Europe is standing with Taiwan in defending freedom: EP delegation

Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) The head of the first-ever official European Parliament (EP) delegation to come to Taiwan told President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Thursday that the visit is meant to send a clear message that Europe is standing by Taiwan in the defense of freedom.

“This is the first official visit from a delegation of European Parliament to Taiwan. This is to ensure how important the Taiwanese democracy is for the European citizens we are representing,” Raphaël Glucksmann told Tsai during their meeting in the Presidential Office.

Glucksmann continued to say that Taiwan is the most “vivid, enlightening” democracy in the Indo-Pacific region and “a treasure that all democrats around the world should cherish and protect.”

“We came here with a very simple and clear message: You are not alone. Europe is standing with you, by you, in the defense of freedom, rule of law,” he said.

Glucksmann is the head of the 13-member delegation, which arrived in Taiwan Wednesday morning. It comprises members of the EP’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation (INGE).

During the delegation’s three-day visit, its members will discuss topics including disinformation and cyberattacks with local government officials, experts, and representatives from non-governmental organizations.

Glucksmann pointed out that his delegation represents various political groups which have differences with each other on a number of issues, but all of them have united together for the trip to show support for Taiwan.

The delegation is visiting Taiwan to learn about its capacity to build a strong democracy while confronting a high level of threats from China, he added.

As Europe is also facing large scale actions orchestrated by an authoritarian regime to weaken its democracy, the parliamentarian said, the delegation has come to learn from Taiwan’s experience in dealing with this kind of threat and see what tactics can be applied at home.

For her part, President Tsai welcomed the historic visit made by the EP delegation and said that Taiwan is hoping to establish a “democratic alliance against disinformation” as the challenge is a global one.

“Taiwan is also willing to share its experience in combating disinformation with our European friends. This will deepen our partnership and help safeguard the free and democratic way of life we enjoy,” she said.

The delegation is scheduled to stay in Taiwan until Friday.

(By Joseph Yeh)
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Une invitation du Skal Brussels

Chers Skållègues,
Chers Collègues,
Mesdames, Messieurs,

L’Antarctique figurerait aujourd’hui parmi les destinations lointaines qui attirent le plus les touristes de l’après-Covid. Pour changer un peu, le Skål club de Bruxelles vous propose cette fois la conférence non d’un professionnel du tourisme, mais d’un… client, qui a sans doute le plus d’expérience des pôles : le 14 décembre prochain, Jo Szeles entamera en effet son dixième voyage en Antarctique!

Médecin conseil de la Commission Européenne à Bruxelles, le docteur Joseph Szeles a visité, en mission, une centaine de «délégations» de l’Union Européenne dans le monde avant de devenir médecin chef du service médical (Direction générale du Personnel) de la Commission à Bruxelles. A sa retraite en 2004, comme si cela ne lui avait pas suffi, il a décidé de visiter de nouveaux endroits. C’est lors d’une escale à Bergen en 2005 qu’il a par hasard découvert la possibilité de se rendre en Antarctique à bord de bateaux de croisière norvégiens. Il n’eut dès lors rien de plus pressé que d’aller à la rencontre des deux pôles, et découvrir également les fantastiques îles sub-antarctiques, dont on ne parle jamais, à bord de neuf navires différents, y compris des brise-glaces dont un à propulsion nucléaire au pôle Nord géographique.
Lors de notre prochain dîner-débat,

le mercredi 24 novembre à 18 h 30 précises
(accueil dès 18h00)
Hôtel Courtyard by Mariott
6, avenue des Olympiades 1140 Bruxelles | tel. 02 337 08 08

il viendra partager sa passion pour ces deux extrêmes de notre planète, l’Arctique et l’Antarctique, ainsi que son regard sur ces destinations encore nouvelles à bien des égards et les conséquences réelles d’un tourisme «de masse» sur ces environnements.
L’hôtel situé non loin de Brussels Airport, est accessible en transports publics : stib tram 62 – bus 21, 66, 65. gare Evere : 300 mètres
Parking public payant en surface à côté de l’hôtel
Parking souterrain à l’hôtel à 50 % du tarif normal.
Programme :
Accueil : à partir de 18 hrs
18.30 hrs précises : conférence- débat – questions/réponses
19.30 hrs : repas (libre) à l’hôtel en présence de l’orateur et poursuite des contacts «networking business amongst friends» dans une ambiance amicale

