International reports praise Taiwan for quick action against coronavirus

Taiwan”s handling of COVID-19 has made the front cover of the “Weekly Chosun,” a leading South Korean magazine. The cover of the latest issue features an image of President Tsai Ing-wen, and the headline “Block China, Learn From Taiwan.” The story inside praises the swift and decisive steps Taiwan took to contain the coronavirus after China”s outbreak. On Thursday afternoon, President Tsai carried out an inspection of face mask production lines in New Taipei City’s Wugu District.Tsai Ing-wenPresidentTo be honest, I am very happy. I’m glad we’ve been able to deepen the world’s impression of Taiwan. The whole world has come to feel that Taiwan’s government makes decisions quickly and that it takes preemptive action. So many countries see us as a model for epidemic containment. Now in the second stage of our efforts, we will flex our manufacturing capabilities. It turns out that Taiwan is so capable that it’s able to do half a year’s work in 25 days. I believe that once word gets out, Taiwanese manufacturing will become even more renowned in the world. Although Taiwan is not a big country, and although the scale of our industries is not large, what we can accomplish when we marshal our forces is truly extraordinary. Everyone here is part of the national team. Today the leaders of this country have come here to express gratitude to all of you on the national team.In recent days, experts in several countries have taken notice of Taiwan’s preventative measures.It’s the cover of a South Korean news magazine. The headline reads: “Block China. Learn from Taiwan.” The story praises Taiwan for its border restrictions and face mask policy.Japan’s All-Nippon News Network covered the story of a map Taiwan made to show the status of mask supplies. The report put Japan’s tech minister on the defensive, as lawmakers asked if Japan would be able to do the same.Ishibashi MichihiroJapanese lawmakerOur neighboring Taiwan created a mask map that indicates where masks are being sold. I want to ask our government whether it can use information technology to deliver sufficient information to our citizens in the event of an emergency.Takemoto Naokazu Japan science and technology ministerWith regard to inventory management and message conveying in the event of an emergency, we intend to contact the relevant units and discuss this. That is where we are now.Takemoto’s reply was ambiguous at best, and it drew a negative response from the lawmakers. Lin Hung-yiTaiwan academic in JapanIn Japan, decisions are made by the group, which is to say no one makes decisions. The Liberal Democratic Party has dominated for many years. We’ve seen their parliament members rotate through a range of administrative roles. Minister Takemoto misspoke to an extent, exposing the fact that he is not an IT expert. He has played many government roles during his career.Against the virus threat, Taiwan has raced to keep a step ahead. Officials are working to consolidate governmental, industrial, and academic resources to keep the epidemic contained.