Vice President Chen takes part in videoconference with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-News releases-News & activities｜Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

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2020-04-25

中文

Vice President Chen takes part in videoconference with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Speaking from the Presidential Office yesterday evening, Vice President Chen Chien-jen participated in a videoconference at the invitation of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, joined by Bloomberg School Dean Ellen J. MacKenzie and American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Taipei Office Director Brent Christensen.

With Dean MacKenzie as program host and Director Christensen acting as moderator, Vice President Chen delivered a speech entitled "Taiwan Model: Response to COVID-19" and responded to questions from Dean MacKenzie.

The following is a summary of the videoconference proceedings:

Thank you very much Dean MacKenzie and Director Christensen. It is my pleasure and honor to share Taiwan's response to COVID-19 with you.

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) learned from online sources that at least seven atypical pneumonia cases were reported in Wuhan on December 31 last year, so we immediately sent reporting e-mails to inform the WHO and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). We considered the clustering of atypical pneumonia cases in Wuhan to be a serious, sudden, unusual, and accidental event which required immediate attention and action by the WHO and the China CDC.

We have embedded the concepts of prudent action, rapid response, and early deployment into our epidemic prevention system. We started on-board quarantine of passengers on direct flights from Wuhan. We strengthened the suspected case reporting and hospital infection control of the healthcare system in Taiwan on January 2. An Advisory Committee on Atypical Pneumonia in China was organized on January 5, and a Level 1 travel notice for Wuhan was announced on January 7 when the causal agent of the new disease was named 2019-nCoV by the WHO.

The emerging infectious disease was announced as a Class 5 Infectious Disease by Taiwan's CDC on January 15, to give a warning to all healthcare institutions and the general public when the WHO and China's CDC claimed limited human-to-human transmission of 2019-nCoV. We activated our Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on January 20. President Tsai Ing-wen held an Emergency Meeting of our National Security Council to integrate and coordinate inter-ministry efforts for the containment of the COVID-19 outbreak, financial relief, and economic stimulus.

Our rapid response to COVID-19 is based on experiences in the containment of SARS in 2003 and the H1N1 pandemic flu in 2009. Our strategies include optimal border quarantine, enforcement of 14-day home isolation/quarantine, mobilization of the healthcare system for infectious diseases, adequate supply of PPEs and other medical materials, and the rapid announcement of travel alerts and warnings.

We held daily CECC press conferences to provide transparent information, health education, and risk management. We encouraged people to maintain appropriate social distance and avoid large-scale gatherings. Financial relief and economic stimulus are also essential in the effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. We are collaborating with the USA and European countries to develop rapid diagnostics, antivirals, and vaccines. Last but not the least is international collaboration. No country can fight against COVID-19 alone. We cannot stand by when many countries are in crisis.

Since the first case was confirmed on January 21 in Taiwan, as of April 24, there were 428 confirmed cases and 6 deaths. Among confirmed cases, 55 are indigenous; 343 are imported; 30 are Navy fleet members. The surveillance data of COVID-19 is shown on the diagram on the left; more than 59,000 reported suspected cases were tested. The epidemic curve is shown on the diagram on the right. The first small peak in late January included cases from China, and most cases in the second peak in mid-March were imported from Europe and the USA.

This timeline shows the measures of border control in Taiwan. Our CECC raised the travel notice for Wuhan to Level 3 on January 21 and for all countries on March 21. Temporary prohibition from entering Taiwan was implemented for Chinese nationals on February 6, Hong Kong and Macao on February 11, and all countries on March 19.

We implemented a series of quarantine measures for inbound travelers, which include health checks and quarantine hotel booking before boarding, onboard quarantine and health statements, home quarantine notices using mobile phones, fever screening and symptom checks at the airport and home, designated taxis or rental cars for local transportation, as well as home or hotel quarantine for 14 days.

All inbound travelers are subject to home quarantine for 14 days after entering Taiwan, while close contacts of confirmed cases are isolated at home for 14 days. They are requested to stay at home or a designated place. Local civil and health officers actively monitor quarantined and isolated persons once or twice a day. We use an electronic security monitoring system to track the location and health status of people subject to home quarantine or isolation.

We apply innovative technology to implement several home quarantine/isolation-related systems. The Quarantine System for Entry is used to report personal TOCC, i.e., travel history, occupation, contact history and clustering; the Home Quarantine Tracking System is used to provide care and support to quarantined or isolated persons; the Line Bot System, called the "Disease Containment Expert," is used to report personal health status and request medical consultation and healthcare services; and the Digital Fencing Tracking System works to alert those leaving the range of quarantine/isolation.

We provide a series of care and support services to persons in home quarantine or isolation by local governments. The services include a 24/7 hotline for consultation, family visits, meal delivery, garbage collection, and support for settlement as well as healthcare arrangements. Quarantined persons with suspected symptoms are sent to a designated hospital by ambulance, while medical care is arranged for those with non-suspected symptoms.

The CECC announced social distancing measures on April 1 to encourage the general public to maintain social distance. People are requested to keep a person-to-person distance of 1.5 meters indoors and 1 meter outdoors. People are also encouraged to wear masks in crowded areas. Reduction in person flow in temples, national parks, hotels, night markets, and shopping areas is also recommended.

This slide shows how the general public voluntarily practices social distancing. People keep a distance from each other in public transportation stations, primary school students and food court customers eat together using a clapboard or plastic board, and people wait in a queue for takeaway.

We have organized a national mask team to expand 92 production lines for manufacturing face masks and requisitioned a total of 73 manufacturing companies, as of April 16. The average daily production of surgical face masks has increased from 1.9 million in January to 16 million in April through integrating raw materials, machines, and production lines, as well as ensuring a stable power supply.

In addition to increasing mask production, we allocate masks to every citizen using National Health Insurance cards to allow individuals to purchase masks at pharmacies. An online name-based distribution system has also been implemented for people to order online, pay by credit card/ATM, and get masks at over 10,000 convenient stores, such as 7-11 or FamilyMart.

We arranged charter flights to evacuate Taiwanese citizens from Wuhan, China and Yokohama, Japan. When they arrived in Taiwan, they were required to disinfect their hands and carry-on baggage, and undergo fever screening and a health assessment. When the passengers had symptoms, an ambulance was arranged to send them to a hospital for further examination. Passengers with two negative test results were sent for group quarantine by bus. All luggage, aircraft, buses, and ambulances were disinfected. More than 1,400 evacuees have returned to Taiwan safely.

We donated over 17 million surgical masks in April to the United States, European countries, Japan, and diplomatic allies to support medical personnel in containing COVID-19. We are also collaborating with the USA and EU countries to develop rapid diagnostics, antivirals, and vaccines. Together, we are helping each other to contain COVID-19 around the world.

President Tsai convened a high-level national security meeting on March 12 and announced proactive measures to boost Taiwan's economic momentum and vitality. We allocated a budget of NT$1.05 trillion for epidemic control, financial relief, and economic vitality; shifted spending priorities to emergency measures; increased government investments and procurement to expand domestic demand; accelerated private investment and maintained foreign exchange market stability and stock market momentum.

Taiwan's response to contain the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely recognized for its rapid mobilization, swift decision-making, thorough implementation, coordinated resource distribution, transparent information, and use of advanced technology. Taiwan is willing to share its experiences with other countries and continue to support medical personnel in seriously affected countries. I would like to assure everyone that "Taiwan can help! Taiwan is helping!" and is answering an urgent call for greater international cooperation.

In her remarks, Dean MacKenzie said that the Bloomberg School of Public Health and Taiwan have a long history of close cooperation, and she was very happy to invite Vice President Chen to share Taiwan's disease prevention experiences via videoconference.

Dean MacKenzie noted that Vice President Chen graduated from Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health with a Doctor of Science degree in epidemiology and human genetics, and he has made many contributions in academia, public health, scientific research, and government. He has also used his expertise in public health to help fight the 2003 SARS outbreak and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, she said.

In his remarks, Director Christensen said that the United States and Taiwan issued a joint statement a few weeks ago pledging to strengthen cooperation to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Especially in times like these, he said, cooperation gives US-Taiwan relations a new significance, and as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said in a Tweet, "During tough times, real friends stick together."

Director Christensen stated that the "Taiwan Model" for preventing the spread of COVID-19 is an example that countries around the world can learn from, and Taiwan has actively used its own experience and capabilities to help others. He then cited Taiwan's donation of face masks to countries worldwide facing shortages of surgical face masks to protect frontline medical personnel, including the US.

