The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday urged people to continue practicing personal preventive measures against COVID-19 after large crowds gathered at tourist attractions on the first two days of the four-day Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend, raising concerns over the risk of infection. It is the first long weekend since a nationwide COVID-19 alert was downgraded to level 2, and images of scenic spots crowded with visitors were posted to Facebook and reported by local media. An image posted to a Facebook group showed visitors packed along a stretch of boardwalk in the Gaomei Wetlands (高美濕地) in Taichung on Sunday. The local police department estimated that about 3,500 visitors and about 1,200 vehicles were in the area that day, local Chinese-language media reported. The Taichung Agriculture Bureau yesterday said that only up to 691 visitors are normally allowed on the boardwalk during a level 2 alert, but visitors began flooding the trail from about 4pm and an electronic people counter malfunctioned. Crowd control in the scenic area was conducted manually yesterday and the police department dispatched officers to help control the flow of visitors, the bureau said. The self-management committee of Kenting Main Street (墾丁大街) in Pingtung County reported that the street, known for its night market, was visited by at least 8,000 people each night during the first two days of the holiday. The Pingtung County Government yesterday said it has asked the local police department and the committee to start implementing crowd control measures earlier, from 6:30pm, and to have more personnel reminding visitors to practice personal preventive measures. Asked about the issue, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, yesterday said: “Of course, everyone is inevitably worried about the crowded scenes.” He said COVID-19 restrictions are being gradually eased and newly reported cases are still considered under control, adding that the
EXPANDED COVERAGE: APRC holders, foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens and foreign diplomats can apply for vouchers starting on Sunday, the agency said
More than 155,000 foreign nationals, mainly Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC) holders and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens, would be eligible to obtain the government’s Quintuple Stimulus Vouchers next month, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday. About 140,000 foreign spouses and 16,000 APRC holders in Taiwan are eligible to claim the NT$5,000 of vouchers that are to be issued to stimulate the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said. Foreign diplomats based in Taiwan are also eligible to receive the vouchers, which are to be issued starting on Oct. 8 and would be valid until April 30 next year, the agency said. Registration to obtain the digital version of the vouchers would open tomorrow for Taiwanese citizens of all ages and eligible foreign nationals, it said. The vouchers would also be available as printed coupons and can be preordered on the Web site https://5000.gov.tw or at kiosks at major convenience stores, using the applicant’s National Health Insurance (NHI) card, starting on Sunday, the agency said. Eligible foreigners who have not yet obtained an NHI card can take their residency certificate to a post office to collect a printed version of the vouchers, starting on Oct. 8, it said. Foreign spouses, including those from China, whose residency documents are based on investment or employment, can call an NIA service station for help if they encounter any difficulty obtaining their vouchers, it said. Once informed, the NIA would register them in the system as spouses of Taiwanese citizens so they can claim their vouchers, it added. Questions about the stimulus voucher program can be directed to the agency through its hotline at 0800-024-111, which provides service in seven languages — Cambodian, Chinese, English, Indonesian, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese — the agency said. For Chinese-language services, two other hotlines are also available at 1988 and 1996, it said.
