SOCIETY
Tapei 101 to extend display
Taipei 101’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display next year is going to be between 20 and 50 seconds longer than this year’s 218-second show and is to focus on the theme of nature, Taipei 101 spokesman Michael Liu (劉家豪) said on Tuesday, adding that the display is set to cost about NT$45 million (US$1.38 million). “Nature is the Future” is to be theme of the display, and images of fish, flowers and plants are be shown for the first time, Liu said. Taiwan is surrounded by oceans and has a rich and diverse ecology, Liu said, adding that Taipei 101 hopes to raise awareness about environmental protection. A total of 23,000 rounds of fireworks were set off at Taipei 101 this year. Liu said next year’s display would also be choreographed by the French pyrotechnic design company Group F.
TECHNOLOGY
Smart city apps deal inked
The Industrial Development Bureau on Wednesday signed a pact with four wireless carriers to develop smart city applications nationwide using 4G. The bureau has approved 19 proposals put forward by Chunghwa Telecom Co, Taiwan Mobile Co, Far EasTone Telecommunications Co Ltd and Asia Pacific Telecom that are estimated to cost NT$5.82 billion over the next three years. The project is likely to attract more than 2 million users, who would pay for the proposed 4G-based services such as cash flow management, entertainment, transportation, and security, thus creating up to NT$30 billion worth of business opportunities, the bureau said. Chunghwa Telecom president Shih Mu-piao (石木標) said his company’s 4G smart city applications are supported by 15 of the nation’s 23 counties and municipalites.
CHARITY
Social equality event begins
United Way of Taiwan began its annual fundraising event yesterday — “One-day Salary Donation” — which is aimed at improving the lives of disadvantaged people and promoting social equality. The charity group’s fundraising efforts in the first half of the year did not meet its expectations due to the nation’s poor economic environment and donations being channeled to people affected by major disasters, which led to a contraction of the groups resources, deputy director Huang Chiu-ping (黃秋萍) said. She hopes the goal of raising NT$10 million can be achieved with the campaign in order to continue the group’s social welfare service.
DIPLOMACY
Ally to back nation in UN
St Christopher and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris yesterday said that his country will continue to make the case for Taiwan’s participation in UN agencies when the the UN General Assembly convenes next month. Describing his nation as “perhaps Taiwan’s most consistent and reliable friend in the Caribbean region,” Harris said the Caribbean nation has strongly advocated Taipei’s participation in all agencies of the UN and would continue to do so. The story of the nation’s development over the past decades can serve as an inspiration to other developing countries, he added. He also stressed the importance of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, such as the WHO and the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Saint Christopher and Nevis established diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1983. It is one of the nation’s 22 diplomatic allies, half of which are in Central America and the Caribbean.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard