This Week in Taiwan 0801-0807
August 2: In a Facebook post, former Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu announced his candidacy for the party's chairmanship. Chu stated that the status quo must change and that hope comes with change. Chu promised that after taking office, he will launch a 2022 election strategy task force. Regarding the 2024 election, Chu proposed to selflessly launch the strongest candidate so that the KMT may return to power.
The KMT chairmanship election is scheduled to be held September 25. KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang already announced his re-election bid. Chu's candidacy is seen as the greatest challenge to Chairman Chiang's re-election.
August 3: In order to protect Taiwan's core technologies, the Mainland Affairs Council announced proposed amendments to Article 9 and Article 91 of the Act Governing Cross-Strait Relations, regulating those personnel related to national core technologies, including those entrusted or subsidized by government agencies up to a certain level, must undergo review and receive permission to travel to mainland China. Those who travel to the mainland without authorization may be fined up to NT$10 million (about US$359,000).
August 3: The pandemic in Taipei and New Taipei slowed down. Starting August 3, restaurants opened for dine-in under certain conditions. Mayor Ko Wen-je of Taipei stated that dine-in will be open for an observation period of two weeks. Dine-in will be canceled if the pandemic were to become more serious. Mayor Hou Yu-ih of New Taipei proposed two metrics. If the Delta variant were to enter new Taipei, or the pandemic were to become more serious, dine-in would be banned again.
With the exception of Chiayi county and city which saw the outbreak of cluster infection in local factories and will assess the situation until August 6, all restaurants across Taiwan have re-opened for dine-in.
August 4: Limited stock of AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines remains. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center, stated that the Medigen vaccine will be available for inoculation as soon as late August. But the information literature on the Medigen vaccine provided by the Centers for Disease Control, did not provide any data on efficacy. Chen confessed that because the Medigen vaccine did not complete third-phase clinical trials, efficacy data is not available. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je blasted, why is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration forcing the Taiwanese people to receive the Medigen vaccine? Who left the people with no choice?
August 4: In an exclusive interview with Voice of America, Lee Hsi-ming, former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, indicated that Taiwan's security cannot rest upon mainland China's goodwill or American friendship. The only way out is by building a "hedgehog Taiwan" and asymmetric power so as to thwart Communist China's military aims.
According to Lee, Taiwan should only use the smallest part of its resources on traditional combat power and invest most resources in asymmetric combat power. Only these small, lethal, and mobile weapons have real survivability on the battlefield, and they are cheap, so they should constitute Taiwan's main military purchases. For example, numerous miniature missile speedboats can move quickly in more than 200 fishing ports in Taiwan, and China's long-range missiles cannot hit them. Otherwise, as long as the People's Liberation Army blows up a port, large ships would become useless.
Update: According to media reports on August 9, the Navy originally planned to build 60 missile assault boats. Because the Harpoon missiles sold by the United States can serve as substitute, the Navy withdrawn its earlier plan, with NT$200 million (about US$7.1 million) in design fees spent in vain.
August 5: The United States government announced on August 4 the sale of 40 units of M109A6 self-propelled howitzer and related components to Taiwan for a total of US$750 million. The Congress has been notified of the sale, and it is expected to take effect in a month.
This is the first arms sale since the administration of President Joe Biden took office. The Office of the President, Ministry of National Defense, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude.
According to military experts, the M109A6 self-propelled howitzer has better maneuverability and fast-moving speed, making it suitable for procurement by Taiwan. The M109A5 in active service has been in use for more than 20 years.
August 7: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics closed on August 8. The Chinese Taipei Olympic delegation concluded all athletic contests on August 7, accumulating two gold, four silver, and six bronze medals, the best results in the team's history. A total of NT$208.55 million (about US$7.5 million) in Guo Guang scholarships will be awarded, including NT$40.9 million (about US$1.47 million) for coaches.
According to the Regulations Governing the Issuance of Guo Guang Athletic Medals and Scholarships, athletes who place first to eighth may apply for bonus money. Gold medalists are eligible for NT$20 million (about US$718,000), silver NT$7 million (about US$251,000), and bronze (about $179,000). Even eighth place is eligible for NT$900,000 (about US$32,000).
Compared with other countries, Taiwan's US$718,855 is the third highest medal bonus, behind Georgia's US$1.35 million and Singapore's US$839,000.
August 7: Due to heavy rain, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Heping District of Taichung suspended classes and work, and agricultural losses amounted to NT$178 million (about US$6.4 million). Disasters occurred throughout Taiwan. In Kaohsiung, two major cracks emerged, and five large potholes formed over six days. Muddy water rushed into residences in the mountains of Kaohsiung and Pingtung, and more than 2,000 individuals evacuated in Kaohsiung. The Taiwan High Speed Rail was also suspended in both directions from Miaoli to Taichung, which is rare.
Typhoon Lupit weakened into a tropical depression. The center of the storm made landfall along the coast of Hsinchu on the morning of August 7. The dual impact of outer circulation and southwesterly air brought considerable rainfall.