Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), known for his off-the-cuff remarks to reporters, made news again yesterday after saying that he might pass a gift watch to a scrapyard because he had “no use for it.”
The pocket watch was given to him by British Minister of State for Transport Susan Kramer.
Giving clocks or watches as gifts is traditionally seen as taboo in Taiwanese and Chinese culture because the phrase “giving a clock” (送鐘) is pronounced the same as “bidding farewell” to the deceased (送終) at a funeral.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
After being asked by reporters whether he felt uncomfortable with the gift, Ko said he was not worried, because he and his wife were both doctors and were not superstitious.
He added that he lives on the fourth floor, considered unlucky by some people because the number four sounds similar to the word “death” (死).
However, the comment that drew the most media attention came as Ko laughed and said: “I can just give it to someone else or take it to a scrap metal dealer and sell it for cash.”
Taipei City Government spokesperson Lin Ho-ming (林鶴明) said that the mayor’s comment “was just a joke,” and that the gift had been stored in the city repository and would not be sold.
In his meeting with Kramer, Ko spoke in English as they discussed rail transport and urban renewal — important topics for Taipei as it prepares to host the 2017 Universiade.
The mayor presented Kramer with a miniature of Taipei 101. There was no word on what she thought of the gift.
Kramer was quoted by officials with the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei later in the day as saying that she had learned something about giving gifts.
“I’m sorry. We learn something new each day. I had no idea a gift like this could be seen as anything other than positive: In the UK a watch is precious — because nothing is more important than time,” she was quoted as saying. “The gift came from the House of Lords — which is only accessible to members of the UK’s upper parliament. It is a very unique item.”
“It was a huge honor to meet Mayor Ko. We look forward to working with him and his team in Taipei,” she added.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers