Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung’s (劉政鴻) comments during a ceremony with Chinese officials from Jiangxi Province to finalize a deal on academic, cultural and agricultural interaction have been slammed by netizens and Academia Sinica researcher Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) as “disgraceful” and pandering to the Chinese delegation.
Liu said he had been “worried Typhoon Matmo would affect the ceremony, and could not sleep from worry over potential damage from the storm, but thanks to the presence of [Chinese Communist Party chief of Jiangxi Province] Qiang Wei (強衛) and his entourage we have seen minimal wind and rain.”
Huang lashed out on Facebook over Liu’s comments.
Photo: Fu Chao-piao, Taipei Times
“It is not surprising to see two thugs [of] Human Rights [abuse] enjoying each other’s company,” Huang wrote.
Numerous netizens also lambasted Liu’s comments and called them “disgusting.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers also criticized Liu’s comments, a report by the Chinese-language Apple Daily said.
DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said she felt “quite uncomfortable” reading the comments, adding that the typhoon causing minimal damage was a blessing for Taiwanese and had nothing to do with the Jiangxi officials.
DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) said there was no reason to flatter Chinese officials to such a degree.
Meanwhile, Falun Gong members gathered outside the restaurant in protest against Beijing.
Members said Qiang had been part of the oppression the Chinese government had launched against the organization during former Chinese president Jiang Zemin’s (江澤民) time in office.
The Falun Gong members said they would continue to spread their ideals and called on Qiang to convey to Beijing their appeals to cease oppression of the movement in China.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
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