Shipping tycoon Chang Yung-fa's (張榮發) criticism of government indifference toward the shipping industry was motivated by personal business consideration rather than the national interest, Taiwan Solidarity Union lawmakers said yesterday.
"Chang's complaints stem from his personal interests, not consideration of public benefits," TSU legislative leader Chien Lin Whei-jun (
The TSU whip came up with the opinion after Chang criticizing the government's apathy of developing marine policy and providing further aid to the shipping industry in In a speech at the China Marine College on Wednesday, Chang said the government was apathetic about he development of a maritime policy and providing aid to the shipping industry.
Chang said that the successors to the late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) have been blind to the significance of a proper policy for the shipping sector. Instead the governments only cared about winning voter support and knew nothing about shipping.
"The ocean shipping industry, which is characterized as having the greatest degree of liberalization and internationalization in the global economy, has the least freedom in Taiwan. The government's China policy is a major reason why Evergreen ships can sail to any harbor in the world except those in China," said Chang, the founder of Evergreen.
Evergreen has invested heavily in facilities in China in expectation -- so far frustrated -- of the opening of direct links.
Chien Lin said that while Chang blasted incumbent President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) for neglecting the shipping industry, he ignored the benefits that had been showered on him in terms of preferential loans and tax breaks.
Chang's forgetfulness was motivated by his avaricious desire to exploit the China market, TSU Legislator Chen Chien-ming (
Chen further deemed that the shipping chairman should give details about the size of the preferential loans he had received.
"After flaying the government, Chang owes an explanation to the public about how many ships of his ... were bought and registered in Taiwan," Chen said.
The tycoon's dissatisfaction toward the stalemate in the opening of direct links with China also prompted a response from Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
"This is an issue about mapping out a comprehensive marine policy. I believe that industrialists are clear about the government's progress in furthering direct links and they must be aware of what the government is doing at the moment," Tsai said.
In response to the lawmakers' backlash, EVA Airways Spokesman Nieh Kuo-wei (聶國維) said yesterday that Chang's speech sought to remind the government about the importance of marine policy-making, especially the significance of liberalizing and internationalizing ocean shipping.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS