2022/12/18-2022/12/27
12/18
嘉義市長選舉投票，國民黨市長黃敏惠以近六萬票，百分之六十三點六的得票率，大勝民進黨候選人李俊俋，順利連任，並締造4次當選市長紀錄。
December 18:
In the postponed Chiayi mayoral election, the Kuomintang's (KMT) incumbent Huang Min-hui won nearly 60,000 votes, about 63.6 percent of the votes, winning a big victory over Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Lee Chun-yi. Huang was successfully re-elected and set a record of being elected mayor four times.
12/18
南方澳跨港大橋於2019年10月1日坍塌，新橋重建完成，下午3時通車。行政院長蘇貞昌出席通車祈福典禮說，經總體檢全國2萬6000座橋梁，其中101座要立刻重建、補強，已完工一百座，只剩一座明年4月完工。
December 18:
The Nanfang'ao Bridge which collapsed on October 1, 2019, was rebuilt and opened to traffic at 3 PM. Premier Su Tseng-chang attended the opening ceremony and stated that after a general inspection of 26,000 bridges across Taiwan, 101 need to be rebuilt and strengthened immediately. About 100 bridges have been completed, and only one remains to be completed by April next year.
12/21
民進黨在九合一大選及嘉義市長選舉接連慘敗後，黨內要求內閣改組聲浪持續升高，台灣民意基金會20日公布最新民調顯示，僅37.5％贊同蔡英文處理國家大事的方式，聲望創44個月以來新低。蔡英文總統21日晚在臉書發文，民進黨必須檢討、整隊、前進，下周起她將陸續召開國安高層會議，盤整各項方案，包括役期延長，定案後向人民報告。
December 21:
After the DPP's major setback in the local elections and the postponed Chiayi mayoral election, demands from within the party for a cabinet reshuffle continues to intensify. According to the latest poll released by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation on December 20, only 37.5 percent approved of President Tsai Ing-wen's handling of national affairs, hitting a 44-month low. President Tsai posted on Facebook on the evening of December 21, stating that the DPP must review, reorganize, and move forward. Starting next week, she will convene high-level national security meetings to consolidate various plans, including extending compulsory military service and reporting to the people after the policy is finalized.
12/21
美國國會於美東時間20日公布「2023會計年度綜合撥款法案」（Omnibus Appropriations Act）的兩院協商版本，法案授權提供台灣每年最多20億美元軍事融資，但每年提供台灣最多20億美元無償軍援則未列入年度撥款，而是改以軍事貸款的方式提供，且台灣必須在12年內償還貸款。外交部對此表示，未來仍將持續與國會友人及行政部門保持聯繫，討論如何逐步落實「國防授權法案」（NDAA）所列各項倡議。
December 21:
On December 20 Eastern time, the United States Congress announced a negotiated version of the Omnibus Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2023. The bill authorizes provision to Taiwan of up to $2 billion in military financing each year. The content about up to $2 billion in free military aid each year, however, is not included in the annual appropriation but provided in the form of military loans, which Taiwan must repay within 12 years. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that in the future, it will continue to maintain contact with friends in Congress and the executive branch to discuss how to gradually implement the various initiatives listed in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
12/21
鴻海創辦人郭台銘近日與衛福部長薛瑞元為BNT疫苗採購議題隔空交火，成為輿論焦點。薛瑞元暗指郭是「BNT推銷員」，郭怒回擊「朽木為官、禽獸食䘵」，希望執政者體民所苦，廣納建言。行政院長蘇貞昌為薛瑞元的推銷員說法道歉。指揮中心最後說，未來若有需求，一定會將BNT次世代疫苗列入明年疫苗採購考量。
December 21:
Terry Gou, the founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Company (Foxconn), has been in the spotlight recently for crossing sords with Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan over the government’s role in the delayed procurement of BioNTech vaccines. Minister Hsueh implied Gou was “behaving like a BioNTech salesman,” and Gou replied by blasting the government as filled with officials who are rotten wood, birds and beasts and asking the government to feel the pain of the people and listen closely to the public opinion. Premier Su Tseng-cheng later apologized for Hsueh’s “salesman” comment. The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) also announced that the next-generation BioNTech vaccines, if necessary, will be included in the procurement next year.
