■ Appointments
Huang to join the MAC
Huang Wei-fong (黃偉峰), an associate researcher in European and American Studies at Academia Sinica, has been tapped to be a vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), media reports said yesterday. Chiu Tai-shan (邱太三), the first MAC vice chairman, confirmed that Huang is being considered for the MAC post, but said the appointment will not be final until the Cabinet makes an announcement. Huang, 39, who has a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD in political science from Oxford University, is versed in contemporary Western political theories, American and British politics, EU politics, election strategies and political sociology. Huang, a son of former Central Election Commission Chairman Huang Shih-cheng (黃石城), will be the third MAC vice chairman.
■ Justice
Publisher accepts sentence
Scoop magazine's Publisher Shen Jung (沈嶸) said on Friday she will not appeal her sentence of two years in prison in the Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳) sex-VCD case. A district court's verdict sentenced her to two years and two months but on Friday, the Taiwan High Court decreased her sentence to two years. Although Shen said she will not appeal, other defendants in the case said they have not made up their minds regarding appealing to the Supreme Court. Shen was indicted after prosecutors argued the magazine was "selling the private lives of others for profit" by giving away copies of the VCD.
■ Cross-strait ties
Matsu faithful head to China
More than 800 Taiwan followers of Matsu, the goddess of the sea, will attend the first Matsu Cultural Festival in Tianjin, northern China on Sept. 25, sources said yesterday. An 11-member delegation from Tianjin City visited Chenlan Temple (鎮瀾宮) in Tachia (大甲) in central Taiwan in July. They invited officials and followers from Taiwan's largest Matsu temple to attend the festival and escort a statue of the goddess to China to be enshrined in Tianjin's Matsu Temple. The temple, established in 1326, was the northernmost "home" of Matsu -- a goddess who has been worshipped for thousands of years by the Chinese, but mostly by people from coastal areas. A major rejuvenation of the temple is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month after it was severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution.
■ Politics
Cross-strait talks urged
The Association of Penghu Residents in Taipei City announced a "Peace Declaration" at the Grand Hotel yesterday, urging leaders on either side of the Taiwan Strait to reduce arms procurement. The group also urged the holding of peace negotiations in Penghu to establish a "Great Chinese Economic Alliance." Lu Chun-hui (盧春輝), the chief of the association, said yesterday that Penghu Island has been a bridge between Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants for the past 700 years. The association advocates the transfer of Penghu from a midway island to an area consigned by the UN. Lu said the association will promote referendums on whether to maintain Penghu's status quo or alter Penghu from a county to a special administrative district subordinate to the Executive Yuan.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
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