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One of the top stories from this past week was that Taiwan has confirmed with the World Health Organization (WHO) that it will participate in the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva as an observer. That was the word from foreign ministry spokesperson Eleanor Wang on Tuesday.
Taiwan finally received the invitation from the WHO on Monday. The long-awaited invitation had spurred speculation that China was trying to prevent Taiwan from participating just days after the presidential inauguration later this month. That’s because incoming President Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has long been seen as wary of China.
But the invitation contained language that the incoming administration is not happy with, including references to the UN resolution that paved the way in 1971 for the “China” seat in the UN to be taken from Taipei and given to Beijing.
Wang said that in the government letter responding to the WHO, current Health Minister Chiang Been-huang wrote that Taiwan will be represented by incoming health minister Lin Tzou-yien at the WHA. Chiang said the letter also emphasized that President Ma Ying-jeou affirms the 1992 Consensus. The consensus was agreed by representatives of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait that there is only one China with each side free to interpret what that means.
Meanwhile, Chiang said Tsai’s incoming administration also sent its own letter in response to the WHO invitation.
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Also this past week, the foreign ministry said late Thursday that it will continue to communicate with the European Union about Taiwan’s use of the death penalty. That’s after the EU representative office issued a statement following the execution of Taipei Metro killer Cheng Chieh.
The European Economic and Trade Office repeated the EU’s opposition to capital punishment and said the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent. The statement urged Taiwan to immediately suspend the execution of death row prisoners.
Cheng Chieh, a student, killed four and injured 21 in a random stabbing frenzy on the Taipei Metro in 2014. His execution was carried out on Tuesday. This was just 18 days after the death penalty was handed down and while his lawyers were planning to appeal. This prompted speculation that Cheng’s execution was a political move to appease public sentiment before the outgoing government leaves office on May 20.
The death penalty has overwhelming public support in Taiwan. Family members of Cheng’s victims said they’re satisfied that justice had been done.
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And finally, this past week, Foxconn Technology Group Chairman Terry Gou sent out an open letter announcing plans to lay off staff at the newly acquired Sharp Corporation.
Foxconn, Taiwan’s leading manufacturer of consumer electronics, acquired 66% of Sharp’s stock for US$3.5 billion in early April and assumed management control.
Sharp has registered a deficit of US$2.35 billion for the current fiscal year, up from US$2.22 billion last year. Gou published a public letter to all employees following the release of the latest annual report. Gou said he has to streamline the company’s staff to increase productivity. He has not specified how many layoffs there will be.