Director Christensen also said that the videoconference would show that Taiwan is a reliable cooperative partner that can share its professional knowledge and resources with governments, universities, and public health agencies in countries around the world. The United States, he said, hopes to cooperate with Taiwan and work together to promote the Taiwan Model for fighting pandemics. In an article in the April 16 edition of Time magazine, President Tsai Ing-wen said that Taiwan's success is "no coincidence," and that the most fundamental element of that model is transparency, both toward the Taiwan public and the international community. Director Christensen expressed his belief that the Taiwan Model is the world's most effective model and the product of a democratic system.

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Vice President Chen Chien-jen participates in a videoconference at the invitation of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Vice President Chen participates in a videoconference at the invitation of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Vice President Chen delivers a speech entitled "Taiwan Model: Response to COVID-19" and responds to questions from Dean MacKenzie.

Vice President Chen delivers a speech entitled "Taiwan Model: Response to COVID-19."

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2021-11-13

Presidential Office holds press conference following 2021 APEC meetings

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中文

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中文

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中文

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On the afternoon of March 13, President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level national security meeting, following which he held a press conference. In remarks, President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth. President Lai emphasized that in the face of increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and expressed hope that all citizens unite in solidarity to resist being divided. The president also expressed hope that citizens work together to increase media literacy, organize and participate in civic education activities, promptly expose concerted united front efforts, and refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, he said, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: At many venues recently, a number of citizens have expressed similar concerns to me. They have noticed cases in which members of the military, both active-duty and retired, have been bought out by China, sold intelligence, or even organized armed forces with plans to harm their own nation and its citizens. They have noticed cases in which entertainers willingly followed instructions from Beijing to claim that their country is not a country, all for the sake of personal career interests. They have noticed how messaging used by Chinese state media to stir up internal opposition in Taiwan is always quickly spread by specific channels. There have even been individuals making careers out of helping Chinese state media record united front content, spreading a message that democracy is useless and promoting skepticism toward the United States and the military to sow division and opposition. Many people worry that our country, as well as our hard-won freedom and democracy and the prosperity and progress we achieved together, are being washed away bit by bit due to these united front tactics. In an analysis of China’s united front, renowned strategic scholar Kerry K. Gershaneck expressed that China plans to divide and conquer us through subversion, infiltration, and acquisition of media, and by launching media warfare, psychological warfare, and legal warfare. What they are trying to do is to sow seeds of discord in our society, keep us occupied with internal conflicts, and cause us to ignore the real threat from outside. China’s ambition over the past several decades to annex Taiwan and stamp out the Republic of China has not changed for even a day. It continues to pursue political and military intimidation, and its united front infiltration of Taiwan’s society grows ever more serious. In 2005, China promulgated its so-called “Anti-Secession Law,” which makes using military force to annex Taiwan a national undertaking. Last June, China issued a 22-point set of “guidelines for punishing Taiwan independence separatists,” which regards all those who do not accept that “Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China” as targets for punishment, creating excuses to harm the people of Taiwan. China has also recently been distorting United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, showing in all aspects China’s increasingly urgent threat against Taiwan’s sovereignty. Lately, China has been taking advantage of democratic Taiwan’s freedom, diversity, and openness to recruit gangs, the media, commentators, political parties, and even active-duty and retired members of the armed forces and police to carry out actions to divide, destroy, and subvert us from within. A report from the National Security Bureau indicates that 64 persons were charged last year with suspicion of spying for China, which was three times the number of persons charged for the same offense in 2021. Among them, the Unionist Party, Rehabilitation Alliance Party, and Republic of China Taiwan Military Government formed treasonous organizations to deploy armed forces for China. In a democratic and free society, such cases are appalling. But this is something that actually exists within Taiwan’s society today. China also actively plots ways to infiltrate and spy on our military. Last year, 28 active-duty and 15 retired members of the armed forces were charged with suspicion of involvement in spying for China, respectively comprising 43 percent and 23 percent of all of such cases – 66 percent in total. We are also alert to the fact that China has recently used widespread issuance of Chinese passports to entice Taiwanese citizens to apply for the Residence Permit for Taiwan Residents, permanent residency, or the Resident Identity Card, in an attempt to muddle Taiwanese people’s sense of national identity. China also views cross-strait exchanges as a channel for its united front against Taiwan, marking enemies in Taiwan internally, creating internal divisions, and weakening our sense of who the enemy really is. It intends to weaken public authority and create the illusion that China is “governing” Taiwan, thereby expanding its influence within Taiwan. We are also aware that China has continued to expand its strategy of integrated development with Taiwan. It employs various methods to demand and coerce Taiwanese businesses to increase their investments in China, entice Taiwanese youth to develop their careers in China, and unscrupulously seeks to poach Taiwan’s talent and steal key technologies. Such methods impact our economic security and greatly increase the risk of our young people heading to China. By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a “foreign hostile force” as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act. We have no choice but to take even more proactive measures, which is my purpose in convening this high-level national security meeting today. It is time we adopt proper preventive measures, enhance our democratic resilience and national security, and protect our cherished free and democratic way of life. Next, I will be giving a detailed account of the five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces and the 17 major strategies we have prepared in response. I. Responding to China’s threats to our national sovereignty We have a nation insofar as we have sovereignty, and we have the Republic of China insofar as we have Taiwan. Just as I said during my inaugural address last May, and in my National Day address last October: The moment when Taiwan’s first democratically elected president took the oath of office in 1996 sent a message to the international community, that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent, democratic nation. Among people here and in the international community, some call this land the Republic of China, some call it Taiwan, and some, the Republic of China Taiwan. The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and Taiwan resists any annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty. The future of the Republic of China Taiwan must be decided by its 23 million people. This is the status quo that we must maintain. The broadest consensus in Taiwanese society is that we must defend our sovereignty, uphold our free and democratic way of life, and resolutely oppose annexation of Taiwan by China. (1) I request that the National Security Council (NSC), the Ministry of National Defense (MND), and the administrative team do their utmost to promote the Four Pillars of Peace action plan to demonstrate the people’s broad consensus and firm resolve, consistent across the entirety of our nation, to oppose annexation of Taiwan by China. (2) I request that the NSC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs draft an action plan that will, through collaboration with our friends and allies, convey to the world our national will and broad social consensus in opposing annexation of Taiwan by China and in countering China’s efforts to erase Taiwan from the international community and downgrade Taiwan’s sovereignty. II. Responding to China’s threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting our military (1) Comprehensively review and amend our Law of Military Trial to restore the military trial system, allowing military judges to return to the frontline and collaborate with prosecutorial, investigative, and judicial authorities in the handling of criminal cases in which active-duty military personnel are suspected of involvement in such military crimes as sedition, aiding the enemy, leaking confidential information, dereliction of duty, or disobedience. In the future, criminal cases involving active-duty military personnel who are suspected of violating the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces will be tried by a military court. (2) Implement supporting reforms, including the establishment of a personnel management act for military judges and separate organization acts for military courts and military prosecutors’ offices. Once planning and discussion are completed, the MND will fully explain to and communicate with the public to ensure that the restoration of the military trial system gains the trust and full support of society. (3) To deter the various types of controversial rhetoric and behavior exhibited by active-duty as well as retired military personnel that severely damage the morale of our national military, the MND must discuss and propose an addition to the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces on penalties for expressions of loyalty to the enemy as well as revise the regulations for military personnel and their families receiving retirement benefits, so as to uphold military discipline. III. Responding to China’s threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan (1) I request that the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), and other relevant agencies, wherever necessary, carry out inspections and management of the documents involving identification that Taiwanese citizens apply for in China, including: passports, ID cards, permanent residence certificates, and residence certificates, especially when the applicants are military personnel, civil servants, or public school educators, who have an obligation of loyalty to Taiwan. This will be done to strictly prevent and deter united front operations, which are performed by China under the guise of “integrated development,” that attempt to distort our people’s national identity. (2) With respect to naturalization and integration of individuals from China, Hong Kong, and Macau into Taiwanese society, more national security considerations must be taken into account while also attending to Taiwan’s social development and individual rights: Chinese nationals applying for permanent residency in Taiwan must, in accordance with the law of Taiwan, relinquish their existing household registration and passport and may not hold dual identity status. As for the systems in place to process individuals from Hong Kong or Macau applying for residency or permanent residency in Taiwan, there will be additional provisions for long-term residency to meet practical needs. IV. Responding to China’s threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges (1) There are increasing risks involved with travel to China. (From January 1, 2024 to today, the MAC has received reports of 71 Taiwanese nationals who went missing, were detained, interrogated, or imprisoned in China; the number of unreported people who have been subjected to such treatment may be several times that. Of those, three elderly I-Kuan Tao members were detained in China in December