Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday called on the government to look into possible political factors in what is regarded as US opposition to Taipei establishing units in its representative offices to promote the use and learning of traditional Chinese characters.
Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission (OCAC) Minister Wu Ying-yih (吳英毅) told the legislature’s Foreign and Defense Committee that a recent media report said the government’s plan to establish “Taiwan Academies” as part of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices in Houston and Los Angeles had hit a snag in Washington.
“The US initially thought we planned to run fee-based -Mandarin-language classes, but the point had been fully clarified. Everything is ready now. We are just awaiting approval from the US so that we can get started,” Wu said.
Wu said that US law forbids fee-charging language classes operated by foreign governments in its territory, a rule that is universally applied to foreign representative offices to protect private language schools.
DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) was not convinced and said the reason why the US opposed the plan might be that the name “Taiwan Academies” displeased Beijing.
“Wasn’t it because the name ‘Taiwan Academies’ carries the implication of Taiwan’s sovereignty? I believe China was behind the US’ opposition to the plan,” Tsai said.
Wu said that in his view, the US was a country that has a backbone and was not easily influenced by others.
KMT Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) said the commission could have overlooked the real nature of the problem by saying it was simply a matter of US prohibiting charging fees for language classes.
“To run language courses that charge a fee is not a significant issue. The real reason [for alleged US opposition to the academies] is that the US Department of State has allowed China to set up Confucius Institutes. The OCAC should not simplify the problem,” Chang said.
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
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
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