November 18, 2021 – Page 2 – Taiwan Wire Service

November 18, 2021

World Movement for Democracy to host 2022 assembly in Taiwan for first time

The World Movement for Democracy (WMD), a global network dedicated to promoting democracy, will hold its next Global Assembly in Taiwan for the first time, which would involve workshops, talks, and award presentations.

The WMD is partnering with the non-profit organization, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, and other Taiwanese civil society groups to host its key assembly in Taipei from Oct. 24-27, 2022, it said in a press statement Wednesday.

Some 400 democracy activists, experts, and donors from dozens of countries will gather in Taipei to take part in a wide range of workshops and panel discussions to share their expertise in building resilient democratic institutions and defending civic space, the statement said.

The assembly aims to "build greater unity of effort to counter today's authoritarian challenges and help foster democratic momentum" and allow youth leaders to "develop collective strategies to mobilize political action to achieve their democratic ambitions," the statement noted.

During the four-day event, the WMD will also award the World Movement's Democracy Courage Tributes to honor movements that demonstrate extraordinary courage in their work but are often outside the spotlight of world attention, the statement said.

According to the statement, Taiwan was chosen to host the WMD's 11th Global Assembly because the island's success as a vigorous democracy is crucial to efforts to defend today's democratic infrastructure, principles, and ideas.

"As Taiwan supports other countries' efforts to defend democracy, a global community of democracy advocates must embrace and stand with it," the statement added.

Other partners that will join in organizing the event include the Garden of Hope Foundation, Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association, Information Operations Research Group, and Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy, the statement noted.

Launched in 1999, the WMD is a global network of individuals and organizations that cooperate on the promotion of democracy, with the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy serving as its secretariat, the WMD says on its website. It has in the past hosted the assemblies in different countries, such as Senegal and Peru.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

November 18, 2021

CORONAVIRUS/Appointments for mix-and-match vaccine approach available Friday

Anyone willing to receive a second COVID-19 vaccine jab using a different vaccine brand after receiving a first dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine will be able to book an appointment online Friday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Appointments for the mix-and-match approach can be made on the government's 1922 vaccination website from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, with the vaccination shots to be administered from Nov. 20-21, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (???) said at a daily CECC news briefing on Thursday.

Chen made the statement after the epidemic center the previous day said people who have received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and not been given a second dose after eight weeks or more will be able to register to receive a Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT) jab.

According to CECC spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (???), about 228,000 people have so far registered, expressing their preference for the mix-and-match approach, the first time it has been made available since Taiwan's vaccine rollout began in late March.

Although the appointment window will be available for only six hours on Friday, Chen said those who miss out on the first mix-and-match vaccinations will have another opportunity using leftover doses at hospitals nationwide from Nov. 20.

Anyone who is eligible, meaning individuals who received their first jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine eight weeks ago or longer, can go to a designated hospital with leftover Moderna or Pfizer-BNT doses, he added.

The CECC also announced that another shipment of the Moderna vaccine, comprising 1.15 million doses from the American vaccine maker, arrived in Taiwan at 4:46 p.m. on Thursday.

It is the 10th delivery of the Moderna vaccine that Taiwan has received.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

November 18, 2021

Taiwan gives US$1.5 million to support APEC economic initiatives

Taiwan has contributed US$1.5 million in funding to support Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic and technical cooperation initiatives, an APEC release said on Thursday.

The contribution was confirmed in a memorandum of understanding signed virtually by Sharon Wu (???), Taiwan's APEC senior official, and Rebecca Sta Maria, executive director of the APEC Secretariat, in early November, it said.

According to Wu, this year also marks the 30th year in which Taiwan has been a member of APEC.

"We wish to reaffirm our commitment to advancing the region's economic recovery, especially by facilitating capacity building projects in health, digital economy and women's economic empowerment," she said.

Around US$1 million of the contribution will go to efforts to improve the growth of the digital economy in the region and advance the APEC objectives of increasing women's economic participation by supporting activities under the purview of the APEC Policy Partnership on Women in the Economy, the Secretariat said.

Additional funding, it said, will also go to support APEC activities focused on human security, the APEC Policy Support Unit, and the research and analysis arm of APEC.

"Support for capacity building initiatives focused on inclusive and sustainable growth will help APEC build a much more resilient recovery for our people in the region," Sta Maria said.

The inter-governmental forum currently provides funding for over 100 projects annually, with around US$17.7 million available in 2021, the Secretariat said.

Taiwan joined APEC as a full member under the name Chinese Taipei in 1991.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

November 18, 2021

4% wage hike to benefit one million public sector employees: officials

A 4-percent salary raise for public employees that has been approved by the Executive Yuan will benefit around one million people, including contract workers, after its implementation on Jan. 1 next year, Taiwan officials said Thursday.

Lin Chin-hui (???), head of the Department of Remuneration and Welfare under the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (DGPA), said about one million people -- 820,000 military personnel, public school teachers and civil servants, and 200,000 contract workers -- are expected to benefit from the salary hike.

The salary-hike decision was made to "share the nation's economic fruit with its people," Executive Yuan spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng (???) told reporters following a weekly Cabinet meeting, citing Premier Su Tseng-chang (???), who heard a report by DGPA officials in the meeting.

The pay-raise proposal requires a total budget of NT$31.4 billion (US$1.13 billion) -- NT$15.3 billion allocated by the Executive Yuan and NT$16.1 billion provided by local governments that will be funded by the central government's tax revenues.

The proposal, approved by the Executive Yuan at the end of October, has been submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review.

Taiwan's public employees last received a pay raise, which was 3 percent, in 2018.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

November 18, 2021

Taiwan’s office in Lithuania opens despite Chinese protests

Taiwan on Thursday officially opened its new representative office in Lithuania despite retaliatory sanctions launched by China against the Baltic state over the latter's decision to allow the use of "Taiwanese" in the office's name.

The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was opened in the nation's capital Vilnius, with Eric Huang (???), currently Taiwan's chief of Mission in Latvia, appointed as the nation's first representative to Lithuania, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced in a press release.

According to MOFA, the new office will facilitate bilateral cooperation in various fields, including semiconductors, lasers and fintech. Its opening will "charter a new and promising course for bilateral relations between Taiwan and Lithuania."

The new office will take over, with immediate effect, the responsibility of promoting relations between Taiwan and the Baltic state, as well as serving and protecting Taiwanese citizens in the country. The Taipei Mission in Latvia was previously responsible for offering such services in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, it added.

However, the opening of the office came against the backdrop of the Baltic state facing increased pressure from Beijing following its decision to open reciprocal representative offices with Taiwan.

Taiwan typically uses "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office" or "Taipei Representative Office" in those countries, likely due to host countries' preference to avoid any semblance of treating Taiwan as a separate country in light of their "one-China" policy.

In response, Beijing, which sees Taiwan and mainland China as part of one country, has sought to impose a political cost on Lithuania for its decision to allow the use of "Taiwanese" in the name of Taiwan's office, seeing such moves as encouraging formal independence.

In addition to recalling its ambassador from Vilnius and expelling the Lithuanian ambassador from Beijing, China has introduced retaliatory sanctions, including the suspension of direct freight train services to the Baltic state.

Despite facing strong pressure from Beijing, the Lithuanian government said it will stick to its decision.

Lithuania economy and innovation minister Aušrine Armonaite announced last month that Lithuania's representative office in Taiwan is scheduled to open in early 2022.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel