Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

End of strategic ambiguity policy

Joseph Bosco

The decades-long debate about committing the US to defend Taiwan against communist China’s aggression is approaching a resolution.

US President Donald Trump and his administration apparently have decided to end the archaic and counterproductive policy of strategic ambiguity.

In a Fox News interview on Aug. 23, Trump was asked: “If China, and it looks like it’s getting more belligerent, tries to either invade Taiwan or effectively take control of it and its important industries, would you let them get away with it?”

Virus Outbreak: New mask imprints to certify origin

Taipei Times

Taiwanese-made masks are pictured on March 30.
Photo: CNA

“Surgical” masks made in Taiwan must bear the imprints “MD” and “Made in Taiwan” by the end of this month, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it reported another imported case of COVID-19, a Taiwanese woman who returned from France.

Fines do little to end corporate crime

Taipei Times Editorial

After Carry Hi-tech was last week accused of importing 3.37 million nonmedical-grade masks from China and passing them off as locally produced products to sell as part of the nation’s mask rationing system, the Central Epidemic Command Center on Sunday announced that customs officers had uncovered an additional 838,320 imported masks. Such incidents merit legal amendments to more clearly define offenses and set stricter punishments.

Just a few days after the first case, a similar incident, which also purportedly began this past month, was revealed. This coincidence raises the question: How many such cases have not yet been discovered?

US trade talks a boon for Taiwan

Taipei Times Editorial

President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) announcement on Aug. 28 that the government would from next year allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine as well as US beef from cattle aged 30 months or older has sparked fierce debate in Taiwan.

In the US, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, as well as a number of US senators and representatives, have publicly welcomed the move, saying they supported closer economic and trade ties between the two countries.

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