Participation aux frais : conférence: 0

Repas 3 services – vin inclus – eaux – café/thé
PAF membres Skål: 50 € par personne
Non membres: 60 € .
Des photos et dias personnelles de l’orateur seront projetés pendant la séance.
Nous sommes certains que ce sujet vous intéressera.
Venez donc nombreux et parlez en à vos amis!
Nous vous souhaitons d’ores et déjà la bienvenue !
NB: L’inscription est nécessaire !
Les mesures d’hygiène et anti Covid sont d’application (masque-cst)

Au plaisir de vous accueillir,

RICHARD EECKHOUT,
PRESIDENT
SKÅL INTERNATIONAL BRUSSELS BRABANT
* email : skalbru@skynet.be
* https://www.skal.org
* https://brussels.skal.org/fr_FR/



Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself: President Tsai

President Tsai Ing-wen (left) listens to a briefing when attending the annual Han Kuang military drills in mid-September. File photo courtesy of the Presidential Office

Taipei, Oct. 5 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen has emphasized that Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself if its democracy is threatened, alluding to recent actions taken by China, in an article published Tuesday in the U.S. international relations outlet Foreign Affairs.

In the article, President Tsai pointed out that Beijing has never abandoned its ambitions toward Taiwan, as exemplified by its years of double-digit investment in its military and expansionist behaviors across the Taiwan Strait and in the surrounding maritime area.

“Since 2020, People’s Liberation Army aircraft and vessels have increased their activity in the Taiwan Strait, with almost daily intrusions into Taiwan’s southern air defense identification zone,” Tsai said.

Despite this, Tsai stressed the people of Taiwan have made it clear that democracy is non-negotiable. “Taiwan will not bend to pressure, but nor will it turn adventurist, even when it accumulated support from the international community.”

To ensure stability, Tsai said, Taiwan will continue to express its openness to dialogue with Beijing, as well as being fully committed to working with other regional actors as Taiwan lies along the first island chain, which, if “broken by force,” would disrupt international trade and destabilize the entire western Pacific.

“A failure to defend Taiwan would not only be catastrophic for the Taiwanese; it would overturn a security architecture that has allowed for peace and extraordinary economic development in the region for seven decades,” Tsai said.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has made authoritarianism more convinced than ever that their model of governance is better adapted than democracy, Tsai said, Taiwan’s success in containing the virus has demonstrated to the world that democratic systems can respond effectively to a pandemic.

Tsai also said that Taiwan’s refusal to give up, embrace of democracy, and commitment to acting as a responsible stakeholder are making the world reassess Taiwan’s value as a “liberal democracy on the frontlines of a new clash of ideologies.”

If Taiwan were to fall, Tsai said, “it would signal that in today’s global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy.”

Tsai said Taiwan should be regarded as part of the solution, particularly as democratic countries seek to find the right balance between the need to engage and trade with authoritarian countries and the need to defend the values and democratic ideals that define their societies.

While the people in Taiwan have not always achieved consensus over what exactly the future of Taiwan should look like, “the great majority of us regard democracy as the best form of government for Taiwan and are willing to do what is necessary to defend it,” Tsai said.

“Taiwan is ready to be a global force for good, with a role on the international stage that is commensurate with its abilities,” Tsai said.

The article comes after a total of 149 Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone in four days: 38 on Oct. 1, 39 on Oct. 2, 16 on Oct. 3, and 56 on Oct. 4.

(By Ken Wang)

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CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan reports no new domestic COVID-19 cases for sixth straight day


Health Minister Chen Shih-chung hosts Tuesday’s COVID-19 press briefing. Photo courtesy of the CECC

Taipei, Oct. 5 (CNA) Taiwan on Tuesday marked six consecutive days without any new domestically transmitted COVID-19 infections, but it recorded seven new imported cases, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.

The seven cases involved six Taiwanese nationals and a citizen of Malaysia, who all arrived in Taiwan recently and tested positive during quarantine, according to the CECC.

Three of the seven patients can be classified as breakthrough infections, as they tested positive 14 days after being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the CECC said.

To date, Taiwan has confirmed a total of 16,262 COVID-19 cases, of which 14,417 are domestic infections reported since May 15, when the country first recorded more than 100 cases in a single day.

