Taiwan Weekly is a newsletter released every week by Fair Winds Foundation, Association of Foreign Relations and Taipei Forum that provides coverage and perspectives into the latest developments in Taiwan.
DPP Aims to Turn PTS into Party Media
The Ministry of Culture has announced draft amendments to the Public Television Act which would not only greatly reduce the number of directors and the review threshold for their appointment but also stipulate that the chairman of the Public Television Service Foundation, who is currently elected by the board of directors from among its members, would be designated by the premier.
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New Authoritarianism in Politics and Media Meddling with Taiwan’s Public Television
The Ministry of Culture announced a draft revision of the Public Television Act.
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Proposal to Mix Moderna with Medigen Controversial, Clinical Trials to Start Next Week
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines remain in short supply in Taiwan, as only 34,000 people were inoculated with the second dose, while some 3 million people are anxiously waiting for their second dose.
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This Week in Taiwan 0912-0918
September 13: The Navy procured from the United States 100 sets of shore-mounted harpoon missile systems. Due to a tight budget, it originally planned to purchase 32 sets. However, after high-level American national security officials strongly demanded that Taiwan must procure all at once, the Navy was forced to submit a new price offer. The Navy prepared a budget of NT$86.6 billion (about US$3.1 billion) to procure 100 sets of harpoons at once.
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Biden Has No Intention to Change "One China" Policy
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with President Joe Biden on the morning of September 10.
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White House Still Contemplating Proposed Name Change for Taiwan's Representative Office
Following the second phone call between President Joe Biden of the United States and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Financial Times reported that the United States and Taiwan's top national security officials met face-to-face in Annapolis, Maryland.
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Overtones in Biden-Xi Phone Call
President Joe Biden of the United States made a phone call to Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 10, the second phone call since February.
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Afghanistan Withdrawal and Taiwan's Mass Production of Medium-Range Missiles
The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, coupled with Taiwan's decision to mass produce medium-range missiles, is the worst strategic combination for Taiwan.
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This Week in Taiwan 0905-0911
September 7: Two-term Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien proposed the merger of Hinchu county and city to become Taiwan's seventh special municipality. Legislator Ker Chien-ming, whip of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus, stated that as long as Article 4 of the Local Government Act is successfully amended by the end of this year, lowering the population threshold of special municipalities from 1.25 million to 1 million, the merger would be just in time before the local elections next year. Mayor Lin can run for mayor, and so can the Kuomintang's Hsinchu County Executive Yang Wen-ke.
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Candidates for KMT Chairman Emphasize Cross-Strait Relations
The only televised debate for the Kuomintang (KMT) chairpersonship election was held on September 4.
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