Warning of a potential new Cold War, the head of the UN implored China and the US to repair their “completely dysfunctional” relationship before problems between the two large and deeply influential countries spill over even further into the rest of the planet. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the comments in an Associated Press interview on Saturday ahead of this week’s annual UN gathering of world leaders — a convening blemished by COVID-19, climate concerns and contentiousness across the planet. Guterres said the world’s two major economic powers should be cooperating on climate, and negotiating more robustly on trade and technology, even given persisting political fissures about human rights, economics, online security and sovereignty in the South China Sea. “Unfortunately, today we only have confrontation,” Guterres said. “We need to re-establish a functional relationship between the two powers,” he said, calling that “essential to address the problems of vaccination, the problems of climate change and many other global challenges that cannot be solved without constructive relations within the international community and mainly among the superpowers.” Two years ago, Guterres warned global leaders of the risk of the world splitting in two, with the US and China creating rival internets, currency, trade, financial rules “and their own zero-sum geopolitical and military strategies.” He reiterated that warning, adding that two rival geopolitical and military strategies would pose “dangers” and divide the world. The foundering relationship must be repaired — and soon, he said. “We need to avoid at all cost a cold war that would be different from the past one, and probably more dangerous and more difficult to manage,” Guterres said. The so-called Cold War between the Soviet Union and its East bloc allies and the US and its Western allies began immediately after World War II and ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. It was
The 1,500-member panel that picks Hong Kong’s next leader would have only one opposition-leaning member, results showed yesterday from a tightly controlled selection process amid a crackdown on dissent in the territory, as police arrested three student members of one of Hong Kong’s last remaining pro-democracy organizations. On Sunday, select Hong Kong residents voted for members of the Election Committee that would choose the territory’s leader and nearly half of the legislature in the first polls following reforms aimed at ensuring that candidates are loyal to Beijing. Results were expected to be announced by midnight, but due to several delays they were only announced at 8am yesterday. Authorities said there were problems with the ballot verification papers, and that it was likely that officials were filling in paperwork incorrectly, causing the delays. The committee in December would select 40 of 90 lawmakers in the legislature, as well as elect Hong Kong’s leader during voting in March next year. The only opposition-leaning candidate was elected in the social welfare sector. Of the more than 400 candidates who were running for seats, just two were friendly to the opposition camp in Hong Kong, with the rest being pro-Beijing candidates. Separately, Hong Kong national security police arrested three members of the political organization Student Politicism on suspicion of conspiracy to incite subversion, Hong Kong National Security Department Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah (李桂華) said, citing their group’s recent activities including speeches, social media content, street booths and collecting snacks for prisoners. The trio, two men and one woman aged between 18 and 20, were the group’s convener Wong Yat-chin (王逸戰), permanent secretary Chan Chi-sum (陳枳森) and former spokesperson Chu Wai-ying (朱慧盈). Li said the group, founded in May last year, incited subversion of the state through their social media platforms and street booths. Examples he gave included urging residents not to use the
FRUIT SPAT: The COA said China had not given evidence for halting wax and custard apple imports, adding that it would spend NT$1bn on promoting sales of the fruit
Taipei threatened to take China to the WTO yesterday after Beijing said it would suspend wax apple and custard apple imports from Taiwan due to pest concerns. China’s customs administration earlier yesterday said it had repeatedly found pests called Planococcus minor, a type of mealybug, on wax and custard apples from Taiwan. It asked its Guangdong branch and all affiliated offices to stop clearing the products from today. China had acted unilaterally, without providing scientific evidence, Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) told a news conference, criticizing the announcement’s timing, as it came during the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated in Taiwan and China. “We cannot accept this,” Chen said, adding that his office had only received notice of China’s decision at 9am yesterday. Taiwan has told China that it would take the matter to the WTO if Beijing does not respond to Taipei’s request to resolve the issue under their existing bilateral framework before Thursday next week, he added. The council would earmark NT$1 billion (US$36.05 million) to help promote domestic sales of wax and custard apples, and expand their sales to other overseas markets, Chen said. Other measures would include extending the harvest time for the fruits, which usually begins in December, to enable farmers to sell them for a longer period, he added. The mealybug in question is present in many Asian countries, Chen said, adding that as they are usually found on the surface of fruits, a common practice by the importing country is to fumigate the fruit with methyl bromide, so the shipments can clear customs. During the first half of this year, China notified Taiwan about mealybugs found in 13 shipments of custard apples and six shipments of wax apples, but did not provide any scientific proof, Chen said, adding that there had been no reports of mealybugs in July and last
