December 2021

Arrest of Migrant Worker Visa Overstayer Likely to Discourage Others From Being Vaccinated

Brian Hioe
Efforts to vaccinate undocumented migrant workers or migrant workers who have left their employers and overstayed their visas in Taiwan are likely to encounter difficulties after police arrested a migrant worker from the Philippines who had overstayed her visa. This took place after she went to be vaccinated, despite promises by the Central Epidemic Command Center that undocumented migrant workers who wish to be vaccinated can do so without fear of arrest...
December 2021EnglishPolitics6 min read

In Unusual Move, Murder Suspect that Fled to China to be Extradited to Taiwan

Brian Hioe
A criminal suspect surnamed Huang who fled to China from Taiwan earlier this month will be extradited in an agreement between Taiwan and China. The deportation proves an unusual incident at a time in which cross-strait relations between Taiwan and China are poor, probably signaling that the Chinese government did not think it could gain anything politically from the incident...
December 2021EnglishPolitics7 min read

The New German Coalition’s Taiwan Policy Brings New Opportunities

C.H. Tan
Two months after Germans went to the polls, a new coalition has finally been agreed to, made up of parliament members of the Socialist Democratic Party of German, the Green Party, and the Free Democratic Party. Nicknamed the “Traffic Light Coalition,” due to the fact that the colors of each party resemble the colors of traffic lights in Germany (Red, Green, and Yellow); Taiwan was specifically mentioned in their coalition statement...
December 2021EnglishPolitics7 min read

Taipei-Shanghai Forum Indicates Attempts by China to Politically Pressure Taiwanese Companies

Brian Hioe
The annual Taipei-Shanghai Forum took place online for the second year in a row, given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to past years, there was probably less fanfare than before. This is not only because of the online format, but because of the way that the forum is tied to Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je’s political career, as a Ko initiative. That being said, there was some controversy about the cost of the 1,390,000 NT expense of the forum, when it was expected that the forum would be cheaper this year due to the online format...
Cross StraitDecember 2021EnglishInternational6 min read

COVID Insurance Required for Migrant Workers in New Regulations

Brian Hioe
A new requirement that took effect starting on December 1st requires migrant workers to have COVID-19 insurance before they will be allowed to enter Taiwan, which will be paid for by their employer. As with other inbound travelers, migrant workers will be required to quarantine for fourteen days after entry. But while, in theory, this should insure migrant workers so that they have coverage in the event that they have COVID-19 when they enter Taiwan, the possibility remains that employers will try to pass the costs onto migrant workers...
December 2021EnglishLaborSocial Movements5 min read