Monthly payments to Lin Hsiu-chen (
The Chinese-language China Times yesterday published a story which cited NSB officials as saying that in addition to receiving a monthly payment of NT$25,000 while named as a janitor on the payroll of the Presidential Office, Lin also received more than NT$20,000 per month from the NSB as a "secret service subsidy."
NSB officials said Lin -- better known to the public as Auntie A-ching (
But because of changes in her working conditions, the subsidy was stopped this month, according to the reports.
The subsidy is given to secret service staff maintaining the security of the president and the vice president, and Lin's subsidy was equal to that paid to an army captain, the reports said.
Opposition lawmakers lambasted the subsidy payments as "highly improper," but the Democratic Progressive Party caucus said that in view of the public feelings, the subsidy for the past five years -- estimated at around NT$1.16 million (US$35,000) -- had been returned.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Tsai Chin-lung (
People First Party caucus whip Lu Hsueh-chang (
Taiwan Solidarity Union Le-gislator Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) said that Lin's claiming of the subsidy was outrageous and that the NSB should make a full review.
Lin had since earlier this month resigned from the Presidential Office, but she remains in Chen's private employ at his own expense.
Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (
That money included salary and bonuses paid to Lin from Presidential Office funds and the NSB funds, and money paid for Lin since Chen Hsing-yu married and moved into her parent's house on Minsheng E Road in Taipei five years ago, Lee said.
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 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
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,
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