NEW REGULATIONS: People working at conventions and trade fairs must now provide a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination when entering the site
The nationwide level 2 COVID-19 alert has been extended for another two weeks to Oct. 4, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. Since July 27, Taiwan has been on level 2 alert, which was to expire today, before the center announced a fourth extension. Under the alert, people must wear a mask when they are not at home, and the number of people attending indoor and outdoor gatherings is capped at 80 and 300 respectively, the center said. Social distancing rules would remain in place for businesses and public spaces, it said, adding that entertainment venues, such as dance halls, bars, clubs and KTV parlors, would not be allowed to open. The Ministry of Economic Affairs also announced a new set of rules for conventions and trade fairs, which require organizers to submit a disease prevention plan to local governments three weeks before the event is to be held. The rules require at least 60 percent of the people working at an event to have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, and all of them must provide a negative COVID-19 test or their vaccination record when entering the site, the center said. The ministry has been offering event organizers subsidies to help pay for their operations and employees’ salaries from July to this month, Bureau of Foreign Trade Director-General Cynthia Kiang (江文若) said. The center reported one local and 11 imported COVID-19 cases, as well as one death. The domestic case is a Taipei resident in her 60s. She tested negative for COVID-19 on Sept. 10, prior to being admitted to hospital, but her daughter, who planned to accompany her during her hospital stay, tested positive on Wednesday. The woman was tested again on Friday, and the result was positive, the center said. Two other people in the woman’s family tested positive for COVID-19 in May, as
The government should build more contingency runways to be used in the event of a Chinese attack on air force bases, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said on Saturday. The annual Han Kuang military exercises, which ended on Friday, included an aircraft takeoff and landing exercise on a public road to test the military’s ability to adapt if air force runways are destroyed. However, the exercises highlighted the lack of such contingency runways on the east coast of Taiwan proper, he said. “On the west coast there are lots of highways that are suitable for the purpose, but on the east coast there are only the bases and public airports in Hualien and Taitung counties,” he said. With Chinese military aggression toward Taiwan on the rise over the past few years, members of the military and the public have been discussing the possibility of building more contingency runways on the east coast, he said. Contingency runways on the west coast are all within reach of Chinese missiles, a miltiary official said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity. Therefore, additional runways along the east coast in locations that are obstructed by mountains could prove invaluable in the event of an attack, they said. The government could consider building a runway in a place like Taitung County’s Luye Township (鹿野), where there is a straight section of land for about 14.5km, they said, adding that military aircraft need only about 2km of runway to take off, so it would be more than enough space. Chang Yan-ting (張延廷), a retired air marshal and adjunct professor at National Defense University, echoed concerns about the lack of contingency runways on the east coast, saying the area is strategically important and should be better protected. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and
Hong Kong’s political elite yesterday began selecting a powerful committee to choose the territory’s next leader and nearly half the legislature under a new “patriots only” system imposed by Beijing. The territory has never been a democracy — the source of years of protests — but a small and vocal opposition was tolerated after its 1997 handover from the UK. Huge democracy rallies exploded two years ago and Beijing responded with a crackdown and a new political system where only those deemed loyal are allowed to stand for office. The first poll under that new system — carrying the slogan “Patriots rule Hong Kong” — took place yesterday as members of the territory’s ruling classes cast votes for a 1,500-seat Election Committee. In December, that committee is to appoint 40 of the territory’s 90 legislators — 30 others are to be chosen by special interest groups and just 20 are to be directly elected. Next year, it is set to pick