12/22
中國大陸疫情升溫藥物需求大增，台灣基層藥局出現「搶藥送中國」現象，疫情指揮中心指揮官王必勝證實，國內「普拿疼」等退燒藥出現大量收購致藥局缺貨情況，擬先請藥局勸說民眾限量購買。衛福部長薛瑞元22日拋出首波擬管制「含乙醯氨酚藥品」，指揮中心更指出不排除以「暫時性實名制」方式販售退燒藥。
December 22:
As the pandemic situation worsens, demand for coronavirus (COVID-19) medication in mainland China has risen sharply. A phenomenon of "snatching medicines to send to China" emerged in community pharmacies across Taiwan. Wang Pi-sheng, commander of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), confirmed that large quantities of antipyretics such as Panadol have been purchased, resulting in shortages in pharmacies. He plans to ask pharmacies first to ask shoppers to buy in smaller quantities.
On December 22, Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan announced the first wave of measures controlling purchases of drugs containing acetaminophen. The CECC also pointed out that it does not rule out selling antipyretics under a temporary name registration system.
12/22
行政院通過小三通重啟的春節專案，預定春節前後兩周即2023年1月7日至2月6日實施，採專案申請方式，以設籍金門馬祖居民和陸配為限，一般大陸人、台商尚不開放。金門一天一個航班、馬祖一周二個航班飛往廈門。
兩岸金廈小三通客運航線自2020年2月10日起，因新冠疫情停航至今。
December 22:
The Executive Yuan approved a provisional restart of the "Mini-Three Links" over Lunar New Year, scheduled to be implemented before and after the holiday from January 7 to February 6, 2023. Travel to China will be granted by special application and restricted to Kinmen and Matsu residents and mainland Chinese spouses, but remain closed to mainland Chinse and Taiwanese business people. There will be one flight per day from Kinmen and two flights per week from Matsu to Xiamen.
Passenger flights under the Mini-Three Links between Taiwan's Kinmen and mainland China's Xiamen have been suspended since February 10, 2020, due to the pandemic.
12/23
台南市府經發局前局長陳凱凌遭檢舉在七股工業區開發工程案中，涉嫌收取廠商現金賄賂及喝花酒，還接受性招待，遭法院裁定收押禁見。
December 23: Chen Kai-ling, former director-general of the Economic Development Bureau, Tainan City Government, was reported to have accepted from businesses bribes in the form of cash, drinking, and sexual entertainment, during the Cigu Industrial Park development project. He was ordered detained and held incommunicado by the court.
12/25
全國各縣市正副議長選舉25日舉行，內政部公布選選舉結果，在議長部分：國民黨籍15人、民進黨籍4人、無黨籍3人。新任7人、連任15人。
為守住議長寶座，兩黨都祭出跑票就黨紀處分。
被質疑有黑金影響的台南市正副議長改選結果，民進黨籍邱莉莉擊敗尋求連任的無黨籍郭信良，當選議長。高雄巿也由民進黨的康裕成擊敗國民黨參選的陸淑美。花蓮縣的張峻當選連任後卻立即宣布退出國民黨。
December 25:
Speaker elections were held in local government councils across Taiwan. The Ministry of the Interior announced the results: 15 speakers were affiliated with the KMT, four with the DPP, and three independents. Seven speakers were newly elected, while 15 were re-elected.
In order to secure local speakerships, both parties have resorted to disciplinary measures to punish voting inconsistent with party lines.
In the speaker election in Tainan, which many suspect to be impacted by "black gold," the DPP's Chiu Li-li defeated independent incumbent Kuo Hsin-liang and was elected speaker. In Kaohsiung, the DPP's Kang Yu-cheng defeated the KMT's Lu Shu-mei. In Hualien, Chang Chun quit the KMT immediately after his re-election.
12/27
總統蔡英文總統27日下午3點30分召開記者會，宣布兵役延長為一年。
自2024年元旦起，滿18歲、1994年次以後出生的役男，役期將由4個月延長為1年，替代役也從6個月延長至1年；義務役士兵每月薪資拉高，二等兵自每月6500元增至包含保險及膳食費為2萬6307元。
行政院在12/29院會通過此案後將送交立法院備查。
December 27:
President Tsai Ing-wen held a press conference at 3:30 PM, announcing that compulsory military service will be extended to one year.
Starting 2024, males who reach age 18 and were born after 2005 will have their conscription period extended from four months to a year, and substitute service will also be extended from six months to a year. Monthly salaries of conscripts will increase. The salary of a private will increase from NT$6,500 (about US$211) to NT$26,307 (about US$856), in addition to insurance coverage and food expenses.
After the Executive Yuan passes the proposal on December 29, it will be sent to the Legislative Yuan for review.