Taiwan: Reflection on Japan Earthquake · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
When the 5th strongest earthquake ever recorded hit Japan yesterday, Taiwanese were also shocked. Taiwan and Japan share a lot of geological similarity and both countries are very vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquake and typhoon. The 921 earthquake that took 2,415 lives in 1999 and permanently changed Taiwan geological structure, remains vivid in most people's memory.
While reading the live-updates on the Japan earthquake and tsunami from Twitter, apart from expressing their sympathy to their neighbor, Taiwanese netizens also reflect upon their own disaster alert and relief system. Below is a selection of  Tweeters's immediate responses and reactions:
briian:
日本強烈地震後的馬路比台灣還平 +1
kengao says:
沒打算刻意去比較，可是我們這種每年都要來個幾次瘋狂大天災(我說的是颱風)的，其實沒必要一直想著人家這種災害發生在我們這會有多慘多惡劣，我寧可相信這塊土地和人民都是足夠堅強的
But he also alerts:
地震包急難包你準備好了嗎？面對現實，這是一個超級擅長遺忘的國家。
gcaataiwan:
位在地震頻繁與斷層遍佈的台灣，地震的高風險與核能安全間的關聯問題，實在沒有條件讓我們輕忽。台灣核電廠，先天上耐震設計已較美、日兩國為低，營運者面對地震對核電廠的威脅，卻滿是鴕鳥心態。
torrentpien asks:
這是不是動用第二預備金啊？”總統：1億元助日 救難隊待命 – 中央社即時新聞”
Now that Taiwanese netizens are exposed to a diversity of overseas news and first hand updates channeled through social media, they are getting more and more critical of the mainstream Taiwanese news reports:
tzangms said:
看著新聞幾乎每台報導一會後就會說: 「似乎就跟電影所預言的一樣」 幹, 你們是娛樂台是嗎?
irrenhaeusler compares the Germany's news coverage with Taiwan's:
德國兩家公共電視的晚間新聞因為報導日本大地震而延長播出時間，其中一半篇幅關注福島核電廠的安全。台灣的電視新聞好像除了用各種方式告訴觀眾地震很可怕日本人很慘以外，到現在還不知道該把重點劃在哪裡。
Subing:
要捐錢我會直接捐給日本在台協會 決對不會捐給各家電視台跟慈濟
MrFriday:
我好怪，看那麼多災難照片都覺得還好，但看到這篇日本人如何防震災的努力卻有點想掉淚 “Japan’s response to quake offers lessons to the world” http://t.co/9IRThBR
thecarol adds:
最必須祈福致敬的，是那些冒著必死決心留下來搶救的工作人員！ RT @FNN_News: 政府、福島第2原発についても原子力災害緊急事態宣言　半径3km圏内の住民に避難指示　http://fnnne.ws/fvTcYK #FNN
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.