Headline News
Netherlands adds Taiwan to list of countries with low COVID risk
Following the European Union's decision to lift travel restrictions on passengers from Taiwan on June 18, the Netherlands decided to include Taiwan on its own list of low-risk countries from June 24. On the Dutch government website, Taiwan now appears on its list of "Safe countries with low COVID-19 risk."
Travelers from Taiwan arriving in the Netherlands will therefore no longer be required to present a negative coronavirus test result or to undergo quarantine. From June 24, Taiwan joins 16 other countries outside Europe's Schengen Area which are considered safe.
Taiwan thanks US for vaccine doses donation
The U.S. government’s donation of 2.5 million Moderna vaccine doses is sincerely appreciated by the government and the people of Taiwan. The shipment demonstrates the strength of friendship and bilateral relations between the two sides. As long-term and unwavering partners sharing the values of freedom and respect for human rights, Taiwan and the U.S. are also important allies in the democratic world, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
At the onset of the pandemic, Taiwan shared more than 10 million surgical masks and personal protective equipment with the U.S. As Taiwan continues its COVID-19 fightback, the timely vaccine doses donation shows that the two sides are true friends able to face and overcome adversity, the Ministry added.
On Monday, June 28, Taiwan recorded 60 new COVID-19 infections and 3 deads.
AI-based detection system for COVID-19 approved
Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) system, alongside PCR testing and rapid antigen tests, as a rapid diagnostic tool to detect COVID-19 cases by pinpointing a suspected chest infection on X-ray images.
The technology will be particularly useful in cases of patients with an undiagnosed asymptomatic COVID-19, who visit a doctor with some other ailment. The AI system can read the chest X-ray images and issue an alert if it detects a possible COVID-19 infection.
In addition to speeding up COVID-19 diagnosis and saving manpower, the AI system can also help reduce the incidence of errors.
The AI diagnostic system has been jointly developed by a startup, named Taiwan Medical Imaging Co. and some medical institutions
Economy & Society
Taiwan 8th in IMD world competitiveness rankings
Taiwan emerged as the eighth most competitive economy in the 2021 World Competitiveness Yearbook released by the Institute for Management Development (IMD).
Taiwan moved up three spots to make it into the top ten this year, its best showing since 2013. The annual rankings reveal the performance of 63 economies across the globe based on indicators such as economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.
Taiwan also came first in this year’s rankings among those competitors with a population of over 20 million.
The top ten are Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Singapore, Norway, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the UAE, and the U.S.
Taiwan's electric bicycle exports top traditional bike
Taiwan's exports of electric bicycles surpassed outbound sales of traditional bikes in the first five months of this year, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
Data compiled by MOF shows Taiwan's electric bike exports totaled US$550 million from January-May, up 44.2 percent from a year earlier, compared with US$530 million generated by traditional bike exports, up 38 percent from a year earlier.
Rising tensions between the United States and China prompted foreign electric bike buyers to shift their orders to Taiwan, while a growing awareness of environmental protection issues paved the way for an increase in electric bike shipments, MOF said.
The United States was the largest buyer of Taiwan-made electric bikes, accounting for 39.3 percent of total outbound sales in the five month period, while Europe was the top foreign buyer of traditional bikes from Taiwan, making up 67 percent of the total.
In the five month period, bike component exports from Taiwan totaled US$1.74 billion, up 65.2 percent from a year earlier with Europe the largest buyer, accounting for 53.6 percent of total sales, ahead of the U.S. (14.0 percent) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc (12.0 percent), according to MOF.
