Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Canada strands vaccinated expats

Michael Riches

As a recipient of Taiwan’s Medigen COVID-19 vaccine, I am unable to return to my homeland, Canada.

More precisely, Canada would allow me to return as a technically unvaccinated citizen, subject to quarantine and the expense that entails, but I am forbidden from exiting Canada through an airport, even when I have met the vaccination requirements of my destination country.

That means any visit to Canada must become a permanent one. Stepping on Canadian soil carries the consequence of renouncing my life in Taiwan — my job, my home and my friends.

Taiwan, US discuss UN participation

Taipei Times

The UN headquarters is pictured during the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 19, 2017.
Photo: AFP

Taiwan and the US on Friday held a high-level meeting on expanding Taiwan’s participation at the UN and other international organizations so that it could join efforts to tackle global challenges.

The virtual meeting, attended by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Department of State, focused on helping Taiwan participate meaningfully at the UN.

Honesty can aid transitional justice

Paul Lin 林保華

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) admitted he had been an informant for the former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) authoritarian regime when he was a student and has announced that he is to resign from the DPP.

This decision should be affirmed, but hopefully he can also tell the whole truth to show his determination to distance himself from his past. He could use the opportunity to promote the implementation of transitional justice.

Pandora’s box of the bid to recall Chen Po-wei

James Chen 陳俊穎

Ever since former Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was recalled last year, “Han fans,” as well as the KMT hierarchy, have made pro-Taiwan lawmakers their enemy No. 1, and Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) has been on top of that list (“Recall part of ‘generational war’: expert,” Oct. 19, page 3).

Chen has always been one of Han’s harshest critics, and Han fans have vowed revenge.

Former legislators Yen Kuan-hen (顏寬恆) and Yen Ching-piao (顏清標), being such sore losers, were not amused about losing to Chen democratically and have amassed significant resources backed by the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to remove him — a display of bad sportsmanship.

US to defend Taiwan in attack: Biden

Taipei Times

US President Joe Biden speaks during a CNN-hosted town hall meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, on Thursday.
Photo: Reuters The US would come to Taiwan’s defense and has a commitment to defend the nation China claims as its own, US President Joe Biden said on Thursday, although the White House later said there was no change in policy toward Taiwan.

Ko Wen-je misusing news briefings

Chang Yueh-han 張約翰

The purpose of epidemic response news conferences is precisely what it says: to respond to an epidemic. In this age of social media, people’s attention is precious. These news conferences are about an important issue that affects people’s lives, which is an advantage in attracting attention. When used properly, they efficiently promote epidemic prevention measures, but if this advantage is wasted and the briefings are used for issues unrelated to the epidemic, the audience loses patience.

Taiwan’s initial COVID-19 outbreak last year abated quickly. As time went by, the Central Epidemic Command Center’s news conferences were increasingly used for promoting farm products and stimulating local economies. Although this was done with people’s livelihoods in mind, the events strayed from their purpose, attracting criticism.

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