DIPLOMACY
Eswatini ties stable: Lin
Diplomatic relations with Eswatini remain “stable,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday in response to reports that the nation’s only African ally is pivoting toward China. Taiwan’s relations with Eswatini are “stable” and “solid,” Lin told reporters at a ceremony in Taipei, dismissing media speculation. Lin said Eswatini’s King Mswati III visited the nation in May to attend President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration, which was followed by the signing of a joint statement reaffirming bilateral ties. In addition, the two countries have developed “wide” and “multifaceted” collaborations over the past 56 years in areas such as medicine, agriculture and communications, Lin said. Lin’s comments came a few days after Semafor Africa cited the Eswatini business community as reporting that the kingdom’s authorities were thawing relations with Beijing, in line with the increasing presence of Chinese businesses in the country.
DEFENSE
Pilot leaves hospital
An air force pilot who ejected to safety from a Mirage 2000 jet that later crashed was discharged from hospital yesterday. Captain Hsieh Pei-hsun (謝沛勳), who is now able to move around on his own, left Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital at 9:40am, accompanied by his family. The contusions and bruises on his neck and waist have greatly improved, but follow-up treatment is still advised, doctors said. Hsieh, who was rescued from the waters off Hsinchu County’s coast on Tuesday night, has been cleared of aspiration pneumonia after an X-ray examination, the hospital said. The incident took place at 8:05pm on Tuesday, when Hsieh’s aircraft lost power over waters off Hsinchu County. Hsieh has logged 795 flight hours, including 509 hours with the Mirage 2000, the air force said.
SOCIETY
Teacher suspended
A preschool teacher in Taichung has been suspended following accusations of student mistreatment, the city government said on Thursday. The teacher at a preschool in Nantun District (南屯) is under investigation for allegedly causing multiple bruises on a child on Sept. 2, government officials said in a news release. The parents of the child filed a complaints with a city councilor and the city’s Education Bureau on Sept. 3. Statements by the parents and surveillance footage appeared to show the teacher pinching the boy’s cheeks and grabbing him by the upper arm to drag him into the classroom, causing bruises on his neck and chest. Although the teacher admitted to her actions, the parents said the preschool was too lenient with the teacher.
FOOD
Peracetic acid use eased
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has amended a regulation to allow food industry operators the option to use peracetic acid as a cleanser in ready-to-eat fresh produce. The inclusion of peracetic acid in the Sanitation Standard for Food Cleansers comes after referencing international practices and other relevant safety assessments, the FDA said in a news release on Thursday. Peracetic acid, also known as peroxyacetic acid or PAA, is a type of oxidizing agent that is used in numerous applications, including as a chemical disinfectant in healthcare and as a sanitizer to control water quality in aquaculture. Prior to the amendment, sodium chlorite solutions, chlorine dioxide, hypochlorous acid and sodium hypochlorite were the only four industrial chemical agents permitted for use as cleansers in ready-to-eat raw food in the nation, Food Safety Division head Tsai Shu-jean (蔡淑貞) said.
Peracetic acid was originally used for disinfecting containers or packages that come in direct contact with food, but local industry operators requested that its use be expanded, Tsai said. Food cleansers are primarily used in fresh vegetables and fish that can be consumed uncooked, such as salads, sashimi or fruits sold in supermarkets and restaurants, she said. The addition of peracetic acid will give operators a new option for disinfecting raw edible food, as this oxidizing agent typically evaporates without leaving any residue, the FDA said. However, if residue does remain, it must not exceed 1 part per million (ppm), as stipulated in the revised food cleanser regulation that came into effect on Thursday, it said.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
‘SIGN OF DANGER’: Beijing has never directly named Taiwanese leaders before, so China is saying that its actions are aimed at the DPP, a foundation official said National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) yesterday accused Beijing of spreading propaganda, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had singled out President William Lai (賴清德) in his meeting with US President Joe Biden when talking about those whose “true nature” seek Taiwanese independence. The Biden-Xi meeting took place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Saturday. “If the US cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in seeking Taiwanese independence, handles the Taiwan question with extra
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
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