This Week in Taiwan 0904-0910
September 5: In a campaign video promoting the installation of electronic bidets in public restrooms, the appearance of Chen Shih-chung, the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate, peeping through the toilet door has attracted criticism. Chen apologized for this, stating that he did not intend harassment, and the video was immediately revised. Chiang Wan-an, the Kuomintang (KMT) candidate for Taipei mayor, blasted Chen for acting like a thief, and independent mayoral candidate Huang Shan-shan also criticized Chen for setting a bad example for children.
September 5: The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) stated that starting September 12, visa-free entry for the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Europe, and diplomatic allies will be resumed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that these countries have also opened up and restored visa-waiver treatment to Taiwan.
September 5: An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 occurred in Luding County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, causing hundreds of casualties and damage. President Tsai Ing-wen conveyed her condolences and concerns through Spokesman Chang Dun-han and expressed hope that the search and rescue and post-disaster relief proceed smoothly. According to preliminary reports, no Taiwanese were trapped in the local area or were among the casualties.
September 6: Lin Ken-ren, the KMT's Hsinchu mayoral candidate, was accused of plagiarizing his master thesis. Legislator Ker Chien-ming, whip of the DPP caucus of the Legislative Yuan, called upon the academic ethics committee at National Chiao Tung University to complete investigation of the case and announce findings within a month. Lin stated that he has taken initiative to accept investigation and called upon his opponents not to throw political mud.
September 7: The Ministry of Education held a private university exit review meeting on September 6 and 7 and announced a list of schools under special counsel. A total of seven universities were included. Among them Fortune Institute of Technology suspended admissions last year and will be closed in a year. It will be the first university to close since the exit regulations took effect.
September 8: Representative Stephanie Murphy, who serves on the Armed Services Committee of the United States House of Representatives, led a bipartisan Congressional delegation which arrived in Taiwan on the evening of September 7 and met with President Tsai Ing-wen on September 8. Murphy stated that she will help promote a high-standard U.S.-Taiwan free trade agreement and hopes that Din Tai Fung may open a branch in her constituency of Orlando, Florida.
This is the sixth U.S. Congressional delegation since Communist China initiated military exercises in early August. President Tsai stated her hopes to sign a double taxation agreement with the United States to build a better mutual investment environment.
September 8: The Ministry of National Defense confirmed for the first time that TB-001 drone of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. The TB-001 is the largest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in active service in the PLA. It has both reconnaissance and combat functions and is a threat to Taiwan.
According to reports, the Air Force purchased four MQ-9B UAVs from the United States. The bid was awarded recently, amounting to about NT$21.7 billion (about US$70.2 million). Two aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
Xiamen officials issued a "no-fly order" for drones from Xiamen to Kinmen for the first time last week. The order will be implemented from September 3 to 12.
September 10: The Yuanlin-Huantan section of the Taiwan Railways malfunctioned due to axle counter and cable failure, resulting in abnormal fences and signs. The Taiwan Railways had been repairing the problem since September 8 but was unable to resolve it. More than 70,000 people were affected over the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend, and the sign repair in question is the longest in history. Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kuo-chai stated that this was the most serious recent failure of Taiwan Railways, and he is very sorry to passengers.