However, since Aug. 15, the daily number of domestic cases has fallen to mostly single digits, totaling 114, according to CECC data.

With no new deaths reported Tuesday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in the country remained at 844, with all but 12 recorded since May 15, CECC data showed.

(By Chiang Yi-ching)

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U.S. voices concern over China’s incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. Image from the White House’s Facebook Page

Washington/Taipei, Oct. 5 (CNA) The White House has called out China’s “provocative military activity” near Taiwan following its recent deployment of a record number of military aircraft in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

“We remain concerned by the People’s Republic of China’s provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risk miscalculations and undermines regional peace and stability,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a news briefing when asked to comment on the issue.

She urged Beijing to cease all kinds of pressure and coercion against Taiwan, and said the United States has an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and therefore will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability.

Though President Joe Biden has not expressed his government’s concern over the issue to China directly, Psaki said high-level officials in Washington who are in constant communication with Beijing have conveyed the U.S.’ concern through diplomatic channels.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price echoed Psaki during a separate briefing, saying that the U.S. “strongly urged” Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also weighed in, saying in a tweet with an article on the Chinese warplanes’ recent incursions that the U.S. must always stand with Taiwan.

A total of 56 Chinese military aircraft flew into Taiwan’s ADIZ in two separate sorties on Monday, the most in a single day since Taiwan began issuing tallies of such actions in September 2020, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.

Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 4, a total of 149 Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan’s ADIZ: 38 on Oct. 1, 39 on Oct. 2, 16 on Oct. 3, and 56 on Oct. 4.

Asked to comment, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said on Tuesday in Taipei that the recent military maneuvers near Taiwan’s ADIZ have indeed put “huge pressure” on the country’s Navy and Air Force.

He thanked the U.S. for its concern over Beijing’s proactive moves but said it was Taiwan’s job to defend itself, and that it could not rely on the help of other countries.

Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑), an assistant professor at National Sun Yat-sen University, said he suspected the Chinese deployments were aimed at raising pressure on Taiwan and displaying China’s military might to neighboring countries as well as the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

The record high number of incursions on Monday coincided with a Twitter message posted by the commander of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group earlier that day.

It said a fleet led by the U.K. HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier had passed from the Philippine Sea through the Luzon Strait in preparation for an exercise with the Singapore Navy in the South China Sea.

On Oct. 2 and 3, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force joined the HMS Queen Elizabeth, the USS Carl Vinson, and the USS Ronald Reagan for an exercise in waters southwest of Okinawa along with warships dispatched by the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand.

(By Stacy Hsu, Matt Yu, Lin Yu-hsuan and Joseph Yeh)

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56 China military planes enter Taiwan’s ADIZ, setting another record

A H-6 bomber of the PLA. Photo courtesy of MND

Taipei, Oct. 4 (CNA) A total of 56 Chinese military aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in two separate sorties on Monday, the highest-number in a single day since Taiwan began issuing a tally of such actions in September 2020, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

The first sortie comprised of 52 aircraft: 34 Shenyang J-16, two Sukhoi SU-30 fighters, two Y-8 anti-submarine warfare planes, 12 H-6 bombers, and two KJ-500, which is a third-generation airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, the MND said.

The 52 aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwestern part of the ADIZ during the daytime of Monday, but did not enter the southern and southeastern part of the ADIZ, according to the MND.

Another sortie comprising of four J-16 fighters occurred at night, the ministry said.

The Taiwan Air Force responded by scrambling planes to monitor the Chinese aircraft, issuing radio warnings, and mobilizing air defense assets, the ministry said.

That airspace is considered part of Taiwan’s ADIZ, an area declared by a country to allow it to identify, locate and control approaching foreign aircraft, but are not considered by international law to be its territorial airspace.

Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 4, a total of 149 Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan’s ADIZ: 38 on Oct. 1, 39 on Oct. 2, 16 on Oct. 3, and 56 on Oct. 4.

The new high figure in a single day coincided with a Twitter message posted by the commander of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group on Monday, saying a fleet led by the U.K. HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier has passed from the Philippine Sea through the Luzon Strait in preparation for an exercise with the Singapore Navy in the South China Sea.

