot dead pretend armed militants and a hostage-taker. On the sidelines, guests wearing “I love police” T-shirts posed for selfies with a bear mascot dressed in a tactical uniform. Cuddly toy versions of the bear were also
CONFIDENTIAL: The trip had not been made public until just before ex-senator Chris Dodd, and ex-state department officials Richard Armitage and James Steinberg arrived
The government yesterday welcomed an “unofficial” delegation sent by US President Joe Biden, while another delegation led by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry was headed to Shanghai. Biden’s first delegation to Taiwan is made up of former US senator Chris Dodd, and former US deputy secretaries of state Richard Armitage and James Steinberg. They are to stay in Taiwan until tomorrow. Their arrival, on a chartered flight, had been kept confidential until media reported the visit yesterday morning, after which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a short notice that they were expected to arrive at 2:40pm. The flight landed at about 3:05pm at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), where the delegation was received by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), American Institute in Taiwan Director Brent Christensen and other officials. “We hope you enjoy your visit & look forward to working together to strengthen the #Taiwan #US partnership,” President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) wrote on Twitter. Tsai is due to meet with the US officials at the Presidential Office in Taipei at 10am today and host a dinner with them at her official residence in the evening, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said in a statement. Dodd is known for his friendship with Biden and he was a crucial advocate of the US’ Taiwan Relations Act, which took effect in 1979, Chang said. Armitage and Steinberg served as deputy secretaries of state during the administrations of former US presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama respectively, he said, adding that they have visited Taiwan several times and have been friendly toward the nation. Over the past weeks, the ministry had been exchanging opinions with its Washington counterpart about the visit, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said, without saying when the plan was finalized. Biden sending a heavyweight delegation to Taiwan less than three months since
JAB BENEFITS: Vaccinated staff returning on short-haul flights are to be exempted from self-health management and only need to practice a ‘disease prevention lifestyle’
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced that it would ease quarantine regulations for airline crew from today. The center also announced less restrictive self-health management regulations for Taiwanese returning from Palau. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that new quarantine regulations for airline crew would solve the problem of them being in a cycle of flying abroad, quarantine and self-health management. The regulations were tightened after a cluster of infections linked to a commercial flight, and reports of disease prevention measures not being thoroughly adhered to at layover destinations, Chen said. As Taiwanese airlines seem to have improved their management, the mandatory quarantine period for flight crews returning to Taiwan was reduced from seven days to five, he said, adding that it would be further reduced to three days. “Crew members returning on long-haul flights from countries with a level 3 ‘warning’ travel advisory will be subject to three days of home quarantine, and if they return a negative polymerase chain reaction [PCR] test for COVID-19 on the third day, they can practice self-health management for the next 11 days,” Chen said. Crew members who return on same-day flights and have not entered a country with a level 3 advisory are required to practice self-health management for 14 days, he said. As crew members are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations, those who have received the double doses would have quarantine rules loosened further, he said, adding that eligibility would start two weeks after the second jab — or at least 10 weeks after the first, as the doses should be administered at least eight weeks apart. Vaccinated crew on long-haul flights would be required to practice seven days of self-health management and no more if they tested negative in a PCR test on the seventh day, while those returning on
All of the public donations for the Taroko Express No. 408 derailment would be distributed to the people most affected, with the first payments expected next week at the earliest, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday. The train was traveling from New Taipei City to Taitung on April 2 when it struck a crane truck that had slid down a hill onto the tracks from a construction site outside an entrance to the Cingshuei Tunnel (清水隧道) in Hualien County, killing 49 people and injuring more than 200. The ministry on April 3 set up a special disaster relief account to accept donations for the “0402 Taroko Express Accident Case,” while a committee was set up to manage and oversee the funds. The account had received about NT$810 million (US$28.49 million), Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Li-feng (李麗芬), the committee’s convener, said at its first meeting on Monday. As many of the people who died were the main breadwinner in their family, the committee decided that at least one-third of the donations would be a one-time payment to support families, Lee said. The committee would allocate money for seven purposes: living support; medical expenses; education support; counseling services; legal costs and assistance; subsidies for local governments to provide medium to long-term care services; and other purposes approved by the committee, she said. The account was to be closed at midnight last night, she said. However, Lee’s announcement sparked debate over why only one-third of the money would go to the families. As of Tuesday, the ministry had received more than 340,000 donations, totaling more than NT$968 million, and 100 percent of it would go to people affected by the crash, Chen said. “The recipients include families of people who died, people who were injured, other passengers and rescue personnel,” he said, adding that people
