Taichung City has finally got its wish for additional funding of NT$2 billion from the Executive Yuan for its planned establishment of a NT$6.4 billion branch of the Guggenheim Museum, Premier Yu Shyi-kun announced yesterday
"We'll fund the city 80 percent of the project, but no more than NT$5 billion, under the condition that the city is responsible for the planning, operation and management of the facility," Yu said, adding that the money would come from the Cabinet's soon-to-be-unveiled five-year, NT$500 billion public construction plan.
The same formula will also be applied to similar projects elsewhere in Taiwan, Yu said.
PHOTO: CNA
"Our ultimate goal is to see one regional art and culture center in the north, south and central Taiwan," Yu said. "In addition to the Guggenheim Museum in Taichung City, we're thinking of including the planned Austronesian Culture Park in Taitung County in the five-year, NT$500 billion project."
Yu spoke yesterday afternoon during a question and answer session for his trip to Nantou County to mark the fourth anniversary today of the Sept. 21, 1999, earthquake, which killed and injured more than 13,000 people. Nantou was one of the hardest-hit areas.
Yu agreed on Aug. 18 to grant Taichung City NT$3.2 billion -- half the cost -- toward its planned establishment branch of the Guggenheim Museum and said he would decide within three weeks whether to grant the city NT$2 billion more.
Also at the question session Yu was asked whether he was optimistic about the prospect of negotiating with China on indirect scheduled charter cargo flights.
Yu said that the government was willing to sit down and talk with its Chinese counterpart.
"There's no bottom line set for cross-strait negotiations because we're willing to talk with Beijing at any time, anywhere and about any topic, including the `one China' policy and two-way, direct flights," Yu said.
The government announced on Sept. 10 that domestic airlines will be allowed to operate indirect scheduled charter cargo flights to Shanghai for a year, starting Sept. 25.
Since only domestic airlines offering international flights are eligible to apply, Beijing has complained that Taiwan's government had made the decision unilaterally and called for the opening of two-way, direct flights.
Yu yesterday also reiterated the government's resolve to hold a referendum on or before next March's presidential election as pledged by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). "It's not only people's basic right to exercise the right of referendum but also a democratic norm," Yu said.
"Those who are worried about the governments plans for holding referendums or who feel referendum is like China's Cultural Revolution are afraid of the power of direct democracy," Yu said, alluding to remarks made by Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) earlier in the week.
Although local governments have held more than 10 referendums so far, the country did not go wild, Yu said.
"And if an advisory referendum is similar to an opinion poll," as Ma had suggested Wednesday, "then there's no need to be afraid of holding one, is there?" Yu said
Responding to opposition lawmakers' allegations that the Cabinet had overblown its achievements in post-quake reconstruction efforts, Yu said that it was impossible for the government to lie about it since it was under the scrutiny of the media, the public and the Legislative Yuan.
According to Yu, the 1999 earthquake caused property damage and financial losses amounting to over NT$360 billion. The government has made and been granted four budget requests from the legislature, totaling NT$212.3 billion. As of yesterday, the government has implemented about 75 percent of the budget total, he said.
Also See Story:
Chinese spouses protest ID issue
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft