Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) filed a lawsuit this week against the director of the clinical research division of the National Health Research Institutes, Su Ih-ren (
Earlier this week Su said that the government's plan to build the park was primarily to coordinate with the development of THSRC's station in northern Hsin-chu.
He also said that the project has turned into a "black hole" as it has proved unprofitable to date and that Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), the president of the Academia Sinica, was partly responsible as he was the coordinator of the case.
In response to Su's claim, Lee said he was not involved in the decision-making process behind the scheme and demanded an apology from Su.
THSRC chairman Nita Ing (
The real problem, she said, extends from rivalries between different factions in the medical field.
The purpose of the legal action is to present and clarify the facts, she added.
Su said earlier that the establishment of the science would help finance THSRC's operation.
Wang, on the other hand, claimed that the National Science Council purchased the land from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) for NT$4 billion (US$125 million).
The ministry, however, did not list the revenue on the year-end balance sheet, he said, and claimed the proceeds might go to THSRC's account.
Independent Legislator Lin Wei-chou (
Lin said he believes Su did so to help the person in charge of the preparation of the park who is reluctant to yield the power.
Lin called Su's claim "a product of struggling for the authority to lead the case."
Meanwhile, the launch of Taiwan's first bullet train could be delayed after lawmakers released records about subsidence discovered in track sections in Miaoli County.
Yesterday the company invited lawmakers of the legislature's transportation committee and the media to personally examine some of the sections in question.
The company said 35 instances of subsidence had been detected and repaired. The company will continue to monitor the tracks and promised to improve the situation before he train is scheduled to begin operating in October.
"The train is our bread and butter," said Ted Chia (
Wu Fu-hsiang (吳福祥), director general of MOTC's bureau of high speed rail, said the contract signed later between the high speed rail bureau and THSRC dictated that the company has to gradually increase the number of trains and passengers within six months of the facility opening.
The contract also said that both parties have to set a definite date at some point during the six months, after which the company will run 60 trains a day.
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
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
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS