■ Culture
Tchen to lead association
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) announced on Monday that he will appoint Tchen Yu-chiou (陳郁秀), a former chairwoman of the Council for Cultural Affairs, as the new secretary-general of the National Cultural Association. Chen made the announcement at a dinner party of the association, of which Chen serves concurrently as president. Tchen is to fill the vacancy left by Su Chin-chiang (蘇進強), who quit the post after being elected chairman of the Taiwan Solidarity Union. Tchen told reporters she is pleased and honored to take Chen's offer and pledged to follow Su's path and promote the nation's culture building on the foundation that Su has laid. Tchen is also an ambassador at large and a presidential advisor.
■ Society
Officials promote childbirth
The government must equally encourage childbirth and the formulation of constructive immigration policies to ensure that the nation is prepared to face changing population demographics, a senior official said yesterday. Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Chairman Yeh Jiuun-rong (葉俊榮) made the remarks at a seminar. Noting that the steady decline in the birth rate and the influx of migrant workers has given rise to very complicated social problems, Yeh said the country must tackle these challenges because of their close relation to social, economic, environmental, medical and educational developments and resources distribution. Quoting the latest official tallies, Yeh said that the average local couple now gives birth to an average of 1.2 children, falling below the ideal number of two children per couple. Moreover, Yeh said that one out of every eight babies were born to a couple with one spouse being a foreigner; one out of every three married couples involves a foreign spouse and one out of every three foreign spouses hails from China. In the 1950s, Yeh said, each couple gave birth to an average of seven children. The number dropped to five in the 1960s and plunged to 2.1 in the 1970s.
■ Diplomacy
Kau illuminating Germans
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Kau (高英茂) is visiting Germany to explain the nation's stance on China's proposed anti-secession law and the proposal to lift the EU arms embargo against Beijing, an anonymous diplomatic source said yesterday. Kao, traveling at the head of a delegation consisting of Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Huang Wei-fong (黃偉峰) and Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳), a former secretary-general of the Executive Yuan, met figures from various German quarters on Monday, the source said. At a news conference, Huang told German journalists that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is that there are two political entities, one on either side of the Strait. China's proposed anti-secession law, however, would unilaterally change the status quo, because it defines the two sides as a unified nation, he said. Many polls have shown that an overwhelming majority of Taiwanese are opposed to the anti-secession law, Huang said, warning that tension will increase in the Taiwan Strait if Beijing enacts the legislation in March. Taiwan might enact a countermeasure law if that happens, he said. Beijing's hardliners may use the law as a means to legalize the use of force to invade Taiwan, Huang said. He said the EU would be regarded as endorsing Beijing's anti-secession law if it approves the lifting of the arms ban.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
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