During Oct. 2-3, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force joined the HMS Queen Elizabeth, the USS Carl Vinson, and USS Ronald Reagan to launch an exercise in waters southwest Okinawa along with warships dispatched by the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand.

Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑), an assistant professor at National Sun Yat-sen University, said he suspected these record numbers of Chinese military aircraft entering Taiwan’s ADIZ are aimed to raising pressure on Taiwan and also showing China’s military muscle to the neighboring countries, as well as the U.S. and U.K.

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) has criticized the move as bullying by China. It’s unclear why Beijing is sending so many planes to the ADIZ, but the timing coincides with its National Day on Oct. 1 and some analysts have said it could be an attempt to assert its determination to safeguard what it sees as its territorial integrity and goal of eventually unifying with Taiwan.

(By Matt Yu and Frances Huang)

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In talk with PM candidate, Tsai hopes for closer ties with Japan

Photo courtesy of the DPP

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) Presidential Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has expressed the hope that Taiwan and Japan will cooperate more closely in the future in a conversation with Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker Sanae Takaichi, who is vying to become her country’s first female prime minister.

In a video conference Monday, Tsai said mutual assistance between Taiwan and Japan is critical to regional stability, and she hoped for closer bilateral cooperation in several areas including regional security, economic development, and the global supply chain.

Takaichi, a hardline conservative in Japan’s parliament, has declared her candidacy in the ruling LDP’s Sept. 29 election for party president that will determine the country’s next prime minister.

Takaichi has been described in a story by the Japan Times as “a favorite of conservatives with hawkish views on defense and diplomacy.”

Tsai also thanked Takaichi for Japan’s donation of COVID-19 vaccines to help ease Taiwan’s shortage of the jabs, according to a statement by Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on the 30-minute talk.

Takaichi tweeted that she had a virtual dialogue with “Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen” on Monday evening, which proceeded smoothly with the help of translators. Tsai is the head of the DPP.

Echoing Tsai, the Japanese lawmaker said she was eager to hold the meeting to discuss how to deepen security and expand pragmatic exchanges between Japan and Taiwan.

On her twitter page, Takaichi showed a picture of the Japan and Taiwan flags hanging on the wall of the venue where she had the online meeting with Tsai.

She said she expected the entire conversation to be posted on Youtube later in the day.

Japan donated more than 3.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Taiwan between June 4 and Sept. 7 and pledged to donate an additional 500,000 doses on Sept. 14.

It has donated more vaccine doses to Taiwan than any other country.

(By Yeh Su-ping, Huang Ming-his and Frances Huang)
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Taiwan researchers develop new breast cancer treatment technique

Chen Gin-shin (center). CNA photo Sept. 13, 2021

Taipei, Sept. 13 (CNA) Researchers at Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) have developed an innovative system of clinical treatment for breast cancer that reduces skin burns, leaves no scars and causes few side effects for patients, the institution said Monday.

According to the NHRI, the system consists of devices including a ring-shaped high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer, a commercial power amplifier, a mechanical positioner and graphical user-interface control software.

The HIFU ablation is a non-invasive therapeutic technique that uses non-ionizing ultrasonic waves to heat or ablate tissues, such as tumors, and requires no surgery. It has emerged in recent years as a non-invasive new treatment for breast cancer.

Chen Gin-shin (陳景欣), who heads a research team at NHRI’s Institute of Biomedical and Nanomedicine, said its system was developed to overcome several problems commonly seen with the current HIFU procedure, such as skin burns.

The NHRI’s new system reduces treatment time and improves high-precision ablation under imaging guidance, and the ring-shaped HIFU transducer can also minimize damage to chest tissue, the lungs or the heart, Chen said.

With this system, the ablation of a 5-centimeter tumor can take just 30 minutes, he added. According to the NHRI, the removal of a 3-5 cm cancerous tumor using a conventional HIFU technique can take up to two hours to complete.

In Taiwan, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, the institution said, noting that clinical treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and combination therapy.

However, women with breast cancer suffer from a risk of complications, a high re-excision rate, an occasional need for breast reconstruction after surgery, and possible side effects from radiation and chemotherapy, it explained.

And even though the HIFU procedure has in recent years become a highly popular option among patients, the NHRI said roughly 30-40 percent of them still face the risk of musculoskeletal or heart burns.