Hong Kong’s next Beijing-approved leader. Beijing says the new political system is more representative and would ensure “anti-China” elements are not allowed into office. Critics say it leaves no room for the pro-democracy opposition, turning Hong Kong into a mirror of the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party-ruled mainland. “Hong Kongers are completely cut off from electoral operations,” said Nathan Law (羅冠聰), a prominent democracy leader who fled to the UK last year. “All election runners will become puppet showmen under Beijing’s entire control ... with no meaningful competition.” Ted Hui (許智?), a former Hong Kong lawmaker and democracy advocate who moved to Australia, said Hong Kong’s political system is now “a rubber-stamp game completely controlled by Beijing.” “It’s more than a managed democracy. It’s an autocracy trying to pretend to be civilized,” Hui said. In 2016, about 233,000 Hong Kongers were allowed to select the Election Committee. That figure has
US President Joe Biden has requested early talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, France said yesterday, in an apparent effort to mend fences after a row over a submarine contract that sparked rare tensions between the allies. The announcement came after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected French accusations that Canberra had lied about plans to cancel a contract to buy French submarines, saying he had raised concerns over the deal “some months ago.” Australia’s decision to tear up the French deal in favor of US nuclear-powered vessels sparked outrage in Paris, with Macron recalling France’s ambassadors to Canberra and Washington in an unprecedented move. However, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal yesterday said that there would be a telephone conversation between Biden and Macron “in the coming days,” at the request of the US president. Macron would ask the US president for “clarification” after the announcement on Wednesday of a Australia-UK-US defense pact known as AUKUS that prompted Canberra’s cancellation of a huge contract for diesel-electric French vessels. “We want explanations,” Attal said, adding that the US must answer for “what looks a lot like a major breach of trust.” Morrison said that he and his ministers had made no secret of their issues with the French vessels. “I think they would have had every reason to know that we had deep and grave concerns,” he told reporters in Sydney. “We made very clear that we would be making a decision based on our strategic national interest.” French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves le Drian on Saturday used distinctly undiplomatic language toward Australia, the US and the UK. “There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt,” Le Drian told France 2 television. He said the recall of the ambassadors for the first time in the history of relations with the countries was “to
BUSY DAY: The same day the USS ‘Barry’ passed through the Strait, Taiwan was ending its Han Kuang military exercises, while China said it conducted an exercise near Taiwan
A US Navy ship on Friday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, marking the ninth time a US military vessel has transited the Strait since US President Joe Biden took office in January. The USS Barry, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, conducted a “routine” transit through the Strait, the US Navy said in a statement, adding that the journey through international waters was conducted “in accordance with international law.” “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the US Navy said. “The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.” The Ministry of National Defense yesterday confirmed the transit, saying the US destroyer sailed from north to south through the Strait. The ministry said it has a grasp of the situation and uses joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools to monitor the waters and airspace around Taiwan. The situation was “normal” while the ship traveled through the Strait, it added. The destroyer was in the Strait on the same day that 10 Chinese military aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. It was the 15th consecutive day that Chinese military aircraft had entered the area. The military maneuvers are seen by some as a way for Beijing to indicate its displeasure with Taipei and warn against actions it sees as jeopardizing its hopes of annexing Taiwan. Taipei considers such moves military threats. On Aug. 27, the USS Kidd, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, accompanied by the USCGC Munro, conducted what the US Navy called “routine transits” through the Strait. The USS John S. McCain sailed through the Strait on Feb. 4 and April 7; the USS Curtis Wilbur on Feb. 24, May 18 and June 22; the USS John Finn on March 10; and the USS Benfold on July 28. The most recent passage came as Taiwan concluded its
INFORMANTS? Seven editors were banned, as they might have reported users to the authorities after convincing them to share their identities
