This Week in Taiwan 0313-0319
March 14: A single-seat Mirage 2000 fighter jet of the Air Force crashed off the coast of Taitung in the morning. Flight officer Huang Chung-kai reported a mechanical failure and was saved himself by parachuting. The Air Force ordered the grounding of 54 existing Mirage fighters for inspection. The exact cause of the failure can only be determined after analyzing the pilot's description and salvaging the wreckage.
March 16: There is hearsay about a leaked classified document from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) that Chinese President Xi Jinping considered fully taking over Taiwan by the fall of 2022 to support his re-election as general-secretary of the Communist Party. But after the war between Russia and Ukraine erupted, the opportunity to invade Taiwan disappeared.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu stated that no matter if China was planning to attack Taiwan or not, the people must be ready to defend themselves at any time.
March 16: The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced proposed adjustments to co-payment in the National Health Insurance system. In the future, fees for medical examination, drugs, and emergency services in major hospitals will increase. Patients will incur 20 percent cost on some pharmaceuticals, and the fee cap will be raised to NT$300 (about US$10.50). The proposed changes are scheduled to take effect in May and impact 14.5 million people.
March 18: The Central Bank decided to raise interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to curb inflation, ending seven consecutive freezes. Taiwan's rate hike is a first in more than a decade and follows the recent rate increase by the U.S. Federal Reserve System.
March 18: Hours before the video conference between President Joe Biden of the United States and Chinese President Xi Jinping, China's aircraft carrier Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Strait, and the USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) followed and monitored the entire process. A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense stated that the military's joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems are fully aware of the dynamics of mainland Chinese aircraft and ships in the sea and airspace around the Taiwan Strait, so as to ensure national security.
March 18: The seventh Our Ocean Conference (OOC) will be held April 13 and 14 in Palau and attended by representatives from hundreds of countries and international and regional organizations. Minister Chang Tzi-chin of the Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, is among the few government officials invited to speak.
The United States, a co-organizer, reportedly "advised" Taiwan to avoid using its official name and symbols of sovereignty such as the national flag.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Taiwan will actively participate in the OOC on the premise of safeguarding national dignity and based on the principles of professionalism, pragmatism, and contributions and also seek the best arrangement.
March 20: The International Day of Happiness is observed. According to the World Happiness Report 2022 released by the United States, Finland placed first among 146 countries and regions for five consecutive years, while Taiwan ranked 26, the first in East Asia. But the table listed Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China."
The United States ranked 16th, United Kingdom 17th, Singapore 27th, Japan 54th, South Korea 59th, China 72nd, and Hong Kong 81st.