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has recommended that a group be set up to “protect academic freedom ... in conformity with [Beijing’s] National Security Law [NSL] provisions,” a letter sent to senior faculty said. University vice president for Teaching and Learning Ian Holliday sent the letter on March 18, outlining how the university should operate under the legislation. “Reaffirming HKU’s core commitment to academic freedom and institutional autonomy, this paper recommends that two mechanisms be created to ensure that, in the sphere of [teaching and learning], these values are safeguarded to the fullest extent possible within the framework of the NSL,” Holliday wrote. One proposed new committee, which would comprise the vice president of teaching and learning, and two associate deans from different faculties, would evaluate allegations of security law violations through academic and professional legal advice, he wrote. It also advised that a separate group be set up to monitor legal developments within the National Security Law. “This committee ... is just a symbolic gesture to show that the university will take care of those alleged threats of academic freedom, but basically, what can this committee really do, because the NSL is broad and strict, and it’s open to interpretation?” a senior university employee said. “It will be more difficult to attract international scholars in Hong Kong ... people will be less vocal,” said the employee, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. HKU and Holliday declined to comment. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s electoral reform bill was introduced in the legislature yesterday, setting in motion changes that would give Beijing greater control over the process, while reducing the number of directly elected representatives. Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang (曾國衛) said at the Legislative Council the bill would bolster the national foundation and improve governance of the territory. “This provides
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani yesterday called his country’s decision to dramatically increase its uranium enrichment after a cyberattack on a nuclear site “an answer to your evilness,” accusing Israel of attempting to derail talks aimed at reviving Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Israeli authorities have not commented on the cyberattack at the Natanz nuclear facility at the weekend. Iran on Tuesday said that it would increase uranium enrichment up to 60 percent, its highest level ever, in response to the attack. That could draw further retaliation as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed never to allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon. While Iran’s move keeps enrichment below weapons-grade levels of 90 percent, it is a short step away. Speaking to his Cabinet, Rouhani said that the first-generation IR-1 centrifuges that were damaged in the attack would be replaced by advanced IR-6 centrifuges that enrich uranium much faster. “You wanted to make our hands empty during the talks, but our hands are full,” Rouhani said. He was referring to ongoing talks in Vienna that are aimed at finding a way for the US to re-enter Tehran’s nuclear agreement and have Iran comply again with its limits. “Sixty percent enrichment is an answer to your evilness,” Rouhani said. “We cut off both of your hands, one with IR-6 centrifuges and another one with 60 percent.” Rouhani accused Israel of being behind the Natanz attack. “Apparently this is a crime by the Zionists. If the Zionists take an action against our nation, we will respond,” he said, without elaborating. In Jerusalem, Netanyahu appeared to reference Iran. “We must never remain apathetic to the threats of war and extermination of those who seek to eliminate us,” he said at a Memorial Day commemoration. Iranian officials initially said that the enrichment would begin yesterday, but Iranian Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Kazem
BROKEN PROMISE? Local fishing communities fear releasing water from the nuclear power plant would undermine years of work to restore confidence in their seafood
Japan plans to release more than 1 million tonnes of treated water from the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant into the ocean, Tokyo said yesterday, triggering a furious regional reaction and fierce opposition from local fishing communities. The process is not likely to begin for several years and could take decades to complete, but China quickly slammed the decision as “extremely irresponsible,” while South Korea summoned the Japanese ambassador. The Japanese government argues that the release is safe because the water is processed to remove almost all radioactive elements. The International Atomic Energy Agency has endorsed the release, which it says is similar to the disposal of wastewater at nuclear plants elsewhere. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told a ministerial meeting that disposing of the water was an “inevitable task” in the decades-long process of decommissioning the nuclear power plant. Suga said the release would happen only “after ensuring the safety levels of the water” and alongside measures to “prevent reputational damage.” About 1.25 million tonnes of water have accumulated in tanks at the plant, which was crippled after going into meltdown following an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. An extensive pumping and filtration system extracts tonnes of newly contaminated water each day and filters out most radioactive elements, but local fishing communities fear releasing the water would undermine years of work to restore confidence in their seafood. “They told us that they wouldn’t release the water into the sea without the support of fishers,” Kanji Tachiya, who heads a local fisheries cooperative in Fukushima, told NHK ahead of the announcement. “We can’t back this move to break that promise and release the water into the sea unilaterally.” The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed the decision, saying it had been taken “without regard for domestic and foreign doubts and opposition.” “This approach is extremely irresponsible, and will seriously