Seven editors have been banned from Wikipedia in a bid to stop what the US-based Wikimedia Foundation Inc termed “infiltration” by a Chinese group to control the volunteer-edited encyclopedia’s online content, BBC News reported on Friday. The banned editors had been linked to a group based in China and their attempt to “infiltrate” the Web site posed a threat to the “very foundations of Wikipedia,” the foundation told BBC News. The foundation had been investigating the assault on the Chinese-language Wikipedia for almost a year, BBC News reported, citing foundation vice president of community resilience and sustainability Maggie Dennis. She said that information this summer pointing to “credible threats” to the safety of volunteers prompted the foundation to initiate a “rapid response.” “This case is unprecedented in scope,” the report cited Dennis as writing in an internal message to volunteers. The foundation is battling against “capture” by a group that seeks to edit Wikipedia to advance a particular viewpoint, she wrote, adding: “Controlling content was an aim.” However, she said: “I am not in position to point fingers at the Chinese state nor in possession of information that would lead me to do so.” BBC News cited Hong Kong Free Press reporter Selina Cheng (鄭嘉如) as saying that members of the territory’s Wikipedia community are fearful of commenting on articles that the authorities deem sensitive. They fear “they may be targeted as a result of their identities being known,” she said. Weeks earlier, the foundation enacted security measures to protect the personal information of Wikipedia users in territories that block access to the Web site, including China, BBC News said. Wikipedia also took action against the editors because it feared they might have convinced users to reveal their identities by arranging social events or exchanging messages, then betraying them to the authorities, Dennis told BBC News. “When the foundation has credible
France on Friday plunged into an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with Australia and the US after it recalled its ambassadors from both countries over a trilateral security deal that sank a French-designed submarine contract with Canberra. The rare decision taken by French President Emmanuel Macron was made due to the “exceptional gravity” of the matter, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves le Drian said in a statement. On Thursday, Australia said it would scrap a US$40 billion deal signed in 2016 for France’s Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines, and would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with US and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership. France called it a stab in the back. A diplomatic source in France said it was the first time that Paris had recalled its own ambassadors in this way. Yesterday morning, Australia said it regretted the recall, and that it valued the relationship with France and would keep engaging with Paris on other issues. “Australia understands France’s deep disappointment with our decision, which was taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests,” a spokesperson for Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said in a statement. US Department of State spokesman Ned Price said France was a “vital ally” and that the US would be engaged in the coming days to resolve the differences. The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs statement made no mention of the UK, but the diplomatic source said France considered Britain had joined the deal in an opportunistic manner. “We don’t need to hold consultations with our [British] ambassador to know what to make of it or to draw any conclusions,” the source added. Le Drian said the deal was unacceptable. “The cancelation [of the project] ... and the announcement of a new partnership with the United States
A small cluster of COVID-19 infections involving EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) pilots is under control, while a cluster linked to a preschool has likely run its course, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. No new cases have been linked to the EVA Airways cluster since two pilots were reported to have the disease on Sept. 3 and the son of one of them was reported as being infected the following day, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center. A total of 519 people who were listed as contacts of the three were quarantined for 14 days and tested negative for COVID-19, he said. Chen said it was “case closed” for the small cluster of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. The Civil Aeronautics Administration on Friday said it had fined the pilot who was found to have spread the disease to his son NT$400,000 (US$14,422). He was also dismissed from the airline for contravening quarantine protocols. EVA Airways was fined NT$12 million for its failure to supervise the pilot, the agency added. Regarding the Delta variant cluster at a preschool and apartment complex in New Taipei City, Chen said it would be clear today if the spread of the disease had run its course. From Sept. 5 to Thursday, 33 cases were linked to a preschool in the city’s Banciao District (板橋) and a residential building where one of the cases lived, the CECC said. The cases included 10 children and two staff members from the preschool, as well as relatives, neighbors and people who came into contact with them, it said. Among the 3,600 people listed as contacts, 3,472 tested negative for COVID-19, while 2,638 people have been quarantined, Chen said. Once the test results of the last batch of 100 contacts come back today, the CECC would be able to determine whether
