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The main story from the past week was the horrific tragedy of a fire aboard a tour bus that claimed the lives of a tour group from mainland China. All 24 members of a tour party from Liaoning Province in northeast China perished along with their local bus driver and tour guide when their bus caught fire on Tuesday. The group was completing an eight-day tour of Taiwan and was bound for Taoyuan International Airport to board their flight home when the tragedy occurred.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation and several key questions have yet to be answered, chief among them why the bus’s emergency exit could not be opened. Family members of the victims arrived in Taiwan on Thursday and were reported to be angry at the lack of information available to them about how their family members died.
The tragedy has given cause for reflection on safety issues in Taiwan’s tourism industry. Premier Lin Chuan has asked the government to look into dangerous cost-cutting by tour operators offering cheap packages for Chinese tourists. Reports in Chinese state media meanwhile were scathing in their reports on the incident, claiming that the country’s tourists face greater danger of death or injury when visiting Taiwan than other destinations.
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Also this past week, Premier Lin Chuan praised police for cracking the case of an international computer hacking ring. 16 foreign nationals from six countries are known to have been involved in the hacking ring. Police say that the ring hacked into First Bank’s computer program and stole more than NT$83 million (US$2.6 million) from dozens of ATMs over a three-day spree. Police have been able to retrieve more than NT$60 million (US$1.89 million) of the stolen money. 13 of the suspects have already left Taiwan. The remaining three, including the main suspect, have been arrested.
In related news, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said it is planning to introduce Western-style training to enhance the finance industry’s ability to prevent fraud.
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And finally this past week, major global media outlets have released at least 40 reports about Taiwan’s response to the recent Hague Tribunal ruling on the South China Sea. The Cabinet says it has worked through various channels to publicize Taiwan’s stance on the ruling.
On July 12, the Hague Tribunal ruled against China in a case brought by the Philippines over disputes in the South China Sea. Though Taiwan was not a party to the case, the government is unhappy with result of the case, especially the court’s ruling on the status of Taiping Island.
Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands, is administered from Taipei. In its ruling, the Hague Tribunal said that Taiping Island is a rock under international law. Taiwan has rejected the court’s ruling.
According to the Cabinet on Monday, international media outlets including CNN, the Washington Times, Reuters, AFP, and Bloomberg have all reported on Taiwan’s reaction to the ruling. The Cabinet also says that media outlets from Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines have also given coverage to the government’s reaction to the ruling.