Liang Kung-yee (梁賡義), who heads the research institution, said it is seeking partners for technical transfer so that its prototype system could reach the mass market.

The NHRI’s research findings have been published by the IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control.

(By Chen Chieh-ling and Ko Lin)

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EVA Air named 3rd best international airline in 2021

Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, was named the 3rd best airline in the world in 2021, according to the New York-based Travel + Leisure magazine.

EVA Air rose one notch from a year earlier to take the No. 3 spot, its best performance since the carrier first broke into the top 10 in 2010.

The magazine evaluated airlines based on several factors, including in-flight service, comfortable cabins, reliable operations, and food, for this year’s World’s Best Awards survey in which voting was conducted from Jan. 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world eased their COVID-19 restrictions.

Travel + Leisure said in a statement released earlier this month that EVA Air specializes in long-haul trips to Asia from several destinations in the United States.

“This is one of the best airlines I’ve ever traveled with,” one fan of EVA Air was quoted by the magazine as saying.

“Excellent service and food,” another passenger was cited as saying. “I can’t wait to fly them again,” a third EVA Air enthusiast said in the statement.

In response to this year’s rankings, EVA Air said that despite the pandemic, the carrier still won recognition for its services by passengers worldwide.

EVA Air President Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) said the carrier’s determination to provide the best quality service possible remains unchanged, though fears over the spread of COVID-19 has prompted the airline to streamline its services.

Sun said EVA Air has been keen to use a wide range of technologies to provide its passengers with convenient contactless services to meet their needs amid COVID-19.

In August, EVA Air and its Taiwanese counterpart China Airlines announced they will soon begin using an international digital health verification app — the IATA Travel Pass — on a trial basis on selected routes, as part of their COVID-19 prevention measures.

In the 2021 rankings, Singapore Airlines took the top spot, with the magazine describing it as “the king of the World’s Best Awards”, saying the carrier is an unprecedented 26-time winner in Travel + Leisure’s annual rankings.

Qatar Airways came second ahead of EVA Air, Emirates, La Compagnie, Turkish Airlines, Japan Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air and Air New Zealand, according to Travel + Leisure.

In addition to the best airlines rankings, the magazine also lists the best hotels, best cruise lines and airports.

(Wang Shu-fen and Frances Huang)Enditem/AW



Belgian priest awarded Plum Blossom Card for major contributions

Father Joseph Emile Corneille Hermans (second right). Photo courtesy of the NIA

Taipei, Sept. 19 (CNA) A Belgian priest has been awarded a Plum Blossom Card for his dedicated service and contributions in the northern Taiwan county of Hsinchu over the last 26 years, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said in a statement Sunday.

Father Joseph Emile Corneille Hermans (高立良), who came to Taiwan when he was 30 years old and has since been engaged in missionary work in Indigenous villages in Hsinchu County, received the special version of the alien permanent resident certificate (APRC), given to foreign nationals who have made special contributions to Taiwan.

Hermans is known for tirelessly commuting between Zhudong Township and communities such as Xiuluan and Tianpu villages in the mountainous Jianshi Township to promote social welfare in retirement homes, correctional houses, and underprivileged households, the NIA said.

In the statement, Hermans was cited as saying that Taiwan is his home, and that he often feels he loves this land more than even some Taiwanese do.

As such, receiving the Plum Blossom APRC status ahead of the family-oriented Mid-Autumn Festival was a very meaningful form of recognition.

Many families in the villages need social support and attention, Hermans said, but while NGOs provide financial support, the responsibility of a priest is to visit and listen to people and offer them spiritual support and religious blessings.

The Belgian priest has gone beyond that, however, to help children in Indigenous villages.

Seeing that children in those villages often lack education resources, usually due to family or financial difficulties, Hermans has organized afterschool programs, summer and winter camps, and commuting services to help them, he said, according to the statement.

Huang Ching-chin (黃清欽), the director of the NIA’s service office in Hsinchu County, said Hermans qualified for the Plum Blossom card with his selfless missionary work in the county and social contributions in rural neighborhoods and Indigenous villages.

In Hermans’ case, the Plum Blossom card served both as an APRC and an acknowledgement of his contributions, Huang said.

Plum Blossom Cards are also granted to foreign nationals who are “senior professionals” or “investment immigrants,” according to the NIA.

(By Lu Kang-chun and James Lo)

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