Published since 2019 by the Fair Winds Foundation and Association of Foreign Relations, Taiwan Weekly provides in-depth report and analysis of the major issues facing Taiwan.
This Week in Taiwan 1227-0102
December 28: President Donald Trump of the United States signed on December 27 appropriations legislation worth $2.3 trillion. The legislation package included the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020, which calls for the normalization of arms sales to Taiwan, support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations, and review of Department of State guidelines for engaging with Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed welcome and gratitude.
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Ractopamine Pork: DPP Wins Legislative Battle, KMT to Challenge By Recall and Referendum
Four months after President Tsai Ing-wen's sudden announcement to ease import restrictions on U.S. pork containing ractopamine and beef from cattle over 30 months old, the Legislative Yuan passed all 9 executive orders to allow such imports on Christmas Eve with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) majority in the Parliament.
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Reappearance of an Authoritarian Personality
Growing up in an authoritarian eras, I can say with certainty that authoritarian control does not require continuous use of a large police force.
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Portrayal of Tsai as Elected Dictator Not Ungrounded
The Ministry of Culture stipulated that effective February 1, 2021, publishers in Taiwan must apply for prior MOC approval before they publish books authorized by mainland China and converted from simplified and traditional Chinese script.
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This Week in Taiwan 1220-1226
December 20: Following the U.S. destroyer USS Martin's passage through the Taiwan Strait on December 19, China's aircraft carrier Shandong (CV-17) and four ships of its frigate forces sailed through the strait and continued to sail south. Taiwan's Armed Forces dispatched six warships and eight aircrafts to monitor the whole process. This is the second time that the Shandong aircraft carrier passed through the strait. According to the Ministry of National Defense, Shandong set sail south from Dalian Port in Liaoning Province and sailed through the strait on December 20.
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Su: If Prosecuted, Shall Request President Tsai to Testify as Witness
Clinical psychiatrist Su Wei-shuo, who asserted that ractopamine is harmful to human body, has allegedly "had his water meter checked" (a euphemism for certain citizen been visited to the residence by police in a gesture of intimidating political dissenters), and this incident led some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and several civic groups to stand out in support of Doctor Su.
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Double Face of Democracy
Clinical psychiatrist Su Wei-shuo, who followed closely the issue of pork containing ractopamine, published a comment claiming that ractopamine pork is poisonous.
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Please Excuse the Tough Mayor
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen recently received the Director Brent Christensen of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and directly expressed the municipal government's opposition to importing pork containing ractopamine.
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This Week in Taiwan 1213-1219
December 14: Recently, the Internet circulated that President Tsai Ing-wen held a ministerial-level meeting and consumed Michelin restaurant bento boxes valued at NT$6,980 (about US$246) apiece. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) refuted this as false information, and after Premier Su Tseng-chang ordered strict enforcement, the police arrested individuals based on the Social Order Maintenance Act. Five courts in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, New Taipei, and Taoyuan found that the speech did not constitute violation of law and ruled that the seven Internet users not be fined.
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In Taiwan, Government Celebrates Human Rights Day While People Protest
December 10 marked the international Human Rights Day.
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