This Week in Taiwan 1109-1114
November 10: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of the United States announced that the "Taiwan-U.S. Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue" will be held on November 20 in Washington. Under Secretary Keith Krach for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment will represent the United States. Taiwan will send a delegation led by Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Cheng-chi, and Minister without Portfolio John Deng and Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua will connect from Taipei via video conference.
November 10: President Tsai Ing-wen announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) founder Morris Chang would serve as presidential envoy to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting this year. President Tsai delegated two responsibilities to the representative: express Taiwan's willingness to contribute more on global epidemic prevention and consolidate Taiwan's key position in global supply chains. This year's APEC meeting will be held by video conference. Chang will attend the economic leaders summit in the video conference room of the Office of the President.
November 11: The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that because the national pension can no longer shoulder payouts in the next 20 years. From January 1, insurance premium rates will be raised from 9 percent to 9.5 percent. About 3 million people will be affected, including 2.7 million ordinary people, who will have to pay an additional NT$55 (about US$2) per month.
November 12: Three Taiwanese coronavirus (COVID-19) candidate vaccines are about to enter the second phase of clinical trials, in an effort to make the timeline for public inoculation by June of next year. The government for the first time publicized a registration platform to collect vaccine clinical trial subjects. A day after the platform opened online, more than 10,000 people registered. The target is 20,000 people by the registration deadline of November 30.
November 12: The state-owned petroleum company CPC Corporation announced that after 17 years of surveying, a mine area in Chad has officially produced oil since February. About 950,000 barrels of crude oil carried by a first transport ship will arrive in Taiwan in December. This is the first batch of African crude oil produced for Taiwan's own use, which reflects the results of 40 years of overseas surveying.
November 13: Spokesman Ting Yi-ming of the Executive Yuan accused that the winner of the 2020 Taipei Beef Noodles Festival uses American beef containing ractopamine. The business displayed a inspection report of zero residual ractopamine and asked the Executive Yuan for a public apology. Premier Su Tseng-chang accompanied Ting to apologize to the restaurant, people, and beef noodle shops at large. The opposition party asked Ting to step down, and even ruling party legislators expressed dissatisfaction. Premier Su said that young people inevtiably make mistakes, and Ting ought to reflect upon himself deeply and not make the same mistake again. Ting tendered his resignation on November 15.