The government and environmental groups yesterday reiterated their objection to Japan’s plan to discharge radioactive water into the ocean, calling on Tokyo to consider other alternatives. The Japanese government said it would start releasing treated water from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant into the ocean several years from now. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Atomic Energy Council have repeatedly expressed their concerns over the matter, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said yesterday. The ministry also relayed local environmental groups’ concerns to Tokyo in the hope that it would listen to different opinions, she said. The Japanese government notified Taiwan before announcing its decision to discharge contaminated water, based on a 2014 memorandum of understanding on bilateral information exchange about nuclear power regulation, Ou said. The Japanese government promised it would dilute and treat the water in accordance with International Commission on Radiological Protection standards before discharging it into the ocean, she said. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan would continue to relay Taiwan’s concerns to Tokyo and collect pertinent information for the council’s reference, Ou said. The council expressed its regrets over Japan’s decision. If Tokyo carries out the plan with no regard for the concerns of its neighbors, it must measure changes in the level of radioactivity in international waters, including near Taiwan, and provide the council with the results, it said. Taiwan and Japan should boost technical and information exchange over seawater monitoring, it added. The council has formed an interagency group to draw up response plans, such as building a forecast system to predict the circulation of contaminated water in the ocean, and integrating domestic resources to monitor the nation’s marine environment and fisheries, it said. It has set up 33 stations to monitor tritium levels in seawater, it added. Most radioactive isotopes can be removed from wastewater, but not
MULTIPURPOSE: The ship is to be used in amphibious operations and transport missions, while also serving as a hospital on humanitarian and disaster relief missions
The launch of the nation’s first domestically built amphibious transport dock marks a milestone in Taiwan’s shipbuilding history and would significantly boost the navy’s capabilities, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday at a launch ceremony in Kaohsiung. Tsai said that the amphibious transport dock, named Yu Shan (玉山) after the nation’s highest peak, is the navy’s first in the 10,000-tonne category. With its imminent deployment, the nation’s defense capabilities would be boosted, as the navy’s operations would be enhanced, she said at the ceremony at the Kaohsiung shipyard of shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan (台灣國際造船). CSBC in April 2018 won a bid to build an amphibious transport dock prototype at a cost of NT$4.6 billion (US$161.6 million). The prototype is expected to go into service in the first half of next year, replacing the navy’s only amphibious transport dock, the ROCS Hsu Hai, which has been in service for 50 years and was formerly named the USS Pensacola. The new ship is to be used to support amphibious operations and transport missions, while also serving as a hospital ship on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in peacetime. Military sources said that it is to be fitted with an MK-75 76mm gun, two MK-15 Phalanx close-in weapons systems, and two Tien Chien-2N radar guided surface-to-air missiles. It is able to support various landing craft, assault amphibious vehicles and two helicopters, and has a maximum load of 673 people, the sources said. CSBC chairman Cheng Wen-lon (鄭文隆) said that the vessel is 153m long and 23m wide. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a senior analyst at the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the navy had been using the decommissioned US-made amphibious transport dock, but because of its age, the maintenance costs were high, so the nation decided to build its own amphibious transport dock. The launch was part of
Hong Kong media mogul and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai (黎智英) has told his staff to “stand tall” in a letter from prison, days before being sentenced in two of several cases against him. Separately yesterday, fellow democracy advocate Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) was sentenced to a further four months in jail, concluding another of a growing number of trials in a sweeping crackdown. Lai, the 72-year-old founder of Hong Kong newspaper the Apple Daily, is in jail on remand after prosecutors successfully appealed against a court decision to grant him bail on national security charges. The Apple Daily yesterday published a handwritten letter Lai sent to staff, urging them to take care of themselves. “Freedom of speech is a dangerous job,” Lai wrote. “Please be careful not to take risks. Your own safety is very important.” On the day of Lai’s arrest in August last year, hundreds of police officers raided the newspaper’s newsroom. It marked the start of an escalation in the Hong Kong government’s moves against journalism in the territory, which have since included the replacement of the head of public broadcaster RTHK, the cancelation of politically sensitive programs and the prosecution of a journalist who accessed a public database to investigate police brutality. In his letter, Lai said it is “a journalist’s responsibility to uphold justice,” but the situation in Hong Kong had deteriorated. “It is precisely this that we need to love and cherish ourselves. The era is falling apart before us, and it is time for us to stand tall,” he wrote. Lai, who is charged with colluding with foreign forces, has not spoken publicly in months. Days after his arrest on national security charges, he said the authorities “just want to show the teeth of the national security law, but they haven’t bitten yet. So let’s see what happens.” Meanwhile, Wong was sentenced to an
