Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱), who has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, has had surgery and could be discharged from hospital in a few days, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday
Ministry spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue (虞思祖) said Kao’s cancer was discovered in the early stages and he was recovering well following the surgery. The minister does not require chemotherapy after the operation and he is expected to return to work soon, the spokesman said.
Yu added that whether Kao hosts a military drill scheduled for next week would be evaluated by his doctor, Hsu-Wen-hu (許文虎), at Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
Local media speculated that since Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) has announced that the government would have a minor Cabinet reshuffle in the coming days, Kao’s health might play a role as to whether he remains in the post.
Kao’s last public appearance was at the flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office on New Year’s Day.
The ministry said Kao was diagnosed with lung cancer during a regular health exam last month.
Local media have said that former chief of general staff Huo Shou-yeh (霍守業) has been queried by the Presidential Office about his interest in taking up the ministerial post, while also speculating that Deputy Minister of National Defense Andrew Yang (楊念祖) might have a chance of becoming the first civilian to serve in the post during President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it