Premier Frank Hsieh (
Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that in reviewing accountability for the recent water-supply problem in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, the premier had expressed the hope of soliciting a water-supply expert to replace Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘), vice economic affairs minister who served as convener of the ministry's water resources screening committee and water resources coordination committee before being demoted on Wednesday over the Taoyuan water-supply problem.
After Typhoon Matsa battered Taiwan earlier this month, bringing strong winds and torrential rains, water supply in Taoyuan was disrupted because of the high turbidity in the Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) -- the county's main water source. The water supply in the northern part of the county was not fully restored until Aug. 13.
Cho said the premier has talked with nearly 10 former officials, hydraulic-power academics and experts on how to solve the persistent water problems in Taoyuan County, although he has yet to inquire about their intention to serve as vice economic affairs minister.
Cho also said that during a regular weekly meeting with President Chen Shui-bian (
The premier had recently pointed out that none of the three sitting vice economic affairs ministers are water experts, and that their "jobs might have to be adjusted."
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
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,
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
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