Civilians and government officials yesterday paid tribute to former Air Force pilot Chen Huai (陳懷) on the 50th anniversary of his death. Chen died when the Chinese military shot down the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft he was flying.
ceremony
The ceremony held by civilians including Roger Hsi (習賢德), a professor of journalism at Fu Jen Catholic University, Yang Hua-kun, a younger cousin of Chen, and three former members of the Black Cat Squadron took place at the Air Force’s martyrs tomb in Sindian District (新店), New Taipei City (新北市).
National Security Council Secretary-General Hu Wei-jen (胡為真) and the chief of the air force’s political warfare department, Lieutenant General Wu Wan-chiao (吳萬教), represented the government and military in their tributes to Chen.
Hsi said because Chen did not marry and his direct relatives live in Fuzhou, in China’s Fujian Province, they have been unable to go to Taiwan to apply to the government for compensation and have not received any compensation for his death in 50 years.
He said compensation for Chen’s sacrifice for the country is a matter of morality and justice and he hoped the government could find a way to compensate the family.
compensation
Yang said Chen’s parents suffered oppression in China after Chen’s death. The military later said in a press statement that according to the Act Governing Relations between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), Chinese nationals who are family members of martyrs could receive compensation but because Chen’s parents have died, no one could apply for compensation.
Before Chen was killed above Jiangxi Province, he had flown three other operational missions in the U-2.
The Black Cat squadron flew U-2 surveillance planes and collected intelligence information from 1961 to 1974.
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