US pork brings better ties but domestic fury
By agreeing to accept imports of US pork, Tsai Ing-wen has taken a step to improve US-Taiwan relations but also risk strong criticism from the opposition KMT and domestic farmers.
Stronger ties with the US are welcome, but there is still the question of whether this will continue if Joe Biden comes into power in November. Biden and the Democrats have put out stronger messages on China recently.
Envoys from the US, Japan and the EU in Taiwan, along with the visiting Czech senate president and Taiwan, issued a statement supporting supply chains that are “secure and free from political coercion.”
Somaliland opened its new representative office in Taipei on Wednesday. Somaliland is a self-governing state that used to be part of Somalia, and is not officially recognized by the UN or most countries due to this.
Hong Kongers are finding it harder to flee to Taiwan due to the coronavirus pandemic.
China’s military buildup is decreasing Taiwan’s advantages in the event of a cross-strait war, states a US military report.
With the US ramping up its support such as publicizing its “Six Assurances” to Taiwan last week, the chances of a Chinese invasion being successful would not be so good, according to this CNN analysis.
Taiwanese military officials will visit Belgium and Germany next year on an 8-day program.
KMT officials will visit China next week to attend this year’s Straits Forum, led by former speak Wang Jin-pyng.
Another two people have tested positive for the coronavirus after returning to their countries from Taiwan. One person in Vietnam tested positive 19 days after leaving Taiwan so it is likely he got infected there, but a Japanese person tested positive right after arriving in his country so that raises the possibility of his illness originating in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s exports reached a monthly record of US$31.17 billion in August, driven by an increase in stay-at-home orders and peak season sales.
The president of Taiwan’s National Chengchih (politics) University raised eyebrows after he called Taiwan a primitive society 400 years ago when welcoming the Czech delegation, referring to the state of the aboriginal people who were the only inhabitants on Taiwan back then. It’s a sad reflection of the discrimination against aboriginals, who make up about 2.5 percent of the population, in Taiwan by ethnic Han.
Gigi Wu, Taiwan’s famed mountaineering “bikini climber” who died in January 2019 after a deep fall during a hike, is profiled by Sports Illustrated. Beyond the bikinis and social media fame, Wu was an experienced climber who had successfully climbed Taiwan’s 100 highest peaks and turned down sponsorships so that her treks would not be commercial ventures.
More Hong Kongers are moving to Taiwan because of more affordable homes and a better lifestyle.
Though this better lifestyle can be hampered by noisy, music-playing folks on hiking trails who even scuffle with each other.