A drone strike in Kabul last month killed as many as 10 civilians, including seven children, the US military said on Friday, apologizing for what it called a “tragic mistake.” The Pentagon had said the Aug. 29 strike targeted an Islamic State suicide bomber who posed an imminent threat to US-led troops at the airport in Kabul as they completed the last stages of their withdrawal from Afghanistan. Even as reports of civilian casualties emerged, the top US general had described the attack as “righteous.” US Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, said that at the time he had been confident it averted an imminent threat to the forces at the airport. “Our investigation now concludes that the strike was a tragic mistake,” McKenzie told reporters. He said he now believed it was unlikely that those killed were members of the local Islamic State affiliate, ISIS-Khorasan, or posed a threat to US troops. The Pentagon was considering reparations, McKenzie said. The killing of civilians, in a strike carried out by a drone based outside Afghanistan, has raised questions about the future of US counter-terrorism strikes in the country, where intelligence gathering has been all but choked off since last month’s withdrawal. The confirmation of civilian deaths provides further fuel to critics of the chaotic US withdrawal and evacuation of Afghan allies, which has generated the biggest crisis yet for US President Joe Biden’s administration. In a statement, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the drone strike had killed a man surnamed Ahmadi who worked for a non-profit called Nutrition and Education International. “We now know that there was no connection between Mr Ahmadi and ISIS-Khorasan, that his activities on that day were completely harmless and not at all related to the imminent threat we believed we faced,” Austin said in the statement. “We
BUILDING SUPPORT: Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed AUKUS, it said that it was not ‘asking the UK or any other country to fight on our behalf’
Australia and the US on Thursday announced expanded military cooperation, including rotational deployments of all types of US military aircraft to Australia, a day after announcing a submarine deal denounced by China as intensifying a regional arms race. Speaking after meetings between US and Australian foreign and defense ministers, Australian Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said the two sides would be “significantly enhancing our force posture cooperation, increasing interoperability and deepening alliance activities in the Indo-Pacific.” “This will include greater air cooperation through rotational deployments of all types of US military aircraft to Australia,” Dutton told a joint news conference in Washington. “We’ve also established combined logistics sustainment and capability for maintenance to support our enhanced activities, including logistics and sustainment capability for our submarines and surface combatants in Australia,” he said. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the meeting had endorsed “major force-posture initiatives that will expand our access and presence in Australia.” On Wednesday, the US and Britain said they would provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines through a pact called AUKUS. The US and its allies are looking for ways to push back against China’s growing power and influence, particularly its military buildup, pressure on Taiwan and deployments in the contested South China Sea. In Taipei, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) yesterday welcomed the formation of AUKUS, adding that “it doesn’t imply that we are asking the UK to get involved in the conflict across the Taiwan Strait.” She was referring to a question from former British prime minister Theresa May to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the House of Commons in London on Thursday about the possibility of Britain defending Taiwan from a Chinese invasion. “We are responsible for Taiwan’s national security, we are not asking the UK or any other country to fight on
The US and Australia on Thursday expressed support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and said they intend to bolster ties with Taiwan. In a joint statement issued by the two governments at the conclusion of the 31st Australia-US Ministerial Consultations in Washington, they said that Taiwan plays an important role in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia and the US said they would fortify ties with Taiwan, which is “a leading democracy and a critical partner” for both of them, said the statement issued by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Peter Dutton. “The principals emphasized their support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite and as an observer or guest where statehood is a prerequisite for membership,” the statement said. They also reiterated their continued support for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, without resorting to threats or coercion, and their shared commitment to enhance donor coordination with Taiwan in the region, the statement said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei welcomed the open support from the two countries. Taiwan would continue to build ties with the two democratic partners, based on a solid foundation, to jointly maintain peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, it said yesterday.
