This Week in Taiwan 1004-1010
October 5: Publicly-funded flu vaccinations began. Over 1.26 million doses were given over three days, which is 1.55 times the number last year, breaking a new record. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is expected to release 80 percent of the vaccines before October 22.
October 6: In order to highlight the bragging and inconsistencies under the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen, the Kuomintang (KMT) caucus of the Legislative Yuan proposed two resolutions asking the United States to help Taiwan resist China and advocating the restoration of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the United States. The resolutions were not opposed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and successfully passed.
October 7: Mainland Chinese jets are frequently intruding Taiwan's air space. In response to interpellation at the Legislative Yuan, Minister of National Defense Yen Teh-fa stated that a total of 1,711 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircrafts and 1,029 PLA ships have introduced Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), of which 217 aircrafts intruded Taiwan's southwest ADIZ. Additionally, a total of 49 PLA jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, a new record in 30 years.
In response to actions by the PLA, Taiwan's Air Force dispatched 2,972 aircrafts this year, including 76 aircrafts in response to PLA jets crossing the median line. To this end, a total of NT$25.5 billion (about US$888 million) has been expended so far this year.
October 8: Beginning from New Year's Day in 2021, the minimum wage will be adjusted from NT$23,800 (about US$831) to NT$24,000 (about US$838) per month, and national health insurance premiums will also be adjusted. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, beginning next year, 2.85 million employees whose salaries are lower than NT$23,800 will have to pay an additional NT$3 (about US$0.10) in health insurance premiums. Another two categories of 50,000 people will have to pay either an additional NT$27 (about US$0.94) or NT$70 (about US$2.45), which is expected to generate NT$500 million (about US$17.5 million) in health insurance revenue.
October 8: Minister Chen Chi-chung of the Council of Agriculture delivered his report at the Economics Committee of the Legislative Yuan. KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou pointed out that when Chen was a professor, Chen staunchly opposed importing American pork but is now defending importing American pork as a government minister, even though U.S. pork is inconsistent with Taiwan's interests. Legislator Lin criticized the total failure of Minister Chen and asked him to apologize and step down from office.
October 8: A M41A3 walker bulldog light tank affiliated with the Kinmen Defense Command of the R.O.C. Army accidentally overturned, causing one death and one injury. Because the tank has been in service for over six decades, the "grandpa-class tank" became a subject of controversy.
President Tsai Ing-wen directed that the government compensate generously and stated plans to procure new, state-of-the-art tanks. The Army stated that it plans to adjust in advance the types of combat equipment used in the surrounding islets.