The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed amendments to the Seafarers Act (船員法) that would require the owner of a vessel to obtain the crew’s written consent before a ship not protected by armed contractors sets sail in waters threatened by piracy or other unlawful forces. Article 87 of the act stated that the owner of a vessel must obtain the written consent of the crew to operate the ship in a war zone. The amendment expands that requirement to waters threatened by piracy and illegal armed forces. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪), who proposed the amendment, said that piracy and maritime terrorism are increasingly common, even as wars at sea are on the decline. Multiple attacks on shipping by armed African groups have been reported, including some vessels owned by Taiwanese companies, causing distress to crew members and their families, the bill’s statement of purpose says. Additionally, insurance companies are demanding higher premiums, and there are additional costs for security measures, extra fuel and contributions to ransom payments, which would all be transferred to Taiwanese consumers, it says. The Seafarers Act should therefore treat piracy as equivalent to war, especially after 2013 amendments to the Shipping Act (航業法) and the Fisheries Act (漁業法) that mandated owners to adopt anti-piracy security measures, it added. The amendments make the owners of vessels liable for deaths, injuries or harm suffered by the crew due to warfare or piracy. Meanwhile, legislators yesterday also passed amendments to the Act for Settlement of Labor-Management Disputes (勞資爭議處理法) whereby the Board for Decision on Unfair Labor Practices would have to include one to three standing members, while increasing the transparency of its rulings. DPP Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國), Taiwan People’s Party caucus whip Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) had separately submitted bills to amend the act. Following
EXTREME WEATHER: Due to climate change, there is greater ‘interannual variability,’ meaning Taiwan is experiencing dramatically drier and wetter years, an expert said
Despite a “less than ideal” amount of rain this month, the nation’s manufacturers “remain unaffected” by this year’s drought, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said yesterday. “It’s true that the weather forecasts for April are not ideal, but by continuing current water restrictions in central Taiwan, there should be enough water until the plum rain season arrives,” Wang said. Taichung and Miaoli County have been on “red alert” since Tuesday last week, with weekly water supplies to households and businesses on for five days and off for two days. Large parts of Taichung’s Deji Reservoir (德基水庫) are nothing but mud due to the lack of rainfall. It is at 4.6 percent capacity. The Water Resources Agency has said that the reservoir’s water supply is likely to run out in 23 days. The big question is whether the plum rain season, in May and June, will arrive on schedule and whether there will be the usual amount of rain. Climate expert Chia Hsin-hsing (賈新興) said the lingering effects of this year’s La Nina could result in a “drier plum rain season.” “With the lack of typhoons last year, the reservoirs never really filled up properly,” said Chia, general director of Taiwan Sustainable Environmental Engineering Consulting Co (台灣永續環境工程顧問). “We can probably make it to the end of May, but if the plum rain season is not ideal, the consequences could be serious.” Chia said that the amount of rainfall during this year’s plum rain season was likely to be “on the low side,” but it is too soon to tell what the typhoon season, usually from June to October, would bring. With the dramatic decline in rainfall over the past year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has redoubled its efforts to conserve, manage and create new water resources, including by building a pipeline that takes water from Taoyuan to
‘IDEAL FIT’: A report on Sunday said that the Canadian government threatened to pull its support and funding from the HFX if the award was given to the president
The government would respect the decision of the organizer of the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service on whether it plans to award a prize to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. The statement was issued after US Web site Politico reported a day earlier that the Canadian government had warned the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) not to give the award to Tsai for fear of provoking Beijing. “The ministry believes that if the Halifax International Security Forum confers the prize upon President Tsai, it would be an affirmation and honor for both President Tsai and the people of Taiwan, for their efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and their democratic achievements,” ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said. The John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service is bestowed annually by the HFX to individuals who have demonstrated uncommon leadership in the pursuit of human justice. The prize was first given to the People of Lesbos, Greece, in 2018 for their “valiant actions to rescue refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East.” The People of Hong Kong were awarded the following year for their “brave fight for their rights in the face of oppression from the government of China.” The HFX decided late last year to give the prize to Tsai for “standing strong