This Week in Taiwan 0710-0716
July 11: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan was assassinated on July 8. President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Su Tseng-chang, and Chairman Eric Chu of the Kuomintang (KMT) went to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association on July 11 to offer condolences.
Vice President William Lai went to Japan on July 11 to participate in the Abe family funeral ceremony held in Tokyo on July 12. He is the highest-level government official from Taiwan to visit Japan in 37 years.
President Tsai ordered government agencies and public schools across the country to fly the national flag at half-mast in mourning, sparking dissent in Taiwan.
July 12: The National Financial Stabilization Fund (NFSF) announced on Monday, July 11, that it would not enter the market for the time being. Disappointing sell pressure emerged in Taiwan stocks, and the weighted index fell below the 14,000 mark. In an interim committee meeting on July 12, the NFSF indicated that Taiwan stocks fell 3,393 points in the first half of the year, and the NT$10.1 trillion (about US$337 billion) in market capitalization of listed stocks has evaporated, the worst record at this time of the year. Therefore, the NFSF authorized NT$500 billion (about US$16.7 billion) in support funding. This is the eighth time in history and the highest point of the index that the NFSF entered to support Taiwan's financial markets.
July 13: Taoyuan mayoral candidate Lin Chih-chien of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was accused of plagiarizing his master thesis at the Graduate Institute of National Development, National Taiwan University (NTU), seriously damaging the reputation of the institution. Responding to the matter for the first time, President Kuan Chung-min of NTU stated that academic ethics and integrity are core values, and the NTU will adhere to basic standards, not be ambiguous on the matter.
According to former Legislator Kuo Cheng-liang of the DPP, Dean Su Hung-da of the College of Social Sciences will convene the review committee, but so far, no faculty has expressed willingness to serve on the committee.
July 14: In an Executive Yuan meeting, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications reported that a sea-crossing bridge in Kinmen, which took 12 years and NT$10 billion (about US$334 million) to build, is scheduled to join sections on July 22 and open to traffic in October. This bridge is Taiwan's first large-scale sea-crossing bridge. It is located between the main island of Kinmen and neighboring islets, with a total length of about 5.4 kilometers, of which 4.77 kilometers are on the sea. In the future, it will only take five minutes to drive through the bridge.
July 15: A shooting causing four deaths and one injury at a biotechnology company in Caotun Township, Nantou, shocked Taiwan. A former employee, aged 55, targeted the principal Lai Min-nan of the company and others, killing them "execution style." Two men and two women died on the spot. Lai was seriously injured and rushed to the hospital.
On the afternoon of July 15, the police arrested the suspect at a health club in Taichung 20 hours after the incident. The suspect claimed that he is a revenge murder.
Lai is known as the father of antrodia cinnamonea for his research and development and ownership of related technical patents.
July 15: In the 16-year-long case concerning misuse of the state affairs fund, former President Chen Shui-bian was accused of embezzling more than NT$10 million (about US$334,000) but was exonerated due to amendment of the Accounting Act. The Taiwan High Court dismissed the case against Chen, his wife Wu Shu-chen, Ma Yung-cheng, and seven other people. Wu was sentenced to two years for money laundering related to the Nangang Exhibition Hall and land purchase in Longtan, and more than NT$2.9 million (about US$96,947) of laundered money and property were confiscated. Chen's son Chen Chih-chung was sentenced to one year in prison and fined NT$1.5 million (about US$50,145), and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined NT$1 million (about US$33,430), with the sentence suspended for four years, and NT$1 million paid to the public treasury. More than US$8.1 million in laundered money and property was confiscated.
July 15: The Executive Yuan announced in a press conference that Premier Su Tseng-chang approved the resignation of Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung. The position will be assumed by Deputy Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan. Executive Director Wang Pi-sheng of the Hospital and Social Welfare Organizations Administration Commission, MOHW, will head the Central Epidemic Command Center.
Former Minister Chen accepted the nomination of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for Taipei mayor. He tendered his resignation on July 14.
July 16: Taiwan's women tug-of-war team defeated Sweden in the 540 kg final of the Birmingham World Games and won the gold medal with a perfect 7-game winning streak, reaching five consecutive victories. This is also Taiwan's first gold medal at the World Games. The 11th World Games was held in Birmingham, Alabama, in the United States from July 7 to July 17. Taiwan had 69 athletes participate in 14 athletic items, and the cumulative number of medals include one gold, five silver, and five bronze.