MATTER OF SECURITY: The EU adopted a report that addresses the threat from China’s recent military buildup and called for trade relations with Taiwan
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged the EU to start preparations for negotiating a bilateral investment agreement with Taiwan, after the bloc expressed its intention to boost cooperation with Taiwan in semiconductors and other areas. The EU on Thursday adopted a Joint Communication on the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, after the European Council on April 19 approved the strategy. In the report, the EU said it intends to increase engagements with Indo-Pacific partners, based on promoting democracy, the rule of law, human rights and universally agreed commitments, such as those related to sustainable development and climate change. The document said that “there has been a significant military buildup, including by China, with the Indo-Pacific’s share of global military spending increasing from 20 percent of the world total in 2009 to 28 percent in 2019.” “The display of force and increasing tensions in regional hot spots such as in the South and East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait may have a direct impact on European security and prosperity,” it said. “There is also an increase in hybrid threats, including on cybersecurity.” As resilient value chains are essential for recovery, the EU would work with its Indo-Pacific partners to reinforce value chains and develop cooperation in strategic sectors, it said. “For semiconductors, for example, it will do so with partners such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan,” it said. After drawing blueprints for concluding or negotiating economic agreements with Australia, India, Indonesia and New Zealand, it said “the EU will also pursue its deep trade and investment relationships with partners with whom it does not have trade and investment agreements, such as Taiwan.” To promote safe and free data flows, the EU has worked with Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, it said. “Other partners such as India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan
China’s surprise application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) would not force Taipei’s hand in its own application, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said yesterday. Speaking to reporters outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Wang said that Taiwan has been pursuing back-channel negotiations with friendly countries to lobby for its inclusion in the CPTPP and other bodies. “Our strategy is to line up allies in a low-key manner and work on building consensus before pursuing any official application,” Wang said. “That way, things tend to happen smoothly as a matter of course.” China, on the other hand, surprised the world when it moved to officially join the trade pact of 11 Pacific Rim countries, including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan and New Zealand, she said. Beijing’s surprise bid for inclusion does not mean Taipei should feel pressured into making a parallel bid, she added. “There’s no set timetable for inclusion after an official bid,” Wang said. “There are certain procedures, and there has to be consensus from member countries that inclusion is appropriate.” Wang said China’s moves to crack down on economic activities and unfriendly trade relations with CPTPP member nations could hurt its chances of inclusion. “We could question if China meets the CPTPP’s high standards for inclusion right now,” Wang said. “Recently, China has repeatedly interfered with the economy in highly illiberal ways, heightened surveillance, reduced transparency and even banned imports without proper cause.” Taiwan has been working on market liberalization and legal framework adjustments to be “CPTPP compatible,” Wang said. The CPTPP is the successor to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which former US president Donald Trump withdrew during his tenure. The withdrawal of Taiwan’s most powerful supporter from the regional agreement has been seen as detrimental to Taiwan’s chances. “Of course US support is always welcome in helping Taiwan join international
IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday disputed an independent investigation which found that in her previous job at the World Bank she pressed staff to alter a report to avoid angering China. Based on the findings, the World Bank announced it was immediately discontinuing its Doing Business report after the investigation found irregularities in the 2018 and 2020 editions. Georgieva, a Bulgarian national who took the helm of the IMF in October 2019, rejected its conclusions regarding her role. “I disagree fundamentally with the findings and interpretations of the Investigation of Data Irregularities as it relates to my role in the World Bank’s Doing Business report of 2018,” she said in a statement. The report ranks countries based on their business regulations and economic reforms, and has caused governments to jockey for a higher spot to attract investors. According to the investigation, Beijing complained about its ranking of 78th on the list in 2017, and the next year’s report would have shown Beijing dropping even further. The Washington-based development lender’s staff was preparing the 2018 edition, while leadership engaged in sensitive negotiations to increase its lending capital, which hinged on an agreement with China and the US. In the final weeks before the report was released in late October 2017, the World Bank’s then-president Jim Kim and then-CEO Georgieva asked staff to look into updating the methodology in regard to China, the investigation by law firm WilmerHale showed. Kim discussed the rankings with senior Chinese officials who were dismayed by the country’s ranking, and his aides raised the issue of how to improve it, according to the summary of the probe, released by the World Bank. It is considered one of Kim’s signature achievements that he shepherded a deal for a US$13 billion increase in World Bank resources. The bargain required support from then-US president Donald Trump, who
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