against China’s relentless pressure,” Politico reported. However, the Canadian government threatened to pull its support and funding from the HFX if the award was given to Tsai, the report said. HFX vice president Robin Shepherd was quoted by Politico as saying that Tsai is a well-respected international leader, the first female president of Taiwan and a strong global advocate for democracy. “She would certainly be an ideal fit for this award. At this time, we have no further announcements to make,” Shepherd said. The ministry has taken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said that the US is concerned about China’s aggressive actions against Taiwan and remains committed to ensuring Taiwan “has the ability to defend itself.” “What we’ve seen, and what is of real concern to us, is increasingly aggressive actions by the government in Beijing directed at Taiwan, raising tensions in the straits,” Blinken said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press. He said Washington has a longstanding bipartisan commitment to Taipei under the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure Taiwan “has the ability to defend itself,” and to make sure the US is sustaining peace and security in the western Pacific. “We stand behind those commitments,” he said. However, Blinken refused to comment on a hypothetical situation when asked if the US would respond militarily to a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan. Meanwhile, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo yesterday posted a photograph of himself eating Taiwanese dried pineapple on Twitter, his latest public declaration of support for Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs last month said that it had not yet discussed the possibility of Pompeo visiting Taiwan. However, when asked yesterday by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) about the possibility of a visit to Taiwan by Pompeo some time this year, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) nodded and said that the ministry “is working on it.” Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan
A suburb of Minneapolis was under curfew early yesterday after US police fatally shot a young black man, sparking protests not far from where a former police officer was on trial for the murder of George Floyd. Hundreds of people gathered outside the police station in Brooklyn Center, northwest of Minneapolis, with police later firing tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the crowd, a video journalist reported. By about midnight, the National Guard was on the scene and Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott imposed a curfew from 1am until 6am yesterday morning. “We want to make sure everyone is safe,” Elliott wrote on Twitter. “Please be safe and please go home.” The mother of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man, told a crowd on Sunday evening that he called her to say he had been pulled over by police, local media reported. Katie Wright said she heard officers tell her son to put his phone down and then one of the officers ended the call. Soon after, her son’s girlfriend told her he had been shot. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed it was “investigating an officer-involved shooting incident” in Brooklyn Center, but declined to identify the victim. Officers pulled over a driver for a traffic offense, a statement from the Brooklyn Center Police Department said. When they discovered he had an outstanding warrant, they tried to take him into custody. He got back into his vehicle and one of the officers fired their weapon, striking the driver, who died at the scene, it said. A female passenger in the vehicle suffered “non-life threatening injuries” and was transported to a hospital, said the statement, which did not identify the woman. Photographs from the protest showed men stomping on the windshield of a police cruiser. Police fired rubber bullets to try to disperse the protesters, the Star Tribune reported. After
Iran yesterday blamed Israel for a sabotage attack on its underground Natanz nuclear facility that damaged its centrifuges, an assault that imperils ongoing talks over Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal, and brings a shadow war between the two nations into the light. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack. It rarely does for operations carried out by its secret military units or its Mossad intelligence agency. However, Israeli media widely reported that the nation had orchestrated a devastating cyberattack that caused a blackout at the nuclear facility. While the nature of the attack and the extent of the damage at Natanz remains unclear, a former Iranian official said that the assault set off a fire, while a spokesman mentioned a “possible minor explosion.” The attack also further strains relations between Washington, which under US President Joe Biden is negotiating in Vienna to re-enter the nuclear accord, and Jerusalem, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu having vowed to stop the deal at all costs. Netanyahu yesterday met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, whose arrival in Israel coincided with first word of the attack. The two spoke briefly to journalists, but took no questions. “My policy as prime minister of Israel is clear: I will never allow Iran to obtain the nuclear capability to carry out its genocidal goal of eliminating Israel, and Israel will continue to defend itself against Iran’s aggression and terrorism,” Netanyahu said. At an earlier news conference at Israel’s Nevatim air base, Austin declined to say whether the Natanz attack could impede the Biden administration’s efforts to re-engage with Iran over its nuclear program. “Those efforts will continue,” Austin said. The previous administration under former US president Donald Trump had pulled out of the nuclear deal with world powers, leading Iran to begin abandoning the limits on its program set by the accord. German Minister of
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