of last year and have not yet been released.) In light of this, relevant agencies must raise public awareness of those risks, continue enhancing public communication, and implement various registration systems to reduce the potential for accidents and the risks associated with traveling to China. (2) Implement a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public officials at all levels of the central and local government. This includes everyone from administrative officials to elected representatives, from legislators to village and neighborhood chiefs, all of whom should make the information related to such exchanges both public and transparent so that they can be accountable to the people. The MOI should also establish a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public welfare organizations, such as religious groups, in order to prevent China’s interference and united front activities at their outset. (3) Manage the risks associated with individuals from China engaging in exchanges with Taiwan: Review and approval of Chinese individuals coming to Taiwan should be limited to normal cross-strait exchanges and official interactions under the principles of parity and dignity, and relevant factors such as changes in the cross-strait situation should be taken into consideration. Strict restrictions should be placed on Chinese individuals who have histories with the united front coming to Taiwan, and Chinese individuals should be prohibited from coming to Taiwan to conduct activities related in any way to the united front. (4) Political interference from China and the resulting risks to national security should be avoided in cross-strait exchanges. This includes the review and management of religious, cultural, academic, and education exchanges, which should in principle be depoliticized and de-risked so as to simplify people-to-people exchanges and promote healthy and orderly exchanges. (5) To deter the united front tactics of a cultural nature employed by Chinese nationals to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Executive Yuan must formulate a solution to make our local cultural industries more competitive, including enhanced support and incentives for our film, television, and cultural and creative industries to boost their strengths in democratic cultural creation, raise international competitiveness, and encourage research in Taiwan’s own history and culture. (6) Strengthen guidance and management for entertainers developing their careers in China. The competent authorities should provide entertainers with guidelines on conduct while working in China, and make clear the scope of investigation and response to conduct that endangers national dignity. This will help prevent China from pressuring Taiwanese entertainers to make statements or act in ways that endanger national dignity. (7) The relevant authorities must adopt proactive, effective measures to prevent China from engaging in cognitive warfare against Taiwan or endangering cybersecurity through the internet, applications, AI, and other such tools. (8) To implement these measures, each competent authority must run a comprehensive review of the relevant administrative ordinances, measures, and interpretations, and complete the relevant regulations for legal enforcement. Should there be any shortcomings, the legal framework for national security should be strengthened and amendments to the National Security Act, Anti-Infiltration Act, Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macao Affairs, or Cyber Security Management Act should be proposed. Communication with the public should also be increased so that implementation can happen as soon as possible. V. Responding to threats from China using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth (1) I request that the NSC and administrative agencies work together to carry out strategic structural adjustments to the economic and trade relations between Taiwan and China based on the strategies of putting Taiwan first and expanding our global presence while staying rooted in Taiwan. In addition, they should carry out necessary, orderly adjustments to the flow of talent, goods, money, and skills involved in cross-strait economic and trade relations based on the principle of strengthening Taiwan’s foundations to better manage risk. This will help boost economic security and give us more power to respond to China’s economic and trade united front and economic coercion against Taiwan. (2) I request that the Ministry of Education, MAC, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and other relevant agencies work together to comprehensively strengthen young students’ literacy education on China and deepen their understanding of cross-strait exchanges. I also request these agencies to widely publicize mechanisms for employment and entrepreneurship for Taiwan’s youth and provide ample information and assistance so that young students have more confidence in the nation’s future and more actively invest in building up and developing Taiwan. My fellow citizens, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. History tells us that any authoritarian act of aggression or annexation will ultimately end in failure. The only way we can safeguard freedom and prevail against authoritarian aggression is through solidarity. As we face increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and to ensure that the freedom, democracy, and way of life of Taiwan’s 23 million people continues on as normal. But relying solely on the power of the government is not enough. What we need even more is for all citizens to stay vigilant and take action. Every citizen stands on the frontline of the defense of democracy and freedom. Here is what we can do together: First, we can increase our media literacy, and refrain from spreading and passing on united front messaging from the Chinese state. Second, we can organize and participate in civic education activities to increase our knowledge about united front operations and build up whole-of-society defense resilience. Third, we can promptly expose concerted united front efforts so that all malicious attempts are difficult to carry out. Fourth, we must refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. The vigilance and action of every citizen forms the strongest line of defense against united front infiltration. Only through solidarity can we resist being divided. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us.

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