Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday rejected an invitation from students to hold a debate on the government’s plan to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, saying he was busy and “does not understand the details as well as” the economics minister.
A group of students from National Taiwan University, National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology called a press conference on Monday asking Wu to explain the content of the ECFA and its impact on students at an NTU forum on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27.
Approached by reporters, Wu said that Minister of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) would deliver a speech at the forum and discuss the issue with students.
“There are two reasons [why I turned down the invitation]: I am scheduled to attend a ground-breaking ceremony for the fourth-stage expansion of the Central Taiwan Science Park on Dec. 26 in Erlin Township [二林], Changhua County and to go south on Dec. 27,” Wu said.
Wu also said he knew less about the details of the ECFA than Shih does.
“[Shih] is the most suitable person. The MOEA is in charge of the matter and he is familiar with the whole subject. If students have any questions, he has the professional knowledge to answer them,” Wu said.
He also said officials with the MOEA, the Council of Labor Affairs and the Council for Economic Planning and Development briefed him yesterday during lunch on supplementary measures that must be adopted if Taiwan signs free trade agreements with more countries following an ECFA.
Wu said he would answer questions from lawmakers if the legislature held any sessions on the issue as the premier is responsible to the legislature.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
An inauguration ceremony was held yesterday for the Danjiang Bridge, the world’s longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, ahead of its official opening to traffic on Tuesday, marking a major milestone after nearly three decades of planning and construction. At the ceremony in New Taipei City attended by President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), the bridge was hailed as both an engineering landmark and a long-awaited regional transport link connecting Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里)
RSS