This Week in Taiwan 0327-0403
March 27: During her remarks at an event in Chiayi, President Tsai Ing-wen stated that from the Russian-Ukrainian war, people see the importance of drones, and the government is planning to make Chiayi an important bastion for aerospace drones. The Chiayi County Government is planning an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) artificial intelligence (AI) innovation research and development center, which will begin operations in August. In the future, the center will cooperate with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology to develop Taiwan's UAV industry.
March 29: In a world cup bread contest held in France, the Chinese Taipei delegation representing Taiwan comprising Wu Chi-ching, Li Chung-wei, and Hsu Shao-huan defeated contestants from France, the Netherlands, and other nations, successfully winning the championship. It is the first time that Taiwanese bakery players have won a team championship after Wu Pao-chun, Wang Peng-chie, and other players won individual championships.
March 30: The National Development Council announced Taiwan's path to net-zero carbon emissions in 2050. No coal-fired plants will be built starting 2025; air pollution will be reduced by 30 percent in 2020, and a budget of nearly NT$900 billion (about US$31.3 billion) will be invested in the next eight years, driving private investment of more than NT$4 trillion (about US$139.4 billion).
April 1: The Southeast Cement Corporation in Kaohsiung demolished a 17-storey cement storage tank in the afternoon, knocking it down with an excavator. But the tank collapsed in the wrong direction, instantly crushing a high-voltage power tower of the Taiwan Power Company, causing the High Speed Rail at Zuoying Station to be paralyzed in both directions. For emergency repairs, the Taiwan Railways also lost powers, affecting more than a hundred trains and 120,000 passengers. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications will seek reparations from Southeast Cement.
April 1: The Civil Aeronautics Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, announced that domestic air fares will increase between 2.8 and 6.6 percent. Most of the new fares from the main island of Taiwan to Kinmen will increase more than NT$100 (about US$3.48).
April 1: The Status Act for Indigenous Peoples provides that only those who obtain the indigenous surname of the father or mother or a traditional name may obtain indigenous status. The Constitutional Court found the law unconstitutional for violating the constitutional principle of protecting indigenous identity and guaranteeing ethnic equality. Relevant agencies should revise the law as soon as possible within two years. An estimated 95,000 people would be eligible to claim indigenous status.
April 2: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened a special account for Ukraine relief, calling for donations from the public by April 1. The disaster relief foundation on April 2 announced that a total of NT$944.68 million (about US$32.9 million) was raised and will be handed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to manage for relief purposes.
April 3: The pandemic situation in Taiwan continues to heat up. On April 2, there were 404 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19), including 160 local cases and 244 imported cases, and on April 3 280 new confirmed cases, including 183 local and 97 imported. There are 10 unknown sources of inflation in Taiwan and 52 cases pending investigation.
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company recently announced that it will launch alternating work groups and shifts, work from home, and remote work mechanisms. VIS, United Microelectronics (UMC), and Innolux followed suit and will begin alternating work groups and shifts starting April 6 after the long weekend holiday.