Government

US warship sails through the Strait

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 26, 2019 
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The Ministry of National Defense yesterday confirmed that a US military vessel sailed through the

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam sails in the South China Sea on March 6, 2016.
Photo: AP

Taiwan Strait, the 10th US vessel to make such a transit this year.

The ship entered the Strait from the southwest, heading north, the ministry said in a statement, but did not name the vessel, although Reuters identified it as the USS Antietam.

The passage of the US warship through the Strait constitutes freedom of navigation, the ministry said, adding that the nation’s military monitored the transit and there was no “abnormal activity.”

The ship’s transit through the Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, Reuters said, quoting a statement from US Pacific Fleet spokesman Clay Doss.
[FULL  STORY]

Three KMT legislators on hunger strike

FIVE HOURS?A DPP legislator mocked the KMT’s William Tseng for saying that he would not eat for five hours to protest the rule of ‘no voting twice on the same issue’

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 31, 2017
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih yesterday cheers for KMT

Three KMT legislators on hunger strike

legislators William Tseng, left, Alex Fei, second left, and Lai Shyh-bao, right, who launched a hunger strike outside the Legislative Yuan the night before. Photo: CNA

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), Alex Fai (費鴻泰) and William Tseng (曾銘宗) yesterday continued their hunger strike in protest Gove against what they said was the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) “autocratic” handling of the motions tendered by opposition lawmakers for the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program.

The lawmakers started their hunger strike at 8pm on Tuesday after Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), a DPP member, announced that there would be no voting on the same issue twice.    [FULL  STORY]

Local chiefs apologize for sending children into danger (Video)

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-27
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

As Typhoon Megi is taking dead aim at Taiwan, most local governments announced a full-day school and 6773937office closures for Tuesday, except Yunlin County, Chiayi County/City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City. A video of four school children trying to take shelter behind an electric pole against strong gusts caused by Typhoon Megi went viral. The scene reportedly took place in Chiayi County. Chiayi Magistrate Chang Hwa-kuan offered her apologies to citizens for the decision allowing closures only in the second half of the day, saying she felt sorry to see school children suffering on their way home.

On Tuesday noon, a netizen posted a video on an online gossip forum “Bao-liao-gon-se” with a description saying that the video was shot near Nan Shin Elementary School in Chiayi at noon when school students were walking home from the school. The footage shows that four students, probably aged between 7 and 10, could barely walk against strong gusts and then chose to take shelter behind an electric pole.     [FULL  STORY]

Gov’t braces for Typhoon Nepartak

The China Post
Date: July 7, 2016
By: Christine Chou

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The military mobilized thousands of troops and Premier Lin Chuan (林全) was

A giant floating sculpture of a Red-faced Muscovy Duck is seen as it was being deflated at the county's Carp Lake on Wednesday, July 6. The sculpture was deflated as part of storm preparation measures for Typhoon Nepartak. (CNA/Yuan-Ming Chiao, The China Post)

A giant floating sculpture of a Red-faced Muscovy Duck is seen as it was being deflated at the county’s Carp Lake on Wednesday, July 6. The sculpture was deflated as part of storm preparation measures for Typhoon Nepartak. (CNA/Yuan-Ming Chiao, The China Post)

briefed by emergency response officials Wednesday, as preparations for the approaching Super Typhoon Nepartak ramped into high gear.

The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) issued sea and land warnings for Super Typhoon Nepartak on Wednesday, respectively, at 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The bureau issued a warning to residents of Hualien and Taitung, including the outlying Orchid Island, to remain on the alert and to brace for strong winds and torrential rain by the fast-growing typhoon.

The region’s first named storm of the year is expected to be most strongly felt on Thursday and Friday.

The premier, before being briefed by Central Emergency Response Center officials at the Executive Yuan, urged central and local government agencies to jointly prepare for potential flooding and natural disasters.     [FULL  STORY]

Gou criticizes government for wasting huge sums

The China Post
Date: June 23, 2016
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Terry Gou, one of the richest men in Taiwan who heads the Hon Hai

Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou, right, talks to the press at the firm's shareholders meeting in Taipei on Wednesday, June 22. (CNA)

Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou, right, talks to the press at the firm’s shareholders meeting in Taipei on Wednesday, June 22. (CNA)

business conglomerate, on Wednesday lambasted the government for wasting enormous sums of money on useless projects.

“Half of the government spending is wasted in the wrong places, such as that ‘egg,'” said Gou, apparently referring to the ill-fated multi-billion-dollar Taipei Dome project, for which the construction has been suspended for more than a year.

Gou cited former economics minister Chao Yao-tung as saying that wrong policies are even worse than corruption.

A wrong decision by a government minister could result in losses of billions of dollars, he said.

