Xi Jinping awkwardly takes praise for his “Toilet Revolution” policy

Xi Jinping at plenary session of national people's congress, March 2021

March 9, 2021March 9, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China, Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping appeared to squirm a little embarrassedly when a representative heaped praise on the paramount leader for his thoughtful “Toilet Revolution” policy, at the fourth session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), yesterday, Monday, March 8. Xi was attending a forum for deputies of the National People’s Congress when a female representative made flattering remarks about the policy, perhaps unaware of the controversies that have hounded implementation of the grand

police officers retrain and arrest armed suspect

Violent Crimes

March 7, 2021March 7, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment gangsters, shooting, Taipei City, Wanhua District

A gangster with a history of firearms offences fired one shot at police in an attempt to evade arrest after being ambushed in Wanhua District, Taipei City today, March 7. Banqiao District police went to Wanhua District to arrest the 47-year-old Four Seas Gang member, named Chen, after receiving intelligence that he would be visiting friends at noon today. Nine police officers, in plain clothes, positioned themselves around a building on the corner of Xining South Road and Kaifeng Street.

Travel and Tourism

March 7, 2021March 7, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Palau

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) have confirmed that tourism travel will soon be possible between Palau and Taiwan. Various media outlets are quoting tourism industry sources saying that President Surangel Whipps Jr will visit Taiwan to make the announcement March 15. MOFA confirmed today, March 7 that it welcomes the President of Palau to visit Taiwan after the launch of the “safe travel circle,” but refused to confirm date for the visit.

International

March 5, 2021March 5, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Hong Kong

Statements at a press conference ahead of today’s March 5 meeting of China’s National People’s Congress suggest that changes will be made to Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure that only Chinese patriots will be eligible for election in the “Special Administrative Region.” The changes will help align the former British colony with Xi Jinping Thought. On the agenda will be “improvements” to help Hong Kong’s election system “keep up with the times,” and provide a guarantee for the comprehensive

firefighters rescuing workers trapped under rebar

Health and Safety

March 4, 2021March 4, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment industrial-accident, Kaohsiung City, workplace-safety

One person died, and four others are injured, one in a critical condition, after a stack of rebar collapsed on a construction site in Kaohsiung City’s Gushan District this morning, March 4. At 9:20 am, five workers were tying rebar five floors underground when a stack of three-meter high rebar collapsed like dominoes for a length of between 40 and 50 meters, leaving two people trapped. Three others were injured but managed to extricate themselves from the tangle of steel

Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon

Military Affairs

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment air-force, Australia, East China Sea

A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was operating in airspace over the East China Sea today, according to a Chinese think tank that monitors aircraft movements in the area. China’s semi-official South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) posted a map of the aircraft’s flight trajectory on Twitter today, observing that is was “unusual to see an Australian P-8A operating over the East China Sea.” The Australian Department of Defense (DoD) announced the aircraft’s deployment in the

Violent Crimes

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021 Phillip Charlier 2 Comments gangsters, Kaohsiung City, police shooting

A suspect being investigated for a kidnapping and ransom case was declared dead in hospital after being shot several times during a shootout with police in Kaohsiung City this morning, March 2. Police from Chiayi City Police Department, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, and Kaohsiung City Police Department were investigating a 57-year-old man named Lee, who is suspected of masterminding the kidnapping and ransom of a wealthy businessman in Chiayi City in January. Lee was driving a white BMW SUV near

firefighters at site of plane crash on house in Jiangxi Province, China, March 1, 2021

International

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment China, plane crash

Five people died, and one person was injured after a plane engaged in cloud-seeding operations crashed into houses in Jianxi Province, China, Monday, March 1. All five people aboard the aircraft died, while a resident of one of three houses affected by the crash suffered minor injuries. According to Chinese language media reports, a twin-turboprop Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft, registered B-10GD, belonging to Great Northern wilderness General Aviation Company (中國北大荒通用航空公司) crashed in a residential area of Ji’an County at

Sport

March 1, 2021March 1, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment basketball, racism, UBA

National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) basketball team players have apologized after one of their team members used a racial slur against a Senegalese-Taiwanese player during a University Basketball Association (UBA) game on Saturday, February 27. At the end of the fourth quarter of a close quarterfinal game, players from NTNU and Shih Hsin University (SHU) got into a heated quarrel during which, an NTNU player, allegedly called Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga (阿巴西) “n****r.” According to EBC Sports, the game was

Environment

March 1, 2021March 1, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment fire, New Taipei City, pollution

A fire at a landfill site in New Taipei City’s Bali District has been burning for more than 30 hours, and foul-smelling smoke has been reported as far away as Zhonghe District. The fire was first reported at the New Taipei City Environmental Protection Bureau landfill site at 7:00 am yesterday, and although flames have been doused, the pile of garbage continues to smolder this afternoon, March 1. Residents of Luzhou, Linkou, Wanhua, Banqiao, Yonghe, and Zhonghe districts have reported

President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Su Tseng-chang, and President of Legislative Yuan You Si-kun attend 2021 February 28 Peace Memorial Day ceremony

Society

February 28, 2021February 28, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment 228, February 28, Peace Memorial Day

President of the Legislative Yuan, You Si-kun (游錫堃) said that he hopes today’s February 28 Peace Memorial Day will revive the historical memories of the Taiwanese people, and let people understand better, and cherish Taiwan’s hard-won democratic achievements. You took to Facebook to make his plea, after attending today’s 74th anniversary of the February 28 incident. “Democracy does not fall from the sky,” You said. Comparing recent events in Hong Kong, including the enactment of the National Security Act, with

Author: Phillip Charlier

Xi Jinping awkwardly takes praise for his “Toilet Revolution” policy

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“Patriots” will replace “the people” governing Hong Kong, to align with Xi Jinping Thought

Rebar collapse on Kaohsiung City construction site leaves 1 dead, 4 injured

Australian air force plane spotted operating over East China Sea

Gangster dead after shootout with cops in Kaohsiung City

Plane crash in China’s Jiangxi Province leaves 5 dead, one injured

Players apologize after N-word used during UBA basketball spat

Landfill fire spreads pollution over Greater Taipei Districts

“Democracy does not fall from the sky:” Taiwan’s democratic achievements remembered on 228 Peace Memorial Day