October 24: According to Italy's
Corriere della Sera, China is putting pressure on the Holy See to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan to establish diplomatic ties with the mainland. The Holy See insisted on establishing an embassy in Beijing first before discussing Taiwan-Vatican relations. The mainland did not yield on this issue, and the talks fell into deadlock.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu led a 65-member economic and trade delegation to visit Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Brussels, Belgium. Minister Wu attended by video conference an Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China meeting. According to observers, Italian media revealing that talks between mainland China and the Holy See about establishing diplomatic relations is to counter Wu's foreign visit.
October 26: This year marks the 50th anniversary of Resolution No. 2758 of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement and posted on Twitter supporting Taiwan's international participation. He emphasized that Taiwan is an important partner of the United States and a success story of democracy. Taiwan should participate meaningfully in the UN system. According to Blinken, this is not a political but a pragmatic issue. The United States encourages all countries to join the ranks of supporting Taiwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated that Secretary Blinken's remarks once again demonstrates the strong American support for Taiwan, which is greatly significant. MOFA expresses its sincere gratitude.
October 27: While he served as chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT), former President Ma Ying-jeou sold various companies belonging to the party below market value. Ma has been prosecuted for more than three years for charges of breach of trust and other crimes.
The court ruled that the prosecution did not produce enough evidence, and former President Ma received a verdict of not guilty. The court held that the KMT was required by the Cable Radio and Television Act to withdraw from the media, so a business decision was made to sell Central Motion Picture Corporation (CMPC), Central Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC), and China Television Company (CTV). Moreover, numerous audio files of meetings held by the prosecutors do not fully correspond to the facts, so it was difficult to use as criminal evidence as intended by the prosecution.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office stated that there is a high probability that it would appeal. Mr. Ma issued a statement thanking the judiciary for verifying his innocence.
October 29: A serious building fire in Kaohsiung on October 14 claimed 46 lives. The Kaohsiung City Government announced on October 27 that the directors-general of the municipal Fire Bureau and Public Works Bureau have been permitted to resign. A 68-page investigative report was released on October 29, directing the responsibility for the fire to the lack of drive of the two bureaus. The KMT criticized Mayor Chen Chi-mai for evasion and negligence, shifting responsibility to two directors-general who had already stepped down.
October 29: In her first press conference in the morning, Director Sandra Oudkirk of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) stated that security of the Indo-Pacific region and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are consistent with American interests. China's continued destabilization of the Taiwan Strait has caused deep concern to the United States. The United States will continue to help Taiwan maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities. Director Oudkirk also stated that U.S.-Taiwan relations has four major elements, including maintaining security cooperation, expanding economic partnership, maintaining Taiwan's international space, and strengthening the friendship between the American and Taiwanese peoples.
October 29: The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that epidemic prevention measures will be greatly loosened starting November 2, and people may sing karaoke without wearing a mask and may eat while watching movies, taking the train and passenger transportation. Congregations will no longer be restricted by number, and places like dance studios, bars, karaoke, and night clubs will gradually reopen with conditions.
The CECC also announced that the first case of the sub-variant strain AY.4.2, commonly known as Delta+, had been observed in Taiwan. The case was a British male who was tested positive after entering at a centralized quarantine location. He previously received two doses of BioNTech vaccine. He is currently hospitalized and does not pose a threat to the community.
October 29: In preparation for the referendum held on December 18, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held its first campaign briefing in Taoyuan. President Tsai Ing-wen and Premier Su Tseng-chang took turns on stage. In addition to urging the people to vote "no" on the four referendum questions, they shifted the responsibility of political disarray to the KMT.
Chairman Eric Chu of the KMT stated that the referendum is completely unrelated to partisan contest. It is the people expressing their opinion on issues concerning the public's livelihood. The KMT has called for voting yes on all four referendum questions, pitching the referendum as a vote of no confidence on the ruling party.