Gou, chairman of Hon Hai Precision Industry — better known internationally as Foxconn Electronics — was speaking at a meeting of the company’s shareholders. Foxconn is the world’s largest contract maker of electronic devices, including the Apple iPhone.    [FULL  STORY]

Luis Ko advocates against ‘turning on AC only at 28 degrees Celsius’ regulations

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-06-12
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

I-Mei Foods CEO Luis Ko, a devotee to the cause of environmental protection, said on his Facebook 6761237page on Sunday that the government’s measures to ban turning on air conditioning before indoor temperature reaches 28 degrees Celsius in government offices is wrong because the measures did not take into consideration the “relative humidity.”

He urged the government to change the regulations even though the intention is right.

People turn on air conditioning to create a comfortable environment and boost work efficiency; but comfort does not only involve temperature, relative humidity is even more important, Ko said. The human body will feel comfortable in an indoor environment where “the temperature is 30 degrees Celsius and the relative humidity is below 55 percent,” or where “the temperature is 32 degrees Celsius and the relative humidity is below 50 percent,” and in both cases air conditioning is not necessary, Ko added.

When the indoor temperature reaches 28 degrees Celsius, and turning on air conditioning will consume more electricity than bringing down the relative humidity, Ko suggested that in this situation only a few small dehumidifiers are needed to bring the relative humidity below 60 percent to achieve comfortable feeling.     [FULL  STORY]

NTU law professor to head Ministry of Interior

More Cabinet members announced

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-28
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Premier-designate Lin Chun on Thursday announced five more future 6751061Cabinet members, including interior minister and minister of transportation and communications.

National Taiwan University law professor Yeh Jiunn-rong was named as interior minister. Yeh has been a minister without portfolio and minister of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission.

Taipei Rapid Transit Corp chairman Hochen Tan has been tapped for minister of transportation and communications. He has been chairman of Chunghwa Telecom Co, the nation’s largest phone operator.

Hsieh Shou-shing, professor at National Sun Yat-sen University’s Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, has been appointed chairman of the Atomic Energy Council.     [FULL  STORY]

9th legislative session gets underway in Taiwan

Taiwan Today
Date: February 23, 2016

The ninth ROC Legislature commenced Feb. 19 in Taipei City, with ruling and

Lawmakers get down to business on the first day of the ninth ROC Legislature Feb. 19 in Taipei City. (UDN)

Lawmakers get down to business on the first day of the ninth ROC Legislature Feb. 19 in Taipei City. (UDN)

opposition lawmakers starting work on key bills shaping the nation’s future.

A total of 34 pieces of legislation is prioritized for deliberation by the majority Democratic Progressive Party. These include civil rights, cross-strait relations, disaster prevention and rescue, handover of the presidency, income tax reform and long-term care.

Legislator Ker Chien-ming, who doubles as DPP caucus whip, said the cross-strait agreement supervisory act will be debated and reviewed under the framework of the ROC Constitution.

Acts regarding political parties and disposal of party assets are also set for deliberation. Legislator Chen Ting-fei of the DPP and also caucus secretary-general said the bills are broadly based and aimed at promoting transparency.

The 113-seat Legislature comprises 68 lawmakers from the DPP, 35 from the KMT, five from the New Power Party, three from the People First Party and the rest independents. It is the first time the DPP has enjoyed a majority in the nation’s top lawmaking body.     [FULL  STORY]

Earthquake damage can be prevented: president

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/07
By: Lin Hong-han and Jay Chen

Taipei, Feb. 7 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said Sunday that

A minute's silence is observed during the president's inspection.

A minute’s silence is observed during the president’s inspection.

measures should be taken to prevent a recurrence of the destruction that occurred in Tainan during a magnitude 6.4 earthquake Saturday.

“While earthquakes are not predictable, preventive measures can be taken,” he said.

He noted that on March 31, 2002, there was an earthquake that had an intensity reading of 5 in Taipei, the same as in Tainan on Saturday, but not a single building collapsed.

“That’s because the city government took emergency measures and our buildings’ ability to withstand earthquake was improved within three years (after the devastating Sept. 21 earthquake in 1999),” said Ma, who was Taipei mayor at the time.     [FULL  STORY]

MOL to widen discussions on hiring foreign workers

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-05
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Ministry of Labor (MOL) will widen discussions on the regulations 6733527of hiring foreign professionals with legislators and local labor groups, said Labor Minister Chen Hsiung-wen Thursday.

In a bid to strengthen Taiwan’s talent pool and retain skilled foreign workers, the ministry last December proposed the relaxation of regulations on foreign workers, creating a friendlier environment for foreign professionals.

However, the decision planned to take effect in January was faced with opposition by local labor groups due to suspicion over decreased opportunities for local workers, which prompted the ministry to put on hold such deliberation.     [FULL  STORY]